Dragon Ball: Faded Dawn

by TheCongo

Even as the Cell games came to a crashing end, his mind drifted toward another time, to a war that would end with his return, only to find himself in a new conflict with all of humanity on the line once more. From one dark future to another, Trunks must fight through legends across all walks of existence to return home and finish what he started.

3. Pride

Welcome back to another edition; I don't know what to say; the positive feedback has been very reinforcing for yet another concept I came up with on a whim. I know we're just getting beginning here, but you are all fantastic, and I wish the best for each of you. Before we get started, I'll get some housekeeping things out of the way.

Regarding how power dynamics will work, I'm going to combine the logic of the two universes, but bear in mind that I will follow Dragon Ball's concept of how ki interacts with magic, at least to some degree. If we got into the nitty-gritty of things, Trunks wouldn't be capable of even engaging with some of the more conceptual attacks and abilities in Fate that are very busted, and I'm aware of that, so for the sake of storytelling purposes, I won't be doing a lot of that, only when necessary.

However, my beta reader and I have spent a lot of time figuring out where Trunks stands in terms of power level and have found a relatively good balance, don't worry; I'm not going to push out one of those pig slop narratives where the MC is basically a god that can't lose. He will change and get stronger throughout the course of the plot, just the same as the Servants he finds himself alongside on this journey. Now, regarding how this work will function in the future, I'm going to clear something up before someone points it out.

This fic won't be the most canon thing in the universe, with the same reasoning I use for Grail Wars; it just isn't a good read if I spend half of it describing how and why something works. I'm far more interested in developing bonds and pushing a story where a Master actively contributes to a fight and exploring how an alien race would function within the FGO storyline. So, to summarize, while I'll follow the rules of Fate as much as I can, expect occasional intentional ignorance and manipulation when needed.

With all that said and done, let's get into this again.

...

"It's not an overseer that the Earth needs right now. It needs a warrior." -Kami.

...

*Bump-Bump...Bump-Bump...Bump...

A pair of flickering green orbs dwindled into a gentle blue as the pounding of his heart slowed to a neutral crawl, and yet he remained utterly on edge, with some part of the hybrid knowing things weren't over yet, not by a long shot...things were never that easy in his life, every enemy would only be replaced by someone far stronger than the last, it was as if their kind attracted powerful foes...no matter how much he hated it.

Saiyans are an oddity on the stellar stage, even long after their supposed extinction, a species utterly focused on warfare and personal gain; they weren't inventors or great statesmen; they simply took what they wanted and killed anyone that got in their way. A race of great apes, as many would put it, nothing more than violent, arrogant, selfish, and utterly prideful warmongers traveling the stars to bring chaos to innocent worlds, and here he was...doing what he hoped was the opposite.

Trunks didn't quite know what to do with that legacy; sure, half of him was alien, but he was part human all the same...some of those traits never seemed to reach him for better or worse, but it just left him confused...as always. His breaths gradually slowed into an even pace as his energy settled down, but his mind wandered; the swordsman didn't like any of it, the fighting, the rush of battle as his heart felt like it was about to explode, it all felt wrong...but instinct said otherwise, always rushing to the surface the moment he got into another life or death situation, making him wonder if he was being honest with himself, only for the sensations to leave as soon as they arrived.

It left him frustrated, knowing these issues were only his to address, and it wasn't something he could talk to his mother or even father about; it was like he was split between two competing mindsets, two different moralities, one focused on empathy and the other on unbridled strength. He sighed, observing the diminishing dust billowing away in the wind as craters surrounded him on all sides, hearing the ever-growing sound of footsteps approaching. The devastation reminded him yet again of his own time, where the only other person who could have helped explain this to him had died what felt like ages ago...he missed Gohan more than the man would ever know.

With a grimace, Trunks watched as the last trickles of his strange foe's blood vanished from his raised hand, wisping away into a burning cloud of purple light before disappearing entirely with the breeze, and where most of his kind would feel satisfaction alongside a great pride... the time traveler felt nothing, merely a somber understanding of what he had done, with his thoughts drifting toward the man's final words. Summoning an identical sword to his wasn't the most bizarre thing the Saiyan had experienced, after all...Piccolo could basically do the same thing...but it was everything that came afterward that shook the teen to his core.

From knowing his name to giving him that weird look, like the Servant had come to some kind of realization...how did it all click together for the man, and why did his tone change so much out of nowhere? Going from hostility to some odd form of guidance? There was something that the hybrid was missing in all of this, and it bothered him to no end...but something told him he'd only find out the truth if he "summoned" the man at some point...hopefully that's how it worked...Mash was pretty vague in her descriptions, only giving him the most general of information; calling him an Archer was more of a guess from the bow...but no one corrected him, so... points for listening...although he wouldn't say this in front of his father, that was a trait very few of their kind seemed to have.

With a shrug, the warrior turned, deciding to meet the two halfway and disregard his internal mumblings for the time being, having far more pressing matters than an existential crisis in front of him. His boots crunched along a dry and battered ground as he marched through the dwindling smoke and debris, with an inaudible groan of annoyance becoming more apparent by the second. He squinted as though that would somehow help him hear, actually getting a choice few words about how unbelievable this all was...in an angry tone...he grimaced in recognition, knowing which white-haired mage it was coming from...fantastic.

Call him short-tempered, but it was more so having to live with his father for more than a year inside the time chamber that burned him out. While the Saiyan loved every second of it, getting to actually interact with a man he couldn't even remember, but...calling Vegeta, the prince of all Saiyans, difficult was an understatement at best. Frankly...the hybrid just wanted to go home, deal with the androids and... figure out his life after that...no; he couldn't talk like that.

The swordsman shook his head, with the fighter's purple locks swishing about in dismissal, knowing he had to suck it up and not lose his temper; innocent lives came before him... and besides, his hand gently reached into a pocket, feeling his capsule container shifting about, with his mom's device, Trunks had all the time he needed. With that in mind, the Saiyan marched on, hearing as his "Servant" spoke up, albeit in the usual quiet, half mumble that she always seemed to speak in, "...Director... with all respect... you're gonna give yourself a headache if you-"

A loud sigh broke out, cutting the girl off as the hybrid's blue eyes saw a shadow shifting from the veil of dust, raising an unseen hand to squeeze between their eyes, "I'm well beyond a headache, and you should know this by now, Mash...that's maybe a three and right now, I'm at a ten in how tired I am of all this... first, everything I've worked for goes up in smoke, and now..."

The aristocrat practically growled, slapping her hands down and into her thighs with a clap of anger as she slowly paced around, "I'm stuck with you and some super-powered freak with a time machine; the last thing I need right now is you telling me it's going to be alright."

With a sudden kick from her black dress shoes, a pebble launched through toward the distance, only for a tan hand to shoot out of the cloud, grabbing the rock in an instant as the warrior emerged, his blue orbs shining in the darkness. He let the object go, with it clattering to the ground as he spoke, "Appreciate the comment, but-"

With a squeak of surprise, the aristocrat practically jumped out of her skin at the sudden appearance, stumbling and soon losing her balance, only to land in the demi-Servants waiting grasp, the girl having moved at breakneck speeds to reach the leader without a moment to spare. Trunks could only stare as the woman got red in the face as he swore steam was coming off her head as she slammed a foot into the ground, standing upright in an attempt to intimidate him, "Stop doing that!"

Trunks tilted his head in confusion, not really understanding what she was so wound up about this time; seriously, how do people deal with this on a daily basis? He slowly raised an open palm upward by instinct as he asked, "Stop doing what?"

As the Chaldean shook with yet another dam of rage breaking, the hybrid saw his lilac ally shrinking in on herself as she saw him, looking away as if she was ashamed of Something, the Saiyan tried to interject, but the white-haired leader broke out again in a surge of anger. "That! The way you just...push everything you do aside like it's no big deal!" The woman marched forward, her yellow eyes gleaming upwards without so much as a sense of fear from the teen who had just turned the surrounding area into no man's land, even waving her hand across the scene to prove her point, "Do you have any idea how I'm going to explain ANY of this to the UN!? Don't even get me started on the Mages Association; I-"

With a squint, the Saiyan looked to Mash for some kind of clarification, only meeting her stare for a second before she looked away toward the ground with a grimace; he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes before asking, "The what?" Seeing the woman go utterly blank and stare at him as though he weren't even there, the teen decided to elaborate, crossing his arms as his purple jacket tightened, "I don't know what those are."

"I...wha...-"

The magus remained static, her mouth slightly agape in angered disbelief, as though she thought the swordsman was messing with her, but as she stared at him, she soon realized, "You don't know what the UN is?...I...the United Nations? A forum for countries to cooperate?...The one that THIS-" she tapped a foot along the ground as she spoke, "country is part of?"

With a tilt of his head, the warrior stared out at the unfamiliar landscape; having flown around the world so many times growing up, Trunks had a general idea of where he was regardless of how lost he could get...none of this rang a bell, from the endless forests to the distant hills, he felt nothing familiar about any of it... but his thoughts lingered on that word...the hell was a country? His blue orbs met her yellow once more, "I don't even know where here is, and why would a sector need an organization for that? It's all one government, anyways."

The teen could only watch as a mixture of anger and confusion battled for control over the beleaguered woman's pale features, with her not being sure if she was talking to an actual idiot or someone who had lived under a rock his entire life, the terms being too similar for her liking. A deep part of her really...really wished she could fire him and be done with it, but if it wasn't for the kid showing up out of nowhere...

...

...

The mage came to a complete halt as her mind clicked everything together in a sudden blast of realization, as though a boom of thunder had shaken the core of her being. The aristocrat gripped a shaking pale fist as she spoke, using it as though it were a lifeline of some sort, with a wave of a hand, an unseen command went to the nearby Servant as she slowly shuffled off to check their surroundings; after a few moments, the leader spoke, with a new sense of urgency in her voice, "...What year are you from?"

Seconds ticked by as the warrior remained utterly quiet, not knowing how to answer in this situation. Trunks was willing to cooperate but not to the extent that it risked himself or his loved ones. The same reasoning applied to keeping his Saiyan heritage a secret, whether from them or any other humans, not knowing how they would react and, in this case...what they would do with that information.

Even as the leader began to impatiently tap her foot, the warrior ran a hand through his purple locks in thought, rubbing the back of his head absentmindedly. Yet another confusing aspect of this... Mash had mentioned them being from the year 2015...which was very, very far ahead of his time. Still, even though this was apparently '2004' with a primitive-looking city looming in the distance in all its broken glory, it didn't feel right, like he was missing yet another thing.

With a visible grimace, the halfling grumbled in annoyance to himself as he stared at the already angry leader in front of him, the tips of her static white hair not even reaching his chin as she stood on her tiptoes below him to seem tall, which he ignored. Nothing about all this added up; they didn't seem to have...well, any tech related to his time...he paid attention to their reactions, acting like a capsule of all things was revolutionary...and the doctor mentioning Something about 'a Vinci' needing to see it? Whatever that meant.

Not knowing your situation was a dangerous thing, Trunks knew this all too well; after years of fighting the Androids, almost getting killed more times than he could count, it formed a distinct mindset only known to those in the end times; anxiety couldn't describe it. To most, it came off as aggressive or downright stubborn, but when you have to scrounge for even the most basic necessities...well, you tend to do what benefits you most.

As the Saiyan's gaze hardened, he stared down at the indignant leader, guided by a nearly automatic lens of caution and survival; he simply said, "look, you don't seem like bad people, but-"

The teen awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, not entirely used to this much conversation or even confrontation with others; how he managed to do it earlier, the swordsman couldn't say, with it being more a fleeting moment of anger while now...well, he felt guilty more than anything, but still- "My time has enough problems, I really don't know if pulling more unknowns into it will do us any good."

With a click of her tongue, the noblewoman huffed in annoyance, her limited patience growing thin as her yellow orbs narrowed, "OH, big talk coming from the boy who just-" she flung her pale hands into the air in an instant, "dropped from the fucking sky into a mess that was already out of control, telling us he's another time traveler, hours after our facility was attacked!-" she took a step forward, getting right in front of the halfling as he leaned back in discomfort, "do you have any idea how suspicious that is?"

After a moment, the teen regained his stability, growing a slight glare of his own as he refused to back down, "You think I want to be here?...I was...-" in a sudden burst of frustration, the warrior turned, taking a few short steps away as his head hung low, "I was done...I went back to the past and fixed a mistake that never should have happened, just like you're trying to do...and it made me strong...strong enough to protect the people I have left and then..."

With a forced chuckle, the Saiyan gazed upward toward the moon, ignoring the strange yet faint pull he always felt toward the glowing rock oh so far away, "I could quit and never fight again and just...live...not having to worry about whether my mom or anyone else was dead the next morning every time I went to sleep and now?" he raised a hand, studying the glowing command seal gleaming along his right hand into the darkness, "I'm getting pulled into another war that I want no part in...so don't blame me if I don't want more problems in my already ruined world."

The Director didn't speak for a moment, merely taking a slow breath before orienting her stance into something more akin to a leader than an angry rant, resting a hand along her hip as she spoke, "At least you have a family to go back to, me? I inherited my father's position with all the dirty secrets and obligations thrown at my head...and I hate it; you think I like doing this, being the 'evil woman' in charge of Chaldea? I know they hate me because I do, too; not a day goes by where I'm not miserable trying to live up to the image my father set...and I can't do it-"

As her hands gripped tight, the magus gritted her teeth in frustration at her own weaknesses, "I'm a failure as a Master, and I know they talk about it behind my back, so I have to do the uncomfortable parts of this job and make people cooperate, so, you know what? I might feel bad that you're stuck here, but so are we, and you actually have the power to do something about it, so don't give me a sob story about not wanting to fight; sitting aside is just the same as letting your enemies win."

As the Saiyan turned to face the woman, she poked a thin finger into his chest as she spoke with absolute authority, "You want to go home? Fine, but you work it off, and until then, I'm your Director, and you'll follow orders; I'll worry about the specifics later, but for now, I'll say it again, what year are you from?"

The Saiyan stood there as she laid into him, having been long used to this sort of behavior from his mom, not expecting this sort of thing from someone near his age, but here she was...and honestly, maybe she was right...at least about not fighting, and maybe it was selfish, but why did that matter? Didn't they earn a rest after risking everything to take Cell down? Was there ever going to be a time when he could just retire and give up that life and find something better, or was this it for his species?

Trunks didn't want to be like his father or even Goku for that matter, a life of nonstop training, fighting, and death didn't interest him at all, and honestly, the halfling felt tired, like he had done enough, but...there was no choice in this, either he sits by and lets the Director probably lead Mash into a hornets' nest, dragging any chance of him going back to his time with them or...do what he did with his father...tough it out and deal with the punches. He sighed, knowing there really wasn't much choice in this, before answering, "...784."

Huffing in acceptance, the aristocrat nodded, "See, was that so...-" she froze, thinking on the answer before studying the teen's features to his discomfort, checking for any tells of a lie yet seeing none. "Did you just... 784?..." she raised a finger to her chin, staring down at the ground as though she were thinking of something before asking, "BC or AD?"

The hybrid tilted his head in perplexion as though the words were utterly foreign to him, just like everything else in this place, but this felt specific, and the way she said it felt different, like she was confirming something, "What?"

Trunks only stared in even more confusion as a strange look overcame the girl's face, her pale features growing even more white by the second as she kept glancing between him and the ground again and again. The Director's mouth opened and closed, mumbling things like "no..not possible, but-" her head shot up as she looked into the distance across the barren wasteland of craters and settled dust, muttering, "I...I need to talk to Romani or...someone about this."

And there she went, pacing around the landscape and away from the Saiyan without a word, walking off to what he could only assume was...to use whatever way they talked to their headquarters across time; how that worked, Trunks couldn't say, but apparently, this angry yet understanding woman was his boss now...great, his first job doing exactly what he did before getting here, fixing the past, at least he thought that's what they did, Mash wasn't very generous with the details...did that make him a time patroller? No, that sounded really stupid in his head.

The fighter bit his cheek in thought, watching as the exhausted mage talked to a flickering image of that doctor from before, sputtering as though there was a limited connection, before shrugging, figuring he'd find out later what the issue was, before turning, seeing his only ally dragging her colossal shield as it swayed with the breeze as she patrolled in the distance, her black boots tapping along the ground with each step as she ignored the device's weight, acting as though it didn't exist as she scanned a treeline for any sign of movement and yet... She held a particular focus to her, and despite the distance, he could tell something was bothering the girl, looking like she almost...wanted to encounter something, looking at the most minor of details at each spot that dared cross her ire...

Pushed on by a sudden urge to check on his "Servant," the teen decided to use a diplomatic approach, foregoing the convenience of flight for a gradual stride across the landscape, feeling like he needed to let his allies adjust to the idea of having someone like him around before going crazy with it. But as he marched, the Earthling idly wondered how he would even approach this entire situation, with basically every conversation topic of substance off the table.

He huffed in frustration to no one in particular, this was so much easier when everyone knew what he was and how their species worked, but now Trunks had a group of humans who probably didn't know what aliens even were...nor did the hybrid plan to ask, it just added factors the warrior wasn't used to handling, with most people in his time more focused on survival than how a super-powered boy flew them to safety...that and growing up without other people around tended to make him not know what to say or do, but as he drew near he could only shrug in reluctant acceptance, figuring it would be best to just roll with it.

As a rock crunched beneath his boot, a lilac orb shifted to the side, glancing at the hybrid as he came to a stop before soon looking away, and although he couldn't see it, the boy could tell she was upset about something, but wh- "That Servant...he's dead, isn't he?"

Her voice sounded certain, yet without any sense of confidence or emotion, simply a statement, as though she already knew the answer, yet asked all the same, reflecting a sense of exhaustion pent up over her chaotic stay in this hellish place. As the fighter shuffled in place, dragging a hand along his jacket sleeve, his brow lightly furrowed, "Archer?...-" getting a slight nod, he continued, "Yeah, he's...gone, I guess? I don't really know how you Servants work-" but as he watched a slight frown grow along the corners of the girl's pale features he asked, "is...something wrong?"

With an audible thud, her shield cracked into the dirt, digging down before coming to a rest as the Chaldean tried to organize her thoughts, her listless gaze studying the horizon, "I guess...I don't know how it works, either...being a Servant isn't what I thought."

A cool breeze billowed through the landscape, washing over the pair as the Saiyan stood still, idly adjusting his sword strap with a freehand guided by instinct alone as it nestled into place, "How long have you been one?"

The defender slowly turned to face the hybrid, looking up at the moon for a brief second as though she were trying to check something, "Do you have the time?"

With a hum, the teen slowly pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a familiar white watch overlaid with a glowing green screen, the same device he used to track Goku's landing site what felt like...no... was, years ago. Trunks gave a slight grimace as he tapped along the glass, getting no read on his location, before shrugging it off, putting in a new command as he squinted at the faint text before looking back up, "almost midnight."

She gave a forced chuckle, adjusting her stance as she swayed with the wind, "Feels like I've been here a lot longer than that-" the Kyrielight gave a slight yet pained smile as the day's events came back to her, "I've been a Servant for about four hours, and I still can't do anything right... it's my job to protect my Master, and you just...handled it without even needing my help; what use am I?"

The royal prince took a steady breath, collecting his bearings before saying something without thinking he learned a long time ago from his father that usually made more problems, "Mash, you don't have to fight to be useful; there's more than one way to do that... I just-" his hands fell, lightly tapping along his sides as he continued, "I don't know how comfortable I am making someone else fight for me... it's just...wrong, I was raised to handle my own issues."

Her shield slightly shifted as the girl put more pressure onto her grip as it refused to falter for even a moment, her unseen knuckles lightly popping from the force, "...And I was raised for this-" the Chaldean softly stared at the boy as she reflected on a life of grueling experiments and relentless lectures on what she needed to do with her limited life, "I was always the bottom of my class, and I finally thought this could be a chance to prove my worth and do right by Chaldea...but what does it mean if I still don't know what I'm doing?"

With a solemn nod, the purple-haired swordsman cooled his nerves, his mind coming to an understanding of what the girl was going through, having dealt with the same turmoil all the same. "It's not the end of the world if you're confused. Do you think I know anything about what's going on here, Mash?-"

He took a step forward, waving a hand through the air as he spoke, "Every time you guys talk about these things...magic, Servants, rayshifting, whatever, it all goes over my head, and I have no clue what's going on, and I'm fine with that because I know I'll learn along the way, you can't prepare yourself for what this kind of life brings you, it's just something you learn over time."

As the moonlight illuminated the defender's lightly armored form, she ran a hand along her sleeved arm, pulling the material back into place, "It's just not what I expected...any of it, they always told me it was a trade, the Master gives the Servant the energy they need to fight...it felt, more even that way but-" she sighed, "you don't really need my help...do you?"

Trunks could only huff at the question, haven't spent years fighting alone and going to the past just to meet all the incredible people his mom wouldn't stop talking about, and it taught him a lot, more than he ever expected from a motley crew of humans and aliens alike, but they ended up family to the boy all the same. "That's not true; it's just...-" he met the Chaldean's stare with his own, his tone escaping as a mixture of exhaustion and utter gravity, "I don't lead people, Mash, that's not what I do, I can't just sit back and let someone else take the hits for me."

It didn't need to be said for the Saiyan to remember the last time someone left without him to fight alone; the mere thought of losing someone...anyone, like he did with Gohan, was just unthinkable to the young man, but clearly, this situation wouldn't work out unless things changed.

The Kyrielight glumly nodded, her lilac locks swaying with each motion, and yet she paid no mind, "I can't either-" she softly chuckled to herself, the sound escaping as more of a gasp than anything, "I guess neither of us really know what to do, huh? A Master that doesn't want to be one...and a Servant that doesn't know how to be one."

With a sigh, the fighter audibly grumbled as he shook his head in refusal, "That's not what I mean; I want to help, but I just don't like controlling people like that... everyone fights differently, and you need to react at the moment, it just makes more sense for you to do that... I'd rather us be equals in this."

The Chaldean paused, considering his words before gazing to the side, her free hand clenching and opening as she struggled to find an answer for him or herself, "It's not really equal if I don't pull my weight."

He shrugged, knowing these took time to develop an understanding of, not like he was lacking in that department; his life was a game of waiting out the hours until annihilation or preventing those events from transpiring at all. "You know, helping is a lot more than just one thing...and if it wasn't for you, well, I guess I'd be stuck here in...where are we?"

A slight chuckle escaped the Servant, seeing his constant confusion, "...Fuyuki, it's a city in Japan."

With a complete deadpan, the Saiyan just stared at his ally without a sense of emotion, "You just said words at me."

She lightly shook her head with a smile as a sense of emotion flickered back into her purple orbs, "Okay...maybe you are a little more helpless than I thought-" she slowly raised a free hand toward the hybrid as a sense of calm overcame the girl, "partner."

The teen rolled his eyes with a feigned annoyance, "Well, I'll be counting on you to watch my back-" he reached out, clasping her hand in his as the command seals glowed under the dim light from above, "partner."

...

...

*Tap-Tap

"Aw, seems I barged in on a precious moment...Oh well, not my problem."

Raw instinct took over the Saiyan in an instant as his hand flashed upward, gripping the hilt of his inherited blade before thrashing out, its silver-lined edge flowing through the air as his hold remained firm, taking a stance as his right foot dragged back through the dirt, digging a veritable trench as he faced the unknown ahead, his Servant raising her shield to his side, and yet his focus remained forward.

The distant trees bristled and waved with the coming night breeze as their shroud of green concealed all within, and yet, a sound rang out, growing closer by the moment, a thudding, a rhythmic collision of what could only be wood colliding with solid rock again and again...sounding all too much like Roshi's walking stick for the hybrid's liking.

Moments ticked by as his heart flickered into motion, its pace rising at a rapid rate as instinct began to take hold over the warrior once more, and yet, as the bushes started to shift and crunch, the same voice broke out, a man's, riddled with a sense of either confidence or an uncaringness the Saiyan couldn't quite place, "Don't mind me~."

A tan hand emerged, concealed by a thin layer of black material interwoven with various metallic ornaments strewn about the limb, grasping a strange wooden staff lined with an array of bronze and dangling talisman...soon followed by gleaming pair of red eyes, "I'm just following the fireworks."

A shrouded figure escaped the clutches of the wilderness, revealing himself to the dimly lit land surrounding the pair, with the hybrid ignoring the distance call from his supposed Director, focusing entirely on the threat ahead. He wore yet another strange ensemble of clothing the swordsman struggled to comprehend, like a tattered array of robes layered upon one another, cascading over a skin-tight black suit, with various colors of blues and golds atop his form, only surpassed by his even darker hair, reflecting an aqua only matched by the seas themselves as he stared at the pair with a meticulous attention to detail Trunks could only recognize within experienced fighters.

The halfling stood on edge, knowing full well what a Servant could do; with so many options, who knew what this strange man was or even wanted; his voice left him with a sense of confusion and weight, understanding that at any moment, either side may strike, "Fireworks?"

With a devious grin, the man waved a free hand through the air as though he didn't recognize or care for the tension billowing across the scene, "Yeah! I got treated to a quality light show and figured I'd pay the person a visit; not like there was much else to do besides run from those mudded freaks."

A hum broke out to the teen's side as his Servant glanced toward the ground in thought before quickly shaking herself awake, not letting herself fall into her thoughts again, "Then...you're not with them?"

The wizard broke out into a hum of his own, rubbing a finger along his chin as he gazed up toward the clouds nonchalantly, "You're gonna have to be more specific little lady, lotta bad things in this city if you can't tell."

With a huff of annoyance, the Saiyan took a step forward, his blue eyes flickering in the moonlight as his grip remained firm, his sword reflecting the same ethereal glow, "The Servants...the ones that look...I don't know, tainted? Covered in that weird black smog, not really interested in talking things out?"

With a snort, the man glanced toward the hybrid, sizing him up with a simple look over, lightly raising his staff before tapping it on the ground once more, "Well, it's a Grail War; we Servants don't tend to be the nicest people, but-" his focus soon shifted back toward the Chaldean as he eyed over the girl's form, "them going after a slam piece like you is unforgivable."

"That's enough of you."

The ground audibly crunched as the Director approached from behind the pair, parting the two aside, and taking center stage, meeting the man's leer with her fiery yellow orbs, sparing her subordinate a moment of complete awkwardness in a rare sign of care, "We didn't come all this way to hear some old creep drone on about his fantasies, so state your business."

With a chuckle, the sage-like Servant shrugged, running a hand through his long flowing hair, "old man, she says, I'll have you know-" he clenched a fist, pointing a thumb toward his person, "this old man is the only Servant left from the Grail War, so unless you were the one showing some promise in this wasteland, I'd pipe down and let this guard dog do his job."

The aristocrat huffed, unperturbed by the man's comments, "And what are you doing here, sniffing out the competition?"

The druid closed his eyes as a smirk grew along his tan features, "down to business then, huh?...eh, straight and narrow tends to work best for me anyways, but first, you-" he slightly turned, facing the hybrid as he examined the boy's form once again, both nodding and shaking his head as his gaze traveled, "Were you the one using all those flashy moves around town? That sort of thing gets you noticed in places like this; take it from me; everyone in this town seems to want a piece, and not in a good way."

With a shrug, the Saiyan remained steadfast, and as the wind flowed through his long purple locks, he spoke, "Trust me, I know, but they don't really leave you much choice; it's kill or be killed, and those Servants picked a fight they couldn't win."

The wizard-like man snorted, leaning on his staff as both hands gripped its length, drifting back and forth in a mixture of energy and impatience, "Simple yet bold, I can respect that, so which ones did you take out?"

Giving a huff of frustration, the Director tapped a black shoe along the dirt, clicking her tongue before speaking out, "do we really have time for this? Chit-chat isn't going to figure out what happened in the city anyway-"

With a raised hand, the man cut her off, "I'm getting to it; just let an old guard dog sniff out the situation first...now-" his orbs dwindled, no longer a fiery red, but a more calm orange as he observed the Saiyan, "who was it?"

Trunks squinted; having a limited amount of information didn't leave him with the best tools at hand, so descriptions would probably work best; he cupped his chin in thought, "One had a really long arm-"

The Servant clapped his hands together, a smirk growing even larger along his tan features, "Ooh, Assassin, something about that one always rubbed me the wrong way, too much sneaking around, not enough man to man-" without so much as a sign of intent, the man plopped down, sitting with his legs crossed, staff still in hand, "alright boy, you've got me intrigued, who else did you off?"

Seeing him drop low, the halfling took a moment, his blue eyes studying the man for any signs of deceit, yet finding none, letting his sword fall just a bit, yet remaining upright all the same, "Archer."

As the word escaped, the man's grin faltered for a moment, replaced by a sort of static grimace, "...did he have a red coat?-" getting a slight nod, the man looked off into the distant horizon, "so, Saber's little pup is dead...heh, the guy is always a pain in my ass somehow, and I really don't like inconvenient things...ah-"

He slapped a hand onto his thigh, his smile returning as though it had never left to begin with, "Well, that's one less problem to deal with...not like I really needed confirmation, the city felt a little too empty with just me and that big Brute walking around for my liking...besides, that annoyance with the bow would've shot at me by now if he were here, but, I gotta ask-" He pointed a finger at the hybrid, his eyes squinted in a feigned sense of curiosity, "what lets a brat like you take a Servant down alone? Cause it sure wasn't feisty and the quiet one next to you."

Despite hearing a huff of indignance from the woman beside him, Trunks felt an all too uncomfortable sensation of having all eyes on him, nearly making his skin tingle with their stares alone...It was a given people would ask about how he could do... well...everything he did... and despite fighting enemies that could outright destroy the solar system, the Sayain found himself shuffling in place with a mild amount of interaction, one of the many issues with living in a time where practically no one was left. Soon, a sigh escaped him as his sword lightly twirled in place, knowing he was an awful liar, but a half-truth? "Well, I had some really good teachers; honestly, I'm just an imitation of what they could do-" his mind flickering toward a familiar scarred face, standing tall against all odds, even as his armless sleeve flowed in the winds through a broken city, he gave a pained smile, "some of them are a lot better than I'll ever be."

Giving a huff of interest, the Servant leaned forward, his staff digging into the dirt from the sudden force, "Tell me about it; the only thing worse than me being summoned as anything but a Lancer is if she's around, heh, that teacher of mine could still kick my ass from Ulster to Connacht without even trying."

Catching a brief flicker of motion, the hybrid glanced to his side, watching as his "Servant" mouthed the words over and over again, squinting as though she were trying to figure something out from the garbled locations that meant nothing to him. "You're from Ireland?"

His mouth hung agape for a moment before lightly smacking a palm into his tan face, running it down as he grumbled, "Tch, there I go, running my mouth again-" before shrugging the matter aside, "eh, I was planning to tell you anyways, way to ruin the fun...whatever class you are...well, down to business-"

He slowly stood, forcing himself to shake until a glare from the Director brought about another smirk from the man, until rising to his feet once more, "The whole point of a Grail War is for someone to win it all, usually with a Master and their Servant taking the prize for themselves, the winner getting to wish for," he flipped an open palm into the air, "well, anything you want I guess, not that I care much for it..."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, "I'm always up for a fair fight, but that Saber's done nothing but play dirty, so I'm looking to level the playing field, and a Master with some backbone like you should do the trick."

The Saiyan quirked a brow, the entire thing sounding like an obscene, dark version of the dragon balls...fighting a war between other Masters and Servants just to get a wish? Talk about overcomplicating things...okay, Red Ribbon Army aside, they usually didn't do that...except...Saiyans... and Frieza...okay, but he wasn't alive for those, so it doesn't count; besides, "And what makes you think I'll go along with this plan of yours?...As far as I'm concerned, we need to put things to an end and get out of here."

Giving a hum of agreement, the blue-haired druid nodded, "Mhm, but you forget something, boy; a Grail War only ends if a Servant wins-" He stretched out an arm, pointing a finger toward his cloaked form as he spoke, "and you're looking at your only choice if you want that Grail."

Glancing toward the Director, she grimaced, giving the Saiyan a nod of approval before looking away at anything but the man ahead. He rolled his eyes, facing the Servant once more, "then why all the questions?"

He puffed his chest out in a show of pride, "Unlike Saber, I'm not the loose type to work with anyone, not when I have a say in it anyways, I take my contracts seriously-" he slowly raised a hand toward the teen, "Cú Chulainn...sadly, a Caster class."

The Saiyan took a slow breath before raising his sword up to the sky, his arm moving by muscle memory alone as it let go, allowing his inherited blade to slide back into its sheathe. He took a step forward, then another, approaching the Servant before coming to a slow stop; his fists gripped tight, "If you try anything, I won't hesitate to take you down."

The Caster remained indifferent, with his grin growing wider, "Well, at least both of us hate cowards... good thing for you, I plan to never break another promise."

With a sigh, the hybrid raised a hand, and as they shook, he felt the seals along his right heat up for just a moment as they glowed a vibrant red before settling down, "Trunks."

The Servant tilted his head in confusion, "No last name?"

With a shrug, the boy let go, his hand falling to the side as he glanced off toward the distant cave as the path ahead felt all too close, "Believe it or not, most people don't have them where I grew up."

The Director's mouth fell open as she grumbled in disbelief before taking a stomp forward as her disheveled white hair stood on edge, as her bright yellow orbs contrasted with the gentle moonlight above, "Seriously, where are you from?"

Trunks started the slow walk ahead, not wanting to test how uncomfortable it would be trying to fly three people at the same time, disregarding the anger in the woman's voice as he answered, "West City."

Her face turned red as she kicked a flutter of dirt into the air before the material blasted apart as she stomped after him, roaring, "That is not a real place!" Soon followed by her loyal Chaldean as the lilac girl tried to calm her to no avail.

As the Irishman watched the trio slowly walk off, he shook his head in dismissal, gripping his staff as a familiar surge of energy coursed through his system; he stared down for a moment, adjusting to the sudden rush before looking back toward his temporary leader, his focus landing on the teen's sword, a Master that's willing to get in on the action? He sighed, "the times really changed for this old man, huh Scáthach?" With an unworried wave of a hand, he followed suit, mumbling, "this might be a little fun."

...

Later

*Drip-Drop...Drip-Drop

A cold drop of water fell from some unseen height above, the sensation crashing into the Director's exposed neck as a shiver racked her form in a lull of raw terror, clinging to the purple girl beside her only to let go in an angry huff.

She briefly scanned their surroundings, no longer in the burning city or even the mellow forest, having taken a path less followed into the dark recesses of the Earth, finding some cavern or other, whether abandoned by the mages who expanded it or taken by force, the aristocrat couldn't quite say. It went on for what seemed like miles, with dark crevices extending as far as her limited line of sight could go, held up by an array of stone supports cut from the rock itself. She briefly leveled a glare of jealousy toward the tan swordsman walking at a brisk pace ahead, wishing she had the luxury of a real coat.

After a second to recompose herself, the magus pulled her emblazoned jacket that much closer as a light shiver overtook her form, "God, it's cold in here...are you sure it's even back here, Caster?"

The druid blew a stream of air through his long blue locks, his staff audibly cracking onto the ground with each step taken as the sound echoed off the chamber walls. "Well, in my experience...wherever her butler is, Saber isn't too far behind...I'm more curious how that Master of ours seems to know."

Trunks' gaze remained fixed ahead, focusing on his surroundings as instinct guided his steps, aware of every possible angle of attack or ambush location, something acquired through a life of conflict. "I'm just following her power level; it's like a sixth sense you have to train to be aware of."

Caster quirked a brow, humming as he heard his own voice bouncing off the walls of the chamber, "really?...hmm, how come you missed me earlier then."

The Saiyan marched on with the same sense of grit he always had, guided by the singular purpose of putting an end to the madness, his gaze narrowing as they drew closer, "...It's sort of like having a flashlight in front of the sun...this, Saber person gives off a lot more power than you do, practically masks everyone else by a mile."

The man's brow briefly furrowed, "sounds about right..." he grumbled as his staff flicked a rock off into depths unknown, "She practically wiped out the competition...believe me, that knight is nothing but trouble, you sure you're up for a fight like this, kid?"

A sigh escaped the hybrid as he gripped a fist tight, no longer willing to stand to the side as other people fought on his behalf; his narrow blue orbs briefly glowed against the darkness, "It's not about wanting anything; she decided that human life had no value, and I learned a long time ago, that people like that don't stop until they're dead."

As the man studied the teen's agitated stance, he quirked a brow, rubbing a hand along his chin in thought, "bold words; got some moral code to preach to me while you're at it?... Really wrap up that package."

The Saiyan rolled his eyes, already getting used to the man's attempts to agitate him; a rock shattered into dust beneath his boot, its remnants soon scattering across the hardened floor, "I don't have a code; my mom raised me to do what I think is right...Yeah, I could sit by and do nothing, but I couldn't live with myself if I was that much of a coward."

Caster snorted, "Awww, momma's boy? Aren't you a little old to talk about what your parents would do?"

The swordsman paused in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder with his eyes narrowed in confusion, "I'm eighteen."

The man's mouth remained slightly open as he studied over the teen's built form, looking more like a bodybuilder than a high schooler. The druid glanced to the side, seeing the Director in a similar state of shock, with even the quiet one's eyes a bit wide; he turned back as the boy began his walk once more, "...seriously...?"

Not getting a response, he shrugged it off, disregarding the comment entirely, as his various cloaks fluttered with each step, "Eh, at least I don't have to play babysitter for one of you...isn't that right, feisty?"

The aristocrat huffed, crossing her arms in a fit of anger as she looked away at one of the distant pillars looming overhead, "I'm twenty-two; I don't need-"

His chuckle interrupted the woman's tirade with a simple yet audible echo as he twirled his staff lazily in his hand, "You sure don't act like it~."

As steam began blasting off the leader's head, her frazzled white hair flew with the twirl of a hand through their long locks before landing on her side, "No wonder an old man like you has no luck with women, don't know when to keep your mouth shut."

His chuckle gave way to an outright laugh as the druid pinched his fingers over his closed eyes, "Maybe, but you're one to talk; try finding yourself a husband with a lip like that. In my experience, fiery women aren't all they're cracked up to be, heh, lots of pain and no reward for a hard day's work."

The leader's anger subsided, only to be replaced by the most forced smile the Servant had ever seen across her pale face, "Trunks, as your Director, you're obligated to follow my orders, hm?" She didn't wait for a response, more knowing that her underlings obeyed; her smile grew, "what would it take for you to get this dog out of my sight and put down?"

The teen hummed in thought, gazing up at the ceiling as water trickled down from above, ignoring Caster as he asked if he was seriously considering this before looking back down, "I don't think that's part of my contract, ma'am."

Her fists tightened as the smile grew larger, nearly defying human existence as an untold pressure came off the woman in waves, almost drowning the druid beside her thin form as she spoke in an evil sing-song, "I write the checks; your contract is what I say it is~," only to be ignored in yet more silence.

Caster puffed his chest out in pride, shaking his staff as the metallic decorations jingled, "See, he respects his elders...piece of advice, boy, no matter what they promise you, hot-headed women are all devious...bet you that one with the shield has something evil planned for you too, can't trust anyone these days."

Mash gazed down to the cave floor with a slight pout along her face, having been quiet the entire debacle, not sure if she even wanted to know what was happening, she spoke so quietly, it came out as nearly a whisper, "...why am I getting dragged into this?"

The Irishman chuckled, "Eh, just trying to pass the time; getting to know your comrades is one of my favorite parts of war; nothing makes a better bond than that... speaking of, how are you holding up, oh Master of mine?"

Trunks squinted through the darkness, raising a palm as a blur of yellow ki erupted into a glowing orb, illuminating part of the chamber before looking over his shoulder, "...It's just Trunks...anyways, what do you mean?"

He tilted his head, examining the boy's face as though he were looking for something, before shrugging, "I don't know, figured a first-time Master like you would be tired from having two of us hooked up to him."

The Saiyan bit his cheek, he definitely felt a drain on his reserves, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, not that he understood how magic and ki were related in any way. "I'm fine; just wondering about what makes this Saber person so different from the rest of you."

With an audible noise, the Servant blew air through his lips, clicking his tongue in idle thought as his orange eyes focused on the ethereal glow within the Saiyan's hand, "Class rules aside?...hm, well, the little knight's, THE King Arthur,-" the Saiyan gave him a dull look, "you know...sword in the stone?...-King of knights?" he deadpanned, "you have no idea who I'm talking about, do you?"

Trunks hummed as he saw a yellow glow leering in the distance, surrounded by a blackened fog all too similar to the same mist surrounding the Servants he had already encountered. "Not a clue."

Without so much as a stutter, the man waved a hand in casual dismissal, "Fantastic...well, the only real thing to keep in mind is avoiding that phantasm of hers; the long and short of it, it's her sword, you'll know it when you hear it."

The warrior thought back to his previous experiences, dealing with those strange abilities from both of his foes...with only one attribute lining up between their completely different skill sets. He hummed, "got it."

Mash grumbled to herself, not understanding anything about the conversation, the context she did, but the way they just..."I don't know how you two are just...so casual about all this...doesn't it bother you?"

Caster shifted his staff to his left, extending his now free right hand toward the girl as he patted the Chaldean on the shoulder, "You'll get there, kid, it just takes time, and it's your senior's job to get everyone on the ball-" he leaned over, lightly whispering, "just do what you think is best, I'll keep an eye on things."

Her lilac orbs shifted toward the man as she uncomfortably hunched downward from the contact, "what I think is best?..."

With a hum of approval, he let go, giving the defender a brief thumbs up as he looked away, half mumbling, "these things have a way of working themselves out if you trust the people around you."

The Director snorted at that, brushing a layer of dust off her otherwise immaculate jacket as she spoke, "We met you all of twenty minutes ago, and you're already talking about trust?"

His grin grew as the distant light drew ever closer, coming within sight to even those without enhanced senses, almost feeling the energy coming off of the distant Grail. "I'm a simple man with simple rules, live well, fight hard, and rest plenty; that's enough for me to get by, so if someone hasn't betrayed me, well, they must be a friend."

She humphed, looking away with the slightest of smiles atop her pale features, muttering, "...simpleton maybe," which the man was all too happy to ignore.

...

Minutes later

A pair of blue eyes narrowed, peering through the layers of darkness far beneath the Earth as a distant object glowed, its towering form shrouded in a haze of bright light. He didn't quite comprehend exactly what it was, just that it gave off a presence all too familiar to the boy as he faced the likes of Frieza and King Cold...fitting, that's just how it felt; there was no warmth or kindness to be had within its confines as it radiated an energy, unlike anything he had ever experienced...no.

It felt cold, as though even sensing it was one of most foul things the Saiyan had encountered, radiating a malicious intent to such an extent that it was almost overwhelming, drowning everything in a sea of fog as it blew off the black sphere at the top in waves, he didn't quite understand it's purpose, but if the things he encountered across the city were anything but a speck in front of what it gave off, he'd bet that this was the source of it all.

His gaze fell, landing on a shadowed figure as they stood within the light, facing away from the hybrid and onto some other horizon on this seemingly endless chasm, going off as far as the eye could see in all directions. Despite the distance, he could gleam her details without so much as a strain on himself, his alien DNA providing a far greater line of sight than any human could hope to acquire, although...he hated word perfect lately...it brought bad, all too recent memories to the surface.

She stood firm despite her short stature, with the knight's nearly bleach-blonde hair waving beneath the onslaught of power coming from the demonic device all too near her as she patrolled about it with a diligence unknown to the rest of modern humanity. The King wore an intricate set of armor, with layer upon layer of protective plating, darker than the night as red lines glowed about its surface, covering all but her immaculately pale face. She shifted in place, scanning the horizon as her battle dress audibly clinked as metal dragged over itself as the once-Servant firmly gripped an elongated sword, its hilt facing the sky as its point rested along the ground, its colors matching her armor, corrupted by the same force which had dragged the others to an oblivion the Saiyan couldn't quite understand...He instinctively noted the weapon's dimensions, having neither the care nor Saiyan interest in seeing what it could do; if Caster called it a risk, he would treat it as such.

The fighter pulled back beyond one of the many rock pillars supporting the entire cave system, glancing toward his allies as he asked the man in question, "that's her?"

The Irishman nodded, not needing to see the knight to know who had guarded the Grail so closely all this time, "Yeah, don't underestimate her because she's a little thing; believe me, that King packs more of a punch than you realize...but I'll leave that for you two to figure out."

Mash tilted her head from behind the man, her lilac locks shifting oh so slightly as her voice radiated a sense of both confusion and fear for the inevitable conflict, "You're not coming with?"

He clicked his tongue as he shook his head in refusal, "Don't get me wrong, I'd like nothing more than to take her out myself, but it's the job of the old to let the new generation take a crack at things, but don't worry, I'll be coaching you from the sidelines, and besides-"

A smirk grew along the Celt's face as he lightly bumped the Director crouched beside him, the force nearly knocking the woman over, "someone's gotta keep the feisty one company~."

The aristocratic magus practically hissed venom at the man as she wobbled on her heels before catching herself on the floor with a pale hand, grimacing at the sudden contact. Her ferocious expression worsened as the man gently offered a hand to her, "touch me, and you lose it."

As if by instinct, he recoiled, shaking his head to make sure the evil witch hadn't cut off his digits while he wasn't looking, "Alright, alright, man, way to kill the mood-" he sighed, glancing toward the hybrid as his focus remained solely on Saber, "I'll leave the decision-making to you, go wild."

With a slow nod, the halfling glanced over at the distant knight, his survival-oriented mind running through scenarios and best-case alternatives, where nothing was off the table so long as it assured they came out alive. In his experience, you can plan anything to the finest detail, yet it would all crumble the second something went wrong and to him? Simple could be predictable, but it was also workable...it took him and Gohan a lot of training to even remotely understand how the other operated, not that he had much experience fighting side by side with someone...Saiyans tended to avoid things like that, with his father calling it weakness...not that Trunks cared for ideas like that; if they won, then it was a win to him, regardless of how they got there...but he and Mash had never worked together nor trained together once...right...

He glanced toward his "Servant" as her purple orbs stared at him with a sudden drive of determination, somewhat shaken from an underlying anxiety all too common in someone so new to a life of conflict. The Saiyan nodded to the side, aiming toward the other side of their cover, "We have the element of surprise here; you wrap around while I try to take her out in one go; if that doesn't work, we go in, got it?"

A moment passed as the Servant grit her teeth as a blur of images passed through her mind, her gaze falling low as a tuff of hair fell over her orbs, "I don't know if I like leaving you alone...what if-" the Chaldean winced as an image of her former Master flickered before her vision, reminding her all too much of her failure, "what if I freeze up again?..."

The Saiyan took a slow breath, having enough "pep talks" from his father to know exactly what not to say in these situations; he slowly reached out, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder as she lightly winced at the sudden contact, "You won't."

The Kyrielight shook as her grip tightened over her weapon; with the colossal tool vibrating within her grasp, she slowly looked up, meeting the boy's gaze, anxiety running high, "how do you know?... I couldn't stop it last time...how is this any different?"

He looked away, faintly focusing on the ethereal glow ahead, its yellow light reminding him of a familiar power, unleashed through sheer rage like a dam of pacifism giving way to a surge of potential, unlike anything he had ever seen...the same power that inevitably killed Cell, his hubris bringing about his own downfall at the hands of a mere child. The hybrid smirked, "When everything's on the line, people show what they're made of...you'd be shocked what you can do under enough pressure, Mash, but it's more than that-"

As he turned to face the Servant, a pained smile overcame the fighter's features, "I grew up in a world where hope is a rare thing, where meeting another human being is practically impossible...believe it or not-" he chuckled before meeting her stare, "you're probably the first person my age I've ever actually met, but you chose to trust me with this-"

He raised a hand, exposing his glowing command seals to the girl as her mouth hung open, uncertain of what to say, and yet he continued, "so, I'll do the same here...besides-" his smile softened, no longer reflecting a sense of dreadful thoughts, but a genuine sense of belief, "we're partners, right?"

The defender scanned his expressions for any dishonesty and yet couldn't find even a trace of it in the teen's words or actions; what did he mean by all that? Just what kind of time was he from...where things were that bad?...No...the Chaldean's fists slowly stopped shaking as her lilac orbs simmered into a gentle stare; she would find the answers later...after they both survived this, and with a nod, she could only say, "right."

With a nod, the hybrid turned away, slowly emerging from their shared hiding space as his ally did the same, holding her shield far above the ground to avoid an unwanted collision. His focus steered toward his foe ahead as she stood within the light, her back facing him as she rested both hands along the grip of her sword, retaining a sense of elegance despite her tainted state.

His features steeled themselves as an eruption of ki overtook the Saiyan's form, channeling through his limbs as untold pressure began to build within him. Trunks was no honorable warrior, nor was he the type to throw caution to the wind for the sake of a good fight...he'd end things here, and now while the woman wasn't expecting it to happen, she'd be vaporized in an instant.

With a roar, the Saiyan was engulfed in a white haze as the ground began to shake beneath him as rocks slowly levitated around his shaking form; with a grunt, his arms shot out to the side as crackles of energy danced along his palms. At one time, Trunks would have tried a far more secretive approach, hiding his power level until the last moment, using just enough ki to take a foe down without so much as a bit of waste, but the teen's time with his father taught him valuable lessons...he knew that it was better to ensure an enemy wasn't going to walk away.

Electricity crackled along his arms as glowing white orbs burst to life in the hybrid's palms, radiating across the darkened landscape, growing larger and more ferocious by the second. He grit his teeth as the woman stiffened oh so slightly, not that it mattered. His hands slammed together, palms facing outward as he fired with everything he had as an ethereal light overtook his surroundings.

It reached the knight in an instant, vaporizing rock, dust, and anything else that dared get within its path, turning the material into little more than ash as it carved a trench of destruction in its wake. Time slowed to a crawl as the Saiyan observed his work, knowing human reaction time far better than any true member of that species could hope to witness, knowing fully well that at this point, it was ove-

*Bump-Bump

His eyes could hardly even widen as the knight's head turned oh so slightly, her viper-like eyes glaring daggers not at his attack but at the warrior himself, her emotionless stare reflecting a sense of unbridled rage buried deep beneath the surface. And despite the distance, a simple phrase reached the hybrid's ears, spoken in an indifferent monotone as though none of this truly mattered, "Coward."

She spun on her heels in an instant, her sword flowing through the air as it cut through the wind itself, carving a streak through the glowing atmosphere as the red lines running along its surface glowed hot like the setting sun. She raised its sharpened form overhead, her arms stretched back before crashing down, meeting his blast head on-

*FWING

Through will alone, the Celt's blade carved straight through solid energy, splitting the beam in two as her sword crashed into the ground, spewing an array of dust and rock around her like a cloak of earthen waste as ki surged around her darkened form, rocketing into the darkness behind her before exploding into a blinding light.

*BOOM

Pillars of solid stone broke apart in an instant, vaporized into literal nothingness as their remnants rained down like an ashen storm, dancing around the King as she stood firm, uncaring for the collapsing tunnel behind her form. She slowly rose, her armor shifting and clinking as a hardened gauntlet gripped her sword with untold fury, with her gaze slowly turning toward the Saiyan, and although her yellow eyes held an eternal dull hue, he could feel the rage behind them.

The Celt spoke with a calm voice, as though she were aloof from the pains of reality, holding a stance all her own, with few others deemed her true equal. "You would a strike a foe down in such a manner, despite wielding such a power?"

The knight's blade spun within her grasp, slamming into the Earth as it audibly cracked beneath the force, sending waves of darkened energy to her surroundings as ethereal purple mist intermingled with crackles of a fiery red aura. "Strong in body, yet weak in mind, is that truly how you wish to die, boy?"

As ki surged around the hybrid's form, he took a step forward, then another, without even a trace of fear or anxiety within his person, having faced far greater demons than this his entire life. Steam evaporated off his palms before his fists shut tight, "I could say the same to you, but then again, I'm not so weak that I'd prey on the innocent; if that isn't what makes a coward, I don't know what does."

Saber slowly tilted her head, humming a nonexistent tune as she studied the boy's form as though she gained a slight amusement from his ramblings, "And if they suffer and do not act upon it, that is their weakness all the same, I will not weep for the nameless bodies that fall before me...for I am their tyrant, and they, my inferiors...tell me, do you know who you trifle with?"

The Saiyan slowly reached up, gripping the hilt of his sword as it slid from its sheathe, the glow from the Grail reflecting off of its silver surface as he pointed it toward the distant Celt, "It doesn't matter, your kind rise and think the world of themselves, but I'll tell you something, you aren't the first King or even Emperor I've killed, but the results will be the same-"

His blue eyes briefly retracted, flashing a vibrant green as they glared into her soulless gaze, "You'll be forgotten, nothing more than a distant memory to the people you enslaved, because no matter how hard you try, humanity always finds a way to survive the worst you have to offer."

*CRUNCH

Solid stone broke into pieces as the knight slowly raised her blade from its embedded confines, held within her armored grasp as it drifted toward her right side, its point flowing behind the King as she focused on the hybrid ahead. "Do you have the strength to back such claims?... Where so many others have faltered before the inevitable, what could bring about such arrogance?"

An image of a familiar set of spiked hair ran through the teen's mind, the man he had wished to meet for so long, who taught him of a heritage he couldn't quite explain to anyone other than their kind...and although the boy couldn't accept it all, for the first time, Trunks could say he knew what their species truly was...and how to say just the right things to get on a noble's nerves, slight smirk grew along his features, "It's simple, you're talking to an elite, and I'll show you what true power is."

His hands clasped around the grip of his sword as the hybrid lurched down, a torrent of white ki erupting across his form while he roared into the darkness. The floor caved beneath him, forming a veritable crater around himself as his power surged to new heights, his purple locks billowing upward as untold force blew off his form in waves.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

The Servant's eyes lightly widened as the ground itself began to violently shake as cracks broke along the cave floor, traveling across the landscape and up the beams supporting the ceiling above as debris rained down from above. She stared in fascination as an artificial wind billowed through her blonde locks as a strange sensation overtook the knight, a mixture of both curiosity and raw savagery.

She paused, placing a hand over her armor as her heart began to beat just a bit faster, almost anticipating the battle to come...so, his boasts held some credence...fascinating. The Celt raised a hand, clenching it tight as her unseen knuckles audibly popped, "Perhaps you will provide me some entertainment after all-" the lines around the King's armor began to glow as a violent torrent of darkened magical power surged around her, rising to the ceiling above as chunks of rubble began to rain down from above, crashing to the ground with loud blasts, and yet her commanding voice reached him all the same, "Try not to falter too soon, boy, you won't see the luxury of me holding back."

The wellspring of ki surrounding the hybrid condensed, wrapping him in a blanket of white as his flickering green eyes reflected the inner turmoil within his person, a shimmer of light overcoming their surface as he spoke, "Bring it."

...

*Bump-Bump

Trunks blew away all external thoughts with a simple exhale, removing all worldly concerns from his war-torn mind, watching his opponent as though she were the only thing in existence. He could see the finest of details, from the way trickles of dust, drifted before her immaculately pale skin to the dangerous gleam within the woman's maddened eyes.

*Bump-Bump

The warrior could feel it, his Saiyan blood surging to the forefront, his heart beating faster and faster, sensing the unbridled power the knight gave off; unlike any human that the boy had ever met, she gave off a presence that radiated danger, with all others before her seeming like a drop in the water.

*Bump-Bump... Bump-Bump

His false grin slowly morphed, expanding on its own accord as instinct took hold, with untold power surging inside of him, almost wanting nothing more than to meet this challenge head-on... was he truly excited, or was it simply his genetics speaking for him? The hybrid couldn't quite say, but on some level, he almost didn't care...

*Bump-Bump... Bump-Bump

Was the swordsman meant to be here? No, even now, he knew that deep down, time travel probably broke more rules than he could imagine, but the warrior swore to use his life for good so that others wouldn't bare the tragedy his world endured. Maybe through this, Trunks could go home, but for now? None of that mattered, not while someone this awful was allowed to walk free, and he had the power to stop it all to an end.

*Bump-Bump... Bump-Bump...Bump-Bump

A chunk of the ceiling gave way as the pressure grew too much for even the structure itself to handle any longer, its multiton form falling to the forces of gravity. Time slowed as it neared the hardened land below before a thundercrack broke out, echoing for miles through the underground chamber.

Go.

*BOOM

The Saiyan took off, flying through the stormclouds of waste as his foe took off, her armored boots racing across the plateau far faster than any normal human could run, practically moving like a darkened blur surrounded by a veil of madness...He was faster, soon reaching the platform in seconds, defying the forces of gravity all the way.

The knight slammed a boot into the ground, dragging her momentum to a complete stop as red lightning danced along the edge of her blade, her arms lowered, ready to strike out against the hybrid as his flight refused to come to a halt. Time slowed as he approached, appearing as little more than a suicidal charge, but as he drew near, the warrior suddenly vanished into a blur of lines before even those dispersed into nothingness.

The Saiyan reappeared behind the Celt, his boots slamming onto solid ground as he swung from his right, the force carrying his inherited sword through the winds themselves as they howled around him, aiming the cleave the woman's head off in one strike.

As his blade drew near, he watched as her unmoving reflection displayed a hardened warrior soon to meet her end, only for the King's yellow orbs to shift, guided by an inhuman instinct toward her foe as she spun on her heel with the grace of a dancer, raising her sword high, she swung from above, forcing the Saiyan to adjust his course at last moment-

*CLANG

The Saiyan grit his teeth as his blade deflected the strike from going any further, lightly wincing as he felt its heated edge burning against his exposed skin as a trickle of blood flowed to the ground below. That would have taken his arm clean off if he hadn't blocked it in time; in a burst of ki, the hybrid dug deep, pushing the Servant back through sheer force of will as she tried to match his power, with him slowly winning out.

The King flowed with the motion, jumping back to safer ground before launching into an offensive, practically dancing with each step, reflecting a ruthless efficiency intermingled with an elegance only known to a diligent monarch. She flowed like a raging river, fueled by a burst of some unknown energy; the Celt swung from her left, with the halfling only just able to meet her strike at the last moment, only for it to occur again and again as their swords crashed together, with him being driven back through a sheer difference in skill.

Trunks could tell, even if he had the advantage in raw speed and strength, she was better than him, so much so that it wasn't even a challenge for the woman to overwhelm him like he was an ant...his mind raced, how was a human even capable of this? He winced, feeling the burning along his bicep, the cut wasn't even deep, but it cracked through his alien skin like nothing...the same material that could stop bullets with ease; just what the hell was she?

As their blades clashed once more, the two remained deadlocked as the boy's tactical mind took hold, knowing that if he couldn't win in a swordfight, he needed to play to the advantages he did have. With a growl, the Saiyan released his left hand, his right holding the Celt back with superhuman strength alone as it violently shook from the disrupted balance. His free hand retracted as a violent yellow orb rushed to life within his grasp; the King winced at the sudden light, trying in vain to instinctively shift her body to the side to no avail before impact.

*BOOM

She flew back, a cloud of steam erupting from the woman's armor as she launched across the platform, soon flowing with the motion, curling into a spin before landing on her feet, her armor completely unphased, not that shocking; it was more a desperate attempt to get the knight away from him more than him trying to kill her there. Trunks' blue eyes glowed as he assessed his situation, gripping a fist in rage as his power surged. Was there really no other choice?

Saber slowly stood upright, brushing a layer of soot off of her darkened armor with a slight grimace; he could hardly believe it, a few blows into a fight, and he was genuinely considering going Super Saiyan...just what the hell was she? The swordsman shook his head, knowing this wasn't the time to get lost in his thoughts, no wondering about the consequences of revealing something like this; the first objective was to survive, then figure out the rest later.

The halfling dug deep, pulling into the vast pits of anger within as his purple locks flew upward, the white aura surrounding him shifting into a golden yellow, simmering back and forth as he remained on the precipice of transformation. It felt unreal... like a human shouldn't have this much power...or was she really just that much better than him?... Caster wasn't joking, but there was no way she'd stand up to the Legendary-

*Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap

A sudden sound broke the teen's line of thought as his ally emerged from the shadows, running along the platform before launching off the ground in a leap, raising her colossal shield overhead as her lilac locks flowed with the motion. And as the Chaldean came crashing down, Saber just...stood there...far longer than she had before, only blocking the attack at the last second with a lazy upward slice.

Trunks paused mid-transformation, staring in utter confusion at the reaction, watching as his "Servant" clumsily swung as the woman who paid her no mind, just...staring at the weapon as though it meant something to her...his eyes pooled into a calm blue as his aura settled...he could work this.

Coming to her senses, Arthur burst into a roar of magical energy, with the Greater Grail looming behind her, highlighting her form as darkened mana surrounded the Saber class in unholy power. She raised her blade skyward as its crackling form shined like a demonic sun before slamming down, meeting the defender's shield as her knees buckled the moment they impacted. Mash's brow furrowed as her arms shook, seeing cracks forming beneath her boots as she struggled to hold on for even a second against a seemingly unstoppable force.

*FWING

With a flash of movement, the Saiyan appeared beside the knight, raising his sword with one arm before throwing the tool into the air; Saber trailed the object as she instinctively tried to shift her blade to strike the defenseless fool down, only for the Chaldean to push back, her shield keeping the woman locked in place for a brief moment.

The Saiyan clenched a fist as static erupted around his tan digits, lurching back as power exploded across his form, his flashing green eyes meeting the Celt's shocked stare before he struck. He slammed into the King's exposed face as both armor and bone crunched before her footing gave way, launching the Servant across the cavern as she spun out of control.

Trunks wasted no time, not willing to let his opponents power up or regain their footing; no, this ends here. As his sword fell from above, clanging against some unseen rock or other, his arms shifted to his left, palms wide open as purple energy exploded off the hybrid in waves as white electricity raced around his form.

Mash stepped back, watching as the strange energy engulfed her Master's form as it flashed like a beacon of light within the darkness, with streams tearing through their surroundings like nothing. She stepped back as a blinding white light overtook her vision, with the Saiyan's power level rising even further as he readied himself for the inevitable.

Trunks had spent a long year with his father, learning far more than just the basics of getting stronger; no, he got to know the man himself, how he functioned, and, importantly, how he fought. The hybrid took great pride in knowing that he could call some of his father's techniques his own; his ferocious voice surged across the destroyed battlefield as rubble began to rise around him with lightning dancing through the field of debris, his arms surged forward as he roared, "Galick Gun, fire!"

*WHOOSH

As the Servant spun like a whirl of darkness, she slowly rotated herself upright, the world no longer a spinning mess as she flew through the air deeper into the depths of the cavern as colossal pillars passed by in a blur, but as a distant voice broke out, her yellow orbs narrowed, watching as the walls began to glow brighter by the second. Only seeing a flash of light, the Celt raised her arms in a cross, refusing to let her sword go as she braced herself for the worst.

The world disappeared in a second, replaced only by a burning purple aura looming over her, threatening to entomb the knight within its burning confines; as gravity took hold, she dug deep into the floor, ignoring the stinging pain in her wounded face as the heat overwhelmed even the most minor of sensations...then came the collision.

Saber winced as an energy all too foreign to her crashed into her gauntlets, driving her back inch by inch as the enhanced steel buckled beneath its force as she drove more and more mana into its plating. It didn't make sense; where was this power from? Through the light, she the boy, his hands still connected as he funneled more and more strength into his blast, just what was h-

*CRRRR

It started as a sliver, a broken piece of metal fragmenting off before falling to the fiery winds surrounding her, vaporizing in an instant, but soon, more appeared, with widening cracks expanding along the King's strengthened form. With a distant roar, the pressure grew worse as the knight struggled to keep her footing on uneven ground; she forced herself to look upward through gritted teeth and a furrowed brow, her orbs landing along her promised sword, her phantasm, she needed to-

*CRACK

A minor cleave in the ground, weaker than its surrounding counterparts, suddenly gave way beneath the Servant's weighted form, causing her to lose balance for the briefest of moments; she could only watch as her view lurched upward before waves of energy overtook her form, blasting the Celt utterly off her feet, carried beyond as her skin burned in the righteous light, crashing through pillar after pillar before rocketing off into the distance, an explosion of energy following in her wake.

*BOOM

As debris crashed down from above, dust billowed out across the barren landscape; the hybrid let his energy dwindle, the white aura simmering to near nonexistence as he greedily took in the air, slowly bending down to grab his sword, resheathing the blade with an audible click, standing upright as trickles of sweat poured down his tan features.

As he panted, the teen lightly winced, grabbing his wounded arm with a free hand as red trickles ran from below his sleeve and out toward the ground; it must have been deeper than he thought; the halfling grimaced as he studied a tear along the material, man, if Saber didn't kill him, his mom would for ruining her favorite jacket...

Trunks shook the thought away, knowing this wasn't the time to worry about his inevitable demise at the hands of the world's greatest scientist; he glanced toward his "Servant" as she studied the distant shroud for any signs of movement, "thanks for the save-" a pang ran through his arm, forcing the swordsman to suppress a grunt of discomfort, he forced a chuckle "Caster wasn't kidding, she's really something else."

As the Chaldean turned, her lilac orbs flickered toward the teen, a look of concern overcoming her pale features, "your arm-" she took a step forward, then another, her hands lightly shaking as images flashed through her mind, the same sight that had burned itself into the defender's memory mere hours ago, watching the life dwindle from her senpai's eyes until he went still, she stiffened a moment, taking a sharp breath before trying to bury the feeling to no avail, "are you-"

The Saiyan waved his lousy hand in dismissal, ignoring the growing pool shifting around his boots, "I'm fine; at times like this, you need to worry about yourself more than me-" his grip tightened over the wound, momentarily lulling the flow, "trust me, it's not that bad."

The girl shook her head in denial, not truly listening to a word he said, with her mind stuck on that eternal image of the last time she had failed to protect her Master. She raised a gloved hand in trepidation, "at least let me tie something to it-" the Servant stammered, mumbling through words as though she couldn't settle on anything, "you're gonna bleed ou-"

He shook his head in dismissal, with the fighter's voice escaping in a slight huff as his breaths slowed, "No, I won't; not everything is that serious, and besides-" he began a slow walk forward, his senses expanding into the distance as he watched the rubble begin to shake and crumble more and more by the second, he passed by his ally, with her gaze following his path, "you need to stay focused, Saber's still alive," and with a burst of ki, the hybrid leaped from the plateau, an array of dull color passing beneath him before landing on the ground with a light tap.

Mash stood there a moment, trying to absorb his words as nothing seemed to breach the girl's mental walls, her thoughts flashing on repeat, driving both a pain in her already weary heart and a deep fear of what was to come. She practically stumbled toward the edge, watching numbly as a trickle of pebbles fell to the floor below, rattling and bouncing before coming to a rest, unmoving.

...

...

*RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

The ground shook beneath the Chaldean's feet as she struggled to maintain her footing, her purple orbs flashing ahead, watching as the rubble began to violently shift and move in place, manipulated by some unseen force as a darkened mist emerged from the cracks between each piece of rock strewn about the cavern.

She hardly had time to gasp as a colossal beam of purple light intermingled with flashes of red lighting burst into the sky, vaporizing the veritable wall of stone into ash as a figure stood within the raging inferno, a regal voice echoing for all to hear, "I know not this elite you speak of, but you have provided ample excitement for me, be proud, boy-"

*WHOOSH

Saber remained steadfast, leaning upon her sword as it rested on the ground, her once proud armor now fragmented into pieces, her now exposed arms coated in scorch marks as bits of metal fell from her person by the moment, her yellow orbs practically gleaming in energy as she stared down her foe. The knight violently shook, forcing her broken and burned limbs to move, her armor violently resisting to no avail as she pulled her blade skyward, its glowing point practically shaking with energy as she spoke, "-for I will reward your endeavors with an honorable death by my hand, despite your cowardice, that is the greatest gift a tyrant may bestow...-"

As Mash watched, the darkened energy exploded around the Servant, practically concealing her entire form from view; a deep dread overcame the Chaldean; it was almost instinctive like she knew something was going to happen. She glanced down, seeing her Master standing firm against the oncoming waves of superheated air as they danced through his purple hair, unaware of what was to come.

Even as darkened magical energy flowed over the hybrid, he felt no fear; instead, taking the initiative, his boots slid outward, his fists tightening as white energy erupted around the hybrid's entire body, with giant cracks forming around the swordsman as he unleashed the valley of potential within, soon slamming an open palm forward as power built within his waiting hand, a blindingly blue orb flashing into existence, the bright color contrasting with the surrounding madness as it blinked around him, its luminosity growing and waning by the second in instability. His gaze hardened as his brow furrowed, "It's too bad I can't do the same."

The demi-human tried to call out, to warn the boy of what was happening, but her voice escaped as little more than a whisper; she stood there, shaking as Saber's authoritative voice pierced the chamber in her stead, "You cannot resist, accept oblivion with dignity."

Mash's heart raced as she came to a realization, filled with utter terror; this power was unlike anything the defender had ever experienced...was this it...was Arthur going to use her phantasm? She shook, not in fear for herself, but seeing the same happen to yet another Master. Trunks didn't know what was happening, she didn't know if he'd even survive an attack like that...but his arm...no, he'd...he'd-

*Bump-Bump-Bump-Bump

She breathed through exposed teeth as terror overcame her entire person, only able to stand in a paralyzed stasis as the woman's voice echoed once more, with maddened power rushing around her like a swirling sea of chaos, "Vortigern, Hammer of the Vile King, reverse the rising sun."

Time slowed as the Servant's thoughts ran with a mania unknown to the girl; she could only stare, begging herself to move even an inch, to do something, anything, to never repeat what happened to her Master ever again. A sudden weight shifted in her grasp as her shield felt just a bit heavier, was this a burden she could endure, or would she fail yet again?

As the light from Arthur's sword grew brighter, the girl could practically feel the heat coming off of it, forcing herself not to wince, but the brief sensation brought out a new feeling. Desperation had turned into fear, but as her heart began to race, the sight of her dead friend rushing into her vision once more, she grit her teeth as her fingers clenched so hard blood began to trickle within her gloves; she could feel energy burning within herself as fear turned into rage.

The ground gave way to open air as the Servant lept from the safety above to the chaos below, racing against not only Arthur's chant but herself, pushing beyond the pain and turmoil within as she moved like a blur, her shield flowing against the breeze as the Servant ran with everything she had, hearing those fatal words, "Swallow the light,-"

as a raging inferno exploded from the blade, cleaving through the skies themselves, the Servant roared, "Excalibur Morgan!"

The Earth split and tore, the fragments vaporizing into fine ash as untold magical energy surged toward the Saiyan, his blue eyes hardly able to widen, only now realizing what Caster had warned him of; guided by sheer instinct, the hybrid funneled more power into his attack, refusing to budge from his position as ki swirled around him. He stood off against a superior force, not knowing the threat before him; his blue eyes reflected the abyssal colors ahead, only for a shadow to block his sight.

The force crashed into the Chaldean in an instant, sending vibrations throughout her entire form as though she were of glass, with a biting cold unlike anything the girl had ever experienced, going far beneath her bones and into her very soul, ignorant of the scorching heat outside, instead feeling the raw intent behind the attack itself. Her arms violently shook as she slammed her head against the metal plating of her shield, hoping to add just a little more strength to no avail as she kicked into the dirt, slowly getting pushed back as Saber's relentless assault persisted.

The Saiyan could only watch for a brief moment, observing the passing waves of energy as they surged around the two, forming a veritable wall of fire with no escape. His blue eyes widened as he stared at his ally pushing against the impossible for his sake, her knees shaking and buckling as wind tore through her scattered locks of lilac hair; it felt so strange, coming from a world where fighters rarely worked in tandem, it was a matter of pride for so many of them, but this...it reminded him of something.

The glow within his palm grew brighter as the Saiyan slowly trudged forward, guided by some unseen force within his mind, no longer seeing his ally but the back of a familiar figure standing firm as he stared off into the barren wasteland of their shared world. He remembered that awful orange gi like it was yesterday, its bright color contrasting with the calm blue of his undershirt and flowing sash as a desert wind overwhelmed his person, his single arm clenched in a fist as he faced the impossible, one of Earth's last fighters, wounded, yet resilient. Trunks stared at that word emblazoned upon his best friend's back, 'Enlightenment,' and words couldn't hope to describe how much he missed his advice...no...reality burned back into place as his newest ally struggled against a new oppressor.

His eyes shimmered as realization set in; the Saiyan kept prattling on about doing what was right, telling himself that it didn't matter where or when he was...that he wanted to help, and what did he do instead?... Trunks winced; the hybrid did nothing but say he wanted to go home, to stop fighting, to give up; while all this was happening right in front of him...it wasn't just being selfish or even stupid; no, the Director was right, he was being a coward, dreaming of nothing but himself when people were suffering right in front of him...that's not who he was...that's not who Gohan trained him to be.

As the Servant form threatened to give way, she shook in fear, wondering if this was her limit, dying in some cave, never able to protect a single person, losing not one Master, but two? How pathetic was that? But as she slid, the Chaldean came to a sudden stop, her back coming into contact with something solid. Through sheer force of will, she glanced over her shoulder, realizing the time traveler was holding her in place with an open palm; her gaze shifted, only to meet his as the Saiyan gave the girl a nod.

Before Mash could even raise a brow in confusion, a white aura erupted from his hand, the sensation traveling over the Servant in an ethereal glow as untold energy coursed through her system. She paused, clenching a fist to ensure her shield was still in place, feeling...light, but...strong...stronger than she'd ever felt before in her sickly existence...clinging to life by a thread with an expiration date awaiting at the end of that short string, but now?

The defender gave a nod of her own before turning back, feeling new strength in her limbs as she pushed back, her arms outstretched as she took back her footing inch by inch before taking a slow but steady step forward. Her eyes narrowed as a fire burned within the Chaldean, practically growling as she stared into the metallic depths of her shield, feeling nothing but hatred for the woman that caused her friend's demise, and now she had the power to strike back.

Mash slowly began a march forward, ignoring the burning heat as it grew worse and worse with each forced step, her boots digging deep into solid rock as her ally remained by her side, the blue orb within his grasp glowing brighter by the second as they approached their target. She huffed in exhaustion, her tired limbs threatening to give out in an instant, but the Servant refused to give in; funneling more strength into them, she broke out into a sprint away from her Master, her weapon held against the unstoppable tide as her mobile fortress refused to give in to the inevitable, reaching Saber in moments.

An image of her fallen senpai flashed before the girl's eyes, his reassuring smile reminding her of what could have been as tears surged to the forefront, only to fall away with the shake of her head. She rushed forward, her shield slamming into the knight's sword as its colossal beam shot skyward, burrowing toward the surface; in a rare sign of emotion, the King's eyes widened, unable to comprehend the sight before her as a pair of lilac orbs gleamed down at her, "...wait."

Mash spun on her heels, her shield spiraling into a veritable wheel of steel as one of its jutting ends crashed into the Celt's armored chest, a spray of spittle erupting from her mouth as she flew into the air as the defender shouted to the heaven's above, "it's over!"

As the words escaped the girl's mouth, the Saiyan emerged from behind her armored form, the glowing blue sphere in his palm burning hotter than the sun as electricity crackled along its unstable surface. In a burst of ki, he rushed after the knight, reaching her in seconds as his eyes glowed green; with her instinct unable to react, she only heard the words, "here's your going away present."

The sphere slammed into the woman's exposed stomach, tearing through the thin fabric beneath as it ripped into her torso, the force blasting the proud King into the skies above as she rocketed toward the cave ceiling, slamming into it back first, disappearing into a cloud of smoke and light as the hybrid clenched a fist, roaring, exposing his sharpened canines to the world, "Big Bang Attack!"

The cave shook as a flash of light exploded into existence, the brightness overwhelming the entire system as a miniature sun burned through solid stone and rock, crashing toward the surface as it burst outward and into the night sky, the knight disappearing into the blast as she turned to dust.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Moonlight peaked in from above, illuminating the chamber with an ethereal glow, cascading over the pair as Mash panted away her exhaustion, falling to her knees as her shield clattered to the wayside, facing the sky as the cool air drifted downward, washing over her tired form.

The Servant closed her eyes for a brief moment, simply taking it all in, the sensations, the emotions, the aching in her joints, all of it, reminding the defender that she was alive...that they had survived, she didn't know or care how, just- her lilac orbs opened to the world, scanning about before finding her Master staring up into the clouds above, he paused, glancing over to meet the girl's gaze, still alive.

A small yet present smile grew along her pale features, completely ignoring the layers of ash and debris that coated her armor, clinging to every nook and cranny of her person, and yet none of that seemed to matter. She spoke, more to herself than the teen beside her, "We did it, didn't we?"

He could only grin back at the girl, idly wondering what kind of potential she held, even if she had used his power to do that; not many people had the heart to just run death in the face like that. With a shrug, the hybrid extended a hand, "Never doubted you for a second, partner...you did good." Her smile grew as she clasped her hand in his, with the halfling slowly pulling the Servant to her feet.

She let go, taking a step to the side to pick up her shield, idly brushing a layer of dust off its surface before it settled into her grasp. As the Chaldean stared into the depths of her reflection, she spoke, "...I never thanked you...did I?"

Trunks tilted his head in confusion, not really sure what the girl was talking about; it's not like she owed him anything, "uh, thanked me for what exactly?"

Her smile grew just a bit pained as her gaze shifted toward the hole above the pair, staring up at a distant cloud as it passed overhead, the sky appearing so far away from all their problems down here, "...I was ready to give up, you know?...Ritsuka had died and-" she lightly sniffled trying to take in a breath, "...for the first time, I was alone...no doctors, no researchers...-" she sighed, "no Director, only...me...and I just, sat there, waiting for the inevitable I guess."

The defender turned to face the Saiyan, the brief lull disappearing, replaced by the same ease he had seen moments prior, "then you showed up," she chuckled, "I thought you weren't even real, just some person I made up... telling me to get back on my feet and keep trying, like some cheesy book, but-."

The Chaldean took a step closer, a genuine sense of joy over her smile like a radiant sun, "being here, able to do my job as a Servant, it's...helping me cope with it all, and it's because what you said, Trunks, so-" she glanced toward the command seals on the Saiyan's arm, wondering what would have happened if he hadn't appeared out of time itself, before shaking the thought away, choosing to take the victory for once, "thank you, for everything...Senpai."

The hybrid stood there frozen in place, his blue eyes wide as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head; he really wasn't used to people talking him up this much, but honestly? It felt good being able to say he saved someone by himself for once, but it was more than that; sure, he had worked with Z-Fighters to take Cell down, but it felt like a one-time thing, and then...back to his lonely little world, but, after this...maybe he wouldn't have to by myself, not for a little while at least. He smiled back, "Well, you did the same for me out there, don't sell yourself short, but look-" The Saiyan lightly sighed, rubbing a hand along his injured arm, "I'm...sorry again for not letting you help sooner, guess it'll be a learning curve for both of us, huh?"

*Clap-Clap-Clap

She nodded, trying to say something, but before the Chaldean could even respond, a sound caught their attention; looking over to see the Director and Caster approaching, the former looking somewhat less abashed than before, if that meant anything, while the other lazily clapped his hands together, his voice lacking any severity to it as always, "aw, first you give me a light show, and now a sob story, you're gonna make an old man cry in his last moments."

Trunks paused, his blue eyes narrowing as he scanned over the Servant, not seeing anything particularly wrong with the man...at least physically. "Wait...what do you mean last moments?"

The Irishman chuckled, clicking his tongue in mild disappointment as he stared toward the moon above, already having accepted this grim reality of his existence from the moment he appeared in this strange town, "War's over, kid, and it's almost time for me to go."

He glanced downward, seeing the boy's eyes widen in concern, raising a hand as though he wanted to say something, but the Servant spoke first, "Ah, come on, don't give me that look-" the Caster smirked toward the pair ahead, "this is a nice way to end things, so don't go crying over me leaving, not like I did much to deserve it."

A sudden elbow to the side broke his laugh, with the man's orange eyes shifting toward the Chaldean beside him, seeing a rare look of tolerance upon her graceful features as she gave a light smile, "See, you can be civil when you try; I can almost bare standing next to you when you're like this."

He opened his mouth to respond, only for a flicker of purple flame to erupt at the base of his legs, slowly traveling upward as his body began to dissipate into glowing particles, flowing away with the breeze. He sighed, letting his staff fall to the wayside as his arms dropped, "Damn, right when I got an in, you gotta do this to me?"

Ignoring the Director's huff of indignance, the Servant grumbled to himself before shrugging it off like anything else in his life, turning toward the Saiyan ahead with a mixture of pride and curiosity for what was to come and what he would soon miss out on, "I think I deserve a reward for the hard work I've put in with this team, don't you boss?"

With a shrug, the hybrid crossed his arms, staring with a pained smile at the strange yet charismatic figure, wondering if this is what happened with all Masters and their Servants eventually... soon pushing the thought aside, "Have something in mind?"

The flames soon spread around the Celt's body, engulfing his person in an ethereal light as he began to drift away, and yet his grin never left for even a moment, "Summon me as a Lancer, and I promise I'll show you what the Child of Light is really made of, besides-" he laughed, "this old dog can show you a trick or two!"

Trunks nodded with a laugh as a cold wind drifted through his purple hair, with each strand flowing along with the breeze against his ponytail, "You know, it's funny; Archer asked the same thing."

With a growl of anger, the Servant crossed his arms in indignance before they disappeared entirely, his entire form vanishing before the group as he grumbled, "Hmph, that joke won't stand a chance when I have my Gáe Bolg!..." and as his body vanished, his voice echoed for the last time, "You know what, the first thing I'll do is kick his ass when we see each other, just leave it to me!"

Even as the man's voice dispersed into oblivion, the hybrid smiled at the fading particles, wondering if they went to Otherworld when they left like that or if it was something else entirely, but regardless... he grumbled, "I didn't even answer him, and he still made plans."

The Director remained where she stood, sighing away a pent-up frustration, "tell me about it; you don't want to know how chatty that one is when you're all alone with him-" the aristocrat huffed in annoyance as a shiver ran down her spine, having been asked one too many times if she'd ever been fishing of all things...as if she didn't have better things to do with her time, "anyways-"

The Animusphere grumbled, tapping a foot along the ground as though she were struggling to formulate a coherent statement before looking away, "I suppose I made the right call hiring you, hm?"...She raised a pale finger to her lip, disregarding the attempted compliment as soon as humanly possible, mumbling to herself, "...now...how to get that crystal...?"

With a twitch of an eye, the hybrid stared with his mouth slightly agape; for one, his family were actual billionaires; whether or not the word meant anything in his world wasn't relevant...two, she got really cozy ordering him around; was this what having an actual job was like?... Okay, maybe some parts, and he stressed the word some, were better about the apocalypse...somehow the swordsman felt like he bit off far more than he could chew working with this kind of perso-

*Bump-Bump

He paused as an overwhelming feeling of dread filled his person, his eyes shifting about as he tried to follow his expanded senses. To the average person, understanding someone's intentions was a complicated array of interactions mixed with instinctive reactions, but to him? At least on some level, ki users could feel the motivations behind someone's power; it gave them a unique signature all their own, a composite between DNA and personality...the Servants here had an identical aura to Saber, he could only guess because they were affected by...whatever had happened here, but this felt different.

Trunks began a slow walk forward, drowning out the Director and the world beyond as the sensation drew closer by the second, yet it remained fluid. His blue eyes shifted about, trailing a winding purple trail, faint yet visible to his honed senses; it felt like it was everywhere yet nowhere at the same time, like an emerging entity trying to find its way toward them...and it was cold, sending waves of pressure through the hybrid's bones themselves with a raw malice he had only felt in a few beings in his life, even worse than anything Arthur could hope to give out, as though there were nothing but darkness within this creature's heart.

*FWING

In an instant, his eyes snapped toward the plateau, watching as a swirling vortex of energy flickered into existence, with a deep yet regal voice emanating from within its chaotic confines, "Just when you think the job is done, some pathetic worm finds its way to botch things up...no, that sort of talk would do such a noble creature a disservice-"

A pair of gleaming red orbs flashed within the storm, reflecting a relentless pool of hatred for the sight before them, with no sense of humanity within their burning existence, "for even a worm knows to die when a boot stands overhead, but you persist against the inevitable, writhing about the muck you call life, it's unsightly."

As though they were stepping through an entrance, a man slowly emerged from the surge of energy, his long flowing curls reflecting a styled elegance only fit for the upper class, their length traveling upwards, only for the view to be blocked by a luxurious green top hat, with a pair of coal black eyes with irises redder than a setting sun trapped within their confines. He gripped a fist tight as a look of pure disgust grew across his facade of humanity; his elegant appearance shifted from an immaculately clean dress coat reflecting a green like a roaming plain, with darkened undergarments overlaid by a matching set of midnight black boots, the disguise winding away, changing from a nobleman to a tyrant with a mere expression. His voice escaped with a growl of rage, "To think I would need to dirty myself with your presence once more, Director."

The Animusphere stood still, a look of silent shock along her features, her yellow eyes narrowing as they shimmered from the glow ahead; she raised a pale hand toward the man, as though there was a deep need for guidance, like a child reaching out for their parent, "L-Lev?" She tried to take a step forward, "Why are yo-" Only for the Saiyan beside her to block her path with an arm; she paused, leveling an angry glare toward the boy, "What do you think you're doing?"

As if by instinct, energy began to swell within the hybrid's form once more as he gripped a fist tight, ready to strike out in an instant, knowing fully well that whatever this man was, it wasn't human; it felt wrong...sick, and he wasn't here for anything good, it was the same thing he felt time, and again across his life, the sheer rage within his presence told more than his energy signature needed to. His brow furrowed, "that's not who you think it is."

The Chaldean huffed in anger, trying to push through his arm and toward the man she trusted most, only to not budge the swordsman by even an inch, "What the hell are you talking about?!" She pointed a finger toward the man, completely unaware of the glare he leveled at her, "That's Lev!- Move, I need to-"

A chuckle broke out, echoing across the cavernous walls before shifting into maddened cackles as the man observed the flailing magus below, running a hand along his face as his chest bounced up and down, "Oh, yes, yes, tell them about your little lapdog Lev who tells you all the right things, the one person that never disagrees with a thing you say."

He took a step forward, shoving a hand into his jacket pocket as the gleam within his eyes burned brighter, "You know, it's funny, anything I tell you to do...you do...like my own little pet following orders...tell me, Olga, do you trust me?"

She stammered, not understanding the gravity of his words, instead clinging to the figure within her mind, the solid foundation that allowed her to become a competent Director, a person who almost replaced her father. She sniffled as both emotions and confusion ran high, "I...of course I do; why would you even ask that?"

...

...

A sweet smile overcame the man's darkened features, briefly masking the demonic presence within as he spoke in a simple yet rhythmic tone, "then tell me, little angel, why didn't you die?"

As the girl fumbled a response, not even able to form a coherent thought, the man continued, "I had it all planned out, you know, it would be a day like any other, you'd be all high and mighty about your newest recruits, and I'd play the part, stand by your side and give you a little clap or two to make you feel good about your miserable little life, and then-"

The German slowly pulled a hand from his jacket, holding a closed fist to the sky before it opened in an instant as he mouthed the words, "Bang," his grin grew, exposing an array of sharpened teeth as the gleam within his dark orbs returned, "a bomb at your feet, one for the doctor, and a few around Chaldea for good measure, and next thing you know...you, the little minions you hired, and whatever other human filth remained would either die in the blast or from the aftershock, but no, you're such-"

He took another step forward, standing atop the edge as the manic glee within his person flickered to life in a purple aura winding off his form as it traveled like a fine wind, reflecting nothing but the contempt within, "A pathetic, disgusting, wretched little creature that you couldn't even die properly, no, you just had to make it an ordeal, selfish runt, your body dropped dead hours ago, but your mind is still here, wandering around without a place to call your own, just like you lived-" He laughed, staring her straight in the eye as he spoke with absolute certainty, "God, I hate you."

The Director's facade began to crack as the words bled through by the moment as her form shook; she couldn't speak, this entire situation feeling like a nightmarish dream that she couldn't wake up from, "What do you mean I'm dead? I...why-" She fell to her knees as tears burned within her eyes, staring at the man she admired, "I... I loved you like you were my own family; why...why would you do this?"

He hummed in delight as though her cries were but music to his ears, his voice echoing with a regal yet guiding tone in mockery of the girl's trust in him, "Oh my dear, you're just passing thought, a consciousness lost in time, let's say you did go home...well, you'd be doing my job for me, you'd disappear in an instant, as though you never existed at all, but where's the fun in that when I have so much to show you? I-"

Through gritted teeth, the Saiyan took a step forward, his sharpened canines exposed as instinct took hold over his person, his eyes gleaming a bright green as rage built within his person, "That's enough; now tell us what you know before I kill you myself."

The man's grin faltered for a moment, his stare drifting toward the hybrid as a flicker of anger took over his person, "Bold words coming from an anomaly," he scoffed, "I took out the entire roster of Master candidates at once, I might have missed one brat, but things seemed to work out in my favor with him, but then there's you."

A growl escaped the magus as the red glare within his eyes burned even brighter, the glow threatening to overtake the entire lens, "The maggot that crawled from the corpse, you popped into existence and fed off the rot, but I'll admit, you've intrigued me, never could I imagine a living being capable of fighting against a Servant on equal ground, so in your final moments, I'll grant you this knowledge-"

With a lazy palm, his arm faced the open ceiling before, with the slightest clench of his fingers, a small yellow crystal came flying in from above, landing within his grasp as the man smirked before clenching his fist tight as magical energy surged within him.

A sphere bubbled into existence, with the Saiyan squinting to see what was within, only seeing a burning orb surrounded by a series of rotating metallic arms, wrapping the piece in a sort of ring as it gave off a heated glow. The German huffed in disgust, "Seeing that you're of a lower breed, I'll simplify it for you, this is Chaldeas, a perfect replica of our world, usually a weakly blue, symbolizing all of mankind at once, past, present, and even future...and yet it burns bright, the chain is broken, with not so much as a trace of your vile race in sight!"

The hybrid stood there beside the Director as she stared at the ground in shock, his mouth agape as he stared at the globe, his entire form shaking as a deep rage began to filter its way to the forefront of his mind, his fists clenched as he spoke, his voice hearse, as though he were forcing himself not to lunge at the man immediately, "All of those people?..."

As he took a step forward, then another, he ignored his "Servant" calling out for him to stop, the sight bringing a sense of glee to the German as he loomed above them, "Of course, we exterminated them all, for that is our goal, the eradication of humanity, your kind has drawn the ire of our king, and so you must be punished for your insolence." He raised a hand, waving it over the barren landscape, "it's already happened; anywhere outside of their facility is the same as that city out there, barren and broken, just as you will come to be, whether it be now, or your annihilation in a mere three years, you may as well accept your death...-" his grin grew, stretching far beyond the limits of human flesh, his sharp teeth exposed once more, "or resist and entertain me a bit longer."

The swordsman's head fell low, his purple locks falling over his eyes as he gritted his teeth, his mind burning through image after image, the same tyrants that ruined his world and even the past, and now this? Another person wanted to destroy everything...and for what? "What gives you the right?"

With a smirk of pride, the man's red eyes glowed, believing the boy to have given in to the inevitable, a shame truly, for he would have enjoyed breaking him a bit longer. "Because of your inferiority, this world is ours to dictate, and your role is to be mere lemmings until your usefulness has subsided."

Time froze for the Saiyan as a memory surged to the surface, surrounded by his friends and family as they watched the most horrifying broadcast of their lives. Cell had invaded a tv station and decided to announce his plans to the world, those words echoing in his head again and again as he slowly stared upward, glaring into the man's red eyes as his own glowed a vibrant green, remembering that evil look on the abomination's face as he proudly told them all that their planet...their home...their everything, life, death...

Rocks began to rise around the hybrid as that voice echoed in his head again and again, 'this is the last chance for planet Earth; if I'm not defeated, it belongs to me.' He shook with rage as his gaze shifted, seeing the world he called his own burning to a crisp, with every innocent soul lost in the sea of destruction, just like his timeline.

Lev grinned toward the Director as she dejectedly stared at the ground below, unable to even look at him any longer; he sighed in contentment, knowing she was well and truly broken...no longer any fun to toy with. But as he stretched out a palm, a voice broke through his focus, drawing his ire toward the hybrid as the entire cave began to shake and fall apart. "You...all those people?"

A light aura erupted across his body, rising upwards toward the ceiling as the dust began to swirl around him, blanketing the warrior in a fog of his own creation as his green orbs burned into the man's soul, his power skyrocketing as it threatened to give way. "You're going to pay for that..."

The man's grin disappeared as he felt the surrounding pressure grow more and more by the second, replaced by a grimace as he remembered what the boy had done to the Servants, his brow furrowed as he took a step back, watching as the boy lurched back, roaring as unbridled ki exploded across his form, "YOU'LL PAY!"

*BOOM

The floor exploded as the Saiyan took off into the skies, the force rocketing the Director straight into Mash as the girl tried in vain to chase her Master down. As the boy rushed toward the magus, the man's grin grew as his hand slowly shifted toward his approaching foe, figuring he might as well deal with the rabble while he could- his thoughts came to a crashing halt as the teen's hands blurred, hands to the side of his head as he yelled, "Solar Flare!"

An ungodly light surged into the German's vision as he screamed in pain; unable to see a thing, he thrashed out violently, missing his target entirely. And as the boy came to a grinding stop, a fiery blue glow erupted in his open palm before condensing into a flaming sphere. He spun, his hand dragging through the wind as ki surged across his enhanced form, before throwing the blast as he bellowed, "see you in hell!"

Utterly blind to the world, the mage growled in anger as he felt the sheer heat approaching him, not wishing to test the boy's strength, at least not for now, his fists clenched, a spiral of energy forming beneath him as he let himself fall into its depths, simply muttering, "you'll know when we meet again, brat," soon vanishing entirely as the attack passed by where he once stood, crashing through the skies before colliding with a support beam, the blast shaking the entire system as it began to give way.

*RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Trunks panted away his anger as it gave way to calm focus, his eyes widening as giant rocks fell before the strange mirror-like bubble as it began to dissipate away, deprived of its creator, no longer able to sustain itself. He looked around him, soon realizing the entire cavern was collapsing; looking back, he saw his lilac ally holding a still, despondent Director in her arms as she called out his name.

The warrior didn't hesitate, fully expecting his new boss to smack him for doing this again; he rocketed toward the pair, dodging through falling boulders and outright smashing through more than a few. With a grimace, Mash refrained from calling the doctor; knowing exactly what was about to happen, she slowly dropped down, picking up her shield in one hand while cradling her boss in the other...she barely had time to raise her arms before she was rushing through the air, getting dragged upward toward the opening above as rubble rained down above them before...nothing.

They flew through Saber's exit as the cavern collapsed in on itself, with the trio practically crashing into the soft grass as they dug a trench in their wake, with each bouncing in their own direction before coming to a stop. Mash stared up at the sky above, having felt literally every emotion on the spectrum at the same time hadn't gone well for her already tired mind; she glanced over, counting heads. One, two, three-

With a gasp, the girl shot up, ignoring the Director as she lay face down in the dirt, wallowing in her own sorrow, instead focusing on her purple-haired Master as the boy sat up from the crater they made on impact as she shouted, "Where's F-"

"Fou?"

She paused, turning around on her heels, trying to find the source of the sound before her lilac orbs twitched, watching as the Director's white hair began to shuffle and move before a head emerged from the white fluff, with twitching ears, a tiny pair of blue eyes meeting hers, "Fou?"

The Chaldean sighed, soon reaching out to pull the squirrel-like creature out of her boss's tangled hair, with the woman only grumbling in response, not having the will or drive to yell anymore. She lifted the little animal up by its shoulders, pulling it into a hug, "poor thing, how long were you in there?"

Trunks fell back, staring up at the moon above, wanting nothing more than to eat his body weight in food and take a nap...basically the Saiyan way of doing things sounded really good right now. Blowing air between his lips, he spoke, "I'm sure he's traumatized."

The creature put its chin on the girl's shoulder as she swayed about, trying to comfort it as it eyed the Saiyan, its blue orbs narrowing towards him before shifting away with a huff, "Fou..."

After a few moments of silence, the Director gave a defeated sigh, rolling over as she curled into a ball, her eyes puffy and red as tears stained her face, sadly mumbling, "Romani... you heard all that...right...is it true, what he said about me?"

*BZZT

A collection of fragmented data appeared before the leader, disparate remnants of code coagulating into a cohesive image before the same doctor as before materialized in front of her. He stood there, clearly leaning on some desk or other, seeming more disheveled than before, if that were possible, having a mountain of papers tucked beneath one arm as the other was typing away at some terminal or other. "Most of it came through clear, but-"

The leader took a slow breath, steeling her nerves to the best of her ability before standing to her feet on shaky legs, refusing to let her underlings see her in such a condition. "Just tell it to me straight, don't sugarcoat things like you always do."

He grimaced, clearly uncomfortable with having to break the bad news to someone else, "with the current state of things, we have no way of getting you back, so... we can assume Lev was telling the truth; there's just not enough time left in that Singularity Director; odds are you have minutes at best."

The aristocrat visibly winced, her head turned, gazing over the burning city as it loomed in the distance; knowing it would vanish alongside her, she took a moment before looking at the man once more, "I understand." Tears formed at the corners of the woman's eyes once more before she pushed them down once more, "then my last order as acting Director is a full retreat."

Trunks simply sat there, taking in her words, he sighed, knowing through sheer experience that these decisions weren't made lightly, and he wasn't so immature that he'd scream about how unfair it all was...that there had to be an alternative, with the only one on his mind looming so far out of reach...no dragon balls, no wishes, no way out...just the same as his world. He clenched a fist tight as the woman turned to him, her yellow eyes reflecting a sadness she failed to fully conceal, "Do you have a way to trace where we are on the timeline?"

The warrior buried his feelings as the rationality of a honed survivor took hold, his mind running through the tumultuous list of instructions it took to even operate a time machine before remembering something. The teen nodded, reaching into his pocket as he withdrew the capsule; clicking the device, he simply tossed it to the side as the colossal machine loomed overhead.

Without so much as a word, he levitated up, hitting a button along the way as the glass dome slowly opened up along mechanical arms, with him leaning over the edge as he dug through a container, talking as he searched, "when we were testing it out, we sent a few trackers around the time stream...make sure I didn't end up at the wrong place," he grimaced, "any miscalculation and you end up somewhere completely different."

She hummed, raising a finger to her chin, focusing on the momentary distraction instead of the grim reality before her, wanting more than anything to preserve her father's mission, "that how you ended up here?"

The Saiyan gave a forced chuckle, shaking his head in denial, "Nope-" he reached a hand out, shaking the chair for emphasis as it rattled in place, "had my feet kicked up, and the thing gave out on me."

She scoffed, more annoyed that she found something so obscene to be funny when it was probably the only thing that's kept them alive until this point. "If it were anyone else, I'd say you were full of it, but Caster was right-"

The hybrid's eyes narrowed as he reached deep into the container, pulling out a small box with a blinking light, they were simple things really, a little chronal energy and a signal emitter, expensive, but you're trying to send people into the time stream, you need complete accuracy. But as he listened, the teen raised a brow, "about?"

He leaned up, facing the outside world once more as his hands went to work, utilizing years of mechanical experience to get the thing working in seconds, giving the little thing a nod as it flashed green. He soon glanced over to the Director as she gave him a condescending smirk, "you have kind of a noble idiot thing going for you."

The Saiyan grumbled for a moment about taking that as a compliment, turning to his Servant before tossing the girl the device; she stumbled, dropping Fou in a huff as she slammed her hands around its confines; he gave her a nod, "It's already on, you just have to get back, and I'll know where and when you are."

With a huff, the Director crossed her arms, glancing toward the shimmering apparition of the doctor as he looked anywhere but toward her, looking like he really wanted to just walk away, "We're running out of time, Romani, rayshift her back already."

As the man went to work, the Servant looked abashed for a moment, looking toward the woman and away again and again before steeling her nerves. She took a sharp breath before walking toward the Chaldean at a breakneck pace, throwing her arms around the woman in a tight hug. The Animusphere stiffened a moment, her yellow eyes narrowing before, with shaking arms, she reciprocated, only lasting a few moments before her nerves got the better of her, immediately letting go with a huff of embarrassment.

Mash gave her a knowing nod, soon struggling to balance her shield, fou, and whatever device the Saiyan had given her in two arms, and as she began to dissipate into a colorful array of particles, she gave him a reassuring smile, "see you later, Senpai." As he watched her slowly vanish, the boy simply raised two fingers with a smirk, figuring they'd meet again soon enough, and before long, she was gone.

With a solemn nod, he dropped to the ground, knowing it would take at least a minute before he had enough data for a jump; he glanced toward the doctor as he dragged a foot along an unseen floor, "anything I should know beforehand."

Lazily glancing up, the man shrugged, a calming smile along his features despite the severe circumstances, "hmmm, well, every employee that's gone outside so far stopped reporting in soooo...-" he shrugged, "try to land inside?" Trunks deadpanned, practically falling over in shock; seriously, what if he hadn't asked that?! He slowly nodded, deciding he was going to blame everything on the doctor if something went wrong.

Shaking the thoughts away, he turned toward his boss, meeting her sad stare with his own, figuring this was going to be the last time they ever spoke; at least for now, he had an idea, but- "I'm...sorry it has to end like this, but I just wanted to say thanks... probably wouldn't be doing too good on my own right now if I was."

She forced a smile yet turned to face the wilderness as a calming breeze blew over the treeline, "You know, you might be the first person to actually say that to me; most just...ignore me-" she sighed, "makes me feel like everything I do is worth nothing."

He reached out, putting a hand on the Director's shoulder, and to his shock, she didn't recoil; he pushed the thought aside, "doing the right thing is a thankless job; they always focus on your mistakes instead of what you've accomplished."

The Chaldean slowly clenched a fist in frustration before letting go with a huff, "looks like that's how I'll be remembered, the wicked witch of Chaldea; you don't have to play nice about it anymore-" she glanced over to the holographic doctor, "you can go, Romani, I know you don't like seeing these things." With a forced yet grateful smile, the man tried to open his mouth to say something before closing shut, instead giving a glum nod before disconnecting, the particles bursting into a sea of blue before vanishing from sight.

She took a breath, turning away from the hybrid as his hand fell, with her gazing about at a world she had never truly explored, "I can't even say I'm satisfied with this; I'm not; it just feels so hollow like I never really got to do anything with my life...spent it all trying to live up to what my father wanted-"

Trunks nodded, knowing full well what it was like trying to live up to his own father's standards, an impossible task he practically couldn't achieve no matter how hard he tried. "Look, I can't really tell you how, but-" he frowned, briefly wondering if he should say this before shoving the thought aside, wanting to do what was right instead of focusing on risk factors. "I'll try my best to bring you back; just...hang in there, alright? I know what being alone can feel like, but I swear, I won't leave you like this."

As the computer onboard his vessel audibly dinged as information surged into itself, the leader chuckled, running a hand through her long white locks, giving him a light smile, "maybe you will, but I think it's time for you to go, Director's orders."

As the woman turned away, the Saiyan did the same, slowly levitating into the device as he took a seat, lowering the glass hood as he began rapidly typing, following the flow of data as he went through a complex array of steps no ordinary mind could comprehend. Within moments, the console blipped online, and with a sigh, he pushed it to launch; with the engines firing up, the craft slowly began to rise, and he stared upward; he glanced down to see his boss one last time as he rose higher and higher into the sky. She raised a hand, mimicking the same gesture he had given his "Servant," and he did the same, his focus remaining entirely on the strange figure below, and through the layers of anger, annoyance, and downright rudeness, he saw there was a kind soul, and as he phased out of reality, she was left there...alone.

...

And we're finally done with Fuyuki after all this time, and with Trunks finally, in Chaldea, we have a long road ahead of us, both in character development and storyline.

Hopefully, people can tolerate my nonsense as we go about this journey. Honestly, it's been a lot of fun so far, and I hope people stick around for what's to come.

Quick side note, in canon, due to time chamber shenanigans, Trunks' age is a bit older, but I've aged him down since the boy was denied even a basic childhood in canon, so giving him a few years is more of a creative and story choice than anything, just know it's intentional.

With all that said and done, take it easy, and I'll see y'all in the next one; cheers!