A/N: My sincerest apologies, everyone. This chapter actually took me longer to complete and put up than I originally anticipated, for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I had to completely rewrite some parts of the chapter (multiple times, actually) when I realized they weren't setting up a desirable pacing. Secondly, a whole lot of stuff came up for me in my personal life, especially school finals, which I'm trying to be on top of. And finally, I've recently been having a slight burnout for reasons I don't know yet (probably because of school), but it's lately been passing over me.

So yeah, that's pretty much what's been happening with me lately. I hope you guys didn't get bored by the wait! :)

Okay, enough with the nonsensical rambling, on with the chapter now! ENJOY!

P.S.: Just like the last chapter, there will be a list of the Black Servants, their stats, and other important information at the end of this chapter. The list may contain spoilers (though given that we should know at least most of these Servants and what they're capable of, I cannot imagine who would be spoiled by this list).

Edit: I fixed some rather embarrassing errors pointed out in people's reviews. My bad, everyone!

Outside the Tohsaka Residence

Waver Velvet stood motionlessly on top of a steep cliff, overlooking the Tohsaka Manor. His eyes were closed for what seemed to be the longest time, and his lips were pursed. The young student and magus seemed to be brooding in his thoughts. Finally, after an extended moment of silence, his eyes opened abruptly.

"My familiar just confirmed it," he said. "Tokiomi Tohsaka is on his way back to the manor. In a limousine full of homunculi, for some reason."

"Perhaps he made a barter with the Yggdmillennia. But it matters not. Homunculi are child's play for me."

Waver felt one of his Assassins, Zayd, materialize feet behind him. Even while he was not facing his Servant, the student could feel the dark, menacing, predatory aura emanating from his Servant.

"Indeed," he replied stoically. "You are to leave here now, and head immediately to Tohsaka Manor."

"And once I arrive?" asked Assassin, his voice serious.

"The manor is surrounded by a number of powerful magical barriers, but I'm confident in your abilities to penetrate them. Am I not wrong in my confidence?"

The Assassin Servant chuckled. "Not at all, Master, not at all." He then turned his gaze towards his Master. "But are you certain of your orders? I believe the information you gathered says Tokiomi Tohsaka is the Master of the Saber Servant."

"Don't you worry about that. Even if it means you have to engage Saber in battle, there's no need to fear."

Upon hearing his Master's response, Assassin's lips curved into a sinister sneer underneath his skull mask.

"No need to fear Saber, one of the Three Knight Classes of the Holy Grail Wars..."

"Yes. I shall leave the rest to you. Eliminate Tokiomi Tohsaka at once."

"As you command, Master..."

Still wearing his sneer, Assassin immediately leaped off the cliff, and his shadowy, muscular form twirled stylistically and disappeared underneath the treeline below. Waver continued to watch the elegant, ancient manor below as a small, brief burst of wind blew against him, causing his hair and clothes to flutter with the streams of air. Once the wind settled down, one side of his lips curved into a satisfied grin.

"Things are going according to plan..." he said to himself.

The Tohsaka Residence

Assassin sprinted across the forest, at astonishing, superhuman speeds yet failing to leave behind any major trace of his presence in the forest floor. As soon as the brick wall came into his sights, he leaped dozens of feet into the air, and found himself over the Tohsaka courtyard. Immediately, he procured a set of stones from the pocket of his tattered robes.

As he began to fall, Assassin discerned the outlines of the magical barriers his Master mentioned, dome-shaped layers of magical energy encompassing individual cubes of plants with small columns of marble at the center. Further inspection of these marble columns discerned crimson gems being held by them. To a normal human being, it would seem that those rubies were just rare, valuable items put up proudly for display. But Assassin knew better.

He flicked a stone at one of those gems. He expected it to bypass the magical barrier at an abnormal speed and destroy the gem maintaining it.

In fact, he couldn't help but think prematurely, "This will be easy."

Suddenly, the blur of a shadow flew over the stone, and Assassin saw it no more.

"An enemy?!" he thought in shock.

He saw movement at the corner of his left eye. Twirling across the air as he still fell, Assassin flicked one stone at his unseen opponent and a second at the same gem he had been aiming to destroy. There was a flash of light, and while he couldn't see anything, Assassin knew the first stone had been destroyed somehow. As for the second stone, the same shadow flew over it, and it was gone.

"Damn! One Servant alone couldn't have taken two stones down at once! Could there be two Servants at play here?! But it's impossible! Tokiomi Tohsaka only summoned one!"

To his surprise, what appeared to be beams of golden and purple flew past him, cutting the side of his leg and creating a wound that spurted out blood. Crying in anguish, Assassin desperately flicked another stone at the gem maintaining the magical barrier beneath him. This time, there was no intervention; the gem was destroyed, and Assassin landed in the small field of plants with such force that their purple petals were detached and flown up in the air, then fluttering down around him like feathers.

Groaning as he stood up, Assassin suddenly heard the crackling of electricity and the roaring of bulls. Before he knew it, an unknown force collided with him, and he was violently thrown into the brick wall, his skull mask flying off in the process. Embedded so deep in the structure that he couldn't get out by himself, Assassin knew it was the end for him. But he was not going to die this easily. Not without a fight.

He weakly raised a severely trembling hand, his last stone clenched inside. He prepared to flick it when a shiny dagger suddenly flew into his palm and pinned his hand against the wall within a second.

"ARGH!" roared Assassin, specks of blood flying out of his mouth with the force of his shout. "DAMN!"

He struggled to get out, but was hindered by his severe, debilitating injuries and the fact that he was literally stuck in the wall. Assassin could only look up and weakly gasp in horror as he watched six different Servants converge on him. He first recognized...an Assassin that he didn't recognize as part of his brethren?

"You are nothing but a slimy worm," spat one of the Servants, a blond, red-eyed man wearing dazzling golden armor. "You dare trespass on my personal property?"

"S-Six S-Servants?" Assassin groaned, blood trickling down his mouth. "Ag-Against one?"

He watched as another Servant, a blonde woman with greenish-blue eyes and wielding a spear that resembled more of a sword, stepped forward. She twirled her spear around a few times before finally stopping, with its blade now aimed at Assassin's chest.

"You die tonight," she said bitterly, "Assassin of Black. Prepare."

"No need...to fear all that?..." Assassin thought grimly. He then bowed his head, realizing he could no longer escape his fate.

Lancer suddenly thrust her spear forward, without warning. The blade pierced Assassin's chest and continued to move forward, until it burst out of his back and through the brick wall, essentially skewering the Servant. Feeling unbearable, almost incomprehensible pain surging throughout his body, Assassin let out one last grunt of pain and coughed out blood, then he knew no more.

Lancer exhaled as she yanked her spear out of Assassin's body, dislodging it out of the wall in the process. It fell onto the old cobblestone walkway of the courtyard, and the Servant's blood continued to pour out of his wounds, pooling around the body.

"Well, that was fun," Rider remarked, tilting his head slightly as he examined the body. He then frowned disapprovingly. "A shame that he didn't even have a chance to fight back, though..."

Archer clicked disapprovingly as he moved his armor-clad foot away from the approaching blood.

"Disgusting," he spat. "I wouldn't expect anything less from a slimy worm like him..."

Just then, the atmosphere was broken by a slow clapping. The six Servants turned around and spotted their Masters, plus Fiore and several homunculi, approaching. Tokiomi continued to clap, his face wearing a small but impressed grin.

"Well done, White Servants," he said. "You have performed excellently in dismantling this reconnaissance operation." The Tohsaka Master approached the lifeless body of Assassin of Black and watched as it began to dissipate. "Your skills and prowess have not only rid us of one target, but demonstrated our capabilities to the Black Faction." At this point, Assassin of Black's body had fully dissipated into nothingness, and he faced the group of White Servants. "They shall know who has the upper hand in this battle."

"Tohsaka," Bram piped, "does this mean the Black Faction has found their rogue Master? That the Holy Grail has selected the seventh Black Master, and that this Master has summoned his or her Servant already?"

"Quite possibly. Of course, we could never know that definitively, since we are not allowed to observe the Black Faction if they register in the War at the church. But if Assassin of Black's attempt at reconnaissance tells us anything, it proves that fact. The first phase of the Impossible Holy Grail War has finally begun."

"If I may, Tohsaka," Lancer said, turning her gaze away from the spot where Assassin of Black once lay, "this didn't look like a reconnaissance operation."

Tokiomi blinked, confused. "I beg your pardon, Lancer?"

"She's right, Tohsaka," Olesya interjected. "Assassin is the weakest Servant class, and Servants hailing from that class specialize in the very act of reconnaissance. Normally, he would have explored the outside perimeter of your manor and taken note of all the magical defenses you used. He would've actually taken advantage of our absences and explored this manor much earlier."

She glanced at the spot where Assassin of Black's body once lay and continued, "Instead, he went out of his way to jump into your courtyard and attack the origin of your magical barriers. He didn't bother to use Presence Concealment, thus putting him out in the open in that courtyard, fully exposed. His actions, his movements, the general direction of his entire strategy..." She looked up. "He was prepared to attack."

Kayneth scoffed and said, "Then it looks like the Black Faction is more foolish and short-minded than we previously thought. Expecting their Assassin to simply walk in here and kill all of the White Masters. HA! What a brainless strategy! One that cost them a Servant, even if it is the weakest of the group. Feend vor Sembren would be most displeased if he learned of this."

"Such disgraceful, underhanded tactics," Bram added. "But hopefully they're watching us. That way, they know exactly what they're dealing with now."

"I'm sure they are," replied Tokiomi. "Let them toil in their realizations. For now, I believe it is time for us to retire." He glanced at the Yggdmillennia homunculi. "Clean up all of this, please. It would be a tragedy for me to have my courtyard remain in this wasted state."

The homunculi nodded in response and already began their work with the tools they brought. As for the White Faction, the Masters, along with Saber and Lancer, headed back towards the manor, while the other Servants de-materialized.

At a safe distance, a squirrel was perched on the branch of a tree, observing all of the events as they unfolded.

Coastal Warehouse District

Feend vor Sembren rubbed his chin, grinning broadly as he examined his handiwork: rows and rows of Golems, lining up the entire floor of the warehouse he was using. Some were made using stone, others from iron, and all had variations in their appearances but were also generalized to some extent. This Golem army was the product of years of hard work and usage of Golemancy magecraft, all utilized in preparation of this War. Lots of time and resources were sacrificed in the process of this endeavor, but he knew as long as his efforts yielded the Black Faction's de facto supporting muscle, then it was all worth it.

He wished the same could be said for his Servant, though...

He suddenly heard the sounds of metal clashing against metal, and the magus twirled around, just in time to see flashes of light directly outside the door. Feend groaned and shook his head angrily, knowing that it wasn't exactly a duel that was occurring outside.

"Oh, for heaven's sake..." he muttered as he moved to storm out of the warehouse.

However, once he got to the doorway, Feend saw something hurling towards him at high speeds. With just a couple of seconds to make a decision, he fell to the floor and heard an explosion behind him a second later. Getting back up and twirling around, he gasped in horror at the sight of a number of his Golems destroyed. Whatever the object was, it was large enough to smash through several rows of Golems and leave dismembered pieces in its wake.

"THAT IS IT!" he roared, proceeding to storm out of the building. "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS MADNESS! LANCER!"

The remarkably beautiful young man with long, roughly-combed black hair and dazzling hazel eyes, and wielding two differently sized and colored spears, immediately halted his assault and bowed his head at Feend.

"Master," he greeted, seemingly oblivious to what just happened. "How may I be of assistance?"

"WELL YOU CAN START BY CEASING YOUR SO-CALLED TRAINING AND GOING BACK INTO SPIRIT FORM!"

Lancer looked up at his Master. "Did...I do something to infuriate you, my Master?" he asked.

"Damn right you did! Your so-called training destroyed some of my Golems!" Feend promptly scanned the stacks of intermodal containers that surrounded the area, and was shocked to see a number of large gashes tearing through the metal exteriors of some. "As well as everything else around you, apparently!"

"Oh, come on now, fellow ally," another voice spoke.

Feend glared at the man who had been Lancer's opponent moments ago and gritted his teeth. He was a righteous-looking man with a kind face, long brown hair, and pale skin. He was wielding a sword and wearing a white-and-red-striped robe with bronze armor and a white cape. Feend couldn't describe how irritated he was, gazing upon the man's calm, relaxed expression.

"Lancer and I are Servants fighting a duel," the man continued. "And since Servants are known to be extremely powerful and blessed with extraordinary abilities, it's not like we would've been able to avoid inflicting damage to our surroundings."

"But is that damage really necessary?!" snapped Feend. "The Holy Grail War is supposed to be a secret war, known only to a select few! If any outsiders come across this wreckage, then many eyebrows will be raised and unnecessary questions will be asked!"

The man blinked in confusion. "But...if I can recall, Holy Grail War rules dictate that the Overseer be responsible for covering up any leftover damage from the battles." He gazed upon the destroyed metal crates. "I doubt there will be any problem in covering these up-"

"THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT!" Feend interrupted. "THROUGH YOUR SO-CALLED TRAINING, YOU ARE ALREADY WASTING YOUR STRENGTH, WHICH IS VALUABLE IN THE UPCOMING BATTLES!" He lowered his voice to a growl. "You do also recall that Servants consume amounts of mana through their battles, even if they are mock-battles, and that they rely on their Masters to replenish these reserves!"

"That's true, but I have no doubt in your abilities to accomplish that very task, as well as that of my Master's." The man looked over his shoulder, towards a certain teenage boy standing farther off at a distance. "Isn't that right, Master?"

"Uh, yeah..." replied Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia, looking surprised and a bit overwhelmed by the kind treatment his Servant had been giving him. "I guess, Rider..."

"DON'T GIVE HIM THAT, YGGDMILLENNIA!" Feend roared, looking beside himself. "IF YOU KEEP SHOWING YOUR SERVANT LENIENCY, HE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, AND YOU WILL SUFFER FOR IT!"

The Rider Servant looked back at Feend with a pitiful expression. "Vor Sembren," he said, "why must you exhibit so much rage? It makes you unnecessarily tense, and tenseness never serves any benefit to one's health. You must learn to relax-"

"Alright, that is enough, Rider," interrupted Lancer suddenly, stepping between Feend and Rider. "I highly respect your kindness and dignity, but I will not allow you to speak to my Master in that manner. He shall behave in any way he sees fit, and he shall make his own decisions on his future actions. He doesn't require the advice of another, even one as good-willed and kindhearted as you."

Rider looked at Lancer with an expression of utmost shock and sadness. "You mean to tell me, Lancer, that you approve of your Master's self-damaging tendencies? Do you not understand that the rage and hatred that boils within his heart will not only complicate matters for himself, but for you as well?"

Lancer's eyes narrowed, and his grip on his spears tightened. Seeing this, Caules began to sweat nervously.

"In addition," Lancer replied sternly, "I will not allow you to criticize my Master's way of thinking. I swore on my pride as a knight that I would serve my Master without the slightest hesitation, to protect his rule at his express command, to remain loyally by his side even in the face of death. In challenging my Master..." He raised one of his spears, an elongated crimson one, and aimed its blade at Rider's direction. "You are challenging his rule, which I must protect."

Rider merely exhaled. "So you are a knight bound to the rule of a lord? Well, loyalty is one of the virtues that binds people together. I respect that. If you wish to protect and preserve your Master's honor, then I shall honor your request. But I urge you, Lancer, to consider the tactical advantage of your Master's behavior. Just consider it." He then turned around and began walking towards Caules. "For now, I believe this concludes our training. You fight a noble fight, Lancer."

"As do you, Rider," replied Lancer, his voice still stern as he lowered his spear.

Rider faintly nodded before de-materializing. Once he fully vanished, Feend sighed in great relief at the Servant's disappearance; he had always been a thorn in his side ever since he was first summoned at Einzbern Castle. He then glared angrily and accusingly at Caules, whose eyes widened in terror, and the boy promptly smiled nervously and innocently at him. Feend promptly scoffed, turned around, and walked back into the warehouse.

"Like Servant, like Master," Feend remarked to himself. "Rider is a man deluded by the very concept of kindness, and Yggdmillennia is a mere child, misguided and lenient on his Servant." Then, his lips curved into a malevolent sneer. "But once I take control of the Black Faction and kill that miserable, disgraceful excuse of a magus, I will make sure that foolish boy knows the meaning of the term 'discipline'..."

"Master," Lancer suddenly said, prompting Feend to stop.

"Are you still here, Lancer?" the magus spat without turning around to face his Servant. "What do you want now? Some petty thanks?"

"I apologize for the damage I have caused, including to the Golems that you have worked so hard to create. It was my doing, and Rider had no involvement in that. I swear on my honor that it will never happen again."

"It better damn not, Lancer." Feend then surveyed the Golems that remained. "Well, there is still a substantial amount of Golems left. The destruction of a few should pose no problem to the effectiveness of the rest. Gudrun!"

The maid stepped out of the shadows, having been standing there with a broom in her hands the entire time. She never made a single movement or said a single word.

"Yes, Master?" she asked timidly.

"Clean up the mess in here. Mr. Edelfelt, Saber, Archer, and the homunculus should be arriving soon. We must keep this place as orderly as possible, alright?"

"Yes, Master."

Gudrun approached the remains of the Golems and prepared to sweep their pieces, but Lancer stepped forward, his head bowed.

"That will not be necessary, Lady Gudrun," the Servant said kindly. "I dealt this damage, and it is now my responsibility to fix it."

"That is enough coming from you, Lancer," Feend interjected, his eyes narrowed. "Gudrun has skill and experience in this capacity. You do not."

"But Master, she is a woman, and a woman like her is not suited for cleaning up this kind of destruction. I caused it, and now, I must clean it up. As a knight, I must atone my wrongdoing and restore my honor in the eyes of you, my lord and Master." Lancer faced Feend, knelt down before him, and bowed his head. "I promise you, my Master, that not a single speck will be avoided by me. Just allow me to-"

"You will not do so, Lancer. It is not necessary."

"But, my lord-"

"Enough with this lord and knight nonsense! Why couldn't you just do what you're told to? I command you to stand down this instant, Lancer!"

Lancer's eyes widened as he realized his Master would never be swayed from his position. Then, he closed his eyes in shame and emphasized his bow.

"Yes, Master," he replied softly.

"Good." Feend crossed his arms and raised his chin, feeling some of his pride being restored at the fact that he subjugated his Servant. "Now, I want you to continue patrolling this district. No more of those silly training duels like the one you just had with Rider."

Lancer promptly de-materialized, but not before replying, "As you wish, Master."

The vor Sembren Master sighed in relief, then looked at Gudrun. To his surprise, he found that his maid hadn't moved an inch from her position ever since Lancer volunteered to clean in her place. She was staring at the spot where Lancer was kneeling, looking almost entranced.

"Gudrun!" he snapped, bringing the maid back to reality.

"Y-Yes, M-Master?" she replied in a shocked stutter.

"What did I tell you, Gudrun?! Clean up this mess! I didn't tell you to stop!"

"Y-Yes, Master!"

"Well, that was quite pleasant."

Caules sighed heavily as he absentmindedly gazed out into the ocean that stretched onward for miles and miles ahead of him. Right now, he was standing at one of the many docks of the warehouse district. The teenage boy still couldn't believe he was out in a backwater country such as Japan, participating in the Holy Grail War of all things. He couldn't say he was pleased at either prospect; Japan never seemed that appealing to him, and to hell with dying in a magical battle royale between Servants!

He sighed again longingly as he focused on the water. He couldn't help but be reminded of his sister's eyes. They were as blue as the ocean...

He wondered how she was doing with the White Faction...

"What are you thinking about, Master?"

Caules pursed his lips and deadpanned, "Nothing, Rider."

"Is it the beauty of the ocean?" replied Rider. Caules could easily imagine his Servant gazing out at the sea in awe. "I agree, it is quite magnificent. The seas may look the same everywhere, but when you gaze upon them in a different location, it is a wonder to behold."

Caules sighed heavily and glanced over his shoulder to look at the empty space beside him. However, he knew his Servant was standing there, simultaneously admiring the beauty of the ocean.

Ever since he summoned Rider at Einzbern Castle, Caules couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by his Servant's personality. Always kind and holding a compulsion to help people in need, Rider's first action post-summoning was to save who he believed to be an innocent woman lost in a raging snowstorm, when it turned out it was just a mere homunculus transporting supplies between the chapel and the main castle, having been well-adjusted to the everlasting icy winds.

Rider was completely (and even irritatingly) indiscriminate in his kindness, even treating ill-tempered and unbearable people like Feend vor Sembren as if they were his lifelong friends and acquaintances. Caules could tell the Servant would view even the most depraved and dark-hearted person as some sort of helpless and vulnerable soul. But then again, he didn't expect anything more from the Dragon-Slaying Saint, St. George, who traveled around the world and helped any and all people he came across who were in need.

...Even still, he couldn't understand how Rider could think that way...

"It's so confusing..." he whispered to himself.

"Hm? Did you say something, Master? Do you perhaps require my assistance?"

"It's okay, Rider. I don't need your help."

"Nonsense. Everyone needs help."

"Well, I don't." Caules looked back towards the ocean. "I don't need anybody's help."

"Oh, my dear Master, I want you to learn this."

"Learn what?"

"Not one person has been able to accomplish a magnificent feat in all of history without the assistance of someone else."

"Oh, please. I'm not trying to accomplish any kind of feat. I'm just trying to survive this damn War."

"Another lesson that needs to be learned, Master! Anyone who thinks the best strategy in a battle is to cower in a corner and wait it out, winds up being the first one to die."

The boy scoffed. "What if you hide in a bomb shelter? An impenetrable bunker? Or just flee the battlefield altogether?"

"But you obviously cannot do any of those things, Master. Even if you do 'wait it out' like you suggest, there will always be one other Master and one other Servant left. And the Holy Grail cannot materialize before two Masters."

"I can't believe this," Caules muttered bitterly. "My own Servant is lecturing me. This is just great..."

"Some Servants do not just blindly follow their Masters' orders without the slightest hesitation. Some just wish to be realistic and tactical in the battlefield. They want to ensure their Masters' survival and take their best interests to heart. After all, Masters are their anchors to the world. What good would it be to a Servant, one with a fervent desire for the Grail, if they just let their Master die?"

"Why do I get the feeling you're talking about Lancer?"

There was a brief silence. "I'd prefer not to speak ill about a fellow ally behind their back."

"That nice, aren't you?"

"He is our ally, and essential for our quest."

"Our quest?" Caules repeated. "Or just yours?"

"Every endeavor is a quest of some kind. You just do not know what lies at the end of your fairy-tale."

"I do, and there are two alternatives. Option number one: I'm dead. Option number two: I'm alive."

"Are you sure about that, Master? There could be a third, more appealing alternative that you could consider."

"I doubt it."

"Your attitude will bring about the fulfillment of that first option..."

Caules gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Oh please, Rider, just...just stop talking to me and go out patrolling. I think Uncle Kariya should be done with his shift."

Rider sighed heavily. "If you insist, my Master. I shall do as you order. But before I make my leave, I want to remind you to remember about what I told you about people's accomplishments."

"Yeah, right," thought Caules. "People needed assistance...except for you..."

He felt Rider's mighty presence leaving his side. As soon as the teenage boy was confident that he was alone, he took out the laptop that had been tucked in his arm the entire time, opened it, and began operating aimlessly on it, hoping to do some research.

Shinto

The black limousine drove down the streets of Shinto, the bustling business district of Fuyuki. Inside were Irisviel, Klaus Edelfelt, and two other females. One was a small teenage girl with greenish-blue eyes and blonde hair styled into a moderately sized ponytail; she was wearing an all-black suit, complete with a tie and gloves. The other was a fierce-looking but beautiful young woman. This woman was clad in all-green clothing and possessing cold, sharp green eyes with a bestial glint; long, unkempt green and greenish-yellow hair; and a pair of animal-like ears perched on her head, in place of the usual human ears.

Right now, Irisviel was looking out of the window in awe, the unknown blonde teenager was pulling at the collar of her shirt uncomfortably, Klaus was merely leaning back on his seat in boredom, and the unknown woman was examining one of her gloved hands, which resembled a vicious bear paw.

"This place is so very much alive!" exclaimed Irisviel as she excitedly observed the passing buildings and pedestrians. "So many people out and about on the street, doing all the things that satisfy them the most! Don't you all agree?"

"It is indeed busy, Irisviel," Klaus replied absentmindedly.

"Agreed," the woman added.

The teenager merely grunted in response as she continued to tug at her collar.

After a few minutes of silence, Klaus turned his gaze towards Irisviel and observed her admiring everything the vehicle passed. Then, after a while, he spoke up.

"You have surely become enamored with the city," he remarked.

"Of course!" she replied. "It's just as beautiful as Kiritsugu said it'd be!"

"Ah yes, your husband. Your beloved husband." Klaus's eyes narrowed with disdain at the Magus Killer's name, and he turned his head away. "I was hoping to meet up with him at the airport. After all, that is what I was told." His eyes narrowed further. "Instead, you and Saber show up in his place, telling me that he arrived here twelve hours before all of us."

Irisviel looked at Klaus, concerned at his tone. "I know you're unhappy with these newest developments, but I assure you, Kiritsugu has no intention of letting the Black Faction down during this fight." She then smiled optimistically at him. "Besides, Kiritsugu will find us as soon as he's certain the time is right."

Suddenly, a huff of fury attracted everyone's attention. Their heads turned towards the teenage girl as she began to unravel her tie.

"Saber?" she asked. "Is everything alright?"

The blonde grunted again as she then began to unbutton her shirt. Irisviel immediately realized what the problem was.

"Do you not like the clothes I gave you, Saber?"

"NO!" snapped the Servant. "Absolutely not! I HATE them!" In anger, she tore off her black jacket, which was hindering her movements, and then continued unbuttoning her shirt. "This is disgusting! Beastly! Horrific! This looks like something Father would wear!"

"Wait a minute!" Irisviel grabbed Saber's hand, only to earn a murderous gaze from her. "You're going to remove all of it?" A tint of pink appeared on her cheeks. "You don't have much else underneath-"

"I DO NOT CARE!" Saber then jabbed a thumb at her chest, a proud and grandiose aura enveloping around her. "A king should not be ashamed to expose the entirety of his skin to his subjects! As the one with the right to inheritance of the throne, I must see to it that my body be displayed for the people to behold!"

Klaus blinked in surprise and replied, "You sound so confident and fearless in regards to the topic of exposing yourself to others, being a woman and all-"

He was silenced by a murderous glare from Saber, born from the pits of Hell itself. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"

"Now, now, Saber, calm down..." Irisviel said, chuckling nervously.

"HOW DARE HE CALL ME A...A WOMAN!" Saber ground her teeth against each other, and her eyes were bulging. "AND YOU CALL YOURSELF MY ALLY?! NONSENSE!"

"Listen, Saber, I understand you wish to, uh, demonstrate yourself as a king, but don't you think flaunting around without clothing will attract unwanted attention?"

The girl immediately ceased her movements, the realization just dawning on her.

"That is correct..." she replied. "There is indeed a chance that my exposed body of nobility will draw attention from the White Faction."

"Very well, then." Irisviel glanced at the chauffeur, which happened to be one of the Einzbern homunculi maids. "Track down the nearest shopping district in this area. We shall give Saber a new choice of clothes."

"No," Saber suddenly spat, her voice cold. "You were the one who picked the clothes I detest. I shall select my robes myself, with no input from anyone at all."

The white-haired woman looked back at Saber with a surprised expression. "You will? Are you sure, Saber?"

"I was granted knowledge of the era I am in upon my summoning. And besides, I have an unrivaled, intimate reserve of knowledge concerning the selection of the best and most kingly robes, as the son of King Arthur. I shouldn't have any complication in discerning the quality of the clothes this era provides." Then, she narrowed her emerald eyes menacingly at Irisviel. "Unless you doubt my abilities, wife of my Master?"

"No, not at all! You can choose the clothes you wish! Klaus, Archer, and I will help you in your endeavor."

"Are you sure about this, Irisviel?" asked Klaus. "We are to meet up with the rest of the Black Faction at the warehouse district in a couple of hours. We're going to discuss securing a base of operations."

Irisviel smiled sweetly at him. "Oh, I'm sure some shopping won't impose any complications to our intended schedule. Besides, this should be an excellent opportunity to explore Fuyuki City, see all of the sights it has to provide, and enjoy it before the fighting starts! I mean, we've come all this way. It would be such a waste to arrive at such a nice place."

Klaus pondered over her words for a moment. "Well, I guess it would be tactical to have some knowledge of the city's layout..." Then, he nodded affirmatively. "Alright, Irisviel. If you insist. We shall commit ourselves to finding Saber a set of civilian clothing." He then turned towards the green-haired woman sitting beside him. "Are you alright with this, Archer?"

"This next course of action will suffice," the Servant replied stoically.

"Oh, this is going to be so exciting!" Irisviel cried, looking extremely bubbly and giddy, like a child about to be given ice cream as a reward. "I've always wanted to see what the shopping district of a major Japanese city is like!"

"Doesn't the castle have a library full of books on a variety of topics?" asked Klaus curiously.

Irisviel nodded. "Yes, but they're mostly magic-related. Usually alchemy. There are few books that could provide information on the outside world as a whole. In fact, most of what I learned came from Kiritsugu, not the Einzbern library." She gazed out of the window again, admiring the passing buildings. "He taught me so much about the outside world. He brought me movies and videos and pictures, which showed me everything about what the world has to offer. Back then, I've always wondered what it was like, being outside of the castle..."

"Wait," Saber said, suddenly looking perplexed, "you mean to tell me you've never set foot outside that castle of yours until now?"

"No, not really. In fact, the furthest I've ever gotten outside the castle would be the surrounding forest. It was not a pleasant experience..."

She then looked at Saber and was quick to notice her expression of confusion. Smiling, she continued, "You see, I was a puppet created specifically for the Holy Grail War. I wasn't designed with in mind the expectation of perceiving and enjoying the outside world. That was something Kiritsugu instilled in me." Irisviel began fiddling with her fingers. But I...I couldn't be more grateful for him doing that for me. After all, it is indeed a beautiful world out there, right here. And it's full of beautiful people like all of you. It is just not right to treat this existence with complete indifference."

Saber immediately averted her gaze. "I see..." For a moment, the Servant seemed to be thinking privately, considering some unknown topic. Then, she suddenly glared at the driver. "Pull over this vehicle at once."

The homunculus simply nodded, drove the limousine beside the curb, and came to a stop.

"Saber?" Irisviel asked curiously.

The blonde Servant didn't respond; instead, she stepped out of the elongated vehicle, walked over to the other side, and opened Irisviel's door. Removing her glove, she extended her hand towards the white-haired homunculus, who gazed at it in confusion.

"It is the duty of a knight to escort and protect the lady!" Saber declared haughtily. "Come with me, and we shall explore together!"

Irisviel blinked in shock at Saber's declaration. Then, with a soft smile, she took her hand, and the Servant helped her out of the car. Klaus prepared to get out next, but Saber suddenly stepped between him and Irisviel, effectively blocking his exit.

"Not you," she snarled. "If you clearly cannot show any degree of respect towards the one who shall become king of all of Britain, then you are not fit to accompany us!"

Upon hearing that remark, Archer suddenly gave Saber a deadly, almost monstrous glare.

"Do I take it you are insulting my Master?..." the green-haired woman asked.

"Stand down, Archer," Klaus suddenly instructed calmly. "There is no problem here." He bowed his head at Saber with utmost respect. "I shall honor your request." Then, he looked towards Irisviel. "Irisviel, I do hope you will remember the time and be punctual. There are very important matters we must attend to."

Irisviel looked from Klaus to Saber and back, and she was quick to deduce that Saber didn't want him to accompany them because he had called her a woman. Realizing the shopping trip would tense if Saber and Klaus were in close proximity to each other, she sighed softly, then gave the Edelfelt Master a cheerful smile.

"Don't worry, Klaus," she replied. "I'm sure we'll be just fine."

"Will you require a map? I don't think you are aware of how to get to the warehouse district."

"It's okay! Using a map would be boring! It would be much more adventurous to wander around the city without guidance and learn about everything you see once you encounter it! After all, a map labels all of its contents, right? What's the point of learning about something for the first time if you knew about its name beforehand?"

Klaus blinked in concern. "Are you sure, Irisviel? You will get lost-"

"It's fine! The warehouse district is right by the Mion River, right? Then Saber and I will just find the water running through the middle of the city and walk alongside it until we find it! And we can also ask people along the way."

The Edelfelt Master furrowed his brow in worry. Irisviel sounded very determined to explore Fuyuki City without any sort of assisting device. If anything were to happen to her because he decided to let her go off into the city, then only God knew what the Magus Killer would do to him.

Then again, she had Saber to protect her, and Grail War rules dictated that the battles take place during the nighttime. There was no real threat against Irisviel's life...

Klaus sighed and reluctantly replied, "If you insist. Have a pleasant journey, Irisviel."

"Thank you very much, Klaus!" Irisviel then took Saber's hand and began guiding her along the sidewalk like a giddy schoolgirl. "Come on, Saber! I entrust you with my life, so I hope you do your best in protecting me!"

Saber blinked rapidly, initially surprised by Irisviel's openness and approval of her as her knight. Then, she smiled happily.

"I shall, without fail!" she declared.

24-Hour Hotel in Fuyuki

Kiritsugu had seen his share of seedy hotels in rundown urban areas in his lifetime. After all, he had to use them as his base of operations for his missions in the past. One could question his choice of lodging, since the small fortune he amassed from his mercenary services could easily afford him a more luxurious hotel. But he had to admit, such hotels fit his preferences very well. He had no interests in personal luxuries and the comfort that could be normally found in material items. All he expected out of a hotel room was its ability to provide a temporary personal study where he could plan his operations.

So, he had no problems when he checked into the 24-Hour Hotel in Fuyuki, ignoring the smell of cigarettes hanging in the air of the lobby, the dark and gloomy interior of the building, the grubby and unpleasant-looking receptionist, the flickering ceiling lights, and the small group of gangsters loitering around outside the doorway.

But when he reached the sixth floor and started walking down the hallway, towards the room Maiya reserved for him, he stopped, and a bead of sweat broke out on his forehead.

Maiya was standing out in the hallway, armed with a Steyr AUG outfitted with a suppressor, which she was aiming steadily at one of the hotel doors. He took track of the room numbers as he approached her, and once he was beside her, his skin paled slightly.

An enemy was inside his temporary personal study.

Kiritsugu immediately whispered to Maiya, "The item I left here, where is it?"

To his immense relief, the woman softly tapped her foot against a suitcase lying beside her foot. Kiritsugu picked it up, unlocked and opened it, and procured the lone item inside. Even after all these years, its grip was still smooth in his hand, just right. If the circumstances were different, he would be testing out his speed with it right now, but alas, that would be a goal for another time.

"One, maybe two people inside, given the size of the room," explained Maiya. "There are no people in any of the surrounding rooms. I can open the door and provide cover fire, while you make the kill shot."

"Indeed," Kiritsugu replied. "Now, we must make it silent and quick. We can't afford the eyes of any outsiders on us."

"Of course."

Maiya promptly picked up a Glock pistol, which was also outfitted with a suppressor, and handed it to her employer, who took it with great care. Then, she reached into her pocket and produced the room access card. Next, she aimed the card over the slot positioned over the door handle.

"Three," she said. "Two. One!"

Within seconds, Maiya slid the card across the slot, triggering a clicking noise signaling the door being unlocked, and swung it open. She then ran into the room, followed closely by Kiritsugu. Upon entering the main room where the beds lay, the two aimed their weapons and prepared to open fire, only to stop upon realizing the room was empty.

Seconds later, Kiritsugu realized their major oversight: there was a bathroom to take cover in.

To their surprise, the sound of a flushing toilet confirmed his suspicions. The door to the bathroom opened, prompting both assassins to aim their guns. However, no one stepped out. Kiritsugu and Maiya refused to approach, knowing that doing so would potentially result in their deaths.

"I'm not armed, ya know!" a familiar voice said.

Maiya narrowed her eyes in frustration. "Step out this instant!" she snapped.

A muscular man stepped out of the bathroom, and Kiritsugu's grip on his sidearm tightened. This man had a scarred face with razor-sharp and intimidating eyes, unkempt brown hair that fell to his shoulders, and the stench of blood and gunpowder hanging around him. He wasn't wearing a shirt, thus exposing his rippling chest and bringing his large arms into greater relief. In fact, the only piece of clothing he was wearing was a pair of light-brown boxer shorts, which clearly displayed grime stains. This man looked like less of a threat and more of a lazy sloth who had no real concern about his own well-being. It was almost shameful to look upon.

"Oh, my apologies," the man said, gesturing to his shorts. "I, uh... I didn't expect you guys to come in so early. I was planning on laying out a welcome wagon for you." He looked at Maiya and smiled at her. "Good to see you again, babe. I forgot to say how much I enjoyed our little brunch!"

Maiya pursed her lips in annoyance, while Kiritsugu raised his gun slightly.

"Who are you?" he demanded coldly.

"That is Kairi Sisigou," replied Maiya, embarrassment tinting her otherwise-stoic expression.

"Yeah, the one and only," Kairi said. He then glanced at Kiritsugu and bowed respectfully at him. "It is quite a pleasure to meet you. It's not every day a mercenary such as me could come across the legendary Magus Killer in the line of duty. Your skills and exploits have been the subject of both absolute admiration and envy from me. You know, your methods have influenced my own means of getting things done-"

Kiritsugu unlocked the safety of his gun in warning, prompting Kairi to raise his hands in alarm.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now," the Magus Killer snarled threateningly.

Kairi blinked twice. "A reason, huh? You're not gonna ask for a little thanks first? I did just compliment you and all-"

"Now."

Kairi blinked, surprised at Kiritsugu's sternness. "Cold and to the point, aren't you? But then again, you're the Magus Killer." Then, he sneered triumphantly, like someone who had just found a clever way to beat his opponent in a game. "Sure, I'll give you a reason." He then gestured to the bathroom. "He's inside, and no, I'm not tricking you, and it's not a weapon I'm going to get."

His hands still raised, Kairi put one foot inside the bathroom. After looking at Kiritsugu and Maiya, who still had their guns trained on him, he bent over to pick up something. To ensure the other two assassins wouldn't shoot him, he kept his left hand raised and sticking out of the doorway for Kiritsugu and Maiya to observe. With some difficulty, the mercenary dragged out something. Kiritsugu and Maiya's eyes widened upon identifying the object.

It was a body with a sack placed over its head. The body stirred, issuing a young, masculine moan.

Kairi smirked. "Impressive, huh?"

Verde Shopping Center, Shinto

Irisviel and Saber stepped out of the anchor store, both carrying several bags filled with clothes. Saber was no longer wearing her all-black suit; instead, she was wearing an open red jacket exposing a white-and-blue tube-top, which in turn exposed most of her torso. She was also wearing a pair of blue shorts with the leggings torn right off, exposing her legs all the way to her upper thighs. Essentially, she resembled a teenage girl rebelling against her mother and trying to catch the attention of any male with her voluptuous body. In fact, more than a few males, mostly young but some older, were giving the passing Saber lecherous looks, which did not go unnoticed by Irisviel.

"Saber," she said, "are you sure that manner of dress is...appropriate?"

"Not at all!" replied Saber boisterously, looking even more proud of herself now that she was wearing her provocative clothing. "Like I said, a king must show off his body for the public to admire! The more skin I expose, the better! After all, I am the next in line for the throne of Britain!"

"If you insist, Saber..." Irisviel then observed the men peering obsessively and hungrily at Saber. "But I honestly doubt these men have kingship in mind when they are looking at you..."

"Of course! They are envious of my appearance, after all!" The girl stuck up her chin and crossed her arms. "They wish to attain a perfect and kingly body like mine!"

Irisviel sighed quietly. It appeared Saber was rather oblivious about the true nature of the onlookers' gazes.

For a moment, she wondered what would happen if her beloved Illyasviel took an interest in that kind of clothing style. Kiritsugu would no doubt forbid her from wearing such revealing and provocative clothes, but knowing Illyasviel, she would disregard her father's orders and try them out. And then...there would be lots of perverted males giving her daughter such lustful, wanting stares...

Another reason why her husband should win the War...

Irisviel began to delve further into her thoughts about Saber as she watched the Servant beside her.

The moment Saber was summoned alongside the other Black Servants, everyone was initially intimidated by the presence of an armor-clad knight wearing a large, horned helmet. However, once this knight was unmasked, everyone's intimidation turned into surprise upon seeing that the Knight of the Round Table Kiritsugu Emiya summoned was a woman. The final nail in the coffin was the knight's identification as Mordred, the Knight of Treachery who slew King Arthur. At the first chance he got, Kiritsugu evaded Mordred's watch and she never saw him again, not even during the trip from Germany to Fuyuki. Naturally, this upset the knight, greatly so.

Irisviel personally didn't mind Mordred, in spite of her personality and the fact that she was the last Knight of the Round Table the Einzberns wanted to summon. Of course, she disapproved of the summoning at first, with the knowledge of Mordred's legend in mind, but after getting to know her at the castle, her opinion of the Saber Servant changed quite considerably. For some reason, the white-haired homunculus admittedly could never be scared of the Knight of Treachery's volatile temper and overconfident demeanor. It amused her, actually, for Mordred's behavior reminded her of little Illyasviel, always bursting with confidence and making a scene whenever she didn't get her way.

Right now, it gave Irisviel some comfort, knowing she's unofficially taken a piece of Illyasviel with her on this final journey... She still couldn't believe that she would not be able to see her daughter again, that the last time she would be seeing her was when she was waving goodbye on the balcony of the Einzberns' castle...

Suddenly, as the two females continued walking, a wolf-whistle emerged from the crowd of perverted onlookers, and a voice called out to them confidently.

"Hey, hotties! Wanna hang out?!" The speaker clicked his tongue twice in a poor flirting manner that would make even a cat sick. "Because I've got some moves you'd totally like!"

Irisviel and Saber turned around and spotted two teenage boys standing out from the other onlookers. Both were wearing school uniforms, with one having black-and-blond-dyed hair and a lecherous expression, and the other having black hair and a sense of normalcy about him.

"Come on, Ichikawa," the black-haired boy said, looking extremely reluctant to participate in the flirting and wolf-calling. "We don't have time for this! We're gonna be late for school-"

"Ah, suck it up and be a man, Kitano!" the boy's companion said in annoyance. "This could be our lucky day! I mean, we've got a MILF on our hands, and both of them look like foreigners! This is grade-A material right here!" He focused his gaze back on Irisviel and Saber. "So then, what do ya say, ladies?"

Beside the Mion River, Shinto side
– Several minutes later –

"I really wish you wouldn't have attacked that boy," Irisviel said, shaking her head in disapproval. "His friend looked really concerned about his well-being."

"He addressed me as a woman," snarled Saber savagely. "I do not take kindly to being called a woman, or a girl for that matter." With a twitching eyelid, she stomped her foot with enough force that the ground beneath her cracked. "I AM NOT A WOMAN!" She then whispered something else that Irisviel couldn't hear, still with a great amount of frustration.

Irisviel smiled warily. "I know you aren't, but I don't think it's right for you to retaliate against that boy with such violence and force. I'm sure your father wouldn't approve of such a reaction-"

The ground suddenly shook slightly with the stomp of a foot.

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY FATHER, WOMAN!"

Gasping, Irisviel took a couple of steps back from Saber in caution, the girl glaring at her with all of the hatred in the world. Staring deep into her eyes as they burned with fiery, almost monstrous emotion, Irisviel realized that she was actually trembling in fear.

"NEVER TALK ABOUT MY FATHER!" continued Saber, looking completely beside herself. "DO NOT EVEN SAY A WORD IF IT PERTAINS TO MY FATHER! IF YOU EVEN BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT MY FATHER, I WILL KILL YOU!"

Normally, Irisviel wasn't that deterred by the Servant's rage. After all, she just had to project Illyasviel on her and treat her like how she'd treat her daughter. However, that outburst... It was not like anything she had previously seen from Saber. It wasn't even rage. It was...hatred? It had to be...and yet, it also felt like...protectiveness? Either way, it was obvious Saber's father, the King of Knights himself, was a very sensitive subject for her...

And Irisviel knew why.

At that moment, Saber, realizing she had frightened the wife of her Master with her outburst, softened her posture and expression.

"I apologize, Irisviel... I...I didn't mean to shout at you like that."

"No, Saber," the homunculus replied. "It is I who should be apologizing. I shouldn't have brought that subject up."

"No, you shouldn't. I should be the one apologizing. I...I yelled at you, a woman... I threatened you. I have failed the code of chivalry. I failed my duty as a knight."

Saber turned away and continued walking, refusing to meet Irisviel's gaze. The woman watched her go for a brief moment, shocked by the Servant's sudden change of emotion and character, before running after her. The two females spent the remainder of their walk mostly in silence. On a few occasions, Irisviel would try to start up a conversation, but Saber would just coldly turn her head away and remain silent as a response. Eventually, the white-haired homunculus realized that she had touched a nerve and chose to stay quiet for the rest of the walk.

It didn't take long for the two of them to finally arrive at the warehouse district, where they found someone walking past one of the metal containers in the distance. Acting on instinct, Saber prepared to materialize her armor, but Irisviel held out her hand, gesturing her to stop.

"It's okay, Saber," she said. "It's one of the Black Masters."

Saber huffed angrily and relaxed her posture, but said nothing else. She and Irisviel continued walking towards that person, with the latter looking at the blonde Servant with an expression of regret. She knew she needed to mend her relationship with Saber somehow, because the chances were that the tenseness between them would also carry over to Saber's relationship with Kiritsugu.

"Oi, Irisviel!" called a familiar voice. The woman looked straight ahead and realized that the speaker was the Black Master. "Irisviel von Einzbern! Good to see you here. And on time too! Edelfelt told me you and Saber would be a little late!"

"It's good to see you, Kariya Matou," replied Irisviel, bowing her head at him.

The white-haired man's eyes narrowed slightly in disgust. "Yggdmillennia," he corrected. "Kariya Matou Yggdmillennia."

"Oh, my apologies!"

Kariya shrugged, then glanced at Saber. "Uh...what are you wearing?"

"These are the robes of a mighty king, you ungrateful peasant!" snapped Saber, her voice filled to the brim with hostility. She jabbed a thumb to herself in great emphasis. "Are you challenging my position?!"

At the corner of his eye, Kariya caught Irisviel staring at him pleadingly. Remembering how stubborn and violent the Black Faction's Saber Servant was, he could only assume he wasn't supposed to speak out against her in any way.

"No, not at all," he replied. "I just thought you looked..." Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Fantastic in them."

Saber's tooth-bared frown turned into a mighty, haughty grin. "Thank you, peasant. I appreciate the sentiment!"

Kariya merely chuckled in response. Once Saber sauntered past the Matou Master, still relishing in the attention she received, Kariya turned his gaze back to Irisviel.

"Would you mind explaining to me what just happened?" he asked. "If I can recall, Saber was wearing a different set of clothes last time I saw her."

"Oh." Irisviel smiled back at her temporary teammate. "She didn't like them, so I bought a replacement set for her."

"You bought her that?" Kariya looked behind his shoulder to watch Saber for a moment, then turned back to Irisviel. "Won't the White Servants discern her identity if any of them come across her while patrolling?"

"Not at all. Her Secret of Pedigree Noble Phantasm has very specific criteria on when her identity can be revealed to enemy Servants. If her entire armor, including her helmet, is removed, no one will still be able to recognize her. She needs to wield her sword in order to be identified."

"I guess that is very specific. But if it prevents her true identity from being revealed to the enemy, then I'm all in for it. It'd be risky if any of our Servants' identities were known to the White Faction. Who knows what countermeasures Tohsaka has planned then?" Then, Kariya remembered something else. "Oh, before I forget, the others just discussed this. We still have yet to find the Master of Assassin of Black, and there are no leads on his current whereabouts."

"Oh, dear..." Irisviel rubbed her chin in worry. "And what about the Master of Caster of Black?"

"The Church hasn't made an announcement yet, so he or she has yet to be selected by the Grail."

"That's odd. The Grail isn't supposed to take this long in selecting a Master. We're almost ready for battle too..."

"Well, the Grail isn't supposed to activate its auxiliary reserve system in Fuyuki either. Perhaps it's exhausted enough of its excess energy, and we're going to have to enter the battlefield without a Caster Servant of our own, as crappy as that would sound..."

The homunculus shook her head. "No, regardless of the conditions, the Grail has to complete the roster of Masters." She then sighed heavily. "But when it's already this close to the actual War, then that means the Grail will have to choose a weak Master with little to no skill. Once again, another setback for the Black Faction..."

"Ah, don't speak that way, Irisviel! Whatever happens, I'm sure that we'll all try our best against the White Faction."

"Yet at the cost of our lives..."

Irisviel and Kariya remained silent for a moment, and all that could be heard was the whistle of the soft breeze. Kariya wanted to say something that could bring some sort of comfort to his usually warm and cheerful teammate and benefactor, but he couldn't think of anything else. It was true, anyway, what she said. If the Grail really did choose a Master for Caster of Black in time, that Master would no doubt be weak and inexperienced. And with that came a weak and ineffective Servant...

"VON EINZBERN!" another voice shouted.

The two looked across their shoulders and saw Feend marching angrily towards them, followed closely by Lancer, who looked rather disapproving of his Master's attitude.

"Oh, hello, vor Sembren," Irisviel greeted with an unenthusiastic tone.

"DON'T YOU DARE GIVE ME THAT TONE! YOU'RE LATE! WE WERE ALL WAITING FOR YOU!"

"Master, please," Lancer said, "Lady Einzbern has arrived, so there is no need to-"

"SILENCE, LANCER!" interrupted Feend harshly. "I DON'T REQUIRE ANY INPUT FROM YOU!" He glared back at Irisviel and snarled, "And your good-for-nothing husband isn't with you, I see. He's probably somewhere else, scheming against the rest of us already."

"I don't see why he would be doing that, vor Sembren," Irisviel replied.

"Isn't it damn obvious to you?" Then, Feend cleared his throat and straightened his clothes. "Come, everyone. We must discuss a permanent base of operations."

Feend turned around and walked away, with Irisviel, Kariya, and Lancer watching him go. Once his Master was out of earshot, Lancer sighed and looked at the others.

"My apologies for my Master's behavior," he said. "He isn't the most patient person."

"Yeah, I noticed," Kariya replied dryly. Then, he whispered to himself, "I just cannot understand you mages..."

"But my Master has a point. Come, everyone else is gathered inside the warehouse."

Lancer began following his Master, with Irisviel and Kariya watching him go for a brief moment. Then, they prepared to follow them both when Kariya suddenly stopped in mid-stride and clutched his head tightly with his palms, moaning uncomfortably. Irisviel heard his moan and looked back at him.

"Kariya?" she asked worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." Kariya rubbed his head and then gave the white-haired homunculus a smile to assuage her of her worries. "It's just that...controlling Berserker is a bit of a task for me. Puts a little strain on my mind and mana reserves, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I'm-I'm so sorry." The homunculus pursed her lips sadly. "It must be difficult to control a violent and insane Servant such as Berserker. And given the Matou's magecraft and your magical experience, such a responsibility must be putting quite a physical burden on you..."

"Eh, it's no biggie. I'm at a better advantage with this kind of Holy Grail War. I mean, if I started out on my own on day one, then I'd probably be dead or worse. Nah, I have the benefit of team support, so controlling Berserker really is the least of my problems."

Irisviel's crimson eyes softened in concern. "But...if you make it into the second phase, you will be operating on your own from then on..."

"By that point, I will have learned all of my opponents' strengths, weaknesses, and tactics. I will also have a better understanding of Berserker's own power and how I can control him the best. With that kind of knowledge, I'll be able to win in any battle."

"You sound so confident of that, Kariya..."

Kariya chuckled. "Well, that's because my primary concern for this War isn't winning the Holy Grail."

"Really?" Irisviel blinked in confusion. "So you don't have a wish for the Grail?"

"Oh, I do, I do! It's just that..." The Matou Master suddenly hesitated, apparently debating his next words. "Well, I have another priority in this War, one that takes precedence over everything else."

"I see... And you're not going to tell me what that priority is?"

"I can't see any benefit of doing so." Kariya smiled again, however. "After all, like you said, I'll be operating on my own in the future. If someone were to learn about my priorities, then they'd take advantage of it. You may be a friend now, but you will be a foe down the road, so I must limit myself in what I can tell you."

"Of course. I understand, Kariya, and I respect your decision to refrain yourself from sharing me the details."

"Thank you, Irisviel." Then, Kariya resumed walking, rubbing his head as he did so. "Now, let's get going. We have a meeting to attend to."

Irisviel watched Kariya walk away with a concerned look on her face. To be honest, she didn't know whether to be worried about him or not. He was confident about himself and his abilities, and yet, he was clearly not physically compatible with his Berserker. She remembered that Kiritsugu didn't choose his catalyst for him, so she wondered what the Yggdmillennia (and specifically Zouken Matou) were thinking when they selected Kariya's Servant.

Knowing that she probably would never learn the answer to that, Irisviel sighed and followed after her temporary teammate.

Miyama Town

"Again... Again... Again... Again... Again-"

"Ah, you did it again."

Groaning in annoyance, Ryuunosuke Uryuu stopped gliding his toes across the floor and leaned against the sofa while the TV set continued to blare. He really, really didn't like how the book made the so-called 'summoning ritual' so complicated. ...Then again, he just didn't like the incantation part. That was the annoying part of the whole thing, the sole reason why he was making his fourth attempt. Everything else he was pretty happy to do. Especially the painting part; he really enjoyed that.

"Damn, I keep losing track of how many times I'm supposed to say 'again'!" exclaimed Ryuunosuke. "That's so annoying!"

An arm slunk over his shoulder from the back of his neck, and a head rested itself against his shoulder.

"Remember, Ryuu-kun, practice makes perfect. All we have to do is just try again."

Ryuunosuke chuckled. "I guess next time will be your turn, Rei-chan. Better not mess it up this time."

Reika Rikudou puffed out her cheeks slightly in a pouting manner, and she retracted her arm away from Ryuunosuke.

"I didn't mess it up," she replied in annoyance. "I definitely recited the whole thing correctly that time! I still don't know how I got it wrong."

"Maybe demons just don't like you."

Reika puffed out her cheeks even more. "That's really cruel, Ryuu-kun!"

Ryuunosuke began chuckling as he glanced at the painting he painstakingly made with the special red paint he acquired. Just then, the voice of a reporter began to emanate from the TV set. He and Reika turned their heads towards it, and the first thing they saw was the caption of the current news story.

"Fuyuki Demon strikes again," read Ryuunosuke. Then, he started chuckling feverishly, struggling to hold back a bout of laughter. "D'you hear that, Rei-chan? They think we're a demon! A demon, I say!"

The two burst out laughing, with Ryuunosuke lightly slapping his thigh several times in amusement. In the midst of her laughter, Reika leaned over the sofa and patted the shoulder of the man occupying it, as if to get his attention.

"Hey, hey, did you hear that, mister?!" she exclaimed between shrill laughs. "The police and the news think we're a demon. How hilarious is that?! I mean, we're just doing the community a great service, don't you agree?"

The man didn't respond. Instead, his head rolled off his motionless body and fell onto the floor, leaving behind a small trail of semi-dried blood. Reika merely pursed her lips in dissatisfaction.

"How rude," she said. "After all that loud talking you've been doing for hours, you're now giving me the silent treatment. Some host you are."

"Eh, I guess it's something that runs in the family, Rei-chan," Ryuunosuke replied as he scanned the room, examining all of their motionless and messy hosts. He then looked off towards a houseplant and nudged his companion's shoulder. "But I think this little guy's still willing to have a little chitchat."

The orange-haired man walked away from the sofa and approached the form of a brown-haired boy lying next to his painting. He was bound by his wrists and ankles with rope, and a cloth was wrapped across his mouth, preventing him from speaking.

"Yo, kiddo," he greeted in a friendly tone. "D'you hear what that chick in the TV was saying? About me and Rei-chan being demons? I mean, that would seem a little disrespectful to the real demons, right? After all, we're just artists trying to make a living! Totally different from being a demon!" He then knelt down beside the boy, genuinely looking as if he were striking up a friendly conversation. "And, well, I think it'd be a little easier to tell if someone's a demon or not. After all, we didn't just waltz over to your doorstep like idiots and cry out, 'Hey everyone, we're demons!' Or something like that."

The boy merely struggled against his bonds and tried to scream, but his voice came out muffled. Reika's eyes softened, and she approached the boy as well.

"Awww, is the big, bad Ryuunosuke scaring you?" she asked kindly. "Here, let Reika help you..."

She sat down beside the boy, took his struggling form onto her lap, and allowed him to rest his head on her bosom, which was nearly exposed by her scanty green dress. The boy turned rigid as she began stroking his head and whispering sweet comforts to him. Ryuunosuke scowled at the sight.

"Ah, you always have a way with the kids, Rei-chan," he said.

"Well, you gotta prep him up in case a demon stops by."

"Now why would a demon be stopping by? I didn't do the incampation thing or whatever-it-is-called right."

Reika shrugged as she unknowingly pushed the boy's head further into her breasts while stroking it, terrifying him.

"Well, who knows?" she replied. "Your painting looks more accurate than our last attempts. Maybe that's all it takes, and the demon will come regardless. Didn't that book say the whole incantation thing is just a formality?"

"I don't remember. But I guess you got a point. People seriously can't be required to go through all this trouble to summon a demon." He then looked down at the boy and noticed his predicament. "Uh... Rei-chan..."

"Huh? What?" The woman looked down, and her eyes widened. "Oh, my!"

The boy let out a terrified squeak, further muffled by her cleavage. However, at the corner of his eye, he caught a strange grin on Reika's face.

"You're so young, yet so naughty, aren't you?" she asked as she released the boy from the suffocating pressure. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

The boy was too afraid to respond to her questions. He honestly didn't know what had just happened to him, other than it was very uncomfortable and something he should never do to a woman. Then, Reika tilted her head, and that was when the boy noticed a gleam in her eyes, one of...rage...

"I should've known..." she continued, her voice still loving and calm. "No matter what the age, all men are the same..."

"Oi, what about me?" asked Ryuunosuke, looking a little offended.

Reika then giggled like a little schoolgirl. "Of course you're the exception, Ryuu-kun! You're a perfect gentleman!"

"Ah, stop it, Rei-chan! You're making me blush!" Then, the orange-haired man looked back at his painting, and frowned in disappointment. "You know, from this angle, the circle doesn't look complete. I think I might need more paint, but my supply's now all dry..."

"Oh, Ryuu-kun!" Reika said in a calling tone. She traced her fingers from the boy's chin and across his jawline. "I have the perfect source right here!"

Ryuunosuke looked at the boy. "Well...I was hoping I could leave him as a live sacrifice..." Then, he shrugged. "But I guess some things can't be helped. Okay." He took the bloody knife from a nearby table and aimed it at the boy as the latter let out muffled screams and cries of absolute terror. "Sorry about this, kid, but you were really getting into Rei-chan's tits and I'm not a fan of that. Guess you won't be alive long enough to be eaten by a demon." Ryuunosuke groaned in disappointment. "And I've always wondered what that was gonna be like too..."

"Do it, Ryuu-kun," urged Reika, looking on excitedly and hungrily like a child. "Do it, do it!"

Ryuunosuke promptly held the blade against the boy's throat as he continued to cry and let out muffled screams, and-

"Ow, what the hell?!"

He withdrew the blade quickly and clutched his hand. The boy began crying in relief, while Reika's eyes widened in worry.

"Are you okay, Ryuu-kun?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah. It's just...my hand was stinging like a storm for a little..." Then, Ryuunosuke spotted something at the back of his hand. "What the hell? A tattoo?"

"A tattoo?" repeated Reika in confusion.

Before Ryuunosuke could respond, a blue light suddenly illuminated the dark room, and a strange, unknown energy started to pour throughout the air. Everyone turned towards it, and Ryuunosuke realized that it was coming from the painting he had been working so hard on. And now...there was a chance it was actually doing the thing he wanted it to do...

Just then, he and Reika could faintly see something materializing in front of them through the light. Their eyes widened in wonder and anticipation, and even the boy was now lying still, unsure if this was something to be relieved about or frightened by.

Finally, once the light faded, a cloud of smoke dispersed through the room, drifting slowly outward like an ominous fog. Through it, Ryuunosuke and Reika distinguished an abnormally tall man wearing a peculiar set of clothing, consisting of an inky-black cassock and an ancient robe with blood-red coloring patterns. His face had a deathly pallor to it, and unkempt dark-gray hair fell from it, giving him the general impression of a madman.

"I ask you," the man said in a high-pitched voice. "You who calls to me, o summoner who manifests me within the vessel of a Caster. I ask you your name. Who?" He looked up at Ryuunosuke and Reika; they did not react visibly at his abnormally large eyes, reminiscent of fish eyes. "Who art thou?"

Ryuunosuke was so stunned and even entranced by the sudden appearance that he had to be ushered back into reality by a nudge from Reika. After looking at her and receiving a reassuring look from her face as a response, the laborer cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Uh, well, I'm Ryuunosuke Uryuu," he said. "I'm currently working odd jobs. My hobby is murder of all varieties. I'm mostly into kids and sometimes young women."

"And I'm Reika Rikudou," Reika added, grabbing Ryuunosuke's arm and embracing it. "I'm with him."

"Very well," the man replied, nodding. "And to whom shall I address as my Master?"

Ryuunosuke blinked in confusion. "Master? What the heck?"

"I don't know," added Reika, shrugging dismissively. "Both of us, I guess."

The man nodded again. "Very well. The pact is now officially sealed."

"Uh...pact?..." Ryuunosuke asked, scratching his chin in puzzlement.

"It's my irresistible desire to possess the Holy Grail, exactly as you do."

Reika blinked, now confused as well. "The Holy...what now?"

"The sacred vessel of paradise, the cup of awesome and terrible powers will be ours!"

"Yeah, okay... Can you excuse us for a sec?" Then, Reika whispered into Ryuunosuke's ear, "Ryuu-kun? Do you have any idea what he's talking about?"

"Not a clue," her companion whispered back. "But who gives a crap? We actually summoned a demon! A grade-A demon, in fact! We should start getting on his good side right away!"

Reika grinned maliciously and looked down at the boy. "Looks like today's your lucky day, pervert," she said excitedly, as if it were her birthday today. "You're going to be eaten by a demon after all! Hooray!"

Terrified, muffled screams filled the room, unlike any other.

"Hey, mister," Ryuunosuke said, catching the attention of the strange man. "Look, you can explain the juicy details to us later, but I'm pretty sure warping over here from wherever you came from must've left you a little tired and hungry." He gestured to the writhing, screaming boy. "Here, we've got a snack for you! He's live and fresh for you."

The man glanced at the boy; the latter's eyes widened in terror at the sight of him and he intensified his struggle. With a passive, emotionless look, the man reached into his robe and procured a book. Ryuunosuke's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"Oh, wow!" he exclaimed. "That's human skin, isn't it?"

The man didn't respond. Instead, he opened the book, flipped to a random page, and recited something neither Ryuunosuke or Reika could understand. Then, he advanced towards the boy as the latter continued to scream and began to back up away from the newcomer. However, it was useless, and the man was already towering over the boy, his abnormal fish-like eyes focused and predatory. Backing up into a corner, the boy could do nothing more than tremble and look up in terror. The man began to reach forward, and the boy closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

Instead, he heard tearing noises. Opening his eyes, he realized that the man was actually untying him.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Reika screamed, her eye twitching.

The fish-eyed man ignored her and gave the boy a kind smile. "There, there, little one," he said. "Don't be frightened. Everything's going to be fine."

Ryuunosuke and Reika could literally see the relief crashing over the boy, and they gritted their teeth in displeasure at that. Reika had to resist the urge to throw up as she watched the fish-eyed man remove the cloth over the boy's mouth and remove his bonds completely.

"Can you stand properly, little one?" he asked. The boy simply nodded. "Good. Now run, run as fast as you can. Out through that door." He opened towards the closed wooden door a few feet away from them. "I'll hold these bad people off, do you understand? So don't be afraid. Just keep running, and find help."

The boy nodded again and began running towards the door. Reika growled angrily and tried to run after him, but a pale-skinned arm, bearing sharp fingernails and strange markings, stopped her.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she shouted at the man. "You're letting him go?!"

"We prepared him specially for you!" added an outraged Ryuunosuke.

To their surprise, the fish-eyed man grinned gleefully. "Ohhhhh," he replied. "Just watch."

The boy opened the door and-

Tentacles flew out of the doorway and wrapped around his body before he had time to even process his freedom. Ryuunosuke and Reika gasped as these tentacles held the helpless body towards a gaping, circular mouth lined with teeth, situated at the other side of the doorway. The boy screamed in horror and tried to struggle, but it was useless, and he was thrown into the monstrous mouth, which then began chewing.

Ryuunosuke and Reika could barely see the actual sight, but they could see the blood jettisoning out of the creature's mouth and splattering all over its teeth. They could hear the sounds of flesh being ripped apart and bones being crushed into gravel...but the boy's screams never stopped. He sounded very much alive, as if he weren't being torn apart by the teeth at all. One could wonder if any neighbors heard all of that commotion. Ryuunosuke looked at the fish-eyed man, who merely had his eyes shut as he relished happily in the boy's demise.

Finally, after a few minutes, the boy's screams faded out, and the creature disappeared in a plume of purple smoke. All that was left was the massive amounts of blood splattered all over the floor and nearby walls. Ryuunosuke and Reika stared at the gruesome sight in wonder.

"Terror has its degrees of freshness," the fish-eyed man suddenly explained, catching the couple's attention. "The more intense the fear, the more all of the other emotions die. The terror in its truest sense is not a static state, but rather a dynamic one. It is the sublime moment when shining hope turns to utter despair!" He paused for a long moment, allowing his words to sink. "Well, Ryuunosuke Uryuu? Reika Rikudou? Did you two enjoy it? Did you enjoy the savory taste of raw, unspeakable death?"

Ryuunosuke's response was instantaneous.

"COOL!" In an excited, almost frenzied state, he grabbed the man's hand with both of his own hands and shook it frantically. "COOL, COOL, COOL! YOU ARE SO AWESOME! YOU ARE THE COOLEST THING EVER! Okay, listen here, I don't anything about this Holy Braille crap or whatever, but screw that! Screw all the details! From this point on, we're sticking with you!" He then turned towards Reika, who was still staring at the bloodstained doorway in shock. "Right, Rei-chan?! We're sticking with him, right?!"

Reika was silent for the longest moment. Her pupils were trembling, as if she witnessed something truly, truly horrible and that she was now having second thoughts about the whole matter. In fact, such a lack of response concerned Ryuunosuke.

"Uh...babe?..." he asked. "You okay?"

Finally, a sound came out of the green-haired woman's mouth.

"Ha."

"Huh?" Ryuunosuke replied, confused.

"Ha. Ha ha. Heh heh heh. HehehehehehehehAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Pretty soon, the room was filled with Reika's insane laughter. At that moment, Ryuunosuke grinned excitedly, while the fish-eyed man smiled in approval.

"Oh, it seems that I have been blessed with a magnificent omen," the man said, "to be gifted with such understanding people as my Masters. I feel my darkest dream is nearly within my grasp..."

"So cool!" exclaimed Ryuunosuke as Reika continued to cackle madly. "That means you're cool with us, huh? That's so cool! Oh man, we're so gonna learn new ways to torture and kill people! I can't wait to see what you've got in store for me and Rei-chan, mister!" Then, he remembered something. "Oh, wait! I didn't catch your name, mister. Uh, what was it?"

The man blinked. "You wish to know my name now? Let me see now..." He looked off and placed a finger on his chin in thought. "In this era, the most common name for me would be...uhhhhh..."

Then, he looked back at Ryuunosuke with a smile.

"Perhaps for now, I'll just call myself...Bluebeard."

He wishes to protect his beloved friend

– BLACK FACTION SERVANT STATS AND INFO –

– Saber of Black –

Master: Kiritsugu Emiya
True Name: Mordred
Sex: Female
Height: 154 cm.
Weight: 42 kg.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Mana: A
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: A

Class Skills:

-Magic Resistance: B

Grants protection against magical effects. Saber can cancel out spells invoked by chants below three verses, and is barely affected by magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.

-Riding: B

The ability to ride mounts. Saber can handle most vehicles and creatures with above-average skill, but she cannot ride the likes of Phantasm Races such as Monstrous Beasts.

Personal Skills:

-Battle Continuation: B

The strength of vitality specifically demonstrated for predicaments, plus the ability to withdraw from combat and reach allied territory alive after defeat. This Skill was granted due to Mordred being able to kill her father in her lifetime despite the mortal wounds she suffered.

-Charisma: C-

The natural talent to command an army, which increases the ability of allies during group battles. This Skill was granted due to Mordred's desire to rule over Britain, though it is fairly weak.

-Instinct: B

The ability to sense developments favorable for oneself during the course of a battle. Though it is usable, Saber's senses are dulled by suppression induced by her extreme rage directed towards her father.

-Mana Burst: A

The boost in performance caused by infusing one's body and weapon with magical energy and instantly expelling it, recreating the effect of a jet burst. Saber can destroy weapons that are not on the level of a divine mystery.

Noble Phantasms:

-Clarent: Radiant and Brilliant Royal Sword

[Anti-Unit]: C (Range: 1; Max. number of targets: 1 person)

An ornate silver sword belonging to Mordred, which was originally sealed away by King Arthur in Camelot's armory. Adorned with decorative patterns and a sparkling quality, it was a treasured symbol of the right to inherit the throne of Britain. It is capable of raising its owner's parameters by one rank each and especially benefits the Charisma Skill. Originally a sword of the B rank, its rank was downgraded by one after being stolen by Mordred, who was never acknowledged as king, and it also lost its abilities to raise its owner's parameters and Charisma Skill. However, it retained its ability of 'amplification', which is essential to the Noble Phantasm Clarent Blood Arthur (see below).

-Clarent Blood Arthur: Rebellion Against My Beautiful Father

[Anti-Army]: A+ – A++ (Range: 1-50; Max. number of targets: 800 people)

The full-powered form of Clarent, an application of Saber's Mana Burst, and the embodiment of Mordred's legend in which she stole the sword from Camelot's armory and used it to kill King Arthur. Saber activates it by forcing her anger and hatred towards her father into the sword in the form of magical energy, manifesting red lightning and staining the immediate environment around her in the process. The hatred is then amplified by the sword and released in the form of an offensive red beam of light. During its usage, Saber's helmet, Secret of Pedigree (see below), is removed out of requirement; and after its usage, it causes a great deal of pain to Saber's body.

-Secret of Pedigree: Helm of Hidden Infidelity

[Anti-Unit (Self)]: C (Range: 0; Max. number of targets: 1 person)

The helmet given to Mordred by Morgan le Fay, along with the sole instruction to not remove it in order to keep her identity and lineage a secret. It is an embodiment of the part of Mordred's legend where she never removed it in public until her fight with King Arthur in the Battle of Camlann. As a result, wearing the helmet allows Saber to hide her true name, personality, Personal Skills, and Noble Phantasm information from anyone who looks at her, even her own Master. This information is revealed as long as she removes her helmet with her armor still on. However, it does not apply if she removes both her helmet and her armor, and even when she is wearing civilian clothing, but it will be revealed in that case if she wields Clarent. She is required to remove her helmet while utilizing Clarent Blood Arthur.

– Lancer of Black –

Master: Feend vor Sembren
True Name: Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Sex: Male
Height: 184 cm.
Weight: 85 kg.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Strength: B
Endurance: C
Agility: A+
Mana: D+
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: B

Class Skills:

-Magic Resistance: B

Grants protection against magical effects. Lancer can cancel out spells invoked by chants below three verses, and is barely affected by magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.

Personal Skills:

-Eye of the Mind (True): B

A heightened capacity for observation that is refined through experience. Lancer is capable of calmly analyzing battle conditions and deduce an appropriate course of action after considering all of the possibilities to escape from a predicament, all of this even when in danger. As long as there is a chance of a comeback, even if it is at a chance of 1%, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.

-Knight Tactics: B

The tactical knowledge that is used for battles involving knights. Lancer's rank is granted through his experience as one of the Knights of Fianna during his lifetime.

-Love Spot: C

A curse inherent of one's facial features, which is cast when the target looks at the owner's face. Lancer's "love spot", which makes him extremely irresistible to women, has effects that can be compared to Charm-type Mystic Eyes.

Noble Phantasms:

-Gáe Buidhe: Yellow Rose of Mortality

[Anti-Unit]: B (Range: 2-3; Max. number of targets: 1 person)

A cursed, 1.4-meter-long spear belonging to Lancer. It is capable of inflicting wounds that can't be healed naturally or with magecraft, which it accomplishes by lowering the opponent's maximum health limit. To conceal its abilities, and therefore his true identity, Lancer keeps the spear wrapped in a talisman cloth. The spear's abilities are passive, and it does not need its name to be called out, unlike most other Noble Phantasms.

-Gáe Dearg: Crimson Rose of Exorcism

[Anti-Unit]: B (Range: 2-4; Max. number of targets: 1 person)

A two-meter-long spear belonging to Lancer. It is capable of nullifying magical enhancements and projections by severing all ties with magical energy. Like Gáe Buidhe, Gáe Dearg's abilities are concealed by being wrapped in a talisman cloth, to prevent Lancer's true identity from being revealed. These abilities are also passive, as they do not require the spear's name to be called out. Its ability to affect even Noble Phantasms has earned Gáe Dearg the reputation of being an "anti-Noble Phantasm".

– Archer of Black –

Master: Klaus Edelfelt
True Name: Atalanta
Sex: Female
Height: 166 cm.
Weight: 57 kg.
Alignment: Neutral Evil

Strength: D
Endurance: E
Agility: A
Mana: C+
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: C

Class Skills:

-Independent Action: A

The ability to remain independent from a Master even when rejecting his or her supply of magical energy. Though Archer can take action without the backup of a Master, she requires one if she is to use a Noble Phantasm of great magical energy consumption.

-Magic Resistance: D

Grants protection against magical effects. Archer can cancel Single-Action spells.

Personal Skills:

-Aesthetics of the Last Spurt: C

A Skill granted specifically for Archer, in which she could deduce the actions of an opponent after letting him or her make the first move. This Skill was based on the tale in which Atalanta was able to defeat her opponents in footraces after letting them go first.

-Crossing Arcadia: B

The ability to jump over a multitude of obstacles in the battlefield, including enemies. This Skill was granted by Atalanta's declaration to jump across a steep mountain range to reach her homeland, Arcadia.

Noble Phantasms:

-Agrius Metamorphosis: Boar of Divine Punishment

[Anti-Unit (Self)]: B+ (Range: 0; Max. number of targets: 1 person)

The pelt of the Calydonian Boar, a Monstrous Beast that was unleashed as divine punishment by Artemis and ultimately slain by Atalanta. A cursed Noble Phantasm, it is capable of granting the Boar's powers to its owner, resulting in the rise of all parameters (with the sole exception of Luck) in exchange for reason, much like the Mad Enhancement Class Skill of Berserkers. This Noble Phantasm is impossible to utilize in a regular Holy Grail War.

-Phoebus Catastrophe: Complaint Message on the Arrow

[Anti-Army]: B (Range: 2-50; Max. number of targets: 100 people)

A "complaint letter" sent by Archer seeking divine protection from the sun god Apollo and the moon goddess Artemis, based on the aspect of Atalanta's legend in which Apollo and Artemis both killed the children of the fertile Niobe. Archer fires two arrows into the sky, and in response, a rain of arrows of light plummet down to the earth, striking the target with brute force. The arrows can target a single person or multiple opponents, though they are stronger when focused on one target.

– Rider of Black –

Master: Caules Forvedge Yggdmillennia
True Name: Saint George
Sex: Male
Height: 180 cm.
Weight: 95 kg.
Alignment: Lawful Good

Strength: D
Endurance: A+
Agility: C++
Mana: D
Luck: A+
Noble Phantasm: C

Class Skills:

-Magic Resistance: A

Grants protection against magical effects. Spells of A-rank and lower are canceled out, making Rider essentially untouchable to modern magi.

-Riding: B

The ability to ride mounts. Rider can handle most vehicles and creatures with above-average skill, but he cannot ride the likes of Phantasm Races such as Monstrous Beasts.

Personal Skills:

-Battle Continuation: A

The strength of vitality specifically demonstrated for predicaments, plus the ability to withdraw from combat and reach allied territory alive after defeat. Rider can fight even with deadly injuries and can remain alive as long as he doesn't receive a decisive fatal wound.

-Divinity: C

The measurement of a Servant's possession of Divine Spirit aptitude. Saint George was a servant of God in his lifetime.

-Guardian Knight: A+

The temporary raising of defensive power that is induced when one is defending others. This Skill was granted due to Saint George's reputation as the guardian of many countries and regions, and it grants Rider an unlimited supply of defensive power when activated.

-Instinct: C

The ability to sense developments favorable for oneself during the course of a battle. Rider can judge if his opponent is one that has to be fought. With its rank, this Skill is most effective when used for defense.

-Soul of a Martyr: B+

A protection against mental influence or interference. In his legend, Saint George repeatedly refused to renounce his religious beliefs in spite of being tortured.

Noble Phantasms:

-Ascalon: The Blessed Sword By Which Force is Slain

[Anti-Unit]: B (Range: 1-2; Max. number of targets: 1 person)

The sword of Saint George, which holds a reputation of being an invincible weapon designed to defend from all harm. As a Noble Phantasm, its protective power is reversed, and it has become an invincible weapon that can pierce through any kind of armor. Usage of the sword grants Rider a large boost in defense. It is also used, out of requirement, to activate Interfectum Dracones (see below).

-Bayard: The Phantom War Horse

[Anti-Army]: A (Range: 2-50; Max. number of targets: 100 people)

The steed of Saint George, it is a magical white horse ridden by Rider in the battlefield. It boasts great speed and is capable of inflicting severe damage by trampling over opponents. If Rider were to receive a fatal attack, Bayard will give its life to save him. However, once that is done, Bayard will no longer be usable, even in future battles.

-Interfectum Dracones: Dragon Slayer

[Anti-Unit]: A (Range: 2-50; Max. number of targets: 30 people)

A Noble Phantasm brought forth by Saint George's nature and reputation as a "Dragon Slayer", as well as the capabilities of Ascalon. In it, Ascalon fires multiple lance-like projectiles of light, which can strike targets at long distances. However, these projectiles are only effective towards those of draconian origin.

– Caster of Black –

Master: Ryuunosuke Uryuu
True Name: Gilles de Rais
Sex: Male
Height: 196 cm.
Weight: 70 kg.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Strength: D
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Mana: C
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: A+

Class Skills:

-Item Construction: XXX

The skill to manufacture magical items. At the cost of summoning him with his own Noble Phantasm, Caster's Item Construction Skill is lost.

-Territory Creation: B

The skill to construct a special terrain advantageous to oneself as a magus. Caster is capable of creating a Workshop.

Personal Skills:

-Eye for Art: E-

An infatuation for works of art. Because of his madness clouding his judgment, Caster lacks the knowledge to recognize works of art, with the possible exception of Noble Phantasms with artistic anecdotes.

-Mental Pollution: A

The ability to shut out thaumaturgy specializing in interfering with the mind due to insanity, which subsequently makes it impossible to empathize with others who are sane. Caster's madness is particularly high, making it difficult to reason with him, lest one is as insane as him.

Noble Phantasms:

-Prelati's Spellbook: Text of the Sunken Spiraled City

[Anti-Army]: A+ (Range: 1-10; Max. number of targets: 100 people)

A demonic guidebook and summoning grimoire possessing a cover made out of human skin and self-regenerative capabilities. It is considered a monstrous being that also functions as a core of magical energy, completely independent from its owner, and as such, it can function on its own, though it can still be read by its owner. It is capable of a number of magical feats, including but not limited to the unlimited (if need be) summoning other-dimensional water demons known as Horrors, High Thaumaturgy, and Greater Rituals. Its most notable feat is the ability to summon a Gigantic Horror, an aquatic, tentacled, demonic being composed of smaller Horrors that wholly absorb Caster. This Gigantic Horror is capable of continuous self-regeneration and tremendous strength, and can only be slayed if Caster's Master is killed or an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm is utilized.

– Assassin of Black –

Master: Waver Velvet
True Name: Hassan-i-Sabbah
Sex: Varied
Height: Varied
Weight: Varied
Alignment: Lawful Evil

Strength: C
Endurance: D
Agility: A
Mana: D+
Luck: E
Noble Phantasm: B

Class Skills:

-Presence Concealment: A+

The ability to hide the presence of oneself as a Servant and become nearly impossible to detect, commonly attributed to the Assassin class. Its efficiency will immediately decrease when Assassin prepares to attack a target.

Personal Skills:

-Expert of Many Specializations: A+

The ability to use many skills. A total of nearly 40 skills can be easily utilized by Assassin with the proficiency of Rank B and above, by arbitrarily changing between his multiple personalities.

-Librarian of Stored Knowledge: C

The ability to clearly recall knowledge with a successful Luck check, even if the knowledge was not consciously learned at the time of initial exposure. Assassin is granted this Skill through the distribution of his knowledge among his multiple personalities.

Noble Phantasms:

-Zabaniya: Delusional Illusion

[Anti-Unit (Self)]: B+ (Range: 0; Max. number of targets: 1 person)

The embodiment of the Hundred-Faced Hassan's multiple personality disorder, in which Assassin's compartmentalized soul allows for the division of his spiritual potential, resulting in the materialization of up to eighty different Servants, each its own separate entity. Their body sizes and shapes vary wildly depending on the personality, as do their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. The materialization of even a personality unaware of its true existence is certainly a possibility. However, their spiritual potential is subsequently equal to that of one person, and Assassin's statistics as a whole is divided among the personalities. As a result, the abilities of each individual Assassin is extremely low, placing that Assassin on the category of one of the weakest Servants the Holy Grail Wars have to offer.

Chapter 3:
The Black City

Kiritsugu: You don't know what you've gotten yourself into.

Risei: All the players have assembled...

Lancer of Black: Greetings.

Rider of White: That whole idea is absurd and laughable!

Olesya: Grant me victory in this fight!

Lancer of White: I will, without fail.

Next Time:
A Holy Congregation

A/N: And thus concludes this chapter! Again, my sincerest apologies for the delay. I also apologize for the writing; I feel like I might not have been in my most optimal condition for writing while I was working on this.

I've gotta say, compared to writing the chapter about the White Faction, writing most of this chapter was actually a bit hard. Even after watching "Fate/Zero" repeatedly (even during my writing sessions as motivation and inspiration for certain scenes), I struggled to come up with Lancer's lines and ensure that he stayed in-character. In the end, I think I did well on him, but I also think I could do better. Things should get better when the real battles come up (which is soon, don't worry).

The real task was writing Mordred down in a way that made her believable. THAT was surprisingly hard. 00Altair gave me some advice on how to treat her character while writing her down and I made sure I took it to heart, but I feel like I either didn't take it seriously enough or took it way too seriously. I have no idea. Maybe things would've been different if I paired her up with Kairi Sisigou like in the "Fate/Apocrypha" light novels (they're supposed to be compatible due to their similar personalities, after all). But considering this is an AU story, I wanted to mix things up in a unique way and I subsequently had Mordred stuck with Kiritsugu and Irisviel instead of Arturia. We'll see how things go as I move along with the story.

However, I DID find the parts with Caster of Black and his Master(s) to be very, very easy to write...quite sadly. I think I might have a disturbed, depraved side deep in me somewhere if I find writing the serial killers easy compared to their other teammates in the Black Faction. They may actually be the sole reason why I might change the rating of this story from T to M. Just alert me if I'm going way too dark with anything, okay?

Anyway, as to why I chose to include Reika Rikudou in the fold, I've always thought she was practically a female version of Ryuunosuke from what I've read about her, and that the two of them would work perfectly as some sort of hyper-violent, Bonnie-and-Clyde-like team. In case anyone didn't know, Reika Rikudou is a character in "Fate/Apocrypha" who becomes the Master of Assassin of Black (the loli Jack the Ripper).

And before anyone says anything, yes, Berserker of Black's stats and info are missing from the chart of Black Servants. They're not there for a reason, however. I was originally going to introduce Berserker like I did with the other Black Servants, but as I continued writing, I found that I wouldn't have enough time to fit in a physical appearance for him anywhere. So I'm keeping his/her identity a secret for another chapter or two. Think you guys can guess who it is in the meantime? I'm sure I didn't provide any hints beforehand.

Wow. I said too much for this Author's Note. Onto the reviews!

-Zangetsu Ossan: Thank you. How so?

-lamda:

1) So far, you're correct. There's no way I'm going to rack my mind trying to come up with an original Servant.

2) And that's the irony. They're so professional in everything except for their own Servants. XD

3) Looks like you were correct about Kiritsugu summoning Mordred. Kudos to you! :D

-angelvan105: Yes, the relationship between Ruler and Archer of White is going to be very interesting.

-00Altair: Shirou Kotomine is the same character as "Fate/Apocrypha", but different circumstances had him summoned as a Ruler-class Servant in the Third Holy Grail War. You'll find out later.

-VergilChan: I don't really hate him. Kiritsugu's one of my favorite "Fate" characters, actually. But I thought it'd be a good contrast between the Black and White Factions. Because, you know, the whole black and white thing...

-7137:

1) Oh, I'm glad this is your favorite already despite its status as a recent fic! :D

2) No, EMIYA isn't going to appear as a Servant. He won't have any role in this story. But you guessed right with Atalanta.

-Guest reviewer:

1) You call 81 favorites and 77 follows "low"? Man, you must have some pretty high standards there, my friend.

2) Neither of which can be helped, sadly enough.

3) Yes, all of the Servants you will see have been featured in previous "Fate" works. There are no OC Servants here.

-zachary2: Ah, okay. Thank you for being specific on how I'm writing Shirou. :D

-Khaine the betrayer:

1) Well, it's a good thing for you that I loved the interactions between Kirei and Gilgamesh in "Fate/Zero"! :D

2) Mind clarifying why you want to see Shirou suffer?

-raketsou: Yes, they're too OP. But I think the Black Faction has a Servant or two that can match them. (Yes, I know that doesn't help the Black Faction that much.)

-RANSA GA SHINDA (guest reviewer):

1) Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU SO MUCH for telling me about the Luck parameters! Your contribution is very much appreciated! :D

2) Yep, no way am I going to have Ruler order the unruly Servants to commit suicide when needed. It would seem too OOC for her, anyway.

-Wernher von Braun:

1) You will see what that metal column is near the end of the story.

2) Wait a minute, what makes you think Ruler is on the White Faction's side?

Well, hope you enjoyed this overdue chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!