Chapter 3: The Clash of Kings

Fuyuki Park during the day was a wonderful place to be. Families played with their children there, couples walked their dogs, picnics were had, and all around it was a positive place to be. It was a green place, almost year round. People said that there was a curious magic about the place. It was place of joy and love.

But tonight it was to become a place of desolation and destruction.

The party of Kariya, Irisviel, Saber, and Lancer in his Achilles disguise were moving through the park, Kiritsugu somewhere in out and away to do his part from the shadows, along with Maiya. The strange party of the albino woman, two knights and one disfigured man would have stuck out like a sore thumb anywhere but tonight that was the point. It was Kiritsugu's opinion that there was a Master and Servant in the park, and they needed to draw attention to themselves to draw them out. Then, Kiritsugu could strike while said Master was distracted.

At least that was the plan. They had been in said park for three hours, and no one had showed up. Kariya checked his watch and scowled at the time. "It's eleven thirty. I'm starting to think that our Master is a no-show." Said the exile Matou with a glance at Iri.

Iri sighed. "Let's give it another half-an-hour. Till midnight. Then we'll move on." Said the Einzbern heiress. In truth she too had doubts, but she trusted Kiritsugu. Although, he was still human, and susceptible to error. If there was no one here then they would have wasted most of the night. Not that she was eager for a battle, but she did want to end the war as soon as possible. The sooner it was over the sooner that Kiritsugu could get his wish and she… she wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.

Saber narrowed her eyes and glanced about. "Nay, Irisviel. There is something here, I can feel it." She said, readjusting her grip on Excalibur. "Lancer, with me. I feel something in the trees. Kariya, Irisviel, stay back." She instructed.

Lancer nodded and drew the greatsword he had been given by Kiritsugu. That, along with a handgun in a holster at his sides were his weapons under the influence of Knight of Honor. He hadn't wanted to take a gun, they seemed too cowardly a thing to use for a knight. Hell, he hadn't exactly been a fan of bows in life. But pragmatism had overcome knightly honor, and had accepted a semiautomatic pistol. He would stick to his sword though. It was no Arondight, but it was of fine make and would have to do.

There was suddenly a slow clap from the woods, and a drawling voice accompanied it. "My, my. How perceptive of you Saber." Said the voice, dripping with arrogance and sarcasm. "I was wondering when you bumbling mutts would finally catch onto my hiding place."

Saber dropped into fighting position. "Show yourself craven, and die like a warrior!" she snarled, Lancer taking up a defensive position beside her.

A loud and powerful laugh boomed from the woods. "Oh my. These two fools think they can challenge me? The King of Heroes? Oh that is simply hilarious. I have not laughed like this in quite some time." Said the voice.

And then, at the top of a tree, he appeared. He was a young and handsome man, with chiseled features and a look of permanent amusement on his face. Like the world was a joke that only he could perceive, and you were the punchline. His armor was solid gold, and seemed to almost shine like a sun in the pale moonlight. His eyes were red, blood red, and they also were filled with arrogance. He looked down at Lancer and Saber with a practiced haughty look.

"Archer." Said Lancer to himself, recalling the particularly brutal way this newcomer had supposedly dispatched Assassin. Unorthodox to be sure, but frightening in its capabilities. He remembered the blood raining down from the supposed Assassin's death. Lancer steeled himself, fighting back the icy fear in his gut. He could not afford to show fear here. He could not allow this Servant to see his unease. It was one of the ways both he and Arturia had intimidated their foes in life. By presenting a mask of cool indifference in battle, many were nonplussed.

It seemed that Archer was made of sterner stuff, for he matched their cool exterior with one of his own. "Indeed, insignificant mongrel. And the two of you seem to be the Servants Saber and Lancer. How fitting, the three Knight classes here together, two to be destroyed by the third." He said, his red eyes laughing at them.

There was a sudden whoosh behind them, and Lancer and Saber found that they were separated from their Masters by a wall of fire between them. "No, Irisviel!" she cried in a panic, preparing to run for her Master and do her duty as a Servant. Lancer stopped her though, grabbing her around the middle.

"My King, no!" he cried. "Not yet. We must deal with the greater threat." he said, gesturing up to the still smirking Archer. "Irisviel and Master Kariya must fend for themselves." He said gently.

Saber gritted her teeth and mentally cursed, but she knew that Lancer was right. Against a Master, Irisviel and Kariya could hold their own, or at least until Kiritsugu could act. But a Servant, especially one like Archer, could not be matched by their Masters. Saber and Lancer would have to deal with Archer. Kariya and Irisviel were on their own.

Suddenly, from behind Archer, there flared a golden light. Saber and Lancer jumped into a battle stance, facing the Servant of the Bow. Behind the gold clad Servant was a massive golden circle of pure light, interlaid with Sumerian glyphs. Archer smirked. "The Gate of Babylon." He said with a smirk. "I hope the two of you can last a bit longer than that fool Assassin. Now cower mongrels. Cower before the might of Gilgamesh: the King of Heroes! Prepare to meet your death mongrels!" And with that, dozens of swords shot at them from the circle.

Kariya and Irisviel, meanwhile, were faced with a threat of their own. Within the fiery circle, approaching them slowly, was Tokiomi Tohsoka. With the fire behind him, his red suit reflecting the orange flame, he looked like an incarnation of the Devil himself. And the look on his face, a look of bloody murder, did not help put Irisviel's mind at ease.

She cursed herself for being caught so easily. She should have seen this coming, and now hers and Kariya's Servants were unable to aid them against Tohsoka. Hell, she doubted that Kiritsugu could get a clear shot through the wall of fire. But then she looked at Kariya, and she knew that the exiled Matou would not have this any other way.

The look on Kariya's face was one she had only ever seen on his when he mentioned Zouken. It was hate, a dark and terrible hatred manifesting in an animal snarl across his deformed features. Combined with the light and shadow cast by the fire he looked like a monster, more terrible than any in her books or stories. A demon and a monster facing each other. This was going to get really ugly... really, really fast.

"Kariya." Said Tokiomi in a low and deadly voice that somehow boomed over the roaring flames. "I should have known that you would be here. For all your talk about leaving magic behind, you're still as hungry for the Grail as us all." Said the Tohsoka patriarch in a venomous tone. It was clear that any hatred Kariya felt for Tokiomi was reciprocated by the man.

"You're one to talk you bloodthirsty hypocrite." Snarled Kariya viciously. "You sold your own daughter you bastard! You SOLD your damn DAUGHTER! After you claimed to love her, after you claimed to love her mother, YOU SOLD HER TO THAT HEARTLESS DEMON!?" roared Kariya, his crest worms squirming under his skin at their hosts agitation.

Tokiomi thrust out his cane, pointing it at Kariya. "Do not speak to me of that! I loved Sakura, and it tore me apart to give her away."

"LIAR!" screamed Kariya, and a swarm of insects blasted from him, flying at Tohsoka. The action prompted Irisviel as well, and she quickly crafted flock of birds from her wires to join the insects attacking Tohsoka. The birds however, were merely a distraction, as Tohsoka summoned fire to combat his attackers.

Irisviel faced Kariya. "Kariya, we need to think this through. I have an idea, but I'm going to need your help." She said quickly. She needed to move fast to put her plan into motion, but she needed Kariya to be thinking clearly.

Or did she?

"I need you to distract Tohsoka for a few minutes. I have a plan." She said with as much confidence as she could muster. "Do anything you have to, just keep him occupied." She said. "Can you do that?"

Kariya gave a savage smile. "Irisviel, it would be my unique pleasure." He said with gusto. At that moment there was a final explosion of fire from Tohsoka, destroying both Kariya's insects and Irisviel's birds. Irisviel leapt away, leaving the two men to battle while she prepared her trap. "I hope you're ready to die Tohsoka." Said Kariya venomously.

Tokiomi gave a predatory grin. "I believe that I should be the one asking that, Kariya my friend."

It was strange, how the most trivial of things came to one's mind at a time of emergency. For Lancer, it was the thought that, even if he would lose his weapons given to him by Kiritsugu, he would have no want of replacements. He didn't know how many weapons Archer had in his seemingly never-ending supply, but judging by the arrogant look on Archer's face he wasn't running out anytime soon.

It hadn't been a fight so much as it had been target practice for Archer with Saber and Lancer dodging and parrying Archer's attacks every which way. The attacks were constant, so neither could hope to prepare a defense or counter attack. He wasn't accurate, per say, but the range and the spread of his attacks made them near impossible to dodge. At least not without entering the path of another missile.

And to make matters worse, Archer never. Fucking. Shut. UP!

Lancer appreciated a good mid-battle banter as much as any knight, but with this Gilgamesh it was just getting obscene. The Servant kept blathering on and on about how great he was, how perfect, and how pathetic they were in comparison. Dear God, it was enough to make Lancer want to stab himself and end it all! It was simply ridiculous, how high an opinion Archer had of himself. God in Heaven, and Lancer thought Mordred had an ego.

Gilgamesh. The name that Archer had declared was his. The name was familiar, even back during life he was certain he had heard it. And now that he had the name, he could use his connection to the Throne of Heroes to learn about Archer. So he had set himself on autopilot, dodging Archer's attacks with instinct rather than actually thinking about it. All the while, searching more and more through the Throne of Heroes about Gilgamesh.

'Gilgamesh.' He thought to himself, dodging another barrage and flinching as he felt one of the swords nick his arm causing him to almost lose his own sword. 'King of Uruk. Hailed as the first hero. Two thirds a God, not sure how that works. Arrogant. Inflated sense of self-importance. One true friend named…' Lancer nearly stumbled into the path of a projectile as the idea came to him. The way to lay low this pompous ass once and for all.

"MY KING!" called Lancer to Saber as they raced about the battlefield. Both of them bore cuts and scrapes from Archer's onslaught, Saber less so with Avalon at her hip, and they could only continue to dodge for so long. "My King, I have an idea!" he cried as they landed next to each other, back to back.

"Tell me Lancer, and it had better be amazing. Otherwise we will not last the night." She said, deflecting an attack with a flick of her wrist.

"I do, but I will need to get close." He said. In a hushed tone, he imparted his plan to her. It was a simple one, but one that might be exactly what they needed to survive, or perhaps even salvage a victory from all of this.

Saber frowned. "It is risky my friend." She said in way of acknowledgement. "But are you certain it can work?" she asked of him.

Honestly? Lancer had no idea. And yeah, it could easily backfire on the both of them. But they'd been playing 'dodge the sword' for too long. All Archer had to do was wait for them to tire before finishing them off with his seemingly endless horde of weapons. It would only be a matter of time. So now was the time to do something desperate, and this foot that bill. High risk yes, but also high reward. They had the chance to finish off one of the strongest of all the Servants of the Grail War. And they had to seize it.

So he nodded. "Aye my King. Just get me an opportunity to get close, and then we shall finish it." He said as confidently as he could manage.

Saber smiled. "Then go old friend, I shall deal with this cur." She proclaimed. Lancer gave a quick bow and the dashed into the trees. Saber dodged another set of swords rushing at her before crying aloud, "CRAVEN!" she roared at Archer. "To sit atop your tree so proudly, lording over us like a King, when all you truly are is a coward and a wretch!" she insulted the Golden King.

Archer glared down at her with an imperious glare. "You dare insult ME woman?! I, the First Hero? I the King on the Golden Throne? Others have done as you have done, and none have survived to tell of it." Snarled Archer viciously. The attacks, however, had stopped, giving Saber a moment of much needed reprieve.

"Then prove it to me King of Heroes. Prove you are worthy of such an outlandish title! Face me Gilgamesh. Take up one of your prize blades and wield it as a warrior should, not as a child's toy to be thrown about." She declared, her green eyes blazing.

Archer's gaze was so furious it could have melted iron. This… this lowborn whore had DARED to insult him! He could finish her off as easily as batting an eye and she dared to think herself his equal? This wench who made play at being a King?! Archer knew he should just us his Ea to destroy her, but that would be too easy. He was going to make this bitch PAY for insulting him in such a way. He was going to humiliate, disgrace, and ruin her before finally ending her worthless life.

Archer leapt from the tree, summoning one of his swords to his hand and leveled it at her. "You will pay whore." He snarled. And with that he charged forward, swinging with his blade, meeting her own invisible one in a furious shower of sparks. He quickly summoned a second blade in his other hand and jabbed forward, but Saber proved too quick. She twisted out of the way of his stab and parried the blade, knocking it out of the King's hand. Archer leapt away, summoning another weapon, this time a small axe.

Saber moved into a defensive stance, slowly circling Archer. The Golden King himself was suspicious. He was still seeing red, but he was not stupid. He had seen the skill of Saber from afar when she had dueled with Rider and Berserker. It didn't add up in his head. She was fighting purely defensive against him, not pressing any attack. What was she playing at?

He shook those thoughts from his head as he renewed his assault on the female Servant. His pride would not allow him to back down from her challenge. He jabbed with his sword once more while bringing his axe up to strike.

Saber parried and elbowed Archer in the gut, forcing him back. Saber resumed her defensive stance and smirked at Archer. "Is this the extent of your skill, King of Uruk? I have fought squires with more battle grace than you." She boasted.

Archer snarled like a lion and attacked once more, attacking with a more controlled edge at this point. Now he drew upon years of training and skill acquired throughout his life to use against Saber. But it seemed that, no matter what he did, he was not the equal of Saber who continued to play the defensive. "You dance well little woman, you know you only prolong the inevitable." He sneered at Saber. Saber did not respond, merely stood as still as a statue, waiting for Archer to strike. "Nothing to say? No final words?" he taunted. Again, she said nothing.

Quick as an asp he lunged forward, feinting with his sword and swinging towards Saber's head with his axe. Saber, however, was not fooled, and parried his blow and stabbed once more, creating a gash in Archer's cheek. She then jumped back, and waited.

Archer dropped both of his weapons and slowly brought his hand up to his wound. He brought it away and stared at the blood on his fingers. It took a moment to comprehend what he was seeing. Someone, someone who was not his beloved friend, had injured him. Had DARED drawn his blood.

Now Archer was no longer angry. He was beyond that. He was beyond fury, beyond rage, he was goddamn WRATHFUL! With an inarticulate scream of fury he began to glow with golden light. His armor was blasted away leaving his shirtless. His torso began to glow with scarlet tattoos matching the color of his eyes. Archer brought his hands together and cried out "EA!" In his hands appeared a sword, a golden hilted weapon with a black blade and glowing red marks matching the tattoos on his torso. It was Ea: the anti-world Noble Phantasm.

"ENKIDU!" He screamed out. Instantly the area was flooded with golden light as Gates of Babylon opened around Saber. From within the Gates sprouted chains, golden chains. Chains forged by the Gods themselves. The chains wrapped around Saber, binding her as the female Servant cried in shock and anger.

Archer knew he had to act fast. The Enkidu chains were meant to hold those of divine origin, to Saber they would be nothing more than a very strong chain. Strong, but still one she could break. "DIE!" he screamed out, charging forward, preparing to unleash the full and true power of Ea upon Saber.

"GILGAMESH! STOP NOW!" cried a voice from behind him.

Gilgamesh knew that voice. He knew it so well. How could he not? How could he not know the voice of the one being who he had ever considered his friend? The only one to ever truly be his equal. The only one he had ever truly loved.

Gilgamesh slid to a halt and wheeled around, and his scarlet eyes met those that he knew so well. Those that he would recognize anywhere. The green hair that glinted in the moonlight and firelight. The wild look and the plain white robes. The spear was a simple shaft of wood with a bronze tip, but there was no mistaking the identity of the newcomer.

It was Enkidu, the truest friend that Gilgamesh had ever had.

Ea clattered from Archer's hands and his tattoos faded away as he stared in utter shock. His mind refused to accept the information that Enkidu, the beloved friend whom he had lost so long ago, was standing in front of him. Also, though he did not notice it, the chains binding Saber had fallen away as his mind refused to focus on anything but the fact that Enkidu was standing in front of him.

"E-Enkidu. Is it truly you?" he asked aloud of the green-haired man before him. He never got his answer, for two things happened as soon as the words left his mouth. First, Enkidu smirked and dissolved into astral form. As that happened he heard, from behind him, the sound of running feet and the cry of the most powerful of Saber's Noble Phantasms.

"EXCALIBUR!" And as the attack struck him and the power of the King of Knights tore him apart, only one thought entered Gilgamesh's head. One thought and one thought alone that sent him deep into a black and terrible despair unlike any other.

Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, the First Hero, the Archer of the Fourth Holy Grail War, the Servant who could have ended the War in one night if he had chosen to do so, died for the second time believing that his only friend had betrayed him.

For Tokiomi Tohsoka, he had not expected much of a fight from Kariya. The exiled Matou, he knew, had little to no training in magic if Zouken was to be believed. He had expected to defeat Kariya rather quickly and wring the truth out of him within moments of engaging him.

What he had not counted on, he saw now, was the sheer ferocity and rage with which Kariya attacked him, immediately putting Tokiomi on the defensive. The Einzbern woman, much to his frustration, was working on something in the corner while she countered Tokiomi's own attacks at the same time; protecting both herself and Kariya as the exiled Matou pressed his weak but relentless attacks against Tokiomi.

What was even more frustrating was that Kariya did not fight like a true Magus. Due to his lack of training, all of his attacks were improvised and wild, difficult for Tokiomi to counteract. He had none of the theoretical rigor of a true Magus to go with his power. It was like fighting a child with the strength of an adult. And to add onto everything else, Archer was continuously drawing on Tokiomi's prana in his fight with the two other Servants.

This was supposed to be over so quickly. He would destroy the woman and subdue Kariya while Archer dealt with Saber and Lancer. But it seemed that Tokiomi had severely underestimated his foes. Kariya in his sheer determination to hurt Tokiomi, and the Einzbern woman in her adeptness in the arcane arts. It was, however, a testament to his own skill that he was able to maneuver about the two enemies with such grace and even gain footing against them.

At the moment though both he and Kariya were resting, glaring at each other while they both waited for the other to make a move. "Well Kariya, I must say that you're not the complete failure I thought to encounter tonight. Perhaps you do possess a microcosm of your father's lauded abilities." He sneered at the disfigured man.

"Well you know me, just one big surprise." Said Kariya, preparing for the inevitable continuation of their fight. "Ask Aoi, she'll tell you just how big I am." he said as Tokiomi growled at him.

"I have no time for such crassness, though I know you lie. Now make this easier for all of us and tell me now where Sakura is." Said Tokiomi as he pointed his staff at Kariya, the tip bursting into flame. "You have always coveted that which cannot be yours, and my children are no different. Now tell me where my daughter is!" he demanded.

"Safe." Spat Kariya. "Safe from you. And don't you remember? She isn't your daughter anymore. You lost that right, that privilege, when you SOLD her!" he roared. "And to a monster like Zouken at that. I knew Magi were bastards but you really take the cake Tokiomi."

At that moment, something quite spectacular happened. Something not many people got to see, or at least lived to tell of. Tokiomi Tohsoka, the calm and collected Magus, Head of the Tohsoka family, proceeded to completely lose all control. With a vicious war cry he blasted Kariya with a lightning bolt, sending the younger man flying and leaving a great scorch mark on Kariya's chest. Kariya scrambled to all fours, but struggled to rise further as Tokiomi rushed forward and struck him once with his cane.

Kariya groaned and fell to his elbows as Tokiomi brought up his foot and slammed it down onto his head, crushing Kariya face first into the dirt. "This, Kariya, is exactly where you belong." Snarled the Magi. Normally he would never lose control like this, but rage and grief had driven him over the edge. This man knew, he KNEW where his daughter was. And he withheld her from him. Well now he was going to pay the price for enraging a Magus.

However, before he could demonstrate his fury further he felt something wrap around his wrists, binding them over his head. Panic setting in, he turned his head to see the Einzbern woman manipulating the blue wires, a grimly triumphant look in her eyes. "You're no parent." She hissed. "KIRI! NOW!" she screamed at the top of her lungs and hauled Tokiomi up into the air, far above the flaming wall. For a split second, everything is frozen.

And then there was a scream of "EXCALIBUR!" and the world erupted into white light. As the light blasted through, three things Tokiomi became very aware of. First, the Command Seals on his hand burning away. However, that became very minor as two more sensations became known to him. One was the feeling of a bullet tearing through his gut, just before the light erupted, and finally a second one struck him in the shoulder as the light blasted forth.

Tokiomi felt the bindings on his wrist fade away, and he fell down to the ground, screaming in agony. But just before he hit the dirt the shockwave of energy hit sending him and the other two flying, decimating his wall of fire, and uprooting several trees.

And then… blackness. Tokiomi slipped into either death or unconsciousness, he did not know which.

Waver Velvet had joined this war for one reason, and one reason alone: to prove himself. To dash away the prejudices and limits put upon him because of his status as a third-generation Magus. To prove to the world that even a nobody like him could command a Servant and win the War for the Holy Grail. To tell Kayneth Archibold and those like him to fuck off.

Then he had discovered that War was not a term used lightly, and it went hand in hand with pain and terror. He now realized that entering this War was probably a bad idea, and now he had to stick it through to the end. Yeah, he was probably screwed.

So when Berserker, the Servant that had nearly killed him the first night had approached his home panic was a perfectly appropriate response. But still, Rider had managed to calm him down (read: smack him upside the head) and he had seen that the Viking was waving a white flag, a haphazard construction of a twig and a rather singed hotel tower. Upon hearing that the surprisingly sane Berserker was asking to parley Waver had been hesitant, but Rider with his "kingly manners" and "royal courtesies" had accepted with a laugh.

They were currently in Waver's bedroom, Waver on the floor as FAR away from Berserker as he could get, Rider lounging on the bed like the king that he was, and Berserker standing before them both by the door though not with his back to it, his head inclined proudly. There was tension in the room, and Waver knew that most of it came from him. But hey, if you were facing down the crazy Viking who almost killed you YOU'D BE NERVOUS TOO!

"So Berserker!" proclaimed Rider. "You seem to be in remarkably good form this day, being in possession of your senses and all." He said jovially. "I would offer you wine, but I fear there is none to be had." Said the King of Conquerors, sounding a bit disappointed in himself, as though he had truly neglected his royal courtesy.

"I prefer some good and cold mountain mead anyway." Said Berserker gruffly. "Besides, I ain't here ta drink. I'm here ta talk." He said in a serious tone.

"Did Professor Kayneth send you?" blurts out Waver before he could stop himself. "I-I mean… did he remove your Mad Enhancement to talk to me? W-want me to surrender? Something like that?" he asked, hoping against hope that his teacher had calmed a bit and called off Berserker from actively hunting and killing Waver.

The Viking snorted. "Nay laddie, I'm here on me own account. And between the two of us, I can't stand the alicarl." He said with a snigger. Waver wasn't sure he was relieved by this news or made more nervous by it (if that were possible), but he could identify about not being able to stand the bigoted blue-blood so he let out a breath.

"What I am here for is ta make a deal." Said Berserker, leaning against the wall. "See, I ain't fond of ma Master. He's a coward and an idiot. Now I want ta win, but I don't want ta win with him." Said the Servant of Madness simply. "So, here's me proposal. You take over as the Master of both meself and Rider over there and you get yer wish either way. And I'll take care of the blonde ponce fer ya." Said the Viking in a very straightforward way.

Though it was a clear answer and exactly what Waver wanted, it floored him. The idea of a Servant coming to him, requesting to fight beside him, was that absolute last thing he expected to hear. But as soon as that wore off the idea hit him like a freight train. TWO SERVANTS! That was exactly what he needed. Double the firepower and double the protection. It was everything he could have asked for!

But Waver was not top of his class for nothing. And he also knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch there was a catch here someplace. There was something bad that went along with this deal. He knew it. Waver briefly met Rider's eyes and he saw that the Servant agreed with him.

Waver stood, feeling a bit of confidence returning. "Alright, I have a few questions though." He said, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "First off, prana." He said, using the first logical argument coming to mind. "I've done the research, the Berserker Class takes up the most out of all of them. How do you plan to provide for both yourself and Rider?" He asked, trying to keep his voice diplomatic.

Berserker waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry yer pretty little head lad. Ah got me own source of prana. You'll barely need ta dish up any 'cept in scraps." He said casually enough, but his eyes flashed dangerously and Waver knew not to press it. Still, he figure that the Servant had cracked using Ley Lines, Fuyuki was famous among Magi for them after all.

"Alright, what about your wish?" asked Waver. "Only one Servant gets the wish." He said as assertively as he could. "What happens when you and Rider are the only ones left? Where's that leave us?" he asked.

More specifically where did that leave Rider? Waver liked Rider, and he wanted to help the red-haired giant get his wish to traverse the lands of a new era and just enjoy the new world. Plus there was the small fact that a duel between Rider and Berserker would probably kill Waver too if he was supplying both of them prana.

Berserker shrugged. "Ain't really got one laddie. Really all I want is a few more good bouts before I kick the bucket again." Said the Viking, sounding genuine. And Waver wanted to believe him. He really did. Having Berserker at his command plus Rider would be a HUGE advantage. Plus, the Viking sounded genuine.

Waver glanced at Rider, and the brash king considered for a moment. He seemed to be mulling over the words of Berserker. Finally Rider nodded at Waver.

Waver turned back to Berserker and grinned. "Alright, you've got yourself a deal Berserker." Said Waver with a grin, extending his hand out to shake. Internally, though, he was jumping for joy. Two Servants? Oh yeah, this was in the bag.

Berserker laughed and shook hands with Waver. "Ya won't regret this laddie, I promise." He said with a grin. "Now, I just gotta get one thing, then this whole thigs' finalized. Wish me luck!" he cried, and then proceeded to jump out the window, shattering the glass.

Waver stared after him, hearing only Rider's bellowing laugh. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…

Caster stared into her bubbling cauldron, watching the scene before her play out. Gilgamesh, fool that he was, was dead. And oh it had been entertaining to watch that little scrap play out. Truly the idiot had never stood a chance against Arturia and Lancelot both. It was a simple fact, the two were a nigh unstoppable team. But, not invincible, and that was what Caster was counting on. The little flaws, the tiny mistakes, which would eventually tear them apart.

Soon, everything she desired would be hers. Every dream she had been denied, every right that had been withheld from her, everything that should have been hers would be once the Grail was in her hand. And now that she knew the identities of Lancer and Saber, oh it would be all the sweeter when she wrenched victory from them.

"P-please." Begged the voice from the unfortunate wretch who had summoned her from the corner. She deigned a glance of contempt in his direction. "Just… just let me die." Begged the broken voice of the former serial killer Uryuu Ryuunosuke.

"Silence worm." Hissed Caster, striking him with a bolt of energy. Ignoring his pitiful sobs she turned back to the cauldron, smiling in barely controlled delight. "It's been a long time now hasn't it… sister."

Morgana Le Fey, the Servant Caster of the Fourth Grail War, the Witch of Darkness, threw back her head and released a wicked cackle.

AN: It's great to be back people! Not gonna lie, this chapter was an absolute BITCH to write. Mainly because fight scenes are impossible to do logically and with drama mixed in. Hope this was up to par.

Anyway, tell me what you think in the comment section! I'd love to hear what your opinions are, especially with the addition of Morgana into the mix. I feel like she would be the perfect villain of this piece, especially with Gilgamesh dead.

If you're pissed about Gilgamesh getting killed, well, sorry. But it just sort of turned out this way. I really don't think even he could have survived the combined brain and brawn of both Arturia and Lancelot. But if you wish to rampage and flame, please do so in a constructive manner.

Next chapter things will slow down a little, and we'll get to see another side of Berserker and get some more drama with Arturia and Lancelot. More Waver too. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Love you all to bits!