The Futility of it all

Kiritsugu Emiya had sacrificed more than any master rightfully should. The Grail War had taken his partner, his wife, his servant, and his spirit. But now, it was over. He stood triumphant over six other magi, and six other heroic spirits. All the death and violence he had wrought in his life would now be worth it as soon as he made his wish... a wish to end war on Earth.

It was almost sad that he had to end this man's life long dream... but not for Death, who had done far worse than the Emiya man in his millennia long life, in service to a "higher calling".

While the Grail War had taken all things precious from him (or not so precious, Death reminded himself, thinking of Saber), it was the Reaper himself who took Emiya's life, just moments before the last master standing could make his wish.

Death looked up at the Grail Vessel, which was currently floating in the air above, high above the stage. He'll have to take care of the vessel sooner rather than later. Perhaps he could take it to the Keeper of Oblivion, who would then through the accursed thing into that void of nothingness, reserved only for the gravest threats to the balance?

Death shook his head; no, he would destroy the Lesser Grail here and now, and then return once more to Fuyuki City, when the next glorified magus brawl took place.

The Grail, however, could wait a few minutes longer. Now, for some inexplicable reason, sentimentality perhaps, he felt he owed Emiya an explanation.

Death knelt next to Emiya's recently slain corpse, lying on his back, bleeding from the wound in his chest that Death's scythe had made, his eye open, with a look of... tranquility maybe?

Death placed his right hand on Emiya's chest, and muttered words of shadow magic, necromancy, summoning Emiya's recently (very recent, having died only a minute ago) departed spirit, and placing it back into his body.

Emiya blinked his eyes slowly, and looked straight at Death, no sign of emotion on his face.

"What... happend... to... me...? Am... I... dead...?" he asked, painfully slow.

"Yes Magus, you are." Death answered, "I am the one who killed you."

"Why...?"

"You were going to make a wish on the Grail. You were going to wish that human being would be incapable of making war upon one another. For the good of your species, I had to kill you. Now I will deal with the Grail, and your species will be the better for it."

"I... don't... understand..."

"Destiny has another plan for your species. Armageddon, Apocalypse, the end times, Ragnarok, your kind have many names for it, but in the end, they are all the same.

"The Endwar. The final clash between Angels and Demons, the righteous and the sinful, order and chaos, and so on. It was decided long ago that it will be your race that shall tip the balance of power for one side or the other. When humanity, what we call the Third Kingdom, has achieved power that is equal to that of Heaven, the First Kingdom, and Hell, the Second, Seven Seals will be broken, and the Endwar will take place."

Death sighed, "I've been watching you for the entirety of the Grail War, and I discovered your plans for the Grail. You were going to take away mankind's ability to wage war, thereby rendering your race toothless, and sundering millennia or work to get you people to the level you currently are at right now. As a guardian of the Balance, I couldn't let you do it. Therefore you had to die."

If he was capable of it, Emiya looked as if he was going to weep, "I... never... had... a chance... did I?"

Death shook his head, "No Magus, you did not."

"Why... tell me... this?"

"After everything you went through, a part of me felt you deserved to know why you had to fail." Death answered, "Be grateful, for many don't have the luxory of knowing before they go to the Lands of the Dead."

"You are... the Reaper?"

"Yes Magus, that is a title I answer to. I am not here for your soul however. I protect the Balance, nothing more, nothing less. I've told you all that you need to know. Now I release you from this mortal plain. May your next life be a happy one."

Emiya closed his eyes as Death took his hand off the dead magus' chest, the Horsemen feeling the human's spirit leave it's body a second time this day.

Death turned his gaze towards the Grail, still suspended in midair, and summoned his scythe, the Harvester, and aimed it's head at the Grail. It's head shot at the cup, a trail of green energy chains connecting the bladed head to the rest of the scythe, and it transformed into a hook, which latched onto the Grail. The green energy engulfed both hook and Grail, constantly building up until the entire room was filled with the ethereal light. Death then dismissed Harvester, though the green energy remained surrounding the Grail. Thank's to Death's heightened senses, he heard the Grail starting to crack, and without another word he began walking towards the exit.

By the time his spell had destroyed the Lesser Grail's physical shell, he will be worlds away from any collateral damage that will be caused from it's destruction.

The Reaper considered this a job well done.

This is an AU if you couldn't tell. Not exactly the Next Web of Strife, but don't worry, I haven't abandoned it.

Happy Halloween everyone.