When she finally came to her senses, she was alone.

It was like waking up from a lucid dream; one moment she could be walking down the corridor at school or strolling along the streets of Fuyuki, and the next moment she could be lying on her bed at home. It felt pretty much like that, only this time she was not waking up in her room. Or anywhere she was familiar with, for that matter.

Tall, foreboding shadows surrounded her, their misshapen forms blending into the darkness around them. Weak, thin beams of moonlight seeped through the occasional cracks, glowing helplessly against the black sea that they had briefly intruded upon. However, even if they were weak, they still managed to grant her some warmth, illuminating a fraction of the world around her.

Her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she heaved a sigh of relief. The shadows around her had not been people or monsters, but simply trees that grew in abundance as far as the eye could see. They could do her no harm, but she still found her relief to be short-lived; she had no idea how she had gotten herself here, or where this place even was.

And above all, she could tell that she was not alone.

The air was still, and nothing moved in the shadows. Her vision did not extend very far, but she could see that she was alone in this space. Even the air was still, and a shroud of silence enveloped the entire forest. It was a scene that would have been considered 'tranquil' – if not for the strange presence lingering around.

She could not tell how she knew, but there was something there. Something – or someone – here, in this part of the forest with her, out of sight but surely there. The more she stood there, the more she could feel the presence all around her, crushing her. But she could not bring herself to move. To escape.

Holy… Graill…

She could feel the chill invading every cell of her body just from hearing that disembodied voice. A tight, viselike grip wrapped itself around her throat, forcing out a weak helpless sound that might have been a plea. No help would come, and no one would ever hear her cries. Not even him – the one person who had brought light into her life.

Holy Grail…

And just like that, the presence disappeared. Without warning and without reason, it went just as it had come. Dissipating into nothingness, as though it had never existed, the strange yet overwhelming force released her from its unforgiving chains.

She gasped for breath as her knees gave way, unable to support her for a moment longer. Her body was sticky with cold sweat, and her heart was hammering wildly against her ribcage. It had been far too long since she last felt that kind of fear – a little over ten years ago, in fact, when she had found herself amidst the writhing hellhole of her grandfather's making.

Holy Grail.

That was the one name that shapeless monster had uttered. It was the one thing the unseen abomination craved, and in order to attain this impossible miracle, it had called her here.

She froze. She had no idea why she was here, or how she even got here in the first place. For that matter, she did not even know where this place was, if it even was a place on Earth. So how could she have known that the formless thing had called her here?

Icy fingers clawed at her chest, trying desperately to quell the shaking that had overcome them. She did not know how, but something inside her knew what the presence earlier was. Something buried deep within had resonated with that… thing, and it was a part of her. Or she was a part of it.

"Senpai…"

Swallowed up by the darkness around her, was Matou Sakura's terrified plea.

"… Save me…"

Gilgamesh looked up, the glass of wine inches away from his lips. He seldom expressed interest in anything else when in the middle of drinking, so for him to bother looking up like he had could be said to be a small miracle.

The era he currently graced with his presence was pathetic, ugly, and a downright disgrace compared to the days when he was King (he still was, just he no longer had a throne). The people had become mere livestock, swarming his land like locusts or plague-carrying vermin. They were parasites, insignificant and powerless, and he would have to have someone cull their numbers someday. He had no interest in them, for they were weak; they had no power worthy of mention, and were millennia away from being worthy enough to bask in his glorious presence. The only exceptions to that were far too few in number.

The first, he had slain with his most prized treasure. The man was the very embodiment of conquest – a phenomenon in his own right who had united an army with his endless dream. He was a worthy foe, and a Heroic Spirit befitting of being called a 'legend'. Gilgamesh knew – and if he knew it, it was an absolute, inviolable truth – that the world would never see a man like that ever again.

The second was one he had deemed worthy to be his bride. Ephemeral, beautiful, and crushed by the weight of hopes and dreams beyond her ability, she possessed a staunch belief in her mistaken ideals. Her despair, radiance, and that ludicrous sense of responsibility bordering on insanity… Those qualities made her desirable. And because she was desirable, she was to be his.

And now this. It felt like a Servant, yet at the same time, it was different. Whatever it was, it was powerful. Nowhere as powerful as the King of Heroes of course, but enough to squash the likes to that rabid dog Kirei had lost to some doll earlier. It was not a threat, but it was a disturbing presence.

It almost felt like…

For the second time, he had entertained that thought. That ridiculous idea that could never be reality. Had he fallen to the ranks of lowly mongrels, wallowing in uncertainty and doubt like a lost lamb?

"What he farce," he said. No one was around to hear those words, but he had said them anyway; it was the mongrels' loss that they were unable to hear their extolled King's words, not that they were worthy of hearing it anyway.

He knew it was not possible, and when he knew something, it was the absolute law of the world. Of the universe. Of existence itself. As such, such a ridiculous thing did not exist.

Except it did.

Had he acted on that minute suspicion, the King of Heroes might have erased that bothersome presence. Had he decided to lift a finger to pluck that weed, it would not have been able to grow. But simply because he was not as absolute as he had believed himself to be, Gilgamesh was unable to foresee what was about to transpire.

Sensing the vessel of the Holy Grail to be within its reach, the Eighth Class Card stretched out a hand. If the grotesque mass of inky darkness could even be called a hand. Just a little longer, and it would attain its most desired treasure. Just a little longer, and it would claim the forbidden chalice even it had no idea why it sought.

"Holy… Grail…"

"… So let me get this straight."

Emiya Shirou had decent grades. He was not a genius like Tohsaka, nor was he a complete idiot, but he was at least capable of understanding things without too much trouble.

"You're a parallel world version of the Master of Berserker, you're her cousin, and you're her friend who's not a part of this universe either. You crossed over when you were doing some sort of exploration task given by the Tohsaka of your world."

"Y-yes."

"You can transform with those two… Mystic Codes, was it? And with them you can access a toned down version of the Servants' powers with their respective cards."

"That sounds about right."

So why did it feel like his brain was about to overheat?

Saber was silent as she stared straight at Illya, her expression unreadable. Whether or not she believed her words was uncertain at this point. Lancer did not say a word.

"Illyasviel," the blond warrior said at last, causing Illya to flinch. "Illya," she corrected. "Do I have your word that everything you have said is indeed true, and that you can vouch for these two companions with you?"

"O-of course!" Illya said, edging away from her a little. Saber was looking at her straight in the eyes, and it was scary. "T-they're my precious friends!"

"Please look me in the eye, Illya," Saber requested firmly. When Illya finally did with some reluctance, she went on, "Do I have your word?"

Illya tried not to cower under the sheer pressure from the Servant, but it was a difficult task. Eventually summoning enough courage to not break the eye contact, she inhaled deeply.

"Yes," she replied. "I promise you, Saber."

"… Very well," Saber said at last. "I apologize for being rude earlier. I shall believe your words, Illya. I will fight by your side."

"T-thank you, Saber!" Illya said, her eyes wide with relief. "Let's get along-"

"Hold on."

The room went silent as Lancer spoke up, and Saber twitched. Although no weapons were out and no fighting stances were assumed, a distinct sense of hostility still poured out of the Servant of the spear.

"I don't really care about all this alternate universe talk," he said. "But there's one question I have to ask: you, brat," he looked straight at Illya. "You somehow broke the Contract between me and my Master. What sort of magecraft did you use?"

"C-Contract?" Illya wondered aloud. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. I just used the Caster Include because… because I thought it would beat Berserker, and…"

The rest of her sentence was lost in a series of inaudible mutters, fading into the uncomfortable silence left by Lancer's question. That silence went on for quite a bit, until Lancer finally gave in and sighed. He sometimes forgot that the kid was really as clueless as she appeared to be.

"Well, I never did understand magecraft in the first place," he grumbled. "The magic I use is a lot simpler. But whatever. The fact right now is that you're my Master, right?"

"I-I… I guess?" Illya asked, looking at the Command Seals on the back of her hand. "I-it wasn't my intention though…"

"I'm not blaming you, kid," Lancer clarified. "Rather, I'm rather glad I don't have to go back to my previous Master anymore. But make no mistake, brat: I have no intention of becoming your ally."

"Eh?"

Saber stood up instantly, putting herself between Lancer and Illya with her invisible sword in hand. Lancer met her glare, but did not make a move. In fact, he did not even have his spear out.

"What is the meaning of this, Lancer?" Saber asked. "Do you mean to do your Master harm?"

"Don't get me wrong, Saber," Lancer replied calmly. "I may be happy to be rid of my previous Master, but it doesn't mean I'll just accept a sudden change like that. Betrayal rubs me the wrong way, and even if he was a piece of filth he was still my Master. This kid has made me turn my back on my master, and I can't stand it."

"So what is it you wish to do?" Saber asked, not lowering her sword. "Do you intend on returning to your former master's side?"

"No way," Lancer said immediately. "I'd rather get slain by your Holy Sword here right now. That said, I'm not without pride. If you want my power, kid, use your Command Seal. A knight will never turn against his master, so if you want me to be your spear you'll have to make me."

"You ought to do what he says, Illya," Kuro muttered. "Who knows what he'll do when we're asleep or not looking. It's dangerous to just leave him be."

"I agree with Kuro," Miyu added. Being the logical one, she naturally took Kuro's side.

But unfortunately for them, Illya was not a person who acted on logic; she was the kind to act on feelings.

"I… won't use it," she said. "It just… it just feels wrong to force someone to do something they don't want to do…"

"So you want me to turn against my Master of my own will?" Lancer asked. He had no trouble with impaling Kotomine, but to serve under a third Master in this war… he could not bring himself to face Bazett if he accepted it.

"N-no, not that!" Illya denied quickly. "I-it's just that… instead of being your Master… couldn't we just be friends instead?"

He had long since lost count, but Lancer was once again rendered speechless that night. He had no idea if what he had just heard had been a joke or not, or if he had heard it wrong altogether. Did she just say 'friends'?

"Um… Is it no good…?" Illya asked timidly.

The room was silent. Painfully silent. Amidst the two legendary heroes who transcended human limits, a tense atmosphere pulsated. The humans caught up in this atmosphere could only watch – and hold their breaths – as the silence marched on. Every next fleeting second could be the last they would ever see, and even then they were not sure if they would be able to see it coming.

Caught in the middle of it all, Shirou understood fully that these were beings out of his league. Their very existence defied common sense, and their powers reality. It was almost difficult to believe that they even needed a Holy Grail to grant their wishes if they were this powerful. If they so wanted, they could reduce this entire house to rubble. Now, it was merely a matter of who acted first.

Lancer was the first to make a move.

Instead of replying, Lancer simply broke the silence by bursting into gales of baleful laughter. Faced with the surprised faces of Illya, Kuro, Miyu, Saber and Shirou (and possibly the two Mystic Codes floating around), the Heroic Spirit of the spear just laughed. And laughed.

"That's a good one, kid!" he chortled. "'Friends', you say? That's a real good one!"

"U-uh, s-so…" Illya began.

"Save your Command Seals, kid," Lancer said. "You're one interesting magus, so I'll tag along with you for a bit."

Walking past Saber, who had lowered her weapon, Lancer stood in front of the silver-haired girl and extending a hand, he smirked.

"Let's get along, kid," he offered.

Illya was positively glowing as she took his hand, giving it an enthusiastic shake. Lancer played out, letting her bring his hand up and down as though he was a normal human. She was childish, straightforward, but that made her rather amusing.

"I look forward to working with you, Setanta-san!" she said cheerfully.

"… You're going to need to change that way of addressing me."

Emiya Shirou stifled what must have been his fortieth yawn. Last night had been chaotic and confusing to say the least, and they were apparently going to continue the conversation later that night.

"I have questions about the abilities that you use," Saber had said, referring to the girl who had donned her armor – Miyu. "I'm sure Lancer shares my sentiments regarding Illya."

And then Shirou, the master of being a greenhorn in serious magical conflicts, suggested that they postpone the discussion until he returned from school.

In his mind, he had hoped that they would just agree to get some rest, and that he could just crash for however little hours he had left until sunrise. However, naïveté was apparently one of his strong points – a trait he found out after being bombarded by salvo of protests.

"Are you out of your mind, Master?" Saber asked so seriously Shirou actually doubted his mental stability. "You cannot be serious about going to a public place alone in the middle of the Holy Grail War!"

"That's right!" Illya added before Shirou could reply. "It's too dangerous, onii- Shirou!"

"I agree with Illya and Arturia-san," Miyu said meekly.

"Wha-" Saber began, unable to contain her shock.

"Same here," Kuro cooed. "I want to spend more time with onii-chan after all…"

And then the scene dissolved into chaos. When he had finally got into his futon, his alarm was already ringing. How he managed to convince them to let him go after that was a mystery. At least Sakura was not around to witness it.

… Sakura.

The kouhai who had always been there to help with the household chores and meals had not been around that morning. He had long since gotten used to her presence around the house, so a morning without her around just felt wrong to Shirou. Had something happened to her?

No way, he assured himself. Rather, it's more odd for a girl her age to visit me every morning…

She was, simply put, a beautiful woman. Not only that, she had the grades and personality to make her an idol for worship among the guys at school. Personally, Shirou could never bring himself to see her in that light, but that was proving to be… difficult lately.

What am I thinking? He chastised himself. She's Sakura! She's a friend, and… and, well…

"What's with that face, Emiya?"

Shutting out his internal conflicts, Shirou turned towards his classmate and… friend? He supposed they managed to get along somewhat, but he was certainly not all that friendly with the man known as Matou Shinji.

"You look pretty bad," he went on without waiting for Shirou's reply. "I mean, everyone looks like garbage compared to me, but you look even worse than usual today."

"I-I'm fine," Shirou said tiredly. "I just didn't get enough sleep tonight. I mean yesterday night. That's all…"

"Is that right?" Shinji said offhandedly, clearly already bored; he had asked the question out of the magnanimous capacity he possessed, and he could not care less how Emiya really felt. Those without power or talent should just grovel at the feet of geniuses like him. "How about this, Emiya: Mitsuzuri asked me to clean up the archery dojo after school, but since I'm way too busy, why not you do it instead? Should be good exercise to wake you up."

"… Sure thing," Shirou replied. Had he been anyone else, he might have questioned his immediate acceptance of that request, but he was Emiya Shirou. In other words, he did bother to think of anything besides helping someone, even if said someone was Matou Shinji.

And because he was such a person, Emiya Shirou walked into the fangs of death a second time.

"I knew I could count on you, Emiya," Shinji said, his tone nothing but condescending as he stood up. "It's a job that suits you more than it does me, after all."

Are you listening, Rider?

Stepping out of the classroom with his mouth still closed, Matou Shinji smiled. If that crooked shape that split his face could even be called that anymore.

A tinge of raw rage colored his face. He was the most gifted Magus of the Matou house, and there was no one alive who could match him in anything he wished to do. There was nothing he could not accomplish, and there was no one who could turn him down when he offered to help them. All except for one.

And to make things worse, she had chosen him over him. She had chosen Emiya Shirou.

After school, head to the archery dojo and kill him, he ordered in his mind. Actually, play around with him a little first. It wouldn't hurt to make him suffer a bit before we finish him off.

Beside him, out of sight and completely unheard by the crowds of passing students, his Servant replied.

Understood.

Steamrolling ahead, yes, but I didn't want this breather chapter to last too long. I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner so you won't have to wait too long. Sorry about that!