Words Count(Not Counting Leo's Stats At The End): 8626

A/N: And thus DML ends. Christ, I had to cut down a lot of contents to be on time. Don't worry, the pages-worth of monologues explaining everything that has happened will be incorporated into the Sequel– Fate: False Sovereignty. Thank you all for the wonderful supports, I couldn't have asked for more ! Also, mass-release! Yay?

Here's my usual spiel:

You can start reading 35 Eps of the Sequel – Fate: False Sovereignty in advanced. The Tier starts from as low as 1USD, check it out!

The last day spent in the Resort was far less eventful the previous two, what with our group either being too exhausted, hurt- (In a certain Tigress' case), or just wanting to rest and chill in general.

Of course, we did organize activities to pass the time, mainly trading tales of all the battles and fights we had been in, all the close-calls which we- or rather I had only survived by the skin of my teeth.

The trip back was even more peaceful. Sakura and Rin were basically sleeping throughout, Shiro's no different, constantly drifting in and out of consciousness, while Taiga was silent unlike her usual self- Probably because the woman accidentally put too much pressure on her lame leg when we're entering the car. As for Gil… I really couldn't tell.

In spite of her antics, he Queen of Heroes could be quite the actress when she wished to. Whether she's actually asleep or just didn't want to talk, only she knew. Irritatingly enough, since only two people who knew how to drive were out of commission- I, as the sole other person with some experience regarding vehicles, was put in charge of getting us home safe and sound,

Which did not turn out too well… And by that, I meant we're stopped by the cops at least thrice on the way back, and over ten different times by the many pedestrians out of concern for our wellbeing. I couldn't even blame them, if I were in their shoes- if I had seen a boy in his early-teens behind the steering-wheel, driving five seemingly unconscious females and going at a whooping sixty on a fifty mph zone, I'd have tried to stop me too.

Luckily, these cops didn't have any protection against Compulsion and hence I was able to take control of their minds rather effortlessly. Even better! Since it was still the late nineties, dashcam wasn't a huge thing yet, thus there was no real need to worry about possible legal repercussions!

That, or some idiot on the internet randomly getting a glimpse of me messing with others' minds in public. As I had mentioned, it was a pretty uneventful trip- quite the rare occurrence given my horrendous track-record, but I wasn't about to complain. It's nice, not having to deal with others' bullshits once in a while.

On a side note, Zolgen was successful in his first attempt at infiltrating Malcolm's Workshop, which was what I found odd. Most Magi, be them the highest of Lords to the lowest of First-Gens, all had one thing in common: Almost every single one considered their Workshop above their personal safety. Seriously, I'd seen living quarters- mainly used by servants and untalented Magi- and bedrooms of Lords and Ladies with less protections than your average Workshop.

Malcolm was the complete opposite… For a Lord, the defenses of his ' supposed' Workshop was laughable at best, and ridiculously lax at worst. It, in all honesty, resembled my earlier works- as in the ones I made when I was starting to learn the fundamentals of Magecraft by our dearly-departed priest. Okay, maybe that's too big of an exaggeration, point was no sane Magus would ever store anything of value here unless they wanted to rid themselves of it.

It's like he wasn't the slightest bit concerned about intruders, even though realistically, he should be… Which could only mean one thing- 'This isn't his actual Workshop, it's merely a front.'

Sensing the weirdness of the situation, I immediately ordered Zolgen to stay out of sight and observe for a period to ensure we didn't let him slip… The next day came sooner than expected. While the Demon's busy doing all the work, I grabbed Gil to go on our promised date. Well, I said ' grabbed', but if the Golden Queen had been unwilling to tag along, it's not like I could have forced her or anything. We went for dinner, watched a movie… You know, the usual.

"Alright… Hop on, your Majesty." Bowing, I pointed at the ride I had recently acquired. It's a Honda VRF 750 which had been re-painted a classy matte black and gone through several modifications. How did I obtain this gem?! Well, I'm glad you asked! It once belonged in the hands of an African Warlord whose real identity was an escapee with a Sealing Designation on his head. Apparently, the guy escaped to the continent eight years ago and had been posing as a Warlord since.

If news of some bigshot journalist's mysterious disappearance near his territory hadn't reached the Tower, I reckoned Ahmed- Which's his name by the way- Would have been able to hide for several decades more. Oh-Well, as the saying went, 'One man's misfortune is another man's gains… Thank you for the cool bike, Ahmed. You won't be missed.'

He's also amongst the top ten of the list Lorelei sent me.

So, what exactly did the guy do to earn the Clock Tower's ire?

Truthfully, I wasn't sure either.

There were rumors that he secretly possessed the Bloodline of an ancient and forgotten African God, and when the time came, if it ever came, said God would take over his body, undergo perfect rebirth and rain endless destructions upon those who had dared to enslave his people… Or at least, that was the story I saw people pass around like cow dungs.

Not sure how much of it was true, but as an Enforcer, I was paid to hunt down and kill people, not to question the arguably sketchy backstory given to them by the my employers. What? A man gotta what a man gotta do, that was how you survived and excelled in the cutthroat World that was the Moonlit World. "I know this might not be your cup of tea Gil-chan, but believe me when I say there is nothing more freeing than driving past the speed-limit on an empty road in the middle of the night."

It seemed he hadn't completely disappeared after all… Parts of him, however small, clearly still existed if I was feeling this strongly about a stupid midnight, motorcycle ride of all things. Yet, even knowing his personality was seeping through and affecting me, I couldn't stop myself as a sudden bout of nostalgia hit me. It's as though the road's itself calling, whispering so seductively. "It's beyond liberating. The air currents brushing through your hair, that fresh scent of coldness rushing in your nostrils and to your lungs."

Smirking at the Queen, who stood still to study the vehicle, I extended a hand to her. "But the main dish is driving with someone you care about, and feeling the warmth radiating off of them while they rested on your back… I know this is not what you expected at the end of this night, but may this humble peasant have the honor of showing you the funs of a midnight ride, your Majesty?"

"Such a convincing speech… How can I refuse?" Gil let out peals of laughter as she jumped on the back of my motorcycle. "Let's see what you've got, Little Lion."

The way she whispered the Title in my ears felt like a cool breeze on a hot, summer day. It sent chills and shivers down my spine, yet at the same time, it made my lower-stomach burn with such an intense hotness that I had to physically stop myself from turning around and raining kisses down her neck. Obviously, I did not go through with the thoughts, instead I tried to focus on the road ahead, ignoring the pleas of my biology. "You will not be disappointed, I can assure you."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Our bulky helmets laid discarded on the pavement as the powerful engine roared to life. I felt her hands encircle my waist, and couldn't resist the confident grin creeping to my lips. "Hold on tight, Gil-chan."

In less than a second, we had crossed hundreds of feet. Winds tore at our flesh, making it all tingly from the coldness. My hair was swept back, carried by the currents. While I was afraid it would poke the Golden Queen in the eyes, judging from the excited, "This is still too slow… Faster, Little Lion!"

It appeared my fear was fortunately for naught. Going near a turn, I drifted until our right side was but inches above the asphalt- mere inches away from having our skin and blood dye the street crimson.

For an instance, I worried the wheels- which had seen several modifications by both its original owner Ahmed and myself- wouldn't hold up, but they did. In fact, the wheels held up wonderfully as we skidded on the ground. Although I might have to check it out later, wouldn't want to crash this bad-boy now, would we? The thoughts were washed off my mind when Gil giggled. The Queen of Heroes herself was giggling like a child, and I loved every second of it! Heeding her words, I pushed on the gas and sped up.

At the speed we were going, a collision would no doubt leave most severely harmed, but we weren't most. Plus, being a Port City, Fuyuki's pretty much desolate at this time of the night. Yes, there were the occasional cars driving by, yet those were so far and few in between that we almost never had to stop for anything. As for my smaller stature…

Well, with how we were, I doubted they could even make out my gender, let alone my age. "Is this really the fastest you can go?!"

I heard Gil's shout mixed with the whistling of the winds and felt compelled to accelerate. Sadly, this was indeed the limit of the VRF 750, or was it? My Mana rapidly expanded to cover us and the vehicle. With a tweak of the Elder Blood, our speed doubled, then nearly tripled when I decided to push my limits further.

The pain in my chest was addicting, though whether it's the result me accelerating our clocks, or just the sheer adrenaline coursing through my veins, I couldn't quite tell. Not that it bothered me much. My personal record was going sixty-four hours with [Acceleration] active, but that's only if I was going 1.5 times, not when I was tripling my speed. Still, I didn't stop- I couldn't, there's a lady to impress. Trees soon turned into a blurred smudge in my eyes as I did a wheelie, before heading for a nearby construction-site.

Immediately, a ramp entered my sight and I zeroed on it like a kid seeing candies. "Be careful, this is gonna be–"

For a few minutes, we were airborne thanks to [Petal Burst] and just when we're about to go splat on the ground, I teleported us, ceasing all momentum at once. "Ha… Ha… How- How was that?"

Breathing heavily, my grips on the brakes tightened as I plopped the kickstand down and leaped off. Rising to my full height, I stretched, moaning.

"I didn't lie to you, did I? There's nothing better than a high-speed midnight ride." Cockily, I smirked at the calm and composed Queen, standing in a daze as she laughed, her blonde strands flapping like molten streams of gold, reflecting even the barely visible starlight. "God you're stunning."

"This is your idea for a romantic date? An unfinished construction site?" In spite of the less than friendly content of her words, a casual smile was blooming beautifully on Gil's lips still, as though she's trying to tell me she's not actually upset, but didn't want to say it out loud. "Well… The top floor does have an amazing view at night. Although, stargazing might be a tad cliché, there's a reason why it's one of the classics, wouldn't you agree?"

"Let's see this supposedly amazing view of yours."

I grinned. "Wanna race to the top?"

"Prepare to lose, Little Lion." Gil shot back.

.

.

.

"Hey Gil, can I ask you something?" Laying on a projected mattress, I asked, gaze not once leaving the twinkling stars above.

"Shoot." Well, somebody had clearly improved on her vocabulary. Using modern terms and phrases made the Queen of Heroes sound surprisingly cute, who'd have thought? "What was that about…?"

"I can not read your mind Little Lion, you're going to have to elaborate." Eyelids close shut, Gil hummed out a reply. "I just- I feel like you're treating me differently than before and I don't get why. Did I do something to upset you? Is it one if those things only women can understand or am I just being an idiot like I usually was and misreading the situation?"

Her only response was a deep and drawn out sigh as she closed her eyes, seemingly indifferent to the conversation happening. I'd be lying outta my ass if I said her answer was expected. "The fault does not lie solely with you… I don't know if you remember, but months ago- when you were severely injured and I had to fix you up. While delirious from blood loss, you whispered that you love me."

"… Was it too soon? Did I scare you off?"

Gil scoffed. "Scared? You should know better than to ask that, Leonis. I'm scared of nothing!"

"Then why–"

"I love you… Like a switch, those three words snapped me out of my daze. I, Gilgamesh- The Queen of Heroes- the first ever true Hero who set a precedent for all others to aspire to, was bandaging your wounds like a peasant." She stressed. "I've never even bandaged anyone's wounds before, not even Enkidu himself, not that he ever needed me to dress his injuries. The point is, why?"

Opening her piercing crimson eyes, Gil stared into mine. "Why was I doing all that for you? It's completely irrational. Especially when I knew for a fact you'd be fine. Your wounds were in the process of healing already. Even after your flesh, skin and muscles had mended, I stayed by your side throughout the night, fearing for the worst. What have you done- what have you accomplished to deserve such honor?"

Try as I might, the blush creeping on my cheeks was prominent and could probably be spotted from a distance. Gil reached forth, caressing my face. "That's–"

Her fingers clutched my jaws. "I was treating you almost better than I did Enkidu- my first and only friend."

Chewing on the inside of my mouth, I sat up, rolling on top of her. "And why's that a problem precisely?"

"Why indeed…" The laugh that followed was bittersweet as our gazes met, and the distance between our lips began to shrink rapidly until all we could think about was each other's warmth. There's passion there- a fire burning up in my stomach. Watching as the string of saliva connecting us broke, I could no longer resist the urge and blurted. "I think I'm in love with you, Gilgamesh. I know I'm not fit for you, not now, but that can and will change–"

"Shut up and kiss me already!" She growled, and her arms which were encircling my neck quickly yanked me down. I was utterly helpless to the sudden attack, not just because I was physically weaker than the Golden Queen even with [Reinforcement] activated, but because I didn't want to. "This- *Gasp*- This isn't a one time thing, right? If we do this only for you to up and disappear in the morning again, then I don't want it."

Her nails dragged down my cheek, tugging at my messy strands. "Consider tonight a sneak-peak of the future and a limited offer. Whether we proceed with this or not, when daylight comes, you'll return to your life in London, I'll continue to travel the World, and we won't see each other for years to come, we won't even talk…"

My throat constricted, yet I forced myself to croak out still. "Is this the only way? Is there really no other alternative?"

"Unfortunately, no." It's almost funny how she managed to crush both my hope and heart with just two simple words. Crestfallen, I could only avert my gaze- a futile effort to distance myself from the situation. "This is the only way."

Gil had looked uncharacteristically gentle just now, the way her facial muscles and normally furrowed-brows relaxed made her feel almost like a completely different person. If her usual carefree and confident attitude was the God, then I was now seeing the Human, and I must admit, I didn't dislike it. "Don't shy away, Leo. A Lion must stand tall always."

Swallowing my emotions, I looked at Gil and growled, "Does that offer still stand?"

"Of course." She giggled into my ear. "We have until morning to indulge after all."

Ignoring the emptiness in my chest, I tried to rouse that beastly-side of myself, hoping it'd be able to drown my sorrow with lust, but seeing that surprisingly trusting gaze, how could I be anything other than gentle? I pulled Gil up to sit on my lap, guiding my hands under her jacket and shirt. I was greeted by soft, silky smooth skin as my hands started stroking her back- drawing circles and in a manner similar to that of a cat, the Golden Queen purred. "Here, let me get rid of that for you."

Immediately, her jacket began to dissipate into golden particles, but I stopped her with a hasty, "WAIT!"

"What? Changed your mind?" Gil seemed almost offended while I flailed to explain. "No. I just want to peel the clothes off of you myself."

"Suit yourself."

Her jacket was the first to come off, sliding down her arms.

Then went her shirt, discarded in a pile alongside her boots. "Maybe- Maybe it'd be wise if I teleport us somewhere else before someone chances on us…"

"Isn't that more exciting?" She whispered seductively, causing me to swallow a quick, rapid breath as my hands, which initially were on her back, slid to her leather-clad ass. Her moans were music to my ears, a song more colorful and heavenly than even the greatest of choirs. Teeth nearing her neck, I nibbled, licked, kissed and basically did everything in my power to leave a mark- a hickey despite knowing it'd be gone in hours, perhaps less.

Around us, the wind howled, carrying with it a biting coldness, yet to us who're lost in the throes of passion, it's naught but a fleeting thought. Gil leaned into me, her head resting on mine, granting me further access to her breasts, and I obliged. "These seem lonely… Let me fix that."

While I buried my face into her bountiful chest, my hands weren't at all idle- one was massaging her ass, and the other silently tearing a hole on her pants. "This- This pants was expensive, you- know?"

Humming, I dug my fingers into her panties, soaked with arousal, hovering just above her overflowing hole. The scent nearly caused my restraint to crumble to dust as I palmed her butt-cheek. "It's your fault for being irresistible, Gil-chan."

I flinched at the alien sensation when something crept up my leg, only to realize moments later it was her hand, slowly unzipping my trousers. My cock sprung out of my underwear, twitching as she touched the tip, before slowly and methodically running a finger along its length. Refusing to be outdone, I lightly pressed against the entrance of her anus, eliciting a surprised yelp from the Queen. She threw me a glare- which did little to deter me from slipping under her panties and caressing her crack.

"That- Ha… That's enough foreplay!"

Yanking her underwear to the side, Gil growled like a lioness and sat on my crotch, slowly impaling herself as pleasured gasps escaped her lips. Even before our private parts had come into contact, I could already feel liquids dripping from her needy pussy to lubricate my member, as though preparing us for the main event. Gil's incredibly tight, like unnaturally so. It's gripping my member hard enough for it to bruise had I been your ordinary Joe.

Not to throw shade at Triss and Ciri, but theirs didn't come close.

"Shit–" This was too much, waiting for her to loosen up would be actual torture. Thus, throwing caution to the wind, I grabbed her waist and started pumping recklessly into her core. It's wet enough that it shouldn't hurt. Arms circling each other, we rocked back and forth. The face-off position might be boring to some, but it didn't away from the experience. This wasn't anything like our previous bouts. It's not about domination or lust…

We weren't fucking,

We're making love. "I- I'm clos-e, Leonis."

"Me too." I wasn't sure who started it, but we both picked up speed as to build up the orgasm. "Is- Is today a safe day for you–?"

Unlike your typical Servants, Gil's a resurrected Spirit, it's entirely possible for her to get pregnant. While I would not care normally, it felt appropriate to ask. I got my answer rather swiftly in the form of the Golden Queen's legs, which once rested on the mattress, clamping on my waist. "Ju- Just doo- it inssside–!"

The images of her pussy dripping with my seed, of her possibly carrying my child were too much to bear- the proverbial straw which broke the camel's back, and I emptied weeks-worth of sexual frustration into her. Breathing heavily, I thought I had wrung out every drop from this orgasm, but I was proven wrong when she too came, her inner-walls clenching on my cock as if to milk it dry. We didn't speak after it ended, silently gathering ourselves while our bodies were connected to each other still. "Le- Leonis, I'm–"

Feeling cheeky, I cut her off by licking her lips. In response, Gil sent me a half-annoyed, half-angry look. "I was about to say something nice, but since you want to play smart–"

"Sorry!" I apologized in haste, needing to hear what she had got to say. She fell further in my embrace, muttering sleepily. "Don't keep me waiting for too long, Little Lion."

Closing my eyes, I took a deep whiff of her scent and responded seriously. "Don't worry, one of these days I'll make sure you willingly let me lay claim on you."

"I can't wait." She chuckled.

"Second round?"

And with that, the Human was gone, sitting before me instead was the God- confident and sexy as always. "Did you really have to ask?"

—— [Fate: DML] ——

Morning came and it's as she said, I went back to London to continue my plan of World-Conquest,

Gil resumed her trip to travel around the World. It's not an easy thing to do- watching her leave on Vimana. Only the knowledge that we'd see each other once again when the Fifth Holy Grail War officially kicked off kept me from doing something desperate, stupid or both. Two weeks later, while I was minding my own business West of London, Zolgen reached out to me. Apparently, I was correct in believing Malcolm's Workshop was merely a front.

As the Demon observed him and his practices, it soon realized there's something terrible wrong with Malcolm. One day, his face just fell off in chunks. Even his maid- Illaoi knew nothing about this, dismissed before she could witness her dropped to a pile of meats and bones on the floor. Three hours later, a new Malcolm arrived, looking all fine and dandy. Hearing that, I immediately ordered the Demon to try and find out what the Hell that was.

It took three months- three whole months of intense political back-and-forth between Malcolm and I until Zolgen finally reported back with good news. It had found Malcolm's hideout in the outskirts of London. Not only was the place heavily defended, it was also warded against teleportation, and the Bounded Fields were so complex, not even Zolgen- who might I add specialized in infiltration- could find an in.

And since it couldn't enter, the responsibility obviously fell to me. Gotta say though, while I had prepared myself for a lot of horrific things, what I found in that hideout of his was quite something, trumping even Regul's sewage Workshop. In all honesty, if I hadn't been desensitized to acts of cruelty and violence, often being the one to inflict them myself, I'd have felt disturbed.

( "I- What the fuck is this?!"

I looked at the giant tanks surrounding me in horror. Each contained 'a Malcolm', some perfectly normal appearance-wise, others were disfigured beyond saving, yet the unluckiest must be the few whose flesh was quite literally sliding off of their bones. A quick read through the documents left scattered on the floor soon revealed what this was: A Homunculi cesspit. "What the actual fuck?!"

The entire building was covered with these 'things',

Not alive,

Not dead,

Merely existing, waiting to experience a life that's never theirs in the first place.

Whispering in disbelief, I grimaced as the last tank came into view, containing naught but the husk of a dead old man. 'Subject No.1', it had read. Picking up the aged leather journal, I was given a lesson on the history of House Nancy- Or rather, the history of all the 'Malcolms'. The one who's currently living in the original place was Subject No.187, one of the few who were relatively human-looking… Yet even he had a defect, a gaping, toothy maws on his lower stomach.

Back in the 1700's, the original Malcolm had grown obsessed with the idea of true Immortality, but he also realized how impossible it was without Heaven's Feel and the path of Apostlehood simply didn't appeal to him.

Not only had the man considered it heretical, he's incredibly vocal about how much he despised it, calling Apostlehood the coward's way out and saying no man of intellect and honor would ever choose to go through with it. Avoiding parasitic approaches like Zouken's for the same reasons.

With all three options out for the count, he turned to other forms of Immortality, mainly the transference of memories, thoughts and feelings to a blank slate- a Homunculi who had yet awakened pseudo-consciousness. His reasoning was, as long as your legacy on this Earth remained, you'd be immortal. In all honesty, he wasn't wrong. Get famous enough and your very existence would be inscribed on the Throne of Heroes.

Only, instead of getting married and having some kids, he chose to create an exact copy of himself… He didn't succeed. Your thoughts, your memories, it's all just sparks in your neurons at the end of the day- AKA Energy. The problem was, Energy Transference's not a very efficient process, just ask Rin. Obviously, some of it would be lost, yet such a simple fact seemed to elude him.

In the end, Malcolm managed to create a convincing copy, but it's not perfect. When its time ran out, the copy then made its own clones and so on so forth. With each successive generation, the Homunculi spotted more and more defects- both mental and physical. Some were irrationally violent, some were depressed, some suffered from both with a sprinkle of added disfigurements on the side, and worse, their lifespan had only gotten shorter, not longer.

That's probably why Subject No.187 slipped up. The Malcolm I got in conflict with was No.113, who's far more cautious than his predecessor. It's also why they're so interested in the Trial of Grasses, they were hoping it would perfect the process or at the very least slow their degradation. "Well, that explains a lot actually."

I had always found it weird how impulsive Malcolm's approach towards me was- the guy took autistic to another level, literally. "Let's get started setting up the C4 then…"

What? Did you think I wasn't going to kill them because they're mentally challenged? Nah, these fists were rated E for everyone- male and female, young and old, left-wings and right-wings. Didn't matter who you were, fuck around and you're gonna get it. 'Zolgen, trip the Bounded Field.'

I ordered, before cutting the building's power, submerging Malcolms' Workshop in complete darkness and waited. Took No.187 just fifteen minutes to burst through the door, upon which I immediately opened fire on him. At last, the handgun I bought after had gotten to show its worth. I could have killed him there, a headshot and No.187 would have been dead, instead I fired at his limbs, shattering his right shin and forearm. "Hello Malcolm, or do you prefer 187?"

"Y- You!" 187 growled.

"I just want you to know this isn't personal." Laughingly, I taunted. "It was with No.113, but you're basically an innocent bystander in this. Technically, we haven't even talked yet, have we…?"

"N- No." Fear was starting to set in now, I could see it in his eyes and the way he flinched seeing the gun pointed at his head was to die for. "Any last words?"

"Wa- Wait! It doesn't have to end like this!" He screamed. "It's as you said, we haven't even talked! Whatever issue you had with 113, you can take it up to him–"

I tilted my head, listening to his words. "– It doesn't have to end like this… You don't have to kill me, just walk away and we can pretend the last three months never happened. We will never cross path again, I swear."

"And then what? You're just gonna give up on my Ritual and happily go off into the Sunset?" I laughed in disbelief. Gosh, this was some amateur shit. What kind of Magi negotiated like this?! "You didn't kill me the second I walk in–!"

He clutched my legs pleadingly. "– There has to be a reason for that!"

Yanking him by the hair, I smiled. "There is… But first, relinquish control of your maid- that Illaoi girl to me. I like her."

Seeming to have sensed weakness in the air, 187 quickly regained his confidence and challenged, only to be shut up by a bullet to the knee. "I won't– Arrgghhh!"

"Your death's assured, but I'm not unreasonable, you may choose how you want to go. Do you want to die quickly and painlessly–" My Charisma Skills simultaneously flared to life as I held him by the hair. "– Or do you want a slow and agonizing death? Take. Your. Pick."

"D- Drawer- The fifth drawer, her Geas i- is in there!" For one-sided Contracts like this one, only the Master needed to be present in order to absolve it. There were certain clauses to protect the servants, yet everybody knew it's naught but a token-effort to look merciful and fair. "Go on, say it."

Aria flowed out of his mouth- ancient language which had been forgotten by all but us Magi of the Moonlit World and like that, the Geas burnt up, leaving behind only ashes. "There, was that so hard? Congratulation 187, you have earned yourself a quick and painless death, while your maid earned herself freedom."

Desperate, he clawed at my knees. "P- Please! You don't need to do this!"

"Yeah…" I muttered, smiling as he tearfully let out a sigh of relief, before smothering his hope in the cradle. "I do."

"W- What–?!"

* BANG

Smoke rose from the nozzle as a bloody hole appeared on 187's forehead. Eyes rolling back, he collapsed in a boneless heap on the floor. "He actually thought I'd spare him, can you believe that?"

Instead of replying in words, Angra's sole response was a peal of sadistic laughter that echoed in the Workshop- the maniacal giggle of a man whose sanity had long been lost… I joined him moments later, before teleporting away as the timer for the C4 reached zero and the entire building was engulfed in a sea of flame.)

In a way, I supposed I must thank Malcolms. He had opened my eyes to the fact I couldn't stay reactive forever- I simply couldn't wait for someone to actually try something and counter their plans, I must take the initiative. Murdering all of my enemies was not possible, but pulling them in a mountain of debts, political conflicts and an overall inconvenient situation was fair game. They needed to realize I wasn't going to take their bullshits lying down,

And that any advantage they might gain from attacking me wouldn't be worth the effort put in. Yet, I couldn't blindly go after everyone like a mad dog- that's asking to be ganged up on. It's a delicate balancing act. Fortunately, I had consolidated enough influence to deter all your average Joe and Jasmine from trying. Those left were crazy motherfuckers who absolutely no one would miss like the Malcolm Homunculi and Alder ' weasel' Freys.

In comparison to the Nancy Homunculi, the Freys were an easy target. Not long after Malcolm's mysterious disappearance, Alder Freys was also found dead on his bed. On papers, the official cause was a stroke, but I knew that's not true, Zolgen was the one who switched out Alder's medications with sugar pills after all- Breaking Bad style. If anyone had bothered to investigate long enough, they'd have discovered something fishy for sure…

But due to the late Lord Freys' shitty personality, their allies were not just few and far in between, even their long-lasting alliances with many other Houses had been damaged. On the surface, House Freys was powerful, yet everyone remotely experienced in the politics of the Tower would recognize it for what it was- a façade, and not even a good one. To make matter worse, Alder had hoarded generations-worth of knowledge to his Family Craft, never chosen an Heir, which meant House Freys was likely going to be submerged in in-fighting soon.

With both Houses dealt with, I was free to do my business as usual. Weeks, months, then years passed as I continued to gather power, in less than two years, I climbed to the top of the Tower. Perhaps not in term of prestige, but anything else and I was the man. Not a lot of people dared to challenge me, they're all smart and knowledgeable people, they could piece it all together rather easily: My speech about a conspiracy aimed towards me. The sudden and mysterious deaths of two Lords.

Anyone who bothered to look would realize the glaring connection, but none ever tried to take me to court over it, why'd they? Why waste money and resources to fight a young Magus with far more potential for some dead people whom you didn't even like? " Y* A* M*."

Of course, my retainers also increased substantially, Gamer or not, I couldn't do everything at once. I was but a mortal man, it's just not feasible for me to run half a dozen Companies on my own, 'A Ruler's job is not to excel at all, but to know how to pick trustworthy and competent people for every field.'

The trustworthy aspect was iffy, but with magically-binding Contracts available, it had not been an issue for me.

Hence why I hired better, more competent henchmen as stand-ins. They're all ordered to take decision that'd be most profitable for me and the Companies, compelled by the Geas they signed and in return, they'd receive a one-million salary each year upfront.

It didn't sound like a lot to my 2020's mind, but in the 90's, it's more than enough for someone to live luxurious lives.

" Y*U A*E M*S, LeO–!"

With the loads off my shoulders, I thought I'd have more time for myself and the girls, I was wrong. The timer of Lorelei's list hung over my head like an invisible guillotine- ever present, pressuring me to get it done. I tried to visit the girls, but ended up only making it back home on 1998's Christmas. Other than that, I also took several trips back to the Witcher-Verse to gather materials to discover Ciri had jumped World again.

" Th*Ee yE*rS lE*t… H*w cA* y*U H*pE to su*eEd?!"

Nobody, not even Yen, Geralt and Triss knew where she was, and all attempts on my part to get in contact with her had been nothing but failures. Dejected, I left a letter to her and went home to go back to a life of endless killings. There's still passion, enthusiasm to my kills, yet those were practically muted compared to what they once were.

( Droplets running down my face, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. Two years- it had been two years, I had succeeded and failed plenty in these two years. Haggard and tired constantly, all traces of youthfulness and the baby-fats were now gone, leaving a man I didn't quite recognize in the mirror.

"WHy dId yOu KIll mE?!/PaY fOr my lifE wiTh yOUr Own!"

A scream echoed in my ears as crimson liquid seeped down my hands.

"I wAs InnOcENT!"

Angrily, I scrubbed my hands, a futile effort to rid myself of the blood. 'Leo-tan, what the fuck are you doing?'

Snapping awake at the sound of Angra's voice, I blinked and looked down. My hands were bloody, but not because blood had suddenly begun to pour down my sleeves, but because I had scrubbed the skin clean off of them. "Fuck…"

I cursed.

'Perhaps you should take a few days off…?'

"NO! There's still over half the list and I only have three years left!"

'But–'

"My decision is final!" I growled. Seeing my reflection- his eyes bloodshot, his hands bloody, a stubborn determination clinging to his face even though every part of his body was screaming at him to take the day off- my fist shot towards it, shattering the glass with ease.

"I can do this." I repeated religiously to the broken reflection.)

With the joy of physically breaking an enemy gone, I started to explore the mental aspect of it and found I liked it quite a lot. Tearing your foes to chunks was fun, but it did get old fairly fast… Mentally torturing them, giving them the false sense of hope before ruthlessly tearing it away, or just stalking them through the dark, watching them scramble and flail to escape you were much more fun. In a way, the late 90's and early 2000's were the true birth of the Internet as we knew it.

A lot of Legends were born during within these years, hailed and celebrated, hated and cursed, these Legends shaped the history of the Web and unexpectedly, I too made it in the Hall of Fame. It's not intentional, mind you. Apparently somebody found a Magus I had dumped in what used to be his Workshop. In just one night, the formerly pristine building had been brought down on its foundation, and the owner murdered in a grisly manner, of course people were going to be curious.

From there, urban legends and tales of a man who went around, killing generally bad people all over the World began to sprout. According to a news source, his victims were often left cut up in a pile with impossibly perfect precision. I reveled in all the attention,

Deliberately leaving the corpses and evidences of misdeeds around for people to investigate, my Alter-Ego: The Custodian soon rose to the Rank of the greatest modern Serial Killers right alongside the likes of Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. Honestly, with how famous I was, I could kill myself right now and probably ascend the Throne of Heroes immediately. Obviously, there were going to be different sides, though thanks to the nature of the people I killed, a fairly large percentage of the population supported me,

The ones who didn't seemed to have more problems with my… Messy executions than the fact I was hunting down other Serial Killers.

In a blink of an eye, three more years passed. While I was busy power-leveling, advancing and expanding my repertoire, a War broke out. The Russia vs. Ukraine conflict started far sooner than my previous life, and was resolved just as quickly when the Tower stepped in. Did you know World War 2 was started by the Clock Tower? I fucking didn't, but apparently it was. A lot of them, especially the Aristocrats benefitted greatly from the War, and were still consolidating their gains,

Fortunately, a second big War right after WW2 would harm their interests more than it would help, thus they pulled a few favors in Russia to calm the rising tension… And I knew this because I was there alongside O'Connor when the negotiator sent by the Tower smoothed things over. Mundane politics aside, I did end up returning to France a month after that fiesta to pursue another Hit.

There, I was reunited with Crepsley, who had decided against getting treatment for his brain-tumor. His reasoning was, he didn't deserve to live after costing so many people their lives. I had explained to him it's not his fault, that what happened was an accident which couldn't be truly blamed on anyone, but he wouldn't have it. We talked for a while and decided we'd help each other out. With Crepsley's tumor, it was practically impossible for him to be compelled or controlled by mystical means,

He'd be my eyes and ears in Paris, someone to inform me of suspected Apostle attacks.

Coupled with Anne-Marie's network of information, I was able to clean up most of the names by allowing her to consume some of my blood. Unfortunately, even with all that, hunting over two hundreds Apostles, most of whom were in hiding, was not an easy feat. What frustrated me the most was the fact the timer ended when I only had three Hits left.

( "You nearly succeeded…"

"Nearly." I repeated in anger, gaze zoning on the cooling tea in front of me. "So, what now?"

"You seem upset."

How could I not be? Three more names left and I'd have been finished with the list and yet here I was, languishing in my failure. All my efforts, all those sleepless days and nights had been in vain. "Did you call me all this way to gloat, Lady Barthomeloi?"

With age came wisdom and a calmness my old self couldn't hope to compare- Nay, calmness was the wrong term. 'Control' would be more appropriate, for the maddened rage was there still, I could feel it bubbling beneath the surface restlessly. "It's the contrary in fact, I've invited you on this lovely evening to congratulate you. Your efforts and contributions to the Tower as a whole and me personally have not gone unnoticed, Lord Magnum."

Narrowing my eyes, I scowled. What trick was this? Lorelei Barthomeloi was many things, but few would ever associate her with the word, 'merciful'. "That file contains further insights into the basics of Magecraft, take it and leave. I'll call when I have needs of your services… From now on, you're no longer required to go on Hunts."

Surprised, my eyes glinted, this was too good to be true.

'What's the catch?' I wanted to ask, instead what came out of my mouth was, "What of Rin Tohsaka?"

"Miss Tohsaka will be fine, Lord Magnum. I'm harsh, not unreasonable. You were never meant to actually finish that list, no one could have, not even myself." Lorelei fixed her glasses and continued. "Just locating all those Apostles should have taken much, much more time than there was in half a decade. If we account for travels also, which I did, it's utterly absurd to expect one man to kill finish the entire list. I'm surprised you managed to get so close, though I'm guessing that Teleportation Spell of yours has a large hand in helping you achieve such a ridiculous feat."

Usually, I wasn't one to look at a gift horse in the mouth, but… "Why?"

Lorelei was the farthest thing from someone who didn't honor their words. I had never seen her break a promise, no matter how dire and hopeless the path ahead was, she'd charge through ocean of fire and Hell itself if it meant her promises were kept, and I knew for a fact she wasn't afraid of me, so why? "Because I can, because when I first met you, I've noticed your unusual strength. Your more colorful Spells and Magecraft do not matter to me in the slightest."

If it's anyone else, I wouldn't have bought a word that came out of their mouth, yet Lorelei just had this charisma to her which made people believe in her, or specifically her causes. "What convinced me to take you in was how far you've managed to push your bodily limits, similar to how I did my Magecraft. We're different in many ways, from our traits, our personalities to our circumstances. We differed greatly, yet in this godforsaken Tower, we're the only ones who are truly trying to push the limits of what's possible and what's not."

She leaned forth, hovering over my seated form. "You might hate me for using your little girlfriend, but can you confidently say you could have reached this step without me? If I hadn't given you that list, would you have grown to become the feared Lord you are now?"

Every word which came out of her was slick with temptations. I couldn't believe this, but she's right- Lorelei was right, without her, it'd have taken me much longer to solidify my position in the Tower. "… And the Geas?"

"Unfortunately, since you haven't accomplished what I asked of you, I'll hold on to that." Lorelei smirked. "Do not worry, Miss Tohsaka will be in no danger as long as you don't mess with me. And who knows? Maybe I'll give you another chance to win the Geas back in the future. Now do vacate from my Office, I'm done with this conversation.")

True to her words, Lorelei never bothered Rin after that and finally… After years slaving away in every part of the World, I thought I could rest easy for once and focus on my Magecraft. I was sorely mistaken. Just three weeks later, Sven burst into my Workshop, beaten up, bruised, bleeding and with a sizeable hole in his arm where his House Crest was supposed to be located. To make matter worse, the guy was growling like a caged animal.

( "Sven, what the fuck happened to you?!"

The man snarled, his expression resembling a wounded beast more than an injured human as he growled out. "My- My family attacked me, they- they have stolen half of the Crest back… Help, Leo."

With those words spoken, Sven fell to his knees, already unconscious from blood loss. "Goddammit, one day- that's all I asked for, just one fucking day without this sort of shenanigan."

A scowl plastered on my face, I checked his situation. It's not good, a Crest was composed of several sets of Magic Circuits which upon being introduced to your body, would bond with yours. I am sure you can imagine what will happen to your if it's torn out all of a sudden. Imagine getting an organ-transplant, only to have the surgeon rip the organ out just when it had been accepted by your immune system, now imagine if that organ was half Spiritual... It's an incredibly painful and torturing process. "I can't heal this…"

No amount of Potions could fix what's wrong with Sven Glascheit- He's going to die no doubt. "Fuck! C'mon, stay with me Sven! You fucking mutt, I haven't allowed you to die yet!"

Panicking, I teleported him and myself to Shiro's, hoping Avalon might be able to salvage the situation. It couldn't- or rather didn't want to. Like me, Sven's character was sketchy at best, and terrible at worst. For example, he did not see any problem with human-experiment, which was a big deal-breaker for the Sheath in general. "Sorry, brother… But you're gonna have to go on a little nap. It's for your own good."

Left with no other choices, I could only put Sven in a temporal, suspended animation- a state in which neither his mind and body would degrade. "Goodnight."

Tapping on the crystal-coffin, we shared a- possibly last- farewell.)

I'd be lying if said I wasn't sad at Sven's sudden departure, but I was hopeful, knowing I could resurrect him in the future once I was powerful enough to defy the laws of Gaia. Besides, there were better things to worry about than something I couldn't possibly change. The Witcher Trial wouldn't have done him any good with how broken his body was, it's best I set Sven's matter to the side and focused on more pressing subjects such as a certain albino, shrunken woman over in Germany.

Obviously, as one of the main Heroines, I hadn't forgotten about Illya Von Einzbern, I had spread my network throughout Germany in search of the Einzbern's hidden castle to little result. Those guys were better at hiding than practically every Magus and Apostle I had encountered thus far. Unfortunately, in spite of my efforts, nothing had come up yet. No news of weird, white-haired people were ever found, which made sense given how large the Einzbern's territory was.

I doubted those reclusive motherfuckers would buy essentials from stores when they could make their own, thus I was forced to wait for reports.

Meanwhile, instead of relaxing and enjoying the fruits of my labor, I continued with Apostle Hunts and my Enforcer's works. I told myself it's so I didn't get rusty, but I knew the truth. " YOu ArE MisEraBLE, LeO."

I couldn't stop, I didn't know how to. I was no longer addicted to the thrills of battles, all I felt was an irritating emptiness which gnawed at my chest. I could go home right now, spend the next few years until the Fifth War surrounded by my loved ones, yet it just didn't feel right. My mind wouldn't stop commenting on how I was wasting my potential, that I needed to do more and to put in that work. It's almost as though I had forgotten how to relax, never stopping for a moment to take that much needed breather,

Until one day, I was fighting only to feel a burning sensation on the back of my hand as three red-markings shaped in the form of a lion's head appeared.

"So it has started…"

—— [Fate: DML] ——

The Tohsaka Mansion was teeming with tension today. Having summoned her Servant, Rin had immediately gone with Sakura to the Emiya Residence to notify the redhead and Taiga of the coming War. "Urgh… Do we have to? I have a feeling this Shiro is going to be an obstacle to us."

Archer said, glancing at a silent Sakura, who replied. "Senpai won't hurt us, she's too kind to do that."

"Yeah… You have no idea how kind he can be." Clad in red and black, the Servant muttered, grumbling to himself as the three of them waited for the redhead to come out. It took her mere seconds to open the door, and the sight which greeted them stopped Archer in his track.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

He had survived plenty of fights and frankly ridiculous scenarios without ever losing his composure, yet for once in his eternal existence, Shirou Emiya couldn't help but question his sight.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!"

Granted, he had anticipated alterations to the Timeline with his E-Rank Luck and the interactions between the Tohsaka siblings, but even the tanned, muscular man couldn't have possibly predicted this. One thing was certain though, this Fifth Grail War was not going to turn out how he expected it to be.

· Leo's Stats Post-Timeskip:

[Game Ver.a3.2]

Name: Leonis Magnum

Title: A Queen's Object Of Affection

Age: 16/28

Race: High Human

Level: 20 (99.1%)

HP: 100% – MP: 100%

STR: F – 73/250

AGI: F – 115/250

DEX: F – 105/250

VIT: F – 200/250

INT: F – 196/250

CHA: F – 141/250

Points: 104.7

[—]