Fate Recast

by MM007

Shirou Emiya died in the final battle with Kirei Kotomine. A grieving Artoria Pendragon returned to her time with the scabbard after destroying the Holy Grail. Fortunately, being in the past allows her to make plans to go off the rails to resolve this tragedy... Strong Shirou x Artoria x Probable Harem in distant future. Currently in Fate/Zero era.

20. Zero Arc: Gilgamesh Claims a Prize

Author's Note: I don't quite understand why some people claim that this fic is lying in its summary. Shirou x Artoria x Possible Harem in the distant future is indeed the truth. I've already tried to adjust the description once to reflect this, but I still receive complaints from guest accounts that won't let me ask for further input on how to better refine the summary. So I have to say it here: I am open to hearing other summary descriptions and applying further changes, but Artoria and Shirou won't be doing mature romantic things any time soon. Perhaps I should double down on the idea that we explore the alterations that Artoria's changes brought about? Emphasize that more heavily as a key aspect of the fic?

Based on research, I've adopted the date of May 30, 537 for the Battle of Camlann. Fate just hasn't been clear on when exactly it was beyond being 'around AD 500' or 'the early sixth century AD'. Yes, I know that's the same day of the year that Jeanne died. I don't know why that is. Maybe Jeanne and Artoria's legends bled together somewhere. If this turns out to be in error or inferior to another date, I can go back and amend it. I've also adopted October 20, 1986, as Shirou Enjou's birthday. It is in no way canon, it's just that Shirou Day happens to fit nicely into the timetable and I reserve the right to change it later if a clue to the truth is found.

A guest sent me a message pointing out that with Justeaze unlikely to be a Heroic Spirit, she couldn't be summoned in 1954. They went on to mention the odd contradiction between how the original Greater Grail required Justeaze's soul and a limited version of the Third True Magic attached to it simply to manifest the Servants, while other Grails seemed not to need such things to accomplish the same. While not necessarily something to write into the story because I am trying not to melt minds more than I have to over the more esoteric lore, these are good points worthy of further explanation to those who want to take such a deep dive.

The short answer is that it is possible to summon beings that are not Heroic Spirits or even from the Throne of Heroes as Servants. Angra Mainyu(confirmed not to be in the Throne of Heroes), Sasaki Kojirou(confirmed to be a wraith), Muramasa(confirmed not to be at the level of a Heroic Spirit), various downgraded Divine Spirits, and a number of others are in this grouping. If the recorded data and memories of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern that are installed in every Justeaze-type homunculus in the Einzbern family were to be used as a Saint Graph, that makes the process even more plausible. The summoning is also not constrained to the incarnation within the local Worldline and is vulnerable to Alaya's influence adjusting the process as required. This makes the summoning of Dark Irisviel possible. Meanwhile, the difference between the Greater Grail of Fuyuki and other Grails seems to be that normal Grails(Lesser/Subcategory/FGO) more deeply hijack the World's existing Servant Summoning system and can't reach the Root while Justeaze-based Greater Grails with her soul have the 'special sauce' to support more Servants and reach the Root. There are possible ways around that limitation, though...

The long answer (skip to the line if you don't want to read) is that the summoning of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern/Dark Irisviel is the first Pseudo-Servant and High-Servant summoning in the timeline, the former of which is where a being other than a Heroic Spirit—who otherwise could not exist as a Servant—eclipses or merges with the body and soul of a living person to become stable. The main difference is that the body in this specific example lacked a soul to overwrite and was a perfect vessel for its new occupant in every way.

Of course, the holes in this process allowed for additional entities to be stuffed into the Saint Graph to allow the formation of a High-Servant. Sitonai is an example of this happening and qualifies as both a Pseudo-Servant and a High-Servant as well. The entity responsible for cramming Dark Irisviel and Angra Mainyu into this Justeaze summoning to form a High-Servant is none other than Alaya, who really wanted the Fuyuki Fire to happen to make sure this timeline's Shirou would serve her interests as a future Counter Guardian in spite of Merlin's meddling. This meant re-injecting Angra Mainyu into the Fourth Holy Grail War alongside a compatible soul who was willing to allow the Fuyuki Fire to occur, the latter of which would eclipse Justeaze's soul in the fusion. Were it not for Ayala's interference, a rather normal Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern could have appeared.

The reason that it was not called a Pseudo-Servant summoning, or even expected to succeed at all, is because it was the very first one and was conducted without any knowledge of these mechanics. Things like Pseudo-Servants and High-Servants simply weren't yet defined in this timeline as of 1954, though they are being researched now.

As far as the early Fate series' Grails requiring Justeaze's soul and the incomplete application of the Third True Magic to form the bodies of Servants while later ones did not, I believe this might be a retcon where the more modern Grails instead use the World's existing emergency Servant summoning system and hijack it in a more comprehensive manner that sidesteps the fragments of the Third True Magic in a sense. This system is seen operating normally with Rogue Servants in Fate/Grand Order where the World sends them into Singularities and even sends a few into Lostbelts to try and restore Proper Human History independent of Chaldea. I think that shortcut might be what the FATE system and Grails in FGO—along with less powerful Grails like Lesser Grails and the ones in Subcategory Holy Grail Wars—use. It might also be what earlier Grails—like the one Galahad returned to Heaven in Artorian lore—operate by. Merlin uses a system of this type to send Artoria into the world as needed, though it can still tap into the Fuyuki Grail System when a connection is formed such as by piggybacking with a Grail summon or connecting to a Lesser Grail.

It is possible that Justeaze's soul and True Magic are required to stabilize the process to sustain more than five Servants in a single Grail at once, and seven Servants are needed to reach the Root. The Third True Magic is also said to have been 'created as a path to the Root', so it might be that only Grails employing that system are able to reach the Root at all. I've decided to go with that assumption and stipulate that Grails are able to reach the Root only in special cases and are otherwise simply advanced Wishcraft-based Mystic Codes. Of course, there is nothing stopping someone else with a Greater Grail(Justeaze' Soul) from making a Saint Graph and trying to make more Greater Grails if they have the understanding and resources—but such an act of mass production would risk weakening aspects of the Mystery that make the Greater Grail system able to function. Wishing on a Subcategory Holy Grail to create a Greater Grail is also possible since the Third True Magic already "exists in the world". The Einzbern Family is not without options, but they are also not the only ones who might be able to make a Greater Grail with sufficient resources and knowledge. Even brute-forcing the creation of one is possible if done in the right way. All that being said, I suspect that a 'Grail-made path to the Root' can only be used once except under very unusual circumstances.

---

It has been said to me by multiple people that Japan joining the Allies is a huge change because Japan was invading China at the time, and their intervention helped cause China to ultimately be conquered by the Chinese Communist Party by weakening the previous government. I am aware of the complications. In this timeline, a surviving Okita Souji learned from the mistakes of the Bushin War and, in addition to a new national police force, also founded an elite group of personnel who were dedicated to protecting the Emperor from being subverted or manipulated so as to prevent the rise of another shogunate. She also became a key voice of reason in Imperial court and curbed Japan's territorial ambitions, especially resisting the will of military personnel who tried to advise the Emperor in that direction and strengthen the military for conquest. Focus was instead placed on defense, naval development, and territory protection due to the Russo-Japanese wars. Japan did not conquer Korea in 1910(they signed a trade and defense Treaty here), nor did it invade China in the 1930s. To compensate, Alaya saw the Chinese Civil war being extended(1927-1953) and made more bloody. Korea was ultimately dragged into the conflict in a parallel of the Korean War in the later stages. I have an entire alternate history of the world written up in a text file from AD 537 onward, but have not posted it because I don't know what changes I may want to make in the future. Japan still winds up copying a great deal from the United States post-war, but it isn't out of obligation due to any occupation. Japan was instead bolstered militarily and economically by the Western powers it was closely allied with as an Asian bulwark against communism for roughly the same amount of time as the occupation would have proceeded for. There is also the fact that Japan has a culture of adopting what works. It was already integrating Western military, educational, political, musical, and fashion concepts in the 19th century and simply continued in that direction. That being said, this timeline still has the Empire of Japan being extant instead of the normal State of Japan we usually have post-WWII. As such, it carries differences here and there.

---

Chapter 20: Gilgamesh Claims a Prize

November 23, 1994

Emiya Residence

Fuyuki City, Japan

9:09 PM

FWOOOOOOM

Kariya Matou felt guilty for enjoying himself while he helped Tokiomi protect the damaged Emiya Residence from an onslaught of Zouken's insects. The assault had started shortly after Mordred had faded away and left the site without the benefit of a Servant's defense. He might not have much in the way of spells, but he did carry the very same flamethrower that Kiritsugu Emiya had used against him. Dumping prana into it from his Magic Circuits was enough to activate it and cause damage that he hoped caused his ancestor physical pain. It was pathetic compared to the literal firepower Tokiomi was bringing to bear, but it was still better than nothing.

The insects had failed to get past the Emiyas' bounded field so far, but the group was doing pest control to ensure that they didn't slip through the holes in the field formed by Kayneth and Hercules. Leysritt was using a lighter and a spray can of combustible fluid on any bugs she could, and Irisviel's wireframe familiars were helping manage intrusions as well. Illya had even pulled out some strands of her hair and joined in with her own Storch Ritter. The remainder took shelter near the Dojo, the one building large enough to house them all that didn't have damage or possible mercury fumes.

"This is an act of desperation," Tokiomi observed. "Zouken Matou is trying to wipe us out before any allied Servants return."

"Tch, more proof that he was working with El-Melloi and Caster," Kariya grumbled, torching another group of bugs.

Thankfully, a white streak in the sky indicated that they had delayed for long enough. Medusa's Pegasus arrived and Atalanta leapt from the back of the horse onto an adjacent rooftop. She drew two arrows and pulled them back on her bow. "Tokiomi! Get everyone inside!"

A normal Magus might have complained about being given an order by a Servant, but Tokiomi clearly knew better than to question the Argonaut in the midst of battle. "Retreat to the dojo!" Tokiomi's words were loudly shouted into the night and promptly obeyed. The insects started to pursue, but it was not to be.

Even while Medusa used wind generated by Pegasus' speed to disrupt the flight pattern of the insects and keep them from fleeing or advancing, Atalanta was ready to deploy her Noble Phantasm. "With my bow and arrows, I respectfully ask for the divine protection of the sun god Apollo and the moon goddess Artemis. I offer thee this calamity — Phoebus Catastrophe!" The two arrows were fired into the sky, after which the starry night glowed green once more. Powered more by Artemis than Rin, bolts of energy the size of arrows rained down. They missed the Emiya residence's dojo but spread out across the remainder of the area to destroy the enemy worms with impunity. The Emiya residence's bounded field didn't endure, but that was simply the price that had to be paid.

"Medusa, you're better at close range. Can you protect the dojo? I need to hunt down the survivors." Atalanta's words weren't meant to be authoritative, but they were spoken with a measure of stern urgency. Medusa nodded in compliance from her position on Pegasus and monitored the situation from above the dojo's rooftop while Atalanta began to hunt down the remaining Crest Worms at high speed. Even at this superhuman pace, it took a solid three minutes before Atalanta was confident that the area was cleared of stragglers and went to rejoin the group.

Iskandar's Gordius Wheel arrived at the Emiya Residence at this point, carrying Kiritsugu, Waver, Maiya, Iskandar, and Lancer Artoria. The bulls stomped and pitted the ground as they landed, but the damage to the lawn was so extensive that the hoofprints were scarcely noticeable. Iskandar looked around the damaged area with interest. "Hmm. It seems that we missed a fine battle." His words went without reply mainly because everyone was surprised by the damage.

"Kiritsugu! You're back!" Irisviel called out, holding an unconscious Shirou in her arms. A crying Illya rushed over to her father and tackle-hugged him. The man barely had time to kneel down to greet her before they collided. Atalanta's heart went out to the girl. Gray timidly approached Lancer Artoria and hugged her as well while she grieved Mordred. Medusa finally landed Pegasus at this point and quietly joined the others.

"I don't know what happened here yet, Illya, but you're safe now," the father said while hugging his child. His eyes were quickly taking in the battlefield even as he did so. He started to give a brief situation report to Irisviel and Tokiomi once reasonably sure the situation wasn't immediately lethal, even as he tried calming Illya down with the embrace. "We took down Caster at the cost of Assassin and critical damage to Lancer. Shirou's Servants are delivering Kirei Kotomine to the protection of the Church. What happened here—?" Kiritsugu then noted the blobs of mercury in what remained of the living room. "Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald? He was still alive?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka was the one to approach and answer. "Yes. He was heavily wounded, but Zouken Matou supported him with Crest Worms and seems to have given him a Command Seal. He ordered First Saber to attack us and killed Miss Sophia-Ri himself. First Saber broke through the Command Seal and killed him in her rage before she faded away soon after. Second Berserker had also attacked, forcing my daughters' servants to lure him away and leave us without Servant-grade defense. Zouken Matou took advantage of that by sending his familiars to swarm us, but we were able to hold off long enough for the Servants to return."

Everyone then looked to Atalanta and Medusa next, including a tearful Illya. Atalanta couldn't be happy about her victory as she prepared to make her report. "We...almost didn't win. Because Gilgamesh had taught Shirou how to cook Hydra meat, I just happened to have a vial of Hydra blood with me that I had confiscated from Shirou for being too dangerous to keep. That was the perfect weapon to use against Hercules because it was what killed him in life. Given Gilgamesh's Clairvoyance, we don't think that was a coincidence."

Illya sniffled, breaking the hug with Kiritsugu to point accusingly and glare at Atalanta and Medusa through teary eyes. "Y-you two killed Berserker! He didn't want to fight us! They used a Command Seal and made him! But you killed him!"

Atalanta knelt down before she reached forward and hugged Illya, holding her close. "He let us kill him, Illya. Because he knew he would stay a threat to you for as long as he lived, he did all he could to lose. He could have killed me in the end, but he threw me away from his poisoned body instead. Then...he fought through his pain and madness to thank us for protecting you from him. He said to tell you that you were his true Master, Illya. Those were his final thoughts. I'll now protect you in his place, along with my Master. As his friend and fellow Argonaut...that is my duty to him."

Illya shuddered on hearing that, any intelligible protests on her lips dying away as she cried and clung to Atalanta rather than pushing her away. It may not have been the best time to discuss something like this, but it couldn't be helped.

Gray's next words distracted the group. "No...don't tell me you'll go away too!" The small child had finally noticed the tiny wisps of energy that were occasionally leaking from Lancer Artoria.

"I fear that I must. I would have needed to leave eventually either way, but the strain I endured tonight was indeed lethal. The scabbard temporarily sustains me, so I shall stay for as long as I am able—however long or short it may be." Lancer Artoria did her best to reassure the young child.

Irisviel also stepped forward to address Gray. "Yes! Remember, Avalon's copies can heal injuries! I gave mine to Mordred before she vanished, and Lancer has one as well. They're not as good as the original was, but...there's a chance that they'll both go back home and lead long, full lives." The mother gave Gray a gentle and kind smile. "So don't grieve for them...if anything, they have hope now."

These thoughts were interrupted by the sudden feeling of intense ambient prana assaulting their collective senses. The source was a girl—or perhaps a rather petite woman—who was boldly walking through the front gate of the residence. The newcomer was dressed in a dark blue United States Air Force First Lieutenant's uniform, though she looked far too young to have a commission. Her appearance was made somewhat awkward by the massive 20mm Gatling gun affixed to her arm by a crude bracket made of hand-bent metal. The weight of such a thing should have made her topple over, but she seemed to bear it without perceivable strain. Her face carried an undeniable beauty to it that transcended human imperfection as if to contrast her crude armament. Flawless pale skin, piercing amber eyes, and long white hair graced her form.

"Be careful. That...is neither human nor Servant." Medusa warned the group as the newcomer's eyes met their own. Even with four Servants regarding her, she showed no sign of discomfort or concern. Her stoic face showed only a confidence borne not of arrogance as much as simple knowledge that she could walk in here without worry. Her eyes scanned everyone before lingering over Lancer and the children for a moment longer than the rest.

That moment was broken when an Isuzu Type 73 Heavy Truck drove through the gate behind her and braked hard. A woman with short, white hair and blue eyes who was wearing a USAF Lieutenant Colonel's uniform stepped out of the driver's seat. Kiritsugu and Tokiomi's eyes immediately widened while the second newcomer glared at her subordinate officer for some unknown trespass. The lack of reaction from her stoic ally soon compelled the newcomer to take on an expression that Kariya recognized as conveying the thought 'I need a cigarette'. Her eyes then moved to Kiritsugu and her expression turned into an awkward smile. "Hey, Kiritsugu. You...seem to have done well for yourself. 'Our mutual headache' did say that if I played to the script, you'd get a wife and a cute ankle biter of your own."

"Natalia..." Kiritsugu uttered. "How—...you let me think you were dead! For twelve years! I thought I killed you! I've been carrying the weight of that every single day!" Kiritsugu was on the verge of shouting at the woman, who visibly flinched at her surrogate son's response.

"Calm down, Kiritsugu. I know this looks bad, but there wasn't any choice if I wanted you and your family to come out of this whole! 'That pervert' had me do some odd jobs for him and the Mage's Association, kept me alive, and recruited me as your backup for this mess. My job was supposed to be to get your daughter and Gray out of the Einzbern Castle when the time came and keep her out of harm's way, but Alaya had other plans and dragged the war off the rails. We've been playing catch-up ever since. I can't say much more while we're out in the open like this."

Waver gave a frustrated sigh at this soap opera-like development and tried to move the conversation back on track. "And what's her story? Second Rider said she's not human or a Servant. What is she?" The Clock Tower Student couldn't help but ask while pointing at the petite officer who had intruded previously. Rather than paying any further attention to the conversation, she had taken to giving Gray awkwardly comforting headpats with her non-Gatling hand under Lancer's careful supervision.

"That's not a conversation for the open either. We need to go elsewhere to discuss more," Natalia answered. "Zelretch wants us all to meet at his restaurant. Shirou's Servants too. It's not like this place is defensible anymore anyway."

Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes widened a bit, the question he had dying on his lips as it was replaced with a new one. "Master Zelretch wants to interfere in the War?"

Natalia regarded the man with an unreadable expression briefly before answering in a manner that wouldn't incriminate anyone. "The end of the war has already been set into motion. The little details might change, but the end will be the same. Our job is to keep you alive through the end of this mess and deal with the aftermath."

"But Miss Sophia-Ri..." Irisviel uttered.

Natalia looked at Irisviel, acknowledging her sympathy for the dead woman. "Look, Mordred Pendragon went back in time to AD 537 and lived thanks to you. She remembered Sola-Ui being killed and that no one like us ever showed up the whole time she was in the War. This is the absolute earliest we could reveal ourselves without screwing up the timeline she remembered and making another Adjacent or Parallel World. I'll take stable Time Loops over that mess any day." No one could really find fault with that argument. The knowledge that Mordred managed to survive Camlann made Lancer Artoria subtly shift her posture in relief. Gray also seemed to perk up at the news that Mordred lived, even if she wasn't 'here'.

As everyone discussed their next course of action, Waver looked at Kariya and asked him, "Do you ever feel like you're just being jerked around by forces beyond your control?"

Kariya gave Waver a sympathetic look and a shrug. "For a whole year, kid. It's better than dying, though."

---

Ahnenerbe Restaurant

Shirou's Reality Marble

9:09 PM (At the same time as Pegasus' Return)

Gilgamesh was pleasantly surprised to find that the Second Magician kept his access to Shirou's upgraded Reality Marble close at hand. It may have had high security against intrusion as a construct modeled off of Avalon's rule set, but Shirou had copied a form of Fuyuki City into it...and in doing so, the boy had unknowingly duplicated an access point to the World of his own accord.

"Ahnenerbe Restaurant. This building uses the Second Magic to exist in multiple places in the World at once," the ancient Magician explained as they stepped out of the restaurant to find Shirou's analogue of Fuyuki City waiting for them instead of the genuine article. "One can step into our London site and either be 'locked' into perceiving only that which belongs there or meet people who entered through the Fuyuki City or Mifune City locations as well. If I am feeling quite adventurous, I can even link it to locations in other Adjacent or Parallel Worlds. Every decade or so I'll add some memory management spells and perception filters, let a few people spill out into a Worldline other than their own, and enjoy the show. Of course, when Shirou copied the city in which he was raised, he copied the Fuyuki location. Adding it to my system as a legitimate node became simple enough at that point."

"It bypasses the rules protecting against intrusion because you are technically using something he recognizes as a legitimate part of his Reality Marble to gain entry. He installed the system himself." Gilgamesh had to admit that it was clever enough. Why sneak inside a house like a thief when you could include a secret passage into the house's blueprints while it was being built? "He will have to be a bit more careful in the future against intrusions like this once he's older."

"True, though it benefits him early on and attracts allies to his side. Just as Avalon anchors him to the Reverse Side of the World, Ahnenerbe anchors him to the surface World and even indirectly to other timelines if I allow it. It allows for things that might otherwise not be possible...of course, we have ample opportunity for that already." Zelretch smiled knowingly at Gilgamesh, aware of what the King of Heroes was about to do.

"True enough, and I won't be delayed from my own 'miracle' any longer. Take care to keep yourself in my good graces, Magician." Strolling off with those words of simultaneous warning and limited praise, Gilgamesh shifted into spirit form and headed west toward the Ryuudou Temple. He noted the presence of all of the land's current inhabitants on arriving. Only paying enough attention to recognize that the local group huddled around the Lesser Grail was following his predictions, he moved onward and entered the analogue of the Fuyuki Cave system without even so much as a greeting.

Rather than finding the Greater Grail that was traditional to Fuyuki City, he found an empty chamber and the entrance into Ereshkigal's land of Kur. The Servant descended further into the place Shirou had absorbed into his own domain. He followed a muted awareness granted by his Clairvoyance, something the gods had tried and failed to hide from his direct sight. In time, he found a room that had once been far grander than it was now. A lone mirror stood in the room, opposite the location where Ereshkigal's throne once sat before wearing away over the millennia. Beyond where the throne once stood was a stone wall. This wall, however, did not deceive Gilgamesh's eyes.

Launching one of his more mundane treasures from the Gate of Babylon like a missile, he struck the wall with a powerful blow sufficient to make it crumble...revealing a void that lay hidden beyond. Had he carried any unlikely reservation against desecrating Ereshkigal's throne room, it would still have been chased away by elation as he reached into the void to pull out a large soul cage plastered in assorted concealment seals and housing a particularly powerful soul.

"Hello again, my friend."

---

Site of the Lesser Grail/Ryuudou Temple

Shirou's Reality Marble

9:09 PM (the same time as Pegasus' Return and Gilgamesh's departure from Ahnenerbe)

Shirou felt at ease. That was his first sensation when he regained consciousness. He perceived the scent of grass and opened his eyes to see a bright, blue sky and a light piercing the heavens from very close by. The boy then remembered what had just happened—how he had tried to protect the others only for Mordred's master to die. Had he died too? What about everyone else?

He sat up and looked around himself, soon identifying where he was. It was the hill with the tree and the beam of light. The one that called to his still-vague memories. He had died here in his last life according to the history of Excalibur...but at the same time, he found comfort in this spot. Weapons from Artoria and her Knights were present, with Avalon in the middle serving as the core of that pillar of light. He also still felt his connection to Saber...so he was alive, right? Calming down slightly, he recognized the feeling of this place...it was his inner world. He was just asleep. Before he could marvel at how much larger and clearer this place had become, he heard activity that drew his attention.

"We made it just in time! Couldn't you have told us what Ereshkigal needed to do before the last minute?" Was that Rin's voice? Shirou's eyes went to a group of nearby people seated on some benches. These benches were placed around a golden cup resting atop the grass as if it were a campfire. That cup...it was the Lesser Grail that he was shown at the church! "The Grail almost activated! We just barely delayed it long enough for Ereshkigal to start doing her thing! How could you wait so late for that?" The Rin look-alike asked heatedly, floating in the air while wearing what looked like fancy swimwear.

"Archer's dango were simply too good to scarf down! You know that good offerings are to be savored!" The smiling white-haired woman was someone Shirou recognized from Excalibur's history...this was the lady that Saber had saved. But that was almost 14,000 years ago!

"Please! These souls are a lot larger than what I'm used to caging! I need to focus!" a blonde Rin in ornate attire said to the bickering pair while carrying a cute look of determination. She took one of a number of strange-looking cages, opened it, and dipped it into the golden cup. When she pulled the cage back out and closed it, there was a fist-sized blue light floating inside. With a sigh, she set that cage down next to two others that also contained such lights. "We're lucky I still have a few cages meant for the souls of gods. Some of these Servants are equal to thousands of human souls. I might need EMIYA's help to quickly produce more cages in the future if more Servants fall in rapid succession again." At this prompting, Shirou noticed Archer with his arms crossed watching silently from nearby. He gave the slightest nod of his head in acknowledgment.

Merlin smiled widely, recognized by Shirou as such from Artoria and her weapons' histories as well. "It is a good thing you were so diligent. Ah, remember to leave Caster's soul inside for now. Shirou needs one soul in that cup to keep his status as the Lesser Grail from transferring to Lady Irisviel. We can let it out after the war's end to dissipate back to the Throne naturally. Forcing Mordred to dissipate quickly back to her time was for the best as well. It closed a time loop and allowed other things to move forward."

"Um..." Shirou uttered, surprised there were more people here. Eyes quickly moved toward him as they realized that he was present and the reactions were...diverse.

"Oh, he's finally here!" Artemis rushed over without restraint and picked Shirou up, giving him a big hug and straining his ability to breathe. "So this is little Shirou! I can see how Artoria fell in love with you! My name is Artemis, the Greek goddess of the Moon and the Hunt. It's nice to finally meet you, young hero!" While more animated than most, the smiling Divine Spirit was by no means the only one to respond. Archer seemed smug as if enjoying Shirou's misfortune in the face of Taiga-like behavior. Merlin was using a smile to hide the envy of Shirou's apparent good fortune with women. Ishtar seemed to be judging silently much like Rin would do. Ereshkigal seemed to be fidgeting while looking at him. Wait...Ishtar? Ereshkigal? He had to check the information his eyes were giving him a second time to convince himself of their identities.

"To answer the obvious question, we are in your own inner world," Merlin said with amusement as Shirou was carried to the group. A smiling Artemis sat down with Shirou in her lap, refusing to let go. "Lady Artemis has already introduced herself. I am Merlin; Court Magus of Camelot, escapee from the Tower of Avalon, and both the main architect and a new resident of your Reality Marble. You already know Archer as both the red shroud around your left arm and as your hidden Servant. He exists here and in the waking world at the same time, and will persist beyond the end of the Grail War." Merlin then gestured to the twin Rins. "And these two children are goddesses you saved who are borrowing the most compatible forms you are familiar with."

"I...saved them?" Shirou asked in confusion.

Ereshkigal stepped forward, seemingly focused on something that Shirou couldn't really grasp. "...I-I'm Ereshkigal, the Queen of Kur! I am a goddess that takes care of souls after they die. This is my sister Ishtar, the Mistress of Heaven. I am told that you read of us?" Ishtar seemed to show mild surprise. Something seemed off to Shirou, but it didn't seem bad. Ereshkigal was acting like a somewhat docile Rin, covering up awkwardness by being extra careful with her words.

Remembering Ereshkigal's legend and deciding that she simply might not be good at dealing with people, Shirou responded as best he could. "Yeah. I figured if the Servants were real, so were the people they knew. I decided to read about them and found out about you and your sister's fight. It reminded me of...something else. Two other sisters I remembered fighting to the death underground. All either of them really wanted was to get along, but because of their father...well, I felt bad about you two going through that. I wished that didn't have to happen to you and that you didn't have to be stuck anymore."

"That fight wasn't my best moment..." Ishtar conceded with a sigh before recovering her smile. "I will thank you for opening a path for us to move here. My sister was trapped alone underground for millennia and could have been down there until the death of the planet. You...have done us both a service. I understand that you can create anything you desire. Prepare regular and proper tribute in precious metals, jewels, and food to maintain my favor, okay? Make it at least as good as you make for Gilgamesh!" That was another Rin-like behavior, a weird mix of her being formal and greedy that he'd seen when she was demanding gems while they were in the presence of others. Rin also seemed to include a little gratitude ever since he'd protected her and her father, so he was able to recognize Ishtar's behavior more or less for what it was.

"Opened a path? I don't understand..." Shirou said, shifting the conversation as politely as he could. He hesitated to agree to offerings right off the bat in favor of trying to grasp what was happening. Gilgamesh warned him about gods, though he spoke relatively well of Ereshkigal in spite of the caution.

Ereshkigal fought through her hesitation and spoke again. "When you felt bad for us, you accidentally summoned us. You didn't mean to, and it shouldn't have worked, but it did because of many unlikely factors working together. Ishtar and I live here in your Reality Marble now. Opening your soul to most gods would be trouble, and you need to avoid recklessly doing so again in case they would take something from you or force you into something. Luckily for you, I do not desire anything bad or complicated. I am not trapped anymore and I have my sister back. You have...already given me what I wanted." Ereshkigal's tone softened slightly with these last eight words, ones Ishtar seemed keenly aware of given the slight softening of her expression.

The Queen of Kur suddenly remembered herself and redoubled her politeness. "A-Anyway! I already feel inclined to grant my blessings in return for your aid. I have used my Authority as a caretaker of souls to remove most of the Servants from the Lesser Grail within your body and store them in my cages. So long as fewer than five inhabit this cup, the corrupted Greater Grail may not appear and the world will be protected. It almost happened, but we caught it just in time."

"Wait, so the bad things in the Grail can't spill out now?" Shirou asked. At Ereshkigal's nod, he gave a wide smile. "That's great! Thank you, Ereshkigal! You saved a lot of people!"

The girl blushed and even fidgeted a bit in response, clearly unaccustomed to praise. This wasn't lost on Shirou. Some of the kids at the orphanage he came from were like that, especially the abused or neglected ones. They tended to have trouble talking to the other kids and making connections unless someone made a move to help them. She may have been a goddess, but it was hard to see her as anything but a little girl like the ones he was used to helping take care of. He made a decision. "I don't know if it's something gods or goddesses do...but do you want to be friends?"

Ereshkigal's expression was one of brief surprise...then her smile widened until her eyes quite literally sparkled. "A friend? Y-yes! Of course, I'll be your friend! A competent and reliable friend!"

"H-hey, I spoke to you about tribute first! Why do you ignore me and befriend my sister?!" Ishtar asked in surprise and frustration.

Shirou tilted his head towards Ishtar. "I'm just being careful not to make promises in a rush...King Gilgamesh said to be that way with gods and those books about Sumeria, Greece, and Britannia kept talking about how big promises made lightly can backfire. The Bible does too. Maybe helping you now and then is fine, though? I make gems for Rin sometimes, but...she doesn't know when to give me a break. Being friends with you would be nice too, Ishtar. Ere-chan just seems to really need one."

"...Ere...chan?" Ereshkigal mouthed the nickname, testing it out on her tongue before the excited shine in her eyes intensified. Then she smiled and nodded happily to herself in full acceptance of the name.

Shirou focused and called into existence a cart full of gold and gemstones. It wasn't difficult now that he'd studied what the Tohsaka had on hand in terms of gems. He even made a sapphire statue of a bird modeled after Illya's Stortch Ritter. Ishtar looked at it all and practically pounced on the wealth, inspecting what she had been given. "Hmm-hmm-hmm~ This is a good start! I can even forgive you for mentioning that golden fool for this. Maybe we can give this friend thing a try~"

"Sure!" Shirou was pleased with this, but his eyes widened. "W-wait, when I passed out, we were being attacked! Miss Sophia-Ri died! Was anyone else hurt?"

Artemis' smile turned sympathetic as she held Shirou. It was Merlin, however, who actually spoke. "The matter has been resolved, but we lost Mordred...in a sense. She avenged Miss Sophia-Ri by killing her murderer and wound up fading away for lack of a Master, but not before Irisviel took a copy of Avalon and shoved it into her body. Since she was still alive and needed to go home, we pulled Mordred from the Grail and forced her to dissipate naturally instead of trapping her soul inside a cage. Not that we necessarily could have, given that she was still a living being. Just like your Artoria healed when she went back in time with the scabbard your previous self gave her, the copy Irisviel gave her allowed Mordred to survive the Battle of Camlann as well. It even let her save another of King Arthur's knights, Gawain, before leaving the battlefield and abandoning her pursuit of the British crown since you and Artoria had given her closure. She simply went back home with the rest of her life ahead of her."

Shirou was a bit saddened that he wouldn't see her again, but at least things turned out as well for her as they could. He hoped she lived a long, rich life somewhere off of the battlefield.

"I'm afraid you also lost Okita Souji when she protected her Master from being killed, but it was a good death. We also have her soul stored here, so it's not like she's entirely gone. Hercules and the evil Caster, Gilles d'Rais, also fell. The only so-called 'enemy' Servant left summoned during this War would be Gilgamesh."

"Stored...oh, those three lights in Ere-chan's cages?" Shirou asked. His eyes turned in that direction and began to analyze them. "...Boudica-nee, Hercules, and Okita-nee..." Shirou was relieved. Illya would be very upset if Berserker were truly gone.

"Wait..." Ereshkigal said, glancing at the Lesser Grail again. She peered inside intently. "They're small...but there are still more souls in here. Normal cages will work for this..." She took two cages and opened them before dipping them into the Lesser Grail. Before long, she pulled out two more souls and left Gilles' soul by itself in the Lesser Grail. "...One is a Servant, but very small. So small that the Greater Grail would have obtained virtually no power from it. The other soul...is entirely human."

Merlin smiled widely. "Well, well. I was expecting the small Servant, but the human soul was certainly a surprise. Shirou must truly have regretted not saving Miss Sophia-Ri from her grisly demise if he directed the Lesser Grail to snatch her up as well~" Shirou's eyes widened at the news.

"Wait, you mean the Lesser Grail picked up a human?" Archer asked in mild surprise, participating in the conversation for the first time.

"Why not? It's not like there's anything major stopping it should it be directed to do so. It's a container for souls. Shirou seems to have some subconscious control of this reality and its contents. That includes this Grail," Merlin observed. "Sadly, her soul is very fragile and I wouldn't do anything with it without extreme care and planning. 'Saving' her as Shirou surely wants to attempt isn't possible at the moment. I believe Ereshkigal is the best person to see to her care for now."

Ereshkigal looked at the soul in the cage and gave a nostalgic smile. "Yes. You needn't worry, Sola-Ui! I am not a cruel goddess. I may not be able to undo what has happened to you, but I will do my best to make sure you're comfortable. I have ample experience caring for human souls."

"It's better than the mongrel woman deserves." A voice that cut into the conversation made Ishtar's head turn fast enough for Shirou to wonder if it was painful.

"You!" Ishtar exclaimed, her eyes shining gold as she immediately aged herself back up to late adolescence. Gilgamesh's infuriating smirk met her gaze. "How are you even in here?"

Gilgamesh took immense pleasure in surprising Ishtar like this, his grin wide with amusement and good humor. "Oh, it seems that there is an entrance into this realm that you aren't aware of. Not that you could use it without being crushed like a rotten grape by the corrective forces of the World." The comparison clearly irked Ishtar, but he turned away from her before she could sputter out a retort. Opening the Gate of Babylon, he pulled out another one of Ereshkigal's god-tier Spirit Cages. Unlike the others used to empty the Grail, this one was covered in ancient seals and housed a bright, golden soul. Ereshkigal's eyes widened on seeing it.

"That cage...it's..." Ereshkigal uttered in surprise.

"Hn. I see that you were coerced by the gods to forget the existence of Enkidu's soul within your lands. It seems that you aren't accountable for this oversight..." Gilgamesh said, finding Ereshkigal innocent of...whatever was going on by way of his Clairvoyance. Shirou couldn't fully understand without peeking deeper but refrained from doing so. "I had to destroy one of the walls of Kur's throne room to access the hidden void in which this soul was locked away. The seals protecting it from my casual sight and preventing its escape may have been intended to leave it sealed within Kur forever, but they have also served to preserve its presence to this day. Thankfully, when I am explicitly seeking out what I truly desire, even the seals are not enough to dissuade Sha Naqba Imuru."

"You...stole a soul and did what to my throne room?!" Ereshkigal angrily exclaimed, eyes glowing gold in shock and fury. Her voice took on a dangerous tone. "Explain yourself, King Gilgamesh. And before you disrespect me and the duties I carry any further, remember that both you and the soul you have taken are well within the bounds of my Authority within this land. My gratitude to you for guiding Shirou's attention to my plight is not forgotten, but only goes so far."

Gilgamesh's expression in response to the child goddess' displeasure was that of apathy, as if the threat meant little and he was bored of being forced to explain something that was obvious. "Is it not clear? The laws that once governed Enkidu's afterlife are no more. They've been altered to obey this realm's whims. Now that I know my friend is here, I would have him restored."

Ereshkigal's anger was partially displaced by surprise. "But that...you want me to throw away the rules and let him escape death? How can you ask me to do that?"

Gilgamesh regarded Ereshkigal with consideration, but no additional disrespect. "Even now, free of your chains, you are diligent and take your duties seriously. You denied reviving my friend before out of duty rather than cruelty. But ask yourself this...what rules would be broken? The ones of Kur that you are so glad no longer apply to you? Does he not deserve a second chance just as you do now that you are both free of the imposition of the gods?" Ereshkigal was hesitant when the question was presented in this context and the golden light in her eyes flickered. The King of Heroes kept pressing his advantage. "I acknowledge that the dead should not lead the living. That is why I see this world as a source of entertainment rather than something I should judge in earnest. But unlike me, Enkidu did not have a natural end and was instead murdered by the very gods who imposed those rules you are so fond of. All as the ultimate result of your sister's lust, avarice, and pride. He was also trapped and forgotten just as you were. So...do you wish to defend a sin of the gods? Or do you wish to repair the damage they have done and wipe away one of your sister's mistakes?"

"Stop trying to manipulate my sister!" Ishtar exclaimed in fury, "I-"

"Please wait, Ishtar." Those serious words from Ereshkigal made Ishtar's coming rant stop cold. The Mistress of Heaven looked to the Queen of Kur in confusion and surprise. Ereshkigal took a few seconds to come to a decision before speaking further, her eyes no longer glowing gold in anger. "He's...right. I don't like the language designed to appeal to my heart rather than my reason, or the fact he saw fit to attack my throne room without speaking with me first...but he's still right. The rules are still good guidelines that shield the living from the dead, but their rigidity has been cast aside. For the sake of one wronged by the gods whose death was improper, and to wipe away one of my sister's greatest sins...I am not...unwilling to be flexible within reason. I shouldn't refuse them simply because they are your enemies, sister, as they are enemies solely of your own making. I...hope you do not hate me for this." Ereshkigal's expression and posture drooped a bit with this last sentence, the girl fearful that her sister would be angry or upset.

Ishtar seemed to have an internal battle with herself that Shirou could only describe as 'Rin-like'. It included the clenching of fists and the subtle stressing of the jaw. However, it ultimately came to a conclusion when she crossed her arms and frowned, closing her eyes and transitioning into what Shirou was fast identifying as one of 'Rin's poses'. "No, I don't hate you for that decision, Ereshkigal. They may have been insufferable to the point of driving me crazy, but I...acknowledge that Enkidu's death was wrong. Bring him back if you want. That doesn't mean I'll put up with any bad attitude, though."

Gilgamesh, for once, was silent as he appraised Ishtar.

"...What? Do you think I'm not mature enough to admit when I'm wrong? Is that it?" Ishtar asked, her eyes flashing back to gold.

Gilgamesh scoffed. "Back then, you were not. But perhaps enough time has finally passed for you to just barely achieve the capacity for self-reflection. That or it is the influence of this realm upon your form. Either way...congratulations, Ishtar! You have elevated yourself to reach parity with the common-most rung of mongrels!"

"W-what did you just-?! What did you see me as before?!" Ishtar exclaimed in a surprised fury, only to be interrupted.

"A body!" Ereshkigal exclaimed to interrupt the imminent fight. "What would we use as a body? I am able to transfer souls, but I am not a goddess of life to begin with! Where would you intend for me to place his soul?" Ereshkigal interrupted the bickering with an important question.

Shirou was surprised when Gilgamesh looked his way instead. "I believe this is a useful lesson for my cook. He is already able to create flesh and blood with his Magic, so something as simple as mud will be possible." The ancient Servant seemed to be quite pleased as he thought about the situation more. "Enkidu is a being made of mud whose soul manifested after the body already existed. It was then that he showed true power. Enkidu's legend lends itself nicely to having his soul re-implanted into a new shell so long as it is identical. Cook! You will look upon my magnificent glory with your Mystic Eyes, analyze my illustrious history, and pull forth all the knowledge of my friend's form that you are able."

Ereshkigal pondered that order for a moment...before she started to blush intensely and stammer, "w-wait, King Gilgamesh! While not a bad idea, Shirou is just a little boy. There are things you've seen and done that are...meant for older audiences! I'm sure my sister alone showed things in your history that he shouldn't see. Is there another way?"

Gilgamesh pondered the merit of Ereshkigal's words before giving a smirk. "True. If he saw what Ishtar looked like at the time, he might be quite fearful. She was quite shameless in using her old form in full during her initial pursuit of me. All intensity, no finesse. Charging forward so much like the bull she put such faith in."

"Don't even start, Blondie! Your AUO: Cast Off is far more traumatic to children than my perfect body ever was!" Ishtar's anger had risen notably. Shirou had no context for this, but he suspected that it was for the best that he didn't.

Gilgamesh laughed loudly, seeming never to tire of getting under Ishtar's skin. Still, to her credit, she saw Ereshkigal's somewhat disappointed gaze and reined in her fury. The King of Heroes pondered over the matter at hand for a time, glancing at Enkidu's soul within the cage as if considering having Shirou use Structural Grasping on that...but then he seemed to decide on something else. He briefly focused and called on his own version of the Chains of Heaven from the Gate of Babylon. The chain emerged from a golden, rippling portal in the air and embedded a tip into the ground to anchor itself. "Use this then, cook. This is my most valued treasure short of Enkidu's soul itself, gifted to me by him before he passed on. Gaze upon it to learn of my friend in full from its history and prepare to apply your 'Tracing' in a new way."

"A new way? How?" Shirou asked, tilting his head as he tried to follow.

Gilgamesh's knowing smile widened. "It is not enough to simply copy the complete history of his body and restore it all. If that is done, the curse that killed Enkidu will also be replicated. No...you need to omit a piece of the object's 'history' when you recreate it, or rather recreate it as it was 'at that point'. Leave out the history of the body's curse and deterioration when you replicate it. Make the copy from a healthy and unbroken point in his history. For practice, seek out a weapon within your possession that had different forms at different points of its history and attempt to switch between them."

Shirou was a bit surprised by this recommendation. To reject part of an object's history and reconstruct it as it was at an earlier point in time? He had never tried that before. He thought about the various weapons he had seen and found one that had been notably altered during the course of its history. This was specifically the Durandal that Archer had made copies of for Saber and Mordred's fight. That weapon had gone through several forms, so maybe that would work. He decided to give it a try.

Rather than calling on it as it was at the end of its legend, during the time of Roland, he had traced it in the form used by Hector during the Trojan War. It was a blade called Durindana, which could change handle lengths to shift between the spear Durindana Pilum and the sword Durindana Spada that was currently in his hands.

Gilgamesh smiled at the successful action. "Cook. Within this realm, you may as well be a god while remaining human. Do not act expecting failure. Expect growth and eventual success, and you may ultimately achieve it. Now...restore to me the body of my friend."

Shirou was a bit nervous...but he was also hopeful. He knew of Enkidu's story and lore as well. If King Gilgamesh wanted to save him, why not? He looked upon Gilgamesh's Chains of Heaven with his Mystic Eyes and analyzed the Enkidu from their history...fighting to get a complete picture of him before finally getting to work.

As a distracted Shirou tuned out the world around him to work on creating the mud that made Enkidu's body, Archer approached Gilgamesh before speaking quietly to the King. "You are aware that we can't trace Divine Constructs, right? I'm pretty sure Enkidu counts as one."

Gilgamesh gave Archer a look of derision. "The hardest part to replicate would surely be the soul, which we already have. I wish him to make a copy of shaped mud, even if shaped by the divine. It may prove difficult for my young cook, but it is possible and a critical learning experience he will need for the future."

The King of Heroes' voice took on an even more critical tone. "Do not assume his limitations to be the same as your own, faker. True Magic aside, his Glam Sight: Fairy Eyes are ideally suited to seeing and comprehending the phenomena of Gaia. Divine Constructs and their forging methods are no longer outside of his potential understanding. It would be best for you to remember that if you are to be one of his teachers." Gilgamesh then took on a knowing smile. "I see that you have failed to realize that he is able to 'grasp' Enkidu second-hand from my treasure's history. If he can analyze an object indirectly by analyzing the history of something else it merely encountered in the past...what potential might that have? Should a teacher truly be speaking of what is impossible for a child to accomplish instead of noting and cultivating their skills?" Gilgamesh's smile widened into a smug grin as he dropped that particular bombshell.

Archer's eyes widened in surprise as he pondered these new claims, wanting to reject them as nonsense. But really...wasn't the fact that Avalon could be copied by him and Shirou at all proof that it was at least possible to make Divine Constructs if they were better understood? It made a disturbing amount of sense. As for this new Grasping style, hadn't other versions of Shirou done something similar with data obtained about Caliburn from Saber's Dream Cycle? Hadn't the same happened with the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch from Illya's memories? This...wasn't impossible. "...He...could trace a Noble Phantasm and every Noble Phantasm it had encountered in its history to that point. But surely there are limits? Some degradation the further the recursion goes—"

"Why? My cook is a Magician specializing in the redefinition of reality with eyes explicitly meant for gaining an understanding of things humans normally cannot. This place is a Magician's soul sublimated into reality. When I claimed that he may as well be a god in this place, I was not speaking in jest. Your telling him 'you can't do this or that' may needlessly cripple his growth. Place not arbitrary limitations on a Magician, for breaking such boundaries is a key part of their nature." Gilgamesh settled into watching Shirou experiment.

Archer did the same, contemplating Gilgamesh's words and advice. In spite of being unable to blindly accept anything this man said or did, he couldn't find any fault with the input. "Recursive Grasping...hnn..." Archer crossed his arms as he contemplated the possibilities.

---

Fuyuki Church

9:15 PM

Kirei had never been inside a fighter jet before. Such things were war machines designed to strike down fellow creations of God, but he couldn't help but find riding one to be an...interesting experience. A normal man would have vomited at the stresses he was subjected to, but he was an Executor of the Church. This much was within his capabilities. Granted, he had the distinct impression that the tanned Servant of the Bow strongly disliked him and was employing maneuvers explicitly designed to make him uncomfortable. As they got closer to the Church, Kirei couldn't help but wonder how they would land.

Then, in his lap, Kirei found something materializing with a light flash of energy. It was...a belt-fed syringe/gun/umbrella thing that currently had no ammunition. He could then hear the Archer Servant controlling the jet from outside speaking to him through the radio speaker. "Grip that gun tightly. When you bail out, hold it above you like an umbrella and mentally focus on it with the intent to 'fly'."

"Wait, what?" Kirei inquired, eyes widening.

"Three...two...one..." the Servant uttered before the plane around Kirei dissolved into motes of light and Archer entered Spirit Form. This left Kirei in the open air several hundred feet above the Church's general area alongside a very alarmed Artoria Pendragon. Kirei promptly did as previously instructed and willed the construct to 'fly'. The gun's umbrella expanded obediently and promptly slowed him down from his previous airspeed to something more reasonable, though he wouldn't have a solid reference for his descent speed until he was closer to the ground. Memories of a movie called Mary Poppins entered his mind unbidden.

Artoria approached his left, appearing conflicted as she carefully regulated the output of Carnwennan and flew on cyan javelins arranged in the form of detached wings. "My apologies. It appears that Archer is feeling less than charitable."

"You owe no such apologies. I know of my end in your Grail War, Saber. This treatment is nothing less than I deserve if he knows of it as well. Your and Tokiomi's decision to look past it is admirable, but it is not a choice shared by all," Kirei stated before he slowly floated down to the ground and managed to land safely. Archer soon appeared as well, manifesting from Spirit Form at ground level. The smirk he wore was met with Artoria's slight displeasure.

"...This Kirei Kotomine has yet to stray and might never commit the sins we know him for. Please refrain from doing such things, Archer." Her light admonishment properly given, Artoria moved on to her question. "What sort of weapon did you grant him? It is quite strange." The implementation of modern warfare and medicine was odd, to say the least.

Archer regarded the weapon with amusement. "This? It's the weapon of Florence Nightingale when she manifests in an altered Saint Graph related to Christmas. Even when she changes into an Archer, she retained the Mad Enhancement of her Berserker self that allowed this frightening medical tool to be created to 'give the children of the world the gift of medicine'. The flying umbrella is to let her travel and descend chimneys more easily." Given that the syringe part of the gun was as long and thick as a person's thigh, and the needle was a spike the length of a forearm, this would probably be absolutely terrifying to a child. It was something only the mad or the sadistic would wield. Something in Kirei honestly wanted to see how the original Servant intended to employ such a device.

"...Neither Atalanta nor the children should ever lay eyes on such a weapon," Artoria said with absolute certainty. Archer, contemplating the matter, seemed to agree and dismissed the projection from reality.

The group then walked the rest of the way to the church and found a delivery van parked outside. Artoria's expression indicated confusion, so Kirei answered the question pre-emptively. "This van was used to collect human sacrifices for Caster. One of the victims managed to activate one of her twenty-seven Magic Circuits from the strain and wake up. Grandmother and I entrusted her to drive the vehicle and her fellow victims away from the site to seek help here. Those children were fortunate to have escaped in time."

Kirei noted that Artoria's expression turned slightly more solemn at the mention of Okita, but he did not pause. The man instead opened the church doors to reveal that it was somewhat crowded. Within were at least a dozen children and adolescents of various ages, many in sleeping bags or wrapped up in blankets as they slept in the pews of the church. They were dressed in what donated clothing could be pulled from storage. Most were asleep, but Tachie was still awake, and giving a glass of water to a victim who was Rin's age. Risei was also present and looked mildly surprised to find two Servants other than Assassin returning with Kirei. Of course, Kirei knew that his father was aware that Assassin had been lost due to his role as the Overseer.

The dark-haired victim spoke up when Kirei made himself known. "Father, you made it! Uh...Okita-san looks...different from what I remember? I guess it was dark in the parking garage, though..." Tachie seemed glad that Kirei made it out, but was under the mistaken impression that Artoria and Okita were the same person. She also acknowledged Archer's presence but had no basis for recognizing him.

Kirei gave a brief bow and sought to gently correct this error. "Hello, Tachie-san. I am Father Kirei Kotomine, the son of the pastor assigned to this church. It is good that you made it here. I should mention that this isn't Okita. They have very similar faces, so the mistake is understandable given the low light. This woman travels the world to help resolve matters like this and uses the code name 'Saber'. Her associate is 'Archer'." Saber and Archer both gave a bow, though Archer's was somewhat curt and simplistic.

"Father Risei did mention that you were his son...thank you again, Father Kirei. I don't think any of us would be alive if it weren't for you and Okita-san. Will she be coming along soon? I wanted to thank her as well." Kirei's expression didn't change, though that of Artoria certainly did.

"I'm afraid that this conflict is taking everything she has, and that she will be forced to return from where she came immediately upon the conclusion of this matter. Our partnership was only a temporary one. I am certain she is happy for you, though. I will pass on your gratitude if I get a chance." Kirei hesitated to mention Okita's removal from the war to the girl. The sadistic part of him wanted to tell her of the 'death', but he was on guard against his evil nature. The priest then sought to change the topic of the conversation. "You did well protecting these children. Is everyone alright?"

The elderly Risei stepped forward to answer that question in Tachie's stead. "They are. Holy Water was sufficient to remove their ailments and allow them to start recovering. Tachie and Kotone are the last two to remain awake, and I doubt that they will be up for much longer tonight. All of them desperately need rest. I praise you and Okita for doing the Lord's work, my son."

"Thank you, Father. Tachie is as much to praise as anyone else for evacuating the rest in time. Every child here is someone she managed to save," Kirei's words were met with approval by Risei while Tachie blushed slightly at the praise. The weight of what she had done hadn't hit her until that moment.

"That she is. She also helped me ensure that everyone was treated and dressed after they arrived." Risei gave the student a gentle smile before looking back toward his son. "I would like to hear the results of your mission and what you've learned, so please come to my office. Tachie...I suspect you will soon sleep, but feel free to come knocking if you have any need of me."

"Yes...of course, Father," Tachie said, clearly in deep thought. She was certainly trying to parse the supernatural with her own limited view of the world. For now, though, the group walked further into the church to discuss the matter. They entered Risei's humble office, one that hadn't changed greatly since 1939 save for the inclusion of a modern phone and radio. There was also a typewriter, showing that Risei hadn't discovered the use of the modern computer just yet.

"We should get back to my Master sooner than later, Father Kotomine. We only came here as protection long enough to ensure that you were able to grant asylum to Kirei," Artoria explained. She was clearly uncomfortable with how long she'd been away from her Master.

"Yes, I must formally request the protection of the Church," Kirei formally said to his father. There was nothing more for him to do in this War, after all. He would likely be needed to tend to the children here anyway.

Risei recognized the claim with a nod. "I, as Overseer of the Fourth Holy Grail War and Pastor of the Fuyuki City Catholic Church, hereby grant asylum to Kirei Kotomine. I also grant Shirou Enjou, Waver Velvet, and Kiritsugu Emiya each an additional Command Seal for the defeat of Caster."

"One each?" Artoria inquired in surprise. She obviously expected only one seal to be given out—to the one who delivered the final blow. Kirei shared her confusion. To answer Artoria's question with action, Risei rolled up the sleeve of his arm and focused until three seals vanished from his stock with a flash of light.

"I have cause to stretch my spoken reward to its limits, for Caster did not work alone in attacking the city. With my powers as Overseer, I perceived First Saber being compelled with a Command Seal, Second Berserker being compelled with two Command Seals, and the death of First Saber not long after. Second Berserker was killed minutes later." Risei's words made Artoria's eyes widen and her armored hand clench into a fist at her side. Mordred had fallen. She both wanted to take revenge for her son and to immediately return to her Master in equal measure, but Risei was not done. "All but short-range wireless and landline communications are down due to the unstable prana in the air over the city. As such, I have verified the situation and its conclusion by calling the Emiya Residence. Aside from the Servants, only Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri and a heavily wounded Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald empowered by Zouken Matou's familiars have died. Zouken Matou knowingly assisted in an attack on your Master unprovoked before Caster's defeat, in defiance of my order. As such, I hereby punish him in the manner previously stated—by revoking one Command Seal." Another flash was seen as one Command Seal reappeared on Risei's arm, draining Zouken of his final instance of the scarce resource.

The aged man then smiled at Saber Artoria and Archer with a slightly mischievous expression, though not maliciously so. "I elect to provide this reclaimed seal to Shirou Enjou both as the impacted party and for his Servants' good conduct in aiding Assassin's Master to secure asylum. To protect an enemy's life instead of taking it in haste is an act rarely seen in a Holy Grail War." A third flash was seen as a Command Seal was sent away once more, Risei seemingly playing with the rules as best he could. He had never before said that Shirou would receive the seal taken from any aggressor who violated the ceasefire, but the undertones were clear enough to Kirei. One part of the motive was that this was Risei's way of saying 'thank you' for protecting his son. The other reason he was distributing the Command Seals less frugally than he otherwise might was that he fully expected this to be the last Holy Grail War...and that the Seals might be required to finish the job. It was tacit approval to end this conflict with permanence and a statement that Risei believed Artoria's claims about the Grail's corruption.

After dispensing with such formalities, Risei's tone took on a more sympathetic form as he took a deep bow. "From one parent to another, Artoria Pendragon, you have my condolences...and my gratitude for bringing my son back alive," Risei said with clear empathy and gratitude that confirmed the first part of Kirei's suspicions.

Artoria gave a nod. "Thank you, Father Kotomine. I appreciate your sympathies. Mordred...had already been slain by my hand in battle. For us to be able to find closure and for her to redeem herself as a Knight by protecting the innocent with her second life...I shall grieve, but I will not disrespect the outcome."

Artoria did, however, glare at Archer. "...Might there be a reason you remained silent on this matter, Archer? Are you not bound to my Master on a deeper level than even I?"

Archer glanced at Risei appraisingly, then looked back to Artoria. "Yes, but there are reasons. Private ones given by a man we both know. He wants the two of us to head to a certain restaurant where we would meet up with everyone. It's more defensible than staying put at the wrecked Emiya residence would be."

Kirei thought he perceived irritation from Artoria, but she accepted those words for the moment. "...Right. Let us return. Live long and live well, Risei Kotomine. Kirei Kotomine."

"Until the day of your return, Saint Artoria," Risei said with a knowing smile.

"Thank you for your aid," Kirei managed.

The Servants departed the room, after which Risei opened one of the drawers of his office desk to pull out a tape recorder. He turned it on, suspecting that this would be important information to send to the Church and Clock Tower...once properly edited of sensitive information.

"This is Father Risei Kotomine, serving as Pastor of the Fuyuki City Catholic Church. It is November 23, 1994, at 9:22 PM. Anyone listening to this recording requires clearance from the 120th Cardinal to proceed. If anyone lacking the proper clearance is listening, cease playback immediately under pain of ex-communication and other relevant penalties." Risei waited ten seconds to give the opportunity for the tape to be stopped by a listener before continuing on. "I'm recording this conversation on audio cassette for the Church and the Mage's Association. Tokiomi Tohsaka's magical transmission device is still malfunctioning due to the large amount of prana that was discharged into the air by Caster's actions. Participants in the conversation are Overseer Risei Kotomine and Kirei Kotomine as the former Master of Assassin. Kirei Kotomine has since obtained the protection of the Church and is no longer a participant in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Now...Father Kirei Kotomine...please clarify what has happened for the record."

With that, Kirei began to tell what had happened from his perspective...

---

Ryuudou Temple

9:23 PM

Zouken looked at the back of his hand where the last Command Seal had just been. The man bared his teeth knowing full well what must have happened. Risei Kotomine had realized what had transpired and exacted his judgment. "He really wants to pretend that the little brat stayed neutral?" Zouken growled.

The maid-shaped mouthpiece responded promptly. "From his perspective, Second Saber and her Master have only ever acted in self-defense or against Caster. Who took care of the child was irrelevant. Attacking the boy's residence as an aggressor before defeating Caster, while justified, always carried this risk." Jubstacheit's analysis was unnecessary and unwelcome, but Zouken stilled his tongue while he pondered his options. In addition to all of the failures thus far, their emergency attack team had proven unable to take advantage of the brief window in which the Emiya Residence wasn't under a Servant's protection. All he had was an ally unwilling to surrender any more cards and a Servant that had no reason to obey him. In fact, it had been impossible to see or hear through Gilgamesh's senses for a while now...

As if Fate was determined to humble him, Zouken then felt his connection with Gilgamesh unexpectedly break entirely. The Servant hadn't died, they'd just...cut him off somehow. Everyone expected some massive conflict with the final Servant of the Holy Grail War...but no one expected him to simply leave on his own terms.

Zouken couldn't think of a way to salvage this.

---

Site of the Lesser Grail/Ryuudou Temple

Shirou's Reality Marble

9:23 PM

Shirou watched Gilgamesh put the prototype for Rule Breaker back into his Gate of Babylon after poking himself with it. The King of Heroes seemed quite pleased with his planning, having used his Clairvoyance to know when to break ranks with Zouken at the ideal time to cost him a Command Seal. "It is done. The worm has no more Command Seals and no Servants, his last Seal was sent to you by the priest's father as recompense. We will use it for a better cause than he ever could." Gilgamesh spoke with an odd level of kindness to Shirou, who had finally managed to make a clump of mud suitable for trying to merge with Enkidu's soul.

Ishtar stared at the mud with an exasperated expression. "I can't believe we're doing this." Artemis, more interested in the process than contemplating the affront to Sumerian resurrection rules, idly poked the clay with one of her fingers.

Ereshkigal ignored her sister and took Enkidu's soul cage into her hand. She ripped the seals from it and opened the cage. Ever so gently, she placed the soul inside the constructed mound of clay and waited. It shuddered and writhed for a few moments before beginning to shift. Muddy clay became pale skin and green hair, even going as far as to emulate clothing. The revived being's eyes opened and took in the sight of the people around him. Enkidu managed to give a tired smile on seeing Gilgamesh.

'...Gil? What happened?' Enkidu asked in the long-dead ancient Sumerian language, gingerly pulling himself into a seated position on the ground as he got his bearings.

Gilgamesh's expression was a kindly smirk carrying an odd mix of victory and soft-eyed kindness. 'All of your questions will be answered in a moment, Enkidu Cook, give him what languages you can. Give him a Command Seal while you're at it. You have one of them only because I waited this long to free myself from the worm, and it was stolen from my first Master to start with."

Shirou agreed and stepped forward before placing a hand on Enkidu's own. The truth was that restoring Enkidu was so complicated that it had to be done in additional steps that Gilgamesh had suggested. The 'body' had to be from a part of Enkidu's history from before he was cursed. The 'mind' had to be from the latest possible point in time. It was like carefully trying to merge folders from two dislike computer backups into a single stable one that had all the data, not that Shirou fully understood where he obtained that analogy. Now he had to artificially add something to Enkidu's mind. Using the Lesser Grail as a reference for how to do the task, he loaded Enkidu with basic Grail Knowledge including language. Gilgamesh had never allowed him to entertain the notion of failure, so the belief system of the very world around them worked to enforce the appending to Enkidu's knowledge and applicable muscle memory. The process was finally concluded when, in a flash of light, one of Shirou's five Command Seals vanished from his hand and appeared on Enkidu's own as the last step.

"T-this is...has so much time truly passed?" Enkidu asked, inspecting the red mark on his hand.

Gilgamesh was pleased with Shirou's success. No, he was far more than pleased with this. That was obvious. "Yes. It has been millennia. I had to wait until all of our enemies, god and mortal alike, were dead or forgotten by time."

Enkidu took a closer look at Gilgamesh, his eyes widening in realization. "Gil...you're the dead one this time?!"

Gilgamesh gave an amused chuckle. "Don't worry, Enkidu I have made it into the Throne of Heroes, remembered for eternity even as the gods faded into obscurity. My presence caused the right person to finally recall Ereshkigal's name and ultimately lead to your freedom from Kur. She allowed the release of your soul and the male child serving as my cook built you a new body on my order." Shirou noted that it was a self-serving way of stating events, but still technically accurate.

"And Ishtar?" Enkidu asked, aware of the Mistress of Heaven's presence.

"Dead weight as usual," Gilgamesh smirked.

"Ah," Enkidu uttered in understanding and immediate acceptance. This drew a light laugh from Artemis and an amused grin from Merlin. Even Archer carried a smirk. Ishtar was less pleased.

"...To think I felt sorry about you being killed..." Ishtar grumbled.

Gilgamesh ignored the scantily-clad Divine Spirit. "As far as my death, I am something like a familiar...and I have broken my contract with my previous master to make one with you. If you accept, I will be by your side, ageless and ready to resume our adventures. Reviving me fully might be possible with your innate wish-granting ability, but that might require me to pass judgment on this world rather than simply enjoy it. I would prefer to be...on vacation."

"How do we make that contract then, Gil?" Enkidu asked with a measure of eagerness.

"The red mark on your hand is the linchpin," Gilgamesh stated. "That is a Command Seal. It is both the mark of a Master and an order you are able to give...though one Seal is not enough to compel me to do anything notable that I do not already desire. We will use it instead a way to allow a bond to form between us. Transferring a Command Seal from a Master to another person lets us forcibly acknowledge that person as a Master and allows you to make a contract with me. Next, I teach you the incantation."

With some more instruction from Gilgamesh, Enkidu was quickly able to recite the Holy Grail's summoning incantation...but just the last four lines to solidify the contract since Gilgamesh was already present in front of them rather than needing to be called from the Throne of Heroes.

"If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer me!

I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the World and that I shall defeat all the evil in the World.

From the Seventh Heaven, clad in three great words of power,

Come forth now, Guardian of the Scales!"

A flash of light confirmed the contract and Gilgamesh smiled widely before breaking out into laughter. "Good...Good! I can feel the energy flow from you sustaining me, and it is enough to keep me in the World even after the Grail cuts its support. I also know that since your new body was forged by one of the True Magics, the World will not reject it. We are free to explore the width and breadth of the World without restraint!" Shirou was relieved that Gilgamesh didn't want to be revived. Not only because he didn't want the world to be judged, but also because he wasn't sure he had enough fine control to build a new body from scratch yet. Brains were extremely complicated when compared to an arm or even Enkidu's divine mud...

"I look forward to seeing it, Gil. But who are your acquaintances? I recognize Ishtar and Lady Ereshkigal, but not the others. You mentioned one to be a cook?" Enkidu decided to actively seek an introduction to the others. "I am Enkidu, a former weapon of the gods and instrument of the Counter Force. Now, I am Gil's friend."

Artemis was the first to step forward, interjecting before Shirou could speak. "Hi there! I'm Artemis of the Greek Pantheon! This womanizer is Merlin of Camelot and he's on the run from his ex-girlfriends. Shirou is the current First Magician, the master of this Texture, and the one Gilgamesh calls his cook. Archer there is a Counter Guardian and a version of Shirou from an alternate future!"

Enkidu processed this information, trying to make sense of it. One of the original Machine Gods was here? This place was a Texture governed by the child? Before he could question the matter further, Gilgamesh summoned a mass of rippling golden portals into the air as he spoke. "Basic introductions are finished. There are a group of mongrels who will need to be present for the remainder of this conversation, but they are going to be absorbed in their own prattle for a time. Even my cook is about to be dragged into their company once he wakes. Instead of explaining something that I will need to divulge twice when the time comes...we should test out that new body of yours, instead." Gilgamesh gave Enkidu a challenging smile.

Enkidu returned that smile and started to call upon his own powers, nature itself answering his call and growing in a manner that left Ereshkigal awestruck. Shirou's sight of Enkidu's history meant that his full power from ancient times was 'acknowledged to be true' in this Texture, regardless of the strength of the Counter Force within his Reality Marble. Gilgamesh received a similar affirmation. As such, both beings received their full strength from the Texture and its connection with Avalon. "Yes, just as I had hoped. We are both at full strength within these lands...Enkidu! Hold nothing back!"

"Wait! What about Shirou? We need to get him somewhere safe-" Ereshkigal spoke out in concern, only for Shirou to promptly vanish unexpectedly...and for the battle to begin without further comment.

---

SKILL DATA:

Name: Recursive Structural Grasping

Owner: Shirou Enjou/Emiya, Archer EMIYA

Rank: EX(Shirou Enjou/Emiya), B(Archer EMIYA)

Structural Grasping, when conducted under the supplemental logic of Tracing as applied by Shirou Emiya, carries an added step of analyzing the history of an object(or person) for more complete replication. Shirou can take this even further and is able to peer into the history of objects to see other objects that the target had previously encountered and Grasp them as well. The basic logic flows like this: Shirou uses Structural Grasping on a first target, Mordred's sword Clarent in this example. He realizes that Clarent has had several direct encounters with Excalibur Galatine, the most recent being on May 30, 537 AD. He then uses the data he has obtained from Clarent to use Structural Grasping a second time on Excalibur Galatine as it was the last time Caliburn interacted with it. In theory, Shirou can use two attempts at Structural Grasping to obtain data on a weapon he has never before encountered with his own senses. He can then repeat the process a third time to Structurally Grasp any weapons that Excalibur Galatine encountered prior to its encounter with Clarent on May 30, 537 AD. The multiple steps required to reach this conclusion are why the process is called Recursive Structural Grasping.

This skill was hinted to exist when other versions of Shirou copied Caliburn from Artoria's memories and the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch from memories of Justease Lizrich von Einzbern stored inside Illya's mind, albeit with various other factors in play. They proved that Shirou can Grasp items he has never before personally encountered so long as he can somehow perceive them. This method simply allows him to do so using the histories of previously Grasped objects as a source.

This can also be used to, say, fill in the missing pages of a book or understand a complete system from only one removed component. It should be noted, however, that if it's possible to conceptualize something being Grasped as 'previously a piece of a whole', one grasping alone may be sufficient to obtain the full data of the 'whole' object as it was in its intact state. This is because the fragment was part of the 'whole' for as long as the 'whole' existed and thus conceptually contains a complete history of it. Grasping something worn down, broken, or incomplete will likely fall within the bounds of Shirou's normal brand of Tracing-compliant Structural Grasping except in certain edge cases.

The Recursive Structural Grasping technique, however, carries its downsides. Because it is not possible for human senses and perception to perfectly replicate an object, each Grasping has 'noise', or imperfections, that compound with each new Grasping. This causes progressive deterioration with each new step until one of the Grasping attempts finally fails. As such, a Traced object based on Recursively Grasped data suffers a one rank reduction for each step away from the original source it is, on top of the original one rank penalty most Tracing users endure from the process by default. Archer EMIYA holds this limitation. Beings with Glam Sight: Fairy Eyes, however, can fully observe and comprehend what they are seeing to the point where they do not suffer from these limitations no matter how many steps are involved. Programmable Reality Marble Bearers can then store such large amounts of information. Those are the reasons Archer EMIYA's lack of Mystic Eyes limits him to B-rank while Shirou does not suffer from these restrictions and has this skill at EX Rank. It is the difference between Archer EMIYA obtaining notably degraded Noble Phantasms from the process and Shirou being able to recreate the entire Library of Alexandria flawlessly from one book.

Humans attempting this process fail both at the 'data collection' and 'data retention' stages—being unable to observe or retain massive amounts of information—but they can amend the process to filter out the data irrelevant to what they desire to simplify things. With this, Recursive Grasping can be used to process the general history and facts of an entire interconnected scenario with a single piece of physical evidence. At E-rank, this leaves vague impressions or incomplete flashes of information. At D-rank, it allows for a general understanding of a crime scene within a limited window of time but the recursive elements are still hazy. At C-rank, one can construct a reasonably complete understanding of a situation and its interconnected parts. It may even be possible, at C-Rank, to reverse-engineer lost Magecraft from an artifact that has previously stored or had a spell cast upon it. Recursive Structural Grasping can thus be used for forensic purposes or even to reconstruct lost Magecraft from earlier eras using artifacts even without Shirou or EMIYA's unique benefits. Ranks above C require improved sensory and data storage capabilities or external equipment similar to those used by Atlas' Alchemists.