Review Responses:

SentinalSlice- I don't plan on having the passage between worlds affect Shiro. I haven't had Francesca, Jester, Rin, or Hansa get any form of buff from the dimensional shift so giving it to Shiro now would be weird. The class cards also are not going to be an element. While I've included the Kaleidosticks, I included them based on their existence via Fate/hollow ataraxia instead of Fate/kaleid. As for the Case Files buff of Shiro, I admittedly have not properly read through Case Files (although I certainly plan to), and was not aware of that power, so thank you for telling me about it. I will have to decide if that is an ability I want to have him use, but I'll be transparent that he won't be utilizing UBW for quite a while (although I promise he will use it at some point in the story), so I don't feel rushed to make a decision. I will say that if he uses this ability, it will only happen inside of UBW.

Thank you to everyone who Favorited, Followed, or Reviewed. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or any Fate works, and they are the properties of their respective creators.

Unforeseen Heroics III: Holding Out For A Hero

Kōfu, Yamanashi Prefecture
Day 5, Afternoon

"Archer…? Are you here?"

As she returned from her trip to a nearby clothing store, Bazett Fraga McRemitz glanced around an extravagant penthouse hotel room.

After Gilgamesh's battle against Enkidu, the Vimana had flown himself and Bazett north, to the city of Kōfu. Although Gilgamesh had offered no reasoning for his selection, Bazett went along with the process— her Servant wasn't the sort to allow for dissent amongst his vassals.

Her rest that night had been fraught with nightmares. Although she couldn't remember anything concrete after waking up, Bazett remembered one constant— blood. Whatever sort of nightmares she had, they were bloody.

The fact she wasn't able to ever recall any details, which faded quickly even for a dream, continued to bother her. It was almost as though her own mind was trying to hide something from her.

Continuing her search for Gilgamesh, Bazett poked her head into the bedroom he had been using. It was the afternoon by now, but he could be lounging in his room.

Similarly to the main room of the penthouse, however, the bedroom was devoid of Gilgamesh's presence.

'Did he go out somewhere? Where could he have possibly gone?'

She supposed he could be in the hotel's ground-floor restaurant, but that was unlikely. Heroic Spirits didn't need to eat, and she had just returned from the ground floor herself.

'The only thing I can think of is that he sensed something… or someone.'

But aside from Enkidu, Bazett wasn't sure what sort of being could attract the king's interest. The other beings he'd have known, such as Utnapishtim or Ishtar, were too steeped in divinity to be summonable. The only possibility she could think of was a spirit like Huwawa, the Guardian of the Cedar Forest.

But then again, Enkidu was also an exception to the normal rules of the Holy Grail War. Could there be others similarly egregious to the Three Families' model?

'If only I knew more about this world… or knew where the overseer is. But this isn't my world, and given what Gilgamesh told me about the Fifth War, I have no evidence if Kirei is overseer, or even in this world to begin with.'

As far as she could tell, the presence of magi in this world was minimal at best. All her attempts to contact her family or the Association had failed, so her only evidence of magus influence was the Grail War Itself. Her only lead on other Masters was a familiar that her runic bounded field had destroyed during Gilgamesh and Enkidu's battle, which she had traced back to somewhere south of her current location. Admittedly numerous large cities, including Tokyo, lay in that direction, but it was still a start.

Bazett continued to ponder as she moved into her bedroom, 'Question is… how many Magi are there? And are they foreign to this world, like me?'

After throwing her newly bought clothing onto her bed, Bazett headed over to the closet, 'Well, in the face of zero answers…'

Throwing on her suit jacket and tie, Bazett glanced at herself in the mirror, nodding, '...I'll make my own. I'll find that other Master, wherever they are hiding. One step at a time.'

Akaishi Mountains, Shizuoka Prefecture
Day 5, Afternoon

"Then try to strike me down, Chrysaor. Let's put that golden sword of yours to the test."

Conjuring and nocking another arrow onto his bowstring, Heracles steeled himself. This was the Holy Grail War. Luxuries such as avoiding battle weren't to be expected. If Saber was coming at him with the intent to kill, he had to respond in kind.

'Even if I let him live, Saber would only despise me further. Driving him deeper into madness and hatred.'

Driven to avenge his son, Chrysaor would never stop. Even if he beat him back here… Saber would not be satisfied until he was victorious.

'I can only hope, if he does choose to flee, his Master can bring some sense to him. He's forging a path of self-destruction.'

Firing a barrage of arrows at Saber, Heracles watched his opponent carefully. That sword slash earlier was indeed dangerous. While he still felt confident of his victory, Heracles knew poison was a problem for him. Due to the poisoned shirt that led to his death in life, Kapros Aor's poisonous qualities might slip past God Hand's protection— a theory Heracles wasn't desiring to test. Despite that, Heracles wasn't particularly worried about his overall chances. Fighting Chrysaor so far felt like fighting a poisonous giant snake— nothing like the Hydra or his other more precarious opponents.

'I'm sorry, Saber… but you've chosen this outcome. You are now my enemy.'

Drawing his bow once again, his aim fell on the charging Chrysaor. But just as he began to let loose the arrow, he heard the unmistakable clopping of solid hooves. Whirling to his left, his eyes widened as a fist struck him, flinging him into a nearby hillside.

As Heracles pulled himself from the dirt, he and Chrysaor stared at the new arrival. Although Chrysaor didn't immediately recognize the burgundy-haired young woman, he could tell she was a Heroic Spirit. Hazarding a guess, he figured she was Rider. She was riding a black horse, after all.

"You! How dare you interfere in my battle!"

Rider shook her head at Saber's words, "Interference? Not so. I know not of your identity, Servant, nor the source of your ire against the son of Zeus… but I will be the one to defeat Heracles. You may have initiated this battle, but I too have a claim to this man."

Hearing the familiar voice, Heracles gazed at the newcomer and his eyes widened in recognition. She was a woman he knew in life. The Queen of Amazons, who he had killed in the chaos of his Ninth Labor.

'Hippolyta…!'

Her sash swaying in the wind, Hippolyta surveyed the unfamiliar Heroic Spirit further.

'This must be one of the Sabers of this War. Given the information Master gathered from newspapers, he participated in this "Nagoya Disaster". There, he was an ally of Heracles, but it seems he has developed a grudge against his former ally. Is it due to identity or circumstance?'

Shaking her head, Hippolyta refocused her thoughts, 'It matters not. My intentions remain the same. To defeat Heracles.'

Chrysaor meanwhile, was troubled by this new arrival. She was strong— launching Heracles into the hillside was proof of that. Although he couldn't be sure of her exact parameters, the son of Medusa had no doubt her abilities were first class.

'She shares my goal, but not my motives. I doubt she'd be willing to cooperate. Not that I want any help either.'

"Well then… Rider, I'm guessing? You should leave. Heracles is mine."

Rider scoffed, "When hunting prey, the swifter huntress earns their keep. My mother taught me that. I will not give up my prey, even to a strong man."

"Fine then. Then we're at an impasse, you gatecrasher. First to the kill. But don't think I won't get in your way."

"Joining on my hunt… fine then. Then watch and learn how I take down my prey!"

Hippolyta breathed in, "I offer this bout to my goddess, Artemis, and my father, Ares. May they bring me victory in this battle!"

In response to her prayer, Hippolyta's sash glowed slightly. It wasn't a complete activation of her Noble Phantasm, but it was enough to tap into some of its power. Hippolyta's divine strength surged, as she dematerialized Kalion. Pushing off the ground with earth-shattering force, the amazoness rocketed towards Heracles. The son of Zeus barely had time to react by raising his forearm to block her blow. Unlike before, he managed to absorb the strike, but he could still feel Hippolyta's punch rattling his bones.

'She's even stronger than I remember… she must have an exceptional Master.'

But Heracles didn't have much more time to think, jerking his body to the side to dodge a thrust from Saber. Knocking his opponent off balance with a kick, Archer was able to send Saber sprawling. Yet even as the Heroic Spirit of the Sword flew back from the strike, he was able to whirl about in mid-air and deliver another slash.

Hippolyta, seeing the chance to attack, rushed towards Heracles. Seizing upon this critical opportunity, she sent a mental message to her Master.

'Master, I wish to use my primary Noble Phantasm.'

Rin's voice echoed back in Hippolyta's mind, "Alright. As long as we keep your second Phantasm a secret, we'll still have cards to play."

Due to the Gorgon's blood dulling his movements, Heracles didn't have time to interrupt Hippolyta's next punch. Struck straight in the head, the demigod faltered. Having extended her opening, Hippolyta called upon the full power of her sash. As she spoke, her body began to crackle with divine energy.

"I am a child of battle. The bearer of the crown of Themiskyra!"

"I strike in the name of Ares, Otrera, and great mother Gaia!"

"Empower me, the proud Queen of the Amazons!"

NOBLE PHANTASM: GODDESS OF WAR

Boosted by the power of the sash, Hippolyta's strength surged. With her fists alight with godly might, she struck the son of Zeus once more. It was an incredible blow, tearing through Heracles's current life, and then some. False Archer's corpse was launched back, landing with a heap against a nearby spruce tree, which splintered from the impact.

Saber stared at the sight in shock. Had his prey been felled by this woman already?

"Rider… you…"

Hippolyta chuckled at his panicked look, "Oh, Saber. You must not know Heracles well. As if the man that killed me would be defeated so easily."

As Chrysaor watched in morbid fascination, the body of Heracles began to glow red-hot. His shattered bones fused back into place, and his tattered musculature re-knit itself anew. Archer may have been killed, but a Heroic Spirit who had traveled through the Underworld itself could not die merely from being killed.

Standing back up, the power of God Hand repaired Heracles's damaged bones and skin. Cracking his neck, Archer smiled at Rider.

"A wonderful blow, Hippolyta."

Rider smiled almost flirtatiously, "A compliment I'll gladly accept, Heracles. Now, let's see how many more of my punches you can handle!"

Saber was about to interject when suddenly Archer tensed up and looked skyward, "Hold on— we've got incoming."

Despite Heracles being his opponent, Chrysaor heeded the advice and looked up. The Saber-class Servant moved just in time to avoid a series of projectiles bombarding where he had just been standing. Chrysaor's eyes widened as he saw what the projectiles were, 'Spears… and swords?'

Hippolyta, meanwhile, locked eyes with the projectiles coming her way and twisted her body with superhuman speed. Grabbing the first weapon, a large yari, she twirled her newly acquired weapon to block the other projectiles. Then, using her massive strength and the power of Goddess of War, she hurled it back towards the direction of the attacker.

In response, the attacker conjured several shields— all ornate, legendary artifacts. But the yari was like a bullet. As if the shields were made of mere glass, it lanced through them, shattering them one by one. Only the last shield, marked with a triquetra, held firm. Exhausted, the yari crumbled from the impact.

At the sight of the numerous broken treasures, the man behind the shield scoffed.

"To throw one of the king's own treasures back at him… you remind me of a most irksome mongrel, girl."

Standing on the deck of the Vimana, backed by roughly a dozen golden portals, was one of the True Archers of the War— Gilgamesh, King of Heroes.

At the sight of Gilgamesh, Heracles felt an odd stirring in his Saint Graph. A mix of fear, rage, and trepidation toward the golden-armored Heroic Spirit flowed through his entire being.

'I'm certain I've never met this man before, but perhaps…'

Glancing down at Heracles, Gilgamesh laughed, "So, the Berserker I put down was resummoned as an Archer? How laughable. Let us see if you can do any better this time, child of Greece."

Looking at the portals behind his new opponent, Heracles watched as numerous weapons began peeking out, ready to be launched at a moment's notice. The sight caused a bead of sweat to run down Heracles's brow. This battle was getting increasingly dangerous. Chrysaor, Hippolyta, and this golden Servant were all out for his head.

'This situation has gone from bad to worse, but I must not fall here. I'll need to give it everything I've got.'

Meanwhile, riding down the mountain in the Shie Hassaikai's convoy, Agrippina remotely observed the battle with a troubled look on her face.

'Seems that minor clash against False Saber has grown into a troublesome mess indeed. But I can't let my prime candidate get taken from me.'

"Master."

Kai Chisaki perked up at Agrippina's voice, as did Ryumatsu, "What is it, Caster?"

Agrippina looked gravely at the two, "I must head to Heracles's side. From what my familiars are showing me, his life is in grave danger."

The Boss of the Shie Hassaikai nodded, "Alright. But be careful, Caster."

Agrippina smiled as she dematerialized, 'Oh, I will. I may not be a front-line fighter… but I'm still a Servant. I am far from helpless.'

Endless Corridors, The Labyrinth
Day 5, Afternoon

To be honest, Ariadne was growing quite tired of defeating minotaurs. Thanks to her skill and the close-quarters nature of the Labyrinth, even a trio of minotaurs couldn't best her. At this point, however, her trek through the Labyrinth was feeling more like one of Heracles's lengthy labors than an investigation.

'I have found the workshop, but it may be time to go. While the minotaurs aren't a problem, they are slowing my progress considerably. I don't want to worry Ibara with an extended absence, so I should start trying to find an exit… although I suppose the maze won't make that easy either. '

As it so happened, Ariadne was in the middle of one of her clashes with the Labyrinth's defense units. As Ariadne expected, they did not change behavior as she began moving back the way she came— in fact, the three minotaurs the maze had deployed quickly started chasing her.

Ariadne knew that creating thread walls would do little to delay the three minotaurs chasing her— a more active diversion would be required. However, it wasn't an easy task to create her Heartstring Formations while moving.

'Well… if none of my Heartstring Formations fit the circumstances, I'll have to get creative.'

After a few seconds of thinking, Ariadne launched two large strands behind her.

The fallen dryad, doomed by doubt.

"Heartstring Formation: Eurydice."

Letting her threads loop around her body, Ariadne was wrenched backward through the halls by her own strands. As she shot backward, she issued a cloud of strings, making an entire portion of the hallways her loom. The charging minotaurs lunged forward, only for thread spikes to coalesce from the disparate strings, impaling them in numerous spots.

It was a move inspired by her Master, whose Vine Quirk held many similarities to Ariadne's own magecraft techniques. The two's abilities now existed in a loop, providing both sides the ideas for new strategies and moves.

With distance gained, she began her attempt at another new technique. This one had been inspired by a boy in the other Heroics Class in Ibara's year. Wrapping thick bands of thread around her wrists, she launched a string down the hallway, reeling herself forward. An ordinary string would have snapped, but as a product of a Noble Phantasm, this was no common string.

Ordinarily, escaping the Labyrinth would have been next to impossible. Without the aid of magic or artifacts, the ever-changing layout would conspire against escapees, trapping them within the endless halls. Ariadne, however, had more than just magic and artifacts— she had an innate intuition provided to her by her legend. For her, escape was more than possible— it was likely.

But the Labyrinth wouldn't let her go without a fight. As Ariadne glanced down the hallway, she blinked in surprise.

'The minotaurs… they're gone!'

As she took her next steps in the hallway, she felt the stones around her opening up. Lunging forward, she moved just fast enough to avoid the minotaurs reaching at her from each side of the passageway.

With their prey having narrowly escaped, the Dolls of Asterios lumbered back into the passageway. Counting them, Ariadne narrowed her eyes.

'So the maze reduced the number to two… perhaps generating multiple dolls causes strain on its Master.'

Ariadne's hypothesis was partially correct. While the Labyrinth did limit itself to avoid straining Eri, it was doing something else. The maze had already determined raw numbers would not be enough against Ariadne. Four deployments would do little better than three. Instead, the Labyrinth was opting for a new strategy, taking advantage of the fact that it could redistribute the parameters of its minotaurs, similar to Enkidu's Transfiguration skill. Inducing variance in its generation, the Labyrinth made two different minotaurs— one boosted in Strength and Agility, and the other in Endurance.

It didn't take Ariadne long to catch on to the difference between the new minotaurs. Sending a tendril of string to push back the minotaurs, she quickly went about analyzing the situation.

'The Labyrinth is changing its tactics. It created two opponents with identical appearances and different abilities…'

Ariadne's face paled as she came to a realization, 'The maze… it's getting smarter. It's learning.'

Ariadne knew that Daedalus had implanted a consciousness into the Labyrinth. But for it to be capable of learning and evolving… this posed a significant danger for the future of the war.

'The longer I stay here, the more data I give it to counter me. I need to get out of here quickly.'

Turning to the minotaurs approaching her, Ariadne gathered her strings.

"Heartstring Formation: Pelops!"

As they had numerous times in her excursion, the strings hit the minotaurs head-on. But due to their different attributes, only the swift minotaur was diced. The Endurance-boosted minotaur was bleeding, but intact.

Running farther down the passage, Ariadne followed the directions that her thread indicated. She was close to the exit— she only needed a bit more time.

But as she turned the corner, she already could near the huffing minotaur behind her.

'Wait… the second minotaur couldn't have moved that quickly. So why do I hear it so close by?'

Looking in front of her, Caster froze in panic. Standing in her way was a Doll of Asterios, summoned by the Labyrinth to block her path.

As the hand of the minotaur lay poised to crush her flat, Ariadne cussed out an entirely unprincess-like remark.

"Σκατά."

Downpour Zone, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
Day 5, Afternoon

As artificial rain poured down upon him, Fumikage Tokoyami unleashed his Quirk toward an approaching group of villains, "Dark Shadow! Attack!"

"Way ahead of you, man!"

Dark Shadow slammed into the villains, sending them sprawling. Luckily for the bird-headed boy, the Downpour Zone was the darkest of all the U.S.J.'s zones, meaning Dark Shadow could fight at its greatest potential. The increased strength and power the darkness provided were useful for Tokoyami's current predicament, although it did make his Quirk harder to control.

"Fumikage! Lemme fight! I wanna beat more guys!"

Tokoyami poured his willpower into holding Dark Shadow's lust for battle at bay, "No, Dark Shadow. We need to get to the others and regroup."

"Pah, you mean those two you saw from the building they warped us into? They'll be fine. One of them had some serious muscles, after all."

Tokoyami shook his head, "Once again, Dark Shadow— no. I won't leave Koda and Shoji on their own. We're going to go help them."

"Ugh, fine. Hopefully, I'll get to fight some more scrubs."

Dashing around a corner, Tokoyami rushed toward his classmates, who were being chased by a small group of villains.

"Dark Shadow— go low!"

The sentient Quirk did as it was ordered, swiping at the legs of the nearest villains, while Tokoyami brawled with them.

Shoji exclaimed in relief, "Tokoyami!"

As he helped mop up the last of the villains, the bird-headed boy nodded to his classmates, "Are either of you injured?"

Shoji shook his head, "Just some bruises. But if we stay out here in the open, we'll have bigger problems. Our costumes might be water resistant, but there's only so much we can take before we're soaked."

Koda spoke quietly, "M-Maybe there's a mechanism we can disable?"

Shoji mused, "Maybe… but our time might be better spent leaving the Zone completely."

Tokoyami, "Indeed… our classmates are without a doubt also assailed by villains. We cannot ignore them."

Dark Shadow exclaimed in disappointment, "What, leave already? But I'm having so much fun!"

"Hush, Dark Shadow! We need to help our classmates!"

"Mrph… fine! But I'm getting my fights along the way!"

Turning to Shoji and Koda, Tokoyami nodded, "Apologies about that. Let's go."

"Right. Ready, Koda?"

The shy boy nodded, "Y-Yes!"

Flood Zone, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
Day 5, Afternoon

The Flood Zone was unusual among the zones of the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. It was one of the last zones to be included in the plans and also had a secondary, less serious, purpose. Every year, the graduating class of U.A. would return to the U.S.J. and spend a relaxing day in the Flood Zone. They'd get to ride down the massive waterslide designed by Cementoss and Power Loader (once the rocks were removed) and relax on the miniature cruise ship normally used for rescue classes.

Today, however, that ship was serving as the lifeline for three members of Class 1-A.

Breathing heavily on the deck, Denki Kaminari glanced over at his classmate, Tsuyu Asui, "Hah… thanks Asui."

Climbing over the railing, Tsuyu's wetsuit still had water dripping from it, the frog-like girl having just saved Kaminari from a watery grave, "Call me Tsuyu, kero. But anyways, we seem to be in trouble here."

Kaminari sighed as he glanced over at the third member of their motley crew, Minoru Mineta, "Yeah, no kidding."

Mineta glared at Kaminari, "Why are you looking at me? And anyway, there's no way they're gonna win! Kill All Might? He'll thrash 'em once he gets here. Kapow!"

Tsuyu shook her head, "Mineta… they must've come up with a plan to kill him. Otherwise, they'd just be coming here to get beaten."

Kaminari nodded, "Yeah, Tsuyu's right… and anyway, All Might isn't even here. These guys wanna kill us right now!"

As Kaminari and Tsuyu glanced at each other, Mineta suddenly started to stutter as he peered over the edge of the ship, "G-G-Guys! We've got a problem!"

Looking over at the water, it became very clear the entire boat was surrounded. Below, the villains were yelling and cursing at Asui.

"Kero. Looks like they're mad at me in particular for saving you two."

Mineta shook, "T-They've got us surrounded!"

Kaminari trembled as well, despite his efforts to steel himself, "What should we do?"

"K-Kaminari— what are you s-saying? How can we possibly fight them all? Tsuyu said it herself… these guys might be tough enough to kill All Might! We've gotta hide and wait for rescue!"

Asui hummed, "I don't know about that, Mineta. Why would they send the toughest guys here? It's not like All Might is an amphibious fighter. It would make more sense for someone in the Plaza to be their secret weapon."

"B-But…"

Kaminari narrowed his eyes at the villains, "Wait a sec… guys. I've realized something kinda weird."

"What is it, kero?"

"Well, I get why these villains are suited to aquatic combat… but why did you end up here Tsuyu? Why didn't they send you to the fiery zone?"

Asui nodded in realization, "I see. They must not know what my Quirk is. That was a pretty smart deduction, Kaminari."

The electricity user blushed, "Aw, thanks… but we'll still need a strategy, right? Should we compare notes? None of us were teamed up for the battle trials."

"I'll start. My Quirk is 'Frog'. I can jump high and stick to walls. My tongue can also stretch up to 20 meters. I can also spit up my stomach and secrete poisonous fluid… but those won't help us here. The poison only stings a little anyway."

"Secrete…"

Ignoring Mineta, Kaminari went next, "That's pretty versatile, Tsuyu. My Quirk's called 'Electrification'. I can charge my body with electricity and emit it out of my body. But it's super close-range… I can't control my attacks at longer ranges. Mineta, what about you?"

The short boy reached up to his head before pulling off one of the balls that comprised his hair. He then stuck it to a nearby wall, bouncing it experimentally.

"My Quirk makes these balls. They're sticky for everyone but me, it all kinda depends on how good I'm feeling. If I'm healthy, they can stay stuck all day. Can't make them too fast though, or my scalp bleeds."

The two stared at him briefly, causing him to break out in tears, "This is why I said we needed rescue! My Quirk's awful for fighting multiple opponents! I got lucky in the entrance exam!"

Before Kaminari or Tsuyu could respond, a huge rush of water ripped its way through the boat. The vessel was split clean in two. Below, the white-and-red-faced villain who had made the attack sneered, "I'm getting bored over here. Let's finish this already."

Next to him, a villain with strange goggles chuckled, "Nice shot, Hanzo."

On the now sinking ship, Asui spoke matter-of-factly, "That villain's strong. He split the boat in half, kero."

Mineta's reaction, however, was far less composed. In a fit of screams and sobs, he began hurling his balls at the water below, "YAAAAHHH!"

Kaminari watched as the balls hit the water slowly and harmlessly, "Dude…"

"AHHHHH— IT DIDN'T WORK!"

"Dude! Calm down!"

Below, a shark-like villain heckled, "It's useless. That wreck will go under in less than a minute. Throw your little purple balls… you're still fish food once it sinks!"

Mineta stumbled back as Asui gazed at him disappointedly, "Mineta… did you really come to U.A. to be a Hero?"

The diminutive boy yelled with a mix of panic and frustration, "Shut up! You're crazy for not being scared! We were in freaking middle school just a couple of months ago! We should be learning to be heroes… not getting trapped in a life-or-death situation!"

The boy continued crying, "It's not fair! I haven't gotten a girlfriend yet! I didn't even get to touch Yaoyorozu's boobs before I die!"

Kaminari grimaced at the boy's perverted comments. Sure, they'd both ogled Yaoyorozu earlier… but Mineta could still say those types of things in a life-or-death situation?

"Mineta… not cool."

Asui mused, "He's right about one thing. We'll be dead if nothing changes."

Kaminari clenched his fist, "Maybe not…"

Mineta looked at his classmate, a weak glint of hope in his eyes, "Kaminari?"

Kaminari looked down at the deck, uncharacteristically serious, "You know, my mom wanted to go to U.A. as a teen. Took the entrance exam just like we did. But she failed, and she never totally got over it. When I passed, she was so happy for me. I… don't want her to lose that. I don't want a villain to ruin her chance to see me complete her dream. I'm not gonna die here. And neither are you guys."

Asui tilted her head, "Do you have a plan, kero?"

He nodded, "Yeah. It's a stupid plan, but I think it's the best we've got. So first… Mineta, can you stick those balls of yours together?"

After a bit of quick back-and-forth conversation, the plan was set.

Asui looked at Kaminari as Mineta continued sticking his balls together into a long chain, "Kaminari… are you sure about this?"

The yellow-haired boy shook his head, "Heck no. But we're low on time and options. This idea is the best I've got."

As he made for the railing, he turned, "You ready, Mineta?"

The boy sniffled and gave a thumbs up. Asui turned to Kaminari, "Good luck, kero."

He smirked, "Thanks Tsuyu… I'll need it."

In the water, a diver-looking villain turned to their ringleader, the red-and-white villain who split the ship.

"Mr. Hanzo, should we move in? Those kids aren't doing anything, and I'm sick of waiting."

The villain with weird goggles, Oxy-Man, looked up and saw Kaminari preparing to jump, "Hold it, Dive Obsidian. Check it out."

The villains watched as Kaminari jumped off the ship, gravity pulling him straight toward the water.

Oxy-Man chuckled, "Ah, never mind. It's just a dumb kid choosing suicide. As soon as he lands…"

A villain with big lips nodded, "...we'll gut him."

Kaminari smirked, "Oh, I'm not trying to land."

Seeing the electricity crackling around Kaminari and realizing the boy's plan, Hanzo began gathering water around his arm, "Shit! Stop him!"

Magnifying the electricity around himself, Denki yelled with a smile, "Don't forget to pick me up, you two! INDISCRIMINATE SHOCK: FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND VOLTS!"

Limiting his electricity just enough to avoid short-circuiting his brain, Kaminari unleashed his Quirk upon the waters of the Flood Zone. The villains, who had all gathered near the ship, were all caught in the electrical blast. Kaminari's joy suddenly turned to panic, however, as the water below loomed ever closer, "Guys…?"

Tsuyu hopped off the wrecked boat a moment later, Mineta held under her arm. In the small boy's hands was a long chain of purple balls. Sticking the chain to Kaminari's jacket, Mineta called on all of his strength to hoist Kaminari away from the water. At the top of his arc, the electricity user threw off his jacket, letting Tsuyu catch him by wrapping her tongue around his waist.

"Phew… that was close."

While Tsuyu could have theoretically caught him immediately, Kaminari knew it would take a few moments after Indiscriminate Shock to calm his Quirk. That was where Mineta's Pop-Off had come in. By using the balls, which did not conduct electricity, as a rope, he was able to buy the time they needed.

Asui glanced back at the unconscious villains, "They're all washed up… you're pretty cool, Kaminari."

The boy stuck up his thumb in agreement, "Aw thanks, Tsuyu!"

Focusing back on the Plaza ahead, Asui spoke evenly, "Looks like we beat our first trial. Or something like that, kero."

Main Entrance, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
Day 5, Afternoon

As Thirteen lay cradled in Ochaco's arms, Sato turned to Iida, "What are you standing here for? Run!"

Nodding with clenched teeth, the engine-calved Iida surged forward, hoping to catch Kurogiri unawares.

But the villain would not be so easily tricked, "Now, my dear children… it would not do for you to call your teachers."

Kurogiri appeared in front of Iida, opening a warp gate. But just as Iida was about to be sucked in, Sero leapt in front of him, "Iida— go! I can handle this!"

Hanta was then warped away, his classmates watching in worry as the boy disappeared.

Even with Sero's sacrifice, Kurogiri still had the advantage. Using his gaseous form to push ahead of Iida, he opened several more warp gates, teleporting in villains from some of the other Zones.

Although confused, the villains quickly focused on the students.

Kurogiri's voice echoed around the area, "They resist… so deal with them."

A villain with a blue wolf head smirked, "Gladly. I'm happy to be out of that damn rain."

A female villain with brown hair and purple eyes nodded, "My place was too hot. My makeup melted right off!"

Uraraka looked at Iida with worry. She had wanted to run over and help him, but the villains were now preventing her approach.

Kendo rushed at the group of villains in her place. The lupine villain laughed, "Looks like a brave girlie is among them—hglrr!"

The villain was suddenly silenced by an expanded palm strike, causing the others to regard the orange-haired girl with more caution. Glancing around, Kendo grimaced.

'I won't make it in time… and if I use One For All to leap over, I'll be exposing the others to attack. And that's if I can even activate it.'

Steeling herself against the blow of a sword-wielding villain, she was interrupted by the clang of striking metal.

'Huh?'

Standing in front of her, in a flash of speed, was Saber.

"I'm back, Master!"

Kendo looked serious, "Saber! Don't worry about me— we need to help Iida!"

"No worries, Master! I didn't come alone!"

As Kurogiri loomed over Iida, threatening to swallow him up, a blasting sound resounded through the area.

Kurogiri glanced over, "You…!"

Bakugo smirked and grabbed Kurogiri's metal collar, "ME! I'M GONNA BLAST YOU TO NEXT WEEK, WARP FACE!"

'My body! When did he figure me out?'

Hitting Kurogiri with a point-blank blast, Bakugo sent the warp villain reeling, "That's for teleporting me, you asshole!"

As he looked down at the escaping Iida, Kurogiri growled, "You children truly need to learn your manners. Crossbolt! Frog Toxin! Stop him!"

A crossbow-wielding villain and a frog-like villain nodded in unison, "Got it, boss!"

Firing crossbow bolts and poisonous darts, the two villains' attacks arched towards Iida. The speedster, who was focused on the doors, didn't have the space or opportunity to dodge. But just before the projectiles struck, a red and tan shape rushed in front. Hardening his arms quickly, Kirishima took the volley head-on.

"Nice try! Your attacks won't breach my manly defense!"

Kurogiri watched as Iida opened the door, all attempts to prevent him foiled.

'Blast! He's going to make it to the campus, and signal the teachers! I've failed!'

Kurogiri attempted to shake Bakugo off, struggling briefly before the explosive boy was finally thrown aside. As Bakugo tumbled onto the ground, Kurogiri took his chance to strike. Unleashing his warp, his gaseous body rushed toward Bakugo.

'My best choice is to send him where Berserker is. Given those clouds of dust… it is likely the Mountain Zone.'

"You're troublesome, boy… so I will subject you to the whims of our most powerful asset."

Kendo, realizing what Kurogiri was about to do, dashed toward Bakugo. Unconsciously empowering her legs with One For All, she shot forward towards Bakugo.

"Bakugo!"

But she misjudged Kurogiri's speed. The clouds of the Warp Quirk closed around both Kendo and Bakugo, causing both of the students to vanish to somewhere unknown.

Kurogiri laughed, "I only intended to warp the boy… to think one of his classmates would be so foolish as to try and save him."

Musashi, who stood by the defeated Crossbolt and Frog Toxin, spoke with veiled aggression, "You certainly like teleporting my Master… now I'm going to make you bring her back."

Kurogiri scoffed, "She chose her own fate. Your Master willingly moved into the range of my warp."

Saber leveled a sword at Kurogiri, "Maybe so… but doesn't mean I can't have a problem with it. Where did you send them, yokai?"

"Will every Japanese Heroic Spirit compare me to such fables? That aside, though… I suppose it would be of no consequence to tell you. I sent them to the most dangerous place in this facility. The location of our Servant."

Musashi gripped her sword tighter at the news.

Next to Ochaco, Anan Kurose struggled to keep conscious. She had barely been able to witness the vanishment of Bakugo and Kendo.

'I don't know what these "Servants" are… but they must be strong, for this man to hold them in such regard. Kendo and Bakugo— they're in extreme danger!'

Ochaco heard the groans of Thirteen, and looked at her teacher, "Ms. Thirteen!"

Looking at Saber, Thirteen spoke weakly, "Please… Ms. Saber… protect them…!"

Musashi nodded, "I want to help my Master… but I can't look past children in danger. Stay strong Kendo… I must defeat the villain before me."

Kurogiri filled his voice with as much confidence as he could instill, "Oh, will you now?"

'It's pointless to stay here and feebly stall Saber. I need to make it to the plaza— before the Heroes arrive.'

Ota Ward, Tokyo
A Little While Earlier…

"Again!"

Picking herself out of the dirt, Toru Hagakure grimaced as she saw her now filthy shirt. She knew she shouldn't have picked a shirt she cared about for training, and now she was paying the price.

Seeing her Master distracted, Scáthach bonked her on the head with a wooden pole.

"No distractions. Focus, Toru."

Nodding, Hagakure wiped her hands on her shorts, which she cared significantly less about, "Yes Lan—Ms. Kieran."

Scáthach nodded. Riyo and Osamu, Toru's parents, both believed her to be "Darcy Kieran", a teacher from Scotland. While she could theoretically reapply the hypnosis infinitely, its effectiveness would decrease each time. Thus, to maintain the charade as much as possible, she and Toru had to refer to each other as "Toru" and "Ms. Kieran" instead of "Master" and "Lancer".

However, due to the charade, and the usage of the Hagakure's backyard, Scáthach was forced to modify her old training plan.

'The original wouldn't have worked anyway. Time works differently in the Land of Shadows, and Cú and Ferdiad were far younger than Toru. Not to mention the differences in body type.'

For the duration of the training, Scáthach had made it so she was capable of seeing Toru. While the Servant was normally unable to perceive Toru's appearance, Primordial Runecraft allowed Lancer to counteract the alien influence in her Master.

Quirks were quite a fascinating prospect, and if Scáthach were in her youth, she might have gone off to fight the likes of Endeavor and All Might. But she remained in control of herself and stayed by her Master's side.

With Toru having stood back up and resumed her stance, Lancer gestured to her Master. The chartreuse-haired girl charged, and Scáthach prepared to trounce her Master once again.

At that moment, however, she felt a familiar tingle in her spine.

"Sétanta…?"

Toru saw Scáthach's bewildered expression and was about to stop her approach, but, remembering one of Lancer's prior lessons, she instead kept charging. Even distracted as she was, Scáthach still dodged the attack with ease and swept Toru's feet out from under her.

"Good instincts, Toru. An off-guard opponent is easy to exploit. That is, if they are truly off-guard. Be vigilant, even if an enemy appears distracted."

Picking herself up again, Toru looked at Lancer, "You were saying something before I attacked… Sétanta, I think?"

Lancer nodded, quickly putting up a Bounded Field to block sound, "Yes. I'm beginning to understand why I've been summoned to this world. It would seem my unruly student is here as well."

"Cú Chulainn? Is he close by?"

Scáthach shook her head, "No. The runes I'm sensing are distant. At least 200 kilometers away. Nevertheless, I must go. A teacher must correct her student when he misbehaves."

Toru loosened her grip on her training spear, "So, you're going?"

Scáthach nodded firmly, "I am."

The Servant then waved her hand, and glowing runes floated off her hand, "A simple barrier. It should ensure your safety until my return."

"Shouldn't I go with you?"

Lancer shook her head, "No. I can't risk you on the battlefield, but I can give you this."

Scáthach flicked a small stone in her direction, "It's a Seeing Stone. With this, you'll be able to share your senses with my familiars."

"Your familiars?"

A squawk rang out as a black crow manifested on Scáthach's arm. The Servant smiled, "The children of the Morrigan serve as my eyes. They shall be yours as well."

The crows then vanished in purple sparks, as Scáthach took up a running stance. Her clothing shifted to her battlesuit, and Gáe Bolg Alternative manifested itself in her hand.

"I'll be off, Master."

With those parting words, the Servant of the Lance shot off into the streets, moving at lightning speed. To civilians, she was like a trick of the light, moving at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

She was a bolt of purple and red, streaking across the Tokyo Prefecture towards Shizuoka. Although she had over 200 kilometers of ground to cover, she was progressing with frightening efficiency. Through raw power and athleticism, Scáthach rocketed towards U.A. High School and its Unforeseen Simulation Joint. Her urgency was well founded.

She had a pupil to scold, after all.

Central Plaza, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
Day 5, Afternoon

Having survived their ordeal in the Flood Zone, Asui, Kaminari, and Mineta found themselves huddled up on the edge of the zone, where it linked up with the plaza. Recalling Aizawa's words to stay back at the start of the attack, the three watched apprehensively as their teacher faced down the hand-themed villain and his black-skinned bruiser.

Kaminari, looking at the villains, mumbled nervously, "Man… that guy looks freaky. But Mr. Aizawa's got him handled, right?"

Before Asui or Mineta could parse who Kaminari was referring to, the situation suddenly evolved. As Eraserhead pushed forward to attack, the hand-themed villain grabbed the Erasure Hero by the elbow. Seconds later, their teacher jumped away while clutching his elbow, surprising all three.

Mineta exclaimed in confusion, "Huh? Why'd he retreat?"

Asui put a finger to her chin. She couldn't make it out for sure, but Aizawa's elbow looked redder in hue. Speaking with her usual flatness, she voiced her thoughts, "Maybe the villain has a Quirk that works well at close range, Kero."

Their teacher's thoughts, however, were far more worried. What Asui couldn't grasp from a distance was the reality of the villain's Quirk. From Shigaraki's disintegrating power, both the cloth and skin of Aizawa's elbow region had withered away.

'This power, it's..!'

Interrupting Aizawa's thoughts were two opportunistic villains, who he quickly dealt with. Yet as he handled that situation, Shigaraki mumbled. Aizawa couldn't make out most of what he said— aside from something that turned the entire situation on its head.

"...by the way, hero… I'm not the boss of this level."

In that instant, the black-skinned villain vanished from where it was standing. Turning in surprise, Aizawa's eyes widened at the sight of the horrifying lifeform, its exposed brain and vaguely bird-like maw even more intimidating in close quarters.

Before the students watching or Aizawa himself could process what had happened, the Erasure Hero had been pinned to the floor by the new enemy. The sound of Aizawa's cracking bones echoed ominously through the plaza as he futilely tried to resist the superhuman strength of his foe. He could feel the stitches from his battle with the Black Knight falling apart from the strain.

From the plaza's center, Shigaraki chuckled, "Not so tough now, Eraserhead? Allow me to introduce our Anti-Symbol of Peace. The bio-engineered Nomu."

Aizawa did not provide Shigaraki with a response. Between the brutal twisting of his body and his lingering injuries from Nagoya being reopened, he was struggling to stay conscious.

"You know… canceling Quirks is cool, but up against crazy strength, you're basically Quirkless. Keep at it, Nomu."

The bio-engineered villain growled as it slammed Aizawa's head into the ground. Just before it could repeat the process, a black mist rushed next to Shigaraki.

"Tomura Shigaraki."

"Kurogiri. What are you doing here? Are Thirteen and the kids dead?"

"She's been incapacitated, and I warped the students as directed. However, some seem to have escaped their Zones already. I did my best to rectify the situation… but one got away. Not to mention, a Servant is heading after us."

Tomura's stance grew rigid as he glanced towards the approaching Musashi, "Oh… huh…"

The villain started scratching at his neck rapidly, "Huhhh… Kurogiri, you… if you weren't our ticket out of here, I'd turn you to dust right now. We don't stand a chance against a bunch of pros and Servants… it's game over, man. Game over— for now."

But then he glanced over at the three students in the Flood Zone, "We're leaving… but before that, let's leave some dead— hmmm?"

The corner of Shigaraki's vision was bombarded by a flash of red light. Turning toward the Mountain Zone, the villain grinned unnervingly underneath his hand-mask.

"Seems the raid boss has become enraged…"

Mountain Zone, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
A Few Moments Earlier...

As she finished wrapping a skull-masked villain, Kyoka Jiro turned to her classmate, "There. He's all tied up."

Momo nodded, "Alright."

Looking at Kyoka and Momo Yaoyorozu, the villain laughed, "It's useless! Knock me out or whatever, it won't change anything! The League has its own powerhouse— he's the one stopping the communications, not me. So do your worst… you aren't saving yourselves!"

Kyoka poked the man in the eye with her jack, causing him to cry out in pain, "Shut up, please."

As the two students continued on their way, Momo tried conjuring a small communicator, but it failed to link to anything.

Kyoka grimaced, "Still nothing?"

Momo nodded, "Yes. While that villain may have been jamming communications, he wasn't the only source."

"By the way… will those chains you made hold?"

"They should. I used a particularly sturdy alloy."

"Good to hear. Now, let's hurry. We're almost to the plaza."

Hurrying down a flight of small metal stairs, the duo reached the edge of the plaza. Moving closer to the Flood Zone, the pair finally saw the horrifying predicament their teacher was in.

Kyoka trembled slightly, "Is that… Mr. Aizawa?"

Momo's voice shook, "Oh my god…"

As the two girls watched from the periphery and both Kurogiri and Musashi moved into the plaza, the area behind them was illuminated by a supernova of red light. Turning back to look at the Mountain Zone, Momo muttered worriedly as her eyes latched on to a familiar figure falling from the sky, "Rider…?"

Mountain Zone, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
A Few Minutes Earlier…

Rider's current situation could be summed up in two words— not good.

Berserker was living up to his class well, and both Rider and Hippogriff were in rough shape. As things stood, they were losing this battle.

Even if the odds are against me, I can't lose— I need to protect Momo!'

While his Master and her classmate had successfully escaped, allowing him the freedom to fight all out, Rider also no longer had the enhancement provided by the Command Spell. He would need to be extremely careful.

Yet before Astolfo could conceive a plan of action, the situation in the Mountain Zone changed once again. With a burst of one of Kurogiri's warp gates, both Itsuka Kendo and Katsuki Bakugo found themselves in the skies above Rider and Berserker.

Hurtling through the air, Kendo made the split-second decision to grab onto Bakugo. The explosion-wielding boy yelled in immediate protest, "Oi! Whatcha think you're doing, fat hands?"

Kendo glared at her classmate, "Shut up! I can't fly, and you can! So I'm not dying, thank you very much!"

It was unusual for Kendo to get worked up in this way, but Bakugo seriously got on her nerves.

"GRRAH! You're letting go the moment we land, ya got that, ponytail bitch!?"

As the two students bickered with each other, Rider looked up at the pair in curiosity.

'Aren't those two Momo's classmates? How'd they end up here?'

Astolfo shook his head, "Can't waste time thinking! Griffy, let's save them!"

Hippogriff arced up into the air to catch the students, "SKRAA!"

Berserker, forgoing the chance to attack, watched the development silently. He quickly determined that Kurogiri had likely sent those children here to be eliminated. He could have purged both them and Rider in this moment of vulnerability, but the Celtic Hero enjoyed a challenge. Even if they got a moment of reprieve, it wouldn't save them.

Kendo and Bakugo barely had time to react before the large winged beast appeared underneath them.

Itsuka yelped in surprise, "Wha?!"

The next moment, the two landed, falling onto Hippogriff's back roughly. They barely managed to latch on.

Bakugo looked at Rider in frustrated confusion, "Who the heck are you, milkshake hair?!"

Astolfo waved back, "Name's Rider! I'm a paladin, although you'd probably consider me a vigilante!"

Kendo inhaled sharply. She had made the connection instantly— this 'Rider' was a Servant. Bakugo meanwhile, had nothing but contempt for the stranger, "A vigilante? So you're just some extra! I'll show you how a Hero fights!"

Leaping off of Hippogriff before anyone could stop him, Bakugo rocketed straight towards Berserker. He wasn't sure about the situation here, but it was clear to him that the hooded guy with a spear was their enemy.

As Bakugo rapidly descended, Kendo's mind filled with worry. Her classmate hadn't stuck around long enough to see it, but Rider and their steed were clearly injured. Furthermore, the misty villain had claimed to be sending them to their 'most powerful asset'. In all likelihood, the man below wasn't just a villain— he was a Servant. Bakugo had no idea what he was getting into.

"Ms… or Mr. Rider, I don't know, sorry— we need to stop Bakugo! He's putting himself in danger!"

Astolfo nodded and Hippogriff dove towards Bakugo, albeit slower than it was fully capable of. While the Phantasmal Beast could travel at sonic speeds, Rider was mindful of Kendo's presence. Speeds of that degree might damage the young girl's body.

Berserker, meanwhile, regarded the approaching Bakugo with indifference. The boy above him may have thought himself an invincible god, but he was nothing more than a minnow in a large pond.

'Merely a fly buzzing above his station. I'll show him the error of his ways.'

As Berserker sneered, Bakugo leveled one of his gauntlets at the Servant. He hadn't had the chance to unleash their capabilities in his Battle Trial match, but now was his chance to put them to the test. Pulling the pin in his right Grenadier Bracer, he bellowed as he unleashed a massive explosion, "MEGATON HAVOC!"

For a moment, Bakugo wore a confident smirk. Yet before he could consummate his victory, a black-clad hand emerged from the cloud, grasping his bracer. The wind from the approaching Hippogriff's flight pushed away the dust, revealing Berserker. The Heroic Spirit was completely unscathed.

The Altered Servant gazed disdainfully at the boy, "Megaton Havoc is a strong-sounding name… and that was all it could do?"

Bakugo, for all his bravado, was left speechless. That attack, according to the Support Department's calculations, should have been strong enough to send most villains flying at least a block away. Yet now it had done nothing— the villain before him was completely unharmed.

Panicking, Bakugo readied his left bracer for a follow-up attack. But before he could pull its pin, Berserker grabbed the left bracer as well. With both bracers in his grip, the Servant began to squeeze. The metal creaked briefly before the strength of the Servant won out, cracking the gauntlets. Both of Bakugo's Grenadier Bracers shattered, broken by a minor exertion of Berserker's strength.

"This is not a weapon. It's nothing more than a child's toy. Let me show you, boy… what a real weapon can do."

Twirling his spear, Berserker prepared to spear Bakugo through the heart. Before he could strike, however, Hippogriff swooped in just in time. Using its incredible speed to complete the rescue, it flew up out of reach, Bakugo clutched in its claws. Proud of itself, the steed let out a victorious screech, "SKRAA!"

Berserker growled, his patience wearing thin, "Stupid beast."

As they hovered above Berserker, Bakugo struggling in Hippogriff's claws, Kendo looked at Astolfo, "Uh, Rider… what can we do?"

The Servant didn't have the chance to respond though, instead focused on Berserker. The Servant of Madness was out for blood, leaping upwards with a roaring malice, his glowing spear clenched tightly in his grip.

"You will do nothing. I'm done playing with my food."

As the crimson light shrouding Berserker's spear intensified, even gravity itself seemed too scared to move. With the Hound of Ulster floating in the air like a crimson star, Astolfo realized what was happening, 'His Noble Phantasm! This is bad!'

Rider wasn't sure what sort of Noble Phantasm this was, so there was a chance his fate was already sealed. Yet, he did have one possible way to fight even fate itself— Hippogriff's hidden ability.

By amplifying its status as an "impossible existence", Hippogriff was capable of momentarily shifting into the Reverse Side of the World. Hippogriff, Rider, and any other individual atop it would become both invisible and immune to damage for an instant.

Seeing Berserker pull his arm back, Rider tensed, 'Here it comes!'

"Gouge… Pierce… Strike…"

NOBLE PHANTASM: GÁE BOLG

Driving his spear forward, Cú Chulainn's body was wracked by a massive backlash. His bones cracked, his muscles frayed, and blood oozed down his arm. The limb would heal soon enough, but it was still an agonizing experience. If he had been a man with less mental and physical fortitude, he certainly would have been screaming out in pain.

Imbued with explosive force, the causality-reversing spear thundered toward Rider. The heart had been pierced, and the spear thrown. Now all that was left was the inevitable conclusion.

Kendo held her breath as the spear approached, but Rider remained focused as Hippogriff fled from the Mountain Zone. Milliseconds before the spear struck, the Phantasmal Beast and its passengers vanished in golden light. Moments later, the group reappeared, even closer to the Plaza.

But something was wrong. The spear Rider had tried so desperately to dodge had struck. Hippogriff's head had been run through completely, while the head of the spear was now buried in Astolfo's gut. Dripping with the blood of man and beast, the Spear of the Red Plains thrummed in content.

Bakugo's eyes widened, and Kendo screamed in horror "Oh my god!"

Rider was confused as their body was wracked with pain, "Huh…?"

In normal circumstances, Hippogriff might have properly avoided Berserker's Noble Phantasm, even with its power of causality reversal. But in this world, there was a problem.

There was no Reverse Side of the World.

This was a World Egg where myth and folklore were merely fiction, where neither fae nor divinity once walked the Earth alongside mankind. As such, the phasing power of Hippogriff had been stunted and slowed. In the milliseconds longer it had taken for Hippogriff to link to the Reverse Side a world away, the spear had found its mark.

Killed instantly by the spear running through its head, the Otherworldly Phantom Horse began plummeting downwards, its body vanishing into magical dust.

As Rider fell, Gáe Bolg tore out of him, returning to Berserker's hand. The Servant of Madness then jumped up onto one of the ridges of the Mountain Zone. With a second powerful leap, he made his way toward the Central Plaza. Rider may have been mortally wounded, but Cú knew better than to accept that at face value. Heroes were tenacious, and his own death had come after a last stand against the forces of Connacht. Heroic Spirits, by nature, fought to the end.

With both Berserker and the injured Rider converging towards the center of the facility, the situation in the Central Plaza was about to enter its next phase.

Central Plaza, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
Day 5, Afternoon

The moment Momo saw Rider and her classmates plummeting from the sky, she broke into a run.

"RIDER!"

Her yell drew the attention of the villains and her teacher near the Flood Zone.

Aizawa, struggling to stay conscious, recognized the pink-haired individual as one of Nagoya's vigilantes, but at the forefront of his mind were his foolhardy students, "N-No! Stay back…!"

His voice was too weak to reach either of the girls, and Jiro was too distracted to use her Quirk to hear him. Nomu, however, reacted to Aizawa's pleas. Knowing its target was still alive, it smashed the Erasure Hero's head against the ground once again, knocking him out cold.

Shigaraki then turned toward Musashi, who was approaching from the entrance side of the plaza, "Well, I'm gonna go kill some brats… Nomu, Kurogiri, keep her occupied."

The bioengineered beast flung Aizawa toward the Flood Zone, and rushed to face Musashi, who grinned, "Now, aren't you a well-fed fellow?"

Kurogiri then tried to warp Musashi, but she expertly dodged out of the way, "Oh, I'm not letting you get one up on me again, shadow man!"

As the two-on-one began, Shigaraki focused back on Momo Yaoyorozu. Rushing forward with surprising speed, he prepared to grab Momo's face, "Time to ruin the pride of U.A. and the Symbol of Peace…"

Kyoka's eyes widened, registering Shigaraki's swift approach with shock— but not fast enough to react.

"OI! HANDS BASTARD!"

From above, Bakugo lunged towards Shigaraki. Kendo fell beside him, holding Astolfo under her arm.

While Bakugo rocketed forward with his explosions, Kendo was busy trying to figure out the best way to land. Hippogriff hadn't been high up when it vanished, but a direct fall could still be lethal. Eyeing a nearby patch of indoor bushes, she knew what she had to do. Angling her arm the best she could, she made a desperate mental plea, 'Full power— please!'

Ever since receiving All Might's Quirk, Kendo had found herself strangely unable to tap into its power. Even when she had managed to call upon a portion of it, such as in the Entrance Exam or Battle Trial, it had been a flicker, some fragmentary percentage of One For All's true power.

However, at that moment, the inherited Quirk responded to Kendo's pleas. As her arm crackled with a strange electricity, Kendo flicked the air. Bolstered by superhuman strength, Kendo struck the air with enough force to displace a rain cloud. The burst of displaced air was akin to a bomb, deafening the battlefield as it sent Kendo and Astolfo spiraling safely into some nearby shrubbery.

Sitting up with leaves stuck in her hair, Kendo felt her hand burning with pain. She'd almost certainly broken a finger or two, but thanks to One For All both she and Rider were alive.

Despite the loud sound Kendo's move produced and Bakugo's approach, the peril Jiro and Yaoyorozu were in did not change. Unperturbed by the furious boy looming ever closer, the disintegration villain knew Bakugo wouldn't be fast enough to stop him. Today, he would claim the lives of at least a single 1-A student… his pride demanded it.

He was about to succeed, as well— until the horse showed up.

The brown-colored steed's front hooves slammed into Shigaraki faster than he could react, and the villain was kicked several feet away, his hand disintegrating a portion of the ground where he landed.

Looking up, Jiro breathed a sigh of relief when she saw their savior. On the back of the sturdy-looking horse, accompanied by Mina Ashido and Mashirao Ojiro, was her Servant, Saber.

The crusading king spoke with confidence and purpose towards the recovering Shigaraki, "Back with you, blackguard! I won't have you killing these children, nor will Strongbow here!"

The horse huffed in apparent agreement.

Shigaraki grumbled as he finally regained his footing, "Everyone's gathering here in the plaza… a student got away… dammit, why is nothing going to plan?"

Kurogiri, meanwhile, was too busy partnering with Nomu to hold back Musashi, preventing him from providing any real aid to his ward.

The plaza was becoming quite crowded. The villains who Eraserhead had not defeated were gathering into small groups, deciding which students to go after. Some settled on the Flood Zone, where Asui, Kaminari, and Mineta were clambering out of the water towards Aizawa. Others moved closer to Shigaraki, who was now face-to-face with numerous students and a Servant. Despite the odds against him, however, there was no worry evident on the villain's face, only frustration.

Speaking to seemingly nobody, Shigaraki issued a stern command, "Get back here already, Berserker."

Right on cue, Tomura's Servant of Madness landed in a crash. He sneered as he saw Kendo walking over with a bloody Rider on her shoulder. He then glanced upwards, grabbing the approaching Bakugo and flinging him away., Richard was narrowly able to catch the boy by his collar.

"Hey! Put me down, renaissance freak!"

Richard turned to Ojiro and Ashido, "Hmmm… he is your classmate, so I shall leave the matter to you both. What should I do?"

The two turned, nodded, and spoke in unison, "Knock him out."

"Alright then. Dismount, if you'd be so kind."

As Ojiro and Ashido dismounted, Bakugo struggled in Richard's grip. As he exclaimed in frustration, the Servant gave him a strong hit to the head, "Oi! What do you—"

Bakugo was knocked out instantly.

Saber smiled as he handed the unconscious boy to Ojiro and Ashido, "And there. Take him for me, will you?"

Ojiro slung Bakugo over his shoulder, "Alright."

Shigaraki scratched his neck as he stared at the scene. The two Sabers, the Yaoyorozu girl fretting over her Servant… it was all so messy. As Villains gathered near him, he scoffed, "Ugh… this level has gotten so out of hand. These NPCs' movements are all over the place. Berserker… we're gonna clean things up here quickly."

The Servant of Madness nodded with a bloodthirsty grin, "Gladly. It will be a massacre."

Leaping forward, Berserker poised his spear at his new enemy, True Saber. However, the Hound of Ulster's spear would not claim another victim so easily. Holding on to Strongbow with one hand, Richard readied his sword in the other, batting Gáe Bolg aside. The Servant of the Sword smiled at his opponent, "No insult to my fellow Servant… but I believe you'll find that I pose a greater challenge than that Rider!"

Berserker growled, "Good."

Shigaraki looked at the fight, then back at the villains around him "You grunts… deal with the brats. Their teacher is out of the way, so do your job, you incompetents."

The villains nodded nervously before rushing forward toward the students. Kendo and Jiro stood in front of their classmates as the vanguard, preparing to meet the mob of villains head-on. However, before either side could make their first attacks, the gap between their lines was filled with a blinding, kaleidoscopic light.

The villains leading the charge stopped their approach, just as confused as the students were about the anomalous event. As they shuffled forward cautiously, two blades came flying out of the field of light.

As they struck the villains like a whirlwind, Kendo and Jiro managed to catch a glimpse of the blades. They were both falchions, but while one was a plain white blade, the second was black with a hexagonal pattern etched into it.

After striking their first set of targets, the two falchions flew like birds back into the light, pulled back together by some sort of strange magnetism.

A silhouette in the beam then caught the blades, a second silhouette standing by their side, clutching some sort of staff or stave. When the light finally faded, everyone in the Plaza could see the new arrivals.

The fancier of the two was a blonde woman in black, almost funerary, clothing. She had soul-piercing light blue eyes and wore a crown on her head. In her left hand, she wielded a large black staff. There was a brief moment where a golden liquid seemed to circle her, but it quickly vanished.

The second arrival was more ordinary-looking, disregarding the ornate falchions he wielded. He was a red-haired young man with golden eyes. He was dressed in jeans, a white shirt, and an unzipped gray parka.

The woman surveyed the battlefield curiously, "Quite the chaotic scene we've arrived in."

The young man said nothing, but his eyes darted around the battlefield as he held a combat-ready stance.

Although almost no one recognized the pair, a single set of eyes widened in recognition— Berserker's. Parrying Saber back, he stepped toward Shiro with a frown on his face.

"So you're here… boy."

Shiro's eyes narrowed. He didn't recognize the Heroic Spirit immediately, but the face was eerily familiar. After a few more moments, it clicked. The man before him was the Servant he had met on the first night of the Fifth Holy Grail. A Servant who had hunted him relentlessly until his own Servant had been summoned. A Servant who would ally with him and Rin in the later stages of the Grail War. The spear in the Servant's hand only confirmed his realization.

"You're… Lancer. Cú Chulainn."

Ruler kept her eyes on Berserker as she spoke to Shiro, "Master, I understand you've met this Servant before, but I don't think he is the one you knew. The nature of Servants aside, there is a foreignness about him that extends beyond the taint of All The World's Evils. I suspect he comes from a slightly different world from the one you know. An alternate timeline, to put it simply."

Shiro didn't understand everything his Servant had said, but he at least could understand the implications of Morgan's last statement, "So he might remember a Holy Grail War similar to mine— but not the same."

"Exactly. Besides, in the end, what matters is that he is our enemy, here and now."

"And that means… we'll have to fight."

Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Day 5, Afternoon

"Oh! Seems the last of Zelretch's playthings have finally arrived. I did find it odd that the Tohsaka heiress showed up without her little boy toy yesterday~"

Lounging on a couch in her atelier, Francesca Prelati giggled madly. While the arrival of a Magus and a Servant to this world would be troublesome, these two were all the more interesting to Francesca. First was Shiro, the adopted son of the fabled Magus Killer, "victor" of the Fourth Holy Grail War. Then there was his Servant, a woman Francesca was very familiar with.

"So he got Arty's sister as his Servant, hmmm? She and Merlin must have been why a Ruler didn't manifest properly. I suppose I should be mad, with her keeping me from Jeanne and all… but it's just so interesting! What do you think, Foreigner?"

Foreigner, if it had any thoughts on the matter, said nothing. Francesca sighed, "Guess Olky's doing something else right now. But their arrival is good news! I wasn't sure what the whole Ruler situation was, but I'm glad I held off on my announcement. I'd wanted everyone to be here for it, after all!"

To be continued in Chapter 21: Contention of the Demigods

Omake:
The Musashi Who Fell Through The Worlds, Part 2

Clouds of Ginnungagap
After Musashi's Visit To Ahnenerbe…

"Man, I wasn't expecting to see ol' Sasaki again! Even if he seemed a little different from how I remember!"

As she once again fell through the realm between realities, Musashi grinned. While it was troublesome that Warp Villain had sent her away, this excursion was turning out rather interesting.

Grabbing the golden mask from her belt, Musashi regarded it quizzically, "You're the big mystery here. What sort of mask can create dimensional gates? That's way more powerful than that Dead Apostle-making mask I found in that one world!"

Hurtling deeper into parareality, and with no other options, Musashi drew her sword again. Cutting into the mask, she let the dimensional energies pour out and form a portal.

Like before, the view beyond didn't look quite right. But Musashi wasn't about to be picky.

"Alright… take two!"

A Certain Zoo…
Some other place, some other time…

"Hey, Hana! Cleaning going well?"

As she went about her nightly chores, Hana Aoi turned to see two familiar faces approach, "Takahiro! Fukumoto! I'll get to the aviary soon, I promise!"

Takahiro, the transformed white-tailed eagle, waved his hand dismissively, "Nah, don't get your limbs all out of whack. We know you'll get to us eventually. We just came to hang out! I heard Ikkaku visited again?"

Hana nodded, "Yeah! Apparently, Ushimitsudoki Aquarium is up and running again! Isana and Sakamata came back!"

Fukumoto nodded too, although the transformed snowy owl's full emotions were hard to gauge under her mask, "Fuu~ It's great we're all friends now!"

"Yeah! Hopefully, that means we can make more headway on Director Shiina's curse now!"

"Oh, you called?"

Popping out of a nearby trash can, the rabbit-man director of Oumagadoki Zoo grinned as Hana leapt backward in fright.

"D-D-Director!"

Not watching where she was going, her foot fell right into her bucket. As she struggled to get out, she flung soapy water all around her. Finally, she managed to get the bucket off herself— but not before she was soaked from head to toe.

"Ughhh…."

Shiina grinned cheekily, "Tough time there, Hana? Them's the breaks, when you're clumsy like that."

"Muhhh… Director, what were you even doing in that trash can?"

The rabbit-man posed oddly, "Is it not obvious? I wanted to make a grand entrance!"

"Sure… say, what did you do with the trash from that can?"

"Oh, it got in the way, so I tossed it in the fountain!"

Hana shrieked, "Director! That's littering!"

Shiina responded by picking his nose, "Meh, litter, litter, chicken dinner."

Hana put a hand on her face, "Ughhh…"

Before the argument could evolve any further Fukumoto pointed toward the sky. "Fuu~ There's something weird in the air."

Shiina looked up, "Hmm? A portal? Sounds like something's approaching as well!"

As Hana gazed at the portal, a pinkish-haired woman in traditional clothing dropped into the Zoo grounds.

The mild-mannered zookeeper's eyes widened as she looked at what was around the woman's waist, 'Are those… swords?!'

Picking herself up, Musashi regarded the area quizzically, "Hmmm… reminds me of that U.S.J. place, but still doesn't seem right."

Shiina, upon seeing the newcomer, dashed forward, "Welcome, visitor, to Oumagadoki Zoo!"

"Hmm? A zoo? And a rabbitfolk?"

The Director nodded, only mentally registering Musashi's first comment, "Indeed! The to-be-finest zoo in the whole world! Alas… we are closed right now! The zoo hours are 4:44 AM to 4:44 PM! However, if you were to provide investment… I might be willing to make an exception."

Hana whispered to Shiina disparagingly, "Director! You can't ask for bribes!"

Shiina scoffed, "Not true! I'm the Director of Oumagadoki Zoo! I can do whatever I want!"

The rabbit-man greedily reached toward the golden mask tied to Musashi's waist. As he grabbed it, Musashi grabbed Shiina's wrist.

But before either could do anything, the mask glowed, and a large dimensional gate opened beneath the two of them.

Hana screamed as the portal closed, "The Director! He's gone!"

Takahiro shrugged, "Eh, he'll be back, I'll bet."

Hana wasn't so sure, "But he just fell into a portal!"

Fukumoto hooted, "Fuu~ He's right there."

Whirling around, Hana saw Shiina standing behind her, "Yo!"

"Director! You're alive! I thought you were a goner!"

Shiina picked at his nose again, "Meh, that Ghost Rabbit won't let me go that easily. Spirit's Authority or something like that. Now then, enough portal talk! You've got a zoo to prepare for tomorrow!"

Clouds of Ginnungagap
After Musashi's Visit To Oumagadoki Zoo…

"Well, that was as weird as Ahnenerbe— in its own way. But hopefully this time, I get the warp right!"

As if to affirm Musashi's hopes, her Saint Graph, which had been flickering in stability the entire journey, began to calm.

"Alright then, mask… give me one last jump!"

The final stab she gave the mask was larger than her previous ones, and caused dimensional energy to whirl out wildly. The mask itself was torn out of Musashi's grip by the burst, spiraling into a portal that was linked to some sort of underwater realm. However, it had left a parting gift— a second portal, displaying what looked like a ruined city. Something told Musashi this was the portal she was waiting for.

"Here goes! I'm coming for you, Master!"

Passing through the gateway, Musashi felt the shadowy darkness of Kurogiri's gates spit her out. The moment she returned to the World Egg, like waking from a dream, the memories of her recent journey began to fade.

Skidding to a halt in the Ruins Zone, the Saber-class Servant glanced around. It seemed she was surrounded by villains. Undaunted, Musashi drew two of her swords with a grin, "Seems there are some opponents I'll need to beat down! Don't worry, Master— I'll be back over soon!"