As stated, updating my old fics in preparation for new content.
Merry Christmas!
Last time on Fate Zero.
1. Assassin and Kiritsugu discuss the meaning of life.
Zero: So tell me about your daughter.
Kiritsugu: *cocks shotgun*
2. Kirei and Maiya get to know one another.
Kirei: Come here often?
Maiya: Aren't you married?
3. Before Assassin pulls ye-olde switcheroo.
Kirei: I don't know which unnerves me more, that you purposefully sought to drive me off a building or that you'd clearly set this up beforehand.
And now, on with the show!
Fate/Zero Requiem
An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War
Tenth Night: Misdirection.
The sound of rubble shifting and heavy machinery filled the air as rescue teams swarmed over the ruins of the Fuyuki Hyatt, the Hotel Staff, having remembered the existence of the two VIP's on the top floor once Kiritsugu's hypnosis had worn off.
Admittedly, there wasn't much chance of finding any survivors, not in a disaster like this, but a slim chance was better than none, and to the excavators that was all the reason they needed to soldier on, looking for any sign of life, or at the very least an identifiable corpse.
Finally, just as the sun was beginning to rise on a brand new day, they found something, something so strange, so out of place, that all activity was brought to a halt until the excavation leader could be brought in to see it.
"What the hell is that?" he demanded, blinking at the sight of the massive silver sphere, at least three meters in diameter if he was any judge, sitting amongst the rubble like a ball bearing in the dirt.
"Do you think it's from the building?" one of the excavators wondered, eyeing the mass of silver uncertainly "One of the decorations of the revolving restaurant on the top floor?"
"I doubt it." The leader muttered, eyeing the massive sphere, wondering where on earth it could have come from "Even if that were the case, how did it survive the collapse without any damage?"
"I suppose." The excavator agreed, eyeing the sphere's reflective surface warily "Is it just me, or does it look like a sphere of Mercury?"
"It's not just you." The leader admitted, frowning thoughtfully as he reached out to touch the almost liquid surface of the sphere "If I didn't know any better I'd swear it was alive-!"
He trailed off, his eyes going wide and his muscles locking in placed the second the tips of his fingers made contact with the cool metal surface, the hammering of his heart rising, his blood roaring in his veins as a voice sounded in his mind, beseechingly, repeating the same order over and over again.
"Chief?" the excavator wondered, eyeing the man in concern even as the rest of the team stopped what they were doing to see what was going on "Is something wrong?"
"I have to move this thing out of here…" the chief murmured, his voice distant, his eyes vacant, as if he were talking in his sleep, only for them to snap back into focus, the man turning to direct his team with a glare "Load it onto the truck! Quickly!"
"Yes sir!" the men called out, rushing forwards to carry out the order. Sure some of them were a little concerned with the chief's actions a moment ago, but then again the man was probably stressed out due to the Fuyuki Police Chief's insistence on finding those foreign VIPs, and if moving the weird lump of mercury meant they could search faster, then so be it.
So dedicated were they to their task that it was only after several minutes had passed without him barking orders to notice that the chief had vanished, along with the truck bearing the mercury sphere. Nor did they notice the masked figures following the truck from the rooftops, having been watching the entire exchange from the roof of the construction site next door.
Kotomine Church Wine Cellar, aka Kirei's lovely Suite...
"It would appear the rumors of Lord El-Melloi's demise have been greatly exaggerated." Lelouch mused, lowering his phone as he returned his attention to the game of chess before him, idly fiddling with the crucifix of his borrowed priest robes "That's certainly a weight off my mind."
"A most unusual opinion for a Servant." Kirei noted, the younger Kotomine unable to help smirking at the comment, something he noted was becoming far more common the more time he spent in his Servant's company.
He knew from his lessons with Tokiomi that Masters and Servants typically gained insight into one-another's lives, a phenomena known as the Dream Cycle brought on by the link granted through the Command Seals. However, as unnatural as this bond might be, there was little, if any, recorded evidence of the link affecting either party's personality.
True, the insight attained from witnessing key moments of an Epic Heroes life could make one question their own objectives, but that didn't quite explain why Kirei's stunted, to put it lightly, sense of humor was starting to develop a sarcastic streak.
Not that Risei cared mind you. As bizarre as the situation was, it did the older Kotomine good to see his son interacting with someone and expressing himself more. That said person was essentially a killing machine in the shape of a human being meant little to one who knew the inner workings of the Holy Church. If anything it reminded the elder Kotomine of his youth.
"You think so?" Lelouch mused, smirking at his Master even as Kirei claimed his rook with a knight "For shame Master. I'll have you know have nothing but noble intentions where Lord El-Melloi is concerned." He moved his King forward to claim Kirei's Queen, earning a curse from the ex-executor "After all, he and Lancer play a key role in my strategy to defeat Saber."
It was left unsaid that, once Saber was out of the picture, the last remaining Knight Class would follow soon after. But for the moment the Once and Future King of Heroes posed no threat, whereas the other Servants, with the exception of Caster, most certainly were.
How fitting, therefore, that the first servant to truly fall in the war be the one to provide the means of eliminating the others.
"Checkmate." Lelouch declared, Kirei letting out a curse as his Servant knocked over his King with a cleverly hidden pawn, the two looking up just as Risei descended from on high "Is everything ready, Father Kotomine?"
"Preparations have been made to summon the other Masters." Risei confirmed, the elder Kotomine regarding the match between the two with a hint of amusement "I trust your own preparations are ready as well?"
"Indeed, the only thing I require is confirmation of Lord El-Melloi's new base of operations." Lelouch confirmed, pulling out his phone once more as it beeped, a confident smile adorning his lips as he rose from his chair "I won't be long…do try not to lose too quickly, Master."
Kirei glared at his Servant but said nothing, the former Executor instead turning his complete attention towards the board between him and his father as the elder Kotomine reached for his first pawn.
Waver & Rider's Bitchin' Pad...
Waver opened his eyes, the youngest Master in the Grail war blinking as he severed the connection between him and his mouse familiar, staring dazedly at the roof of the second-floor bedroom he used while masquerading as the Mackenzie's Grandson as he collected his thoughts.
In all honesty, if it weren't for the room, and the Command Seals engraved on the back of his hand, he'd have passed up the events of the previous night as some sort of lucid dream. After all, even in the world of Magi, where death was considered an acceptable occupational hazard, battles the likes of which he'd witnessed at the docks were not something one could expect unless they stepped on the wrong toes or chose to walk the path of an Enforcer.
While there was literally no chance in hell of the latter occurring while Waver retained the full use of his mental faculties and common sense, the same could not be said for the former, a fact that Kayneth had made all too clear during their brief exchange the night before.
No, calling it an exchange wasn't the right term, as all Waver had done was cower behind Rider and try to make himself as small as possible whilst trying to blot out his mentor's voice, shivering like a mouse before a snake as the elder Magus all but spelled out exactly what was in store for him should they ever cross paths.
But that wasn't what truly terrified him. Oh make no mistake, the fact that the Lord El-Melloi was personally gunning for him was enough to keep him cowering under his blanket until the wee hours of the night, but it paled in comparison to the fact that not only had the Einzberns hired the Magus Killer to thin the opposing ranks, but the heretic was apparently Saber's true Master.
While Waver's family were only a Third Generation with hardly any history worth noting, at least compared to the likes of the other Masters in this bloodbath, even he had heard of the Heretical Magus Killer, a man whose mere presence on the battlefield was enough to make even the most Deranged Zealots among the Executors of the Holy Church wary.
Until Emiya Kiritsugu, the term 'Magus Killer' had merely been a term used to refer to the Enforcers or Executors sent to handle Sealing Designates, a mark of disdain that was a slight against their name. Now it was a title whispered in fear by anyone that dared to turn their Magecraft to anything that might adversely affect humanity, be they High Ranking Lord or a Dead Apostle.
He was a Monster in the shape of a Man, a ruthless, cold-blooded killing machine for whom the term 'civilian casualties' translated to 'acceptable losses' provided he could take down his mark.
And now he knew who Waver was.
'I should never have stolen that damned relic.' The distraught youth whimpered, slumping back onto the bed, his face in his hands, wondering what in the world had possessed him to do something so suicidal.
Win or Lose, even if he did somehow manage to survive the Grail War, and that was a pretty big if given what he'd seen of the competition thus far, Kayneth would still seek him out afterwards, and in the event the elder Magus bit the dust, the Archibald's would no doubt blame Waver for their Scion's failure due to his stealing of the man's intended Servant.
He could see them now, towering over him, hands reaching out to demand a pound of flesh for every perceived crime they could throw at him, their hissing, malicious whispers calling him a thief, a coward, an ignorant child unworthy of walking the path of a Magus…
"Only a man brave enough to ride into battle at my side could ever be my Master! A coward like you that lacks the courage to even show his face would NEVER have been worthy of summoning me!"
Waver blinked, Rider's words from the previous night echoing in his mind like the roar of a lion, driving his fears and doubts away and filling him with a sense of accomplishment and pride that was entirely different from anything he'd felt before.
Iskander, The King of Conquerors, Alexander the Great himself, had declared Waver Velvet worthy of being his Master over the more accomplished Kayneth El -Melloi Archibald. There was truly no comparison to the feeling of satisfaction those words brought him, no words that could fully express the emotions they awoke within him.
It wasn't like the satisfaction he'd felt whenever he successfully completed an assignment or received praise from his peers. It wasn't even like the shallow pride he'd felt at outsmarting Kayneth and stealing the man's relic. Before the Weight of the King's words of praise, all other emotions were hollow and petty.
The feeling was short lived, however, when his Servant's thunderous roar of laughter rose up through the floorboards, the bed actually shaking from the force, Waver's eyes snapping open as he realized that several important facts.
1. Rider was Downstairs, and judging by the way his bed was shaking from the laugh, in his corporeal form.
2. It was daylight outside, meaning the Mackenzie's were most likely awake.
Before the echo of Rider's laugh had begun to fade, Waver had already thrown himself off his bed with a choked yelp, the long-suffering youth lunging for the door, almost breaking his neck as he stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, already bracing himself to hypnotize the old Canadian couple if need be.
"Oh, so you're finally awake, eh?" Rider noted, the King of Conquerors grinning as he struck a series of muscle poses, no doubt so as to better admire the massive, by Waver's standards, T-Shirt that adorned his even more massive frame "Hah! It feels good to have the whole world mapped across my chest!"
"Why are you dressed like that?" Waver wondered, his panic slowly giving away to confusion, and if he were honest with himself, intrigue as he realized Ken and Martha were nowhere to be seen "Wait, where did you even get that shirt from?" he demanded, a relevant question, as there was no way in hell that shirt belonged to either McKenzie.
"My package just arrived." Rider responded cavalierly, Waver's face paling as the massive Servant held up the hilariously tiny, by comparison, cardboard delivery box his new vestment had come in "I figured I'd give this 'Mail Order Post' thing a try, not bad eh?"
"I thought I told you not to leave the Second Floor!" Waver exclaimed, only to clap a hand over his mouth, looking around in a panic, hoping to God that neither Glenn nor Martha came to see what was going on.
"The old couple left earlier this morning while you were fooling around with your familiar." Rider countered with a dismissive wave of his massive hand, Waver's words of protests falling on deaf ears, as usual "Who else could have answered the door when the package arrived?"
"It couldn't be helped." Waver muttered, seeing Rider's point but unwilling to back down on his stance out of pride "Since it's rare to be summoned by the Church…" he eyed the shirt adorning his Servant's chest warily "Wait, how'd you pay for that thing anyways?"
"Hm? Oh right." Rider muttered, tossing Waver's wallet back to its true owner, the youth's eyes widening as he felt his blood run cold, memories of the Servant's 'plans' to achieve world conquest flashing across his mind as he snapped it open, only to breathe a sigh of relief.
'Thank god, he didn't touch the 10,000 Yen bills." He wept, dropping to the floor as his knees gave out from relief, as it seemed however much the package had cost, it had only cost a few 1000 Yen notes.
It didn't change the fact that his Servant had blatantly stolen his wallet, the incident at the library still rang particularly fresh in his mind, but at the very least it seemed the King was content not to splurge their meager funds, at least until he'd found an alternative source of income.
"You should really learn to take it easy, boy." Rider noted, still admiring the fit of his new shirt even as his Master gathered what remained of his wits "There's more to life than money after all."
"Says the King without a penny to his name…" Waver muttered, though in the face of Iskander's shameless grin his words lost most of their bite, the youth shaking his head as he got back to his feet, eyeing the Servant inquisitively "Why'd you even order that thing anyway?"
"I came to a realization after seeing Saber last night." Rider admitted, Waver blinking at the mention of the King of Knights, still having trouble coming to terms with her true gender even as Rider marched towards the door "Since I'm wearing modern clothing, there should be no problems with my walking around outside in my corporeal form, right?"
"Well, no not really…" Waver admitted, wanting to contest his Servant's claim, but unable to do so as it was more than clear that Saber's Master allowed the same thing, only to panic as his Servant made for the door "Hey, wait! At least put some damn pants on!"
"Pants?" Rider repeated, turning to look at his Master in confusion, his eyes widening as Waver pointed at his trousers "Oh, Leggings." He realized, thumping a massive fist to his brow as if to admonish himself "I forgot, people in this time all wear those impractical things…" he glanced at Waver, who suddenly felt as if he were facing a pouting child "Do I really have to?"
"I should think that goes without question." Waver deadpanned, trying not to think of the chaos that would result from Iskander walking out the door dressed as he was "Even Saber wore them, didn't she?" he pointed out, earning a groan from Rider as he turned his head away "And don't even think of asking me to get them for you!"
"What?!" Rider exclaimed, the King of Conquerors gaping down at his Master in disbelief, anger, and if he were being completely honest with himself, which he always was, a touch of approval "Boy! Are you opposing my authority?!"
"Your Authority and my getting you pants have absolutely nothing in common!" Waver snapped back, pointing at his Servant, who seemed even more shocked at his daring than himself "Rather than planning to screw around outside, why don't you go defeat Caster first!"
For a moment they simply stood there, the King of Conquerors and his Master, the proverbial David and Goliath, Waver's breath coming in gasps as he finally unleashed some of his pent up frustrations at his Servant, even as his common sense screamed at him to stop pointing at the King like he were a puppy that soiled the carpet.
"I see…" Rider murmured, and for a moment Waver swore he saw a glimmer of respect in the King's eyes as he crossed his arms over his massive chest "Very well. So you agree to buy me pants if I defeat Caster, do you?"
"It…doesn't have to be Caster…" Waver stammered, stunned that he hadn't been flicked for his arrogance, and more than a little intimidated by the intensity in Rider' eyes "Do you really want to walk around that much?"
"The King of Knights was doing it, wasn't she?" Rider pointed out, recalling the black suit the proud woman had worn prior to engaging Lancer with mild disapproval, for while it undoubtedly suited her, it looked far too restrictive for his tastes "As a fellow King, I cannot allow myself to be left behind." He grinned "That, and I like the design of this shirt." He admitted, thumbing at the design on the front "It's a fitting shirt for a ruler!"
"Honestly…" Waver sighed, shaking his head in exasperation as he imagined the countless historians that were no doubt rolling in their graves as his Servant once again destroyed the long-standing image that had been created around his legend "We really don't have time for this you know. The other Masters are probably already tracking Caster down, Tohsaka and Emiya especially."
As second owner of Fuyuki, Tohsaka Tokiomi's authority was second to none at least so far as the Association and the Church were concerned. While Waver didn't know how much the man's authority went on the mundane side of things, it stood to reason that the Tohsaka head would take great offense to a serial killer running around in his territory, even more so given that said killer had been revealed as the Master of Caster.
In fact, it was highly likely that Tohsaka would hunt the pair down out of sheer principle more than anything else. While Waver wasn't certain the same could be said for Emiya Kiritsugu, as aside from his reputation and hearsay spread by the Enforcers, almost nobody knew anything about the man.
Still, there was no doubt that the Magus Killer would be out on the hunt as well, the prize of a spare Command Seal no doubt an olive branch in the face of being forced to use TWO in the course of a single night, an act that had placed him in the weakest position of all the remaining Masters.
By contrast, having not only retained all three Command Seals, but managed to keep the location of their base and their Servants' Noble Phantasms (for the most part) a secret, Waver, Tohsaka and the Masters of Berserker and Caster were statistically speaking the strongest Masters in the Grail War.
However, as much as Waver would love to bask in the knowledge that he outranked Kayneth once again, the fact was that, pride aside, he knew he was probably only in third place because Caster's Master was a serial killer chosen at random by the grail, and not a proper magus.
He held no delusions as to where he stacked against Tohsaka Tokiomi, a man who was considered something of a prodigy, and who was also on good terms with the church. And while he didn't know much about the Matou participant, as a representative of the Founding Families, they weren't to be underestimated.
It didn't hurt that the pair's servants shared the troublesome capability to conceal their stats from the enemy either.
'To think that two servants with similar abilities would be summoned…' he muttered, biting his thumb as he recalled trying to deduce the Knights' parameters, only to be rebuffed both times 'Berserker would've been bad enough, but at least he's a mindless animal, Archer on the other hand…'
While Berserker was clearly the more intimidating of the pair, it didn't take a genius to determine that Archer was clearly the greater threat. Not only had the Servant deflected Lancer's spear, which could cut through Saber's Magic Armour, he apparently possessed Mystic Eyes of such strength that not even the Legendary Magic Resistance of the Saber Class, which had allowed the King of Knights to ignore Diarmuid's Mystic Face, had been enough to fight off the effects.
'Just who the hell is he?' he wondered, brows furrowing as he tried to make sense of the enigma that was the more civil Black Knight even as he led Rider back upstairs 'A shield of light that can block a magic-cancelling spear, and Mystic Eyes that surpass A-Rank Magic Resistance…if I didn't know any better I'd swear he was a Caster rather than an Archer."
Meanwhile, at Casa-del-Kayneth...
"Well?" Sola demanded, the redhead quirking a brow as Kayneth severed his connection with his familiar, arms crossed beneath her breasts as she stood over her fiance "What did the overseer have to say?"
"The fight for the Grail has been temporarily suspended." Kayneth muttered, his features calm and composed even as Lancer's head perked up in surprise at the declaration "Caster has been designated a priority target, the prize for exterminating him is a new Command Seal."
"Well that's good, isn't it?" Sola mused, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes "You have the chance to both correct your mistake and eliminate a Servant in the process."
"Indeed…" Kayneth muttered, not missing the not-so-subtle mockery in his fiancee's tone, a scowl adorning his features as he regarded their new abode, an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city, a far cry from the luxurious Hotel Suite he'd gone to the trouble of fortifying for the duration of their stay in this backwater country, a fact Sola was more than willing to point out at every opportunity.
'Damn the Einzberns!' he snarled, fist clenching as he recalled the explosion that had reduced all his preparations to a pile of smoking rubble 'Just how far are they willing to sink? Bad enough they appoint a Homunculus as their representative, but I never would have dreamed they'd fallen so low as to resort to mundane weaponry!'
It went against everything that Kayneth, that any respectable Magus, stood for. Battles between Magi were supposed to be honourable duels where one put their pride and skills on the line to prove the superiority of their bloodline. For the Einzberns to not only ignore this, but to resort to mundane explosives to bypass his carefully constructed defences, spoke highly of just how far the once noble line had fallen.
'Then again, I suppose it should only be expected, given how unsuited their Magecraft is to the battlefield.' He mused, his temper abating, though not vanishing entirely, as he rose from his makeshift chair, little more than a collection of rubble he'd reconstructed really, his expression grim as he stepped past his fiancée with a nod "Come, Lancer." He ordered, as if commanding a dog "Let us put an end to this farce."
"Try not to lose your composure this time, Kayneth." Sola warned, arms crossed beneath her breasts as she leveled a coy smile at her fiance "I may be the one providing Prana to Lancer, but it won't do us any good if you keep using your Command Seals as you please."
"Had Lancer not played around with Saber I wouldn't have had to use one in the first place." Kayneth countered, glaring pointedly at his Servant, the Knight of Fianna bowing his head in acknowledgement of his shame, both of them missing the looks of anger and concern Sola sent their way "I trust there will be no such problems this time?"
"There will not, My Lord." Lancer vowed, bringing one hand over his heart as he knelt before his Master reverently "In the name of the Holy Grail I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, do solemnly swear to bring you Victory." He held up Gae Buidhe "Tonight, Caster shall fall to my Spears."
"See that you don't forget it." Kayneth muttered, his expression unmoved by the Knight's vows, instead turning his attention to Sola, mistaking the troubled look on her face for concern "Rest easy, Sola. While not as complex as the one from the hotel, the Bounded Field over this place shall prevent anyone from approaching, or indeed sensing your presence."
"I am more than capable of taking care of myself, Kayneth." Sola replied, her tone decidedly chilly as she leveled a glare at him that could've frozen Mercury, Kayneth wisely deciding to keep his mouth shut for once, choosing instead to scoop up the vase containing his Mystic Code and step out into the night air with decidedly more urgency than decorum would permit.
"Be careful, Lancer." The redhead called out, her features softening as the Knight rose to follow, Diarmuid pausing only to offer her a respectful bow before reverting to Astral form and following his Master out into the night, leaving Sola alone, the redhead shivering as she moved deeper into the derelict ruins to avoid the chill.
"Poor Diarmuid." a calm voice opined, Sola's eyes widening as she whipped round to find the ruined chamber empty of any other people "He really does have the worst luck with Masters, doesn't he?"
"Who's there?" Sola demanded, her expression cold even as she braced herself, her arms coming up as she gathered prana into her fingertips "If you think you can take me hostage you've got another thing coming!"
"Hostage?" the voice repeated, Sola's eyes narrowing as a Masked figure stepped out of the shadows, the cloak adorning his slim frame reminding her of folded bat wings "Rest assured, Sola-Ui Sophia-Re, that neither I, nor my Master, have any such designs on your person."
"Archer…" Sola grimaced, a shiver of apprehension racing up her spine as she eyed the enigmatic Knight of the Bow warily, wondering how long he'd been standing there, and more importantly, how he'd managed to slip past Lancer's senses "What are you doing here?"
"Direct and to the point, admirable qualities in a woman. Lord El-Melloi is a lucky man indeed." The Servant mused, his tone laced with approval in the face of Sola's scowl "To answer your question, I have come at the behest of my Master to propose an alliance."
"Tohsaka Tokiomi seeks an alliance?" Sola wondered, quirking a brow at the revelation, though she didn't lower her guard for a second "What brought this on? Did the loss of his home shake him up that much?"
"Not at all." Archer countered "While his former apprentice's betrayal came as a surprise, my Master has enough safe-guards in place to ensure he didn't lose anything that couldn't be easily replaced." He shook his head "No, I'm afraid it is a more recent development that has forced him to tip his hand."
"Such as?" Sola inquired, her apprehension giving away to intrigue as it appeared the Masked Servant truly did not intend any ill-will on her person. Still, she made ready to activate the alarm that would alert Kayneth of her distress, knowing he would sent Lancer ahead to rescue her.
"Prior to the war, we discovered that the Einzberns had employed the services of Emiya Kiritsugu, the Magus Killer." Archer revealed, Sola's eyes widening in alarm "I see you've heard of him. Knowing this, I'm sure you can ascertain the identity of the culprit behind the bombing of your Hotel."
"I had heard of him before…" Sola admitted, her father having denounced the man as a heretic on numerous occasions, while her elder brother had often praised him for his effectiveness "I had heard he retired however."
"Apparently he married into the Einzbern family, and was permitted to act as their representative for the Grail War as Saber's Master." Archer revealed, Sola's blood chilling at the revelation "I'm sure I don't need to explain just how desperate the Einzbern must be getting if they are willing to resort to such methods."
"You mentioned an alliance?" Sola recalled, her expression betraying none of her alarm as she regarded the Masked Servant warily "You wish to team up with Lancer to defeat Saber? Diarmuid would never accept such tactics."
"Your concern for Diarmuid's honor speaks volumes of your character." Archer applauded, Sola unable to help the blush that adorned her cheeks "However, rest assured, I do not intend to interfere with his duel. Indeed, our plan would see to it that no harm comes to Diarmuid at all."
"Really?" Sola exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock, the effect of Diarmuid's love-spot overriding her natural wariness as a Magus in the face of such a plan "What does it entail."
"Well, initially, it involved convincing Lord El-Melloi to avoid engaging the other Masters until Saber was eliminated." Archer admitted, Sola blinking at the Servant in surprise even as a small slit appeared in the formerly smooth mask, revealing a scarlet eye with a winged glyph over the pupil "However, considering what I just overheard, I believe having you obey me would be wiser."
Well, you can't say I didn't deliver.
And with this, Zero has effectively put Kayneth in 'Check'. Hopefully that more than makes up for this chapter being light on the action once more.
Won't bother with Master Statistics since there's literally been no change, save Kayneth unknowingly dropping to last with this last move.
Here's to you all!