FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS

Chapter 28: Dual Awakenings

Lancer…

Bazett's mind seemed to drift in the realm between wakefulness and sleep. She was slowly being pulled out of her long nightmare and returning to consciousness. The light feeling of floating in some unknown space vanished, replaced by the heavy sensation of her own sweat-covered body weighing her down. She was sweltering from the many hot flashes she experienced, yet the room was so chilly that she didn't want to get out from beneath the covers.

"Bazett?" she heard a lady's soft voice murmur her name.

The Mage breathed hard, then mustered the courage to open her eyes for the first time in weeks. She gazed up at a white-haired nun, and their eyes met for a moment.

"Caren…"

"Welcome back, sleepyhead. How was your trip to dreamland?"

Bazett disregarded the derisive remark and slowly sat up in her bed. She tried to prop her left side up, but forgot that she had no arm on that side anymore, so she almost lost her balance. Sakura rushed to her side and held her up while imploring, "Please, don't try to move so much."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," Bazett mumbled, then shuffled her bare legs over the side of the bed. She was only wearing a white button-up shirt and underwear, which explained why she felt so cold. She ignored the low temperature and asked, "Where's Lancer?"

"Which one, the first or the second?" Caren wondered.

"… Both."

Right as she said this, bright orange flames suddenly lit up the night with an intense flare. A wave of heat rushed into the room, startling the four girls. Rin stepped back in astonishment and yelped, "Whoa!?"

"What happened!?" Sakura exclaimed.

"Second Lancer… She… burned him alive…"

Bazett paled with fright and immediately stumbled toward the bedroom door, then rushed outside. Sakura was about to pursue her, but Caren grabbed her shoulder and shook her head, silently telling her not to follow. Bazett absolutely wanted to see what had become of the two Lancers she had summoned in this war, even if it meant running outside while improperly dressed for the winter weather. She thrust open the front door and hurried around the corner of the manor.

That was when Bazett came upon a most heart-rending scene. Connla was kneeling over Cuchulainn's dead body, hugging his head against her chest and sobbing uncontrollably. His chest had a clean circle pierced through, and the stench of cooked flesh wafted in the air. His internal organs were gone, including his heart. The Lesser Grail had likewise been eliminated, leaving absolutely no traces behind that it ever existed. Cuchulainn's form gradually began to vanish as azure particles, but Connla would not let him go until he had completely faded. Even though his body was utterly destroyed, he maintained his light smile as his death mask so that she wouldn't see him in pain.

"Lancer," Bazett murmured.

Connla glanced up at her. Her eyes and cheeks were totally drenched with tears, and she hiccupped several times before regaining enough composure to speak.

"M… Mas… ter…"

Cuchulainn soon vanished for good, leaving Connla kneeling there and trembling her hands as if desperate to latch on to something. She and Bazett stared at each other for a long moment, and the child's grief intensified with each passing second.

"Lancer!" the woman cried out and rushed in to hug her wailing Servant.

Archer and Muramasa quietly watched the exchange, unable to bring themselves to interrupt them. Muramasa made his katana disappear in a flurry of burning embers, then turned around and murmured, "My job here is done."

Archer glanced back and asked, "Leaving so soon?"

"The World has some strange taste in selecting an old geezer like me to oversee Emiya Shirou and Second Lancer's development. Then it expects me to pop out and fight that nutjob of a Celtic hero like a full-fledged Servant while possessing this whelp's body… I swear, if I could have a few words with the planet itself, I'd tell it to reconsider its selection process 'cause it is shitty as hell."

"Feh. If only the World actually had ears to listen to the plights of throwaway Heroic Spirits."

"I suppose a Guardian like yourself would understand," Muramasa admitted.

Archer quickly blurted, "Just one thing before you go."

"Make it quick."

"… What do you think of Emiya Shirou?"

"Huh? Is that supposed to be relevant or something?"

"For me, at least. I answered Rin's summons, yet pursued the path of correcting my own destiny by trying to kill Emiya Shirou. I thought he would be too foolish to understand the idiocy of his own ideals, but it appears this Grail War did not play out as what should have been originally anticipated. So then, I only wonder if Emiya Shirou actually comprehends his own fallacy as a result of this altered war, and will experience a different future from the one I had. Since you're possessing his body, I figured you would know."

"Don't get the wrong idea, lad," Muramasa snapped. "Just because we're sharing the same body doesn't mean we share the same thoughts. For all I know, the boy could still be as stupid as you imagine."

"…"

"Well, I will say this at least. He's seen more than enough to make smarter choices than you did. Whether or not they will be good ones is all up to him."

A smile crept across Archer's lips, and he replied, "Good enough for me."

"Are we done here? The longer we stand here yapping, the longer you keep me from returning to my rightful place. Trust me – you don't want to deal with me when I'm this grumpy."

"Yeah. Do what you want, Sengo Muramasa."

With that, Muramasa's outfit shone white and his magic circuits flared for a moment before receding. His outfit returned to Shirou's casual clothes, and his countenance distinctly changed from an old man to a young adult.

"Ah…" Shirou gasped, then lost his balance as a bout of vertigo rocked his brain and forced him to sit down. He laid on his back and yelped, "Whoa… Holy shit, I'm dizzy…"

"Welcome back," Archer grumbled tersely. "Looks like Muramasa's finished using you as his temporary vessel."

"Yeah. Would've been nice if he actually let me sleep during that fight."

"You mean you saw everything?"

"As clear as day. Couldn't have been more scared shitless if I tried."

"That's rare. Emiya Shirou, scared for his life?"

"Shut up. No one in their right mind would want to take on a monster like Cuchulainn possessing a tainted Holy Grail."

"Got me there," Archer chuckled, then was about to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Shirou demanded as he sat back up.

"On to the next battlefield, of course. My role in this fight may be over, but there are still plenty of messes to clean up. A Guardian's work is never over, y'know."

"You have some nerve, trying to take off without saying something to Tohsaka."

"Don't worry," the bowman grinned and pointed at his cheek. "She gave me more than an earful."

"Huh…"

Archer glanced up at the window where Rin and Sakura were observing the others. He focused his attention on his two-time Master for a long moment. Their eyes locked on to each other's, knowing that this was the last time they were ever going to see each other. Even so, neither of them were fond of teary good-byes, so they kept their distance and burned the memories into each other's minds. Soon, Archer turned around and raised his hand in a dismissive wave before vanishing into a flurry of particles. Rin watched him disappear, then glanced at her hand. The new Command Spells shone red, then gradually faded as if they had never been there.

"Archer…"

Caren left the bedroom while Rin and Sakura were distracted, and she headed outside to reconvene with Bazett and Connla. By now, the Servant had calmed down enough that she was merely hiccupping and wiping her eyes. Caren approached her and asked, "Got it out of your system?"

"Y-Yes," the girl sniffled. "I'm sorry you had to see me in such a pitiful state."

"You completed your objective. You should be celebrating, not crying."

"I wish I could, but…"

Bazett said, "Lancer's too wrought up over killing her father to understand what she's accomplished."

Caren grunted, "Seriously? A pile of feces like him doesn't deserve to have a single tear shed for him. He knew better than to expose himself to the Grail like that, and he put his own daughter through the harshest wringer one could imagine. The sooner we put that worthless bastard out of our minds, the better."

"Still as rude as ever, I see."

"And you certainly took your sweet time waking back up, lazy-bones."

"Hey, I couldn't help it," Bazett retorted. "For whatever reason, I was seeing everything that Lancer was going through."

"Really…?" Connla uttered in surprise. This was the first time she was hearing such a thing.

"It was the weirdest thing ever. Sometimes I would see what you were doing. Other times, I'd have dreams of yours and Cuchulainn's past lives. And then… Even stranger still, it felt like there was someone else standing next to me the whole time."

"Someone else?"

"I really don't know. I'm sure there was a presence nearby, but they were completely invisible to me. Whoever they were, they were definitely observing everything you were doing as well."

Connla became quiet. She couldn't understand what Bazett was talking about, yet she didn't want to dismiss her Master off-handedly either. The red-haired woman blushed and uttered, "N-Never mind, then. I'm sure it was just my imagination. All I can say for sure is that I know everything you did as my Servant, Lancer. I think there was one time when I even called out to you when you were really upset."

"Mm. I heard you consoling me just after Archer took Ms. Hortensia away," Connla said. "I didn't know why you were speaking to me while you were unconscious, but our connection as Master and Servant must have had something to do with it. Or perhaps the World had some sort of influence over you. It did use you as a vector to summon me in the first place."

"Ah… Geez, this is almost too much for me to take!" Bazett yelped and planted her hands over her cheeks in embarrassment.

Caren listened to them with a bored look on her face. She let out a loud sigh to attract their attention, then demanded, "Are we done speaking such outrageous nonsense? Everyone's tired, so I suggest we enjoy this well-deserved break while we can. Oh, but I suppose we should be saying farewell to Lancer before that."

"You're right," Connla nodded. "Now that I've completed my mission, there's no need for me to stay anymore."

Bazett suddenly became serious as she declared, "I'm going to have to refuse that notion."

"I beg your pardon?"

"So long as I keep this last Command Spell, you'll be able to stay with me, right?"

"Well, technically yes, but wouldn't maintaining my existence put a strain on your prana stores?"

"Don't worry. If I can't let you experience what it's like to be a normal person, even for just a little bit, then I have no right to call myself the inheritor of the Fraga bloodline."

Caren huffed in consternation, then muttered, "Your iron determination may be considered charming in comic books, but let's be realistic here. From what I can tell, Lancer's much too exhausted to maintain her Spirit Origin for much longer. I also think it's a bad idea when we consider what the Mages and the Church officials would do if they found out a Servant was still active. It'd be total chaos if everyone discovered there was a different way to summon Servants without relying on a manmade Holy Grail."

"This can't be," Bazett gasped. "We've finally won, and we have to say good-bye to you, Lancer? Isn't there something I could do to reward you for your services? You've done so much for us, I feel it'd be a shame not to treat you to something…"

Connla cast her eyes downward and murmured, "Well… There is one place I'd like to see…"

"Where is that?"

The girl leaned in and whispered in her Master's ear. Soon, a light smile crept on Bazett's lips, and she replied, "Of course you're want to go there. Then I'd be happy to take you."

"Hm? Don't leave me out of the loop," Caren demanded. "What exactly are you two going on about?"

"Nothing particularly spectacular," Bazett said. "You can come with us if you want. Think of it as a little break from your Church duties."

"And where exactly would we be going?"

"A tour across several countries."

Caren raised an eyebrow, then grinned as she realized what her partner meant. Then she said, "I suppose we should invite Shirou, Rin and Sakura along. I'm sure they have some places they'd like to see as well."

"That was our intention."

With the Fifth Fuyuki Holy Grail War officially over, the six remaining survivors spent the next week resting in Edelfelt Manor. Since Fuyuki was for the most part abandoned by its citizens, it was rather difficult for them to find outside help with simple things like buying groceries or getting medicine for Bazett. Of course, Caren would coyly shoplift whatever she wanted, which earned her several reprimands from Bazett and Connla. They also spent some time cleaning the mansion before they would board it up and leave Fuyuki behind themselves.

Thanks to Caren's connections with the Church, she managed to have a fake passport made for Connla, who went by the civilian name Constance Labras McRemitz. The Servant could have retreated into spirit form to conserve her mana, but Bazett wanted her to experience the trip in person, regardless if it put a strain on both of them. After departing from Fuyuki, the group first traveled to Shimonoseki in the Yamaguchi prefecture and took a boat to Ganryu-jima, a small deserted island that bore the statues of Sasaki Kojirou and Miyamoto Musashi dueling each other. Shirou wanted to come here to pay his respects to Kojirou first.

From there, it was about a five-hour drive east to Kuwana, where the grave of Sengo Muramasa was located. Although Muramasa's actual appearance was rather late in the war, Shirou didn't want to forget about how the Servant had been there all along to give him the necessary strength to fight. They had to spend some time finding the headstone within the plethora of hundreds upon hundreds of other grave markers crowding around near an apartment complex. Once they found it, they left some offerings for Muramasa before heading for the airport and leaving Japan altogether.

Next on the itinerary was Greece, home to Heracles, Medea and Medusa. Although Heracles and Medea were not considered allies in the truest sense, Sakura still wanted to acknowledge them for both Illyasviel and Soichirou's sakes. Since they didn't know where the three heroes' actual graves were, they made do with visiting the Parthenon Temple since it was the symbol of the ancient Greeks. After some more touring in Greece, they then headed to Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset, England, where King Arthur and Queen Guinevere were purported to be buried.

Their last visit was Ireland, although for Bazett it was more like she was just simply returning to her homeland. Of course, she was more than eager to rail on about enough Irish facts and mythologies to drive the others virtually crazy. Connla didn't pay much attention to her Master's droning. She was simply too excited to focus on what Bazett was talking about. The van carrying the group stopped on the roadside about a kilometer away from a small town named Knockbridge. From there, they traveled by foot through the grassy plains until they reached their destination.

"Here it is…" Connla whispered in awe.

Looming before her was a large stone that stood by itself within the green fields. If one didn't know the history behind this rock, they would have dismissed it as some ugly, moss-covered eyesore. However, this was no ordinary stone. Connla's body seemed to react in some unusual way that she couldn't describe, as if the rock was affecting her Spirit Origin directly.

"Clochafarmore, or the Stone of the Big Man," Bazett said as she and the others approached. "This is where Cuchulainn made his last stand against Lugaid mac Con Roi and his forces. It's said that Cuchulainn tied himself to this very rock and continued fighting his enemies to the bitter end. Only when a raven landed on his shoulder did Lugaid believe he was dead. Yet when he beheads Cuchulainn, the 'hero-light' radiates such a blinding light that he doesn't realize that Cuchulainn dropped his sword and cut Lugaid's hand off."

"I thought the story went that Cuchulainn killed an otter that was about to eat him alive before dying himself," Shirou wondered.

"The tales are rather mixed, but there's no doubt that Cuchulainn died right here. Even while his life was slipping away, he still forced his enemies to be cautious."

"No kidding. After fighting him as Muramasa, I can believe that."

Connla blocked out their conversation and continued staring at the rock, as if caught in a deep trance. It certainly had a presence of its own, and her imagination went wild as she thought about what it must have been like for her father. She could hear the shouts of warriors cursing Cuchulainn as he swiped his spear at anyone foolish enough to approach him. She could see the black raven land on his shoulder, as if the goddess of war and fate Morrigan had arrived to announce the hero's death. She could feel the hero-light's searing warmth radiate from Cuchulainn's body, much like what Connla saw moments before her own death.

She quietly kneeled in front of the grave marker and left a bouquet there. Once she was satisfied, she no longer concentrated on maintaining her weakened Spirit Origin. Her body shimmered like a hazy ghost, then gradually broke apart into countless mint green particles. She was much more exhausted than she realized, and trying to stay alive longer than what was intended proved to be too great for both herself and Bazett. They endured just long enough so that the Servant could go on the tour with everyone, but now they were at their limits.

Bazett kneeled behind Connla and wrapped her arms around the child's shoulders, then murmured, "Go ahead. You've done more than enough."

"… Mm."

Connla departed with happiness in her heart, knowing she got to pass away in the same spot where her father originally died. As she disappeared, Clochafarmore was surrounded by a dazzling spectacle of green particles. The light-show soon lost its luster, and any traces of Second Lancer's existence were erased, save for the bouquet she left behind.

At last, the dream concluded.

Chaldea Connla's spirit was ejected from the parallel universe and sent back to the Kaleidoscope once her connection with Fuyuki Connla was severed. She felt like she was drifting in an ocean of colors, with each hue representing an entire world just like the one she experienced. She looked around, unsure of where to go. She thought she could feel the sensation of someone holding her hand, but she had no idea if it was real or another effect of her lucid state.

I'm lost… aren't I?

That realization terrified Connla. She knew she needed to get back to Chaldea and assist with the Grand Orders as one of Ritsuka's Servants. Yet, she had no idea where to go from here. Chaldea was only one of millions upon millions of alternate worlds that were connected through the Kaleidoscope. After the dream about the alternate Fifth Singularity concluded, the only reason she made it back was because that world's Cuchulainn provided a beacon for her. This time, there was nothing for her to follow.

Am I going to be sucked into another world?

The prospect was very likely. Even worse was the idea that she could wind up jumping between her alternate selves in an endless cycle. If she didn't return to Chaldea soon, she feared that her physical form would disappear, leaving her unattached Spirit Origin to wander this colorful hellscape for who knew how long. Fear seized Connla's heart, and she held her hand up to gaze at the ring on her thumb.

Father…

She would have fallen into a state of panic. However, the ring's red markings shimmered like a prism in dappling sunlight. Then her arm pulled itself in the opposite direction on its own volition, and she could finally make out a distinct red light far in the distance that pierced the sea of colors. She then realized that the sensation of her hand being held by someone was very much real, and she concentrated on nothing but that feeling. Like an object tied to a string, the red light pulled Connla closer and closer. All the while, she heard Cuchulainn's distorted voice echo the same phrase:

"This way."

The words became clearer the closer she got to the source of the crimson light, and she soon felt like she was being sucked into a vortex. That was the moment when her Spirit Origin reunited with her body, meaning she had safely escaped from the Kaleidoscope.

In Chaldea's medical ward, Cuchulainn Alter and Medb continued their vigilant watch over the sleeping Connla. The queen held the girl's hand and murmured, "Thank goodness she finally calmed down. I seriously thought my delicate little heart was going to burst with worry."

"See? Told you it was a temporary thing," he muttered as he held the child Servant's other hand. "She does that all the time when she's dreaming about a fierce battle. Given how bad her reactions were this time though, I think it's safe to say that the worst of it is behind us."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Call it instinct if you want."

"Hm… Well, if it's you saying it, then I'll take your word for it. You know Connie the best, after all."

A few minutes passed, and then they jolted out of their chairs the instant Connla shuffled about. She pressed her head against the pillow and stirred about as if stretching in her sleep. She moaned in a quiet whisper, "… Daddy."

Her eyes twitched, then gradually opened. Her head pounded from an awful migraine, so she could barely move around. She was also incredibly dazed, her eyes appearing dispassionate and empty. All she could see were white sheets covering her lower torso and legs, green hospital curtains surrounding her, and the pale grey ceiling hanging above her. The scent of medicine hit her nostrils, and she realized she was back home in Chaldea.

"Connie?" Medb yelped, grasping her hand tighter than before. "Are you awake, sweetie?"

"Uuuh…"

"Don't force her," Cuchulainn said, then leaned in and whispered into the child's ear, "Take it easy. Just relax and wake up slowly."

She gazed up at his face and held his hand for support. "Father… I… had another… nightmare…"

"I know. Don't worry about it."

"Ungh… I-It hurts… Everything hurts…"

"Don't try to move. You're in the ICU."

"The… ICU…?"

"You're gonna be fine. Roman, Nightingale and the others have been taking care of you while you were out."

"But… why?"

Medb asked, "Do you remember what happened to you? That awful Brynhildr wench attacked you just as you finished making the summoning circle. Luckily, we were all able to go to that world and rescue you and Mordred before it was too late."

"… Oh," Connla murmured. The events of the Denmark Singularity came rushing back to her as flashes in her memory.

"It must have happened so fast that you have no idea you were almost killed. We made sure to defeat Brynhildr, and she gave us a hint as to who has been trying to murder you."

"Yeah," Cuchulainn grumbled. "Connla, do you know of anyone named Aisling?"

"Aisling?" the child mumbled. Then to their disappointment, she shook her head and said, "I haven't the faintest idea. I'm sorry…"

"It's all right, honey," Medb assured. "We're going to pull out all the stops and find this person before another incident like this happens again. I promise you that once I get my hands on them, they'll face a punishment that will make even Beelzebub cry for mercy."

"…"

The queen grew concerned when she saw the girl's dispirited reaction. She asked worriedly, "What's the matter?"

"Aisling… It means 'dream', doesn't it?"

"It does."

"And I've been having those dreams of my other selves so frequently."

"Well…"

Cuchulainn sensed how stressed out Connla was and retorted, "Don't think about it so much. It could just be a nickname they're using to hide their real identity."

"I guess," the girl murmured and stared at her lap sullenly.

"Medb, go and get the other Cuchulainns. Be discreet about it too. I don't want all of the staff and Servants swamping the damn place and overwhelming the kid."

"Anything for you, my king!" the queen giggled and took off like a child at a toy store.

"Phew. Finally got rid of the third wheel," he grumbled, then placed his hand on Connla's back and asked, "So, how are you feeling?"

"I know I just woke up, but I'm so exhausted. My body's quite sore too."

"You were nearly murdered by Brynhildr, and then went through the events of an entire alternate world. Of course you're going to be worn out. I mean, geez, just look at those bags under your eyes. You're not going out on missions for a while, I can guarantee that."

Connla rubbed her eyes, then asked, "How did everything go with the Denmark incident? Was it resolved?"

"Yeah. Your summoning circle was enough to bring Master and the other Servants over as reinforcements. The Holy Grail that Agravain used in his plot was also destroyed."

"That's a relief."

"You better speak with Mordred soon though. She's been feeling terrible about bringing you with her in the first place. Your original objective was to explore London in 1888, after all."

"Oh… How long was I out for?"

"Six weeks."

Connla gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. "That's even longer than the last dream I had! Sir Mordred must have been so upset this whole time! I should see her right away!"

"You're not going anywhere, missy," Cuchulainn snapped and grabbed her upper arm. "Seriously, would you relax already? You'll have plenty of time to get caught up later."

"Uh… O-Okay…"

A few minutes later, Medb returned with the other three Cuchulainns, along with Fergus. Lancer immediately gave Connla a hug and exclaimed, "Welcome back, kiddo! Damn, I missed you so much!"

"Uh… Mm," she mumbled as he pressed her face against his shoulder.

Caster greeted her in the same manner, while Prototype casually waved and remarked, "Yo. Good to see you back."

"It's been a while, Brother," Connla said. Way back when the two of them first met, he found out that she was supposed to be his 'son', but he didn't feel comfortable with being regarded as a parent figure. Instead, they agreed to acknowledge each other more like siblings rather than father and child. There was also the potential that the Connla he would give birth to would not be the same as this one, much like how Prototype was somewhat different from his own Lancer counterpart.

After reuniting with the Cuchulainns, Connla curiously peered behind them at Fergus. The purple-haired man smiled and said to her, "Hello there. Don't worry, you're not imagining things. This really is our first time meeting. I am Saber, also known as Fergus mac Roich. I trained your dad in the art of combat when he was as young as you."

She blinked at him. There was no way she could forget this affable fellow from the time when she dreamed about him in the alternate Fifth Singularity. His grin briefly vanished as he said, "I know all about you. You're the child that Aife had after this stupid scamp had to go and claim her body in a fleeting moment of lust."

"Hey, give me a break," Lancer snapped. "I wasn't as smart back then as I am now. Granted, Aife did look a lot like Scathach, so I found that kind of attractive…"

"Oh, Cu," Medb crooned. "You have such funny tastes in women."

Caster likewise scratched his head bashfully, while Alter remained stone-faced. Prototype was summoned at an age before he did such things, so he wasn't quite as aware of how his other selves were feeling.

"Well, enough of that," Fergus immediately stopped that line of conversation. "The fact is that Setanta's kid is with us. Master only summoned me just recently, so I've been trying to get up to speed with your condition. I even got to read through the record you made about your previous dream."

Connla mumbled, "So then, you know about the time when… the other 'you' and 'me' fought?"

"Yeah. My memory isn't exactly the best, but I have flashes of déjà vu from time to time, and I'm sure I appeared in such a place at some point."

"I see…"

"Hey, what's with the long face?" Fergus wondered and rubbed her head playfully. "A girl shines best when she's smiling, am I right? You've finally woken up and are surrounded by family who are glad to have you back. What else could you ask for?"

"Well… I guess."

"She's still a bit out of it," Alter muttered. "She's too exhausted to waste any energy forcing herself to be happy."

"Right," Fergus frowned. "All right, then I guess this old man will beat a hasty retreat so you guys can have some family time. Medb, you should come with me too."

"Aww, but I wanna be with my darling Cus and Connie!" the queen whined.

"Let's give them some space, okay? In return, I'll warm up your bed tonight."

"Ohh… Well, all right. I'm in a good mood, so I want to have some fun."

"Got it. Let's get out of here before this conversation gets too saucy."

Connla tilted her head and wondered, "Saucy?"

Alter immediately became furious, and he clenched his teeth while growling, "Fergus…"

"Settle down there, big guy. I know there's a time and place for everything," the swordsman smirked, then said to Connla, "Once you're feeling better, gimme a shout, would you, missy? Whenever you're up for some training, I'll show you some pointers on how to fight against Sabers like myself."

"Okay," she murmured, then watched the Celtic hero and queen depart.

Once the group had the room to themselves, Lancer patted her back and asked, "So how are you feeling?"

"Well…"

"Not too good?"

"I'm fine. It's just…"

After a long pause, she shuddered and moaned, "I want to ask all of you something."

"Hm? What is it?" Caster wondered.

Connla tensed up as she glanced at the four Cuchulainns for a moment. "Well… You see, in my dream, the Cuchulainn of that world… He went absolutely berserk, and used any means to challenge my other self, even so far as taking in the corrupted Holy Grail and becoming another Alter."

"Hmph," Alter grumbled bitterly. "So this makes the third time you and I fought in some capacity."

"Mm. His motivation was to see whether or not Nevada Cuchulainn had not made a mistake in wishing for me to be recorded in the Throne of Heroes. So then, I've been wondering… if any of you have the same idea…"

Caster immediately scowled and blurted, "Not a chance. I'm happy that you're a Heroic Spirit, no matter what. If you weren't, we wouldn't get to be together like this."

"He's right," Prototype agreed. "That other Cuchulainn must have been an absolutely twisted freak for thinking like that. Don't pay attention to bullshit like that. Trust me; I'm glad that you're here with us. I don't know about the others, but I'd never put you through such crap. I think you've dealt with enough shit as it is, so I'm gonna do my damndest to make sure you're happy here. Don't worry about me putting you through any brutal tests or anything - you're more than worthy of being a Heroic Spirit, in my opinion."

"Caster… Brother…" Connla moaned.

Prototype stroked her head, touched his forehead against hers, and assured, "Come on, don't look so sad. This is a grand occasion, isn't it? You're finally back with us after going through the Denmark Singularity and an entire dream of your other self! That's literally two whole adventures back-to-back, isn't it?"

Lancer smiled. "Damn straight. You don't know how much we've been waiting for this day. Not just us, but a lot of the other Servants have been badgering us about how you've been doing. Mordred and Sigurd are definitely going to want to see you, not to mention Master, Mash, Nightingale, Jack, Nursery… hell, I can't count the number of Servants who want to pay you a visit. There's even oddities like Ozymandias, Shuten and Moriarty who demanded that they be informed the moment you woke up."

She fell into an awkward silence. She seemed to have difficulty understanding how so many people were worried for her, even though she hadn't actually spoken with everyone yet.

Lancer then shifted his eyes away from her as if feeling shameful as he muttered, "It's just really unfortunate that you had to see me be such a bastard toward your other self. I swear, no matter how much people might praise me for being a hero, the truth is that I'm quite the horrible person. This corrupted Holy Grail or whatever must have forced that aspect of myself to the surface, and put your other self through such unnecessary trauma."

Connla's eyes became heavy as she stared at him. "Lancer…"

"But the nightmare's over. You don't have to worry about that sicko anymore. Just like Proto and Caster, I wouldn't do something so cruel to you. I'm actually having the time of my life here in Chaldea simply because you're here to train with me."

She nodded lightly, feeling significantly better now that she knew Lancer in particular gave her such comforting words. She then turned her eyes toward Alter and wondered, "What about you?"

"…"

"… Alter?"

His expression became firm, and he scoffed, "Do I seriously need to answer that?"

"Um… no… I guess?"

"Good. I hate having to repeat myself."

"I'm sorry," Connla moaned. "I should have known better than to ask."

"It's fine. After having to fight me so many times, it's no wonder you have some doubts about me."

"I really don't want to. I know it was your voice I heard beckoning me to come home. It's just that there's such a huge dissonance between you and the Cuchulainns I dream about… Not just you guys, but of other Servants as well. If this keeps up, I'll be scared of confusing the Servants of Chaldea versus the Servants I see in parallel worlds."

"Hm," Caster murmured. "That could be a problem. What you need to do is to mingle with everyone a bit more instead of cooping yourself up in some room studying complicated subjects. 'Course, it'll help once I work a bit of my magic to lessen the energy those Runes are feeding to your brain. Sigurd's offered to help me out with those treatments as well, although we still don't know what we could do to remove them entirely."

"By Sigurd, you mean the one I traveled with during the Singularity?"

"Yep. He made a contract with Master precisely so he could look after you, since that was one of the original objectives given to him when he was first summoned. The two of us have been doing extensive research into how we can cancel the effects of your cranial Runes without causing permanent brain damage, but so far we haven't had much success."

Connla nodded and murmured, "It's okay if you can't find anything. I'm happy knowing you and Lord Sigurd are trying your best for me."

"No, I'm not giving up. Come hell or high water, I'll find something to help you. You just sit tight and wait for me, okay?"

"Mm."

"Okay, I think that's enough," Alter implored. "I'm getting chills in my spine, which means that crazy nurse must be on her way."

"You too?" Prototype muttered.

"Ugh…" Lancer grunted. "When she goes on one of her hygiene rants, she becomes as scary as Scathach."

"Let's get the hell out of here before she dunks us in bleach or something."

"Yeah."

Lancer, Caster and Prototype immediately left the hospital room. Alter stayed behind so that Connla wouldn't feel abandoned, and he grumbled, "Yellow-bellied shitheads."