Fate:Nightmare Apatheia

by Heavy Valor

The forefather of Britannia made a contract with the World. A forsaken Prince, a contract with an Immortal. A Hero, a contract with a Servant. This is the story of these eternal bonds, the victories and failures of their promises. ShirouXSaber, LelouchXCC

17. Interlude 1: Sleepless: Part 1

… I'm back. I have no excuses. I've been busy this summer, but let this chapter be a promise of better things to come.

---

Interlude 1: Sleepless: Part 1

12 August 2017 a.t.b., 0135 hours

Shinjuku, Area 11

---

C:\C …

C:\C\PROXY …

Connecting …

C:\C\PROXY\BZG-04A2 …

C:\C\PROXY\BZG-04A2 ls filter

OSIA11A

Music

C:\C\PROXY\BZG-04A2 cd OSIA11A

C:\C\PROXY\BZG-04A2\OSIA11A …

---

Suzaku Kururugi poured a bottle of water over his head.

"It's wet …"

The air he took in tasted fresh. Even after ten hours from being trapped in the Lancelot's cockpit, Suzaku appreciated the sensations of being alive.

The rivulets trickled over his eyes, and he closed them-

"Tohsaka! The blur is on the shields! My energy levels are going down!"

"Pull back! Lloyd has a-"

…

"The sword. Why's half of it gone?"

…

I couldn't see that blur anymore. I thought I had won.

And then the lights went out.

The cool droplets pattered down his hair.

Nobody had ever told him what happened. Tohsaka-sensei had run him out of the cockpit, waited with him as has was processed, and then left him.

He had lost track of the time he spent in the room, just as he had lost track when he was staring at the Lancelot's hatch.

He had heard that Princess Cornelia died, that she died here in Area Eleven.

And he couldn't help but wonder:

Was it my fault?

Was that blur responsible?

Did I fail to stop it?

"Private Suzaku Kururugi."

He turned to the hiss of the closing door. "Specialist Tohsaka."

Tohsaka was looking at him with a strange expression.

"Are you alright, Tohsaka-sensei?"

"I should be the one asking you that, Kururugi."

"I'm fine."

She raised an eyebrow. She looked like she was going to say something, but instead, a closed smile made its way on her face. "If you say so."

She sat next to him. Her next words surprised Suzaku. "Private Kururugi, tell me why you're fine."

"I- I just am, Tohsaka-"

"That's an order."

The catlike smile turned into a smirk. Her hand stole to her hip, and Suzaku collided with an unexpected impression, that-

Tohsaka-sensei is like a two-faced oni. I just saw her other face.

He hesitated. "I don't know what you mean."

Rin closed her eyes and sighed. "Private Kururugi, you just piloted a knightmare for the first time, barely escaped an opponent that would have destroyed you, and now you're recovering after being trapped in a pitch-black cockpit for two hours. If you're fine, then I'd like to know why."

Suzaku honestly didn't know what to say. This wasn't normal for Tohsaka. Most of their interactions for the past day involved criticisms of his piloting, light sarcasm dropped about all of his simulations. To be honest, she puzzled him. She was the picture of the perfect officer with anyone of official rank. But with him, she was informal.

Well, informal wasn't the word for it. He could tell that in any other situation, a guy would be absolutely terrified of her. But here, she seemed … concerned.

"I stopped the fighting. I helped in stopping that thing. The Japanese- the Elevens aren't going to be able to use that weapon again." The faster I stop the fighting, the faster I can stop lives from being taken.

I had hit it. I stopped it, and then I continued on with the next enemy.

"That doesn't sound like you're fine."

He spun around, meeting Rin's gaze.

Her expression was no longer familiar. Her smile, her standard of perfect temperament, had disappeared. In its place was a worried look in her eyes, a thoughtful knuckle brought up to her mouth.

"Kururugi, weren't you afraid?"

That was an easier question. "No, I-"

"Even when that opponent brought you down?"

Suzaku was again puzzled. "I thought that was my energy fillers depleting."

"No, Kururugi. Your opponent attacked you from behind when you engaged that terrorist. It drained your energy fillers."

"-. Then …" His nails dug into his palms as he clenched his fists. "Then that thing is still out there?"

"Yes." Rin watched Suzaku's response, trying to maintain her dispassionate expression. I guess this is the consequence of trying to shield him from the judgment of the Purists. It would have been better to let him know immediately afterwards.

A Tohsaka will aspire to the best of her position. That isn't just for respect, but for the very nature of being the best.

In both of these wars, being the best will let me win.

But here, I failed my subordinate- No, Kururugi-kun. I failed him by seeing him just as a subordinate.

She watched him as his hands stopped trembling.

"Tohsaka-sensei, I'd like to pursue that enemy as soon as the Lancelot is ready."

She remained silent.

Now, it was Suzaku's turn to watch Rin. "You don't think I should do it?"

"It's not that I don't approve. But what you are doing is putting extra weight on your mind. If you keep this up, you'll be unable to move."

She ran her hand through one of her tails. "It's useless to consider that enemy as a target to be defeated. The best you can do is delay it."

"I know that it may be difficult, but I can do it-"

"Do what, Kururugi?"

"I-"

"Kill it?"

Suzaku remained silent.

I wanted to.

"I guess I was trying to, but I was hoping that I wouldn't."

"That's the problem. You think of it as something human."

Suzaku started in surprise. "Then I can destroy it? It's a machine?"

"Don't be so enthusiastic. If you did so, you'd still be taking a life."

"What- So … it's an animal?"

For a moment, Tohsaka just stared at him. Slowly, her palm crept upwards until it was over her face. "Ugh."

Well, I shouldn't be surprised that Kururugi wouldn't understand.

"Kururugi, what do you know about magecraft?"

…

What?

"Magecraft? Like magic?"

---

C:\C\BlackC\08122017 …

mkdir Suzaku_Kururgi

mkdir Lancelot

cd Rin_Tohsaka

emacs Kururugi_what_do_you_know_about_magecraft

…

Magecraft?

…

emacs Magecraft_like_magic

search Magecraft

no results found

---

She frowned.

He forgot? It was a long time ago, but I didn't think it was something anyone could easily forget.

"Close enough. Magecraft is the realization of a person's energy into a transformation of the world. Of course, there are different schools of thought, but essentially magecraft does what can be found 'normally' by science, just in different terms of time and resources. However, what you fought in the Lancelot was a being derived from magic." Rin nodded understandingly as Suzaku's expression turned into one of bewilderment.

"Uh, what's the difference?"

"What do you think?"

More and more, Suzaku had no idea why Tohsaka was talking about magic and magecraft and transformations. Maybe this is some sort of psychological test. I bet it's something for soldiers after coming out of battle. "Well, you referred to people when you said magecraft … So is magic better than what humans can do?"

"That's right. Now, how should I put it …" Rin smiled and raised an instructing finger in the air. "I'll spare you the intricacies, but I'll tell you what you need to know. Magecraft is like chemistry, where you perform an action from the spiritual and expend energy for a realistic reaction. For certain humans, the agents of this reaction are magic circuits, like a battery that supplies energy for a phone. What a magus does with these circuits can be defined as mystic occurrences. Magic is like sakuradite atomics – it's not supposed to exist by any natural means, but it still does, defying logic or any manmade convention. It's simply a name for what defies reality."

"So that thing I fought, that was magic?"

"Exactly. I'm glad you caught on so quickly. I didn't realize it myself, but your opponent was a Serv-" She coughed. "I'm sorry, a spirit. You know it's not something that can be constrained to reality. It destroyed your MVS- your sword- and completely drained your energy fillers. And it was impossible to see. That's beyond any science that Lloyd could come up with."

"It's beyond reality? Can it be defeated?" Concern and confusion swept across Suzaku's features. "How do you know all of this, Tohsaka-sensei? Are you a magus?"

"I am." She was happy, her attitude one of a haughty teacher instructing a student. The teacher being the absolute authority on the subject, and the student a wide-eyed, eager-to-learn pupil who hung on her every word.

"I am the caretaker of Fuyuki, and the heir of the Tohsaka house. If the Japanese have magic on their side, it's only fair that Britannia has magic as well, right?" She smiled again. "Don't worry. I'll figure something out."

Suzaku felt like a fish out of water. Maybe Tohsaka was tired, but she wasn't exactly being clear. "Well, Tohsaka-sensei … I don't think I understand anything you're saying."

Even after only a day, Suzaku knew that Rin was a perfectionist. Her professional attitude and immaculate poise were maintained beyond any officer's own.

But in the aftermath, even the perfectionist fell to the grasp of reality.

One of her twin-tails was slightly tangled, being the one that she didn't regularly run her hand through.

There was a light dust on her uniform, the result of running through a battlefield to free him from the clutches of absolute darkness, in the Lancelot.

The weariness in her eyes-

He ruffled his hair a bit sheepishly. "I think you need some rest. It's alright if you're worried, but don't let it get to your head, alright?"

Now that I think about it, she's been up longer than I have.

She's not in a normal state of mind. I didn't expect it, but I guess even Tohsaka-sensei likes to pretend once in a while. That's great, but if her superiors hear her like this-

"W-What? Now, just what are-" Rin tried to comprehend what Suzaku was saying.

She felt a cool hand on her forehead.

"Hmm. You're running a temperature, Tohsaka-sensei."

"…" Rin couldn't say anything. Her face warmed at the abrupt touch, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey, it's alright if you're insane." He lightly patted her head, her hair compliant to his hand. "Just make sure it isn't contagious, okay?"

The light flush on Rin's face wasn't one of embarrassment anymore.

She glowered at him.

The heat that Suzaku felt before was nothing compared to what Rin emanated now.

Um … maybe humor wasn't the best way to talk to Tohsaka-sensei.

"I am not insane, Kururugi! What are you, stupid? You-" Her arms stiff at her sides, she marched up to Kururugi. But just as soon as she approached him, her anger deflated. "… "

Rin backed away and crossed her arms, still scowling. "My apologies. It was a mistake I made because I was more informed than you. I guess it's flab on my mind. I'll be more careful next time explaining matters to you."

… Flab?

… There wasn't much there, for the record.

It appeared that she regained her composure, but underneath was still the other face of the oni.

"Private Kururugi, court-martialing isn't unheard of for soldiers who leer at their commanding officers."

He returned his gaze back to Tohsaka's eyes, sheepishly. "Is that right, Tohsaka-sensei? Sorry. I didn't mean any offence. I just didn't think you'd be concerned with flab much …"

Somehow, she lost the composure she just regained mere seconds before, her mouth open in a round O. "Eh- You shouldn't be apologizing-" Then, it hit her. She smiled.

"Oh, Kururugi-kun. You sure are funny. But you shouldn't say unnecessary things from now on. Stupid comments will only bring you death, you know."

"Hah, that's right. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." The murderous intent completely flew over Suzaku's snark radar. Not that he had one.

"… Maybe it isn't stupid comments that'll kill him. It might be stupid thoughts …" Tohsaka's muttering also flew past Suzaku's hearing. But she only indulged herself for a moment.

Stupid thoughts can be fixed by information. "Archer, how do I educate him?"

"Just explain it to him in words even he can understand, Rin." A disembodied voice infiltrated the air.

The words rang in Suzaku's ears, evoking an unreasonable discomfort.

No, that wasn't right. It was annoyance that was evoked. It was a powerful, weighted voice. Suzaku was used to arrogance, but this-

Where is he?

Suzaku searched the room, his unease and annoyance growing. There wasn't any audible laughter, but Suzaku just felt it from this unnatural presence.

"I guess I have to, Archer."

Rin raised a single finger towards the ceiling.

Gandr.

"Neun. Acht. Saben."

A slow, gentle ebony orb flew upwards. Hazy black sparks traversed the span of the room, sweeping over the corners of the room, then lazily sliding down the walls.

They crept into the crevices in the walls, focusing on certain points with a sharp crackle, and then a hiss as a smoky haze appeared over those points.

The smoke occupied the room. Burnt polymer, charred metal, twisted circuits-

Suzaku nearly gagged.

He gasped for air. This is the exact feeling I had when I killed-

---

fatal:unrecognized

"0100101010100110000000000" is not a recognized as an int_nal or exter _l command, pr_gram, or b_ch file _

fatalfatalfatalfatalfatalfat alfatalfatal

fatal

---

Suzaku caught a mutter from Rin. Her knuckle was once again at her mouth.

"-I'm surprised that actually worked. I guess I'm getting better at understanding these machines. It can't be helped if the Britannians get upset over a few bugs. OSI-"

"Tohsaka-sensei, what was that?"

"-Then again, it wouldn't look good if an Honorary Britannian vanished from surveillance during a royal investigation. Well, I'm sure Brant would understand-"

"Tohsaka." Suzaku grabbed Rin's shoulder. Momentarily, she glanced at him in surprise.

"Hm? What is it?"

"What was that? Was that magecraft?"

… Those eyes. That's the expression Kururugi-kun looks best in. That's the expression I saw seven years ago.

"Kururugi, what I told you is real. It's good to be surprised by a sudden turn of events, but it could sometimes cost you your life if you don't just accept it. Incidentally, you do understand that now is one of those times?"

"Yes"-

"I want you to survive, but if you don't want to accept who your enemy actually is, then I can't help you."

"But- So this isn't a joke? What I fought was a spirit?"

"Not a spirit, a Servant. It's … complicated." The taps of Rin's boots punctuated the air in the room. Her pacing slowed down as quickly as it started, and she turned to Suzaku. "I only have a few minutes to tell you about the exact situation Britannia is in, before Brant is requiredto investigate why I destroyed the listening devices in here. So I'd appreciate a little less joking and a lot more attention."

No longer was Suzaku joking. He nodded, at attention to the officer in the room.

A small part of him was thankful that Tohsaka didn't reprimand him for being … somewhat improper.

"What you just saw was just a simple spell. In Japan, there is a container of even greater power. If you thought what I did was impressive, then you would be in awe of this artifact.

"It is a Grail that can fulfill any wish, hidden in Fuyuki. Well, it would be more appropriate to say it's an unnatural wish-granting machine.

"The machine works through the summoning of seven spirits, called Servants, to determine who is fit for the Grail's power. These spirits are bonded to seven magus, called Masters. Does that make sense so far?"

"Seven Servants, seven Masters. Alright." Suzaku nodded. "It seems like a competition, Tohsaka-sensei."

Rin hesitantly responded. "That's one way of putting it, but you're better off thinking of it as a war. The fight for the Grail has essentially no rules other than the need for a single pair of victorious competitors. The past wars never had any supervision."

"Are these wars so dangerous? I mean, it's only seven-" Suzaku paused. "Wait, that thing I fought, that was a Servant? Even if it damaged the Lancelot, I beat it-"

"You didn't beat it. You didn't destroy it, and you didn't best it." There was an unexpected hardness in Tohsaka's tone.

"I'm not dead, so I assumed-"

"Kururugi, you weren't worth its time. That's why you're alive. I don't want to repeat myself again."

Suzaku clenched his hands. So it's really true. I did fail, more than I thought I did. I did more damage to the people I fight for than the enemy. Because of me, the Lancelot fell, and the enemy- the Servant-

He heard an exhale.

"Kururugi, I-" Another pause. "I'm sor-"

He looked up at her. This definitely wasn't the Tohsaka he knew. For a moment, she looked …

Vulnerable.

But her expression closed, and she returned to being Tohsaka-sensei.

"Kururugi, don't beat yourself up. If you're going to, at least pay attention to fixing this, alright?" A stern reprimand, but Rin's eyes had been kind. Suzaku took heart in that.

"Got it." This was a lot more taxing than Suzaku realized. Effectively, Rin had convinced him about magic, but …

Well, if the Servant defeated me so easily … "So, what else is this Servant capable of?"

"That's always hard to say, because of the Servants' identities. They're as human as you and I in that regard. You see, Kururugi, they're …" Rin was hesitant to tell Suzaku about the true nature of Servants, because-

-My Servant doesn't even remember his identity. The only proof I have doesn't have a record of what he can do.

I don't have an explanation why Servants are Heroic Spirits.

Still, Kururugi needs to know who he's going to fight.

I don't want to let him die. At least, not by being a part of a War he shouldn't have ever known about.

"They're what, Tohsaka-sensei?"

She steeled herself. "They're heroes. They're history's legends."

"What-" A raised hand silenced him.

This isn't his war to fight. It wasn't supposed to be, but someone broke the rules. So … If I already involved him in this war, then he needs to know.

"Servants are the spirits of the world's most powerful figures. That's what I meant when I said they're not really human. They're memories called into reality by the Grail. Those who compete in the Grail War try to summon Servants who are the most powerful, and are the most compatible with them."

"… I'm sorry, Tohsaka-sensei. I'm a bit lost. I get what you're saying, but it's just hard to take in." He began counting on his fingers. "A historical figure that was able to fly, cut the Lancelot's Slash Harkens, stand on the shields, cut the MVS, and drain the energy fillers? That's a little strange."

I guessed as much. "You fought it, and you forgot to mention that it could hide itself from the Lancelot's Factspheres. You were asking how powerful they were, weren't you? I think you answered your question." A demonic expression infiltrated her smile at Suzaku's embarrassment.

"Ah, you're right. That's … Uh, that's really powerful." For a moment, Suzaku was able to escape his guilt. In the next, alarm struck him. "Wait, so there are seven of these Servants?"

Rin sat down again, checking the time. She only had a few minutes left. "Glad you finally realized it. What you need to know is that Servants can be beaten. Knowing who they are is the best way to know their weaknesses, but there are other ways of identifying how to defeat them. They fall into defined classes when they are summoned. Think of it like weapons for a soldier.

"Soldiers who use certain types of weapons are predisposed for certain capabilities in battle. A sniper, for example, would be able to maintain his aim under fire, while a knightmare pilot needs excellent reflexes to control his frame. The classes Servants are bound to simplify their summoning, because calling a Heroic Spirit is as unbelievable as you stated it to be. This helps us, because we can then predict what our enemies can do by identifying their role. For Servants, their classes are Assassin, Caster, Lancer, Rider, Archer, Berserker, and Saber.

"The Servant you faced was Saber. Sabers are agile melee combatants, and they're usually considered to be the best class. Sabers are usually ranked highly in every category, but this one seemed a lot stronger than any Servant I've seen. I guess you can be glad that you survived an encounter with the most powerful Servant in this war."

Slowly, Suzaku was accepting and understanding what Rin was talking about. I guess it makes sense, but … "Tohsaka-sensei, are all the Servants our enemies?"

It appeared that Tohsaka-sensei's favorite pose for thinking was touching her lips with a curled hand. "Well, you can count Archer as an ally …"

Archer- Wait- "Tohsaka-sensei, you're a Master?"

"Mhmm." Rin replied as if it was the most ordinary thing in the world as she continued thinking.

Even as Rin began to speak, Suzaku's mind tried to comprehend the idea that a girl his age could control a being like the enemy he faced.

It's certainly possible, but someone my age shouldn't be in a War, not like this. Not with these Servants.

"Suzaku, do you have a good idea how Britannia's political situation is?"

"Erm, a little. We're doing fairly well, right?"

"You should change that. Britannia's in a state of crisis right now." I only have three minutes left. "Pay close attention, Kururugi. I'll be tossing around some words you might not understand, but try to keep up. We're running out of time.

"As you can imagine, with seven Servants fighting in Area Eleven, the Grail War should become immediately evident to the world. All the Grail Wars have been held in secrecy, and all the magical organizations, like the Church and the Magus Association, want to keep it that way. In fact, these organizations have regulated the Grail War for a long, long time. When Britannia invaded, the only way it could prevent the intervention of these organizations was to promise that a state of political stability would be maintained during each Grail War.

"The Grail War is already complex, and incredibly dangerous to the non-magus population without control or supervision. Adding a conventional war would destroy any balance that the Grail War had before. What you have to realize, Kururugi, is that the Grail is a force that can't be defined by humans. Britannia's actions have to be defined by it, and that's why all of Britannia's forces have been on high alert. We had to secure Area Eleven before the Grail War started. That's why Cornelia is here. Well, was.

"Britannia 'intended' to have all of the Masters fight locally in Fuyuki, on 'fair' grounds." Suzaku was surprised to hear Rin scoff under her breath at that. "The reality is that Britannia is trying to force the Chinese Federation and the Euro Universe to surrender all claims to Area Eleven, which means both the Grail and the sakuradite. The main reason why Britannia could do this is because it still has the support of the Magus Association and the Church, though its own prowess helps. But now, with Britannia only possessing two Servants, and with Cornelia's death, Britannia's hold on Area Eleven is going to be contested by the Chinese Federation."

"Wait, Tohsaka-sensei … If these organizations see Britannia failing in creating peace, then they'll withdraw their support, right?"

"You're on the right track. It's more that if Britannia becomes weak enough for Area Eleven to become a battleground, those organizations will support the strongest player. But right now, once they hear about this, they'll force Britannia to agree to a truce with all its enemies, by any means necessary. And once that happens-"

"Then Britannia will be removed from Area Eleven by the end of the Grail War." A new voice accompanied the visitor in the room of the OSI's containment vehicle. "You two seem chummy. Though I must say, Tohsaka, you don't have a high opinion of Britannia."

Kayeri Brant III smirked at Tohsaka's astonishment.

"Brant-! I thought I disabled the bugs and cameras in here!"

Kayeri shrugged. "Well, Tohsaka, I couldn't very well leave two adolescents in a van alone without supervision. Besides, eavesdropping remains an effective tool of espionage." He pointed at the windows. "You also left those open."

Rin glared at Kayeri. "I guess I should have expected that from the Director of OSI. I hope you have something besides gloating."

"Well, there's this little war room going on that we have to attend in a minute. Bring Private Kururugi along, too."

"Roger that. Let's go, Kururugi."

"Yes, sir! Tohsaka-sen- I mean, ma'am!" He saluted to the Director.

Both Rin and Kayeri flinched at the awkward display of formality. Rin looked meaningfully at Kayeri. He rolled his eyes back at her.

"Private Kururugi, I don't care what pet name you have for Specialist Tohsaka, and I don't want to be called sir. All I want is to avoid feeling old and to get this mess over with. Now, come along."

Suzaku nodded, and began to walk along with Tohsaka. Kayeri caught his shoulder before he passed.

"Kururugi, I would highly advise being quiet during this meeting unless addressed. Having two 'Elevens' and an Iroquois is already going to rankle a few of the pretty Purists."

"Understood, sir- I mean, Director."

"Call me Kayeri, or Brant, if you really have to." He let go of Suzaku's shoulder and strolled off to the G1 Base ahead.

Suzaku rolled over Kayeri's words.

Iroquois- then he's an Honorary Britannian?

So it is possible to change the system from within.

Well, it starts with helping Tohsaka-sensei with this Grail War.

---

12 August 2017 a.t.b., 0113 hours

Shinjuku, Area 11

---

C:\C\PROXY connectto G-1CLOVIS

Connecting …

C:\C\PROXY\G-1CLOVIS error

C:\C\PROXY connectto WilhelmPDA

Connecting …

C:\C\PROXY\WilhelmPDA ls filter

Documents

LocalSettings

Networks

Swimsuits

C:\C\PROXY\WilhelmPDA cd Networks

G-1MAINFRAME

OSIA11A

ASEEC

netsec

G-1 MAINFRAME unprotected

OSIA11A protection:high

ASEEC protection:high

C:\C\PROXY\WilhelmPDA connectto G-1MAINFRAME

Connecting …

C:\C\PROXY\WilhelmPDA recordto BlackC\08122017

---

"I suppose this will be a joint operation, so if we could all introduce ourselves …" Clovis la Britannia was at the head of the table, observing the parties present . He motioned to his left.

"G-General Asprius Bartley." Clovis's portly subordinate mopped his forehead with his yellowed handkerchief. He was exhausted and worried, though he showed it more than Clovis did. The loss of a Code R subject …

That's what we're going to solve. Or at least, distribute the blame.

"Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald of the Purist Faction." The Margrave nodded at Clovis, and Clovis returned the salute similarly.

A clear, confident, quiet voice spoke next. "Colonel Mackenzie King, Knightmare Group A, Purists."

Mackenzie … For a moment, Clovis was troubled, but then he banished the regret from his mind.

"Ohoo, Lloyd Asplund of the Advanced Special Engineering Envoy Corps, at your service!" Lloyd waggled his hand in some sort of salute, and returned to fidgeting in his seat.

Honestly, Clovis didn't know what to make of the Earl. His brother was kind enough to lend him the quirky man, but whether that was a blessing or not still remained to be seen. That Lancelot of his ended up wrecked by the terrorist's new weapon. Even now, Earl Asplund looked agitated, repeatedly looking towards the door.

"Specialist Rin Tohsaka of the ASEEC."

Specialist Tohsaka … It was strange, for Clovis to treat an Eleven with such respect. Bartley had pointed it out to him repeatedly. Still, Clovis had to respect Tohsaka.

After all, she was a Magus.

After all that his brother went through, Clovis recognized how hard it must have been to live a life as a magus. That's why he put up with Bartley's criticisms.

Thank goodness she's actually competent. She's one of the few people here who knows what she's doing.

And she's someone I can hold liable for this mess.

"Private Suzaku Kururugi."

When Clovis heard that this Eleven was the pilot of Lloyd's toy, he was shocked.

Then-

Once the meeting is over, I'll see if I want him arrested or not. Of course, there's always an Eleven we can pull off the streets, but … I'd prefer to divert the public's attentions away from how and why my sister died to who killed her. It would ameliorate me a bit more with the Purists. They'd appreciate a reason to revoke the Honorary Britannian system here.

And it never hurts to have more knightmares on your side.

"Director Kayeri Brant III. OSI."

Clovis didn't like Director Brant. Aside from being snide and uppity on a regular basis, he knew too much about Clovis's projects.

And personal life.

"Senior Agent George Noble."

Unimposing and quiet, Clovis didn't expect much out of Brant's subordinate.

Why did Director Brant even bring him? He's just a subordinate.

Well, it doesn't matter.

"… Sir Guilford."

A sigh escaped Clovis's mouth. He felt badly for Cornelia's Knight.

His eyes were weary, his expression haggard.

Every so often, he'd turn to Clovis and just stare at him.

It worried Clovis. It was true that he left the G1 Base early to prepare a press briefing, but he didn't cause his sister's injuries.

And yet he still felt guilty. Maybe if he committed more troops to her security, or commanded the battle himself and let her sleep off the jet lag-

"I'm Odysseus eu Britannia, but I guess you already knew that … It's nice to meet you all."

My brother.

My older brother, with the exact same expression he has no matter what. Even with our sister dead, he looks as ignorant as ever.

Still, I can't hold it against him. He never held the intelligence or ambition that my siblings have. He's quite like me.

I guess we can start now.

---

"Bartley, can you debrief us on the developments that occurred yesterday, on our side?" Clovis nodded at Bartley, who took one last swipe of sweat off his forehead.

"Yes, my lord." He stood, and hobbled over turn the tactical display screen on the table. The painkillers helped him ignore the hole in his leg that the doctors treated after Cornelia shot him, but it still nibbled at his mind as he began to re-create the Army's role in Shinjuku.

"At roughly 1300 yesterday, we were attacked by a reinforced group of terrorists. The group we were hunting received extra men from one of the subway entrances we closed. They blasted it open. Fortunately, our casualties were relatively light, and we were driving them back. Princess Cornelia decided to join our operation instead of searching for the Immortal that went missing."

Muttering was the best of the response to that announcement. The worst was Jeremiah's outburst.

"What- You mean on top of this disaster, we lost an Immortal?" Jeremiah almost leapt out of his seat, impassioned in his disbelief and anger. "You incompetent fool!"

Ordinarily, Clovis would have let Jeremiah have his say, but this situation was too dire for frivolous antics.

"Jeremiah, please." Clovis raised his hands. "It's late."

Jeremiah strained to prevent himself from further verbal barrages.

"… Yes, my prince."

Margrave Jeremiah was a strong supporter of Clovis's command, as well as someone Clovis could actually call a friend. Quite a few of their conversations involved a good deal of big-headed, pompous fawning on the Margrave's part, but Jeremiah was friendly enough. As the head of Area Eleven's five Purist regiments and party elements, Jeremiah held a large portion of Britannia's knightmares in the settlements. True, Clovis agreed with the Purist's party policies, and Jeremiah got along well with Bartley, and the Purists served with distinction throughout Clovis's reign as Viceroy, but it always paid off to keep someone with that much power nearby.

Clovis waved his hands at Bartley. "You can continue."

"Ah, thank you, my lord. The Princess was insistent on letting her oversee the operation. What happened after that is something our men are still investigating."

He pulled up the streets right next to the train station. Immediately, five triangular knightmare indicators began blinking.

"We believe that the terrorists captured the train with the Princess's Gloucesters and turned them against us. I had ordered an armored column to engage, which turned badly. That's when we allowed the ASEEC to engage. My mistake was ordering in those vehicles. Because of this, we had lost a third of our armor, which forced our infantry to cover our holes in our defenses. The Princess ordered the escort assigned to her to assist in pressing the other districts back, and replaced them with five infantry squadrons. And that's when-" Bartley glanced at Guilford. "- Well, we know what happened."

"You're telling me that we lost how many vehicles to five knightmares?" Kayeri was a little incredulous.

"Ah, six Sutherlands and seven M-33 Clintons, in that attack alone. There were also two more Clintons and two Sutherlands destroyed in another incident."

"So, we lost eight knightmares and nine tanks in two attacks from the Eleven resistance, out of how many?"

"Director, we brought fifteen knightmares and twenty Clintons. We didn't anticipate-"

"You lost fifty percent of your armored force. Something's wrong with your anticipation, it seems."

Bartley almost let loose a string of retorts, but he backed off. "I have submitted myself for an oversight hearing. I will accept responsibility for this."

"Even if you weren't necessarily at fault, General Bartley?"

The room turned to Colonel Mackenzie King. She was staring intently at the section of the city with the playback of five blue triangles turning red, then wiping the approaching thirteen blue triangles off the map.

If Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald was the Purist Faction's political head, Colonel King was a rising star in controlling its military arms. Mackenzie King was the only daughter of Owen King, hero of the Second Pacific War and the last of the prestigious King legacy. Her tall stature, long blonde hair, and fair features would have marked her as one of the Purist's darlings, but she was roughened by her service in the military since she was 14, seven years ago. Indeed, her service record was stellar. Originally serving with Britannia's 1st Wing, she became a temporary Wing Commander three years ago, during an incident over contested airspace. The rank stuck with her for a few weeks before she transferred to the Purist's Knightmare Corps. Two years there saw her to Colonel. Rumor had it she would be Brigadier soon. Even for an ace of the skies and the ground, this was impressive.

Clovis remembered all of this distinctly. After all, it wasn't too long ago that she rejected his offer of knighthood.

I still wish she would have tried on one of my swimsuits. Well, it can't be helped. I don't think the Purist's pressures on her to marry helped much, either. I guess that's the price of being the descendant of a long line. It must be rough, being the only one left of the King line.

Then again, she's not competing for Father's attentions with hundreds of other siblings.

Mackenzie lifted her gaze from the tactical display. "Your deployment wasn't the problem here. You responded by SOP for terrorists, didn't you?"

"Yes, Colonel. The moment our air reconnaissance reported the presence of captured knightmares. I moved the 6th Armored's Anti-Knightmare division into the sector. Then, we lost them."

"I see. Then it was the enemy commander's grasp of tactics, and not of grand strategy, that beat your forces. You responded correctly, but your men panicked." Her fingers traced the disordered, jittery movements of the blue triangles. She spoke, almost to herself. "This is why we've been changing our command structure to phase in field commanders. That's why Princess Cornelia was here …"

She looked at Kayeri. "Director, did your agents find any recordings of that engagement?"

"I'm afraid not, Colonel King. We were more concerned with the events of the Princess's murder."

"Understood." She turned back to General Bartley. "Do you think all of this was coordinated?"

"I suspect so." He zoomed out from the sector and displayed the entire map. The attack of the five knightmares to the west of the G-1 Base, and the destruction of the two tanks and knightmares to the east were circled. "Two simultaneous attacks stretched us thin, compounded with the firefights throughout the ghetto. If this was led by one man …"

Kayeri grimaced. "That makes sense, with the evidence we found. I suppose the army's briefing is done?"

Jeremiah scowled. "I don't think so. We're still avoiding the question of how this 'commander' took out Britannia's good men. Those Elevens don't even have the intelligence to pilot a knightmare effectively, let alone outsmart the Goddess of War herself. Unless, of course, they're involved in some trickery you spooks get involved in."

"All I meant to say was that it would be more fruitful right now for OSI to present our findings."

"As I expected, spies and their toys. How trite."

Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes, Kayeri weighed the consequences of-

It's worth it.

"Why, Margrave Gottwald, however did you guess? Then again, it is a fair one. We're pretty involved in, well … everything, unless you lack confidence in almighty Britannia's best? At least, I would suppose it's the job of the Office of Secret Intelligence to be intelligent, hmm?" A snort from Agent Noble accompanied the end of Brant's speech, which didn't help the situation.

"You impudent- You forget your place, redskin!"

Kayeri shrugged. "Enlighten me what my place is, Margrave Gottwald."

"Snide bastard. I'll-"

"Ask for your forgiveness, Director. The Purists mean no offense towards your heritage." Mackenzie stood up, a hand placed over the Margrave's shoulder. Jeremiah looked like he was going to retort, but she shook her head. Her good manners were slightly ruined by a suppressed chuckle.

Similarly, Senior Agent Noble had nudged Kayeri, and Kayeri replied. "None taken, Colonel. If General Bartley is done, I'll present OSI's findings."

Clovis waved his hand. "Very well. There isn't much left to figure out from this."

Despite Clovis's misgivings, the director did have a line of credentials that commanded respect. It was hard to believe that he served in the Second Pacific Incident, that he was on the front lines, that he was part of the first Knightmare Corps, that he single-handedly turned the tide-

"OSI has spent the last eleven hours investigating the incidents with the ASEEC and the G-1 Base. We'll start with the G-1 Base." Kayeri plugged a flash drive into the display. A series of photographs appeared, with data and correlations attached to each. His attitude was completely serious, almost businesslike.

"We'll start with an approximate timeline of the incident. We have reports from eight soldiers that one of Cornelia's guard squadrons attacked the others at roughly 1420, and subsequently detonated their explosive armaments when they approached the other squadrons. This evidence is corroborated with footage from the security grid cameras placed when Shinjuku was designated a ghetto."

A grainy video emerged on the display. Sure enough, a single squadron appeared to be conversing among themselves, until they drew their weapons. For a brief moment, the fighting raged, and then the attackers ran towards the others. Mutters flew throughout the room as the squadrons were engulfed in fire.

"At this time, the events in the G-1 are unclear. Our forensics lab has identified the explosives placed in the munitions depot within the base, but the only information we were able to extract was the timer's input. It was set to detonate with thirty second fuses. This indicates that the mission was either a suicide mission, or that the attackers were skilled enough to attack the base, kill the Princess, and escape in thirty seconds."

Kayeri pulled up an image of the wrecked G-1 Base. "That's all we could get out of the base. Any recording devices inside were destroyed." He turned to Guilford. "Sir Guilford, do you have anything else to add?"

"… Nothing else, Director."

There was more to the situation, and Director Brant knew it. He also knew when to leave a grieving man alone. "Alright, pending further investigation, that's what OSI has. We have a few more theories, but we'll present them after ASEEC's bit. Now, for the second incident."

Kayeri closed the files and opened another folder. He flicked through videos, graphs, and photos until-

"Right, we'll start here."

Suzaku inhaled sharply. This was the battlefield he had left over eleven hours ago.

Another window popped up. A video played, displaying a blur of static standing its ground in the fire of one Sutherland. As it depleted its ammunition, the blur flew forward, engulfing the leg of the knightmare and travelling up the body. It was a truly disturbing sight, a blur streaking up a giant, each movement resulting in a limb detached from the giant's body. As it reached the head, a collective gasp was taken by the room's occupants. The blur flew away, and the Sutherland fell, half of its chest gone, a leg and arm sliced off, and its head falling to the ground.

The burst of light from the exploding knightmare ended the video.

"This footage was taken from the first downed Sutherland after its pilot ejected. We were pretty lucky to get this, since its Factsphere was all but shot to pieces. We looked at the Clintons and Sutherlands that were destroyed prior to the ASEEC's engagement with the enemy, and their destruction is pretty telling of what this opponent is capable of. The best evidence of what we're up against, however, is the ASEEC's Lancelot."

Kayeri smiled at Lloyd's scowl. "Hello there, Lloyd."

"-… pudding … ear canal … drill bits- no, sakuradite …"

"Good day to you too. Surprisingly, the Lancelot-" And he pulled it up to the display. Murmurs of admiration hovered about the room. It was a beautiful knightmare, after all. "-didn't have a camera or black box onboard. Someone cut costs and replaced it with assessment sensors and a very detailed Local Positioning System. Fortunately, we were able to obtain the 'combat data' that the ASEEC had taken and used it to recreate the battle."

The table flickered, and then hummed as the holographic structures and the ethereally rendered Lancelot rose from the screen.

"This took our entire tech team five hours to complete. Enjoy."

For a rendering done in ten hours, it was incredibly detailed. Every aspect of the Lancelot was captured, and the war-torn street was in almost photographic quality. Even Lloyd had to admire the work OSI did, though he knew that it was as simple as using the model that ASEEC made and capturing the street with laser molds and full-area scanners.

The virtual Lancelot charged forward and engaged an unidentifiable enemy, a ball of static.

It played out just like a film, a series of events captured in segmented clips in Suzaku's mind.

Lancelot, thrown about by its own Slash Harkens, the splintered holsters decorating the battlefield.

His shields, depleted by the blur on them.

The sword he wielded, cleaved by the blur.

Hopes were raised in the slightest instant as the White Knightmare hammered down with the remnant of its blade, but everyone knew how the contest ended. It turned, and in that brief instant of vulnerability, the knightmare's back was shorn in two. The Lancelot collapsed.

"So now, we know how the story goes. Private Kururugi, would you give us a report about fighting this opponent?"

All eyes turned to Suzaku.

It's time for me to confront my failure. I guess it's better than a court-martial, though.

"Yes, sir. Around 1330, Princess Cornelia requested the ASEEC's assistance to deal with an enemy that had a 'disrupter.' En route, I engaged the captured knightmares that threatened the Princess's flank. I dispatched one, and they retreated."

He hesitated, nervous in front of the superiors that he failed, no matter what Tohsaka had said. "I continued on to engage the blur- the enemy. The Director's video gives a good picture of how it went. I was unable to eliminate the threat as I lost power."

Straightaway, he stood at attention when Margrave Jeremiah rose.

"I have a question, Private Kururugi. Who gave you permission to pilot a knightmare?"

Why is he asking me- Oh. "I was-"

"Before you ask that, Margrave Jeremiah, remember that the ASEEC is under the Second Prince's command. Let me ask you this. Why are you asking?"

"He's an Eleven-"

"And so am I. Is there a problem?"

This probably wasn't the best day for Jeremiah, having Numbers pop up all over the place. First this lowly Private, and now this little girl "Tohsaka" with the dubious title of "Specialist." Any other day, he would have had the two of them arrested and thrown into prison. And yet he had tried with that arrogant Director. It didn't pay to try twice, at least in the presence of two Princes and Colonel King.

"… Nevermind, it doesn't matter. Alright, Brant. What is this blur that Kururugi fought?"

"Glad you asked a question that took our agents seven hours to confirm." Kayeri opened yet another file. "This is the first exhibit we found."

"A footprint?" Clovis looked closer at the screen. "Surely, this isn't anything special."

"Well, Prince Clovis, it's a footprint in concrete."

"What?"

"That was my first impression as well. The footprint was found …" Kayeri brought the simulation up again, to where the Lancelot was pressing its sword down on the blur. "Right here." He pointed directly under the blade. "Agent Noble, would you like to elaborate?"

"Yes, sir. The print itself wasn't made by a person stomping into the ground. The person, and thus the foot, had to be vibrated into the ground to make such a fine impression in the concrete with such fine particles. The footprint indicates that something human was there, and the size and shape is from an adolescent, around ten to fourteen."

The entire room stared at Noble in disbelief.

"Well, look for yourself." He rescaled the print to its full size. "Who's the youngest here?"

Tohsaka blinked as the room turned to her.

"M-me?"

Director Brant smiled. "Specialist Tohsaka, could you place your foot on the table?"

"Have Kururugi do it. I'm not going up there!"

"Tohsaka, we suspect that this print was made by a female. More arching of the sole, or something like that. Get up there and show us the similarities."

"… Yes, sir." Rin stood up and tried to step to the table as elegantly as she could. She placed her boot over the print.

For a moment, Suzaku noticed how dark her stockings were.

"… It's smaller …" Rin was surprised. Her combat boots weren't that large, and yet …

"You may step down." Kayeri waved Rin off the table, and continued speaking. "Do note that the print is larger than the actual foot that made it, because of the vibrations which affected the foot. As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, this opponent of ours is a child."

Lloyd jumped up, finally able to loosen his tongue against the shock he was stricken with.

He had lost his precious Lancelot to Brant, and now this?

"But that's impossible! A child, against my MVS? It should have died!"

"Well, we think it was made of steel, at least. As you've probably guessed, any ordinary child would have died. We concluded that this wasn't an ordinary child."

"Director, what are you implying?" Mackenzie addressed Kayeri in a skeptical tone. So, far things had made sense, but now …

"We're getting there, Colonel. We have just one thing to show, and the ASEEC will clarify all of this." Kayeri opened the last file. "This is the largest area of damage done to the Lancelot."

Suzaku and Lloyd winced.

It was the gash in the back armor of the Lancelot, right at the Yggdrasil Drive. A pristine split in the armor, it appeared as if it was made by design rather than by accident.

Everyone knew differently.

"With this and the footprint, our tech team was able to create a full simulation." A tiny human figure wielding a sword replaced the blur under the blade.

"This corresponds to the recorded values for the rotation and displacements of the servos and hydraulics in the Lancelot. We estimate that she's no taller than five feet, and that she's either really small for her age, or really young. Either way, we're fairly certain that a little girl with a bladed weapon is working with the Japanese resistance, and took out a next-generation knightmare like nothing." Kayeri saw the disbelieving expressions on the faces of the Purist representatives, Sir Guilford, General Bartley, and Lloyd. He shrugged. "That's how it is."

Amongst the outcry of the incredulous parties, Kayeri noticed a certain knight trembling.

"That's enough." The chair Guilford was just on toppled, knocked over as he gripped the edges of the table. "That's far enough, Director Brant. You still haven't given us an explanation how Corne- the Princess died, and instead you've given us some theory on how a girl took out a knightmare."

"Sir Guilford-"

"Stop wasting our time. The more we listen about a steel child who can supposedly wreck a top-class knightmare, the harder it will be to catch her murderer."

"Sir Guilford, I'm sorry for your loss. I'm asking for your patience, and I understand that you're upset-"

"Damn you." The hissed words belied the rage boiling under Guilford's skin. He pointed an accusing finger at Suzaku. "Accept that the pilot Kururugi failed his duty. I know your track record with Numbers, and you show an inappropriate amount of favoritism. Do your job, so I can do mine."

"… There are some things more important than the death of a princess. This is one of them." Kayeri sighed, pulling up the bird's-eye of the battlefield. He drew a circle around the G-1 Base and the Lancelot's engagement. "These incidents are intertwined. All I'm asking you to do is trust me. There isn't any other way of teaching you who our enemy is."

Something snapped in the knight.

His hand went to his holster, to a decorated guard of a weapon.

Ornate and obsolete, Cornelia had still carried it at her hip as a sign of her office. It was one of the few indulgences of command she held.

Kayeri found himself staring down that weapon's business end.

Guilford had taken Cornelia's rifle-saber, when they removed her corpse off the battlefield.

Despite the snarl on his face, Guilford's voice was as steady as the length of the barrel he was wielding.

"Take it back."

"Sir Guilford-"

"I will not let you trivialize her death, Brant. By her blade and memory, I will carve respect into your blasted heart. For Cornelia and Britannia, I'll end your life."

Kayeri's narrowed eyes matched the intensely furious expression on Guilford's face. Agent Noble had drawn his weapon, and was covering Guilford.

A tense moment passed.

Noble found his pistol being lowered by his Director.

Kayeri spoke evenly. "I'll handle this. I apologize, Guilford. I meant no disrespect."

The cavernous barrel showed no recognition of the concession, and the voice was similarly unforgiving. "That's a start. Now, instead of wasting time on this charade, I want all of OSI's resources focused on finding the perpetrator of Cornelia's murder, starting with any connections held by Suzaku Kururugi."

"I can't do that. I have it on good authority that Private Kururugi had no connection to Princess Cornelia's death other than going above and beyond his duty to protect it."

"On whose authority?"

"Mine, of course. Well, there's also a little thing called a royal edict. I doubt your words and gun countermand the Emperor's direct orders." Kayeri pulled out the packet of orders with the Imperial Britannian seal emblazoned on it. He passed it to Guilford and waited patiently as Guilford read it and lowered Cornelia's rifle-saber.

For a single instant, Guilford looked like he was about to choke Kayeri. He turned to Clovis and Odysseus.

"My Princes, your sister died. You have far more right than I do to judge this investigation." The weighted question hung in the air. My charge is gone. What should I do?

Can something so unbelievable have caused this unbelievable tragedy?

The room soon was filled with heavy silence, bated breath as-

"Ah, Sir Guilford, let's hear the Director out, shall we? Believe it or not, everything he's saying does make sense."

And there he was, the mediocre prince, finally coming out of his corner.

Guilford was nearly frozen with shock.

I knew that the First Prince was a bit dull, but he's really buying into this? Has he lost his mind?

He can't possibly believe in something so preposterous.

He looked helplessly at Clovis, unable to react as Clovis nodded in agreement.

"Sir Guilford, there's your answer." The Director immediately wrested control back into his possession. He gestured over to the far side of the table, and passed said control over to his Office's counterparts. "I'll turn this over to the ASEEC. They'll do a better job of explaining this phenomenon. Tohsaka, if you'd be so kind?"

---

It was convenient, that Brant described Rin Tohsaka as a member of the Engineering Envoys, and not the Magus Association.

My job is already hard enough. I don't need to confuse the uninformed more with stories akin to the Illuminati or the Freemasons.

That said, for a Director of Britannia's intelligence, Brant really doesn't have much tact.

"As OSI just demonstrated, our opponent has the profile of a child, and the power of ten knightmare groups. This isn't something you can choose to believe or disregard, but a very real threat to Britannia. What I'm about to tell you is the only the surface of Britannia's involvement with such beings. My sole responsibility right now is to tell you who our enemies are, and how to fight them." Rin aimed a pointed glare as Jeremiah rose to join Guilford standing. "And before any of you leave because you find this an impossible phenomenon, I'll tell you that departing now will get you killed. But even if it didn't, I still wouldn't recommend it. Now, do I have your attention?"

Slowly, the members of the room indicated their consent.

Not that it mattered that much. If anyone did disclose this, nobody would believe them.

And no one wanted to neglect a potential threat simply because it sounded preposterous.

Seven years ago, who would have thought that walkers with flying pods and rollerblades would have dominated the modern battlefield?

"Thank you for your cooperation." Rin collected herself. This is really only for Sir Guilford, General Bartley Margrave Jeremiah, Lloyd, and Colonel King. Everyone else here knows the truth. Still, I hate speeches like this.

"The enemy is a member of the Grail Project, a human augmentation program designed in the EU and deployed in Area Eleven. All operatives of the Grail Project work in pairs, consisting of a Master and a Servant. What you just saw is a Servant, the main force behind the pair. They're heavily augmented and extensively trained, and the average Servant can eradicate an entire armored battalion with ease. Those who control these Servants are called Masters, the Servant's handlers. They designate their targets and maintain their Servants in preparation for their next engagement.

"A Master chooses what type of Servant he can deploy. Servants are defined by their classes of augmentations they're given, allowing them to specialize in different fields of operation. We suspect that the Servant we just saw was a Saber-class Servant. A Saber has enhanced mobility, strength, and reflexes. Their entire musculature and nervous system is rebuilt from the ground up. They're extremely well rounded, but are especially capable in close combat. Usually, they're designed to engage and eliminate other Servants, but this one seems to have been outfitted with anti-material armaments and a jamming device."

A long, barely stifled yawn stopped Rin.

"Are you bored, Lloyd?"

Lloyd scratched his ear. "I'm terribly sorry, Tohsaka. This sounds like one of my half-cracked fantasies when I'm not entirely sane. So I think I'll be excused for finding that a tad unbelievable."

"Well, it was one of your 'half-cracked fantasies.' Your biomedical engineering master's thesis in Colchester."

"Thaaat thing? I wrote that in my freshman year in old Colchie! If you read that paper, then you know that I said it would only work at least thirty years from now! The only thing that survived was the powered assault armor. You know, my adaptation to the Glasgow? MJOLNIR's Yggdrasil Drive, Mark VI? The one that practically won us the war? The soldiers themselves just aren't possible!"

"Really? You were the one who proposed it. You almost got it commissioned."

"But not like this! My beautiful Lancelot is far superior-"

Rin's scowl shut him up. "Just explain it. You're the authority here, even if you don't believe in it."

He put on a melodramatic air. "Fine, fine. Listen up, everybody. Suppose, just for a moment, that we have a group of soldiers with reinforced ceramic composite bones, nanotube fiber muscle bands, and a rewired nervous system with triple the amount of neurons any ordinary human would have. My paper was on how you can't just half-ass it. You want super-strength? Of course you're going to need stronger bones! Don't want your soldier tripping over his newfound might? He's going to get some new nerves!

"It's an all or nothing, take it or leave it deal. Strength, structure, and control. That's what you get, but the cost is incredible. It's a step behind creating an entire human from scratch. When I wrote my paper, I was quite naïve. We didn't have the technology to shove ceramics into people, or to rip out their muscles and implant fibers and hormones inside. And the nervous system? Pssh. That's one nasty beastie I don't want to get involved with.

"What makes me believe, to an extent, that 'Saber' could be real is her youth. These little beauties have to be built when the subject is extraordinarily young, to facilitate an excellent integration with the human frame. After all, young bodies are so malleable. That's why the Spartans started early! They're so much more flexible than an adult body. You could replace their entire body with synthetic parts, and their spine could just adapt to it with a few stem cells. Their only problem is twisting their joints apart, but that's what training's for, right? And sure, they don't last long, and they tend to burst out of their bodies once they get-" He laughed, seeing the horrified and disgusted faces. "That's why I dismissed my paper in my second year, ladies and gents! Oh, and for you moral bleeding hearts, of course Britannia would never do such an atroouuucious thing!"

Rin blanched uncharacteristically. "Thank you, Lloyd. Could you explain what the theoretical capabilities of a Saber would be?"

"If she could block my MVS- my MASER Vibration Sword, for the uninformed- she would have to resist forces upwards of meganewtons, temperatures of 1000 C, and kinetic shocks of gigahertz and gigajoules. To grind concrete, she'd have to be made of something like titanium, or reinforced steel-"

"Or be wearing powered assault armor, right?"

"Of course. Otherwise, the girl would be wearing a halo right now-" The color drained from Lloyd's face. "That's a possibility. Quite a possibility indeed."

"Thank you, Lloyd." Rin left Lloyd to his own muttering devices. "That's the best way to think of Servants-"

"Really now? I think you're having some merry fun with Asplund and Brant." A standing, glaring Jeremiah raised this objection. "Don't give cryptic answers. This crock and bull story has no bearing on Guilford's point, that it was an Eleven who failed."

"If you would let me speak-"

"I don't think so. You've had your chance, and you've shoved stories of Servants and Masters down our throats!"

"Jeremiah-" A hand once again tried to restrain the Margrave-

"No, Mackenzie! I want this squint-eyed Eleven to tell us the truth-" Something caught in his throat, and Jeremiah clutched at it, gagging.

"You want the truth? You can't handle the truth." Rin stood, at the end of her endurance. "You're so caught up in your delusions of racial supremacy that you won't recognize that your own country has been striving to the dream of St. Darwin for a century, and you've been left in the dust as a perverse mockery of 'purity'. I'll give you the truth, and I'll make you realize how wrong you are."

"Lies-"

He started, a folder slammed in front of his face. "Project Rebirth, 1943. Radiation, chemical cocktails, and psychological imprinting." She slid out a picture of a musclebound man in the prime of his youth. What was supposed to be a superman, however, was a pitiful mass with drool slopping out of the side of his mouth, and a vacant, dead expression in his eyes. "It failed."

Another folder. "Les Enfantes Terribles, 1969. Gene therapy and eugenics. Britannia just wanted more of her best sons." Rin placed two more photos on the table, one of a concrete complex on an island, the next of a crater in the water. "Shadow Moses, and what's left of it."

She spread a series of papers out. "Treadstone, 1980. Behavioral modification and moral degradation. This one actually worked, though. The Cain Complex was the first extensive behavior modification program addressed at eradiating moral constraints. The results were CQC dominance, heightened target awareness, an incorrigible superiority complex, and unparalleled cognitive processing. This came with the cost of mental deterioration, but the successes still remained."

She cocked her head sideways. "Jeremiah, do you know Blackbriar?"

He was briefly taken aback, but Jeremiah managed to muster a growl in reply. "What of it?"

"Doesn't this seem similar?"

"Yes, and again, what of it? It's training appropriate for the Royal Guard. In fact-" And here he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "It seems like you're making this up based on our methods. You'll excuse me for being a little suspicious."

"Then you shouldn't be surprised that Blackbriar is the direct descendant of Treadstone."

Another folder appeared in Rin's hands. The art of bureaucratic intimidation was a subtle one, but with enough folders, anyone would crack.

"Injections. Steel wool. Shock therapy. Ecstasy. The 'Hell Run.' Waterboarding." With each word she let a picture of the described treatment fall.

"So how could you deny it, Jeremiah? You should be proud of 'being part' of this illustrious history of fake humans. "

"Tohsaka-!"

Jeremiah tried to stand again, to respond to this barrage of lies. He fell hard back in his chair, his knees weakened by a hidden black orb. Rin slowly lifted another folder, opening it and letting the contents spill over the table. She spoke softly.

"And finally …" A last folder fell. "Immortals, 2010."

There it was. Finally, the tie-in between the impossible and an absurd reality.

The infamous project, the secret weapon of Britannia. The Belatu Cadre, Old Britannian for "The Death-Decorated Ones."

The best information available about the Immortals was on the internet and by word of mouth. The rumors spanned the width of every single hack theory made by current authorities in Britannian conspiracies to official sanctions by OSI's Internal Affairs and Central Control. They were the partakers of the Fountain of Youth, they were the spirits of fallen soldiers, they were Britannia's newest branch into the next generation of combat, they were drug addicts who discovered the right cocktail before the feds crashed them. Their origin was said to stem from the product of the long search for Saint Darwin's final selection and the Chalice forged from the Black Cauldron.

One thing remained constant throughout each, though. The name of the Immortals wasn't just for show.

For at the end, death lost all meaning. It simply adorned them, the dozens of Immortals all dedicated to serving Britannia.

Yes, immortality itself was such a simple thing, the condition of a human being's existence irrelevant. Immortals just were.

Britannia was steeped in science, and had been for the past century. That wasn't always the case. These men and women of constant existence called back to Britannia's birth, when legends and myths walked among the Celtic Druid-Kings. They were made by science, of course, if they existed. But what they did was beyond what science could fathom.

With the revelations of these 'supersoldier' programs, it wasn't a surprise that mysticism was the next step that Britannia took. After all, any science advanced beyond human comprehension is magic, right?

So, even among the veterans, those hardened to phenomenon fantastic, the return to Immortal terminology awakened a wary reverence. Even if they were an urban legend, they commanded a modicum of respect.

Rin mentally thanked Kayeri for the assembly before her. Every occupant in the room had the clearance of knowing the "truth," that Immortals were real, and they saved Britannia during the Battle of Fuyuki.

They knew of the story shielding the Holy Grail War from the terror that the world saw at Fuyuki.

It's ridiculous. It's an amalgamation of a simple miracle, translated into science, with military propaganda.

But if it makes my job easier, so be it. If they can understand the qualities of a Servant and help me win though this false parallel, so be it.

These lies …

This is what it means to be a magus.

"I don't think I need to say anymore. Do you understand now, Margrave?"

For the moment, Jeremiah was cowed, and he answered with a downcast nod.

"Where was I?" Rin paused for a moment before continuing where she left off. "We're still determining who's exactly behind the construction of these Servants, but as Lloyd said, these soldiers are certainly possible. I've included a dossier on the other Servant classes, with declassified intel on their engagements." Rin pulled out a stack of folders from a briefcase. "Review them, and prepare your soldiers and equipment for the scenarios that we've predicted."

Still unconvinced, the majority of the room picked up the reports with some hesitation.

Lloyd flipped through the file. "So let's say we buy your supersoldier theory. A 90% casualty rate? Isn't that a little excessive, Tohsaka?"

"Don't underestimate your opponents. A rampaging Servant with full support from its Master can make quick work of any modern military. To make matters worse, Masters may try to field 'Noble Phantasms.' A Noble Phantasm is the release of the mental restrictions on a Servant's augmentations, increasing combat abilities and releasing a concentrated burst of prana, the lifeblood of a Servant, as a physical manifestation of the Servant's will." Rin pulled up a plot of Area Eleven. A red circle expanded from Tokyo, engulfing the area in a twenty mile radius. "The yield of Servant using three Noble Phantasms was conservatively measured by the ASEEC in kilotons of sakuradite. That's all of Tokyo, several districts, and a third of the soldiers we have stationed here. That's twenty million souls."

No matter how absurd the idea was, even the most skeptical fell deathly silent at the idea of such devastation.

"Hell. Situation normal? More like beyond all fucked up …" King exhaled, voicing the opinions of the occupants of the room.

Agent Noble heartily agreed. Fucked up beyond all recognition.

Rin continued. "Servants are to humans what knightmares are to tanks. This is the post-modern battlefield, where biological alterations are usurping mechanical weapons. And, frankly, we're to blame. Britannia won the last war by ending the era of mechanized combat with knightmares, and opened the doors to enhanced human warfare with Immortals.

"This time, we lost the human arms race. We lost when the Euro Universe began its experiments in homunculi, and when Britannia decided to forgo this research in favor of the knightmare frame. Where Britannia investigated eternal life, the EU trialed the compression of life into two weeks. The EU now has control of the majority of the Servants. All of a Servant's abilities are derived from expending their biological integrity, by 'overclocking' its body. You can say that this is the main weakness of the Servant system. To achieve its strength, the Servant has to give up the very fiber of its existence."

Colonel King's expression was thoughtful as she intertwined her fingers. "Even if their lifespan is that short, I don't understand why the EU couldn't just produce more Servants. In their situation, I'd array them en masse to overstretch our forces, and strongarm us to engage them with our 'outdated' Immortals."

Rin shook her head. "It's more of an 'all or nothing' deal. Servants cannot be made halfway. That's why they don't last long, and they're so expensive. Due to the short lifespan and exorbitant costs of Servants, their deployment is costly and limited. Anyone who can afford to use one wouldn't field them haphazardly. Servants can survive for a long time without using their abilities. They're like missiles. You can store them, but it's fire and forget once they're used."

"That's like saying a missile's weakness is the result of what it's made to do. Is there anything we can do to prevent a Servant from buying everyone the farm?"

"There's two ways to do it. A missile can be shot down, or its guidance system can be destroyed. The first option is just as difficult when applied to Servants. The outcome is uncertain in a battle between Servants, and relies on whoever can expend enough resources before a Noble Phantasm is fielded. The second option is simpler. A Servant can be defeated by eliminating the Master. To keep a Servant in check and compliant to the will of its creators, every Master is entrusted with certain means of commanding the Servant. These means tie the Servant's life with the Master's, ensuring the Servant will dedicate its existence to protecting its Master and following its Master's will."

Bartley frowned. "What are these means, Specialist?"

"That classified information, General." Just like your Code R. "If you have to know, think of it like their predecessors, our Immortals. An Immortal's life iterates recursively on itself because of its augmentations. A Servant's life can't do the same, because of the rapid depletion of its prana- its life from all the augmentations it has. A Servant needs to be supplied with a substitute for its own life, and that's supplied by its Master. But it goes further than that. Just as Immortals had their lives tied to permanence, Servants must surrender a part of their life to their Master to complete their creation. That's the exchange which allows the EU to control these trans-humans.

"Right now, we have reports that Servants are present in the EU and in Area Eleven, but the number of Servants is unconfirmed. They've effectively restricted any invasion into the European territory itself, and they're trying to subvert Britannian control of sakuradite stocks. This incident was just the first of their hostilities. We're expecting several more attacks on our infrastructure, especially on our military bases, our production capabilities, and our ports. Eventually, they'll progress to attacking our command structure and military forces. We've been fortunate that this is the most of the damage they've inflicted so far.

"Any questions before I continue?"

After a long pause, Jeremiah took the first words.

"Let me get this straight. Even if these Servants are real, those European cowards are actually able to threaten Holy Britannia? And we have nothing to counter them? You expect us to just roll over and die, Tohsaka?" The incredulous hostility hung in the air, but Rin was unfazed.

"I never said anything like that, Margrave Gottwald. I was only stating the effect these Servants have on Britannia's current operations. And I never said that we would just 'roll over and die.' Be glad, Margrave." Rin smiled one of her characteristic impenetrable smiles. "Holy Britannia hasn't lost her teeth yet."

"Alright, look. I've accepted your premise. Hell, it's beginning to make some sense. But I'm beginning to agree with Sir Guilford, no more cryptic answers. Give us something concrete to work with, both of you-" He glared at Kayeri, then Rin. "-because my patience is at its limit."

"Something concrete? Fine." Rin smirked. "You didn't believe I'd grant your request?"

"I doubted you had something to show." Jeremiah sneered in return as he crossed his arms.

Rin motioned to Odysseus. "Odysseus, if you'd be so kind?"

He looked up in surprise. "Miss Tohsaka, is this really necessary? I thought your explanation was extraordinarily clear. I enjoyed it."

"Well, others don't seem to think so. I think your demonstration would be quite convincing."

"But Father said-"

"My Prince. The Emperor's subjects- your subjects- need to realize what's at stake here."

"Oh, alright. If I must."

Britannia's Gentle Giant stood, his heavy frame rising wearily.

He was the focus of attention of the room, but he didn't meet any of their glances.

His left hand was lifted slowly, steadily. It was marked with an emblem of a strange geometry, marked with the sign of a Master.

"Rider, come forth."

---

The world opened its doors to the rolling rumble of war.

An invisible portal opened, revealing the presence of Rider where there was nothing before.

Each pointed tap of the commander's step was struck with immeasurable discipline, with inestimable loss, with incalculable legacy.

Saltpeter and charcoal, cordite and dynamite, thermite and plastique. These scents accompanied the soldier's slow march into the room.

Steel, blood, and smoke emanated from his person.

Here stood a soldier, a commander, a leader, a veteran, a father.

Here was a being explained away with targeting optics, a subdermal man-machine interface, cross-comms broadcasting, and a mind filled with firing solutions and the tactical history of the greatest nation in the world.

Here was a heroic spirit of a modern mold, a witness to the age where heroes could no longer stand with the advancements of the age, where their deeds were found lacking, in harsh contrast to the achievements of technology.

Here was a Servant.

Turning directly to Clovis and Odysseus, he snapped a perfect salute, barely touching the brim of his cap.

He was dressed in full uniform, but it wasn't a uniform of any recognizable nation. A gold lanyard fell on the right of his deep blue coat, from his gold rank insignia and tucked under his arm. Save for a single badge and the line of gold buttons down the center, the coat was unadorned. It didn't need to be encased in strips of metal to convey the authority this man had. His height and his broad build further emphasized that. With blue trousers and a brimmed and branched service cap, he looked every bit the commander he was.

He announced his presence with a strong voice, with tempered confidence.

"Rider, General of 4th Armored."

His hard gaze fell on the rest of the room.

---

Nobody spoke. The palpable awe remained for a minute.

It was an absurd occurrence. A man had stepped out of air, surely a trick of mirrors or holographics. The smell probably came from someone burning a tank shell's innards. The natural first impulse was, "This is fake."

But to what end? Why play a charade at all?

This was the clash between acceptance and disbelief.

The argument that both Brant and Tohsaka forwarded was full of holes. Reason and logic dictated it was so.

And even the "miraculous" materialization of this noble figure would have been dismissed, were it not for one simple fact.

Immortals existed. The miracle of immortality was real.

And if extending life was achieved by Britannia, surely shortening life was a simple matter of reversal.

However, the EU obtained that power first. An unparalleled weapon that could end Britannia with only a few decisive strikes.

And yet …

Here, Britannia's First Prince called a Servant into this room. And if this Servant was real ….

The only option was hope.

And that led to the inevitable conclusion.

Belief.

Then, a single lady stood, her blonde tresses falling to her sides as her hand swept up in a fluid, powerful motion to her brow.

"Sir!"

Colonel King performed the natural course of action. She saluted her superior officer.

Her action galvanized the rest of the room to follow suit.

The only exceptions were two notable figures.

Jeremiah Gottwald and Rin Tohsaka.

Jeremiah still sat slack-jawed.

For the hour that they were talking about Servants and children and augmentations, he had opposed the idea with all his being. It simply couldn't be real. To have machines make a man Pure? The idea stood against all he stood for, all the Purists stood for.

"You can't be real …"

Impassively, Rider looked upon the Margrave.

"You salute the rank, not the man, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald."

"No." Jeremiah blurted the denial out, the further vocalization of his disbelief. "I won't salute a- whatever you are."

He tried to collect himself, but Rider's penetrating voice halted him in his tracks.

"When one side only of a story is heard and often repeated, the human mind becomes impressed with it insensibly. I am a member of the brink of fate that human nature resisted, that human nature won against. I intend to reclaim that fate. I have committed my entire existence to aiding Britannia in that regard, and I have been recognized for it."

Jeremiah sneered. "This is just something cooked up by Brant and Tohsaka. Cheap fraud won't convince me, 'Rider.'"

Rider frowned. "I understand."

He began his stride towards Jeremiah. "I will acknowledge that a slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man. That all a man can hope for during his lifetime is to set an example. That when he is dead-"His boots clicked on the ground with an ominous intent. "-he can hope to be an inspiration for a history respected by his friends. That actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of his friends. The most liberal professions of good will are very far from being the surest marks of it."

Rider was standing directly over the seated Jeremiah. "I know what I am fit for. I can command a body of men in a rough way. Allow me-"

"Rider, stop." Odysseus walked over to him, matching Rider's deadpan expression with a gentle, dull smile. "This isn't necessary."

Master and Servant stared at each other. Slowly, the Servant reeled himself back. "Hm … As you wish, Master."

As Rider stepped back, Odysseus addressed Jeremiah. "Margrave Jeremiah, I'm beseeching you to acknowledge Rider's command. We've wasted enough time arguing. We just don't have time to discuss politics. Let's move on, shall we?"

As he ended, Odysseus caught Rider's eye and shook his head. Rider acknowledged Odysseus's gesture with an almost imperceptible nod.

The Margrave was still trying to process his Prince's request. He was being asked by the Emperor's successor to recognize this farce.

Why? Why is he doing this?

I loathe conceding to Numbers, but I'll let them have their victory now.

I'll find out what they have over my Prince.

Jeremiah responded to the reprimand with a hesitant salute of his own. "Sir."

Rider touched his cap. "At ease."

"Good, we have that-" Odysseus noticed Rider staring at a corner of the room. "Rider?"

Wordlessly, Rider approached the corner, near the still-standing Rin Tohsaka.

He held out his hand to it.

"Good day to you, Archer."

---

…

King of Nations, do you have enough salutes?

He gripped the proffered palm, and Archer drew himself into reality.

The shock of white hair, the black shades, the body armor, the dark overcoat. If Rider was a commander, this man was a soldier. As contemporary as Rider's uniform was, however, Archer's called to a strange integration of futuristic and classical. With only his shades and his armor, he could have easily been called a well-paid, well-armored private military contractor. But there were little flourishes, such as the overcoat in the end of summer, or the badges and straps that decorated it. It was practical, with just enough of a signature to mark Archer as unique.

It was actually underwhelming. Practical wear doesn't do much to indicate a person's qualities as a post-modern, trans-human super-soldier.

Perhaps that was what Archer was looking for.

Rider shook his hand heartily. "A pleasure to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Archer returned the greeting with a flash of smug content and an equally firm, if less vigorous, grip.

"When these pleasantries are over, I would like to enjoy a cup of tea with you. This terrible War business …"

"… I'd appreciate that, but I have to attend to my Master's concerns." Archer looked meaningfully at Rin.

Rin suddenly became aware of the room's focused attention on her.

"You can't be serious …" But before Jeremiah's skepticism could fully manifest, it was stopped by Mackenzie's hand on his shoulder.

"Hm. It's strange, but it makes sense." She viewed Rin in a new light. "I guess I underestimated you. So who is your Servant, Tohsaka?"

"… Archer."

She didn't receive the same dignified silence that Odysseus's calling of Rider got.

The silence that greeted her statement was tense and critical.

It was only Mackenzie who gained a modicum of respect for Rin. Bartley and Jeremiah were staring in shock. Lloyd and Guilford were simply unreadable.

Which was to be expected. But I don't want to address any questions about my heritage.

To Rin's surprise, it was Guilford who stood and spoke to her.

"This is it, right? You're not making this up." He looked pained, but calm. "That's the only reason Prince Odysseus would stand with you. It's all real."

She nodded.

The pain vanished, and Guilford's attitude became resigned. "Then … Then Cornelia would put priority on finding this Servant and its Master. Britannia comes first. That's why you have the Emperor's sanction, Director Brant. Am I right?"

Brant responded with a touch of restraint. "That's correct, Sir Guilford-"

"Then let me apologize for my affront." Guilford bowed. "I let my anger and desire for vengeance cloud my judgment."

"Apology accepted." It was a strange feeling, but Brant felt sorry for the fallen knight. I can at least throw the dog a bone.

He pulled out a red folder from his briefcase. "I know we have our differences, but I'm willing to offer the Glaston Knights participation in this investigation. I believe that we have something on the Princess's murder. This was the only non-military personnel in close proximity to the G-1 Base."

The new picture on the table was picked up by the knight. "He looks like an Eleven."

"He isn't. Which brings me to my next point-"

---

C:\C\PROXY\WilhelmPDA record

Iknowwehaveourdifferencesbut ImwillingtooffertheGlastonKn ightsparticipationinthisinve stigationIbelievethatwehaves omethingonthePrincesssmurder Thiswastheonlynonmilitaryper sonnelincloseproximitytotheG 1Base.

HelookslikeanEleven

HeisntWhichbringsmetomynextp oint

WARNING. THREAT LEVEL FROM: OSIA11A == HIGH

resolving threat …

PROTOCOL STABLE

continuing record

---

C:\OSIA11A\NetSEC alert

INTRUDER DETECTED

---

Kayeri's phone rang.

"Of all the blasted …" He glanced down at the screen. "Ah."

"What is it, Director?" Guilford looked confused.

It was as if a switch was flicked in Brant's head. He smiled.

"A delightful turn of events." Kayeri clapped his hands together. "My agents have more evidence in Forensics. I'd like to take all of you on a short tour. Would it be satisfactory if we are dismissed, Prince Clovis?"

Rubbing his eyes, the prince looked at his PDA. Well, the PDA he accidentally took from Wilhelm when he switched the two on the nightstand last night. It was 2:40 in the morning. "Very well, but I'm going to sleep. Tell me about it later. Thank you, all."

Save for Odysseus, the room stood at attention as he left, escorted by Bartley. As soon as the door closed, Kayeri's expression hardened.

"Noble, I want that trace now."

His agent was already typing away on his laptop. "Toshima. North of Shinjuku, Brant."

Mackenzie had only seen that expression on Brant's face seven years ago, with her father. "What's going on, Kayeri?"

"OSI NetSEC just detected a hacker on Prince Clovis's PDA. She heard everything that we said." Kayeri turned to address both Mackenzie and Jeremiah. "I need a contain, quick and quiet."

Before Jeremiah could refuse, Mackenzie replied. "Of course, Brant. I'll have my men ready in five."

Jeremiah opened and closed his mouth wordlessly before finding his voice. "Why us? We're Purists. Why not the regulars?"

"The Prince has been compromised. We don't know what other elements of his forces could be tapped. I'd trust your men over them."

"Nice to know you have faith in us." Jeremiah raised an eyebrow, but he got up. "I'll rouse my men up. Maybe you are competent after all, Brant."

More like I have faith in King.

He turned to the ASEEC and Odysseus. "We'll handle it from here. You all should get some rest. We can't have Britannia's Persons of Mass Destruction combat ineffective, right?"

Odysseus smiled. "I can see why my father chose you to head up the investigation. Thank you, Director." He and Rider both turned to face Rin and Archer. "I look forward to working with you."

Rin shook his outstretched hand, hers almost engulfed by his palm. "While it lasts."

Rider had to laugh at that one. "Indeed, miss." He saluted both Master and Servant. "I hope that the next time we meet, it will be on a battlefield by your side. Let us animate and encourage each other, and show the world that the damned Grail belongs for the purchase of heroes, not scoundrels."

Archer's returned acknowledgment was more casual. "What makes you so sure that I'm a hero, Rider?"

Again, Rider laughed. "May I be so bold as to ask you a personal question, Archer?"

"You can be bold, but I won't guarantee an answer."

"Good. What is your wish?"

Rin did a double take. "That's no question to ask of-"

"Hmm. How about world peace?"

That caught Rider off guard. Odysseus and Rider stared blankly in dumbfounded silence at Archer.

Rin, however, could barely contain her laughter. Archer gave her a severe look. It was quickly replaced by an uneasy, timid expression.

"I knew you would laugh … Well, there is no meaning in salvation by the deeds of others. Let's just call this a funny story."

Rider didn't respond immediately. He just joined Rin in laughing at the absurd answer. But he paused, just enough to speak briefly to Archer.

"Remember this, Archer. One man with courage is the majority, and the price of your wish is eternal vigilance. Though with those dark spectacles of yours, it's a wonder you can see at all." With that, he bowed. "I do declare, I believe I destroyed an enemy today when I made him my friend."

His rich, deep merriment faded away as he and Odysseus left.

Lloyd and Suzaku were about to follow suit, but Suzaku noticed Rin hanging back. He was about to turn back, but she shook her head. "I'll talk to you later."

The door closed again, and this time the room was clear for more clandestine, magus talk.

"What is it, Brant? Make it quick."

He shook out his briefcase. Intricate engravings in concrete, circles in triangles, in squares, in triangles, in bizarre, indescribable geometries.

"Summoning Circles. We found thirty of them in Shinjuku."

It was rushed, but Rin got the picture.

"Thirty-? You really think that a magus revealed himself to the resistance?"

"I'm more worried about the involvement of thirty families. If they're going to draw even from the bottom of the barrel for magi, then they're desperate for participation in the Grail War."

"Hm. I should tell Kotomine-"

No, that's not a good idea. "We'll handle it. Get some rest, Tohsaka. Just thought you'd like to know."

"… Alright. I'll leave it in your capable hands, Brant." Rin suddenly yawned, covering her mouth. "Excuse me."

"Is that sarcasm from the impeccable Tohsaka? Go tend to your pilot. He'd love a lady's company." Brant chuckled at his own joke, but the humor was short-lived. "Good work today. Any questions on today's performance?"

"I had one, but I already answered it. Purists and Servants … Hm. Even though it's a lie, you should take care of this hacker. Until next time." And she left, her Servant vanishing back into astralization.

Brant watched her leave with a bit of surprise. He didn't expect to be scolded by her.

"… Right, back to work …" Brant plugged into the comgrid, his comset active with the OSI's defensive network, NetSEC. "Give me a complete sitrep on how the hell this happened. Shut Toshima down."

"Yes, my lord!"

---

"What did you think, Kururugi?"

"I'm a bit confused, Tohsaka-sensei."

"Now you know what I have to go through. You should be grateful that you know the truth."

"The truth doesn't seem much better."

"… Hmm, it doesn't. It's much worse." She sighed. "That's the price of being a magus."

"… Why? Why are you doing this? I don't understand why you would want to pursue something if it's so terrible."

She stopped, and Suzaku almost bumped into her. Her eyes met his when she spun around.

She took a breath, exhaled, and then took another.

"Suzaku Kururugi, will you be able to commit yourself to a war that you cannot win? Are you willing to be a single weapon in Britannia's Grail War?"

In my Grail War?

This was the most unreadable that Rin Tohsaka ever was. Suzaku simply could not see past the veil in her eyes.

Is she a person of honest means, of good will?

I'm not.

That's why-

That's why I can help her. Because every cause I create is tainted.

Because I have to adopt a cause, rather than making one for myself.

If you're alive, Lelouch … you'd approve, if you knew everything. You have Nunnally. Your cause is for yourself, which is for her.

I guess I have to ask myself again … Is she a good person?

Suzaku had his answer ready.

"I'll commit myself to your war. That's the most I can offer."

…

"Then, Kururugi-kun, I expect you to be up by 1000 today. We have my war to prepare for."

---

Notes:

Alright, so even with the vast base of wiki materials, the VN (at least, Mirror Moon's translation) is kinda confusing about what magecraft, magic, and sorcery is. For one, "A circuit to connect the spiritual and the real. We call the result of this, the many mystic occurrences it has made real, magic." That's from Rin's summoning of Archer. But the wiki materials (which quite a few people read more than playing the VN) call this magic "magecraft," and what Rin refers to sorcery "magic." So please, if you have any comments about this to clarify, do tell. I'm guessing it's just the differences in translation, but I could be wrong. Honestly, I'm sticking with magecraft and magic, because magecraft is explicitly performed by magus (well, it's in the name, "magecraft"), while magic is akin to the magic of old. Sorcery has more connotations with raising spirits, a bit too specific for what magic is in Nasuverse, the creation of miracles.

And yeah, Rin is a bit harsher/harder than in F/SN. It's somewhat intentional, due to the nature of her occupation. Honestly, Rin and Suzaku's characterizations were very difficult for me to write. I did end up straying a bit from canon because of Rin's involvement with the Britannian Military, and Suzaku's thoughts being one of a conflicted moral psychopath who's being thrown into a world completely unfamiliar to him. They do share quite a bit of trauma, given … well, you'll find out. I'd appreciate any advice/comments on improving characterization.

Concerning aces becoming commanders, such as Sir/General Guilford (who, admittedly, is a knight), General Darlton (whose combat proficiency is far more evident than his strategic prowess), I thought it rather reasonable for a knightmare/jet ace like Mackenzie King to be near the ranks of general. If you haven't noticed, she's a rather significant tie-in to Fate/Zero Eos. Pay close attention to her involvement (and well, all of the OCs' exploits).

The whole supersoldier scene is a fairly obvious front, designed to put the powerful and influential Purist faction off guard. There are a load of references in there, and the first few (I'll be the judge of how many is "few") person who catches ALL OF THEM in the section WILL GET A SNEAK PEEK AT THE NEXT CHAPTER. I believe that there are at least three.

By now, you should be able to guess who Rider is. Or can you?

The whole "hacking" bit is complete bs. It's simply command-line/prompt tracing. I didn't really want to write out a full techy hack scene, because that's not the focus of this chapter. It's just enough to demonstrate what's going on in the macro level of the computer infiltration.

---

Extras: Deleted Scene.

Why is she pretending?

Everyone knows that magic doesn't exist. Magus? Spirits? What is this about?

She mentioned reality a lot. Maybe she's trying to separate my defeat from reality.

So I should play along. She obviously put a lot of work into this to make me feel better. I guess even Tohsaka likes to pretend once in a while.

"Pffft."

Rin tilted her head. "Kururugi-kun, what was that?"

"Heh." Suzaku felt like that wasn't enough. His amusement grew from a chuckle to a full on torrent of laughter.

Rin's demeanor shifted as Suzaku laughed, from contentment from his apparent understanding, to confusion as she played with one of her twin-tails, to disappointment when she realized that Suzaku was completely serious about his laughter, to-

"Hooo-" Suzaku drew a deep breath. "That's pretty funny, Tohsaka-sensei. For a moment, I almost took you seriously. Magic and spirits … If I didn't know you better, I would have mistaken you for someone out of a mahou shojou. Thanks for making me feel better."

There was no reply.

"… That was a joke, right? Tohsaka-sensei?"

He looked up.

Rin glowered at him.

Her eyebrows were furrowed, her eyes were narrowed, and her mouth was pursed in an expression of severe, severe annoyance.

"Archer."

Swords.

There are swords in my-

Suzaku keeled over, clutching at the bloody patch between his legs.

---

AN: Eurggghhh. I feel terrible. I hate making you wait. I hate writing exposition chapters. The question I fear is "Was this necessary? Seriously?" And the answer I have is "It wasn't." I could have easily leapt into the "next day." But I decided to take a leaf from Code Geass's book, and to show the "behind the scenes" of the other side. I apologize if this isn't quite what you guys expected, but I always felt like I didn't give the pro-antagonists enough attention.

Sleepless (the name of this chapter, if you don't recall. Heheheheh.) is 50% written during the hours of 2-4am. That's all my job allows. I've also been designing things (vague? It's kinda classified.), playing f/sn, and working a 10 hour a day job. Busy? Yes. Dedicated to this fic? HELL YES.

On to replies to reviews.

Vegeta the 3rd, Aiur, AngrySanto: I believe that I sent you all PMs some time in the past. I won't include them here because they do have hints and personal content, as well as redundant information. Thank you for your input. You drive this fic to new heights. I deeply apologize for the brief note, but you will get your due in the next chapter.

1412 karasu: You deserve special mention. However, that comes next chapter. I apologize for the brevity, but the next chapter is a direct continuation of this one, and everything I want to say to you contains spoilers. I hope you can accept this excuse as an apology.

HopelessRomanticist: Gotta love your profile pic. Yes, d'aaaaaawwness will continue to ensue, but be warned. Don't expect it to last (it never does in any drama …). It's not all gloom, though. Just wait and see.

Sephiroth12285: Don't worry too much about Sakura. Shinji has a stress relief valve. I'll be sure to visit your fic as soon as I'm able to. I'm just a bit busy …

Fangking2: Thanks for the save. I completely forgot that Schneizel was the second prince. About the servants, nice guessing, but you're just a bit off. Good try, though.

Gaff Gafgarion: Yep, I put in a ton of effort for that interaction. It was tough, drawing from a real-life experience, but I'm glad it turned out well. I'm also very happy that Lelouch's voice in Shirou's head sounded like … well, Lelouch. It may occasionally be tilted towards Shirou's ideals, but that's just Shirou's voice interjecting. Their shenanigans that made them friends will show up pretty soon, and is actually a pretty big plot point.

Slayer End: Well, whether Saber sees herself as a sword in that divisive regard remains to be seen, but Matt 10:34 is an excellent quote nonetheless.

Vegeta the 3rd: Good lord, I think I totally forgot to read your review. Erm. You actually managed to extract more than I intended. I meant for Shinji to have a bit more depth than his f/sn counterpart, but hearing you say it made it a lot more real. Shirou is always in need of slice of life, and you showed me a lot more than I realized how much he needed it. Funnily enough, the atmosphere was lighter because of the addition of the CG cast. With just the f/sn cast, the atmosphere's only relief is Fuji-nee.

Suzaku vs. Shirou is going to be loaded with subtleties. They're made of the same character mold, but they're quite different in many regards. I won't reveal any spoilers, but look for the contrast in later chapters.

reality deviant: Thanks for the faves! Vortigern is going to be a central part of the plot. Though Lelouch won't know who she is.

MisterSP: I can't say much about the Saber/Lelouch convos, simply because of spoilers. There are at least ten planned out, so each will feed off of each other. About Britannian Christianity … The Church would control the largest part of Britannia Christendom, Area 6. Catholicism would be the most widespread religion there, its population numbering hundreds of millions. As for Anglicism, the Emperor would never accept any religious titles, unless only if the God that he accepts is one of natural selection. Even then, it isn't really a Christian religion, but a deistic survival of the fittest.

Chronodekar: I WILL NOT GIVE UP. NO MATTER HOW SLOW, OR HOW LONG, I WILL ONLY STOP IF I DIE. I owe you readers that much.

Dick Rash: You flame so hard dat shit cray.

In all seriousness, I'd like to know why you were annoyed. Hardly any plot appeared in chaps 1-4. I do see your point for some of the vague descriptions. I've always intended this to be a long-term, read-and-see-the-nuances type of fic. I try not to fall into immediate gratification territory, and that's why I wrote a bit directly on what was happening, without explaining the situations. So, I think they helped the fic. I don't see the point of action without suspense, but I can see how someone can be confused. Thank you for your critique.

Atrile: YES THE PREQUEL. Any comments on this fic, perchance?

Now, I have a question. I noticed that my writing style has improved over the chapters, from a prototype first five chapters to several massive chapters due to schedule delays. Would you like to see a revision of previous chapters, or just continuous updates that add on to the story? I feel like I should revise the previous chapter to be up to par with the latest ones (and there are several mistakes, typos, and inconsistencies that need to be fixed), but the story is taking a lot of time. I'd appreciate any advice you'd have on this.

And one last note:

I highly recommend reading FATE:ZERO EOS, the companion fic to this one. It's brilliant. Read it, it seriously needs some love. To be frank, there's a big reason why my friend and I don't go into original stories. It's you guys. I definitely don't intend to sound whiny, or beggarly, but ~100,000 words and 25 reviews to show for it is a little discouraging, even for the most avid writer. Please, support F:ZE. If I have to beg, I will, but it'll be worth it if my friend can see what you have to say, good or bad.

The link, to F:ZE.

fanfiction s/7996190/1/Fate_Zero_Eos

Thank you. As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Read and Review, please. And if I may be so bold, a reminder of what I'd like to see in a review (PRIZES FOR FEATURED INFO in reviews are in bold).

Favorite part (character, plot, interaction, etc.). Character Creation Entry (rules in chapter 5, roughly 5 slots left). Supersoldier References by 9/8/12 (you get a sneak peek of the new chapter, I'll take it on faith you didn't cheat). Your favorite CG or f/sn merchandise (what? I want to know what's out there).

AND HEY DON'T FORGET FATE:ZERO EOS.

HeavyValor out.