With a sigh, Tokiomi found his back protesting against him at the current discomfort he was feeling. Tokiomi supposed he should have expected as much. The Tohsaka head was used to sitting on a lavish comfortable chair in the safety of his well-conditioned room. Instead, at the dawn of morning, Tokiomi sat on a wooden crate which offered no easement on his back.

So much did Tokiomi desire to sleep, even if it was on a dusty couch he had down here.

"-at the moment, it appears that only Assassin had been unaccountable. But otherwise, the rest of the Servants had been spotted by Lancer." But he couldn't rest, not yet anyway. Beyond the fact that he still needed to install the final bounded fields around here, he also needed to hear Kirei's reports of last night's activity.

That wasn't even mentioning dealing with the mundane world later on. Primarily due to needing a new house where he would have to sign a lot of papers, make a false explanation on how his former manor blew up, and then more paperwork. Plus he still had to explain this to Aoi and Rin when they realized their home was now a crater.

"I see." But he could push all that aside. Because as important as all this was, the Holy Grail War is more important. Rubbing his head, Tokiomi sat on a crate and asked, "So Lancer said she didn't see Assassin."

"Yes."

"A shame, but not unexpected." Assassins had the Presence Concealment Skill. It was likely they stayed hidden, to observe just as Lancer did, explaining why Lancer never spotted them, otherwise she would have told them. "Still, she got the information we needed, correct?"

"She did." Sitting down as well, but in a much more comfortable chair, Kirei relayed all he knew to his teacher. "The enemies we face are all certainly strong, though each one seems to have a weakness."

"Oh?" Knowing his teacher needed more specifics, Kirei continued to explain further.

"Saber. Berserker. Caster. And Rider. Each one holds considerable might, but through Lancer she and I spotted rather fair-tell weaknesses of theirs." Clearing his throat, Kirei said, "For Saber, he seems to hold rather poor parameters for the Saber Class. He held great skill with the blade, and held his own quite well, but lacked any sort of raw power."

Being pushed back and forth by those with greater strength than him. It's made clear that he could possibly be the weakest Servant in the war. As such, he was easily handable with the right strategy.

"For Berserker, she certainly proves herself a physical threat." The way she demolished anything in her path, and dealing with all three Servants without breaking a sweat. Undoubtedly pure might would be ineffective against her. That wasn't even mentioning what her Noble Phantasms could be. "However, according to Lancer, she claims that while Berserker acted rather calm, she felt a form of turmoil in her."

"I don't suppose she could explain further what that means, let aside how she knows this?"

"Uncertain." Kirei admitted. Lancer simply smiled at him and put a finger to her lip when he asked. "All I can relay is that a certain trigger will set her off, and that as a Berserker, she will be limited in strategic thinking."

"Hah…At the very least, we know that whoever her Master is will be unlikely to use her full potential.' Berserkers were considered the least favorite Servant to summon by all magus due to their inability to be properly controlled. Combining that alongside their mana-drain made many choose another Servant Class to control. Only the foolish or desperate picked such a poor Class.

Oddly, Tokiomi felt as if he knew who could have chosen said Class, but ignored it for now. "What about Caster?" He moved the conversation forward, now interested in what the master of spellcasters could do and what threat they posed.

"..." Instead of answering immediately, Kirei stayed silent for a bit. Unusual considering he had spoken without pause.

"Kirei." But his name being called made the Executioner decide to just speak what he knew as best he could.

"Caster is…well…I will say that they are not a Caster. A proper one anyway."

"... I'm sorry?"

Leaning back, Kirei asked, "Just to be certain, is it possible for a Servant to be forced into another Class?" Kirei thought back to Lancer. "My Servant admitted she was no Lancer, so does it stand to reason the same can be applied to other Servants."

After a moment of silence, Tokiomi responded. "It is possible." One could practically see the Tohsaka head rub his chin. "While rare, there are cases where a Servant that is suitable for only one container, is forced into another if the Class they are affiliated with has been taken from them."

Tokiomi now wished he could have seen whatever it was Kirei saw to get a better understanding. He could have sent a familiar, but he was too busy putting up wards to ensure his new workshop was well protected from attacks or spies. As such, he needed to rely on Kirei here to give out an explanation of what he witnessed.

"Caster, whom I believe is Lord El-Melloi's Servant," Kirei then divulged into what he knew, recalling how El-Melloi spoke when the strange Servant appeared, making him the Master of Caster, "Isn't so much as a Caster, but a literal familiar that is actually similar to his own Mystic Code."

"Volumen Hydrargyrum?" Tokiomi heard about Kayneth's Mystic Code, a standard in knowing one's enemies. A powerful one at that as it was both a shield and sword with many applications. Very well made.

"Correct." With Kirei privy to the same knowledge as Tokiomi due to their partnership. "I believe that the Servant El-Melloi is contracted with is simply some form of golem with no real mind of its own." The way it attacked, countered, its simplistic movement. Aside from certain moments where it retaliated, Kirei noticed that Caster acted as if it were on autopilot, no different from a machine.

"While it does have a variety of abilities, such as mimicry, shapeshifting, and high-defense, it was incapable of taking any initiative and only moved when commanded, just like any other golem."

No response came from Tokiomi, with Kirei understanding why. His teacher was likely pondering how, if what Kirei described was true, a familiar such as Caster is even eligible to be a Servant in the first place. Even Kirei was a bit baffled at how that was possible. Not helped that the golem wasn't even human in the first place.

'Although…' Back when he spoke to Lancer, she seemed to know something that he didn't. It was…frustrating that Lancer didn't speak more. As if she were waiting for him to ask when she should be the one sharing any insights she knew. Did he perhaps need to force her to concede?

"Alright then." Whatever the case, Kirei would think on this later, Tokiomi refocusing back on the task at hand. "I cannot deny that I am still confused by what you told me…But we can speak of this later. For now, what of Rider."

Sitting straight, as if he were an answering machine, Kirei replied in a dull tone saying, "Rider, from the battle at the construction site, may be one of the more stronger Servants in this war. A match for Berserker given the power she displayed against her."

Clasping his hands together, Kirei recalled every detail he witnessed through Lancers eyes,and began giving Tokiomi a full account of what he witnessed to ensure his master knew everything about this servant. Especially that one detail around the end of the battle, before she fully left. "Despite her appearance, Rider showed above-average strength and speed for someone of her Class. She was capable of fighting nearly all the Servants one-on-one with no difficulty, and could take on hits that would cripple a lesser Servant."

Such abilities would be worrisome. "But?"

Yet with the other Servants already being described as having some form of weakness or flaw, Tokiomi presumed Rider had something similar. In which case, he would be correct as Kirei said, "Rider showed no real skill in battle. She simply swung her blade without mastery or prowess of the blade. Saber, despite being weaker than her, managed to fend her off." It wasn't even a competition on who was more skilled.

"All while Rider exhibited a detrimental temper that caused her to attack anyone on sight. Not showing any finesse in actually dealing with them, just simple attacking." Just a girl who acted as if brute strength was the answer.

"Hmm. Unexpected, but not unwelcome." Which was perfect for Tokiomi, who mused with a hint of a smile. "It seems this Holy Grail War may go smoother than we thought." Then, despite not being near him, Kirei could tell Tokiomi was frowning, his voice becoming lower. "Yet with Archer…"

A cough is heard with Tokiomi, ever the perfectionist, composing himself from any doubts he may have. "Anyway, it's safe to say that with such flaws in these Servants, we can capitalize on them and bring them down."

"Yes. I believe so." Even Kirei could tell that with such critical flaws the Servants have, they could be brought to their defeat if done properly. "Still, I do surmise that the Servants, or at least their Masters, may try to compensate for their weaknesses." And while it went unsaid, without Tokiomi's own Servant, Kirei had doubts Lancer could even deal with the others like Archer could.

Something Tokiomi undoubtedly knew as while Kirei heard an approving humm, he knew his teacher was worried about his Servant's refusal to work with him. Even if she was still contracted with him, if she didn't fight on his behalf, then there was no point in knowing the enemy's weakness.

After all, only a Servant can take down a Servant. And again, Lancer admitted that she wasn't a real fighter. 'Not that I've seen what she's capable of…'

Still, in spite of such problems, Tokiomi pressed on, saying, "At the very least, we can now make arrangements in dealing with the Servants. At worst, you can simply hunt the other Masters." 'You', not 'we'... Kirei simply accepted it.

"Understood." Besides, he wasn't even here to win. He was here to serve Tokiomi on his behalf. No more, no less. "I will proceed to do my best."

"Excellent." Tokiomi approved of Kirei's convictions. "I'll contact you later when I can. I just need to deal with some last-minute spells along with some rest." The line went dead, leaving Kirei alone.

"Why, Master." Or at least, he had thought he was alone.

Like a spectra, Lancer appeared from thin air, likely using her spiritual form as she leaned against the chair Kirei sat on and smiled. Hands resting on his own, almost in a sultry manner if he didn't know better. Where, with a bewitching smile, Lancer said, "Do you not need your own rest?"

"I slept well, and have eaten already." Kirei answered immediately. Seeing no reason for any small-talk. "If anything, I now have time to consult my father and perhaps find any methods of dealing with the enemy Servants. I've already told Tokiomi all I knew."

Lancer tilted her head. "Yet, you didn't speak of what Rider did to her Master."

"..." Kirei fell silent. His lips closed shut, while his eyes briefly seemed to open up a new emotion in him at the accusation at hand. As if he were a child caught lying about any trouble he caused. "...It didn't seem important." With his answer being an even worse lie.

Something Lancer easily caught onto. Shaking her head as if she were the mother Kirei never had, replying, "I'm certain Tokiomi actually would have liked to know that there was discord between Rider and her Master, Kiritsugu Emiya."

Once more, Kirei felt himself too stunned to speak immediately. Particularly when that name had been brought up. The name of the one man he seemed to notice amidst the five papers that detailed the other participating Masters of this war. Yet just as quickly, he covered his own silence with more words. "We have no evidence that Rider is Kiritsugu Emiya's Master."

"Mmm, but I can tell." Lancersmiled further, as if she were a cat toying with whatever prey was before her. "Trust me, as a former human servant who served her own master, I have a good eye for this kind of thing. Many women in my position had to. After all, we didn't want to confuse one of Solomon's many concubines as a simple handmaid like myself."

With a giggle, Lancer brought her face closer to Kirei's. "And I know that Rider is indeed the Servant to Kiritsugu Emiya. Though their relationship is quite tense from what we both saw."

Tense was an understatement, considering that Rider outright assaulted Kiritsugu before knocking him out. Which only made Kirei wonder why. Why did she attack him? Especially when she was fighting her own battles. Kirei couldn't think of a reason why Rider would do such a thing during a fight, nor comprehend the reasoning behind it. After all, what she did could have gotten her and her Master killed.

'And Lancer was close by when it happened. Perhaps I could have…' Could have…what?

Lancer's lips tugged upward, as if she could read Kirei's thoughts. To the executioner's subtle surprise, she patted him on the head. "You keep thinking further, if you like." She then walked in front of him, back turned to him while her hips seemed to sway hypnotically. "After all, a man must first seek answers about themselves, before others." She then turned her head to him, where he swore he saw the tell-mark of a smirk. "Wouldn't you agree?"

She then vanished away, confounding the son of Risei Kotomine. Having never expected such a conduct from her of all people. And her words to him. Advice? Or simple playful banter?

He didn't know.

After a minute or two, Kirei found himself attempting to forget the conversation he had with Lancer. Switching to focusing on other matters, like Assassin.

In the end she was just fooling with him as if he were a child. Especially with that question of hers. Seeking answers about himself, foolishness. He already knew who he was. He was the son of Risei Kotomine, an apprentice to Tokiomi, and supported the latter's goal in attaining the Holy Grail.

That was all it was there was to him.

…right?

"Go! Utopia Ray!" Those were some of the last words Number 96 heard, as he met his doom. As his two most hated foes, with the power of Zexal itself, had their monster come down at him with enough power to annihilate him. He couldn't allow this. He needed to act fast!

"Ugh! Not so fast! I activate the trap card Chaos Alliance!" Number 96 shouted, as he activated his facedown card. It allowed him to have all his Number monsters have the same attack as his other half, to save himself.

"Rising Sun Assura Divider!" It did little to stop C92 and C96 to be annihilated like so. His Life Points reduced to a meager 500. Lower than he expected but it didn't matter. It wouldn't! Because with Dark Storm, even if it was attacked, Yuma and Astral would lose! He could still win this!

"I don't think so!" But once more that lowly human found a way to win. To his shock, the human managed to destroy both their monsters without suffering any damage and a way to revive his ace monster, that blasted Number 39.

"This…can't be!" Number 96 felt it. A looming sense of dread that ended in panic, as Number 39 came down on him…and reduced him to zero.

"Ahhhh!" It hurt. It hurt so much. Not just the attack, but his pride as well. Him, losing like this? Preposterous! It was a fluke. It had to be. Just like all those times from before. Just the luck of the draw for them all. He can't lose like this. Not like this!

"Astraaal!" He had almost won. But even with this setback, he can still at least destroy that insignificant fool. He had enough power for just that! It won't be just his end, but Astral's and all his little friends! So with his power, he entered Astral to take him over. All to make him suffer and…and…and…

…

…

…

'Where…am I…?' And…he didn't know. After his final attempt at victory, the strongest Number had no idea where he was. He had been defeated, but that was all he knew. But not long after that, his memories became fuzzy. Where as time passed by, he felt weaker and weaker by the second, as if he were being drained. Absorbed into what felt like a void, a familiar void.

Even so, he felt himself slipping away with each passing second. His thoughts growing less and less, his own acquired power diminishing. Eventually he couldn't even remember what sent him here in the first place. His memories, ahis powers, all that made Dark Mist him just going away. Until all he saw at the end of his imprisonment was the void where…

... all was nothing.

Inside a room, a whistling tune is heard followed by a chuckle. The sound of something squishy was heard with a snapping noise coming soon after. On the ground inside the room, a red liquid is seen undisturbed with a small corpse near the liquid alongside a few other bodies.

"And done." With the sole living occupant in that room smiling at his latest work done. The young man wiped his brow and gazed at his piece of living (well, not living anymore) art with pride. The shape of a pyramid made by small human hands. Literal ones at that. Each hand grasping the offending limb with blood seeping down their cut off ends. Ryuunosuke couldn't be any prouder.

"I see you've been busy." Ryuunosuke's eyes then lit up at the recognizable voice. A grin formed on his face as he turned to meet the man of the hour, as if greeting a friend. Then again, it was really a stranger he was meeting considering that he met them just a while prior? With a turn of his head, the young serial murder that has been living in Fuyuki came face to face with what could only be described as a demon.

"Heya Mr." Apathetic eyes, a jet black body, otherworldly aura. Ryuunosuke giggled and gleefully said, "Welcome back!" He gave a salute, not even caring about the blood on his own hands.

"Hm? Oh, right. Yes, yes. I'm back." The way his tone totally dismissed Ryuunosuke made the killer shiver in excitement. As if he were meeting an idol for the first time in person.

But for the demon itself, it only gave a look that practically said how little he thought of the human before him. Eyes looking at Ryuunosuke as if the human were a lowly animal, then at the littered corpses around the room.

'Honestly, this is just further proof that humans are lesser beings.' The 'demon' itself rolled its eyes when it looked at the hand pyramid his 'Master' had made. A scoff came loose as he observed the wonderful people that had 'donated' said hand parts that were now missing their appendages.

"So, how was your day?" Ryuunosuke then asked, like the corpses around them were nothing more but a regular sight.

"Wonderful, actually. Got quite the bit of information." The 'demon' said as he floated around the room a little. Observing the mess his Master had left behind. "I see you've been busy."There weren't this many corpses before. With most of them looking rather small.

"I went around the playground earlier. All to make good art." Ryuunosuke chuckled innocently as he wiped his chin a little. "And I got the best materials around buddy."

"I'm sure you did." To think this was how low he has fallen. Once, the mightiest Number in all of existence, with strength that could affect three dimensions. Now a lowly Servant 'serving' some fool that did acts of depravity every day. Granted, it wasn't as if the Servant cared for these deaths, but even he found what this clown was doing to be pointless.

'And yet somehow I heard his voice.' Number 96, the strongest Number card of them all, sneered down at Ryuunosuke's back who went back to his good 'work'. Now adding more sculptures made of meat for the pyramid.

The Number then sighed to himself with a grunt. Honestly, this was all new and confusing to Number 96. He would never admit it, of course, especially to a pathetic human like this one, but the Number felt rather lost. More so when he was first summoned and came back from the literal void.

'Thankfully, this Holy Grail filled in the gaps quite nicely.' A combat tournament to the death (lovely) where only one could remain. Servants called upon from across history to serve a Master and on their behalf, win for them. All for the prize that granted an omnipotent wish. It was a shock to learn all of this just seconds after being summoned and asked if he wanted to eat a little child.

'And yet…' A look behind him showed Ryuunosuke, the man that summoned him, whistling as he grabbed the head of a screaming child and tore out chunks of their hair. Scoffing, Number 96 shaked his head. If you were going to kill a human, then kill them. Oh, sure, torturing your enemies was nice, but what his Master was doing just felt wasteful. To think that what called him back from the void was a human like this. A fool who didn't even know what was going on.

Just an idiot that summoned him by accident.

'Well, no matter.' Even so, a pawn was a pawn, no matter their foolishness. Floating above, where he belonged, ignoring the sounds of a child's screams, Number 96 began thinking of his next move. Of what he's done since arriving here as not just Number 96: Dark Mist, the strongest Number of them all, but as Servant Assassin.

'It seems the foes I'll be facing will be troublesome, but handable if done right.' Especially if he used his Noble Phantasm on the ones with more raw power, which would be their downfall in the end. Smirking, Number 96 tilted his head, imagining all he could do against his foes as he slaughtered them.

Draining them of their power before gazing down at their faces, which would turn into fear. Oh, the joy of such a scene. It was almost as good as when he nearly beat Astral and Yuma.

'...tch.' And there went his good mood. A frown formed, replacing his smirk as he thought back to those two, his hated enemies. Two weaklings that should have been groveling at his feet as he beat them down. Instead, getting only defiance from them and humiliation as he was dealt constant defeats at their hand. Just thinking about them made his blood boil.

But it won't matter soon enough. 'Because with the Grail, that'll all change.'

Six deaths. That's all it will take to attain this all-powerful wish-making device. With it, he could use it to face Yuma and Astral again and show them the consequence of angering a God. Make Vector pay! Ensure the three worlds suffered for his demise. Heck, even this one if he felt like it.

For none should be spared punishment. All his enemies will pay for the humiliation they brought upon him. Why, he just might devastate this world just for the heck of it. Oh such joy that would be.

'But first, I must hunt them down and win.' Face the other six Servants and whoever was commanding them, then kill them. He's already seen most of them, and admittingly, they weren't half bad. That woman he met on the roof-top was also rather dangerous, as she gave an air similar to that clown Vector. Someone who acted calm and even foolish, but held a malicious intent within them. As a being of darkness, Number 96 could see through that facade of hers.

Still, her and the rest of his opponents can be dealt with considering this is him he's talking about. After all, what could even stop him? Why, he saw how that woman in that cursed armor acted out. A wild beast that screeched like an animal, while the other girl showed strength but lacked any real skill in a fight. The only one he saw with any skill though was just a weakling human that could be crushed with pure might while the golem was just mindless. It was clear that he had this tournament in the bag.

And now, all he had to do was act. So first thing first, "Ryuunosuke." Getting some minor assistance from the bug that summoned him.

Looking away from his new work, a small model with hair as grass, Ryuunosuke asked,"Yeah, buddy?"

"I'd like to know a bit more about this city. The sights and the like." Then the hunting for the six could begin. With Number 96 actually having an idea on who to target first.

'I always did like tormenting teenagers.'

A slam could be heard, followed by a long grunt. Next to Maiya, Irisviel flinched while Maiya held the same dull expression, but with much thinner lips. Looking at the two, Irisviel could tell why they felt this way.

"She refused to listen to any commands given to her and knocked me out in the middle of the battle." Despite speaking in a low tone, Irisviel could hear the bubbling anger that Kiritsugu had as he spoke to them. His sitting posture, once professional, now slouched from the shock that had happened last night.

A night that ended in absolute failure.

'Still…we did get some information.' Is the words Irisviel wanted to say, to cheer Kiritsugu up, but instead of saying it, Irisviel continued to stay silent. Knowing such words would do little to cheer her beloved up, and who could blame him.

Up until this moment, ever since summoning Rider, she had always been seemingly obedient to them. Granted, Rider did seem to only reluctantly obey Irisviel, outright dismissive to most things, including her daughter Illya whenever she asked to play. But other than that, Rider never once disobeyed Kiritsugu's orders.

'But this time, she did.' She left Irisviel alone. She went and caused a disaster, including casualties without notice. She refused to listen to anything Kiritsugu had to say during her fight, in spite of the lack of progress she was making. Then, to top it off, Rider attacked Kiritsugu and harmed him. Then without a moment's notice she left the battlefield, leaving Maiya behind.

The latter of which was forced to flee to not get caught and later found Irisviel who had no idea the fight was already over. Once the two of them came back to the Einzbern manor outside the city they met up with Kiritsugu in the meeting room. Having regained consciousness the three of them overviewed what they knew and what happened. It just so happened Rider wasn't with them this time around.

"Perhaps this behavior could be correlated to her legend." Maiya, wishing to be helpful, offered her insight into the situation.

"Perhaps." Kiritsugu agreed. "However, we have nothing on her legend." The sheath of Avalon, the greatest catalyst gifted to Kiritsugu to summon the legendary King of Knights, King Arthur. Instead, they got someone completely unknown. "I've attempted to see just what legend she's part of, but I've found nothing."

"Likewise." Maiya admitted. "Rider's legend, whatever it is, has either been scrubbed from history or isn't very well known."

"But that wouldn't make sense….would it?" Speaking her mind, Irisviel gave her own thoughts. "I mean, you've surely seen what she can do." Facing Kiritsugu, Irisviel added, "From what Maiya told me, Rider possesses immense strength and speed, followed by unnaturally advanced armor. That has to mean something."

"..." Sitting back, Kiritsugu looked as if he wanted to grab a cigar. To return back to his old habits before he met Irisviel. Eyes knitting themselves while his lips peeled back. "...I admit, it is odd that I can find no…reference to her history. Especially with how modern she looks."

Her outfit, her sword, her very armor, all of that just screamed advanced. She didn't appear so much as a historical legend, but instead someone from a scientific story that Kiritsugu heard about.

"But it doesn't matter." Kiritsugu then put down his foot. "I do not care about her history. What I care about is her disobedience."

Irisviel flinched at his wording, as if it hit her directly. Old memories rousing up, where to her own surprise, Irisviel said, "When you say it like that...it sounds as if she's a tool. A…weapon." Which felt rather wrong to Irisviel in her opinion. Though if Kiritsugu noticed her expression, he either didn't comment on it or ignored it.

Instead, going out and saying, "That is what she is. A tool." It was blunt. He spoke as if it were a fact. "In the end, she isn't even a person. Just a spirit brought back, formed from whatever ideals that made her. All to fight on a Master's behalf." So what if she had her own thoughts and emotions?

As a spirit, anything she learned would just go away once she went back to the Throne of Heroes. That's all a Servant was in the end. A tool to be summoned, and a tool to be used. "It's delusional to think otherwise."

"..." Irisviel stayed silent, with Maiya being much the same. Yet while the former looked just a bit hurt, the latter showed no signs of betrayal of what Kiritsugu said. If anything, she actually seemed to agreed with Kiritsugu's words. Because nothing he said was entirely untrue.

Still, it didn't change one fact. Putting a hand on his forehead, Kiritsugu admitted, "However, I cannot deny her emotions, her temper is a problem." Up until the battle, Rider never portrayed any meaningful emotion. Silent. Curt. For the past week she stayed at the Einzbern home with him and his family; when summoned, Rider acted almost similarly to him.

Kiritsugu supposed that the reason for that was because there was no reason for her to act out back then. Not that her current attitude would be good for the current situation. If she continued acting like this for the rest of the war, then Kiritsugu may as well raise the white flag. Her inability to heed his words would cripple his pursuit in winning the Holy Grail.

'Unless…' Narrowing his eyes, Kiritsugu had an idea that may work. "I suppose we can still make this work." Maiya and Irisviel looked at him, hearing him out. "While her attitude is a problem, in the end, my goal was always to kill the other Masters to ensure their Servants stayed dead."

"You plan on using her as before then? To gather the other Masters' attention onto her just like the fight at the construction site." Maiya made the connection. "Make them focus on her alongside their Servants, and strike them from behind."

"Correct." It was the same plan he had attempted before. When he was about to kill El-Melloi while he was focused on the battle, Kiritsugu would snipe him before Kayneth even realized he was a dead man. "While it's a disadvantage that Rider won't listen, perhaps I can use that personality of hers to my advantage. And if worse comes to worse, well," Kiritsugu laid out his right hand with the Command Seals. "As long as I'm careful, I can simply command her from afar."

"It's certainly worth considering." Already Maiya was in agreement. Not minding at all the manipulation of a young girl, who in the end, wasn't even a human in the first place. "At the very least, we can ensure she won't prevent us from assassinating the Masters. And while she lacks any proficiency, she just might kill some Servants."

"Correct." Kiritsugu nodded to Maiya. "As long as we use her right, we can still win this." Where at long last the cycle of pointless murder and war can at last end. A goal that Kiritsugu found the most noble of all, and worth any price that had to be paid.

"...I…Suppose that's true." As for Irisviel, she could only agree with the two of them. Knowing that unlike them, she didn't hold any ability to strategize or plan like them. As such, any suggestions to say otherwise would fail considering that she had no other alternative to offer them.

Meaning Irisviel would have to accept their plan, whether she liked it or not.

"..." All while Rider stayed silent, as she leaned back against the door. Currently in her spirit form, thus, undetectable unless someone actively searched for her. Having snuck into their meeting out of curiosity alone. Able to listen in when everyone thought she was elsewhere.

With her fists clenching themselves together as she gritted her teeth. Recalling what her Master just said about her. His thoughts of her as he claimed the one thing she despised.

"That is what she is. A tool."

A tool.

That's all he saw her as.

A tool.

"In the end, she isn't even a person."

Rider gritted her teeth further, as if she were trying to crush them into dust. Her lips formed a snarl.

She is a human!

Only a human could unleash the power of a Sky Striker Ace. To fight at their greatest potential. No one else. Not even the Three Pillars that ran Spectra!

Yet despite that prevalent thought going through her mind, Rider then gave a look at something that only she could see. Something her Master called a status that all Servants had. One that listed her parameters and skills. Supposed representations of who she is.

Which included two skills that she hated the most. Personal Skills she couldn't help but loath whenever she looked at it. One she didn't want anyone to see, including herself.

Personal Skills: Artificial Human C

Battle Continuation: B

Artificial Human… A skill that represented the fact that she wasn't a human, a pure human anyway. One that held the same biological functions of an actual person, but born differently and then her own growth accelerated by her father. Lacking certain parts that a human also had, primarily, something known as emotional growth.

Then Battle Continuation. A simple skill that allowed her to fight for longer, even with mortal wounds. Nothing that would be too bad, if it weren't for the description that came with it:

As a cloned human, the user has been grown and raised for the specific purpose of fighting her enemies to the very end. Programmed to not give in and utilized no matter who her enemies are.

Programmed. Cloned. Words that once held no meaning to her before, but now…

"You are the ultimate weapon made by Spectra." Those words he even said to her when she first woke up, became more hurtful than she once thought. How he considered her a weapon. And a weapon was just another word for tool. Meaning her Master saw her as the same as her father.

"Well…two can play that game." Rider hissed as she held back, tempted to just burst into the room and stab her Master through the chest, then kill the other two just for the heck of it.

Especially the white-haired woman. When she was stuck waiting in their other home, back where she could do nothing but wait, she heard from the small white-hair girl how she and the woman were both actually-

'Rider.' Kiritsugu called out to Rider, making her flinch. For a moment, she wondered if she had been caught in her own thoughts. 'Come here, please. I have some suggestions for you in order to aid you.'

Rider resisted the urge to scoff through their mental link. It seemed he didn't know that she had just been listening in on them. And 'please'? He never said that word before. Was that just a way for him to control her, to be his loyal puppet on strings? Well, she would soon give him a rude awakening.

"I'll be there in a minute." If he thought he would just control her, and later use the Command Seals, then he had another thing coming. 'I'll play your game for now, Kiritsugu.' She'll obey him for the moment. When the time came she would dispose of that wretched human and take the Holy Grail for herself. Then she could make the wish she long desired and watch as Kiritsugu could do nothing but see Roze finding joy while he found despair.

Where there would be nothing he or anybody in this war could do to stop her.

I was going to write more, but I felt that this was enough. And in any case, here we see some viewpoints after the battle. And needless to say, some are a little upset; Roze. Where we see her Personal Skills, which she really hates for good reason.

We also get the last Servant seen. None other than Number 96: Dark Mist, Assassin. And like any narcist, he doesn't like that he has a Master. But hey, if he can put up with Vector, then he can handle Ryuunosuke.

Anyway, guess we'll see how Kariya is doing next alongside Archer who's been gone for a while. In the meantime, enjoy Dark Mists Servant sheet. Because despite being the weakest Servant right now, he potentially can be the strongest Servant.

Name: Number 96: Dark Mist

Master: Uryu Ryuunosuke

Servant Class: Assassin

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Strength: D - ?

Endurance: E - ?

Agility: E - ?

Mana: D - ?

Luck: C

Noble Phantasm: A

Class Skills:

Presence Concealment: C

Independent Action: B

Number 96 holds this Skill due to being a Number that could travel on its own. Not needing a Master and can last for days without one.

Personal Skills:

Duel Spirit: E (B)

Unlike most spirits or wraiths, Number 96: Dark Mist, is a spirit that comes from the world beyond earth. And like most Duel Spirits, is capable of dueling others in the popular duel monsters card game. Normally this skill would be ranked at B, but due to the current world having no duel monsters game, it's reduced to E.

Spirit Partner: E

Number 96: Dark Mist would normally not have this skill, due to any 'partnership' he has with a human being abusive and toxic, in contrast to other more benevolent Spirit Partners. But due to being 'partnered' with a Master as a Servant, he gained the skill but at its lowest rank.

Divinity: E

Number 96: Dark Mist was unique amongst most the Number Cards due to being a small shard of Don Thousand, a God-Like being of Barian World.

Number Wall (-):

A Personal Skill all Number monsters have that protects them from being destroyed in battle or effect by non-Numbers. Though certain Noble Phantasm, divinity, or specific skills can potentially bypass this protection.

Noble Phantasm(s):

Shadow Gain (Anti-Unit) (A):

In battle, Number 96 can use this ability to permanently steal a single individual's magical energy and cut it in half. Increasing his own and increasing up all his parameters excluding Luck. However, he can only use this Noble Phantasm three times.

Whiplash Whirlwind (Anti-Unit) (C):

In his monster form, Dark Mist extends his tendrils to deal damage to a single foe with devastating results.

Possession (Anti-Unit) (D):

Number 96 can possess humans and control or inhabit them. Only those with strong wills or protection can resist or outright rebuff his attempts at the possession which can harm the user.

Number 96 can also use this to survive even his own Master's destruction.

Independent Summoning (Anti-Self) (C):

Number 96 can summon his 'other-half', Number 96: Dark Mist itself for aid in battle.

Rank-Up Magic Barian Force (Anti-Self) (B):

This Noble Phantasm increases the Divinity of Number 96 to B Rank while simultaneously changing all Parameters and ranking Saint Graph into a higher state. Allowing Number 96: Dark Mist to become NumberC96: Dark Storm and attack much more ferociously with new abilities alongside it. Can only be used once.