FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS

Chapter 14: A Desperate Measure

Chaldea

Ritsuka, Mash, Cuchulainn Lancer and Cuchulainn Caster returned from their flower gathering expedition and headed for the medical ward. Lancer had already bundled their selection of flowers into a grand bouquet in a vase, which he took great measures to ensure it came out as lovely as possible for his daughter. As the group reached the entrance, they found Mordred peeking into the room with a nervous expression written all over her face.

"What are you doing, Sir Mordred?" Mash asked aloud.

The knight jolted and immediately rushed up to her, covering her mouth and hissing, "Shhh!"

"Hmgh?"

"Alter's fast asleep in there. I wanted to see Connla, but I don't wanna piss him off either…"

Everyone glanced inside, and they discovered that Cuchulainn Alter had indeed passed out while continuing his vigilant watch over Connla. He nestled his head next to hers while remaining seated in his chair, and both of them snored lightly almost in tandem. He held her right hand at all times though, and the others noticed that a faint red glow surrounded both hands.

"She's still asleep?" Ritsuka whispered.

"This is worse than last time," Caster said, then quietly proceeded toward the bed. He narrowed his eyes when he inspected the red glow, then murmured, "I wonder what Alter is doing…"

"Looks like some kind of Runecraft linking his Spirit Origin with hers," Lancer said as he set the vase down on a nearby table and likewise took a closer look.

Mordred faced Ritsuka and Mash, then muttered, "It's been almost three weeks now. You sure Connla being in a coma like this is normal?"

"It only happened once before, but it occurs whenever she suffers traumatic injuries," Mash explained. "Lord El-Melloi is looking into finding a cure for this, but he has a feeling it will be extremely difficult, if not outright impossible."

"Shit… If I had known, I would have done a better job of protecting her."

"She probably didn't want to make you worry about her so much. She tries to do what she can to avoid dumping her problems onto other people."

"Tch. Those kind of people piss me off."

As everyone was chatting in hushed voices amongst themselves, that was when Cuchulainn Alter stirred awake and groaned, "Grrgh… The hell is going on here?"

"Whoops," Lancer cringed. "Looks like we woke the beast up."

The Berserker glared at them with an even grouchier gaze than usual. He snarled a little and asked his counterpart, "Do you want me to kill you?"

"Relax, man. We just wanted to see the kid."

"… Hmph."

"So what's the deal with you linking your Spirit Origin with hers? Is there something else wrong with her?" Caster wondered.

Alter shifted his eyes toward the third Cuchulainn. Although Caster possessed some of the original Cuchulainn's mannerisms that grated Alter's nerves, he found it easier to converse with the mild-mannered druid compared to the outspoken Lancer. Alter exhaled a deep sigh, then muttered, "I'm too tired to explain that shit right now. Let's just say it's necessary if we want the kid to ever wake up again."

"Have you been doing this the entire time?"

"Pretty much."

"You must be exhausted. Why don't you let one of us take over?"

"You sure? You two seem more interested in gallivanting with Master's personal harem to give a rat's ass about the kid."

Lancer sternly put his hands on his hips and growled, "What, you think we're worthless deadbeats or something? Give us a break. I don't want Connla to be in this state either, but I also have my job to do."

"Don't give me that. I've seen both of you passing by with some of the female Servants before. If your 'job' involves chasing tail, then you're doing stellar work."

"Come on, man…"

Ritsuka stepped forward and declared, "That's enough. I'll let Lancer and Caster take care of Connla for now. Alter, you should get some rest."

Alter turned his eyes toward her and bore a dispassionate expression. He then snatched the Mini-Cu doll from beneath Connla's arm and muttered, "Fine. I'm just gonna go back into this thing for a while. If there's an emergency, wake me up."

His entire body shone red, then he disappeared in a crimson haze that traveled into the Bloodstone stuffed inside the doll. Mordred put her hands behind her back and scratched one leg with the other while muttering, "Scary…"

Caster shrugged, then sat down next to Connla's bed and held her hand. Unlike with Alter, the aura that glowed on their hands was a light aqua hue. "He's just sleep deprived. For all of the enjoyment he gets out of killing, he's also the laziest one among us Cuchulainns."

"So you'll take care of the link for now?" Lancer wondered.

"Yeah. I don't know what the deal is, but if Alter says it's important, then I'm not gonna question him."

"Fine. I'll stop by later so we can rotate."

Ritsuka, Mash and Mordred gave quick regards to Connla, then they and Lancer left so that Caster could concentrate.

Edelfelt Manor

As everyone sat around the lounge, Shirou groaned. He shuffled on the sofa and wearily opened his eyes before looking around. Immediately, he noticed the gloomy looks on the others' faces.

"Are you up, Senpai?" Sakura asked, leaning in and pressing her hand on his forehead.

"Yeah… Ngk!" he cringed as he tried to move his hand. An incredibly painful numbness reverberated through the wrist that formerly had Saber's Command Spells. The muscles tightened up against his volition, and he needed a moment to regain control.

"Don't force yourself," Rin murmured. "So long as you don't use that hand for a few days, you should be fine."

"Gah… T-Tohsaka… Are you okay? Did Caster do anything to hurt you?"

"I'm unharmed, though I am in the same situation as you concerning Archer."

"Argh," Shirou growled irritably as he thought about the red-garbed bowman. "That guy betrayed you. I could see it in his eyes – he was cooperating with Caster freely. It wasn't the same as with Saber…"

"I know. That's something we'll have to save for later. Right now, we need to pool all of the information we have and figure out how to fight against Caster."

Shirou laid his head back on the pillow, then asked Caren, "How did you and Lancer fare with your search?"

The nun murmured, "Certainly better than you. For starters, we ran into Kotomine Kirei and his Lancer."

"What!?"

"Quite the shocker, isn't it? But don't worry. Our Lancer managed to gravely wound the other one, and chopped off Kirei's arm as recompense for him betraying Bazett. If there's one silver lining in all of this, we won't have to worry about them prowling around for a while."

"Is that so?" he murmured as he glanced at Connla. She just sat in her chair with a dispirited and distant expression. He then wondered, "Wait, Tohsaka doesn't know about Kirei, does she…?"

Rin replied, "Caren and Sakura told me everything about that fake priest's deception. They even introduced me to Bazett and explained about Second Lancer being her Servant. To be honest, I'm not surprised with Kirei's behavior in the least bit. The rules have been bent so out of shape that we can no longer rely on them to keep order among us participants."

"Does this mean you're on board with Caren and Lancer putting a stop to the Holy Grail Wars?"

"Well, I was just in to win. It's not like I have any particular desire to make a wish on the Holy Grail. But if Lancer's claims about the Grail being tainted are true, then this is a matter that requires the Mage Association's and the Church's full attention. If nothing is done, there will be far too many casualties for me to fathom."

"Good," Shirou lightly smiled. "I'm glad you understand, Tohsaka."

"Uh…" Rin's cheeks flushed red, then she folded her arms and glared away. "T-This is just to maintain my family's reputation as prominent and respected Mages. If my ancestor was responsible for starting this whole thing, then it's my duty to end it."

Caren crossed her legs and declared, "In any case, there is something important that Kirei told me before the battle. He claimed that Kuzuki Soichirou is Caster's Master. I asked Rin and Sakura if they knew him, and their answers were rather informative. Now I want to know your take on this, Emiya."

Shirou's eyes nearly boggled out of their sockets. "Mr. Kuzuki!? Y-You can't be serious! He's one of the teachers at school!"

"I already know that. Since you're friends with Ryuudou Issei, I want to see if you might have heard of any connection between Kuzuki and Ryuudou Temple. There's no way Caster would have been able to use it as her territory otherwise."

"Well… I think Issei said that Mr. Kuzuki was residing there after he moved to Fuyuki two years ago."

"I see. I'm getting a better grasp of things now," the priestess nodded as she took some papers from a table next to her. "Once Kirei mentioned that man's name, I called in to some of my Church associates for several favors. One of them looked into Kuzuki's background, and their findings were most disturbing."

"Disturbing…?" Sakura wondered worriedly.

"Yes. I've been saving this information for when Emiya woke up, so this is the first time any of you will hear this. According to my associate, Kuzuki was raised by an organization that the Church has been hunting down for many years. This nameless collective takes orphaned children and breeds them into professional assassins, keeping them in isolated areas like forests and mountains to minimize any influence from modern society. Once they were ready, they would be integrated into society and ordered into 'standby' until they received a mission."

"You have got to be kidding me," Rin bitterly snapped.

"I don't believe this," Shirou scowled. "What kind of organization would do that?"

"I'm more worried about why Kuzuki would be sent to Fuyuki. Is there someone he's staking out? Was there a connection between him and the Holy Grail War before even Caster came around?"

Caren shook her head. "There's no way to know. This group is so elusive that finding any information about them is akin to a miracle."

As Connla listened, she wrung her fingers together anxiously. She couldn't forget that piercing gaze in Soichirou's deadpan eyes as he inspected her. Even when she was in her Constance Hortensia disguise, she had a feeling that her masquerade meant nothing to him. Both of them had stared at each other intently, not as regular people, but as seasoned warriors. She couldn't understand how Soichirou came to possess such keen insight, but Caren's explanation finally cleared things up for her. If Connla had indeed made contact with a professional assassin, then her earlier feelings of uncertainty made perfect sense.

"So," Medusa murmured. She had been sitting next to Sakura listening the entire time, but now she wanted to address the main issue at hand. "Now that we have all the information we need about Caster, how are we going to make our move against them? As it stands, Lancer and I might not be enough to combat their forces."

"Saber was quite resistant to Caster's control though," Shirou said, thinking of the despairing look in Artoria's eyes while he was forced to abandon her. Leaving her behind was just as painful for him as when he had to ignore the dying people around him during the fire 10 years ago. His own cowardice disgusted him, but he had to keep those feelings in check and focus on rescuing her rather than beating himself up.

"True. It was only because of Saber that we were able to escape," the long-haired Rider agreed. "But that resilience won't last long. Given enough time, Caster will break through her magic resistance and gain full control of her. Then we really will have no hope of overpowering them."

"Then we have to make our move while Saber is still herself."

"So it would seem," Caren muttered. "If we put it in that perspective, our odds might be better than we think. To improve our chances though, we'll need all hands on deck for this mission. With Archer on Caster's side, one Servant will have to keep him preoccupied, at the very least. The other Servant plus us Masters will go and deal with Kuzuki and Caster directly."

"But that leaves Ms. McRemitz completely unguarded…" Connla moaned worriedly.

"We don't have a choice. You and Rider will have to decide who is going to fight Archer."

The two Servants glanced at each other uneasily. Rin likewise became pensive as she thought about her former Servant. Connla noticed this and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I know this is going to sound extremely selfish of me at a time like this, but… Is there any way that either of you two could just beat Archer into submission without killing him?"

The young Lancer sat back, clearly appearing uncomfortable. Shirou grit his teeth and turned his eyes away from her despondent expression. Connla murmured, "Why would you want to do that, Ms. Tohsaka?"

"Archer sacrificed himself to save me. He must be suffering so much, having to heed that witch's command without being able to resist her."

Connla exhaled a deep huff and muttered, "You can't be serious. I've seen what Archer is like. I sincerely doubt he is going through any labors over serving Caster. In fact, I think he must be relieved to be working with someone who shares the same ideology as he does. If you asked me, it would be better if he was killed."

Rin couldn't believe what she was hearing. She shot to her feet and cried out, "Don't be absurd! You're trying to rally all of the other Servants, aren't you!? Why are you making an exception with Archer!? Sure, maybe he doesn't have the best personality around, but I can guarantee his strength!"

Connla turned her eyes toward the frantic teenager. "Then it would seem… that you don't know."

Rin immediately stopped yelling and snarled, "Don't know about what?"

"Archer's true nature. Of course, he probably would have lied to you concerning the events of the Ryuudou battle."

"Why would he lie to me?"

"I've been told that you're a Mage who will do anything it takes to win, yet you actually lack the conviction needed to hurt others. Meanwhile, Archer extols himself as a pacifist who tries to keep the number of casualties to a minimum, but that couldn't be further from the truth. That man is as much of a monster as Caster is."

"How could you say that…?"

Connla grimly replied, "Archer declared that he would rather have all of the townsfolk die in exchange for saving the rest of the world from Caster."

"What!?"

"If you don't believe me, Mr. Emiya can testify to this as well."

"That's insane! There's no way Archer would go so far!"

"He said that without hesitation. It would be advantageous for him to go all out fighting if there weren't any people around for him to worry about saving. He treats Caster as basically the means to the end of wiping out the entire populace. I'd say he's become a creature of convenience who would rather do what's easiest for himself instead of putting in the effort to save as many as he could."

"You're lying, aren't you? I refuse to believe that I summoned a Servant like that!" Rin barked.

Connla looked away from her. Her expression remained vapid and unfeeling. Rin hoped that Connla would suddenly laugh out loud and declare that she was pulling some kind of demented prank on her. But the little girl's stoic face never changed. She was completely serious.

Soon, the young Lancer murmured, "It would seem that you never actually understood your Servant."

Rin's eyes widened in horror. Connla remained stone-faced as she declared, "Both you and Mr. Emiyalost your Servants. Even so, I still have much respect for Mr. Emiya because he cared about Saber as a person. Even if he can't fight as well as us Servants, I am happy to have him by my side. You, on the other hand, only saw Archer as a tool for victory. As a result, he up and left you to ally with Caster. That wouldn't have happened had you taken the time to understand him. Because of your ignorance, Fuyuki is now in even greater danger than before. Caster will siphon everyone, and then give greater power to Archer so he can eliminate the rest of us. If he really used a copy of Caladbolg to decimate that graveyard before, what do you think would happen if he had an entire city's worth of mana that Caster allowed him to use?"

"…"

"You were unwilling to exercise full authority over your Servant. Only now are you beginning to understand the consequences of your inaction."

"Lancer, come on," Shirou implored. "I think that's enough-"

"Ms. Tohsaka."

Rin's pained gaze met with Connla's cold stare. Then the girl tilted her head, as if fatigued from lecturing her.

"You're a hopeless neophyte who should have never stuck your head in this war."

Rin's heart seized. Her legs buckled, and she fell to her knees from the immense weight of hearing those awful words.

"Lancer!" Shirou shouted angrily. "Tohsaka's already in enough pain! You don't need to make things any worse!"

"If you don't want me to insult her any further, then convince her to lock herself in the basement for the remainder of the war," Connla said. "The last thing the rest of us need is an ignorant little girl stumbling around trying to play war games."

Rin gasped lightly. That sounded exactly like what Archer said when she first summoned him. Although he was more callous in his disparaging remarks compared to Connla's chilly disposition, the spirit behind them was virtually the same:

"Seems like I've been drawn by quite the unusual little Master. Or was I the one who drew the short stick?"

"I am utterly dissatisfied, yet I will grudgingly acknowledge you as my Master. But only on one condition – I will disregard anything you say to me. I will be the one to call the shots in battle."

"Though I may be your Servant, it will be in form alone. Until this Holy Grail War ends, I suggest you sit tight in the cellar or something. That should keep even someone as inexperienced as you alive. Leave everything to me, and tend to your own wellbeing."

"I don't expect anything from you."

Rin had been so frustrated with Archer that she used her first Command Spell to make him obedient to her. She was so desperate to prove her worth to this badmouthing ingrate that she wasted a perfectly good order for such a selfish reason. The command had been so broad and vague that Archer didn't feel quite as restrained as if it had been an extremely specific objective.

Rin bit her lip. Did she and Archer cooperate together only because of that order? Was their partnership really that shallow? He called Rin his ideal type of Master, but for what reason? If Connla was telling the truth, it meant that Archer had been deceiving his Master the entire time. Instead of convincing her to stay out of sight, he circumvented this by treating Rin as a gullible fool that he could feign loyalty to while fulfilling his goals the way he wanted to. That was why he considered her a perfect Master for him.

In other words, she was the equivalent of a puppet ruler.

Without thinking, Rin's hand whipped through the air. The palm struck flesh and produced a sharp slapping sound. Everyone else stopped and stared at her. Rin immediately came to her senses and gazed at Connla in shocked regret. The little girl held her fingers against the swollen cheek and looked away.

"I… I didn't…" the teenager uttered and snatched her own wrist. "I didn't mean to do that…"

After a profound silence, Connla turned her eyes back toward Rin. Then, with nary a change to her blank expression, she turned and walked upstairs without looking back at the others. She gently opened the door to Bazett's room, then entered and locked it shut with a distinct click.

Caren watched the stunned Servant leave, then said to Rin, "That was rather immature of you."

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have, but I was just so overwhelmed."

"Well, Lancer does have a tendency to be too blunt for her own good. Plus, you must be exhausted after you and Shirou lost your Servants. Perhaps it would be best for us to cool our heads first before coming up with a plan to fight Caster."

"You're right…"

Sakura put her hands on her sister's shoulders and said, "Let's wait for Senpai to recover. In the meantime, we can catch up with each other."

"Yeah," Rin nodded dejectedly. "You and I should sit down and talk about what's been going on."

"Of course. Rider and I will tell you everything you need to know."

"Then I will stay with Lancer," Caren said as she headed upstairs. "I'll tell her that you apologized for your actions. The last thing we need is any lingering awkwardness driving a wedge between us."

With that, the priestess walked toward Bazett's room and knocked on the door. She didn't get a reply right away, so she knocked again and declared, "It's me. Open up already, Lancer."

A moment passed, then the locks snapped open on the other side, and Connla poked her head through the door. Her vapid expression did not change, although the swelling on her cheek receded by now. She looked up at Caren and murmured, "Sorry for the delay. I was just giving Master a bath."

"I see. Here I was thinking you were throwing an epic temper tantrum like some spoiled child."

Connla wasn't in the mood for her jokes right now. She disregarded the quip and asked, "Do you need something from me?"

"I just want to talk with you."

Caren stepped through and watched as Connla bathed Bazett, then folded her arms and said, "I trust you understand how dire our situation has become, yes?"

"I realized it once I saw that Mr. Emiya and Ms. Tohsaka's Command Spells were missing," the child Servant said.

"Two Servants against three, with others lurking in the background… To be honest with you, I don't like our chances."

"I understand. Our numbers and capabilities are not on an even playing field with Caster's group. I've been thinking of ways that we can balance things out a bit, but our options are severely limited. There's only one idea that I keep coming back to that can give us the most significant advantage."

Caren narrowed her eyes and glared intently at the girl. She did not like where this discussion was heading, and she voiced it by stating, "You're not going to suggest what I think it is, are you?"

"I am. There's no way around this…"

Connla returned the nun's glare with a determined look in her eyes.

"I'm going to speak with Berserker's Master."

Deep in the outskirts of Fuyuki City, there was a grand castle-villa situated about a four hour walk away from the bustling city. Compared to the evenly-split modern Shinto district and traditional Miyama district that comprised Fuyuki, this place was like a tiny slice of European design had been cut out and pasted here, making for a stark contrast against the Japanese fashion that was prevalent here. The structure was five stories high, and was shaped to resemble the ko katakana when seen from directly above. The interior was especially luxurious, with the foyer alone capable of inspiring awe from any locals who were fortunate enough to stumble upon this isolated property.

This mansion belonged to the Einzberns, one of the three Mage families responsible for maintaining the Heaven's Feel system in Fuyuki. The one who helped spearhead the ritual for the Einzberns, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, had her expressionless portrait displayed in an elegant golden frame at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor. Despite the overwhelming amount of elegance adorning the mansion, this was still considered frugal to the Einzberns since this was merely considered a stronghold for the family to reside in.

This was where Illyasviel von Einzbern, the war's most powerful Mage and the Master of Berserker, called home for her entire life. In her direct service were two maids; the stern yet caring Sella, and the overprotective Leysritt. At the moment, Illyasviel was reclining on a sofa chair in her private chambers, observing the images being projected to her from a crystal ball. Sella and Leysritt stood behind her and likewise partook in seeing what their mistress observed.

"Hmm… It's no good," Illyasviel moaned. "I've looked all over town, but I can't find him anywhere."

"Mistress, should you really be spending your time searching for this Emiya fellow?" Sella wondered with a severe expression. "Ever since Berserker fought Saber and Archer, you've been thinking about nothing but seeing that boy again."

"You don't understand, Sella," the young girl muttered bitterly. "He's the only reason I've gone through my training so diligently. Kiritsugu raised him like a father, while completely abandoning me, his actual daughter. But Kiritsugu is no longer here. That's why I'll have my revenge against his 'son' instead."

Sella frowned. She recalled listening to the Einzberns' patriarch, Jubstacheit, as he revealed to her the truth behind Kiritsugu's abandonment. He had been hired by the Einzberns to represent them as the Master for the Fourth Holy Grail War, but he wound up betraying them and destroying the Grail. Because of this, Jubstacheit erected barriers around Einzbern Manor to prevent Kiritsugu from seeing Illyasviel ever again. Sella was only told this in order to keep Illyasviel from seeking the truth. Since she was one of many homunculi that the Einzberns developed, Sella could be easily 'programmed' to follow a command of keeping her master ignorant while raising her to be the Master for the Fifth War. As much as Sella wanted to hug Illyasviel and divulge everything to her, she had to hold back and let her wallow in a misguided quest for vengeance.

Illyasviel's fervent scoping of Fuyuki was part of this, yet Sella was growing increasingly frustrated with the foolishness of it all. On the other hand, Leysritt was completely ignorant of everything. Since she was the newest homunculus, her speech patterns and mannerisms were still rather underdeveloped. The only reason she was chosen as a maid was because of her immense fighting strength, so she functioned more as a bodyguard than a proper servant. Leysritt tilted her head and asked, "Emiya… Is he… that important to you?"

"Yes," Illyasviel murmured with a bitter smile. "Emiya Shirou is very, very important to me. His death will finally vindicate all of the pain, agony, and loneliness I had to endure. Seeing his corpse will give me the purpose I've been searching for. Furthermore, I will make Kiritsugu watch every last moment of it so he will regret ever abandoning me. This hatred is what has fueled me this entire time."

"Hatred…"

"But it's strange. Where has Shirou disappeared to? Why won't he come out anymore? Is it because he is afraid of Berserker?"

"That must be it," Sella implored. "Berserker is a demigod of great renown and power. Everyone must have gone into hiding once they found out how amazing he is."

"I don't know about that… Hm?"

Illyasviel blinked when she felt a tingle in her nervous system. She switched the view in her crystal orb to the barrier surrounding the villa, searching to see who disrupted it. She eventually found someone she had never seen before – a blonde-haired man with red eyes who wore black and white biker garments.

"Who… is that…?" Leysritt murmured.

None of them liked the calm, collected look on his face. His smile remained unwavering as he just stood there for a long while. Then, without anything to warn them, he hopped on one foot and leapt high into the sky, well above the Einzberns' elaborate barriers. The three women watched in horror as he casually plummeted onto the rooftop, barely fazed by the great distances he just fell from. His feet planted upon the blue tiles, and he stared at the courtyard with that same haughty smirk.

"Impossible…" Illyasviel gasped. "H-How could he…?"

"Mistress, go find Berserker. Leysritt and I will take care of this," Sella implored. Both maids hurried outside to meet this intruder, with Leysritt brandishing her large halberd. They emerged in the courtyard and glared up at him.

The man put a hand on his hip and declared, "Homunculi, huh? Though my reception is rather lukewarm, I will dismiss it since you are so well made. You may only be human in shape, but your function as human beings is rather advanced. Only a mold of the finest caliber could have produced beings like you, who are clearly capable of understanding my power."

Indeed, both maids could sense that this fellow possessed a remarkable aura, perhaps on par with Berserker's, if not greater. Leysritt murmured, "Sella, this man is…"

"I know. Don't worry about me and get the mistress out of here," Sella whispered nervously.

He said, "Now, don't sound so frightened. Assuming it is out of fear, I shall let your disrespect slide. All I am here for is your master. Those who are not important to me should get out of my sight immediately."

"I'm afraid we cannot comply. Our purpose is to protect the mistress from any and all outside threats. I believe you must be a king of great stature, but I will not let someone who reeks of blood pass so easily!"

"Is that right? Then you may die like the fragile flowers that you are. Your screams of anguish will no doubt beckon the Grail's vessel out of hiding."

"The Grail's vessel…" Leysritt suddenly became serious when she heard those words. She got into her fighting stance, then leapt up to meet him in battle as she shouted, "No mistaking it. You are Illya's enemy!"

He stared at her with a bored gaze. In an instant, a golden flash tore through her arm. The cleanly severed limb flew back, still gripping the halberd. Leysritt could only understand the pain at first. She looked over at the stub, seeing the white fabric of her dress gradually turn red. Her shock turned into horror as she turned her eyes back to the man. Around a dozen rippling golden portals opened around him, and an impressive variety of bladed weapons poked through.

"Leysritt!"

Sella's scream was the last thing Leysritt ever heard.

Medusa sat on her favorite spot atop Edelfelt Manor's rooftop. She gazed at the dark sky, watching intently as the first signs of sunlight broke through the horizon and gradually pushed the night away. All of the conversing and strategizing she had to go through gave her little time to just sit back and enjoy the scenery at her own leisure. Even so, she had trouble relaxing. All she could think about was whether or not she should be the one to fight Archer, or if Connla was more suitable for the task.

That girl is certainly strong… But she appears quite shaken after her last meeting with Archer. A Master's commands are absolute, yet Lancer is too kind to allow someone like him to roam about. I highly doubt she would fulfill Tohsaka's request to spare his life after he said such drivel to her. Even so, if Tohsaka could reclaim Archer as her Servant, it would be a great benefit for us. But then…

She turned on her side and rested her head upon her hand, then sighed in frustration.

Would recruiting him actually be more dangerous than we think? Could he wind up breaking us apart faster than we realize?

She wasn't sure what to believe. Her doubts kept ping-ponging back and forth, which practically drove her crazy with uncertainty. If he really was as callous as Connla claimed, there was no way Medusa would want someone like him near Sakura. But if Connla's lecture managed to make Rin wise up to her role as a Master, maybe she could keep Archer's destructive impulses under control.

Medusa thought she would tear off the roof after pondering so much. It was only thanks to her hearing a couple of distant voices that the rooftop was spared from her wrath. She climbed along the tiles like a lithe spider and craned her head over the edge to see what was going on. She recognized the voices as belonging to Caren and Connla, and she found them talking outside the front entrance.

The first words Medusa heard were when Caren asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Connla nodded. "It's a huge risk, but I am willing to take it."

"You realize this may mean you won't come back alive."

"I know. But if I don't do anything, the damage will be far greater."

Caren sighed in resignation. "If you're that determined, then I won't stop you. I'm just saying that this might be the last time we'll get to speak with each other. If you fail, the upcoming battle will have to fall solely onto Rider's shoulders."

"I'll do everything I can to survive, but I'm not going to make any promises."

"Fair enough."

Connla turned to leave, then asked, "If I wind up dying, could you take care of Master for me?"

"Certainly. It's the least I can do to repay you for your services."

"You have my gratitude, Ms. Hortensia. Now then, I should not tarry any longer."

With that, the child Servant dashed into the forest as a near-invisible gust of wind. Medusa narrowed her eyes and thinned her lips. Without alerting Caren, she crept back onto the roof, then shimmied down to the balcony and returned inside. Shirou, Rin and Sakura were asleep, so she had to be as quiet as possible in catching Caren. As the nun turned the corner to go to Bazett's room, that was when Medusa stood in her way.

"Oh? You look rather displeased. Has something happened?" Caren wondered.

"… Where is Lancer going?" was the terse reply.

"What ever do you mean? Lancer is taking care of Bazett right now."

"Lies. I saw you sending her off."

"Did you now? I was wondering why I had the most unpleasant chill up my spine."

"From the way you two were talking, it almost seems like she has left on a secret suicide mission."

The priestess grew annoyed with the Servant's insistence, so she relented and muttered, "That's precisely what's going on."

"What do you mean?"

"Lancer had the grand idea of talking with Berserker's Master by herself. You could say she's put the onus on herself to see it through."

Medusa immediately became alarmed when she heard this. "Are you insane? Why didn't you try to stop her?"

"Because I'm not her real Master."

"Even so, you're still responsible for her, aren't you?"

"In as much as providing information, yes. If she wants to go dying over a fool's errand though, that's her prerogative. The only one who can actually order her to stop is Bazett, and she clearly hasn't issued such a command to Lancer."

"Ridiculous. Just absolutely ridiculous. What in the world is she thinking, trying to grovel before someone who is obviously drunk on Berserker's power?"

"She thinks that Illyasviel will take the time to listen if she is as cordial as possible. The fact that she is a child might help as well," Caren explained. "At least, that was Lancer's reasoning."

"Hm…"

"Listen to me. Don't tell anyone else about this. The last thing we need is a bunch of foolish teenagers panicking over Lancer's stupid decision. They need to focus on fighting Caster and rescuing both Saber and Archer. Lancer is doing this incognito so she can let them save their strength for the upcoming battle. Hopefully she will be back before they wake up so they are none the wiser about it."

Medusa's lip curled in displeasure. Soon, she muttered, "I understand. All I shall do is pray for Lancer's success."

"Thank you, Rider. I will be doing the same."