Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

King of Beasts Productions Presents:

Fate/Zero Hour: A Fate/Zero Multicrossover Fanfiction

Chapter 12: The Banquet of Heroes

Fuyuki Hyatt.

"You're quite busy."

Edgar Silverstein, sitting on the couch, looked up from the files he was scanning to see Scarlette Valentine holding two cups of coffee with a smile on her face. Said files contained data on the Servants summoned for this version of the 4th Grail War. The one he had been studying was Lancer's, which was kind of ironic.

"I should be saying that to you." Edgar countered with a wry smirk as he took the offered mug. "By the way, where's Azal?"

"Still trying to convince that stubborn orc to join our cause." The blonde rolled her eyes as she joined him. "A waste of time, in my opinion."

"I wouldn't say that. I'm not a fan of his either, but I wouldn't say he's irredeemable." Edgar chuckled. "Many OSG members are former villains too. Hell, even your boss didn't have benevolent intentions at one point of his long, long life."

"Point taken." Scarlette nodded as she took a sip.

"Moving past that topic," Edgar smirked as he put the file he was studying down on the table. "You promised me that you'd tell me everything you know about me and my wife."

"Oh?" Scarlette put a finger on her chin, acting as if she had forgotten saying such. "Did I ever say that?"

"Yes you did!" Edgar retorted in annoyance. "'All will be revealed in due time', remember?"

"Kidding, kidding." The red-clad secretary giggled at his reaction. "I did promise that. So, let me re-introduce myself."

Edgar felt the nature of the conversation take a serious turn when she stood up and gave a curtsy. "My true identity is Velvet, Daughter of the Demon King Odin of Ragnanival and Princess Ariel of the Kingdom of Valentine. It's a pleasure to meet you, Oswald the Shadow Knight."

"Odin...was your father?" Edgar was in disbelief over what he had heard, and for good reason.

"Not by choice, I assure you. It was a source of many of my hardships as well as the fall of my kingdom." Scarlette pointed out bluntly. "And before you ask, yes, this makes Gwendolyn my half-sister."

"Does she know?"

"Yes, but the circumstances leading to the reveal were not pleasant." Scarlette felt her stomach curdle at the memory. "You can thank Briggan for that."

"He will not be missed." The Shadow Knight agreed immediately.

"However, I will tell you this: Your wife did her best to protect me, even defying our father." Scarlette found herself smiling. "If anything, it was because of that mess that she met you."

"Is that so?" Edgar smiled alongside her. "I suppose I should thank you, then, that I was able to meet her."

"And I you, for giving my younger sister the love she deserved." Scarlette's smile had a small hint of nostalgia in it. "If anything, you remind me of my own beloved."

"What does that mean?" Edgar raised a brow at what she had said.

"A tale for another day." She sighed sadly. "All I can tell you for now was that I do not come from the same Erion you and Lancer do...and that there were choices that should not have been made."

Any attempt to continue that conversation was immediately cut short when they heard several knocks on the door. Having erected magical wards on said door, the fact that no warning signal went off meant that they were not hostiles.

"Looks like they're back." Scarlette smiled, much to Edgar's bewilderment, when she stood up and began walking towards the door. Upon opening it, it revealed four individuals, three females and one male, of colored origins.

The male was dressed in a suit, much like the rest, but what made him stand out was a cowboy hat, a beaded necklace, messy hair and a big grin. He was also the tallest of the bunch. One of the females, who often wore a serious expression on her face, was also clad in a suit, her long blue haired tied by a ribbon with ethnic designs and she had a massive metal case on her back. The other female was wearing a shawl of the same design over a navy blue sweater and skirt combo with stockings. The last girl was the most outlandish: The shortest of the bunch clad in a purple sweater and black jeans, her long hair had a purplish tint on them. Her wide eyes had a look of innocence of them and her grin beamed of a radiant personality.

As said earlier, they were a colorful bunch.

"We're home!" The short one declared with a wave.

"Welcome back." Scarlette greeted them with a motherly smile. "I take it that your mission in the Canopy Kingdom was successful?"

"We had some trouble with the Medicis, but nothing we couldn't handle." The male replied with a confident grin. "That circus performer with the strange hat was the hardest to deal with."

"Agreed." The girl with the metal case nodded. "Though, without a doubt, the Skullgirl was our most difficult opponent. We were lucky to have escaped with no casualties."

"At least we all got out okay." The girl with the shawl then looked behind Scarlette to see the silver-haired male sitting on the couch. "We have a guest, I see."

"Sorry. I forgot he was there."

"Very funny." Edgar quipped from behind them.

"I suppose it's time you met more of our motley crew." Scarlette giggled at his reaction, making a note to tease the Shadow Knight more often. "Everyone, this is Edgar Silverstein, Head of the Ordinis Sanctus Gladius. These four are Portgas D. Ace, Imca Gunther, Isara Gunther and Yuuki Konno. Each of them are full-fledged members of the Sentinels."

"Pleased to meet you all." Edgar replied with a pleasant smile.

"Oh, you're all back." Alvin and Selvaria entered at that time to greet them as well.

"Yup, and the mission was a success like always." Ace grinned as he and the former exchanged high-fives. "Let's have some drinks to celebrate, shall we?"

"Now you're speaking my language!"

"Wait, what?" Before Scarlette could stop them, pirate and con-man were already making a beeline for the bar. At the other side, Imca and Selvaria were sizing each other up with glares.

"I see that you're just sitting here while I'm out on the field." Imca grinned haughtily. "If this keeps up, you just might lose to me, Valkyrur."

"Ah, that beating I gave you back then did little to dull your enthusiasm." Selvaria sneered at her as well. "Makes me wonder why Miss Gunther adopted you. Very well, I'll humor you, little Darcsen."

"Uhm, guys.." Unfortunately, Isara was ignored as the other two left hastily towards the make-shift training room to settle their differences.

"If that's the case, I'll go give Mr. Azal my report!" Before Scarlette could say anything, Yuuki left for where Salem was. It was at that point Shu and Inori showed up as well.

"I guess they're back, then." Shu noted while Inori watched silently, like always.

"Yes. Yes they are." Scarlette facepalmed at what unfolded in front of her. "For interdimensional travelers, they're too carefree. I'm just glad Kokonoe's brood isn't here to stir things even further."

"Looks like you have a rowdy bunch, Miss Valentine." Edgar chuckled as he watched the ensuing chaos.

"Yes, but they're MY rowdy bunch." Scarlette sighed before turning to Isara. "I guess we'll have to prepare dinner then."

"Right." Isara nodded as she and the blonde went towards the kitchen with Shu and Inori at their tails. "I'll leave enough for Akame too. She gets really hungry after missions."

As they all left, Edgar noted the similarities between the OSG and the Sentinels.

"At their cores, they're both screwed-up families." He chuckled. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Meanwhile, In the City...

Saber and Irisviel were quite surprised when Lancer showed up at the castle. They were ready to fight, of course, but Odin's Witch assured them that she bore no ill intent. Seeing as she has been trustworthy so far, they listened to what she had to say. They weren't about to forget her help against the Tokiomi Faction.

Her tale was an unsettling one: As it turns out, Caster and his Master had been the one behind the killings occurring all over town. Saber clenching her fist in righteous anger as she heard of the atrocities done was enough of an indicator that she was willing to take Caster down no matter what.

As such, She and Irisviel accepted the offer on Kiritsugu's behalf, who was with Maiya elsewhere at the time. This led them to where they were now: Saber driving their car through town with Lancer and Irisviel at the backseat.

"Which Servants are going to be there?" Irisviel asked as Saber, clad in her usual jet black suit, drove them down the main street.

"If Rider does his part, all of them. Not counting Caster, of course." Lancer spoke, once again clad in her civilian attire.

"I see." The silver-haired homunculus nodded.

"While the extra help is appreciated, I am still wary of some of our comrades." Saber spoke her piece whilst she drove. "While Rider and Berserker are dependable, trusting Archer and Assassin will not be easy to do, considering their attack on us two days ago."

"Believe me, I know what you mean." Lancer nodded in agreement. "However, we must cast aside our differences if we are to defeat Caster. He poses a great threat to all of us. If left unchecked, he would expose the Grail War to the world and, by then and after, countless innocent lives will have been lost. As Heroic Spirits, we cannot allow a catastrophe of that magnitude occur."

"We're here."

Saber hit the brakes as the limo stopped in front of the Ahnenerbe, the agreed meeting place for the Servants to discuss.

"Looks like we're the first here." Irisviel noted as all three of them exited the vehicle.

"The others should be coming here any moment now."

"Looks like the whole gang's here!" True to Lancer's words, Rider appeared from behind them, with Waver, Assassin and Archer in tow.

"Well met, Rider." Saber smiled at the man before turning to the other two Servants. "Know that if you try any sort of treachery, I will make sure to end you."

"Relax, Saber." Archer spoke first as he walked towards the door. "I have no interest in starting a fight tonight. It just so happens that defeating Caster is in all our best interests right now."

"Aww, no need to be a stick in the mud, Archer-kun." Assassin pouted as she skipped after him. "What's the harm of a friendly duel between comrades?"

"I do not condone your idea of a 'friendly duel'." Lancer snapped back immediately as the Tohsaka Faction Servants walked past her.

"Trust me, I don't like this either." Rider spoke in a low whisper. "But we need all the help we can get when we deal with Caster."

"Agreed." The trio nodded as they followed Rider and Waver inside.

"About time you guys came." Berserker's gruff voice called out to them as they went in, wearing his work clothes and smelling of oil and grease. "Been working my ass off all afternoon making all this."

All the Servants and Masters present dropped their jaws at the sight of the spread the Grim Reaper prepared; on one long table lay many assorted dishes. Among them was fried rice in which it's aroma wafted through the restaurant, a giant bowl of fresh Caesar Salad, trays of sushi made of various flavors, a hearty rabbit stew, thick slabs of juicy rib-eye steak, and many other dishes were displayed. There were also assorted drinks such as beer, wine, soda and others to quench the thirst.

As Berserker intended, it was a feast meant to feed royalty.

"So...much...food..." Saber's eyes began to sparkle with a longing she did not realize existed.

"This is..." Lancer spoke with equal parts awe and disbelief.

"Amazing..." Irisviel and Waver followed suit.

"Damn, you outdid yourself there, Berserker." Rider chuckled as he took his seat.

"Cest Manifique~!" Assassin agreed "Top marks on presentation!"

"Hmph. Not bad, I suppose, for a neanderthal." Archer, of course, had some scathing words to say to the Servant of Madness.

"Of course you'd say that." Berserker rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Sorry my food doesn't meet your standards. If you don't like it, just walk out the door."

"Now, now." Rider chuckled as he placated the two bickering Servants. "Let's save all that for after we deal with Caster. For now, why don't we enjoy this lovely spread?"

"Indeed!" Saber wasted no time taking her seat, grabbing a plate and digging in. Irisviel giggled as she took her seat beside the King of Knights. Across them sat Lancer, helping herself to some roasted salmon while Assassin and Archer focused on the sushi. Waver, of course, took a seat beside his Servant and decided on having some steak.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" Rider grinned as he grabbed a beer can. "Let's get this party started!"

The Banquet was at full swing, Servants and the two Masters eating and drinking to their heart's content. Saber, for her part, kept going for seconds so counting on her to say anything at this point was fruitless.

"I must say, your spread is rather impressive, Berserker." Irisviel complimented the Servant of Madness with a smile as she took a sip of some orange juice.

"Hmph, it's serviceable." Archer admitted gruffly, using his chopsticks like a pro to dip some sashimi into the soy sauce.

"Wow, Archer-kun finally complimented you~!" Assassin giggled as she took a sip of some wine.

"I'll take it." Berserker sighed as he took a bite of some fried chicken. "Not like I wanted his praise."

"By the way, is your Master joining us?" Waver asked the Grim Reaper.

"He's resting up in the cellar-Oh wait, there he is." Berserker noted that Kariya, clad in his usual hoodie, decided to join the festivities. "You sure you're going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine, Berserker." The Matou Master reassured him. "It's about time I met the others anyway." With this, Kariya took his seat and greeted them with the best smile he could muster. "My name's Matou Kariya, Master of Berserker. Pleased to finally meet you all."

Each Servant returned the greeting, as well as Waver and Irisviel, before returning to their respective meals.

"As fun as this all was, I believe it's time we get into the heart of the matter." Lancer interjected at this point before the rest of the bunch could get carried away.

"Right, the reason why we're here today." Rider nodded as he gulped down his umpteenth can of beer. "So...what are we going to do about Caster?"

Waver noted that the nature of the conversation took a more serious turn. Even Saber, who had been gorging herself non-stop, paused to give it some thought.

"Obviously, it would be best to share everything you know." Archer spoke first. "I understand that you had raided Caster's atelier and destroyed it while Berserker engaged him at the midst of his activities."

"Yep, and he was using the souls he was harvesting to make these." Rider slid a small metal box across the table that, upon opening, revealed those ominous stones found at the atelier.

"Interesting." Archer noted as he examined it. "Even from a glance, I can tell that this artifact is of demonic origin. But what would he use these for? A large scale ritual, perhaps?"

"Can't say for certain." The Servant of the Steed shrugged his shoulder. "What I can tell you for sure is that whatever he has planned involves those stones."

"At any rate, I don't think we're gonna find Caster at his atelier anymore." Berserker put in his two cents. "He'd be pretty stupid to stay there after we all know it's location."

"Hmm...I'd move to a location where my prana reserves will always be a-ok!" Assassin put a finger on her dainty chin in thought. "Somewhere where I have all the raw materials I need to work, but will not draw enough attention to myself."

"Where would a place like that exist, though?" Lancer questioned. "Surely nowhere in this city fits this description?"

"Well, there's the Ryuudou Temple." Irisviel, being the Lesser Grail, put in her own thoughts. "As one of the places where the Grail would manifest, as well as it being over a leyline, it would be the perfect place to prepare a workshop."

"Where would he hide though?" Waver asked. "There are monks living in the area, and I'm sure they would notice someone like Caster immediately."

"There's a cavern underneath the temple." The silver-haired homunculus answered. "I wouldn't be surprised if he hid there."

"We don't know what he's up to, but at least we know where he'll be." Rider smiled with satisfaction. "So far, so good. One last thing: What's our battle strategy? We don't know what Caster is exactly capable of, but fighting his class at his home turf would be difficult."

"Agreed." Saber nodded. "I will take the point against the fiend. My Magic Resistance should nullify majority of his spells."

"And we have the numbers advantage too." Berserker added. "He has the ability to summon minions, though, so that might be null and void."

"I got something for that." Rider interjected with a knowing grin. Having witnessed his Noble Phantasm personally, Berserker and Waver did not doubt the Servant's words.

"I suppose we're done for today...Except for one more matter." The Servant continued on. "Something to make our little coalition official."

"How do you propose we do that?" Saber raised her brow at this.

"Hmm..." The Marshal of Mar Sara placed a hand in his bearded chin to give it some thought. When he got an idea, he grinned as he took another beer. "Howabout we tell each other's wishes?"

"Excuse me?" Archer would be the first to raise a brow at this. "And why would we want to share something so personal?"

"Consider it a gesture of good will." Rider chuckled. "After all, we all want the Grail for something, and I'm sure we each think we deserve it the most. So why don't have a lil' talk to settle that matter? Who know, it might help us understand each other that way."

"Sounds pretty dumb." Berserker groaned in annoyance. "Whatever, I guess. Not like we got anything better to do right now."

"I concur." Lancer nodded in agreement. "It's a good chance to get to know our allies better to say the least."

"I agree as well." Saber added.

"Me too!" Archer did a double take at what he perceived as a betrayal by Assassin. While he didn't condone this, he thought it would be a good idea to know the inner workings of his opponents. That, and he was outvoted five to one on the matter.

"Very well..." The Son of Sparda finally relented, taking a deep breath before beginning his tale. "I suppose I shall go first. Where I am from, I was the son of the Demon Knight Sparda, a great hero, and a human woman named Eva. My younger days were idyllic; though my father was gone, me and my brother Dante were loved by our mother very much. That all changed when my mother was killed by a demon."

The other Servants noted that there was brief hint of grief when Archer spoke of his mother, but it disappeared in a flash.

"Since then, I have pursued power in all forms. I did not want to feel that helpless ever again. I took up my one of father's swords, Yamato, and traveled the world for more information on my father. At that point, I had learned of another one of his blades being sealed in the Demon Realm, and began a ritual that ended up summoning a demonic monolith with the aid of a man named Arkham. My brother, at that time a fledgling demon hunter, attempted to stop me. He succeeded."

"Of course, it didn't end there." Berserker added in.

"How astute. After my defeat, I ended up stranded in the Demon Realm. A demon named Mundus abducted me and destroyed my physical body, shoving my soul into another body in a plot to defeat my brother once more. Obviously, that did not pan out. Having said all this, you are all wondering what my wish is. It is simple: To obtain overwhelming power. Power that would make me worthy of my father's name."

Having heard this, Saber would be the first to speak her mind. "While I do respect you as a fellow swordsman and I sympathize with your plight, your motives and actions only serve to dishonor your father's memory."

"Pray tell, how is that so?" Archer questioned in a tone dripping with sarcasm.

"She means that you were going to undo everything your father did to keep humanity safe, dumbass!" Berserker growled. "Also, the kind of of power you seek, it's not worth having. Trust me on that." As he said that, he looked at his right arm and clenched his hand tightly.

"Oh? And how would you know?"

"I suppose it's my turn for story-telling time." The Grim Reaper groaned as he began his tale. "When I was younger, me and my two siblings lived with a kind nun. That all changed when some whack-job named Yuuki Terumi killed her and drove my brother batshit crazy, which resulted in my sister getting kidnapped and my right arm getting chopped off. That didn't last long as some magical artifact fused with me soon after and replaced my lost arm."

"Hmph, so we really are similar." Archer remarked.

"Shut it. Anyway, this series of events led me to meet two mentors: one was a shitty vampire with too much free time on her hands and the other was a cat said to be the strongest warrior alive. They trained me to use my new power, which is called the Azure Grimoire, and told me the truth of the corruption in the government in my time. I would go on to fight that government, gaining a bounty worth a small country in the process."

"Fightin' the authority like a true rebel." Rider chuckled. "I like this kid already."

"I eventually stopped at the city of Kagutsuchi. Long story short, A LOT of shit happened there. I learned of the true nature of my power, being a harbinger of doom known as 'The Black Beast', as well as meeting several people who became allies along the way. It led me to travel to Ikaruga, where even more shit happened. Unfortunately, some goddess of death possessing my sister and a psychotic living weapon hijacked my arm and turned me into a monster."

Berserker's tone turned somber at this point, his smile conveying sadness. "I heard that it took a lot to bring me down. Ultimately, it was a dear friend of mine who dealt the final blow. One of the last things I remember before biting it would be that idiot's tear-stained face looking at me with grief before she pulled the trigger. I...didn't want to do that her, not after all she went through."

"Does that mean your wish..." Irisviel summed it all up. "Would be to go back to that moment before you lost control?"

"Pretty much." Berserker nodded. "If I can undo that, then maybe...just maybe, our fight would end differently."

"A worthy wish." Lancer smiled warmly.

"Indeed. It would've been an honor to fight alongside you, Berserker." Saber noted with a nod. Kariya, having known all this through the Dream Cycles, was still touched by how noble his Servant was underneath that sour exterior. The fact that his Servant emphasized with his own wish was heartwarming.

"Alright, I'm done talking." Berserker grunted as he finished his turn. "Any volunteers?"

"Ooh! Ooh! ME!"

"I have a feeling we're going to regret this." The Servant of Madness groaned as Assassin was waving her hand too enthusiastically. "Alright. What's YOUR wish on the Grail?"

"Hmm...what do I want from the Grail..." Assassin put a finger on her chin in thought before perking up. "Why, to have fun, of course~!"

"...Would you kindly elaborate on that, Assassin?" Saber felt a vein bulge as she asked the question.

"Well, all I ever wanted in life was to have fun. I mean, it'd be pretty boring if I didn't, you know?" The pink-clad Servant of the Shadows explained herself. "Though I worked with my dear Mama to make her wish come true, she let me act on my own desires, which is to get the biggest thrills out of life. Of course, the things I enjoy most are toying with people and killing them~! What I want from the Holy Grail is to be reincarnated so that I would continue doing this for as long as I am able~!"

"To say that without any hint of remorse brands you as the lowest form of scum." Saber, being the proud and honorable knight she was, was understandably appalled by what she had heard.

"Aww, why thank you~!" Assassin giggled like a schoolgirl. "But flattery will get you nowhere, Saber-chan~! I don't put out on the first date, you know~!"

"Once this alliance ends, I'm killing you first." Berserker said with disgust as well. "If anything, you sound like the bastard who made my life a living hell."

"I won't stop you." Archer added, agreeing with the Grim Reaper for once.

"That's not nice, Archer-kun!"

"Okay, lets move on before we get derailed." Rider interrupted before it could escalate further. After letting out a deep sigh, he turned to Lancer. "What's your wish?"

"My wish..." Lancer smiled somberly at the thought. "It is not as selfless as you would all believe, but I would like to see my beloved one more time."

"Ooh, now THAT's some juicy gossip~!" Assassin giggled.

"Quiet, you." Archer immediately shushed his fellow Servant up.

"It was the end of my world." Lancer began to explain. "I had just defeated what I can say without a doubt is the King of Dragons in my world, a harbinger of the end. I had managed to deal a fatal blow when it sank it's fangs deep into me, intending to take me with it. As I plummeted into the earth, my husband managed to catch me and desperately searched for a way to save me. It was...touching."

"Sensing my end, I mustered what consciousness I had left to tell him to move on. I wanted him to live a happy life should he survive, to not allow grief to dictate his actions, and to love another with just as much as he did for me." As Lancer spoke, her eyes began to water. She resolved to keep herself strong, but she couldn't stop herself from tearing up. "Now...now that I have this chance to be with him again...How can I not take it? I would fight countless battles if only to be with him again! I...I miss him so much..."

"You don't have to say anymore." Rider patted Lancer's back warmly and handed her a tissue. "I know how you feel."

"Believe me, I do."

"Then I suppose it's your turn to state your wish, Rider." Saber completed for them, genuinely touched by Lancer's devotion as was Berserker, Irisviel and Waver. Archer remained indifferent while Assassin was making a gagging gesture, only to be slapped upside the head by Archer.

"Indeed it." Rider turned to Waver, who nodded in return, before beginning his tale while Lancer dabbed her eyes out. "Like Berserker, I led a rebellion against the current regime with a man named Arcturus Mengsk. Under his employ was one Sarah Kerrigan, an assassin for him and, if I may add, one hell of a woman. We had a thing going when she was sent on a mission to lure the Zerg, a race bent on assimilation, when she was betrayed by Mengsk and left to die. For a while, I thought she was dead."

"But it only got worse from there." Archer said, immediately picking up on the trend.

"Too true." Rider could only sigh. "It turns out she had been infested by the Zerg, turning into their greatest weapon and a major headache to everyone involved. Then, after a long list of events that would take too long to recount, we managed to save her. But not before losing a lot of good people. We even overthrew Mengsk as well. Unfortunately, it turns out an even bigger force was manipulating everything, wanting to consume the universe in darkness. It made numerous attempts to kill her, as she was the key to stopping him."

"It triumphed, didn't it?" Saber would be the first to draw that conclusion.

"Yes. And on my watch too." Rider's tone had a bitter edge to it. "It lead to the destruction of the human race, as well as many others. I guess you all know what my wish is by now: To stop her death to save the human race. Well, it's also a little personal in my case."

As Rider downed another beer, Waver could not help but look at his Servant with new-found respect. At least he knew the significance of that name he uttered earlier.

"Well that leaves only Saber left." Rider spoke as he put down his mug. "What's your wish?"

"My own wish is simple." The King of Knights wasted no time. "I only wish for my country's salvation. With the Grail, I will avert it's destruction."

"It seems we got a King in our midst." Rider chuckled. "Might wanna elaborate on that?"

"Gladly. I will use the Grail to travel to the past, to when I pulled the sword from the stone." Saber explained. "Upon doing that, I will stop myself so that another would be king in my place."

"The Sword in the Stone...that would make you the King of Britons, then. It is no wonder your weapon was able to match Yamato." Archer immediately deduced. "But why undo all that made you a hero? Surely, the Legend of King Arthur is considered one of the greatest of all time."

"While the praise is indeed flattering, it was by my own fault that Britain fell into ruin." Saber explained. "The discontent among my subjects, Guinevere and Lancelot's affair, Mordred's treachery...all of it was by my own fault. It is because of my reign that Camelot is no more. I would gladly throw away my legend if it means my country will endure."

"Wow...what a lame wish."

"Excuse me?!" Saber immediately whipped her head towards Assassin, the source of the opinion. "What would YOU, of all people, know about self-sacrifice?!"

"As I said before, only that it gets you killed in the end." The Agent of REVOCS reiterated. "Besides, it's not like EVERYTHING was your fault. Let's be honest, humans are nothing more than pigs in clothing. Of course the peasantry would not understand the struggles of the bourgeoisie. They are nothing more than toys for our amusement, so you shouldn't feel bad for what happened at all, Saber-chan~!."

"That would make you a tyrant among tyrants." Saber spat in disgust.

"Indeed. Assassin would make a horrible ruler." Archer facepalmed for the nth at her behavior. "She does have a point. What happened then was not solely your fault. In fact, what your wish entails is the same as what you accused mine of: dishonoring our legacies."

"At least she's doing it for the right reasons." All turned to Berserker, some one they didn't expect would come to Saber's defense. "I know what it's like to want to undo a mistake. Legacies? Tch. I don't give a rat's ass about that. As long as I can do what's right, my legend can go to hell for all I care. 'Sides, her reign sounds a hell lot better than what I had go through with the NOL."

"Berserker..." Saber murmured thankfully.

"To clarify, I don't approve the way you want to do it." The Grim Reaper added. "But if it's the only way, then I'll just have to deal."

"If I may," It was at this point Lancer decided to make herself heard. "At one point, I may have wished for something similar. However, I do not think that you are failure of a king. Yes, your kingdom fell to ruin. However, is it worth giving up everything you've experienced? I know for a fact that while my life was rife with misfortune, good things came out of it. If it weren't for it all, I would not have met my beloved Oswald."

"What do you think, Rider?"

The aforementioned Servant was silent for a time, deciding to let each of the others speak their minds. When Waver asked him, he took a long sigh before speaking.

"Like Berserker, I know how you feel." Rider began slowly, yet clearly. "There are many things in my life I wanna redo, among them Kerrigan's death. I understand that, and I respect that. However, why're you insisting on carrying that burden alone?"

"Because the King is meant to stand alone." Saber answered almost immediately. "He is meant to set the standard, to bear the burdens of his people."

"Then that is an impossible standard to live by." Rider concluded. "I'm not saying that you were a bad king. Hell, I bet living in Camelot was heaven on earth. However, The ideal you lived by, distancing yourself from the people...No wonder they didn't understand. With that kind of ideal, do you really believe that going back is going to stop all that?"

"If the one who takes my place will uphold the laws better, then yes."

"You know, you remind of me of the Protoss Conclave when I first made contact with them." Rider began his anecdote upon hearing Saber's stubborn answer. "They too were set in their ideal, the way of the Khala. They branded those who worshiped the Void, Dark Templars, as heretics and even banished them from Aiur, their homeworld. It took the near annihilation of their race to realize that they might were wrong."

"And your point is?"

"My point, darlin', is that you have the entire War to think it over." Rider smiled as he stood up. "We all said our piece. Whether we approve or not doesn't matter. It's YOUR wish anyway. The only thing I can say for certain is that must've been hard, not having anyone to turn to when you need advice. It is as they say, 'it's lonely at the top.'"

With a yawn, he turned to the rest of the company. "I guess we're gonna have to call this a night. Thanks for havin' us over, Berserker." He then turned to Waver. "C'mon, kid. Ayaka's waitin' for us."

"Right!" The young Master followed suit. One by one, each Servant took their leave, signifying the Banquet's end.

"Saber, are you alright?" Irisviel asked as they made it to the car, not before waving farewell to Lancer.

"I am fine." The King of Knights smiled. However, she seemed lost in thought. "It's just that what they all said has given me much to think about. While I still believe in my wish, a part of me wonders if it'll change anything."

"Whatever happens, I hope you find the answer you're looking for." Irisviel smiled warmly. "I mean, we won't know until we win the Grail first, right?"

Saber was taken aback by her support, but she could only help but smile as she started the car.

"Indeed. Thank you, Irisviel."

Ryuudou Temple.

"Ooh, so this is the place." Ryuunosuke stared as he watched Caster ascend the stares, his glaives drawn and evil intent in his glowing green eyes.

"Indeed. Now," As he spoke, he let out a menacing grin that gleamed into the night. "Let's get to work."

End Chapter 12

Surprise! We have two omakes!

Omake 1: The Bet.

"So, even after everything, you refuse to join." Salem sighed, flanked by Minato and Neji as he tried to convince Garrosh.

"I refuse to work with human filth." The orc spat out. "Nothing you say will change my mind!"

"Oh? Wanna bet?" All turned to see a petite girl with long purple hair.

"Ah, you're back." Salem noted with surprise.

"Yep, and just in time, apparently." Yuuki giggled before turning to face the orc. "Howabout we do this: you and I will duel. If I win, you join the Sentinels without question. If I lose, you get to leave."

"Hmph, and why should I waste my time on a little girl?" Garrosh sneered at her, much to Salem's amusement.

"Why not give it a try?" Yuuki just smiled back. "Unless you can't beat a little girl."

"Very well, whelp. I'll make you regret your words!" Garrosh growled as he picked up his axe.

"Perfect! Let's go!" Yuuki giggled as she led the orc to the training room. Once they had left, Minato had only this to say.

"He's boned."

End Omake 1:

Omake 2: The Looming Dark

Akame's mission had taken her to Bellwood, a city known for it's encounters with Extra Terrestrials, to make contact with it's resident hero.

She could only stare as he lay dead, hunched over the wall in an alley way. From what she can tell, the kill was clean: A bullet went clean through his skull. Further examination told her was that the left hand was decapitated. The same left hand the Omnitrix was.

What unsettled her the most was the writing on the wall, red with the blood of the victim that was slain.

It's message read as such: WHO WATCHES THE WATCHERS?

End Omake 2

A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, Fate/Zero Hour returns with a hefty chapter and a double omake! At last, it's here! The Banquet has arrived!

Saber: And not too soon.

I was quite nervous writing it, but I hope I did it justice! I wanted to get every viewpoint of each character involved correctly before I decided to write this. Also, we get to meet more members of the Sentinels! Anyone you recognize?

Also, thanks to X the Reaper and Blanchimont for helping me with some Servant insights. Couldn't have done it without them. :D

Lastly, there's the matter of the 2nd Omake. Just two things:

1. Yes, I killed Ben 10. An alternate version of him anyhow.

2. This is a future plot point to be explored some time in the future.

Well, that's it for now. So this is the King of Beasts, and I'll see you all next chapter!

Next time on Fate/Zero Hour: Twist and Contort!