The Prince of Magic

by Regius-Sanguis

A former King of Lucis, who was greatly loved by many and did his royal duty even to the bitter end, gets reincarnated and dropped off into another world that was both similar yet different than his own, due to the unanimous decision of the astral gods. The gods were happy with their decision. The recipient of the gift, not so much. (MC is OC) (AU Fate/Extra)

13. Chapter 12 — Arrival

…

Yo, and welcome to another chapter of TPOM! :D

As always, I'll just leave most of my AN notes after the chapter is over, so I'll see you guys there.

And as per usual, feel free to leave a review, fave and (or) follow this story.

Much thanks to the ones that did all of the above. The support is always appreciated and encouraging, guys.

Enjoy the chapter, and happy reading, guys! :)

...

---

…

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

"Spells" or "Abilities"

* Sound Effects *

[ Moon Cell ]

…

---

Chapter 12 – Arrival

---

…

Except for their footsteps and small talk here and there, all was quiet as Hadrian and the others followed Edward Miles around the underwater base of the Watch.

For a brief moment, as they went through a long and spacious hallway, Hadrian felt a certain familiarity, one that he had felt during the grail war.

He remembered the several times of when the last day of the week had arrived, of which was when the time he would finally battle against a fellow Master, face-to-face.

The school was so eerily quiet and devoid of people, except for him, Arturia and a couple of NPCs hanging around the campus.

The sun was bright, sunny, and the weather was literally perfect, but to the Hadrian of that time, he had only felt dread and anxiety as he walked along the empty corridors of Tsukimihara Academy, a fictional place that had existed within the artificial environment called the Moon Cell.

One particular NPC drabbed in a black priest attire had been waiting for his arrival at the first floor of the school near the entrance, and behind him, there was an elevator that was created to deliver the surviving participants of the grail war down to the Arena, which was the place where two Master and their Servants would have to fight to the death.

The longer he survived in the war, the more calm and determined he became to survive that horrible event.

At the same time, Hadrian felt that he had lost something as well. Whether that was his innocuous ideals and morals or his light and peaceful purview of the world being tainted, Hadrian does not know, but what he was sure of was that he was not the same as he was before he joined the war.

Hadrian didn't noticed it himself, considering as he was more worried about planning ahead of the other contestants and keeping himself and Arturia alive throughout the weeks. However, it had eaten away at him during those times, lingering in the back of his mind like some leech siphoning some of his time and mental energy, distracting from time to time.

He had lost something, this he was sure of, but he can't put his finger on it. Not until a certain cold-blooded priest pointed it out for him to see, that is.

Father Kotomine… that was his name.

An NPC that was made to be the overseer of the Holy Grail War in the Moon Cell. He administered the local Church (that two certain witches had lived in before), which was outside of the .PH's jurisdiction. Based on the Moon Cell's reports, his appearance and presence were actually data transcriptions of a man who had once participated in the Holy Grail War many years ago.

Thus, he was knowledgeable about the Holy Grail, the Moon Cell, and the .PH. The cold-blooded priest had made a passing comment that if he was Hadrian's opponent, he would be dead.

Needless to say, his cold remark did not endeared him to Hadrian at all, but earned his quiet dislike instead.

Of course, Arturia assured him that she would always remained at his side to protect him, to never let anyone lay a hand on him, including that damn fake priest. She would even glare at the arrogant bastard whenever it was time for Hadrian and her to go down in the Arena and meet their next opponents.

But, it remained all the same, the fake priest's words got under Hadrian's skin, and that was the moment that made him realized to be extra cautious in the war.

Therefore, it had irked Hadrian to his core that it was the cold-blooded priest who would dare to make him see that he had changed when the war was slowly coming to a close.

Leonardo B. Harwey had been his next opponent at that time, and then the weird fake priest suddenly appeared on the first floor and said to Hadrian that he had adapted to the brutality of the war, that he had evolved from a bumbling innocent lamb to a beautiful, cunning and opportunistic predator.

Hadrian gave him a deadpan look at that time, feeling a bit creep out by his weird metaphor and description that came out of nowhere.

But, the intention had been clear, and it caused Hadrian to realize that the war had changed him at his core. Whether that was good or not, Hadrian felt that remains to be seen.

Yes, he was no longer as naïve and unprepared as he had been before. Hadrian had learned (the hard way) that being over-prepared in every situation might be too much, but it was never a bad thing, and remaining cautious to every encounter was always a step closer to ensuring his survival.

At the same time though, the brutal event had forced his hand and taught him to kill anyone in his path, no matter who they were, their gender, age, and relation to him.

Shinji Matou was his first opponent, and Hadrian killed him to advance to the next stage, despite their strange friendship. Dan Blackmore was his second opponent, and Hadrian killed him mercilessly, despite his respect for the old man and his staunch morals and ideals. Alice was his third opponent, and like with the other two, Hadrian killed her, regardless of her unique circumstances and age.

From there, Hadrian's morals took a large beating, going down the drain as the grail war continued and he survived to live and fight another enemy Master.

Disgusted as Hadrian was with himself and the Moon Cell's brutal methods, he can't deny that his experience as a Master had benefited him significantly.

If he had been as he was before, Hadrian would have never thought of hurting anyone, much less someone younger like Alive or someone who had earned his respect such as Dan Blackmore. On a side note, Hadrian might have hurt Shinji Matou, a scuff at the back of the head perhaps, but he would never thought of killing him outright if not for the grail war's rules.

In the Holy Grail War, defeat has the same meaning as being killed. Hadrian might not be the one to have actually done the deed, literally murdering his opponents, and that it was Moon Cell who had done the dirty work by deleting them from the system, but the fact remains that it was Hadrian who won and defeated them in the Arena.

There was no other way to advance to the next stage, but to kill and abide to the .PH's rules. It was to kill or be killed, simple and harsh it may be, but it was just that honest.

Rin had even said to Hadrian that everyone had their reasons for joining the war, and while the rules that the Moon Cell had implemented upon them was harsh and brutal, it was also fair and simple since all of them were fighting for the chance to make their own desires come true.

Kill everyone for the sake of one's wish, that was the rule of the war in its most simplest and common form.

And that was what Hadrian did to survive that brutal event.

Granted, he had saved Rin and Rani along the way, but it had only managed to ease his guilt somewhat. The rest of the contestants' blood was on his hands, this he can never forget, and it was what caused him to choose to restore the world back into its healthy form instead of being selfish and reviving his father.

Hadrian faced a choice between the two, and he chose the former with a heavy heart.

He loved his father, this was not in question. And as much as he wanted to bring his father back to life, the lives of many people, both young and old, and the world's future had been at stake, therefore Hadrian made the difficult decision of choosing the lives of the masses instead of only one, no matter how much he wanted to choose the latter.

It was why he felt ashamed and feared of going home, returning to his grandfather and mother to see their reactions of what he had to do in order to survive. Hadrian especially feared seeing his mother's reaction to the choice he made, that he chose the lives of other people instead of reviving his father and her beloved husband.

But contrary to what he expected, Lucia only stared at him when he returned to the castle before running towards him and pulling him into her arms, crying in relief and joy that he was finally home.

In the end, Hadrian had nothing to worry about, except for being scolded by his grandfather, his mother, Lord El-Melloi II and Lady Lorelei for being careless a few times in the war.

Hadrian huffed, feeling strange at the thought of being sentimental.

Walking down a hallway had made him reflect on his memories during the grail war, but it was the damn certain familiarity that was mainly at fault.

The familiarity of stepping into the elevator and being sent into the Arena once more, that is.

Admittedly, while he was feeling calm and composed, there was a small amount of anxiety that was in his chest, which also felt familiar to him and reminded him of the times he had also felt that way during the grail war. The emotion was there, but fleeting at the same time. The pressure and worries of being near to an Ultimate One's nest made him even more aware of it, making him frown.

Fou and Ryu, who both sensed their master's dark mood, cooed in comfort.

With a faint smile, Hadrian gave them a pat on their heads each as his gratitude for their concern for him.

'I just hope that it's not a battle to the death with that thing…' Hadrian sighed.

Not before long, Hadrian and the rest arrived in a hall with a set of stairs and a sealed twin doors that was at the top.

They followed Edward and his a few of his staff up the stairs, then waited as Edward used his authority as Chief Director to open the doors. They were quickly ushered inside and found themselves in a spacious room with a lot of technical equipment in sight and large glass windows on every side.

The room was about the size half of a basketball court, and most space were occupied with advance machinery. There were screens everywhere and a lot of employees at work as well. In the center of the room, there was a seat that was raised slightly from the ground, facing towards the large windows and overlooking the staff doing their own roles.

Hadrian and the others followed Edward into the room until the older magus walked up to the chair in the center and sat on it.

His secretary, Ana, followed him and stood by on his right.

After glancing at one another, Hadrian, his retainers and Hugo stood a few feet away from the two, observing the scene before them.

'What's this waves of fear? Something grave must've happened…' Hadrian mused, bright cyan eyes narrowed.

"Keanan, give me an update!" Edward said loudly.

One of the staff, who was rapidly speaking to another member, jolted up and looked behind him, sighing in relief when he saw the Chief Director had arrived.

The employee in question was a man in his early twenties. He was an average-looking man with short dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. Like the rest of the members of the Watch, he was dressed in a black uniform with the emblem of the organization on both of his shoulders, and around his neck was his ID.

Signs of exhaustion was clear on his face, as with all of the employees in the room.

"Thank the Root that you're here, Sir." Keanan gave him a salute as soon as he came near, then he stood in attention as he gave out his report. "We have a serious situation!"

"Well, out with it then, boy." Edward urged, frowning slightly.

"The nest has been breached." Keanan announced with a grim expression.

'I suppose that's why…' Hadrian deadpan.

The news made many eyes go wide in surprise and shock, but some were quick to regain their composure and face the situation with a calm and steady mind, despite the dangerous situation.

"What? Who, and how?" Edward demanded, aghast and in disbelief.

"We do not know yet, sir, but we suspect that there might either have an inside man in our ranks or found some way to enter the fog safely without our detection." Keanan answered, sweating a little under the pressure of his boss's angry and demanding gaze. "We also have yet to discover the identity of these intruders, but we do know that there are three of them."

When no one spoke for a few moments as they processed the information, Hadrian had decided to cut in and ask his own questions.

"And where are they now?" Hadrian inquired in a polite tone.

Keanan blinked, as if recognizing who had spoken and was surprised by his presence, but he snapped himself out of his daze.

"Uh, they're on a boat and on the way to the island." Keanan answered.

Feeling the fear of the people in the room grow, the young heir to the Schweinorg house made his decision right then and there.

Breathing through his nose once, Hadrian closed his eyes for a moment.

'Moon Cell.' He began.

Hadrian didn't need to say the words. He knew that the automaton would immediately understand what he wants, even without thinking about it, which was one of the benefits of having the Moon Cell Automaton fused with his soul. Sensing what he desire was enough for the Moon Cell to take action and abide to his wishes.

[… Initiating …]

[… 'Moonlit Eye' activated…]

'Moonlit Eye' was the Automaton's observational ability, of which he discovered a few months ago when he was still learning how to use the Moon Cell effectively and efficiently in terms of combat. It enables Hadrian to 'view' the target's location with the Automaton doing most of the work to seek and find them all over the world.

When he told his retainers about it, most of them looked quite impressed, while some had given him strange looks, staring at him as if he was a monster in disguise.

Hadrian can't blame the latter group, having the Moon Cell in his possession does make him overpowered in the eyes of others.

But, Hadrian could care less of their views, even that of his retainers, and he would often shrug it off like dirt off of his shoulders.

With the help of the automaton, Hadrian found that the intruders were already scattered all over the island, running off into each three cardinal directions. There were three intruders, and he saw that all of them were wearing black cloaks and white masks that made them elusive to the Moon Cell's observational ability, which made Hadrian unable to find out their identities and see their features.

One intruder was in the west, the second was in the east, and the third was in the south, which was in the center of the island.

In addition, Hadrian kept note of their differences in physique.

The one in the west was tall and broad-shouldered, causing Hadrian to estimate that the intruder must be six and seven feet tall and heavily fit for combat. The one in the east was around six-two feet tall and quite fit as well, while the one in the south has the above average height of a grown man, probably around five-eight feet tall, but slimmer in built.

But, what roused his suspicion and curiosity was their reason for running off those places in the island and then stopped, remaining in one place as if they were on standby. It was quite obvious to him that they have a reason to do what they did, the question that Hadrian wondered was why.

'Again, the automaton can't get through this arcane. Just like that time in the abandoned mansion. What a headache…' Hadrian shook his head, then he paused. 'Hm…?'

Hadrian blinked, realizing something.

The young heir noticed that the three masked intruders were actually carrying black sacks over their shoulders, which Hadrian only realized just now. The two in the west and east have two sacks each in their arms and shoulders, while the one in the south only has one, and now Hadrian was watching them dropped their burdens on the ground.

As he watched them did so, Hadrian thought of the possibilities of whatever might be in those bags.

'Hostages? Possibly, but two of them looked big enough to fit a human, but there are those that are too small…' Hadrian mused.

Whatever that was in those burlaps, Hadrian knew that the three must be stop and nothing would gain him by standing idly.

Finding the intruders and his musings had only occurred in a matter of a second, thanks to 'Memory Partition' and 'Thought Acceleration'.

The two abilities were quite helpful in allowing him to make up plans upon plans, though the one flaw about the former magecraft was that all thought processes only work on one goal.

Hadrian normally uses the two abilities in combat, seeing as it enables him to think of separate ideas of how to take out his enemies and calculate the chances of the success rates of his plans, along with the data he gathered. But after the Moon Cell fused with his soul, he only uses the two sometimes.

Nevertheless, the two abilities remains helpful to him in these types of situation.

Opening his eyes, Hadrian felt that it was time for him to make his move.

And so, he turned to his retainers, who seemed to be attentive to his mood and were already awaiting his orders.

'Good…' Hadrian nodded, approving of their mental preparation.

"Charles, Scáthach, you two will move to intercept the intruder that's in the west. Rider, Yan, Astolfo, get the one in the east. Arturia, Arash, go meet the one in the south." Hadrian commanded, then he turned to the remaining two. "Dia, Kieran, you two will stay with me here. Someone needs to help me guard this place."

"Gotcha, boss." Yan and Arash gave out their friendly salutes, grinning.

"Kay, Master!" Astolfo chirped, grinning as well.

Charles simply gave Hadrian a thumbs up in acknowledgement to his instructions. Rider and Scáthach were also silent, but they gave him a nod of acknowledgement as well. Arturia nodded her own assent to his orders, along with Dia. The only one who seemed out of sorts was Kieran, who looked around him with an anxious expression before settling his gaze upon Hadrian.

Seeing Hadrian's raised eyebrow, a silent question of whether he was willing to participate, Kieran let out a weary sigh.

"Dammit, I knew this shit's goin' happen…" He muttered under his breath, scratching the back of his head out of frustration.

In other words, the amber-eyed Servant will follow his orders, but it was quite obvious to anyone that he was not happy about the situation, dreading it more like.

Hadrian chuckled, then turned to face his other retainers, who had been quietly watching their exchange with amusement in their eyes.

"Before you all set off, keep in mind that our goal here is not to cause extensive damage on that island. No matter how things go, remember to not use too much of your powers and do your best to try and capture one or all of them. Break every bone in their bodies or bring them to a near death state, I do not care. Just make sure that they can still talk." Hadrian stated with a calm expression.

The sound of a gun being cocked was heard in the room, causing Hadrian and the others nearby to turn to Kieran, who was holding a black gun the size of a 50 caliber magnum in his right hand.

"Aight, ladies and gents, you heard the man! Now let's bring those bitches down, so that we can all go home early!" Kieran shouted, looking fierce as he held the weapon that Hadrian gave him before.

...

---

…

After issuing his orders, Hadrian watched as the seven retainers set off to go after the intruders that were on the island.

From what he had gathered by the bits of their conversation as they left the control room, it seemed that each party had their own plans on how to get to the island, which they all proposed to do it but have yet to decide on one. It was a trivial matter that Hadrian would leave up to them, but he also hoped that they won't take too long and quarrel about it.

With a sigh, Hadrian turned to the two retainers that remained behind, Dia and Kieran.

The two were opposites of each other in posture and attitude. Dia's stance was rigid, back straight and standing tall, heeding attention to whatever orders that Hadrian was about to issue, while Kieran was more casual and relax in his stance, one of his hands was on his hip with the right holding the mystic weapon beside him and he leaned most of his weight on one foot than the other.

"Okay you two, you're task for today is to ensure the security and guard the headquarters. Use lethal force if necessary, just don't go too far." Hadrian informed them.

"Guard the headquarters? Boss, I thought that the intruders are on that island?" Kieran asked, blinking in surprise.

"That may be, but we still have to remain on guard nevertheless. Standing by on that island might just be their ploy to lure most of our forces over there and infiltrate this place." Hadrian explained.

"Like bait and dupe then?" Kieran guessed, his curiosity sated when he saw him nod in confirmation.

"Hmm, that is true." Hugo agreed, overhearing the trio's conversation from his nearby position. "Given their strange movements and timing, it just might be the case."

"Indeed, but I suppose that we'll know the answer in time." Edward added with a nod.

"Speaking of which, can you have some of the monitors follow my retainers, Mr. Miles?" Hadrian asked.

"Not that I doubt you, but what for?" Edward blinked.

"To observe their confrontations." Hadrian stated calmly. "I need to have eyes on them to see who we are about to face."

After a moment of musing, the Chief Director of the Watch nodded.

"Very well, I'll have some of my men follow your people's movements." Edward announced, then turned to Anna. "Anna, if you would please."

"It shall be done." The bespectacled woman nodded, stepping away from her position beside the Chief Director to do what was asked of her.

After seeing the woman begin to work and arrange his request, Hadrian turned back to Dia and Kieran, who gave him their utmost attention when they saw the serious expression on his face.

"For the meantime, you two are on standby unless there is an emergency, so prepare yourselves to move at my orders." Hadrian advised.

"Yes, milord." Dia nodded.

"Gotcha, Boss." Kieran gave him a lazy salute.

Hadrian was about to move forward when an idea came to mind, causing him to halt and slowly turn to the two retainers behind him, who both looked at him curiously.

"On second thought, you two, come with me for a moment." Hadrian said mysteriously.

Dia and Kieran exchange glances at one another, clueless as to what their master was planning.

...

---

…

At the platform of the Watch, a rather strange argument has taken place.

"I still say that we should take the speedboat to get there, guys." Yan Qing argued, looking disgruntled.

"I have no issue with that method of transportation." Arturia began calmly. "However, I believe that I can arrive there faster on foot. All of you can take the boat if that is what you prefer."

"How the fuck are you goin' get there on foot?" Yan asked, skeptical.

"I have my ways." Arturia simply said, meeting his eyes head-on, which only seemed to irritate the long-haired man.

"Same here, I can just take my Griffon and get there faster!" Astolfo chirped in, grinning with his hands behind his head.

"Not you too, pinky." Yan groaned.

"… I can also do that with Bellaphron." Rider quietly added.

"Lady, you aren't helping." Yan deadpanned, rubbing his temples to ease his headache.

For several minutes, Yan Qing had been trying to convince the two retainers (Arturia and Astolfo) that taking the speedboat would be better and faster for all of them to arrive on the island in time. The intruders don't seem to have any intention of going anywhere after they arrived on the island, so Yan felt that it would be a better, safer, option for them to get to the island by using the speedboat.

But, the two stubborn idiots laid down their own plans of transportation and the argument began from there as disagreements came from each side.

Now, while their reasons were valid and perhaps even better than his own option, Yan's concern was that they might get ambushed if they were to arrive on the island one by one.

Also, Yan recalled that their Master had specifically told them to not cause too much ruckus while on the island, and knowing his fellow retainers' personalities, Yan was justifiably concerned that things might get blown out of proportions since Arturia and Astolfo were not the type of people to back down if their opponents were strong, what with their knightly prides and all.

Which just means shit in Yan's opinion.

To make matters worse for him, the three servants in question are speed-demons. Arturia, Rider and Astolfo were quite known to be fans of thrilling rides in their group, of which Yan had the absolute displeasure of knowing at the wrong moment in the past when they were still getting to know one another.

And now, their craving for speed has just appeared at the wrong time as well.

Curiously enough, the three retainers, Charles, Arash and Scáthach, were off to the side and had been outside of the argument between him and the others.

Charles was standing nearby, watching the spectacle before him with a smile of amusement, the cheeky retainer that he is. On the other hand, Arash and Scáthach were standing a bit far from them, conversing on a subject that they seemed to be quite invested in as they inspected the speedboat that Yan had proposed for all of them to use.

Yan sincerely hoped that the two would back him up on his option and helped him convince the others from proceeding with their reckless plans.

'I think I'm starting to get gray hairs because of these three…' The long-haired servant grunted in his mind.

Yan also found it ironic that he, of all people in their group, was acting as the voice of reason at this time when it should be someone else, like say Arturia, Charles, Scáthach, or Arash. Unfortunately in his case, one does not seem to be thinking properly at the moment, the other seemed to be more content in watching the argument by the sidelines, and the last two were occupied with something else.

'Just great… The obstinate nature of certain servants revealing itself at its best…' Yan sighed.

Fortunately, a certain Servant of the Bow stepped in with his usual cheerful smile and aura, gathering everyone's undivided attention by clapping his hands loudly, twice.

"Okay, guys, that's enough argument for the day." Arash began. "Calm your horses, all of you. There's no need for us to waste time like this, not when our Master is counting on us to capture those intruders on the island. Besides, Scáthach and I have already prepared a plan of our own to get there faster." Here, Arash's eyes glinted with mischief as he grinned. "Much faster."

"… Eh?" was the sound that escaped Astolfo's mouth.

The rest of the retainers (sans Scáthach) looked at the tall brown-skinned man with confusion in their eyes. Deep down, they also felt something strange when they saw Arash's smile, something odd and almost ominous, and it was only to Yan's regret that they were all too late to realize what the two retainers had in mind, much to his frustration.

...

---

…

Meanwhile…

Hadrian (with Fou and Ryu still hitching a ride on his shoulder and head respectively), Dia and Kieran were on the way to return to the control bridge.

Earlier, he had just visited one of the areas in the headquarters where he had set up something in case of an emergency, and now he and his retainers are walking their way back to the Edward and Hugo, who were both waiting for them inside the control bridge. His furry familiars went along with them since they do not want to be left behind in the control room with a bunch strangers.

Leading the front was Hadrian, while Dia and Kieran were behind him two feet away.

All was quiet throughout their walk, aside from the quiet whirling sounds of the machinery that surrounded the headquarters. The audible noises that came from the sea creatures that appeared behind the transparent glass every now and then was soothing enough to make the silence bearable, comfortable even.

That was, until a certain servant had decided to break it.

"Hey Boss, ya think that the guys are still up there?" Kieran asked.

Dia was silent, but he was also looking at their liege to see his response.

"Hmm, I do not know. I suppose we'll see once we return." Hadrian answered, not bothering to look back.

Without another word, the three of them made their way back to the control room within a few minutes.

Like before, Hadrian returned to his position beside Edward and Hugo, but when he arrived there, he noticed something peculiar. The older magi were not paying attention to his presence. Instead, they were captivated by something that was happening on the large monitor above and in front of the chair that Edward was sitting on.

"What the fuck?" Kieran muttered, causing Hadrian to glance at him.

The young heir noticed that his retainer has an odd expression that was caught between amusement and confusion, as if he didn't know whether to be amused or confused by what he was seeing. Not only Kieran, but Dia, Hugo and Edward also appeared to be in the same boat, much to his curiosity.

With a huff, Hadrian turned his head and peered into the monitor, only for his expression to turn flat as he finally saw what was happening on the screen.

The first thing that he realized was that Charles, Astolfo, Arturia, Rider, Scáthach, Yan and Arash were all on a black speedboat large enough to fit all of them. The second was that Yan seemed to be tied up and gagged with a white cloth, lying at the end of the speedboat on his side with a grinning Charles and Astolfo holding him down with one of their hands as they kneeled beside him.

The third was that Arturia looked determined, but somewhat apprehensive as she held on to one of the metal handles for stability. The same can also be said with Scáthach, Rider, Charles and Astolfo, who were all holding onto something while they were near the edges of the speedboat, as if they were bracing themselves for any sudden movement.

Curiously enough, it was Arash who was attention-catching.

The tan skinned retainer was standing near Charles, Astolfo and Yan at the end of the speedboat. His expression still cheerful, but held a hint of steel-like determination. What was interesting about him were the two straps attached to his belt, which Charles and Astolfo were holding onto with their other free hands.

'Yan looks annoyed and screaming something…' Hadrian can't help but make an observation.

The young heir sweatdrop when he saw Astolfo stuffed the white cloth in Yan's mouth even further, grinning like a loony as Yan struggled even more in his restraints, wriggling like a worm. He heard a loud cackle (from Kieran) behind him when Hadrian saw Arash lifted one foot and placed it on Yan's downed form, using his fellow retainer as a foot stand.

"The hell are those guys planning now?" Kieran wondered aloud, bemused.

Hadrian has an idea of what they were planning, considering as he noticed the runes etched all over the speedboat, which he knew was Scáthach's doing.

When Arash summoned his bow and Hadrian felt a slight drainage from his od reserves, the answer quickly became obvious to them.

"STELLAAAAAAAAAA!" Arash's loud voice came out of the speakers.

*BOOM*

A bright golden light appeared and overwhelmed the monitor's sight, blinding them for a moment. Then, when the camera's view came back, his retainers were no longer there.

…

…

…

Silence permeated the control room for a few moments as they all stared at the one spot that was once occupied by the retainers in question before…

"Well… there's your answer, Kieran." Hadrian said with a sigh.

In response, Kieran snorted in amusement, taking in the way most of the occupants the control room were gaping at what just happened.

"Okay, even I was not expecting that." Kieran chuckled dryly.

Hadrian agreed, but he was busy wondering about one thing.

'… How did Arash convinced Arturia and the others to go along with his plan, I wonder?'

...

---

…

"Ha, ha, well… that was fun!" Arash stated, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with a refreshing smile.

"Yup. I don't mind doing that again!" Astolfo agreed, doing a fist pump to the sky.

Sending Astolfo an amused smile, Arash glanced at the silver bracelet around his right wrist. There is a tiny vial filled with liquid resin attached to it, while inside was a red feather glowing with a strange light. It was a gift from his Master, who had vaguely explained to him once that it was a good luck charm that can prevent the fatal side-effect of his Noble Phantasm from ever taking his life again.

Arash hadn't needed a more detailed explanation from his Master other than that, thanking the young man instead of asking questions.

He was curious as to how the item had prevented him from dying via after activating his Noble Phantasm, but Arash held himself back and reminded himself that his master was a Magus, despite his young age and noble ideals. Letting a mystery remain as one was one of the main components in Magecraft, and it might be detrimental for his master if Arash decides to know more.

The item was worked to prevent him from dying ever again and that was what matters to him the most, regardless of his curiosity on the matter.

Exhaling through his nose, he looked behind where his other fellow retainers are located and took in the scene.

Charles was on his knees, looking a bit dazed but mostly fine as the seconds pass. Rider appeared a bit winded, but she managed to recover quickly. She was even arranging her long lavender hair to get rid of any tangles before dusting off any dirt that might be on her clothes.

"Ugh… never again." Charles groaned as he straightened up his posture.

The others looked quite unfazed by the haphazard landing earlier.

Scáthach was already taking the lead, scouting for any movements as she looked around their new surroundings.

Astolfo and Arturia were already behind her, copying her action as they inspected the area as well. Although, the former looked a bit too jolly to be looking around instead of being serious like the other two, which was nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to the pink-haired servant.

The only one who was not fine was Yan Qing, who Charles and Astolfo had to carry before they got off the speedboat.

The long-haired retainer was on the ground, still tied up and gagged. The only difference was that Yan was not conscious at the moment.

'Huh, he must've passed out earlier…' Arash mused, recalling the dangerous landing they had before.

The speedboat nearly landed on a boulder earlier, but thanks to Arturia's quick thinking, they managed to avoid it when she used 'Strike Air' to propel the speedboat forward while still in mid-air. Arash was also thankful that Yan was tied up and unconscious during that time. Otherwise, they would never hear the end of his cussing.

His fellow retainer can be quite creative when it comes to profanities.

Just as he was about to go and wake up his fellow retainer, Yan woke up on his own, startled and screaming, but the sound was muffled, thanks to the white cloth that was still in his mouth.

Hearing the sound as well, Astolfo looked over his shoulder and his grin widened when he saw that his fellow retainer had awoken. He skipped over to them and crouched in front of Yan's prone form, looking down at him with an innocent expression that seemed to annoy the hell out of the long-haired retainer.

"Oi, Yan! You woke up!" Astolfo greeted with a cheery grin, waving down at him.

"MFFPH!" was Yan's muffled response.

Knowing the man, Arash knew that Yan was probably screaming out profanities at the pink-haired servant. On the other hand, there was a sense of urgency in his tone when he screamed, as if he was feeling something like pain or anger in that moment.

'Probably even both…' The servant of the bow mused.

With a slight shake of his head, Arash walked to the two retainers and kneeled on one knee, then used his hands to put Yan into a sitting position before taking off the white cloth in his mouth, which the long haired servant appreciated and showed by giving him a nod of thanks.

Then, he face-faulted, taking on an annoyed expression as he recalled what just happened.

"Thanks, but what the fuck was that!" Yan exploded, glaring at Arash.

"My method of instant transportation?" Arash answered, amused by his reaction.

"Oh, fuck, if it ain't that obvious!" Yan retorted. "And will you morons untie me already. I've had enough of being on the ground. My ass is getting cold and stinging, you bastards! Let me up!"

"Cold? Stinging?" Arash echoed, confused.

Nevertheless, the Servant of the Bow heeded to his demand and freed him from the ropes. Once he was untied, the three retainers all stood up, with the two staring at Yan in amusement as they watch him grumble under his breath while he dusted the dirt off of his clothes.

"Man, and these are my favorite clothes too. Shit…" Yan began cursing in mandarin under his breath, looking over his attire for any signs of damage as he did so.

"Didn't think that you would actually faint from that, Yan. You scared of great heights or something?" Astolfo teased as he sidled up beside him.

"Grrr… Fuck you, pinkie!" Yan growled, baring his teeth.

"Haa, pity I didn't took a picture earlier. That moment was actually quite memorable too!" Astolfo feigned a disappointed sigh, then shot a shit-eating grin at the fuming Yan just to mess with him.

"That's it! I'mma be fucking throwing you off of this island! Come here, you shithead!" Yan shouted, chasing after the pink-haired servant who was laughing maniacally as he ran off

Watching Astolfo and Yan with their usual antics, Arash thought about what Yan had said before. His musings was interrupted when he heard someone came near him, causing him to turn his gaze over to the left where he saw Charles crouching on one knee as he inspected the ground with curious eyes.

"Oh hey, look down, guys. The ground's black and cold." Charles laid one hand on the ground, then pulled his back immediately and shook it. "Like, really cold. It's ridiculous."

"Huh, that's weird." Arash commented, dropping on one knee as he observed the ground. "Didn't that Chief Director said that this is an island?"

"Yeah, he did." Charles confirmed with a nod. "Why're you asking?"

"Well, if it ain't obvious yet, buddy, the one we're standing on clearly doesn't look like one." Yan pointed out with a dry expression, somewhat tired from chasing after the pink-haired servant.

When Arash saw Charles's look of confusion, the servant of the bow merely smiled.

"He's right. Look here," Arash gestured to the black ground. "An island of this size normally has a healthy soil and rich with plant life, but the one we're standing on does not. The ground beneath our feet is black. It feels and looks dead. Not only that, but there are these crystals surrounding this place. Tall and dense as trees too."

"Correction, they were trees." A female voice stated.

The four male retainers blinked, then turned their gaze to where the voice appeared. There, walking towards them with nonchalance, was Scáthach, who was finally done with her surveillance. Arturia and, Rider were also following after her, watching the area with guarded expressions, something that Arash was not surprised to see.

Apart from Scáthach and Dia, the two retainers in question are the most diligent when it comes to scouting the surroundings for any signs of threats, which was a trait that Hadrian shares with them. In his case, Arash and the others would be in the other category. They are the more carefree type of servants, and would only adopt serious stances when in battle.

'Well… most of the time, at least…' Arash mused as he recalled their past shenanigans.

The group of retainers then formed a loose circle as Scáthach held everyone's attention when she stepped closer to the center.

"This island was once like any other before." Scáthach began, flipping some of her strands over her shoulder. "There are telltale signs of its previous state, but after that alien life-form had landed here and turned this place into its home, most of it were gone and it has become inhabitable to all creatures but it. The Spider's presence on this isle must've caused everything here to change."

"Um…" Astolfo said with a confused smile.

"You're smiling, but you don't actually know what she means, eh?" Charles asked, expression flat.

"Nope. No idea. Hehe…" Astolfo admitted with a sheepish expression.

"Thought so."

"What she means, pinkie, is that the alien is the only one who can live here comfortably." Yan elaborated in a dry tone.

''Ohhh." Astolfo nodded, looking childlike as he held an index finger on his chin. "Well, that's not cool. He's literally hoarding this place then. What about the small animals? The birds? Squirrels?!"

In response, Yan sighed at his fellow retainer's simple nature, face-palming with the others.

"I'm sure they're dead and long gone by now." Scáthach deadpan, then continued from where she left off. "Now, as I was saying, we should be careful in treading around this island. The vast magical energy of the Spider is the reason for this isle's current state, which makes this place in tuned to its senses. Our Master's advice beforehand might be justified in this case."

"Huh? But I thought that thing was in hibernation, so why the extra caution?" Charles asked.

"Just because it's in hibernation does not mean it will never wake up." Scáthach reminded him sternly. "Natural disasters might not disturb it from its sleep, but the same cannot be said with things that were caused by magical energy. Let's say… your Noble Phantasms, for one. It lives here, so it wouldn't surprising if it somehow awakens from all the ruckus we might possibly make later on."

"Hmm… valid point." Arturia agreed with a solemn nod. "What is your proposal in tackling this one, then?"

"Yeah, a fight would be inevitable at this point. Not with those bastards round here." Yan chimed in, arms crossed over his chest.

"I suggest we resort to physical means of combat. Less reliance on attacks of magical energy would do the trick. We can still use our weapons and spells, but the ones that rely on great amounts of magical energy will have to be forbidden for now. Arturia and Charles's Noble Phantasms, for example." Scáthach advised, glancing at the two retainers in question.

"Gotcha, sis!" Charles saluted, giving her a nod of confirmation, blissfully ignorant of the mild glare sent at his way.

"I shall keep that in mind. However, I might resort to using mine should the enemy prove themselves stronger than we expected." Arturia warned, a stern expression on her face.

"Noted, but let's hope it doesn't come to that. For our Master's sake, at least." Scáthach said, trying to be optimistic.

Although, having said that, there was a different voice inside her head that disagreed. Scáthach did not paid it any mind though, considering as it was merely her love for battles that was rearing its ugly head once again. As much as she would love to get the chance to fight the Spider, such an occurrence would bring trouble for her Master and that was the last thing that she wants to happen.

Therefore, she had to kill that urge and kept herself focused on the task at hand, which was to apprehend and interrogate the interlopers.

'Some other time, I suppose…' Scáthach mused, feeling slightly disappointed.

Her musing was interrupted when a familiar voice appeared in her head.

'Hello? Can you lot hear me?' Her Master's voice said.

All retainers present blinked in surprise, looking at one another as they realized what happened. They all heard their Master's voice inside their minds, and they heard it at the same time. Scáthach then realized that the mind link that allows for them (the servants) to speak to their Master telepathically was opened.

It was not something new, seeing as their Master had done it before in the past. First with Arturia in the grail war, then with the others and so on.

In fact, all Masters in the grail war had some telepathic link that they used to talk to their servants via thought, what with their contracts acting as the anchor to make it possible. In their Master's case, the Moon Cell Automaton acted as the anchor, which was more convenient than other types of spells related to mental interference.

Kieran and Scáthach were the exception to this rule since they were not summoned by Hadrian. Kieran had been a Rogue Servant that was not summoned by the Automaton, while Scáthach herself was more of an independent Divine Spirit rather than a Heroic Spirit. Her contract with Hadrian was more or less the same with the others, but was deemed as a kind of partnership by her Master.

Which was something that often annoyed her since it caused Hadrian to give her less of his attention.

Scáthach preferred that Hadrian would lean on her for help most of the time instead of taking everything upon his shoulders by his lonesome. Granted, there were his other servants, but she also wants to help him more, just as much like the others. Scáthach wished she knew what was preventing him from being comfortable around her.

Of course, in respect to their privacy, only the active thoughts they have would be shared with the others in the 'room'. If Scáthach were to compare the experience to something, it would be similar to an online group chat, except the one they have was more versatile and safe from being hacked into.

'Master?' Astolfo called out.

'That you, Boss?' Yan asked next.

'Yes, it's me. Since you guys are far away at the moment, we will have to resort to this type of communication again.' Hadrian stated.

A round of voiced acceptance from all retainers were heard in the group mind link, with none were protesting to his words.

'Before you all set off, I just wish to tell you guys to be mindful of your actions. You're all in the Spider's nest now, carelessness would be the last thing that any of us would want to happen. Therefore, please avoid using attacks that requires a great amount of magical energy. I don't wish to have an angry Ultimate One disturbed from its sleep.' Hadrian implored gently.

'We know and we'll try, Master.' All retainers, sans Dia and Kieran (that cockroach, she thought), answered simultaneously, almost bored since they already discussed it earlier.

Their Master can be a worrywart sometimes. In hindsight though, given their current situation and location, his concern was justified.

'I'll be providing support for you guys here, so do your best to follow through with the plan. Oh, and one more thing, keep a lookout for any spawns of the Spider.'

The retainers blinked, turning to look at one another as if they just heard something ridiculous.

'… Spawns?' Charles said, almost hesitant to speak.

Back at the underwater headquarters, Hadrian resisted the urge to chuckle from hearing the cheeky retainer's tone of voice. It was as if Charles was spooked by what he said. Then again, as Hadrian looked at the monitors and saw his retainer's expression, he supposed that Charles was feeling scared at the moment.

Cheeky the retainer may be, it would simply be disrespectful if Hadrian let his amusement show. Probably after this was over, but he would have to hold it in for the moment.

'The Chief Director has recently informed me that the Spider made smaller duplicates of itself over the years it had lived on the island. Said spawns were used as servants to search for food on the isle and as its watch guards. Fortunately, they are currently asleep for a week and still are. He also said that they might wake up if you guys cause too much ruckus, so avoid using the fireworks please.'

By 'fireworks', Hadrian meant the retainers' 'Noble Phantasms'.

The retainers do not need an elaboration on what he meant by that, seeing as he often uses the term enough to describe their Noble Phantasms in the past.

'Spawns… great…' Yan deadpanned.

'That…doesn't sound awesome…' Charles added nervously.

'Search for food? How? What do they even round eat here?' Arash asked, morbidly curious at the thought of what a powerful alien considers food.

'Apparently, there seems to be a few strange trees around the island that sprouted after the Spider had begun living there. According to the Watch, the trees are the main, if not their only source of food on that island. That might be the reason why the Spider and its spawns saw no reason to leave their home in search of sustenance.' Hadrian added the last part almost as an afterthought.

'They eat trees? Are they vegetarians, Master?' Astolfo asked, finding the idea strange.

'Ha ha, no. If only...' Hadrian laughed, then proceeded to explain. 'No, the trees are not their actual main source of food. Rather, it's the things that grew from them. They are called 'Blood Beads', due to their tear-like appearance. The Watch had inspected one before, but never in person. They never got the chance to harvest one since it's quite dangerous to simply walk around the isle.'

'Blood Beads? Um, do they contain…?' Charles trailed off, eyes wide with grim expectation.

'Yes, it's exactly what you think. They do contain blood.' Hadrian confirmed. 'It's not known if it's the Spider's or a human's, but I suppose we'll see when you encounter one of the 'Blood Springs'.'

'Blood Springs?' Arturia echoed curiously.

'It's the name of the trees in which the Blood Beads grow out from.' Hadrian answered.

'Uh, Master, are you expecting for them to get some of these… Blood Beads for you?' Dia inquired in surprise.

'They are already about to venture into the island. I might as well request for them to get me some of the beads while they are at it.' Hadrian defended.

If the retainers were to see their Master's face, they would see him wearing a small pouting expression, causing him to appear younger and boyish.

'Yeah, that is if they can leave that island with their limbs intact.' Kieran scoffed with a shook of his head.

'Ah, nevertheless, just remember to look out for snow-white trees with crimson tear-shaped objects growing out from their branches like fruits. Please get me five or ten of them if you happen to come across the Blood Springs along the way.' Hadrian requested, ignoring his amber-eyed retainer's negativity.

Hadrian has faith in the seven retainers to make it out of the Spider's nest safely. He had seen them in action many times in the past, and it was not as if he wouldn't be providing them support.

'Is it for your research?' Scáthach asked, joining the conversation.

'Yes. It can be vital for my own research.' Hadrian added.

'Then, we will keep a lookout for them.' Scáthach stated with a confident nod.

'Thank you. That would be much appreciated.' Hadrian thanked her with genuine gratitude.

The crimson eyed woman may have sounded nonchalant, but it touched Hadrian that she didn't even hesitated in accepting his request, despite the threat that they might face.

His other retainers also voiced their own acceptance to his request after she did. Even Yan himself agreed, despite sounding the most hesitant.

'Will we be expecting for these… spawns to be as formidable as their sire?' Rider inquired.

'Good question. Hmm… based on the recordings and stats, I would say that they are formidable, but most likely not as much as the Spider. They are probably on par with the stronger Dead Apostles, but this is simply a guess on my part. It won't hurt to be cautious when it comes to testing out their strength if you do happen to encounter them.' Hadrian cautioned them.

'Stronger Dead Apostles… great… The fuck did I get myself into?' Yan asked himself in resignation.

'Yan, you can always return here if you really don't want to go through with this.' Hadrian offered, fully aware of his retainer's reluctance.

'Yeah, you're just going to have to come back the way you got there, bud.' Kieran commented with an evil smirk.

'I'll help if you want.' Arash chimed in, well aware of the glare sent at his way.

'Me too!' Astolfo pitched in cheerfully.

Recalling his embarrassing state earlier, Yan's right brow twitched as he frowned in annoyance.

'Hell to the no! I might as well go all the way since I'm already here.' The long-haired retainer denied vehemently.

Sighing at their antics, Hadrian spoke again before their 'talk' could go on any longer.

'Okay, enough dawdling. The intruders might not be on the move, but it would be best not to keep them waiting anymore. In the meantime, I'll be watching from here and provide some support if there is a need. Now, please venture into the island, and be careful.'

With that said, the seven retainers began to venture into the strange isle that is the home to one of the most dangerous beings in the world.

...

---

…

The Servant of the Mount, Rider, also known as 'Medusa' by a certain few, was on a mission.

Her Master, Hadrian Mathius von Schweinorg, had vocally requested of them to search and gather a number of 'Blood Beads' that can only be found on the Spider's nest, and Rider and the others are all equally determined to fulfill the completion of said request to the best of their abilities.

Their Master was rarely the type to request something of them, preferring to give more than to receive, which was a trait that she and the rest of her fellow retainers found admirable about him.

Her Master had went through difficult times. This, she already knew via the dream cycle. She had seen how he had become the great person he was today. She had witnessed his innocence, how he suffered from the loss of his beloved father, his determination to volunteer and participate in the Holy Grail War despite his young age, and the actions he had taken to survive the brutal event.

Unlike most people, Medusa did not mind the choices that her Master had taken in the past, some of which can be considered sinful to those who are righteous and naïve.

She would be a hypocrite if she did so, seeing as her own past was far more tainted than her Master's. The insurmountable amount of blood that she had spilled during the time she had been alive can probably fill a small portion of the ocean in its entirety. And yet, her Master was willing to accept her true nature wholeheartedly, despite her own protests.

As she followed behind Yan and Astolfo, Medusa chuckled softly as her thoughts turned to a certain bright cyan-eyed magus.

'How things have changed…' She mused, recalling her Master with fondness.

Medusa had been summoned quite a number of times before in the past, most of which always seemed to revolve around the Holy Grail wars. Her previous Masters were less than ideal people that she would rather rip apart or stab with her scythe, if not for the Command Seals and her own sense of honor that prevented her so.

She had long accepted that those who would summon her will be distrustful and apathetic to her well-being, treating her like a monster, one that they can use as a weapon against their foes to achieve their own goals. It happened often enough that Medusa had already lost count of how many times it had occurred.

There were some instances that she was even used as a plaything to vent their frustrations on. But Medusa didn't mind, despite of what she went through.

Medusa had already acknowledged that she was a monster, one who destroyed and devoured everything in her sight, even those she cared about. To be treated in such a manner did not bothered her, considering as she felt that she deserved to be treated as such. To her, it was simply how the world was getting back at her for everything that she had done in her past life.

Granted, she had the gods of her time to be blamed for what she had become then. Most of the deities in the Greek pantheon, in particular.

But, she had also spilled too much blood, including that of the innocent, so much that she had lost her mind and even hurt the ones she cared about. Medusa can admit to herself that she had lost sight of her path, right after she had lost her two sisters and her descent to madness began from there.

As the story goes, the fearsome Gorgon was killed by an upstart demi-god that was better left off unnamed.

Medusa felt her eyebrow twitched, a subtle sign of her annoyance.

The irritation faded away as soon as her thoughts returned to her Master though, letting it become nothing more than a fly against a wall.

Everything in her life had changed when the world presented her contract to a strange young man.

Whereas many would be disgusted by her true nature, Hadrian simply took in the fact that she was an infamous monster of Greek legend with nothing but a calm and relaxed disposition. There was no explosive reaction from him, nothing but an 'hmm' noise and a nod of acceptance, which often amused her to no end every time she remembered it.

Sometimes, it almost made her think that he had been prepared and just didn't react to her true identity all that much. That the novelty of discovering her true name had already worn off and he wasn't susceptible to being caught off guard by it anymore. That he had already discovered it via the dream cycle, just as she did regarding his past.

But, after two months with her Master prior to her summoning, Medusa eventually realized that being calm and undaunted was merely in his nature.

It was one of the things that she came to love about him as more time passed.

Yes, as unbelievable as it sounded, she, the infamous Gorgon, Medusa, had fallen for a strange mortal, who have accepted all of herself without batting an eye. This, she realized several weeks after she had told her Master about her true identity and her past. It had been a marvel experience for her to discover that she would actually fall in love for a mortal, much less someone very young.

Never did Medusa thought that she would experience falling in love after her life as mortal, then a monster of legend later on, had ended.

It was as if the world had given her a break from the usual routine by giving her contract to her beautiful master, which she was always thankful for.

She never thought that she would even be capable of feeling such a luxurious emotion, not after what she had become and what she had done. And yet, here she was, walking into a highly dangerous territory of a powerful entity for the sake of fulfilling the request of her lovely and benevolent master.

Admittedly, Arturia might be in lead to win their Master's affections since it had taken her quite a while to gather the courage to pursue him considering her past life, with Scáthach catching up behind her, despite the crimson-eyed woman's subtle denials, but Medusa was more than content to wait for her Master to notice her feelings for him.

Even if takes her centuries to do so, Medusa will wait for him for as long as she was by his side.

Her future might be uncertain, given the current situation, but for now, being his servant was enough for her.

It had taken her centuries to get where she was now, through all the suffering and pain at the hands of the gods, through the greedy and malevolent Masters she had served under, Medusa does not mind waiting for her young, beautiful master to notice her intimate feelings for him, even if it takes her many centuries.

'This, I swear…' Medusa promised, determination filling her heart.

Her internal musings were interrupted as she heard the two male retainers walking ahead of her speak.

"Pinky, remember, keep a look out for any white trees in the area! Don't go wandering in your head this time!" Yan called out.

"I'm looking, I'm looking! These crystals isn't making things easier for me, ya know!" Astolfo pouted, turning his head this way and that.

"Hm, can't say I blame ya. Even I find it hard to believe that these were actually trees." Yan commented with furrowed brows.

"The power of an Ultimate One is unique, something to never be underestimated." Medusa said quietly.

Simultaneously, Astolfo and Yan turned to look at her over their respective shoulders, the surprise clear on their faces.

"That much is true." Yan agreed, then a small grin appeared on his face. "And it seems like you're back from whatever it is that you're thinking. Would you care to share with the team?"

Without pausing from her walk, Medusa stared at Yan for a few moments before she made a decision.

"I was thinking about Master." She finally settled, ignoring their gazes as she kept vigilance of any signs of Blood Springs in the area.

"Uh-huh." Astolfo nodded, encouraging the statuesque female to speak more.

"Have you two noticed his behavior lately?" Medusa asked, almost nonchalantly.

"Course we did." Yan scoffed lightly, as if affronted by the idea of not noticing their master's recent behavior.

"We do?" Astolfo asked, blinking in surprise as he turned to Yan, who sent him a blank look. "What? I'm not seeing anything new with Master. He looks fine to me."

"Ignore this doofus over here." Yan shook his head at the pink-haired retainer's cluelessness before he turned to Medusa, who was looking at him in turn. "Since you brought the subject up, what do you think of Master's behavior? Arturia and the others look pretty worried about him."

"Rightfully so. Master's health, physical and mentally, comes first before everything. Everything else is to be set aside, but this is merely my opinion." Medusa answered.

"That ain't an answer, you know." Yan pointed out. "What do you really think, lady? You going do something about it. That's what I wanna know."

Unsurprisingly, Yan received a glare that would have intimidated anyone who does not knew the lavender haired servant well. As for him, he merely shrugged it off, well-aware that he was stepping on the woman's personal space when it comes to subjects related to their Master.

'Her, and every female around him. Except his mother, of course…' Yan mused, recalling the women who knows Hadrian.

It was most likely that Yan was more mindful of his words than a certain retainer (Kieran) that Medusa only gave him a glare instead of gifting him a fatal strike to the nuts (courtesy of her scythe) for bluntly asking her feelings concerning their young master's mental health. In addition, Yan noticed that most females who knows his Master were quite protective of him.

Not that Yan was against it or anything. He was simply making an observation, considering as he had never seen someone being held in high regard by many females before, even in his past life.

The beautiful statuesque woman became silent at his retort, making Yan feel a bit nervous at how her pale lavender eyes bore into his own with an intense pressure.

Yan didn't dare show his nervousness on his face though. He may not be the strongest in their group, but he has his damn pride as a man to take things with a calm disposition, even if it was Rider who was glaring at him somewhat. It'd be a different story if he was someone else, or a lesser man.

Despite his past life and experience, Yan had never encountered women as complicated as the ones in his Master's employment, particularly the one in front of him. He already knew about Arturia's true identity, but the one in front of him still remains a mystery to him. He and his fellow male retainers have their own suspicions, but the only one who truly knows was their Master, Hadrian.

The Throne of Heroes has its interesting mix of characters, but Yan had never heard of a Heroic Spirit that fits her description.

Glossy long purple hair, a pair of pale lavender eyes with pupils of peculiar shape, and an appearance that can be considered as men's ideal. Not only that, what was most interesting about her was the beautiful statuesque woman's personality. Or rather, some aspects of it, to be more specific.

Rider was silent, calm, collected, protective and faithful, never hesitating to shield their Master from harm. She was not openly talkative and prefers to analyze people and their actions. She was very logical and does not act out of anger or instinct. And yet, despite her self-possessed nature, the alluring beauty can be insecure sometimes and prone to bouts of envy and jealousy.

Yan had seen it before, especially whenever their Master was in close proximity with a certain blonde swordswoman.

There was also an unexpected side to her, such as her sultry side that seemed to only appear whenever she was alone with their Master, which Yan found to be quite surprising. He had always thought that women with a quiet personality like Rider would be more introverted and conservative, not bold and aggressively seductive.

'I guess the silent types are really the ones you need to watch out for…' Yan grunted in his mind, worried for his young master's chastity.

Don't get him wrong, he approves of the three women's affection for the young man. Heavens knows his Master needed some beautiful distractions to loosen up and enjoy life more.

But, at the same time, his Master was being pursued by three beautiful and powerful women, which most men would even consider a deadly combination. To Yan, women are already complicated and complex creatures, but the more troublesome ones were those who are beautiful and powerful, and know that they have both.

And to his Master's double-edged luck, he had summoned and managed to attract three of them, much to Yan's pity and amusement.

Yan snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the purple-haired spoke again.

"No, I won't." Rider calmly stated, continuing when she saw the questioning look in his eyes. "Do not misunderstand. I care for Master's health, physically and mentally. And I would do anything in my power to keep him happy and safe. But if he's changing, then I'm not worried for him… because I know that he's strong enough to see through his own behavior and correct it."

"Oh ho? So, you're not going to do anything about it then?" Yan asked, one black brow raised.

"At the moment? No. If he's unable to return to his previous state, then perhaps I might. Frankly speaking, I'm not worried since his current behavior might be his method to deal with the burdens that he is shouldering right now. The cases in his hands are anything but simple. It would take more than a calm and collected persona to deal with such things. I'm more surprised that Master is handling these problems quite well at his age. But, given his experience in the Holy Grail war, it's not surprising that that side of himself would return in this manner." Medusa answered thoughtfully.

Yan blinked, a bit surprised by her insight. Then, a thoughtful expression took over his face.

"Hmm… you're right." Yan agreed, albeit hesitantly. "Maybe we're just being overly concerned about him. Maybe we should just give him a break? The cases he's dealing with aren't simple murders. I know I wouldn't be all gung-ho and overly positive when I'm dealing with shit like that. He's doing his best, after all."

"Yes, and simply providing him our support might be our best option here." Medusa nodded. "Knowing Master, he does not need for us to be hovering around him like mother hens. Just supporting him as per usual is probably enough for him. I'd give it a few weeks, Master will most likely return to his previous behavior."

"And if all else fails, I'm sure you girls can find a way to get him out of his funk." Yan chuckled at his own suggestion.

Medusa raised an eyebrow before she asked quietly. "…And what might that be?"

"Oh, I don't know… seduce him till he looks like a stuttering virgin like he is." Yan grinned cheekily.

The long-haired retainer laughed when he noticed the look of contemplation on Medusa's countenance, making him feel somewhat sympathetic for his Master's peace of mind.

Yan and some of the male retainers in their group had been subjected to her sultry side before, but it was more during in combat and it came a healthy dose of malevolence mixed in it, not the genuine display of affection she only shows to their Master. Once again, Yan told himself that such good things also come with consequences, which in this case were the troublesome yet gorgeous women.

'Master's days in the near future is going to be rough, for sure…' Yan shook his head in amusement.

The two retainers came back to reality when they heard a familiar voice shouted at them from somewhere nearby.

"Heeeey, guys! Better come here quick! I think I found something!" Astolfo called out excitedly.

Yan and Medusa glanced at one another before they quickly went to where they sensed the pink-haired servant was located. The two of them did not ran, more like walked at a faster pace since they didn't sense any immediate urgency in Astolfo's voice that would giveaway that he was in danger.

On their way there, the two retainers couldn't help but feel wary.

Before, when they had seen the island, all of the retainers sensed a great danger looming within the isle, causing them to be on guard, which was understandable given that an Ultimate One was living in said island. Now that they were venturing into the Spider's territory, they all feel uneasy as the small hairs on their bodies stood up the longer they walk around.

The clouds and the mildly thick fog around them was not making things any easier on them.

Curiously enough, as they got closer to where they sensed their fellow retainer, the fog was slowly dissipating, allowing them to see their surroundings better.

"Alright, pinky, what did yo u –" Yan trailed off as his eyes widen at the sight before him.

Beside him, Yan idly noticed that Medusa was a lot quieter than usual as she took in the scene as well.

After the two retainers went around a bunch of crystals, they arrived to a small clearing devoid of any signs of life with the sole exception to the large, dense and tall tree that was rooted in the center. It was pure white and has leaves with the color of blood. The 'Blood Spring' tree looked ethereal, glowing with a certain power as little bright blue lights fly around it.

Hanging from its branches like fruits were the tear-shaped objects that their Master has tasked for them to retrieve, 'Blood Beads'.

Yan found it hard to believe that such a majestic-looking tree was something that an Ultimate One had made, given from what he had seen of its appearance. He was expecting a tree with a grotesque appearance like in some alien movies, but he was glad to be wrong.

'I guess you can't judge a book by its cover…' Yan mused.

Together, Yan and Medusa made their way over to where Astolfo was located, who was standing several feet away from the white tree.

"Heeeey, guys! Over here!" Astolfo called, waving at them with a wide smile.

"Geez, calm down, ya idiot. No need to yell like that!" Yan berated, frowning.

"He's right. Calm yourself, Astolfo. Keep in mind that we are on a dangerous territory." Medusa cautioned, taking care not to speak out loud.

"Oh right! Sorry, hehe!" Astolfo apologized, looking sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head.

Yan shook his head with a sigh, then turned his gaze upwards as he looked at the tall white tree.

"So… this is the one then?" Yan asked, pondering aloud.

Suddenly, the three retainers felt the mental link opened as their Master's voice resonated in their heads.

'Oh, you've found one. Good work, you three.' Hadrian complimented. 'Now, it'd be better if you get to work on harvesting the Blood Beads fast. The intruders has not been on the move since then, but it's better to finish this as soon as possible. Who knows what they might be up to if they wait for too long.'

'Sure, we'll get to that, but where are we going to put these things in? We don't have bags and I doubt our pocket would be able to fit them all.' Yan stated as he plucked one Blood Bead.

'Hmm… check your pockets, Yan. I send something for you to use there.' Hadrian suggested.

Yan did as instructed and he pulled out a medium-sized black sack neatly folded from his once empty pocket.

'You can use that to hold the Blood Beads. Now, please get to work, and do it quick. The others have already made first contact with some of the intruders.'

With that said, their master's voice cut off and the link closed once more, causing the three retainers to look at one another in bewilderment.

"Shit!" Yan cursed before he moved.

"Where are we going to keep these things safe if we're all jumping into a fight?!" Astolfo asked in a panic as he helped Yan harvest the Blood Beads.

"Hell if I know! Just keep plucking, pinky!" Yan yelled back.

"I suppose we'll just have to leave it in someplace else to keep it safe." Medusa sighed as she helped the two, albeit on a more average pace.

Yan, Astolfo and Medusa started to harvest the Blood Beads as fast as they could before they quickly set off to where their target was located, dashing through the tall tree-shaped crystals to the best of their abilities after they had started hearing the familiar sounds of metals clashing and the occasional rumbles of the ground pervade the once quiet, eerie island.

The battle to capture the intruders had begun, and the three retainers would prefer not to be late for the party by being the last ones to join in.

…

---

Omake (II) – That Feeling…

---

…

Back at the headquarters, Hadrian felt a shiver run down his spine.

He lifted his left hand and placed it at the back of his neck, frowning slightly when he realized that the small hairs on his neck were standing up.

'Wonder what that is about…'

Kieran, who was standing beside him, noticed his movements and raised a curious brow.

"Boss, you aight?' The amber-eyed retainer asked.

"Hmm? Ah, yes… I'm fine." Hadrian assured him. "Just felt a shiver, is all."

Kieran stared at him for a few moments, his expression blank before a small grin appeared on his face as a thought came to mind.

"Maybe somebody's thinking 'bout you." Kieran suggested in a teasing tone.

Now it was Hadrian's turn to look at him blankly.

"And pray tell, who might that be?" Hadrian inquired, catching Dia's attention, who was standing to his right.

To his mild surprise, Kieran didn't answer his question and merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh, who knows? You got lots of admirers, after all." The amber-eyed servant answered nonchalantly.

With that said, the amber-eyed turned his attention back to the monitors where the progression of the others was being watched over and recorded.

Hadrian and Dia turned to look at one another, what with the former sending the latter a questioning gaze. The Servant of the Lance merely shook his head silently, as if to say that he has no idea what has gotten over with his fellow retainer, which the young heir accepted quietly, much to his disappointment.

Still, Hadrian wondered why he felt a sudden wave of nervousness come from Kieran, despite his back facing him.

After a few moments of staring closely at the retainer's form, Hadrian turned his attention back to the monitors since there was nothing else to be done, an action copied by Dia soon after.

Unbeknownst to the two, Kieran let out a quiet sigh of relief when he felt his Master's inquisitive stare turn away from him.

His hands twitched when he felt his back sweat, trying to resist the urge to make any movements to wipe some that fell down his temple. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the monitors, ignoring his anxiety in favor of focusing on watching his fellow retainers instead.

'Hooo, almost slipped there! Felt like that question was a death trap just now. I really need to be careful with what I say. Who knows what those witches will do to me if they find out that I almost blurted out their secret. Hopefully, Dia will shut his mouth. I'll kill him if this gets back to those three somehow!' Kieran swore.

It was just another day in the dangerous life of the former rogue servant, Kieran.

…

---

Author's Note

---

…

Well, that's another chapter down.

I had intended to make this chapter longer, but when I saw that it was already at 13k words, I've decided to cut it off from there.

Next up is going to be the battle between the servants and the intruders. As I'm sure you've all guessed, the story is following some elements in the canon of Fate/Strange Fake.

Remember what I said about this story is going to be a mixed of elements in canon? This is what I'm talking about.

What can I say, I like to write a story with different elements in it. Some are going to be familiar, while others are not. I did this with Waver Velvet when I moved his character up into the present timeline of Fate/Extra verse in this story instead of leaving him in the past, and among other things.

Also, yes, the 'Blood Beads' and the 'Blood Springs' are not from the Fate universe. It's actually from a different franchise called 'Code Vein'. Great game, rich with lore and stuff. Highly recommend it for those who are a fan of JRPG and the God Eater games.

As for the reason why I included it, there's a reason for that, not really that important, but it will have some effect in the future of the story. I will admit, seeing the gameplay of Code Vein has influenced me to include the idea, so I thought to myself 'why not?'. It'll make things interesting, at least.

Now, as for those who are wondering why Arash isn't dead yet, that's because of the little feather inside the vial. The liquid resin is imbued with the magical energy of a Magician to keep the item fresh and irreplaceable. I wonder if you guys can guess what it is, but if you want, I'll give you guys a hint: it's not an item present in the canon of any Fate series.

I'm sure readers who had played certain fantasy games before know what it is, so I'll leave it at that! ;)

Anyways, that's all for now. Hope you guys are alright. It's tough outside of our homes right now, so I wish you all good health and safety. And much thanks again for the support, guys. I appreciate it, and hope you guys like the extra I included above. It's my gift to you, guys, for your continued support.

I'll see you guys again in the next chapter. Take care, and adieu for now! :)

…

---

Q & A

---

…

Dxhologram:

A – Sorry to hear that, my friend. Honestly though, everyone has it rough lately because of it. Hopefully, this crisis would blow over soon. Stay safe, stay healthy, my friend.

And yes, Artuia is pretty worried about Hadrian's mental health. She doesn't feel bad about him killing Twice in front of her or torturing him, considering that she had done worse in her past life. Rather, she's more worried about Hadrian returning to the pragmatic and dark persona he had donned during the Holy Grail War.

What I'm trying to show in the recent chapters lately is Hadrian's return to the fold to his other persona. The same one he often buries, unless there was a need for him to use it. And due to the nature of the murder cases, it's bound thing for that dark persona of his to make an appearance again. So, Arturia's worry is justified in this case.

More importantly though, she just doesn't want Hadrian to become like Twice in the future.

Also, yes, that guy. He's the dude. And a Fate/Strange Fake going on? Maybe. Maybe not. I suppose we'll see in the future. Stay tune, my friend ;)

…

Doortolight47:

A – Yes, that dude did it. With no remorse too, the crazy bastard.

And yes again, it's going to have some Fate/Strange Fake elements to it. I think it's going to be one crazy ride.

…

Shiroyasha Rises:

A – No, but that crazy bastard is going to be in the story too. Can't forget about him.

…

Journey to the End:

A – Well, Arturia and the others are more worried about Hadrian's return to his dark persona from the Holy Grail war.

They are not worried about him killing people, seeing as they have done their own fair share of that back then. It would be hypocritical of them if they judge him because of that. Besides, the only ones that died by Hadrian's hand were the most brutal and unremorseful, like Twice, Julius, and the others. The only exceptions were Alice and, reluctantly, Shinji Matou (of Fate/Extra), but that's different.

They are more worried that his dark persona from post-grail war might stay longer than necessary. That it might affect him even after the cases are over.

Physical scars heal eventually, but the ones in the mind takes longer.

As for what the others think, I've already got the others views on it here and some bits in the previous chapters. The others are coming up, so stay tune.

…

fruitspunchsamurai-987:

A – Oh, damn it… Siduri, why do the shitty devs do you like that? Why? T_T

You know, I've been hoping that the devs might change her fate in the anime. She doesn't deserve to have that kind of ending, man. She's actually one of those characters that I really like, despite her having no powers to really contribute to Ritsuka and the others. That woman can make Ishtar heel just by her words alone, despite being human, how is that not admirable?

Just by being present in the room, she made Ishtar act less like… well, Ishtar like. I was hoping that the devs would let her survive with the others, but seems like a hopeless dream.

Also, hope you're staying safe, man. Too much shit is going on outside our homes these days.

…

Gen2324:

A – No, but Jester Karture is going to be making an appearance in the story in the future. Can't forget about that crazy bastard.

…

Kensei-1085:

A – A foreign soul. Alien even, since he wasn't originally from the Fate verse.

Hadrian's soul had been dropped near the center of the Root by the Astrals, so he was pretty much given a free pass to enter and be recycled. Alaya and Gaia were not aware, so they didn't know that Hadrian came from a different world. They were too busy making their moves against one another to pay attention to him.

It was only when Hadrian entered the Holy Grail war did they start to pay him their attention.

And yes, Gaia would have tried to get Hadrian killed by sending some of her agents after him if not for his decision to restore the world into its healthy state.

Butterfly effect and all that :)

…

sugoijack9:

A – Everything is bad news if there's an Ultimate One involved, actually XD

Not only that, everyone is literally fucked if that thing does wake up. Not just Hadrian and the others, but the whole world for that matter.

…

The Loud Person:

A – Like I said to Kensei, Hadrian's soul is foreign. An abnormality among the others.

Which, of course, made Gaia and Alaya very interested in him. Unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected.

And yes, Jester Karture is going to make an appearance.

…

Reeds:

A – Hadrian's thoughts on the Nasuverse? It would be neutral.

He has seen deities before in his past life (the Astrals), so his views towards the ones in his world is more welcoming (except for Ifrit, of course). The ones in the Nasuverse however, he's pretty much neutral, which is quite normal in my opinion. His knowledge of the ones in the Nasuverse is pretty much like any other magi.

He believes the deities exist, a belief that was only reinforced after he met and made a contract with Scáthach, but he doesn't think much of them either. He's wary of them, and he cannot say that he hates them since he has yet to meet one to make an actual opinion about them. He's not the type to judge one and apply the same opinion upon the rest of its kind.

Dislike and wary would be the more appropriate words to describe his views upon the deities of Nasuverse, including Gaia and Alaya too. The two powerhouses are not exactly endearing with their own methods to deal with their own fair share of troubles, something that Hadrian would never dare to voice out loud.

He's concerned about the state of the World, but because it relates to the safety of his family and friends. The Counter Force makes him wary, and he finds the Age of the Gods morbidly fascinating.

I think I'm going to write about his views regarding these topics later on in the story, so stay tune.

…

hataraku:

A – He's neutral, wary and dislikes most of them.

He finds the history regarding the gods in Nasuverse as a morbidly fascinating subject. As for the rest, we'll get to his views about those subjects later on, so stay tune, my friend. That also includes his thoughts about Sefar and Velber, which is going to be a hardly forgettable topic in this story.

Velber is the main antagonist in Fate/Extra, after all, so he won't ever be forgotten.

…

Urek:

A – Caught a glimpse of it, but I don't know what the Lost Belt 4 was mostly about yet. What I do know is that the theme seems to be revolving around the Greek myth.

Saw the characters, and yeah, they look pretty crazy. Their designs is like… wacked, for lack of a better word. I wonder what the devs were thinking for going along that route.

Oh, and just for confirmation, is Orion the guy with the heavy guns? The overly muscled dude? Cause if he is, then that crapz is even more whack in my opinion. Messed up! XD