FateZero Paradox

by Praxus84

The Fourth Holy Grail War of Fuyuki City: Seven Masters, Fourteen Servants- wait, what? Someone's been messing around with the rules, for once not you-know-who. But the stakes are still very real, and the Grail can only belong to one Master and two Servants at maximum... Fate/Zero belongs to Type-Moon, and all foreign characters their respective owners, I own nothing but the plot.

24. Chapter 22: Bridges Made Mended & Broken

-39:58:47

Her arms felt like they were wrapped in chains. She took tiny steps down the carpeted floor, trying to make as little noise and put as little pressure on her legs as possible. What little good it did. It felt like they were resting at the moment, but that wouldn't stay the same. Sooner or later, they always started up again.

She peeked around the corner to …Grandfather's office; the door was shut. A tiny blessing… or maybe he was somewhere else in the house. He could move really quietly for someone who looked that old, too; she turned carefully around half-expecting the worst, but the hall was empty. Nobody except her. She sighed silently to herself and moved on. There wasn't much daylight left, but she didn't feel much like going outside. The front yard wasn't that big, and the back felt just… wrong.

She couldn't leave the mansion grounds, either. Not without permission. She had tried it once, a little over a year ago, when missing her … became too much. She had snuck out of a window, slipped through the bars at the front gate… and Grandfather had already been waiting for her.

Then came the first time she was brought down into the basement.

She upped her pace through the house, not even sure if she had a destination in mind, but there was no outrunning the memories. Millions of tiny probes crawling along her bare skin, then feeling them inside her, screaming her lungs out until the echoes bounced back to her, every last part of her being chewed on…

Her knees lost all strength, and she fell onto them sniffling into her hands.

…Why? Why does this have to be my home? Did I something wrong? Is that why … sent me to live with Grandfather?

Such were the questions reverberating through her mind this last year, her only companions during those times where her insides knew "peace." She blinked through her tears and the gaps between her fingers to find a familiar door before her. She was in front of Uncle Kariya's old room. Her right hand reached up, stopped, then reached again to turn the knob.

The room was just like the last time she'd visited. Not a book out of place, the desk untouched. This was the only place in this whole house she could feel a little at ease. A little.

Uncle Kariya… He had been down in the basement right beside her, trying to get them to come at him (it had worked sometimes). He always gave her a sweet smile, even after half of his face turned broken. He had hugged her and promised her they'd go to the park with … and … again, just like they used to. He was out there right now, fighting for her.

But the ones he was fighting against… like the big angry woman who had thrown Uncle Byakuya around… and there were others… He could get hurt, he could-

She couldn't help but start crying again. "P-Pl-Please stay safe… U-Uncle Kariya…" The whisper might've been a prayer… but her … had never been very religious, even if Father Risei had always been nice to her. She hadn't seen him in a long while either…

Maybe that was why her prayers were never answered.

…Why?

"That is the question, isn't it, little one?"

Her whole body froze up. She turned her head stiffly around, not daring to make another sound. It wouldn't have made a difference.

The man from yesterday stood there; no, he wasn't a man, she reminded herself, but a Servant. A spirit of great power. His black and red chest was plain to see through the long slit in his dark robes. His legs looked weirdly metal, she thought she could them whirring as he stepped closer, she in turn shying further into Uncle Kariya's room. He had both hands clasped behind his back so she couldn't see them. But those horns atop his head, those yellow eyes ringed with red peering down at her, those she couldn't miss if she wanted to.

"Why are we here?" The familiar didn't look like he wanted to hurt her, though. "Why did this happen to us? Why must we suffer?" Even his voice sounded… calm. "Why?"

He stepped ever closer to her, but this time, she remained at her spot. With him standing in the doorway, it wasn't like there was anywhere a little girl like her could go. "…Who are you?" Her voice finally came out as little more than a whisper.

She didn't know what exactly was in those eyes watching her, but he answered with no change in tone. "I am a guest of sorts to this house. Zouken Matou, your grandfather, I believe," his head tilted slightly as she flinched despite herself, "…invited me here to aid him in a certain bit of business."

"The Grail War."

A red-lined brow rose slightly, making her stiffen again. "Yes… The Holy Grail War." But the being sounded amused rather than angered. "Your gift has not stripped you of all awareness, it seems. Or perhaps you carry a strength hidden deep inside yourself. Good…"

She couldn't help but frown at his words, but just as she said, "Gift-?!"

Pain lanced up her spine. Her fingers twitched and curled while her legs buckled. N-no… Not again… But her pleas went unanswered, just as they always did, as those evil little things began rummaging about inside of her. Then they really started biting. She could feel her Magic Circuits being chewed down to nothing. P-please…

"Hm, I sense much strength within you, young one…"

The biting lessened, gradually, so agonizingly gradually, but enough for her blink through her teary eyes… and find the Servant kneeling over her with his right hand.

"Pain…" Avenger X muttered to himself while he called upon The Force. "Misery… Anger… Fear…" He took in a sharp breath through his nose, shutting his eyes in the process, then opened them again to find young Sakura Matou staring back at him. "So much fear… so much potential…" The Crest Worms inside her were still as the grave… for now.

"Oh, the things I can teach you, little one…"

---

Artoria Pendragon was a Heroic Spirit, one of the most famous and celebrated individuals in this world's history. Befitting her legend as King Arthur, she had rarely known fear or even anxiety in her life. She had faced knights, raiders, witches, Kings and Queens, and countless foes with iron resolve and an unflappable demeanor.

But here and now, standing in front of this man she had once called friend… she couldn't move.

Sir Lancelot remained in his kneeling position, his arms having fallen to the side. With For Someone's Glory deactivated, there was nothing to hide his finely crafted dark armor, a shade of violet matching the color of the long hair flowing from his head. Dark eyes returned her unblinking gaze while the face that could captivate nearly any woman (and quite a few men) was set in a stoic visage. Or rather, nearly stoic. Everyone gathered there could detect a hint of sorrow in the tilt of his chin, his mouth's straight line, his narrowed eyes.

Why is this such a shock to you? A little voice whispered inside Saber's head. Kakashi had forewarned you. You had seen the signs yourself. Why do you gawk like an addled fool?

Her hands balled into fists, but she gave herself no answer.

Kiritsugu Emiya, Maiya Hisau's Shadow Clone and Assassin X found their suspicions confirmed, but they hadn't expected this situation. The assassins kept their guards up, wary of this being some trick and both Kariya Matou and Caster X's lack of worry over their ally's True Name coming to light.

Aside from Saber, Tokiomi Tohsaka and Lancer X were the ones most taken aback by this revelation, though they both hid it well. And the Master's mind quickly began to draw the connections made in hindsight. 'His weapon mastery, his fixation on Saber…' He mused over his link with Lancer X. 'This certainly explains more than a few things about the two.'

'So, this is one of these Knights of the Round which served King Arthur in life, then?' The foreign Servant of the Spear was not as well-versed in the Arthurian tales as her deceased counterpart of this world. She only had written knowledge and Tokiomi's word to go on.

'Yes, perhaps the most famous one of them all.' A single finger tapped quietly against the crown jewel of the magus' cane. 'Or perhaps I should say, the most infamous.'

Before he could elaborate, Saber cleared her throat, most of her composure regained and her inner voice silenced. "You are once again in command of your senses, then," she observed as levelly as she could. "Or were you ever truly unfettered by them?"

The knight once consumed by madness calmly shook his head. "I only reacquired them recently, my King. And not without great effort," he glanced sideways to briefly give his partner a grateful smile, "nor was it all of it mine."

Gandalf removed his hat before returning the expression. "True, I aided your journey, Sir." He gave the calmed Berserker a wry look to halt any correction of the use of "Sir," then shifted to Saber. "But it was he who chose to see it through, Artoria King, so he could present himself to you in this state."

Saber nodded at the words, relaxing just a little. "Even so, you have my deepest gratitude, Gray Wizard." She made to add she now owed him a great debt for this, but the mental "sound" of a throat being cleared stopped her. The King of Knights restrained herself from glaring at the Master. Damn you, Kiritsugu… She understood it, of course. Making any such promise out loud, even to an exemplary character like Caster X, was dangerous, more so in circumstances like this. Still, Saber couldn't help but be irked by his pragmatism.

Well, in another time, without a certain someone buffering them both, she'd have denounced him on the spot and probably taken his head.

"Excuse me, Sir…" Said someone then raised his voice. "Just out of curiosity… how much do you… recall… from your… time before now?"

"You mean, do I recall your interference in our first encounter, Assassin X?" Berserker replied drily, tapping his right shoulder. "I certainly wouldn't forget the impressive technique with which you sliced off this arm."

"Yes…" Kakashi scratched his head while Artoria and the faux-Irisviel braced themselves. "It wasn't personal, Sir, I assure you…"

The Knight of the Lake raised his gauntlet, gently cutting him off. "I bear you no ill will. Our battle was to be expected given our circumstances, and you honor me as my opponent." He had no problems acknowledging a capable warrior when he met one, especially one who could literally disarm him. "But most of all, you stopped me from assaulting my King in my maddened state, and for that, I thank you." He bowed his head to the otherworlder in respect and gratitude.

The Copy Ninja released the stance he'd assumed halfway. "She's my comrade, I could do nothing less."

That drew a slight smile from Lancelot. But before he or Saber could say anything more, Lancer X spoke up. "Apologies, Saber, Berserker, but before we immerse ourselves in your reunion, there is a most crucial matter we must discuss this evening."

Saber glanced at her, then her stare returned to her former friend. She closed her eyes to weigh her next words, then opened them before speaking. "…Of course. I fear, though, that I may not be in the right state of mind to contribute to this discussion. Therefore, Master, it may be best for me to retire from it." She then addressed Kariya and his other Servant. "Matou Master, Gandalf the Gray, I ask you allow me to speak with Sir Lancelot in private."

Berserker rose haltingly from his knees but kept his gaze down, not daring to look back to his team. It is beneath a knight's honor to beg, and a besmirched one like him had no right to ask for any further favors after all the chances his Master and the wizard had given him… his fingers tightened inside their gauntlets. Hopes and prayers weren't the same as begging, no?

"Yes, that would be best, I think."

Lancelot stiffened, then shifted his head just enough so his left eye could make out Gandalf's soft grin. "I've borne witness to many conflicts, King of Knights, more than few of them beginning from single mistakes between friends. And each time, I asked myself if the violence that followed could have been stopped if these friends had merely spoken to each other." The ancient guardian of Middle-Earth walked over to his partner and turned his smile to Saber. "I have delayed your confrontation before, but now I feel this is the right time. It would be a shame if the both of you had come so far in this War and not seize this opportunity when it presents itself." He glanced behind to their Master. "Don't you agree?"

Kariya admittedly had his doubts about letting his more unstable Servant wander out of sight with an opposing one, much less the one most likely to set him off again. But he trusted Gandalf's judgement, frankly more so than he did his own, and…

He had dreamt of the life of the Knight of the Lake, too. He'd witnessed his pain and missteps firsthand. "Yeah, it's for the best." And ultimately, Kariya would've given anything for a second chance with Aoi, too. "Just…" he winced slightly from phantom Magic-Circuit pain, "try and behave yourself, Lancelot." He flashed a weak smile a split second before Berserker could've slumped. "Don't think I'm not aware of your fame as a ladies' man."

Artoria quickly sucked in her cheeks at Lancelot's inadvertent sputtering. She looked at Caster chuckle while patting his minutely red friend's shoulder, then an amused but otherwise uninterested Tohsaka and Lancer X, then behind herself. Assassin X shuffled a little, but she preempted any protests with just a look and a few silent words. 'I'll be fine, just… Please.'

Though Kiritsugu frowned at her in silent disapproval, she stood by her decision. Saber was no fool. If worse came to worst, and she were to cross swords with Lancelot, the finest swordsman she knew even now and surely bearing the "Unfading Light of the Lake," she knew the odds wouldn't quite be in her favor. But then, her partner would rush to her side in a heartbeat (as would Gandalf for Lancelot) and… No. No second-guessing herself now. She had to do this.

As for the Man of a Thousand Techniques, he couldn't possibly say no to her, not after all their talks these last few days. So, he nodded and silently blocked his Master's path when he appeared ready to oppose this. Pragmatism and obligation be damned… Kakashi Hatake wouldn't forsake his personal ethos, certainly not in a situation like this.

Kiritsugu's clone cast a small glare at the arm blocking him, then aimed it at its source. 'Let me guess, you'd want this sort of opportunity yourself if it were Obito or Rin?' The original made his disapproval quite clear over their link.

Any shame he felt in using the names of the shinobi's fallen comrades was pushed down as far into the darkest parts of his heart as possible.

'Yes, I would,' Assassin X "replied" calmly. 'Wouldn't you if it were Natalia…' he closed his eye in slight shame; this was dirty of him, he knew. '…Or Shirley?'

…It took every last shred of discipline the Shadow Clone had attained in his days as the Mage Killer to not openly gape at the Heroic Spirit, and even then, his limbs felt stiff as lead. He could sense curious looks being shot his way but couldn't muster the ability to counter them. Thoughts and emotions, anger being a prominent one, swirled about through his mind like an erratic maelstrom, but he couldn't articulate anything through his mouth or the link.

…How the hell does he-? How could-? …Did Iri tell…? Did he pry for her, their names?! Son of a-

Finally, a sigh not his own echoed inside his head, followed by Assassin X's voice. 'Servants can dream, too.'

Somehow, the logical part of Kiritsugu Emiya's brain latched onto those four words and drew the correct conclusion behind his Servant's knowledge, and from there, his composure began to return. He was still slightly rattled, but Saber heard no objections from him.

The King of Knights spared him (and her partner) a nigh-imperceptible nod in gratitude before stepping away from the group and into the forest, her Knight of the Round two steps behind her. Just like old times, she couldn't help but ponder.

The Heroic Spirits' leg strength and mutual trepidation allowed them to gain a sizable distance from the group in little time. They sensed a ripple of mana in the air while walking, a sign of the Bounded Field expanding with them. This at least guaranteed outsiders wouldn't intervene in their… talk.

Finally, Saber stopped in a small clearing not that far from where she had exchanged stories with Assassin X only a couple of minutes ago. Her sight drifted up to the trees' higher branches, the few specks of green among winter leaves, and whenever she tried to turn her head back towards Lancelot, her eyes would linger. Artoria made to say something, but even when her mouth opened, no words came out. Her tongue seemed incapable of movement.

No, it wasn't her tongue. Her thoughts were a turbulent maelstrom once again, images and sounds swirling about with no rhyme or reason behind them. Their only commonality rested at the center of the storm, its "calmest" point: the face of a friend. Seated at the Table. Fighting side-by-side on one battlefield or another. Surveying the lands on horseback.

Standing above him at his and Guinevere's trial.

Only once it felt like another lifetime had passed did the King of Knights find the courage to speak. "…I see your strength has not diminished from your peak in life. You seem to have even learned a few new tricks."

What am I saying? She scolded herself. I do not dance around topics like some silver-tongued politician. I've already discussed this enough with Kakashi. So, why can I not speak to him directly?

"…The benefits of a second life, I suppose." Though she had yet to face him, Saber sensed the same hesitance in the other knight's words. The knowledge proved both calming and frustrating. "And as a Servant in such times as this, I cannot help but wish to test the limits of my abilities even when of… unsound mind."

Saber smiled for half a moment. "You never were one to rest on your laurels…"

An odd sound briefly rang out into the woods. "Like you were ever satisfied with your current state, my King. I imagine you've experimented yourself throughout these battles."

"With moderate success," she admitted openly, the hint of mirth having somehow lessened the pit in her stomach. The King of Britain finally turned towards her subject… and a small frown appeared on her face. He was standing a ways off from her in the clearing, too far for her to reach out and touch him but close enough, arms dangling by the sides from slumped shoulders. His eyes were rooted down at her feet.

This sight of him rankled her. "Stand straight," she snapped without thinking. "Cease your slouching and look me in the eye. You are Sir Lancelot, Knight of the Lake, sworn sword to the Round Table of Camelot! Not some chastened boy caught stealing his neighbor's bread!"

He scoffed, a quiet sound but with a trace of bitterness. The most emotion he'd shown since they arrived here. "If it were merely a loaf of bread I had stolen, we would not be here…"

"I am here to prevent our home's destruction. Why you are here, I am not certain." Even as the words left Artoria's lips, she didn't know why she was saying them. "I never thought you of all men could stand before me as a Berserker. I cannot fathom the reason why you would attack me with such fury," her own anger, grievances she generally kept buried, rose with each syllable, "what slight I inflicted upon you that would bring you to hate me so-"

"Hate you?" Lancelot finally met her gaze, and it was one that mirrored her for nearly each of her emotions. "You think that is why I became the monster who would be snarling and rampaging about were it not for Gandalf? You believe it is because I hate you?!" A fire flickered inside his eyes, hot and eager to erupt.

It was clear the wizard had not truly erased the Knight of the Lake's madness, merely… suppressed it.

Even so, Artoria did not cower from the prospect of Berserker returning. Rather, the fire in her own heart rose to meet his. "What else could be the reason? You attack me, try to kill my comrade and friend, nearly endanger this city itself in hounding me, and for what?!" Her arms snapped out while the voice in her head chiding her for this grew harder to hear. Why do you throw your rage about, you fool? Have you forgotten everything Kakashi taught you, everything you've learned the past few days? Why do you do this to him? "Even after learning of your fidelity, I wished only the best for you and Guinevere, I forgave you, Lancelot-"

"I DIDN'T DESERVE YOUR FORGIVENESS!"

The outburst struck her harder than any physical blow. Lancelot was leaning forward, fists clenched before him as though to fight, his eyes blazing with maddened fury…

And then dimming again. He shrank away in nigh-tangible shame. "I betrayed my King," his roar had dropped to a whisper, "dishonored the Queen I grew to love, let our home fall to ruin…" His arms had fallen again in utter defeat. "I should have been stripped of my titles, beaten until my bones were shattered beyond healing, flayed from head to toe, beheaded…"

A single tear trickled down his face. "And yet you forgave me."

Artoria nearly would've cried herself, her prior raging all but a glimmer she carried guiltily within. She drew in a deep breath. "…I told you then, you are the perfect knight. And I could clearly see the love you and Guinevere shared." She straightened a little. "You could love her in a way I never could. You both deserved happiness, especially after all the risks you had taken and the sacrifices you had made."

Lancelot sighed a little. "Sacrifices…" His own talks with his comrade and the lessons compelled him to tell the full tale. "How could any sacrifices we made ever compare to yours, Arthur?"

Her eyes dipped away from hers for the first time. "So, you knew…" She returned her gaze and found no reaction from him. "Did it grieve you to know you had been serving a girl all this time, not a boy? I took no pride in deceiving you or the others-"

"I know," her friend assured her. "When Tristan left…" Both tensed a little at the memory of their brother-in-arms' departure. "I couldn't stop thinking about what he had said. It was only then I began to see the weight you carried with your crown. When I first sought out Guinevere, I never though about…" He trailed off, the guilt overtaking him. "I wished to ease you of your burden, and so did she. She confessed your secret to me, but she did so out of concern for you, and it only made me admire you more. The lengths you had gone for the sake of Britain…"

Artoria stilled. She had always thought others would look down on her if they knew the truth, the "little girl" behind the legend of King Arthur. The Riders' attitude had justified her caution. Not to mention it had proven a crucial catalyst in Camelot's downfall. But to hear Lancelot had never thought less of her even with her gender in mind… "It had to be done. The people needed a man as King, no matter the pressure on me." She swallowed, another name surfacing in her mind. "Or Guinevere." Her lies had extracted a toll not just from her.

Lancelot seemed to have read her mind, judging from his next sentence. "Guinevere did not blame you for the circumstances once. She simply…" He broke eye contact, gauntlets creaking under the pressure. "We both cared for you, Artoria. All we wanted was to lighten your burden even if by the smallest amount. Our love for each other was… an accident."

For a moment, it appeared as though there was something else, but then, he returned his gaze to her. "I do not try to justify myself, my King. No matter my intentions, I led your Queen astray and condemned her in the eyes of our people. I murdered my fellow knights in a desperate attempt to save her…" He peered briefly up towards the setting sun. "Is it any wonder Gawain denounced me when I tried to come back and aid you?"

Gawain… her steadfast nephew. How pure and righteous the King remembered her White Knight… How furious she recalled seeing him as he cried for justice over Gaheris and Gareth's deaths. As she closed her eyes, she could still see the outrage and confusion etched across his face upon hearing her decree of pardoning Lancelot.

Should his reaction have surprised you? The voice from before had regained its prior volume. Behind the great legends and idols you and your knights had cultivated, you were all ultimately mere humans. Why could you not comprehend this situation? Why didn't you see the burdens you were placing on everyone? Is what Sir Tristan said true even after this second life you've lived? How did everything become such a mess between us?

"I know Guinevere and I should have run away," the Knight of the Lake continued his lament unaware of his King's thoughts, "We could both see the signs, rumors were spreading, and the last thing you needed was to be shamed by the very fools who sought to support you." Grief rumbled through his core, more so from his many failures. "We should have fled…"

"But to do that would have meant forsaking your honor entirely." He started at King Arthur's utterly serene tone, free of judgement or resentment. "You would've had to sneak off into the night with her like a blackguard, and that is something you've always been too noble for."

She forced herself not to sigh. …Because for all my efforts, I was only human. And so was he.

Such was the answer to her most agonizing questions. "Lancelot, even if I didn't know the reasons behind it, I couldn't punish you for your affair with Guinevere because the fault was mine. I made you both worry so much over my burdens when I should have been strong enough. I was always grateful to Guinevere, but I could never love her the way a woman should be loved. In presenting myself as the infallible King of Britain, I drove you both to crumble under the weight of your own burdens. Britain's downfall was my fault…"

She made to finish her statement, but "and mine alone" suddenly caught into her throat. A voice not her own intervened, humming through her mind. "…your kingdom fell because of a witch's manipulations and frankly a series of tragedies." Kakashi could've been standing right next to her, so clear were the words he'd said not half an hour ago. "Some of them were your fault, I won't deny that, but not all of them." And to her shock, they soothed her turmoil.

More of his words followed, and so Saber cleared her throat to revise her prior statement. "You know, my partner has offered me quite a few interesting discussions since we were first summoned together. Among other things, he's given me food for thought over the ideal of 'a perfect King'."

Berserker nodded hesitantly. "Yes, the ideal we all believed in during your time. And that is exactly what you were, Arthur-"

"No," she interrupted him with a softness that took him aback, "I wasn't. Or as my friend Kakashi put it, I was too invested in being perfect I didn't realize the consequences of this. I sought to create an ideal kingdom, one where everyone of my subjects would know peace and happiness, including my brave knights." Her mind drifted to her hidden Noble Phantasm, representing this very utopia she had pursued to create, now in the hands of a man she normally would've never trusted with a bent copper. …Then again, our goals are not so different, are they, Kiritsugu Emiya?

Artoria Pendragon shook herself and continued. "I believed as King, it was my duty to protect and bear the weight of all our people's burdens, and because of these ideals, I alienated Tristan and dismissed Mordred while you and Guinevere in turn wished to lighten me of mine. When caught, you did not flee, Lancelot, but stood tall before me to accept a punishment I could not rightly give. And so, everything slowly fell apart.

"You tried so very hard to be the perfect knight." A sad laugh escaped Artoria. "Just as I strove to be the perfect King."

Lancelot du Lac chuckled himself at the irony inside her words. "And the burden proved too great for either of us. What a pair we make."

She nodded before reflecting on what she had learned since her time after that dreaded hill. "You know, my partner Assassin X hails from a village which follows a curious belief." He relaxed nigh-imperceptibly at the change in topic, drawing a brief smile from her. "According to the Will of Fire, the entire village is one extended family with members that provide for and protect one another. They have a sort of King as well, but this Hokage is not isolated from the 'family': the Hokage protects their people, and the people protect their Hokage."

Her knight hummed in thought, considering what the King had told him and gauging it with his own experiences. "…An unusual ideal," was his final judgment, "but a beautiful one. I do not know if I or the rest of the Round would have entertained considering ourselves equal family with you." He shut his eyes for a moment. "Not even Gawain or his siblings dared to believe themselves so close to you despite sharing blood. You were simply too magnificent a presence, a being transcending even Knights like us."

"And it is this very magnificence, this image of… perfection, which contributed to my isolation," she noted. "Your partner told me not long ago that a 'perfect King' cannot actually exist. Each path of kingship, be it as a guardian or a conqueror, carries its own fundamental flaws." She crossed her arms in thought. "But Gandalf added flaws needn't be a bad thing."

The Heroic Spirit of (Dimmed) Madness smiled a little more widely. "That sounds like him. I suspect he sensed what I was from the moment we first met, the sins I shall forever carry… He saw me for all my flaws, all of my failings… And still he persisted in being kind to me…" He sighed through his nose, his grin dimming again. "Even when I caused him, our Master and you such grief." But his eyes carried a familiar shine that warmed her heart. "I suppose we shouldn't dismiss outside wisdom when it has made this impossible meeting possible."

The One and Future King nodded again. "Iskandar, King of Conquerors, certainly thought highly of it, and I cannot claim to be a greater King than him." The storm inside her core had passed, waters in its place as calm as the Lake where she'd received Excalibur. "Many, many mistakes were made which brought about our home's downfall." She lifted a hand to forestall her knight's protest. "Not all of them were mine…" the confession tasted foreign to her, but not in a bad way, "but I bear responsibility for a fair number of them. Thus, my wish for the Holy Grail remains the same as when I arrived in this War, but my approach has changed."

She fixed her shoulders and stood tall. "I shall prevent Britain's destruction or, at the very least, secure a better ending for it. And I will strive to do so by using the lessons I've learned from the people I have met in this era: Kakashi, Gandalf, Iskandar and his comrades…" She smiled again, this one strong and sincere. "…And you, Sir Lancelot."

Her once lost friend drew himself to his full height, mirroring her expression, then crossed his right arm over his chest to bow. "I wish you all the luck in this world and all others for this task, my King. And though my honor has been tainted from my prior transgressions, I now swear on it you will have my sword for whatever you deem fit, even if it is for taking my life." He raised his head again, face now straight as stone. "I only ask for some time before your final judgment."

Artoria's first instinct was to protest his acceptance of his execution; with all that had been confessed here, she sought Lancelot's head even less. But then her brain caught up with what he just said, and she grew curious. "You truly have tempered yourself, old friend. Does this request mean you have reconsidered your own wish?"

"…In a way," Lancelot replied after mulling it over. "You've surely noticed by now that you are not the only one who's benefitted from exchanging words with their partner." His head turned slightly back to where they had left the others. "Gandalf told me that merely seeking punishment would not balance the damage I have caused. I've been encouraged to try and redeem myself, to make a difference for the better before my time in this world ends."

He hesitated, then admitted, "Part of me believes I can never earn redemption. Still… He has faith in me. And our Master needs our help for a dangerous mission. So, I wish to try." The Knight of the Lake knelt once again before his King. "I know I have forsaken my right to ask any favors of you, but even so, I beg of you now, Artoria Pendragon, forestall your final judgement of me while Caster X and I fulfill our mission. If I survive, I shall submit myself to your will. Please… permit me this final chance to see if I can still do a knight's duty."

The Heroic Spirit of the Sword had already known what her answer would be halfway through his request, but she had let him finish. Now she raised her hand towards him. "Rise, Sir Lancelot." The dark-armored knight did so, and she looked him solemnly in the eye. "Your crimes cannot be ignored, but neither can your many years of service and deeds."

She made her decree with all of the authority her subjects in life had known and admired. "In light of the latter, your request is granted. Serve your Master well! Complete your mission with Gandalf the Gray! Protect your comrade! Prove yourself worthy of redemption!" She paused for a quick breath, her smile back. "And once your task is done, return to me alive. Then we shall determine once and for all what your fate shall be."

By then, I will know what to do with you, she added to herself, …hopefully.

With a smile of his own, Lancelot bowed once again, a pride he hadn't felt in ages surging inside him again. "Thy will be done, my King!"

Artoria too felt nostalgia washing over her again, the sunset's light shining behind her through the trees. She basked in this moment for a minute that thankfully seemed to stretch on forever… then reoriented her thoughts. "I only ask one favor in return, Sir." Like it or not, this was the Holy Grail War, and Saber was a loyal Servant of her team. "Tell me everything you can about this mission and the alliance between your Master and Tokiomi Tohsaka."

"Of course," Berserker complied without hesitation. "Your Master and partner are surely being informed as we speak, so I needn't keep you in the dark about our business tonight."

---

-39:55:27

Assassin X had watched the two knights stalk off into the forest from the corner of his eye. Sure, he trusted Saber with his life, but in the state her mind was currently in, who knew how Artoria would end up dealing with her old friend turned enemy?

Kiritsugu by contrast had no intention on dwelling on his current thoughts, so he resolved to be proactive. "Now then," his Shadow Clone dutifully drew everyone's attention, "let's get back on track here. I believe we had business to discuss?"

"Indeed." Caster X leaned slightly forward on his staff, his smile gone now. "Three nights ago, your team agreed alongside many of us to a ceasefire, Lady Irisviel, so we could put a stop to a greater threat. Sadly, Sir Diarmuid as well as King Iskandar and his group can aid us no longer, but even with two of his cronies gone as well, Megatron remains at large."

"And we have all surely ascertained that he still isn't alone." Tokiomi stepped forward. "This outlier, Avenger X… He didn't simply appear in this Grail War by himself." He gestured to his Servant. "Lancer X fought alongside Kariya's team against the foreigner, and judging from what he said and what else we know, we believe his Master is Zouken Matou."

Inside his hood, Kariya tilted his head a little at the Einzbern team's reaction. Or rather, lack thereof. "From the looks of it, you're not hearing anything you didn't already know."

"We had our suspicions, yes," Maiya's clone replied in a perfect imitation of Irisviel's voice and tone. "Our investigations indicated an alliance between Rider X and your family's head, Mr. Matou, at least as early as when that Servant convinced Archer X to join him. It's a bit surprising, though, that you don't seem in the loop of these developments."

Kariya's fist clenched, but Caster X spoke up before he could. "He may share the Matou surname, Lady Irisviel, but our Master does not fight for Zouken's sake, you can be assured of that. In fact, we seek to stop him as well as the rogues."

This information did draw a reaction from Kiritsugu's group, the hidden Master exchanging glances with his Servants and subordinate. Infighting among the Matou family? Research told of Kariya having rejoined them a year ago after spending his whole life away from it, but that could've been due to any number of reasons. Now, though, it looked like he really hadn't returned out of familial love. Kariya in his present state didn't look much better than a severe cancer patient. Assassin X took a discreet glimpse of him with his Sharingan and barely stopped himself from wincing. 'Poor guy's a mess inside,' he reported over his link, 'and I don't mean that metaphorically.'

Like some twisted perversion of the Aburame clan, he noted to himself, suppressing a shudder at the many, many worm-like things huddling inside the man's body. Luckily, they appeared to be largely idle for the time being. Kakashi didn't feel like describing all of this, though, and Kiritsugu fortunately took his word for it.

In fact, the latter as well as the stand-in for his wife were focused on an increasing tension by the Tohsaka duo. Tightening of grips, stiff posture… Looks like they have a bone to pick with the old man, too. "Irisviel" decided to test this a little. "A son striking out against his father is one thing, but I wouldn't have thought you would be interested in another family's discord, sir Tokiomi."

The magus in red rolled his shoulder slightly. "Zouken Matou is a grave threat to the Tohsakas, and in light of our Servants' surprising… cooperation, I believe our interests may coincide enough for us to put a permanent end to his unnaturally long life."

"Is?" Not "could be?" Kiritsugu frowned to himself as another detail came to mind, one connected to both families' dossier: A Tohsaka daughter had been taken in by the Matou family. Not that common a practice between magus families who weren't branches of one another or otherwise bound by blood, but it still happened even nowadays. Come to think of it, though, that business happened just a few months before Kariya had been pronounced his family's champion…

Another look at the visibly agitated Matou boy and his state obviously brought about by magecraft, then at the Heroic Spirits contracted to him, and the pieces began to slide into place. Well, well… The Mage Killer's cold eyes returned to Tokiomi Tohsaka. It looks like he's more than just your archetypical magus patriarch after all.

He signaled subtly to "Irisviel" who in turn addressed both enemy Masters now. "From what we can tell, the two of you have already begun to establish an alliance. Why then would you decide to contact us as well?" At her words, Assassin X moved a little closer to his comrades. "Or maybe you brought us here to ensure we wouldn't get in your way?"

This was a bluff, of course. Neither Artoria Pendragon nor Kakashi Hatake had any doubts in the word of Gandalf the Gray, the one who had invited them to this meeting. Hell, even Kiritsugu found it difficult to believe this wizard harbored any malicious intent; a rarity for a man like him. But they couldn't afford to take chances around people who were technically their opponents. Whatever their affections or sympathies, these Masters and Servants standing before them were contenders for the Holy Grail.

Thankfully, even if the three Servants together could've posed a lethal threat, they had no intention for it. "We would be grateful if you did not interfere in our mutual mission, yes," Caster X said placatingly, "but we bear you no ill will, Lady Irisviel. Rather, we hope to continue for peaceful cooperation with your group. At least until we have dealt with Rider X, Avenger X and Zouken Matou…" Something dark crept into the Gray Wizard's tone upon uttering that name, making everyone else, even Kiritsugu, shudder just a little.

Assassin X eyed him warily; he'd heard this gentle, benevolent person speak of anyone like this only once before: When they'd faced Caster for the first time in the forest.

But it was only for a moment. "But considering what we know of our enemy's strength," his eyes narrowed, "and more, what we do not know, we would also ask of your aid if possible."

Assassin X moved to his supposed Master's side. "All three teams united against a common enemy?" Appealing though it was, he'd learned a long time ago to not get your hopes up too quickly. "Quite the proposal you're putting on the table."

"These are interesting times," Lancer X replied smoothly, locking eyes with him, "and I'm sure you can agree with me none of us can leave anything to chance this late in the Grail War, Kakashi Hatake." He conceded with a nod at that, and she continued. "Besides, would it not please you, Lady Irisviel, to see all three Founding Families working together again if only briefly?"

Kiritsugu chimed in now, still wary about this arrangement. "I'm a little skeptical about letting history alone dictate decisions, especially considering how said history ended between the Families. And while some of you appear more trustworthy than the rest, an alliance like this is a rather big risk. What guarantee do we have it won't end with you lot falling upon us the moment we let our guards down?"

Tokiomi retaliated with a cool half-smile. "It's interesting how you fear treachery from us considering the infamy surrounding you, Mr. Emiya."

Somehow, Maiya knew exactly what Irisviel von Einzbern would say if she were here. "It's because Kiritsugu Emiya is aiding my family that I take such particular care." Crimson eyes narrowed at the emerald-clad Servant and her Master. "Besides, each of the Masters here retains both of their Servants, yet you've shown up with only one, the less powerful one at that. Care to explain?"

Jade bristled slightly at the accusation, but Tokiomi waved her back. "Archer's abilities and temperament are… less suitable for the task we have in mind. I can ensure he won't interfere with this particular mission, though." His gaze dipped tellingly down to his hands resting on his cane, the complete set of Command Seals on full display.

Strutting around with them out in the open… Kiritsugu scoffed to himself. Sloppy. Archer's absence was telling: Like Maiya had said, Lancer X paled in comparison to her partner in terms of destructive might. But that in turn made her a better match for missions requiring a subtler approach. So, if Tokiomi was intending on using her, then they didn't want the Matou residence reduced to a smoldering crater. Not yet, anyway.

His Servant was having the same thoughts and voiced them telepathically. 'The only reason Tohsaka wouldn't just order Archer to unleash his wrath on Zouken Matou…' Assassin X began.

'Would be because Matou is holding something he won't risk getting caught in the crossfire.' Kiritsugu surmised. 'Or someone.' He amended while observing the team of knight and wizard. 'And rather than place all of his hopes that Lancer X can retrieve them before total annihilation, he comes to us extending an olive branch and an alliance to increase the probability of success.'

'Not to mention he doesn't want us to interfere in this mission of theirs or blindside him the moment he lets his guard down. And with Archer staying out of the way while we run ourselves ragged…'

'Tokiomi can have him deliver the finishing blow afterwards,' Kiritsugu chimed in to conclude the duo's deductions. An elegant and ruthless way of wiping out the competition for the Grail in one fell swoop… in theory. How stupid does he think we are? Even if his team agreed to this nonsense, he wasn't about to let them be trapped so easily, and one look at Kariya's team made it clear they had similar thoughts; the Master seemed especially disinclined towards his rival, too.

That could make for another possibility… Then again, Saber and Berserker's connection complicated that avenue…

As though she sensed his musings, Maiya's clone decided to try and buy some time. "You're both asking me to place a fair bit of trust in you, no matter how brief. Seeing as we have this War's sole remaining Saber on our side along with another Servant who's in no way her inferior…"

A bashful Kakashi rubbed his head at the praise while Kiritsugu nodded ever so slightly in agreement.

"I wouldn't consider us so desperate as to need your help." The fake homunculus stared resolutely at each rival Master in turn. "It actually seems to be the other way around. What exactly can you offer us for this alliance?"

Tokiomi studied her carefully and with a hint of increased respect. It seemed the Einzberns hadn't lost as much of their strength as he'd assumed. Trying to coerce them would be too messy for his liking, and even if he won, this was too early a point to face her Servants.

But it was another who answered "Irisviel's" challenge. "Well, maybe I can convince you." even with one blind eye, Kariya Matou matched her stare in strength. "Someone… very dear to me is a prisoner in Zouken Matou's house, and I will do anything I have to so he can never pose a threat to her again."

Kiritsugu focused on one word. Her, huh? Tokiomi's former daughter? Is she why Kariya's fighting- The latter's next words cut through his theorizing.

"But once that's done, Lady Einzbern, I swear on my name as a Matou, I'll retract my right as a Master and my family's claim to the Holy Grail for good."

It wasn't the words alone that made everyone stare at the slouching half-baked magus, but the tone with which he had spoken them. Had he proclaimed his house's repeal boisterously, they could've chalked it as posturing. If he'd stuttered or shown weakness, it might've been deemed a bluff.

But… "Aside from me and Zouken, my brother Byakuya and his seven-year-old son are all that's left of the Matous. Byakuya's older than me, but between him and my nephew, there's even less talent for magecraft than what I've got." Kariya explained all of this so matter-of-factly, and his words matched with the information both other families had collected about the Matous. "Zouken's the only one with real power in my family anymore, it's been that way for generations. When he dies, our time as magi will come to an end."

Kariya shrugged, or rather tried to; he could only lift his right shoulder properly. The left trembled before sagging again. "I want him dead more than anyone else on this whole planet, and I don't give a damn about the Grail. With him dead and me the last Matou magus, I can put an end to my family's pursuit of it. Hell, I can even put it in writing if it'll convince you all." There he went speaking so utterly blasé about giving up the fight his ancestors had engaged in for approaching on two-hundred years now.

And shockingly enough, Kiritsugu believed him. Then again, he noticed Kariya's words were rather specific.

'Are you certain about this, Kariya?' Caster X turned to him, worry marring his wrinkled features.

'Don't worry, Gandalf, I might be stepping back as a Master, but you don't have to follow my lead. If all three of us are still around after tearing Zouken to shreds, I'll release you and Berserker from service to me. You can still have a chance at returning to Middle-Earth.' He might've been a selfish piece of work, but Kariya wasn't about to let his Servants go unrewarded, least of all the one who'd made him getting this far even possible.

But the Istar shot him a sharp look. 'I believe you, Kariya, but I do not question merely for our own sake. Giving up the Grail entirely… do you really wish to take such a risk? What if you need its power to save Sakura?' His Master froze, knowing exactly what he'd meant. Kariya was an average magus, and after a single year of training, his body was horribly ravaged inside and out. Sakura had been subjected to the Crest Worms' tender "mercies" a little longer, and according to both Tokiomi and Zouken, she carried far greater potential.

The last time he'd seen her flashed before his eyes, her once raven black hair and turquoise eyes having turned purple, a color closer to that of a Matou than who she really was. And her eyes so dull, so bereft of hope…

Kariya's nostrils flared as he forced out the memory, then he "spoke" to his Servant and friend. 'If Tokiomi's as great as he thinks he is, he can come up with a way to get her back to normal completely. Forsaking the Grail for real is the only bargaining chip we have right now. After all, neither of you want to fight the Einzbern team. Not anymore.' His dark-armored Servant glanced away at that. 'Besides, Zouken's the one who spawned all of these damned Crest Worms. He's connected to them; having them jump from host to host is how that vampire's been able to stay alive all of these centuries. But a link like that ought to go both ways. If he dies, the Worms will most likely die with him. All of them, no matter where they are.'

'That alone won't restore your body, Master,' Gandalf interjected, a furrowed brow the only sign of concern on an otherwise stoic face.

'It can't make things any worse for me, either.' Kariya gave him a tired but sincere smile. 'Look, I wasn't expecting to survive this War before I summoned you, Gandalf. And I can't thank you enough for everything both of you have done and are doing for me, including giving me hope for a life, but…' He closed his eyes and nodded to himself before opening them again. 'I'll gladly lay down my life if it means Sakura gets hers back.'

The wizard returned his smile, though with a bittersweet undertone. His Master had truly grown beyond the bitter, revenge-driven wreck he had first met upon arriving to this world. And he knew his partner would praise the man's valor. 'Then I believe supporting our Master's decision is all we can do.' And so he and Kariya faced the rest as a united front again, showing their conviction to this bargain.

Kiritsugu, "Irisviel" and Assassin X scanned the duo standing before them for any hint of deception, any crack in their collective resolve to their bargain… and found none. Kariya Matou's team was almost certainly the most honest side in this parley.

The disguised Shadow Clone of Maiya Hisau thus turned to the third party. "And you, Lord Tokiomi? Would you make the same offer for the sake of our alliance?"

"I'm afraid as representative of the Tohsaka family, I cannot retract our stake in the Grail War." Tokiomi replied smoothly. Inwardly, his respect for Kariya had increased significantly, though the magus in him balked at such an outrageous idea. The Holy Grail is simply too great an opportunity to throw away easily. And Tokiomi needed it to reach Akasha, both for the honor of his ancestors… and for the future of his daughters. "However, I can offer you a favor, Lady Irisviel. Information, the first strike or death of one you have a personal stake in… whatever you desire, so long it be within my power to grant."

Well, having sole claim over the Grail would've been too good to be true. "Irisviel" needed only a few seconds and a nod from Kiritsugu to come up with a different idea anyway. "In that case, I want Kirei Kotomine gone." Another would've laughed at the red-clad magus' blatant surprise, but she went on without missing a beat. "You don't have to kill him, just have him leave Fuyuki City for the rest of the Grail War's duration."

Caster X frowned in confusion before turning to Kariya, but he just shrugged a little himself. Kotomine the priest? The Matou Master wondered. The former Master of Assassin who quit almost right after the War began? What's he got to do with anything? They watched how Tokiomi exchanged clearly surprised looks with Lancer X; no doubt having a private conversation themselves. Gandalf nodded at them, then towards the third group, and then it made a little more sense to Kariya. Oh, for the love of… He huffed to himself. Am I the only Master in this goddamn War who didn't stack the deck?!

Tokiomi for his part didn't want to consider just how much the Mage Killer seemed to be aware of his plans, but he needed to learn more. "May I at least learn the reason behind this… curious request?"

Maiya studied him and the female Servant of the Spear very carefully. Their body language was muted but told a tale of caution, reluctance… but also confusion. So, she decided to stir things a little more. "That man has interfered with our dealings enough for us to consider him a personal enemy of the Einzberns." Sure enough, the word, "personal," made Tokiomi's frown deepen. So, he doesn't know what his pupil's been up to. Lancer X, by contrast, had visibly grown more attentive. It looks like she already wasn't certain about Kotomine.

Beside her, Kiritsugu had made the same connections and gauged Kariya's increasing irritation as well. The crippled man hid his emotions so poorly you could spot them a mile away; no surprise considering he walked away from the magus life long ago. The alliance between these two clearly hadn't been 100% upfront with each other. Sorry, Tohsaka, but if you want me to play your game, you'll have to lay all of your cards on the table.

Meanwhile, "Irisviel" continued her explanation. "We know Kirei Kotomine never stopped being your acolyte, and that he's the one who summoned Rider X in the first place." Tokiomi tightened his grip on his cane. "Needless to say, I have even less reason to trust you so long as that man remains in Fuyuki. In fact, he needs to leave Japan completely for the rest of the War if you still seek our cooperation."

Sensing her Master's internal struggle with the turn this parley had taken and the Matou side's growing distrust, Jade spoke up to give him some time. "We can confirm Kotomine summoned Rider X along with Assassin. But that monster has found a way to become self-sufficient. It's hard to say if even a Command Seal can stop him." Or so Kirei said, she added only to herself. I knew I sensed something… off about him yesterday…

Tokiomi was beginning to have his own doubts about his student, but those would have to wait. "Kirei has been assigned the new overseer following his father's murder, and with how dramatic these last few nights have been, it is more crucial than ever no outsiders become involved in the Grail War. The Church can't just send a replacement out of the blue, though."

"We'll be sure to tread lightly while we're killing each other," Kiritsugu "assured" him.

"You may have little care for subtlety, Mr. Emiya," Tokiomi retorted, "but Fuyuki City is already teetering on the edge of being Japan's most conspicuous part. One more citywide incident, and the whole world will turn its eye towards us. Quite a big risk, even for you, and your employers may not appreciate their Heaven's Feel garnering so much attention."

Kiritsugu almost smirked before catching himself. The Tohsaka head still assumed he was just a mercenary hired to assist the Einzbern Master, not the Einzbern Master himself. If he played it right, he could weather the inevitable collapse of this alliance…

And on that matter, Assassin X chose to weigh in his own opinion. "You make a fair point about anonymity, Lord Tokiomi, but there aren't so many Servants left anymore, much less ones whose powers attract attention. You have a Servant yourself with a penchant for stealth. If done right, we can wipe out the rogue Servants and Zouken Matou with no one the wiser."

"A bold claim," Lancer X countered, "when your partner wields an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. Such a weapon is hardly the most subtle tool in a Grail War."

A silver eyebrow arched towards her. "Remind me how good your partner is at handling situations discreetly." She released a laugh despite herself before the Einzbern Servant continued. "Saber knows the War's rules of discretion and respects them with a knight's integrity. She's not one to unleash her full might for the heck of it. If something like Caster's calamity were to happen again, then yes, but the whole point of us coming together is to avoid that, right?" He widened his gaze to all assembled. "So, let's not let it come to that."

Neither the Einzbern nor the Mage Killer showed any room for compromise. Jade noted this before engaging in private conversation with her Master. 'I doubt we can sway them from these conditions, and the longer we drag this out, the more we risk fracturing our standing with Kariya's group. Judging from the lack of destruction in Saber and Berserker's location, it could mean they have worked out their own differences. Which in turn means…'

'…If Kariya loses what little trust he has in me, he could side with the Einzberns and oppose us,' Tokiomi concluded sourly. He didn't doubt the other man would want to rescue Sakura regardless of which team he allied with, and he still carried three Command Seals for Gilgamesh who could probably win no matter the odds… but the Tohsakas couldn't be lax in the Grail War, not anymore. There was far too much at stake. Ultimately, Tokiomi nodded in submission. "Very well, I will see to Kirei's departure as soon as possible." But not before he and I have had a little… discussion about these accusations, he added to himself.

This could very well be a trick of Emiya's. Kirei had been every bit the dutiful apprentice Tokiomi had hoped for when he and Risei had first brought him into the fold. But this request was quite unusual considering what else Einzbern might've demanded, not to mention Jade herself was being apprehensive around the priest. Tokiomi had come to trust her judgment.

Well, you know what they say, he told himself, Trust, but verify. Aside from his overseer duties, there wasn't much need for Kirei in Fuyuki anymore. Tokiomi also made a mental note to go over his testament again, maybe adjust one or two details…

A matter for later, though.

Right now in the present, the Einzbern homunculus had exchanged looks with Assassin X and Emiya and was now turning back to them. "These terms are acceptable," she declared. "On behalf of my family, I agree to an extended truce between these three teams and perhaps contribute our strength to wiping out Zouken Matou and the threat of the rogue Servants for good." Once that goal is reached, all bets are off, she left unsaid. Everyone knew it, after all.

Ever the mediator, Caster X tapped his staff against the ground to get everyone's attention. "May I suggest, then, that we share what information each of us has concerning our mutual enemies?" His steady baritone voice drew the others' attention, and his words rang in synch with each individual's sense of logic. "Each of us has faced at least one of our enemies, and if we are to succeed, we require as detailed a picture of their strengths and limits as possible. Would you take this risk and trust us, Kiritsugu Emiya?"

Now the addressed mercenary's clone was nudged in the spotlight. He studied the wizard warily, uncertain of why he had addressed him now and not "Irisviel." Has he figured it out…? He weighed his options: Assassin X had already learned of Rider X's secret power, this "Dark Energon" (he tried not to shudder, though it wasn't due to any cold) from Waver Velvet, and Saber's brief battle against Avenger X yielded more information. It couldn't be much more than what Tokiomi and Kariya had, though, and Kiritsugu knew next to nothing about Zouken Matou's abilities. His double's scouting the family manor had confirmed little more than the obvious threat level.

A tap on his shoulder shook him from his thoughts, and he side-eyed Assassin X, the Servant shooting him a telling look. We may as well play nice.

The Copy Ninja's prior revelation had rattled Kiritsugu; he couldn't say for sure how much he knew about his past. Yet despite his suspicions, he found himself turning back to the group. "Alright, wizard, but given your wisdom, I trust you're familiar with this phrase of our world, quid pro quo."

---

-39:01:32

Wisps of shadow flickered about in the air, then they coalesced into a humanoid shape atop a house. Macour the Quick ran silently along its roof before leaping off and towards his destination. His feet touched the ground with nary a whisper, and he stood before Fuyuki Church. There was no one present to see the masked dark-skinned man, and even if there were, they wouldn't have noticed him, such was the skill of the Servant of Assassination.

Another presence joined him, then another, and soon, a small group stood in front of the church's main door. They shuffled about amongst themselves, but Macour quickly worked up the courage to open the door and step inside. His "brothers" followed quickly, though not without trepidation.

As the silence seemed to smother them, Bilal the Mending finally asked, "Is this wise? All of us being in one place?"

"Our Master instructed all of us to come here," Strange Arms Gozour replied gruffly. "We cannot simply disobey him."

He received a scoff in reply. "You say that as if we haven't considered it already." Akii received a harsh glare from her fellow personalities; whispered or not, some words couldn't be uttered aloud carelessly. Much less in their current location.

They had little elsewhere to go. Zouken Matou was just as twisted as their current company and far creepier. The other Masters and Servants would probably capture them if they saw them, squeeze them dry of information, and then kill them. Not to mention they had no love for Tokiomi after he'd had Kirei order them to throw their lives away in a hopeless battle.

Assassin was not a Heroic Spirit unaccustomed to immoral actions; the class itself was one despised and dismissed by the rest for its very nature. But the kidnappings, the assassinations, all of those had been done in the name of their organization and what it stood for. In the cold light of day after a night of terror that seemed to stretch on into eternity… a blind man could see little good, if any, could come of the path set by Megatron.

However, when one had already walked so far down this path, could one possibly stop?

Assassin stepped warily along the main room's pews, each head trained on the man standing before the altar.

And the titan gazing up at the painted windows, hands clasped together behind his back.

Kirei Kotomine was reading through the Epistle to the Ephesians but turned to his gathered Servants before reaching verse 5:11. "It is good to see you assembled once again, Assassin." Those dark eyes drifted along the familiars, narrowing slightly. "Though it seems your number is incomplete."

The Master was correct: Since the bulk of Hassan of the Hundred Faces had been massacred by Rider, only ten had remained in this world. This development had incited the survivors to perform their surveillance with even more caution than before, a task both easier and harder with their opponents believing Assassin X to be the last of that cavalry class. They had been successful so far in avoiding detection and resultant casualties.

But inside the chapel, no more than nine Assassins could be counted. "The final one of our number is out keeping watch in the city, Master," Macour quickly explained, head inclined submissively. "She cannot be spotted easily and even if caught, she is even harder to question. It goes against your instruction, but we believed it wise not to close all of our eyes."

"And the situation outside appears to have taken an unexpected turn," Akii took over, Kirei shifting towards her with a raised brow. "Lord Tokiomi, Kariya Matou and Kiritsugu Emiya have engaged one another near Fuyuki Park. Their Servants are present, but none of us detected any hostilities. In fact, they seemed to be speaking peaceably."

Kirei turned to his left with a hum, his expression unclear. "…Well, now. Sir Tokiomi made no mention of his plans for tonight, let alone that he would seek to parlay with the other Masters. You're correct, Assassin, this is… unexpected of them."

The female Hassan nodded once; none could have predicted this. Every detail about the Matou cripple indicated he would sooner scoop out his last functioning eyeball than ally with the man he hated most. The Tohsaka patriarch was too arrogant and narrowminded to consider such an option unless it was the only one. And Emiya? Assassin had studied these three men so carefully over the past two weeks, but nearly nothing had indicated a bloodless confrontation between them could ever happen.

…In hindsight, though, and with a glance at the frowning alien Servant, the answer for this anomaly became obvious.

"Unexpected…" Rider X's rasp cut through his partner's musings. "And troubling. It seems Tokiomi is capable of a surprise or two." His volume shifted to a grumble. "Then again, Lancer X is almost certainly the real culprit. Her and Caster X, how else could Tokiomi be in Matou's presence without that whelp ordering Berserker to disembowel the fool?" He then turned to the Hassan's with a cold stare, his displeasure open for all to see. "And Emiya as well... It is most troubling you report this now, Assassin…"

The larger Servant took three steps closer until he loomed over his collective partner. Those crimson eyes seemed to bore into each one of them, then a low growl rumbled from his fangs. "Especially since their meeting began nearly an hour ago."

One could've heard the movements of molecules inside the room.

Bilal flinched as something buzzed above his head. Assassin looked up to see a pair of Matou's winged obscenities zipping down to hover near Rider X's shoulder spike. Kirei sighed slightly. "I believe I've told you, Megatron, I do not appreciate such creatures in this house."

"A blight they may be, Kirei," the Cybertronian Servant didn't bother turning back to address him, "but consider this another lesson in warfare: Never restrict yourself to a single source of intelligence." His optics narrowed at the nine shades frozen before him. "It may prove unreliable." He leaned a little forward, the four in front backing away. "Well? Care to explain yourselves?"

Strange Arm Gozour shuffled forward and met his glare. "I doubt any explanation any of us could give would save our lives."

"Oh, I do dislike traitors, Assassin," Megatron flashed them a frightful cross between a smirk and a snarl, "but what I despise are incompetent ones. Do you think withholding this meeting would go unnoticed? Did you actually believe you could deceive me?"

"Delaying your learning of the meeting seems to have worked well enough," Akii moved to her "brother's" side. "And you of all beings have no business lecturing us on treachery, Rider X."

"Poor timing for you to have a crisis of conscience this late in the game," Kirei commented as he walked to his fuming X Servant's side. "In fact, I wouldn't have thought a crisis of conscience in your order's nature." Neither his voice nor his demeanor suggested any surprise towards these developments, though. If anything, he seemed amused.

This riled the Servants of the Shadows all the more. "Then you understand very little of the Hashshashin, Master," Shouk the Sharp spat out the last word like a poison. "Perhaps if you did, circumstances would have been different."

When the nineteenth bearer of the title "Hassan-i-Sabbah" had first answered the call of the Holy Grail and the one to be their Master, they had thought their prayers answered. The dream they had sought in life even while carrying out their sworn duty among the Hashshashin despite the danger: Completion of mind and soul. No hundred contradictory personalities scrambling to stand in front inside one skull, but a single identity, unified and perfect.

The next emotions Assassin experienced upon their arrival to this plane was… turmoil. For one, it seemed fate had sought to test their faith in the form of their "partner," Rider X: a monstrous titan of steel and malice who had unified Assassin's personalities in primal fear of him from the moment they first met before their shocked Master.

Their Master… Another trial. Once he had recomposed himself (far quicker than Assassin, to their silent embarrassment), Kirei Kotomine had coolly explained his circumstances and what was expected of him and his Servant(s). Many faces would've howled in outrage were it not for Rider X's presence; the latter had made his own displeasure clear with a frown that pronounced the sharpness of his teeth. It quickly faded, but Assassin still noticed it.

It wasn't hard to understand why. Called from the Throne of Heroes to be nothing more than the Servant of a servant? Carry out the whims of another Master like some obedient dog and then be "put away?" The longer Assassin had swallowed their frustrations to spy upon the Grail War's participants, the clearer it became that their Master had no ambitions of his own. Once they had completed their mission, Hassan and Megatron would be erased along with the rest of the Servants. That this would include Archer and Lancer X provided little solace.

But as it turned out, Assassin's partner carried more than enough ambition for the entire trio. The Servant had admittedly their doubts about aiding Rider X's own plans, but on the one hand, the foreigner made it quite he accepted no refusals or excuses. And on the other… no matter how different the many personalities were, they all possessed the same wish.

Assassins were the heroes known for fighting with darkness and trickery, anyway…

So, they worked further behind the scenes and arranged those like Archer X and (a collective shudder swept through them) Zouken Matou to come into contact with Rider X. They assisted their Master when he began acting outside of Tohsaka's strategy. If it were in their nature, they would've cheered the moment Kirei Kotomine actually undermined his teacher. Yes, it came at great cost for Hassan, but sometimes, one had to cut off a limb or two to achieve victory.

It finally felt as though the pieces were in their proper place: Assassin watching from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike; Rider X, a partner with a plan and the drive to wipe out all of their enemies; and a Master truly seeking the Grail for himself. It had all felt so right… up to the moment Macour abducted the Sophia-Ri woman and released those... parasites onto her.

When Matou had sent him those accursed things and Rider X told him what to do with them, the identity could've sworn a chill escaping the Gates of Hell swept through him. He captured the redhaired woman, Gozour assisted in his escape, then both had little choice but to watch her slowly be consumed from the inside. In that terrible night's aftermath, the collective had traded tales of their partner, the things he had done: his cruel manipulations to drive Archer X into madness, acquisition of even more power, the infection of their own Master… and then last night.

Zabaniya: "Delusional Illusion" was a tricky Noble Phantasm. The various identities weren't linked to one another like a hive mind. They couldn't just know what each other was thinking or had learned, they needed to communicate. But the many faces all belonged to one Servant, and there was a connection between them, however minuscule. They therefore knew when a personality manifested or died, even if not how or why.

Feeling the deaths of sixty-two Hassan's within the same minute had been a harrowing experience for the survivors, but they had endured for the sake of their wish. Feeling these sixty-two come back, however… that was something else entirely.

Some had panicked, others had raced about the city in horrified turmoil, but it was Bilal who recognized something about this sensation. An energy pulse, dark and encroaching, raising up their "siblings" but not resurrecting them, not really… There could only be one explanation for this nightmare: the Noble Phantasm Megatron had called upon to restore an injured Kirei.

The priest showed no signs of this "gift" currently, but no personality liked that look in his otherwise dull eyes. "You all had to know Rider X would not let this slide. And after he encouraged me to spare your lives, no less."

"We were spared only because you two believed us to be of value," Macour the Quick countered. "We have served you faithfully, whispered the other Masters' secrets into your ear, and even aided you in hiding your own from Tokiomi. Our debt to our partner is paid."

"I decide when your debt to me is paid," Rider X growled, the vicious vibration rattling them despite their efforts. "And now you shall pay for your disloyalty as well."

Despite the menace before them and the fear that gripped their core, all nine faces of Hassan glared right back at their former comrade. "We knew the consequences of defying you before we even set foot in this building," they intoned as one. "And we know our fate was sealed no matter what we did."

No more than two Servants could make a wish upon the Grail in this War. If all of the other Servants were defeated, that would leave Assassin, Rider X and Avenger X. The only way Hassan-i-Sabbah in their diminished state had a chance of survival would be if the remaining two were engrossed in tearing each other to shreds. Possible, given Avenger X's treachery…

…But what good was a united personality drenched in apathetic sin?

"Even Assassins carry a moral code, Megatron," Hassan of the Hundred Faces declared, "even if you do not. Our only regret is aiding you in causing so many atrocities before we perish." They saw the metal tyrant's eyes ignite with fury and braced themselves. He could surely wipe them all out with a single blow…

But Kirei Kotomine stepped between them with a smile far scarier than any anger. "Perish?" The priest chuckled before glancing up to Rider X. "Come now, that would be a waste, my friends. And if I've learned anything under your tutelage, Decepticon, it's to adjust your tactics along with a dynamic situation… and never be wasteful."

The Decepticon's snarl transformed into an inhuman grin. "Such a bright student you are… and how right." He raised his arms. "I couldn't agree more."

They all saw their Master lifting his right hand, their final original Seal beginning to glow.

They felt Rider X's shadow rolling over them, his eyes and claws pulsing with violet energy.

"Yes… Our enemies have changed plans… and we must adapt accordingly, Kirei."

They knew what fate awaited them. They knew there was no guarantee their final gambit would work.

All they could do, even as the darkness enveloped them… was hope.

---

She breathed in and out. Inside her was a river, depleted and nearly barren, but as she concentrated, ripples began to appear across the surface. She inhaled a little more deeply, and a tiny wave emerged from the river's center, one that spread through it as she released the air.

The real Irisviel von Einzbern opened her eyes to find a curtain of red shine through the shed's windows. So… the sun is setting now. Something shuffled right in front of her, and she turned a little to giggle at two sharp, beady eyes staring back at her. "Good evening, Urushi." She happily wrapped both arms around the dog while he snuggled into her grip, laughing more at the wet probe on her cheeks. Not that she could feel much anymore…

On the other side of the shed, a clone of Assassin X leaned against the wall, pausing in his reading to smile at his boy's antics. He'd patrolled the vicinity not two minutes ago and was enjoying a quick break. Not far from him, the original Maiya Hisau sat on the ground while inspecting her gear. In between rubbing the head of a certain bulldog curled up beside her.

She hadn't moved an inch from the magic circle throughout the day, and in her current condition, there was no need for food or water, and by extension, no need to expunge any bodily waste. She'd never been one to carry a watch on her person, so time had simply passed by in this cool, dark space. The homunculus had been left with little to do but lie there, chat a little with her bodyguards, play with one member or another of the pack… and think.

And the more she thought, the more her thoughts turned to jutsu. What a truly odd sort of magic she had come to learn about these past two weeks. It was so similar and yet different to magecraft: The latter was fueled by and large with outside energy, mana, collected by a magus' Magic Circuits. But od, or "chakra," was for the most part the only source for jutsu. Kakashi had told her a little of sages and sentient animals from his world who could tap into what he called "Nature Energy," apparently his world's equivalent of mana, and augment their abilities far beyond any normal shinobi, but few had ever learned how to harness it, and even then, it required extensive training and enormous natural reserves of chakra.

These musings had persisted in Irisviel's brain even while her body remained so weak. She was technically not a true magus but a construct of magecraft, but the Einzbern homunculus still carried an innate curiosity towards Thaumaturgy. It was part of her genetic makeup as well as how she even discovered the possibility of using a foreigner's techniques. So, she had been mediating, an attempt to focus her attention not on her dilapidated Magic Circuits but her od… and see what would happen.

Right now, she couldn't say for sure, but it seemed there was a difference. An… awareness.

Then again, it wasn't easy trying to examine your self when you're being licked by a little sweetheart of a ninja hound. "Now, now… I've told you rascals…" she got out through her giggles, "I'm fine. I'm not… made of glass."

The hound's owner smiled beneath his mask even as he finished another chapter of "Make-Out Tactics". Another benefit of the Shadow Clone Jutsu was being able to read while certain individuals of critical taste weren't present.

Urushi continued to fret over the white-haired woman despite her assurances, but then his master's clone sauntered over with a small laugh. "You heard her, Urushi, give it a rest." Assassin X patted his furry head, finally convincing him to get off of Irisviel. While the hound trotted to the side of the circle, he knelt beside his Master's wife. "How are you feeling?"

Irisviel smiled weakly up at him. "Well enough, don't worry." She hated herself for not telling the Heroic Spirits the truth about herself, but it was just too risky. Saber and Assassin X were already worried enough about her, and if they tried to interfere with the process in hopes of saving her, the Lesser Grail could be put at risk.

Maiya watched the two carefully with similar thoughts and, surprisingly, reservations. The homunculus should've meant nothing to her; in fact, if she were less professional, she would've resented her for claiming Kiritsugu's attention and love. And as for Assassin X, he was supposed to be just a familiar, an unexpected asset Kiritsugu had made the most out of. Maiya wouldn't have cared about their conditions not even a month ago save for how it affected the mission.

But these last few days had… muddied her judgement. Frustratingly so, for she found herself forgoing her usual silence to ask, "How do you think the meeting's going?"

As expected, it drew Kakashi's attention over to her, Bull grunting from her fingers pinching him a little (she quickly patted the spot in apology). "Well, we haven't heard any alerts, so the optimist in me wants to believe our team's on good terms with Tohsaka and Matou."

Maiya nodded stoically at that. "And the realist in you is expecting a brutal three-way fight between Saber, Berserker and Archer to be felt any second now?"

She felt herself grow a little hotter at the gimlet eye he gave her. "Pessimism and realism can be similar, but they're not necessarily the same thing, Maiya."

She already had a retort ready before she knew it. "Welcome to my world, Assassin X. I'd hope you can enjoy your stay, but let's not wish for impossible things, shall we?"

"I thought that was the reason we came to Fuyuki."

Behind the Servant, Irisviel had clamped both hands over her mouth so as to not interrupt the back-and-forth with her giggles. So, this is what teasing looks like? She wondered while looking at a similarly chortling Urushi and Bull. Then again, she couldn't say for sure if the woman and Servant were engaging in it consciously. People truly are interesting.

Assassin X had taken a few steps closer to Maiya during their bantering when Irisviel asked, "Maiya…" Both paused and turned back to her, ready if she needed anything. "Why… why do you fight for Kiritsugu?"

The dark-haired woman was the center of attention now. Even the two hounds were eyeing her curiously. Maiya glanced from one to the other, her eyes lingering on that of Assassin X for one second longer, before focusing on her charge. "…Because there's nothing else for me."

Urushi's sharp eyes widened a little. "Nothing, Maiya? But… what about your family?"

She couldn't help but notice a twitch in the Servant's body even as she shook her head. "I don't have one, Urushi. I can't even remember them or my own name." She picked up the handle of a Glock she'd been disassembling. "Maiya Hisau is just what's printed on a passport Kiritsugu forged for me."

Kakashi Hatake watched her slowly begin to piece the firearm back together, her hands going through the motions like a well-oiled machine. They moved with such practice, such fluidity, as if she were tying her shoelaces... "…You're a war orphan, aren't you?" The question slipped out, but he managed to stop himself with, "And-"

Maiya picked up on the implications, though, and flashed him a sad smile even as she slid the recoil spring into place. "The only thing I remember is that it was a poor country without any hope or future. A few mouths too many and not enough food to go around. The one thing in abundance was hatred, so the war kept going on even after everyone had forgotten who had started it or why they were fighting." She affixed the slide over the barrel until she heard a tiny click. "Nobody had the funds to call in professional mercenaries from outside, so eventually, someone had the bright idea of putting guns into children's hands and sending them to the front lines."

The handgun nearly complete, she retrieved a freshly loaded magazine and ratcheted it smoothly into the handle. "Holding a gun in my hand is my earliest memory. The only way I could survive was by killing again and again. Shoot down the enemy before they could shoot me down. Pull the trigger, reload, pull it again, rinse, repeat."

Irisviel silently shed tears from where she lay, but the shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village was still as a rock as he listened to the tale. A tale that struck very close to home, especially with how the teller's tone never wavered. She might as well be reciting a grocery list. "Everything else was cast aside. Kids who didn't learn this quickly enough were killed off by the ones who did. That's how I lived my life until Kiritsugu bumped into me."

Maiya took a moment to catch her breath. She hadn't anticipated that she would tell them her whole life story. Somehow, she knew exactly what was going through the Servant's mind at this moment… "…I'm sorry. You had to grow up like that, with all of your freedoms stripped from you," he sighed, "and then someone like me comes along talking of how he happily chose a life not too far from that. I wouldn't blame you if you hate me or my home."

"N-no, I didn't think of it like that at all," Maiya said more hastily than she had ever heard of herself, "and it's not like your childhood was that much kinder to you. With what happened to your father…" She trailed off, her brain catching up with her mouth. She hadn't wanted to reveal her listening in; that story had been meant for Saber and Ma'am, after all. Not her.

…And yet he didn't seem the least bit shocked at her words. This in turn took Maiya by surprise, especially as she drew the connection. He knew… He knows I was listening back then… Assassin X seemed to recognize what she was thinking and gave a rather sheepish shrug, nearly making her laugh. Only nearly, though, as while a weight seemed to lift from her shoulders, the same one seemed to drop down on him.

The woman going by Maiya Hisau sighed, deciding to wrap her story up. "Our stories aren't quite the same, no, but I did learn in that country to kill my emotions and my heart." She noticed him twitch slightly. "I'm but a tool in human form, my only purpose being to protect and aid the man who picked me up. My life is for Kiritsugu, in any way he needs it, and if it has to end for his sake, so be it. Helping him achieve his mission is all that matters to me."

Is it, though? A tiny voice somewhere inside her being contradicted. Maiya didn't know where it was, let alone how to shut it up, but as she glanced back at the Heroic Spirit bowing his head in visible regret, her thoughts flashed back to the night before: His bloodstained, lifeless body lying before her, the result of him saving her… and she unable to do anything but watch as another saved his life.

Then something else unexpected happened: Bull promptly sat up and plopped his head onto her shoulder with a little whine, and before the girl turned soldier could think twice, she'd set down her Glock and wrapped both arms around his thick neck. The dog rubbed his head against her while she squeezed back. A tiny smile drifting across her face for a second, Maiya couldn't help but recall something an old beggar she passed once in Chile had muttered: "Un perro es la única cosa en el mundo que te amará más de lo que se ama a sí mismo."

As Urushi scampered over towards her and Bull, and she caressed both darlings with hands she'd long believed were nothing but tools for killing, she decided he might've had a point.

Assassin X quietly watched the woman cuddle with two of his boys, his core feeling both lighter and heavier in the same breath. No wonder she has a knack for ninjutsu. If only Maiya had been born in the Leaf Village… He stopped himself; such a though was painfully naïve. He couldn't help but pick up on the similarities between their lives, and he knew she'd had similar thoughts, too, probably as early as when she'd heard him reminisce about his father. Now he understood, too, why Maiya was so devoted to Kiritsugu. He really meant everything to her. It seems like this whole team is one comprised entirely of "Tools," huh? On the other hand, if our positions had been switched… would our fates be different? Would I have your life, "Maiya Hisau," and you mine?

He couldn't say for sure. But at least, watching this broken woman shaped into a weapon enjoy herself with two of his boys made for a peaceful sight.

A crying Irisviel agreed with Assassin X's sentiment, not at all jealous with how Bull and Urushi nuzzled Maiya. If anything, the white-haired woman felt a guilty for monopolizing those balls of fluff and warmth. She never would've thought something would ever get to experience something as basic as a dog's affection. Illya will, too… Kiritsugu promised…

"What about you, Ma'am?"

She blinked away her tears to find Maiya staring directly at her, each hand stroking one boy. "Excuse me?"

Maiya didn't know herself why she asked this question, but she did so anyway. "I'm here for Kiritsugu because I have nothing else. Assassin X and Saber fight for their own wishes-"

"And believe it or not," he interrupted her, "because we want to help Kiritsugu, too."

She conceded with a nod (she did believe him) before finishing her train of thought. "But you, Ma'am… you were raised inside a castle with everything you could need provided for. You only know of the wider world what you learned from Kiritsugu. Why would you care about saving a world you've only been in for a few days?"

Assassin X winced a little at the bluntness. "Come on, Maiya, that's a little harsh to-"

"You're right…" He stopped and turned alongside Maiya towards the prone woman.

Irisviel smiled tiredly back at them. "To tell you the truth, I don't understand Kiritsugu's wish as much as I'd like." Her eyes wandered up until they were staring at the ceiling. She noticed a little more of her strength had returned, particularly in her voice. "The more I think about it, I probably was only pretending to. You're right, Maiya, the only things I really knew about this world, the one Kiritsugu wants to save, before coming here were what he had taught me. This wish in my heart… it probably originates from him, too." She turned back to them. "Please don't tell him any of this…"

Assassin X and Maiya traded glances before nodding to her request, the latter releasing Bull and Urushi so they could move to the rims of the magic circle. Assassin X then said, "There's no shame in having borrowed ideals or wishes, Irisviel. Take me for example." He tapped his headband lightly. "The lessons of my teacher, my home and my comrades have shaped much of who I am today, and the same can be said of any person. There aren't that many original beliefs out there anymore."

Irisviel hummed a bit before nodding. "True, and thank you, Kakashi. But no matter how borrowed my beliefs are, I still want to support Kiritsugu as much as I can. Even if I sacrifice my life, wouldn't it be better I do so for a wish we both believe in rather than merely out of a wife's obligation?"

Assassin X's insides twisted a little at her implications. Below him, his boys were whimpering a little, and he didn't blame them. Why did Irisviel keep talking like she wasn't going to make it out alive of this Grail War? Sure, Avalon's absence meant there wasn't anything but the circle left to combat her "illness," but it sounded like her dying here had always been a foregone outcome. Maiya didn't seem shaken by the idea, nor did Kiritsugu, for that matter. Even Illya, the little girl who had proven to him his Master wasn't completely inhuman, had spoken so casually about not seeing her Mama ever again. What am I missing?

His agitated confusion was practically tangible to Maiya, and for just a moment, she wanted to explain everything she'd learned about the homunculus' situation to Kakashi. Instead, she bit her tongue and brought the subject back on track. "You really don't have any wishes of your own, then?"

Irisviel von Einzbern hummed to herself again, mulling the question over. Finally, she nodded. "There is one… I think. Assassin X." She saw him snap out of his own musings and stare down at her. "I want you, Saber and Kiritsugu to win the Holy Grail and fulfill your wishes." It would mean her death, of course, but she accepted that. She'd been preparing for it long enough.

The masked Servant gave her usual eye-smile. "Why thank you for the faith, milady, but you don't sound quite like your wish is for our sake alone."

She giggled at his teasing tone. "Astute as ever, my friend. But you're right, my prayers aren't just for you all, and it isn't for the sake of the Einzbern family, either." She was technically aiding Kiritsugu in double-crossing them, after all. "I want the Holy Grail Wars to end. This is the fourth time magi came together in Fuyuki in hopes of Heaven's Feel, and I hope it will be the last time, too. Because if there's a fifth…"

Assassin X's humor slipped away, the image of a little girl with white hair and red eyes flashing before him again. "If there's a fifth, Illya would have to fight in it, right?"

"Precisely." The mother's eyes slid shut temporarily as she, too, envisioned Illyasviel. Juhabacht considered her a masterpiece, the pinnacle of the Einzberns' homunculus techniques created through the melding of a homunculus and a magus. And of course, the backup plan if Irisviel and Kiritsugu failed in this Grail War. That was the only reason he had allowed them to have a child in the first place. The knowledge made her blood boil ever so slightly even now.

Irisviel took a deep breath, then focused. She couldn't reveal the details of the Dress of Heaven, the secret plan of the Einzberns, not after she'd already risked enough confidentiality by telling Maiya about her condition. Instead, she told a different truth. "The first time I held that little girl in my hands… fed her…" She couldn't help but smile at the memory before it slipped away. "I knew she would have to bear the weight of joining the Grail War. Can either of you imagine what it's like, knowing your own child is destined for suffering?"

No one, human, familiar or canine, could say anything.

"But this destiny for all Einzbern homunculi is tied to the Grail War. So long as the Holy Grail might emerge in Fuyuki, my family will continue to produce new daughters to fight for it. So, if I succeed here and now, then this cycle will be broken. Illya will be free to grow up and live a normal life," her hand reached weakly for the side, and Urushi and Bull carefully ventured into the circle to meet her, "enjoy all the experiences I could and couldn't." She giggled while ruffling doggy fur. "For that prospect, I'll gladly sacrifice my life."

"…The wish of a mother, then?" Maiya's question wasn't skeptical or sarcastic. She couldn't have put such emotions forth after hearing the magical woman's genuine love for her daughter, the same young individual Kiritsugu had been his most verbose about in all the time she had known him, even more than about Irisviel herself.

Irisviel seemed to snap out of a trance, as she smiled guiltily at them. "I'm sorry for rambling. I don't know if either of you could understand it?"

"Only as a teacher," Assassin X admitted, scratching his head. "I never really thought about starting a family, I was too wrapped up in my duties as a shinobi." He chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Not to mention I have zero clue on how to interact with women… amorously. Even if I hadn't died, I'd have probably remained a bachelor all my life." Well, that's why I have the good ol' Make-Out series.

That least sentence made something… flicker inside Maiya's brain. She shook her head discreetly to dispel any nonsense.

Meanwhile, he went on. "But I can appreciate wanting to see a child not face the horrors of war. I might've trained my genin in the ways of the shinobi, but I tried to encourage them to make the most out of life." He sighed. "My efforts were… somewhat successful." Neither woman needed to do more than recall his confession to the other Servants a while ago.

In light of this, Maiya confessed something. "I was a mother once." She barely registered their surprise, though Kakashi's had a hint of horror. He really is clever… "I became pregnant and delivered a boy, though it was mostly an accident."

Both hounds stared at her with concern, but Irisviel lacked that. For now. "Were you… married, once?"

She shook her head, part of her strangely guilty about telling the homunculus this next part. Such blissful innocence… "I have no idea who the father is. Every night in that country, men would head into the women's barracks and…" She needn't elaborate on that point; A very pale Irisviel had put together the pieces herself and was stroking two quietly growling hounds. Not just man's best friend…

As for Assassin X, he was standing completely still, but Maiya could practically make out a blizzard in that grey eye of his. She hadn't considered him a man anything like those, and this confirmed it. She saw a question inside the eye, too, but calmly shook her head no. Kiritsugu had never forced himself onto her. What intimacy there was between them, she had initiated.

Maiya picked up her Glock again and placed it inside her holster. "Not long after I became a woman, I found out I was with child. I never got the chance to name him, barely held him before he was taken. I have no idea if he's alive, but if so, he's probably fighting for survival in some war-torn corner of this planet. Children were given guns and instructions on how to use them once they turned five."

"But that's…" Before Irisviel could think of anything to say, she and Maiya stopped at a familiar sound. Chirchirchirchirchirchir….

Assassin X drew in a long breath, then deactivated his Lightning Blade again. The odor of ozone wafted inside the small room. "…My bad." He quietly apologized before facing his prone comrade. "I hate to say it, Irisviel, but that sort of fate isn't… that rare for children. It used to happen on my world, too, and still does in some parts. Father told me of how a couple generations before his, kids weren't expected to even reach the legal drinking age." He hung his head forlornly. "Young minds are impressionable and easily molded. Terrorists and guerilla fighters in any world know how to exploit these traits."

"Successes like…" Maiya paused for a moment, "us…" Kakashi turned towards her again but didn't deny it, "embolden them. That's why on this world, child soldiers have increased in number over the years."

A chastened Irisviel absorbed both of her friends' words carefully. She thought she had at least an idea of what truly went on in the wider world, but to think her ignorance was so great and she wasn't even aware… "When you saw this world for the first time with Saber, it must've looked so beautiful for you." Assassin X took over with a kinder tone. "There's no shame in that, nor in continuing to believe in such beauty. But there's only so much a bird can know of its world when inside a cage, especially a gilded one. And Kiritsugu didn't become the man he is today for no reason."

She peered up at him, now even more certain he had somehow learned of her love's past. It was the way he spoke, the quiet sympathy humming along his words. "You can still see it, though," she murmured. "You've lived through war, Kakashi Hatake, you've seen some of the worst humanity can offer… but you can still see the beauty in life."

"That sounds a lot easier than it is, Irisviel." He broke eye contact with her. "I've stumbled about plenty of times and waded through the dark," his voice dripped to a mutter the rest could barely hear, "and it's only due to the help of others I could see the light again…"

Iri could hear tiny whimpers coming from Bull and Urushi. They surely knew what their owner meant, but she doubted they would tell easily. They were too loyal for that. She exchanged a look with Maiya who appeared to be thinking the same. Perhaps they could coax the secrets out with some doggie treats…

Unaware of the women's plans of bribery, the Man of a Thousand Techniques snapped out of his reverie. "Either way, I think we all have our reasons to support Kiritsugu's wish, don't we?"

"We do." Maiya stood up and walked towards them. "If he can bring about a world where no child has to live through the things we did, Kakashi, I will do whatever he asks of me without a single complaint or refusal." No trace of hyperbole, just a simple statement of fact. Assassin X admired her resolve and winced slightly in the same breath. So much has already been taken from her, and she's willing to give what little she has left for a dream that might not be fulfilled. All the more reason for him to help fulfill it, really.

"Then… what will you do afterwards, Maiya?" Irisviel asked. "I won't be around to see this new world Kiritsugu makes, and our Servant comrades will return to the Throne of Heroes," she pulled the doggies in for the biggest hug she could manage in her state, "and you sweeties will probably follow," the others tried not to snicker at their whimpers, "but what about you?"

Maiya opened her mouth… and closed it after a second. She stared off at some spot in the far wall, contemplating her response. "…I never considered a possibility of surviving once my task was complete," she finally answered. "And even if I did, there wouldn't be a reason for me to live anyway. I've nothing else to fight for. And a world of peace and no bloodshed has no place for someone like me in it." The logical outcome of any soldier fighting for peace.

"That's not true, Maiya," Irisviel said only a second before Kakashi could. "You still have something to do after this War is over." She received a confused stare in response. "Your son. You can search for him.

"Find him and maybe your original name and a new life." The homunculus implored her with increasing strength. "These are things you can't just let slip away."

"Really…?" In truth, she didn't even know what the child she had birthed looked like. She could've passed him on a street here in Fuyuki or somewhere else and never make a connection. She had given up any hope of finding him long ago. But now Irisviel was egging her on to do so with such conviction. Wide-eyed conviction, perhaps, but…

Then Assassin X chimed in, capturing her attention completely. "I don't remember anything about my mother." She nodded; he'd mentioned that yesterday in his tale about his father. "But… Sometimes I think I would've liked to have known her, spent time with her…" She watched him carefully as he shrugged with a weary sigh. "Even if it'd only be for one day."

He gave her a sad eye-smile. "I don't want to order you around, but I think you ought to try, Maiya, even if it's only for your boy's sake."

For his sake… She hadn't dared to consider it from that perspective. Maiya unconsciously began to rub her left arm. "Isn't that a little risky? If we really succeed in creating a world of everlasting peace, then the memories of people like you and me ought to be the stuff of nightmares for everyone else. What right do I have to spread that pain to anyone, let alone my son?"

"Do you really believe you have nothing to offer him but death and violence?" Her gaze sank to the floor. What else could she offer-? A hand fell onto her shoulder, prompting her to raise her head.

She found herself locked into place by that single eye. "Maiya, there is a chance you will only bring him pain if you search for him. There's also a chance you can find a family. But you don't know for sure what will happen if you don't go. If you do nothing, you will only be left with regrets." There was something in his stare that told her he knew this for a fact.

"I know it's hard to believe there's any good in life after the things either of us have witnessed," Kakashi Hatake continued calmly. Memories flowed in the form of a massive deluge through his skull, nearly carrying him down into despair. "But if there's one thing I've been taught, it's that no matter how many ghosts haunt you, or how bleak it seems, you can always, always find reasons to keep living."

Clear images sprang forth from the currents to hover before his sight: Father, Minato-sensei, Rin, Obito, the Lord Third, Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, Yamato, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Sai… followed by Artoria, Kiritsugu, Irisviel and this strong woman standing right in front of him.

"You just have to try and look for them."

Maiya Hisau did nothing for what seemed like hours but stand there and return his stare, then she finally managed to smile. "Well… I still have my doubts, Kakashi…" she admitted. "But I'll try. I suppose I can do that much."

He returned her smile… before realizing he was still holding onto her shoulder.

He quickly released her and coughed into his fist. "Well, happy to hear that, I wish you all the best… with... that…" Oh, thank Kami he covered up his face most of the time…

Maiya had no such luxury, so she was forced to turn her head so no one could see her cheeks heat up ever so slightly. I-I must be… coming down with… something… Yeah, of course…

And on the cold floor, Irisviel von Einzbern had buried her face into a similarly trembling Bull so not even the Servant of Assassination could hear her giggling. "What are we going to do with these two, boys?" She whispered to her fuzzy buddies, both rumbling against her.

Then he stilled. His eye narrowed at the shed's door, then the other one, freshly uncovered, glared at it as well. "What is it?" Maiya's hand drifted to her gun while her mind instantly shut down all emotions. She sensed they'd be of little use for what happened next.

"Someone's out there, just outside the walls." He blurred for an instant, suddenly the door was open with him outside it. "Stay here while I check it out. Summon the entire pack, too, just in case."

The door slid shut again, and Maiya didn't hesitate to bite down on her thumb and weave through the five signs she now knew by heart. Plans for the future could wait. What mattered was the present.

---

-38:45:16

The inverse of these two individuals were making the most of some quiet as well; Assassin X leaning on a tree again, "Irisviel" seated on a stump to his right. They had been exchanging as much information as they (read: Kiritsugu) deemed necessary with the opposing teams, and now there was a brief lull while everyone was processing. Neither Tokiomi nor Kariya had decided to leave just yet, though in the latter's case, he and Caster X were likely keeping a close eye on Berserker.

The Servant perked up at leaves rustling and a branch's snap. Speak of the devil… He turned in time to see Berserker and Saber coming out of the forest. A quick scan of his partner determined no injuries or expenditure of energy; their confrontation hadn't turned physical. Kakashi nearly sighed in relief before picking up on Saber's expression. "Everything okay?"

Artoria walked over to her friend and flashed him an exhausted smile. "Somewhat," she huffed out, steadying herself against the tree. She nodded towards Lancelot who was with his own partner. "I've had much to discuss with him, and we've reached a consensus for now."

"…And everything's cleared up between you two?"

The knight-class Servant stood there silently, her eyes cast on the grass beneath her. "…Not quite, I'm afraid. Don't misunderstand, it was… good to hear the entire story from his point of view. It cleared more than a few doubts in my head, and I think Lancelot feels the same."

Assassin X eyed the black-armored man and noted a distinct decrease of tension in his posture compared to before, the small smile on his face, and nodded. "I agree. So, what's the problem?"

"He still insists I punish him, for one." Saber frowned confused at the silver eyebrow wiggling her way, then her cheeks flushed. She slapped him upside the head, drawing a yelp/chuckle from the ninja. "Y-you bloody well know I didn't mean it like t-t-that, get your mind out of that filthy gutter you call literature!"

He rubbed the throbbing side of his head, trying not to smile at how a corner of her mouth kept twitching. I know I shouldn't tease the King of Knights, but she makes it so easy. He sobered, nonetheless, knowing this tension couldn't go away with just a little joke. "Forgiveness isn't always an easy thing to give, and sometimes, it's even harder to accept."

Saber sighed at her friend's typical astuteness. "You don't have to tell me…" She dematerialized her gauntlet to pinch her brows. "I still can't forgive myself for causing this massive mess between us in the first place. And I want to forgive him, especially now, but… That is precisely what set him on the road to becoming a Berserker. I…" Emerald eyes opened to stare tiredly at the Knight of the Round. "I just don't know what to do."

Assassin X nudged her shoulder after a moment. "Well, this truce thing ought to hold for a little while, so you don't need to figure it out right this second."

"I agree." Lancer X walked over to the duo, hands raised with palms forward. "Forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear some of your discussion. And I too know the pain that comes with opposing a friend who happens to be royalty." When her fellow knight-class Servant motioned for more, the Edenian continued. "I believed it right to stop Princess Kitana when she ran the risk of drawing our Emperor's ire, but… I ultimately did more harm than good."

Assassin X recognized the melancholy in her hazel eyes; he'd seen it often enough in the mirror. "Did you make amends?"

"I did…" Jade sighed through her mask, the memory of Sindel, her Queen turned into a vicious puppet, tearing through her stomach. "And then I died. Kitana not long after." Her final memories were sensing her sister's life force ebbing… and horror at the reason why.

She rallied herself. "But now I have a chance to rewrite her ending, hers and others dear to me." An amused sound escaped her. "And I know it means robbing you two of your wishes; I take no pride in this," she inclined her head towards the shorter Servant, "partially because you remind me somewhat of Kitana, but it must be done."

Curiosity arose inside Saber at her comparison, but she took the indirect challenge in stride. "I respect your resolve, Lancer X, and I have not forgotten your support of me against Rider's way of kingship," she smiled proudly at the other female Heroic Spirit, "but I, too, have no intent of conceding the Grail to anyone, even you."

"My realm was invaded when I was a young girl," Lancer X explained calmly, "merged with a brutal, savage cesspit of a realm under the thumb of a savage tyrant not unlike Rider X. I have no love for the ways of a conqueror, but I remain a warrior sworn to my friends and realm. I will not fall easily."

Artoria Pendragon came to a conclusion about herself: I seem to find worthy rivals in Lancer-class Servants. Not that she was complaining.

"As much as I appreciate a little friendly competition," Assassin X chimed in with his usual relaxed demeanor, "I don't suppose we could convince you to turn on your team and join ours? We'd be happy to have you on board."

The Servant of the Spear turned to him, realizing his offer was partially in jest. "Would you turn your back on your partner and Master?"

The other masked Servant answered immediately in the negative, validating the respect she had for him. "We don't have the same Masters, though, and Archer isn't Saber. Not by a long margin."

"Tell me something I don't know…" Her "partner" didn't even bother listening to Tokiomi's outline of his and Jade's actions, let alone agree to join them. She had no idea where Gilgamesh was and frankly had little interest in knowing, save for if that golden oaf might barge in from out of nowhere and ruin everything solely for his own entertainment.

She tried not to dwell on that unfortunately probable scenario. "Concerning my Master, it would be a lie to claim I've agreed with every one of his decisions or am comfortable with him overall…" Jade shook her head, words slipping out before she knew it. "If we're being frank, there are times I want to knock some sense into that polished bauble he has for a skull…" She froze at the confession; not only because it couldn't be taken back, but also because Saber and Assassin X were nodding sympathetically. In synch, no less. You too, eh?

Though she wanted to laugh, she continued. "Even so, he has his good qualities, and I've grown to trust and wish the best for him." She spared a glance at her Master. "And say what you will about him, but Tokiomi is truly committed to saving his daughter's life."

"Are you really okay with that? Some Servants and Masters would consider a mission like this a distraction." Assassin X probed her.

"Sakura is a little girl suffering because of a terrible mistake. That would be reason enough for me." One Servant had stiffened a little, but Lancer X was too caught up in reminiscing to notice. "But she also has an older sister who misses her. One I've grown well fond of." Her gaze shimmered with affection. "So, I fully intend to keep my promise to Rin." Only then did she register the change. "Are you well, Assassin X?"

"O-oh yes, I'm perfectly fine." He hastily gave her an eye-smile even as his mind reeled. Sakura… R-Rin…Calm down, you idiot. I-it's just a coincidence… just regular names… That's all.

It still took him a while before he rejoined the conversation, and Artoria persisted in watching him like a hawk.

Not far from them, Kiritsugu Emiya's doppelganger was stomping out a spent cigarette. He idly wondered about the Shadow Clone Jutsu allowing him to duplicate little nicotine-laden things like that before dismissing it as irrelevant. "Have you finally decided if you're going to cremate me now or not?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka was standing only a few meters from him, his right hand around his cane's handle. "Merely a precaution, Mr. Emiya. Your reputation precedes you, you know."

Kiritsugu gazed evenly back at him, but it was a third man who interjected. "So, he really is the big, scary Mage Killer you'd hear about from time to time?" Kariya had been chatting a little with his Servants when he noticed the commotion. And to see Tokiomi so wary around this man, well… color him curious. "So, he uses guns instead of Mystic Codes, big deal-"

Tokiomi shot him an icy look. "Twelve years ago in Prague, a series of bombs were set off that ravaged the Old Town Square. Dozens of civilians lost their lives, many more suffered injuries of varying levels, and a certain turncoat of the Magus Association was fished from the Vitava River, identifiable only by his dental records. Traces of radiation lingered in the air even days after the attack." Kariya shivered despite himself at the implications; that much damage just to take out one magus?

Kiritsugu didn't smirk, frown or so much as twitch even as the same thought crossed his mind and that of Maiya's disguised clone. Took us a while to set up those dirty bombs, and their radius was a bit wider than calculated. Out loud, he said, "Yes, Mr. Matou, that was my handiwork, and no, I had nothing to do with the Chernobyl disaster." The Clock Tower rumors that blamed him for that god-forsaken tragedy eight years ago …irked him.

Servants didn't receive much more than standard contemporary knowledge from the Grail, but Caster X and Berserker understood enough. The latter in particular was glaring appalled at the mercenary, proving without a doubt he had been a knight cut from the same cloth as Saber. Gandalf's expression, on the other hand, was difficult to determine.

Tokiomi turned to the woman supposedly bound to Saber and Assassin X. "I ask again, this is the kind of 'help' your family would take to seize the Grail, Lady Irisviel?"

"Desperate times, Tokiomi Tohsaka." Maiya's Shadow Clone was cold as ice. "And we are hardly resorting to anything more drastic than what other families have done in the name of magecraft." Kariya clicked his tongue, finding it hard to disagree with her.

"If I wanted you dead, you'd already be a couple of blood-soaked corpses in the dirt, and your Servants mana dust." Tokiomi didn't bother to hide his scoff, but Kiritsugu's Shadow Clone kept his expression neutral. The real Mage Killer was following this argument from his perch across the street, rifle trained on the red-suited magus' head.

One would have a hard time finding two men more different from one another in the moonlit world.

"Now why doesn't that reassure me?" Kariya grumbled. As if he didn't have keep his guard enough around here- Oh, silly me. This is the Holy Grail War. No Master can be trusted.

"Relax, I'd never hear the end of it from Saber if I killed you all now. At the very least, I promise not to get in your way while you get your daughter to safety." "Irisviel" and Caster X were eyeing him, and he could guess the reason. Crazily enough, he was completely sincere.

Tokiomi rose an eyebrow towards the dark-suited man. "Forgive me my skepticism, but it's not exactly easy to trust the words of a man who's made a living hunting down magi and spitting on a multitude of our rules in the process."

"Then you're smarter than most of your colleagues were," Kiritsugu Emiya replied without missing a beat. "But this isn't an agreement between magi. Consider it…" A long pause followed before he sighed. When the hell did I get so sentimental?

"A courtesy. One father to another."

Tokiomi wasn't the only one who stared at the mercenary, but he couldn't have fathomed… So help him, the words had sounded sincere… Even Gandalf seemed to believe him…

Truly, he was beginning to learn just how misleading first assumptions could be.

Berserker had left the conversation with Kariya's permission, not eager for the company of such a scapegrace. But Caster X had indeed been studying the man before him very carefully. From the moment he had come face-to-face with this Kiritsugu Emiya, he had sensed an aura of danger from this man. Detachment, resourcefulness, determination, stubbornness… all very powerful emotions on their own, but when brewed together and given a purpose…

And this man did have a purpose for his actions, one far beyond material payment. His spirit told of one who would sacrifice everything for whatever was most important to him. Gandalf had known only a handful of Men in Middle-Earth with that sort of resolve. Then again, such resolve is not always a good thing to carry, the old guardian mused. So many have chased their ideals, casting off what was most precious to them in this pursuit, only to be met with despair at the very end.

Despite appearances, he was positive that Emiya was the true Master of Saber and Assassin X. And for them to follow him however grudgingly, even while surely able to recognize the man's nature… Interesting. Caster X decided to learn more. "It seems you carry a fair bit of infamy about yourself, sir. Infamy you've surely earned." You would have said this man here proved your concerns of Men true, wouldn't you… Elrond? Ah, how he missed his old mellon…

Kiritsugu sighed to himself. Here we go. "I've already gotten into enough disagreements about how I do things, so the novelty's worn off." He crossed his arms as his gaze traveled to the sole non-human in front of him. "Or are you preparing a sermon for me, Grey Wizard? Are you going to denounce my methods as heathen and treacherous, unbecoming of any man from Middle-Earth?"

But the Servant of Sorcery simply tilted his head with a thoughtful hum. "Who am I to judge the choices of another in a world not my own?"

Kiritsugu blinked before releasing his arms, a little shaken despite himself. "…That's it? No chiding me, no harsh words of wisdom to make me see the error of my ways?"

"What good is wisdom battered into your skull and not freely accepted? I certainly do not believe in tactics that put innocent lives in danger, even if their sacrifice is for the greater good. But I can see the logic behind such methods, and there have been those of Middle-Earth who thought and acted much the same as you, Kiritsugu Emiya." He replaced his pipe to his lips and shrugged, watching him all the while. "Did I agree with their decisions? Not easily and not often. That does not mean I couldn't see why they made such decisions."

Kiritsugu studied in turn those blue eyes that could be welcoming as the clear sky one moment and then a furious storm the next. There was no damnation in them, and oddly enough, he felt his agitation slipping further away. "Then what exactly do you see when you look at me, Gandalf the Gray? A dark, twisted soul magi like Tohsaka here would want locked away? Or maybe another monster on the same level as Zouken Matou or Caster?"

Biting, sardonic questions… but they carried something else, too. The Gray Pilgrim studied the hidden Master carefully, his unique nature allowing him to see into the deepest parts of his battered, cracked soul. Then he gave his verdict. "I see a man who has been peering into the darkness for so long, he has trouble seeing the light in anything. Including himself."

…After staring at the robed man with no words coming to mind, the Mage Killer could only sigh to himself. It's impossible to win an argument with this old bastard, huh? He grumbled to himself, forcing his mouth to stay in a frown. He had readied himself for another heated debate like with his own Servants, and the wizard had still confounded him. No wonder he got his Master and partner to go along with all of his crazy ideas. "We'll still end up killing each other when this is over." Kiritsugu said half-heartedly to try and get the final word.

It didn't take, of course. "Perhaps we will…" Then Caster X rubbed his pipe's mouthpiece off with a cloth before holding it out to Kiritsugu. The man's eyes blinked, then glanced down at the offering, then blinked again. "Or perhaps we won't."

It could've been a trap. Anything a Servant can smoke could be toxic to a human… Oh, who was he kidding? Even he didn't believe this being would do such a thing. Kiritsugu placed the pipe in his mouth, inhaled tentatively… then inhaled a little more… until he felt his cheeks bulge.

He had smoked various brands over the years. Purchasing the same one in every country wasn't always possible, so he'd learned long ago tobaccos didn't all taste the same. Some were bitter, some had a little sugar or even chocolate mixed in. He'd even sampled a Havana once or twice, a little bonus from certain clients who wanted to make an impression like that.

But right now, as he felt the smoke traveling through him… not all the aromas and fragrances of all the different kinds of tobacco he'd met in his life could compare to this. The taste wafted through his body, swirling about inside every limb down to his toes, then travelling right back up to his brain. He opened his mouth, and a grey cloud slowly drifted out into the air. But a serenity remained inside him he hadn't known since… since the last time he'd lain with Iri.

Gandalf chuckled lightly at his reaction. "Old Toby. The finest weed in the Southfarthing."

In a rare moment of whimsy, Kiritsugu took another drag from the pipe, let the smoke dance inside his mouth for a bit, and opened again to release a perfectly shaped ring. He suppressed a smirk while watching the grey construct float up into the air; it had taken him forever to get the hang of Natalia's favorite trick. He could still remember her smirking in pride…

Caster X nodded impressed at his creation before silently beckoning for his pipe back. Upon reclaiming it and the smoke within, he exhaled a sizable cloud that shifted itself into an old-fashioned ship and promptly "sailed" up through the smoke ring.

This time, Kiritsugu couldn't stop his smirk from appearing. "Showoff." Gandalf only chuckled in reply before passing the pipe to his Master. Kariya had smoked a little over the years, even if he'd never developed a real taste for them. But if any cigarette could soothe his tenderized insides like the weed inside his friend's pipe, he'd commit himself to chain-smoking in a heartbeat. The Matou defector enjoyed it for bit, then grudgingly offered it to Tokiomi and the Einzbern woman.

But both declined politely. The man's answer made Kariya scoff despite himself, token resentment spurring him on. "What, too good to share a smoke with the likes of us?"

"More likely it's because he had asthma when he was four, five years old." Kiritsugu met their surprised looks from the side with a flat look. "I do my homework."

"Yes, I have… some experience with how difficult breathing can be. And I have no intention of reliving it."

"And here I always believed you were born perfect."

"As you were meant to," Tokiomi replied smoothly, a proud grin tugging at his lips' edges. "Only my girls can truly claim such a feat." He shot Kiritsugu a look for rolling his eyes while "Irisviel" feigned a giggle.

Kariya stared between the two men, then handed a smiling Gandalf his pipe back with a small wry laugh. Just when you think you know everything about somebody…

---

The Shadow Clone of Kakashi Hatake drifted about in spirit form. The presence he'd sensed earlier kept flickering about for some reason, like a light switch flipped on and off repeatedly. It felt like a Servant's, but at the same time, it… didn't. A tiny ember if a Servant's spirit was blazing flame. Yet it persisted so much he couldn't rule it off as a trick of his mind.

For the fifth time, he climbed up onto the residence's walls and slowly began to creep along its length. He'd already set up some additional precautions, and if be, he could call up two or three more clones to monitor all four sides-

"Hello…?"

He stopped and looked down at the street, frowning a little underneath his mask. Ambling about close to the safehouse's wall was a little girl with tanned skin. She had purple hair that reached her neck, with one strand sticking up from the top much like Saber's. Despite the chill brought about by sunset, she had no shoes on, and she only wore a white sleeveless dress that didn't even reach her knees. There was also something white in the girl's hair, like a hairband, but Assassin X couldn't make it out clearly enough from this angle.

But it was her eyes that drew attention, a dull purple the same shade as her hair, and gazing up straight at him. "Hello? Do you… hear me… from up there...?"

She can see me? Does she have some magical trait? Or… A glimpse with the Sharingan confirmed the presence he'd detected originated from this girl. He found no signs of her being a threat, though. Still disincorporated, the Heroic Spirit of the Leaf Village considered his options. She could be an errant spirit stirred up by all of the excitement these last couple of days. Fifteen Heroic Spirits roaming these streets would loosen a few ghosts from the ground, I guess…

Either way, this was unexpected. And he could only learn so much by keeping his distance. Assassin X materialized to give the girl a little wave. "Hello, little one." He flipped nimbly off of the wall and landed right in front of her. "Isn't it getting close to your bedtime?" He kept his voice low and gentle so as not to spook her.

She seemed shy enough as it was. "I was… wandering… my siblings…" she mumbled just loud enough to be heard. "They told me to… Said this… this place… I had to go…"

"Your… siblings?" If she was a ghost, the girl could've been referring to the siblings she had when alive… or she could've meant other spirits that had arisen with her. She seemed harmless enough, but with the city already on edge, precariously so… "Where did you come from, little one? Can you tell me your name?"

"My… name…? Not sure…" The dazed girl shook her head a little and Assassin X froze; the gesture had allowed him to finally get a good look at the ornament in her hair:

It was a white mask carved like the face of a skull.

"…You're an Assassin." He hopped back and scanned the area, kunai already in hand.

The Servant girl still gave off no signs of danger. "As… Assassin…?" If anything, she appeared more confused than ever. "No… Not me… My siblings… They move in the shadows… One… And yet many…" Clarity began seeping into her words, though. "Servant of many… shadows… Always one."

Her words pushed Assassin X's subconscious back to the last place he'd seen the Assassins alive: Those were the same things they had uttered upon surrounding the banquet-gathered Servants. Right, A Servant who could divide himself from one into many… We thought Rider wiped them all out with his army, so we didn't bother to think… Kakashi's grip tightened on his kunai. "A double bluff… And we all fell for it!"He spun around. He had to warn the others. What Assassins still lived must surely be serving Kotomine, and they'd be after-!

"Wait…" He paused. "They're not here…" Normally, he wouldn't believe a thing an enemy said, but… this girl… something about her tone was different. Clearer and… "Not yet… Not much time…" A hand grabbed his arm and pulled weakly. He turned to find the girl staring up at him with very wide eyes. "We served Master… Master… gone too far… No more…"

He knelt down to her level. "Your Master, Kirei… 'We…' You and your siblings… don't want to serve him anymore?" It sounded like he wasn't the only Assassin in this Grail War with scruples, after all. "Then why come here? Do you and your siblings want to join us?" The surviving Assassins must have kept monitoring their activities, he surmised. It's what he would've done if everyone believed him dead.

The little Assassin shook her head. "Too late… for us…" She doubled over with a yelp. "Too far… in the dark…" Her free hand clutched her stomach, and something flickered underneath her dress. The Sharingan's bearer gasped upon seeing a dark energy stir inside her. Tainted, corroding. He made to grab, but her head snapped up, and she gasped. "The tyrant's fire… it burns inside a lantern… Everything it touches goes bad…"

"Lantern…?" Assassin X repeated in confusion, then his eyes widened. The tyrant… The Reactor…! Megatron's power source! He gently grabbed her by both shoulders and locked eyes with as best as he could. "Where's this lantern? Can you tell me? Please…"

She whimpered as the energy spreaded further. "H-hidden… I-in the l-last place… K-Killer… would… l-look…"

Assassin X frowned at her vagueness, but he received no time to prod further. Tiny fingers gripped the sleeve of his left arm, and for the first time, emotion flickered in those eyes: Terror. "N-not much t-time… The tyrant… Iblis… making… m-m-move…" The veins in her face appeared like purple spiderwebs. "H-hurry… Please…"

Then a new presence appeared right above him, and an instant later, a great force cracked the sidewalk.

---

Okay, first things first, Happy Anniversary! Already two years and twenty-two official chapters since I first started this silly thing. Where, oh where, does the time go?

Nevertheless, thank you all for sticking with Fate-Zero Paradox this long, and thank you so much for liking it, commenting on it, reviewing it, and critiquing it. I'm truly grateful for all of your support and patience.

This blasted chapter… I kept having second thoughts about the order of the scenes, the timestamps, and of course the interactions. You guys didn't think I'd write a three-way meeting between Kariya, Tokiomi, and Kiritsugu as all sunshine and Kumbaya, did you? This is the Holy Grail War, and only one guy gets to walk with that thing (theoretically). Then I had third thoughts, and fourth, and nearly two weeks past my hoped-for deadline, I'd reached sixth thoughts. So, here's the final thing, I truly it's satisfactory.

Oh, and the part about Tokiomi and asthma? I know that's not canon to Fate, but it is sorta canon to my life. And let me tell you, sitting in front of the fireplace with a nebulizer over my mouth and nose is boring. It's why I've never touched a cigarette in my life, let alone smoked one, which is why I don't know that much about brands, either. Ever since I decided to make ol' pipe-smoking Gandalf Caster X, though, I'd been envisioning a sort of Cowboy-Indian scene between him and Kiritsugu, get the Mage Killer hooked onto Old Toby…