-19:45:00

When she first opened her eyes, or technically one eye due to the other being covered, all Maiya Hisau could see was white. She briefly wondered if this was the afterlife before dismissing the ridiculous idea; as if a woman with so much blood on her hands would ever see the pearly gates.

Another second, and her vision sharpened enough to make out individual ceiling tiles and lights typical of a hospital room. That conclusion explained her feeling of lying on something soft and the inability to move her right arm. With a grunt, Maiya shifted her neck to look down, and sure enough, she was in a hospital bed, her clothes replaced with a light-green robe and her arm in a sling. An IV drip ran from her other arm to a stand next to the bed.

Memories of last night began to flow through her mind as she scanned the room (partially for weapons, old habits) when she finally noticed she wasn't alone in the room. "Rise and shine." A familiar shinobi had propped himself up next to the closed door, his eye gazing back at hers with a weary sheen to it. "I'd ask how you're feeling, but, uh…"

Maiya's lip curled briefly before she cleared her throat. "Well, I'm alive," her voice sounded so raspy, and Kakashi was promptly by her side, offering her a glass of water with a straw. She sipped tentatively, wincing as the coolness traveled down her dry throat, but when she stopped and made to speak again, the words came out more smoothly. "Thanks." The Servant nodded before straightening, Maiya watching him. "…You're a Shadow Clone, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am." Kakashi did that eye-smile of his. "Even experienced ninja can have a hard time telling the difference. You really do have a knack for ninjutsu, Maiya." The woman shifted in her bed trying not to think about the warmth flickering inside her at his praise, only to stiffen at his hand on her left shoulder. "Easy. You were roughed up pretty badly."

"R-right." Maiya took a breath to focus (on anything besides his touch) and scrutinized herself. "What's the damage?" She shot him a look before he could answer. "And don't sugarcoat it, Kakashi."

The Heroic Spirit of Assassination huffed. "Of course…" She's a stubborn one. "Well, it could've been worse: Your right shoulder was dislocated and your left ankle nearly broken, you have two bruised ribs and one cracked, but according to the doctor, your lungs got away scot-free." She eyed him warily, and he raised a hand to placate her. "Don't worry, I hypnotized the staff into letting you rest in this private room and fudge your paperwork. Kiritsugu, Saber and I are the only ones who know you're here."

Maiya relaxed minutely; no chance of her being ambushed and used as leverage against Kiritsugu, then. Not that she'd ever let them take her alive for that. And his description matched her own findings. She could feel some soreness all over her limbs; whatever sedative she'd received was probably wearing off. The ankle was a nuisance, though…

She promptly stiffened again as Kakashi's fingers prodded around her eye. "Sorry, but you took a nasty hit here, and I want to make sure you didn't get a concussion or something."

"I-I'm fine. Head's sore, of course, but I can think clearly." Well, that wasn't entirely the truth, but she forced down any strange thoughts or the like at her current situation. Just check for brain damage, he'd do the same with any other teammate. That's what the woman told herself as she stared unblinking back into that watchful dark eye.

Another few seconds that felt like hours, and Kakashi finally released her face and stepped back. The tension inside Maiya was released in one breath, though she swatted away any… irrelevant emotions. No time for such nonsense. "What about the team, is the pack alright?"

"Pakkun and Akino are sporting a couple bruises, but they'll be fine after squeezing a few piggyback rides off of Bull. My boys aren't just cute and cuddly." Assassin X chuckled at the relieved grin that flitted across her face before both turned serious again. "Kiritsugu and Saber are unharmed, and Assassin's gone for good. This time, we made sure of that."

Fuyuki General Hospital's secret patient hummed to herself while digesting this information. "They were still under Kirei Kotomine's command, right? He must've ordered them to spy on us, wait until our guards were down." She frowned at her own negligence; part of her job had been making sure something like this wouldn't happen. Of course, nobody had seen this coming, not even Tokiomi Tohsaka, apparently. The memories of Maiya's Shadow Clone came to mind, specifically the blatant shock on the magus' face when Kiritsugu had told him about Assassin. Sowing discord among the enemy camps… I guess a little good came out of the trouble. Wonder what Ma'am would say-

She stilled, not just because she found herself wondering why she would care about the other woman's opinion… but because she noticed a worrisome detail amidst her ally's explanation:

"Kakashi… What happened to Ma'am?"

Assassin X slumped a little despite himself, shame stirring inside of him. "…While my clone brought you here, we tried to rescue her. We managed to finish off Assassin, like I said, but it turned out Rider X had them lead us on a false trail. Our whole group's been searching all night for Irisviel and found nothing." It was a painful confession to make, both for his pride as a shinobi and a Heroic Spirit, and with the understanding he'd let his comrade. Even from his lowered head, he could tell Maiya was frowning at him, and he couldn't blame her.

What the Servant wouldn't realize even later was that he wasn't the source of her displeasure. Maiya Hisau was certainly unhappy with Irisviel's kidnapping, worried to a degree she'd have never expected towards a homunculus, furious with herself at not being able to prevent this, but with him?

None of her injuries could hurt her nearly as much as seeing a person like this so downcast.

The rustling of fabric made Assassin X lift his head to see Maiya trying to shift her legs to the side of the bed. "Whoa there," he hastily moved to block her, "you're in no shape to leave the bed, let alone the hospital, Maiya!"

"I've been through worse, Kakashi," she gritted her teeth trying to slip free of his grip, "and I can't stay down any longer." She grunted as he pushed her back. "Damnit, let me go! Irisviel was my responsibility, it's my fault she was taken-"

"No, it isn't." She stiffened instinctively at the tone, then her chin was tilted up so she was locking gazes with Kakashi again. "Whatever happened last night is not your fault. Kiritsugu and Saber don't blame you for it, and neither do I. Irisviel wouldn't either if she were here."

Shaking her head, Maiya muttered. "But she isn't here. Because I couldn't protect her."

"That's on Rider X. Maybe Kirei Kotomine, too, Kritsugu certainly seems to think so, but you did everything you could, Maiya." He leaned away sighing to gesture at her. "Besides, look at yourself. You can't even stand with that ankle, and fighting is out of the question." She shuffled her hands together, but Kakashi shook his head. "Any clones you summon will be in no better shape, Maiya. The best you can do now is recover and not beat yourself up."

Maiya glared at the ninja, but there wasn't any heat in it. As much as it infuriated her, he was right: She couldn't operate a rifle properly with her arm like this, so anything short of luring Masters into her room and shooting them from the bed was beyond her current state. Finally, she echoed his sigh. "Don't beat myself up…" She smirked bitterly. "This coming from you?"

Her smirk softened as Kakashi scratched his head with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Saw right through me, huh? Well, do as I say, not as I do." He sat down next to her. "Kiritsugu wanted me to pass on a message when you woke up." That killed what little humor Maiya had gained. She didn't want to think of how she'd failed him or his wife…

A squeeze on her uninjured shoulder made her focus back on this oddly interesting foreigner. "Your mission is complete, Maiya. Recover and leave the rest to the Servants." Kakashi then drew his hand away. "Those were Kiritsugu's words, and if you don't believe me," he held up her phone with an eye-smile, "you're free to give him a call yourself." He placed the phone on the table before adding, "Please don't think you're being discarded. I'm positive Kiritsugu cares for you, so don't make him worry by dragging yourself half-healed across the city."

Maiya stared carefully at the Heroic Spirit; she'd known him for only a few days, but noting idly how his chair had been slowly approaching her bed or the look in his eye, she couldn't help but wonder if when Kakashi said "Kiritsugu," he meant "I."

She closed her eyes. Relevancy of these ridiculous musings aside, Kakashi wasn't one to lie about this. If Kiritsugu wanted her to stay in bed, then he surely thought she couldn't assist him any further. A thought like that would've broken her heart if the child soldier grown up still had one. But even if that were the case… the ninja's pleading might've mended it.

Assassin X for his part worried his words wouldn't be enough. There's nothing Maiya wouldn't do for Kiritsugu, no matter how wounded she is. I mean I could tie her down, but that's a little drastic, not to mention I'd have to deal with the staff. It's not like I can tell them it's a kink or- "Alright."

He blinked, returning from his musings to reality. "Pardon?"

"You win." Maiya fell back against the mattress with a huff. "If Kiritsugu trusts you and Saber to be enough at this stage, then I won't argue with him. It's not like I'd be of much help like this." She rolled her eyes at hearing his relieved sigh. "But… can you tell me what the current situation of the Grail War is? I promise I won't sneak out, Kakashi, I just…"

The Shadow Clone nodded in agreement. It never hurt to have the latest information during wartime. "Well, it seems like last night was pretty exciting for everyone. The Matou residence is a pile of rubble, and its head either dead or incapacitated. Avenger X is gone, too." Assassin X tilted his head slightly. "Tohsaka manor was another hotspot, though. From what we can determine, both Tokiomi and Lancer X were killed there, maybe another Servant, too."

Maiya's eyes widened. Two Masters and possibly four Servants eliminated within a single night? So in other words, Kiritsugu's team only needed to deal with three Servants and two Masters to win the Holy Grail. Irisviel's face inadvertently appeared before her sight, but she let the image linger a while. This is what you want, isn't it? Maiya mused, recalling their final talk. "…Rider X is still out there, isn't he?"

Kakashi hummed, his eye narrowing. "And Saber doubts Archer was the other casualty. With his abilities, he could probably sustain himself without a Master for a while, and… I've got a bad feeling." His gaze drifted from her to the wall. "We're reaching the endgame now."

A jolt ran through Maiya at that last sentence and the cold surety it carried. This was the moment they had hoped to reach as intact as possible. With her out of commission, Irisviel captured and regrettably very probably doomed, both Servants' powers common knowledge, and Kiritsugu himself out in the open, it was hardly ideal… but they had come this far.

With that in mind, she finally gave in to the softness of her bed. "Then it looks like all I can do now is not get in the way of your other duties." She rolled her eyes again at the gimlet eye aimed her way. "I know, I know, stay here and recuperate. I promise to do just that."

"As your concerned comrade, I appreciate it, Maiya," Assassin X told her, final details on his mind. "There's a gun under your pillow, and I stashed a kunai on either side of your bed." He winked as she quickly confirmed the weapons' locations. "Just in case. Oh, and should you get lonely, there's a certain group of hounds always happy to see you." He scratched his chin. "At this point, I doubt you even need handsigns to perform the Summoning Jutsu…"

Maiya bit on the inside of her lip so as to keep any… immature… noises locked up. She then noticed Kakashi getting up, and she realized two things upon seeing this action. The first was that this would almost surely be the final time they'd see each other; no matter if Kiritsugu's team won the Grail (though she hoped with her heart it would be so), the Servants would remain in this world no longer. Kakashi's wish would return him to his own world, there'd be no chance of him staying here or point for that matter.

The second thing was just how much it hurt Maiya to consider this. The Servant hadn't hidden his plans from her, and she'd known his departure to be inevitable, just like with Saber. But the prospect of never seeing the King of Knights again wasn't half as dejecting as saying goodbye to this quirky, clever, mysterious ninja who'd treated her kindly and as an equal consistently in the five days she'd known him. It wasn't as if these courtesies were given exclusively to Maiya or she felt herself more deserving of them than her teammates, of course, she wasn't some lovestruck fool like that fiancée of El-Melloi's.

But… she'd be lying if she claimed she hadn't begun to feel anything for him. Maiya didn't know how it happened or why, but she wanted to see Kakashi claim the Grail, she wanted to see him truly happy… and yet, in the same breath, she didn't want to part ways with him. Not yet. Even now, she wanted him to stay and spend a few more minutes with her.

It was ridiculous. There was only one other man for whom she'd wrestled with herself like this, and even with Kiritsugu, it hadn't felt so raw, so hard. I have terrible luck with men, don't I? She lamented privately. One falls for a homunculus supposed to be the key to his dream coming true, the other comes from another world and will be heading back there at the end of all this…

"You're not in the way, Maiya." Once again, that man's voice disrupted her thoughts and drew her attention. Kakashi was standing tall in front of her bed, hands in his pockets. "Sorry if I'm dragging this out, but I want to make it clear, you are not a burden. Not for me or Saber or Kiritsugu." He shifted sideways, but his eye was trained on her. "And you made a promise last night, remember?"

Irisviel lying there on the ground came to mind, the things she had told Maiya. What one mother had implored another.

…There you go again, you masked jackass. You really need to stop doing that, it's not right of you to lead a woman on like this. It's not fair of you to keep propping up a broken, still heart like mine… Making it believe that there are good men out there… and that it could one day belong to one. Part of Maiya wanted to voice all of these heavy thoughts, but her self-discipline won out. She'd been content just serving as a tool for Kiritsugu's mission. She didn't mind at all being Kakashi Hatake's comrade, even if he wouldn't see her as… more.

Assassin X could almost see the cogs in her head turning even while keeping his Sharingan covered. He could only hope Maiya would listen to him; for all her coolness, she had a stubborn streak matched only by her devotion to Kiritsugu. It impressed the Copy Ninja, if he was being honest. What a kunoichi she might've made on my world. He made to leave.

"…Kakashi." He paused and turned back to see the woman sitting upright, dark green eyes trained on him. She opened her mouth before closing it again, her gaze dipping briefly. When it rose again, he could've sworn he saw a little color on her features, but her words drew his attention. "…Thank you for saving my life. And… always being there…" Yeah, there was some red. Hope a blood vessel didn't burst… "For me… a-and everyone else, of course!"

Maiya coughed a little at the concerned look he gave her. I'm so pathetic… But despite the weight in that thought, she decided to send him off with a smile and a final statement, both of which came from her heart. "Kiritsugu and Saber are lucky to have you by their side." I know I was.

Warmth spread through Assassin X's own cheeks. "Th-thanks…" Generally, Maiya Hisau was by no standards unattractive, but… in that moment, the smile on her face seemed to brighten the whole room. For a woman like this willing to do anything for him…

The Shadow Clone sighed silently, in a way that might've been considered wistful, before disappearing from Maiya Hisau. Yeah… Kiritsugu's a luckier man than he realizes.

In Miyama Town, a girl younger than Maiya was waking up as well, and she, too, was in for a mixed morning.

Now, Rin Tohsaka wasn't much of a morning person, not to mention school was still closed. The light tapping rousing her from her blissful sleep, filled with dreams of learning magecraft and fighting from a certain green-wearing hero, was therefore not appreciated. She pulled her covers over her head with a groan, but the fabric let one word through. "Rin…"

"Five more min'tes, Mo'er…" She mumbled while burrowing her face into the pillow.

"…Um… Big Sister?"

Rin peeled an arm loose and waved lazily. "I'll get up soon, Sakura, no worries…" She shifted about a little more; sweet sleep drew ever closer once again.

But a tiny part of her mind had stirred from her mother's touch, and hearing that second voice, as young as hers and so much nicer, flicked a couple more switches on. The end result was Rin bolting up into a sitting position to stare at the two standing by her bed.

She blinked twice, then rubbed her eyes as hard as she could. She even pinched her cheek a little to rouse herself from the dream, but the sight stayed the same, if a little blurry: Her mother peering down at her with a sad smile, holding her by the hand right beside her.

"S-Sakura…?"

Sakura Tohsaka fidgeted where she stood in her pajamas, eyes flickering to any other part of the room to not meet Rin's wide ones. "G-good morning, Big Sister," she mumbled barely audible.

But Rin heard it all the same. Her mouth drifted open briefly before clamping shut out of reflex. A girl of the Tohsaka family did not under any circumstances drool. What she did when facing a sister that wasn't her sister anymore, though, that she hadn't learned yet. "Sakura…" Rin slowly pulled herself loose from her sheets and stepped onto the floor.

Something kept her from closing the distance, though: An inner voice sounding very much like that of her father: "Sakura is no longer family, Rin." Right… That was how she'd kept telling herself, every day for over a year. She needed to follow her father's wishes; such was her duty as his daughter. Even though the hurt look in Sakura's eyes nearly broke her heart.

But then… what was Sakura doing in her grandparents' house this early in the morning? Rin took a step towards her without realizing it, her thoughts too busy with each other to stop her body. But the other girl flinched away, huddling by her mother's leg. Rin wanted to cry.

Aoi glanced from one daughter to the other, her smile dimming slightly. Then she squeezed her youngest girl by the shoulder and said, "Your sister said good morning, Rin. Aren't you going to greet her back?"

Rin's turquoise eyes shot up to her, her brain halting all other thoughts to register both her mother's words and her clear tone. "Mother… She's…?" She couldn't articulate her question right for some reason, but she hoped her eyes would be enough to get the message through.

Aoi's smile returned with a single nod.

Sakura for her part had woken up in her mother's warm embrace for the first time in… a while. That blissful feeling followed by a clumsy but heartfelt snuggle from Uncle Kariya had warmed her up quite nicely (though she'd needed to cut it short for a quick trip to the bathroom) this morning. But seeing Rin again… watching her movements… It wasn't a very big room they were in right now, but the distance Sakura felt between them…

Any further thoughts the youngest Tohsaka had about the matter were cut short as something slammed into her. She might've fallen over from the impact, but two arms wrapped around her tightly while a weight settled onto her right shoulder. "Good morning, Sakura…"

Rin couldn't see anything between her head wedged up against her sister's head and the tears gathering in her shut eyes, but she didn't care. "I-It's good to see you… So good to see you."

"…I m-missed you, Big Sister…" Any remaining tension in the girl's body slowly fell away as Sakura completed the hug. A quiet sniffling rippled inside Rin's ear, and this time, she knew exactly what to do:

She reached up with one hand and patted Sakura on the back of her hand. "I missed you, too." She pulled her tighter to her, grinning despite her tears as she remembered a vow made to her yesterday. You were right, Jade. If you brought her back, then… Thanks.

Aoi was thinking much the same as she watched her little girls huddle together after a year apart. Would I get to see them together again, she wondered beneath her smile, if those… foreign Servants had never appeared?

A question for a magus, she decided. At that, her heart clenched. I wish you could see this…

"So, Mother…" Rin's voice shook Aoi from the grief rising in her. She looked down to see her eldest daughter staring up at her with pleading eyes, her arms still holding Sakura close. "Is she… Sakura's staying with us again, right? She's… one of us, isn't she?"

She smiled and shelved that pain for later. It would be a crime to break such joy between the two so quickly. So, Aoi knelt down to ruffle her daughter's hair. "Your sister's not going anywhere, Rin." Definitely not back to the Matou's, she added to herself while turning to Sakura. "I… I know we've made mistakes. Very big ones. We… I've let you down. But… our home is your home if you wish it so, Sakura. Now and forever." Such wasn't the promise of a magus' wife or the stand-in head of a prestigious family, but that of a mother.

Maybe that was why, after a moment of consideration, Sakura nodded with a tiny smile.

Aoi didn't think twice about pulling in both of her girls for the biggest hug she could manage. Two whole minutes passed, and she still refused to let them go. "Mother, you're squishing us," Rin whined in one ear, the other picking up a giggle from Sakura.

"Such is my motherly duty, dear." Aoi planted a kiss on both of their dark-haired heads, drawing a groan from Rin that did nothing to hide her grin matching Sakura's, then nodded towards the door. "Now then, let's all have some breakfast." She ushered them gently out, silently elated to see Rin clinging onto Sakura all the while.

A quick trek down the steps, and then they had reached the kitchen from which a light rummaging could be heard. Rin blinked at the sounds; Grandfather and Grandmother weren't usually up this early. Her confusion must've shown because her mother said, "Ah yes, we have a guest this morning."

The trio walked into the room to find a hooded man at the stove. He moved a little stiffly, but it didn't seem to hamper his enthusiasm as he made the finishing touches on his work. He turned towards them, and Rin gasped in joy. "Uncle Kariya, you're here too?!"

Kariya Matou beamed underneath his hood as he set down a plate on the table. "Apparently." He spared Aoi a quick look, getting a subtle nod in return, then knelt down to meet the girls. Sakura snuggled more deeply into his arms than Rin, but he felt their warmth all the same. "I dropped by with Sakura last night, and your mom let me stay because it was so late." All true, he noted to himself, but missing a few details. "And I wanted to repay the favor, so…"

As if on cue, a tea kettle whistled on the stove. Kariya turned towards it only to receive a gentle pat on the shoulder from Aoi as she crossed over. His smile widened, and he let her handle the tea while enjoying the two bright sparks against him.

Rin and Sakura peeled away from their honorary uncle's hug much easier than their mother's, but the younger sister lingered a little longer. "Uncle Kariya," she asked, "why are you keeping your hood up? Are you feeling cold?" Rin shared Sakura's curiosity from where she sat.

"O-oh, no, no, I'm alright, Sakura," they could make out a hasty but gentle smile despite the cotton, "I'm just, uh… not really photogenic at the moment." Kariya gestured with his left hand to the fresh food (rather weakly, both noticed). "Now come on, it's all fresh and hot."

Despite their curiosity, both girls' stomachs rumbled in unison at their seats, and with matching blushes, the Tohsaka sisters thanked for the meal while their giggling mother poured the tea. They'd already filled their plates by the time both adults were seated, and at a smile from Aoi, they tucked in heartily. Sakura finished her first serving the quickest, to her minor embarrassment, but Kariya passed her fresh rice and eggs with an encouraging grin.

Rin giggled at her sister's face before sipping her tea, more warmth flashing inside her at this old scene, one she hadn't dared to hope for again: the family complete at the table…

Only then did she realize the family wasn't complete. "Wait, Mother," she set down her chopsticks and turned in her seat, "won't Father be joining us this morning?" Rin then slapped her own forehead, missing her mother's sudden whitening. "Right… he's probably still fighting in the Grail War with Jade…" She knew she shouldn't complain about the circumstances; Father was doing his part for the honor of their family, just as she would have to one day. She couldn't get in the way of that, after his and Jade's visit yesterday.

"Oh, right!" Rin's head snapped back up to smile at her sister who was having a third serving. "Sakura, you have to meet Jade, she's Father's Servant and she's amazing!" Her mind was already conjuring scenarios of her two sisters getting to know each other. Rin couldn't wait to introduce them…

But Sakura just stopped eating and stared sadly at the table. Worry splashed inside Rin. "Sakura…?" She quickly thought of something to say; the last thing she wanted was for her sister to think that she'd replaced her. But the words caught in Rin's throat when she felt Kariya's sad gaze resting on her. "W-What's wrong…?"

She barely registered Sakura stiffening next to her, on account of the new tears that began to glitter in he-their mother's eyes. "Oh, Rin…" She already began to shiver with those two words, and the warmth of this morning cooled. "I… I'm afraid I have to tell you something…"

Outside the Zenjou residence, two old friends were having a similar discussion, their grief no less than that of those inside.

Sir Lancelot du Lac sat by the front gate without his helmet to hide his defeated mien, so great was his pain. It was only his discipline as a knight that kept him from slumping over completely, and he'd shed most of his tears these past hours. Beside him stood his old King, her emerald eyes shimmering with sympathy.

The search for Irisviel had proven futile as feared, but Saber had continued it all the same both for her sake and Assassin X's; she couldn't just stand by and let him run himself ragged, especially since she knew Kakashi blamed himself for their friend's capture. Thanks to her own experience with guilt, Artoria had known talking her partner out of it would take a good long while, so she decided to lighten his self-appointed load and take up half of the search. Assassin X had combed through Miyama Town, Saber rode down the Shinto district's streets only to come up short after fifteen hours. She had sensed the former Berserker's presence while veering off course, and while he remained thankfully non-aggressive towards her, there was little else to be happy about.

Saber's Yamaha V-Max was parked just around the corner, there being little need for a ride. What joy she normally felt even after releasing the handlebars had been quickly snuffed when Lancelot began his tale. He had spared no details of the two teams' adventure: their arrival at the Matou manor, Lancelot's duel with Avenger X and triumph, the others' destruction of Zouken Matou's abominations, the young girl that was their mutual goal nearly dying and Gandalf saving her life, rendezvousing at the Tohsaka home, Lancer X suddenly assaulting them before slitting her own throat, Rider X's appearance… and Gandalf sacrificing himself so Lancelot could usher their Master and the girl to safety.

Based on his tale, Saber could surmise Tokiomi Tohsaka had met the same fate as his Servant, the latter another tragedy in a night rife of them. The King of Knights had only met the emerald-clad Servant of the Spear twice, but she'd respected her as a fellow female warrior. And the other hero casualty… Artoria knew her sorrow couldn't compare to Lancelot's. "I am… so sorry for your loss. Caster X…" She shook her head. Addressing the Gray Wizard by his class designation did him a disservice. "Gandalf… He was a good man."

"He was," her Knight of the Lake agreed, trying in vain to wipe away his tears. "He was a great wizard, a better partner than I deserved…" He turned slightly to eye the house he'd guarded all night. "It was he who saved young Sakura's life. He convinced my Master and Tokiomi Tohsaka to stand and fight together. If it weren't for him, this miracle would've never happened, so why-?" His breath hitched, his head sinking in defeat.

"…Why did it have to come at such a cost?"

Artoria could only watch the hero of the Round Table weep silently where he sat, tears of her own gathering. She wished she could say something, anything, to take away his grief, but none of the speeches she might've given in life seemed good enough, especially since she too had liked and respected the Heroic Spirit of Spells. But King Arthur had been known across his kingdom as a stoic, unyielding leader even in the… saddest… of times…

Lancelot looked up at her in that moment, and even though her mouth continued to fail her, some of his tension actually softened. "I don't think I have ever seen you grieve this openly before," the Servant risen from madness commented before hastily amending his words. "Not that I believed you incapable of grieving, my King, I simply-"

"It's alright," Saber assured him, finally managing to find some words. "I have never had much… aptitude for expressing my feelings. If you can see my regret for your loss, then it is only through the efforts of others I have developed thus far." She closed her eyes. "One of those others was surely your partner, Sir. As for your question, I wish I knew. You and I had both sacrificed so much in our lives, yet still they ended along with our home in tragedy."

Lancelot founds himself straightening his sitting as his King's eyes opened. Old habits die hard. "I suppose we should both be used to losing dear comrades by now," Artoria went on, staring up at the morning sky. He hummed to himself at her choice of word. Comrades? "And maybe we are, but the pain doesn't lessen. Perhaps it's a good thing it doesn't." She returned her gaze to him. "But based on your story, Gandalf chose to stay behind. I suspect he wouldn't want you to bury yourself in the same pit he helped you dig yourself out of."

"…Probably not," he agreed with a weary sigh. "Guilt is among the heaviest of shackles, I need not tell you that. But I suspect if he were here in this moment, he would scold us for wrapping ourselves up with it." A bittersweet smile then drifted across Lancelot's face. "Forgive me for this insolence, my King, but I believe I would've preferred Gandalf as your court wizard in life rather than Merlin."

King Arthur giggled despite herself. "I imagine others would've shared your preference, sir. I can't deny I do." Aside from Kakashi and Irisviel, Gandalf had shown her the most support and counsel in her time here. He had criticized her way of kingship but in a compassionate way. He encouraged her to think about her ideals while declaring them no worse or incorrect than those of her rival King. The lack of aggression between her and Iskandar was solely thanks to that wise old wizard from Middle-Earth. The loss of him was… was…

Saber frowned. No… "Loss" was too neutral, too clinical a word for Gandalf's death. Rider X had killed him, and it wasn't even a necessary step for the Holy Grail, she suspected. She knew Megatron too well by now. That star-crushing tyrant had gleefully murdered their friend simply for standing in his way.

And one glimpse of the Knight of the Lake's right fist clenching tightly enough the gauntlet was creaking, just as it had been this entire time, told her he knew the same truth. "Lancelot." He faced her, his mouth set in a set line that might've obscured his inner grief and rage from anyone other than Artoria.

"Gandalf the Gray did not die in vain." The King of Knights' own face had shifted to that which she had often worn in life: Cold and stern, steadfast for the sake of justice and chivalry and merciless to all evil. "And his murderer will not go unpunished. This I swear to you in the name of the kingdom you and I served together."

Lancelot gazed at her wordlessly, taking in that familiar splendor, that unwavering conviction that had drawn so many to her side. It had drawn him in, too, as a young knight. He sank to one knee in fealty. "On behalf of my partner, I thank you for your words, my King. And I am aware my mission is now complete, and I am therefore subject to your judgement."

"Be at ease, Sir." Arthur knew the request her sworn sword would make. There was no need for him to voice it. "I am not so cruel as to deny you the chance to deliver justice yourself." She offered him her hand. "I would welcome your aid in hunting down Megatron."

Still kneeling, he grasped it without hesitation. "My sword is yours as ever." A magnificent blade of Fairy-forged steel emerged for only an instant in his free hand, its tip piercing the ground. Shadows seemed to converge around the Servant's narrowed eyes as he silently finished his vow. And its steel shall be the last thing Megatron will ever feel before I cast him from this world.

-16:52:19

At the top of Fuyuki's local mountain Enzō, Kiritsugu Emiya sat alone. He had spent four hours checking every nook and cranny of the Ryūdō Temple and come up short on any clues. It had been a long shot, but taking into account that it was close to where the city's leylines converged the most, he couldn't help but be careful. Aside from Enzō, only three other places were definite for the Holy Grail's emergence, and his team had already combed both Fuyuki Church and Tohsaka residences. The former was empty at the time, allowing him to set up a couple precautions, and the latter only revealed the apparent end of Tokiomi's team.

He closed his eyes. The enemy Master's death was tactically speaking one less concern. There was no point dwelling over the death of a fellow father, and Kiritsugu had kept his end on not interfering with Tokiomi's personal mission. Judging by Saber's report, though, Tokiomi seemed to have succeeded in saving Sakura with Kariya Matou's help…

The machine that was Kiritsugu Emiya ignored off exhaustion creeping in. He'd been awake for more than forty hours now, but it wasn't the longest stretch of time he'd weathered. A few power naps here and there, plus some basic magecraft safeguards, were enough to sustain his basic needs while maintaining alertness.

Saber had relayed her entire discussion with Berserker an hour ago; it annoyed Kiritsugu a little that she didn't equip herself with surveillance tech like Assassin X, but it turns out, modern vehicles aside, her technological acumen was pretty much what you'd expect of a medieval knight. Nobody needed another flaming laptop hastily vacating a window, thank you very much.

The King of Knights' verbal recounting had thankfully been concise and informative. With Tohsaka and Zouken out of the picture, that left Kiritsugu as one of only three Masters remaining, and Kariya appeared good on his word. He and Berserker were both solely interested in keeping Tokiomi's family safe and killing Rider X, two goals with which the Mage Killer had no issue. The death of Caster X was… regrettable, but it left Assassin X and Saber with one less opponent they'd have been reluctant to face anyway. In short, the only real obstacles left to acquiring the Grail were Archer, Rider X and Kirei Kotomine.

Kiritsugu lit a cigarette and winced slightly at the familiar taste; since his sampling Gandalf's pipe, average tobacco just wasn't the same anymore. The old bastard spoiled me.

He gave himself a mental smack before drawing forth the Thompson Contender. Of the sixty-six Origin Rounds Natalia had forged from his bones, he had used thirty-seven prior to his alliance with the Einzberns. Thirty-seven rounds, thirty-seven dead magi. He had fired two more over the course of the Holy Grail War up till now, and while the thirty-ninth shot hadn't necessarily killed Archer X's copy, the fact it harmed her proved Servants weren't necessarily immune to his unique Mystic Code. He'd therefore gathered the remaining twenty-seven bullets yesterday; what with his arsenal severely depleted thanks to the late soldier Servant, he knew he'd need any and every weapon available to finish this War.

Spirit particles gathered at that moment inside the courtyard, preempting the materialization of another weapon, a highly useful if vexing one at that.

Hands in his pockets and forehead protector pulled over his left eye as usual, Assassin X swiftly crossed the distance to his Master. "Maiya's safe and recovering at Fuyuki General, my clone checked up on her not long ago." He received a small nod from Kiritsugu at his report, though a slight relaxing of his posture told more. Kakashi knew mentioning the latter wouldn't be appreciated, so he continued. "I just checked on the council hall again. Didn't find any signs of abnormal activity there, and it's pretty full right now, probably for all day."

According to Kiritsugu's intel, the four most suitable places in Fuyuki City to summon the Greater Grail were, from top to bottom concerning leylines, Mount Enzou, the Tohsaka home, Fuyuki Church and a small spot in the middle of Shinto. The last one had emerged by accident and wasn't as optimal as the others due to both its comparatively underdeveloped leylines and the council hall built atop (not exactly a private location). Even so, covering one's bases was part and parcel in wartime.

The Mage Killer hummed to himself while finishing his cigarette. He and his Servant were currently on the most logically sought-after location for victory. As the new overseer, though, Kirei's access to the church could make it home base, but he hadn't been there for some time. Kiritsugu himself had checked while looking for Iri- He shut his eyes and opened them to refocus. Rider X was another factor he couldn't neglect: A cunning and utterly ruthless tactician who clearly showed little regard for the Grail War's secrecy. He couldn't put it past that behemoth to seize the hall, but would he risk a public assault now? The people of Fuyuki were a hair's breadth from discovering the truth. Would Master or Servant care?

"But, uh…" He paused in his ruminations to see a distinctly sadder Assassin X. "…I'm afraid there hasn't been any trace of your wife. Saber and I searched everywhere we could think of, but…" The Copy Ninja sighed in defeat and regret. "…I'm not sure she's even alive anymore. I'm sorry."

Kiritsugu's nostrils flared to draw in oxygen, then he released the breath through his mouth… before saying, "It can't be helped. You and Saber did your best, Assassin X, and I thank you for that."

Assassin X eyed the man carefully. "No offense, but you seem… prepared for this news. Eerily so."

"I've been preparing myself for when I lost Iri since the day I fell in love with her." Kiritsugu kept his tone as stoic as ever. He didn't need to explain the peculiarities behind his wife's fate and frankly, he didn't want to. "My life's a dangerous one, Assassin X, and I knew sacrifices would have to be made if I wanted to achieve my goal." He glanced up towards the sky. "That's just how the world is."

Kakashi Hatake considered this before admitting, "Not just this world. Still, the excitement of last night would be hard on a healthy person, and Irisviel's sickness… Aren't you worried Kotomine might use her as a hostage?"

Kiritsugu shook his head. "As this stage, even with a Magic Circle or treatment to sustain her, she'll only continue to deteriorate. Kotomine can't keep her stable for long, and… Iri would never let anyone use her as a weapon against me." He shot Assassin X a pointed look. "I'm not happy about these thoughts, but there's no point getting caught in what-if's or trying to prop ourselves up with false hopes. We have a War to finish."

Assassin X visibly had something to say about his coldness, but he simply shook his head in a way that rankled Kiritsugu for some reason. "The cynic routine isn't going to do us any favors, either. To paraphrase something I said last night to your pupil, cynicism and realism aren't the same thing." He withdrew one hand to gesture towards his Master. "Irisviel loved you and wasn't afraid to show it. You don't need to hide your grief from me, I won't use it against you or mock you for it."

If those words were meant to reassure Kiritsugu, they were quite off the mark. "You think you know me so well…" A growl escaped him as memories of the prior evening surfaced in his mind, the moment this familiar of another world uttered two names he shouldn't have known, two names absolutely precious to the boy he'd once been. "Tell me, what gives you such insight into my being, Assassin X?"

The shinobi didn't flinch from the accusation. "Well, you already know quite a bit of my past, Master. You've dreamed of it." Scratching his head, he sighed before making his confession. "After our little… debate following Lancer's death, I took a quick nap of my own to clear my head a little, and, well…" He tapped the side of his head. "It looks like this whole dream-memory thing can go both ways."

Kiritsugu frowned at Assassin X, scanning his body for any hints of lies or trickery. "…You dreamed of my past?" Three different emotions flared up inside him: indignance at anyone peering into his deepest parts; relief because crazy as the idea sounded, it was better than the thought of Iri being pressed for information; and… something else. He couldn't be sure.

"Hey, don't ask me how or why," he received a shrug in response, "I'm no expert on this contract between us, maybe it only works if there's a strong enough connection between Master and Servant or something." He put his hands back into his pockets. "Either way, I saw some… poignant things. Your childhood, or rather, the death of it…" That grey eye was locked onto his as Assassin X said softly, "They were so intense I couldn't have escaped them if I wanted to. …Sorry."

That last word set "irritation" high above the other emotions on "Top Things Bubbling Inside Kiritsugu Emiya's Skull." "Spare me your pity, it means nothing to me." The cold killer noticed a throbbing in his fingers and looked down to see them locked painfully tight around the Calico's handle. "We've too much on our plates to waste time on sentimentality."

Kakashi wasn't a licensed therapist, but he still sensed Kiritsugu wasn't quite as dismissive about the whole situation as he wanted to be. "Fair enough, I was just answering your question. Just so we're clear, though, I'm not judging you. We have a little in common-"

"Do we?" He stopped and blinked at the sudden glint in those dull dark eyes. "Yes, I suppose we do…" The admission took him aback even more, and it wasn't over. "So, how can you?"

The machine that is Kiritsugu Emiya could put away emotions and personal feelings as easily as clothes no longer useful into a closet. It was a simple, efficient process he'd performed since the night he took his first life.

"…How can I what?"

But the audible confusion in that question, coupled with lack of sleep, the frustrations from Maiya's injuries and the loss of Iri, caused the machine to overheat and the man to snap. "How can you stand there and… and… be you?!" Kiritsugu slammed down his gun and gestured furiously at the other man. "I've seen your life, and somehow you've seen mine. Sure, the details aren't exactly the same, but we both lost our fathers, we chose to learn how to take lives, we lost someone precious to us before later killing another, we've spent years submerged in the darkness of our worlds, so why the hell are we so different?!"

He stopped, chiding himself for the sudden outburst. Taking a breath, the Mage Killer stared at the stone tiles beneath him. "I just… I don't know how you can do it, Assassin X. How can you stomach being in the presence of a chivalrous fool like Saber, let alone consider her a friend? How can you speak fondly of a village and ideals that took so much from you? How can you wear that headband with pride despite the weight it carries?"

Kiritsugu Emiya stared wearily at his Servant, finally voicing the question that had been on his mind for more than fifty hours now. "…How can you still have faith?"

"…When you can't?" The Copy Ninja finished, sole visible eye reflecting his Master's melancholy. He sighed after a few seconds. "Honestly, I don't know what to tell you, Kiritsugu. I'm not as idealistic as you make me out to be, either. Much as I'm ashamed to admit it, I wasn't much better in my youth than you are now."

Yes, Kiritsugu knew that boy, an aloof, arrogant prodigy who ought to be a model ninja. "You had to take care of yourself after your father's… passing." He frowned again, this time at himself. What was the point of prettying up a suicide? He didn't care about Assassin X's feelings. "You were trying to make amends for his disgrace, and it was wartime. It was perfectly logical to conduct yourself like that… if a little tragic."

Assassin X shook his head. "I respect you don't want me pitying you for your past, so do me a favor and don't rationalize the mistakes of mine. A childhood trauma's no excuse for callous behavior, and it ultimately didn't make me a better shinobi or person. I nearly abandoned one of my teammates and got the other one killed scrambling to make up for it." He walked over to a nearby stone and sat down drumming his fingers against his headband. "It cost me my old eye and my team everything else."

Another memory came to Kiritsugu, one not originating from him: Looming over an angry, self-righteous boy tied down so he could stop and listen to something other than himself for once. Though the memory belonged to Kakashi Hatake, Kiritsugu could picture himself encouraging the last Uchiha to let go of his revenge, to find another purpose in life. Sasuke however scoffed and accused him of not knowing a thing. "Maybe if I were to kill all the people you cared for… everyone who meant something to you…" The smirk he sported should never be on someone so young. "Maybe then you could lecture me, because you'd know what it's like for me!"

"Well… Quite the theory you have there. Unfortunately, it's a bit late for you to put it to the test." Kiritsugu had no idea how his Servant could've managed to smile with the next statement, but he did. "Everyone you're talking about has already been killed." At least it shut Sasuke up for a few seconds. Too bad the lesson didn't seem to stick; another regret.

Rather than dwell on the image of a battered Naruto lying in the rain, Sasuke long gone and beyond the best hounds' tracking skills, Kiritsugu offered a rare sliver of sympathy. "Neither Rin nor your sensei blamed you for Obito's death. Obito himself forgave you." Odd that such a hotheaded idiot could meet his end with such dignity. "You put his Sharingan to good use, too, protected your home countless times. Even at the cost of… Rin."

Both flinched in unison as the exact same scene flashed through their brains. They saw a dark shape flitting out of a dust cloud before their signature technique. They saw their hands stained with blood by going halfway through a chest, brown eyes losing life as a mouth weakly uttered their names for the last time…

Kiritsugu shut his eyes and banished the scene; it wasn't his name Rin had uttered, damnit! "You made the smart choice that night. You stopped the Three-Tails' rampaging through the Leaf Village and saved thousands of lives-"

"I didn't save them." Assassin X cut him off. "Rin did. She… jumped into the path of my Lightning Blade. I killed her," a tiny tremor slipped into his words, "and I'll never forgive myself for that, but Rin protected the village. She had the courage to do what I couldn't, sacrifice a life, her own life, for the sake of our home." He fixed Kiritsugu with a gaze that nearly made him shiver, but his next words were soft. "Would it have been better for you if Shirley had done the same?"

The Mage Killer forced himself not to flinch at the question. He still found himself considering it. "…I don't know. The process of her Dead Apostle transformation… If she could kill herself, she wouldn't have begged me… She was always so kind… wouldn't have spread it like a plague to the entire village. I could've stopped her if I hadn't… hesitated."

Kakashi watched Kiritsugu silently trembling where he sat. No crying, but that was likely because he'd recovered some self-control. "Maybe… or maybe you would've ended up her first victim. You were in a no-win situation, Kiritsugu, from the moment you woke up that morning to when you confronted your father and Natalia got you off that island."

Kiritsugu noted the distinct lack of judgement in Assassin X's tone. He was keeping his word, and that, he could appreciate a little. "You acted more decisively with Natalia, and this time, you were better prepared for it." The Man of One Thousand Techniques continued with that same tone. "I don't know if even my younger self could've kept his cool if he'd been in your shoes that day."

"Five more seconds talking with her, and I mightn't have pulled the trigger," he confessed.

Assassin X nodded, part of him wondering if Natalia Kaminski had kept talking to put her pupil's mind at ease so he could pull the trigger. It wasn't like her to be so chatty, he considered, or sentimental. Maybe she knew what Kiritsugu was up to… and was looking out for him. He couldn't be sure, though, and such speculations were best left at a time where his comrade was less emotionally vulnerable.

Therefore, he steered the conversation back on track. "Well, with the way things turned out, it's little wonder we made our worlds' darkness a part of our lives," Assassin X pointed out. "You became a freelance hitman for stray mages, I joined Anbu ops." He could still feel that white dog mask over his face. "We both worked in the shadows to protect others who stood in the light."

Kiritsugu huffed. "How poetic, considering the bodies we left in our wake." Sympathy swelled inside him again, prompting him to add, "What others called you, though, 'Comrade-Killer,' 'Cold-Blooded Kakashi…' Such names weren't fair to you or your sacrifices."

"Life's not fair, right?" Assassin X appreciated both the gesture and the irony of it coming from Kiritsugu. "At least once a day, I can't help but think to myself Obito should've survived that mission, not me…" The pain inside him grew alongside the confession. "Maybe he could've saved Rin… supported Minato-sensei… trained those kids properly…"

The Copy Ninja's Master wanted to glance away, so strong was the melancholy emanating from him. Instead, Kiritsugu kept his eyes locked on the Servant of Shadows. "…I know the feeling." That masked head shifted slightly towards him. "It should've been Shirley who survived that night, not me. I've thinking that every day for about twenty years. She was… full of energy and kindness, always so happy… She believed in Father's research more than I ever did. She wanted to prove that magic can be used to help people… She would've used Father's teachings to help so many…" Inwardly, he was shocked with himself. Iri had been the only one the stone-cold to whom Mage Killer had ever confessed these thoughts. Up till now, and the words kept spilling out before he could even stop and think.

He shut both his mouth and his eyes, taking a deep breath. He could still feel Assassin X's eye on him. "But these thoughts don't really matter, do they? No matter how much we wish it were different, Shirley, Obito, Natalia, Rin… They're all long gone." Kiritsugu Emiya muttered softer than he'd intended. "You and I are all that's left."

"Yeah…" Assassin X huffed before straightening. "But that's all the more reason for us to honor their memories. It's why I stand by the creed Obito told me, one I would've mocked if it weren't for him opening my eyes." Noticing Kiritsugu shooting him a look, he shook his head. "Yes, protecting your comrades isn't always the right decision. My father showed me that long ago. Just because I can think logically doesn't mean I believe in it any less. Even though I know it's a tall order, I still vow to stand by my comrades… because they stood by me even when I didn't deserve it." He shrugged. "The Lord Third, Minato-sensei, Guy…"

At that last name, the image of a green-suited, energetic buffoon who appeared to be Bruce Lee's long-lost twin inadvertently popped into Kiritsugu's head. "How you can consider a guy like Might Guy-" He stopped and concentrated on not slapping himself for that sentence. And damn him, he could sense the grin Assassin X was hiding. "How he ever became your best friend, let alone your rival, is beyond me."

"Truth be told, that was largely due to his efforts, not mine." The Heroic Spirit shrugged again, a fond smile under his mask. "Guy's always been a… spirited fellow, but in a way, I think he's exactly the kind of friend I needed back then. Always greeting me enthusiastically and badgering me with challenges, I could either be annoyed with him or self-loathing, not both." He shifted in his seat. "If it wasn't for him, I might've stayed in Anbu forever."

"Would that have been that such a bad thing?" Kiritsugu pulled out his cigarette box, hesitated, then returned it to his pocket. "Aside from your… misgivings with Itachi Uchiha, you can't deny you were a very effective operative. The Nine-Tailed Fox's rampage wasn't your fault, nor were… their deaths."

Assassin X slumped at the memory of his teacher and a red-haired woman. "I couldn't protect Minato-sensei and Lady Kushina, either, as a member of Anbu… even after Minato-sensei assigned me to watch over his wife." He forced himself not to dwell on the melancholy in those memories. "Still, he did that for my sake, too, you know. Get me away from missions that just resulted in me killing people, let me experience a little peace and serenity…"

"Even though you didn't believe you deserved it." The Master finished his Servant's thoughts but in understanding, not malice. "At least it kept your mind off Rin a little, huh?" He was answered with a single nod. Wish I could've done that… Who am I kidding? I've never been any good at focusing on the positives…

As though he could read his mind, the Servant of the Shadows said, "It's hard not to be negative when you're immersed in darkness all the time. That's why the Lord Third decided to relieve me of my position and reinstate me as a jōnin." He turned thoughtful. "I'm pretty sure Guy had something to do with that decision…" Probably, Kiritsugu mused drily before Assassin X went on. "Then he had me take on a team."

Kiritsugu gave him a pointed look. "A team containing both the revenge-driven survivor of the Uchiha clan and the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Third Hokage would've been a fool not to have one of his best men keep an eye on those two."

"There was that," Assassin X relaxed again, "but I don't doubt he did it for my sake, too." He laughed at the raised eyebrow sent his way. "Oh, those three were a total handful at the best of times, I can't deny that. But… there's something invigorating in guiding young minds. They were all impressionable, innocent to how cruel a shinobi's life can be, even Sasuke."

"Especially Sasuke." Kiritsugu inspected idly his gun. "Honestly, I'm not against revenge itself. Some bastards need to be put down, and their victims ought to have the right for that. Still, it's a tricky business. No matter how hard you train or how much you deserve it, there's no guarantee you'll get the chance." Also, something about the whole business with Itachi Uchiha came off as strange to Kiritsugu. He only knew the prodigy through Assassin X, but he didn't seem the type of person who'd just wake up one morning and decide to butcher his clan. A piece was missing… Ultimately, the last Emiya sidelined the puzzle for another time.

Whether or not he knew what his Master was up to, Kakashi wasn't done. "Yes, Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto were a bunch of naïve, flawed brats… but isn't why folks like me fought so hard in the War? To give them a chance to grow into shinobi while still have time to be kids?" He faced Kiritsugu completely. "I was far from a perfect teacher for them. Hell, I don't even consider myself a good one. But I never regretted accepting them as my students. They helped me remember that I was still human, what it means to feel happy.

"So, to answer your questions in a very roundabout way, how can I still have faith in ideals and heroes like Artoria?" He shrugged. "Because others had faith in me even when I didn't."

Kiritsugu Emiya stared at his conservation partner for seconds that felt like hours. "…Is that really the reason we turned out so different? Because you received more support than I did?" Questions that should've been skeptical instead came out as searching.

"What makes the idea so far-fetched?" Assassin X countered calmly. "Sacrificing yourself for the benefit of others is a noble thing, but it helps to remind yourself what you're fighting for." He hummed in thought. "You know, I said something similar to Saber yesterday, but I'm pretty sure there would've been a place in the Leaf Village for you, too, Kiritsugu."

He scoffed at the idea. "As an Anbu member, maybe, just like you used to be." Then again, Kiritsugu could picture himself wearing one of those masks. The best use for me would be in Root, I suppose; I could infiltrate its ranks, slit Danzō's throat in his sleep, assume control of the Foundation and put it to proper use in defending the village…

"You have a talent for cloak-and-dagger business, I'll grant you that," Assassin X's compliment(?) cut through the Mage Killer's musings of an entire unit operating under his command. "But that's not what I meant. I didn't realize it myself at the time either," the ninja admitted, "but I probably would've burned out a long time ago if I had dedicated all of my life to just completing missions. My old team, Guy and the Hokage's, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke… the whole village supported me as much as I supported it.

"Kiritsugu, you dedicated so much of your life to creating a world of peace and no bloodshed, you gave yourself no time to appreciate the good parts of the world around you, or the flashes of peace some of your missions wrought. You surrounded yourself with people like Natalia and Maiya, people who were just as specialized in ending lives as you." The Master wanted to refute that, but he couldn't find a strong enough counterargument. The Servant held out both hands before him. "It's a matter of give and take: Protect your home so it can provide for you at the end of the day. There's only so much one person alone can accomplish. Pomp and flair aside, that's the logical endpoint of the Will of Fire."

The Will of Fire… that silly ideal drummed into the heads of every kid of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Imagining an entire village as your family, it sounded so pretentious, so ridiculous.

…Such were Kiritsugu's thoughts, but he couldn't muster any derision for them. If anything, he just felt tired. "Look, it's not that I don't see what you're getting at, Assassin X, but accepting it, believing it myself… it's just not that easy for me. Not anymore." His gaze dropped to the tiles again. Be it as a machine or just a deluded killer, there wasn't anything left in him to be considered human after everything he'd done. "If there's anything this world has taught me, it's that you simply can't save a life… without sacrificing another."

"That may be true…" Assassin X eyed him carefully. "But tell me, which life did you sacrifice in order to save Irisviel's?"

The machine that is Kiritsugu Emiya froze to a halt trying to process the question. An attempt to summon indignant anger sputtered out completely; Iri's name wasn't being used against him, he just knew that. Instead, his brain had picked up the query, analyzed it, and delivered a clinical verdict. "She didn't have… a life back then." The memory of snow and wolves flashed before his eyes, her naked body in his arms, covered by his cloak. "She was just another homunculus, an empty shell of magic in the shape of a human."

Assassin X nodded patiently, annoyingly so. "Yes, Jubstacheit made all of that quite clear upon introducing you to 'her.' He made it clear, too, that a new version of her could be created when he threw her out into the cold. Yet you stopped her from being devoured by wolves all the same. Why? She wasn't a real person, you said so yourself. Her 'death' wouldn't have hampered your plans. You didn't owe her anything. So, why?"

Crafty bastard… He was repeating the exact same questions Kiritsugu had asked himself in the aftermath of his rash actions. All he could remember at the time before storming out into the cold was disgust with the old Einzbern head… and Shirley's voice. "Kerry, what kind of man do you want to be when you grow up?" The question his mind would never forget.

"I know what you're doing, Assassin X," Kiritsugu muttered, shoving away the distractions as he always did to concentrate on his objective. What said objective was, he wasn't quite sure yet, but he'd see it through. "You're trying to worm some human decency out of me, convince me to see the error of my ways. Fine, I saved a homunculus back then, and considering she became Iri later, I don't regret it at all. It doesn't prove anything."

"I disagree. Your actions back then proved that even at a time when you were the Mage Killer the most, you were still capable of empathy. Dismiss it if you want, but you went to such lengths afterwards in helping Irisviel cultivate a personality, a sense of being." Assassin X gestured outside the gate. "You taught her about the world outside the Einzbern castle. An awful lot of work for a heartless hired gun. Redundant, too… unless you had another reason."

Kiritsugu scoffed. "I thought you weren't a therapist."

"I'm not, but I like to think I'm a decent judge of character." Kakashi crossed his knee over the other, resting his elbow at the top. "Humans are social creatures, and despite your best efforts, we both know you're still human. I think part of you wanted to be accepted for all your sins, and then you met a being as innocent and curious as a child. Someone you could teach about the wider world, show them the beautiful things you couldn't enjoy anymore without feeling guilty. Someone you hoped could and would accept you despite all the blood on your hands. Sure, it all happened by accident, but Irisviel came to love and be loved by you." He inclined backwards while still watching his comrade. "Tell me I'm wrong."

He wanted to. He really, really wanted to just dismiss the ramblings of this familiar and go do something more productive (like empty his Walther at Fuyuki Church or something). It wasn't just the words, it was that damnable understanding in them. Assassin X hadn't condemned him a single time throughout this blasted conversation, and the worst part was, Kiritsugu just knew he wouldn't.

After having seen so much of each other's lives, human and Heroic Spirit had formed an undeniable connection. They could disagree, they could yell at one another, but they understood each other. And try as he might, Kiritsugu Emiya just couldn't hate the Copy Ninja, just as Kakashi Hatake couldn't simply denounce the Mage Killer.

That didn't mean Kiritsugu was completely happy with this setup, though. "Why should I say what we both know?" He shook his head in disappointment. "Ever since the War's begun, I've been struggling to regain my edge. I'm not the same as I was when the Einzberns hired me." He glared out at the city. "Ten years ago, I wouldn't have bothered letting the Hyatt evacuate before triggering the bombs. Maybe then I could've wiped out Archibald's entire team in one fell swoop, and then Archer X would've never terrorized the city."

When Assassin X acknowledged his theory with a nod, he continued. "Instead, I hesitated. And I hesitated because…" He sighed. "I couldn't help but think about the families inside that building. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." He clenched his fist. "And then a couple nights later, they died in an explosion anyway."

"That wasn't your fault." Assassin X fixed him with a cold look. "Archer X blew up the hotel just to make a statement. You considered those families because you'd formed one yourself. That's the only real difference between who you are now and where you were ten years ago." He softened. "You found something tangible to fight for: a family."

Kiritsugu turned away from the city. "And look at the result. Iri captured, my judgement compromised because of it… Missing Rider X's trick is just as much my fault as it is yours, Assassin X." He told a slight fib now, the better to keep the Servant from discovering the truth about Iri. His judgement wasn't compromised, not one bit. "A while ago, I offered her to run away with me. Abandon the Holy Grail War, get Illya out of the castle, just live somewhere as a family. For a single moment, I would've given up everything I'd spent my whole life trying to achieve. I might've done it if Iri hadn't stopped me."

Assassin X kept his face neutral, a lie of his own. He'd witnessed this moment of weakness with Saber and bringing it up probably wouldn't do any good. Instead, he said, "Your love for your wife and daughter only becomes a weakness if you consider it a weakness. Irisviel told Maiya and my clone last night how happy she was to be a mother, how happy you made her in sharing your dream with her." There was another secret in there, one he'd keep for Irisviel, but the rest Kakashi suspected she wouldn't mind being told. "Your daughter, Illya, I bet Irisviel would want you to keep going for her sake."

Kiritsugu wondered briefly just how far this memory-dream thing could go; Assassin X had just voiced what had been exactly on his mind upon receiving Avalon from Iri. Nah, it can't go that far, and he's been too busy to take frequent naps. I'd know if he had. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for Illya." No point hiding that from the man who'd seen the bond between him and his little girl firsthand. "If I had to choose between her and the world…"

"Spoken like a true father," Kakashi gently stopped that line of thought. This conversation was already depressing enough. "The Mage Killer from ten years ago wouldn't be having such thoughts, but that needn't be a bad thing. Valuing life isn't weakness, Kiritsugu, and disregarding it isn't strength." He tilted his head. "Then again, I don't think you need anyone telling you that."

"Really?" The Mage Killer arched an eyebrow at him. "Last time I checked, there's a list of victims in at least four digits who'd probably disagree with you."

The Copy Ninja mirrored his expression. "The fact you bother to keep count shows you're not as callous about loss of life as you present yourself to be. You and I both know your whole modus operandi revolves around keeping the number of deaths as small as possible in comparison to the number of lives saved." He leaned a little forward. "Remind me, when you left Alimago Island with Natalia, what was your wish: taking lives or saving them?"

Kiritsugu said nothing; they both knew the answer. So, Assassin X leaned away again, his posture as nonconfrontational as can be. "You know, another part of the Will of Fire involves passing on dreams. I guess it's like sparks drifting off the main flame to grow into their own fires elsewhere. The next generation carrying on where the previous one left off."

The Master clicked his tongue at the ideal, though not with his usual disdain. "There's nothing of me I want Illya to inherit," he refuted softly. "My methods, my experiences, the blood on my hands… I'll sooner damn myself a thousand times over than let her end up with a life like mine."

"Irisviel wanted the same thing," Assassin X noted. "She joined this Grail War so it would be the last." All the more reason for them to succeed. "You said it yourself, Kiritsugu, you will save this world. But it isn't just out of altruism anymore. You want to make a world where Illya can life a happy, safe life. Maybe where no kid has to live the way you…" He sighed. "The way we did. Inheriting a dream doesn't mean going down the same road, though, and if you succeed in creating this utopia, it means Illya has a chance to grow up the way you wished you could've." He nodded to himself. "I wished the same for those three…"

Kiritsugu needed little effort to recall his Servant's fondness for the three kids under his tutelage. Loud-mouthed, temperamental, arrogant, a heap of trouble for the jōnin. Yet every second-hand memory he had of Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto was tinged with feelings of mirth, concern, exasperation, pride and affection. The feelings any true parent would know.

The pace and chaos of this Grail War had left Kiritsugu with little time to ponder how he and the other Masters had been able to summon seven more Servants, much less ones originating from alternate worlds. But staring at this masked man seating opposite of him, he felt he knew exactly why Kakashi Hatake answered his call.

Assassin X in turn stared at the man who brought him to this world. This man in a dark suit with bitter eyes is who he could've grown up to be if Obito or Minato-sensei or anyone else hadn't snapped him out of it. I guess there's one more difference between us, though: I settled for protecting my village while he wants to save the whole world. Or maybe I would've widened to do that, too, if I'd kept… losing.

"Gotta admit," the Master finally said, "I'm surprised you haven't told me once to stop considering practical solutions to problems just because they seem a little immoral."

"I'd rather ask you, Kiritsugu Emiya," the Servant replied, "not to limit your gaze to these 'practical solutions.' They're not always the only or even the best solutions, and it's for your sake, too, not just your family's. Life's already dark enough without people like us ignoring the light, if you'll pardon the metaphor."

Kiritsugu barked a laugh even as one last memory came to mind, only this one was all his: A wizard conversing with him for the first and last time. "I see a man who has been peering into the darkness for so long, he has trouble seeing the light in anything. Including himself." Different Servant, but the same encouragement for him to put aside his "sacrifice the few to save the many" policy and look for another way.

…I wish it were that easy.

The sound of brisk steps made both turn to the temple's entrance, their conversation put to an incomplete end. Saber in her modern suit quickly came into sight, her solemn frown softening briefly as she glanced to Assassin X who rose to meet her. "How are you doing?" He asked his partner as they shook hands.

"No better than you, I wager," the Servant of the Sword sighed. The grief on Lancelot's face was still a fresh picture before her eyes. Not to mention she had her own failure to report. "I chased every possible idea, but I couldn't locate Irisviel anywhere in Shinto." She registered a sad nod from her friend as confirmation that he'd had the same luck, or lack thereof, then turned to their Master. "I am truly sorry."

The interaction between his Servants had given Kiritsugu a chance to reassume his stoicism. "It can't be helped," he declared neutrally. "I don't have a clue where she is, either, but we have to get back on track." He straightened in his seat. "It's time to finish the Grail War."

A week ago, Artoria would've had some strong words to say about his apparent flippancy to his wife's situation. But in her current state, she noticed a few lingering signs in the man's demeanor; a tight fist, narrowed eyes. A shared look with Assassin X confirmed her suspicions, so she let the matter lie. Kakashi's better at dealing with him than I am, anyway. Saber cleared her throat and began. "Kariya Matou's abdication of the Holy Grail stands, he affirmed it to me himself after I finished speaking with Lancelot." She hated referring to her former subject by his class name, especially since he'd risen above his madness. "Their only interest now is in killing Rider X themselves."

"No simple task," Assassin X pointed out, "but it stands to reason we can work with them on that. I investigated the Tohsaka home to verify what Lancelot told you, and it checks out. Tokiomi Tohsaka's dead, and based on spiritual residue, Lancer X and Gandalf died in that house. I know Archer and Rider X were there, too," he huffed, "as was Kirei Kotomine. In fact, I have a feeling it wasn't his Servant who killed Tokiomi."

This time, Kiritsugu didn't stop himself from lighting a fresh cigarette. He took a few puffs to consider the possibilities. If Kotomine did kill his old teacher, then… "What about Archer?"

"I'm pretty sure he left the house alive and in one piece. No signs of him fighting, and he is not a subtle combatant." There was an edge in Assassin X's voice, suggesting that he, too, had come to the same conclusion.

Saber quickly picked on the implications. "You think Kotomine formed a contract with him? But… Archer and Rider X have never shown particular signs of trust or camaraderie." She frowned, thinking back to the few times she'd seen those two together. "In fact, I'm certain they hate each other."

Kiritsugu took another drag from his smoke; the King of Knights raised a good point. Based on their personalities and their known interactions, the King of Heroes and the Decepticon warlord ought to be bitter rivals. "It wouldn't be the first time enemies joined forces against a common foe," he mused out loud. "Much less in this War. Most likely, they just want to kill us all first before having their private grudge match."

Kakashi scratched his head in consternation. "Either way, we may have to assume those two monsters are working together. And if that's the case…"

"…They'd be unstoppable," Artoria concluded warily. Archer's nigh-infinite supply of Noble Phantasms, Rider X's corruptive powers and military prowess; such a combination would haunt her nightmares. "Our only hope is to divide those two so they can't pool their efforts. Lancelot's sure to help if it means he can deal the final blow to Megatron himself."

"Sounds good," Assassin X's frown remained despite his words, "but that leaves three Servants maximum on our side, and I think it'd take two of us to bring down either one."

"According to what Waver Velvet told you, Archer didn't walk away untouched from his fight with Berserker X." His Master reminded him. "If a battle-hungry lunatic with a handicap for a Noble Phantasm could give him a hard time, it must mean he's not invincible. Are you two telling me the Man of a Thousand Techniques and King Arthur herself can't come up with a way to beat some gold-encrusted narcissist?"

On a rare occasion, his words were utterly devoid of any resentment towards Heroic Spirits. Even so, they were calculated on spur on the duo's pride. "I should be relieved you're finally showing some faith in our abilities, Master," Saber grumbled wryly. "If there were a scribe present, I'd have him record this moment for posterity." Despite her sarcasm, she felt an odd sense of accomplishment. It seemed like they were finally beginning to work as a real team.

Assassin X, too, was elated at this development despite the circumstances. He wasn't under any illusions about the relationship between Artoria and Kiritsugu, of course; this cooperation right now was definitely as far as it could go, with true friendship a pipe dream. But he'd take what he could get. Nice to know my hard work paid off… He cupped his chin. "I might have a way to counter Archer's attack… but there's still one other problem. A hulking metal one."

Kiritsugu crushed his cigarette's remains, replaying their theory about him. "Rider X is using that Reactor thing to fuel his powers. If we get rid of it, he's sure to be weaker." His index finger tapped idly against his leg while he considered the possibilities. "…It's bound to be in Fuyuki Church. Kirei Kotomine would keep it close by so he could provide for his Servant, maybe even rein him in if need be."

But Assassin X slowly shook his head. "No, that doesn't sound right. The Assassin child…" He cupped his chin. "What he said to my clone before her death was, 'Hidden in the last place… Killer would look…'"

"You're putting an awful lot of faith in an enemy's words, Assassin X." Kiritsugu warned him, but the Servant didn't seem to hear.

"Killer…" He repeated the word, gears turning inside his head. "…The Mage Killer…" He fixed his eye on his Master. "Kotomine's fixated on you, he would know of your reputation and that name. And his Servants would know, too." Assassin X's fingers threaded together in front of his masked face. "Rider X wouldn't stash his power source somewhere obvious, not when he has someone like you for an enemy. And you checked Fuyuki Church yourself."

"I was searching for Kotomine back then," the Master countered, gathering his weapons. "I might've missed a secret compartment somewhere, and if it really is there, I don't need to head in there twice." He fingered his phone, the appropriate number for the bombs in the church coming to mind easily. "Smart as he is, Megatron's arrogance would blind him to the idea anyone could figure out what he's been up to. I erase the church, depriving him of his spare power source and Kotomine of the most accessible spot to awaken the Grail."

Assassin X remained unconvinced about the plan, but someone else spoke first. "For someone who detests Heroic Spirits, you're making the same mistake we've all made in this Grail War."

Kiritsugu stiffened despite himself at that statement before turning towards the King of Knights. "And what mistake am I making exactly, Saber?" The tone in his question was just one step away from becoming a snarl.

But she didn't flinch. "You're underestimating Rider X," she stated matter-of-factly, then sighed. "Just as I have, just as Iskandar surely did when they fought. From the moment I first saw that being, I knew he was a brutal, ambitious monster. I believed this more strongly with every time I fought him or heard his voice. I thought I had the measure of him…" A cold frown had settled onto Saber's face. "I was wrong.

"It was Rider X who formed this faction of rogues that gave us such trouble these past few days. It was Rider X who orchestrated the battle at Mion River, a battle we prevented from dragging all of Fuyuki City into by the skin of our teeth. It was Rider X who killed Caster X and surely had a hand in Tokiomi Tohsaka and Lancer X's murders. And it was Rider X who played all three of us for fools and abducted Irisviel." Saber took a moment to catch her breath before finishing her point. "The Lord knows what other atrocities that monster has committed in this War, and I am still not sure the depth of his guile. Or his cruelty." Her eyes were set in a cold glare. "But what I do know is that we cannot take any chances with him."

Kiritsugu tried to find a flaw in her argument, any plausible reason to disagree with her, but nothing came to mind. "She's right, Kiritsugu." Both turned to the other Servant present. "Rider X isn't the kind of haughty, lackadaisical magus you're used to getting the better of. And from everything I've learned about that man, neither is Kirei Kotomine. They're smart, they're cunning, and worst of all, they know what you're capable of. Neither is going to let you set the pace at this final stage."

Once again, the Mage Killer's strategizing was met with irrefutable logic from his Servants. I should erase the most obvious point of strength of my enemies… But despite all of my efforts, Kotomine's seen through my tactics consistently, and Megatron's been two steps ahead of everyone else. Including me, he admitted grudgingly. Loathe though he was to admit it, it looked like Kiritsugu had grown a little too comfortable. They're both right, damnit, I can't treat this like some Sealing Designation job the Clock Tower issued me. I need a new plan.

Assassin X could practically see the hunter's synapses firing and knew it was best to keep them going. "That Reactor wouldn't be stashed just anywhere," he pointed out. "Kotomine and Rider X can't run the risk of leaving it somewhere public where an ordinary person could stumble upon it. It would be somewhere secure, a place Assassin could a regular eye on. So, leap of faith: what would be the last place you would think to look, Kiritsugu Emiya?"

He knew better than to trust a Servant of his worst enemy. …But he trusted Assassin X. "Alright, fine…" He frowned in concentration. "The last place… It wouldn't belong to Kotomine or Tohsaka or any other target… It would be somewhere I wouldn't consider relevant to my plans, somewhere I've marked as a 'safe zone…' A place I wouldn't spare a second glance at, somewhere-"

He froze, the answer smacking into his face with all the force of a hurricane. "…Somewhere right under my damn nose."

Neither Servant knew what he meant yet, but the newfound surety gleaming in those eyes was a good sign. "You know where the Reactor is, then?" Saber asked to be sure.

"I'm making a guess here," Kiritsugu said even as he personally grew surer with every second that passed, "but it's an educated one."

Despite their differences, the King of Knights trusted her Master's hunting instincts. "Then we'll let you deal with neutralizing that device." She traded a nod with Assassin X before turning towards the sky. "It's far too early to act. Even Megatron wouldn't risk striking in broad daylight with few targets remaining, scattered and no Assassins to keep track of us. It's better to wait for nightfall before engaging." She met Kiritsugu's gaze. "So, let us handle Rider X and Archer. The surest way to vanquish a Servant is through another Servant."

"But depriving him of his power source wouldn't hurt our odds," Assassin X added. "You still need to face Kotomine, of course. Oh, if only you could be in two places at once…"

Kiritsugu rolled his eyes so as to keep his smile sealed away. "Yes, if only."

Amusement twinkled briefly in that damnable eye, then Assassin X returned to business. "Use my hounds however you see fit, I'll refrain from summoning any tonight. You'll need their support probably more than we do." Kiritsugu had no objections to that; their tracking prowess aside, he could think of another use for them. Or rather, their jaws… But he'd have to wait for now, too. If Megatron lost access to the Reactor this early, he'd move to reclaim it or prepare himself otherwise. Still, it wouldn't hurt to prepare and confirm his theory about its whereabouts.

He got somewhat stiffly to his feet; he'd been sitting around a bit too much. But before he'd leave, he had one final comment. "You know, for a pair who want me to be their comrade, you both spend a lot of time questioning my decisions."

King Arthur turned to him first. "You do the same with us, though truth be told, Kiritsugu Emiya, the only reason I'd consider you a comrade is because of this one here." She thumbed to her partner, drawing a small smirk from Kiritsugu. Touché.

Kakashi Hatake chuckled, too, before adding his own piece. "It's because I consider you both my comrades that I question your decisions. It's a package deal."

Thus, the Servants took off, leaving behind their Master as he walked down the steps shaking his head in what might've been fondness. Always has to have the last word… What a handful of a Servant I summoned.

-15:25:37

Kirei Kotomine paid little mind to his surroundings, even if the smell didn't make it easy. A small price to pay, though, considering his Servant's assurances of privacy had proven true: The underground space Caster and Ryuunosuke Uryuu had used to hide and pursue their perverted "art." While Caster's death meant this was no longer his territory, blood and scorch marks stained the ground everywhere, a sign of Rider's team stumbling upon the place.

No wonder Megatron had chosen it as a fallback position; that ragtag group "serving" Waver Velvet had the only one to discover the area aside from the Hassan's. But Velvet's Servants and Kirei's intended Servant were gone, the boy himself was incapable of fighting in the War any longer, and courtesy of Megatron's planning ahead, no one else knew this place even existed. The only ones who might've thought to look here were Tokiomi's team and father Risei, and well… Kirei couldn't help but smile. He'd nipped those leaks in the bud himself.

As he walked across the area idly listening to the water rushing inside the large tank in the center, his mind drifted back to that eerily blissful moment when he had put the Azoth Dagger through his teacher's heart. He pulled out the weapon and inspected his reflection in its cleaned blade; even now, a grin played along Kirei's lips just by recollecting his cruel sin.

But the stabbing had only been the lesser evil in comparison to what came next. The priest still wasn't quite sure how he triggered the Dark Energon inside him to invade Tokiomi's body. The process of channeling it into the dagger and directing it into the other body all seemed so… instinctive. Kirei put away his gift to inspect his arm, and his Magic Circuits lit up violet before disappearing again. No actual thought, just like walking or even breathing.

With the Dark Energon, Kirei had assumed control over Tokiomi's entire body. Including his Command Seals. Oh, the rush that traveled back to him when he made Lancer X attack her newfound friends… He admittedly got a little carried away in his euphoria, hence his accidental expending the last Seal to make Lancer X commit suicide. That feeling, well…

Tokiomi's body "imploded," for want of a better term, seconds afterwards. Dark Energon was a force of destruction and clearly hard to control. Kirei could now feel an innate drive to taint, to destroy every second of every day. He could've reanimated Tokiomi's corpse like Megatron would for more games, but he decided against it. Better to temper oneself, after all. Restraint was a fundamental principle for men of the faith. Besides, Kirei decided he as his student owed the Tohsaka patriarch not to disgrace him posthumously as well.

All that was left was to establish a contract with Gilgamesh, thus making them Master and Servant, and vacate the manor to return here. A cleared throat drew the Executor from his musings. He turned to see his original Servant standing near something glowing red. "How much longer do you intend to wait?" Rider X asked with a nod downwards.

"I believe it's been long enough," Kirei answered as he walked over, a slight haste in his steps. It surprised him how much restraint the titan at his side showed, in a way. He made no further effort to antagonize Archer, and with all the precautions he'd made, Megatron probably didn't need a Master anymore. Yet still he stayed, even if solely for his own amusement. Kirei had learned by now he couldn't order Rider X around like other Masters with their Servants. Not if he wanted to keep his head. It was like with Archer. A sailor could not control the wind, but he could dexterously control his boat using the sail. Rules of nature.

And steering his boat through the twin storms had brought Kirei Kotomine to the finale of the Holy Grail War with two top-notch Servants, only two other Masters and three Servants left to eliminate, and he'd even acquired the key to the Grail itself as well as a guarantee for his confrontation with Kiritsugu Emiya.

The Einzbern homunculus lay sprawled inside a crimson Magic Circle Kirei drew up to sustain her with leftover mana. She had drifted in and out of consciousness ever since he'd collected her in the prior night from the Darkened Assassin. Kirei had briefly wondered if the mannequin he gave in exchange would've sufficed to fool Emiya's team, but it worked as he and Rider X had planned. He could tell with a glance that this "woman's" time was short, but he couldn't let her disappear just yet. She was needed to bring about the Holy Grail.

More importantly, he wanted to speak with her.

"Woman." The harsh word struck against Irisviel's ears, rousing her from her slumber. She tried to open her eyes with more effort than ever before in her life. "Do you hear me, woman?" That same voice, one dangerously familiar to her, reverberated against her mind as she pushed herself to awaken.

When she did, she was greeted with a sight that nearly made her wish she hadn't bothered. "Kirei Kotomine…" Irisviel whispered glaring weakly at the man before her, then her glare traveled to the being looming over him, whose very sight made her tremble. "Megatron…"

Rider X leered down at the sweating, shivering construct. "How wonderful that we all know each other," he purred, "Irisviel von Einzbern." He'd taken the effort to learn as much as possible about this "vessel" to his prize. He cast a hand at their surroundings. "Apologies for the lack of ambience, but we wouldn't want your husband's Servants barging in to interrupt our little meeting."

"Caster hid here once, and Kiritsugu Emiya doesn't even know of its existence." Irisviel watched Kotomine saunter over to a chair by the circle and sit down. "Heaven's Feel will soon be complete. It's I shall stand beside the winner of the Servants and see the Einzbern family's wish realized."

Megatron shot his Master an amused look; he knew Kirei was just being playful with him by not stating a name. It was obvious who would be the last Servant standing.

"You'll… forgive me… if I don't… applaud." He turned back to see the doll glaring at them both; an impressive feat considering her frailty.

Kirei remained as amused as his Servant. "You don't seem fond of me. Is our victory truly so despicable in your eyes?"

Irisviel for her part hadn't been fully aware of what she was saying until she said it, but she didn't regret it for a second. "You ask me that… after so much of… Megatron's evil?" She wheezed, consciously drawing in as energy as she could from the Magic Circle, an act assisted by Kakashi's lessons. "I would never let a creature like him see the Grail, let alone claim it." Her voice grew stronger as she spoke. "And there is only one man I'd entrust it to without hesitation, and he is most certainly not you, Executor."

The Master's brow furrowed at this proclamation, but the Servant knelt down to her level with a scoff. "Such devotion of a puppet for a man your family hired to carry out their dirty work. How exactly is Kiritsugu Emiya a better choice for the Grail?"

Irisviel couldn't stop herself from trembling in this familiar's presence. He terrified her on an instinctive level. Yet she still met those bloodred orbs with her own. "For you, Megatron, the Grail is just a means of finding more worlds to conquer. You'd sooner destroy everything than protect something. A creature like you has no business reaching such power."

"Power belongs to those who take it," Rider X chuckled. "And your precious Kiritsugu may have the stomach to kill his way to the Grail, but neither he nor his flunkies are any match for me. I held the advantage since my first steps in this world, and I've only grown stronger."

"You have it backwards," Irisviel laughed right back in his face, a tiny, wavering sound that still carried all of her conviction. "Even at your strongest, you can't hold a candle to Saber or Assassin X, let alone both of them. And your resolve could never match Kiritsugu's."

Kirei Kotomine was puzzled by the resolve and belief the homunculus conveyed. Even at her weakest, she had such faith in the familiars and Kiritsugu Emiya? Was she really a homunculus or an actual woman? It was hard to tell the difference this close to her. "Why do you even care?" He got up from his chair, drawing those eyes to his approaching form. "Your purpose is to complete the ceremony your ancestor began. Who gets the Grail in the end shouldn't matter to you, should it?"

"How could you understand? You don't even have a wish for it."

The retort took him aback, though he kept his features straight. Rider X seemed to be amused as the woman continued. "You're both just empty souls looking for something to fill your voids. How could either of you win against those who fight for the sake of others?" What she said shook Kirei even more, then he stiffened as she focused on him. "Kiritsugu Emiya has already figured you out, Kirei Kotomine. He considers you his worst enemy, he'll do everything to tear you down." She smirked. "Maybe you'll brace yourself better than your Servant."

Kirei could only smile at that promise. "In that case, thank you. I'm happy to hear this." He turned away from the woman, his prior doubts fading away. "Kiritsugu Emiya is precisely the man I thought him to be."

Irisviel read his visible relief, and a rare nasty thought came to her. "What a joke." He stopped at her scoff. "You really don't have the first clue about him. There's no chance of you comprehending him."

"What did you say?" Megatron watched on amused at the back and forth. He hadn't expected their little damsel to show such strength with one foot in her coffin. Besides, this argument may do Kirei a little good.

"Kiritsugu can see through you, but the opposite is a fantasy," Irisviel declared. She knew these were her final moments as a living being, and damn her if she didn't spend them defending her comrades and her love. "You have nothing like what he carries in his heart."

Kirei closed the distance between them again, his façade cracking. "Is this how you judge me?" His right hand had seized her throat before he knew it, and he didn't care. "It's true, I am an empty man. There's nothing inside me. But how are that man and I different?!" His anger grew as his grip tightened. "He's spent his entire life chasing one battlefield after another, taking no reward from them. He killed and killed, disregarding common sense and gaining absolutely nothing! If he's no lost soul, then what is he?!"

You already know the answer, a dark voice in the back of his mind said. Deny it if you wish, but you've heard the truth of Kiritsugu Emiya from Kiritsugu Emiya himself. No, that couldn't be the answer, the fallen priest scolded himself. He simply couldn't be mistaken. He glared at the choking woman-

A large hand pulled him away from her. "She can't answer you very well through a crushed windpipe, Kirei," Rider X drawled behind him. The Master shifted to return his cold stare even as the woman sucked breaths into her lungs coughing. The gleam in those red optics looked nearly as disappointed as he felt, but Rider X simply looked down at their captive. "Well, let's hear it, little Einzbern. What wish does Kiritsugu Emiya have for the Holy Grail? What prayer that you put above all others would he make upon that wish-granting prize?"

Irisviel gasped for breath even as she knew her time was just about up. If her body didn't fail her, these two would surely end her life just because they could. "Very well…" For some reason, though, she didn't feel an ounce of fear at either outcome. "I'll tell you both:

"Kiritsugu Emiya wishes for humanity to be saved. He wants all war and bloodshed to end, a world of everlasting peace."

Kirei Kotomine kneeled before the Magic Circle, still as a statue, eyes opened as wide as possible. What broke the silence in the chamber came not from him but his Servant. "Well, there you have it," Megatron, lord of the Decepticons, terror of Cybertron, laughed. "Such is the deepest desire of your nemesis, Master. The naïve fantasy of a misguided killer, no better than that of his minions!"

Irisviel glared up at the titan shaking with laughter. "I won't forgive anyone who mocks my comrades' dreams," she warned him, actually making him stop for a moment. "Neither of you believe in anything, and that's the difference between you. They have faith; you don't."

"I have faith in myself," Rider X shot back, "and I've found that is more than enough for dealing with those like your 'comrades'." He barked another laugh as he lifted her frail body up from the circle. "My, what a loyal pet you are to that group of fools. You believe they actually care for you beyond the prize locked away in your soul?"

Irisviel gripped feebly the larger, stronger arm as she glared back. "Saber… Assassin X… They don't know. Kiritsugu… never told them… what my… purpose was… in this War. They only knew I was a homunculus… yet they treated me as a person… as a friend." She forced herself to face this monster. "I know them to be my comrades… and my prayers are as much with them as they are with Kiritsugu!"

The Servant of the Mount had the perfect counter to this when Kirei finally found his voice. "Then you waste your prayers on idiocy." The priest had gotten to his feet and now gave him a meaningful look. Rider X rolled his optics but relented, unceremoniously dropping the woman to the floor. She landed with a whimper while Kirei continued. "Conflict is a fundamental part of humanity," he eyed Rider X before amending, "of all life. Eliminating it is tantamount to eliminating humans. The goal Kiritsugu Emiya seeks…" He scoffed. "It doesn't even be considered an ideal, it's merely a childish fantasy!"

"Th-that's why… he can only… hope for… miracle…" He stared down in shock.

Irisviel tried to push her broken body up again even as she kept speaking. "He's sacrificed… so much for this… time after time… he had to… lose the ones he… loved… for the sake… of his dreams."

There was no longer any way for Kirei Kotomine to deny the nature of the man Kiritsugu Emiya. He'd hoped it'd all be some trick, a lie to conceal the same void he felt inside himself, but with each word this homunculus uttered… every time she rose to defend this man's ideals… "…He's been doing this all his life?"

"Such is the essence of utter devotion, Kirei." Megatron's humor disappeared for a brief moment. "Sacrificing to achieve your goals."

"Yes…" Irisviel von Einzbern uttered her final words. "Kiritsugu's… far too kind. He can't help… himself… from loving others… despite knowing… he'll lose them…"

"…I understand." Kirei closed his eyes before bowing his head towards his mentor. "My apologies, Rider X. I had misjudged my opponent from the start. I thought he and I were similar…" His fists clenched at his sides. "But I was just projecting my own feelings onto a man who has thrown away every pleasure and meaningful thing in his life, all for the sake of a fool's dream."

Megatron stared down at the one had called him to this world… and patted his shoulder. "We all run the risk of misjudging those around us, Kirei. I was no different when I thought my worst enemy to be my trusted brother." He leaned towards his Master. "But do not despair. Even if he is not the man you wished him to be, Kiritsugu Emiya remains your nemesis. So, tell me, what new truth have you reached?"

Kirei Kotomine considered the question, the parallels between Megatron and Optimus Prime and him and Kiritsugu Emiya. It didn't take him long to reach his verdict. "I understand who Kiritsugu Emiya is… and my reason to fight."

Rider X watched raptly as a predator's twisted smile stretched across Kirei's face. "My place in this Grail War… has never been about the Holy Grail. I don't care about my wish. But…" He turned his attention to the frozen woman. "Kiritsugu Emiya… I will tear your ideals asunder by destroying any hope of you reaching the Grail you have sought so desperately."

He turned back towards his Servant and was met with a smile equal to his own. "Good answer, my boy," Megtron chuckled through those shark-like teeth of his. "Well then, I must do my part and eradicate the Servants following that fool, no? And what better place to begin tearing down his hopes…" His gaze traveled to their prey. "Than right here, right now?"

Irisviel shivered as a primal fear washed over her, wishing her imminent death would come a little sooner. "Your first attempt with Tokiomi was exquisite, if a little flawed, but no matter." Servant and Master loomed over her trembling form. "You know what they say, Kirei…" Energy of an ominous violet crackled in their eyes and around their hands.

"Practice makes perfect."

-10:01:56

Sakura wandered about her grandparents' home, a part of her busily convincing herself that this was indeed her grandparents' home. Not… Zouken's. She shivered at that… man's name as a shadow drifted over her mind. Kariya and Aoi had tired to reassure her that she was home for good, and he would never bother her again, but… Believing it wasn't easy. Not yet.

The rest of the day had been quiet at the Zenjou house. The joy of the lost daughter's return had been counterbalanced by the news of the Tohsaka patriarch's death, and it showed. The adults were alternately seeking solace or fussing over the girls, and Sakura had excused herself from the latter via her mother; much as she was relieved to call Aoi Tohsaka "mother" again, she needed some time to breathe and think.

Hence her route taking her to the backyard, only when she opened the door, she found it was already occupied.

Rin turned towards the sliding sound from where she sat, her downcast eyes instantly widening at seeing her sister. "S-Sakura!" She hopped fueled by guilt to her feet and stepped towards the visitor. "You shouldn't be alo- um, I mean- I…"

Despite the gloomy atmosphere, Sakura couldn't help but grin a little at her sister's words tripping over each other. Same old Big Sister…

Big Sister cleared her throat and made a new attempt. "What brings you out here? Do you want us to spend time together? I-I mean, I don't want to bother you if you don't…"

Internally, Rin was screaming at herself. Come on, is one year all it takes to make you forget how to talk to Sakura?! She's your sister, darn it!

Yeah, she is, A cold voice shot back. So, why did you stop thinking of her as your sister one year long?

B-Because… Father told me she wasn't… And with that, the girl's heartache doubled.

"N-no, it's okay, Big Sister." Sakura's voice cut through the argument inside her head, and for that, Rin wanted to cuddle her little sister until she squeaked. "I came out here for a little fresh air, but um, I-I don't mind… spending time… with you…" She twiddled her fingers and glanced up at the birds chirping among the evening sky, her cheeks red as apples.

As she closed the distance, Rin managed to shove her snuggle urge down into the back of her head along with the voice's accusations. That allowed her to offer Sakura her hand with a little smile of her own. "Sure…"

The sisters moved out into the yard, but before they could sit down, a set of uneven footsteps caught their attention. Both saw Uncle Kariya lean out of the open door and visibly relax when he saw them. "Hey, girls," he waved to them with a hasty smile, "there you are. I was wondering where you'd gotten to." They smiled back at him as he limped over. "You two catching up?"

"…Not exactly," Rin mumbled. She then quickly waved her hands at the two. "D-don't get me wrong, I'm really, really happy Sakura's back and for good, too, it's just… there's just… a lot going on, and… and…" Her voice wavered, and her eyes fell to the grass.

A hand rubbed her hair. "It's okay," Kariya assured her, his smile fading but the warmth still there. "Neither your mother nor I expect you to be doing jumping jacks after… what we told you about… your father."

Rin nodded shakily at that, trying to stay strong even as her vision turned blurry. N-No, a magus doesn't let emotions get the better of them, she berated herself. Always elegant, that's our way, right? …Father? "I-I don't know what to feel…" The heir of the Tohsaka name had to let some of it, though, or she figured she'd burst. "I'm happy you're back, Sakura, really… But… Father… I thought… He was going to win the War, h-he was going to… come back."

Kariya Matou tugged his hood a little tighter around his head as a cold wind whipped through. "I'm sure he planned on it… He wanted to come back to you, Rin, and you too, Sakura. He… he wanted what was best for both of you." Rin nodded dully, Father's visit yesterday playing in her head. He had been so cool back then, so strong… and she had been with him. Rin remembered staring at their backs as they headed off to win for their family.

A pang shot through Rin's heart at the image of another one she'd lost. "Jade… she… She promised…" She wiped her eyes furiously with the back of her hand. A Tohsaka didn't let their emotions run rampant, and she would have to be head of the family one day; sure, Sakura was back, but she was still Rin's little sister. Rin needed to protect her.

Kariya knelt down to her level, his ravaged limbs whimpering in protest, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Jade was… a loyal friend to your father. Right to the very end." He tried to assure her, sadly recalling the green-clad noble warrior woman. "She helped us get Sakura back …and whatever happened to your father, Rin, I'm positive it wasn't her fault. Jade would've done anything for your family."

Rin absorbed her uncle's words, then looked up to him with a teary smile. She wanted to believe him. She could believe that Jade aided Father and Kariya in bringing Sakura back home, and she wanted to imagine that Jade stood by Father's side, fighting tooth and claw to protect him until her last breath… and then living anyway so they could both come back.

Her smile crumbled as soon as Kariya looked away. …Why, Jade?

Sakura watched her sister trying so hard not to cry even while tears of her own gathered. She blinked them away to find her rescuer glancing worriedly between the two, like he didn't know who needed to be comforted more. A tiny sound drew the girl's attention to the house, along with something tingling inside her, and she asked, "Uncle Kariya, can you check up on Mother, please? I… I think someone ought to be with her, too." She put on a smile and tried to keep her voice steady. "Don't worry, we'll be okay together."

Kariya almost seemed shocked with how he looked down at her, but he nodded and smiled back. "Okay, but don't be out too long, you hear?" He hugged her and Rin before getting up with a little wince. The action made his hood slip back a bit, and Sakura's throat clenched at what she saw underneath, but he kept his lighthearted tone. "It's supposed to be a warm night, but you know how the weather changes around here. Holler if you need anything."

"W-we will," Rin spoke up, waving with Sakura as the family friend slipped back into the house. Then they were alone again.

And this time, there was no uncle to help fill the silence. Neither sister found anything to say despite both wracking their brains. Each both hoped they'd make the first move, but at the same time, part of them hoped the other would, and it revolved into an ever-growing spiral-

"I-I'm sorry."

Rin's mouth stayed open even though no sounds came out. Sakura fidgeted again. "Rin, I remember how much… you looked up to Father… Now I come back… and he didn't… I'm sorry if…" She sniffled slightly, her hands moving to cover her face. "…this is all my fault-"

Hands grabbed hers and pulled them down, allowing her to see Rin's tearful but determined look. "D-don't you dare say that, Sakura," she scolded her gently, still gripping her hands. "Father's d-death isn't your fault. I know that, Mother and Uncle Kariya know that, and Father would tell you the same… i-if he could." Rin shook her head to get the last tears away. What would Jade say to her…? "I'm the one who has to say sorry. You're back, Sakura, you're feeling like this, and I'm not being a good sister. But we're family no matter what."

Sakura blinked, tears falling from her eyes, before she nodded slowly. "I… I'll remember that, Big Sister. It's just… after I was taken away…" She felt Rin's hands squeeze her fingers. "I didn't think… I'd ever hear you say that to me."

"I know…" Guilt nagged at the back of Rin's skull. "Father said I shouldn't… He told me that you were with the Matou family…" She squeezed Sakura's hands again before letting them go. "But that was then, and this is now. I know that sounds cheap, but…" More worry came to her; how was Sakura staying so calm? "Um… What happened to you? Over here?"

Sakura frowned for the first time since her arrival. "I… I'm not sure." Her gaze dipped to the ground. "I know I was brought to the Matou manor… and I lived there… but every time I try to recall something like details, I…" She sighed as he looked back up to Rin, frustration wrinkling her young brow. "I can't remember. It's like a thought in the back of my head that's always just… out of reach. And Uncle Kariya told me I've lost my Magic Circuits-"

"You've what?!"

Sakura jumped back a little from her sister's outburst, waiting warily for any follow-up. "Oh, yeah…" When all that came was an incredulous stare, she went on. "H-he said Father took a look at me last night… after they… got me back… b-before he…" Both girls' breath hitched in the same instant. It was Sakura who found her voice first. "All in all, I'm drawing a blank."

She'd slept through most of last night, too, so her memories even there were still a little foggy. There was one thing, though, the young girl remembered with almost perfect clarity:

A smiling old face full of wrinkles and framed with gray (or white…?) hair… and the kindest blue eyes she had ever seen. Sakura didn't know who the man was, but for some reason, that face, that smile, made her feel better every time it came to mind.

They took her Magic Circuits?

Rin was aghast and horrified. Father had once told her that Sakura had just as much potential for magecraft as she did, and now this? This is horrible! How can Sakura do magecraft without Magic Circuits? She… she isn't a magus anymore…

The next Tohsaka head nodded fiercely to herself. So what, she's still my sister. How dare the Matou's steal her magic?! She wouldn't forgive this, and she wasn't going to let her guard down again. Jade wasn't here anymore, so someone had to look out for Sakura. And Rin knew exactly who. "Sakura," she grabbed her sister by her shoulders, startling her, "you're my sister, no matter who says otherwise, and from here on out, I won't let anything happen to you." She made a magus' vow then and there. "I'll always have your back."

Sakura blinked a couple of times. This first day as a Tohsaka again had been nothing like what she'd expected. …Rin… Peering into those blue-green eyes, though, seeing the sincerity that burned in them… Yes, she was a Tohsaka, again.

She reached up to grip her sister's hands. "And I'll always be there for you, Big Sister. Magic or no magic, I promise to help you any way I can."

Rin grinned back, proud of her sister and herself; they'd make Father proud together. Then she focused instinctively on Sakura's dark hair, something thin and red dancing in front of her eye. Her eyes widened as she held it gently between two fingers. "Your ribbon… you kept it?" Silly little thing, the symbol of a promise she'd made without thinking…

Sakura smiled. "Why wouldn't I…? My Big Sister gave it to me." She then bit her thumb., mumbling, "Um… I can't… pay you back yet…"

Rin snorted despite herself and hugged Sakura so tightly she released a tiny squeak. "We'll worry about that later…" she reassured. "You have years and years to pay. With interest…"

Sakura Tohsaka giggled into her sister's ear while squeezing her back.

Aoi Tohsaka smiled through her tears from her spot by the window. An irrational fear had been clutching her heart since breaking the news to Rin this morning, a worry that Rin wouldn't accept this or Sakura would resent her treatment; fully justifiable in the latter's case. But here in the living room, watching the sisters embrace and laugh with one another, she felt lightened of at least one weight. Sadly, the other one only grew heavier in turn. I wish you could see them together, Tokiomi, she lamented to herself. Our girls…

She turned at a sound and found Kariya standing in the doorway. "Sakura sent me in here," he mumbled with that shy grin of his, "she wanted me to see how you're… holding up."

Aoi sniffled a little as she glanced out the window again. "She always did have a sixth sense for when Rin or I felt down." She sighed at the sight of Sakura tickling her sister's sides to break her hug, Rin breaking into giggles, then the mother returned to her guest. "I'm doing… as well as I can, I suppose. What about you, Kariya?"

"I'm fine," Kariya scratched the back of his hood, avoiding her gaze. God, she looked beautiful as ever even in mourning. Here he was, in the family house of the woman of his dreams, with Sakura and Rin playing outside and Tokiomi nowhere in sight. For good, even. This was practically his dream come true… but it tasted so bitter now. Isn't this what you wanted, idiot?

Aoi however was scrutinizing him carefully. She beckoned to him with a finger. "Kariya, come over here." He made to protest when she smiled thinly and added, "Please." Despite the last word, her tone was in "Finance Mode," the one that brokered no argument or compromise. Kariya had seen more than one banker crumble underneath it in their youth, and he knew better than to try and make a break for it. Wouldn't get far on this leg anyway…

He shuffled over feeling like a chastened boy before his teacher. Aoi flicked back his hood and frowned sadly at what she saw. "Yeah, I know…" he sighed. "Not exactly Japanese supermodel material. Using my family's magecraft comes with," he gestured to his face, "a price."

Aoi placed a finger against the scars on his left side and shook his head. "Good God, what did you have to endure, Kariya?" Her eyes widened in sudden horror. "Did… Sakura-?"

Kariya gently took her hand away. "She's free of that. Took her Magic Circuits in the process, but my… friend was very thorough and c-caring with her." Calling Gandalf his Servant wasn't right, not when that wizard had guided him consistently through this whole mess. Aoi opened her mouth again, but Kariya stopped. "Don't ask me that, Aoi. Because if you ask me… I'm going to tell you." A tear fell from his eye. "So please… don't ask me."

Aoi nodded silently; that alone was answer enough, and they both knew it. "All of this… for the Tohsaka family…" She shifted away from him, but not towards the window again. Seeing her girls would make her feel happy, and she didn't deserve to feel happy right now. "T-then what can you t-tell me… a-about Tokiomi's death?"

Kariya sighed, swatting away a mental voice yelling about Tokiomi of course being at the front of her mind. This was no time for jealousy. "I… didn't see it happen myself. I told you, Tokiomi invited us all into his house after we rescued Sakura," he moved over to the center of the room, "then he left us downstairs while heading up to do some paperwork, I think," he gestured first to the ceiling, then the tea set by the table, "Jade served us tea when all of a sudden the Servants got cautious, Jade was ordered to attack out of nowhere, said she thought something had happened to Tokiomi, then she…" He drew his thumb across his throat. "…Literally."

Aoi covered her mouth with her hands, gasping at the image. Guilt flared up in her, too, at how little she'd considered the Heroic Spirit who had saved both of her daughters at separate points and praised so much by Tokiomi. To imagine Jade taking her own life… There's no way I can tell Rin this. She'd already broken Rin's heart enough, but that?

Kariya nodded like he'd read her thoughts. "Then Rider X," he snarled the name, "a monster of a rogue Servant, came down the steps bragging of how he killed Tokiomi, and then…" He swallowed. "And then… Gandalf-" He swayed at his spot, prompting Aoi to hastily guide him over to the couch (something his younger self would've been ecstatic over). "…My other Servant got us out of there… and brought us here…" Kariya sighed. "That's all I know."

The Tohsaka mother nodded. "Thank you. I… I can't imagine what it was like, seeing all of this first-hand…" She squeezed his shoulders. "But thank you… for helping Tokiomi and Sakura and… and bringing her home…" Aoi had so much more to say, but her words kept stumbling over each other trying to get out. "And… I'm so sorry about… your friend…" Tokiomi had told her that Servants were familiars, sentient tools to be wielded at their Masters' discretion. But the respect and gratitude with which he had last spoken of Jade… The tangible grief Kariya radiated over losing this "Gandalf" …Why'd we lose so much?

She began to cry, and the lump in Kariya's stomach only grew. What was he thinking? Was he really some scumbag who'd try his luck with his lifelong crush who'd become a widow only twenty-four hours ago? No… He looked away in isn't what I wanted. He'd jumped into this goddamn Grail War to get Sakura out of Zouken's clutches, make Tokiomi pay, and maybe win Aoi as a bonus. Now here he was, sitting beside Aoi mourning the loss of her husband while her daughters tried to mend their bond in the backyard. Not like this…

Then a horribly familiar agony shot up his spine, so abrupt and striking Kariya had no time to brace himself. He hunched over, a groan escaping him before he could stop it and drawing a tearful Aoi's attention. "Kariya? Wh-what's wrong?" She promptly scooted over to his side.

Any other time, and Kariya Matou would've been delighted at Aoi's touch. But he couldn't savor it, he couldn't answer her increasingly worried pleas, he couldn't do anything but fixate on the rummaging inside his body. "T-the Worms…" He gasped in horror. Oh, hell… Gandalf had only erased the Crest Worms inside Sakura's body. Those infesting Kariya had kept quiet ever since Zouken's defeat, and in all the drama at Tokiomi's house, he'd completely forgotten about them.

But the little bastards clearly hadn't forgotten about him. Zouken… He's still alive, Kariya realized, anger mixing with his terror and pain. He's alive and has given his pets in me the go-ahead to eat me alive! And now there was no benevolent wizard to cow them into submission.

"M-my family's magic…" He wheezed out to Aoi; coward that he was, he couldn't explain to her the truth of the Matou "Magic Crest," not without revealing what precisely Sakura had been forced to endure because of their mistakes. "It's… consuming… me…" There was one thing Kariya had no choice but to admit as he coughed blood. "I-I'm running out of time…"

Aoi's heart, beaten and strained as it had been through this day, outright shattered in her chest. First her daughter, then her husband, her family's protector, and now her oldest friend? How much more was this Grail War going to take from her family?!

For the Matou outcast, it felt like the perfect ending to his tragic comedy of a life: Crumbling away in his lost love's arms with nothing to his name but failure and loss. I wish I had never made that deal with Zouken, Kariya lamented bitterly through the pain. I wish I'd never gotten Sakura mixed up in all this mess… I wish none of this had happened. He sat there weeping while the woman of his dreams looked on helplessly…

"So do all who live to see such times," an elderly voice rumbled inside his mind, "But that is not for them to decide." Kariya Matou slowly lifted his head in shock, wondering if the Crest Worms had finally driven him mad.

For it seemed as though Gandalf was leaning over him, wearing that same old wise smile as he eased his team's burdens. "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." The Master blinked, and the Servant was gone again. No, he wasn't actually here.

Just his memory… Aoi felt a trembling against her arms and frowned in concern. "K-Kariya? Why are you laughing now?"

He patted her arms as his chuckles died down, a twinkle in his eye. "Don't worry, I'm not going crazy just yet, Aoi. I just remembered something a friend of mine once said."

Kariya drew in a breath; the damned Worms were still on the warpath, but he'd endured their pain before, and he could do it again for a little while. That's right… He'd known from the beginning he likely wouldn't survive the end of this War. But he had taken on Zouken's abuse all the same, just so Sakura might be spared. And he had succeeded, maybe not the way he'd wanted, but she was with her family again. That was damn sure worth it.

And as he turned over his right hand to see one final Command Seal still there, Kariya Matou knew Gandalf was right. Even when he's gone, he's still propping me right back up. For that, the Gray Pilgrim's Master owed him everything. So, the least he could do was honor Lancelot's wishes for bringing justice to his killer, just as the knight had implored of him.

He pushed himself to his feet, body screaming in protest. "Kariya, wait!" Kariya powered through the pain even as Aoi tried to stop him. "Y-you're in no shape to walk, and I know what you're thinking!" She blocked his way. "This War has already taken enough from us. Don't go throwing your last minutes away, too!" She put on her sternest, most pleading faces that Kariya could've normally never resisted.

"I'm sorry, Aoi. I really am." But not this time. "This has to end, and I'm going to put my last minutes to the best use I can think of," Kariya assured his friend. "Keeping them safe." Turning Megatron into scrap metal wasn't just for Gandalf. It was for Tokiomi, for Jade, and to make sure that metal son of a bitch could never, ever pose a threat to this family again.

She might've been able to stop him, the way he was nearly doubled over and in visible agony. But one look at his beaten eyes and the resolve within, and she nearly began to cry all over again. Another loss… "Hey," Kariya brushed her cheek, "it's okay. I… I've got no regrets about this. Just… promise me, Aoi. Promise me that Sakura and Rin will play together, cry together, and grow up together. If you do that, then… it'll be enough for me."

Aoi Tohsaka sighed at herself; what had happened to Sakura was just as much her fault as it was Tokiomi's. If she had fought him, if she had tried to find another way instead of being so passive… Not again She straightened and pushed through her tremors. "I promise, Kariya."

Satisfied, the Master slipped past her, noting he wouldn't see her again and burning her resolute face into his mind. Then he stopped, making Aoi blink through her tears. "Oh yeah, um…" Kariya pulled out a loosely bound stack of papers from his hoodie pocket. "This is, uh, a child's story… I've had… for a while…" He held it towards her with a blush.

Aoi slowly accepted the rumpled papers, her eyes widening at the handwriting. "Kariya… did you come up with this…?"

"S-sort of…" Kariya scratched his head, his cheeks aflame. "It's uh, a little something… I'd been working on… for the last couple of days… It's not a good story, but…" His eyes shifted to out the window while she skimmed his work. "I-I'd really appreciate it if Sakura… a-and Rin, too… if they're still… into this kind of thing." He sighed and reached out. "F-forget it-"

Aoi then leaned over and planted a gentle kiss on his right cheek.

Kariya's mouth hung open as she pulled away, the broken man worrying for a moment that the Worms' antics had wrecked his jaw's nerves. Her giggles made him clamp it shut; good, still functional. Aoi glanced back at the story and read aloud its repeatedly changed title: "The Little Hobbit and Her Garden." She smiled tearfully. "I think they'll love it."

Limp be damned, Kariya felt like he was walking on air straight through the house. He didn't dare say goodbye to the girls; a coward like him couldn't bear facing them for the last time.

Outside, Sir Lancelot materialized beside his Master as soon as he stepped off of the front yard, helmet in his hands. At a nod, he donned the sleek headgear, darkness swirling around his body anew. Kariya Matou looked back at the house in finality, then rolled his shoulders.

"Let's go avenge our friend."

-08:06:24

Gilgamesh, King of Heroes, Servant Archer formerly of Tokiomi Tohsaka, now Kirei Kotomine as of twenty-seven hours ago, stifled a yawn as he lounged atop a building in Shinto. He'd enjoyed a lengthy nap to pass the time until nightfall; the bustling of the humans in this paltry city had long since lost what little appeal drawing his eye. Now he was refreshed and ready to bring down the curtain on this lengthy farce.

Lengthy but unexpectedly diverting, he noted to himself, absentmindedly tracing the scar he glared at in a glass's reflection. There were stronger remedies in Archer's treasury than what he'd used up till now, any one of them certainly potent enough to erase this unsightly blemish. But at this point, Archer had grown used to glaring at it. It made for an odd trophy.

"Kenpachi…" He bared his teeth in a half-smirk, half-snarl. Merely thinking of that deranged bloodthirsty dog was enough to make his parting gift ache, yet Gilgamesh chose to wear it as a badge of pride. Even such a ferocious beast from another garden had fallen to the King's power. And Archer's chest swelled at the memory of slaying Iskandar shortly afterwards, depriving the upstart of a complete victory.

As it should be, he noted right before a flare shot up into the sky, followed swiftly by another. Archer's eyes narrowed at the display. According to his new Master, these flares were of a magical brand, only visible to those attuned to the supernatural. Launching them was to signal the Holy Grail War's completion and celebrate the victor.

Naturally, shooting them off while more than one Master and Servant (or maybe in this case, two Servants) were roaming about would be perceived as a blatant taunt. Well done, Kirei.

His new choice of Master had been coming along splendidly, though it irked Archer a little that not all of Kirei's development could be attributed to him. No, that wretched upstart had played his own part with glee in opening the priest's mind and heart to his inner truth. Archer didn't like sharing things at the best of times; truthfully, he wouldn't have been bothered too much if one of the "heroes" had put an end to his darkness before this stage.

Oh well, Gilgamesh sauntered along the rooftop, golden armor ringing with each step, something to look forward to myself. And you deserve every last shred of agony I have in store for you, Megatron. Especially after what you did last night-

He paused at the increased fury of his musings and sighed. Gandalf the Gray… even dead, he continued to draw unexpected reactions from the King of Heroes. Though it shamed him to admit this, Archer had been secretly, minutely, relieved the upstart had killed the wizard. He mightn't have had the heart to do it himself. But that was no reason to let the upstart go unpunished. The mad dog stemming from this world and ever-radiant, doomed Saber would surely wish to see to that themselves, but…

Well, Archer had already acted enough unlike himself. His thoughts drifted as he walked…

-24:11:18

The Zenjou family's home had remained untouched thus far in the Grail War, and one Servant was very much invested in keeping it that way. Berserker stood in silent, vigilant spirit form before the front yard, arms crossed and senses on high alert for even the tiniest threat. He somehow found the willpower to keep his Mad Enhancement shut off despite the hole in his heart, or perhaps because of it. Failure of a knight or not, Lancelot refused to let his friend's sacrifice be in vain.

Inside the house, Sakura Tohsaka continued to sleep through the night, wrapped inside her true mother's arms as both lay in the same bed. She had woken up just briefly enough to prove she still remembered the names of her loved ones, but it appeared her energy was still lacking; no sooner was she in pajamas did Sakura slip back into dreamland.

Snoring slightly in a chair by the bed was her uncle. Aoi had been elated and heartbroken like never before in her life at everything Kariya had told her, and so she had quietly wept herself to sleep, refusing to let her daughter out of her sight for even a second. Thankfully, she was able to recognize these same emotions inside her old friend's story, as well as the truth, and she couldn't find it in her to make him leave. Kariya's grief abated just a little at seeing Aoi curled around Sakura again, add his fatigue, and he too was out almost instantly.

Hence none of the bedroom's occupants awakening to see a new presence materialize inside the room.

Archer quickly crossed the distance to the bed and loomed over its occupants, adjusting his invisibility cap in the process. The fact that Berserker hadn't charged him in a foolish frenzy was clear proof the dark treasure was functioning as advertised, leaving him with all the free time to examine the young girl sleeping before him. For so much death and anguish to be brought about by such a little thing… He thought. For him to sacrifice himself…

A pained mumble snapped him out of his thoughts, and it was a testament to the King's kindness that he did not kill the mutilated mongrel for that. Archer scoffed at the battered form before him; touching though his worries were, they were surplus at this stage. Kirei's attention had shifted fully to that pale meat puppet the upstart had absconded with, and the only other Master left. Megatron on the other hand seemed perfectly happy to let Berserker come to him. The only problem with that plan was if Gilgamesh eradicated him first. A sorely tempting idea after what he had done to Olórin.

Even at his weakest, even with the shadow of death enveloping him, the wizard had not begged for rescue or aid. No, his only worries had been for the three he'd stayed to shield…

Archer had sworn to him he would not help or hinder him, and he had kept his word. …Much as he wished otherwise. The King's decrees were absolute. He himself would not go back on his decisions, for doing so would undermine his authority. He did not second-guess himself, ever. But to say he was satisfied with their outcome or that he never regretted the consequences… Well, there had been a reason he didn't witness Olórin's death personally.

Or that of Lancer X, come to think of it. Archer had never particularly cared for the inferior cur selected to be his partner by fate, or for her fraternizing with the fool who would've betrayed them both once the War was won. Tokiomi hadn't deserved her loyalty… yet Jade had stayed true to herself and their bond right up to when it got herself killed. Nicely done, Kirei. A pity his development came at Jade's expense, but no growth comes without sacrifice.

He suppressed a sigh, wondering why he bothered lingering on this whole unpleasantness. There was still plenty of pleasurable things to distract himself with, yet here he was, perched over an ordinary little girl. He began to dematerialize… and stopped to stare at her again.

Ordinary? Nothing had been "ordinary" about this Holy Grail War, and Archer had the scar to prove it. Seeing it every time he looked into a mirror irked and excited him in the same breath. Truly, these otherworldly dogs had done much to shake up what he'd believed to be a mediocre affair. And something told him Olórin had done a little more prior to his end.

Gilgamesh hummed to himself as he pondered on what he knew of that infuriatingly fascinating being. You told me you had been neither human nor god in life… a manifestation of a higher power in service of good. And as a Heroic Spirit… you retained some measure of your true power… in the form of your Noble Phantasm. He withdrew from his treasury a sheet of dark scrying glass, a useful trinket for finding that which did not wish to be found. What exactly did you do with this one, Gray Pilgrim? Did you… bequeath her this power?

Archer's eyes narrowed as they scrutinized her through the glass. Yes… despite outward appearances, something magical did linger inside this young soul. Oh, those silly Magic Circuits the dogs of today used to bungle through their Thaumaturgy were gone, but this was something else. A glimmer or a vestige, like a seed that could blossom into a flower never before seen in his garden. And Archer needed little of his genius to realize who'd planted it.

Was this a result of the miracle the wizard cast to rinse the girl's soul clean of the filth killing her? Most definitely, but had Olórin planned this? Was the girl's salvation part of a greater strategy, perhaps to seize the Grail or claim dominion over this world itself?

Gilgamesh nearly laughed at his own fatuity. No, no… Such thoughts did not fit the character of Gandalf the Gray, a being wise enough to know the punishment for that sort of treachery… and far too kind to twist a little girl's fate like that. Even if he had stooped so low, he wouldn't have been so desperate in confronting the upstart, the King of Heroes surmised.

And the resolve to put his life on the line to delay Rider X couldn't have been false.

Still, this begged the question of what would happen to the life Olórin had saved. She was certainly not meant for a mundane existence anymore. Archer doubted her blossoming would occur during his remaining time in this era; with only four other Servants left, the end of this "War" was imminent. It couldn't happen quickly enough in his opinion, but with something unprecedented like this piquing his curiosity…

He scowled. Come to think of it, this girl was perhaps in even greater danger than before. Tokiomi might've spared her out of fatherly sentiment, but he was merely one of many buffoons fancying themselves today's sorcerers. They would take longer than the King and surely make a mess in the process, but they were sure to realize something was… irregular about the girl. And in their ridiculous attempts to comprehend the miracle which had saved her, they'd tear her to shreds, mind, body and soul. Picturing this made Archer's blood boil.

No. Such an act would be no less scatological than tearing down an Urukian shelter. He would not have that.

He raised his hand, and the Gate of Babylon opened just wide enough to deposit a small ceramic jar into it. Removing the stopper revealed a clear salve, a little heirloom from Babylon itself. The parents among his subjects used to mix blessed herbs and juices together and apply it to their children while uttering prayers of protection right before bedtime.

Gilgamesh let the nostalgia wash over him for a second or too, then he dipped a single finger into the jar, withdrawing a dollop of the cream. The next step was kneeling down to beside the bed where the girl lay slumbering. The King of Heroes hesitated, his finger hovering over her, then he closed his eyes for a moment and brushed aside any second thoughts. He'd never been one to doubt his own actions, why start now?

Thus, he pressed his finger against the girl's forehead and began drawing a symbol of ancient Babylonian as lightly as possible; for one, her waking up and causing a ruckus would be tiresome; for another, this ward required a gentle touch. Archer was no mage, but with this salve, he could at least ensure no present-day mongrel would detect this girl's potential.

Once the ward was complete, he leaned away to study this girl. Was it odd for him to go to such lengths for a young soul, one much like so many who trod across his garden nowadays? Well… that wasn't entirely accurate. Her soul was clearly unique, touched as it was by foreign blessing. Still, one might've expected Archer to see her killed for this, to purge the contaminant lest it infest his garden further.

He would have done so in a heartbeat when he had first arrived in this repugnant era. But… the Archer then had yet to meet the source behind this curious nature dwelling inside the girl. He had yet to encounter intruders from other gardens, some of whom managed to surprise or tickle him. He scoffed to himself upon remembering his "partner," a weak, self-righteous wench… unwaveringly loyal to a man unworthy of it. A virtue such as that, misplaced though it had been… did deserve some token of the King's respect. A single gift to their partnership.

And his actions were to settle another debt as well, one to a being who had stood wise, noble and steadfast against the darkness right up to the point of his leaving this world. A being unlike any Gilgamesh had encountered before in his glorious life… save for one other.

He crossed his arms, fingers squeezing his biceps at recalling the moment he'd sensed the wizard's demise. Yet another reason to kill the upstart, and oh how he waited for when the other two mongrels were gone, leaving only him, his bride to be, and a metallic swine to be slaughtered. Ah, he could picture the wedding now… As the resulting image began to warm his core, the King of Heroes made to vacate the premises. There were preparations to undertake to make it reality.

Before he left, though, he spared the girl one final solemn gaze. "Wherever you are now, Olórin," he whispered, "be it in the Throne of Heroes, this Holy Grail the mongrels are scrambling for, or back on Middle-Earth, with your god or your fellowship…" he studied her sleeping form, "or elsewhere…

"Rest assured, your legacy on this world shall be protected. So swears Gilgamesh, its King."

Archer opened his eyes again blinked at the descending sparkles of light. Sometimes, it perplexed him how swift thoughts could travel through one's mind; long though his recollection may've been, no more than two seconds of real time had passed. Well, there was little use in reminiscing at this point anyways. He'd paid his due to those fallen. Now was the time to finish this game he'd begun with the upstart.

A game that would end with him standing above all, as befitted the King of Heroes.

The Heroic Spirits were of different times and contrasting ideals, but as they readied their weapons and converged for the impending clash, they all knew one thing:

One outcome or another, this would be the final night of the Fourth Holy Grail War.

One quick note: Gilgamesh is classified as Chaotic Good. While he certainly does his fair share of heinous things throughout Fate/Zero, Fate/Stay Night and in between, I believe he is capable of doing the odd nice thing here and there, even if he does it for utterly selfish reasons. It's the reason Waver's still alive, after all.

Whelp, buckle up ladies and gents, we've reached the final round. Place your bets, pray for your favorite characters, and let me know whether or not you've had as much fun as I have with this story. Plus, I'm glad I finished this now, seeing as I've commissioned a little art piece coming soon on DeviantArt…

And late though it is, a Happy Thanksgiving 2023! Enjoy the upcoming holidays!