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]

15. Chapter 14 - 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 14

Planet: Earth
Date: May 25 2020
Location: Abandoned building – Vincennes (Val-de-Marne - France)

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"CURSE YOU!"

A portentous punch slammed against the wall.

"CURSE YOU, GOD!"

Another punch, and the wall collapsed completely.

The building shook, the few remaining walls of wood and brick vibrated during the collapse, doing very little to hide the Caster's furious and insane screams while he madly shouted his wrath to the sky. Outside the old and abandoned house, the absolute darkness of night reigned supreme, lit only by a few solitary lampposts in the abandoned street that led to the town of Vincenness. It was a lonely, abandoned place, without any presence or sign of life.

Vincennes was a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris. It was located 4.2 miles from the center of Paris, and was one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. But it was precisely in the outermost area, the almost completely abandoned one to the north, that the current den and hiding place of Gilles de Rais was located: a large building similar to a mansion, abandoned for about twenty years. It was a place that instilled fear and uneasiness in the hearts of everyone who visited it even to this day – especially in the middle of the night – and for this very same reason it was the perfect hiding place for a twisted, mad Servant like him.

With a hysterical cry, Gilles slammed another punch on the ground, cracking the floor and smashing through the wood. Once again, the walls of the abandoned mansion shook from the violence of his fury, but he didn't care. He was glaring at the world with a mad snarl and furious face; his eyes even wider than normal and his cheeks wet with tears. He looked mad, hysterical, even more than usual. With a sudden jerk, he lifted himself off the ground and began pacing angrily around the dusty, empty room, putting his hands in his hair and grinding his teeth madly as he sputtered and spat out insanities and curses, unable to calm down.

"How dare He?" he raged hysterically. "Accursed God! How dare He do this to her? He keeps an iron grip on Jeanne's soul, refusing to let go! Unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable!"

Gilles pulled out his grimoire, hurling it violently against a wall in a fit of madness and folly. Despite the damage it had suffered during the previous fight, the book had completely regenerated now. The hole caused by the arrow was completely gone, the lining returned to its original state as if it had never been hit. As Caster paced incessantly, the sound of a vase shattering on the ground echoed through the building as he panted furiously in attempt to regain his breath.

The mad Caster clenched his fists in anger, his arms trembling with fury and madness that were completely dazzling him. "And those damned pests… how dare they? How dare they interfere between me and Jeanne! They took her away from me! They interrupted us when I was so close to her! Curse them! CURSE THEM FOREVER!" he screamed at the tops of his lungs. He waved his arms like a madman, glaring at the world with a vicious scowl. "I will never forgive them! I will slaughter them all! I will summon an army of demons, and use them to tear them apart-"

"So you've failed, Caster."

His mad eyes widened. Gilles spun around, observing as a silent and imperceptible shadow suddenly emerged from a dark corner of the room behind him. And when he saw the figure that had interrupted him, his eyes widened in recognition.

The shadow who had spoken took a step forward, placing itself in front of the subdued light coming from a broken window and revealing to Gilles its true and peculiar appearance: a tall and slender man, entirely covered from head to toe by clothes that were completely different from those of the modern era. He wore light armor of dark color, a mixture of black and gray, along with a red hood that covered his head, hiding his face completely. However, it wasn't so much his appearance that was strange, but his presence.

The crazy Caster noticed it right away. A heavy, deadly aura hovered around the man like a fog, so dense and heavy that it could be physically perceived by any Heroic Spirit. His mere presence emitted a wave of unrest and oppression that was decidedly considerable; so heavy that it would have made any human pass out and make even the weakest Servants tremble. It was a strange, alien, oppressive presence; that oozed a smell of death and tampered with whatever light and hope nearby. Any sane person would have unconsciously withdrawn from him.

But Gilles was no ordinary person and Servant. On the contrary, his eyes narrowed and his shoulders visibly relaxed. A flash of recognition flashed in his features, before being replaced by indifference.

"Oh... it's just you," he merely said after the initial moment of surprise. His greeting felt empty and emotionless, as if he was bored now. Even his expression became empty and dull, compared to the mad anger that had flooded him before.

The man in armor and with the hood on his head took a second step forward, peering at him with an invisible expression. "…You've failed," he repeated again, in a hollow, emotionless voice; almost toneless.

Gilles ground his teeth, drooling like a furious animal. "I was interrupted! Some stupid pests got in the way and thwarted my reunion with Jeanne! They forced me to flee!" he hissed with hysterical madness.

"..."

Mere silence greeted his fierce justification. The hooded man said nothing, but he grunted almost imperceptibly. Then, he turned his head towards the window, observing the outside of the building.

"That was not the plan, Caster."

Gilles rounded on him, pointing a finger at his chest and piercing him with an unhealthy look. "I never agreed to this plan of yours. It never interested me! All I want, all I care about is to take back my Maiden, my Holy virgin! And if I remember correctly, you said you had the situation under control! That you didn't need me!" he retorted fiercely, his eyes wide and full of madness.

"There were some… complications," was the other's simple reply.

"COMPLICATIONS? WHAT KIND OF COMPLICATIONS!?" Gilles yelled hysterically. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DEVASTATE THE ENTIRE CAPITAL TO THE GROUND! YOU SAID YOU WOULD HAVE DESTROYED EVERYTHING WHILE I TOOK CARE OF JEANNE!"

The man stared impassively into the night sky, ignoring the insane Servant as he screamed like a madman.

"I was interrupted too. There were complications," he repeated again.

"WHY?" Caster demanded.

The man turned slowly, looking at him with a in impassive gaze hidden under the hood.

"Same as you. Someone stopped the conflict before it could escalate."

Gilles remained still. The hooded Servant clenched his fists lightly.

"Napoleon failed. He's been captured."

"..."

Gilles blinked. He stared for a while. Then, after ten seconds of silence, his lips parted into a wide, mad grin. "Hoooooooh? Your pawn failed you? Then, I guess your little plan was ruined by the same snoopers who took away my Holy Maiden," he casually said, chuckling in a creepy way.

The silence of the mysterious man was enough to answer him.

The mad Servant hissed under his breath. "Curse them! CURSE THEM!" he yelled once again, his anger returning instantly. "To think they would dare to interefere beteween us! To think they would steal her! THEY STOLE HER FROM ME! DAMN YOU, ACCURSED PESTS!" he raged incoherently, shaking violently and pulling his hair out with his hands.

The man stared at him with disinterest. "Is that misguided Saint so important to you?" he asked with disgust.

"OF COURSE!" Gilles practically roared, grinning like a madman as he rounded on the dark figure. "She was forsaken by God, died in shame, and now… at last, she has come back to life! Such… Such is a miracle! What else could it be but the fulfillment of my DREAM?!"

He kneeled to the ground, his hands furiously gripping his hair.

"Oh, Maiden… my holy virgin…" he groaned pathetically, howling and whimpering and crying at the same time.

The man stared at him with obvious disgust. His disappointment and distaste were perceptible even without seeing his face.

"...no matter. It's not over. Not yet."

Gilles shook like an animal as he spoke those words.

"I cannot stop here! I cannot give in now!" he screamed in eagerness, theatrically raising his arms to the sky. "I won't give up! I must prove it to her! That God's power is gone... that His love is wasted! That no foul deed, no horrible crime is worthy of God's punishment! That is my mission!"

The hooded Servant stared as Gilles raised his head, his eyes widening comically and his teeth bared in a ferocious smile.

"Therefore! We require greater depravities, greater blasphemies. We must erect a veritable Tower of Bable of human sacrifices!" he declared without hesitation.

The hooded man crossed his arms with casual movement.

"And how are you going to do?" he asked him rhetorically. "Whatever you have in mind, you'll never be able to defend yourself against all those Servants."

Caster's entire body trembled with excitement and madness.

"...I have a plan," he said with an eerie smile. "I shall paint the gardens of God with even more brilliant despair and terror! I will show to Jeanne the cruel reality! I will open her eyes once and for all!"

The mysterious man stared in silence as Gilles screamed loudly with madness.

---

Planet: Earth
Date: May 26 2020
Location: Ruined castle – Goussainville (Val-d'Oise - France)

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When Napoleon woke up, the first thing he felt was a gigantic pain in his head.

The tall Archer opened his eyes slowly, his lids parting with a faint, flickering motion. His brown eyes began to glance around, looking in all directions to try to understand where he was and what had happened. The first thing he noticed was the darkness. The room around him was gloomy, dark and silent. A small room measuring five meters at most with a low ceiling, completely empty and devoid of fornitures. All there was around him were a ruined bed on the right, a small unlit chandelier on the ceiling, a metal door on the left and thick stone walls with no windows. Some kind of ancient prison, a cell, he deduced logically. A few meters away, a couple of chairs had been placed in front of him, facing him directly.

Napoleon blinked, trying to get up with his legs from his sitting position on the cold floor, but a twinge of pain in his head and arms made him stop instantly. It was in that moment that he became aware of a small, tiny detail: the restraints on his arms. His arms had been completely immobilized, nailed by the hands to the wall behind him with a pair of strange-looking weapons: two long thin-bladed knives similar to short swords with a small, red handle. Their blade glowed with green energy, and for some reason Napoleon found himself unable to free himself from them. The knives had pierced into his hands, pinning him to the wall and making his wounds bleed slowly.

He frowned at the sight, gritted his teeth, and tried to free himself again, in vain. It was in that instant that he remembered what had happened before he passed out. What Ruler had done to him, managing to put him out of action with disarming ease and a single, swift attack. A sense of disbelief and helplessness filled his mind at the memory of that scene. Good grief. He hadn't expected to encounter such a powerful Servant. He had been defeated effortlessly and with disarming ease by an unknown warrior. This would stain his pride forever, he was sure of it. And as if that wasn't enough, now he even had fallen into a trap and had been captured by the enemy. So, yeah… he'd screwed up pretty badly. Damn it.

Still, a question kept echoing inside his head: why hadn't Ruler killed him yet? And more importantly: why had he done all this?

Deep in his thought, the Servant almost jumped when he finally sensed a powerful presence approaching beyond the room. His eyes narrowed as they saw the metal door open with a heavy noise, and a moment later the red-haired Ruler in question entered the room with a firm step and hard eyes, followed closely by two other Servants who looked at him with a solemn gaze. The blonde, beautiful woman with a cold expression he saw with Ruler before, and a certain white-haired Assassin that Napoleon knew quite well: Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.

Napoleon's lips parted in a small, wry grin. "Well, well... it seems that I ended up in a problematic situation, am I right?" he spoke first to break the ice, watching with amusement as the three Servants stopped right in front of him, looking at him from top to bottom.

The Ruler looked at him with an expression devoid of emotion, completely indifferent to his ironic smile. "Emperor Napoleon," he said slowly, sitting down on one of the chairs placed in front of the Archer. "There are some things I would like to ask you. Your cooperation would be appreciated."

He glanced at his hands and at the long daggers that nailed him to the wall. "...I don't suppose I have a choice in this, do I?"

"Correct," Amakusa Shirou confirmed, smiling with fake cordiality. "But I must admit: I didn't think I'd see you again, Emperor. Well, not in such a situation. That's quite the unexpected reunion compared to our previous one, don't you agree?"

The Emperor sighed, ignoring his growing shame. "Can I at least know where I am?" he asked dryly.

It was always the white-haired Assassin who answered him with that strange smile of his. "We currently are in a ruined castle located in Goussainville. As you know, it's a small, almost abandoned town on the outskirts of Paris. The town has been almost entirely abandoned in the past years due to the construction of an airport nearby, so no one comes to this place anymore. There's no one who will be able to come and rescue you here. And please, forgive our extreme methods, but given the recent chaos we didn't want to take any chances. This was the only way we had to confine a Servant." He pointed to the daggers that held him nailed to the wall. "Those Black Keys on your arms are imbued with a special containment oil that works as a seal. I created it, you know. You won't be able to free yourself from them, and they won't allow you to return into Spirit Form either. They'll keep you nailed here as long as I want it. There is no way to free yourself, I'm afraid."

"…I see. Precise as always. They're some pretty interesting weapons, I admit," Napoleon replied, never once losing his confident smirk. "As expected from you, Amakusa. Never underestimate an Assassin's tricks, huh?"

The white-haired young man merely smiled with innocence.

Napoleon returned his gaze to the Ruler's cold face. "But that's not why I'm surprised," he continued again. "I didn't expect to be defeated so pathetically. I have to admit your power has blown me away, Ruler. You overwhelmed me in the blink of an eye, and as much as I hate to admit it... I can't deny the fact that you're stronger than me."

"Then you're aware your current position," he merely replied, emotionless and uncaring. "You have no chance of escape, Emperor."

The Archer shrugged a little – as far as his restraints allowed him. "Who knows. You're not the only one with some tricks up their sleeves. I escaped from prison and exile once... maybe I'll do it again," he challenged him with his usual confident face.

The blonde woman's expression hardened after hearing that. An invisible weapon appeared in her right hand, and Napoleon couldn't help but swallow in fear. However – much to his relief – a single glance from Ruler was enough to make her desist from attacking him. "You won't be able to escape from us, Archer. I won't allow that," she promised instead with a cold tone of voice.

Seeing everyone's solemn and threatening looks, Napoleon sighed. He couldn't deny the woman's words. Perhaps if he had been alone he could have found a way to free himself from his restraints and escape in secret as he did in life, but doing such a thing in front of three opponents was completely impossible. Especially when one of these opponents was the same man who had been able to defeat and capture him without effort and hesitation. As much as he hated to admit it, Ruler was stronger than him. Therefore... there really was no way to escape from this situation. Not yet, at least.

Another sigh escaped his lips. "I supposed not," he finally admitted with resignation. "But even this was something to be expected. Nothing lasts forever, after all. There always will be a day when defeat comes, and I knew it since the very beginning." Then, his expression fell a little. "Sacrebleu. What a shame, really. This is not what I was hoping to achieve."

"Hoh? What, then? What were you hoping to achieve with your actions, Emperor? " the Ruler asked with an arched eyebrow, looking extremely curious about this matter.

To everyone's slight astonishment, Napoleon smiled sadly. "To be honest... I have no idea," he admitted after a couple of seconds of reflection. "I just did what I felt was right. Actually… I know this will sound like an excuse, but I don't… I can't quite remember what I was doing. I remember what I did, but not why I did it. I can't get over the why, for some reason. I just remember that something was wrong, that something had gone wrong... and I had to act. I had to react. That's... all I seem to remember."

The woman's eyes narrowed. "You have endangered countless lives," she accused.

The Archer nodded slowly. "That I did. But I… I can't remember why."

The Ruler, Shirou Emiya, stared at him with an inquisitive expression for several seconds full of tension. "Explain. What do you mean by that? " he asked. His tone was cold and solemn, demanding answers without any chance of transgression.

Napoleon looked down to the stone floor, his expression turning thoughtful. "I really don't know how to explain it," he began to say again, puzzled. He looked bewildered, as if he was confused about this himself. Confused by his own confusion. "All I know, all I remember, is that something was wrong around me. I… I wanted to defend my Country, my people, from the war and the chaos that were expanding around the world. But then, why? Why have I endangered them? I never really wanted to attack Marie in the city... and yet, why did I…?"

He fell silent, staring at the floor with frowning eyes, much to everyone's confusion.

Amakusa, Artoria, and Shirou exchanged a long glance.

"...what's going on with him?" the woman asked.

Shirou remained silent, watching Napoleon's confused face with narrowed eyes.

"What if he's lying? What if he's just pretending not to remember?" Amakusa asked with an impassive look.

"I highly doubt it," the God of War suddenly spoke. Everyone's eyes fell on him, and even Napoleon raised his head to observe his face as Shirou frownend in suspicion and reflection. "He's already defeated. He no longer has a chance to escape from me. Pretending not to remember his motives or trying to deceive us would be useless for him right now. Any lie he could have come up with if he was really trying to hide something would still be useless now. He has no reason to pretend, since his fate is now completely in my hands."

The Archer smirked slightly. "Indeed... it's exactly how you say. You're smarter than you look, Ruler."

If Shirou was offended by his words, he didn't show it in the slightest. Instead, he moved closer with the chair and leaned slightly towards the man sitting on the ground, immobilized and unable to retract. "Tell me, then. If you really can't remember what prompted you to attack your enemies in the capital, what are you thinking right now? What do you think happened to you?"

Napoleon's face contracted for a second. A grimace of displeasure and suspicion flashed across his features, ruining his captivating smile. "If I had to guess... then the most plausible hypothesis is that I must have been manipulated," he replied slowly, frowning both on the inside and the outside.

Amakusa raised a skeptical eyebrow. "In other words, you're saying that someone used you."

"…More or less," Napoleon swallowed. "I'm a Heroic Spirit born from the desires of humanity. A Hero who responds to people's wishes. If humans place their many dreams on Napoleon's shoulders, so be it. Ever since I was summoned back here, I had already decided that I would give my all for those who live in the present and in the future. That was my original goal."

Artoria crossed her arms. Dressed in her modern dark blue clothes, she looked like a noblewoman watching a disobedient servant. Her green eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Yet, your actions were the exact opposite of what you claim to be your purpose," she reiterated with unyielding firmness.

The Archer nodded. "That's exactly why I can't undestand," he answered slowly. "I'm not the same man I was in life. Cruelty, conquest and power are no longer goals that interest me. Yes, they're still a part of me, I can't deny it; but now... it's different. I didn't really want to cause all that death and destruction. But for some reason… I did."

"And what makes you think we can believe such a statement? Especially after your actions that prove otherwise?" Artoria demanded again, inflexible.

Napoleon glared at her, but a confident and powerful smile spread across his lips in spite of everything. A smile that didn't waver even in front of the cold and calculating gaze the three Servants where giving him. The very same people who held him prisoner and who also held his life in their hands.

"Even if I'm different from the man I was, I'm still an Emperor," he spoke solemnly. "A Conqueror. I have led men, soldiers, and countless people in my life. I commanded the Grand Armée like no one else before has managed to do. Thousands of people swore allegiance to me and my cause when I was alive. I would never lie about something like this, about me being used like that! Do you really believe that a madman and a liar could achieve such fame? Such legend as mine?" he retorted confidently, challenging them with his eyes. Despite his controversial fame and his recent actions, he seemed honestly proud of his deeds.

The others didn't respond, remaining silent after his confident statement. Despite his irritating attitude – honestly, it was extremely similar to Iskandar's in this respect, but for some reason even worse – they couldn't help but think that there was a modicum of truth in his words. Napoleon had definitely been a charismatic figure and a man who inspired loyalty in life. A controversial man, of course, but who nevertheless had in mind the good of his Nation, both here and in life.

Therefore, maybe he was right, even if not completely. Perhaps he was not just the monster and the cruel man who had appeared to them. Not only that, at least.

"If only I had my former comrades here, they could testify that I never lied, not even once, after becoming Emperor," he continued to say with absolute conviction. "Good grief. It's really a shame that I lost the army led by the past me that stormed the battlefields. Regrettably, my Archer class does not allow me to have the Grand Armée as a Noble Phantasm," he admitted with a disappointed shake of the head.

"Why, then? What were you thinking when you attacked Marie and the others in the middle of the capital?" Shirou asked him again, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Napoleon widened his eyes, but he lowered his head and fell silent for a while before answering with a low tone of voice. "I just... don't remember. Why did I make that decision? What happened to me? Was I being controlled without me noticing? Has the same thing happened to my allies as well?" he whispered softly, more to himself than the others.

Despite the tense and confusing situation, Shirou didn't take long to connect the dots and realize how things were. It wasn't the first time he'd seen such a thing, after all. It had already happened in the past, albeit in a different way. Hessian Lobo had clearly been controlled by someone during their confrontation. Even Mephistopheles had been "tasked" by someone to cause death and destruction back in Scotland. Therefore, the idea that someone had "used" or "manipulated" Napoleon to induce him to start a war right in the heart of the French capital was not to be ruled out, unfortunately.

And as much as the ancient God wanted to deny it, the idea was also supported by logic. By reason. Yes, Napoleon was an Emperor. He was a man who had committed atrocities and numerous crimes in the name of strengthening his Empire and expanding his quest of conquest when he was alive… but he was no fool. On the contrary, his intelligence was visibly distinct compared to many other Servants Shirou had encountered thus far. He would never have done such an act without an extremely important reason. Especially since – as Archer himself had confirmed – the Napoleon of the past and the Heroic Spirit Napoleon were not the same person. Not entirely, at least, given how they differed in both appearance and personality.

Napoleon Bonaparte had been a cruel conqueror, but his Servant was a Hero born of the desires of humanity. And humanity would never have unconsciously summoned a machine of destruction out of their own will. It was unreal. Illogical. It went against the very laws of nature and survival. Gaia would NEVER have allowed such a thing. Even Alaya would have NEVER tolerated such a thing.

But Alaya was gone, and Gaia had no power now...

Hushed words echoed in his head all of a sudden. Silent echoes of his last conversation with Gaia.

"Alaya's not the one who's binding the Will of the Planet, Shirou."

"Someone is binding her."

Shirou clenched his fists, cursing inside his head.

He looked into Napoleon's confused face, narrowing his eyes as a sense of dead and irritation began to rise up his spine like a cold shiver. "Have you had any contact with anyone? Any noteworthy Servants? Some strange entity with a different or particular appearance?" he asked him then, his mind racing furiously trying to find an explanation.

The French Emperor stared at his golden-brown eyes for a while, lost in thoughts, then shook his head lamely. "I'm afraid I can't remember, unfortunately. I don't recall ever meeting someone worthy of relevance except my followers. Along with the holy Maiden and Amakusa, of course. But none of them had any impact on me," was all he was able to say.

"Then when, exactly, did you decide to attack the other faction?" he pressed again, unperturbed.

"I don't know," he repeated again. "All I remember is that I wanted to free my Country… and then I had to attack them. This happened during the demons' attack. I don't know what happened to me, nor when it happened exactly; but what I do remember is that I gave everyone the order to attack, because... because something inside me was forcing me to act. As for the reaons why, however, I have no idea. I swear on my honor."

Pure silence fell in the small cell after that explanation.

Artoria turned to him with a frowning face. "Do you really believe him, Shirou?" she asked him seriously. Even Amakusa seemed to want to know his opinion at this point.

The Ruler slowly rose from his chair. "Unfortunately… I do," he admitted with no small amount of frustration. "He strikes me as many things, and liar is not one of them. Furthermore, this is not the first time I've seen something like this. My companions and I have already met other Servants whose actions were dictated by some kind of 'external control'. Mephistopheles was just the latest addition to the list, just like our troublesome Emperor here."

The King of Knights widened her emerald eyes in light stupor. "But this means..."

"...that someone is actively using some Servants to endanger humanity," Amakusa Shirou concluded for her, deducing how things were. His face became a mask of concern after that revelation. "I... never expected to discover something like this."

"I wish I could say the same. I knew since the very beginning that there was something wrong with this Holy Grail War," the red-haired God spoke with an icy fury, literally fuming on the inside. 'Holy Grail? Wish-granting Artifact? Honorable war? As if. I knew all of this was nothing more than a farce. As expected, there's someone behind this mess. Someone who has no good intentions at all,' he mentally added.

"…the others won't be happy when they'll hear about this. Especially Jeanne," the white-haired Assassin sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Shirou gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll handle it. We'll stop this madness at all costs. That's why I'm here."

Artoria looked at him with a careful expression. "What should we do now, Shirou? Do we head back and-"

"Excuse-moi... I do not wish to interrupt your discussion, but what about me, now?" Napoleon interjected with a cough and a nervous smirk. His smirk widened when the others turned to him again. "Now that I've told you what happened, what will happen to me? Care to consider the idea of releasing yours truly? It's not like I can do much in these conditions," he tried, offering them a wink and a wide smile, trying to look innocent and fulfilling. He seemed completely uncaring of his current condition, nor of the blades nailing his hands to the wall.

A long, tense silence was his only answer. The Ruler, the Saber and the Assassin shared a long glance. They nodded in silence after a few seconds. Then, Shirou shrugged and offered him a wide smile.

The Emperor smirked to himself.

"No."

And he blinked in confusion.

"P-Pardon?" he stuttered.

Shirou grinned at his stunned face. Even Artoria and Amakusa seemed to stare at him with amused expressions, making him sweat into nervousness and confusion.

"What? Did you really think we would release you so easily?" the red-haired warrior asked him back in a sarcastic tone. "Think again, it's not that easy. Even if you have been 'manipulated' as you say, you're still responsible for much of the chaos and confusion that Paris has suffered. The people of the Country are panicking, the news are all over the place. Your faction's attack yesterday was a major cause of this. Even if you're not entirely to blame, you still did it. That is a crime that I cannot ignore, given my role as a Ruler and my duty to protect humanity. Not to mention, of course, that you tried to run away from your responsibilities, and also tried to attack me and my teammates at the same time. Therefore, sorry to disappoint, but the answer is no."

Artoria hid a little smile at the Archer's nervous expression after that explanation. "What's wrong, Archer? Don't tell me you weren't expecting it. You're not as smart as you look, then," she joked in a mellifluous, distant tone.

His eyebrow twitched in irritation at the shot. Damn it. They got him there. They got him good. "I guess I deserved that," he grunted. "But come on, isn't it a little too cruel to keep me imprisoned for such a trivial reason? I won't do it again, I swear! It's not like I actually wanted to do those things, and I can't even fight you either. I'm not that stupid. Instead, I can help you guys, if you want. What do you say?" he asked with a playful smirk, trying to win their favor.

Despite his best efforts, however, he received no answer. So, seeing the others' skeptical expressions, he let out an irritated sigh. "Come on! Don't you guys have some compassion?"

Amakusa openly laughed after his words. "Compassion? You should thank him, Emperor," he retorted with a shake of the head and a chuckle, causing him to fall in confusion again. The young Assassin nodded towards Shirou. "If it wasn't for Ruler, you would have been dead long ago. Sir Mordred wanted to cut your head off and kill you as soon as we caught you, and everyone else wasn't very keen on keeping you alive either. It was only thanks to him that we finally decided to spare you to get informations. He gave you the benefit of the doubt in spite of everything you did."

"Indeed. Your selfish behavior does not befit a respectful monarch," Artoria nodded with her arms crossed.

Napoleon swallowed, but smiled despite the trickle of sweat running down his temple. "Well, in my defense, I've always been a pretty selfish person," he tried to relent, without success.

Shirou merely shook his head. "No matter, you have your answer already. We cannot release you. Not yet, and not after all you've done and caused. Only time will tell us if we can really trust you and give you a second chance," he said with a smug voice.

The French Emperor narrowed his eyes. "Then what? You're going to keep me locked here in this abandoned place for who knows how long? You'll keep me prisoner until you get tired of me?" he demanded seriously, glaring at the three of them with a frown.

Once again, the answer he received was an unreadable smile.

"Not quite."

Napoleon gulped, ignoring the shiver that ran down his back at the sight of Ruler's expression. An expression that was anything but reassuring. "W-What do you mean?"

Shirou's eyes glowed with mischief as he stared at him from above.

"Have you ever heard of the Clock Tower?"

---

Planet: Earth
Date: May 26 2020
Location: Palace of Versailles – Versailles (Yvelines - France)

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Mordred looked around carefully while she and her 'companions' followed Marie Antoinette through the rooms of the gigantic building, observing the elegant Palace with narrowed eyes. If she had to be honest with herself, she couldn't deny that she was slightly – just a tiny bit, definitely not too much – surprised and amazed by the incredible sight this place offered. After all, even if she wasn't the type of person who paid too much attention to elegance and opulence but rather preferred effectiveness to spectacularity, what her eyes were seeing right now was definitely a breathtaking sight.

After all, it didn't happen every day to be able to go inside one of the most beautiful and famous monuments in the world: the Palace of Versailles.

She couldn't deny it. It was a wonder to the eyes. The palace was gigantic, richly decorated with gold and countless precious and rare metals; its architecture made up of sinuous and elegant shapes, both inside and outside the structure. It was surrounded by a large garden divided into different zones, all different from each other and incredibly elegant in their turn. Mordred had never seen something so beautiful before. Ever. The gardens were filled with fountains, meticulously manicured hedges and plants of all kinds. Some hedges formed elegant 'corridors' similar to small labyrinths of the most disparate geometric shapes, the fountains were large and full of jets of waters that made the smaller private gardens even more beautiful, and the imposing architecture of the building towered over everything, making the whole view around that place a breathtaking sight.

But it was inside that the Palace flaunted its absolute splendor. Immense halls full of marble and statues, corridors filled with paintings and representations of all shapes and sizes, countless rooms painted with bright and captivating colors, and above all elegant frescoes and paintings that covered the walls, ceilings and sometimes even the doors and curtains of the windows. Truly, it was a spectacle that revealed splendor, richness and elegance in every corner of the structure, making the entire building a marvel for both the eyes and the heart. It was like being inside a gigantic and endless palace crammed with treasures and elegant fornitures, which stretched as far as the eye could see until it became almost cloying, in a good way.

Really, it was impossible to remain undisturbed by such a sight. It was literally impossible to remain completely unmoved by it, even for Servants. For once, incredibly, Mordred decided to ignore and not comment on the obvious shock of Gawain and Bedivere - who were looking around with wide, incredulous eyes - and not even the amused and impressed grin of Cu Chulainn who was studying every corner of the structure with a curious and intrigued eye. Heck, even Jeanne had remained speechless ever since she entered the building.

But at this point came the fateful question: how, in the name of all that was sacred, had Mordred and his allies ended up in a place like this? Well, the answer was simple: Marie Antoinette. In fact, ever since the clash in the capital had ended overnight, the cheerful and carefree Queen of France had persistently urged Mordred, Shirou and their friends to join her in discussing an alliance in one of her favorite hiding places. Mordred and the others had accepted, seeing nothing wrong with that offer... but they had not expected to discover that said hiding place was the freaking Palace of Versailles of all places. It was incredible. It was simply too shocking to believe. Mordred would never have believed such a thing if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. And yet, however absurd it seemed, it was true. Marie Antoinette had taken possession of her Palace and was currently using it as a private hiding place.

Jeanne, even more than Mordred, had remained completely speechless when she found out. Not to mention when she entered the building. She seemed close to fainting from emotions even now. The female Knight gave her an irritated look as the blonde girl walked through the halls of Versailles and observed everything with wide and curious eyes, her head turning in all directions and her expression glowing in wonder, like the face of a child watching something spectacular. For once, Mordred didn't blame or judge her for her obvious shock. Jeanne had been a poor girl of humble origins. She was a simple farm girl. She had lived in poverty and humility all her life, and in her time there had been nothing so elegant in France. Not even in Mordred's time, actually. So… yeah. She could relate to her a little.

Marie, on the other hand, seemed to be immensely delighted at the sight of their astonishment. Whenever Jeanne gaped in shock or Cu Chulainn whistled in amazement, the white-haired woman's face shone with pride and amusement, and she made no qualms about explaining and showing them every corner and treasure of the Palace without the slightest hesitation. After all, while it was strange thing to think, this place had been her home once. She knew perfectly every corner and secret of the building, since she had lived here for years, even if her life inside this walls hadn't been too long. But still, the controversial Queen seemed more than happy to show her new 'guests' the majesty and splendor of her former home.

Eventually, Marie led them towards the section of the Palace which was called 'Petit appartement de la Reine': a suite of rooms that used to be the private domains of the various Queens of France. In Versailles, the Queen had a series of small rooms beyond her State Apartments which were reserved for her personal use and for service by her ladies-in-waiting. She used to retire here to read, paint, reflect, or receive private visits. The rooms were decorated with great care and were modified several times throughout the 18th century in accordance with the changes in tastes and requirements of their different occupants. Marie Antoinette acquired more space by fitting out new rooms on the floor above and even had a miniature summer apartment built on the ground floor, which opened onto the Marble Courtyard and contained a bedchamber, library and bathroom.

Basically, all of that was her own private, gigantic room.

"Here we are!" Marie exclaimed cheerfully, opening a double door and leading the Servants into a large and elegant room.

The room she had chosen was large, at least fifteen meters in size, and richly decorated. The walls were painted with lovely gold and white patterns, mixed with a bit of green that went perfectly to match the curtains of the large windows on the left, and the floor was made of a white marble that had been - take a guess - decorated in turn and covered with a giant carpet in bright colors. There were several rectangular tables made of decorated wood (always painted of green and gold) with several sumptuous chairs covered with fabric and cushions, with candlesticks scattered throughout the room. Several mirrors, paintings and very refined gold chandeliers embellished the private chamber, and on the left there was even a large triclinium (a Klìne, to be exact) similar to those used in ancient Greece or Rome, with a soft mattress and green pillows on top of it.

Unbeknownst to the Servants, the room was called the Gilded Room, and had been modified several times by Marie Antoinette during her stay in Versailles. Its current appearance dated however to 1784, when in place of the silks hanging previously in the room the latest occupants proposed a more contemporary look of wood paneling with decoration from antiquity, a style that had recently come into fashion thanks to the discovery of the remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum which took place in those years.

Still, it was a room that would have taken any normal person's breath away. Mordred was starting to scowl by now.

'Tch. All this useless splendor is way too much for my taste. A gigantic waste of resources,' she inwardly sighed with a shake of the head. But she refrained from voicing her opinion in front of others. She was not that tactless.

Marie didn't seem to pay any attention to her frowning face. "Please, chers invités, take a seat," she urged them cheerfully, motioning them to sit on one of the many chairs that filled the room while she sat as well on a small green fabric chair in front of a mirror, fixing her white-silver hair and twintails. "Make yourselves at home."

Jeanne, the Knights and Cu Chulainn exchanged a silent glance. Then, slowly, they took a seat with rigid bodies, unsure whether they could even touch all that glitz around them. Jeanne, more than the others, sat down on a chair in a slow and almost comical way, as stiff as a statue, with her back straight and legs joined together as she gazed around the room with wide eyes. Mordred scoffed a little, sitting casually on the triclinium on the right regardless of formalities and all that kind of nonsense.

"I… had no idea you could use this Palace as a hiding place, Queen Marie," Jeanne finally spoke in a nervous tone, still busy looking around to study all that beauty she had never experienced and seen in her life. Her mind was still blown by everything she had seen during the last few hours.

The blue Lancer snorted with a wide grin. "Yeah. That was a surprise. I never thought I'd end up in such a place," he commented sarcastically, weighing a soft pillow with a raised eyebrow. "Not bad at all, to be honest."

Marie simply giggled to their amazement. "Well, I'm glad you guys like it. You are free to touch whatever you want. Nobody will come to disturb us here."

Bedivere became serious upon hearing this. "What do you mean, Queen Marie?" he asked in all seriousness. "I don't mean to be rude, but this is suspicious. I understand this was your former residence back in life, but now… how can you use such a building? Isn't this place supposed to be some kind of tourist attraction or something?"

Indeed, that was a good question. Everyone's eyes fell to the white-haired Rider, but the woman just smiled and fixed a nonexistent crease in her red dress. "Oh, that's easy," she replied with an almost disarming casualness and cheerfulness. "You see, this building is supposed to be a museum nowadays. However, as painful and sad as it is, there's currently a pandemic going on in my Country; so no one has come to visit it for months. The Palace has been temporarily closed recently. I simply decided to take advantage of the situation to restore some splendor and give purpose to my abandoned house. That's it."

Mordred could see that the platinum-blonde haired Knight was still skeptical. "No offense, Queen, but I still doubt that your presence here could really go unnoticed," he said again. "Are you really sure no one has set foot in here lately?"

"Of course," she casually replied, smiling innocently. "I made sure of that. I specifically erected a Bounded Field that prevents any civilians from approaching this place, prompting them to leave and unconsciously abandon any intention of reaching the Palace."

Jeanne widened her eyes. "Can you really do that? You're not a Caster."

Marie Antoinette shrugged. "Oui, I can. As you may have noticed, I'm not a very powerful Servant in battle. I've never been a fighter, so fighting is not what I excel at. My skills are more useful to incite and influence the masses and those around me. As a Queen, I'm able to control and boost the abilities of those who team up with me, and also to influence their mind in a minor way. For this reason, I'm able to use a spell or two to ensure the safety of my people," she slowly explained to them, her eyes turning serious for the first time since she had set foot in the Palace.

Gawain and Bedivere exchanged a silent glance. "Very well. Then I have nothing more to say," Bedivere sighed in a low tone.

Mordred scoffed loudly. "No matter. This place is still too pompous for me," she declared with a contemptuous tone. She completely ignored the disapproving looks of her fellow Knights, and even the panicked face of Jeanne as she stared at her with wide eyes. "What really matters efficiency, not elegance. All this useless ostentation of riches is just a waste of resources. Also, in case you forgot, we're in the middle of a war. There's no use for such a place during a conflict. This is just stupid."

A couple of seconds of silence fell in the room after her words.

Still, if Marie was offended, she didn't show it in the slightest. On the contrary, her innocent smile widened. "My, my... I suppose you're right," she admitted with a slight giggle. "But for a beautiful Queen like me, a beautiful palace is necessary. I was born to be an Idol, a shining star for my country and my people. My home must reflect this aspect of my person. Don't you agree, sir Knight?"

The blonde Knight merely raised a brow after that convinced statement of hers. Her lips parted in a sly grin. "Keh! I suppose those rumors about your luxurious and bad spending habits are true after all... "

Marie's face quickly turned red with embarrassment. "W-W-What?"

"Don't mind our fellow Knight's words, Queen Marie," Gawain sighed with a shake of the head, putting an end to that discussion before it could escalate. He cast a disapproving look at Mordred, but she simply glared at him with a haughty look, much to the blue Lancer 's amusement. "Furthermore, a certain someone of your group seems to disagreee with you about this matter, sir Mordred. Am I right?" he asked back at her with a smug smile.

The girl narrowed her eyes and growled. She was about to reply in kind, but she didn't have time.

In fact, not even a second later, the door of the room was thrown open all of a sudden with a thunderous slam, revealing to everyone the imposing figure of Iskandar.

'...Gods dammit...' Mordred inwardly hissed with a sigh.

"Hohohohoh! This place is amazing!" the gigantic Rider exclaimed aloud, exploding into a thunderous laugh that echoed through the halls of the Palace of Versailles for several seconds. Mordred visibly sighed when she saw her companion make his entrance in that embarrassing way, running a hand over her face with a mixture of exasperation, embarrassment, and irritation.

The King of Conquerors entered the room with his boisterous laugh, holding in his arms a large pile of stuff obviously 'borrowed' from the halls of the Palace: a couple of paintings, some red cushions richly decorated with golden finishes, a stool large enough to hold his considerable weight, and even a marble bust. Everyone in the room sweat-dropped when they saw him holding all that stuff in his arms, incredulous and stunned. Cu Chulainn choked on spittle, doubling over in a fit of laughter.

"Rider! This palace of yours is truly a work of art!" Iskandar exclaimed emphatically as he stepped into the room with a quick step, his red eyes literally sparkling with excitement. He looked like a child surrounded by Christmas presents. "It's great! Absolutely great! I have never seen so much wealth in a single building before! Indeed, indeed! I am completely impressed, truly!" he declared solemnly, laughing with trepidation.

Behind him, two small figures entered the room after a few seconds, looking visibly nervous and exasperated at the same time: Castor and Pollux, the two Dioscuri now 'reunited' after their previous fight. The twins were holding hands – or rather, it was Pollux the one holding Castor by the hand, while the latter was too busy sulking with a face mixed in embarrassment and irritation – and both of them were looking at the mighty Macedonian king with incredulous eyes.

Marie laughed, extremely amused and pleased by the behavior of her fellow monarch. "Ufufu. Mercie beaucoup, King of Conquerors," she cheerfully thanked him with a small bow of gratitude. "I'm glad that my humble abode is to your liking!"

He widened his grin. "Indeed! By the way, I took the liberty of choosing a couple of items to take away while I was taking a stroll around! I couldn't just visit such a place without taking some trinkets as a memento. Some… souvenirs, as your people say in this Country. Hope you don't mind, right?" he said with a broad, captivating smile and bewildering casualness, gesturing to the aforementioned souvenirs in his arms.

Mordred gaped at him, shocked beyond words by his statement – just like everyone else. "Rider, what the hell? Are you crazy? Put them back! You can't steal that stuff!" she exclaimed furiously, looking absolutely incredulous.

The King of Conquerors blinked at her in confusion. "Huh? What are you saying, Saber? I'm not stealing, I'm asking. Besides, these are simple items I want to take with me by right of Conquest. There is nothing wrong with that."

"There's nothing wrong with that? Are you stupid!? You even took a freaking marble bust! Put them back right now!"

Pollux visibly sighed at the scene while his brother stared at the discussion between the King and the Knight with a disgusted frown. "My apologies, Queen Marie. We tried to contain his excitement, but we failed…" she said lamely.

Marie just giggled with a reassuring wave of her hand. "It's fine, it's fine. I don't mind if he takes a couple of things," she replied with simplicity, winking at the tall Rider who widened his smile as he heard her approval. He even bagan to cheer and laugh after that, making her giggle even more at the scene.

The others sweat-dropped in mute amazement, deciding not to comment for their own good. Even Mordred decided to relent in the end, grunting with her arms crossed and sitting back with a frown.

Castor sneered in irritation. "What a pathetic sight. I can't believe humans make such a fuss over something as miserable and useless as gold and wealth," he said with obvious disgust. His frown was solemn and unyielding as he glared at the King of Conquerors, who completely ignored him as he was busy putting down his souvenirs.

Pollux gave him an ironic look. "Oh my! How strange for you to say this, brother. After all, I clearly remember seeing your eyes sparkle with wonder when you first entered the Queen's Palace."

Her brother blushed heavily with an indignant expression, stuttering in embarrassment and outrage. "P-Pollux!"

"Gods above... is that a Klìne?" Iskandar suddenly exclaimed, interrupting the twins and rounding towards Mordred. He was staring wide-eyed at the triclinium-like bed she was sitting on. Everyone turned back to him, and it was easy to notice that his face was strangely filled with nostalgia and memories as he gazed at that particular piece of furniture.

Mordred blinked. "Huh? You know about this weird bed?" she asked him, eyeing the forniture with a confused look.

Iskandar nodded, smiling broadly. This time, however, his smile was nostalgic and subdued. A visible contrast to his usually exuberant character. "I do. They used to be all over Greece in my days. Back then, we used them during banquets and celebrations. I haven't seen one in ages," he admitted in a softer tone than before.

Marie looked at him with a friendly smile. "You know, you can take it if you want."

"Hoh? I can?"

Jeanne shot a frantic glance at the Queen of France. "Q-Queen Marie... are you really sure you can decide such a thing?" she said with a nervous chuckle. "I-I mean, I know this mansion used to be your own home, but now things have changed. You're no longer the sovereign of France, and people could become suspicious if several items from this palace will end up mysteriously disappearing..."

The white-haired Rider blinked at her words. Then, her face glowed in realization. And finally, she sighed with disappointment. "I guess you're right, Jeanne. We can't allow that, unfortunately."

"Hmm... how unfortunate," Iskandar sighed in turn, sitting on the triclinium next to Mordred.

Someone had enough.

"Enough! We didn't come here to discuss these trivial things!" Castor declared all of a sudden, glaring to everyone present with a vicious scowl. His irritation was reaching extreme levels, also fueled by his Mad Enhancement due to his Berserker Class. "Stop wasting my time and get a move on!"

Everyone glared at him after that statement, even Marie. Cu Chulainn gave him a sideways glance instead, arching an eyebrow with a bored face. "Calm your hot spirits, lad. If I recall correctly, you're the one who lost the fight. Therefore, you're now our prisoner. It was only thanks to your sister that we've decided to spare you and have you join the group without holding you as a hostage like Archer. You should be grateful."

The small Berserker snarled. "I may have lost the fight, but I refuse to waste time listening to useless humans," he hissed with venom. "I should focus on getting the Grail, not on pathetic issues like alliances and plots to stop this War. This 'alliance' of yours is useless."

Pollux nudged him on the side with a disapproving look. "Brother, calm down."

Gawain remained as serious as ever. "On the contrary, it's a matter of utmost importance," he said in all seriousness, fixing the small boy with a glare. "What you and the Emperor did last night was a risky and decidedly reckless act. You have unnecessarily compromised the safety of the city out of your selfish desire to fight. An action with no honor and glory. You were lucky enough to be spared from Ruler's wrath, since you were already passed out. Archer didn't share the same luck as you."

Castor merely scoffed. "Acting honorably for the sake of pathetic humans doesn't interest me. Mankind is nothing more than a mass of parasites and useless pests. It is because of them that I became who I am today in the first place. If it wasn't for them, I would never have become a mere Heroic Spirit and a Berserker. Their safety and survival is of no interest to me."

"What's that? The kid's throwing a tantrum? How cute," Mordred mocked him with a disinterested tone of voice and a roll of the eyes.

Pollux chuckled, along with many in the room, as Castor glared at the female Knight, his face red for anger and his trembling fists clenched. An electric bolt of lightning flickered in his hair, the one and only warning of his growing fury. "Why, you-!" he seethed furiously.

Jeanne sighed in exasperation. She didn't like the rising tension in the air at all. "Please, everyone, let's keep focused. We've barely managed to emerge unscathed from a conflict that has threatened to destroy countelss lives. There is no need for further problems," she tried to say, trying to pacify the hot spirits and quell the growing tension.

"Jeanne's right," Maire agreed with a wave of her hand, silencing everyone present. For once, her voice sounded serious like never before, even if her face continued to show an innocent, cheerful smile. "I've invited you here to discuss peacefully. Therefore, please don't break havoc inside my house. We have a lot to discuss, and there are many things I would like to know."

Iskandar raised an eyebrow in her direction. "I thought we had already explained everything to you on the way here."

"Oui, and now I have a better undestanding of the situation, but that's not what I'm referring to," she explained again, straightening her back and placing her hands on the legs, looking the very definition of royalty and elegance. As she stared at all the Servants with an angelic and determined smile, she looked like a Queen through and through. Despite her youthful appearance and innocent face, there was an impressive decision within her crystal blue eyes, worthy of the truest monarch. "My Country and my people are still in danger. Caster is still on the loose, and something tells me he's going to cause more trouble very soon. We can't relax yet."

"And we also need to decide what to do with that misguided Emperor," Cu Chulainn added in a disinterested tone, rising from his chair and leaning his back against the wall instead. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes with an almost bored expression. "We certainly can't overlook the threat he represents."

Iskandar nodded, frowning in displeasure at the memory of that Emperor and his misguided notion of Conquest and glory. A weary sigh escaped his lips at that thought. He was an open-minded Servant, but even he couldn't tolerate certain attitudes. Iskandar was not a man ready to judge others (he was certainly not the purest soul around) but even he had standards and ideals regarding his work. He could accept the desire for Conquest and subdue the world from other Servants, but the idea that someone could seriously decide to start a quest of Conquest by going against their own subjects was madness, in his opinion. There was no way to justify such an action.

Of course, he could accept other opinions and other ways of ruling, as in the case of Marie Antoinette or – in a more strained way – King Arthur... but involving civilians and risking the death of innocent people was something he could not digest at all. Especially if said civilians and innocent were the very same subjects the King had to rule. Alexander the Great had been a gruff man, a man full of ambitions, desires for conquest and lust for power; but he had NEVER been a cruel and callous oppressor. Not one of this kind, at least. He would never have been able to create an Empire as big as his, if he really was.

Gawain nodded slowly in the general silence, getting everyone's attention. "That's right. I guess we'll need to wait for our King and the others before deciding what to do about that matter."

"I'm getting tired of waiting. It's morning already. How much time do they still intend to waste with that useless Archer?" Mordred complained with an irritated snort. Her green eyes glinted with annoyance. "We should have killed him right away and spared ourselves this farce."

Bedivere sighed, closing his eyes with a solemn expression. "I suppose we'll decide what to do when our King comes back."

And after a few minutes of waiting, their patience paid off.

All the Servants felt the sources of prana approaching at the same time. Then, suddenly, someone knocked on the door, and everyone turned in the direction of the noise.

Then, slowly, the door opened, revealing the figure of a blonde girl/boy dressed in a brightly colored military uniform typical of 18-19th century France with a large hat on his head: a Knight of the Royal Family. Said knight entered the room with a statuesque expression, bowed in Marie's direction, and spoke with a serious and concise tone that perfectly matched their stoic face. "My Queen, the others have arrived. Shall I let them in?" they asked with the utmost devotion.

"Ara, ara~ D'Eon! Of couse, you can bring them here," the silver-haired Rider replied with a dazzling smile.

With a curt nod, Chevalier d'Eon gestured with their arms to the other two figures who had remained behind the door, urging them to enter without words.

A moment later, Artoria Pendragon and Shirou Emiya entered the elegant chamber at a steady pace, returning to their allies after more than seven hours of absence.

"Good grief. Don't you think you're exaggerating a little bit with all this formality?" Shirou enunciated with a sigh once he entered the room, eyeing D'Eon with a look that was both exasperated and tired at the same time. It was clearly not the first time that he had to deal with their stony-face attutudine and formal and inflexible ways.

"Nonsense. As a Knight of France and the White Lily, I shall behave accordingly in front of royalty," the knight replied in total seriousness without batting an eye.

The Queen of France giggled seeing Shirou sweat-drop in front of her friend's utter seriousness. "D'Eon, that's no good. Don't make that serious face. You need to relax a little bit. Times have changed now, there is no longer any need to serve and revere me as you used to do back then," she casually said, trying to reassure them.

The blonde girl/boy widened their eyes. "B-But that's..."

"No buts. Just relax a little, no one will bite you," she reassured them with a wide smile.

In the end, the knight seemed to relent, albeit a little reluctantly.

Iskandar turned to his companion after that exchange of words. "Well, boy? Have you questioned Archer? How did it go?" he asked him seriously, fixing him with his red eyes narrowed with utmost attention.

The red-haired Ruler glanced at Artoria and shared a silent nod with her. Then, he sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, and after that he began to talk. "It went..." he paused, then exhaled a long breath. "You know what? Let's just say that we've discovered something. Something I've suspected for a while, but that I sincerely hoped not to prove true," he replied in a low, slow tone of voice, his gaze and expression literal steel as he spoke. A great solemnity shone in his golden-brown eyes.

All the others present narrowed their eyes in suspicion, listening and looking at the Ruler with all the attention in the world. Even Artoria's expression became more solemn than usual. The silence in the room became extremely heavy.

"Napoleon claims he was manipulated," Shirou then revealed in a deadly serious tone. "He can't remember what prompted him to attack your faction. He just said that once he woke up, he couldn't remember what happened to him and why he was so obsessed with destroying you guys."

That revelation shocked everyone present. Sheer silence followed the Ruler's words.

Artoria nodded, crossing her arms in front of the incredulous expression of her Knights. "It's true," she voiced in favor of the other Servant. "I was there when he said that. For some reason, Archer remembers nothing about his goal and the reason behind his actions."

"…what does that mean?" Jeanne breathed with a conflicted face.

Thus, once again, the God of War and the King of Knights explained what had happened during their 'interrogation' to Napoleon, recounting the French Emperor's reactions and words, along with the obvious confusion he had showed once awakened. They explained everything, in detail, without neglecting anything and trying to be as precise as possible on that matter. A matter that, however absurd it seemed, was unfortunately the truth of what had happened. They also hinted at what had happened back in Scotland with Mephistopheles and even earlier in America with Hessian Lobo. They didn't omit anything, literally.

After all, they couldn't afford to be negligent or, even worse, lie about such a matter. Not when it came to the salvation of the world, and the truth behind this Holy Grail War.

"...and that's it," Shirou concluded with a weary sigh, sitting down on a chair near a smalle table and trying not to pay too much attention to the incredulous, suspicious and confused expressions of the others. Artoria seemed to hesitate for a couple of seconds, but in the end she took a seat as well, sitting next to her faithful Bedivere and Gawain while the whole room fell in total silence again. It was so quiet you could hear the grass growing, and the silence was broken only by the distant chirping of birds from the outside.

Jeanne looked down at her hands, her usually smiling and bright face now morphed into a mask of worry and nervousness. "T-This... it can't be..." she whispered, shaking her head slowly in disbelief and panic.

The Knights and Lancer said nothing, deep in their thoughts. Iskandar and Mordred stared at their friend Ruler with unreadable gazes, but remained silent as well. D'Eon moved to stand next to their Queen with evident uncertainty and hesitation, their face even more frowining than before. And even Marie herself had completely lost her former euphoria and cheerfulness now, replaced instead by a concern that was visible to the naked eye and almost perceptible on the skin of everyone present.

"S-Servants being controlled without them realizing it..." she stammered in disbelief. "I-I can't belive something like this. It's simply too crazy to be true."

Shirou was completely unmoved by their shock. "Unfortunately, that's the way it is. We've seen it more than once now. There is no longer any way to deny it."

Bedivere turned to the King of Knights. "My King... are you really sure that Emperor wasn't trying to lie or deceive you?" he asked with absolute seriousness.

The blonde-haired woman shook her head, her eyes fixed on Shirou's face while he was deep in thought. "I am, Bedivere. I had my suspicions at first, but I trust Ruler's... Shirou's words. It didn't seem to me that Archer was lying either," she replied with her usual calm, collected tone.

Of course, as only she and Shirou knew, there was another reason why she could agree with the red-head. A reason that went far beyond their mutual and growing friendship: their past discussion with Vivian, the Lady of the Lake. On that occasion, the Fairy herself had confirmed that there was something strange, something wrong behind this Holy Grail War. She had said that she would try to discover something about it, and that it was necessary for the two of them to join forces together if they were to unravel this mystery that was threatening the whole planet and its entire population. And Artoria had no reason to doubt Vivian's words given everything she had done for her.

So, even if she couldn't reveal anything of their secret discussion to her friends, she could still do something to keep their goals aligned for the good of the world, of the future.

Among the silence, Mordred slammed a fist on the triclinium on which she was sitting. "Damn it!" she cursed with a hiss of frustration and anger. "Are you kidding me? This is like Scotland and America all over again. What kind of sick joke is this?"

Even Iskandar wore a harsher expression than usual. "…Indeed. This is worrying. But it also confirms that there is something wrong behind this conflict. I'm afraid we can no longer deny it," he spoke, stroking his beard with a hand.

Jeanne swallowed, trying to keep calm. "I-If things are really like you guys said... at this rate the world, the entire human order, and even its history could be completely destroyed."

Sheer silence followed the words of the Maid of Orleans.

Until, someone broke it again.

"Human Order, Human History… I see. So it really is in danger of disappearing," Castor spoke with an amused chuckle. Said chuckle soon became a full blown laughter after a couple of seconds. "Haha! Serves them right. Let the world of humans perish. This is exactly what such a miserable species deserves."

Pollux nudged his twin's side. Hard. "That's not good! We can't let humanity perish, brother."

He glared at her with a hiss of pain, but his expression remained twisted into a scowl nonetheless. "I told you, sister. I don't care about humanity. Not anymore. If the world is in danger and is destined to disappear, that doesn't bother me. May it perish completely, for all I care," he retorted with a resolute and solemn tone, absolutely convinced of his words. There was not even a trace of hesitation in his tone and face.

Shirou glanced at him, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You seem rather adamant about this adversity against humanity," he noted in a low tone, strangely lower than usual.

The blond Berserker gave him a look of distaste. "If humans didn't exist, I wouldn't have been diminished. Their rotten legends have taken away the divine blood from me, and it's their fault that I was reduced to a Heroic Spirit after death," he explained in a resentful voice. "So, if humanity is in danger, it doesn't bother me in the least. I have no reason to fight for it and protect inferior beings who have taken my powers and my blood away from me."

Iskandar scratched his chin with obvious irritation. "You know, for a kid you sure have quite the superiority complex," he scolded him with his powerful, deep voice. And for a rebuke like that coming from him… it was quite something.

"Like you're any better, you foolish King!" the boy snapped with a snarl. His sister visibly sighed at his antics. "You act all high and mighty, but in the end you're nothing more than a pathetic mortal. I, on the other hand, am not a human. I'm a Demi-God! A child of the Gods! A superior existence! My status is in no way comparable to that of you wretched humans! I'm not a pathetic beast like them!"

Shirou glared at him, along with the whole room. "You say you're not a beast, yet you're barking quite a lot," he promptly retorted, making Mordred and Marie sniker in amusement for the joke. Even Jeanne had to hold back a smile when she saw several Servants holding back their laughter, including Pollux. It seemed that the girl was having a lot of fun seeing the her own twin's embarrassment.

Castor visibly seethed in anger, glaring at the red-haired Ruler who - unbeknownst to him - was the God of War in the flesh. "Shut up!" he spat in obvious rage. "Your opinions mean nothing to me. You're just useless mortals, all of you!"

Cu Chulainn raised a hand in a lazy gesture. "I'm a Demi-God too, you know... and I agree with Ruler."

"As if I care!"

Pollux sighed in exasperation, "Enough, brother. You're embarrassing yourself. Again."

"Actually, I'm very interested in this," Shirou interjected again, drawing the attention not only of the twins, but of everyone present. He got up from his chair and slowly made his way towards the two Dioscuri. "We haven't had the opportunity to talk about this before, given the recent chaos and the far more pressing matter about Napoleon... but this is an issue that I cannot ignore." His eyes fixed the two twins with a solemn gaze, staring at them from top to bottom with a cold and threatening face that made them unconsciously stiffen for some reason that they couldn't understand.

Castor and Pollux began to sweat profusely under his cold gaze.

"I can see that Pollux is a girl with a good heart. But you," he leaned towards Castor, staring at him with eyes narrowed dangerously. "You are a threat. You attacked your sister of your own free will, and up until now you have done nothing but insult and despise humanity. Your hatred and your thirst for revenge make you a factor that endangers the stability of the world and its people. This is something I cannot ignore, Twin of the Gemini. You may be a child, but you're still a Servant and therefore pose a considerable threat to the entire planet."

The blond boy swallowed, but still challenged the taller man with an enraged expression. "So what?" he spat carelessly.

Shirou's gaze was literal steel as he stared at the small boy in front of him. "I will give you one, single chance, Castor," he spoke with a menacingly low and intimidating voice. "Are you a friend, or a foe?"

The boy smirked contemptuously despite the sweat that was mysteriously permeating his forehead. "Who knows? Perhaps I'm an enemy of humanity. What if I am? What are you gonna do, then?" he still challenged him without hesitation, his glare escalating by the second.

In response, Shirou offered him his patented smile: eyes closed and head tilted to the side.

"This."

What happened next, it happened in an instant.

Castor didn't even have time to blink. One moment he was still standing in front of the older, taller man, and the next the world suddenly rotated around him at crazy speed, so fast so that it was completely imperceptible. The boy's senses clouded in what seemed like a simple blink of an eye, and soon after that he found himself powerfully slammed against the wall behind him, his legs dangling in the air and a heavy feeling of oppression and death hovering around him, coming from the cold-gazed Ruler who kept him nailed to the wall.

The male twin gasped and clenched his teeth in shock and horror, his entire body starting to tremble under Shirou's grip. The God of War had lifted him off the ground with an invisible and immediate movement, grabbing him by his robe and slamming him against the wall with a pressure that was almost frighteningly indescribable. He kept him still and nailed to the wall without any hesitation, staring at him with a threatening gaze while an oppressive aura oozed from his entire body, so cold and icy that it could even froze a hot-tempered Servant like him. A Berserker, moreover. Castor turned pale and began to sweat profusely, hissing in pain and terror under the cold, unyielding pressure of the man.

Around them, the whole room was watching the scene with wide eyes and shocked faces. Only Mordred and Iskandar remained relatively calm, staring at their companion with narrowed eyes and minds deep in thoughts.

Shirou continued to glare at Castor, completely oblivious to the general disbelief around him or the Berserker's fear. "This is your first and last warning," he spoke with a calm, and cold, and firm tone of voice. "I don't care if you're a kid, a Demi-God, or a special kind of entity. If you try to endanger my allies, the civilians of this country, or any other innocent life of this world… I will destroy you."

Castor gritted his teeth, snarling as he pathetically tried to free himself from the opponent's grasp. But it was all in vain. The oppressive and menacing aura of the Ruler was so thick that it made his every attempt to resist and his every thought of rebelling completely null and void. Staring at him was like facing Death itself, making him completely lose all faculty of thought and action. There was no way, simply no way, to react and overwhelm that man. Even Castor realized it instantly.

He had been cornered. Quite literally.

However, his other twin decided to intervene.

"P-Please stop!" Pollux suddenly exclaimed. Her hands clasped Shirou's arm - the one that had lifted her brother and held him pressed against the wall. "I-I cannot stand to see someone hurting my Brother! Please!"

Shirou shot her a single glance, before returning to glare at the squirming twin under his grip. "Step aside, child. This is between me and your brother," was all he said to her, both as a warning and as command.

She didn't listen. "I-I can't!" she begged aloud. "Me and brother are connected! We are two lights in one, two sides of the same coin, two hearts beating as one! Our connection is eternal, immutable, to the level of the stars twinkling in the sky! I cannot be separated from him! Please!"

"…" The man said nothing.

"I beg you!" Pollux did not give up. "I apologize for his actions! I apologize for what he's said and done... but please, please, don't hurt him! I cannot be saparated from him!"

"I will not allow him to endanger the innocent," the God replied again, increasing the pressure and pressing Castor against the wall withe ven more strenght. The boy groaned in pain as the wall began to crack under the increasing pressure. He was so scared and in pain that he couldn't even defend himself. He couldn't even try.

"He won't! I'll make sure he won't! I promise!" Pollux cried again, desperately pulling Shirou's arm to free his twin. Despite her efforst, the man didn't even move an inch. "I'll keep an eye on him! I won't allow him to hurt anyone! Please, I beg you, trust me!"

Five seconds of silence passed. Seconds filled with tension and confusion, in which the only sound that could be heard in the room were Castor's subdued whimpers of pain.

Then, finally, Shirou decided to calm down and stop the scene.

"…Worry not. I have no intention of killing this petulant child," he relented in the end, assuming a less threatening tone and sighing a little. However, he still held his grip on the 'fellow' Divine Spirit's collar, staring at him with a piercing gaze that made his blood freeze even more. "You should thank you sister, Castor. But this is the only warning I'll give you. If you try something… no. If you only think of trying something that goes against me, my friends and the stability of the planet… I will be your end. Is that clear?"

The small Berserker sweated and stared at that menacing face with wide eyes and gritted teeth.

"Is-that-clear?" he repeated again, tilting his head towards him, looking the very definition of 'death'.

Despite his best efforts and his wounded pride... for some unknown reason, Castor couldn't help but comply and bend to his will.

"...y-yes."

"Good."

Shirou dropped him abruptly, releasing him to the ground with a thud.

Castor coughed and gasped and sweated, completely ignoring his sister who moved to help him recover while he stared wide-eyed and at the red-haired Ruler. Shirou turned and started to walk away from him with a slow pace, looking completely impassive and cold despite what he'd said and done to him. And for some reason, even if the more rational part of his mind was telling him to stay still, even if his instincts were literally begging him to hold back, the wounded Demi-God couldn't help but wheez out his next words.

"H-How?"

Shirou stopped, turned, and gave him a sideways glance.

"How did you do it? W-What was that power?" the blond boy hissed trough gasps, still sweating in terror and shock. "That power, that feeling, that aura of yours… I felt them before. It shouldn't be possible."

Castor swallowed a little, staring at Shirou with horror, as if he was observing the planet's greatest and most hideous mystery.

"You... are you... a child of the Gods too?"

The room fell silent again. Everyone turned to Shirou with wide, stunned eyes after that question, especially Artoria and Mordred. Father and Son were completely frozen upon hearing that unexpected question, their faces stiff and their eyes widening out of proportion. They looked extremely smiliar in their amazement, with their faces stunned and their mouths half-open in amazement and disbelief. Even others like Jeanne, Marie and the Knights were visibly amazed. On the other hand, Iskandar didn't react so obviously. Instead, he merely narrowed his eyes in suspicion and reflection, similar to Cu Chulainn. Even Pollux turned abruptly to the Ruler, her expression a mixture of confusion, disbelief and uncertainty.

But, to everyone's amazement and shock, Shirou narrowed his eyes at the question.

"No."

The blond Berserker felt a shiver run down his spine under that cold and menacing gaze.

"I'm human."

Both a warning and a declaration. Castor wasn't sure why, but there was something strange in his tone. Something invisible. Something dark and more threatening than ever. Something that turned the blood cold in his veins for some mysterious reason.

Shirou glared at him with narrowed eyes and a hard face. "You'd better never say such a thing again, kid. I will not tolerate any more nonsense. My patience has a limit."

Castor swallowed audibly. There was something strange in the way Shirou had said that answer. Something cold, and dark, and threatening in his tone of voice. Something veiled, subtle, almost imperceptible; but at the same time clear and obvious like sunlight. An unspoken threat, which threatened to explode at the slightest sign of protest or denial. Something that Castor sensed in his mind, in his body, in his soul; as a silent and hushed warning that was whispering to him to stay alert. And for some reason, even if he didn't know what it was, even if he didn't know why, Castor knew. He knew. He was sure of it. There was only one truth, one certainty. He was sure of it, certain, with a clarity and an absoluteness that were as crystalline as ice.

If he dared to argue that statement, he would die.

That was his only certainty.

Therefore, despite his doubts and his curiosity, the tamed Berserker nodded and remained uncharacteristically silent.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, but his smile widened in a cruel, twisted way. The silent message was clear: you have been warned.

And there was no need to repeat it.

That being said, the God of War turned to face the others again, offering them an innocent smile. "Sorry about that. I had to scold the children before it could be too late," he said with a soft chuckle, scratching his neck nervously. "I hope you guys weren't seriously thinking that I would kill him. I'm not that cruel."

The silence lasted for some time.

Eventually, someone had enough.

"...right," Mordred sighed after what felt like an eternity, shaking her head and sighing to release the tension. She had no idea of what had just happened, but she wasn't going to waste any more time on unnecessary matters. They had other problems to deal with. "Well, now we know that there's someone behind this conflict. What are we gonna do about it?"

Marie was the first to free herself from her thoughts and she hummed for a while. "Well, first things first, I have to make sure that my Country and my people are safeguarded. As long as they are in danger, I won't be able to focus on anything but their well-being," she decided with an expression more determined than usual.

D'Eon looked at her with a frown. "My Queen, what about the Emperor, then?"

It was Artoria who answered the question. "We've already dealt with him," she said with a casual tone of voice, closing her eyes and crossing her arms again. "A few hours ago, I contacted Lord El-Melloi II, an ally from the Mage's Association. After a careful consideration, we felt that entrusting Napoleon to the Clock Tower was the best choice. Mr. Waver and his allies in the Mage's Association will take care of him. They'll keep him in custody for the moment, and with time they'll check whether his loyalty to France is still trustworthy or not."

Marie nodded slowly after that explanation. "I see," she said after a moment of silence, her eyes growing softer as she stared outside the window, glancing at the garden illuminated by the morning sun. "I'm glad, then. Despite our differences and repeated fights over the past few weeks, I would be saddened if Napoleon died. I… I like him. The two of us are like comrades, in a sense."

The others decided not to comment on her words. They knew what she said was true. Marie Antoinette and Napoleon were two historical figures very similar to each other in many ways. Both of them were born far away from France, and yet they still managed to become its sovereign during their lifetime thanks to their talent and intellectual qualities. And above all, they both had lived eventful lives that ended in… an unpleasant way, so to speak. They both reached the same end, the same failure, at the end of their journey. Marie with beheading, and Napoleon with exile.

Therefore, it was undeniable that there was some kind of kinship between the two.

Iskandar raised an eyebrow towards his fellow monarch. "I see. Honestly, I'm impressed. I thought you would be more indignant towards him. As far as I know, your two factions have lost many members during this private war of yours," he admitted sincerely.

Marie nodded slowly, with obvious sadness, but she never lost the little smile from her lips. "It's true. We've lost many allies over the past few weeks. Saint Georgios and many other friends have died during this conflict… but there is no point in crying and demanding revenge on spilled milk. They shall never be forgotten, but given what happened and what we've discovered today, all of us need to move on with a smile. We owe it to them, after all," she declared with absolute conviction.

Chevalier d'Eon looked down, slowly clenching their fists. "…we lost Sanson too," he/she whispered bitterly.

Artoria was slightly saddened to see Marie's expression grow sadder at the mention of that name. After all, they had hit a sore spot with that name. Although he had been her executor, Sanson and Marie had been friends for some time during their lives. And Artoria had played a major role in his death.

"I was the one who killed him," she revealed at that point, drawing the attention of the Queen and her knight. The King of Knights stood solemn under their stunned gaze, strengthening her resolve. "I met Charles-Henri Sanson just before meeting you in the square. He was causing panic in the capital, and had decided to fight for the Grail at any cost, regardless of consequences. He had put many innocent people in danger because of this, and he couldn't be ignored. Despite that, however, he fought with honor and didn't retreat from the battle until the end. I gave him a quick and honorable end, with a promise to remember his name and to relay his last words to the Queen."

Marie looked closely at the female King. "What were his last words?" she finally asked in a faint voice.

Artoria stared back into the Queen's crystal blue eyes, her face determined and resolute. "He said he was sorry for everything," she replied truthfully, and then remained quiet.

Marie smiled, blinking away a few tears from her eyes' corners.

Again, a few of seconds of silence passed between everyone present.

"...what about Amakusa?" Jeanne asked at that point, turning to Artoria and Shirou. "He didn't come back here with you guys. Where is he now?"

Shirou smiled at her in reassurance. "Don't worry, Jeanne. He's fine, but he's currently keeping an eye on that troublesome Emperor to make sure he won't escape his cell. He'll keep him in check until the Clock Tower comes to take him into custody," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"And what about us, then?" the holy Maiden continued again, visibly relaxing but maintaining a serious expression due to the uncertain situation in which they still were. "Now that Archer is not a threat, what are we going to do? What are we supposed to do? I cannot abandon the people of my Country. Not when they're suffering from the War and the chaos that have been growing in recent times. Not to mention Gilles..."

Everyone flinched at those words, especially Shirou and his companions.

Right… Gilles…

It was Iskandar who finally spoke with a powerful voice and a solemn gaze. "For now, the conflict between your factions has ended. Therefore, we must put aside our grudges and stick together in anticipation of another possible calamity. Caster is our top priority at the moment. He escaped from us once, and I'm willing to bet that he'll show up again, sooner or later," he told everyone in a resolute and confident tone, as expected of a King of his caliber.

The God of War nodded. "I agree. For now, our goal is to find Caster and put an end to his insane quest of destruction," he said as well, looking the blonde Lancer straight in the eyes. "I know he was your friend, Jeanne. I know that the two of you were comrades in both arms and faith once... but now, Gilles de Rais is a threat that I cannot ignore for any reason. His madness, his previous actions, and the fact that he has summoned a horde of demons to invade the capital is something I cannot tolerate. He must be stopped."

Jeanne nodded, ignoring the growing sadness inside her heart. "I know… I understand," she said with a resigned sigh. The idea of having to face and kill a man who had once been her friend was definitely not pleasant for the poor girl. Especially since Gilles' madness had been – almost certainly – caused by her death.

Therefore, in a way, Jeanne was responsible for what Gilles had become.

And as much as this knowledge hurt her, she knew she couldn't deny it.

"What Gilles has become... it's something that I must erase in honor of our friendship," she spoke in a low tone of voice. "Even if it pains me, I'll fight him. It's... It's my responsibility. My duty, since it was my death that made him what he is today. The past cannot be reversed, but I can still pray and hope for his salvation."

...

A hand rested softly on her shoulder.

Jeanne raised her head, meeting the encouraging gaze of Shirou who was smiling at her. "Don't worry, you won't have to face this pain alone," he said with sincerity and determination. "Gilles is also my responsibility. As a Ruler, I have a duty to defend mankind and stop every Servant who threatens it. So rest assured, Jeanne. You won't be alone in this. I promise."

Jeanne stared at him. Then, a small, grateful smile crept across her lips. "Thanks, Ruler. No... Shirou," she said with sincere gratitude, making the God 's smile widen.

For some reason, Artoria's eyebrow twitched a little to that scene.

After a couple of seconds of silence, Marie clapped her hands together, tilting her head to the side with a bright smile. "Très bien! Then, it's settled!" she said gleefully all of a sudden, her former cheerfulness suddenly returning. She got up from her chair, moving next to Shirou and putting her arm around the Ruler's. "From now on we are allies, then! I am so very pleased to have at my side a skilled and powerful Servant like you!"

Shirou blinked, confused by the woman's sudden gesture, but decided not to pay too much attention to it. He guessed she was simply an outgoing and open person. He was also completely oblivious to the narrowed gaze that Artoria and – strangely – even Mordred were giving him as he remained arm in arm with Marie Antoinette, along with the faint blush on Jeanne's face. He just gave a short nod to the Queen. "We'll work with you until Caster is out of the picture. After that, maybe we'll suggest to the Clock Tower to make contact with you too. I guess we can figure something when this is over."

The Queen of France's smile widened. "Ufufufu! We'll be in your care, then."

Cu Chulainn sighed. He walked away from the wall with a confused expression, his red eyes visibly bored. "Yeah, yeah, it's all very interesting... but what do we do now?" he asked succinctly. "I'm not going to hide in this place and do nothing until Caster shows up again. I'm not a big fan of waiting and sit around twiddling my thumbs."

The King of Conquerors's face suddenly lit up.

"Hoh! I know! How about a drink? We should all go and celebrate together our previous victory! A toast of good luck to our collaboration!"

The effect was immediate. Mordred's face instantly brightened at Iskandar's suggestion, along with the blue Lancer's lips who parted into an excited grin. "Heck yeah! I second that!" the Knight of Treachery said without hesitation, leaping up from the triclinium with a broad grin.

Despite Shirou's, Artoria's and the Knights' exasperated looks, along with Jeanne's nervous chuckle; the decision was made when Marie's eyes shone with interest and complicity after hearing that offer. The more serious Servants sweat-dropped at that vision. "Mon Dieu, why didn't I think of that?" she exclaimed cheerfully, stepping away from Shirou and twirling with a jump of joy. "That's a wonderful idea! I love parties! We should all go together!"

Castor sneered in disgust at that mere idea. "Pathetic. I don't want any part of this."

"Come on, brother! We can't stay in hiding forever." his sister chimed with a pout, making him hesitate visibly. Despite their recent conflict, his weakness was still the same: his sister's pout.

"Yeah, don't be a spoilsport, lad," the blue Lancer agreed, grinning in amusement and ruffling his hair with a sudden movement. The Beserker spluttered and blushed in shame and outrage, making the man and his sister laugh. "It'll be fun. There's nothing better than a drink with your companions, once in a while. Didn't you guys use to have all those banquets back in Greece?"

His blush grew dramatically. "S-Shut up! You guys are not my companions!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."

Shirou sighed in a visibly resigned way. "…Alright, I guess we can do that. It's highly unlikely that Caster will show up so soon after being forced to flee," he decided to relent in the end, running a hand through his red hair. There was no way to change their minds at this point. He knew how stubborn Mordred and Iskandar were, and even if the Queen of France was looking forward to this, he had no choice but comply. Damned overly-sized kids. He could already feel a migraine coming.

Seeing that everyone had already made their decision, even Artoria shared a nod with her Knights. "Very well. We shall tag along, then," she said. Then, she glanced at Jeanne with a friendly smile. "Will you give us the honor of joining us, Maid of Orleans?"

The blonde Lancer blushed a little. "I-If it's just for a little bit, then it's fine..."

Mordred's voice rang around the room with irritation. "Rider! Leave that stuff! I already said you can't steal it!"

Shirou approached his companions. "Huh? Steal?" he repeated, completely confused.

"Yeah! That big idiot wants to take away all that stuff," the female Knight exclaimed with a sigh, pointing a finger towards a bif pile of items placed on the ground at the King of the Conquerors' feet: a couple of paintings, a stool, a few elegant cushions with golden trim and even an entire marble bust of some French noble. "He said he wanted them as 'souvenirs' or something," she spat with a frown.

Shirou's mouth dropped from Mordred's words, staring at Iskandar with disbelief. "You're kidding."

"I wish."

The Macedonian King pouted a little under his friends' stern look, crossing his arms in irritation. "Hmm. You guys are no fun."

The whole room was filled with incredulous giggles.

---

Planet: Earth
Date: May 26 2020
Location: Le Piano Vache (Pub) – Sorbonne (Paris - France)

(======)

Despite the cheerful atmosphere around her, Artoria was sad.

No, actually, she wasn't sad. 'Sad' was not the correct term. It was not the word that faithfully described what she was feeling at the moment. No, now, while she watched her 'allies' drinking and chatting happily inside an old Pub located in a street in the middle of the secondary area of Paris, Artoria felt... unease. Disappointed. That's right, disappointed. That was the exact term. She was disappointed. And this was bothering her quite a bit. After all, she wasn't used to feeling like that. Heck, let's be honest, she wasn't used to feeling and expressing any emotions. She was in a bit of a loss because of this.

The Pub wasn't large. It was just over ten meters in size, and decidedly not very spacious compared to what appeared from the outside. It was built of wood, with walls filled with papers, photos of drinks, writings and drawings of all kinds. In front of the counter, the small tables she and everyone else were sitting on were relatively few, and all of them positioned within easy reach of each other given the tight space. As a result, several groups had formed among them, and everyone was drinking and chatting and laughing merrily around her. And that was exactly what bothered her, if she had to be honest. It was precisely this air of cheerfulness, camaraderie and lightheartedness that she could not fully stomach.

Her emerald eyes darted towards the three Servants who remained aloof from the rest of the group, sitting side by side in front of the counter while laughing and joking with each other and with the bartender: Iskandar, Shirou and Mordred. The King of Conquerors, the mysterious Ruler with whom she had formed an alliance, and... and her own 'son'.

Artoria's face fell a little.

If she had to be honest, seeing those three together was both a pleasant and irritating sight for her. A sight that always generated conflicting emotions within her, and she was unable to understand the reason. Seeing Iskandar, Mordred and Shirou always being so close, so happy and carefree when they were together was something that generated a strange feeling inside her chest. A tightening sensation… overwhelming, almost. As if a knot had suddenly tightened the pit of her stomach. And the emotions that buzzed in her mind as she saw those three being so in tune with each other were extremely clear to her.

Disappointment. Jealousy. Regret.

Disappointment, because she was not part of their group. She didn't have the confidence, the harmony, the connection that the three of them shared despite their differences. Jealousy, because she knew she could never join them like that. She knew she could never share what the three of them shared. And regret, because she knew she had no right to be jealous or envious. She had no right to interfere, to bother them... to ruin things once again, as she had done in the past due to her misguided idea of Kingship and ruling.

And besides, even if she was no longer a King… Artoria being jealous? Petty? Preposterous! Such a thing was impossible. It was unacceptable. Artoria had never felt those emotions. She wasn't supposed to feel those emotions. She wasn't supposed to feel anything, at all! Still, she was feeling them now. She was experiencing those emotions, and no matter how long and hard she tried to deny or ignore it, there was nothing she could do to stop this truth. And the presence of Bedivere and Gawain did little to nothing to alleviate this awareness and the shame she carried inside.

She was feeling alone compared to her allies, and this saddened her more than she liked to admit.

Well, if she had to be truthful, these feelings of envy and sadness were directed mainly towards Mordred. Towards her son, her daughter. And also, strangely, towards Shirou. And this fact in itself was strange. Mordred she could understand. Despite their difficult past, the Knight of Treachery was still one of her Knights and, more importantly, her own flesh and blood. She was her child (although she never wanted or dared admit such a thing when she was alive). Of course, even in spite of this, Artoria and Mordred didn't get along with each other. Even without taking into account their difficult history, the younger girl's unchivalrous behavior was something Artoria could hardly endure, even now. Mordred's bold and contemptuous attitude, her constant desire to prove herself superior to her Father, and even her temper were things that could hardly befit the behavior of a Knight. It was no wonder the two of them argued so much.

And yet, now... now that they were traveling together and she was spending so much time with her, Artoria would have genuinely appreciated to form a bond with Mordred. She honestly wanted to try to make amends towards her child, given that it was because of her and her own mistakes that Mordred had suffered in life. That, she knew. That, she understood. It was understandable, even if not completely, inside her mind.

But what she didn't understand, however, was her strange attraction towards Shirou.

Why was she feeling those emotions towards him? Why did she feel this interest, this desire, towards the red-haired Ruler? It was something that she – in spite of her experience, her power and her famous legend – could not understand. Still, she knew what she was feeling. Artoria was inexperienced, but she was no fool. She could understand what her heart, her soul, felt inside. And that was precisely why she couldn't understand it herself.

Towards Mordred, Artoria felt regret, remorse, and a desire to establish a connection that could serve to make even a small amount of amends for her mistakes. But towards Shirou… she felt a different kind of interest. A particular, profound, unwanted attraction. A feeling of intrigue, familiarity, and desire to be closer to him. A desire that grew day by day, as the two of them continued to know each other, to fight together, to travel together; without her understanding why.

No, actually, she knew why. And the reason was that that man, Shirou Emiya, was able to understand her. For some reason, for some mystery, for some absurd coincidence that she wasn't able to glimpse yet, he was able to understand and relate to her. He was able to see and understand what she was feeling, what she had felt in the past, without judging her like everyone else had done before.

In Shirou's eyes, there was no hatred and anger towards her, as in Mordred's case. There was no disappointment and judgment, as in Iskandar's case. There was no sadness and regret, as in his Knights' case. And there was not even indifference and disinterest, as in the others' case.

No, in the Ruler's eyes there was only a great, infinite, profound understanding.

Even his name was different for her. Shirou Emiya. There was something about it. Something nostalgic, and familiar, and reassuring about that name. Almost as if, despite what her mind and memories were telling her, she had already heard it before. As if this name, this presence had been with her, inside her, during all her life, for some strange reason she still couldn't quite grasp yet.

And that was what intrigued her.

She wanted to find out why. She wanted to find out more. Why was that man able to understand her? Why did she feel these emotions, this sense of familiarity whenever she was close to him? What was happening to her? These were all questions she asked herself incessantly, and to which she was determined to find answers. That's why that man intrigued her so much.

But perhaps, this was only part of the reason she was so interested in him. Maybe it was only part, a mere fragment of the real reason why she was intrigued by him. A small fragment behind an even bigger reason. Artoria didn't know, she had no way of knowing for sure. The only thing she knew was that Shirou Emiya and Artoria Pendragon were able to understand each other for some reason. She knew it. She she could feel it. She had felt it since the very beginning, from the first day, from the first moment her eyes rested on the man's face. She could remember that scene with absolute clarity, after all. There was no doubt, no trace of hesitation on this matter.

And she desperately needed to find out more. She wanted – no, she needed – to get closer to him. To know him. To form a bond with him. To learn more about him.

The Ruler's own words echoed inside her mind.

'You need to allow yourself to be human. You need to learn again how it is like to feel and connect with others.'

In other words, for the first time in her entire life, Artoria Pendragon wanted to bond with someone. She wanted to connect with others. With Mordred and Shirou. She wanted to grow closer to them, when all her life she had done nothing but drive everyone away and be alone for the sake of her kingdom and her throne.

And now that she had discovered of possessing this desire… she was afraid. She was scared. Especially since she couldn't just go to Shirou and Mordred and tell them about her intentions.

The very thought of that was almost enough to make her die of embarrassment and anxiety.

"Are you ok, King of Knights?"

Artoria blinked, looking at Jeanne's face as she sat in front of her with a confused look in her amethyst-colored eyes.

"You've been spacing out for some time," the holy Maiden noted with a hint of concern. "Is something wrong?"

The woman blinked again. Then, realizing that she had been lost in those thoughts once again, she sighed and gave a tired nod with the head. Her eyes flickered to the other Servants in the Pub. In the right corner, Cu Chulainn was drinking together with Bedivere and Gawain – who kept glancing at her from time to time to make sure she was okay – laughing and joking as the blue Lancer talked with Pullux about something about her brother. Castor sat on the sidelines with his arms crossed and a haughty scowl, but a large blush was clearly visible on his cheeks and neck, much to his sister's amusement. Marie and D'Eon were on the other side of the tables instead, toasting and giggling to each other about something private, plausibly.

Artoria glanced one last time towards Shirou, Mordred and Iskandar sitting at the counter, before sighing once again. "I'm fine, Jeanne. No need to worry," she said in her usual calm and collected tone. She raised a brow in direction of the other girl's glass. "By the way, are you seriously going to drink just water?"

A small blush formed on Fair Maiden's cheeks as she looked at her glass of water. "I took a vow of Faith. Alcohol is something I'd like to stay away from," she admitted with an embarrassed chuckle. But then, the face of the female Lancer returned serious again. "But are you really sure you're okay?"

Despite her poker face, the King's eyes betrayed just a small degree of frustration.

Jeanne seemed to grasp her true state of mind. For a farm girl, she was pretty insightful. "Is there something wrong with you and those three?" she asked with a sympathetic smile. "I saw you taking a couple of glances in their direction. Did something happen between you guys?"

The older woman didn't answer the question right away. Instead, her shoulders slumped slightly as she let out yet another sigh. "...More or less," she finally admitted, hiding no small sadness in her tone. "It didn't exactly happen something between us, but let's just say that between me and Mordred there is a... complicated history. Despite our current collaboration, we are unable to get along. I'm sure you noticed this during the fight."

The girl smiled sadly with a knowing and understanding look. There was no one who didn't know what had happened between King Arthur and his son Mordred, after all. "Yeah, I imagined."

"I just... sometimes I wish I could make amends to her," Artoria continued in a low voice, trying not to be overheard by the others in the Pub. Especially her own Knights. "I wish I could connect with her again. I'm not saying I want to recreate a bond… but at least I'd like to do something. Something that could ease the tension between us," she said, closing her eyes and sighing yet again.

Jeanne smiled with understanding. "Do you wish to be a real parent for her?"

"No," the female King shook her head. Her answer left the blonde Lancer confused. "I know I'm no longer worthy of such a role. Not after all that has happened. Besides, I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to be a proper… parent. I never had a chance to really think of such a prospect in my life, and I doubt I'll ever have a chance in the future," she confessed without opening her eyes.

"I-I see..." the Maid of Orleans said slowly with a strained face.

Artoria shrugged a little, finally opening her eyes and casting another glance at her son as she laughed and made a toast with Shirou and Iskandar. Jeanne followed her gaze. "It's just... I guess I simply feel out of place," she concluded at the end, her eyes flickering betweeen Shirou's amused face and Mordred's grinning one while Iskandar patted their back, observing the three friends' interaction.

"Hey, innkeeper! Bring us more drinks! My companions and I have a victory to celebrate!" the King of Conquerors exclaimed with a boisterous voice, addressing the bartender.

"Rider... I think you've drunk enough for now," Shirou chuckled with a condescending tone.

"Nonsense! I'm still up for a few shots!"

"I like that idea. How about wine?"

"Hoho! Now you're talking, Saber!"

"...not you too, kid."

"Relax, Ruler. Sometimes it's okay to let yourself go a little after a victory," she laughed a little at his exasperated face. "But I must admit that I'm having a hard time imagining you drinking wine."

"Yeah. I've never been a fan of alcohol."

"Worry not, boy, for I shall teach you! I'll tell them that if they don't give us their very best, our future King here will raze the place to the ground!"

"You want to make me the King of Drunkards!?"

Artoria and Jeanne watched as the three companions continued to joke and burst out laughing among themselves.

The King of Knights made a sad smile, returning to look at Jeanne with a resigned expression. "…it might seem shameful and unfair of me, but I envy their bond," she finally admitted in a low voice. "It's something I've never had the opportunity to experience in life. Throughout all my existence, all my life as King, I've always followed my path of righteousness and impartiality. I became a King without emotions. I simply did what I thought was right, what I thought was best for my people and my Country. But because of that, in the end I failed miserably and never learned to deal with human emotions or with my own desires. And now that I'm a Servant, I just feel scared. I'm not sure if I want to try again and start over."

Jeanne stared at her for a while, before lowering her amethyst-colored eyes towards the table. "I think I can relate a little," she finally admitted. Seeing the woman's confused gaze, she ventured to continue. "I too chose a life devoid of joys back then. When I received the vision from the Lord, I decided to dedicate all of me to His Name, to His Will. I threw away my life as a simple villager and the joy of loving someone and being loved back. I knew there would be no compensation, and I was also aware that I would surely be scorned by the masses of both enemies and allies alike, considering how beliefs in the Church's guidelines for proper behavior in women were back then. It was... a very terrifying thing to contemplate. For a mere village girl from the countryside to leap onto the battlefield where people's killing intent swirled about... it was madness, and I knew it. Still, I couldn't and wouldn't turn my back on the Lord's cries. That's why I decided to devote my life to oppose this world's hell," she explained slowly.

Artoria stared at her with a sympathetic gaze. "Did you regret your choice?" she finally asked after a few seconds.

The girl shook her hear. "No. I didn't. I still don't regret it." Her face fell a little. "But… to be honest, sometimes I wonder if it was the right choice. My life, my mere existence… they created Gilles. He has fallen into madness because of my death. When I learned that yesterday, I… I just…"

The other woman stared at her, a flicker of understanding flashing in her emerald eyes for a couple of seconds. She knew she could relate to Jeanne. In a way, they two of them were similar. Both girls had sacrificed their lives for the greater good, albeit for entirely different reasons. And they both knew that there would be no reward for their sacrifice; despite their fatigue, hardships, and their best intentions. So, as strange as it was to admit it, Artoria Pendragon could not deny that she was similar to Jeanne d'Arc.

But now, the poor, sweet Maiden had been forced to see someone who had followed her own path of righteousness become so horrifically twisted. She had been forced to acknowledge it. This in turn caused her will to start fracturing because she was beginning to question how she, who had only ever had faith in God, could have produced such a monster through her mere existence, somewhat mirroring the way Artoria forced Mordred to rebel through her silence and lack of interaction. Their struggles and doubts were similar, albeit completely opposite.

The proud King of Knights looked at the Saint with sadness and sympathy, but for once, she couldn't find the words. Despite her knowledge, experiences and power, she couldn't find the words. There were simply no words she could say to help Jeanne in that moment of crisis. Just as she was always unable to find words in front of Mordred. Artoria had been cornered, and she was once again finding herself unable to react.

But luckily for her, there was no need.

"You know, I think you two are selling yourselves short," spoke a familiar voice from their left.

Artoria and Jeanne startled on their seats, turning around and coming face to face with Shirou's smiling, understanding face. The red-haired Ruler sat down next to them at the table, holding a small glass of water in his hand.

"S-Shirou," Artoria stuttered, confused. A small and embarrassing thought made its way inside her mind. "Did you... hear us?"

"Just a little bit," he replied with a casual shrug, smiling as the woman's face flashed with shame and embarrassment. Even Jeanne blushed a bit. "I couldn't stand that many drinks and I had to leave those two kids for a while. At this rate they would have forced me to drink even more wine and get drunk. That's when I began to hear your discussion."

Artoria looked down after hearing this, her cheeks and ears flashing crimson. Gods, she felt mortified and relieved at the same time.

"But I think you're both wrong."

The King and the Saint raised their heads, confused.

The Ruler offered them a sincere smile. "Don't be so hard on yourselves. You both lived lives to be proud of," he said, his voice carrying a great deal of admiration and sincere pride. "You two had the courage to do what few, if not very few, could ever do: sacrifice your life, your benefit and your personal joy for the sake of others. And this is something to be proud of. It shows that you are people to be admired. There is no need to be so down in the dumps."

Artoria hesitated. "B-But-"

"I know you've failed, Artoria. We've already talked about this," he interrupted her gently, raising a hand and placing it on her shoulder. The woman looked at him with a hopeful expression as he spoke. "But that doesn't make you a failure. You did what you thought was right. And despite the tragic end your story had, there was a lot of good that happened because of you. Good things were born from your sacrifice and your rule, not just pain and death. That's all that matters."

He turned to Jeanne.

"And that goes for you too, Jeanne," he said, looking at the girl straight into the eye, never once losing his smile. "You sacrificed yourself in the name of a noble and just cause. I don't know about your God, your Lord... but your story and your sacrifice are still remembered today as noble deeds to be admired. Your courage and gratuitous kindness towards those who suffer is something that I personally admire very much. People love and rever you even now, after all you've done for this city. Therefore, smile, Saint of Domrémy. Be proud of your oath and your loyalty to your Lord. You have no reason to be sad."

Jeanne stared at him with mouth agape. Then, after a few seconds, she clenched her fists on the coffee table. Small, unshed tears started to form in the corners of her eyes, and she blinked them away in an effort to stay strong. "B-But… my path, my life… Gilles became a monster because of me…" she sniffled with regret, trying desperately to control herself.

Shirou was silent for some time, watching in silence as the blonde girl struggled to hold back her sobs and maintain a modicum of demeanor. Finally, slowly and carefully, he put his hand on her head and gently stroked her hair as she calmed down.

Jeanne blinked in confusion.

"It's not your fault. What happened to your friend… it was an unfortunate twist of fate," he finally said in a sincere tone of voice. "Sometimes, evil can also come from good. Bad things can arise from good deeds and right intentions. It's nobody's fault. That's just how the world is, and the world was, is and will always be a twisted place. We can only struggle and fight in order to make it a little less twisted. That's our job. That's the best we can do," he spoke with a distant look on his face, gazing at something far away, something invisible.

Something the two girls couldn't see at all.

Both Jeanne and Artoria looked down to the table after his words, falling into a profound silence.

Shirou looked at them carefully. He knew it wasn't going to be that easy. He could see that his words weren't enough to comfort them completely. Not that he was surprised. These things took time, and patience, and a lot of effort. But he didn't give up. He couldn't give up. It was his role, his duty, to help those who needed it. Besides, he certainly couldn't leave two distressed women without trying to help them first. It was simply not in his nature to do such a thing. He wouldn't have been able to live in peace with himself otherwise.

"Both of you tried your best, and your actions have had various consequences for both good and evil," he finally concluded. "But what really matters is that you two gave your best. You have lived in sacrifice and commitment for all your life. I think it's fair for you two to be happy and, who knows… maybe even find a reward now. Don't you agree?"

Jeanne smiled, albeit a little sadly. "I gave up on my hope to be happy a long time ago, Shirou. Helping others is more than enough for me. I–"

"You silly girl," he grumbled in a condescending tone, poking her in the forehead with his fingers. Hard. Very hard.

The girl squeaked and touched her throbbing forehead with her hands, whimpering a little in pain and confusion under Artoria's stunned gaze and Shirou's irritated face. The unkown God looked at her with a serious expression. "What's wrong with being happy? Do you really think your Lord wouldn't let you be happy? To let you choose your path on your own? To find someone who can offer you love and happiness? After all you've been through, I think you deserve it. You both deserve it, trust me," he said in all seriousness, absolutely convinced of what he was saying.

The two female Servants stared at him with wide, stunned eyes.

He offered them a wide grin. "Think about it. If human destiny is fated to be filled with only sadness, regret and pain... then why do we suffer? Why are humans always so shocked and upset by death, destruction, injustice and unjustified pain? It certainly cannot be because of our society and beliefs. It has always been like this since the beginning of time, after all." He laughed a little, scratching his neck with slight embarrassment. "The truth is that humans are not meant to suffer. We are not made to live in pain and resignation. From the moment we step foot on this world, we are free. And with freedom, it comes an inevitable consequence: the desire for happiness. We are made, meant for happiness. And no God, no person, and no circumstance ever can take away this intrinsic desire from us: the desire to be happy. That's our true nature. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with trying to reach and fulfill this wish. It's perfectly natural."

Artoria and Jeanne gasped a little, holding their breath in amazement.

Shirou chuckled with some slight embarrassment. "Well... that's how I see it, anyway," he finally admitted with a small smile, looking a little embarrassed after all that speech. Neither of them could understand why, though.

Oh, if only they knew.

And yet, one of them was still hesitating. "...do you really think it's right for us to try to be happy?" Artoria asked him at that point. Her voice was low, almost hollow; but it held an unmistakable note of hope hidden inside. "Am I still worthy of being happy? Even after everything I've done and caused?"

In response, Shirou openly sighed, much to her confusion and embarrassment. "Good grief. You really are like your daughter. Your stubborness is really irritating," he mused in an incredulous voice, completely ignoring the way the female King blushed in shame while Jeanne tried – and failed – to hold back the giggles in front of her red face. "I don't think you deserve to be happy. I know you deserve it. I assure you."

Artoria widened her eyes.

The God of War gave them one last, wide smirk. "You both sacrificed so much in life. I think it's fine for you to be a bit selfish now. If you want to say something, say it. If you want to do something, do it. If there's something you want to achieve, then don't hesitate anymore. Don't be afraid to chase after what you really want. That's what I can tell you. Please, don't waste this opportunity," he said sincerely to them, his eyes warm and his face growing softer as he spoke.

...

Silence was the only thing that welcomed his words.

...

But finally, to Shirou's amazement, a small smile spread across Artoria's lips after a few seconds.

"…Thank you, Shirou," Artoria said with sincerity, looking a little better than before. Her face shone a little more than before now, and there was something warm and strange in her emerald eyes. Something he couldn't fully understand… but that for some reason it was enough to make his tongue numb and rise a bit of heat on his ears. "I... I'll try to do as you say. I promise."

Jeanne nodded, smiling in turn. "Yeah... thank you, truly," she said as well with a shy and soft expression. "Never before have I seen or met a Hero as kind as you."

He blushed slightly at the two girls' words, but said nothing. He merely laughed a little with a flushed face, averting his eyes and scratching hin neck a little. Despite his embarrassment, however, his smile widened in approval and pride.

Then, after a few of seconds of silence, the Ruler finished drinking his water and scratched his neck with obvious embarrassment, much to the other two's amusement. Then he got up from his chair, before offering them a last smile and a nod, and headed back to his companions for a second round of drinks.

Artoria and Jeanne looked at him with small smiles as he rejoined Mordred and Iskandar.

"Hey, Ruler! Stop wasting time with Father and come drink with us!" Mordred exclaimed as soon as she saw him approach them, raising one hand and holding a very embarrassed D'Eon by their arm with the other, flanked by Marie Antoinette and Iskandar who were toasting with cheerful and playful looks. "The pretty boy here challenged us to a drinking contest. Let's show these French people we can handle alcohol better than them!"

"I've never challenged anyone, sir Mordred!" the Knight of the Royal Family visibly protested with a twitch of their eyebrow.

Shirou sighed at her antics. "Leave the girl alone, kid. Don't be disrespectful."

Morded paused, then blinked. "Huh? The heck are you saying? He's a boy, isn't he?"

He stared in disbelief. "Are you serious? She's a girl, Mordred."

"What? Just look at him! There's no way he's a girl!"

Shirou blinked. He stared at the knight's flushed and increasingly embarrassed face. The poor girl – or boy? Whatever – was stuttering incoherently in shame under everyone's inquisitive gaze. The Ruler merely shrugged.

"Looks pretty girly to me."

"No way! He's definitely a boy! I can bet on it!"

Marie brusquely broke into the heated discussion with one arm raised upwards and a solemn expression on her pretty face. "Absurdité! Dear, sweet D'Eon is clearly a girl. Ruler is right."

"I think he looks like a boy, too," Iskandar added at that point, scratching his head in confusion.

"See? Even Rider agrees with me!"

"Non, non! She is my sweet, precious girl! Don't your eyes work, King of Conquerors?"

"Keh! Boy, girl… who cares! In my days, the gender of a person didn't matter that much in bed."

"Kyaa! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

D'Eon's shrill scream echoed in the Pub with horror upon hearing this, followed by Marie's giggles.

"Ufufufu~ Vive la France!"

Artoria and Jeanne stared at the scene with a sweat-drop while Cu Chulainn, the Dioscuri, the Knights and the whole Pub burst out laughing. Eventually, even Shirou could not help but share a laugh with his friends as Mordred chased the French knight to observe them closely. Even Marie started to chase her friend around the place, singing some song in French about the white liles that no one listened to.

"...are you sure you don't want to join them?" Jeanne finally asked, turning to Artoria and offering her an amused smile.

The King of Knights was silent for some time. She looked at Mordred's smiling face, studying her smile. A smile that, as sad as it was to admit, she had never seen before on the child's face. Then, her eyes fell on Shirou's face as a myriad of questions and doubts raced through her mind relentlessly.

And then, finally, she shook her head with a small smile of her own.

She would get her answers sooner or later.

"No."

But not today.

"For now... this is enough."

Jeanne smiled and nodded in acceptance while she and her new friend watched with serene eyes their companions laugh and joke in the cheerful atmosphere that filled the place.

---

Planet: Earth
Date: May 29 2020
Location: Marseille-Fos Port – Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône - France)

(======)

The hooded man remained impassive as Caster stepped away from the port and began to walk on the water's surface with a cheerful and trepidant hum, observing at the same time with hidden eyes the sun as it began to set over the horizon of the Mediterranean Sea.

His hooded face fixed the mad Servant with an icy, emotionless gaze.

"I did my part. I brought you here. Now show me what you can do."

Gilles de Rais grinned widely, baring his teeth in an eerie expression. "Of course! You brought me to the right place! There's plenty of water here, and this place is the perfect stage to summon my most powerful and spectacular creature! I assure you, the world will never forget this! You'll see, you'll see!" he cried out in a crazed, mad voice; laughing like a madman.

The man remained completely unmoved after his shrill cry.

"You're on your own now. I'm not going to help you when the others will come for your head."

Gilles openly laughed at him. "There's no need. No one will be able to stop me once the summoning is over. I've perfected the spell during all these weeks, collecting a large amount of mana from hundreds and hundreds of children! Why else did you think I used all those demons to collect and capture civilians during the last month? Now, thanks to my efforts, it's going to be more powerful than EVER!" he cried out with mad laughter, offering an eerie smile to the other. "I hope you'll look forward to it!"

The hooded man disappeared into a dust of prana.

"We'll see about that."

His parting words didn't seem to intimidate Caster at all. On the contrary, Gilles laughed even more and summoned his grimoire with a snap of the fingers, starting to chant the spell with a mad cry and his arms raised to the sky and the setting sun.

And then, the waves began to rise.

---

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:

During our last "chat", Ado Edem spent a considerable amount of time talking in detail about the weapons forged by Shirou Emiya during his life on the Real Side of the World. Such an argument could not be overlooked if we were to attempt to fully understand his character and his peculiar nature as the God of War and First Hero of Humanity. Obviously, however, given the lack of time and the animosity between Shirou and Ado Edem, I have been forced to discount some of Edem's claims in this report. In spite of this, the majority of the data I've gathered during that chat is true and can be summarily considered as real.

Over the course of his existence and life, Shirou has forged countless weapons of different nature during the War against the Gods. Divine Weapons, Demonic Weapons, Conceptual Weapons, Mystic Codes, Armors and even Magical Tools and Artifacts. The list of weapons and armaments forged or otherwise related to Shirou is too long to write, and it would be impossible to completely catalog and describe in detail every single type of weapon forged by the God of War. As strange as it may seem, however, the reason why Shirou forged and crafted so many different weapons during his life is pretty obvious even to this day.

During the War and the end of the old Age, Gods and Divine Beings weren't the only enemies he had to face. Between Beasts, Magical Creatures, Spirits and [ERROR – DATA CORRUPTED] the list of beings who hated and actively attempted to stop him was ever growing. Countless were the races that would have done anything to have his head on a spike. Therefore, in order to survive and ensure mankind's survival, Shirou had to take countermeasures that could allow him to face and kill any entity who dared to stand in his way. To this goal, throughout his life, Shirou traveled far and wide to track down his enemies and gain power, knowledge and experience. And with every battle he overcame, with every enemy he brought down, his power grew and his anger increased all the more.

And then, when his powers and his Divine Nature were finally ready, the God of War forged his works amidst fire and blood.

Of all the types of weapons created by Shirou, Edem spoke mainly about Divine Constructs. To tell the truth, he seemed quite worried about this particular subject. Not that I couldn't understand his concern, to be honest. With the exception of a few Demonic Weapons of complex nature that I will better explain in the future, the most dangerous and powerful creations forged by Shirou are mainly Divine and Conceptual Weapons. After all, they're essentially the physical manifestation of a fragment of Shirou's very own soul. I've already explained how their nature and their bond with the God of War works in a previous note, so this detail should be clear by now.

All Divine Weapons forged by Shirou have this indissoluble bond with him. Laevatein, Pashupata, Vasavi Shakti, Rhongomyniad, and many others are the perfect example of this. Although their connection with the original owner was tampered and severed momentarily thanks to the Ritual and Shirou's suicide, this bond has never disappeared completely and will never disappear as long as Shirou is alive. This means that if Shirou were to ever return to the Real Side of the World, he should potentially be able to summon and use all of his weapons again, in theory. Unfortunately however, neither me nor my sister and not even the [COUNTER FORCE] have a way to prove this hypothesis. It's simply impossible to say for sure.

That being said, all Divine Constructs created by Shirou are extremely dangerous and share a complex nature. Their uses are manifold - given the multiple and complex enemies Tyr had to face and, more importantly, his own peculiar nature - and to this date very few of them have remained registered and cataloged in my notes and the Planet's database. However, among them, I cannot avoid to mention one of his most powerful creations ever. The most magnificent blade forged by Shirou and one of the most powerful Divine Weapons ever recorded in the Planet's history. The strongest and most majestic Holy Sword ever. Shirou's favorite weapon, with which he has slain countless Gods and enemies and with which he performed the Ritual on the Rock and his very own suicide.

The Ultimate Sword: Caledfwlch; later known as "Excalibur", the Sword of Promised Victory.

---

A few clarifications:

- The reason why Castor and Pollux do not recognize Shirou as a Demi-God has already been explained in a previous note. I guess some of you may have forgotten, given that several people asked me in private about this matter during the last few days, so I'll explain it again: in my story, Divine Spirits and Demi-Gods don't recognize each other immediately. It is neither easy nor immediate to recognize a Demi-God, not even for other Demi-Gods. As far as I know, this is canon even in the Nasuverse. Cu Chulainn is a Divine Spirit, but at first he didn't recognize Heracles as a Demi-God in the Fifth Holy Grail War. Iskandar is a Divine Spirit (in the canon universe) but he didn't immediately recognize Gilgamesh as a Demi-God in Fate Zero. That's not how it works. Shirou's real identity WILL be revealed soon (the next Arc will be very important for this matter), but not now. We've seen some doubts begin to arise in this chapter, but it's still too soon for the whole truth. Therefore, please try to remember: no one can recognize a Demi-God based on appearance alone (except for a certain person. We'll meet them in the future...)

- A few people complained to me about the fact that I decided to make Napoleon 'evil'... but the truth is that in my story, Napoleon is not evil at all. He is, however, a complex and EXTREMELY controversial character. You just need to go and read his story to see that. The real Napoleon was a conqueror who had no qualms about subduing and raiding peoples and wage war over other Nations just because he wanted more power to create his 'perfect Nation'. He was a second Iskandar, basically, but with more superiority complexes. It's no wonder he admires the King of Conquerors in FGO. In my story, his Servant is exactly like that too. His morality and his recent actions are consistent and coherent with the original character. Even Marie Antoinette is not a pure soul in my story, I'm aware of that, but in this Fic the concept of 'good and evil' is different. We'll see more about this in the future. Napoleon's role is not over yet.

One last hint: Napoleon is a Servant born from the desires of humanity. He's not a normal Heroic Spirit. He said it himself in a previous chapter: he's the man who responds to mankind's wishes. And right now, Alaya (humanity's collective will and the sum of mankind's instincts) is gone… this is all I can say for now. You're free to think and make any assumptions you want.

- And finally... some of you have asked me this, so I'll say it again: no, this is NOT a Harem story. I already said it in the notes of the prologue. That's not the kind of fic I'm trying to write. Shirou's main and only pairing will be with Artoria. If you don't like that... I'm sorry XD

Hope it was clear enough. Next chapter will be the end of the Third Arc. And again, forgive me for eventual grammar mistakes and misspellings.

See you next time.