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Unforeseen Heroics VI: Countermeasure Villainy

Akaishi Mountains, Shizuoka Prefecture
Day 5, Afternoon

As soon as he inadvertently breathed in some of Agrippina's poisonous gas, Chrysaor could feel his limbs beginning to freeze up. Instead of panic, however, the primary emotion that filled Chrysaor's mind was shock.

'How the hell is this possible? My bloodstream is infused with Gorgon's Blood… no poison should be able to affect me!'

Even from the brief words she had spoken upon her arrival, False Saber could already tell this Servant wasn't like his beloved wife or the Rider he'd been fighting at all. Her words were weightless and manipulative, like that of a serpent waiting to strike. She reminded Chrysaor immensely of discordant Eris, who had once been expelled from one of Helios's lavish parties.

Unfortunately, from the fact no gas gathered around him, it was clear she was an ally of Heracles. Only Chrysaor and Hippolyta were being affected by the poison of the conjured flowers.

The gas had also been directed toward Gilgamesh, but the King of Heroes would not let himself be poisoned like a fool. Without even moving from his throne, Gilgamesh activated the defenses of the Vimana, the vessel sending out gusts of magically-infused wind to push back the encroaching gas.

However, the attempt alone soured Gilgamesh's mood even further, "To use such inglorious methods, you harlot… you are no better than a desert scorpion, a mere pest to your fellow man."

Agrippina laughed, "What a foul-mouthed king. Do I remind you of someone perhaps?"

Gilgamesh did not initially provide Agrippina with a response. His mind was already plenty focused on the goddess that this contemptuous woman reminded him of and answering would do nothing but inflate her ego. However, Agrippina's similarities to Ishtar reinforced Gilgamesh's new focus on tracking down and destroying that loathsome goddess of beauty.

Leaning his head on his hand, Gilgamesh finally responded to Agrippina, "Be grateful you are not worth my time right now, mongrel woman. But know this— should you show your face before me again, I will exact rightful punishment for your disrespect."

Snapping his fingers, Gilgamesh launched a final volley from his Gate of Babylon at Agrippina, although the Caster-class Servant easily blocked the rain of weapons by conjuring forth a wall of magenta vines.

"Hmph… very well, then."

Gilgamesh then locked eyes briefly with each of the other three Servants, "You have done well, mongrels. You have earned a modicum of my respect… a gift not to be spurned. And you, Conquerer of Labours… take care not to die before I see you next."

His final words given, the boosters of Gilgamesh's vessel then ignited, looping at supersonic speeds as it rocketed into the northwest skies. Watching the gilded vessel vanish into the distance, Agrippina's smile deepened. Despite his hostilities toward her, the King of Heroes had not made a concerted effort, clearly having been distracted by some other matter.

'I do wonder… what could draw the King of Heroes' attention so?'

After a moment's pause, Agrippina returned her focus to the other two enemy spirits— Chrysaor and Hippolyta— and stared at them with clear malice, "Now then… that just leaves you two."

Neither Chrysaor nor Hippolyta responded, perhaps hoping to use the poison cloud to make a surprise attack. However, as the creator of the magical territory, Agrippina could see through the purple-colored gas with ease.

If Agrippina thought her opponents would do nothing, however, she was sorely mistaken.

Pooling her strength into her legs, Hippolyta stomped the ground with terrifying force. Giving way to the strength of the Amazonian demigod, the ground shattered, kicking up a cloud of dust and stone into the air. The force tore through even the magic of Agrippina's domain itself, causing the flowery poison in the air to thin.

With a small scowl, Caster raised her hand, preparing to repair her domain. However, Heracles then intervened, putting a hand on one of her shoulders, "Caster, enough."

"You do realize my flowers were the only thing holding them back, my dear Archer?"

"I am aware. But it matters not. I will not lower myself to winning with the assistance of poison gas."

Agrippina considered pointing out that Heracles himself used poisonous arrows in life, but decided against it. Acquiescing now would improve Heracles's trust in her, "Very well. If you insist."

With Caster's accedence, the remnants of her magic were dispelled, the surviving Flowers of Mefitis dissolving into nothing. With nothing to sustain it, the cloud of gas surrounding Chrysaor and Hippolyta disappeared as well.

Staring ahead through the dusty air, Heracles locked eyes with his two opponents, 'The question is… do they still intend to fight?'

Looking at Hippolyta, Heracles could see conflicting emotions dancing in her eyes. There was the possibility she would be willing to withdraw. Chrysaor, however, had no such hesitation. With a snarl, the violet-haired Servant readied his sword and prepared to charge.

But just as Chrysaor pushed off, a voice echoed through his mind— the voice of his Master, Uwabami.

"By the power of my Command Spell— Saber, calm yourself and return to my side!"

Wisps of red energy coalesced around Chrysaor, who continued moving despite his Master's order. Maintaining his mad dash toward his target, his eyes had an obsessive look to them. The Saber-class Servant screamed in anger as the Command Spell's energy entrapped him, "HERACLES!"

Despite his determination, however, Chrysaor's will was no longer his own. Bound by magical contract, he was unable to even conjure forth any form of a final attack against his enemy. With an unintelligible yell of frustration, the False Saber of the Holy Grail War then vanished in a burst of red light.

With Saber gone, Heracles breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, at the same time, he remained worried. He had seen that kind of rage before… in himself. If Chrysaor could not regain a clearer mind, as Heracles himself once had, he might destroy himself in his desire for vengeance.

'Perhaps it is the Throne of Heroes itself that affects him… even back in Greece, the name Chrysaor was all but forgotten. Scant echoes about the Grandfather of Monsters, the sire of breathless Echidna… and as I later learned, Geryon as well. It could be that those tales have twisted him to be fatherly— to a murderous degree.'

Yet, even as his thoughts lingered on Saber, Heracles was forced to refocus himself. He still had one potential opponent before him— Hippolyta.

'Will she retreat? Or will she press the attack?'

Next to him, Agrippina decided to present things plainly, "So then… Rider, no? Are you going to fight, or will you withdraw for today?"

What neither of the Shie Hassaikai's Servants knew was that at that particular moment, Hippolyta's Master would be the one to decide that outcome. Reaching out to her Servant telepathically, Rin Tohsaka's voice began to echo inside Hippolyta's mind.

"Rider, can you hear me?"

Hippolyta, without making any external indications of her new conversation, responded to her Master.

'I hear you. I assume you are aware of my situation?'

"The connection cut for a bit there, but yeah, I am now. Listen up, I need you to withdraw. I'm getting close to my destination, and I want you with me when I get there."

After a moment of contemplation, the Rider-class Servant agreed to Rin's request, 'Very well, Master. I will withdraw and make for your position.'

Resummoning Kalion, Hippolyta mounted her beloved steed as she called out to her fellow Servants, "I accept your proposal, ally of Heracles! I will withdraw for today… but know this, Heracles— I will have a rematch with you soon enough."

Heracles smiled, "Of course. I swear it."

Agrippina's expression remained neutral at Hippolyta and Heracles's shared promise of a rematch. She cared little for such oaths, but she allowed them this moment of warrior's pride. However, after a few seconds, she decided she speak back up, "Let's go, Archer."

After Heracles gave Agrippina a curt nod, both Servants then dematerialized, vanishing in sparkles of blue light. No both invisible and incorporeal, they began rapidly heading to Hosu, the intended destination of the Shie Hassaikai convoy.

Meanwhile, now alone in the mountains of Shizuoka, Hippolyta prepared to depart. Turning Kalion in the direction of U.A. High School, the Rider-class Servant took a moment to survey the battlefield one final time. The clash of numerous Heroic Spirits had marred the forest, which was now filled with numerous craters and destroyed trees. The weapons of the King of Heroes had faded away with his departure, but in her mind's eye, Hippolyta could still feel the remnant presence of that rain of blades.

'I can see why Rin fears Gilgamesh so… the King of Heroes is a terrifying adversary. It was fortunate he was merely being playful in this battle. But there is also that Caster. For her to be an ally of Heracles… it troubles me.'

Tearing her gaze away from the battlefield, Hippolyta let loose a sigh she didn't know she was holding. Gripping Kalion's reins tight, she spurred her mystical steed forward.

As the black-colored horse began to race across the landscape, its skin glowed with light blue lightning, the same color as its mane. With the trees and rocks becoming a blur around her, Rider began to resume her conversation with her Master.

'Master, is there anything else I should know before I reach you?'

"Actually, yes. There seems to be some sort of situation on this campus, which I believe is tied to the magical energy I'm sensing. There is the possibility we may need to fight. Will your wounds be an issue?"

Hippolyta knew that was not an easy question to answer. While she wasn't as frail as some Servants, she had still taken a direct hit from Chrysaor's Noble Phantasm. Her body was hurting, and she knew it.

'I'm certainly not at my full potential… I'll be able to fight, but I cannot guarantee I will be able to do so at my best. Saber's Noble Phantasm wasn't lethal… but it was nothing to scoff at.'

"Quite odd, given the obscurity of his identity. If that Saber truly is Chrysaor, he should have been all but forgotten by human memory— let alone summonable as a decent Servant."

Rin sighed through the mental connection as she continued speaking, "Anyways, just focus on rendezvousing with me for now. We'll decide on a plan of action when you get here. By the way, make sure to be in Spirit Form when you get close. I still want some cards to play, and you'll need to get by this crazy school's gate."

Nodding her head, even though she knew Rin wasn't physically with her, the Rider-class Servant gave a final mental reply to her Master, "Understood— I'm on my way."

Chūbu-Sangaku National Park, Chubu
Day 5, Afternoon

As he moved toward the two sources of magical energy ahead of him, Sigma kept himself on high alert. He was heading into a clash between mythological figures, with nothing but mundane armaments and his magecraft— in such a situation, it was nearly impossible to ever be too cautious.

The closer Sigma got to the battle, the more he caught sight of signs of the battle ahead. Areas where the plantlife had gone wild, half-melted weapon fragments stuck firmly in the ground, multicolored crystalline shards decorating the forest floor— it was all indicative of a clash of supernatural forces.

Quietly triggering his magic circuits, Sigma placed a spell upon himself, concealing his presence from the world. But his action had been a mistake. Against the senses of a goddess, his concealment only served to further alert Ishtar to his location. As a strange chill swept through his body, Ishtar's sensual voice echoed through his mind.

"There you are."

Before he could take any sort of evasive action, the ground beneath Sigma's feet began to shift. In a true display of her authority, the Goddess of Beauty had charmed the soil itself to drag Sigma toward her. Unable to escape, the black-haired young man was flung out of the treeline, landing in front of Ishtar's feet. The moment he arrived, it was as though the battlefield had become frozen.

The rain of blades and flora unleashed by Enkidu had stagnated in place, floating as if time itself had ceased. As each terrifying second passed, the Chains of Heaven desperately tried to find an opening to free their Master from Ishtar's grasp.

The goddess laughed, "Not so defiant now, are you Enkidu?"

Enkidu's expression became uncharacteristically wrathful, their underlying dislike of Ishtar rising into a full-blown rage, "Unhand my Master, Ishtar. Your vendetta is with me, not him."

Ishtar was amused at the sight of Enkidu's emotions welling forth, "Now, now… this is the Holy Grail War, and he is your Master. Did you truly believe I would not use him to get an advantage?"

Taking a deep breath, Enkidu tried their best to calm themselves, as they spoke evenly in response, "Perhaps I was holding out hope you would not stoop to such methods… it seems my hopes were misplaced."

The goddess waved her hand dismissively, "I am a goddess, you ingrate. I am the one who decides what methods are beneath me."

Ishtar then conjured a blade made of glowing purple crystal, which came to float against Sigma's neck. As she kept the blade up, the Rider-class goddess took a sideways glance at Enkidu. Seeing the Lancer-class Servant's expression grow even more furious, she almost wanted to laugh, 'So you can make that kind of expression, you puppet?'

Before either Servant could act, however, a familiar presence entered the edge of Ishtar's senses. It was a glimmering golden soul that she recognized instantly— Gilgamesh. Realizing the demigod had caught sight of the battle, the goddess wanted to scream in frustration. Even with all her divine power, Ishtar knew she wasn't yet strong enough to defeat Gilgamesh and Enkidu simultaneously. Although she loathed the thought of it, she would have to make a tactical retreat if she wanted to survive.

'I really would have liked to kill Enkidu's Master… but I'll need them as a distraction.'

Dissolving the crystal sword against Sigma's neck, Ishtar exerted her power once more, creating a massive crystal that launched Sigma into the sky. The moment this occurred, Enkidu's focus shifted, as they directed several vines to catch their Master before he could fall to his death.

Ishtar did not miss her chance. Resummoning her heavenly barge, Maana, she prepared to depart. With a final scathing glare, she yelled to Enkidu angrily, "Mark my words, you stupid puppet! I will have my revenge— on both you and the damnable Gilgamesh!"

Blasting off into the air, Maana moved with enough speed to break the sound barrier. Enkidu tried to catch the vessel with vines and weapons of clay, but the Boat of the Heavens was too nimble. With skill befitting her class, Ishtar wove Maana through Enkidu's assault, and soon enough both she and her barge vanished into the distance.

Unfurrowing their brow with a sigh, Enkidu knew the battle was over. Moving next to Sigma, the green-haired Servant sent a pulse of healing energy into the young man. He was hardly injured, but True Lancer still wanted to ensure Ishtar had not left some sort of lingering mark upon their Master's soul.

As Enkidu worried over their Master, Gilgamesh finally arrived. Leaping down from his Vimana, he surveyed the damage from the clash between Ishtar and Enkidu.

"So… that licentious goddess has wormed her way into this war."

Turning towards Gilgamesh, Enkidu confirmed the King of Heroes's claim, "Yes. She seems to have appropriated the Rider class to fit her needs. And without a Master, at that."

The Archer-class Servant grumbled, "The powers of the gods are troublesome as always. She will wield her authority, regardless of the catastrophe it brings to mankind."

"Yes. Moreso, I fear that she will only grow stronger from here. Although she dwells within a mortal vessel, her power was already good enough to match my own… although, I suspect the powers afforded to her vessel may have played a role in that. While I did see her momentarily lose control of her mortal vessel, I doubt that it will happen again."

"That loathsome goddess… she will only become a greater thorn in our side. Tch."

Gilgamesh frowned deeply as he continued speaking, "We cannot have our rematch with her present in this world. Ishtar must be purged."

Enkidu nodded in agreement, "Yet we must be cautious about how we take action, lest we redraw the ire of the world's orchestrator."

"Are you suggesting we remove ourselves from the battlefield for now?"

"Yes. That 'Olkoth' no doubt has taken notice of the presence of Ishtar in the Holy Grail War. We should wait and see what developments occur."

Gilgamesh folded his arms in front of his chest, "You mean the length of this war."

"It is just a feeling… but I suspect we may hear soon about just how long this conflict is supposed to be"

Gilgamesh smiled with amusement, "Even with my all-seeing eyes, sometimes your foresight surpasses even mine. It is lovely to witness it again, my friend."

"You flatter me, Gil. I'm not the one who can peer through time itself."

"That reminds me…", turning to face Sigma, the King of Heroes observed the black-haired magus with contempt, "So you are the mongrel who holds sway over my dear Enkidu. How droll."

Sigma said nothing as Gilgamesh continued, "Listen well, mongrel. You have an unmatched honor to have my friend at your beck and call. Hear now this king's decree— you are to stay alive."

Although puzzled by the response, Sigma stayed silent as Gilgamesh explained further, "I demand that my friend is kept in good health. That requires you, his summoner, to keep yourself from falling into the grave. Do you understand, mongrel?"

Sigma nodded, "Yes, sir."

If Gilgamesh was bothered by the emotionless way Sigma spoke to him, he did not show it. Instead, he simply huffed before nodding toward Enkidu, "I will be departing for now."

The Lancer-class Servant smiled, "Returning to your Master?"

"Indeed. That mongrel woman… I do wish to hear about what discoveries she has made about this world."

With that, Gilgamesh floated back up to the Vimana, the golden aircraft soaring away with remarkable speed.

With his departure, the battle in Chūbu-Sangaku had truly reached its end. But its actors, sans Bearhead, still walked the Earth. Eventually, they would come to a head again, in a battle that would shake the heavens themselves.

But that was a story that still had yet to be written.

Main Entrance, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
Day 5, Afternoon

"Now then, everyone… let the villain suppression operation begin!"

With Nezu's declaration, the U.A. faculty burst into action. Nezu had already devised a plan on their way to the U.S.J., and the faculty began scattering across the facility to actualize that plan.

Heading to the right, Cementoss made his way toward the Conflagration Zone. Heading in the same direction were Slizer and Present Mic, as well as Class 2-B's Instructor, Black Rush. They were headed to the Flood and Downpour Zones, respectively.

On the left, Snipe was already rushing toward the Mountain Zone, incapacitating villains in the plaza as he went. He was closely followed by Hound Dog and Power Loader, who were on their way toward the Landslide Zone. They in turn were followed by Midnight and Ectoplasm, who were being dispatched to secure the Ruins Zone.

As for All Might, Nezu, and Vlad King, they had the two most critical tasks. All Might's mission was to head down into the plaza, retrieve the students still down there, and then engage with the villains. The students and injured teachers by the entrance would be then watched over by Nezu and Vlad King, so as to avoid any sort of hostage situation.

The trickiest element in the plan was how to handle the Heroic Spirits. Framing them to most of the faculty as vigilantes, Nezu decided to leave them be for now. The priority was the students and the villains. Dealing with the extra elements came second.

Putting his role in the plan into action, All Might leapt down into the plaza to secure the students still there. As he went, Vlad King, Nezu, and Tenya Iida moved closer to the students of Class 1-A.

Seeing their bespectacled classmate, several students of 1-A rushed forward to greet him. At the forefront was Ochaco Uraraka, who caught her classmate in a tight hug, "Iida! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Behind her, Mina Ashido and Minoru Mineta were crying tears of joy. Although the rest of the students' reactions weren't as potent, the emotions of relief and hope were still evident on their faces. Nezu was pleased that they seemed alright for the most part. But given the severity of the situation, he quickly regained a more serious demeanor. Surveying Class 1-A, he quickly noted the most obvious fact— who was present, and who was not.

'Ashido, Asui, Uraraka, Ojiro, Kaminari, Kirishima, Sato, and Mineta are all accounted for. Excluding the ones All Might is retrieving, six students are not present— Aoyama, Koda, Sero, Shoji, Todoroki, and Tokoyami. In addition, Bakugo is present, but unconscious due to minor trauma to his head.'

As Vlad King gave medical aid to Thirteen and Eraserhead, Nezu questioned the students. It was critical to have an accurate picture of the situation, "Does anyone know what became of the students not present here? Or of Bakugo's unconsciousness?"

Sato was the one to respond, "A bunch of us got teleported by that shadowy villain down in the plaza. We don't know much… but Todoroki definitely got sent to the Landslide Zone. Sero got teleported later on, but we aren't sure where to."

"I see, I see. And Bakugo?"

It was Kirishima who spoke up this time, "Well, Bakugo was arguing with one of the vigilantes down there… so he got knocked out. Ashido and Ojiro brought him up here."

Nezu nodded, "Thank you, Kirishima. Now then, Vlad King, how are Kurose and Aizawa?"

Sekijiro, who was more medically trained than the average pro, explained concisely, "They're in rough shape. If we hadn't gotten here in time, they could have potentially died from these wounds. But I think they'll narrowly pull through. I transfused blood into each of them, so they shouldn't be at risk of exsanguination."

As he had bandaged his two fellow teachers earlier, Vlad King had been making ample use of his Quirk, Blood Control. Although he usually used his ability to manipulate the blood outside his body offensively, there were medical capabilities to it as well. By guiding his own blood into another person's bloodstream, it would assimilate with the target's natural blood supplies, giving them new blood to replace any they might have lost. Sekijiro would lose control of the blood as a result, but his rapid blood production rate meant that was never a problem.

While checking Kurose and Aizawa's pulses once again, Vlad King noticed the imposing form of All Might had returned with all the students from the plaza under his arms. The man seemed to have gotten them unharmed, although all three seemed more than a little shaken by their sudden movement.

'That does beg the question… why were Kendo, Yaoyorozu, and Jiro still down in the Plaza in the first place? Why did they not evacuate with their peers?'

Vlad King, realizing his thoughts were wandering, brought himself back to focusing on his patients, 'I'll leave such questions for later. Now is not the time.'

Central Plaza, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
A Few Seconds Earlier…

Tomura Shigaraki's day was not going to plan at all.

The League's initial plan had been relatively straightforward. Using information acquired from their break-in two days ago and the intelligence provided by their mole, they and numerous hired villains would infiltrate U.A.'s U.S.J. Facility. They would then use Kurogiri's Quirk to divide up the students while Nomu overwhelmed All Might, Thirteen, and Eraserhead. As for Berserker, he was there to be an added insurance in case there were any Masters amongst the ranks of Class 1-A.

Instead, things had gone wildly off-course. All Might hadn't even been present, completely negating their attack's primary goal. As for the Servants, it had turned out that not just one, but three members of Class 1-A had Servants of their own. To top it all off, there had been the arrival of that auburn-haired guy and his Servant, along with Berserker's so-called "Teacher".

Shigaraki had had enough. Despite Kurogiri's suggestions to save his Command Spells, he once again raised his arm, aiming to force Berserker to use Curruid Coinchenn. However, yet again, he was interrupted. This time, the interference came from All Might himself, whose high-speed movement produced a large gust of wind. Knocked off his feet, Tomura grumbled as he pushed himself up— before noticing something important.

The various brats he had been facing were gone, and he knew exactly why.

'All Might…!'

Shigaraki looked furiously up at the entrance of the U.S.J. and saw the No.1 Hero was in the process of dropping off the students who had still been in the plaza. All Might was dressed in a different attire from his normal hero outfit, wearing a normal dress shirt and pants. But most unnerving, the Symbol of Peace wasn't smiling. His face was set in a clear expression of rage.

Then, the man was gone once more. Moving faster than Shigaraki could follow, he reappeared in front of the disintegration villain, his fist poised to unleash a massive punch at Shigaraki. Kurogiri cried out as he rushed to protect his charge, sending out a warp gate that would send All Might far, far away.

"Tomura Shigaraki!"

Dodging the warp villain's attempt to stop him with ease, All Might glowered at his foes, "So you are Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri— the villains responsible for the kidnapping of Izuku Midoriya, and now…you threaten my students."

As he tried to intimidate his foes, All Might took a moment to survey the scene further. There were numerous other individuals in the plaza, many of which did not appear to be allied with the invaders. Foremost were the purple-haired woman and blue-haired man, who were duking it out with spears, practically ignoring the world around them. Then there were the ones who were knelt around the vigilante he met in Nagoya— a colorful bunch that included a pale woman in black clothes, a blonde-haired knight, an auburn-haired young man, and a pink-haired woman with swords.

'This is a tense situation. What should I do?'

Kurogiri, meanwhile, knew he had to act. He and Shigaraki were in danger, and they needed Berserker to protect them before All Might took the chance to act.

"Young Tomura… I believe you should use one of your Command Spells."

The hands-clad villain scratched at his neck violently, "Huh? Why the change, Kurogiri? You stopped me earlier."

"The situation is too dangerous now. But if we order Berserker to protect you, we may be able to escape unscathed."

"Alright, alright… but don't think this means you're in charge."

Holding his hand up, Shigaraki spoke clearly, "By the power of my Command Spell— Berserker, come here and help us get out of here."

With a flash of red light, the command was released upon the world. Tensing as the order went into effect, Berserker suddenly lunged over toward Shigaraki. Like a dog, he growled both protectively and angrily next to his Master.

Speaking through gritted teeth, the Servant made his displeasure known, "Damn you… interrupting my fight with a Command Spell."

Kurogiri spoke on Shigaraki's behalf, hoping that Berserker wouldn't kill them once the spell was up, "I'm sure you are aware of why this was necessary, Berserker."

Cú offered only a dismissive grunt in response before he funneled energy into Gáe Bolg. Sweeping his eyes across the Plaza, he gazed at All Might, Teacher, Musashi, and the Emiya boy. His gaze was a mix of hostility of invitation, non-verbally conveying his intent.

Those who move… will die.

All Might, not wanting to let these villains escape, tensed his muscles as he prepared to attack. However, his preparations were interrupted by Scáthach, who stepped forward and held her arm out to block the Symbol of Peace's path.

The Queen of Shadows gave her student an understanding smile as she spoke, "So, you've been ordered via Command Spell, Sétanta? Such is the geas of our servitude. No matter… I will mediate the situation."

Turning and stabbing her spear into the ground, Second Lancer spoke with purpose, "Hear me, combatants! Per the systems of the Holy Grail War, my student has been ordered to retreat by his Master! He has fought well today, and shown his mettle as a warrior! In honor of this victory, he and his closest allies shall be allowed to leave with no contest! Those who defy this decree shall face the wrath of Scáthach, Daughter of Árd-Greimne!"

Shiro glanced toward Ruler, who nodded. Understanding Morgan's unspoken message, he dispelled his weaponry. This battle was over, and fighting on would only cause them to make a pointless enemy.

Musashi, although she was less eager to stop fighting, recognized the name Scáthach. She hadn't met the Servant during her sojourns with Chaldea yet, but she had experienced multiple run-ins with variants of Cú Chulainn (even if her memories were somewhat fuzzy). If this woman was truly Cú Chulainn's teacher, defying her would come at a steep cost.

Richard's opinion was much the same as his fellow Servants'. Although his mother had primarily told him stories of Arthurian times, he was also well-versed in the legends of Ireland and Scotland. He knew it would not be wise to cross Servant standing before them, should she really be the individual she claimed to be. Underneath all his logic, however, the Servant of the Sword could not help but feel giddy, 'The Warrior-Queen of Skye… the Grail War is truly a treat, to meet all these marvelous heroes of legend!'

All Might was the most apprehensive of those in the plaza. If he complied with this woman's demands, he would be letting these despicable villains go. Yet, like the others, the Symbol of Peace could tell that making this purple-haired woman an enemy would be a dangerous decision.

'Dammit… negotiations have never been my strong suit. Mirai and Nezu were always the ones to handle it.'

Paralyzed by indecision, All Might remained stationary as the woman, Scáthach, continued speaking, "To mark this vow, I call upon the primordial runes. Swear upon them, and may this geas bind you!"

Bluish-purple runes then manifested in front of everyone in the plaza. All Might watched as each of the others steadily began to touch the runes, binding themselves to a vow of momentary non-aggression. Even lacking magical knowledge, Toshinori somehow knew exactly what the rune's meaning and purpose was.

Making his decision, he slowly reached out to touch the rune in front of him. It went against his sensibilities as a hero, but his priority right now was protecting the students. The masterminds might get away, but at least Class 1-A would be safe.

As the rune vanished into nothing, a sense of obligation washed over the Symbol of Peace. He knew now he would no longer be able to attack Kurogiri, Shigaraki, or Berserker until they departed— although the inverse would also be true.

Turning towards his teacher, Berserker looked at her with perplexion, "Teacher… what is your goal here?"

"I am here to ensure you, my student, can live to fight me another day. If you were to unleash that Noble Phantasm here, and unchain that which lies within, it would only lead to losses for both sides— and leave me to fight a mindless beast. That is not the fight I want. I want to fight you when your body and mind are at their best. So survive, Sétanta, and know that next time I shall not be so merciful."

Cú snorted in response as Kurogiri bowed in thanks, "Thank you, Lady Scáthach."

Gazing at Kurogiri, Scáthach's eyes saw right through Kurogiri's true nature, "Don't thank me, amalgamation. I'll be coming for my student soon enough."

Kurogiri said nothing in response, silently spreading his shadows to cover himself, Berserker, Shigaraki, and the remains of Nomu. Seconds later, they were gone, all transported back to their hideout in Kamino.

With their departure, Scáthach's runes were lifted, the geas vanishing from everyone's souls.

"Now then, my work here is done. I do apologize for my student's unruly behavior, but please leave correcting him to me. Fare thee well, warriors."

The Witch of Dún Scáith then vanished herself, dematerializing with a smile. Like a shadow, she had disappeared as fast as she had arrived. It reminded All Might of Archer's departure in Nagoya— a departure that happened all too fast, right when he was on the cusp of getting answers.

With Scáthach's departure, the villains left behind by the League began to realize the situation they were now in and quickly surrendered to All Might and his fellow teachers. With the plaza quickly coming under their control, attentions fell upon the downed Rider and those next to him, as Ruler stood to negotiate on their behalf.

As Midnight stepped forward to lead the faculty's side in negotiations, All Might let out a large sigh of both relief and apprehension.

'This is only the beginning… isn't it?'

League of Villains Hideout, Kamino
Day 5, Afternoon

In a small bar in Kamino, a black portal manifested in front of False Lancer's eyes, causing Vritra to raise an eyebrow, 'Hmph. Seems they are back.'

Out of the portal came Kurogiri, Tomura Shigaraki, and Berserker. Vritra smirked as she watched Tomura stumble out of the warp like a fool, disintegrating a bar stool with his sloppy arrival.

A few minutes later, things in the hideout had become more organized. Having secured Nomu's remains in a disused refrigerator for the doctor to collect, Kurogiri had gone about treating the damage Tomura had sustained. As he was treated, the light-blue-haired young man's eyes glanced around at the numerous brown packing boxes that now littered the bar.

After their failed attempt to take Izuku Midoriya's Command Spells, the League of Villains had been forced to start abandoning their hideouts here in Kamino. Pro Heroes had begun to comb Yokohama and its Wards in the last few days, investigating bar after bar in search of the League's hideout. Sooner or later, Kurogiri's bar was going to be searched, and if they weren't gone before then, their plans would be ruined. Thankfully, All For One had a new location ready to be their replacement hideout. The Ziost Ward of Tokyo wasn't exactly the most ideal of locations, but with the Gunga Mountain estate still being prepared as a more long-term hideout, it would have to do.

As Tomura continued to be treated, the familiar buzz of a radio being activated filled the bar, as the Symbol of Evil at last began to speak with his destructive protégé.

"My dear Tomura… tell me about the attack."

"Ugh… it was a total flop. All Might didn't show till too late… Servants were all over the place… stupid Nomu got killed…"

"Would you consider the attack a waste?"

"Well, duh! We gathered all those adds, brought along Berserker… and only sorta took out one Servant! Thirteen and Eraserhead are probably both gonna be fucking fine too!"

"Underlings can always be replaced. What is most important is the experience and knowledge you've gained. We have learned that several students control Servants of their own, and have gained powerful hints on what sort of capabilities they may have. We did not fail… we merely got ahead of ourselves."

The Symbol of Evil paused before continuing, "There is no benefit in crying over spilled milk. Nor was this a fruitless endeavor. You have learned, and from that, you will become stronger. We will continue to hone you, Tomura, so that you might become the antithesis of that loathsome Symbol of Peace. Soon, the world will witness the power that we— no, you— possess!"

Although killing All Might would have been a lucky break, All For One was not at all dissatisfied with the attack's outcome. Tomura's hate would grow from this failure. Through defeat, his student would be taking another step toward completion.

'I hope you are watching me from the afterlife, Nana Shimura. Watching in agony as I twist your grandson into a vessel for my conquest!'

Parking Lot, Unforeseen Simulation Joint
About Half An Hour Later…

The exterior of the U.S.J., in the wake of the villain attack, had become a mess of police vehicles and first responders.

Immediately following the departure of the invasion leaders due to Scáthach's intervention, the U.A. Faculty had finished their mission of securing the facility. With the further support of the police forces who arrived not long after they did, the faculty had already rescued the students and detained most of the villains present for the attack.

The first student to be retrieved had been Shoto Todoroki, who was brought back by Power Loader while Hound Dog stayed to capture the unconscious Airgetlám and the remaining villains in the zone.

Second to be retrieved had been Hanta Sero and Yuga Aoyama, both of whom had been hiding inside the Flood Zone. Sero had been found by Slizer in the slide tower of the Flood Zone, while Present Mic had found Aoyama hidden inside the zone's hydro control room.

The third and final group retrieved had been the students sent to the Downpour Zone— Koda, Tokoyami, and Shoji. Those three had been found by Black Rush, who passed them off to the police forces trickling into the facility before returning to hunt down the villains in his zone.

Thankfully, none of the students had been grievously injured. The sword wounds Shoto Todoroki had sustained had been the worst of it, and thanks to Recovery Girl's Quirk, he was already on the mend. The villains who had fought the young man had been in far worse condition, particularly Airgetlám, whose burns were substantial.

Amongst the vigilantes, the truly only grievous wounds sustained had been those of Astolfo, or as those connected to the Grail War also knew him, False Rider.

Having made her way over to the ambulance Rider was being loaded into, Momo spoke with the team of paramedics with clear worry in her voice, "He's in a coma?"

Looking calmly at Momo, a female paramedic nodded in response, "Yes. Although Ms. Ruler and Mr. Saber over there seem to have mitigated the worst of it, the damage to this 'Astolfo' fellow is very severe. I can't guarantee— oh, Ms. Recovery Girl!"

Turning at the paramedic's sudden exclamation, Momo could see U.A.'s nurse, Recovery Girl, walking up with Hound Dog trailing close behind.

Looking up at the paramedic, Recovery Girl smiled warmly, "Hello there young lady— I've come to assist you with all the treatment."

The elderly hero then turned to Momo, "Yaoyorozu dearie, please go with Hound Dog and rejoin your class. Here, have some candy for the road."

Taking the small candy from the elderly hero's hand, Momo hesitated to leave, "I…"

Hound Dog spoke firmly, "It's alright, Ms. Yaoyorozu. They will be alright. Come, I will walk you back to your friends."

"O-Ok."

As the two walked in relative silence back toward Class 1-A, the Canine Hero considered how he was going to approach this. Deciding to start things simply, Inui turned to his young patient, "Ms. Yaoyorozu, how are you feeling?"

"I… I'm worried about Rider. I know they are a vigilante… but they were the person who saved me four days ago."

Inui was surprised about this revelation regarding the Attack on the Yaoyorozu Mansion, but kept his expression neutral, "I see. I will have to let the officers know that, just so you are aware."

"I know… but please tell them Rider is here to help, even if they don't have a license!"

Patting Momo on the head, the caninesque man smiled under his muzzle, "And I believe you. Principal Nezu has a similar stance regarding the vigilantes from Nagoya. He'll make sure that Rider is not shipped off to prison. For now, let's have you stay with your classmates. If you'd like, I can have a session with you after we clean up here."

"I-I'd like that, Dr. Inui. Thank you."

"Of course, Ms. Yaoyorozu. Now then, I must get back to helping secure the facility."

"Mhm."

With that, Hound Dog left to reconvene with the police, and Momo was left to greet her classmates. The first two to approach were the two girls with which Momo shared Mastership— Kyoka Jiro and Itsuka Kendo.

Kendo looked worried, "Yaoyorozu! How is Rider?"

"He's… he's in a coma."

Jiro sighed, "So my Saber and that 'Ruler' weren't able to heal him after all…"

By the end of the attack, Jiro had concluded that hiding her masterhood from her two classmates was pointless. They'd been through a villain attack together— she may as well come clean to them. Plus, they'd likely put two and two together anyway.

Momo shook her head, "No, your Servant did what he could, and without them, I think Rider would have died. I'm grateful to both him and that lady he summoned for helping."

Jiro raised her eyebrow, "Lady? What are you talking about?"

Momo struggled to put her memory of Rounds of Lionheart into words, "Well, I…"

Suddenly, a voice they didn't recognize rang out from behind, "Whatcha gals whispering about?"

The three whirled to see that Tokoyami's Dark Shadow had been the one to surprise them.

The bird-headed boy scolded his Quirk, "Dark Shadow! Don't scare my classmates like that!"

As Tokoyami and Dark Shadow argued, Tsuyu took the chance to step forward, "Tokoyami's Quirk has a point though, kero… can you tell us what you were talking about?"

Momo smiled, although mentally she knew she could tell the full truth, "That vigilante, Rider… before they appeared in Nagoya, they saved my life. Back on that horrible night."

Kirishima raised an eyebrow, "You mean during the attack on your home?"

Next to him, Kaminari grimaced, "Maybe not the best way to say it, man…"

Momo nodded, "Yes. It was Rider who saved me that night."

As Yaoyorozu explained her connection to Rider under a mask of mundanity, Kendo's eyes briefly fluttered to Katsuki Bakugo. Kendo thought he might have spoken up about Rider, but he was instead being uncharacteristically quiet. She didn't know if it was his deft loss to Berserker or something else, but not even the presence of Jiro's Servant only a little ways away seemed to be of concern to him at the moment.

Jiro meanwhile, focused her attention on the police. Through the enhanced hearing provided to her by her Quirk, she had caught wind of an interesting conversation. While pretending to listen to Momo's story, she instead focused on Principal Nezu, who was talking with a cat-headed police officer and Power Loader. Initially, the three had been merely discussing the security systems and other concepts Jiro didn't understand. But eventually, they had shifted their topic to something more interesting— the vigilantes. Luckily, it seemed as though none of them were associating them back with her, Yaoyorozu, or Kendo. Eventually, the conversation had moved on yet again, and now they were discussing just what would be done with the students of Class 1-A. From what she overheard, everyone's parents had already been contacted, and aside from Momo, who was living on campus, they'd all be headed home over the next few hours.

But then, as she was about to stop her snooping, Kyoka caught on to a more out-of-place sound growing closer to the conclave outside of the U.S.J. facility.

'Is that… a motorcycle?'

As he sat amongst three Heroic Spirits, Shiro Emiya couldn't help but feel a distinct sense of unease.

After being escorted out of that strange facility, the "Unforeseen Simulation Joint", the magus and the trio of Servants had been left under the watch of a group of police officers and oddly-dressed people calling themselves "Pro Heroes".

Shiro had been through an entire Grail War and had fought with Dead Apostles and more, but he couldn't help but feel out of his depth in this world of real-life superheroes. Zelretch's explanations had been lacking in numerous regards, and as a result, he truly was feeling the effects of being a stranger in an even stranger world.

To pass the time, Shiro had decided to enhance his ears, using his bolstered hearing to catch snippets of conversation that honestly just made him more confused. Apparently, these cops and heroes suspected he and the others were all "vigilantes", and Shiro couldn't help but wonder if that word didn't quite mean the same thing in this world as it did in his own. Then again, if this was a world of heroes and villains, he supposed vigilantes weren't exactly something that would be very far behind.

Seeing Shiro's uncomfortable expression, Ruler giggled and smiled with amusement, "Feeling overwhelmed, Master?"

As Ruler said this, Shiro heard a strange sound come from one of the "Pro Heroes". She was a woman who was dressed in a positively scandalous outfit of white spandex and BDSM attire, an outfit that frankly made Shiro very uncomfortable. To his further discomfort, after reacting to Morgan's words, the woman smiled and winked at him. Did she think Shiro and Morgan were two of "those types"?

Putting a hand to his face, Shiro tried to hide his blush, "Ruler… please just call me Shiro right now."

Morgan laughed, realizing the reason for his discomfort, "Apologies, Shiro. Now once again, are you feeling overwhelmed?"

"Yeah, this world's… just a lot to take in, I guess."

Listening to Shiro and Ruler interact, both the Sabers gave grins of their own, and Musashi spoke with clear excitement, "It's pretty crazy, right Not-Muramasa? This world's such a wild place!"

Richard nodded in agreement with his fellow Saber, "Yes. Even with the information the Throne provides, there is much to be understood! You are not alone in having to pick together the pieces, Master of Ruler!"

Shiro nodded in thanks, before delving back into his thoughts, 'If only Rin was here. She'd know what to say and do.'

As fate would have it, Shiro's hope would be answered much sooner than he could have ever expected. Mere moments after thinking about his girlfriend, his ears picked up on the distinct sound of a motorcycle engine approaching their location.

Driving in on a black motorcycle a few seconds later, Rin gazed at Shiro with a hint of relief and satisfaction.

"Well Shiro, seems you can't stop running into trouble, can you?"

Rin was dressed in a far different outfit from the one Shiro had last seen her in. The red qipao she had worn in Monaco had been swapped out with a dark gray blouse, a dark orange skirt, and black leggings. As some extra protection from the spring chill, she'd bought a bright red scarf as well.

While Shiro knew the identity of this new arrival, the sudden appearance of a mysterious woman on a motorcycle had raised the guards of the various police and heroes in the parking lot.

One of the officers raised his taser toward Rin as he spoke sternly, "Miss, you are trespassing on private property! Get off the motorcycle and put your hands up!"

Rin complied with the officer's orders, but as she parked her motorcycle and hopped off it, her face was set into an unnerving grin. It was the sort of expression that said "I'm only playing along because I want to", and it set the police force's nerves on edge.

Amongst the U.A. faculty, Snipe had raised his gun toward Rin, posing a set of questions to her, "Who are you? How did you infiltrate this campus?"

Before Rin could answer, however, Principal Nezu came over to try and defuse the situation. As he drew close enough to see the intruder, he realized Rin's appearance matched that of the one given to him of "Rin Tohsaka" by Hansa Cervantes earlier that day.

"Hold, all of you. I've been told about this individual. She's not a risk."

Snipe lowered his gun, confused, "But Principal Nezu…"

Nezu smiled, "I'll handle it, understood?"

Soon, both the officers and pros left Nezu alone with the magi and Heroic Spirits. Looking over all of them, his gaze particularly lingered on Shiro and Rin.

'A young man with short auburn hair and golden eyes… and a young woman with dark brown hair and blue eyes. Just as Mr. Cervantes described.'

"Now then… you two must be Rin Tohsaka and Shiro Emiya, yes?"

Rin raised an eyebrow, although Nezu wasn't sure if it was just due to his being a talking animal, knowing their names, or a combination of the two, "Yeah… but how do you know us? Just who are you?"

"My name is Nezu, the principal of U.A. High School. I was told about your names and descriptions from your ally, one Hansa Cervantes."

"Cervantes… so you've met the eyepatch priest, have you?"

"That is correct. He reached out to me by phone after arriving in this world. He had said the number was given to him by someone called 'Zelretch'."

Rin sighed, "Zelretch… of course that damn old man knew more than he let on."

Merely filing away Rin's comment about this 'Zelretch' for later consideration, Nezu turned towards the Servants, "And you three… you must be Heroic Spirits, no? From what I've been told about the attack, I suppose you two are the Servants of Ms. Jiro and Ms. Kendo respectively… which must make you Mr. Emiya's, Miss…?"

As the group's eyes widened at Nezu's remarkable deductions, Morgan calmly answered Nezu's query, "You may call me Ruler."

Nezu looked intrigued at Morgan's answer, "Ruler… that wasn't one of the classes that I was told about."

Morgan gave Nezu a concise explanation, "It is one of what is called the 'extra classes'— Servants that exist outside the normal seven categories. It seems the priest Zelretch sent forgot to tell you of them. A fact that surprises me, given the presence of an Avenger in this war."

Rin nodded in agreement, "Zelretch did bring it up though when we met him in Monaco. That priest really should have been paying more attention."

Nezu perked up in interest at that, 'So Monaco exists in their world as well… how interesting.'

However, inquiries about their world could wait. For now, he needed to figure out what to do with these five.

'I doubt they need identification… it is highly likely that this "Zelretch" has fabricated IDs and cards for them, as he did for Mr. Cervantes. However, they are still foreign to this reality. I'm sure they will see the benefit of associating with U.A. in the long run. I'll need to pose the offer quickly though…'

"Now then, Mr. Cervantes's information aside… I would like to extend an invitation to you both, Ms. Tohsaka and Mr. Emiya, as well as all of you, Heroic Spirits."

Rin raised an eyebrow, "What sort of invitation? An alliance, I'm guessing?"

Nezu nodded, "In a sense. I am not a Master, but I have still become entangled with the proceedings of this 'Holy Grail War'. Numerous students of my institution have had Masterhood thrust upon them, and I desire to ensure they survive the events to come. I wish to hold a meeting of Masters, to discuss matters related to this war, and to propose the formation of a greater alliance. I would like to ask for all of you to participate in this meeting, given that I assume you have the best interests of two worlds in mind."

Rin and Shiro looked at each other. The young head of the Tohsaka clan nodded to her boyfriend before turning to U.A.'s principal, "Alright. We'll take part in this meeting of yours."

Nezu smiled, "Wonderful. As for you, Sabers? Will you pass along this invitation to your Masters?"

Musashi answered with a laugh, "Sure! Why the heck not?"

Richard made a distracted expression, listening to his Sub-Servants before responding, "You can expect Kyoka and I's attendance as well."

Nezu bowed, "Perfect. And many thanks to you for helping protect my students. I can never repay you for what you all have done today."

Morgan smiled wryly, "Well… that's what heroes do, no?"

Tachikawa City, Tokyo
Day 5, Evening

In the shadows of a disused apartment building, the Heroic Spirit Ariadne took a moment to collect her thoughts. She would return to Ibara's side soon, so as to not worry her young Master, but there was much her mind needed to organize.

Only minutes earlier, Ariadne had narrowly escaped the clutches of the Grail War's True Berserker— the Labyrinth of Crete.

If she was any other Heroic Spirit (besides maybe Theseus or Daedalus), she might have met her end at the hand of the Labyrinth's assaults. But thanks to her supernatural advantage over mazes as a concept, she had managed to escape alive.

'Still, the maze had a ferocity on a level I wasn't expecting. Its ability to summon copies of Asterios… just what sort of other abilities might the Throne of Heroes granted it?'

But there was something else on Ariadne's mind about the Labyrinth as well— and that was Daedalus.

'I'm certain I felt his presence… even if it was extremely faint. Perhaps the true form behind Berserker is not the Labyrinth, but Daedalus? I can't imagine that old man a Berserker, but… stranger things can happen. Either way, I suspect that whoever or whatever is echoing his presence will be the key to this mystery— and the key to stopping the Labyrinth's advance upon this world.'

Gifu, Gifu Prefecture
Day 5, Evening

As he walked into a poorly lit room, Jester Karture was overwhelmed with an odd feeling of discomfort.

'To think I would be unnerved after all these centuries. That taint I felt on Assassin's Saint Graph is truly something, but this… this is simply remarkable.'

In the shadows, the Master of Assassin chuckled, "Is there something on my face, Mr. Karture?"

The Dead Apostle laughed back in response, "No. You just have one of the most vile presences I have ever seen."

The concealed Master's response was another series of chuckles, "I'll take that as a compliment. I suppose my soul would be quite repulsive, given my nature."

While Jester introduced himself to their mysterious host, Avenger made observations about the magical energy in the room.

𐦚= 'The Assassin hides within the shadows. They try to hide themselves, but I can sense their presence. Be on guard, Earthborn.'

Jester mentally laughed, 'Caring about me, are you? How out of character, Avenger. But regardless, I could feel it as well. Yet just like when that Assassin met us before, I do not sense hostility. Either they are both quite the actors… or they mean what they say. Of course, we are dealing with the Phantom of the Opera, so you never know.'

Still sitting in the shadows, Assassin's Master smirked, "Enjoying your little mental conversation, you two?"

Jester raised an eyebrow and the nails on his left hand sharpened into claws, "You can hear our thoughts?"

"Oh no, no, no, nothing like that— I merely can feel the ripples of your link with Avenger. It's… it's a bit like synesthesia."

"Interesting… so you can sense the energies between Master and Servant? Is that not an ability to keep secret?"

"I'll still have some secrets… but if we're joining in an alliance, don't deserve a morsel or two?"

Jester narrowed his eyes, "An alliance, yes, about that… so you wish to ally with me? What do you hope to gain from my support? And what do I have to gain from yours?"

"What do I stand to gain? Why, merely the chaos, that is I ask for! But as for you, dear Jester… you stand to gain so much! Like sweet revenge against that troublesome False Saber!"

At the mention of Saber, Jester's interest was piqued, "False Saber, huh…? Very well, Master of Assassin… keep talking. You've got my attention."

Korriban Medical Center, Ushimitsu City
Day 5, Evening

As he stirred into consciousness, Dabi could hear the quiet whirs of medical machinery fill his ears.

'Where… am… I…?'

Starting to sit up, the arsonist moved his eyes around the room, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

'I'm in some sort of hospital room… but who moved me from Curator's lab?'

As he struggled to push himself up more, Dabi felt a strange sense of emptiness. It was like a part of him had gone missing, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. When he finally propped himself up properly, the flame villain heard a small beep come from some machine next to his bed.

'That beep… an alert system, probably. Someone was waiting for me to wake up.'

After a few minutes of uneasy waiting, the door to Dabi's hospital room finally opened, and in walked a face very familiar to the young villain.

He was a short mustached man, dressed in normal doctoral attire, with large circular glasses that seemed to enjoy catching the light. Despite his small stature and friendly demeanor, Dabi was instantly repulsed at the sight of the man.

"Garaki…"

The man chuckled at Dabi's identification in an almost grandfatherly way, "Why good evening, young man. It's been a while, hasn't it? You go by Dabi now, correct?"

Not wanting to play the doctor's games, Dabi cut right to the chase, "Where am I, Garaki? How did you find me?"

Dr. Garaki smiled before gesturing down to something in his hands. It was some sort of small creature with an exposed brain and bat wings— clearly no sort of ordinary animal.

"Meet Lucy. She's one of my creations, called Nomu. After the Nagoya Attack, I decided to send out Lucy and her family to find all of our various associates— including you and Doctor Genyōsha. Her brother Tommy was keeping track of our dear Curator, but alas, I've lost contact with poor little Tommy…"

As Dabi listened to the doctor, he was reminded of what he found so repulsive about Garaki. While Curator might have been the sort to regard his patients as pests, Garaki saw his patients as being a part of his family— a family he ultimately had no qualms experimenting on. The doctor might play at being attached to others, but he only truly cared about his own work and its results. Lost subjects were mourned not because of who they were, but because of the resources Garaki lost through them. It was a behavior that reminded Dabi of his own father's attitude toward his children.

Realizing he had gotten off track, Garaki coughed before answering Dabi's earlier questions.

"Anyways, after Lucy tracked you down, I picked you up and brought you here to Korriban Medical Center. Don't worry, we are in a special ward with more… secretive purposes. Korriban has always had a dark side the public doesn't need to know about."

Dabi was pensive as he responded, "I see… now spit it out."

Garaki gave him a nonplussed look in response, "I beg your pardon?"

"There's something else about all this, isn't there? Something you haven't told me yet."

The doctor took out a small handkerchief and wiped his brow, "Well, I suppose I will say it simply then. You are Quirkless, young man."

Of all the things Dabi had been expecting Garaki to say, that had not been one of them, "Wha…? Quirkless? What the fuck are you saying?! I'm not Quirkless?!"

"Now, now… I know it's surprising. Even I was floored. But I'm telling the truth— your Quirk is gone, Dabi."

Dabi didn't believe Garaki and willed Blueflame to well up inside him… only for nothing to occur. Steadily, although he didn't want to accept it, Dabi realized that the strange feeling within his being had not been some obscure illness— it had been because of the loss of his Quirk, the very thing that made him who he was.

Garaki, watching intently as Dabi had failed again and again to try and use his power, spoke up again with a reassuring voice, "Fear not about your Quirk though, young man. Master All For One can use his power to grant you back a copy of your Quirk."

Dabi growled, "You made a copy of my Quirk?!"

"Why of course we did. Master and I are collectors, after all!"

"Ugh— fuck! I should have expected this when I woke up in your stupid hospital room. You just want to have me back. A tool for the esteemed All For One to use again."

At Dabi's words, Garaki's face stretched into a terrible grin, "Well, young man… I'm so glad you understand your situation. Now then… I'll let Master himself divulge the terms."

Conference Room Tau, U.A. High School
Day 5, Evening

As most of U.A. High School closed up for the night, and the last of the afterschool clubs left campus, a secret gathering was beginning within one of the school's many private conference rooms.

With so many attendees, it was a somewhat tight fit. At the head of the conference table sat Principal Nezu, the very one who had gathered all these wayward individuals. To his right were Naomasa Tsukauchi and Toshinori Yagi, who sat across from their otherworldly visitors— Hansa, Rin, and Shiro. Next to the otherworlders sat the Shiozaki and Jiro families, and across from them were the Kendos, Momo Yaoyorozu, and the Midoriya family.

For most of the Masters attending, their Servants presently stood behind them, none of them particularly bothered about not receiving a chair of their own.

Nezu, who had gone over the footage from the U.S.J. attack in more detail in the past few hours, had managed to learn the identities of all three Servants who had revealed themselves at the U.S.J. attack. Now, sitting here amongst them, he still marveled at the almost inconceivable situation the Holy Grail War had presented to him yet again.

'Richard the Lionheart, Morgan Le Fay, and even Musashi Miyamoto in one of my school's conference rooms… who would have thought?'

Nezu found himself particularly curious about the situation with Musashi's gender. Similar to Midoriya's Servant Oda Nobunaga (who strangely did not seem to be present at the meeting), it seemed that perhaps history may have been mistaken with the gender of one of its most famous legends.

'Unless, of course, it is a result of a difference in history itself. Perhaps in our world, they were still male.'

As for the other new Servants who appeared in the U.S.J., Nezu had determined the identity of those. Firstly, there was Cú Chulainn, who was the Servant of the League's "leader", Tomura Shigaraki. Given that the mysterious "radio man" from Izuku Midoriya's kidnapping allegedly wielded a Lancer, that meant this new power, the League of Villains, had not one but two Servants under their control. There was also the other Servant who had appeared, Scáthach, but luckily she seemed to be a more neutral party, even if she aided the villains in their escape.

Bringing his thoughts back to the meeting at hand, Nezu once again reconfirmed their current attendees. From the looks of it, only three Servants were either not present or in Spirit Form— Rin's, Ibara's, and Izuku's. Rin had made it clear to him ahead of time that her Servant would not be revealing itself at this meeting, so Nezu started by directing his questions to Ibara and her father.

"Young Shiozaki, Mr. Shiozaki— will Caster not be joining us?"

Piero shook his head, "No. She said there was something she needed to investigate today."

Ibara added her piece as well, "Although she's currently coming back from that investigation, she told me she won't make it in time for this meeting."

Nezu nodded, although he was of course curious about what this "investigation" of Caster's was about, "Completely understandable. Now, Mr. Midoriya. What about your Servant?"

The boy, uncomfortable with suddenly being the center of attention, squirmed, "Well, uh…"

Instantly, it was clear, something was off. The nervousness that Midoriya displayed was beyond just a struggle with the spotlight. There was something else weighing on his mind.

Nezu pressed his questioning, "Mr. Midoriya? Is everything alright?"

Using her Quirk, Jiro decided to listen in on the green-haired boy's heartbeat. From the looks of it, her mother was doing the same.

'His heartbeats are pretty rapid. Did something happen to his Servant?'

Inko turned to her son with a mix of questioning and concern. She had noticed he seemed off when they arrived, but she had chosen not to comment on it. Speaking softly, she made her own inquiry to her son, "Izuku? Is something wrong?"

Finally, speaking in a tone that was almost a whisper, Izuku revealed what had him so bothered, "She abandoned me. Archer said I was too weak to be her Master and abandoned me."

It was like a bomb had gone off in the room. Even Rin momentarily lost her composure, remembering her troubles with Archer in the Fifth Holy Grail War.

'Is this why Zelretch told us to watch out for a green-haired boy? Because his Servant abandons him?'

The rest of the room gave Midoriya sympathetic looks, especially Toshinori.

'That boy… I already crushed his dreams, and now his Servant has crushed them yet again. Perhaps if I hadn't…'

One person though, had a different viewpoint. Kicking his feet up on the table, Hansa responded with an almost dismissive tone, "Too weak, huh?"

Nezu turned toward the priest, "Mr. Cervantes?"

Ignoring Nezu, Hansa kept his attentions locked in place, "Izuku Midoriya. Your Servant was Oda Nobunaga, correct?"

The revelation surprised several people in the room, but they kept quiet as Midoriya skittishly responded.

"Y-Yes…"

"Now, my second question… how much training have you done in your life?"

The boy flinched, before shyly admitting the truth, "N-None…"

Hansa sighed in disappointment, "I'm not an expert in Japanese history but… it's said that Nobunaga despised those unable to face their problems and adapt. You, clearly, are one of those types of people she despises."

Suzuna Kendo looked at Hansa with a shocked glare, "Mr. Cervantes, that remark was extremely rude. You should—"

Hansa slammed his foot down, silencing Suzuna, "Shush."

Before Mashumaro could stand up in defense of his wife, the priest continued speaking, "Listen up, kid. There's only one path left for you. You need to change yourself. Prove to your Servant she was wrong about you."

"But…"

Hansa shook his head, "No buts. Just action."

Rin spoke up next, "As poorly worded as that was, Cervantes is right. If there's one quick way to sway your Servant back to your side— it's to show them your mettle as a Master."

Izuku practically seemed to shrivel as he spoke with a total lack of self-confidence, "But h-how can I...?"

Hansa raised a single eyebrow, "Isn't it obvious? You train like crazy and get results. There's that Sports Festival coming up, right? Win it, and show Nobunaga they were wrong about you."

Nezu then interjected, sensing the meeting was getting somewhat off track. While he sympathized with Midoriya's plight, they still had a meeting to complete, "That actually transitions well into the main point of this meeting— the reason why I have gathered you all here. I would like to propose an alliance of Masters in the Holy Grail War."

Itsuka Kendo's face was filled with surprise, "An alliance? You mean between ALL of us?"

/::/ "Hello, hello! Francesca Prelati speaking!"

Before Kendo was able to continue, the childish voice of Francesca Prelati began echoing through her head. As her parents and All Might looked at her change of expression with concern, Kendo glanced around the room. Musashi was reacting as well, along with the other participants of the War— whatever she was hearing now, they could hear it too.

Hansa, who also could hear the voice due to having passed between worlds, explained the situation to those who couldn't hear, "We'll need to take a pause on the meeting. Seems that the orchestrator of this war has a little message for us."

Detective Tsukauchi looked at Hansa with confusion, "You mean… a telepathic communication?"

"A better explanation can come after… we've got listening to do."

/::/ "I would like to thank everyone for joining in on the most delightfully chaotic contest this world has ever seen! All twenty-three Masters and Servants, vying for a single wish! Simply marvelous~"

/::/ "But most importantly, I have an announcement for you all before you start dropping like flies! So listen close, participants!"

━◈━ ARC 4: UNFORESEEN HEROICS ━◈━
━[ END ]━

To be continued in Chapter 24: Anti-Foundations

A/N: And bam, we've made it! With Arc 4 complete, we now cross into the second half of this story. Now that's not to say we have only 23 chapters left (presently I'd say we are somewhere closer to a fourth of the way through chapter-wise). Instead, consider this as a turning point in the story. We've gotten to know the Masters and Servants, and now the Grail War will slowly begin to kick into high gear. As we progress into Arc 5 and beyond, the stakes will grow and the arcs will be longer. I'm incredibly excited for what's to come, and I hope you all are as well. Thank you to everyone for reading and supporting this fanfiction thus far, and I'll see you all at the U.A. Sports Festival!

To leave off, I offer you four words for the future, as the vaguest hints of what's to come in the arcs ahead:

| Struggle |
| Executioner |
| Auroch |
| Seven |

Now, onto the Lunar File!

Lunar Files: Rounds of Lionheart Vol.0: Sub-Caster
Through his Noble Phantasm, True Saber can summon Sub-Servants. While Sub-Caster is not one of the three he was summoned with, Ruler helped him to temporarily summon her to Rounds of Lionheart during the U.S.J. Attack.

Servant Profiles: Sub-Caster
Bio:
Class: Caster
Master: True Saber / Richard I
True Name: Vivian / Nimue
Gender: Female
Alignment: Neutral Good

Stats:
Strength: ○○○
Endurance: ○○○
Agility: ○○○
Mana: A
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: ○○○

Class Skills:
Item Construction: ○○○
Territory Creation: ○○○

Personal Skills:
Fairy Eyes: B
Lady of the Lake: A
Breath of the Planet: ○○○
Tears of Dozmary: C

Noble Phantasms:
Garden of Avalon
Marker of Innocence
Rank: ○○○
Type: Anti-Sin