Fate-profaned offering

by VitaVitaAR

The Holy Grail War. A free-for-all battle to the death between seven pairs of Masters and Servants. Matsushita Ai, at the behest of the organization that has cared for her for ten years, has been sent back to her birthplace to participate in such a clash. Together with her Saber-class Servant, Okita Souji, she will descend into a violent conflict in which there can be one victor.

11. Chapter 11

Slowly, Tsubaki's eyes opened. She blinked blearily, and then yawned. After a few moments, she slowly remembered just what had happened to her. She remembered the alleyway, and then the encounter with Rani. Her heart sank as she recalled how the Atlas agent had taken Saori away… Tsubaki had failed to save her. She didn't even have any idea where Saori was. After that point… she didn't remember anything. Tsubaki recalled feeling very faint, but that was all. Now…

Blearily, the tanned girl looked around the room. Slowly, she began to realize it was her bedroom, everything immediately seeming familiar.

Had she collapsed? She almost remembered something like that happening… maybe staying up all night the previous day, trying to plan out every detail as much as she could, really had been a bad idea. It hadn't paid off whatsoever, after all. If anything, it had only made things even worse. And they'd already been bad enough… Tsubaki slowly sat up. Lancer wasn't visible, but the girl could feel her Servant's presence. She knew she was nearby, watching over her. If nothing else, that was something comforting to think about. Her body felt somewhat heavy, but it seemed as if she'd managed to recover… that was good too, at least.

"Master, you're awake?" came Lancer's voice. Tsubaki swiftly turned to the source, to see her Servant seemingly form from thousands of motes of golden light. Of course, she'd been in spirit from to lessen the burden on her… Not that it had been Lancer's usage of mana that had caused her to pass out. The blonde knight approached her bedside, kneeling down near the bed as she did.

"Are you well? How do you feel?" she asked, concern plain on her face. In spite of how she was feeling, Tsubaki gave her servant a smile. If nothing else, it was good to know that Lancer was still the same as ever.

"… I feel fine. Groggy, but fine," she responded, stretching one of her arms as she did. "How long was I asleep? I don't remember much after the alleyway…"

"You've been asleep for most of the day. It is now evening," replied Lancer, rising to her feet as she did. It was evening? She'd slept for that long? Well… Tsubaki supposed she did have to make up for her lack of rest, didn't she…

"It's a good thing the school is closed, heh," responded the tan girl, with a weak laugh. It was hard to feel particularly good about that given the recent events, but at least it wasn't something she had to worry about right now.

"I agree, it allowed you plenty of time to rest without concern," Lancer nodded, "Even if it was not closed, however, I would have advised that you remain home in order to rest. Honestly, Master, skipping a whole night of sleep…"

"I know, Lancer," said Tsubaki, "It wasn't very smart of me. All it did was make everything worse. It certainly didn't help Saori-san…"

"… Ah…" Lancer averted her blue eyes from her Master, "… If… if it helps… there's no reason to believe she has been harmed. I don't believe Rani was lying. I will try and find her, if you wish."

"… No… you don't have to, Lancer," replied Tsubaki, defeated. It was Atlas. Who knew where they had taken Saori? No… they had to ensure that nothing like that happened again. She had to hope Saori was well… it was all she could do, right now. "… I want to look for her… I really do… but… I don't know where to begin. She's just disappeared, after all."

"Nevertheless, I'll assist you, Master," Lancer said, without hesitation. "I am a knight, and if she is in need of rescue it is my duty to ensure she is safe."

… If there was any chance of finding Yumimura Saori, she had to take it. But that wasn't all she had to keep in mind. In the name of the Inoue family, she had to claim victory in the Holy Grail War. The cold separation of emotions and duty… Tsubaki didn't think it was something she was truly capable of. But it was hard to say that simply charging out and looking for Saori would be any help at the moment. She had to locate some sort of lead… They'd found her, only to see her disappear just like that, hadn't they?

"… If we can find any leads at all, we have to follow them," Tsubaki said, finally, clambering out of bed as she did. Her limbs felt rather heavy… even if Lancer hadn't told her, she still would have been able to tell she'd slept for quite a bit longer than usual. "… But I can't forget about the Holy Grail War. I don't want anyone else to suffer like Saori-san did."
Lancer rose to her feet. A look of determination burned in her blue eyes, and she nodded firmly.

"Of course, Master. I cannot allow such evil to be performed once again," responded the blonde-haired knight, "No matter who it is, Master or Servant, there's no way I can allow anyone to cause such pain."

Good. Tsubaki wouldn't have expected anything else from Lancer, anyway. She was a knight of justice who upheld all that was good and just. That was one of the reasons she had been happy to summon her, after all.

"You're so dependable, Lancer," commented Tsubaki, with a smile, "And dedicated, too. Just like your legend."

It was at this point that there was no way for Lancer to stop herself from showing at least some pride.

"I would not be who I am without such dedication, Master," she responded, "To my cause in life, and to you. There is absolutely no way I can allow myself to yield."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Tsubaki, taking a deep breath as she did, "I've spent all this time resting… we have to go out tonight. We need to see if we can find something that can show us where Saori-san was taken to, we need to make sure no-one else suffers like she did… we need to do something. I won't just sit here any longer, not after I slept almost the whole day away."

Lancer gave her another nod. She wasn't going to be disputing that, Tsubaki knew quite well.

"However… are you certain you are ready, Master?" the knight asked, concerned, "I have no desire to stop you, but you did pass out from lack of sleep."

"And I spent the whole day sleeping afterwards," Tsubaki answered, stretching, "Like I said, I can't just sit here any longer."

"I do not disagree, and I wish to do everything I can, too," responded Lancer, "But I do not want to see you collapse again, either. I want to be certain you are well."

"Don't worry, Lancer," Tsubaki stretched again, trying to loosen up her limbs as she did. It was time to get moving. "I spent all this time in bed, I think I'm going to be just fine. You're acting like some kind of big sister, you know."

"Ah, er… am I?" replied the blonde knight, her cheeks coloring somewhat. If nothing else, at least seeing her Servant get flustered a bit helped to brighten Tsubaki's mood, if only a little. It was cute.

"That's enough to make you blush, Lancer?" the tan girl asked, smiling at the somewhat taller girl, now, "Aren't you supposed to be made of sterner stuff? You are a knight, after all!"

"… Now… now you're just teasing me, Master…" protested the blonde girl with a small frown. Tsubaki let out a little chuckle and scratched the back of her head.

"Ahh, sorry, but… I needed to cheer up a little bit, I guess…" she replied, trailing off. "I can't help but tease you, when that's how you react."

"This is not a proper relationship between a Master and a Servant at all," insisted Lancer, her expression hardening. However, moments later, her gaze softened, and she smiled slightly. "But… Even still, I am glad that you are feeling better."

Tsubaki returned the smile. This hardly made her feel particularly better about the events of the previous night, but at least it was something that could cheer her up a little bit. But for now, the most important thing was to ensure she was fully prepared for the patrol tonight, and any possible conflicts. And she had to be ready to keep an eye out for any clues she could follow to locate Saori…

"I need to take a shower first, Lancer. It'll help wake me up and prepare to get out there," stated the black haired girl, nodding to herself. Lancer bobbed her head in acknowledgement and swiftly turned, departing from the bedroom. Moments later, the door shut, leaving Tsubaki completely alone in her room.

Taking a deep breath, the tanned girl left her bedroom as well, turning down the hallway to the right and heading into the bathroom. Once she was there, she shed her pyjamas(wait, had Lancer changed her?) and began to run the water. As it warmed up, her mind wandered. Not only to the subject of Yumimura Saori, but… was Ai doing okay, as well? It hadn't been very long, but there was something about the short brunette that just made her worry about her, sometimes…

And that wasn't the only reason she had to be worried about Ai, really…

Tsubaki shook her head, glancing towards the water. By this point, it looked like it was warm enough, and sticking her hand into the water confirmed it was the case. No matter how the black-haired magus was feeling, there was at least something comforting about the warm water running down her body as she stepped into her shower. That simply wasn't something she could deny even when she was in her worst moods.

As relaxing as the water in the shower was, Tsubaki couldn't allow herself to lose track of the time. She'd managed to walk herself back from simply sprinting out of her house without even thinking about what she was doing and searching every nook and cranny in the entire town of Minami for Saori, as much as she wanted to, by considering the fact that this wouldn't necessary help her friend. But that didn't mean she could just sit and relax in the shower. She had to look for clues. She had to make sure no-one else ended up getting drawn into the war.

Soon enough, the tanned girl stepped out of her shower and shut off the water, busying herself with drying her body and hair. As she did, Tsubaki's mind drifted to the matters at hand. Namely, the path moving forward in the Holy Grail War. If she ended it as quickly as possible, that meant it was unlikely no-one else would end up like Saori did, didn't it? That made sense to her. And one of the best ways to ensure that would happen was to support Ai. Not just because they were friends, and to do anything else would be wrong, but also because their alliance would allow them to defeat other enemy Servants more quickly. With Caster gone, Tsubaki was certain that the battle would begin to progress even more quickly.

In terms of their enemies, there was no question in the girl's mind that the most dangerous among them were Rider and Berserker. Rider's power had been displayed plenty, especially during the fight with the Quilled Boar, and Berserker had critically injured Saber with a single blow from one of his huge hands. Beyond that, it would be completely foolish to discount the threat of Servants like Archer and even Assassin. Even though they now knew all her tricks, it was unlikely that Assassin had been totally defanged just because of that.

She was still a Servant, after all.

And certainly, while Archer would be unlikely to win if forced into a straight fight at close range… well, the strategies employed by his Master made it clear that it wouldn't be easy to entrap him in such a scenario. No matter how polite Theomanius had been, his actions spoke of someone who was willing to use unconventional plots in order to forge a path to victory.

As a result, there was no telling what kind of tactics Archer could employ. And she hadn't seen the full capabilities of that familiar, either. She looked like a cute little girl, but did that really mean that was all she is? It was quite possible she had more capabilities then they knew about. After all, one of the Masters was a child, and she was far more dangerous then she appeared. For that matter, Ai looked like one as well… not that she'd go saying that to her ally's face. It seemed a little cruel. Regardless, there was a lot that Tsubaki had to consider.

But it was best to talk these things over with her Servant. They'd be able to plan out their next course of action more effectively, then. The most important thing was to make sure that they got out and successfully made some kind of progress, no matter how small. If they couldn't locate any clues to Saori's current location… then maybe if they found some sort of hint to where one of the enemy Masters was setting up their base of operations… anything! They had to make some kind of achievement tonight! Tsubaki wouldn't accept anything else.

After the tanned girl finished drying off, she quickly dressed herself, a shirt, light short-sleeved jacket, and shorts. It was time to get going.

Making her way out of the bathroom and downstairs, she paused for a moment. The door to her father's room was open…

Had something happened? Tsubaki had been asleep for so long, if something had happened to her father then… then… stepped towards the doorway, she realized that his wheelchair was sitting empty near his bed… and he was resting peacefully. Had Lancer helped him? Whatever the case could be, it was enough to cause Saori to let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't been around very much recently… prior to the war, he'd assured her he could manage, but that didn't stop her from worrying. Seeing him resting peacefully put her heart at ease. At least it was something.

She continued on her way downstairs. There was Lancer, waiting for her below.

"Are you ready, Master?" asked the blonde knight. Tsubaki nodded.

They left the house quickly, and proceeded off the Inoue family property just as fast. Tsubaki was on a mission, and she couldn't allow herself to be slowed down. Not when it was so important.

For a while, the two girls proceeded along in silence, walking the empty streets without a word. Initially, Tsubaki had wanted to try and discuss strategy with her Servant, but at this point she wasn't even sure where to start. There was no real sign of any other Servant activity at this point, at least none that Lancer could detect, nor were there any clues to Saori's whereabouts. Not that Tsubaki could honestly say she knew what she was looking for when it came to those…

After a while, her heart twisting itself into a knot at the lack of progress, the black-haired girl looked towards her Servant.

"… Lancer…" she began, before pausing for a moment.

"What is it, Master?" asked the blue-eyed knight, cocking her head slightly to one side as she spoke, glancing towards Tsubaki.

"… I… you're a knight, and all…" continued the tanned magus, with a deep breath, "And you spent a lot of your life fighting… and pursuing justice. It's all part of your myth. So… what did you do when you couldn't protect someone? Afterwards, what did you say to yourself?"

For a few seconds, Lancer remained silent as they walked, quietly considering her Master's question. Tsubaki simply watched her. She'd read all about her Servant's legend, researched her as best she could once she understood who she would be summoning. It seemed like the smart thing to do, after all. This let her know that there had to have been times when something like that happened.

"… If you have read about my history," began Lancer, finally, after no small amount of silence, awkward walking as they did, "You know the lengths I went in order rescue someone very dear to me."

She paused for a moment, carefully glancing ahead to ensure there was nothing unusual nearby before she continued.

"At times, it felt like I would be so close to my goal, only for them to slip through my fingers suddenly, once more," the blonde continued, "It was painful. It would feel like I was on the brink, sometimes I could see the face of the one I wished to save…"

The blonde girl sighed.

"And then, just like that, they would be gone," she added, "Sometimes right before my eyes… I would fail in an instant. "

Tsubaki listened in silence. An experience like that… it must have been crushing. Losing someone each time you came close… it was like if she had lost Saori a hundred times over.

"But… for their sake, and the sake of those around me, I couldn't let myself dwell on it. There was no way I could simply be crushed by my failures," the knight continued, "No matter how much my heart ached, I pressed forward and continued to move on. Even if I had no idea where to turn next, I held my head up high. So that when we were finally reunited, I could look upon the one in my heart and show them that never once had I given up."

Never once had she given up…

So that was it. Tsubaki couldn't allow herself to falter, because Saori could be depending on her. And even if she couldn't find her, there were others who could be harmed by the Holy Grail War, weren't there… she had known from the start, of course, and certainly after Saori disappeared, but Lancer's words…

"I think I'm ready to really talk about our next move now," Tsubaki said, finally, "No more of this aimless wandering. We'll link up with-"

Suddenly, Lancer grabbed her shoulder and shoved Tsubaki behind her. Golden light gathered in her hand, forming her weapon, her armor following.

"Oh, now you're ready~?"

That voice…

Atop a nearby building, the pink-haired Rider licked her lips.

"I'd hoped Saber would be with you… but this is a good warmup~"

Her hair drifted in the wind as she cocked her head to the side.

"I'm surprised to see you apart, fufu~" she placed a hand to her lips as she giggled, "Before, it seemed almost like you were inseparable~ Oh well~"

Her small smile turned into a wide grin.

"Grinding you down under my lovely feet will take a lot less time when you're alone!"

With that, she sprang from the edge of the building. Beneath her, appearing in a shimmering golden light, was her bulls. They bellowed loudly and pawed at the concrete with their massive hooves as she landed in the seat, cracking her whip once.

The pavement beneath the chariot almost seemed to explode, as Medb spurred her chariot on into a blindingly fast charge! With little time to react, Lancer practically threw Tsubaki to the side. The tanned girl didn't even realize what happened, for a moment. One second she was behind Lancer, the next the air was rushing past her as she sailed off of the ground and over several meters. She did realize enough to tuck her limbs against her body and roll, recovering in time to see Medb's chariot nearly miss running Lancer into the ground!

The blonde knight stepped back, golden light flowing across her weapon as her blue eyes narrowed. She didn't even allow Rider to turn before immediately unleashing a brilliant beam of light from the tip of her lance, a crack like thunder resounding through the street! And yet…

Somehow, Medb reacted before it was even fired! Almost immediately she pulled her chariot around, the wheels spinning, the bulls tearing through the concrete and asphalt as they bellowed, turning. There was that brilliant flash of light from the center of Medb's crown once more, and Lancer sprinted to the side to avoid the destructive blast of rainbow magical energy as it tore a long gash through the street!

The colorful light faded, and Rider grinned smugly.

"It was a good plan, but you won't beat me~!" she declared, her bulls pawing at the concrete before lowering their horns in preparation to charge.

"I would not be so overconfident, Rider," retorted the blonde knight, adjusting her grip on her cavalry lance as the golden light faded from it.

Of everyone to take them on unprepared, it was Rider… Of course, Tsubaki still felt confident in her Servant. Lancer was plenty strong! But Rider was an extremely dangerous enemy. They'd already seen how strong she was the first time they clashed, and now there was no denying she also possessed an incredibly destructive anti-army Noble Phantasm. But Tsubaki knew it was unlikely even the capricious Queen of Connacht would risk using something that destructive in such a public area. Just because no-one was out didn't mean it was a good idea to fire an attack that could level the entire block and then some!

"A Queen is confident! A Queen is proud! And a Queen takes what she wants!" asserted Medb, her bulls bellowing as she charged once more! But this time, Lancer braced herself. Even as the bulls tore towards her, thundering, leaving hoofprints in the street, she didn't allow herself to move! At least, not yet… For a few moments, Tsubaki wasn't sure what it was that Lancer was doing, until she saw the light that was building at the tip of the knight's weapon. But it wasn't the destructive mana she'd unleashed before…

The tanned girl quickly understood Lancer's plan!

Just as Medb was about to reach her Servant…!

"Trap of Argalia!" cried Lancer, thrusting her cavalry lance forward! It glinted in the moonlight, a thin beam erupting for the tip, tearing towards one of the bulls! When it hit, the chariot would be unable to move with one of the beasts pulling it collapsed!

But then, it passed through empty air. Somehow, in spite of being in the middle of a full-speed charge, Rider had pulled her chariot to the side and evaded the beam?!

"What?!" cried Lancer. Tsubaki was equally stunned. Lancer had waited until the last moment! It wasn't possible to turn that quickly, even for a Servant! Unless… she was already prepared to evade the attack!? Recalling their first battle, hadn't Rider repeatedly managed to evade attacks that seemed like they should have come as a total surprise…? Perhaps then it seemed like a good sense when it came to combat, but now, when she had already prepared to dodge a point blank blast…

"Hm…" Rider stood, giving the stunned Lancer a smug smile as her golden eyes fixed on the armored girl, "You're almost as interesting as Saber… Knight of France~"

As the pink-haired Servant giggled, Tsubaki's eyes widened. Lancer had used her Noble Phantasm against the Quilled Boar, hadn't she? And now, here… there was no question that it would allow her to figure out Lancer's identity!

"It's not as if it wasn't obvious the first time," said Queen Medb, cocking her head as she did, "A brilliantly shining lance that immediately brings anything to its knees, causing it to fall and be unable to move… The Trap of Argalia! It's pretty clever~"

Tsubaki could see Lancer's grip tighten on her weapon as she faced the Queen of Connacht.

"But even that crossdressing paladin couldn't possibly pull off a look like that, could he?" questioned the pink-haired rider, gesturing towards the blonde knight with the tip of her riding crop. "So you must be the other wielder of that lance~ The mighty lady Knight of the White Plume, Bradamante!"

There was no more hiding it, now. At least not when it came to going up against Rider. Tsubaki had summoned Bradamante both due to her father providing the catalyst, and of course to the legendary power and determination attributed to the female French knight. But now, just like that, her identity was exposed. In the end, she couldn't say it was a shock, after Lancer's Noble Phantasm had been exposed twice. But still…

"Normally I prefer men, but the women of this Holy Grail War have been so interesting~" continued Medb, "And you look almost as delicious as Saber… fufu…"

Lancer narrowed her eyes.

"Even if you now know my identity, it will not cause my will to fight to falter," asserted the blonde knight, raising her cavalry lance as she did. Once again, brilliant golden light began to flow across the weapon. Naturally, trying to use the Trap of Argalia's trick wouldn't just work on someone who knew it was coming. It was a weapon about surprise, so unless Lancer had the perfect chance to disable the chariot, there was no point in attempting to use it immediately after it already failed. But how had Medb been ready to dodge…?

It was as if she had seen the future…

"I wouldn't expect it to, Lancer~" declared Rider cheerfully, spurring her bulls on with a crack of her riding crop. They bellowed, and thundered right for Lancer once more! This time, she had no illusion of attempting to counterattack, instead waiting until it was simply too difficult to change course in order to catch her out of her dodge. But Medb was quick to respond, and Tsubaki could see the light ignite in the center of her crown once more! It tore through the air, cutting it far too close to Lancer as she landed and rolled, clutching her weapon tightly!

If it really was the case that Rider could see the future, how could Lancer counter that? Tsubaki wracked her brains as she tried to figure out a solution, as she watched Lancer narrowly evade charge after charge from the pink-haired Servant's chariot. One of the bulls was missing one of its horns… Saber had managed to cut it off, hadn't she!? And Medb had seemed surprised… That meant even considering Rider's potential ability to look into future events, there was still some way to catch her by surprise that she couldn't avoid!

But how? Was it something only Saber was capable of?

There was that thunder-like sound again as light spiraled around Lancer's weapon and erupted forward in a brilliant golden beam of magical energy. But this time, Rider's chariot lifted completely off the ground and hurtled into the air, only to come slamming back down towards the blue-eyed knight! Thankfully, Lancer was still able to hurl herself back and out of the direct path of the chariot, but even the impact of the beast's hooves was sufficient to bowl her over and send her rolling backwards!

"Lancer!" cried Tsubaki, even as her Servant caught herself. The force of the chariot's landing had cratered the concrete, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. The knight paid her only a moment's notice, as if to affirm she was mostly unharmed, before swiftly righting herself as the bulls emerged from the cloud of dust.

Medb sat on the chariot, still grinning widely.

"You're so brave, it's just the kind of thing I can truly appreciate," said the pink-haired Rider, licking her lips in a predatory fashion, "So much so that in the off chance you were willing to get down on your knees and give me pleasure, I'd allow you and later Saber to serve as my conquests in this war!"

"As if I would ever submit to such a request!" snapped Lancer, brandishing her weapon and raising it to point towards the chariot, "Even in your legend, you allowed your desires to guide you, Queen of Connacht! The same holds true now!"

"You say that so accusingly, as if I ever denied it," responded Rider, that smug grin still adorning her beautiful face. "But I've always asserted that a Queen should follow her desires, haven't I? I think I've made what I want quite clear~"

It was so frustrating for Tsubaki to watch. It wasn't like it wasn't possible for Lancer to fight Rider, to harm her. In fact, the threat of Lancer's power was something Rider was acutely aware of. Rather, it was frustrating precisely because of that. Rider knew how dangerous Lancer was, and was using some kind of future seeing ability in order to completely evade her attacks. How did someone fight against an enemy that could look into the future!?

Saber had been able to, somehow. She'd been able to cut the horn off of one of those bulls. But there wasn't much time to try and figure out just how something like that was possible.

But… Tsubaki had to try something. Even if she hadn't been seriously harmed yet, there was almost no way of knowing if Lancer could hold up for much longer in a fight like this, when the enemy was so perfect at evading her attacks.

And so, the tanned girl did the first thing that came to mind.

She called to the enemy Servant.

"Rider! I've figured it out!" she cried. There was a moment of silence, as both Lancer and Rider seemed quite confused.

"Oh? Lancer's Master? What did you figure out?" Queen Medb questioned, after a moment, glancing towards Tsubaki as she did. Her golden eyes seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, but it was obvious Rider was curious about just what it was that she was talking about.

"The way you keep dodging, like you know exactly what Lancer is about to do!" declared Tsubaki. Even if Lancer had already figured it out, if nothing else this was providing a distraction, to give time for her Servant to recover and plan her next move, "It's not some sort of honed battle instinct, it's the ability to see into the future!"

"… Oh?" Rider cocked her head to one side, "Is that what you think? Well, it's true."

Queen Medb's smug grin grew wider by the second.

"It's an ability I stole from that bastard Conchobar~ It would usually feel disgusting using anything of his, but at the same time I've claimed it for my own. It's something of his that's become mine, it's such an exciting feeling that it almost makes me ache with desire~" she continued. "But frankly, I'm not sure how you would expect even the most skilled warrior to take advantage of this knowledge."

Conchobar… The King of Ulster? Tsubaki tried to recall what she knew of Celtic mythology. Ai wasn't the only one who had done her research leading up to the Holy Grail War, after all. However, she couldn't think of very much more beyond the basics, unfortunately she hadn't researched it as well as she perhaps should have. But still, this was something! Something Lancer could use, maybe! Even with her ability to see into the future… there had to be some way to defeat Rider! Even if Tsubaki wasn't able to come up with some kind of method to use in order to counteract it, maybe Lancer could!

"So you really can see into the future, Queen of Connacht," Lancer commented, raising her weapon as she did, "I thought it was almost impossible, the speed at which you were reacting to my attacks. Even for a Servant."

"I don't think I would blame you for surrendering now," responded Medb with a grin, "But to be honest, I don't mind if you refuse. The more you fight, the more exciting this becomes~ I'll inevitably crush you regardless, so as long as you struggle it's going to entertain me~"'

Lancer narrowed her blue eyes. It was currently difficult to think of a clear route to victory…

Even if someone knew that their opponent could see into the future, how much did being aware of that fact really help them? How could someone take advantage of knowing that your opponent was capable of know every single action they were about to undertake? It's not like knowing it made it impossible for Rider to continue to look into the future. There was nothing stopping her from continuing to foresee Lancer's every action.

"You cannot be undefeatable, no matter what you say," Lancer insisted, raising her weapon to point directly at the enemy Servant. Tsubaki clenched her fists. If she could think of anything, anything at all, she had to try it! There had to be something she could do in order to help Lancer, didn't there?

"Grinding you under my heel will be all the more lovely when you display that sort of defiance~" responded Medb, raising her riding crop…

Suddenly, a series of gunshots ran out! Tsubaki caught sight of a genuine look of surprise on Rider's face as she suddenly threw herself back into her chariot, bullets tearing through the space she had once occupied!

Gunshots that could harm a Servant… it had to be Archer!

Indeed, there, on a nearby rooftop, was the form of the cowboy Servant, smoke rising from the barrel of his revolver.

"I was wonderin' where you were, Rider," he commented, adjusting his hat with one hand, "Lookin' like you were havin' yourself quite a good time, huh?"

"… Hmph, Archer," commented Rider, emerging from her chariot as she spoke, her golden eyes now fixing on the interloper, "I can't say I'm unhappy to see you, but couldn't you have waited~? I wanted to crush Lancer into the dirt more slowly! Then again…"

Her smug grin returned.

"I've had plenty of threesomes~"

The center of Rider's crown flashed brightly, and a brilliant beam of magical energy tore towards Archer! The moment it hit the rooftop, it tore completely through the concrete, but Archer was able to evade the brunt of the blast by leaping to another rooftop. Before Rider could follow him, Lancer darted in, her weapon flashing! But it looked like Queen Medb wasn't distracted enough to be taken by surprise again, suddenly cracking her riding crop and sending her bulls spinning! One of the beasts' flanks collided with Lancer and sent her hurtling back, but to Tsubaki's relief the blonde knight landed on her feet, having used the side of her lance as a shield, sparks flying up from her armored feet as she skidded backwards.

But Archer's intervention had told Tsubaki something very important. Even with the capability to see the future, Rider could still be surprised! That meant her foresight couldn't be something that was constantly active. If it was, she would have foreseen exactly how Archer was going to attack. If it wasn't constantly active… did that mean she still had to be suspecting something? That she had to activate her foresight ability consciously? It would make sense. When fighting a single opponent, Rider knew they were going to act! So she could look into the future to see exactly what they were going to do! But another enemy attacking unexpected…

To be frank, Tsubaki didn't think this battle would be the one where they would defeat Rider, even with Archer's assistance. But if she could regroup with Ai and Saber, and tell them about the way they could bypass Rider's ability to see the future, how they could take her off guard…!

They could win!

But first, they had to get out of this fight!

At the moment, Rider had taken to the air again, blasting beams of magical energy from her crown down towards the fleeing Archer. Every once in a while, the gunslinging Servant would fire several shots at the pink-haired Servant, but the Queen of Connacht was adept at using the thick wooden frame of her chariot as a barrier, to prevent a single bullet from striking her or her bulls. Lancer was sprinting along belong, tracing the movements of the chariot. Whenever she attempted to depart, Rider sent a beam of mana towards her or slammed down with the hooves of her bulls, making it difficult to bid a retreat or regroup.

Suddenly, Lancer turned, placed one foot on the side of the next building, and kicked up, sending herself hurtling into the air! She was aiming right for Medb's chariot, from below! Even if Medb was capable of seeing this, could she really dodge the attack at the speeds her was traveling at!?

Rider suddenly swerved wildly, but even with her evasion, Tsubaki could see it! Lancer's weapon scarring the wood on the side of Queen Medb's chariot! Even if it wasn't serious damage, she'd actually managed to land a hit!

But it wasn't likely such a tactic would work again. Tsubaki was well aware of the fact that the attack, no matter how impressive it had been, was a failure. Lancer had only damaged the side of the chariot, and it was hardly serious. On top of that, Rider was going to be far more careful, now.

She had to come up with some kind of escape plan!

Tsubaki couldn't just stand by and watch any longer. Every moment, it seemed as if Rider's attacks were getting more and more dangerously close to Lancer, the hooves or wheels of her chariot just barely scraping past her, those beams of mana tearing through the air far too closely for comfort. And yet… Archer almost seemed to be trying to guide the fight. If he'd been trying to fight, why would he have kept moving further and further away? But if he'd been trying to flee, why would he keep stopping to fire on the chariot? It didn't add up… unless…

Was he trying to lure Rider into a trap? If Rider herself was caught up in fighting her two opponents, it was possible she wouldn't be able to look into the future as accurately. Tsubaki didn't know if this was the case, but it did seem as if she was more focused on attacking the other two Servants, as if she was indeed unable to notice the possibility of being lured into a trap. If that was the case, just what kind of trap was Archer heading for? She couldn't think of anything that would pose a serious threat to Rider unless it was a direct attack.

So far, she'd proven adept at those. But if a trap was sprung, it would give them an opportunity to retreat and regroup, wouldn't it? Tsubaki wasn't exactly sure if retreating would play to Lancer's sensibilities, but at the same time she couldn't see a path to victory in the fight as it was. If they teamed up with Saber and Ai, however…

But she had to wait until the right moment, when it was clear Rider wouldn't be able to prevent them from escaping. And she had to hope Lancer would be willing to take a chance to regroup!

Rider had now reached a fairly distant building. It was like she was playing with her opponents, forcing them to pay attention to her or else she could attack them as they attempted to flee. At least, that was the case with Lancer. Archer was doing his best to keep the Queen of Connacht's attention. But where was this trap meant to be sprung?

Suddenly, a blur leaped through the air! Tsubaki could barely tell what it was, but when the figure landed on the chariot she could finally realize just who was intervening. It was Assassin! Assassin had joined the fight? Was this Archer's plan from the start, to lure Rider into a position from which Assassin could ambush her?! Did that mean that the two Servants were now allies?

And yet…

Narrowing her eyes, Medb managed to deflect a blow from Assassin's katana with her whip. Before the mask-wearing Servant could respond, the pink-haired Rider's foot snapped out into a kick, striking Assassin in the side and sending her hurtling back to the rooftop!

"Lancer!" called Tsubaki. Rider was distracted… now seemed like the best chance they could get. Indeed, the blonde knight was swift to understand just what her Master's intentions were, and turned while Medb was distracted to sprint to the tanned girl's side.

"… A clever plan, but…" Medb grinned, "Assassin, shouldn't your clash with Saber have taught you just how outmatched you are in a fight against the other Servants? You should have fled the moment you didn't get a surprise attack against me~ Or did you think I didn't know what you were planning?"

"Master, as much as I hate to admit it, I don't believe that now is-"

"I know, Lancer," responded Tsubaki, cutting her Servant off, "With her abilities, I don't think this is a fight we can win! But if we regroup with Saber…"

Lancer nodded. To Tsubaki's surprise, she suddenly felt herself lifted into the air in Lancer's arms. She couldn't see how the fight between the other three Servants was proceeding any longer, but she could feel the wind whipping past her. And she could hear it… the gunshots, the bellows of Rider's enormous bulls. She couldn't imagine they would win, but she also wasn't certain if they could escape the fight. By this point, Tsubaki felt certain that their best bet was fighting Rider with both Lancer and Saber. Berserker, too, could likely have defeated her, but there was no way she could rely on a chance like that!

"… I… am uncertain how I feel about bidding such a retreat. It does not feel like a battle with honor…" commented Lancer, with a sigh, "However… there is no way to deny that our allegiance with Saber is our best option."

Lancer's brow furrowed with anger.

"Exploiting an ability to see into the future… It's infuriating, Master," she continued, "Every single blow a near miss… even when I damaged her chariot it was insignificant. It felt almost as if she was allowing me to meet success, as if she was taunting me."

Taunting her…? Did that mean that Medb had been aware of the trap the whole time, and had followed along just for the sake of teasing Archer and Assassin? But at the same time, it was obvious that Rider had been surprised by Archer's initial ambush.

The sounds of battle were fading away. Medb wasn't following them, thankfully. She was definitely caught up in the fight with Archer and Assassin, even if the battle was leaning in her favor. Even if Archer got enough range, could he bypass her future sight? And in Assassin's case, her martial capabilities were low, bolstered by various tricks. She'd heard about it from Ai. Since her initial surprise attack had failed…

Tsubaki didn't believe an outcome where Archer and Assassin defeated Rider was likely. At the same time, she didn't know exactly what Archer could do…

"… Lancer, I could tell. When Archer fired those initial shots, she wasn't expecting them," said Tsubaki, "That means her future sight can't possibly be active at all times!"

"I noticed as well," responded Lancer, nodding, and finally placing Tsubaki back on her own two feet, "She must have to consciously activate her foresight, so it's far easier to use against a single opponent. As for Archer and Assassin's attempt at a trap… it was clear to me that was his intent, so she must have realized as well and looked ahead to see what would happen."

This was the only explanation that Tsubaki could consider as well. It's the only thing that explained Rider's behavior in that fight. But at the same time, it meant that a trap could certainly work against Rider, as long as she didn't suspect it. This was their path to victory, the tanned magus could feel it!

"Lancer, tomorrow we're going to meet Ai-san and Saber," said Tsubaki, straightening as she turned away from her Servant.

They had to make a plan.

They had to defeat Rider.

---

As Ai and Saber departed from Alys's home, she smiled, and waved to them. Ahhh… it had been so nice to have guests over! Even if they were usually her enemies, and even if sometimes things were kind of scary, they'd been really nice! She felt a little bad that Saber was doomed, but maybe she'd be willing to surrender next time they fought…

The little girl nodded to herself.

That was just how it had to be! Then she could make sure it was nice and quick…

Berserker was great at killing things quickly, because he was so big and strong! Even if he wasn't physical right now, it was still comforting to feel how close he was. Even when Alys was so scared, after that explosion by the forest, he'd been there to make sure she was all right. Someone big and strong like Berserker would make sure nobody could hurt her!

He was even responding to her thoughts right now… his mind wasn't in a condition where he was able to form many coherent words, but at the same time she could feel this sort of… protectiveness from him. He wanted to keep her safe and win! Berserker was the best! The only one stronger had to have been the one Illyasviel summoned…

At least there was no denying her Berserker was the strongest Servant in this war! Even if it was a fake war!

Alys's smile grew, and she turned away from the door. Behind her, one of her maids swiftly closed it. It was kind of funny, seeing people walk by with no idea what was there… the bounded field she had established was doing its job perfectly! The mansion was invisible, no-one would know it was there and no-one would ever suspect anything was there! Even other magi seemed to be unable to locate her home, just as she'd planned!

"Hehehe~" the pale little girl giggled to herself, "It was funny, wasn't it?"

She was speaking with her maids, and with Berserker. Even if they were unlikely to respond, they were still there for her to talk to!

"Matsushita looked so confused when she saw my mansion!" she declared. Of course, Berserker wasn't going to say anything, but the nearest of her maids smiled faintly and nodded. Given their nature, her maids naturally looked nearly identical to one another, but she knew she could tell them apart.

Ivyrette, the maid who had smiled, had the largest bust of all her maids, so that made it even easier than the rest!

"Of course, ojou-sama," said Ivyrette, "It is further proof that your bounded field was successful."

Alys's expression brightened even more. Maybe after the war, she could be friends with Matsushita! That would be fine, wouldn't it? Sure, she had to kill Saber, but if it was nice and painless that didn't mean they couldn't be friends after the war, right? Even if it had been a true Holy Grail War, it was only to be expected that Servants would perish, and Berserker was going to win.
Alys was sure of it.

But tonight… ah, her crimson eyes were feeling a little heavy now… It had been a fairly busy last few days, after all. She didn't really want to go to bed, but she had to be in tip-top shape to win the war…

"Are you tired, ojou-sama?" asked Ivyrette, approaching the white-haired little girl.

"… A little… but I'm not ready to go to bed just yet!" Alys insisted. She'd had Matsushita and Saber over for a long time, but that didn't mean she was too tired yet! She had to take a bath at least before she went to bed, anyway… but that wasn't all. She was supposed to go out every night and try to find one of the enemy Servants to kill, after all. It wasn't always successful, and they'd always managed to escape before Berserker could finish them off so far, but still!

Suddenly, Alys yawned again. Ah… was she more tired then she thought she was? But she had to go out hunting tonight, she hadn't yet… the old man had told her just how important it was. Everyone had. This Grail War was wrong, so it had to be destroyed… But she was suddenly feeling kind of sleepy. She hadn't slept that much last night, really, given how scared she'd been after that explosion… Berserker had been on guard the whole time.

"… Are you certain, ojou-sama?" questioned Ivyrette, again, stepping closer to the little girl, "You did not sleep well the previous night, and your wakefulness is quite important to your success in the war. I do not want to see you attempt to fight while exhausted."

"But… I'm supposed to go out again today," protested Alys, with a frown, "It's really important, isn't it? I have to make sure I don't miss any chances… And Berserker will protect me!"

"That may be," responded Ivyrette, "But Berserker also relies on your support in combat. If you fall asleep, he has to protect you and focus on the enemy at the same time."

"Well… Berserker is the strongest Servant in this war!" insisted Alys, pouting. Even if she fell asleep, he'd be fine, wouldn't he? He was big, and strong! … Of course, deep down, there was some small part of the white-haired girl that was aware that it was foolish to fight in a situation in which you could pass out… But to be honest, she was trying to use it as an excuse not to go to bed immediately. She wanted to stay up and plan a little more, that was all…

That should have been fine, right? After all, the faster she won, the faster the whole war would be dealt with. The faster all this… wrongness would be over! And it would prove just how strong Berserker was! There was no way he would ever lose! This was something that Alys was certain of!

And yet… ah, she did feel kind of groggy… It wasn't enough to put her out of the action though, right? No, of course it wasn't! But… well… she did kind of want to take a bath after all, it wasn't as if taking a bath was the same as admitting that she was sleepy, anyway. This was something Alys was completely sure of. Even if she did want to go take a nice bath that really didn't mean anything!

"… But I might be open to taking a nice bath," she said, eventually, "It doesn't mean I'm admitting defeat, I just want to be nice and clean!"

"Of course, ojou-sama," replied Ivyrette with a smile, "There's no way you would succumb when you don't want to."

"Exactly!" declared Alys, proudly, "I'm invulnerable to exhaustion!"

Alys knew she wasn't, but it felt like the right thing to say. Still, the white-haired little girl swiftly began to head towards the baths. Her mansion's bath took up almost the entire room, magecraft put in place to ensure that it was always warm and clean. She wouldn't have accepted anything less than that, after all! Her maids always helped her wash up, as well…

Berserker, helpfully, stayed out of the bath. He was the best, but he was still a man, and that meant it was really weird to have him in the bath with her maids and everything!

As she was cleaned up, Alys's mind wandered to a few different matters. Her next steps in the war would… well, basically she had to simply take out any Servants she came across! She'd think up a strategy when she saw her next opponent. Berserker was so strong that it didn't really matter what happened, she could just send him to destroy whatever enemies he came up against.

Berserker was so strong…

… But at first, she didn't like him at all. When he'd first appeared… she'd never felt anything like it. There was this sudden, enormous weight on her entire body, the weight of supporting a Servant like Berserker. It had hurt. It had been painful. She'd never experienced anything like it before. Her entire body felt like it was burning from the inside out, her magic circuits felt like they were on fire. It was a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before.

So at first Alys hated him. She hated him because of how much he made her hurt.

She didn't want to be anywhere near him for a while. She wanted to get rid of him and summon a different Servant, someone who wouldn't make her hurt. The pain had faded quickly, but at the same time it had been quite a strong first impression and absolutely a negative one. He even looked unpleasant, an enormous, hulking monster who didn't speak, but instead let out massive roars like some kind of beast. She didn't want to see him anymore. She didn't want to fight in the Holy Grail War with a beast.

Alys tried to tell the old man, but he refused to hear it. He wouldn't tolerate her feelings about Berserker.

Alys had begun to wonder if she could use her command seals to make her Servant kill himself. If it was this far before the war, then they could summon someone else just fine, right? Someone who wasn't a big, scary monster who had made her hurt.

And then…

Not long before she was to travel to Japan, while she was considering using a command seal, the window to her room had suddenly shattered. At the time it had been hard to understand what was happening, when the cold wind and the snow suddenly came rushing into her bedroom and there had been someone there. Someone had penetrated the bounded field around the Einzbern Castle. She hadn't understood what was occurring at the time, or how such a thing was even possible. But she remembered they were clutching a knife.

But then they were gone.

There was a splatter of blood across the wall and the broken window. The figure that had come into her room, had broken the window, had raised a knife… faster then they'd appeared, they were gone.

Berserker was there. One of his golden axes was dripping with blood.

Alys remembered staring, wordlessly, as the ice and cold blew into the room. She hadn't called for him, she hadn't even said a word. He'd come without her asking, to protect her. He was the only one who had ever stepped forward to do such a thing in her life. She could see his huge, strong figure, as he stepped forward to shield her from the cold.

And then he'd turned to her, to make sure she was unharmed. He'd reached down to look at her arm, which she hadn't realized had been cut by a shard of glass. There wasn't really anything he could do to help heal her, but she could handle that herself.

He wasn't a beast, after all, was he? He'd stepped into protect her on his own the moment that someone had threatened her… Even if he looked scary, he still had the heart of a man and a sense of loyalty, a sense of care, didn't he?

He wasn't a monster at all.

Later, the old man had mentioned something about the weakening of the bounded field being concerning, but that they had to ensure she put a stop to the false Holy Grail War in Minami City no matter what else happened.

And so she had been sent to participate. With her guardian, Berserker. The man who would forge her path to victory, who would never fail to protect her and keep her safe.

She no longer feared and hated him. Knowing he was close by made her feel like nothing could ever harm her.

By this point, Alys's soft, white hair had been cleaned, and so had the rest of her. Her maids swiftly ushered her out of the bath, and they were quick to get her dried off as well.

At this point, the pale little girl didn't even protest when she was dressed in her rather fluffy nightgown and nightcap. The warm water had been really relaxing… maybe she could just lie down for a bit! Yeah, that would be fine… she could lie down with Berserker watching over her. She could feel nice and safe, even with one of those other Masters she didn't know about tried to hurt her again. Berserker would take care of them. As long as he was there, nothing would go wrong.

As she made her way up the stairs, Alys yawned again, placing her hand near her mouth. Yeah, she'd just rest a little…

And then, when they arrived at her bedroom, the maids left. The moonlight was streaming in, but all the lights were off. As she approached her bed, golden light seemed to coalesce behind her, forming Berserker's enormous body… this was one of the few rooms tall enough to contain his massive form. She wanted him to appear physically, here, and he knew that.

"Good work, Berserker," Alys said with a smile, turning to the enormous-dark skinned man as she did, "You'll watch over me tonight, too?"

Berserker inclined his head, acknowledging her words as he always did. He'd stood guard over her every night. His presence alone was enough to make sure she had a good night's sleep, most of the time… Thought Alys hadn't been able to sleep very well the previous night. Not after what happened at the forest. But tonight she felt safe again…

Smiling to herself, confidently, the little girl climbed into her large, fluffy bed. Her arms wrapped around a nearby stuffed horse toy, one of her favorites, and she held it against herself. Of course, she was only going to rest for a while. She wasn't going to sleep yet. She had a lot of important things to do!

Yeah… Alys's eyes felt heavy, but she was only going to let them rest for a little bit, not actually go to sleep…

So it was clearly completely unexpected when the little girl fell asleep, hugging her soft horse toy against herself, with her enormous Servant watching over her, keeping an eye on the windows and doors.

For her, at the moment, everything was right with the world. She didn't have any worries, and she knew that she would win.

Nothing bad would happen to her. She'd win for sure.

At least, that's what she thought.

---

Outside of the mansion, Ivyrette and two other maids were now on guard duty at the side of their mistress's home. The mysterious presence that Berserker had detected had set all the maids on high alert. They were created with the purpose of protecting and assisting their mistress, after all, and while Berserker was certainly enough to ensure that no harm came to her while she slept, that didn't mean that they would remain idle and leave everything to the Servant. They were not simply created only for the purposes of serving as maids, after all. Every single one of Alysvial's maids were made to be her bodyguards as well as perform mundane chores.

But acting in the name of the defense of her mistress was absolutely a duty that Ivyrette accepted with great joy. It was not as if she showed it, but certainly she cared for the young girl that was Alysvial von Einzbern. Even if her entire purpose in life was simply to facilitate the Einzbern Master's victory, she would still take pleasure in such actions.

Alongside her were two of her fellow maids. Nearly identical to herself in appearance, though there were some difference in their physiques, but that was to be expected from homunculi of their nature. They had effectively been mass-produced for the sake of winning this war as Alysvial's support.

The first of the two maids was Velvie, one of the younger maids, the most recently-created out of the homunculi in service of Alysvial. The other was Lysvil, who was only elder to Velvie by being the second to last of the homunculi to be created. Just as Ivyrette herself, they had been created as bodyguards, with combat skills sufficient to halt most enemies. Even with the absence of Berserker, they would be able to handle most threats short of an attack by, well, Servants. But even in that case, Berserker would not be unaware, would he?

"Ivyrette, how was mistress?" asked Lysvil, glancing towards the elder maid as she did, "She seemed tired to me, was she feeling well?"

Ivyrette nodded, giving a small smile.

"She seemed far more relaxed then she did yesterday," responded Ivyrette. She had been quite concerned for Alysvial on the previous day. She was clearly very shaken and refused to discuss what had occurred during her outing. In fact, once she had entered her room, she had not come out until the next morning, and it was clear she had not slept particularly well. Thankfully, however, it seemed as if the meeting with Saber's Master had done her good, which was unexpected. Why did meeting one of the enemy Masters make Alysvial feel better?

Regardless of the reasoning, Ivyrette was glad to see the diminutive white-haired girl was in a better mood.

"I'm glad," replied Lysvil, "I was concerned, it would do her no good if she had another night of difficult sleep. Her duties are important, but her wellbeing cannot be forgotten either."

Indeed. Alysvial's purpose was to bring an end to this false Holy Grail War, but that did not mean she should simply forget about her own health. The maids were there to care for her in every aspect, after all, not simply to fulfill the duty of ensuring she ended this fake war. Indeed, if it came to be a matter of Alysvial's life or the completion of her duty, Ivyrette would choose the former every time, no matter what. She was absolutely certain she was not alone among the maids in this sentiment.

"… For our mistress. For tomorrow's meal. Eggs benedict," came Velvie's stilted voice. The maid's youth had resulted in her own ego suffering a disconnect from her consciousness. As a result, her ability to express her emotions, and to speak, was stunted until the disconnect resolved itself. Still, she tended to exhibit a desire to attempt to cook for Alysvial. "Is… this… permissible?"

"Of course, Velvie," responded Ivyrette. There was no need to decline the offer. Velvie, after all, was just as capable when it came to household chores as every one of them was. Unlike homunculi who had been created with more time spent on their individuality, even with the differences in personality their capabilities were largely identical. Unfortunately, this meant their capabilities in magecraft were all equally low. The most they could manage was self-reinforcement to a degree sufficient for the defense of their mistress.

Beyond that, their abilities were quite simply insufficient to be considered magi in their own right.

In Ivyrette's opinion, however, this was largely irrelevant to their duties. Provided they could give Alysvial the service that she required, nothing else mattered. Besides, on a night like this, the air was pleasant and warm, and intrusion was doubtful.

… Mostly.

Admittedly, the presence that Alysvial had reported Berserker detecting was concerning. Ivyrette knew Servants could detect the presence of other Servants, which made it undeniable that the thing that Berserker had detected was an enemy Servant. This strongly suggested that one of the enemies, aside from Matsushita Ai and her Servant, was now aware of the hidden location of Alysvial's mansion. The biggest question in Ivyrette's mind was how this was possible.

The bounded field concealing Alysvial's home was established by Alysvial herself, via formulas based on the field that concealed the Einzbern castle. Naturally, the resultant spell could not have functioned as an impenetrable snowstorm, but it could utilize a similar theory in order to hide the mansion from prying eyes. Only those with permission to view the structure and enter it would be allowed. In theory, Alysvial could shut out even her maids.

It wasn't that Ivyrette couldn't understand how a Servant would be capable of doing such a thing. Rather, she was struggling to understand how they could come to the conclusion that this was a location that required investigation in the first place. Was it due to the mana being utilized to keep the field in place? If that was the reason, why had the Servant neglected to attack? Was it because of Berserker and Saber's presence at the time?

And which Servant was it? These were all questions plaguing Ivyrette's mind. Deep down, she knew the maids probably couldn't handle an attack by an enemy Servant. Even if they could achieve the strength of some of the physically less powerful servants via the use of reinforcement, the fact remained that they could not match their other capabilities. As a result, it would fall to Berserker to defeat an enemy Servant, but at the same time… allowing such an intruder to reach Alysvial's room… it didn't sit well with the white-haired maid. Perhaps if they worked as a team… Then maybe…

"Is something the matter, Ivyrette?" came Lysvil's voice, cutting straight through Ivyrette's thoughts. Realizing she must have been showing just how it was she was feeling, she glanced towards the other two maids. Both Velvie and Lysvil were staring at her with their identical crimson eyes. Ah, even the other maids had noticed her behavior? Quickly, the elder maid shook her head, in order to assuage both maids' concern. She didn't need them to be distracted from their duties by concern for her, after all. That would do them no good if the worst came to pass, and they had to fight to defend Alysvial.

"Condition?" asked Velvie.

"I'm fine, Lysvil, Velvie," Ivyrette insisted, waving her hand as she spoke, "It's nothing you need to be worried about. I was simply lost in my own thoughts."

It was hardly a lie, after all. Still… it was hard to shake her concerns.

"… Ivyrette. Lysvil. Listen," said Velvie, suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she turned towards the nearby trees. Ivyrette froze. The younger maid had certainly heard something… there would be no reason for her to lie, after all. Indeed, lying was not a capability they had been intended to display.

The three maids fell dead silent as they attempted to detect just what it was that Velvie had asked them to listen to. For a few moments, all Ivyrette could hear was the beating of her own heart. She had never fought before, though it was one of the actions she had been created to perform. And if it was an enemy Servant…

But at first, she heard nothing. For a scant few moments she relaxed. Perhaps Velvie had made some kind of mistake, assumed that there was an enemy where there was not one. The young, inexperienced maid could have jumped to the wrong conclusion, could she not?

And then, Ivyrette heard it. The white-haired maid's ears detected the sound of something rapping against wood, as if something was adjusting its position against the branches of a tree… Something large enough to be the same size as a person.

"… Lysvil, Velvie, your weapons," Ivyrette said, simply. On cue, both maids drew their weapons. Lysvil, a pair of daggers the length of her lower arm, and Velvie a large axe. They were mystic codes, simple ones, designed to create the form of a weapon and nothing more. Ivyrette drew her own weapon, a sword of a similar nature, as she took a deep breath.

If the enemy was a Servant, they could not hope to defeat them. This was something the maid was painfully aware of. But if they could stall for a moment, until Berserker responded… then perhaps…!

The figure descended.

In the instant before it struck, it was possible for Ivyrette to take in a few details of the attacker. Their body was mostly cloaked, making it difficult to discern their physique. In one hand, they wielded a blade, flashing too quickly to determine its make. But the most notable feature of the enemy was what adorned their face. It was a mask, the white fox masks known among the Japanese. There was no mistaking it for anything else.

The enemy landed.

Ivyrette, Lysvil, and Velvie advanced.

Steel met steel, and then…

---

And then Alysvial was jolted awake. For a few moments, in the darkness, she wasn't sure what was going on. She didn't understand what had awakened her. Her mind swam, and she blinked her crimson eyes open and shut several times as she tried to awaken herself. She'd heard something strange, like the sound of a scream, or… of metal? Her brain swam in a sea of sleep for a few moments before she was able to clear her thoughts.

"Berserker… I heard something…" she said, rubbing her eyes, "… Take me downstairs…?"

One of those great, dark hands gently lifted the little girl from the bed, and lifted her to Berserker's shoulder.

The large window opened. It was big enough for Berserker to fit through, if he crouched. The night air was against Alysvial's skin… and then rushing past her like a whirlwind as they leaped from the top floor of the mansion. The huge man crashed to the earth, but the impact didn't even slightly shake the white-haired little girl. No, it felt like she had simply jumped from her bed.

Alysvial rubbed her eyes blearily, trying to clear her mind.

And that was when she saw just what had happened.

The body of one of her maids lay against the house. The maid's throat had been slashed open, blood sprayed across the wall as she lay there limply, the light that had once been in her eyes completely gone. After a moment of horror, Alysvial realized it was Lysvil, the second youngest of the maids that had been created for her.

"… L… Lysvil…?"

She couldn't understand. Who had done this? Why? Lysvil hadn't done anything wrong, she had just been a maid, she'd just helped, that's all she did, it's all she'd wanted to do, why…

But Lysvil's death wasn't all.

Beside Lysvil stood Ivyrette. She was still alive, but she was clutching her abdomen, clearly having been stabbed. Blood stained her white uniform.

"O-ojou-sama… there… was an attack… Lysvil…" Ivyrette's breathing was ragged as she knelt beside the dead maid.

Velvie, the youngest of her maids, stood missing her right arm. Her normally expressionless face was displaying the slightest hint of pain, and yet she still managed to look towards Alysvial as she clutched at the stump that remained of her arm.

"… Ojou-sama. Lysvil. She is dead," said the maid, averting her eyes as she spoke. Even with the difficulty she had expressing herself, it wasn't difficult to understand her feelings.

Sorrow and horror gripped Alysvial's heart. All of her maids… all of them lived to serve her. They had never done anything wrong. They had never disobeyed her or anything like that at all. Everything they had done was everything they were meant to do.

And yet one of them lay dead… why? It wasn't… it wasn't fair…

Who… who had done this…?

"… Who… who killed her…?" the pale little girl asked, her voice wavering as she struggled to hold back tears.

"… Identity unknown…" responded Velvie, still looking away and clutching at what remained of her missing arm.

"… I-it… it was a… a masked killer… a fox mask with a sword…" answered Ivyrette, breathing heavily, "They leapt down from the tree…"

A fox mask and a sword…?

There was only one culprit Alysvial knew of who fit such a description. The fact that Berserker had failed to detect the presence of a Servant even after the attack had begun, or the fact that the culprit had fled without advancing even after killing and disabling the three maids on guard, were unable to push through the rage burning in Alysvial's heart.

"Berserker… We'll kill them!" cried Alysvial.

The hulking man roared.

"We'll kill Assassin!"

---

Ai's morning had gone mostly as usual. Even after the strangeness of the previous day, that didn't really affect the next. For once, there hadn't even been much of a fight. It was surprising, and it made the small girl wonder if there was something going on that she wasn't privy to. Had there been a battle or something like that? Or was it just a quiet night for once? She felt somewhat thankful regardless of the reasoning, having a relatively normal day for once was something she'd missed. Even if it involved… learning all that about Alysvial…

Maybe normal was the wrong way to think of it. Alysvial had said… so much, about her own life and about the way she thought about the war. Ai didn't believe that this war was false. She couldn't even understand what the little girl meant by that. But she believed that Alysvial thought it was false, and that's why she was participating. To end something she thought was wrong, even if she didn't truly know why. It made the idea of fighting Berserker… more difficult, in her mind. She didn't know what to do about it, no matter how much she thought about it. Alysvial's innocence was genuine, but they had to defeat Berserker no matter what. No matter how genuinely innocent the little girl was, it didn't change the fact that her goal was to destroy all the other Servants in the Holy Grail War.

And Berserker was so strong, too…

If Ai was being honest with herself, she didn't know what to do next. She knew that, deep down, relying on just running into the enemy at random was a bad idea. But Tsubaki and Lancer were her allies, there was no way she was going to go after them(and she didn't actually know where Tsubaki's home was anyway), and it felt wrong to go after Berserker after yesterday(not to mention that Alysvial's Servant was so incredibly strong). Other then that, she had no idea where to even begin. Maybe Saber would have some idea of where the other Servants would be setting up base… Given the role she filled in life, it wasn't impossible she might have some thoughts on the matter.

Besides, there was no denying the girl samurai was a better strategist then she was. Even if Ai had been confident in her planning skills, she had never participated in battles or anything of the like prior to the War.

In other words, it was time to have a chat with her Servant.

As was usual for when there were no plans for the day, Saber was in the main hall, taking a position near the door. It was obvious what the reason was this for, Saber had her duties on her mind and was standing guard, just in case anything happened. She was near one of the windows, today, and for a moment Ai stopped in her tracks, blushing. The way the light was hitting her silvery-gold hair…

"Master?"

"Hawawawa!"

Ai practically jumped where she stood, the heat building in her cheeks even more. Ahhh Saber had noticed her just standing and staring!

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" asked her Servant, turning to face her and smiling slightly, "I'll admit, I was getting a little bored just hanging around at the door… er, not that standing guard isn't important too, though!"

"… Eh… eh-heheh…" Ai let out an awkward laugh, "Um… y-yes. I think… I think we might need to try going on the offensive, Saber."

Saber nodded immediately, her expression becoming serious.

"I agree. We can't just rely on running into the enemy at random, after all," responded the platinum blonde swordswoman, "That's no way to win a battle, let alone a war. At some point we're going to have to begin seeking out the enemy."

She paused for a moment.

"Not just because it's a better chance at victory," Saber added, "But to stop them from planning their own offensive. I know it's important for me to keep guard, but I'm much better at offense then defense!"

So Saber had been thinking about it too… it was hardly shocking information to learn. After all, Saber was the kind of person who was familiar with these kinds of situations. Ai knew that if she'd come to a conclusion like this, Saber most likely made the same conclusion long before she did. But they couldn't make any kind of plan if they didn't have any idea where their enemies were.

"D-do you have any idea where they might be?" asked Ai. Saber shook her head.

"I don't think it's going to be so easy to figure out where they might be hiding," she answered, "We only found Caster's final hiding place because she was creating that huge black dome. Caster might have been the best Servant when it came to setting up a base, but I don't doubt the others are keeping their true locations as hidden as possible."

She paused for a moment, thinking it over.

"If I had to guess, Assassin is probably the one who's the most hidden," she continued, "It's not as if she doesn't have any skill, but I know Ranmaru isn't the most suited to fighting up front battles. So her and her Master are probably using a location that's difficult to find. Her Master is probably using some sort of magecraft to make it harder to locate, as well."

It was the kind of assessment that Ai had expected, to be honest. It only made sense that Assassin, who wasn't suited to direct combat, would pick a base of operations that would be difficult to locate. Somewhere where it was difficult to make any kind of direct attack.

"But it's not just Assassin," added Saber, a thoughtful look crossing her face once more, "Archer is from the wild west, isn't he? He's probably an outlaw if that's the case. And his Master was using all kinds of weird tactics, so I'd be surprised if they were somewhere out in the open, too."

Ah… so two out of their four remaining enemies were probably well-hidden? That left Berserker, who she didn't feel comfortable attacking yet and was so incredibly strong, and Rider, who was one of the most powerful Servants in the entire war. They had to be ready to fight them at some point, to be sure. But Ai didn't know how to even begin when it came to taking either of them on, and in Berserker's case it was hard to think about trying to take him out after yesterday…

"But that's not all I want to talk about, Master," Saber said, suddenly, interrupting Ai's thoughts, "There's also the matter of the presence I sensed outside of Alys-chan's mansion."

Oh, that was right… there had been a Servant of some kind outside of the Einzbern girl's Master. There had been so much to think about recently that Ai had nearly forgotten about it. The short brunette found herself cursing her own lack of thought. There was no way to know which of the remaining enemy Servants it had been…

"I know it can't have been Rider," explained Saber, "Because I can't imagine Queen Medb choosing to do something so subtly. So that means it's possible Archer or Assassin were trying to keep an eye on Berserker. Maybe they were even trying to plan out an attack."

"Th-that… that makes sense!" declared Ai, with a nervous nod. Aaaah, there was so much she'd failed to consider… of course it wouldn't have been Rider! Not based off of how the pink-haired Servant behaved so far! But Archer and Assassin were far more suited to subtle spying… but if it was Assassin, why wasn't she using Presence Concealment?

"Um… if it was Assassin, why wouldn't she be using Presence Concealment?" asked Ai, shifting slightly as she spoke. Was it a stupid question? It probably was, but it didn't make any sense to her…

"… You're right… if it wasn't Assassin… then it must have been Archer!" concluded Saber, smiling with an air of triumph, "Mystery accomplished!"

The serious air of the conversation was shattered.

"… Mystery… accomplished?" Ai asked, tilting her head with confusion. Oh, it was cute, that was certain, but… it was also really, really silly… why would it be 'mystery accomplished'?

"Well… because it's an accomplishment involving a mystery," replied Saber, nodding sagely as she spoke, "So instead of mystery solved, it's mystery accomplished!"

For a few moments, Ai was silent. Saber could go from sounding so serious to saying things like that… in spite of everything, for a moment the short magus had to stop herself from giggling at her Servant.

"Well, um… what does that mean, then?" asked Ai, trying to move on, to avoid focusing on such a silly comment.

"If it was Archer, I don't think he's planning on attacking Berserker or his Master right now," answered the girl samurai, "His Master is way too cautious to do something like that when his Servant doesn't have the best capabilities in a direct fight. They'd be more likely to set up an ambush. Archer's speed at drawing his gun would be much better when it comes to something like that. If I had to guess, they were probably keeping tabs on Berserker because of how dangerous he is."

That made sense as well. Archer wasn't exactly a Servant suited to directly battling a monster like Berserker by himself, so it was likely to ensure that Alys wasn't trying anything for the moment. Possibly leading up to some kind of plan to take him on, but nothing serious at the moment.

But there was another matter on Ai's mind.

"… Do you think there's any chance of finding Yumimura-san?" asked the short brunette. She couldn't help it, she'd been thinking about it in the back of her mind ever since Saori was taken by the Atlas alchemist. That was still something that they had to be worried about, both for Yumimura's sake and due to the mystery of the eighth Master of the Holy Grail War. "It… I know it's not something we can dwell on, but it feels wrong to just brush off what happened…"

Saber let out a sigh, her gaze drifting downwards.

"I don't know… maybe if we start looking around we'll find some kind of clues. I hope, at least," she responded, somewhat morosely, "I don't want to forget about Yumimura-san either, but we have to keep moving forward."

Ai knew this was the case, deep down. Dwelling on Yumimura Saori's fate wasn't going to get them anywhere, even when it came to the subject of finding her in the first place. But it was difficult to get it out of her head.

"… Well… we should… try and see if we can meet Rani-san again!" insisted Ai. Rani seemed like a reasonable person, so maybe if things were going well… maybe they would turn out just fine! Deep down she doubted it, but wasn't there a chance…?

"I think that's a good idea," replied Saber, her smile returning, "But it's worth being wary. Even though I don't think she was lying, we can't ignore that she's going to be an eighth Master."

Ai was hardly about to argue with that. The idea of an eighth Master was still a strange mystery… was it possible because Caster was gone, now? What was Atlas intending to accomplish, if they weren't planning on participation in the Holy Grail War? It was so unusual…

Ai's mind wandered further. Saber was so pretty, with the way the light was touching her hair… ah… maybe… maybe she really could try and say it? Try and tell her how she felt? It wasn't… maybe it was time…

"… Th-there's… s-something else I w-want to say, Saber…"

Her Servant opened her mouth, but then cut herself off, her body going rigid for a moment as she glanced out the window.

"There's another Servant approaching."

For a moment, Ai froze, all other thoughts driven from her mind. Another Servant? Approaching her home? But it was in broad daylight! Who would be attacking her in broad daylight?! She hadn't prepared, there were some basic defenses in place that she'd helped to reestablish back when she moved to her family's home, but it wasn't anything that could help to defend against a serious attack by an enemy Servant! Panic gripping her, she looked out the window…

And both Master and Servant relaxed when they saw Tsubaki and Lancer round the corner. Not simply because it meant they weren't about to be attacked, but also because it confirmed that Tsubaki was well. The tan-skinned girl looked fine, wearing her usual t-shirt and shorts, while Lancer walked along beside her wearing a wide straw hat and a white sundress with a black ribbon around her waist.

It was a relief to see Tsubaki on her feet again, and on top of that Ai had wanted to talk to her again as soon as possible anyway. There was no better time to discuss their next moves then when Tsubaki was around. No matter what, it was obvious to Ai that Tsubaki was definitely better prepared than herself. As both the tanned girl and her Servant made their way to the front door, Ai quickly opened it.

"I-Inoue-san! I'm glad to see you're alright!" declared Ai, smiling. But she quickly noticed just how serious Tsubaki looked.

"Ai-san, we need to talk immediately," the black-haired magus insisted as she approached, "It's about Rider."

Rider…? What had happened with Rider? Had they encountered Queen Medb again? That was what it seemed like at least…

Soon enough, Ai had somewhat awkwardly guided her guests to her room. Marianne had been quite overjoyed to see guests, but there hadn't been much time to chat with her given how important this seemed to be.

Ai couldn't help but feel kind of embarrassed letting Tsubaki and Lancer into her room. She wasn't used to having guests around… she felt… silly, to say the least, being so flustered over the situation when they needed to have a serious conversation, but she couldn't help it.

Ai sat on her bed. The fact that Saber sat beside the short brunette magus didn't make this any better, her cheeks flushing immediately. Saber was so close, on her bed, ah…

She shook her head.

She had to focus. She had to stay serious.

"S-so… what happened with Rider?" Ai practically blurted out, quivering slightly as she did. There were certainly better segues.

"Well… do you remember when Saber and Lancer fought Rider, the way that she seemed to be able to move before she knew an attack was happening?" asked Tsubaki.

Before Ai could respond, Saber did.

"I noticed that. Even when I cut off one of her bulls' horns, she was starting to react before I was even able to start attacking," said the silvery-haired swordswoman, "It was more then simply having good instincts, she was reacting so precisely it was almost like she was seeing the future."

"That is because she was," stated Lancer, "It is one of her Noble Phantasms, the ability to accurately read the future."

Ai's eyes widened in shock. That was… how did you fight an ability like that? When someone could look into the future and know your every move, how was it possible to fight them off? But… no, hadn't Rider seemed surprised when Saber managed to cut off one of the bulls' horns?

"She can really see the future?!" exclaimed Saber, "Then that's how she was able to dodge so accurately with an entire chariot…"

"But that's not all," continued Tsubaki, "She's capable of reading the future, but she has to do it consciously."

"So… um…" Ai hesitated for a moment. If she had come to the wrong conclusion, it would sound pretty foolish and wouldn't exactly be helpful to anyone, but… "If that's the case… then it's still possible to take her off-guard?"

Lancer nodded.

"We witnessed her taken by surprise when Archer ambushed her during battle," Lancer elaborated, "I suspect that her capability to read the future is far easier to use in a battle against a single target, or when she has a moment to concentrate between attacks. It is a quick look into her enemy's next actions rather than an extensive record of the progress of the entire battle."

"It's not only that she can be taken off-guard," added Tsubaki, "But someone who can move as fast as Saber can cut the advantage she gets from reading the future! Even if she knows it's coming, she can't react fast enough to counter it. I'm sure that's how Saber was able to cut off one of her bulls' horns. She couldn't react fast enough even knowing she was going to attack!"

Ai could tell Saber was feeling fairly proud of herself, at this point. It was unreal thinking her Servant could move so fast that even reading the future wasn't enough to avoid her attacks. But that was why she was a Servant, wasn't it? Her capabilities were sufficient to be considered a shining pillar of human history.

"So that's how we're going to defeat her!" declared Saber, confidently, "I'll outrun her foresight!"

"It is not as simple as that, Saber," responded Lancer, frowning slightly as she spoke, "She is still able to avoid serious harm, most of the time. We have to make sure that it's difficult for her to respond in a way that allows her to avoid being harmed. We have to destroy her chariot."

Destroy her chariot? But how? Neither Saber nor Lancer could perform the kind of attack that could destroy another Servant's Noble Phantasm, let alone one that was so large. Even those beams that Lancer could fire from her cavalry lance didn't seem strong enough to destroy it in its entirety… Unless there was something more…

"How?" Ai asked, even as she tried to figure out just what method they could use to destroy the incredibly fast, destructive Noble Phantasm that was Queen Medb's chariot.

"There's another ability that Lancer possesses that we haven't mentioned before," Tsubaki replied, "Those blasts of mana she can fire are only part of it. Through her lance, Lancer can utilize an anti-army Noble Phantasm, something destructive enough to annihilate Queen Medb's chariot in a single shot."

Ai's eyes widened. This whole time, Lancer had been able to do something like that? That sort of powerful weapon that she hadn't utilized yet… Tsubaki must have intended to use it as a secret trump card in case anything became too much of a threat for them to handle in any other way.

Just like Rider, for that matter.

"Sh-she really has something like that…?" Ai stammered, still surprised by the revelation. If she truly was Astolfo, that didn't make much sense. Insofar as she knew of the tale of the Paladins of Charlemagne, Astolfo possessed nothing that could result in the existence of a Noble Phantasm of that nature. Certainly, she was aware that some Servants possessed abilities that they did not in life, but that was not the case for all of them, and there still had to be some sort of myth or misconception that would result in the possession of a skill or Noble Phantasm that did not exist in their life. She couldn't think of anything that would explain Astolfo possessing an anti-army Noble Phantasm capable of annihilating something as powerful as Queen Medb's chariot.

"The grace of God granted me a divine light, a powerful attack composed of mana capable of shattering armies and cutting through even the blackest of nights," Lancer stated, with a nod, "There is no doubt in my mind that I can destroy Rider's chariot, as long as she is unable to avoid it."

Ai was beginning to understand, somewhat, what it was that Tsubaki was planning. If they could somehow immobilize Medb's chariot, that would let Lancer destroy it. Even if Medb survived the destruction of her chariot, she'd be less dangerous on foot and was likely not be able to withstand an attack from both Saber and Lancer, even considering her use of Caladbolg.

Rider-class Servants were not personally the most powerful, at least in most cases. Their strength came from their Noble Phantasms. And so, if they were forced into direct combat against two of the Knight classes, Ai could see how they could achieve victory against Queen Medb!

But she was jumping to conclusions, wasn't she? She didn't know for sure what it was Tsubaki had in mind…

"In that case, you're planning on immobilizing Rider's chariot so Lancer can destroy it?" Saber asked, asking the question that Ai had been uncertain of mentioning herself.

"Exactly," Tsubaki responded, a confident smile coming to her lips, "After that, I think Saber has the best chance of defeating Rider afterwards. Lancer is going to have to stay at range in order to attack her by surprise with her Noble Phantasm, so Saber, you would be the one keeping her attention and taking her on after her chariot has been destroyed."

It made enough sense to Ai, at least, but she couldn't help but feel unsure still. While the plan made sense, and it wasn't like it couldn't work, there was still the matter of immobilizing the chariot. The bulls that pulled it were incredibly strong and far beyond mundane beasts, capable of flight and causing massive amounts of destruction. She wasn't sure how it would be possible to stop such an enormously destructive Noble Phantasm. They would have to find some way to trap the bulls' legs, or the wheels of the chariot, if only for a moment. But she didn't know of the Trap of Argalia would be a good choice for a fight like this, especially since that would make it clear they were planning something immediately.

"If that's the case, then how are we going to make sure that her chariot can't move?" Ai asked.

"That's something we've been trying to figure out," replied Tsubaki, "The Trap of Argalia isn't going to be useful here. She already knows about it and at long range it's not going to be effective, and on top of that it'll alert Medb to Lancer's intent."

"So we need to do something that won't make her think she needs to use her foresight, then?" asked Saber, cocking her head to one side as she tried to think of a possible plan for halting the chariot.

"… Maybe… um…" Ai hesitated. She wasn't certain if her plan even began to make any kind of sense. Certainly, the chariot was destructive, but it still had to roll over the ground or travel through the sky to move. Even if it dug ruts into the concrete, that didn't mean it could instantly destroy even the earth beneath it. At least, that's what the short brunette hoped could be the case. "Maybe… if we can trap the wheels, or the bulls' legs in some kind of pit. Even if it didn't last long, as long as it traps her so she can't escape Lancer's Noble Phantasm…"

"So something like carving out the earth in front of her?" asked Tsubaki, "Do you think that could work, Lancer?"

"Hm… I believe it would take a her a few moments to break free and carve her way from the hole," responded the blonde knight, with a nod, "If I time it correctly, I could destroy her chariot from a distance while she attempts to escape from the trap. But how do you propose we carve out such a trap for her without her notice?"

"I can handle that!" declared Saber, with confidence, "If I'm already fighting her, it would only make sense that some of my attacks would miss, wouldn't it?"

So Saber's idea was to carve a hole into the earth, unnoticed, as she fought Rider? It sounded risky, but… Saber's attacks were also very precise. Could she cut a hole in the earth without arousing Rider's suspicions? That was the most important question. If Rider used her foresight to see what Saber was trying to do, she'd immediately understand just what was going on and what could happen if she did not evade immediately. Their entire plan hinged on ensuring she didn't use her capability to peer into the future, at least not before it didn't matter.

"Are you sure you are capable of doing that without Rider's realization, Saber?" asked Lancer, leaning somewhat towards the platinum blonde Servant.

"Of course," insisted Saber, "If her entire strategy is to look into the future to avoid any attack, then I'll attack her directly and force her to dodge. As long as I can make sure I attack her in the same location enough times, I'll be able to make it look like Rider is my target, rather then cutting a trench into the earth."

Saber nodded firmly to herself.

"If she survives the initial attack, her chariot will still be destroyed, so there's no doubt in my mind that I can defeat her!"
Saber's confidence in herself helped to give Ai some hope. At least, a little bit. But there was another factor in this plan to defeat Medb that hadn't yet been discussed.

"Of course, Lancer's Noble Phantasm's power comes with a drawback," explained Tsubaki, her hands on her lap, "Normally I'd be excited about how destructive it is, but if we fire it in the town there's a high risk of collateral damage. We need to find somewhere to fight Rider where that won't be an issue."

It wasn't exactly unexpected. The firepower required to destroy a Noble Phantasm like that had to be incredibly high, so there was no doubt in Ai's mind that something like a simple building would never survive it. They couldn't risk anyone else being caught up in the battle, especially when such powerful attacks were being utilized.

"… In that case, maybe the clearing near the forest, where we met before attacking Caster?" Saber offered. To Ai, at least, that seemed like as good a location as any to attempt to defeat Queen Medb. There wasn't anything that could get caught up in an anti-army attack, aside from the forest itself. While destroying a huge swath of trees wasn't exactly ideal, given how noticeable it would be, it was a lot less noticeable then destroying a building.

"I can't think of anywhere else that would be better," said Tsubaki, "There's nothing around there but the forest, so there's no risk of harming innocent people. But we need some kind of bait to get her there."

"Hmmm… there has to be something she must want…" mused Saber. It was almost like a scene right out of some sort of comedy. Even Ai found her eyes drifting towards her Servant at this point. It was hard to ignore the fact that, the last time they had met, Rider expressed such an interest in Saber. The memory of the pink-haired Queen's reaction to the girl samurai's display of skill still felt fresh enough in the small brunette's mind to make her blush.

"… Saber, we think the promise of some sort of battle with you might be able to get her there," suggested Tsubaki.

"Eh? Because… of…" Saber shifted somewhat awkwardly, clearly embarrassed at the memory herself, "The way she reacted when we fought?"

"That is exactly the reason," replied Lancer, "While I would normally be in favor of more honorable tactics… I believe that Rider's capabilities force this sort of deception. Master, would you like to explain the idea you proposed?"

"Well…" Tsubaki took a deep breath, "It's clear that she wants you, Saber. She would like Lancer, too, but she's most interested in you. So… promise to fight her with the stakes being your unconditional surrender. Tell her that you'll do anything for her if she wins. Make yourself the prize."

That… the thought of that was kind of embarrassing, but Ai could already see how it might work. In life, Queen Medb had been someone driven primarily by her desires. So if she saw something she desired within her reach, wouldn't she reach for it? It was possible it might make her less wary. Such an offer had to be difficult for someone like Medb to resist. But… well, it all depended on if Saber was willing to do it. It wasn't as if she could be blamed for objecting, but at the same time it was hard to think of another way to get Rider to go where they needed her to be.

It wasn't as if Ai couldn't understand desiring Saber, anyway…

"I… if…" Saber hesitated for a moment. She seemed a bit uncertain about making such an offer, but at the same time… it did seem like their best chance at getting Rider to go where they needed to be. "… I… I won't lose, so it's not as if that matters!"

Even though she seemed somewhat embarrassed, the girl samurai's confident smile had returned.

"I'll give her the conditions and the location, so… so there's no doubt in my mind she'll go exactly where we need her to be!"

"I h-hope so, at least…" commented Ai, unable to help her own concerns. Even if Saber's self-confidence helped somewhat, there still seemed to be a lot that could go wrong in this plan. But at the same time, it didn't look like they had any other chance against Rider. While her abilities were maybe not completely insurmountable, though extremely powerful, the fact was that when they were combined with the capability to see into the future it became very difficult to figure out any other options. Removing her chariot was completely necessary.

And this looked like their best chance to do it.

"Don't worry, Ai-san," Tsubaki said, with a smile, "It might seem risky, but I'm confident in Lancer, and you should be plenty confident in Saber, right? I think the both of them have shown us plenty of reason to believe in them."

"Ah…"

Ai did believe in Saber… Saber's skills were incredible! They would have been impossible to believe, if she hadn't seen her Servant fight with her own eyes. Even as someone who lived in the world of the uncommon, the short magus had never even thought of seeing something like a battle between Servants.

"I know she does!" declared Saber with confidence, snapping Ai out of her thoughts and brightly smiling as she spoke, "There's not a single doubt in my mind that Ai believes in me!"

"Th… that's right! I… I know Saber can win!" Ai found herself saying. Some small part of her was insisting that 'can' was not the same as 'will'. There couldn't be any guarantees in a war like this, and Rider was such a powerful Servant… but it was still possible. It was their best option to seize victory against a Servant like Rider, too…

"Then it's settled… I'll go home and make a few more preparations," said Tsubaki, with a firm nod, rising to her feet. Lancer swiftly followed. "Then we'll meet as soon as possible. From there, we'll launch our plan!"

As she turned towards the door to leave, however, the tanned girl paused for a moment. She looked back over her shoulder, her cheerful behavior suddenly fading.

"… And… if you can find any clues about where Saori-san was taken… please… please tell me, Ai-san," she said.

"… Of course, Inoue-san," Ai responded. She didn't need to be told, after what she'd seen. It was already her plan from the start. She wanted to find out where the girl had gone too. But there was the fact that they also had to handle the Grail War itself, too…

"… Thank you," replied Tsubaki, her smile returning, if only a little.

A few moments later, both guests had bid their farewells and departed from the Matsushita household.

Now, Ai was left alone with her Servant in her room, the both of them still sitting on their bed. The rest of the day would be preparing for the battle with Rider, wouldn't it…

"Don't worry, Master, there's no way I'll let this plan fail. I'm a manslayer suited to killing with a lightning-fast blade, so as long as her chariot is destroyed I'll win for sure," she said, as Ai slowly stood.

Saber kept referring to herself like that… even with the amount of pride she showed in her own skills, Ai couldn't help but feel as the label of 'manslayer' was underselling herself. The platinum blonde swordswoman displayed incredible skill in battle, while 'manslayer' was more apt for someone who dedicated themselves to murder rather than combat. More then that… Saber was a lovely, beautiful girl, not just some violent killer.

"Oh… Master, before Inoue-san and Lancer showed up, wasn't there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

For a split second, the entire world froze for Ai. Her cheeks went bright red, her entire body going rigid as her honey-colored eyes widened in shock.

Saber had remembered it. Even after all the other conversations with Tsubaki and Lancer, she'd remembered it… oh. Oh no. She hadn't thought it through at all. She'd almost been glad she'd be interrupted, because she'd had no idea what to say to her Servant!

"I-I um… um…" Ai stammered, her entire body shaking. What could she say to Saber, now? The girl samurai was asking her directly about it… what could she tell her?!

"Hawawawa…"

Saber cocked her head to one side. The fact that the gesture was cute didn't help Ai at all.

"Master?" she asked.

"N-n-nothing! N-n-nevermind!" cried Ai, finally, to the silvery-haired girl's confusion. The short brunette quickly turned away, heading for the door, "L-l-let's go and get ready to take on Rider!"

She wasn't ready yet. She'd come close, earlier, but there was no way she was ready.

Ai couldn't tell Saber just how she felt.

Not yet.