Fate: Oppression

by Gavius

Alaya is gone. The Counter Force is gone. Without them, the Throne of Heroes released all the Heroes on Earth against the planet's will. When Gaia sensed that the World is on the brink of collapse, she sent its First Hero to fix the mess. Now, Shirou Emiya has to save the day once again. What can a Retired God, a Treacherous Knight and a Boastful King do to save the planet? [AU]

13. Chapter 12 - Arc III

DISCLAIMER: I do not take credit from the Fate universe and its characters. The rights and credits go to the original authors.

Read the notes in the first chapter if you haven't done it already.

This is my very first story. I'm confident in my grammar, but if there are any mistakes, then let me know and I'll try to figure out how to fix them as soon as I have time.

Hope you enjoy.

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FATE/Oppression
-Arc III-

Chapter 12

Planet: Earth
Date: May 25 2020
Location: Unnamed district – Butte aux Cailles (Paris - France)

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"M-M-Mommy, get up, please."

It was useless.

"M-Mommy, I-I beg you... we have to g-go home!"

It was utterly useless.

Laeticia looked with wide eyes dripping with tears at the lifeless body in front of her. Her mother lay in pool of red, with a hole at the center of her chest. Her face was blank, with lifeless eyes and expression, and she was missing her right arm. The same red liquid that had soaked the asphalt gushed from her missing limb and the hole in her chest. She didn't understand. It had all happened in a second. A moment before the two of them were running to escape from those monstrous creatures, and the next something wet and sudden had snapped in the air, and her mother had dropped to the ground, no longer moving.

Laeticia was scared.

A desperate sob escaped from her lips, followed by a fit of incessant hiccups. The five-year-old child gave another tug on her mother's body. "M-Mommy! Please!" she begged with a broken voice.

Again, no response. An explosion rang out in the distance, and the earth shook slightly for a couple of seconds. She could hear other people's screams of panic and fright as her hands gripped her mother's arm in an attempt to lift her up and run. Somewhere beyond the alley, a building blew up and the air filled with dust and smoke.

There was no hope around her.

A gruesome screech echoed suddenly. Laeticia spun around, still clinging to her mother's arm. Her tear-filled eyes could barely see the threat. Another hideous creature had appeared at the entrance of the narrow alley. It did not possess a discernible torso nor appendages, but was best described as a confused mass of tentacles with circular mouth-like openings marked with shark teeth-like blades. It was creepy and revolting to watch, and too confusing to describe. Laeticia had to restrain her urge to vomit as she watched it in horror and fear.

Still, terror got the better of horror. The little girl burst into tears, sobbing frantically as she reacted instinctively. She ran, abandoning her mother and fleeing even deeper into the alley. Without even turning, out of the corner of her eye, she could barely see that monstrous creature multiplying with a hiss and a screech, moving grotesquely in an attempt to chase her. The sheer fear and instinct gripping her stomach were the only things that allowed her to forget everything and keep running.

She bumped into a garbage can, but kept running despite the yelp of pain and fear. She came out of the alley, panting and crying, and ran without ever stopping. She reached a side street in the neighborhood, with no idea of where she was, but she kept running nontheless. There was no one in sight, and the screams and explosions still echoed in the city. Behind her, the creature had now multiplied. There were ten of them, and they were still chasing her relentlessly. Their horrifying screech almost made her ears bleed. Laeticia wept as she kept running in despair.

Eventually, she tripped over something. She fell to the ground, grazing her knees and legs. She hissed with a sob, trying to hold back the pain as she struggled to get back on her feet. But it was too late. The monsters were a few feet away from her now, their tentacles flapping wildly in the air and their toothed mouths moving closer and closer. There was nothing to do. Nowhere to escape. She was finished.

Laeticia let out a helpless cry and shut her eyes as she waited for her incoming end.

But it didn't came.

A dull thud echoed around her, followed by the sound of something tearing and breaking apart. The hissing of the monsters grew louder and more gruesome, before dropping completely after a couple of seconds. Something heavy and metallic hissed through the air, followed by the monster's screams. Finally, silence and darkness surrounded her again, and the child remained motionless on the ground, trembling and frightened, covering her face with her arms. She didn't even dare to open her eyes in terror.

"Are you ok, child?"

An angelic voice broke the silence around her.

The little girl slowly opened her eyes.

Amidst the tears, a luminous and reassuring figure stood before her. A woman, a young girl, with long golden hair and amethyst-colored eyes that were pure and clear as water. She possessed a wondrous beauty that scarcely felt real, a mixture of precise and molded beauty of a maiden and a kind of cuteness that made one's heart flutter just by being nearby. She also wore a purple armored battle-dress and a silver head-piece, making her look like a warrior of some kind.

Laeticia's eyes widened and she held her breath in shock and awe.

The girl knelt in front of her, offering her a hand and a sweet smile. "Come, child, do not be afraid. I won't hurt you. I promise," she said in a soft, warm voice, extremely reassuring.

With no small hesitation, the little girl took her hand and stood up, still shaken and frightened. Her eyes darted in all directions in fear, wary of any possible threat.

"Don't worry, the monsters are gone now," the mysterious heroine spoke again, putting a hand on her head. "But you shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous. Tell me, where are your parents?"

Laeticia's only reaction was bursting into tears and sobbing.

"...I see."

Suddenly, the child found herself held in a hug, wrapped in the arms of the young girl as she continued to cry and despair. Laeticia clung to her for dear life, crying and shedding tears on the girl's dress as she buried her face against her shoulder. She didn't seem to care. Something warm and reassuring began to well inside her as she remained wrapped in the stranger's arms. Between tears and sobs, the child vaguely realized that the girl smelled of roses and water, and that smell served to calm her down slightly.

"I'm sorry for your loss, dear. I'm so very sorry," she whispered softly to her in a sweet, understanding voice filled with compassion.

When they broke the embrace after an indefinite amount of time, Laeticia hiccupped one last time and tried to wipe away the tears. It was useless, though. She didn't even realize that the grazes on her legs and knees were completely gone, healed in some mysterious way.

The girl offered her a sad smile. "What's your name, sweetie?"

She sniffled a little. "L-Laeticia..."

The girl nodded reassuringly. She stroked her cheeks and wiped away another tear. "Let's get you somewhere safe, Laeticia," she said with a determined smile.

The little girl nodded shyly. She didn't even try to protest as the young girl picked her up and held her in her arms. There was something warm, and reassuring, and comfortable about her. Something the little girl couldn't make out. How could she, after all? She was but a child. A terrified child who had lost her family. She couldn't have any idea about what was going on.

The only thing she understood was that as soon as the mysterious heroine lifted her into her arms, for some strange reason, a sudden feeling of total relief washed over her like a wave. Her mind became blurred after that overwhelming train of emotions, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

And then, the little girl fell into an induced sleep, letting herself be lulled by the girl's gentle embrace.

---

(======)

The smile faded from the Servant's face.

The girl rose slowly from her kneeling position, the child still firmly held in her arms. Slowly, her eyes narrowed and she turned to glare at the looming threat: a swarm of horrifying monsters appeared out of nowhere from the roofs of the surrounding buildings. The beasts landed on the road with a liquid thud, gruesome in both appearance and movement. They must have sensed her presence, she realized immediately, chasing her even here, far from the previous epicenter. This awareness generated something cold and heavy inside her stomach.

This horde was decidedly more dangerous than the previous one, and it still didn't seem close to stop.

The Servant turned, barely holding back her disgust from her blank face as she stared at those misshapen life forms. She knew what they were. This was the second time in less than three days that she was fighting against the same creatures again: water demons.

Horrible creatures without a discernible torso nor appendages, best described as masses of tentacles with circular mouth-like openings marked with shark teeth-like blades. They were shorter than a man, but some of them could be larger than others. Their appendages were heavily spiked, serrated and covered with either eyes, suction cups, spines, papulae or all of them. Each tentacle contained an additional mouth which split open to reveal them, and had some form of elasticity to their limbs to allowed them to reach and bind their target from a distance. They also possessed some regenerative powers to non-lethal wounds, even crippling ones such as lost limbs. Their innards could spew a black mist-like gas that would cause lung corrosion in a normal human, and could also spit a purple, viscous acid that was also a paralyzing agent.

Truly, a decidedly revolting enemy to face. Especially in such numbers.

Still, they were no threat to her. The girl held the child with one arm only, summoning with her free hand her main weapon: a long battle flag with a spear-point at the tip. The demons hissed at her, coming closer and closer, menacingly waving their tentacles in the air.

"...cease your mad pursuit, foul creatures," she said seriously, her eyes narrowed and serious like never before. "You will not harm the child."

The only answer she got was a furious schreech. The demons lunged forward, spitting a jet of acid at her from their misshapen mouths. She reacted instantly. With a single jump, she dodged the incoming attacks and landed on the vertical wall of a house, using it as a launch point. Then, with a jerk of the legs and a lunge forward, she dashed towards the monsters and wielded her battle flag with ease and mastery. The beasts stretched their tentacles, aiming for her arms and legs, but she wouldn't let herself be caught off guard. In less than two seconds, she cut off all the tentacles directed at her, and tore apart and sliced every monster in her way without the slightest hesitation. The demons screamed and tried to defend themselves in vain, but eventually failed. They dissolved in pools of acid, blood and a dust of prana after two minutes.

Left alone after all that mess, the girl wasted no time. With another portentous leap, she took herself to the roof of a tall house and observed the view of the city, her battle flag flapping in the wind and the little girl still asleep in her arm, her face resting softly on her shoulder.

The Servant narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the sight under the moonlight.

Paris was a breathtaking view. Ever since she had come here after the summoning, almost over two weeks ago now, she had immediately realized how much this city had changed from when she was still alive. Back then, it was nothing but a small village in the middle of the French countryside, but now... now, the capital was a gigantic succession of buildings – not too tall, but incalculable in number – monuments, churches, castles and endless streets. You couldn't see the end of it even from here. There were loads of lights, countelss attractions, endless wonders to see; and the giant Eiffel Tower and its lights were visible even from here, so far away. Definitely a different sight from the one she remembered. One that would normally have left her off-guard and in awe, given her humble life and poor origins. She was but a simple farm girl, after all.

Yet, despite this breathtaking view, she found no joy in seeing that wonder right now.

Because the city, after two days and for the second time in a row, had fallen under attack from those monsters and, likely, unknown Servants.

She could clearly see it from the elevated point where she was standing. Several buildings in the eastern area of the city were on fire, some of them even collapsed by now. Those revolting demons had invaded several districts and residential neighborhoods. A lot of people were running away in panic and terror from the critical area. The police forces were unable to handle this chaos. The destruction and death toll was escalating by second. She could already feel the rising number of deads with her enhanced senses.

Yes, the situation was not yet as critical as what had happened in Edinburgh – she had seen the news during the previous days – but at this rate it could escalate quickly.

This was the second time in a week that these hideous creatures had attacked Paris. It couldn't be a simple coincidence. There had to be someone behind this. And that meant only one thing: a Servant.

But she doubted that the responsible for all this was one of... those two. Those two were another problem entirely – she couldn't deny this, unfortunately – but they wouldn't stoop so low to use such horrendous methods in order to reach their goals in their 'private war'.

No, this had to be the work of a new Servant. One she hadn't met yet.

The girl tightened her grip on her battle flag. She had to do something again. This wasn't supposed to be happening right now. It wasn't supposed to happen ever. The Holy Grail War was not supposed to play out this way. It was against the rules. It was unfair. To seize entire cities in the conflict, to kill and terrorize defenseless civilian, to utterly destroy and step on everything in the world... it was just plain wrong. This was not the way. This was unbridled and unwarranted cruelty. This... This was hell.

The Servant whipered out a silent prayer.

'Oh Lord... please have mercy on us. Give me strenght to stop this.'

The girl steeled her resolve. She knew she had to stop the attack before it was too late. At this rate, other civilians and innocents were gonna lose their lives. Still, her eyes flickered to the sleeping child in her arms. The Servant knew she couldn't take her to the shelter right now. Not yet. As much as she wanted to bring her to safety, she had to act fast and stop this madness before taking her to Shirou.

She wasted no more time. With a series of powerful leaps, the Servant leapt from roof to roof and entered the main district of the capital, heading for the nearest aggregation facility. She stopped after two minutes, in front of a large hotel in a residential area untouched by the destruction. She hurried in, ignored the receptionist and the panicked people gathered in the entrance hall, and gently placed the child on an empty armchair, careful not to wake her in her haste.

A man ran towards her with a panicked look. "M-Ma'am! It's too dangerous to go outside. You should-"

"Take care of the child," she cut him off seriously, without even glancing at him. "I'll come back for her."

That being said, she dashed outside the hotel again and headed back to the area hit by the attack. She reached the epicenter of the assault with unprecedented speed: Tuileries Garden. A public garden located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement. However, despite the elegance of the gigantic garden and the immense amount of tourist attractions that could be seen in that area, the view that was in front of her now was not the best: an immense mass of bloody and torn corpses, mainly policemen and law enforcement men. Among them, much to her enormous bewilderment and horror, there were also children.

And Demons. Those loathsome demons were everywhere. They had infested the park like a swarm of insects, attacking anyone in sight and ruining and destroying everything that came before them. The Servant gritted her teeth in anger. This situation was unacceptable. She could not allow them to continue to act undisturbed.

She destroyed the first horde with a single high jump. The girl landed in the midst of a group of twenty tentaculous demons and slammed the battle flag across the ground, generating a riot wave that cut and shredded all of them. Then she dashed to the left, attacking another horde that came from the east. She impaled a monster with the pointed tip of her flag, and then rotated it to defend herself against a series of tentacles that lunged at her form all sides, severing them as if they were made of paper. The demons' severed limbs fell to the ground in pools of blood and green acid.

Still, there seemed to be no end to the horde that was assaulting her. Other demons suddenly appeared out of nowhere, some of them coming to life from the destroyed bodies of others or their severed limbs. The girl had to hold back a growl of frustration at the sight. They truly were repulsive creatures.

But she didn't give up. With a battle cry and a renewed determination, she assaulted them all relentlessly, attacking and destroying any monster that dared to stand in her way. And after an incessant series of lunges, cuts, dodges and portentous leaps, all the demons in the main area of the gardens were completely obliterated. In less than five minutes, the main street of the park and several surrounding areas were cleared by her.

The sound of screams and gunfire rang out in the distance. The Servant turned in direction of the sound, her eyes narrowed in seriousness and suspicion. She swirled her battle flag in her hand, before setting off to run towards the commotion she was feeling and hearing. Thanks to her enhanced senses and her abilities due to her famous legend, it took her little time to reach the cause of this confusion: another assault. A group of civilians had been surrounded by a horde of demons, at least a dozen of them, in the middle of a sideway street close to the gardens. Among the group of terrified innocents, a policeman was desperately trying to drive away the beasts by firing a gun at them, but it was useless. The bullets hit the demons but the wounds and holes were instantly closed by magic. It was a useless effort.

But they hadn't taken into account her presence. With yet another jump, the girl landed on a demon with a crash, piercing it in the center of its body without any difficulty. Then, when she saw that the others had realized her presence and were trying to attack her, she dashed like a bolt of lightning and shot them down one by one, without any hesitation. In the blink of an eye, the civilians had been freed thanks to her.

"You saved us!"

"Fair Maiden!"

"Oh, thank God!"

"What are those monsters?"

"Thank you! Thank you, Fair Maiden!"

The policeman ran up to her, his eyes wide and full of recognition. He was still trembling in fear and tension. "Y-You! You're the mysterious heroine who-"

"It's dangerous here," she interrupted him with a serious gaze. "Please, dear citizens, turn back and go away. Reach for the shelters, you'll be safe there."

The policeman swallowed and shook his head, a trickle of sweat dripping from his temple. "We can't. All the main roads are crowded by those creatures. I've lost contact with the units in position. They must have been killed," he replied, frantic.

The Servant narrowed her eyes. "Then I'll escort you back to safety," she said seriously. "Please follow me and stay close. I'll guide you to the entrance of the catacombs."

The sheer relief that appeared on everyone's faces was indescribable.

"Thank you so much!"

"Fair Maiden, we n-"

In less than a second, it disappeared.

The girl stiffened. Her eyes widened in horror.

It all happened suddenly. Without a single warning, the policeman and all civilians along with him stiffened for no reason. Then, their bodies twisted and bended in agony as something slimy and liquid seemed to move under their skin. The girl watched in sheer horror and confusion as they all screamed their agony at the sky, before collapsing to the ground. Then, their bodies literally exploded from within, bursting into piles of blood and guts. Her wide eyes turned cold in anger and outrage. Other demons had been roused to life from their bodies, killing them without any hesitation in that gruesome, twisted way. And still, a moment later, as if that scene hadn't been gruesome enough already, she glanced around and found herself surrounded by the newly formed demons once again.

It had been a distraction.

The girl hissed with a scowl and turned her battle flag on them, preparing to attack again, but she had no way of doing so. A moment later, in fact, her body became heavy and something twisted inside her navel. A feeling of familiarity and disgust pervaded her, clouding her mind for a second. She also vaguely realized that the demons weren't attacking her, oddly enough. What was happening right now?

"Aaah! What a nostalgic sight!"

The Servant widened her eyes. 'T-This voice...'

She whirled around, her senses already detecting the new presence behind her. There, amidst a mass of black and purple smoke, a figure mysteriously appeared before her very own eyes, surrounded by another group of sprawling and deformed demons. A familiar figure. A Servant.

And as soon as she saw the newcomer, the girl's breath died in her lungs. "It can't be..." she whispered with an incredulous face.

A young face without a single crease. The man had huge, rolling eyes and oily, glistening cheeks; with a muscular and tall build. Along with the deathly pallor of his face, those abnormally big eyes easily reminded one of nocturnal animals. His garments too were quite odd and were definitely queer. A luxurious robe of ancient design; sanguineous scarlet patterns adorned the pitch-black fabric. He donned an inky black cassock, and an evil aura reeled about it. Also, the patterns dyed crimson red on the cloth were as if stained with blood. His figure, tall enough to reach the clouds, was wrapped in a much-folded robe, decorated with luxurious latches made of precious metals; his whole style looked exactly like some "evil magician" from ancient past.

And yet, that man was unmistakable to her. She knew who he was. She knew, with a crystalline certainty despite the immense disbelief that was drowning her at the sight of him. After all, how could she forget one of her comrades in arms? There was no way.

The girl stared at him with wide, incredulous eyes. "G-Gilles?"

The odd-looking man smiled – a creepy, twisted smile – and bowed deeply to her. "I've come for you, my holy virgin," he spoke with a broken, crazed voice. "Oh! What a joyous day! To finally be reunited with you after all this time! My heart is about to explode! OOOH!"

She stared at him with pure disbelief as he yelled with a crazy, bellowing scream of elation. "...i-is it really you, Gilles?" she stuttered, still unable to recover from shock. "You look... different."

He tilted his head with a creepy, extremely creepy smile. "This is who I am! What I've become after you died! And now, all my efforts have paid off, my prayers have been answered! My one prayer has been for your resurrection, and I've spent my life waiting for a miracle to reunite us! To that end, I've come all this way, to the end of time… Jeanne!"

The girl, Jeanne, clenched her fists as she watched the demons around her. It didn't take her long to understand how things were... much to her horror and disbelief. "You…" she spoke, her voice low and filled with disbelief. "Are you the one who summoned these monsters? The one who caused all this?"

The other Servant broke into a mad laugh. His smile became even more twisted. "Indeed. Indeed! It was all my doing! It was the only way. The only way, you see? You came out. I knew you'd come out if I caught the world's attention! It was fate!"

Her arms trembled in anger and outrage. "...how could you?" she hissed with an incredulous indignation. "Gilles... you attacked and killed countless lives. You're destroying an entire city. That's goes against everything we stood for in life!"

Gilles punched the ground, staring at her with wide, crazed eyes. The ground cracked under his fist. "It doesn't matter! You came back to me, my holy virgin! We're finally toge-"

"It doesn't matter?" she repeated, incredulous. "Have you gone mad?"

He only smiled wider. "Jeanne... the Holy Grail War has ended! The Grail has chosen me, Gilles de Rais, with no fighting at all! It spoke to me! It said my wish had come true! For you see, my only wish, the resurrection of Jeanne d'Arc, has been already granted! There's no use in fighting anymore!"

Jeanne stared blankly, her eyes filled with shame and disbelief. "…just for this? You caused all these deaths just for this?" she shook her head, unable to understand. "Gilles, my old friend… what have you become? This goes against the Lord's words. Everything we fought and bled for in our past. Our Lord-"

"YOU STILL PERSIST IN REMAINING FAITHFUL TO GOD!?" he suddenly cut her off with a shrill cry.

The girl hesitated with a jolt of fear, staring with wide eyes at his cruel, twitsted expression. The mad Servant was watching her with a look of disbelief and shocked outrage. "After all you've been through? After being forced to the stake? You still remain tied to the cruel Divine will?" he continued to scream.

"...I offered my life, my body, my entire existence to the Lord," she spoke with absolute conviction. "I shall never betray my oath. Not even after death."

Those words only served to make him fall into pain.

"Oooh… how tragic! How sad! How foolish!" he cried, theatrically raising his arms and shaking his head with a horrifing scowl. He even started to pull his hair out in fury and rage. "You're still blinded by your faith! By the faith of a false and cruel God! A God who burned you at the stake and gave you nothing but pain and suffering!"

"You're wrong!" she vehemently denied. Her expression was solemn and determined despite everything. "I knew from the start what was going to happen to me. I knew there would be no compensation for me. I knew I was to be scorned by the masses of both enemies and allies. Still, I could not, would not turn my back on the Lord's cry. That's why I decided to devote my life to oppose this world's hell. To help stop the Lord's tears and soothe Him. That's why I clad this armor on my body, hung a sword on my waist and carried this flag. That's why I'm still doing it even to this day, as a Lancer class Servant," she declared with decision.

"OHHH! NO MORE! SAY NO MORE, JEANNE!" he cried even more; sad, incredulous tears starting to well in his eyes. He looked down, his body shaking with sobs.

"Curse him..."

Jeanne watched him with a worried expression.

"CURSE HIM!"

Gilles started screaming, furiously banging his fists on the ground. "To inflict such cruel tortures upon my beautiful maiden! To keep her bound to his cruel will even after her death! CURSE YOU, GOD!" he screamed with crazed face and voice.

"Enough, Gilles! You're embarrassing yourself!" she exclaimed strongly. "You've fallen into madness, my friend. Your mind has been twisted by anger and pain. Snap out of it."

"No, Jeanne!" he replied fiercely. "Awaken yourself! You continue to cling to a God who is cruel is sadistic! A God who abandons men and has forsaken them! You cannot be so foolish! I WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO KEEP YOU AWAY FROM ME!"

The golden-haired girl looked at him for several seconds in silence. A sad, compassionate expression morphed her features.

"Gilles, I'm sorry. My death has caused you so much pain and suffering... but what you did today cannot be justified. You've fallen into madness, my old friend. You've killed and attacked innocent lives just to lure me out from the shadows. You've compromised the peace of the city and the lives of countless people just to force me out from hiding. All you had to do wa- "

"That's exactly why!" he cried fiercely. Another punch was struck on the ground, splitting the concrete and asphalt. "All my deeds! All those cruel deeds I performed here and in life... they're proof! PROOF! I did this to prove you that God is absent! He should punish such actions! Such injustices! Such cruelty! But he doesn't! He doesn't, Jeanne! He is cruel, ruthless, insensitive! HE TOOK YOU AWAY FROM ME!"

Jeanne closed her eyes, a lone tear falling from her right eye. "...no, my friend," she said slowly. The mad Servant paused, flabbergasted, staring at her with wide eyes as she steeled her resolve. "It's not up to us to judge the Divine will. But I know one thing, Gilles. The Lord does not leave the wicked unpunished. And right now, as much as it pains me, I can't allow you to keep spreading this destruction and death. Your punishment for the crimes you have committed..."

She pointed her battle flag at him – against him – staring at her former friend with a solemn gaze.

"Is me."

Gilles stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Has your heart been sealed so tightly?" he whispered with his crazy voice. Then, he closed his eyes, his expression becoming solemn despite the mad frown twisting his features. "Very well, then. If drastic measures are called for… I will not hesitate."

Jeanne braced herself for the inevitable. But no matter how hard she tried to make her resolve stronger and more resolute, she wasn't prepared to see what happened next.

"I swear to you, Jeanne."

Gilles opened his robe, revealing a little child held in place by his hand.

Her eyes widened in shock and horror.

Laeticia.

"I will free you from God's curse."

She stared in dismay, shaking her head in disbelief. How did Gilles get the child? Why was she here? What was he-

Her heart stopped for a second. A stark, horrifying realization flashed through her mind. 'T-The people in the hotel!'

His hand gripped the girl's throat, choking her with no remorse whatsoever.

Jeanne gasped and held out a hand. "No! Stop it, Gilles! Stop!" she cried.

The little girl choked and kicked her legs desperately.

"How is it?" the asked with a cruel, twisted smile, making Jeanne narrow her eyes and grit her teeth in helpless rage. "How do you like this horrible sight? It pains you, does it not? How could God allow something like this?"

She gritted her teeth, unable to move in fear of the child's safety. Laeticia was starting to shed tears as she choked in his grip.

Gilles didn't seem to care. "Do you hate me? Yes, I'm sure you must. I'm sure you'll never forgive me for turning from God's love…" he spoke with a cruel, ironic tone.

"Enough! Unhand the child, Gilles!" she cried with desperate worry.

He grinned in an evil, cruel, twisted way. "Jeanne, if you so dearly wish to save the girl… then you must deny your oath and your faith in God," he ordered with a mocking voice. "Come on, renounce your fool-"

In less than a second, a punch hit the mad Servant square in the face. Gilles let out a shrill-like moan, releasing the child as he put his hands over his nose, writhing like an animal for the pain.

Jeanne retreated back, Laeticia now held firmly in her arms, aiming her long flag at her old friend and ally. The little girl coughed and cried as she tried to catch her breath, panting and burying her face against the older girl's shoulder.

But it wasn't over yet. As soon as Jeanne took the child, the demons around Gilles roused to life, uttering a high-pitched, horrible cry. They leapt at the Lancer, trying to attack her from all directions, but failed. With an unprecedented alertness, she brandished her weapon and teared down one by one all the misshapen beasts who tried to stop her. She ducked under a stretching tentacle, severed it soon after, and kicked away a second monster from the side. Then, she stabbed onother one with a swift motion of her free arm, leaping back from a jet of acid that hit the ground. She wouldn't let go of Laeticia even as she fought relentlessly, holding her firmly with one arm and defending her without the slightest hesitation.

Then, she sliced another demon in half, leaping away from the monsters summoned by Gilles and landing in the middle of an empty square. She placed the little girl on the ground, giving her a serious and tense expression as soon as they were distant from the enemy's range.

"Run, child. Go far, far away from here. I will distract the monsters."

She shook her head frantically, scared to death at the very thought of having to part from the only source of safety and protection she had left in that moment. "I-I-I can't. I..."

"Yes you can, little one. Listen to me-"

"I'm afraid I can't allow that, my beautiful maiden."

Jeanne clenched her teeth and turned abruptly, placing herself in front of the child and defending her with her whole figure. She pointed her battle flag at an empty spot, glaring at invisible air. Then, not even a second later, Gilles de Rais appeared again in a dust of prana, followed by his horde of demons. The deformed beasts encircled Jeanne and Laeticia again, and the little girl whimpered in terror and hugged the Servant's waist, trembling as she was scared to death.

The blonde girl tried to give her all the comfort she needed as she glared at her former friend. "Stop this madness, Gilles. Let the child go."

The only response the mad Servant gave her was an eerie smile. "Oh, Jeanne... How noble! How beautiful! Even God's beauty pales before you, holy virgin!" he bellowed with a pleased, disgusting voice; placing a hand on his chest with that repulsive smile of his. In his other hand, a book was suddenly summoned with a burst of dark-red energy. A book whose cover was downright horrible: a blindfolded face with mouth open in a silent scream.

Her words didn't seem to reach him. Her old friend had fallen too deep into madness. It was like talking to a wall. A wall capable of generating death, destruction and chaos due to an insane delusion. It was too late.

Taking a deep breath, she resigned herself to do what she had to. "...I swear upon this flag, by my true name. I will not hand over the child. And I will not allow you to hurt the folks of this land, Gilles," she spoke woth a serious expression. Her amethyst-colored eyes glared at Gilles with an icy and solemn determination. "Surrender now, or I will bring you down as a traitor and an enemy of peace."

What she got in response was a high-pitched, inhuman cry. Then, the entire horde of water demons surrounding the square leapt at them, aiming their tentacles and mouths at Jeanne and Laeticia. The little girl let out a cry of terror as she clung to the Servant for dear life.

But Jeanne reacted quickly. She slammed her flag on the ground, her weapon shining with golden and Divine light. With a cry and a mental command from its wielder, an immense explosion of golden energy was generated by the battle flag. A moment later, all the monsters were hit by the blast of energy, dismembering completely and collapsing to the ground in pools of blood and pulp of mangled flesh. All of them were destroyed, from the first to the last, without any exception. Then, in less than five seconds, silence fell back into the empty square.

Jeanne glared at her former friend.

Gilles merely smiled with his twisted face.

A moment later, as if by magic, the shredded mash of meat twitched. Then, it exploded into heaps of flesh and spawned more demons out of thin air, even more numerous than before. The new demons were smaller, but some of them immediately grew larger in size, reaching nearly two meters in height. Jeanne looked at them with a nervous expression, completely baffled by that gruesome display. It was as if killing them was useless. They literally regenerated themselves like nothing, even from a tiny piece of meat.

'How is it possible? Gilles would not be able to possess such high amount of prana. He was a knight, not a magus. But still, even if he's being summoned as a Caster, not even his mana can be infinite...' she thought suspiciously to herself.

Her eyes rested on the creepy book that her old friend held in his hand. She soon noticed that said book was surrounded by a veil of purplish and repulsive energy.

'...is that the source of his mana?' she realized, narrowing her eyes.

Then, she decided to voice her suspicions.

"That book… is it your Noble Phantasm?"

Gilles smiled ominously. "Indeed. The grimoire left me by my teacher Prélati. It gives me the means to command a demonic legion." His smile twisted in a cruel grin. "What do you think, Jeanne? It brings back memories, right? Everything is just as it was back then."

She gritted her teeth, reading her weapon and preparing herself once again. Laeticia was still clinging to her, shaking in fear.

"Your indomitable warrior's spirit and noble bearing… yes, they prove that you really are my beloved Jeanne d'Arc. But then, why? Why do you not see? How can you still believe in God's grace even now? Even when faced with mortal peril, you still believe a miracle will save you?" he cried while theatrically waving a hand, his voice rising with madness and disbelief.

Jeanne inwardly flinched at his words, but remained strong nontheless.

She would not give up. She would not crumble in front of him. She didn't have a single regret regarding her lifetime. She didn't wish for revenge, nor did she wish to be saved. She knew she had lived alone, and it was enough for her to know that. She'd chose to embrace that life, that sacrifice, in order to help the Lord. To bring His Tears to a stop.

She would never regret that.

Gilles shook his head with a crazy laugh. "How tragic… have you forgotten the Battle of Compiegne? Even after enduring that humilation, you still remain God's PUPPET!?" he screamed with rage, ordering his legion of demons to attack.

The monsters rushed forward once again.

Jeanne reacted on instinct. With a twist of her torso, she broke away from Laeticia and stood in front of her with the flag ready, tearing down two monsters who attempted to reach the child. She then spun her flag in front of her and destroyed three other water demons while avoiding a tentacle that attempted to grab her arm with a quick jump. Then, she rushed forward to impale another one, kicking away two of them as she closed range with them. She kept the monsters in front of her at bay, also paying careful attention to defend the child behind her.

The creatures' hisses and schreechs echoed through the air with eerie clarity. The blonde girl gritted her teeth as she sliced through yet another monster, before impaling another one with impressive speed. A well-placed punch was enough to destroy a giant demon that had jumped on her, and she used her legs to spin and slash another one with her flag, hurling its dead body at the horde.

A small cry echoed behind her.

Turning abruptly, Jeanne saw that a small monster had grabbed Laeticia without a warning, wrapping her leg with a tentacle and pulling her towards it. The little girl was crawling on the ground, desperately trying to free herself from the creature's grip.

Her eyes widened in horror. "NO! Laeti-ugh!"

The girl stumbled, feeling her balance crumble. A tentacle had grabbed her right leg too. She tried to slice it with a snarl, but she was too slow. Another tentacle grabbed her right arm right at that moment, and then her left one, and then her torso. Then, finally, one last tentacle wrapped itself around her neck, choking her with an inhuman grip.

Her battle flag fell from her hand, falling to the ground with a thud.

"G-Gugh!" she choked, desperately trying to free herself, but it was all in vain. Those hideous creatures were too strong now that they had grabbed her body and immobilized her. She was unable to move, and could only stare with gritted teeth as Gilles started to approach her body with a creepy, inhuman smile on his face. The sound of Laeticia's cries flooded her ears at the same time, and for an instant Jeanne was filled with the purest and deepest despair ever.

That's when it happened.

It was so fast that it was impossible to see or describe properly. A trail of red and black arrows suddenly rained down from the sky, hitting the demon's tentacles that were binding her and she was abruptly freed. Jeanne fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for several seconds as air returned to her lungs. At the same time, moreover, two bolts of energy – both of them made of a bright red color – shot through the demons from the right side of the square, and all the monsters were suddenly torn apart by an overwhelming and invisible charge. Some of them flew into the air, others simply exploded, and many more were thrown away like skittles, only to be struck by a swarm of blue lightning that rained from the sky and burned or electrocuted them like insects, followed by a thunderous laugh that echoed through the air from a distant location.

Jeanne gasped as she turned to see Laeticia being held safely in the arms of a tall, blonde womand dressed in blue and silver armor. A Servant, without a doubt, of sheer beauty and elegance. Maybe a Knight of some sort. A monster lay motionless at her feet, and she stepped on it with an steeled boot, destroying it completely.

"Are you hurt, child?" the woman asked, looking at the little girl with a small smile. Her voice was calm and collected and her face filled with reassuring decision.

The child shook her head, her eyes wide with confusion and amazement.

The Lancer stared at her with sheer shock. "W-Who are you?"

The woman glanced at her, but didn't have time to answer. A moment later, in fact, the two bolts of red energy that had killed the monsters around the square stopped right next to Jeanne, revealing themselves to be none other that two other Servants. An armored Knight with a horned helmet and some sort of samurai with red-hair who walked around shirtless with a long white cloak on his shoulder.

The armored Knight took a step forward, observing Gilles' distraught face with a gaze hidden by the helmet. "Target acquired," he said, pointing a large, intimidating broadsword at the twisted Caster.

"Hold still, kid. Don't engage yet," the red-haired samurai spoke quietly, his gaze solemn and cold as he dematerialized a long katana with a single thought. Then, he turned to Jeanne, offering her a reassuring smile and reaching out with a hand to help her get back on her feet. "Are you ok?" he asked in a calm, collected tone.

Jeanne stared at him, completely overwhelmed with amazement. Her cheeks turned slightly red, but she accepted his hand and slowly stood up with a bashful gaze. "T-Thank you..." was all she was able to say, still stunned by shock.

The newcomer nodded to her, and then focused his attention back on the enemy as he summoned a black bow and aimed it at the Caster. The woman in blue armor walked beside him, Laeticia still held in her arms. She then handed her back to Jeanne, watching as the child ran back to the Lancer, before turning towards the taller man. "The child is safe, Ruler."

"Good work. Don't lower your guard," he replied, eyes still glued to the enemy just like the Knight with the broadsword.

A ferocious, distorted cry echoed through the air. Everyone's attention turned back to Gilles, who was squirming furiously in annoyance with a twisted, angry expression. "Who are you!?" he cried with mad rage. "Who gave you leave to interfere with us!?"

Jeanne watched in amazement as the Knight stepped forward and pointed the broadsword at him. A few bolts of red lightning darted on the blade. "Shut your mouth, Caster. You're the one who summoned those monsters and attacked the city, aren't you? We'll be asking the questions," he spat back, with a voice more feminine than the Lancer expected.

"We saw you attack a defensless child in order to capture Lancer," the red-haired man also said, summoning a black arrow and placing it in his bow, ready to fire at any moment. "Involving civilians and innocents in the conflict goes against the rules of the Holy Grail War. You've committed an unforgivable crime. I won't stand by and do nothing while you endanger the whole city."

Gilles' already wide eyes widened even further, giving him a truly creepy look. Jeanne had to suppressed a shiver at the sight. Was that man really her old friend and comrade? Did he really become twisted and deformed to such an extent after her death? It was extremely sad to see.

"It was my prayer!" he cried out at the sky, pulling his hair out in a frenzy of madness. "It was my wish that brought her back to life! She is mine… every scrap of flesh, every drop of blood! Even her very soul is mine! You have no right to interefere between us!"

Jeanne shivered with horror and disgust.

The red-haired man stared with impassiveness. "…Caster. I won't comment on your notion of romance, but I won't allow you to endanger others any further. Your mad quest ends here and now."

"You call that romance!? He's a fucking pshyco, Ruler!"

The blonde woman next to the Knight shot him a glare. "Mordred, watch your language."

"Bite me!"

The man ignored them both. Jeanne stared as he aimed his bow with great dexterity and skill, shooting an arrow without any warning. The arrow hissed through the air like an invisible bullet, so quick and silent that it was impossible to see. Gilles has no way of reacting, no way to defend himself. All he could do was scream and gape...

...while the arrow hit the grimoire he was holding in his hand, sticking itself right in the middle of the cover.

And a moment later, all the demons around them exploded like living fountains of water and blood, pouring copious jets of crimson red liquid on the ground and flooding almost the entire square. Jeanne covered Leaticia's eyes to keep her from seeing that gruesome view, while the newly arrived Servants remained as impassive and solemn as before.

Gilles screamed at the sky, furiously pulling out his hair and grinding his teeth in a maddening, creepy way. His eyes twitched in endless rage and frustration as he waved his arms like a drunk man trying to keep his balance. It was a pathetic sight to behold, especially for Jeanne, who knew how different her friend used to be in the past.

"Damn you," Gilles screamed, glaring at the red-haired man with an horrendous snarl. "Damn you, damn you, damn you, DAMN YOU!"

The man merely smirked. "How did you like that?"

He was about to yell something, but the two Knights stepped forward and cut him off. "Prepare to die, monster," said the blonde woman.

Jeanne could literally feel the grin under the smaller one's helmet.

"Now, Rider!"

The Lancer widened her eyes, her head snapping towards the sky. There, with a bellowing laugh and unprecedented speed, a gigantic dark chariot darted through the air among the clouds, pulled by mighty bulls and guided by a tall, muscular Servant dressed in red and bronze. Jeanne saw the flying Servant raise a sword with a mighty roar, and suddenly a series of blue thunderbolts and lightnings rained down from the sky, hitting the Caster with an impressive speed, worthy of the fastest thunder.

Gilles didn't have time to do anything, he couldn't even defend himself. The electric shocks hit him in full, electrocuting him like an insect. The Caster let out a hoarse roar and a sharp cry of pain, screaming in a macabre manner. Jeanne winced at the sound of his screams, trying not to think about how distorted he had become compared to the past.

Then, after five seconds, the lightning stopped and Caster stood still, his body burned and his hair churned and steaming. His mouth was hung open and his eyes dim and lifeless. He collapsed to the ground without making a sound, and then he didn't move or uttered a word again.

Jeanne closed her eyes, whispering a silent prayer into her mind.

The mighty chariot landed beside them shortly thereafter, revealing the muscular Servant in all his glory: a tall, chiseled man with red hair and beard. He wore light bronze armor with a long red cloak; and he had a broad, satisfied smile on his face. He dismissed his chariot with a snap of his fingers and a grin. "Well, that went smoothly," he commented with a mighty laugh, putting his hands on the hips as he approached the others.

The golden-haired woman who had saved Laeticia nodded, putting a hand to her ear where – Jeanne only noticed it now – she wore a small, hidden earphone. "Blue team, the target has been hit. How's the situation with you?" she asked, talking to someone with a serious gaze and voice.

...

"No need. Hold your positions and keep an eye on the situation. There may be other Servants around. Paris is a huge city. Someone could take advantage of the chaos and try something when we least expect it."

...

"Very good. We'll be in touch. Red Team, out."

The woman turned her attention back to her friends. "Nothing new from the others. They killed the roaming demons, and they're now handling the civilians in the central district. I asked them to keep an eye on the situation from their side."

The others visibly relaxed after her words, lowering their weapons and sighing a little. Jeanne looked at them in total confusion, completely lost. She had no idea of what was happening, nor why so many Servants were apparently collaborating together as if it was a normal thing. Because it wasn't. It wasn't normal at all.

Even if she herself knew something about it.

The red-haired man turned to her, dissolving his bow and smiling at her with reassurance. "Are you ok, Lancer?" he asked her slowly, widening his smile. "Looks like we arrived just in time. I never thought we would find ourselves helping the Maid of Orleans in the flesh, right?"

She blinked in confusion, placing Laeticia on the ground. "Y-You... know my identity?"

The taller, muscular Servant – Rider, she remembered – let out a mighty laugh, drawing her attention immediately. "You must be joking, Lancer. We heard the news a few days ago. 'The mysterious and corageous heroine wielding a flag who defended the French capital and its people from a horde of monsters'," he quoted, repeating the writing he had read on a TV news a little while back. "You defended numerous civilians here in Paris during the assault two days ago, right? The Clock Tower immediately received notice of your presence here."

She swallowed with a little blush. She couldn't deny that her previous actions a few days ago hadn't exactly been 'hidden' from the eyes of the world... but she'd had no other choice. The people and civilians needed help, and it was her duty – her oath – to help and protect them in the Lord's name. It was one of the cardinal principles of her faith: Love your neighbor as yourself.

"I see. You work for this… Clock Tower, then? Where are you from?" she asked again.

The Knight in armor – Mordred, if she'd heard correctly – turned to her with obvious confusion. The girl noticed that her helmet suddenly snapped apart, revealing a slightly younger girl with golden hair and green eyes. She was incredibly similar to the older woman in blue armor, although her expression was much less elegant and collected compared to hers. "The heck? You don't know? The Clock Tower is in London. We came here from England," she explained with a raised brow and a bored face.

Jeanne blinked. "Oh."

She had no idea. She was but a simple farm girl with no education and heritage. She had been a simple warrior during her life, illiterate and ignorant of the world. Of course, after the summoning she had received quite a bit of knowledge about the modern era and the customs and traditions of the future – she was even able to read now, or understand different languages thanks to the fact that she was a Servant; even though she still wasn't able to write – but many things were still unknown to her. She hadn't exactly had time to learn and focus on this kind of things since she had been summoned back into the world.

A small hand tugged at her leg, drawing her attention.

Laeticia was looking at her and everyone else around her with wide eyes filled with wonder. "M-Miss... are you guys superheroes?" she asked with stupor, with the innocence typical of children.

She only blinked in confusion. "Huh? Superheroes?" she repeated, completely lost.

The Rider laughed at the question, followed by Mordred. They didn't know what a 'superhero' was, but that words just sounded awesome for them. "Hah! That's quite the description! I guess you can say that, little girl," he readily agreed with a captivating wink that made Laeticia's mouth gape in awe.

"We are, technically, Heroes," the female Knight admitted with a shrug and a grin.

The other man and the woman sighed at their antics. Then, the red-haired Servant looked at Jeanne with a serious face. "Lancer, the child is in danger here. You should take her back to her parents," he told her seriously.

The effect was immediate. Laeticia stiffened, blinked, and sniffled. Her eyes began to gradually well with tears. Then, she started to cry and weep in less than a second, in front of the stunned and confused looks of everyone except Jeanne who simply winced with a sigh.

The mysterious samurai scratched his neck with a contrite and regretful expression. It didn't take him long to realize that he had just reminded the little girl of her loss. "...sorry," he apologized with a flinch.

Jeanne shook her head, and picked up the child again. She gently rocked her for several seconds in her arms, and little by little, exactly as she did during their first meeting, she infused a little prana in her body to make her relax and release the tension. Because of this, the little girl stopped her crying little by little and then fell into a deep sleep in less than twenty seconds. When she was sound asleep, the Lancer spoke again.

"...she just lost her parents. I'll bring her to a safe place, where other refugees can look after her and maybe contact her relatives. That's all I can do for her," she explained with a sad expression, gently stroking the little girl's head.

The man and the others nodded. "I understand. You really live up to your name, Holy Maiden."

She shook her head with a little smile. "I just try to do the right thing. And, please… call me Lancer, or Jeanne. You saved my life, and already know my name. It would be useless to keep it hidden anyway." She stared at the strange man with a narrowed gaze. "You must be an Archer, right?"

He laughed a little. "It's Ruler, actually," he corrected her quietly. Seeing her completely confused and lost expression, he just let out a sheepish smile and a sigh. "Long story. The name's Shirou Emiya. You can call me by my name too, if you want."

Jeanne blinked and nodded slowly. "Emiya… Shirou? You share the same na-"

"Curse you..."

The others snapped back to attention immediately. They turned abruptly towards the direction of the voice, their eyes narrowed and their weapons immediately returned into their hands. Everyone's eyes fell on the burned and shaking Servant standing on trembling legs in the middle of the square, observing him with incredulous and stunned eyes. Even the cool-headed Shirou narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the sight.

Gilles was back on his feet, still alive and – strangely – able to talk and act as well. He was staring at them with outraged eyes, his twisted expression full of resentment and thirst for revenge. Jeanne gasped and put a hand to her lips, her eyes as wide as plates.

"...you hurt me, and dared to interrupt my reunion with Jeanne," he hissed at them, his voice low, cruel, and far more frightening than before. "...you will pay for this. It's not over yet."

The female Knight growled, summoning her giant sword with a snarl. "How the fuck did he survive? Rider! That last attack was supposed to burn him completely, right?" she spat with rage and irritation.

The tall Rider summoned his small sword, looking suspicious and stunned as well. "Indeed. That's quite unexpected," he agreed with a serious tone.

Gilles glared at them while a column of crimson smoke began to form and expand around him. He gave them one last, twisted smile.

"This isn't over... my beautiful Jeanne..."

The woman in blue armor dashed forward with a quick leap, her invisible sword ready to strike. "Your struggles are in vain!"

The sword cut the red mist in two. But, to everyone's disappointment and irritation, the Servant had already disappeared without a trace, managing to survive and escape from a certain death. When the fog cleared completely, they were left alone in the square, and they couldn't even feel Caster's presence anymore. He had fled.

The blonde woman cursed under her breath.

Mordred spat on the ground. "Tch. I hate those annoying Casters and their escape tricks…"

Shirou sighed, dissolving his bow again in a dust of prana. "No matter. He's already gone. We'll find him sooner or later, I'm sure," he said, staring at the spot where Gilles had been until a second before with a gaze mede of steel. He was deadly serious and determined in his statement.

The Rider crossed his arms while the blonde woman returned to them with a narrowed gaze. "Now what?"

Shirou turned towards Artoria. "King of Knights, warn the others about what happened. They need to know that Caster has fled. Tell them to keep their eyes open, and look for him," he said seriously. At the woman's nod after his words, he turned back to Jeanne who was looking at him with utmost seriousness. "Lancer. Can you tell us more about the situation here in the city? My friends and I came to France because we heard of the recent attacks from the Clock Tower. We intend to help. Is there more we should know about this?"

Jeanne glanced at the little girl still asleep in her arms. Then, she sighed with a resigned expression. Those people had saved both her and the child's life, despite being Servants and knowing little to nothing about her or the current situation. Because of this, she decided that she could give them the benefit of the doubt and trust them. It's not like she had something to lose. And besides, something inside her was telling her that she could trust them.

She exhaled a little sigh. "I know a few things, but I can't tell you here. First, I need to bring this child to the shelters. I know someone there who could give you more information about what's happening around here."

Mordred stared at her with an inquisitive expression. "Who?"

The Maid of Orleans didn't answer. She only motioned for them to follow her.

---

Planet: Earth
Date: May 25 2020
Location: Place Denfert-Rochereau – Catacombs Entrance (Paris - France)

(======)

Shirou and his companions didn't ask questions.

Jeanne quickly led them through the streets of Paris, running fast in the dark of night under the moonlight. They climbed onto the roofs, jumping from roof to roof to buy time and get to the 'shelter' as soon as possible. Given the recent chaos and unforeseen onslaught, there weren't many people to be seen on the streets, and the only sound that could be heard were the sirens of police and ambulances echoing in the air. From time to time, their blue and red flashes could be seen in the distance. The Servants held back their sadness at that vision. Just as they had seen before, sadly, losses and casualities were inevitable, and the world was beginning to see more and more of this senseless War. It was starting to question the truth.

Truly, something that was inevitable.

They arrived at their destination – or at least, what Shirou believed was the destination – after a four-minute ride across the rooftops. Jeanne led them near a public square located in the 14th arrondissement, in the Montparnasse district. There, they reached some kind of entrance that led underground, similar to the entrance to a subway or something similar. Except it wasn't a subway, and Shirou realized it right away. After all, the writing on the sign above the entrance was eloquently clear.

(- Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort! -)

(- Stop! This is the empire of Death! -)

Catacombs. Underground catacombs. A series of underground ossuaries which hold the remains of more than six million people in a small part of a tunnel network built to consolidate Paris' ancient stone quarries. Extending south from the Barrière d'Enfer former city gate, this ossuary was created as part of the effort to eliminate the city's overflowing cemeteries a few centuries ago. It was an immense series of underground tunnels and galleries, similar to mines, which grew larger and larger as they advanced, completely filled with bones, skeletons and skulls leaning against the side walls and – sometimes – even on the ceiling or the floor itself. It was impossible to count all of those bones.

Although the catacombs offered space to bury the dead, they presented disadvantages to building structures. Because the catacombs were directly under the Paris streets, large foundations couldn't be built and cave-ins had destroyed buildings. For this reason, there were few tall buildings in the area above them.

The Servants watched the sight with amazement and a hint of disgust. They weren't afraid, they all had seen far worse in their lives... but that wasn't exactly what they were expecting to see when they decided to follow Jeanne. She had spoken of a 'shelter', and now she was leading them underground, in the midst of catacombs where there was no one in sight. Well, no living soul, at least. It was rather suspicious.

"Ohi... where the hell did you take us, Lancer?" Mordred questioned suddenly, casting a frowning glance at the woman walking undaunted in front of the group. "This isn't a shelter, it's a freaking catacomb! Are you messing with us?"

"Mordred, you seriously need to watch your language."

"I don't take orders from you anymore!" she spat, glaring at her father with a growl, making the female King glare as well.

Iskandar chuckled, amused by the situation, but Shirou didn't laugh. He didn't find this situation amusing, nor funny. He merely ran a hand over his forehead, holding back a tired sigh. Every time. This was happening every single time. Even though they had decided to collaborate, the relationship between Mordred and Artoria was still far from peaceful and beneficent. The kid saw every moment as an opportunity to demonstrate her superiority over her father, and the older woman never missed an opportunity to reprimand and criticize her for everything, given Mordred's less 'chivalrous' behavior. Not to mention that she hardly tolerated Mordred's conduct given her rigid, strict attachment to etiquette. Not that Shirou hadn't expected it. Artoria was still a King, after all. Everything 'unkingly' was not to be tolerated in her presence, and she only accepted noble and composed behavior, worthy of her Knights and court.

And Mordred usually did a great job at being the exact opposite.

"You're still a Knight of the Round Table, and you must show-"

"I don't care! I fucking destroyed your Round Table, Arthur! We're not even in Britain anymore, so shut it!"

"Tch. Why you..."

He wanted to die. He really wanted to die.

Shirou summoned a sword, tapping the ground with its tip as he kept walking behind Jeanne and next to Iskandar. He cast a cold glance at those two, startling them with his emotionless eyes. "Enough. Another word and I swear I will put you back into different teams. Are we going back to that discussion again?" he spoke, his voice cold and solemn, so much so that it even sounded like an order.

Mordred glared, but eventually relented and looked down in anger, grumbling to herself with an expression mixed between frustration and annoyance.

Artoria, on the other hand, hardly ever liked to admit defeat. "She started it."

He gave her a very, very dangerous glance. "I don't care. You don't need to continue it. As a monarch, you should know better."

"It's not my fault if she's behaving in such an unchivalrous way, Shirou. As her King, I need to correct her."

Mordred rounded on her once again. "HUH!? Shirou!? Since when are you allowed to call him that?"

"That's none of your business."

Gaia. Alaya. Anyone. Please, kill him right now.

Jeanne gave him an amused glance as she kept guiding them towards their unknown destination in the catacombs. "Are they always like this?" she asked innocently.

Iskandar sighed. Even he was growing an headache. Despite his boisterous manner and his exuberant behaviour, he still caused less troubles than those two combined. "You have no idea, Lancer. I didn't believe it at first, but they really are father and son..." he said with a tired chuckle.

Shirou decided to ignore them from that point. He could already feel yet another migraine coming.

He turned to Jeanne with a raised eyebrow. "I must admit, however, that I am quite confused as well. Where are you leading us?"

The Maid of Orleans stroked the sleeping girl in her arms. "...a safe place."

The others were confused by that answer, but decided not to inquire further. They would get their answers shortly, after all. There was no need to rush and jump to conclusions just because they were impatient. So, they finally settled to remain silent and follow her without complaints.

And as expected, the answers came.

Shirou widened his eyes, along with the others. Jeanne led them right into a large cave inside the catacombs, a much larger and more spacious room than the others. It was almost rectangular in shape, over a hundred square meters large, and slightly more 'decorated' than the previous tunels... however decorated the catacombs might be. It was definitely an unexpected sight. Mordred was literally gaping right now, and even Iskandar and Artoria were amazed.

The hall must have been a some sort of crypt built deep into the underground tunnels. Unbeknownst to them, it was called "Crypt of the Sepulchral Lamp". It was large, with several columns of stone and concrete bearing the weight of the ceiling, which was lower than before. Iskandar had to bend a little to stand on his legs. As in the previous galleries, the walls on all sides were completely filled with bones, mainly skulls and femurs set side by side, and a small altar for celebrations was placed in the center of the crypt. But it wasn't so much the size of the room what caught the attention of Shirou and his companions. Nor the overwhelming number of bones that gave the room a gloomy and intimidating look. Not at all.

What had left them amazed was the fact that the room was filled, literally filled, with people.

There were dozens of them. No, actually, hundreds of them. Hundreds and hundreds of people scattered around a gigantic burial hall built underground. And there were all kinds of people too: men, women, elderly people and children. Some stood talking to each other, others sat on the ground, and some stood alone in silence and grief. Some remained on the ground, their faces sunk in their hands or knees. The luckiest among them, mostly elderly people, sat on wooden chairs surrounded by their family and friends. And despite the difference in appearance and skin color, all of them had one thing in common: the devastation and sadness in their eyes.

Mothers cradling weeping babies in their arms, men and women hugging in tears, children sniffling and crying next to their parents, broken hearts and depressed faces...everywhere. There was nothing else to be seen in the midst of that crowd of people. The only different sight were a few people dressed in translucent yellow robes – security and rescue workers – who walked among the civilians and offered them food, drinks, and cheked on them or tried to offer some comfort. It was... It was definitely an unpleasant sight. A decidedly different view compared to the elegance and magnificence that the capital showed on the surface.

Shirou stared at the sight with narrowed eyes. "What are all these people?" he asked quietly.

Jeanne looked down, her amethyst-colored eyes filled with sadness. "...the Holy Grail War began almost a month ago. The conflict has had heavy effects in the past few weeks. This nation is suffering more than others," she explained slowly. "Those you see around you are refugees. Men and women who have lost their homes due to past destruction and fighting. As I understand it, the government is collapsing and has no funds to manage and help all the victims. Not just here in Paris. Several cities were attacked, many people involved in explosions and unexplained killings. The funds are running out. The reception facilities are full. There is even a pandemic going on, and hospitals are filled with wounded and sick. These people have nowhere to go."

Shirou was silent. He couldn't find the will, the strenght to speak. Slowly, his fists clenched in anger, his internal frustration growing rapidly by the second. This was exactly what he was supposed to prevent.

He wasn't doing a great job… as much as he hated to admit it.

Iskandar's gaze hardened. "...a war. This is becoming a literal war on a global scale," he spoke in the end, looking around with solemnity. He was a King who strived to fight and conquer, but even he couldn't stomach such a sight. Causing destruction and pain was not his way of Conquest.

Jeanne nodded. "There are other refugees in other rooms like this one scattered around the catacombs. The underground ossuaries have become temporary shelters ever since Paris was invaded by monsters two days ago. It was the best place to protect the refugees from the attacks above," she explained.

Having said that, Jeanne walked to the side and approached one of the security workers, who rounded on her and gave her a salute as a sign of respect and admiration, much to everyone's surprise. "Fair Maiden!" he exclaimed.

She nodded, handing the sleeping child in her arms to the man. "The child has lost her parents. They were killed by those monsters. Please, take care of her, and make sure she'll be fine."

With a resolute nod of understanding, the man left and took the child with him. Shirou raised an eyebrow, watching as a couple of refugees approached Jeanne as soon as she remained alone, offering words of admiration and touching her gently. She didn't seem to mind, smiling at all who approached her and offering words of comfort and compassion to those who came to her for help or asked questions. She even knelt in front of a child, offering him a glass of water, while a growing crowd of people began to surround and shower her with questions.

The others watched the scene in silence, slightly surprised. The refugees seemed to recognize Jeanne with a single glance, their eyes lighting up as soon as they saw her, and their faces visibly relaxing in her presence. It was clear that this wasn't the first time they had seen her, or at least that they had heard of her. People treated Jeanne with reverence, as if they were watching a woman of high standing or a saint. Some of them even touched her as if she was a holy figure.

Well... they weren't too far from the truth.

"A saint through and through," Iskandar commented with a small smile. "People are revering her even now. How amusing. It reminds me of my past, back in the days."

Mordred scoffed. "Yeah, that must be a Charisma Skill, no doubt."

It took several minutes for Jeanne to break free from the crowd. There were many refugees, and she didn't hesitate to go to every single one of them and help them as she could. People visibly lit up as she passed, albeit slightly. It took at least five more minutes before she managed to return to the waiting Servants again.

"Sorry about that. I couldn't just walk in without saying hi," she said with a small, sad smile. Her eyes glanced at the suffering people with a sympathetic gaze.

Shirou shook his head in reassurance, smiling at her. "It's fine. That was quite something. It seems people are very fond of you. Your charisma must be very high, Maid of Orleans," he said, obviously impressed.

The woman blushed slightly, but her smile widened a little. "I just... during the previous attacks, I fought on the front lines and saved a few innocents. People saw me on the news, and then the news have spread quickly in the past few days. They consider me some kind of champion..." she admitted with embarrassment, clearly disagreeing with that idea.

"We saw. They called you the Fair Maiden in the news. You're quite famous," Artoria said, smiling at little as she saw the blush on her face grow.

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Did they accept you just like that? Didn't they question your identity?"

Jeanne lost her smile at the Ruler's question. She sighed a little. "With all the chaos and death that has been happening around lately, they simply accepted it. People need all the help they can get," was all she replied.

Sheer silence followed her words. Until Mordred crossed her arms. "So? Where's this person you want us to meet?" she asked with a hint of barely veiled impatience. "We don't exactly have time to waste," she added, noticing her father's reprimanding gaze.

The Maid of Orleans nodded. She knew the Knight was right. Therefore, she immediately turned to one of the security officers with a polite smile. A woman. "Excuse me, can you tell me where Father Shirou is?" she asked with a gentle voice.

The woman blushed a little, but nodded all the same. "I believe he is in the crypt further along, with the children."

The girl thanked her with a nod of the head, beckoning the others to follow her towards a corridor that gave to another area of the catacombs, exiting from the large room. However, the God of War raised an eyebrow in confusion when he registered a certain name. "Father... Shirou?" he repeated, casting a confused glance at Jeanne.

The blonde Lancer merely smiled angelically.

They followed her to a second crypt, smaller than the previous one. It was lit by small neon lights and a few candles, and had a higher ceiling than the previous one. Furthermore, it was almost completely empty, except for a small altar at the center of the room. In front of said altar, a young man was currently speaking to a few children seated on the ground, entertaining them with hushed speeches and making them laugh. Shirou and the others immediately narrowed their eyes as soon as they saw him. They immediately recognized what the man was: a Servant, just like them and Jeanne.

The man in question appeared to be a tall, tanned-skinned youth with long, white hair like silver and dark ageless golden eyes. He wore the vestments of a priest and a golden cross around his neck. His vestment was quite strange: a type of a red holy shroud and a red stole over his cassock. He had an innocent, boyish face showing that he had yet to have aged past twenty years of age, with a pair of white earrings on his ears. In addition, he had distinctly Asian features and eyes – Japanese, to be precise – and delicate appearances, a clear contrast to the local people's faces.

As soon as they entered the crypt, the man noticed their presence. He glanced at Jeanne, widened his eyes slightly, and then turned to the children with a cheerful and kind smile. "Sorry, kids. We'll have to stop here for now. I have some visitors," he said with an apologetic tone, speaking with a youthful, comfortable voice. His very presence gave off an aura of reassurance and uneasiness at the same time. Shirou realized this immediately as soon as he laid eyes on him.

The children left the crypt, and after a couple of seconds Jeanne and the others remained alone with him.

The Servant turned to them with a small, veiled smile. "You're back, Jeanne," he greeted slowly with a nod, putting his arms behind his back and raising his head slightly. He glanced at Shirou and the others with raised eyebrows. "And you brought new visitors. Not refugees, this time."

Jeanne approached him with a broad smile. "It's good to see you again, Shirou," she told him softly with a nod.

He nodded as well, smiling with fondness. "Likewise, Jeanne. It's always an honor to be visited by the Holy Maiden herself," then his expression turned more serious. "I suppose the attack was stopped?"

"Yes. But unfortunately, there were more casualities this time," she admitted regretfully, sharing a dejected expression with the man. Her expression became filled with sadness and regret at that point. "And I discovered the source of the chaos. Those horrible demons were summoned by... by one of my former friends. His name is Gilles. Gilles de Rais. He's been summoned as a Caster, and he's fallen into madness. I almost couldn't recognize him at first..."

The man looked at her with understanding. "...I see. I'm sorry, Jeanne," he said, putting one hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head, ignoring the pain inside her heart. Then, the female Lancer roused herself from sadness and pointed towards the others present in the crypt. "I met them earlier during the fight. They said they came here from England on behalf of a certain... Clock Tower, and they would like to know more about the current situation here. They want to help," she reported with utmost seriousness.

The man, Shirou, narrowed his eyes and eyed the Ruler and his companions from head to toe. "...do you think they can be trusted?" he asked, speaking to the girl.

Jeanne didn't hesitate when she nodded in response. "They saved my life. I don't think they have evil intentions. They look different than... the troublesome duo," she said seriously, without a trace of doubt on her face.

The white-haired Servant was silent for several seconds, watching the newcomers with a careful gaze and pondering to himself. Then, finally, he let out a sigh and gave them a small smile in an apologetic gesture.

"I apologize for the initial mistrust, but as you can see the situation is not the best. We can never let our guard down, unfortunately."

Shirou stepped forward, nodding with a neutral expression. "We understand. No offense taken," he replied in reassurance.

The white-haired Servant nodded in turn. "I'm Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, Assassin class Servant. Former leader of the Shimabara Rebellion. I'm currently in charge of protecting the refugees inside this shelter," he glanced at the walls filled with bones and skulls with a wry smile. "Not a very reassuring shelter, I admit... but you work with what you get. The younglings gets scared of this place rather quickly. I often have to entertain the childern to reassure them."

Artoria moved to place herself next to the Ruler, flanked by Iskandar. "You look pretty young. Are you really a priest?" she asked seriously.

The Assassin chuckled. "Not exactly. I'm a fake priest. I just took the title in order to stay close to the people and help them in this time of need. In life I was a warrior, but now I've decided to help civilians rather than join the War. They live in difficult times, and need all the help they can get. I realized I could find more happiness and fulfillment this way," he explained slowly, lowering his gaze with an expression steeped in memories.

Iskandar nodded. "I see. Then let us introduce ourselves," he said cheerfully, pounding a fist on his muscular chest. "I am Iskandar, the great King of Conquerors. I was summoned in this war as a Rider class Servant. Me and my companions are currently traveling around the world in order to cease this War."

Artoria straightened her back, offering the white-haired Servant a nod of confirmation. "That's right. As you've given us your name, in accordance with the chivalric code, I shall give you my own. I am Artoria, heir to Uther Pendragon and former King of Britain. I'm a Saber," she introduced herself with a serious, solemn face.

"And I'm Mordred. Future King of Britain and strongest Saber in this War," a certain female Knight added soon after her. She spoke with a confident tone, completely ignoring her father's irritated shake of the head. "You'd better not forget that, Assassin."

Amakusa Shirou blinked in confusion along with Jeanne. "Right..."

The other Shirou cringed to his companions' antics. Damn. The overly-sized kids were increasing in his group. At this rate, he was surely gonna be out-matched.

I'm too old for this.

He shook his head with a sigh. "And I'm Shirou Emiya. Ruler class Servant. It's a pleasure."

The Assassin tilted his head to the side with an intrigued expression. "Hmm? We share the same name. And you have some slightly Japanese traits as well... what a curious coincidence. But I've never heard of such a class: Ruler. Tell me, are you Japanese as well?"

The God of War smiled slightly. "My father was. I honestly have no idea where I was born," he replied.

"I see. Quite unfortunate." The fake priest then narrowed his eyes. "But I must admit that I'm pretty confused. You're quite an interesting group of Servants, no doubt. And what's this about the Clock Tower?"

Shirou wasted no time. With a calm and dedicated patience, he began to explain to both the other Shirou and Jeanne their situation, their current 'collaboration' – so to speak – with the Clock Toiwer and even the peculiar situation of his own Class. He revealed almost everything to them, omitting just a few unnecessary details, to clarify their sudden presence here and, hopefully, win the Assassin's trust.

When he finished explaining, the crypt fell into absolute silence.

Amakusa Shirou blinked once, then twice. Then, he rubbed his temples with one hand and closed his eyes with a weary face. "That's quite the story," he finally admitted with a sigh. "However, I don't think you're lying. To see two legendary figures like King Arthur and Iskandar joining forces for such a cause... it must be true. I think this fact alone is enough to confirm your story."

"I believe them too, Shirou," Jeanne confirmed with a smile.

The Assassin nodded. "So, you're here to get information? Do you really want to know what's happening in France and help the people of this land?" he finally asked.

The Ruler nodded. "That's right. Given my role, I must stop this War. The destruction caused by this mad conflict is degenerating, the death toll rising by the day. What happened in Edinburgh and even here in Paris is something I cannot tolerate. My one and only goal is to ensure humanity's safety. I swear it on my name, Shirou."

The white-haired man stared. Then he nodded with a wave of his hand. "Call me Amakusa. Better not confuse us any further. I shall adress you as Emiya. But still, I believe you," he assured him with a smile. "And honestly... I'm relieved. Having four Servants as powerful as you to handle the situation could actually turn things around. When it was just me and Jeanne here, we had little hope. But now... your presence could be indispensable in order to help and save this country."

The King of Knights stepped forward. "Forgive me, but I have a question about that. Why did you two choose to quit the conflict? Not many Servants would willingly abandon the War. Don't you want your wish granted?" she asked them seriously.

Jeanne and Amakusa exchanged a silent glance. Several seconds of silence passed.

In the end, it was the Saint of Orleans who answered first. "It was the right thing to do," she replied. "I offered my life and existence to the Lord. I won't fight for the Grail, since I don't have a wish of my own. But I will surely put my life on the line to save as many people as possible and defend humanity," she swore in a calm, collected voice. However, there was a steeled resolve and decision in her eyes that was unmistakable.

Mordred narrowed her eyes. "Really? You have no wish of your own?" she mused in suspicion, before grinning with a bit of sarcasm. "Heh! I guess a Saint wouldn't need a selfish wish, after all. You're not like the rest of us..."

If Jeanne was offended by her ironic tone and words, she didn't show it. "I stand by my words. I have no wish for the Holy Grail. But if there was to be one, it would only be that this War could be conducted correctly. I don't mind if a Servant fights and wishes a personal desire in front of the Holy Grail. As long as it doesn't beckon the world's destruction, I will properly respect it," she retorted with absolute certainty, her face determined.

Mordred narrowed her eyes again, but a single glance from Shirou was enough to silence her.

Iskandar returned to focus on the other Servant instead. "What about you, Assassin? Why did you abandon the War?"

Amakusa ran a hand through his white hair with a strange smile. "I cannot deny to have a wish that I'd like to see fulfilled... but when I first met Jeanne, I realized it was a pointless cause. My only wish is to see humanity's salvation. This War is the exact opposite of what I want. She made me realize that I could find more happiness and fulfillment by helping those who need me here instead of fighting and struggling in this absurd conflict," he explained slowly, putting his hands behind his back and looking up at the ceiling.

Artoria stared at him with her emerald eyes devoid of emotions. "So, unlike Lancer, you completely stopped to fight," she realized. "Is that why you stayed here during the attack?"

He nodded with a sad smile. "This may not be my Country, but these people need my help. Besides, I'm an Assassin. I'm not strong enough to deal with a real fight. I can be more useful here than out there. But that doesn't mean I won't intervene if these people are targeted," he answered with ease.

Shirou nodded with a calm expression. "I see. If that's what you decided, then we'll respect you decision," he promised. "But we still need information, Amakusa. You and Lancer – Jeanne, pardon – have been active here for a long time. What can you tell us about the conflict that is taking place in this country?"

The Assassin didn't answer right away. He remained silent, casting a silent glance at Jeanne. She didn't utter a single word, but merely nodded to him, her face firm and determined.

Seconds passed, followed by silence.

In the end, the Japanese warrior made up his mind. "The War in France is more serious than it seems," he finally began. "Paris has been attacked twice by those monsters summoned by Caster, who Jeanne has revealed to be her former comrade Gilles de Rais. If what you said earlier is true and he really did manage to escape, then the threat he poses remains."

"We've dealt with that freak once, we'll do it again next time. He's no match for us," Mordred spat with casual tone, crossing her arms.

Amakusa smiled sadly. "Perhaps. But Caster isn't the only problem we're dealing with. France is a big place, and in this country the scale of the conflict is wider than you might think, sir Mordred."

The others stiffened at his words. Shirou narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

The white-haired Assassin turned his back to them, walking towards to a wall and observing the countless bones crammed into it. "Before Caster even began to wreak havoc and death with his demonic creatures... several locations in France have been struck by voilent catastrophes. They were due to clashes between Servants. Fortunately, however, most of these catastrophes took place far away from cities, in isolated places or countryside areas where it was difficult to find witnesses and interference. They didn't cause excessive damage or casualties. But some of them... they involved some people and scarred quite a number of cities, unfortunately."

Shirou and his companions watched as Amakusa gazed at the walls filled with bones with an unreadable gaze. "Langres, Poitiers, Clermont-Ferrand and Agen were the most affected ones," he continued. "Clashes have taken place in their suburbs and have involved dozens of people. To this date, it still remains unknown who is truly responsible. The world is collapsing in panic after what the television has shown of Paris and Edinburgh. People are asking questions, and this chaos pushes Servants to be bolder and act more freely than before."

It didn't take long for Iskandar to realize what was happening here. "In other words, you're saying that in this country there are some Servants who are fighting in the open?" he asked him, his voice slow and serious.

Amakusa nodded, without turning to look at them. "Exactly."

"Who are they? Did you guys meet them?" Shirou immediately asked.

It was Jeanne who answered this time.

"We did, actually," she revealed, surprising both Mordred and Iskandar greatly. Artoria and Shirou remained still. "Amakusa and I, we met shortly after our summoning. We decided to join forces and worked together to help those who needed us. However, before we arrived here in the capital, we were approached by some Servants. They asked us to..." her face became filled with mixed emotions at that point. Fear, shame and anger were certainly present. "...join their cause."

Artoria raised a royal brow. "Approached? Join them?"

"There are two factions," the Assassin suddenly explained again. The others turned to him in a second.

The man took two skulls from the walls full of bones and weighed them, one in each of his hands. "Two factions are waging war here in France. Both of them are led by a powerful and famous Servant, who in some way managed to enlist and persuade other Servants to join a common cause. And because of that, these two factions wage war against each other. And as you can imagine, they're getting bolder and bolder every time they clash."

"They're fighting for the Grail, and will stop at nothing in order to obtain it..." Jeanne added with a sad expression on her beautiful face.

Mordred hesitated a couple of seconds, swallowing a little. "...who are those Servants?" she finally asked with a careful voice.

The Assassin sighed. "They both ruled this country, once," he told them mysteriously. "Both of them governed it differently, with opposite values and irreconcilable goals. And as history has shown us, they both failed in the end. We call them the troublesome duo."

Iskandar and Artoria stiffened. Mordred parted her lips. Jeanne closed her eyes.

Shirou stared at the Servant with a narrowed gaze. "Tell me their names."

Amakusa smiled, observing the two skulls in his hands. "It's simple, Ruler," he said with a solemn tone of voice.

"As they're still called in this country, I'm talking about the beautiful Madame Déficit... and the Grand Empereur."

---

Planet: Earth
Date: May 25 2020
Location: Eiffel Tower – Champ de Mars (Paris - France)

(======)

Cu Chulainn was bored.

He stared at the gigantic metropolis from the top of the tallest tower, his red eyes scanning the vast city and its endless lights with an annoyed expression. Even if he was currently bored and had nothing better to do, he had to admit the view was truly breathtaking from up there. Humanity had evolved in an incredible way compared to his time. To create such amazing cities was something he would have never believed mankind to be able to do back then. It was almost impossible to believe.

He exhaled a sigh, mentally cursing a little at his bad luck. Curse that Ruler and his choice to put him on the same team with those troublesome Knights. Sir Bedivere and sir Gawain had already dealt with all the demons in the targeted districts, and now they were currently helping the police to manage the chaos...in disguise. He, on the other hand, was stuck standing on guard after an assault already concluded, forced to do nothing but observe while the King of Knights and the others were looking for information.

Why? Why did he alway get stuck with the icky jobs? He wanted to do something, not to stand still and wait in case something happened. What the hell could happen anyway? Caster had fled, all right, but it was highly unlikely that he would reappear the same night after being defeated. It was simply impossible. Illogical. Unbelie-

He stiffened suddenly, a shiver running on his back.

His red eyes narrowed as they gazed at something far away in the distance.

Flashes of white and red, coming from the outermost area of the capital. The flashes were incessant, endless, and seemed to increase in intensity by the second.

The air vibrated slightly, and his bestial instinct shuddered in displeasure.

He immediately activated his earphone. "Yo, Knights? Knights of the Muscle-bound Table, can you hear me?" he called.

It was Bedivere's voice that answered him.

B- Lancer, stop with those pointless puns. What happened?

"You'd better call your King and her insanely powerful friend right now," Cu Chulainn said in all seriousness.

His eyes narrowed as they watched the flashes of light become closer and closer in the distance.

"I feel several Servants approaching."

---

CODEX PLANETAE

[COUNTER FORCE] Database

Taken from the notes of Alaya

Subject: Tyr [-Shirou Emiya-], #1 among the Ancestral Heroes

Alias: God of War, Humanity's Liberator, Grand Hero, God-Slayer, First Hero of Humanity

Description:

Before moving on to a more accurate and detailed examination of the weapons created by Shirou Emiya before, during and after the War against the Gods, it is appropriate to make some necessary clarifications on his very own nature and the particular condition of his Divinity. After all, as it has been already mentioned in a previous note, his condition of existence is far from ordinary. For this very same reason, the [COUNTER FORCE] decided to consider Shirou as an extension of the Planet's Will, prompting my sister Gaia to grant her blessing on him.

Tyr was born a God. More specifically, he was born more God than human. It would be more accurate to say that his Divine Nature is more powerful than his human nature. His condition is peculiar, and the reason for this is almost thoroughly challenging to understand. Not only he is the first and most ancient Demi-God ever recorded in the Planet's history, but he's also the first and most ancient incarnation of the concept of "War" associated with the human race. Before him, Gods like Ares, Menhit, Chamunda, Bel and other ancient Deities from different lands associated with War were different. They represented a concept of "War" related to the Gods, among the Gods, for the Gods. Exclusively for the Gods. All of them, every single one of them, had no connection to mankind's struggles. This connection was born after Tyr. The reason, once again, is simple: the Gods are a living embodiment of a concept born from the human's mind.

And as both me and my sister know, before Tyr was born there were no conflicts among humans. There were no wars between the human race. There was no struggle to survive other than hunting for food. Mankind was nothing but livestock compared to the other races. A gigantic mass of slaves without freedom, purpose and will. Their weak and unstable nature made them a race devoted only to the entertainment of the Gods. The concept of fight, conflict, combat and rebellion intended as "War" related to "mankind" as a whole was born after Tyr, because of Tyr.

Therefore, thanks to this incisive peculiarity, it is correct and legitimate to affirm that Tyr – and consequently, Shirou Emiya – is more God than human… because he has generated and, quite literally, 'created' the will and strength to fight in mankind's history.

Before Tyr, the notion of "War" was detached from humanity. And with his birth, that very same concept finally blossomed in their soul and mind.

It was thanks to him that mankind found the strength to fight and rebel in later times, after all.

However, it must be clarified that said peculiarity was entirely coincidental. Neither I, nor my sister, nor consequently the Planet itself had orchestrated this strange turn of events that would eventually lead to mankind's development and affirmation. It was a development dictated purely by chance, by Fate itself. And my sister and I were more than happy to go along with it, given the results.

Many of the Deities faced by Shirou often failed to realize this existential peculiarity about him. On the contrary, most of them underestimated and mocked him at the beginning of the conflict. They didn't see Shirou as a threat, given the fact that he was part human – therefore, extremely weak – and lacked some of their typical traits such as arrogance and desire for conquest or power. But one of them didn't. One of them didn't underestimate him. Only one God, one Goddess, has never taken his existence lightly and actually treated him as a real threat ever since she learned of his survival.

His mother. The Great Goddess [ERROR – DATA CORRUPTED].

I still can't write much about her. It's not the right time yet. But I can't hold back my joy and satisfaction in writing that, given the way she treated Shirou back then, it was immensely gratifying to see how he eventually managed to kill her with Caledfwlch; even if the end of the their clash resulted in the complete destruction of [ERROR] along with the whole island which eventually sank into the sea. The dying body of [ERROR] became the basis for several beings who, like Shirou, transcended humanity. An example of this are the Valkyries, other incarnations of the concept of "War" related to mankind born after him.

But this is a story for another time.

---

Shirou will be the one and only Ruler in my story.

I must warn you right now that the Avenger, MoonCancer, Alter Ego, Foreigner, Saver, Gunner, Watcher, Voyager, Pretender, and Faker classes will NOT be present in my fic. I WILL, however, use some Servants from these categories, but I'm going to change their Class to one of the Main Seven. (I already did this with Hessian Lobo in the First Arc. He's an Avenger in FGO, but in my fic he was a Rider). Hence, there will be characters who will belong to different Classes from the original universe.

The reason why I decided to make Jeanne d'Arc a Lancer is simple: it is written in the fandom Wiki that she can be summoned as three different Classes: Saber, Lancer and Ruler. I originally planned to make her a Saber, but since Jeanne's sword – the Sword of St. Catherine – is used by her as a catalyst and not as a weapon, I preferred to make her a Lancer in the end. She was a knight who fought with a flag all the time during her life, and even in Fate/Apocrypha she always fights with the battle flag, after all. In my fic, however, she still possesses both her original Noble Phantasms despite being a Lancer.

It seems some Servants will cause quite a bit of trouble in this Arc. Did you guess who they are? It is extremely obvious already (except for Gilles, of course).