A.N. (9/10/23) - Slightly longer chapter today.


Route (7) - Truce

Rin did not intend to lie to Shirou, but it was better than letting him figure out that she had no intentions of meeting with the fake priest. After all, telling him that she would be meeting with the person whom both of them were enemies with would no doubt send him into a frenzy without explaining her reasons.

Truthfully, this would not be the first time she met with the head of the Ainsworth family. The two of them had once worked together against a common foe, even putting aside their differences in order to do so. Despite that, there was no doubt in her mind that Rin could never fully trust him to not attack her on sight.

But even if they were enemies, it was undeniable that their goals aligned.

"Counterfeiter!"

It was a gamble to approach the location where the pillar of light occurred, but she knew no other possible place to meet with the opposing force. She could vaguely sense the bounded field keeping surveillance over this area, but whether or not anyone was paying attention to this place was uncertain.

Well, she received her answer a second later when the space before her flickered and a figure stepped through. To her surprise, it was not the person she was expecting but a boy her age with glasses and wearing a school uniform.

"I did not expect you to be foolish enough to appear here."

Julian Ainsworth.

This would be the first time she met him unless one counted the fact that the previous person who inhabited this body interacted with the boy in the past. In that sense, one could call them childhood friends or even playmates. According to a certain shadow, Julian had been a more cheerful child when he was younger. That childhood innocence seemed to have left him judging by his current expression, not that Rin expected anything else.

"Knocking on your door yesterday didn't work, so I figured that this was the next best place to call you out."

"It would be irresponsible of me to invite a thief such as yourself into my home."

"I'm as much of a thief as you are. In fact, it is because of my status as a thief that I figured it would be safe to speak with you in peace."

"Are you certain? Your status as the terminal aside, we can already confirm 'that' world's existence without your help. In fact, you should have already learned that your connection to that place has been severed."

He was referring to her inability to use Dust. The rules of the world were different, so she could not rely on the logic that had been formed from the common sense of another reality.

"Is that how you were able to summon yesterday's Grimm?"

"Were you surprised? That was our first attempt at making use of that world's common sense and applying it to this world. The disaster of five years ago has left behind stains that we had no need for until now, but your presence in that other world has allowed us to recycle that mud into something useful."

She should have been more surprised, but he was a counterfeiter after all. "Not interested in replicating Semblances?"

"Those are no different than understanding a Reality Marble and is considered an abnormal ability. Ever since the downfall of that woman, we have avoided touching on that topic once it was clear that the disadvantages outweighed its use."

"If you say so."

"Why have you approached this place?"

Straight to the point. "To negotiate the release of Miyu and discuss amicable means to avoid fighting one another."

"We will not give up the container."

"Why do you even have her? You know that a single Relic will not be enough to accomplish your goal. Without another one on this side, there's no point in attempting to open the box now. Not if you want the entire world to be swallowed by that shadow again."

"No need to worry about that. We have the means of avoiding another disaster."

"How?"

"That is for us to know and you to find out."

Why was he being so cagey about the details? The obvious conclusion would be that it was a strategy that she would object to. But if they both had the same goal of protecting the future of this world, then going against one another would only cause problems later down the line. Even if they fought before, Rin was willing to put aside their past if that meant saving humanity.

She doubted that it had anything to do with the four Relics. Opening the pithos required that the equivalent of two Holy Grails be used at the same time from one side. Even if they managed to acquire one Relic from that side and a Holy Grail from this side, it would not be enough to safely open the box without engulfing the world in mud.

"Look, I'm not against your goals but rather the means by which you achieve them. Isn't there some way we can come to a compromise where everyone can be happy?"

"Are you really a magus? If you truly believe that is possible, then you're more deluded than I thought. You weren't like this when you first met my father."

"The past few years changed me. Let's just say a certain rose made me consider things differently."

Ruby was the one person who made her change her mindset the most. She was the only other person who fought by her side when Rin faced Salem. Even though it was impossible for the two of them to ever meet again, Rin would not easily forget the days that the two of them had spent together.

"I have no intention of changing our plans. We will use the wish-granting device known as Sakatsuki Miyu to achieve this world's salvation."

"If you want to be technical, shouldn't you call her Emiya Miyu?"

That brought out a reaction from him. "It doesn't matter."

"I think it does. You believe that you're on the side of good, even if you've turned your back on the light. But that does not have to be the case. The possibility of working together with us is still not out of the question yet. If you explain your goals to Emiya, there's no need to be on opposite sides."

Because she knew that Julian still considered Shirou to be his friend. After all, the fact that he was still alive even after the fact was revealed that he took Miyu away from the Ainsworth's hands had to mean something. That kind of friendship could not be easily forgotten, not if Julian was still that same boy who used to smile in the memories of this body.

It was a naive goal, but Rin wanted to hope that he could still be turned from his current path.

"That's…"

"Pardon my interruption."

The two of them turned as a voice suddenly came from elsewhere. Emerging from nowhere was a blonde woman with an expressionless face. Rin's eyes narrowed in preparation for the chance of a fight breaking out.

Julian spoke. "What is it, Angelica? I thought that you were told not to bother me unless it's important."

"Then my appearance should clue you in that something is indeed wrong. I have just received a report from some of our allies in the Clock Tower. That thief managed to successfully activate the card and is preparing to enact his idiotic plan. He has already attacked Slur Street and is making his way to the heart of the labyrinth."

He cursed. "Is he crazy?! Doesn't he know that the consequences of failing could cause another end to this current Texture?"

"No doubt he believes that the risks are worth it. Either he brings an end to the current Human Order, or he destroys what remains of the world of magecraft until nothing is left."

What the heck were they talking about?

"Damn it!" Without warning, Julian suddenly turned to face her. "Tohsaka, it appears that I have changed my mind. If you truly wish for an alliance between us, then I have a favor I must ask of you first."

"Huh?"

It couldn't be helped that she was surprised at this sudden change of direction. To think that Julian would actually ask her for a favor, something had to be wrong.

"One thing that our family hates more than anything is the existence of fakers and thieves. And while you're technically both, at least you can understand our goals. However, there is another who also fits this description. Right now, he is someone who is gambling with the fate of the world in the vain hope that his plan will save the planet."

Risking the world to save the planet? What kind of contradiction was that?

"You are probably aware, but the Clock Tower's stance on the Ainsworth family and the Holy Grail ritual is indifferent at best. That's due to several magi being sent here to investigate whether we are actually capable of achieving a wish. What you are probably unaware of is that most of the reports sent to the Clock Tower had been faked to prevent any growing interest in the Holy Grail from interfering with our goals."

Angelica spoke up. "Some of that was due to interference on our part. While we do not have a lot of connections to the noble families at the Clock Tower, several of our sponsors understand the gravity of our mission and have chosen to lend us their aid occasionally. Because of that, we can make use of their spies and resources to limit the number of magi from utilizing the Holy Grail for themselves to achieve the widespread goal of reaching the Root."

"However," Julian followed up. "There are limits to how much we can sabotage, and the only reason we were able to get away with it for so long is due to an agent of the Animusphere family obfuscating the main reports sent directly to the most powerful factions in the Clock Tower. His true name is unknown, but he is mostly referred to as Doctor Heartless."

Doctor Heartless. It was an unfamiliar name to her, but something about that name resonated in her chest.

"While it was revealed that the Holy Grail was unable to actualize a wish without a lesser grail, Heartless grew interested in the ritual itself and began making plans to interfere with our ritual. Over the past few years, we discovered that he had been manipulating the leylines connected to Fuyuki's lands to facilitate the creation of his own Servant Card. If that was all he was interested in, then we would have been content to ignore him and leave Heartless to his own devices. But later, we discovered his true goal."

"And that is?"

"He plans to summon forth a Divine Spirit in order to bring about a revival of the Age of Gods for future generations of magi to rely upon."

What?

"Servant Cards were not intended to be used that way, but it is possible to materialize the Heroic Spirits contained within the card. Even so, materializing a Divine Spirit is no easy feat even for the Rule Master. The conditions in order to achieve such an outcome are not something any normal person can accomplish unless they were an unparalleled genius who can calculate the necessary requirements in order to do so."

"And Heartless is such a person?"

"Indeed. The fact that he was able to connect to Fuyuki's leylines from several countries away says enough about his genius. What's more, he was able to determine which catalyst would succeed in calling forth a Divine Spirit that could be summoned even with the flawed system that our ritual functions under."

"You already know the identity of the Heroic Spirit contained within his Servant Card?"

"Magni, the son of the Norse god Thor and inheritor to his Noble Phantasm Mjolnir. With it, he can reenact the conditions of the cataclysmic incident Ragnarök and send this world back into an era similar to the Age of Gods."

"Wait, but wouldn't that be a good thing? Putting aside whether it is even possible for the Noble Phantasm of a Servant Card to affect the entire planet, why would you be opposed to that?"

Normally, a reenactment of a cataclysmic event like Ragnarök would spell doom for the planet. But since humanity was on the brink of destruction anyway due to experiencing a shift in the axis of the world, causing mana to deplete and the rules of physics to change, an event like that would actually be helpful instead.

"It is true that if his plan succeeds, the return of True Ether from the Age of Gods would slow down the depletion of mana by enacting a pseudo-Ragnarök to counter the dry spots that are appearing across the world. Not only that, but a return to the Age of Gods would mean that magi would no longer have to strive to reach the Root due to having access to a new form of Mystery. Even if it doesn't solve the issue, and even if the current generation of humanity is wiped out, it would give us time to find a better solution to saving the world. Magi would change their goals from achieving the Root to focusing on the world instead. And humanity would experience tribulation, but endure and become a new existence that rises from the ashes."

It would not be a pleasant experience, and it was definitely not a plan that Rin endorsed. But since the Ainsworth's goal was to turn humanity into an existence that can survive in a world without mana, she doubted that they truly cared about the cataclysmic part themselves. Rather, a return to an Age of Gods would mean that the world would change to a reality where modern laws would no longer apply. Even if most of humanity was destroyed, the rebirth and renewal aspect of Ragnarök would mean that humanity would somehow survive.

Despite being an absurd plan, the result would mean salvation for humanity's future.

"You still haven't told me why you would be against that outcome."

"Because it would mean denying the purpose behind the Ainsworth family's thousand-year journey, making all of our efforts and struggles worthless. It would mean turning our back on everything we have accomplished in order to pray for salvation at the hands of an uncaring god to save humanity. The Age of Gods ended two thousand years ago, and we should not turn to the past to save the future."

His reason was a more selfish one than she expected, but it was one that Julian believed with all of his heart.

And yet, something wasn't right…

"Let dead gods lie in their graves while we pave the path forward. It is our duty to shape the future of this planet and inscribe its history on the surface."

Julian was not lying, but he wasn't telling the full truth either. The only problem was whether Rin could afford to deny his offer of an alliance.

"If I accept, what do you plan to do about Heartless and his plan?"

"For certain reasons, I cannot leave the lands of Fuyuki while the Holy Grail War is in progress. Instead, I'll have Angelica join you and your group can head to London to stop Heartless."

"And I'm supposed to be fine with leaving you alone to continue with the ritual? I doubt Emiya will be fine with the idea of you sending us away so that you can do whatever you want with his sister?"

He winced. "Would it help if I sign a contract that ensures I will not harm her throughout the duration of the war? The Ainsworths are only interested in her capabilities as a wish-granting device. We have no intent of harming her unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Exactly what constitutes absolutely necessary?"

"Her functions as a grail have atrophied, so it is inevitable that we will have to reactivate them. At the very least, we can ensure that she experiences as little pain as possible during the process. And telling us to stop is something that I cannot compromise on. No matter what, we still intend on using her as a container."

It was obvious that he was trying to accommodate her wishes as much as possible. Rin doubted that she could convince him to compromise any further, not when the alternative was returning to being enemies with him and his family again.

"...can you give me a few hours before I give you an answer? I still have to discuss this with Emiya."

"What's the point? He's not even a proper magus, so why should his input matter?"

"Because he's an ally while you're still technically considered an enemy. Not to mention that he has a right to be involved since you kidnapped his sister to conduct your ritual."

He grimaced. "Fine, you have until this evening to reach a decision. Angelica will contact you and receive your response. If you decide to not help us, I'll have no choice but to have my sister face them without aid. Even with a Servant Card, the chances of victory are not absolute when Heartless has a Divine Spirit contained within his Servant Card."

Was that the case? If Angelica possessed Gilgamesh, then wouldn't it be easy for her to defeat a Divine Spirit? Unless there was something she was missing…

"You'll have my answer this evening."

"Good."

Julian turned around and his sister walked by his side as the two entered a portal they created. As the air closed behind them, Rin was left to ponder over her thoughts over everything that she had just learned.

The Ainsworths wanted to prevent Ragnarök, but Rin still had trouble believing the reasons that Julian gave her. Even so, it was an undeniable fact that if Heartless succeeded in his plan, there would be an unfathomable amount of casualties.

Was it justified to sacrifice the majority of humanity to ensure its survival? That was something she had to discuss with her companion first before reaching a conclusion.


Well, this chapter was a bit of an info dump. I introduced a lot of concepts that might be difficult to digest, and I'll take my time going into further details in upcoming chapters. But to summarize, I'm borrowing the plot from Case Files and adding my own spin to it by including elements from Fate/kaleid and replacing Magni as the intended summoned Divine Spirit to bring about a new Age of Gods.

Julian is a character that I found interesting because he's not technically a bad guy in the grand scheme of things. 3rei made a point about how the protagonists are technically the bad guys at first due to going against the Ainsworth family's goal of saving humanity. Of course, it then turns out that it was actually the cover story for their true goal which seems to change every dozen chapters.

Either way, that's pretty much what the first arc will be about. Now it's up to Rin, Shirou, Angelica, and who knows any other people to stop Heartless from enacting Ragnarök.