Disclaimer: Don't own anything Type-Moon related.
A/N: Yay, new chapter up. Second night of War begins in earnest. Come and see what's in store. And might I just say that I'm surprised how many of you thought I killed Kirei. I wouldn't have him keep Caren around and give Assassin ACTUAL character development for nothing! Enjoy.
Fears In Front
Kiritsugu's eyes were set on Kirei even as his gunshot echoed throughout the forest. The man he feared most was standing meters away from him, so close and so far at the same time. Just seeing the man appear in front of him made him panic, and he had fired blindly. It was more of a reactive shot to the man's presence, not actually expecting the priest to show up in person so suddenly. From a distance he stared at the man who he considered the most dangerous participant in the War. Kiritsugu took deep breaths, lowering his glock and raising his Thompson Contender with his other hand. Within seconds he was calm again.
He would not miss a second time.
Kirei swallowed the questions that had been about to burst forth from his lips. He had let his excitement get the better of him. He had been careless, approaching the man known as the Magus Killer like that and calling out to him no less! He had barely been able to avoid the bullet that has grazed his cheek, the priest's fingers coming away with a bit of blood on them when he gingerly touched the wound. His expression remained unchanged as he noticed Kiritsugu raise another gun.
Kirei reacted immediately. His desire for answers, answers the man in front of him could provide, pushed his body to move faster than it ever had before. Within seconds the priest was in front of the Magus Killer, much to Kiritsugu's shock.
"He's fast!" Kiritsugu realized, shocked that the man had been able to cover the distance between them so quickly.
The man jumped to the side, narrowing avoiding the fist that Kirei had driven forward. Not even a second after avoiding the blow, Kiritsugu crouched and jumped backwards, avoiding the leg that had sliced through the space in front of him like a sword. He brought up his Thompson Contender again, raising his glock and firing with it in an attempt to ward off the priest so he could get a better mark for his Mystic Code. But Kirei followed through with his attack, still moving at a speed that was staggering for a normal man. The priest hurled two Black Keys towards the Magus Killer, both swords cutting through the air on either side of Kiritsugu forcing him to fold his stance while at the same time keeping him boxed in. Kirei charged, following the straight path that had been outlined by the two Keys and brought his fist forward again. At his speed and with Kiritsugu having nowhere to move, he could not miss.
"Time Alter…"
However, this time was an exception. Kirei would miss.
"Double Accel!"
As the aria echoed within his mind, Kiritsugu flipped the switch of his Innate Time Control. A Bounded Field was created within his body, allowing him the time inside his body and enabling him to dodge Kirei's attack. At normal speed, it was unavoidable, but when moving at double his normal speed…
Kiritsugu swerved to the side and crouched low, avoiding Kirei's fist and squeezing through the gap between the priest and the Black Key spinning through the air on his right side. After escaping the narrow space, Kiritsugu raised his arm again, aiming his Thompson Contender towards the back of the priest's head. At the same time, he deactivated his Innate Time Control.
It was a trump card Kiritsugu could use in combat to make victory more possible, but the burden the ability placed on his body as the World caught up with his time adjustment. His nerves were screaming and it felt like his flesh was being torn but Kiritsugu ignored it as he raised his gun. Though risky, his ability had gifted him with a window to victory. He would take the dive and Kirei's life in one shot.
That window closed as soon as Kiritsugu thought it was open.
Kiritsugu's eyes widened as a blur moved across his eyes followed by intense pain from the hand that held his Contender. The Magus Killer turned his head just in time to see his gun, his strongest weapon, shoot off into the dark forest like it had been fired from a barrel of a gun itself. Kirei's leg touched down on the grass with a soft thump, his kick having neutralized the threat and successfully disarmed his opponent. Again, Kirei brought his fist forward.
In that moment Kiritsugu felt terror penetrate his body. To think someone could move like this, move at a speed that was just as fast if not faster than he had been moving at double speed, shocked him. It scared him to believe that Kirei was capable of such a feat, moving at impossible speeds as easily as he drew breath. Their encounter had lasted about as long as it took for him to fire a gun, and their battle had lasted barely a minute more. Their short confrontation only stretched beyond a minute, and he was forced to use his Innate Time Control and he had lost his Contender.
Emiya Kiritsugu never felt more justified in his fears of the man known as Kotomine Kirei.
Kiritsugu turned his head back towards Kirei, eyes wide, trying to bring his glock up in an attempt to defend himself. He couldn't use the Innate Time Control, as using it again so soon before giving his body time to recover would kill him faster then even Kirei's attack would. But there was nowhere near enough time to bring his gun up. Kirei was moving to fast. Kiritsugu only had enough time for a sharp intake of breath as he braced himself for the approaching blow that would cave in his chest…!
...But just as impossible as the speed with which Kirei moved, the man's fist moved in a wildly different direction and smashed into Kiritsugu's left shoulder instead of his chest. For a brief half-second, Kiritsugu felt intense relief and incredibility that the killing blow had missed before pain overwhelmed him. He cried out in pain as the agony of his shoulder bone shattered boiled his senses. Coupled with the blow, the force of the strike sent Kiritsugu flying across the ground, smashing him into a tree. He tried to steady himself but the pain slammed down on him like a hammer, forcing him to the ground. Kiritsugu drew harsh breathes as he laid against the tree, watching as Kirei slowly approached him. Would the next strike be the finishing blow?
Kiritsugu's confusion was equal to his fear when Kirei stopped a few feet in front of him, peering down at the man with an unreadable expression. What was he waiting for…?
"Emiya Kiritsugu."
Kiritsugu glanced up at the priest when the man uttered his name for the second time. The stares of the two men locked together. Kiritsugu stared up at the priest, expression pained but impassive, attempting to mask his fear of the man before him. Kirei stared down at the man he had wished to meet, his ever present stoic visage hiding his elation and excitement.
Both men were unaware of what the other thought. Under normal circumstances, these two men would have never met. Only by taking part in the Holy Grail War did these two become aware of each others existence. Only in the Grail War did Kiritsugu realize his fear of Kotomine Kirei and only in the Grail War did Kirei realize his obsession with Emiya Kiritsugu. When they met, their destiny was to fight.
But what about after?
Kiritsugu watched Kirei silently, waiting for the man to speak. He had long since come to the conclusion that Kirei did not mean to kill him. If it was his intention, then he would already be dead. That fist should have buried itself in his chest, not his shoulder. It had been a deliberate miss, Kiritsugu realized, and that Kirei never attacked him with the intent to kill. Only to incapacitate him. To keep him from moving or attacking. But that was when the Magus Killer's confusion surpassed his fear.
Why? What reason did Kotomine Kirei have to not kill him?
The two men continued to stare at each other, waiting for… something. Anything. An eternity seemed to pass before Kiritsugu slowly moved his lips. Sweat dripping down his brow and with his shoulder throbbing in pain, Kiritsugu spoke to Kirei.
"Kotomine… Kirei."
The Magus Killer repeated the name he had responded to before the first shot had been fired. An odd expression crossed over Kirei's face at having finally been acknowledged by the man who had been silent up until now.
The two rivals began speaking with each other.
"The Magus Killer, a machine known as Emiya Kiritsugu," Kirei told the man who stared up at him, "Earned such a title from the Mage's Association years ago after killing several heretic magi. Even before your acknowledgement from the Association you had been on countless missions, walking through the midst of war zones, throwing yourself into the center of conflict, yet you completed each mission and came back alive. Even if you had reached a normal man's breaking point, you continued to consecutively take on jobs and missions, fulfilling your objectives before pulling out of the area and following through with you next mission. Your actions almost seemed suicidal, like you were seeking your own destruction through your deeds."
It was at this point, Kirei turned his back on the Magus Killer. A stupid, foolish thing to do. Exposing your back to Emiya Kiritsugu, even if he was injured, was inviting death. But Kirei felt no fear. He was too excited to feel fear, plus he didn't want the Magus Killer to see him smiling. And Kiritsugu would not attack him. His surprise had overwhelmed rational thought. He had no plan to launch any sort of counterattack. He was shocked that the priest had seemingly read up on him just like he had read up on Kirei. It seemed outrageous that the two of them had mutual interest in the actions of the other.
"No man would risk himself like that without purpose. When I read about you, how you lived your life, I saw you as a man on a journey. You were trying to find something, were you not?" Kirei asked. Kiritsugu frowned at his tone, which sounded a bit desperate. "For years you lived in the midst of chaos and strife, yet nine years ago it all ended. Just like that you abandoned the life you lived to join the Einzberns. Whatever you sought… did you find it? And if so, what was it?"
Kirei's fists clenched at his sides, anticipation getting the better of him. He turned his head a fraction.
"Tell me, Emiya Kiritsugu… what did you find nine years ago that made you stop?"
Archer had been surprised when Kirei, a Master who assumedly had lost his Servant, appeared before Kiritsugu like he had. Looks like Kiritsugu wasn't the only one who might've been a bit obsessed. The moment Kiritsugu had fired his gun, his bow had come out. The second Kirei flew forward to assault his Master he had already notched a sword arrow to his bow and aimed at the priest's head. Kirei would've been dead long before he had even reached Kiritsugu if Archer had fired.
Archer jumped back to avoid the Darks that peppered where he once stood as Kiritsugu and his own suspicions were confirmed. Several white masks floated and flickered between the trees, cloaked by the darkness of the night and the shade of the forest.
"Assassin," Archer smirked as his bow and arrow disappeared. "So you weren't dead after all. And there's more than one of you two…"
A Noble Phantasm was the only explanation for how there could be more than one Assassin. The question was whether or not what he was seeing was an illusion or not…
Archer ducked to avoid the dagger that Assassin had tried to bury in his neck and pivoted to avoid the body that attempted to sweep out his legs. He projected Bakuya in his right hand, the white sword illuminating through the darkness as it cut through the torso of the first Assassin. Kanshou, the black sword projected into his left hand blended into the surrounding darkness and sank into the back of the second Assassin. Both of facets of the Servant gave short cries of surprise and pain before dropping dead on the ground. Archer smirked and crossed his favored weapons in front of him like a shield, scanning the forest for more white masks.
"Are you really Archer?" The question seemed to come from several throats. "What kind of bowman uses swords in combat?"
"I don't know. Why are there so many of you when there should be only one Assassin summoned?" Archer returned, confirming that all the Assassins were solid and not illusions after killing two bearers of the chalky white mask.
"We are the Servant of the shadows. Where these are shadows, there are Assassins." The voices echoed from all around him. "We are all Assassin. We-"
"Love to hear yourselves talk." Archer interrupted, plunging Kanshou into an Assassin that appeared before him and moving back to avoid the Darks that were thrown like bullets in his direction. "Keep talking. Talking targets are always easier to find."
And the white masks were targets he could hit. The darkness meant nothing to Archer, whose keen eyesight along with Reinforcement cut through the shadows of the forest like a sword. Still, he couldn't bother with them for too long. While he was sure Kiritsugu wouldn't have too much trouble with one priest, he really hated not being able to keep an eye on the man. Kirei was an Executor once, and from what else Archer had read on what Kiritsugu researched about him it would be a bad idea to underestimate the man.
Archer tried to step through the trees but several white masks obscured his view. He narrowed his eyes while the masks seemed to smile.
"You will not interrupt them. Our Master has taken an interest in the man known as Emiya Kiritsugu and has a few questions to ask him. You will not interfere until they are answered."
"For Assassins, you guys sure have loose lips." Archer smirked. He raised his broadswords. "You won't stop me."
"We will stall you. That is all that is needed."
The masks flickered as several dark blurs were flung in his direction. Archer swung his blades forward and cut through the darkness, hunting for each Servant of the shadows until none were left to bar his path.
Waver stared up at the ceiling of his room from where he was lying on the bed. It was how he had spent the majority of his day in spite of Lancer's complaints. After witnessing last night's battle and having that discussion with Rider and Lancer a restless slumber had followed, as Waver hadn't been able to stop reflecting on that conversation to get a decent rest. Sure, he and Lancer had talked about the Servants they had seen that night at the warehouses, but Waver found that he felt too lethargic to do anything else for the rest of the day. It was so unlike him, but every time he tried to motivate himself to seek out another Master and Servant or do some research, his musings brought on by Lancer and Rider's words pushed all other thoughts from his mind.
"Is gaining respect from others really something you are willing to die for?"
Waver's face screwed up and he trashed around on the bed in both frustration and anxiety when his Servant's words echoed in his mind. After his small fit, he went right back to how he was before, lying silently in the bed only with his face pressed against his pillow this time. It was frustrated that Lancer's words bothered him so much, and his conflicting thoughts on the subject were even more infuriating.
What did he plan to do with the Grail if he acquired it?
Rider's question was also bothering him almost as much as Lancer's question was. It shouldn't have. It was a simple, obvious question and the answer should have been able to be easily given. Yet, Waver found that when he asked himself that same question he couldn't answer it. That panicked him. He was sure he had an answer to that question, that he wanted the Grail for a specific purpose. That he had a wish, a reason to want it, and when he thought even for a moment that he wanted to the Grail so he could use a wish to gain respect from the others at the Mage's Association…
He was overcome with the ridiculousness of such a desire and how stupid a wish like that sounded.
Seriously, how was a Grail even supposed to grant a wish like that? Suppose that was his wish was exactly that, would the Grail warp and twist his fellow students and teaching instructors' minds and make them all respect him? That would be ridiculous. It was certainly a miracle of sorts, but who would be petty enough to truly wish for something like that.
But hadn't that been his reason for joining the Holy Grail War in the first place?
Waver shivered as he thought of the Servants again and the powers each of them had demonstrated yesterday. Saber with his noble air and radiant strength, Rider with his boisterous confidence, Lancer's ability to stay calm no matter the situation, and his staggering durability, plus Archer's mysterious but powerful abilities and Berserker's blunt, overwhelming power. And he had gotten himself caught in the middle of it all by summoning Lancer and choosing to take part in the War. What did the other Masters think? Had they known about how powerful the clashes between the Servants would be? Did they realize that partaking in such a War would get them killed? Did any of them have wishes they were willing to die for?
Waver had to convince himself that there was at least one other Master like him participating. He had to think that someone was just as confused and lost as he was. Someone who had forgotten why they had taken part in the Holy Grail War…
The boy sat up and took deep calming breaths. He'd be fine. Once he remembered why he had entered the War and summoned Lancer, Waver was confident that all these confusing, troubling questions that he found himself faced with would be answered.
Even though the answer was right in front of him, the boy denied it. Even if he recalled his reason, he would immediately try to forget it. He was just that immature. In spite of everything, he was still desperately trying to ignore the magnitude of the War. He wanted to ignore the questions that would be answered regardless if he really wanted them to be answered or not.
All he could do was wait and deny. But he couldn't do it forever. Eventually, he would realize that.
Waver forcefully pushed his thoughts and troubles to the back of his mind. Heaving a sigh, the young magus hoisted himself out of bed and glanced around the room. He frowned when he didn't see his Servant.
"Lancer?" Wavered called out, wondering if the Servant was in spirit form.
Nervousness crept into him when he didn't receive any reply. Had his Servant gone out on its own? No, Waver had specifically told Lancer that it wasn't allowed out of the house unless it was in spirit form and Waver was with it. Of course, none of his orders had been followed thus far, and Waver felt his anxiety increase when he realized Lancer probably wouldn't have paid his orders much attention when he had stayed inside all day. His Servant was curious, and it had a love for nature and might've seen Waver's inactivity as an opportunity to do what it wanted…
Waver jumped out of bed and shot out the door. As he rushed down the stairs, his Servant's name burst forth from his lips as his panic increased.
"Lancer!"
"Ah, so you're finally up!"
Waver paused when he heard Lancer's cheerful voice immediately answer him. Waver felt exasperation replace his fear as he caught sight of his Servant. He was too high strung. Seriously, getting worried like that. This War was making his nerves-
Waver paused on the stairs and did a double take. He blinked and stared at Lancer.
...Where had it gotten those clothes?
"My, my, Enkidu-chan!" Martha gushed as Lancer twirled around in its new clothes. "You look so cute! I was afraid my old clothes wouldn't fit, but they suit you quite well!"
"It's fine. I like clothes that are a little loose." Lancer replied.
Waver continued to stare. It was wearing rather simple clothes, a loose tan shirt that fell just below the Servant's waistline. The knee socks and shorts were an odd combination to go with it in Waver's opinion… but the boy was shocked that he STILL couldn't figure out if Lancer was a boy or a girl while it was wearing those clothes!
"It's a shame your luggage got stolen after you had left the airport." Glen said sympathetically. "Still, you don't have to wear my wife's clothes if they make you uncomfortable, Enkidu-kun. They aren't really suited for a boy…"
"Dear, what are you saying? Enkidu-chan is obviously a girl." Martha laughed. "No boy would grow their hair that long."
"I know a boy when I see one and he's got a boyish face." Glen argued good naturedly. "Though your old clothes are strangely fitting…"
"They are fitting because she's a girl." Martha emphasized. "And a boyish face? Don't be rude! Enkidu-chan, you have a very pretty face."
"Thank you." Enkidu smiled.
"Enkidu-kun, you don't need to humor my wife this much. Just tell her you're a boy and you can get out of those clothes."
"Enkidu-chan, please tell my husband that you are a girl. He'll stop with the jokes that way."
Lancer stared at the elderly couple for a few moments before tilting its head cutely and shrugging its shoulders.
"Glen-san says I'm a boy, but Martha-san says I'm a girl. I wonder which I am then~?"
Waver grimaced when the Mackenzies began laughing at what they thought was a joke. That had been one productive thing he had gotten done today, he remembered. He had modified the hypnotizing spell that made the Mackenzies believe he was their grandson in order to include Lancer's presence so the Servant wouldn't have to stay in spirit form all the time. It was a quick addition to his hypnotization spell to accommodate Lancer that seemed to have worked a little too well. Both Glen and Martha thought nothing of his "foreign" friend or about the fact that Lancer was staying here too.
"Hey, you in there?"
Waver frowned and swatted away Lancer's hand when he noticed it had been trying to get his attention. The Servant stepped back and beamed at him, gesturing to itself with its arms spread out.
"Can you tell which I am?"
"D-Don't turn it into a guessing game!" Waver snapped, ignoring the feeling of his cheeks heating up. "Just tell them!"
"But that wouldn't be any fun…"
Lancer seemed to pause for a moment as if it had just remembered something important. They way its expression changed from carefree to curious made Waver arch an eyebrow. The boy opened his mouth to ask if something was bothering the Servant, but was stopped when Lancer suddenly grabbed him and headed for the door.
"Wha…?! Lan- Enkidu, what are you doing?" Waver demanded.
"Excuse me for this, Glen-san and Martha-san." Lancer turned back to smile at the mildly bewildered couple. "Waver and I will be stepping out for a bit."
"This late at night? What for?" Martha inquired with a concerned frown.
"Just some personal business. You don't need to worry." Lancer smiled. It gestured to its Master, who was struggling to get out of the Servant's grip.
"Well… I won't stop you since it sounds urgent but please be careful." Martha cautioned the two of them. "There have been disturbing reports on the news lately about kidnappings and some explosions near the pier…"
"We'll be fine." Enkidu assured her. "See you when we get back."
Lancer shut the door and headed into the streets, dragging its Master with it as it walked. Waver eventually managed to wrench his arm away from Lancer and fixed his Servant with a frustrated glare.
"What was that? Why did you drag me out here? What "business" were you talking about?" Waver demanded.
"A Servant is close by." Lancer informed him calmly, making Waver's eyes widen in alarm. "It would be best if Glen-san and Martha-san didn't get involved, wouldn't you agree?"
Waver nodded dumbly as his Servant beckoned him to follow, the thought of arguing never once crossing his mind. Instead he began to panic as he thought back to last night once again, remembering Lancer's confrontation with Saber and the battle with Berserker that had followed. Would it be a rematch between one of the two? Or would it be Archer? Perhaps Caster, the Servant who had not shown itself yet.
"Scared?"
Waver stiffened and glanced up at his Servant. The boy blinked when he noticed the mocking smirk on Lancer's face.
"My Master can't be this pathetic, can he?"
That comment awakened Waver's magus pride, overwhelming his fears and making the fumes of his anger cloud his troubling thoughts. The young magus might've thanked his Servant for helping him forget his worries if he hadn't just been insulted.
"Idiot! It's not that, I'm just tense is all!" Waver snapped, glaring at Lancer.
The Servant merely smiled that serene smile it had on its face most of the time. "The thrill of battle is completely lost to you, isn't it Master?"
"Eh…?" Waver was perplexed by the sudden shift in conversation. "What are you talking about…?"
"The greatest treasures of all are found in battle." Lancer told him. "Only in conflict can one find true value, whether it be about yourself or another. Aren't you happy to know that now? Do you not feel comforted by my words and look forward to the coming battle?"
"What's there to look forward to, idiot…" Waver grumbled, fed up with Lancer's nonsense. "Telling me something like that isn't going to make me feel better at all."
Lancer frowned at its Master, looking annoyed somewhat before shrugging carelessly. Perhaps in witnessing another battle, or taking part in one himself, would make its Master see the wisdom in its words. It was the greatest lesson Enkidu could give, after all.
Ignoring his Servant's words for the moment, Waver took a deep breath to calm himself down. It was stupid of him to get so worked up when their opponent hadn't even shown up yet. While it was troublesome that Waver didn't know who they would be fighting or what skills they might-
...Wait.
"Lancer, can you tell which Servant is approaching us?" Waver asked, remembering how his Servant had detected Saber and Archer the night prior. He had almost forgotten that his Servant had some sort of Presence Detection skill. It could be the only explanation for how it was able to keep track of Servants so well, or had known that there had been one approaching when there wasn't any seemingly nearby.
"Yes. It is a Servant we've met already." Lancer replied. "Though he has someone with him who we haven't met face to face."
A Servant they knew, but with someone who they hadn't seen? Waver could only assume it was the Master. That ruled out Archer and Caster since the former's Master they had seen and the latter was a Servant that hadn't shown itself yet. Assassin was out of the War, so that just left Saber, Berserker or Rider.
Waver honestly would have preferred it if Archer or Caster had been the ones homing in on them. The three Servants were potentially the most powerful in the War and Waver wasn't looking forward to fighting any of them. Though despite being an oaf, Rider had been kind of polite…
"This should be far enough."
Waver blinked when he realized they were suddenly in the forest again. When had they gotten here? Exactly how long had they been walking?
"Why here?" Waver found himself asking. "And what Servant is-"
A crack of thunder interrupted Waver and the night sky seem to light up and shine down upon him and his Servant. The boy cast his eyes upwards and recognized the chariot, pulling by two large bulls, wheeling down towards them. It cut through the canopy of trees and touched down a few meters away from Waver and Lancer. The lightning produced by the Noble Phantasm slowly puttered out as the chariot came to a halt. From upon the chariot, a familiar face smiled down on Waver and Lancer and waved a hand in greeting.
"Lancer! Waver! It's good to see you both!" Rider bellowed with a large grin.
"King of Conquerors," Lancer returned the man's greeting with a matching smile. "We did not expect to see you again so soon."
Despite himself, Waver was actually glad the Servant had been Rider instead of any of the others. Even so, like he had constantly tried to point out to the king the night before, they were still enemies. Tension wormed its way into Waver's body once again when he thought about that. Though perhaps Rider just wanted to talk like they had before?
Rider chuckled, as if something greatly amused him. "Ah, the world is large but can seem quite small at times like these! Waver!"
"Y-Yes!" The boy answered automatically when the Servant addressed him like it was a reflex.
"It seems like you and my Master are acquaintances. I had no idea!" Rider grinned as he stepped down from his chariot.
The King of Conquerors continued to speak, but Waver didn't hear him. The moment the large man had stepped off his chariot, another individual who had been hidden by the Servant's bulk was revealed. Waver felt ice pool in the pit of his stomach and his tension increase to paranoia when the familiar figure gazed at him with a look of steel.
An amused smirk made its way onto the face of Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi as he stepped down from Rider's chariot.
"Well, isn't this a surprise…" Kayneth drawled, speaking loudly enough to cut through Rider's speech as he stepped forward. "When Rider gave me the name of Lancer's Master I hadn't believed it at first, yet here you are… Waver Velvet…"
Waver shook as his professor, the one who had disrespected and mocked him, gazed at him.
He… he was Rider's Master…!
"To think you came all the way out here and joined the War. The Grail actually chose you for the Heaven's Feel?" Kayneth paused, giving a low chuckle before continuing. "I'm shocked and impressed. Shocked that the Grail would allow a child to become a Master and impressed that your foolishness led you so far."
Lancer glanced between its Master and the tall man speaking to him. So these two knew each other? It assumed that their relationship was not cordial given Waver's reaction. The boy was shaking so badly…
Waver stood shakily in place as Kayneth's gaze seemed to hold him in place and keep him from moving. He had known Kayneth would be in the War. It was the association that drove Waver to research the Holy Grail War and join it himself. He wouldn't have summoned Lancer if it hadn't been for Kayneth ripping up his essay and mocking him that day, inspiring Waver to take part in the War. It was a way to get back at the man for making fun of him, right? Hadn't that been part of the reason? To prove to the man he hated that he could fight in the same War he was entering with his own talents?
But why did he not prepare for this. As Waver gazed at the lecturer, he wondered why the thought of fighting his teacher had never once crossed his mind until now.
Wasn't this a good thing though? Should he not rejoice at the chance to finally confront this man who had the gall to mock him? Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to show the man that he was wrong? Wasn't it the time for Waver Velvet to show his pride and prove that he, a mage of a lesser family, could surpass Kayneth, a man with a higher pedigree, just as he outlined in his essay?
If he wasn't so scared, Waver might've found it within himself to laugh at how incredibly stupid that thought was.
"Well, I suppose this is my fault," Kayneth sighed, looking at Waver in mocking pity. "It is my failure as your teacher for not helping you realize your limits. I tried to help you recognize your foolishness, but it appears I underestimated how much of a problem child you really are."
Each insult and insinuation only added to Waver's humiliation. Waver was ashamed that he began to believe what his teacher was saying. He had gotten in over his head. What was he thinking? No matter how talented he thought he was, Waver Velvet could not defeat his teacher.
"Clearly words alone will not be enough. This will be the harshest lecture I've ever given, but I believe it is the only way I can get past that thick skull of yours and teach you a valuable lesson." Kayneth said as he slowly removed his gloves.
Waver couldn't even retort. He watched Kayneth raise his hand. He could feel the wind pick up as Kayneth gathered energy in his magic circuits in preparation for a spell.
"It's a shame it had to come to this, Waver, but understand that nothing else can be done about it. Allow me to teach you how Masters and Servant truly do battle." Kayneth smirked. "I will let you experience defeat, and will demonstrate the pain and terror that follows. As you are a Master in this War… nothing else will suffice."
Demonstrating one of his two natural affinities, Kayneth released the energy he had gathered in a gust of wind. Waver covered his face with his arms as the blast of wind headed towards him. He felt his clothes billow from the harsh gust before the wind suddenly disappeared. Surprised at the thought of his teacher missing, Waver peeked out to see a back sheeted by long teal hair standing in front of him.
Lancer stood in front of its Master, its face impassive as it took the wind spell without flinching. The Servant had seemingly changed back to its white tunic and pants at some point. Kayneth gave an amused snort.
"Are you so pathetic that you would have your Servant protect you against such a weak spell? It was only enough to knock you over at most." Kayneth chuckled. "Yet, you cannot even-"
"Silence yourself, mongrel, unless should you want I to remove your head from your shoulders."
Kayneth and Waver's eyes widened at the powerful command that came from none other than Lancer. The strength and firmness that resonated in the Servant's voice actually made Waver stop shaking, and caused Kayneth to take an involuntary step back. From the way Lancer stood, the way it held itself, spoke of power. It seemed at though the Servant stood taller than even the King of Conquerors in that moment. Waver could only stare at his Servant's back while Kayneth managed to keep himself from shuddering at the expression of loathing and disgust Lancer directed at him.
"Hmph. Such pathetic words, wasting our time and making us listen to nonsense that spews forth from your mouth like refuse. And you call yourself a teacher? What an insult to those possessing true wisdom. Ripping out your tongue to prevent such claims and utterances is not punishment enough for you, dog." Lancer went on, looking at Kayneth as though he were an insect. The man just gaped at the Servant insulted him. "Hm? What's wrong? What good is a dog that cannot even bark? Were you not doing so moments before? Speak, mongrel!"
It was like Lancer had become someone different, like the words were not its own. Waver was shocked by the dominating aura that surrounded his Servant.
"…Nothing to say? Hmph. Well, I suppose you have offered me some enlightenment. After all, while I am not entirely satisfied with my current Master, he is much better than you, who seems to derive enjoyment from talking down to children. I'm not surprised to see you worth so little." Lancer said. "Open your ears, dog, and listen. I shall give the fake teacher a true lesson! My Master is incompetent, but he has far more worth than someone who can only talk. Where were you on the first night? Hiding in your kennel like the dog you are? Though inexperienced, at least my Master had the courage to behold the clash that took place with his own eyes. You cannot claim the same. Now you appear before us just for the sake of mocking a student who has exceeded the worth of the teacher? If you have no other business, leave us be. Such a worthless Master…" Lancer turned its head towards Rider, a pitying expression on its face. "My sympathies go to you, Rider…"
Rider grinned at that. Kayneth was fuming.
The lecturer coughed and glared hatefully at his student's Servant. Did all the Servants in this War talk like they were above the Masters? Did they not understand the definitions of the words "Master" and "Servant"?
"Well, I suppose I'll have to take care of your Servant as well. I shall give it a lesson in manners." Kayneth said, sweeping his hand forward and pointing at Lancer. "Rider! Get rid of Lancer!"
The four individuals stood in silence for a few moments, not moving. Slowly, Kayneth retracted his and clenched his fists angrily.
"Rider… did I not just give the command to attack them?"
"Yes… but I really don't see the need when I'm inclined to agree with Lancer."
Kayneth whirled on his Servant, sputtering at him with eyes wide in disbelief and shock, "What?!"
"Once again, you disappoint me." Rider gave a long suffering sigh and turned to face his Master with a deep frown. "When you had asked to join me on my expedition this night, I had hoped you would make up for your attitude. After you told me Waver was a student of yours I was even hoping you would help me reopen negotiations to ally with the two of them." Rider turned briefly and called over to the opposing Master and Servant. "My offer still stands, you know!"
"Again, we decline." Lancer replied with a smile. "No disrespect to you, but working with your Master could not sound any more distasteful."
The Servant's serene calm had returned and the dominating aura from before was completely absent. Waver was slightly relieved at this, since this was the Lancer he was used to.
"Instead, you make negotiations impossible." Rider grumbled. "What is this, Master? Have you no merits as a human being? Like Lancer said, do you find amusement in insulting a child? A child who has shown more courage than you? I've never felt a greater sense of disappointment."
Kayneth gaped at Rider. This couldn't be happening…
"I was excited when the night began, but now I just feel tired." Rider sighed. He gestured to Lancer and Waver. "Please, learn your own lesson after listening to Lancer's words and fix that attitude of yours. I wouldn't want the second night of the War to end like this, so why don't we search for another Master and Servant? Perhaps Caster? You are free to insult him as he rejected my invitation to join the gathering at the pier the night prior."
"I could point you in the right direction." Lancer offered, overhearing Rider's suggestion. "It will be quite easy for me to locate him."
"Would you? That would be much appreciated!" Rider grinned. "You're a forgiving one, Lancer!"
"I have high tolerance for listening to fools ramble." Lancer smiled back. "I listened to my fair share whenever my king humbled those who thought themselves above him."
All the tension and fear Waver felt seemed to drain away as he listened to Rider and Lancer's friendly banter. It was surreal how quickly things had calmed down. Lancer's criticism of Kayneth, with Rider, the man's own Servant agreeing no less, along with that flabbergasted look on his teacher's face…
Waver couldn't help himself. He actually laughed.
And that sound, that mocking giggle from a student who was walking to tall, coupled with the complete absence of respect he had been shown by his so called Servant was what made Kayneth snap.
"ENOUGH!"
Kayneth's voice vibrated through the air like a clap of thunder, silencing Rider and Lancer and renewing the anxiety within Waver.
"I… I will not be brushed aside like this. I will not tolerate this insolence!" Kayneth seethed. Take a deep breath, the man composed himself. When he spoke again, his voice was cool and level. Controlled anger could be heard in his tone. "Rider, I will give the command once again, more bluntly this time: Kill Lancer."
"…Master, I've already told you," Rider began, frowning at his Master. "If it is for your fool's pride I will not…"
Kayneth did not hear his Servant's voice. All he heard was his orders not being obeyed. Still calm, the man raised his right had with his two remaining Command Seals. Fury had overwhelmed most of Kayneth's rational thought, and in his state he saw no other option. These people had to be shown their proper place!
"By the power of my second Command Seal, Rider, I order you…"
Rider's face suddenly morphed. His fury was enough to match or even surpass what Kayneth had felt. This man still had the gall to…!
"KILL LANCER!"
Kayneth had focused all his anger and will into his command. Rider, Lancer and Waver stared at the man, responding to the man's command in different ways. Rider's face expressed both pity and anger in his failure of a Master who was this petty. Waver was shocked that Kayneth had already used a Command Seal and that he had just used his second one in the second night of the War. Lancer seemed more intrigued than anything else, as if such turn of events amused it.
Nobody made a sound for several moments. Finally, Rider spoke.
"I warned you…"
Even in his anger, Kayneth shook at the palpable rage in Rider's tone.
"I told you the consequences should you disrespect me like this for a second time…" Rider declared in a low tone. "I made you aware. I forgave you for it. But now…?"
"Oh, that's rich." Kayneth replied in a mocking tone. "And how have you treated me, your Master, ever since I summoned you? You forget your place Rider, and that is-"
"YOU forget YOUR place, Master!" Rider bellowed, silencing the man and causing Kayneth to lose the strength that came with his anger. "As Lancer says, you truly are pathetic. Words cannot describe my disgust with you. Your ego, your pride, has doomed you. I will forever hold you in contempt. Do not waste time seeking my forgiveness for you do not deserve the generosity of another chance to correct your wrongs? What makes you think you think you stand above others? Well? ANSWER ME!"
To his credit, Kayneth did not flinch even as his Servant shouted at him. Instead, he gave a calm answer.
"I am Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, selected by the Mage's Association as their representative in this War and granted the title of Master by the Holy Grail. My family spans many generations, and is among the oldest and strongest. My family-"
"Your family? Your family?! I did not ask about your family! I asked about YOU!" Rider roared. "Did you earn these titles or only inherit them? Were you chosen for status or where you chosen for your talents? There is a difference between titles given and titles earned! I EARNED the title of king by conquering! I EARNED the respect and loyalty of those that followed me! I EARNED every worthwhile thing I have! And you think to order me, to stand above me, when you haven't done a thing on your own?!"
Rider drew his sword, causing Kayneth's eyes to widen when the Servant rounded on him.
"W-What are you doing?!" Kayneth gasped. Had his Command Seal failed again? Impossible! There was no way he could reject two of them…!
The King of Conquerors glared at his Master before giving a defeated sigh. Slowly, as if he was resisting the action, he turned and pointed his large sword at Lancer.
"Forgive me for this, Lancer." Rider sighed. "It appears I cannot go against this Command Seal. I had hoped the first order was useless but… it's proving troublesome now…"
Kayneth smiled, finally feeling like the situation was back under his control. He opened his mouth to speak, only for Rider to beat him to it.
"Know this, Kayneth." Rider snarled, refusing to refer to the man as "Master" anymore. "Once my battle with Lancer ends, there will be nothing to save you."
If Rider's back hadn't been facing the man and if Rider had been pointing his sword at him instead of Lancer, Kayneth might've felt a little more intimidated. Instead, the man scoffed at Rider's threat.
"What are you complaining about? Servants must be eliminated for you to win this War, and I helped you overcome your strange reluctance on the matter." Kayneth smirked. "Lancer will be the first to fall, and the others will come soon after. Don't be mad at me, Rider. It is a Servant's duty to fight for the Master."
Rider clenched the hilt of his sword so hard that his knuckles turned white. Giving a snarl of frustration, the king lunged forward and swept his greatsword forward. Lancer immediately thrust its hand backwards and pushed Waver out of the way just before Rider's sword smashed into its side and flung him into a tree. The force of the impact was so great the tree came down with Lancer. On the ground, Waver shook in place as fear gripped him once again.
He froze when he saw Kayneth turn his head to smirk at him.
"Now… why don't we begin the lesson?"
His Servant had been smashed away and he couldn't get to him with Rider in the way. His fear finally pushed him to move. Waver scrambled to his feet and took off into the forest.
Kayneth smirk grew and followed after his student at his own leisurely pace.
Rider would have made a move to go after them, but held his stance when Lancer pushed itself out of the splintered bark and broken wood of the tree that he had collapsed. Rider's brows went up and a growl of admiration escaped him when he noticed the Servant was still unscathed. Lancer brushed itself off and smiled at Rider.
"Seems our battle came sooner than expected." Lancer smiled.
"Indeed. I had hoped to give you a chance to finish your battle with Saber, but…" Rider sighed. "I cannot apologize enough for these circumstances."
"It's not your fault." Lancer replied comfortingly, its face empathizing and understanding. "You cannot blame yourself for the faults of… that man whom you are associated with."
Rider chuckled at Lancer's avoiding of the word "Master". His face grew solemn a moment later. "Still, despite his failings as a human he is a strong magus. Your Master could…"
"If he dies, he dies." Lancer shrugged carelessly, surprising Rider. "That depends on him, of course."
"You don't care if your Master dies?"
"Not really. He's not as intolerable as that person, but his lack of a reason for fighting and inability to understand the War is beyond frustrating. A Master as uncertain as him can only amuse me for so long." Lancer replied serenely. "A child's innocence in a conflict like this is maddening for me, you understand. How can I fight for someone without a goal? No, unless he decides to face reality, it is kinder to let him die."
"…You have a way with words, don't you?" Rider chuckled. "And that speech from before was brilliant."
"You think so? I more or less copied something from my king's speeches. He was the one with a silver tongue. I was more the muscle between the two of us." Lancer grinned. "To be honest, I felt odd saying things like that."
"Really now? I would've liked to meet this king of yours." Rider grinned back. "We could've shared many drinks together and got to know each other better!"
"That we could've." Lancer agreed. "I don't claim to speak for him, but I think he might have liked you."
"I'm happy to hear that!" Rider laughed before calming down, pointing his sword at Lancer once again. "Ah, but it seems we can talk no further. Forgive me for this, Lancer. It's a shame I cannot find joy in our battle like this…"
"And why not?" Lancer asked, its face a picture of honest confusion.
"…Eh?"
"Just because you've been ordered to fight does not mean you cannot enjoy it. Don't let that person take away the joy of battle. Rather, shouldn't you see this as an opportunity?"
"…You've lost me."
"I am very strong. And you cannot defeat me."
"BWAHAHAHAHA! Confident, aren't you!?"
"So, you needn't hold back." Lancer said with a beaming smile. "Fulfill the order to its fullest and fight me. Try to kill me. Unleash all your frustration and anger trying to kill me. Regardless of any order given, let us have a true battle! Come and kill me, King of Conquerors, if you think you can!"
Rider stared an incredulous stare. He hunched over, shoulders shaking in mirth, before he burst out laughing once again. He clutched his gut laughing so hard. When he faced Lancer again, his face fully expressed his excitement and battle lust, humor and joy sparking in his eyes like lightning.
"Thank you, Lancer! Truly, I must thank you!" Rider laughed. "I will accept your offer! I will indulge in this order! I shall vent my dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger and hatred on you since you allow it! Because you welcome it! Because never before have I met someone who understands battle in its true essence as you do! I enjoy calling you my enemy, but I regret that I cannot call you my ally!"
"There is only one ally I will ever have, in this world and the next." Lancer smiled as it crouched low to the ground, fists working and body moving almost like a beast. "I will have no one else I will ever call my companion. No one else I will call a friend. But I am happy to know you, King of Conquerors. I am overjoyed to battle with you!"
Rider smiled, knowing no other words needed to be exchanged between them. Raising his sword in the air and letting loose a war cry, he rushed forward to meet his treasured enemy.
"Here I come!"
Waver ran through the dark forest. Each time he stumbled he quickly got back to his feet. With every step he took his fears seemed to escalate, and he berated himself more harshly. How could he just run like that? What kind of coward was he? But when he had seen Lancer take such a hard hit from Rider, and then when Kayneth's predatory gaze had fallen on him…
He had seen no other option in that moment. He had to run. He had to keep running. He was afraid that if he stopped for even a moment then-
Suddenly, the wind was whistling harshly in his ears and Waver was blown off his feet as some unseen force struck him right in the back. He crashed into the ground, grinding his face into the dirt and grass and spitting it out when some of the stuff got in his mouth. As he supported himself on his hands and knees, Waver wondered what the hell had just happened.
He realized what it was the same time he heard Kayneth's voice call out to him.
"Tell me, Waver, do you remember my lecture on affinities?"
Waver tried to get up but another blast of wind sent him sprawling across the ground again. He desperately tried to regain his footing but was sent flying again, almost like he was a ball being kicked across the ground.
"Magi have affinities that allow them to manipulate Elements, basic structures that shape the world. Can you tell me what my affinity is? Do you remember?"
Waver managed to get to his feet this time, catching a glimpse of his teacher a few feet away. Kayneth smirked and thrust his hand in Waver's direction, firing off another wind spell that caught Waver full in the chest. The boy was sent flying backwards.
"That was a trick question. As you should know, there are magus like myself who have dual affinities. I have affinities for both wind and water. Give me an example of a way I could manipulate something using both Elements."
Another wind blast. Waver coughed as the wind was knocked out of him again.
"Liquid manipulation would be one answer. One of my Mystic Codes utilizes such a manipulation of Elements. A smaller piece of trivia, those with the wind affinity are known for being noble. Fitting, no?"
Kayneth watched Waver get to his feet and take off again. He did not use a spell to knock him over again. He was content watching him run. He picked up his pace slightly as he continued to speak.
"I am disappointed as your teacher. If only you understood your station, your limits, you might have lived happily. But you were arrogant. You were foolish and made me your enemy when you joined the Holy Grail War. It's pitiable, really."
When he thought he might lose sight of Waver, he fired off another gust of wind that sent the boy to the ground. The man smirked cruelly.
What was truly pitiable was that such a man felt pleasure at tormenting and toying with his student like he was. Waver was well aware of his teacher's mockery, telling him all the things even the slowest students knew by heart. Waver felt his eyes sting as tears began to build off of the fear and humiliation he felt.
"It's a shame." Kayneth's voice got closer. "But I am a Master before I am your teacher. Would you like me to demonstrate how Masters kill each other now?"
Terror exploded in Waver as he scrambled across the ground. His mind was in a frenzy, and he couldn't even gather the courage to fire off any counter spells. Not that they would do much against someone who had taught him more than half of what he knew. Instead, Waver felt around the grass and dirt, grabbing a rock and flinging it in the direction of Kayneth's voice.
"Feh. And to think I was called pathetic. To think the claimed you were the better Master," Kayneth scoffed as he leaned to the side and dodged the rock. "Exactly which one of us is truly the pathetic one?"
Waver flung another rock. Kayneth keep walking as the pebble brushed his arm.
"I'll admit, however foolish your beliefs were you were a good student." Kayneth admitted. It was the only compliment he had ever given to Waver Velvet. "But you were just too stubborn. There was hope for you to become an average magus, but I began to doubt that when I received your essay. Now that I've found you here as a Master, I see you are a lost cause."
Kayneth glanced down at his boots as a clump of dirt fell on top of them. Waver hadn't been able to find another rock.
"You claimed that effort could compensate for lack of pedigree. There have been others who thought that, but they learned. Yet you've stayed woefully naïve. Only through generations and generations of studying and inheriting the secrets can one have the chance as being great. You might say its unfair, but to not blame those above you. Blame your family for not making enough progress."
Waver kept frantically crawling across the ground as Kayneth spoke down to him, whose voice was ringing even louder in his ears. He had to find something. Anything. He had to get away.
"Now, I believe that's all for the beginning lecture. Let's move on to the real demonstration. Let me show you how Masters kill each other."
His hands fumbled around, trying to find purchase on anything that could be used to stop Kayneth. Waver just ended up flinging more dirt. It was useless. He was going to die.
And just when the situation was bleakest, Waver's fingers came across something cold and steel to the touch.
His eyes went up, mind vaguely recognizing the object he had found lying on the ground amongst the dirt and leaves. Waver barely registered the feeling of his fingers wrapping around the grip, lifting the object and point it towards his teacher whose mocking voice drawled on and on. His finger tensed around the trigger before pushing down.
A loud bang echoed through the dark forest. A choking cry of surprise cut off Lord El-Melloi, who stumbled back and clutched his right shoulder in shock, right over the place where the bullet had gone in. Waver leaned back against a tree, holding the smoking Thompson Contender between shaking hands.
Kayneth stared at his student who still had the gun pointed in his direction. Kayneth's face, which had been so smug and arrogant before was now slack with surprise and shock. Slowly, the man's face contorted with the same rage that had consumed him after Rider and Lancer had spoken down to him.
"You… you little piece of garbage!" Kayneth hissed as the wound bled freely. The man's temper flared. "A gun?! You used a gun?! What kind of magus are you who uses weapons of the modern age?! For all your talk and boasts about your supposed talent, you had to resort to this?!"
Waver didn't respond. He just kept staring in fear and shock.
"No more! I've had it! You will not receive any mercy from me, Waver Velvet!" Kayneth roared as he raised his arms, pumping prana through all his circuits and ready to unleash everything he had on his student. "DIE, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH!"
It was unfortunate for the man who had everything. It was truly a shame that Kayneth's own arrogance had prevented him from bringing anything to properly defend himself with, as the man didn't think he would need anything extravagant to handle his student. If he had, that bullet might not have hit him. Kayneth didn't know it, but he had already been killed the moment the bullet had buried itself in his shoulder. The Origin Bullet fired from the Thompson Contender that belonged to Kiritsugu Emiya had already shredded the man's magic circuits and haphazardly tied them up in a twisted mess. Pumping all his prana through the mess of destroyed circuits, Kayneth's eyes widened as burning, torturous agony assailed him.
Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi had caused his own self-destruction.
Waver snapped out of his daze when Kayneth suddenly leaned forward, throwing up a glob of blood as he clutched his stomach. An expression of agony overtook his face as the man clawed at his throat, trying to attack something that seemed to be inside his body. Waver watched in shock and terror as he saw veins under Kayneth's skin pulse and the man kept coughing up even more blood. It stained his shoes and blue uniform, and it even began leaking out of his eyes which turned on him, full of horror and pain.
"You… what did… you do to me?!"
Waver didn't know how to answer. He didn't even know what was happening.
Tears and blood poured from Kayneth's eyes as he fell to his knees. He kept his eyes on Waver those eyes on Waver the whole time, shuffling towards his student who seemed rooted in place. Kayneth sobbed and cursed and screamed as his body was torn apart, coughing as his throat continuously filled up and emptied itself with his blood. His blood soaked his clothes and pooled onto the grass and dirt. One wrenching cough even splattered some of the crimson liquid on Waver's shoes and pants as the man got closer. Waver just continued to watch in morbid terror and fascination.
Finally, Kayneth threw his head back, letting out one final desperate, gurgling cry of agony before his body went limp and fell forward. His body hit the ground with a dull thud, settling down on the grass and dirt stained with his blood barely two feet away.
Waver didn't know how long he stared at the motionless body. He sat frozen, staring at the body of the man he hated. The man who was now dead. His body finally relaxed, loosening up to the point where his limbs felt like jelly. He dropped the gun off to the side and glanced down at his teacher's body. Waver heard a noise come from his lips. Was he trying to speak? He didn't even know what he was saying until the words left his mouth.
"Was that how Masters kill each other?"
Even if the words came from his lips, it felt like someone else had said them. They sounded mocking and sarcastic, and completely unlike him. Yet, Waver felt his lips turn up as the words echoed in his ears. Who was the pathetic one now?
Another noise came from deep in his throat this time. Slowly, it evolved into laughter. Waver laughed mockingly at his teacher as he stared at the body. Waver wondered if he had gone insane. And then suddenly, the humor was gone, and one thought echoed in his mind.
I killed him.
Waver's eyes widened as he realized that. And as he stared at the corpse, reality came crashing into him at full force. Waver's hands flew to his mouth, trying to force it down. It was too hard. His mind was numb, his body felt heavy, and he couldn't handle it all.
The boy lurched forward and emptied all his pain, fear and humiliation onto the ground.
Kariya clutched onto his unresponsive arm as he stood his ground. Behind him, four bodies huddled close together, hiding behind one of their two saviors. Standing in front of Kariya who stood back to guard the children, Berserker faced off against their opponent. The Servant's bright face was twisted into an uncharacteristic expression of pure rage. Every time he looked upon one of the small, motionless bodies that littered around the alleyway his vision was clouded in red.
Across from them at the other end of the alleyway, under the flickering light of a lamppost, Caster smiled at the golden Servant. Grotesque, bulbous creatures made of tentacles bobbed and slithered around the mad Servant.
"Now, now… you've gone and stolen my precious materials. You shine with such radiance, acting as a savior to liberate the souls of these children… do you seek to imitate her?!" Caster demanded with a screech.
Berserker did not respond. Instead, he pointed his colossal golden axe at Caster.
"Blasphemy! Disgusting! You cannot hold a candle to her brilliance!" Caster screamed, spreading his arms out. "But that strength, that spark I can use! It will feed the beast! It will herald her rebirth! BE GRATEFUL, FOR YOU SHALL MAKE MY CREATION EVER STRONGER, AND HELP ME ATTAIN MY WISH!"
Berserker roared and hurled himself forward. Caster's familiars leapt up to meet him.
A/N: I'm surprised how much Waver and Lancer's thing with Rider and Kayneth filled this one up. Figured it would be good to end it here. And what was that there at the end?
Anyway, next chapter will be about finishing up Kiritsugu and Kirei's confrontation and show what some of the other Servants have been up to, as you can see with that deal with Caster and Berserker. Seriously though, now that I got the whole Waver and Kayneth confrontation out of the way next chapter will be all about the other Servants and Masters. I tell you though, writing dialouge between Kiritsugu and Kirei is damn hard. I don't think they ever exchanged a single line of dialouge other than after Kiritsugu was cursed by the Grail. I'll fix any errors later.
So... what do you guys think so far? Let me know, because any feedback helps. Thanks for reading.
Kiiam