Words Count: 4696

A/N: Day 1,5 of having no access to water. I haven't bathed nor brushed my teeth since last night. Drinking water has also run out. The only thing I can do is sit and await death… And choking down the last of my cigarettes. Good Gods, why have thou forsaken me?

Here's my usual spiel:

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P (a) (treon).com (/) LiamThePoor


You'd be surprised what a good night's sleep could do for you. All that soreness- that Mana exhaustion? Gone completely by the time I was up. Granted, I did feel a bit sluggish, but I was also fairly sure everyone experienced that after a particularly long nap, so it's probably nothing to worry about... Hopefully,

'Then again with my Luck.' Against my wishes, an intrusive thought was able to sneak in. 'Wait-No! Things are going well, I shouldn't jinx it!'

Sadly, it was too little too late, for a jinx could not be taken back once said. Still, I went about my daily routine as usual, trying to put that foreboding feeling which kept nagging at me to take caution to the back of my mind. Obviously, this did not work, not even while I was having my morning coffee- an activity that had never failed to brighten up my mood normally. 'What the Hell am I so anxious about? Everything is going great!'

The Bounded Fields were in place, the girls protected under a nigh impenetrable fortress and I had even planned to help Shiro summon Artoria after dinner. Nothing could go wrong now… Except, it could. You ever heard about Murphy's Law? So basically, to sum it up, everything that could go horribly wrong would go horribly wrong. It's just a matter of time, said Murphy.

It's a really… Bleak outlook on Life,

But from my experiences, the guy wasn't wrong per say.

Hell, I'd say he's a genius!

If you didn't expect anything from Life, you'd essentially be immune to disappointment.

After everything I had suffered through in just a mere decade in Nasuverse, let's just say my expectations weren't high to begin with, which explained my immense frustration when Life, as always, still failed to deliver. "What the fuck do you mean you can't find Rin and Archer?"

My deliver of the sentence was stone-cold, stoic- without an ounce of emotions as I looked at Illaoi. "Let me get this straight, you all have been practically begging for me to assign you cooler, more important jobs and the instance- the fucking instance I actually started trusting you bunch with it, you screwed up?"

Rather than answering what's clearly a rhetorical question, my maid's eyes seemed glued to her feet as I slapped the table in cold fury. "One job- y'all had one simple fucking job! How hard could keeping an eye on a single teenage girl with a walking Mana Reactor by her side be?"

As souls temporarily given life, Servants were extremely noticeable. For Magi with the more… Magical-focus Mystic Eyes, looking at one would feel like they were staring directly into the Sun. How on God's green Earth did they fucking miss that sneaking out?! If Emiya had been an Assassin, I could understand. Fuck it, perhaps I might even be able to forgive their incompetence, but to be finessed by an Archer Servant while he's in your territory?

Under Bounded Fields you yourself helped erecting?

Fucking really?! "Too hard for my supposed Elites, apparently!"

Anger washed away by disappointment, I rested my chin on my wrist and said, eerily calm. "How can I ever entrust you guys with ANYTHING after this monumental blunder of yours? Who's even responsible for Rin's side of the Wing anyway? Bring them to me."

I didn't know what I'd do to him or her, though making them look for Rin would be a good start considering the tsundere hadn't taken the Gem with her. Hell, if I could contact her, I'd not be nearly as furious, but I couldn't. To make the matter worse, I had never made the tsundere a Mystic Code, meaning I had nothing to locate her with. "Have you guys tried asking Sakura her whereabouts at least?"

It's the most logical course of actions…

Whether intentionally or not, criminals often told their relatives where they'd be staying to hide from law enforcement.

Not a very stupid mistake to make, but it's a psychological response practically hardwired into us to lower stress. "We have, Ms. Tohsaka claims she doesn't know and didn't seem to be lying, Milord. Hound's been sent on her tracks, we should hear from him very soon."

I sighed, feeling my anxiety slowly recede. Perhaps things weren't too bad? Maybe Rin's safe and I was just worrying about nothing? "When was it discovered that she is gone?"

"Earlier today, Milord. About 8AM if I'm not mistaken. I'd have checked on her sooner, but I remember you telling me how much the older Miss needs sleep so…"

Great! So I'm responsible for this somehow?! "So what you're saying is I'm at fault?"

"N- NO! I did not mean that, Milord." She stuttered, raising her voice in panic. "Did she leave something?"

"Miss- Miss Tohsaka did leave a note explaining her disappearance–" From within her puffy blouse, Illaoi pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. "– Here it is, sir."

I snatched the paper from her hand, about to read it when I felt Archer and Rin entering the Bounded Fields. "No need… Check on Taiga and Shiro also. I doubt they have followed in Rin's footsteps, but you can never be too sure."

Growling, I crumpled the paper in a ball and teleported directly in front of the pair.

Instinctively, Emiya projected his falchions to take a swing at my neck, which I made no move to stop, still keeping a calm, unmoving façade as the Servant forcefully arrested his momentum. "Leonis?!"

"You gonna put those down or what?" My gaze darted towards the falchions resting near my neck, their sharp edges only a mere inch away from digging into my artery. "That was reckless Leonis!"

The tanned Servant scolded, dissipating his blades.

"No, what's reckless is you two going on a bloody joyride without telling anybody." I replied quietly. "And to do so while we're at War with potentially eleven other walking WMD too? Must have been fun! How the fuck did you even circumvent the Bounded Fields anyway?"

"Leona used the same Matrix you do. Cursed almost as much as you do too." Archer 'silently' whispered, shrugging. This motherfucking–! Breath in. Breath out, Leonis. Don't let it get to you. "Relax, we're fine, are we not?"

"That's not the problem–" I growled, face seemingly stuck in a perpetual scowl. "– The problem is the risks you're taking, walking around the City with an unknown number of Servants prowling about! Can you guys think before you act?!"

"We did!" Rin shouted. "We can't let you do all the works while we just laze around! This is still my territory, you know? I'm the Second Owner of Fuyuki- It's my responsibility to–!"

"To what?" I cut in, forehead pulsing with angry veins. "To risk your life when you clearly know it'll be taken care of? To die under a Servant's weapons? To unnecessarily cause me stress as if I haven't had enough of that? Which of the above is it, Rin?! I can't guarantee there will be no casualty, but I have a plan that needs to be followed–"

"Your plan–" She spat spitefully. "– Is to wait for all the Masters and Servants to arrive while we should be taking the initiative to attack the few disorganized Masters currently in Fuyuki! What are we even? Your prisoners?! Why did you have your people spy on us?!"

"We'd have done that today if you two hadn't chosen to sneak out!" The urge to throw insults around had risen to its peak, though thankfully I was able to clamp on it in time… The same could not be said for [Hell King's Engine] and [Tyrannical Charisma], unfortunately. "Perhaps you both should take a step back? This can be resolved peacefully, it doesn't have to be a fight."

Two pairs of eyes- acidic green and ocean blue respectively- snapped towards the Servant who back away under the combined assault of our glares. "I- I'm just saying, you both have a point…?"

""Elaborate."" Rin and I echoed in unison, before throwing each other the stink eye. "Well, Rin thinks you're wasting our potentials when we could be much more useful in the War, and Leo just wants to protect you girls. Neither of you are wrong per say, perhaps a compromise can be reached? First Leo, you can be a little less controlling–"

Controlling?! What's he talking about?

'To be fair, you did basically force the girls to go to your Castle in the middle of nowhere- Kinda like that one game character: Bowsie?' The Daemon joked. 'It's Bowser, and I did not force them, they went out of their own accord!'

'Did they? Did they really?' Oh-Go fuck yourself, Angra. "– And Rin, I know it might feel stuffy living in this place, but it's only for a few weeks until the Grail War reaches its end. Besides, I doubt it's Leo's intention to be so unwelcoming, but do understand he's doing this for your own good. His ultimate goal is your safety first and foremost."

He had a point, but… Oh-Gods, we're listening to life advices from Archer Emiya of all folks, the World was doomed, doomed I say. "Leo, I know why you're doing this, trust me. Leona's much the same, but this Grail War is incredibly volatile, you are going to need partners, not mere subordinates you can order around willy-nilly."

At that, I narrowed my eyes as a thought hit my mind. "And how did your Grail War end up? In fact, how did you even meet Leona in the first place?"

I kept feeling like something was wrong, but if Archer's past was similar to Shiro, shouldn't the me of his Timeline have talked him out of this destructive path? Why did Shirou still become Archer then? And how did he not know about these changes made to the Fifth War? "I met Leona as a Servant. She was helping a stubborn redhead from going off the deep end to… Well, some success. She even tried to keep Rin from getting near dangers, like you."

"And how did that War go?"

"I don't remember." How convenient. "If you ask me about personal experiences with your alternate-selves, I can answer them just fine, but my knowledge is limited by the Grail, else I'd have won every single War throughout my existence."

Could the Grail even do that? I knew it's responsible for uploading Servants general knowledge to operate in the modern age, but it shouldn't be able to alter their memories, right? "Wait, how did our conversation turn into you interrogating me?! It's supposed to be you and Rin, Leonis!"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I get it, she thinks I'm not giving her due respect, but you've got to see things from my perspective, right? It'd be much easier for us if Rin and Shiro aren't at risk- being the only other two Masters. Even if I or Lancer perish, you'd still have a chance to prevent the Apocalypse. It's not because they are girls, neither is it because I think they're not qualified to handle the War, it's just the most logical option."

No idea why such a simple fact couldn't get in her thick skull. "I just- I want to do something nice for a change. It's always you, or Shiro, or Taiga and Gilgamesh! I'm forced to play the role of a helpless damsel while you guys do all the works!"

Ah-Therein lied the crux of the problem: Insecurity. "Rin, you're–"

"No! You listen up!" She cut in angrily. "Do you know how useless I feel, how hopeless when my own sister was rescued from a fate worse than death and I had not a part in it? Every day I woke up, I'm confronted with the Reality that I'm the most useless Second Owner ever and it-"

She choked, her twin tails- like the ears of a small animal- drooped. "I just don't want to feel like that ever again, is that too much to ask for?"

No… I supposed not. "Rin, while I do prioritize your safety and protection above all else, I'm not going to make you sit on the sidelines. You are not a prisoner here, you and Archer can leave whenever you two want, but at least tell someone where you're going so we aren't blindsided."

It did cross my mind for a short moment, though it's nothing but a passing thought. Archer and with his Unlimited Blade Works was the type of resources too powerful to waste. "You promise?"

"Of course." Reflexively, I put a hand on her head. I had forgotten how soft and silky-smooth the tsundere's hair was. The texture put a hint of a smile on my lips as Rin's face reddened. "Go get a room, you two."

Way to ruin the moment, Archer. "So, what did you guys find out?"

"There was only–" Archer started, but was hushed in silence by Rin. "Ehem!"

"Fine, you do it." The Servant rolled his eyes. "It's almost time for lunch, I will help out in the kitchen. Holler if you need help."

With that said, Archer disappeared, having astralized. "Well, we found only one set of footprints on the roof where the Servant who attacked us was shooting from. We've tried to search for clues which might reveal who the Master is, but…"

"You didn't find anything?"

"Unfortunately, no." Her mood visibly dropped. "We even checked the cameras too within a four-blocks vicinity, but nothing came up."

That's… Suspicious. As I had mentioned, the Energy-Transference process between a Master and their Servant was not efficient. The longer a Servant stayed away from the Master, the weaker and weaker they'd grow due to the distance. "I think I might have an idea as to why that is."

"You do?" Blinking owlishly, Rin tilted her head.

"Although it's nothing but baseless suspicions right now." I shrugged. "Tell me."

"Rin, I don't want to confuse you if–"

"You said I can be more involved." She replied with a deadpanned expression.

"Alright, fine… Have you heard of Class Cards?"

"The thing that can merge someone with a Servant? But it's just a theory! It doesn't work in actuality, right?" Seeing my demeanor, Rin repeated. "Right?"

"It's quite possible, Rin."

"So we'd fighting Masters instead of Servants in this War? Great." If you hadn't noticed, that sentence was loaded with sarcasm.

Some less intelligent people might believe this would make things easier for us,

They'd be wrong.

The traditional Masters and Servants style always left the Master vulnerable. For example: If a Servant was in battle, the Master would have no protections against external threats. Now, with the Class Cards, not only would the Master be incredibly powerful, they'd also have three extra lives in the form of Command Seals basically. "Again, this is only my speculation, but things are gonna turn bad if it's true."

I hadn't come into this War expecting to kill a lot of Masters,

But if the second Faction truly was made up of Class Card users, I was going to rack up my Kill Count very quickly.

"If push comes to shove–" I muttered, mostly to myself, yet in a way, I was also talking to the tsundere too. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to finish my sentence since my maid- Illaoi barged into my room. "Milord, there has been–"

She paused for a brief second to assess the situation, staring at our slightly disheveled hairs and asked. "Am I interrupting something?"

Rin seemed a bit flustered, though I was calm.

"It's nothing, what do you want to report?"

"Three people with Einzbern characteristics have been sighted in Fuyuki… And judging from the Mana fluctuations we read, I believe we might have found the one you're looking for."

At last, some good news. My lips quirked slightly upwards. "Perfect… Where?"

[Fate: DML] —

To think she had missed so much while being stuck in her grandfather's Workshop! Illya thought, putting a taiyaki in her mouth, while her other hand held a stick of squishy, multi-colored dango. "Sella, Leysritt! You two should try one as well, it's really good!"

Hands behind her back, Illya skipped, uncaring of the weirded out looks the three of them were being given. Passerby probably thought they're siblings with Illya as the youngest,

Little did they know the 'little girl' happily rummaging through practically every vendor on the street was in truth twenty-five year old- the oldest of all three girls. Worse, she had a… Guardian Angel of sort always on her tail- a dark, angry, wrathful Angel who'd smash any one of them should the passerby pose even the slightest threat to her. Each and every one of these girls, none was simple.

Leysritt- the more expressive of the two homunculus maids- was supposed to become the 'Dress of Heaven', a powerful Mystic Code of the Einzbern, thus she had an extremely high amount of Mana. While Sella, being the least emotional, was in fact a high-functioning homunculus with perfect efficiency, created specifically to be both a guide and a protector to the real Lesser Grail, Aka- Illya herself.

She might mot possess the frankly absurd Magic Circuits Illya and Leysritt did, but in combat, if she claimed second of the group, no one would dare claim first…

Well, except for Illya, though that was only because the two maids could not defy her orders, not just because of any sentimental feeling they might have to the childlike woman, but also an instinct ingrained into them during the alchemic creation-process. "Thank you Lady Illya, but I don't believe we should–"

"If you're not eating it, I will!" Leysritt, contrary to her fellow homunculus, was far more receptive to the offer. Gently, Illya pried a piece of dango and put it in her mouth, reminiscing of better times- times when she'd get to enjoy the winter with her late mother and Kiritsugu. She never said it, though internally, the shorter girl couldn't help wondering if this would have been her life if her parents hadn't– No! What's done was done.

Illya shook. "Milady, are you alright? You look pale all of a sudden."

"I'm fine, I just don't feel at ease with so many people around us." She replied, before telling Berserker to settle down. With his mind mostly gone, Herakles was almost beastly, his instinct to protect her was without rhyme and reason, and if he decided everyone around them was a threat somehow, Fuyuki's gonna be drenched in blood when morning came. "Let's go some place more private? I think I saw a pretty cool café over there."

Illya smiled brilliantly, though the sadness in her eyes shone through still, unable to remain hidden. "How about Ahnenerbe? It's a nice café, it's secluded and–"

"Who?!" Instantly, the maids pushed Illya behind them protectively, unware of the attention they had gathered. "The name's Leonis- Leonis Magnum, and I'm here to–"

The Einzbern was isolated, but not clueless. Even people with little contact to the Clock Tower had heard of the infamous 'monster' who murdered and maimed his enemies with a smile always present on his lips. Sadly, there's no way for them to fight, not here, not now, not while there were people milling about, thus Sella and Leysritt quickly made to grab their Lady and raced off.

"Oh-Dear…" Leonis whispered, before beginning to discreetly give chase. Turn after turn, road after road they crossed until at last, they're at a secluded place devoid of people. "Look, I just want to talk! It's about Shiro- the girl Kiritsugu adopted–"

The word never even had the chance to escape his lips properly when a gigantic stone axe-sword thingy was swung his way, nearing his head. The teenager's eyes widened in shock, as though he couldn't comprehend the fact someone would attack him before he could finish his words.

But of course, that's not the end of it.

The boy used his signature move- one of the more documented ones anyway- Teleportation.

"I just- I want to talk, okay? Ceasefire, everybody!" Sadly, how could the maids and Herakles ever agree to hear him out? He's too dangerous to be left alive, plus the fact that he's here must mean he was involved in the Grail War one way or another. Violently, Herakles swung his axe-sword again, trying to bisect the boy from top down.

Not to be underestimated, Lord Magnum leaped to dodge the attack, using a bastardized version of [Mana Burst] to keep up with the Servant, yet even then he's unable to truly keep up. "Goddamnit, DON'T FUCKING FORCE MY HANDS!"

No one listened.

In fact, his words merely heightened the tension as Sella joined the battle, her outfit changed into the same skimpy, gold-accented one she's seen wearing moments after touching the Class Card. Her eyes, which're once a deep crimson, turned into beautiful, molten golds. With a wave of her hands, Sella transformed strands of her hair into familiars- each glowing with Mana as they bombarded both Berserker and the boy.

The reason for this strategy was simple: Attacks of this level could not hurt the legendary Herakles, but it'd be able to harm the boy just fine. "Fine… Just remember, you forced my hands!"

Heartbeats and hellish screams echoed in unison, the air itself appeared stagnant as darkness blotted out the sky, yet that wasn't right, was it? The Sun was still there, high up! How could this area darken so? Moments later, the group had their answer as Runes sprouted on the ground- reddish orange with an infernal taint to them. "Obey my commands, Demons! [Ars Goetia]!"

From within these Runes- Nay, these portals- came Demons of all kinds. Some more human than others, though most were mere distorted, twisted versions of Humanity with heads and limbs of animals.

Perhaps this would hinder them somewhat, though with Herakles possessing A across the board, these infernal creatures were little more than hindrances. To their surprise, the Demons did not charge at them, instead they stood, surrounding the boy. This didn't matter for the legendary Hero lost to madness as he tore through them like wet-papers. Still, at a certain point, quantity became its own sort of quality and the Demons were able to wrench the axe-sword from Herakles' hands.

This did not deter him.

Berserker launched a punch at the boy, yet rather than avoiding, he stood still with an eyebrow raised.

Even in his madness, his instinct was topnotch and he tried to pull back, but it's too late.

Simultaneously, two portals opened- one right in front of Herakles' clenched fist, the other next to his face. The Hero tilted his head to dodge the attack,

His leg- pulsating with veins- stomped on the ground, sending sharp fragments towards the boy.

He's too late.

Herakles' face met with his own cheek, and while the odd angle reduced some of the force, it did not manage to save the Hero's neck from snapping like a stick. "ArRggHh–!"

Herakles roared, croaking as he tried to steady his broken neck. To make matter worse, his most notable Noble Phantasm: Twelve Labors (God Hand) need him to die to activate, and while his neck was broken, it couldn't quite put him down just yet. For the first time im his existence, Herakles' ridiculously broken Vitality proved to be his vital flaw. "BERSERKER!"

Skin reddening with rage, Herakles seemed to receive a second boost from the shout, his muscles tensing to forcefully keep his head in place as he shot forth, followed by Sella who continued with her bombardment. "Sella, you have my permission to use that!"

The homunculus nodded to show her understanding, but said nothing as she kept taking potshots at the boy. Leonis Magnum's a fearsome foe indeed, Illya thought. She should have known, there's no way her grandfather would make her memorize his files if he wasn't at least this powerful. Surely, they wouldn't lose now, would they?

She's so close to getting her vengeance,

Their group had two Servants, while Lord Magnum had none!

Yet, why's it this hard?! "For the last time, I just want to talk! Stand down, please!"

Hearing him plead and seeing his sincere expression, Illya thought for a moment, before ordering a retreat. She wasn't completely confident in their victory, not while Herakles was hurt and Lord Magnum had an entire army of Demons to shield him from Sella's Spells. Maybe they could if the Servants used their Noble Phantasms, but Twelve Labors couldn't be activated unless Berserker died, and in his madness, the Servant simply couldn't utilize his second Noble Phantasm: Nine Lives.

As for Sella… The Bull of Heaven's too big and noticeable to summon in broad daylight.

She could if she wanted, though that'd likely bring the wrath of the Holy Church and the Mages' Association on their heads quicker than Illya could spell, 'Noble Phantasm'. Accepting the ceasefire was the best option available to them at the moment.

Herakles made to protest, yet when he saw the teary look Illya had, the Hero relented. "You want to speak, speak."

Lord Magnum stared at them, before pulling off his glove to show a set of Command Seals. "Illya Von Einzbern, correct?"

"Is there a need for you to ask questions you already know the answer to?" Illya mocked as Herakles returned to her side.

"I suppose not." The boy shrugged, de-summoning his Demons- a bold move for sure. "To show my sincerity."

He explained. "I've met your father a few times when I was young, Kiritsugu Emiya… The guy has- had a beautifully idiotic dream for a World without conflicts. He's the worst of the worsts, everything he did, every crime he committed went directly against my own ideals–"

"Is there a point to this?" Illya glared, her frown deepening when he laughed. "There is. The point's: Kiritsugu is a shitty person, but few can say he's a shitty dad. Did you know he tried to save you from the Einzbern after the Fourth War? He came to the Castle to seek you, but he'd be repelled by their homunculi every time without fail. His Magic Circuits had started to degrade then, weakened and starved of Mana by the Curse inflicted upon him by the Grail."

She thought she hated Kiritsugu,

But what Illya felt for the boy before her right now was much more intense than the hatred she had for her father. It's one thing to attack her on the street, it's another entirely to make up such a ridiculous story about her father. "And what proofs do you have?"

"None, I'm afraid." Lord Magnum shrugged. "But I know he loved you with all his heart. I know how much it pains him that you're suffering under the hands of that thing you called grandfather, and I know he kept thoughts of you close even as he died."

"ENOUGH!" She shouted, eyes reddening with unshed tears. "I'll listen to these lies no longer! Berserker!"

The boy visibly tensed at the call to her Servant, though he did not make a move. "Bring us out of here!"

"You know I'm right, Illya!" His shout echoed from behind as her Servant put Illya and her maids in his arms, before leaping away with Superhuman speed.

The sentence only made her that much angrier,

For truth was, she did believe him- in that instance when he told her of her father, Illya had believed him because deep down, she truly wanted to. "Ahnenerbe! It's café near the old Church, you can't miss it! Ask for me there if you want to know more about your father!"

These were just lies, lies designed by an enemy Master to weaken her resolve! Illya would not fail!

'But what if it's not a lie?' The traitorous thought whispered before being stomped on violently by the albino. "It's not possible, Kiritsugu is the horrible man who killed mama and abandoned me… That's all he is."