This is an original fiction, set in the Fate/Stay Night universe. Attempts have been made to explain mechanics where needed, but novices will likely be in over their head, if unfamiliar. Most parts were written by me. Saber and Lacie's parts were written by a friend in real-life, who goes by the handle RagDollPuppy. As usual with something like, this, all hail Nasu and Type-Moon, and this universe belongs to them, along with characters, names, concepts, etc., they came up with. Most characters are original. If you can look up their name and find them on Type Moon wiki, then they're not ours. Finally, please don't steal this. We'd be quite cross. If you wish to post this somewhere else, just fire me a message! I don't bite. :)

Fate/False Sacrifice

Chapter 2:

/-\Trenton/-\

It was a simple wish.

All that Mother had told him, at that precipice before death, was 'Have fun. There's so much in this life, so just have fun." It was such a simple wish, one that was heartfelt, one with only something that could be called a positive connotation. It was something that should have been incorruptible.

So, how had it become so rotten? How had Trenton corrupted his sacred Mother's wish? How had an adult, who should have been able to understand what she was meaning, turn it into this? The most chilling part, the part he enjoyed the most, was the answer.

It was so much more fun that way.

That was the answer Trenton had come to, and the answer that came back to him, now that he was in the midst of a Holy Grail War, deep in the sanctuary of his family's household. A good magus always squirreled themselves away when this sort of thing started. His father had told him, it *had* officially started, and now his thoughts had wandered back to that subject, which was exemplary of the core of his being.

The Holy Grail War was certainly an example of the reason for his tainted way of thinking. An all-out war, so that only one could gain their heartfelt wish, standing above the corpses of the other six. That was the sort of terrible thing that this world maintained. If he was to enjoy life, all aspects of life, he had to accept such a thing, and he took to enjoying such terrible things perhaps too well.

Tormenting students at the Magus Association was small fries compared to this. Even now, he had sent his loyal servant, to fake her death. A prank, and he had the perfect target. Father told him about Lacie, and he just knew she would have the best reaction. Apparently she was building a magical circle, to use the unutilized magical energy of the novice magi all over London. It was a master-stroke.

Trenton was truly lucky he had the only servant who could counter it. That Saber had an astounding magical resistance, as gifted by the Holy Grail, was not an issue once Saber was pitted against the other servants, thinking Caster was dead. Once things were set up this way, the Holy Grail War could turn a lot more fun.

"So Lacie," He said, in that stereotypically dramatic manner befitting a character in a play who talked out loud for the audiences convenience, "…think you'll like my joke?"

VV-Caster-VV

Bathory had already eliminated two points of the magical circle. To her, it was folly to make such a thing that eliminating one or two points could completely unravel the whole thing. An outside observer might say that it's the way of a noblewoman to think of herself as above others, so of course she looks down upon the magic of this time, but for now, she was alone, to unravel this thing as slowly as possible.

Inherently, it was a magical circle designed to gather magical energy, so it had magical energy to spare. It was that which Bathory entertained herself with, to keep from exhausting this thing before a response could come. She was already done with two points, she imagined that they would find her at this third one. Nobody wandered a park at midnight, so they would be alone. It was a small miracle that until now nobody had witnessed the small skirmishes, but now that the war had properly started, they would have to be careful and eliminate all chances of a witness.

Like clockwork at the strike of midnight, a fireball comes flying at Caster from behind. She of course expects such a reaction to a magus having had their magical circle tampered with. A boundary field might slow down the onslaught fractionally, or perhaps even majorly, but that defeated the purpose of this engagement. If she took too long getting through, this would attract the attention of too many others, and she preferred not to risk the chance of some servant having the ability to cancel her regenerative abilities.

"Lacie, I take it? Trenton has told me about you. He's such a troublesome kid, forcing a direct confrontation upon me." Her voice was without fear, sultry, and in control. It was only right for a noblewoman, went the thinking. "I hope you brought your servant."

The young magus has a look of surprise on her face "Ah, SHIT!"….It seems as as if Caster has hit the bulls eye. Lacie turns around and gets ready to run away. Bathory can sense the connection, but, for the moment at least, she didn't care. A knife turned inward with her wrist, not to cut another, but to cut herself. A small trickle of blood, prepared for that origin of Caster's magic.

Once Lacie realizes that nothing is happening, even though she hasn't taken a step, she turns back around with a bored expression on her face. "How dull." At that moment Roland had already materialized and started his charge on Caster from behind.

It was some small surprise, but her response had already been prepared, regardless of whether it was an offensive or a defensive use. Blood came up in a great sheen, shielding Caster, and additionally, hiding her further casting, a torrent of blood underneath her that carried to the side, further away from Saber. While it was not quite as efficient as harvesting from a live human, manifesting magical energy as blood was simple for Caster.

Nonetheless, the further spikes that came from Bathory's were futile, and could only fail to stop Saber's charge. Magic Resistance was the attribute that went along with the Saber class. It was only to be expected, but it still frustrated Caster that her attempt at a climactic battle was foiled. She didn't have a choice. It seemed Trenton *was* right.

"Hey, whore, did you know my Saber also has Protection of Faith? Your attacks aren't going to cut it." At the point that pale mages speech ends Roland is again within in striking distance and is about to give the killing blow.

The lance that cuts through the intervening silence is definitely a Noble Phantasm. Its effect on Caster, as it strikes her chest, is the strange sort of reaction you'd expect. It passed directly through her chest, to drain away the prana she had so gleefully gained, just as the sword Durandal cleaved her from shoulder to side. It was like a one-two punch, and Caster was gone.

"Seems I was just in time to steal a little glory." The strange dress of this man immediately marks him as Greek, and the lance, helmet, winged sandals, and shield made it even more obvious what servant he was. Everyone present knew that Perseus, as Lancer, had joined the fray.