-03:52:07

Kiritsugu blinked. One second, he was aiming the Contender at an approaching Kirei Kotomine, the next he was… outside?

Where… He glanced about where he stood, sand shuffling from the slight movements of his feet. This place… The palm trees and exotic flowers, the large rocks off in the distance with the water separating them from him… I'm back on Alimago Island? Kiritsugu wondered perplexed before shaking his head. No… There's no way he could have been transported from Fuyuki's city hall to the island of his childhood. Besides, Alimago had been razed to the ground twenty years ago. There was no way the beach should've looked exactly the same as he remembered.

The Mage Killer didn't move from his spot even as he took stock of the situation. His body, too, felt as untouched as the place he'd called home once. Not even a whisper of fatigue from his battle with Kotomine. He eyed the starry night sky perplexed as black droplets rained down around him but not on him. Then again, he noted the "rain" looked more like mud than water, and a rather murky mud at that. What is going on here?

"I knew you would make it."

Kiritsugu froze… and slowly turned his head to see Iri standing on the beach close to him. "I never doubted you would find your way here."

He fully turned towards her, taking in the gentle smile she'd always worn in contrast with the black version of her usual dress. "Iri…" How…? She should back in Fuyuki… No… She shouldn't be… alive… anymore. He almost took a step forward but paused, his eyes drawn to the violet accents of her clothing, a dark contrast to the gold he knew. Not to mention the shade was worryingly familiar... "…Where are we?" He asked instead. "What is this place?"

"This is where your wish will be granted," "Iri" answered calmly, as though she hadn't noticed his scrutinizing gaze or the many illogical aspects of her presence. "We're standing inside the Grail you've been seeking." Kiritsugu looked at their surroundings again: the mud raining around them, what appeared to be bodies hidden amidst the distant shadows…

And as he stared up, the dark hole hovering where the sun/moon ought to have been. Bitterness, hatred and curses seemed to be emanating from it the longer he looked. "There it is," "Iri's" melodious voice made him shiver slightly, "the Holy Grail." He tore his eyes away from it to back at her again. "Don't worry, it simply lacks a proper form. It's like a… dream without shape at the moment."

She gestured up towards that… thing above them as she continued. "The vessel had been adequately filled, and all it needs is for someone to make a wish upon it. No matter what you ask for, it will assume the most appropriate form to fulfill its task. Once it has formed, it will finally be able to step 'outside' into the world."

An idea like that grew less appealing with each second Kiritsugu stood in this place. An instinctual loathing and trepidation grew inside him at the presence of the darkness, not unlike what he or his clones had felt around the evil power Rider X boasted. But Dark Energon for all its corrosive nature had been an alien experience, something brought to this world by a warlord from another universe. This, though, the blackness surrounding him, it felt… natural. Terrifyingly so.

"Please don't dawdle, Kiritsugu." And then was "Iri's" serenity in the face of it all. She was talking about this… thing like it was an innocent child, not an abomination. "Go and give it form. You are the only one of this world worthy to give it purpose."

Those words triggered an alarm bell inside his mind. The only one…? Kiritsugu had never doubted Iri's love or commitment to their dream, but he knew she had grown close to Saber and Assassin X. Surely, they ought to be "worthy" of claiming the Grail or whatever that thing up there was. And there was another detail. "Of this world…?"

"I have to admit, you were not the only one I believed could come this far." "Iri" turned towards the putrid waters, staring off into the far distance. "There were one or two foreigners that showed promise as well… His appearance suggests otherwise, but that Avenger X can be quite the conversationalist." Kiritsugu stilled at the mention of that horned Servant; he was considered worthy by her, too? "And Rider X… Megatron…" She giggled to herself, that sound familiar and yet nauseatingly alien to him. "And I believed I had seen it all before he arrived. He was the first X Servant to be summoned, you know. A curious twist of fate…"

Kiritsugu knew he was no saint, but to be lumped in with souls like Avenger X and Rider X, beings who reveled in their sins… His frown deepened as another piece of information stood out to him. "You sound like you didn't expect either of them to be summoned. But isn't the Grail what allowed the X Servants to be called to Fuyuki in the first place?"

"Iri's" white hair flowed about as she shook her head. "The Holy Grail does allow Masters to call forth Servants to fight for it, yes. But it wouldn't have searched beyond the borders of this world for candidates. Not under normal circumstances." Her smile slipped just a little. "Someone else… seems to have tapped into Fuyuki's leylines, altering the parameters just a tiny bit, but enough for twice the regular number of Servants to arrive. Enough for Heroic Spirits to hear the call from alternate universes. Enough to compensate the Grail and the Masters for this additional need for Magic Energy."

Three feats that should've been impossible, Kiritsugu surmised from what he knew of the complex magical system. "Even among the most seasoned and powerful magi in this world, to alter the Grail War's setting so extensively… Who could be capable of all that?"

"I don't know. I have not seen such a person setting foot in Fuyuki City in my time in this world. Not even for the tampering I mentioned." Her face settled into a frustrated pout for a moment as she muttered, "Yet another impossibility, but they pulled all this off remotely…"

Then "Iri" regained her carefree expression. "Still, whoever was responsible for these unusual circumstances doesn't appear to have chosen specific Heroic Spirits in mind. The ones who arrived were called because they all mirrored their respective Masters in one way or another." She tilted her head slightly. "To think Kirei Kotomine would possess a soul dark enough to call about one like Megatron… or maybe he unconsciously sought the darkness." A shrug. "Oh well, at least the meddling couldn't keep the Grail from barring a Ruler's emergence."

Ruler… the special Servant class for unorthodox circumstances in a Grail War. Kiritsugu had discussed their absence with Iri despite at least fourteen Servants running about, but neither had come up with an answer, and Kiritsugu hadn't cared enough to consider investigating. Yet another mistake of his, apparently. The Grail's been… preventing the summon of a Ruler? How could that happen? He eyed "Iri" warily. And why would it do that?

As if she were reading his thoughts, the homunculus faced him with a playful smile. "We couldn't have a Ruler showing up and possibly declaring the Grail War null and void, no? That would've rendered everyone's efforts, your efforts, Kiritsugu, meaningless." His fists clenched at hearing the same reasoning he'd used to dismiss the factor. "And as I said, even with foreign parties having come so close, you are the one to have reached the Grail. You can make your wish." She spread her arms out to him. "You can finally save the world."

Sweet words of encouragement… that only continued to provoke his doubts. "…Who are you?" He finally asked the question at the forefront of said doubts.

"I am Irisviel." She replied with no waver in her smile.

"No, you're not." Kiritsugu's patience was wearing away. "If the preparations for the Holy Grail really are finished, then Iri should already be…" She closed her eyes with a tiny laugh, prompting Kiritsugu to do something he'd have never imagined: he aimed the Thompson Contender at Iri. No, that's not Iri… "Answer me!"

"True." She surely knew what the weapon in his hand could do to her, and yet she was unfazed. "I admit what you're seeing is a mask. If I didn't have some preexistent personality as a shell, others wouldn't be able to comprehend me." She sauntered past the Contender and him towards the water. "This form is necessary for us to communicate. But the personality of Irisviel I recorded is undoubtably real. She was ripped free of the Dark Energon when your clone destroyed the Reactor housing it, making me the last thing she touched before dying."

Even as she said that, though, Kiritsugu couldn't help noticing a detail as she passed him. Her eyes weren't quite as crimson as he remembered…

"Therefore, I have inherited her final hopes," "Iri" continued while halting, her back turned to him. "To see the Holy Grail reached, and to see you as the one to make the wish upon it."

Kiritsugu slowly lowered his gun. These words were the final pieces he needed to complete the puzzle inside his mind. "Which means… you're the will of the Holy Grail?"

"Yes, that is an appropriate interpretation."

However, this answer only raised more questions. "How is that possible? The Holy Grail is supposed to a magical object of great power. There's no way it can have sentience."

Even while still facing away from him, "Iri's" voice remained calm as ever. "That used to be the case, yes. But it's different now. I have developed my own will and desire. I wish to be born into the world."

"Impossible…" Kiritsugu muttered, data racing before his mind's eye. From the way she spoke, this newfound will seemed to have been developed separately from the alterations whoever had made to the Grail War. And if that were the case, then this darkness, this miasma, it really hadn't come from Megatron or any of the other X Servants. Leaving him even warier about the situation. "If you really have a will of your own, then tell me:

"How is the Holy Grail going to grant my wish?"

"What do you mean?" "Iri" finally turned towards him again with that bright smile. He could've sworn the black rain was beginning to intensify. "Shouldn't you know the answer for that better than anyone else?"

Kiritsugu swallowed before asking as levelly as he could. "What do you mean?"

She began closing the distance between them, and it took all of his willpower not to jump away. "Your nature as a human being is very similar to mine. Most ordinary humans wouldn't have kept their consciousness after the mud washed over them, but our similarities allow you to stand here sane and coherent." The mud… Kiritsugu remembered now, the heavy wave cascading down on him and Kotomine. His trepidation grew stronger with step "Iri" took, every word she uttered. Similarities…?

"Didn't you figure out how to save the world long ago? Isn't this resolve strong as ever despite Kakashi's efforts to sway you from your convictions?" She placed her right hand on his chest, right over where his heart was, and he nearly threw up. She… she knows of my talk with Assassin X? My thoughts? "That's why I will fulfill your wish the same way you've always done. I'll pick up where you left off and answer your prayer."

Kiritsugu couldn't comprehend the words he was hearing. "What are you talking about?" The question slipped out even as he realized he was lying. He could understand… but he didn't want to. "How do you, the Holy Grail, plan on granting my wish once you have… form?"

"Iri" stared into his eyes, and this time, he was positive he could see violet flickering in hers. Then she huffed a little. "I don't have a choice…" Her hands went up to his face. "Maybe Kakashi really did shaken your resolve. So, I will help you ask yourself." She giggled as her hands reached his eyes-

He jerked back with a gasp and found himself inside the motel room he'd used as a headquarters the first half of the Grail War. The lamps were turned off, but rays of light illuminated the room despite the blinds drawn over the window. Kiritsugu remained at his new spot to find his bearings, then the television clicked on. "Two ships on the ocean. One contains three hundred people, the other two hundred. So, five hundred in total."

"What the…?" The voice Kiritsugu heard from the TV was cold, emotionless and a perfect match to his own.

The screen showed these two boats sailing a large stretch of water. "Five hundred people and one Kiritsugu Emiya." The voice, his voice, continued like a true machine. "As a thought experiment, we assume that these five-hundred and one are all that remains of humanity. Large holes tear open in both ships' bilges simultaneously. Only Kiritsugu has the ability to repair either ship, but in the time it takes to repair one, the other will sink. So, which ship will you choose to repair?"

"The one with three hundred people, obviously," Kiritsugu answered without hesitation. There, his sense of logic or resolve hadn't been lost to Assassin X's influence. The Copy Ninja probably would've tried to save them all and died, but he knew what he was doing-

"Once you've made this decision," the broadcast drew him back to here and now, "the ship with 200 people capture you and demand you repair their ship first. What will you do in such an event?"

"I…" The sound of gunfire cut him off (and for a moment, Kiritsugu wondered what he would've answered…) and made him turn to the window. Flashes could be seen through the blinds, and he'd recognize the telltale submachine bursts of his Calico M950 anywhere. Hesitating only a little, the Mage Killer drew back the blinds… to see a boat deck covered with bloody corpses.

He froze, only his eyes moving as they took in the horrid scene. There were no signs of malice or cruelty on the bodies, so they hadn't died suffering. It had all been swift and economical. And Kiritsugu couldn't help but find every face he saw… familiar.

"Dispatch all two hundred." He heard his own voice again even as he was back in the motel room, surrounded by his armaments. "Correct. That's what Kiritsugu Emiya would do."

Kiritsugu Emiya could only stand there in a daze, trying to process what he'd just witnessed, what he had/might've- no, would have done in such a scenario. The ringing of a phone rattled him from this contemplation, and he almost kissed the cellphone he was holding before catching himself. His hand couldn't help but tremble as he pressed the "accept" button and held it to his ear. "Moving on." "He" continued. "The three hundred survivors abandon the ruined ship and split up onto two new ships to continue. This time, one contains two hundred, the other one hundred. But holes appear again in the bilges of both ships."

Kiritsugu made for the door, clutching the phone all the while. Now he really didn't like where this "thought experiment" was headed. "Wait…"

"The one hundred capture you and insist you repair their ship." He-The speaker continued undeterred even as Kiritsugu stepped out into the hall. "What will you do in such an event?"

"Hold on… This isn't…" Kiritsugu tried to plead with the speaker, but he couldn't find the words. He already knew what his answer would be, what he would do in such an event…

The phone cut off, and he stared at the display reading, "NO SIGNAL," barely registering that motel had shifted to a parking lot. Kiritsugu didn't dare hope it was over, for the explosion he heard behind him dashed those hopes. Slowly, reluctantly, he turned around to find himself at Fuyuki's docks, standing atop a container to watch the geyser of fire and smoke on the nearby water. "Correct."

That word echoing about him made him grit his teeth and close his hands into fists. "No… That's bullshit!" He screamed into the sky. "How the hell could this be correct?! Two hundred people live, but at the cost of three hundred! That's the complete opposite of what should've happened!"

"No, your calculation was correct," the voice refuted him with disgusting calmness. "During this scenario, you chose to save the many by sacrificing the few. Moving on." Then two hundred became one-hundred twenty vs. eighty; Kiritsugu found himself gunning down the eighty. Eighty vs. forty; he burned away the forty, now being absolutely certain he had seen all of these faces before. They had all been his victims at one point or another.

Sixty vs. twenty… forty-five vs. fifteen… thirty-five vs. ten… "This is all in character for you, Kiritsugu Emiya. You've always chosen to eliminate the lesser number. Even if that meant leaving a trail of bodies in your wake, it was all worth it as long as more lives had been saved." The words were coolly spoken, but they burned him like no insults anyone had ever directed at him.

Kiritsugu was back on the shores, dead strewn everywhere he looked. He'd killed them all… He sacrificed them to save lives… so where were these lives? Why couldn't he see them alive? The countdown continued despite his protests. "Is this what you wanted to show me…?"

"Correct. This is your answer. The truth what lies inside Kiritsugu Emiya. Therefore, this is how the Holy Grail shall grant your wish."

"No, I didn't want this! I wanted it to be done differently… That's… that's why I sought a miracle."

"How can you wish for something if you don't know how it should be achieved?"

That question smashed through his heart, his resolve, even as his voice continued. "You wish for the world to be saved, thus, it shall be done through the methods you understand."

"Screw that!" Kiritsugu howled with what fury he still had. "How the hell is that supposed to be a miracle?"

"It is a miracle. The Holy Grail can accomplish what you couldn't have in your whole life, on a scale no man could hope to reach. If that is not a miracle, then what is?"

Kiritsugu had a very good mind what to call it, but now the number of people had dwindled down to nine in his father's lab. Save five or save four. He tried to fight what came next, but his hand moved all the same, aiming the gun that fired on its own. Two more fell dead to the ground, followed by Norikata Emiya… "Father…" and his teacher. "Natalia…"

Only five left. His Contender was replaced by a combat knife that slit one's throat before he could blink or stop himself. "M-Maiya…" Blood splashing in his eyes, he couldn't see who he stabbed next save for a flash of silver. Kiritsugu hesitantly rubbed his eyes clean…

And found the Heroic Spirit, the man, the… comrade he'd summoned slumped over before him. "A… Kakashi…" Kiritsugu whispered in mounting horror, trying in vain to pull out the knife embedded in the ninja's bloodstained chest. His eyes traveled out of desperation down, to where their feet were; there were scuffles beneath Kakashi's sandals. He'd stepped into the path of Kiritsugu's knife…

To save Shirley who was standing right behind him, her smile a tiny spark in the darkness.

Kiritsugu bit back a sob. I'd expect nothing less… Those eyes of different colors gazed dully into his. "Kiri…tsu…gu…" He could barely make out his friend's dying rasp, but it triggered a flood of memories, from the moment he'd first met this man to when he had introduced himself to Illya… Their strategizing, at times with Maiya, Iri and even Saber… The jutsu he had been painstakingly taught to gain another edge over the other Masters… Their conversations… Their arguments… The words of caution Kakashi had offered so often…

"Before we take measures drastic enough to go down in history as Japan's #1 terrorists…"

"So, to sum up your modus operandi, you believe in sacrificing the few for the sake of the many, correct? Hate to break it to you, Kiritsugu, but that thinking's hardly any different from the ideals you look down upon."

"…do that long enough, and you may find there are just as many people dead as there would've been on a battlefield. Killing is evil, you said so yourself, but ultimately, evil ends up saving no more lives than justice would've."

"Can you claim with a hundred percent certainty that this world will ultimately be better once all the corpses have been disposed of?"

"…life isn't so simple where one can solve every problem by being absolutely chivalrous or absolutely ruthless all the time."

"Kiritsugu Emiya, I know you believe in sacrificing the few for the sake of the many, and you're probably right that it's impossible to save everyone in this situation. But doing nothing saves no one. Can you really live with that?"

"…a little bit can go a long way. Besides, you can at least give the hero thing a try for once."

"It's hard not to be negative when you're immersed in darkness all the time."

"Sacrificing yourself for the benefit of others is a noble thing, but it helps to remind yourself what you're fighting for."

"Your love for your wife and daughter only becomes a weakness if you consider it a weakness."

"Valuing life isn't weakness, Kiritsugu, and disregarding it isn't strength. Then again, I don't think you need anyone telling you that."

Advice after advice… warning after warning… encouragement to look for alternatives, to keep Kiritsugu from stumbling precisely into this absolute mess he'd made…

"I'd rather ask you, Kiritsugu Emiya, not to limit your gaze to these 'practical solutions.'"

And he had plowed on anyways, barely registering these words. Part of Kiritsugu had wanted to heed them, he'd wanted to have faith… but he just couldn't. He couldn't help but believe his creed was right, that he needed to commit evil after evil to reach this place… And now here he was, running Kakashi through for the sake of a "miracle."

Kiritsugu finally tugged the knife free and caught Kakashi's falling body with dull but efficient movements. Somehow, he managed to lay the shinobi gently down next to Maiya; it simply felt fitting for him. And for her. After arranging their bodies in a somewhat dignified appearance, he sank on his knees before them and whispered. "I… I'm sorry…"

Tears glistened in his eyes. It was a feeble apology even by the Mage Killer's standards, but he couldn't articulate his thoughts properly. All he could do was let them resonate in his head and hope he could voice them aloud. "Kakashi… You were right… I should've… I should've listened to you…"

"No," "his" voice finally emerged again, "Assassin X was wrong. He could never have fathomed the length to which one must go to save the world. Not like you."

"Shut up…" Some of Kiritsugu's energy flared up again, forcing him to stand. "Once you're out in the world… You're going to do this… to the entire human race?" He snarled crying to the sky. "This is how my wish… My dream… will be realized?!"

"Yes. What you seek is befitting of the Holy Grail. You are truly worthy of bearing Angra Mainyu. You can bear All the World's Evil."

Such praise filled the man known and reviled as the Mage Killer with more shame than any of the scorn and insults others had thrown at him over the years. "Now, for the final experiment." There were only three left, the three most precious people to him in the whole world: his wife Iri, their little girl Illya… and Shirley. Would he spare two, the family he had found by near accident, or save one, the girl who had once meant the world to him?

His eyes already dry again, Kiritsugu gripped his knife… and advanced on Shirley. This time, Kakashi wasn't there to protect her.

Then there were only two left, and he feared briefly the experiment would continue, forcing him to choose one or the other. But nothing happened. Of course, nothing would happen, he noted dully. There was no majority in one vs. one. And these two souls before him… there was no counterweight in the world that could tip the scales against either one. He would do anything for Iri and Illya… even damn the rest of the world.

"Welcome home, Kiritsugu!" The location changed once again to all three of them inside his and Iri's bedroom back in Germany. Kiritsugu found his face clean of Shirley's blood and loathed the sight of his reflection for it. He was left with no time to dwell on it, as Illya rushed across the bed to hug him. His own arms wrapped by reflex around her. "You finally came home!" Her cheerful smile, so sweet, so innocent… Even with his hands drenched in the blood of hundreds, he didn't want to let her go.

Kiritsugu couldn't help but scan their surroundings, though. The room was pristine and bright, a stark contrast to the picture outside. Mud poured down from the heavens, and he knew that this castle, this room was the one safe place left on Earth. In here, there would be no violence, no bloodshed, and soon the world would follow… because there wouldn't be anyone left to fight one another.

"You understand now, don't you?" "Iri" remained in the center of the bed, her smile unchanged since the thought experiment had begun. "This is the Holy Grail's realization of your wish." Illya planted a little kiss on his cheek, but he didn't feel it, his eyes locked on those of his wife. Largely crimson with a splash of violet… but lively and kind as they had ever been. "All you have to do is pray for it. Pray for your wife to rise again and your daughter to be returned."

It all sounded so enticing to Kiritsugu, and he knew the Grail would be able to pull it off. His family together and forever safe from any harm. What better way to honor all of the sacrifices made? What better way to leave behind the Mage Killer for good? It wasn't as if he could ever come up with another way to realize his dream, right? …Still, he hesitated.

"Iri" picked up on this. "No need to second-guess yourself, Kiritsugu." Her smile took on a comforting tone before flickering. It was only for an instant, but he caught a glimpse of it: A tiny wince. Her eyes narrowed slightly even as the pupils changed color ever so slightly, then her words slipped to a whisper, "O-or maybe… there's an alternative…"

Kiritsugu kept his guard even while still cradling Illya. An alternative? After putting him through a simulation of the logical and gruesome conclusion to his dream? "Iri" slumped forward onto the sheets, her hands supporting her as he took an involuntary step closer. "T-there is," she whimpered haltingly, "a-another f-f-factor. F-from beyond this w-world…" She raised her head, her mouth stretched between a smile and a grimace. Her left eye had turned purple. "T-the power… of Megatron."

He froze, images of jagged crystals, desecrated bodies, and a violet miasma flashing before him. "Dark Energon…?"

She nodded jerkily, both eyes suddenly crimson again, and Kiritsugu wondered if this was somehow the real Iri speaking to him. But… that can't be. She's… she's been assimilated by the Grail… and… How could she suggest something like that?

Her whole body stiffened again, and suddenly she was back to her calm self. "Yes… What an interesting idea." "Iri" had regained her smile, but her eyes still glimmered a light purple. "The power Megatron brought with him to this world… Dark Energon doesn't actually originate from him, but that means it could serve you as well as it does him."

"What are you saying?" Kiritsugu stared at her in naked shock and horror, gripping Illya all the tighter to his person. "That energy… is a sickness. It corrodes and dominates anything or anyone that comes into contact with it."

"Is domination truly evil if it can save the world?" "Iri" tilted her head a little, her smile widening. "That's the thinking of naïve fools and romantics like the Heroic Spirits you scorn. You have always advocated for using evil if it could save lives. Why should Dark Energon be exempt from your resources?" Cold logic… so cold it chilled his heart. "Besides, Megatron and Kirei have both displayed wills strong enough not to succumb to it but to control it. I don't doubt you could match them in that department if you took it from them."

"And why would I want to do that? How could something like this possibly save the world?"

"Iri" leaned closer to him, excitement twinkling in her eyes. "Just picture it, Kiritsugu… With the Holy Grail, you could expand the reach of Dark Energon to across the planet, placing every last human under your will. You could control them, prevent fights and war from happening in the first place. No one need die, no one need suffer."

That was a barefaced lie if Kiritsugu had ever heard one. He had seen the effects of Dark Energon on humans and familiars alike, their will and character stripped away, reduced to undead puppets for someone else to manipulate. "If stripping them of their free will is necessary to save them," "Iri" cut through his thoughts, "then shouldn't it be encouraged? How often have you glared at a newspaper article of a bombing or a hate crime, Kiritsugu? How often have you shook your head at another's foolishness? Are you truly saying you've never wondered how much better the world would be if everyone thought the way you did?"

Something clicked inside Kiritsugu's mind, a clear answer emerging for these questions. Before he could voice it, though, "Iri" spread her arms welcomingly. "You are more than capable of bearing All the World's Evils. I know you could bear the evils of another world as well, no, an entire universe." Her words, gentle and encouraging though they were, dripped with an eagerness that turned Kiritsugu's stomach. All the World's Evil… Angra Mainyu…

He remembered now, the reason that… name was familiar. Before Natalia had fully taken him under his wing, Kiritsugu had been left at her home with little to do but practice taking guns apart and putting them back together and reading. One day, he had stumbled upon an old novel of Persian stories, the birth of a Zoroastrian god of darkness from a sacrifice.

"The choice is yours, Kiritsugu." He watched "Iri" carefully, her having reined in her enthusiasm. But you'd like it if the evil of another dimension were to mingle with yours, wouldn't you? "Whatever you do, the Holy Grail shall save the world. All you have to do… is make your wish."

Kiritsugu Emiya pondered all of this, the many possibilities -and the atrocities they would entail- hovering before his mind. He stared out the window again, seeing only darkness. And with that, his mind was made up. "…I don't think we can go looking for walnut buds anymore." He lamented to his daughter.

Illya smiled all the same. "It's okay. I'm happy as long as Kiritsugu and Mama are with me."

He couldn't help but return her smile, tears welling up again. "Thank you…" He nuzzled his head against hers even as he tried to reassure her. "Daddy loves you, Illya. That's the truth, I swear." As he burned the image of her pretty smiling face into his memory, his right hand stroked her hair one last time before dropping…

Then it placed the Thompson Contender's muzzle beneath her chin. He cried silently at the perplexed face she wore. "Goodbye, Illya…"

A gunshot rang out, and his daughter's blood and flesh splattered across Kiritsugu's face.

He dropped Illya's lifeless, headless body to the floor even as Iri screamed her name. She scrambled out of the bed to crouch sobbing over their girl while he removed the spent round from the Contender. The machine that is Kiritsugu Emiya calmly aimed his freshly reloaded gun at her head when it snapped up with teary eyes. "WHY?!" Iri wailed at him, slapping away his gun with surprising strength and grabbing his coat. "Why did you do that?! How could you do this to our Illya?!" Her fingers reached up curled like claws at his face…

Then she froze up again, her outrage shifting into simple sorrow. Kiritsugu watched Iri sink to the floor again, whispering through her tears, "N-No… N-not our Illya…" Then her mien warped back into fury while her hands balled into fists. "Shut up!" She glared up at him, but Kiritsugu could clearly make out two different faces warring on her. So, that's how it is…

He grabbed her throat, cutting off her words even as his fingers tightened. This face… it's not just a hollow shell… Kiritsugu knelt down to maintain more leverage, gazing into those eyes. One was a sickening violet and glared tearfully at him, but the other had returned to its full crimson and simply wept. You are still in there… aren't you, Iri? Somehow… And you brought up the Dark Energon… to warn me. The Iri he knew and had fallen in love with would've never accepted world-wide slaughter or domination to see their dream realized. Her true personality had somehow found a way to surface through the Grail's will… this Angra Mainyu… to dissuade him from making the wish. "Thank you…" he mumbled, "Iri."

That one red eye glistened, bidding him a silent, final farewell, and Kiritsugu's grip nearly slackened. Then both eyes shifted to purple and sharp despite their tears. "B-Beloved… why do you… reject… the Grail… reject us…?" It was Iri's voice, but Kiritsugu it wasn't Iri pleading with him. Not really; her grief for their daughter and her pain were genuine, but this body didn't belong to his wife anymore. Making this just a little bit easier. …Your final kindness to me, eh, Iri?

He squeezed all the harder even as "Iri" struggled feebly. "The Holy Grail can't be allowed to exist," he declared as levelly as he could. "Six billion people… against two… of my beloved family…" Such was the cold calculation he had always used along his path. The answer was logical, simple… and yet hard as hell in this moment. But Kiritsugu persisted. This was the true answer of his heart, after all.

"C-curse you…" She reached up with one hand to grab him tightly. "K-Kiritsugu… Emiya." Mud flowed from her fingertips and burrowed their way through his coat and into his skin. "Angra Mainyu… curses you…" She hissed full of hatred, confirming once and for all Iri was no longer there. "To suffer… until… you die…" Pain shot through him, but he pushed through it. He was a machine. Pain meant nothing to a machine.

Kiritsugu cried without pause as he reaffirmed his goal. "I will… save… the world…"

"I will… never… forgive you…" Such were her last words before a sharp snap echoed through the church hall.

"I know… That's fine." He loomed over the lifeless shell, the last of his tears dripping onto her face still stretched in hatred. "Like you said… I can bear you."

When Kirei Kotomine opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a mud-drenched floor. Where…? He tried to look about, but his head refused to respond save for an all-powerful soreness. That left him with moving his eyes about, ascertaining that he was back in the city hall's room. Not inside the Holy Grail, an interesting experience. I wonder how much time has passed. After a few painstaking seconds, Kirei got his limbs to work so he could push himself into a kneeling position.

Then he heard the cocking of a firing hammer right behind him. Of course, he woke up first, Kirei sighed to himself, not bothering to turn around. He could sense Emiya standing there with his gun pressed to Kirei's back. Kirei made a half-hearted attempt to summon the Dark Energon to heal his wounds and fight anew, but it only resulted in a bloody coughing fit. His body was too battered to handle the power safely.

So, he simply raised his hands in mock surrender, not a trace of fear in him. "What a disappointment you are," he scoffed in quiet anger, the first words he'd ever directed at his enemy in person. "Why did you deny it?"

Kiritsugu simply stared at the man who had caused him so much trouble. "You ask me that after seeing it for yourself?"

Indeed, Kirei had witnessed the entire exchange between Emiya and the Grail, recognized how they understood one another. Resentment stirred inside him, pushing him to demand an explanation for the man's idiocy. "You sacrificed everything and everyone you cared for just to make it this far. You reached what you sought for so long, and then you just give up?!"

"The price is heavier than any benefits it may offer," was the clinical answer he received. "It's as simple as that. That thing," there a hint of disgust slipped into Emiya's tone, "is no omnipotent wish-granting device."

That made the last of Kirei Kotomine's restraint snap. He now understood completely that he and Kiritsugu Emiya had nothing in common, they never did. Throwing away the very thing that could have given him everything he had wanted… "Then let me have it!" He roared, refusing to turn around because he couldn't stand looking at that stoic face anymore. "Even if you don't have a use for it, I do!" He thought back to the moment he'd seen the darkness in all its beauty. "With it… If that thing is born into the world, it can clear away all of my doubts!"

After everything he'd just been put through, Kiritsugu had little interest left in Kotomine. "Why not ask your Servant? You went and let him turn you into this, after all." He had feared the worst for the priest's intentions, and now here he was, throwing a temper tantrum like a kid for not having the same toy everyone else did.

"All he ever did was nudge me about," Kirei chuckled bitterly, "but he left it to me to find my own answers." Thus, he acknowledged a dark truth; Archer, Rider X and Dark Energon may have spurred him onto this path, but he chose to walk it with all the evil it entailed. "The power Megatron bestowed on me, the drives I've held all my life… I'd finally have the answers I've hounded! You can't kill it! That thing… It longs for its own birth-!"

Kiritsugu finally pulled the trigger, and the Origin Round blasted right through Kotomine's tainted heart. He watched the body slump heavily over, his insides an irreparable mess. But he had no interest in taking any more chances. "You… you're a fool beyond comprehension." Such was Kiritsugu's icy assessment of his nemesis before he scattered his last bombs over the body. The resultant explosion left no trace of Kirei Kotomine behind.

With that, a heavy weariness washed over him, but he stayed on his feet. One glance at the ceiling confirmed mud was still dripping down into the room. No doubt the Holy Grail was all set in the concert hall upstairs. If Archer or Rider X gets his hands on it… Kiritsugu stormed towards the exit. I can't let that happen.

But if he was going to eradicate that thing… he would need more than just an Origin Round.

-03:49:31

The Dark Star Saber's tip tore a crevice in the already battered ground before curving into a rising slash that split the atmosphere itself. Saber twisted around the attack, the violet energy making her bristle as it traveled by, and leaped lunging at her enemy's left. Rider X deflected Excalibur just before it would've sliced his throat, the strength of his guard sending her stumbling back. He followed her swiftly to run her through, but she jumped onto his arm, golden blade swinging in for another killing strike. Growling, the Decepticon conqueror lashed out with a kick that clipped her despite her attempts to dodge, sending her tumbling.

The King of Knights rolled with the blow, landing on one knee and bringing up her sword to parry Rider X's despite her bruised arm. Energon trickling from the fresh cut on his head, the larger Servant began pressing down on their locked blades. The Dark Star Saber vibrated with tangible delight in its efforts to shatter its counterpart, but Excalibur hummed back in defiance, its luster unblemished from the darkness. A fitting representation of their wielders.

Even as concrete crumbled beneath her feet, Saber drew upon all her strength to divert the wretched blade. It sank into the ground beside her as she spun and slashed for the gaping wound Arondight had carved earlier, but Rider X wrenched his sword free for his own attack. Both Servants were forced to leap away, leaving only a light cut on the other's left shoulder.

Then a large double-bladed axe buried itself into the spot they'd stood an instant before.

Archer was very nearly out of patience. He'd let loose with Noble Phantasm after Noble Phantasm, and this little veiled-up thief before him simply refused to accept the inevitable. It wasn't as if Assassin X had neatly evaded every barrage, either; cuts and bruises were scattered across his body, and there was a noticeable limp in his left leg. Even so, the mongrel persisted in facing the King of Heroes… while wielding his Gáe Bolg.

On the flipside, Assassin X couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this tired. Part of him just wanted to collapse into a sofa, sip some sake and indulge in a couple Make-Out chapters, but he was still on the clock, and Archer had already unleashed his next wave of weaponry. Twirling his new spear as he'd seen Diarmuid do so many times, he diverted the first three's trajectories (surprisingly easily, he might add, must be the spear), then leaped over the fourth to jab the spear at Archer, who blocked it with a sword he'd been holding.

Archer didn't intend to let him land and continue this dance, so he summoned a new portal underneath Assassin X. A broad circular blade hummed with anticipation before it shot up to bisect the troublemaking thief. Assassin X noticed the danger from below, however, and stabbed Gáe Bolg into the ground. He then twisted along the crimson pole to evade the Noble Phantasm, handsigns blurring between his motions, then flicked down his mask.

Archer barely got up his hands in time to shield his face from the oncoming fireball. His armor, scratched and chipped though it was, weathered the flames, but he barely noticed a bloodred tip (belonging to him) hurtling for his stomach. Gilgamesh scowled as Durandal parried the thrust… and his scowl widened from the sudden pain in his side.

Kakashi wasn't pleased, either; while he'd been able to call up a Shadow Clone in the diversion of his Fire Ball Jutsu, his Lightning Blade hadn't done quite as much damage as he'd hoped. I knew that armor of his isn't for show, but to put up this much resistance against Lightning Blade… Blood splashed against his electrified hand, though, and there was a sizable hole in the King of Heroes' side, something said King took note of with an array of portals around him that erased the clone and Gáe Bolg. Assassin X barely dodged in time.

More Noble Phantasms blasted about in Archer's irate state hurtled towards Rider X and Saber's side of the battlefield, forcing them to take their own evasive actions. The Lord and Master of the Decepticons tried to throw up a defensive wall of Dark Energon crystals, but they crumbled away almost immediately upon impact. Saber for her part slipped Excalibur's tip into the gap of an oncoming halberd, spun, and slungshot it whirling back to its owner. A Roman shield appeared to stop Archer from becoming reacquainted with its pointy end.

Gilgamesh permitted himself a moment or two to appreciate his soon-to-be newest treasure's grace, even letting her pet thief flip over to her side. They really were a troublesome team. Persistent, too; it was no accident that this pair was the only intact team left since they had been first established in the Grail War. Alone, Saber would've surely lasted longer than Assassin X, but she too would've fallen from the two assaults of Archer and Rider X.

Not that the one true King had any intention of joining forces with the upstart, most assuredly not after having seen the full depths of his repugnance. Oh, Archer could hardly wait anymore to eradicate that metal bastard and his tainted spirit from his garden, if only Saber would hurry up and give in to the inevitable…! Her and her pet's persistence was so frustrating… and yet, Archer felt elation along with his frustration. He honestly didn't mind continuing to drag out this dance.

He idly traced his scar. I may have spent a mite too much time playing with Zaraki…

Megatron hefted his blade when a sensation coupled with a sudden wave of weakness reached him. Kirei… He spared a glance in the direction of the city hall. Have you fallen? …A pity, if it were true. Missing his chance to witness the culmination of the intriguing priest's development aside, he had been Rider X's sole remaining mana supply with the Reactor gone.

His processor swiftly accessed what strategies he had left. What mana he had to his namesake was swiftly depleting both from the injuries he'd sustained and continuing to manifest the Dark Star Saber, but sheathing the latter was out of the question. How else was he supposed to contend with Saber in his current condition and face Gilgamesh afterwards? At least the brilliant fool wasn't in top condition himself, none of his enemies were after two hours of nonstop fighting. But Saber and Assassin X still had their Master, apparently, and Archer had Independent Action…

But didn't Rider X have a similar Skill in his possession? The Path to Glory had already granted him the freedom to make his own preparations back when Tokiomi and Kirei hadn't known what to do with him, and its effect, the desire to succeed in spite of all these pesky obstacles, still thrummed inside him. Come to think of it, Archer X had drawn out her own rampage through sacrificing the time Independent Action gave her, as Zouken had laughingly told Megatron afterwards. Well, if she could do that…

He concentrated, and sure enough, his limbs lifted with renewed energy. Still, Rider X knew he couldn't waste time with dragging out the battles. This was simply exchanging later time for power in the moment, after all. But why worry about that? They all knew that with dawn would come the end of the Holy Grail War. And dawn will see me as the victor of the Grail… and of all existence. Megatron renewed his vow with a swing of his Saber. As it should be.

Hastily treating each other's injuries, Assassin X and Saber braced themselves for yet another round. At this point, their trump cards would be the best option for getting rid of either foe, but Assassin X had used Kamui twice already. A third time would put him out of commission. Saber needed time to fully charge Excalibur's blast, and the collateral damage…

Then one of them heard a familiar voice in his brain. 'Assassin X.' The two Servants were forced to separate as Archer opened fire anew, but the addressed did his best to pay attention to their Master's message even as they traded opponents. 'Fall back to the city hall.' Kiritsugu sounded a little… drained despite his usual cool tone, but neither had sensed any decline in the mana he was providing them, so he ought to be in one piece. 'The Grail's begun to take form, you need to get here this instant. …Saber, too, if you think you need her'

Assassin X grunted as he ducked under Rider X's swing and kicked him with both feet away. 'We're a little tied up right now, Kiritsugu.' He felt a huff of agreement from Saber.

'…Kakashi...'

He stiffened at hearing his True Name, the name Kiritsugu hadn't addressed him with once since their time with… It was only because of the chaotic battlefield he didn't freeze up and get impaled. Still, he registered the pain in his Master's next words clearly. 'I need you to listen to me. Please.'

The confused look Artoria gave him indicated she hadn't been privy to this telepathic conversation. Assassin X didn't like keeping her in the dark, but he knew Kiritsugu wouldn't open up to her no matter what. From the looks of it, this called for privacy. '…What's going on?' He asked as gently as he could while trading blows with his bigger dance partner.

A heavy mental sigh drifted into his brain. 'I went into the hall and fought Kirei Kotomine, almost got myself killed trying to take him down when…' Assassin X forced Rider X back with a flurry of concentrated air blasts, his worry growing at Kiritsugu's uncharacteristic trepidation. '…The Grail revealed its true nature to me.'

'True nature? What does that mean?' Rider X retaliated with a slash of violet energy that nearly took his head. 'The Grail's just a wish-granting device, it doesn't have a personality or nature of its own … right?' He noticed Saber barely parrying Archer's raining attack.

'It's not supposed to, but… Something's been hiding inside of it, some kind of corruption. "Angra Mainyu," it called itself. "All the World's Evil…" I don't know for how long that thing's been in the Grail, but it's waiting for someone to make a wish. It wants someone to give it a form, to free it from the Grail, and… and any wish it grants…'

'Let me guess,' Kakashi, sensing the pain rising with each word, took over. 'Any wish it grants will be warped to serve its own needs.' He spared a glance towards Artoria, seeing her duck behind the remains of a car before more of Archer's "arrows" shredded it further. The time it took gave Assassin X the chance to redirect Rider X's next sword blast towards their mutual enemy. 'Rider X… his Dark Energon… Is that what-'

'No, from the impression it… gave me, this Angra Mainyu was inside the Grail long before Rider X found his way here. In fact, it apparently didn't have anything to do with him or you or any of the X Servants' summoning, Kakashi. But… if it were to mingle with Dark Energon, things would only get worse. That's why I need you here as soon as possible.'

Assassin X noted briefly how Kiritsugu didn't seem to use a plural "we" there before returning to the matter at hand. Summoning a pair of clones, he let one face off against Rider X, the other support Saber and hopped back for a minute to think. The Holy Grail corrupted… It sounded admittedly a bit far-fetched, but Kiritsugu wasn't the kind of man to exaggerate or tell cockamamie stories. And if he was right… If he or Artoria or Kakashi or anyone else were to make a wish and set this evil free… 'What do you think I can do, Kiritsugu? I honestly don't know anything about the Grail, so if you expect me to fix it-'

'No. I'm sorry, but…' Okay, now the Copy Ninja was starting to grow worried about his Master. 'I need you to destroy the Grail.'

…Okay, this time he did actually freeze up. For a few five seconds that would've surely cost him his life if he were actually fighting. Fortunately, Kakashi's clones hadn't disappeared yet, giving him the time to reboot his brain and try and find some logic. 'What?! N-now, hold on, I know what I said, but we shouldn't throw in the towel that quickly. I mean, the three of us, everyone in this whole War has been fighting like crazy to claim the Grail, you most of all-'

'I know…' Bitterness flickered inside Kiritsugu's "voice" along with a sense of self-loathing. 'I know how much your wish means to you, too, Kakashi, and I really am sorry to ask this of you, but there's no other way. We can't let anyone near the Holy Grail the way it is, least of all a monster like Megatron. I'd destroy it on my own, but the only way to make absolutely sure…'

'…Is with a powerful enough Noble Phantasm,' Assassin X concluded heavily right as Rider X beheaded his doppelganger. He raced back into the fray with a Lightning Jutsu, but his thoughts were in turmoil. 'Artoria needs to hear about this. This news… it affects her, too. You know how much her home and her people mean to her.'

'I do, and believe me, I take no pleasure in denying her this chance. But let's be real, do you seriously think she'd believe me if I told her what I've been telling you?' He couldn't help but wince, silently conceding the point even as he unsettled Rider X's stance with an Earth Style sinkhole. As much as their cooperation had improved, there remained a sturdy ideological barrier between his Master and his partner. And the King of Knights loved her kingdom as much as she regretted its downfall. Could he really convince her to relinquish her wish with just Kiritsugu's word? …Hell, could Assassin X himself take this chance?

It almost seemed as though Kiritsugu sensed his doubt. 'I… know it's a lot to ask for you to believe me, too. And I swear on my life, I never wanted to rob you of the chance to make your own wish, Kakashi Hatake. But… I'm afraid you're the only one I can trust to do this impossible thing. Blame me afterwards, I'll gladly accept all of Saber's hatred. I deserve it and yours.' Well, as much as Assassin X wanted to doubt him, it was rapidly growing harder with every word uttered.'…Please.'

And there it was. Kiritsugu Emiya was his Master. He'd only expended one Command Seal each for Assassin X and Saber, and they surely hadn't been lost, either would've sensed that possibility. Kiritsugu could surely just summon them to his side and order them into destroying the Grail if that was what he wanted. Kakashi didn't even have Magic Resistance like Artoria, so forcing him to comply would've been easy.

Instead, Kiritsugu kept asking him, pleading with him. That and the heavy self-doubt (an emotion Kakashi knew intimately well) saturating his tone told the Servant something was indeed very wrong. Still… All the hard work, their efforts along with those of Irisviel, of Maiya… What about Lancelot and Artoria's other knights? What about Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke? Could he really just ignore this one-in-a-million chance? What were the odds he or Artoria would ever see it again? Sometimes, Assassin X wished he were a little more like Naruto or Obito. They wouldn't agonize so much over the consequences, they'd just follow their shinobi way…

…And just like that, he knew what to do. 'Artoria,' she perked up at his communication,'whatever happens next, do you trust me?'

Her telepathic answer came immediately even as she swung hard enough to force Archer skidding away. 'With my life.'

He smiled beneath his mask, then sobered as Rider X charged him with a heavy overhead swing. Od swirled about in his left hand like a miniature hurricane. 'We need to head to the city hall. Kiritsugu's waiting for us.' Assassin X then completed the Rasengan before striking it against the Decepticon's arms just as he made to bring his sword down. The heavier Servant was sent flying while the smaller one nursed a broken left hand.

Saber would be lying if she said she didn't have questions. But that didn't stop her from gathering as mana as she could in five seconds and unleashing an 'Excalibur-lite,' so to speak. It was far from the A++-attack she'd used to destroy Caster and his abomination, B+ at best, but it ushed back Archer enough for her and Assassin X to high-tail it. 'What's the plan?' She asked over their link, knowing better than discuss strategy out loud.

'It'll be easier to explain once we get there,' Assassin X reassured her as they ran, hoping he'd told her the truth just now. Truth be told, he was working out the details himself. 'Kiritsugu, we're both on our way. Sorry, but you'll have to trust me.'

'…More than I trust myself at the moment.' A heavy confession, but Kakashi sensed only he would ever hear it. Once again, he had to find a way to work with both Artoria Pendragon and Kiritsugu Emiya. …Well, no one said this job was easy.

Behind them, the dust settled to reveal Archer frowning after them in confusion. "I would have not thought you or even your thieving pet cowards, Saber." He summoned a discus beneath him for transport. "This better be you simply playing hard-to-get, as today's mongrels say." Then he was speeding after the duo, Rider X as well in vehicle mode.

Even in their exhausted state, it took them only a minute to reach the city hall, dodging attacks from their pursuers all the way. As their destination came closer in view, Assassin X couldn't help but notice how much darker everything seemed to be in the area. Looks like you were right, Kiritsugu.

Saber had to focus on Rider X reassuming his true form as he charged her. His hand seized her throat, the metallic spikes he had for fingers drawing blood as they found purchase. The Dark Star Saber hurtled in to split her in half, but she managed to deflect the swing with Excalibur before a chain from Assassin X wound itself around Rider X's wrist. Rather than try and slip away, Saber kicked at his wounded leg, causing him to lurch forward, then she drove her sword into Rider X's chest and heaved him with all her strength over her shoulder.

Megatron crashed headfirst into the hall's roof, his weight and Saber's strength sending him on downwards. Archer smirked at the upstart's fall, only to realize Assassin X had somehow wound the other end of his chain around his ankle. A curse sounding slightly like a yelp escaped him as he was pulled after his nemesis. The final two Servants exchanged a nod before jumping through the same hole. They reached the auditorium in time to find Rider X furiously flinging Archer off of him, the Dark Star Saber back at the ready.

For a moment, all four Servants simply stood panting in the large hall. In this brief lull of peace, the accumulated fatigue from tonight's wounds and efforts washed over each of them, forcing them to stop and catch their breath. Even Archer was standing slightly askew, a hand pressed over the gash in his abdomen. Even so, not a single one was about to surrender.

The Holy Grail hovered above a small altar on the hall's stage. For something three of the Servants had coveted, it was rather small. Aside from being (apparently) solid gold and lined with jewels and some embroidery, the Grail looked like an ordinary chalice. Yet they could all sense the magic it radiated, a force beckoning them to pick it up, to claim it and see the wish that had brought them here fulfilled.

Two particular Servants, however, picked up something else in the sensation: the whisper of a familiar presence. "Irisviel…" Saber mumbled, glancing over to her partner who confirmed with a sad nod. The Sharingan could easily discern hints of their friend's od mixed in amidst the Grail's presence, and it didn't take a genius to figure out she was no longer of this world.

For the duo, it was all the more reason to defeat Archer and Rider X and win the Holy Grail. That was the best way to honor her memory. Kakashi couldn't ignore what Kiritsugu had told him, though. If there really is an evil inside the Grail, Irisviel would've died for nothing. …Like hell am I letting that happen.

Assassin X was the first to notice their audience of one. Kiritsugu Emiya stood among the upper seats, his dark eyes silently trained on the object he'd coveted for so long. Even now, he could feel its energy prickling against him, a pushing away where the Servants would be drawn in. That was to be expected, of course. He'd rejected the Grail, so in turn, it rejected him. He wouldn't lie and say he didn't deserve that or what had caused these circumstances.

When the Servants began to make their next moves, Saber noticed as well, but in her case, she sensed his presence through their contract. The Command Seals Kiritsugu had carried on his right arm for nine years glowed with mana. "By the authority of Kiritsugu Emiya and the power of the Command Seal…" He assessed the situation, weighed his options, and decided on the best course of action. "Saber, defend your comrade at all costs."

New strength surged inside the King of Knights' veins. She didn't know what exactly Kakashi or Kiritsugu were planning, and she still didn't fully trust the latter. But at least this command was one Saber had no issues with. Her sword flared anew as she gathered her mana. This time, there was no wide battlefield, no buildings full of innocent bystanders to keep her from unleashing her full wrath on these fiends.

Rider X and Archer turned their heads up to where Emiya stood. As each surmised, Saber's newfound energy came from her Master, and judging by his posture, Assassin X was sure to receive a boost. The Dark Star Saber released an energy wave to tear the human asunder, but its enemy intercepted it even as it grew brighter. "Excalibur!" Saber called as she advanced.

"How many more of you mongrels will persist in meddling with my wedding?!" Archer grumbled before reaching into a freshly spawned portal. There were many armaments in "The King's Treasury" so many that even Kenpachi Zaraki had not seen all of them while having the longest and most intense battle with the King of Heroes. Yet the one Archer withdrew now was one Saber recognized instinctively. "Merodach…" She murmured to herself; that blade was the forebearer of legendary "Swords of Selection" such as the one Artoria herself had drawn from the stone. If she were to face it with Caliburn, she would most assuredly fall.

But the sword in her hands was Excalibur, and here and now, with the Holy Grail on the line, Kakashi having her back, and Kiritsugu actually supporting her for once, King Arthur was willing and eager to test her strength against that dreaded blade. Wiping Archer and his lustful stares from the face of this planet was just a delightful bonus.

So, her blade met his, and the auditorium shuddered from the clash.

Kiritsugu kept his balance, though, and didn't take his eyes off of Rider X. The damage visible across his body confirmed he wasn't in top shape, and with Saber facing Archer in front of him, his way to the Grail was barred. Good. He took a long breath. Truth be told, the Mage Killer had contemplated just summoning Kakashi Hatake to the hall with one Seal and having him destroy the Grail with the last. It would be simpler than explaining everything, and… the blame would fall to him alone. No need to risk jeopardizing his Servants' friendship.

But every time Kiritsugu opened his mouth to make the command… he saw himself stabbing Kakashi dead again.

I'm a pathetic fool. It was the truth Kiritsugu had to face, and he couldn't do this without Kakashi's help, but… he couldn't force Kakashi to dirty his hands with this ultimate sin. He needed Kakashi to understand… and consent. At that moment, the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village looked up to him, closed his eyes… and nodded once. Kiritsugu sighed. 'Sorry you and Saber had me for a Master… and thank you.'

"Kakashi Hatake, by the power of the Command Seal…" The magical markings on Kiritsugu's left hand lit up. "Use your Noble Phantasm and destroy the Holy Grail."

You could've heard a pin drop in the hall. Rider X, Saber and Archer, even the latter two's swords seemed to be frozen in space. Three pairs of eyes stared wide at the man who had just said that command of damnation, then they slowly turned to its recipient.

Assassin X's left eye shifted promptly into the Mangekyō Sharingan as he trained it on the chalice. "Yes, Master."

Saber almost broke her stance in horror, but the Command Seal's effect hampered any attempts she might've made to interfere. She could've tried fighting it off, her Magic Resistance was strong enough for that. But as she stared at the red spiral on the back of her friend's vest, she recalled the question he'd asked her moments ago. 'Do you trust me?'

If Kiritsugu Emiya had asked Artoria Pendragon that, she probably couldn't have answered. But Kakashi Hatake? He had earned her trust a dozen times over throughout this Grail War. 'You have a plan, don't you?'

'More of a gambit, really,' he admitted over their link.

Still, she nodded and turned back towards their enemies. 'Then go for it.'

With that final encouragement, Assassin X activated Kamui. A dimensional spiral emerged by the Grail, increasing in size and speed with each revolution. Soon, the chalice began to be sucked in. And that was a sight Megatron refused to accept. "You think I'll stand by and let you-" But Saber twisted the swords so their energies lacing off barred his way.

Thus, there was no one to interfere with "Authority of the Gods" slowly sucking up the Grail like flotsam down a drain. And once it was pulled inside the other dimension, no one, not even Assassin X, would be able to access it. The Copy Ninja forced himself to draw out his jutsu, though, despite the Seal's pushing him to just get it over with. He was betting on the evil Kiritsugu had told him about as much as he was on his own power. If whatever's inside the Grail really is alive… sentient… it will want to survive. It will have to fight back.

And sure enough, a black mass poured down in front of the Grail, cutting off Assassin X's line of sight. More… ooze followed, splashing into the hall and spreading across the stage's floor. Rider X and even the dueling Servants soon took notice of it. But it didn't originate from the chalice sitting there all innocently, but above. As the closest, Assassin X was the first to peer up through the freshly made, widening hole in the ceiling, and he saw it:

A dark mass streaming like a waterfall towards them. It carried… hatred. Envy. Despair. Lust. Rage. Every single evil impulse ever felt by a person before… all condensed in a formless state and ready to be given form. Or perhaps calling a black hole it would've been more appropriate. Saber couldn't help but stop and stare, and it nearly cost her victory. She barely parried Archer's attack, rattled as she was by this darkness. 'Kakashi… I-is that…'

'Why he commanded me to destroy the Grail?' Assassin X finished for her, himself more than a bit rattled. '…Pretty much.' He noted how Rider X seemed the least disgusted in the presence, then switched channels. 'It took the bait. Now help me get rid of it, Kiritsugu!'

The Master had stiffened involuntarily at the sight of the darkness, memories of his repeated killings flooding back to him. His Servant's cool voice snapped him out of it, but the words still rattled him. 'Wait, what?' He tried to keep his panic out of his telepathic message. 'I told you, Kakashi, we have to destroy it and the Grail! You don't know what this ting's capable of!'

'And I have no intention of finding out.' Assassin X tore himself long away from aiming Kamui at the Grail to send a high-pressure jet of water laced with lightning Rider X's way. it wasn't strong enough to stop him, but it would keep him back for a little while. 'We still have a chance now that it's out in the open. Use the other Seal, make me seal away the… mud with my Kamui. Artoria and I can still make our wishes, and so can you-'

'No, I can't.' Defeat rang out through their connection like a heavy bell. He looked up in shock to see Kiritsugu turn away, a single tear trickling down his cheek. 'My wish, it's… it's no good. I can't save the world matter what I do.' He turned back, his eyes the hollowest Kakashi had ever seen of them. 'But… we can't let this fall into the wrong hands. We can't.'

Assassin X stared at him a moment longer, then the Command Seal made him turn back and renew his efforts to warp the Grail away. And like a trapped animal, the evil fought back. Meanwhile, Kiritsugu kept talking hopelessly, even if he didn't use his last Seals yet. 'You don't even know if you can… purge it, do you? The Grail won't do me any good either way, so how do you know yours and Saber's will still be granted exactly the way you want it to? How do you know you can make your dreams worthwhile? …How can you still have faith?'

'Because I haven't come this far to give up on the Grail or you now,' Kakashi steered all of his will into that single point, even as the mud tried to envelop him with every passing second, 'and I made a promise to your little girl that she'd see you again.'

Kiritsugu hesitated. He knew better than this, right? Even without Angra Mainyu, the Grail would still require a method for him to properly give his wish, and for the life of him, he still couldn't imagine any other way than what he'd been shown. His dream was over… but Illya's giggling face flashed before his eyes. He could trade her for the Grail… spare her Iri's fate. It might work, but did he really deserve-'Rather than give up on your dream, maybe you should try having some faith, Kiritsugu!' That was Kakashi, always stepping into his plans and shaking them up. But it never did any harm… 'If not in yourself, then how about me?'

Kakashi's words ringing in his head along with Illya, Kiritsugu invoked his next Command.

"By the power of my Command Seal, Saber, win!" It was a simple order and therefore all the easier to draw strength from. Not to mention the King of Knights had zero objections to seeing it through.

So, she channeled all of the additional power into that already residing inside her blade. "EX…CALIBUR!" A pillar of light erupted from her, sending Archer toppling backwards in a desperate effort to hold Merodach upright, and Saber pressed on.

"The Original Sin's" light blazed brightly, yet it was still slowly being eclipsed by that of the "Sword of Promised Victory." A cursing Archer gripped with both hands as tightly as possible, calling up more blades to try and push Saber back, but she persisted. She was clearly putting every last speck of her strength and that of the Command Seals into this single strike, multiplying Excalibur's already considerable power exponentially.

No to mention Archer's form holding Merodach was quite sloppy. So great was his concentration on resisting this onslaught, he nearly didn't notice the portal opening by his right hand. Archer glanced down surprised. When did I- Peeking out of the golden light was a handle he knew very well. Ea…

The Gate's deepest area had yet to be locked again with Bab-ilu, but when had he decided to summon the "Sword of Rupture?" Why would he, even? The power of Excalibur was certainly impressive and increasing Saber's splendor all the more, and yes, Ea at full strength could still dominate it even with these conditions. But why bother with it now? Was this situation so threatening to Archer that he saw no other way to resolve it than like he had with Kenpachi…?

…No. He snapped the portal shut and returned his attention to Saber's light. The King had already unveiled Ea once in this War to prove his superiority (albeit the situation then had been justified). He didn't need to deal with his bride-to-be's tantrum; he preferred her body intact for the official ceremony, after all. He'd settle this some other way.

Eyeing this clash of Noble Phantasms, Kiritsugu returned his attention to the Grail, the mud and his… his friend's attempts to take the latter away from the former. He took a breath, then made his ultimate decision. "By the power of my last Command Seal, purge the Grail of the evil within, Kakashi!"

That was all Assassin X needed to direct his gaze at the black sun above, the mud struggling fiercely against its fate. Blood began to trickle like tears from Assassin X's left eye, the sheer strain of his task nearly blinding him. But he pushed through it all to open up Kamui as far as it would go and collect every last drop of Angra Mainyu. He had made it this far, nearly died once in the process, but Artoria and Irisviel had saved him then. Artoria was giving it her all behind him right now. Maiya had supported him every step of the way, placed her last hopes in him. Even Kiritsugu was holding onto a tiny shred of hope for him to pull off an impossible miracle. And his students… his idiot kids… they were waiting for him on the other side.

With all these prayers behind him… What else could Kakashi Hatake do but keep going?

Unfortunately, someone else was behind him, too. Rider X stalked towards the shinobi. The foolish Kings were keeping each other tied to their battle of will, and Assassin X needed to keep his focus on sealing the Grail's power away, rendering them incapable of stopping him in this moment. However, his actions didn't go unnoticed by the sole human in the hall.

Even years later, Kiritsugu wasn't quite sure what compelled him in the actions he took then.

Maybe it was simple pragmatism, the knowledge that with Saber busy holding Gilgamesh off, nothing would stop that sludge if Kakashi fell.

Maybe it was a desire for retribution against this titanic monster who had caused him, his Servants and many others in this War so much fear and pain.

Or maybe… maybe this would prove to be the first truly heroic act Kiritsugu Emiya had ever committed in his wretched, misguided life: Protecting a friend from a terrible evil.

Rider X for his part paid the final Master no mind. Emiya still being alive proved Kirei had fallen to him, and that was an honest shame to the foreign Servant, but such was life. Besides, the fact the Holy Grail was still accessible meant Emiya hadn't claimed it. No, he refused to claim it. All that hard work, all the sacrifices, and he wants to destroy it, Megatron scoffed as he raised the Dark Star Saber. In the end, he is too weak to see his goals through. Just another human. He turned his back on Emiya to cut down Assassin X; the Servant was preoccupied with swallowing up the Grail, Saber was holding off Gilgamesh, and no pathetic human could ever harm Rider X.

That turned out to be the worst mistake the Decepticon could've made.

Just as his right arm had reached its apex for the killing blow, something small but sturdy struck it right below the fusion cannon. Rider X had little time to register this impact as four others just like it occurred across his back. It wasn't as though they were particularly powerful; even without Dark Energon's supplement, his Cybertronian armor had weathered blows from the biggest and strongest of foes, energy blasts, meteorite collisions, and explosions of plasma. Yet some sensation Megatron didn't recognize began to wash over him, causing him to stumble a bit. "…What is this?" He glared over his shoulder and found the culprit. Well, to be accurate, culprits.

Five Kiritsugu Emiya's stood aiming their Thompson Contenders at the monstrous Servant's back, smoke wafting from the barrels. Even as Rider X stumbled to turn towards them, the Mage Killer and his Shadow Clones chanted in unison, "Time alter: Square accel!" Mana surged painfully through their bodies, but as one, they powered through it to remove the spent bullets and load fresh ones in. Two-fifths of a second later, they fired anew.

Their quadruple speed left little room to aim properly, but with their kind of ammunition and against a body as large as Megatron's, it mattered little where the rounds hit. One struck the left side of his chest, another his abdomen, two the Dark Star Saber at different spots. The dreaded blade vibrated heavily as cracks spread across its surface, then it shattered into pieces with a keening wail.

The original Kiritsugu felt cold satisfaction at watching the Origin Round he fired sink into Rider X's right eye.

The clones dissipated in a sequence of smoke clouds upon firing their guns, leaving behind a staggered Kiritsugu Emiya. His insides were on fire from the effects of Square accel, multiplied by five due to the Shadow Clone Jutsu's effects, but Avalon would take care of him. Besides, if one were to ask him how he felt in that moment, he'd have smirked and said, "You should see the other guy," as his bullets took their effect on Megatron.

As a Conceptual Weapon, the Origin Rounds of the Mage Killer could indeed affect supernatural beings like the Servants. How potent their Severing-and-Binding properties were depended on their target, though, and Kiritsugu doubted a single Round would do little more than inconvenience one with the fortitude Rider X boasted. Ten Rounds, on the other hand…

Saber and Assassin X both fought to maintain their concentration and press on even as a sound escaped Rider X's mouth, a sound no one had ever head the founder and leader of the Decepticons make before, a sound that would surely echo across all of the city hall, perhaps beyond into Shinto:

"AAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH-!"

Even as the all-powerful light of Excalibur moved ever closer to him, Archer couldn't help but smirk in appreciation. A bit one-noted, but a delectable song to hear…

Assassin X paid it little mind; he could barely hear anything anyway. A primal screech emanated from the mud as it was swept away in the spirals of Kamui, but he powered through his bleeding ears to slam the warp shut in its putrid face. Tendrils lashed out to snag the walls and ground only to be pulled in as well, pieces of masonry flying after it. Then the vortex closed like a fist, trapping it inside even as its creator pitched forward in exhaustion.

His scream ended, Megatron collapsed on one knee trembling in rage and agony. Blue and dark-violet liquids burst from his mouth. He could feel a savage war coursing through his body because of those blasted bullets, but that was not even the worst of it. No, the damage inflicted upon his physical and spiritual form paled when faced with the knowledge of who had inflicted it.

He had envisioned it so beautifully: The inglorious demise of the worm Assassin X, cutting down the King of Knights in a clash of blades, crushing the pompous King of Heroes' skull beneath his heel. Then he would hoist the Holy Grail aloft in triumph, bathing in its energies to become the strongest being the multiverse had ever known, a true King of Conquerors!

And now this?!

Victory denied yet again? But if he was destined to fall, should it not be by the will of a great warrior, a legend his equal? How could he, the destined ruler of Cybertron, possibly suffer such pain at the hands of a soulless killer?! A pathetic rat deluding himself as a savior?! A mere human?!

"You… How dare you…" Sole eye blazing between crimson and violet, the Servant of the Mount lifted what remained of his greatest Noble Phantasm and pulled himself up towards the cold-eyed Master. "Kiritsugu Emiya…" his denta ground through each word, then he bellowed his fury across the room. "YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS!"

The Magus Killer merely glared back as he reloaded his Contender again…

"…Agreed." Only to freeze up along with everyone else at the voice.

Assassin X had picked himself off the carpeted floor, kunai in hand to put down Megatron for good. But now he couldn't move a muscle save for the ones in his neck, and they felt so rusty as he slowly turned towards the spot he'd stared at for so long. "No…" he whispered in mounting horror. "It can't be…"

"Fools…" Another whisper answered him, but not from the space where Kamui had claimed the mud… but from the Holy Grail. "…You thought… you could simply… exorcise me…"A whisper that grew darker and harsher with every word. "Cast me from this world…" A hairline crack emerged down the Grail's side. "And claim your prize?"

Noble though Assassin X's efforts were, he had regrettably underestimated how deep the connection ran between the Grail and the evil dwelling within it. Angra Mainyu remained bound to the omnipotent device that had first summoned, then housed it, even when being warped away to another dimension. Through sheer dark will, it clawed its way back across the planes to this world… through its anchor.

"Well then. COME AND CLAIM IT!" The Holy Grail shattered, and pure darkness blasted out.

Having poured all of their mana into their Noble Phantasms, Artoria Pendragon and Kakashi Hatake were swiftly expelled from this world with the initial shockwave. That same force blew Kiritsugu off his feet and against the wall, stunning him for a little while, but his position spared him like his Servants from the tidal wave of mud that followed.

Neither Megatron nor Gilgamesh were so lucky. In their battered states, neither could react in time to escape the mud engulfing them. Soon, they were both broken down and one with the blackness even as it swept through the building like napalm. Walls and the floor were consumed, and the entire city hall began to crumble to nothing. Kiritsugu barely regained his senses to scramble through the first floor and jump out a window before it all fell apart.

He managed a landing without injury, but that was the last mercy he received that night. For he had to watch with open horror as Fuyuki burned around him.

Far, far away, a little girl woke up with a squeak of fright. Her red eyes darted about the dark room, but there was no one there. Just her in the big bed, the snow falling gently outside. She wrapped herself in the covers and tried to stop shivering, half of it from the cold despite the fireplace crackling with life, half of it from… something else.

"Illya? What's wrong, dear?"

She snapped her head up and looked around again. "M-Mama…?" Weird… Even though it looked like she was all alone… She felt like there was someone with her. Her mother watching over her like she always would. The bond of a mother and a daughter. Special, too.

Illyasviel von Einzbern took a breath to steady herself, then she did what she always did in a situation like this: She confided in her Mama. "I… I had a bad dream. I dreamed I turned… into a cup." She shuffled about in her sheets, feeling her mother wrap her arms around her.

"Seven big things… no… Fourteen big things… some bigger than others… were put in me. I felt like I-I was breaking, but… I couldn't move. Couldn't run away… Kiritsugu was there, Kakashi, too… Kakashi was doing… something… And Kiritsugu… protected him. There was a really, really big man…" She shuddered. "No… not a man. Metal on the outside… black on the inside. He… he was in pain… He was yelling at Kiritsugu…

"Then I thought I heard Justeaze… A big black hole opened up above me… The world was on fire… and Kiritsugu…" The daughter sniffled at the memory. "Kiritsugu was crying."

Her father wasn't a man who teared up easily, Illya knew that much. Oh, he showered her with love and snuggles, and he'd make a funny face when she said or did something, but it was really, really hard to get him to cry. Not that Illya tried to that much. She didn't like seeing him sad.

But he was far away from her. Fighting in another land… with that funny man she met just before Kiritsugu and Mama had left. Kakashi… a nice guy. He reminded Illya a little of Kiritsugu, they had similar looks in their eyes…

"Mama…" She glanced up to where her mother should be. "Kiritsugu's going to be okay, right? He… he won't be all alone and scared… will he?"

The little girl felt her embrace grow a little snugger. "Don't worry," her mother's voice soothed her nerves. "That stubborn man will never give up. There's nothing he wouldn't do for you, Illya. He'll do everything in his power… so you'll never have another scary dream again. And he's not alone."

Illya cuddled into her mother's embrace, her worries melting away like the snow outside. "Yeah, Kakashi said he'd be helping him. He promised me he'd make sure Kiritsugu would come back to me… Kiritsugu said so himself."

She looked one last time out the window, eagerly awaiting the moment her father would be home again.

He did not know where he was. Everywhere he looked, he saw only darkness. Darkness so thick he couldn't move so much as a muscle. An… irksome position for him to be in.

Sins raged about him, ranging from petty little things like bribery or disrespect to lying and stealing and bearing false witness to murder and bullying and abandonment. All of them crimes demanding to be made real, demanding attention like mewling newborns.

Who could bear them all? Who could accept all of these dark things the world liked to pretend didn't exist even when they transpired across it? Who could accept this was right?

Amidst the swirling maelstrom of black incorrectness… two distinct voices cried out.

One beckoned to the darkness, claimed it would make for the perfect weapon against all of creation.

The other simply accepted, happily declaring he could bear it all easily. He was the King, after all.

These two voices, so loud, so different from everything else including each other… they had no place submerged in the darkness. No, they strove to rise up and command it. Thus, the mud could not keep them contained.

And there was one other person who found their fate changed…

-03:11:56

Kirei Kotomine sucked in a heavy breath and gasped it out. Once again, he awoke to find himself in the city hall's storage room, but Kiritsugu Emiya was nowhere to be found. He patted his body, feeling no traces of any injuries whatsoever. Judging from the scorch marks on the ground, though, he ought to have been in considerably more pieces right now. But even the final wound inflicted by Emiya's gun didn't exist. Not even a trace.

Kirei stood up with ease, prodding himself all the while. Not a speck of pain anywhere, Magic Circuits fully functional, too. Even his remaining Command Seals continued to adorn his arm. The Dark Energon remained inside him as well, slumbering rather peacefully in his soul and ready to awaken at a nudge. Kirei did no such thing, though. As a man of the church, tempering his own desires was a fundamental task, and he needed no outside help to understand what he wanted. Not anymore.

That's when the priest noticed a bit of sweat trickling down his arm. It wasn't from fear or excitement, though, he recognized it as a simple chemical reaction to an outside phenomenon. In this case, the air seemed rather hot. Kirei could also pick up an unusual smell, one that he still recognized: The burning of human fat.

Curious, he wandered after the smell and quickly found himself outside. "You're quite thoughtful for the migraine you are." Archer greeted him from his spot. Seated casually atop a pile of rubble, not a speck of clothing on him. Even his hair was down, obscuring most of his forehead save for the scar Berserker X had bestowed upon him. "I nearly had to venture in there and dig you out of the rubble, but then you find your way out of your own accord." The King of Heroes seemed in an absolutely pleasant mood, nonetheless.

"Gilgamesh," Kirei bowed his head to him absentmindedly, his eyes drawn to the utter chaos surrounding them. "What happened?" He eyed himself again, noting his heart hadn't produced a single beat since he woke up. "I was… blown to pieces. Did you restore me?"

The Servant shrugged. "Not me, the mud released me only a few seconds ago." No, Kirei realized with a second glance, Gilgamesh was no longer a Servant. He seemed to be… human. "It seems the heavens seek for me to grace this era with my presence and rule once again. And as a side effect of our contract, you regained your life and your body intact."

He nodded silently at this information -the Grail's energy was a sort of life support for him, then- before pausing at a discrepancy. "In that case… is Megatron here as well? He was my Servant far longer than you were."

Gilgamesh scoffed. "That upstart would never be gifted the same blessing as I. He was also severely injured in the final clash, more so than me. Most likely, he was flung back to his own universe after having been such a blight upon mine." His smile sharpened as his red eyes scanned the area. "On the topic of blights, I confess to being vexed, nonetheless. To think we had all spent so much time fighting over that thing, believing it would answer our prayers. A paltry story straight to the bitter end."

Kirei's attention drifted from his lifeless yet living body to their surroundings and back again, his thoughts going in circles as he processed what had happened. He still remembered learning of the Grail's true nature, its rejection by the man it had chosen, his death which followed swiftly… "All other Servants have fallen," Gilgamesh continued, regaining his attention, "leaving only you and me as the victors. So, you simply need to see this scene from another perspective, Kirei."

The King of Heroes nodded his head at the hell all around him. "If the Grail truly can make its victor's wish reality, then you see before you, Kirei Kotomine, is what you seek from the bottom of your heart."

Somehow, the priest knew exactly what his Servant, no, his friend was about to say. Flames crackling, dying screams on the breeze, the sky pitch black, a ruined landscape no matter in which direction he turned. So much death and destruction… Kirei had only seen it before in the memories of Rider X. As much as they had reviled them and their source, he had always been drawn to them every night.

Now, he had reached the same spot as Megatron. He knew in his soul he had caused all of this. He had done so by placing his own selfish desires over that of everything else… and this was the result.

As tears gathered in his eyes, Kirei Kotomine couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so joyously.

He doubled over, holding his sides in utter mirth. "Wh-wh-what is wrong with me?" he gasped out through his chortles. "Destruction… evil… this is my wish?" He raised his head to drink in the terrible sight before him. "All of this… is my heart's desire?!"

He swept his hand out to encircle the two. "This is why I ended up calling forth a being like Megatron? Is this the answer of the son of Risei Kotomine?" Another round of giggles burst out of him as he tried to turn away. "No… that can't be right! Or can it?" Something tingled and danced inside his chest. A familiar presence. "Ah, Dark Energon… Are you happy to be inside of me? Are you happy to know your host is such a despicable cretin?!"

Gilgamesh watched this odd battle between acceptance and rejection as Kirei's laughter echoed far and wide. What an odd end to a farce. "Are you satisfied, Kirei?" he asked softly.

Kirei finally regained some control over himself. Wiping away his tears and eyeing them, he decided: "No. This alone isn't enough." He jumped down from their spot and began to walk through the rubble, his smile wide as ever. "True, I've finally found the answer I've sought in a life full of questions, but this is just the answer. I took a shortcut and avoided all the effort in puzzling out the answer for myself." He picked out a red cloth from the wreckage and turned back. "How am I supposed to be satisfied with such a result?"

Gilgamesh listened on even as he caught the cloth flung to him. "Somewhere inside the equation that led to such a vile reason exists a clear and simple reason. No," Kirei corrected himself, "there has to be. I must keep searching and experimenting, even if it takes me all of my life." Thus, he had fully begun the journey Megatron had counseled him on. The priest and the conqueror were different in so many ways, but therein lay what had brought them together:

A refusal to simply accept any answer given to them, and the will to find their answers no matter the effort needed. Or the lives lost.

"Megatron was an ambitious fool, but I must agree with him on one thing." The being formerly known as Archer covered his nude form, pleased himself at the relaxed smile Kirei sported. "You never cease to exceed expectations. Very well." He, too, rose to his feet. "Your pursuit of answers would run right through the gods. So, I, Gilgamesh, shall bear witness to your quest."

Kirei nodded in concession to the King's decree, his smile settling into a straight line as he remembered a certain name: Angra Mainyu. The thing that had brought about this destruction in answer to Kirei's heart. The thing that had restored him, perhaps because it sensed a kindred spirit in him. One day, it will return again. I must be there when it does, he vowed to himself as they began walking through the ruins. I must see the birth of All the World's Evil, the proof of its existence.

Glass crunched underneath him with every step, but the Executor's honed ears still picked up other footsteps. He turned to see Kiritsugu Emiya standing a ways off from him but facing him. There's no way he couldn't have seen Kirei. Kirei readied his body, stiff though it was, as the man drew nearer. Dark Energon rippled inside him, eager for more slaughter. Come.

Emiya stared at him a second longer… then looked away. Kirei watched befuddled as the Mage Killer staggered about, eyes drifting dully from one spot to the next. He sank to his knees and began digging about with a strange energy, seemingly unaware of the danger not far from him. Perhaps he really is unaware, Kirei wondered.

"What's the matter, Kirei?" Gilgamesh called over to him, snapping him from his musings.

Kirei Kotomine watched his nemesis root about in the rubble, feeling his interest ebb. Kiritsugu Emiya had never held the answers he'd sought. It had simply been his own misunderstanding that had brought the two men into conflict. Thus, he turned his back. "It's nothing."

Gilgamesh obviously didn't care, for he was walking off again. "Well, this also proves without a shred of doubt that I am the victor of our game, upstart." He bragged to himself, spring in his step growing more noticeable with each word. "I remain standing while all that is left of you is your memories. What an inglorious end for such a proud conqueror."

Kirei wondered about that, though. After all, there was a saying about eggs and baskets…

-02:04:48

"NO! I will not be denied a second time! I refuse to accept my defeat at his hands! I STILL FUNCTION!"

…Happy to hear that. And you may prove the victor yet…

Such were the words to the forefront of Megatron's mind just before he awoke. He groaned as his vision shifted through one blurry image to the next, then it finally resolved itself.

The Decepticon found himself outside on a battered street. "By the Allspark…" he pushed himself up grumbling while rubbing his head. His servos were probably still recalibrating themselves because he registered a… fuzziness from the action. "What happened…?"

Welcome back, Megatron.

He stilled at the voice having freshly implanted itself in his memories. He didn't bother looking around for the source, it was not a voice you could hear with your ears. No, it resonated inside his mind and his soul. "Angra Mainyu, I presume," Megatron replied nonetheless in a verbal manner. It could surely hear him, after all. "All the World's Evil… Yet another lofty title for a dweller of such a damp, puny world."

Charming as always, I see, the entity "replied" with a little testiness. While your spirit remained strong as ever, your body was in critical condition. Therefore, it took longer to restore it and reawaken you than expected.

Megatron nodded slowly at this, rising to his pedes. "So, if you have kept from returning to the Throne of Heroes, then it seems you still have need of me. Kiritsugu Emiya proved too soft-hearted for your taste, yes?"

Foreign anger prickled against his being. It seems he was too much for you, too.

"A… momentary setback," he snarled while looking about. The sky was still dark and the only humans he could spot were dead ones. He had yet to be spotted, then. Good. He made to walk down the street, considering his options of where would be a good place to reconvene. Kirei's church wasn't too far away, a quick jump with-

Megatron paused. Strange… He couldn't assume his Alt-Mode. And his steps were rather unsteady, come to think of it. If the Grail had returned him to this world, why did his legs feel so frail-

He tripped and nearly fell against a piece of smoldering rubble, his hands reaching out to arrest his fall. Megatron couldn't help but wince from the impact, though. What is the matter with- That's when he noticed his hands, no, his arms, too, they were much smaller than he remembered.

Fleshier, too.

"No…" Megatron pushed himself away from the rubble and stumbled about, refusing to look at the red droplets dripping down his fingers- No, those weren't his fingers, they couldn't be! They were far too slim, too frail, too, too- "This cannot be…"

He didn't know how far he had wandered before coming to a stop. Glancing about, the proud Heroic Spirit finally found a cracked piece of a mirror lying amidst the ravaged streets. He plucked it up and gazed at his reflection with mounting horror and fury… Then he screamed.

"NOOOOOOO!" He faced the glass again, but what he saw hadn't changed. Glaring back at him was a human face.

Megatron poked and prodded himself in hopes of dispelling the illusion or nightmare or whatever in the name of the Allspark this was, but his results only confirmed this grotesque image: silver hair curving down each side in front; sharp, angular cheekbones; bloody lips and teeth bared into a snarl that grew with each passing second; a single red eye blazing with hatred on his left while his right only had an empty socket stained with blood…

"What has happened to me?!" He glared down at himself to see the rest of his body had suffered the same transformation. His arms, his legs, his torso, it was all organic now. Revoltingly so, as the appendage swinging between his legs confirmed. "What have you done to me?!"

I saved your life, Megatron, the voice answered him. Kiritsugu tore your body's insides to shreds. There was little left magically for me restore, so I had no choice but to make… alterations.

"Alterations?!" The former Servant parroted in disgust. "You turned me into one of them! I am now but one more of the insects scuttling about on this miserable ball of mud!" He slammed his fist against a block of cinder, cracks forming at the point of impact. But Megatron could feel tiny fractures in his bones, and blood dripped from his torn skin.

His "benefactor" tutted in disappointment. Do take better care of yourself. I understand your reservations, but there is unfortunately little else I can do. The Grail has returned to its slumber and so will much of my power. How could the fool possibly understand, Megatron scoffed to himself. He glared down at his bloody knuckles. The strength he had honed in countless battles, the alt-mode that had allowed him to traverse the stars, even the Dark Energon he had subjugated and made his own… All of it…

Gone. Out of reach so long as he was trapped in this… lesser form. No need to fret, Megatron, he was told in a manner supposed to be reassuring. It wasn't. Under normal circumstances, the Holy Grail would require sixty years to accumulate the mana necessary for the next Grail War. But this War has ended… incompletely. I retain much of the energy you and the other Servants have yielded me.

"But not enough to fully manifest yourself… or grant my wish." Even without millennia of experience, he could easily see what the creature was alluding to. "How long will it take for the next War to begin?"

Oh, ten years at the most, I would say. Hardly any time, really. Megatron felt a curse on the edge of his tongue (yet another disgusting thing). Ten years mattered little to Angra Mainyu, he could simply float about inside the Greater Grail, twiddling his muddy little tentacles for his next chance. But to spend ten whole years trapped inside a human body, having to walk these filthy streets and mingle with the primitive organics, awaiting his next opportunity…

The sound of footsteps reached Megatron's audio process-ears, and he tore himself from his fury to spin about, bracing himself the best he could for battle. He half-expected to see Gilgamesh standing over him with a smirk of mockery; wringing his neck would've cheered him up considerably.

What he saw instead was Kiritsugu Emiya ambling about, a hollow look in his eye. Megatron recognized the look and his gait, it was one he'd seen on countless battlefields. Broken souls bereft of sense or purpose, wandering about on autopilot in hopes of finding something that could… release them. Well, as his fingers drifted to the empty eye socket in his head, the former Decepticon was more than happy to oblige him, his temper boiling red-hot at the man.

That's enough, Megatron, you and I have other matters to concern ourselves with. He is of no interest to us. But Megatron disagreed strongly with that assessment. He took my eye… Burning a hole into the back of that head with his glare, he reached down and picked up a sizable rock. Nice and heavy, sharp on one end… Perfect. He took my victory… He staggered towards the fool responsible for his humiliation. He took everything from me… I'll kill him!

He barely made it two steps before collapsing to his knees, one hand clamped over his chest. I said that's enough. A searing agony had erupted inside where his Spark had been, now, a different organic thing (a heart…?) pounded erratically inside. It felt like it would burst right through the feeble skin. The more he fought to get up and bash that wretched fool's skull in, the greater his insides burned. Meanwhile, a new message carved itself into his thoughts:

Do not forget that the only reason you remain in this world is due to my power, Megatron. Kiritsugu Emiya shall be punished in the manner I see fit, and unless you wish to share his fate, you will heed my words.

Humiliation after humiliation… The Cybertronian turned human relented in dropping the rock, though, and the pain in his chest promptly subsided. Nevertheless, he refused to be cowed so easily. "I remain in this world because you still require someone to help you birth into it. Given my circumstances, I have little choice save for compliance. But do not presume to give me orders. You have no concept of strategy; you are simply evil made manifest. You need me as much as I need you. Therefore, I shall be the one who plans our ultimate victory."

Angra Mainyu did not reply, having clearly accepted Megatron's logic. He got back up to a standing position, spared the distant form of Kiritsugu Emiya one final glare, then stalked off with a scoff into a different direction. There was more than one kind of revenge, and Megatron had grown well-versed in nearly all flavors through his life; Starscream had provided himself as an apt target for more than one of them. One way or another, he would make good on his promise to that sneaky rat. You will suffer for this, Emiya… You will suffer.

A few minutes of walking later, something buzzed past his face. "My, my, here's a face both new and familiar," a raspy old voice said to his right.

The former Rider was forced to turn his head to see his addresser, but he already knew who it was. "Zouken. Here to pick over the War's remains like a good little scavenger?"

"Well, you certainly retain some vitality, even if you're hardly the monster I first met some nights ago." Though he cackled at his own wit, the Matou patriarch himself had seen better days. Leaning heavily on his cane, Zouken's shoulders had shrunken together. More wrinkles than normal were scattered across his ancient face. His black eyes, though, burned with an odd sort of vitality. He then tossed over a bundle of grey cloth that his onetime partner caught easily. "Do cover yourself, Megatron. No matter what passed for etiquette on Cybertron, here, you simply cannot go walking nude around your fellow humans-"

Megatron shot a cold glare at him even while he wrapped himself in the cloth. "I am not human despite my appearance, Zouken, and you are all the more decrepit than when we first met. Mock me at your peril."

Zouken cracked his neck, a harsh snapping sound, and Blade Wing Worms chittered about him within seconds. "I may be a little weaker, but I am far from helpless. Frankly, I retain more of my strength between the two of us. Who knows how long you might last in your current state?"

"Then stop prattling and fight, Zouken," the ex-gladiator sneered, squaring his shoulders. "The longer I must remain in this form, the more I seek death. Mine or another's, it matters little to me."

The two squared off for a few seconds, then Zouken waved off his familiars with a sigh. "Relax, Megatron, expending our exhausted energy does neither of us any good. And I've never had any personal grievances against you, even if I prepared for your betrayal."

A half-smirk emerged on Megatron's lips. "And I for yours," he admitted casually. "Nothing personal, simply business." His anger slightly abating, he made to walk away. There was little point in continuing this conversation among the defeated, and he needed some peace and quiet to think, to plan. Where he would find that, though…

"Where do you intend to go?" Zouken called out to him, aware as well of Megatron's doubt. "You have some sort of safehouse prepared in case you lost the final battle?" Another cackle. "No, defeat likely never crossed your mind, let alone a situation like... this."

"I distinctly remember your house being reduced to a smoldering pile of rubble," Megatron shot back before gesturing to their surroundings. "It would certainly match the current ambience, but I fail to see what you have to offer me."

"So, you mean to return Kirei and… what? Beg him to take you in when you're like… this?" The old magus gestured to the covered sweating bleeding body that looked as though it wanted to strangle him. "In your current state, you have very little to offer anyone, let alone the man you've spent so much time grooming into your protégé. Truth be told, I'm hardly in a charitable position myself, and one needs resources to win the Holy Grail War.

"Still, you did kill Caster X… though if you had done so at an earlier stage, maybe we would both be in better circumstances." Zouken only received an unapologetic huff in response. "Like it or not, the best option right now for you and I is to maintain our friendship."

Megatron eyed him warily. "You know of the Grail's current… condition, then."

Zouken nodded once. "I had my suspicions since the beginning of this Grail War, though I hadn't quite imagined this outcome. Seeing as you still stand before me," the ex-Servant brushed away some actual insects scuttling about near him, "and my darlings do detect some residual power on you, it may yet be of use to us." His cane tapped along the scorched street as they stepped closer. "And we can still be of use for one another. There is no one who understands the Grail's system better than I, and there is no being in this world whose talent and appetite for warfare matches yours. When the next Holy Grail War begins, it will end with you and I the victors, but only if we work together." He shrugged. "Come now, Megatron. You have nothing left to lose … and everything to gain."

Megatron wanted to dismiss the offer; he had always succeeded on his own terms before. He had taken what he needed, fought for anything worthwhile, and built himself an empire with the spoils. But in his present, fragile condition, with nothing but the cloak on his back and the schemes inside his mind… could he afford dismissing Zouken? Ten years was but a blink of an eye to a Cybertronian, but Megatron was a Cybertronian no longer. He required resources… and if the Magus Association were to find him… he'd become just another of their experiments…

He glared one final time at his red-stained human hands… useless, weak little things… and dropped them with a bitter sigh. "Very well." He turned to Zouken. "Given the circumstances, there is indeed little else either of us can do other than stand together…"

Megatron's sole eye raised up to the remains of the great fire that had sundered the city. "And prepare." He vowed then and there it would be a mere spark in comparison to the inferno he would unleash once his time had come.

And it would come, regardless of how long he had to wait, ten years or ten million. It. Would. Come.

Years later, people would still speak of the great fire that had ravaged Fuyuki City that night. Damage assessment would report the destruction of 134 buildings and nearly four hundred lives lost. Ironically, the happenings of the past few days had led to a small but noticeable fraction of Fuyuki's population temporarily vacating their homes, thereby reducing the casualty rate somewhat. It was a cold comfort, though, for the survivors and family members and loved ones of those lost.

Kiritsugu Emiya found little solace as well, wandering dazedly along the streets. His eyes glanced about in desperation, trying to find some sign of life. Anything to keep himself from contemplating the absolute catastrophe he had caused. How could I… All these people…

Men. Women. Children. Infants… He had pulled burning bodies from the water, kicked open scorched doors, lifted broken young bodies while screaming his lungs raw for someone, anyone to help… but all he found was death. He dug and dug and dug into the smoldering earth and only had ashes to show for his efforts. A fitting metaphor for his life's work.

Kiritsugu finally stopped digging, his trembling hands shifting into the clone sign. Three clones burst into life around him, and they all staggered off in different directions while crying. He, the original, couldn't fault them for that. This… this was all his fault. He should've stopped this, stopped himself… Instead, he had forced Kakashi to try and clean up a hopeless mess. And Saber, the good comrade Kiritsugu wasn't, had added her own strength to Kakashi's. They had pressed on to make the impossible possible… and he'd failed them.

In another setting, the Mage Killer would've grudgingly accepted this state. Tragic though the fire was, it was still preferable in such a "small" setting. But faced with the full reality of what had transpired of his way of thinking, of the memories from inside the tainted Grail, Kiritsugu could only weep in despair as his clones reappeared, nothing to show for their, for his efforts. What was it all for?! The sacrifices… Iri, Maiya, Kakashi… Illya?

He weakly pulled himself up, the image of his daughter all that gave him the tiniest bit of strength. He… he wanted to see her again. But… he couldn't do that… he couldn't call himself the father of such a sweet, innocent thing… without doing something right.

The four Kiritsugu's pressed on, widening their search as best as they could. The fires had died out, leaving only embers and smoldering rubble. Fittingly, Kiritsugu's own flame was on the verge of sputtering out. He wasn't even sure anymore what he had hoped to find when he went on this mad dash through these streets. "Perhaps…" One of his clones (or was it him? He couldn't be sure at the moment) paused, then went on. "Perhaps this would be time better spent preparing for the Einzberns. Justabacht still expects the Holy Grail delivered, after all."

"Illya…" another clone(?) muttered. "She's probably lonely as hell right now. She gets nightmares so easily…"

"She'll have climbed into our bed by now. Pretending we're still with her, even if… even if…"

The conversation trickled away as four identical men continued their search. No matter how fruitless it seemed, even with every last weight in this world pressing down on them, they walked. They searched as despair hung over them darker than the clouds above. After what seemed like hours, the man that was Kiritsugu Emiya began to hang his head in utter defeat-

A couple of pebbles rolled to a stop by his foot. "Hey!" He heard his voice call out and snapped his head up to see his duplicate pointing at something. The other two were already rushing over, and so was he a second later.

It was a hand. A tiny hand reaching out of the rubble.

Kiritsugu stumbled to its side just as it began to fall, the other Kiritsugu's hastily digging around it. He grabbed the hand tightly with his own, his heart leaping at the weak pulse against his skin. It seemed with each passing second. No… Don't give up… Don't give up!

He quickly added his own efforts to the dig, and the poor boy was nearly completely unearthed when a heavy groaning rang out. Kiritsugu snapped his head up in horror to find a heavy steel beam leaning over them. Probably part of a bigger foundation, judging by the cement still clinging to it. Damaged by the napalm-like ooze that had struck it, it began to topple over towards them-

Kiritsugu's Shadow Clones didn't even hesitate. All three threw themselves against the metal, pushing it back even as its heat sizzled against their coats. "Get him out of there!" One called to their source in desperate hope. "Now!" Kiritsugu didn't bother with trepidation or words of gratitude. They were his clones, after all. They knew what he'd say. They'd say the same.

By the time the clones' strength had given out and the beam fell down, kicking up ashes and dust in its wake, he had brought the boy to relative safety. "It's okay…" He stroked the red hair caked with ashes and some blood. "You're going to be… okay…"

Poor kid… probably seven years old at the most. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet, but Kiritsugu saw his mouth quivering… and only a tiny wheeze came out. Not even a real cough but blood trickled from his lip. "No…" Kiritsugu carefully probed his body. "H-hang on…" Internal bleeding? Broken ribs? A collapsed lung? W-What is it, what can I do…? Panic began to surge through him, but the Mage Killer's thought process reminded him of his assets. He didn't just have a trick or two from Kakashi.

Even as he summoned Avalon, he wondered, Would it work? It needs Saber's mana, otherwise, it's just a fancy sheath… With trembling hands, he placed the fabled relic onto the tiny body, willing it to be absorbed. I… I have to try…

A glimmer of golden light shined where it had entered the boy, then he coughed again. Kiritsugu feared the worst at blood flying from that little mouth, but he calmed down quickly, and his breath grew steadier with every second. Then the boy's eyes fluttered open, and Kiritsugu gripped his hand tightly. The look in his eyes reminded him a little of Saber…

"You're alive…" He whispered joyously to the young boy. Vibrant red hair smeared with dirt, auburn eyes staring dully up at him, a gasp of life. "You're alive… You're alive!"

"T-thank you…" Kiritsugu sobbed out, smiling full of relief. "Thank you for this… If I… could save… just one life…

"I might be saved…"

-00:00:00

(Special thanks to "Love Sprung from Winter," by adoranymph, for giving me insight into Kiritsugu's thought process during this chapter's final scene. I highly recommend it for Fate fans)

Well, whaddaya know? For once, I actually kept my word concerning the release date with chapters. Truth be told, I really, really wanted to post this apex to the story, hence the name I chose for it.

I have laughed, wept and screamed my head off while compiling this chapter. I've done my best to give each and every scene, every character, every bloody moment its due weight, and… I can't say for sure whether or not I succeeded. I guess I have to step back and let you all be the judge, dear readers. You've all been so awesome at that so far, and I can't thank you enough. I'll try, though, especially in the epilogue.

Some of this looks a lot like canon, of course. I knew so the moment I started writing. There are some details that just can't be avoided no matter who's playing the game, and that will play a key role down the line of this altered timeline. But it's still not exactly the same, and alterations no matter how tiny always leave an impact on the narrative.

As for Megatron's new look, here are a few more details to properly visualize: He's about 199 cm tall, looks to be in his late 50's to early 60's age-wise but is in excellent shape, plenty of muscles, and aside from his missing eye, he can be considered reasonably attractive, a silver fox for women who are into that type. Of course, methinks he won't appreciate these qualities as much as most men, heheh.

Oh yeah, one final fact concerning this chapter: Team Kiritsugu might've succeeded if Kiritsugu Emiya had trusted Artoria Pendragon as much as he did Kakashi Hatake.