.

.

Sunlight reflected from the waters of the river like silver coins, and Diarmuid knelt forward, quietly scooping up a test tube full of water and writing on the label. His Master had asked him to take samples along the riverbed and mark the locations with specific letters of the alphabet. Unfortunately, Diarmuid was using his right hand, and as a result, his penmanship waffled somewhere between barely legible and utterly atrocious. The letter A became squiggly triangle thing matching the squiggly triangle thing on the map, the letter B became a line with what looked like a haphazard "3" lying sideways, and the letter C, arguably the easiest letter to draw besides a lowercase l, looked more like a slash mark.

Diarmuid circled the slash mark, so as not to mix it up with the letter L. But then it just looked like he wrote the letter D, so he resolved the issue by smearing the ink around with his thumb.

Diarmuid was fiddling with his pen when he heard it: an odd sound coming from an irrigation drain across from him.

He hefted his pack across his shoulder and leaped across the water, landing gracefully onto the concrete platform and crouching near the tall opening of the irrigation drain, so that he could better listen. He heard it again: a faint cry. A person's. Diarmuid ran inside.

The drain stretched into a large underground cavern. Diarmuid's feet splashed hard into the water as he ran forward, straining to listen for those cries.

He heard the cry again. He rocketed downstream and turned a hard right, his body lurching as he shifted direction.

"Help! Help! HELP!" A little boy was crying. His little hands were gripping the iron bars.

"It's okay, it's okay, I shall rescue you." Diarmuid manifested his spear and slashed through the bars of the cage. The boy stumbled out. It wasn't until the door of the cage fully opened that Diarmuid realized that there were maybe six children held there, all crying and huddled together and staring at him with widened eyes.

He didn't have time to wonder what was going on, or why those children were captured, or who it was that had taken them. He ushered them quickly to the mouth of the irrigation drain, leading them out into the open river.

"Tomoe! Tomoe! He still has Tomoe!" one of the children was shaking. Diarmuid knelt beside her.

"Who?" Diarmuid said.

"The monster!" the little girl said. Diarmuid turned to the older boy, who was standing beside him, his face pale.

"Take the other ones and go to the police," Diarmuid said. "I shall go and see if I can find the other little girl."

The little boy nodded, stricken. Diarmuid waited until he saw the children run to safety, climbing up the stairs to the bridge and running back toward the center of town.

He ran back into the irrigation drain, shifting into his armor. He had heard of the serial killer of Fuyuki, some crazed madman who was killing children and women without any discernible pattern. Though he was a Servant, and beholden to avoid killing citizens in this war, Diarmuid thought that this perhaps would be the one time he would make a strong exception. He ran into the atelier and glanced around.

There was the sound of a pipe dripping, and it took a moment for Diarmuid's eyes to adjust to the dark. There was a thin trickle of light that had somehow filtered its way from the outside, and Diarmuid could just make out the shapes of things leering at him from the darkness.

There was a sound, and Diarmuid turned to see the figure of a little girl slumped over a table.

Her head fell off her body when he leaned forward to touch her shoulder.

He took a step back. His foot kicked something soft.

Dismembered body parts. A human foot. A head. A puddle of blood, pooling around his feet.

He threw his hand up toward his face, swallowing at the stench of it. There was too much blood.

"Sir! Hey, Siiiiiir! It looks like someone let go of the dogs!"

Diarmuid's head snapped back. Two people were walking into the tunnel, their shadows long and tall and filling the wall of the cave.

"Worry not, my darling Master! It is true, we lost a fine catch! But we shall simply go hunting for more!"

Master. Diarmuid looked up. It couldn't be...

Ryuunosuke sauntered into view, his body tipped back with his hands behind his head, utterly relaxed and at ease as his Servant glided behind him.

Caster! Diarmuid crouched lower.

"Hey, Sir? I have a date tonight. Want to help me kill her?"

"As much as I would love to, my boy, I have many books I wish to peruse. But perhaps if you wish to bring her after..."

Which spear should he use? Diarmuid's eyes shifted from Caster to his left, and his Master to his right. His red spear, Gae Dearg, was better for long-range attacks and cancelling mana, it was long and heavy and best wielded with two hands. Furthermore, Caster was a long-range Servant who had no need for mana-woven armor, he could send something else toward him to attack. He needed something lighter, something better working at close-range.

Diarmuid's jaw tightened. Gae Buidhe, then. Quietly he manifested his golden spear.

"Wait, Ryuunosuke! A moment." Caster held up his arm. "I sensed a disturbance in the air."

Diarmuid cursed silently, and gripped his spear. Ryuunosuke ran in front Caster, excited.

"You think the guy who messed up our workshop is still here?"

"It appears so, my Master!" Caster moved around, his shadow sweeping over the wall as he walked.

"Cooool!" Ryuunosuke pumped the air with his fist, excited. "Can we kill him?"

Caster chuckled. "Of course!"

Diarmuid crouched further. It would have to be a surprise attack. He will only have one strike before they're alerted to his presence, a hit and run. He should target the Master, maximize the damage. His Servant will protect his vitals, but that protection is loose around the limbs. All he needs is one clean slice to the Achilles tendon to incapacitate him.

Ryuunosuke stepped forward, his back facing him.

Diarmuid sprang. Mana flared around his hand as he activated his Noble Phantasm. Ryuunosuke's eyes widened.

The spear brightened, then shook, a wave of black particles swirling around it. It was still under the influence of Berserker.

"Wha-"

A tentacle slammed against Diarmuid, blocking his path and throwing him against the wall.

"Oh, Ryuunosuke! It appears as though we have a Servant!"

Diarmuid groaned, blood dripping down the side of his temple. That Gae Buidhe was still corrupted had surprised him. He hadn't activated his Noble Phantasm since the night Berserker wounded him, he had not taken that into account.

"He's not very strong, is he, Sir?" Ryuunosuke sniffed, frowning. "Sir? Hey, Siiir? Is it alright if I kill him?"

"Enjoy yourself, my Master!" Caster leaned back. "He's a Servant, but he shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Coool!" Ryuunosuke said, and he pulled out a switchblade from his pocket. "I've always wanted to see if I could slice up a Servant!" and Diarmuid could see it, the flare of Caster's magic swirling up around Ryuunosuke's arm.

xXx

.

Lancer was taking a really long time. Waver looked out the window. The sun was already starting to set, and the sky was turning pink and orange. Waver frowned and tapped his pencil on the desk, looking at the clock.

Maybe he shouldn't have sent Lancer there by himself. It's true, Lancer was stronger and hardier than most normal humans, but he was still injured. Even with the sling, it was probably difficult hefting a bag of test tubes and water around. And considering he was using his non-dominant hand to collect the specimens, it was no wonder he was taking so long...

Wait. He was using his non-dominant hand.

Waver banged his head on the table. That idiot probably broke the test tubes!

Waver was about to go into a silent tirade when he felt it. His mana was being siphoned off at an alarming rate. Waver looked around.

Was Lancer fighting? He closed his eyes, trying to contact him. Realization shot through him like an arrow.

He's activating his Noble Phantasm!

That idiot! Waver grabbed his pack and Lancer's sword, running toward the door.

xXx

.

Diarmuid breathed heavily, backed up against the wall.

His arm was starting to tire out. The strain of having to wield Gae Dearg was taking a toll on him, and the muscles of his shoulders were burning. In front of him, Ryuunosuke was grinning and flicking his blade, while a throng of tentacle monsters flanked him on all sides.

Tentacles lurched forward, which Diarmuid managed to block. His red spear sliced through the meat easily, but for each tentacle he cut, two more sprang up. In front of him, Caster was holding his book, eyes closed and chanting softly.

"Siiiir! This is getting boring!" Ryuunosuke whined. "I want to cut out his eyes already!"

"Patience, my darling Master! I shall show you exactly what I can do!"

And Diarmuid's eyes widened, a swirl of red mist rising from Caster's cloak.

"Cool! Cool! Cooooooool!" Ryuunosuke said, and Diarmuid's grip on his spear tightened.

Diarmuid's spear cut through the tentacles growing and swirling around him. Diarmuid spun, the blade of Gae Dearg slicing the arms in half. Tentacles shot at him from all sides but Diarmuid whirled, his blade cutting through them with each hard strike.

He was getting tired. His arm was shaking and his mana was growing thin.

"You see, Ryuunosuke? This Servant is easy to slay!"

"Don't kill him yet!" Ryuunosuke said. "I want to tie him to the table. I want to see how long he stays alive!"

Diarmuid gritted his teeth, hefting his spear.

A flash of light. Diarmuid threw his hand up, shielding himself. In front of him, Caster screamed.

"Master! Master! My darling Master!"

"Shut up!" Waver said, and Diarmuid blinked and saw Ryuunosuke was frozen in crystal, his eyes wide and his mouth open in a startled 'o.'

"By my command spell, Lancer! I order you to teleport with me outside and take us out of here!"

"My lord!" Diarmuid said. Tentacled monsters kept coming toward him but he could see Waver running toward the back. He barely had time to slash at a thick tentacle coming down from the front, barely blocking the blow.

"It isn't working!" Waver said, horrified. His command spell dissipated from his hand. "Lancer! Why isn't it working?!"

"Unforgiveable! Unforgiveable! Unforgiveable!" Caster was shaking. "How dare you hurt my darling Master! I shall cut off your head and mount your corpse on the wall!"

Tentacles battered Waver from all sides, but the shield was just barely holding. Diarmuid's head snapped forward.

"My lord! I cannot help you if you engage Caster! Please take care of yourself if you can!"

"Dammit!" Waver said, and he threw up a shield of crystal around him, blocking the path of the tentacles reaching out toward him. "Lancer!"

They were going to die here. Waver's mind spun. His Servant was being overwhelmed and he was in a magical duel against Caster! There was no way they were going to survive.

A shot rang out, slicing through the air and shattering the crystal holding Caster's Master.

"What-" Waver jerked his head up and saw Kiritsugu walking toward them, reloading his gun. The fabric of his overcoat billowed with the moment.

"Ryuunosuke!" Caster let out an inhuman wail as his Master pitched forward, blood pouring from the bullet wound in his head.

Two shots, one aimed at Caster's book and the other squarely between Caster's eyes. Caster was too distraught to block.

The casings of the bullets fell around Kiritsugu's feet, Caster's body dissipating into a dustcloud of mana.

"My lord!" Lancer ran over toward Waver, helping him to his feet. "My lord, are you all right?"

"I...I think so." Waver lifted a shaky hand to his face, looking up at Kiritsugu.

"Hmph." Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed. He lit a cigarette and gave them one long look, then turned.

"O-oi!" Waver started toward him. "Thank you for helping us. We would have been goners without you. You're Saber's ally, right?"

Kiritsugu stopped. Ash from the cigarette fell onto the ground.

"Actually, I was going to let Caster kill you."

"Huh?"

"He was taking too long." He took another drag of his cigarette. "I was getting annoyed. I didn't want to keep waiting."

"O-oi!" Waver started. "Who do you think you are, saying tha-"

"I know everything about you, Waver Velvet," Kiritsugu said. "You joined this war for your reputation. To prove to those peons at the Clock Tower that you're a true magus. I've never heard of a more stupid reason to kill other magi in my life."

"Huh? How did you-"

"You're just a boy," Kiritsugu said. His eyes narrowed. "Break your pact with that Servant and go home."

He picked up his gun and held it toward him.

"Or should I save myself the aggravation and kill you now?"

Lancer stepped in front of him. "I thank you for saving us," Lancer said. "But if you threaten my Master again I shall skewer you where you stand."

"Hmph." Kiritsugu lowered his gun. "You two make quite a pair," Kiritsugu said, turning. "An idiot Servant with an idiot magus. You think you can earn your reputation here, killing and defeating other magi? You can't even protect yourself! You may be talented as a student, but on this battlefield you're nothing but an eyesore. Go home," Kiritsugu said. He tossed his cigarette and started walking, his coat swishing with the movement.

"You're lucky you're not worth the bullets."