PROLOGUE 2 – FOURTH HOLY GRAIL WAR PART 1
A man stood on top of a skyscraper. If a member of the august body known as the Mage's Association were to see him their reaction would be to shake in fear. This man was the bogeyman of their organisation. Kiritsugu Emiya – the Magus Killer. A man so reprehensible to that group – for despite being of noble heritage and the bearer of a powerful magecraft he shunned research into the path to the Root in exchange for being a feared mercenary killer – that if he was not so useful to them he would have been declared a Philosopher long ago, and hunted to death by the Clock Tower.
The man standing on top of a skyscraper looked out over a city at night. His mind was filled with half-made plans leading to one aspiration. An ideal he had sought to fulfil his entire life. His dream was perhaps the purest dream of all. The dream of that man was for everyone in this world to be happy. And yet this pure dream lead to a life filled with uncountable bloodshed. After all, any happiness required sacrifice – that was something all children learn when they become adults. To save one person meant damning another. That is, to let the majority of people survive he had to kill the minority. This was truly the purest ideal, and yet the darkest path. Thus he sought a miracle to do what he could not – to save everyone.
As the man on top of a skyscraper looked over the city at night, he steeled himself to be the last to shed blood upon this insane world – for what could one call a world where adults willing dressed in little more than Halloween costumes and went out during the night to fight crime. To Kiritsugu Emiya those 'heroes' were a reprehensible existence. They strove so hard to gain nothing and did more damage to those they professed to help than those that they swore to stop. Even so, he had believed in them, perhaps it was just a bit of childish wonder left over in the man known as Kiritsugu Emiya.
Two years ago he had lost any faith he had in them.
Now he would shed the last blood in all mankind, to save all mankind.
A flash of gold sparks behind him signalled the arrival of his most powerful ally. Initially the Einzberns – his backers and family – had ordered him to summon a Saber class Servant in the Grail War, however, the strange and mystifying developments of the last ten years had forced them to reconsider and listen to his advice instead.
"A beautiful night." His Servant has a knack for stating the obvious. He dislikes this, one should not find beauty in these times, especially not with what they are about to do.
"Yes. Have you finished your preparations? " Kiritsugu Emiya would not allow anything to go wrong with this single opportunity to achieve his dream.
"Indeed I have. The scrying ritual is prepared, and the Water Mirror is primed to activate. As soon as the other Masters summon their Servants, I shall know their exact location." Her voice is as cold as ice, both Master and Servant know the terrible deed that they shall undertake.
"Are you certain? The Tohsakas and Matous possess ancient and powerful bounded fields, whilst I do not doubt your ability to destroy the newer fields of Lord El-Melloi, ones whose construction was most likely aided by the Kaleidoscope cannot be so simple."
"Do not doubt me, boy. Compared to the fortresses of my time, or the workings of the Faeries these are like paper."
Yes, it was definitely for the best that one such as he had summoned the Assassin class Servant in this Grail War. Certainly, a chivalrous knight from the Saber class like the Einzberns wished for would not agree to take part in the simultaneous elimination of all the other contestants in the Grail War, as soon as they entered the ritual. However, even he had not counted upon summoning such a powerful Servant – who had ever heard of an Assassin who was not an incarnation of Hassan-i-Sabbah, let alone one with all the power and knowledge of a top-tier Caster.
"As you say. Then let us begin." This is for the best, he would not allow even the slightest chance of defeat, this close to his dream.
Across the city, six magical circles light up, and five magi chant arcane words to invoke the denizens of the Ring of Deterrence, a serial killer who rejoices in bloodshed. Magical energy courses through three channels in the Earth. A construct hidden underneath Mount Enzo, black mud weeps from its crystalline structure as the greatest achievement of the Three Families is invoked for the fourth time. In the six circles, the figures of great heroes of the past rise – a man in golden armour with red eyes stands in the house of a mage family, and a giant of a man with burning red hair steps out of a flash of light in the forest, a tanned man with white hair rises in the church's basement, in the hotel an immeasurably beautiful servant wielding two swords steps forth, a red-haired demon warrior laughs at the spilt blood before him, in a basement filled with worms a black armoured being crushes a shard of wood.
Above the city, a ripple spreads across the sky, the clouds that had gathered there for several weeks swirling in concentric circles, if a person were to look up on this night, they would no longer be able to tell the difference between sea and sky. Lighting crackles in the floating ocean, bursting from its surface then arcing back inwards as vast amounts of magical energy gather, disguised by the immense ritual taking place in the city below.
Behind Kiritsugu, a fairy-like woman dressed in white steps forward, grasping onto her husband for the last time.
"Hey, Kiri…I love you."
Light flashed down upon a rainy city, winds howled through deserted streets, upon a skyscraper a man dressed in black, his trench coat flapping in the gale caught a collapsing woman
Light flashed down upon a rainy city, winds howled through deserted streets, upon a skyscraper a man dressed in black, his trench coat flapping in the gale caught a collapsing woman, white-haired and dressed in white. Behind them stood another woman, dressed in black with hair equally as pale as the first. At that instant six peals of thunder school the air, one immediately after the other, creating a cacophony of crashing sounds. The man dressed in black could barely hear the woman's voice, but he could see her lips move.
"…Kiri…is that you?...it hurts Kiri…like they're trying to…break out…please Kiri…it hurts." The woman's voice is weak, her breath laboured. Kiritsugu Emiya can see one of the only good things in the entire world come apart before him, sacrificed upon the altar of his ideal.
"It is almost done. Only one of our enemies remains. The Tohsakas must have summoned a powerful servant indeed to defend against the Water Mirror." Even now he is not allowed the slightest moment to grieve his loss before his mind of steel must return.
"Can you still kill them? If necessary I will use a command seal." To have come this far, sacrificed everything upon the chance of his dream becoming reality, even killing Irisviel, if it is made worthless now he does not know what he will do.
"It depends. If they stay under whatever defence has protected them from the Mirror then it is unlikely that even my noble phantasm will be able to pierce it, however, if-" A blast of gold cuts his servant off, as what appears to be a spear smashes into the rooftop they stand upon.
"Or they will do that. How foolish to abandon defence for a failed offen-!" As his servant resumes her speech a rain of weapons pours out from a sky-high wall of golden light, he can see hovering in the air before the wall a man in golden armour, sitting upon some kind of aircraft. He does not know how, but even from this distance, he can feel the world-ending rage of the golden-armoured man.
"Leave. You will not be able to survive this onslaught, and I will not have my chance at rule dashed by your death." His servant commands him, and he obeys – a battle between servants is no place for a master.
As he runs down the stairs, Irisviel in his arms, he hears the clash of weapons and magecraft, spear against bolt of lightning, sword against pillar of flame – and then sudden silence.
Her name was Morgan La Fay, the elder sister and eternal rival of King Arthur, the one who imprisoned the great mage Merlin in a tower beyond the end of the world. It was by her hand, and the hands of her allies that the great kingdom of Camelot fell. And she was fighting for her life.
In the distance, the horrifically powerful demi-god threw uncountable weapons at her, an infinite stream of noble phantasm thrown like bullets from a machine gun. To think she had considered Arthur to be the most powerful enemy she had ever faced. Before this golden demi-god, her little sister paled in comparison – it was like holding a candle to the sun. They simply did not exist upon the same levels, and she knew she would have to give everything to win this one fight – thankfully the Water Mirror had used energy from the leylines, rather than her own store.
"To think I will even need to call upon her…but this is most definitely a foe worthy of my greatest ally." Her greatest noble phantasm, a power beyond any magecraft that she concocted, an ally beyond any Knight of the Round Table, one so fierce Merlin tried to bind them beneath Camelot.
"KILGHARRAH, ELDEST CHILD OF ALBION – FULFIL YOUR OATH TO ME AND COME FORTH FROM THE MIRROR OF THE STARS"
A cracking sound resounds among the building of Fuyuki, as the ocean in the sky shatters into a million shards of solid water, and a truly massive beast smashes through the surface of the aerial sea. White scales glow in the golden light as the dragon from beneath the white castle flies above the city. A look of surprise crosses the demi-god's face for a moment before a dark smile holding mirth and sadistic joy in equal measure settle upon his visage.
A blue glow of mana grows in Kilgharrah's mouth, bursting out into a laser-like beam of magical energy that lances towards the flying ship, almost reaching the vessel before a fortress of shields springs forth from the sky-high wall of golden portals. The clash of blue light against metal, gold and magical shields lights up the night sky, like the aurora.
"Kilgharrah! Heed my command and destroy this enemy of mine!"
She yells out, knowing perfectly that the last dragon of Britain can hear her no matter the distance.
An earth-shattering roar from the beast is the only response she gets, as it beats its great wings and rises beyond the clouds, the demi-god laughing darkly as his aircraft accelerates from still too well beyond the speed of sound in an instant. As they disappear beyond the clouds, a wailing sound fills the air, emanating from large speakers atop several buildings.
All she could see was the occasional flash of golden light or comet of azure blue, the only sounds were the roars of Kilgharrah and the downpouring rain.
On the ground floor of the skyscraper, Kiritsugu Emiya dashed between falling rubble, his dying wife clutched desperately in his arms, the building falling around him under the barrage of weapons sent by the enemy servant. After what seemed like an age of slipping in and out of the accelerated state caused by the time manipulation of the Emiya magic crest he finally made it out of the ruined building.
"Hey Kiri…I can feel something coming…some kind of servant…"
Hardly had the word's left Irisviel's lips when a cloud of black smoke shot past overhead, slamming into the side of the ruined skyscraper and rushing up it as if the legions of hell followed after. The servant appears to reach out and grab a piece of rebar jutting out of the side of the skyscraper, tearing it from the building as glowing red lines spread across the metal, and then Kiritsugu could see no more.
A hacking cough draws his attention – barely audible over the sirens and sounds of battle – as from a side street, out stumbles one of the other masters – Kariya Matou: untrained as a magus, low threat, most likely master to the servant ascending the building, eliminate as soon as possible to remove mana supply – the information from the files he was sent, and his analysis supporting his actions, Kiritsugu lays Irisviel down and considers for a moment, then takes his Calico M950 out of his jacket. Pointing the gun at the grey-haired man he steadies his aim for a moment, then fires. Bullets tear into a swarm of insects that appeared from nowhere – no, not nowhere, some come from the side street, the others from Matou's body. As the magazine clicks empty, Matou steps forward, agony evident on his face.
"You bastard! IT WAS YOU, YOU KILLED SAKURA! YOU KILLED HER! I'LL KILL YOU!"
For a moment Kiritsugu wonders how Matou knows that he perpetrated the attack on the other Masters, before dismissing the thought. As Matou charges forward, the swarm of insects following behind, Kiritsugu's hand snakes inside his trench coat. Withdrawing his Contender, he loads a bullet – a second passes as this happens, and Matou is nearly within 10 meters – another second, Matou readies a punch, the hammer cocks, and the trigger pulls. A deafening bang splits the night, interrupting the background noise of roars and weapons clashing on scales. Matou stumbles, magic circuits firing wildly as the origin bullet's effects make themselves known.
Screams of pain come from the dying man as the swarm of insects turn upon him, bereft of mana from their summoner. Kiritsugu Emiya turns away, picks up his wife and continues running.
As she stands atop a crumbling skyscraper, listening to the sounds of battle between a demi-god and the last dragon of Britain and the wailing of sirens, out of the corner of her eye she spots it – a mass of black smoke, nearly indistinguishable from the darkness of the night, simply standing, as if it were waiting for something.
As she turned to look at the enemy servant – for what else could it be – a howl of rage emanated from the Berserker, a howl in which she could distinguish one word – Arthur.
"What would a Berserker be doing screaming the name of my sister? Unless – ah that is a crowning irony! For the most loyal and noble Knight of the Lake to be reduced to a mere Berserker! How delightful." For it truly is – Lancelot was a fearsome enemy in life, his skill all but unmatched even among the Knights of the Round, yet without his sanity, he will have no way to bring that skill to bear – especially as the Berserker class lacks the magic resistance skill of Saber.
"If it were my brother you faced it might even be a fight in your favour, Knight of the Lake, yet it is me and so you will die here." As she speaks to the Servant of madness, her magic circuits activate, drawing mana from the leylines of Britain she prepares a spell as Lancelot charges forth. A second later he is within striking distance, the pipe discarded and a corrupted Arondight drawn forth when she uses her trump card.
"Lordless Camelot." The name of her second noble phantasm leaves her mouth, little more than a whisper, and a lance of magical energy punches through Lancelot's armour, skewering him upon the ice that forms in its wake. At the same time, a loud bang and short scream reach her ears from the base of the skyscraper, and the mad Servant disappears in a shower of golden motes.
For a while she does nothing, simply standing on the ruined building watching the heavens, her eyes scanning the skies for signs of the ongoing battle. She stays like this for an age, simply watching, until a strange rush of displaced air behind her drags her attention away from the great battle in the skies.
As she turns around what comes into view must be one of the strangest things she has ever seen – a small group of four people, obviously working together if their entrance was anything to go by, yet dressed with no sense of uniformity. Two were in skin-tight bodysuits, one in a green robe and hood, and the fourth in some kind of armour.
"What do you call yourself?" The question is posed in an amiable voice by the man in armour, yet she can sense an edge to it, as though he is preparing himself for tragedy.
"I am called Assassin in this form."
"You're a villain then. Never mind, either help with whatever's destroying the city or get out of here." This time it's the woman in grey who speaks. She speaks in a tense tone like she's preparing for a hard battle and wishes to focus.