Author Topic: A Lesson in Magical Theory-Second Chances (A Retelling of the Fifth Holy Grail)  (Read 34469 times)

Milbunk

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There were so many different things Sakura wanted to accomplish, but perhaps it was best she focused on what she considered the easiest to deal with right at this moment. Her own sister.

“Maiya. I appreciate your concern for me but I don’t want to leave Illya alone any longer. I think it would be best if we settled our match as soon as possible, and if there is a possibility then maybe we could even work together again with her and Kiritsugu?”

It was an honest thought that Sakura truly held deep within her heart and there were still things she wanted Illya to answer for. Why did she resort to cheating in their duel? Why was she so determined to take the Saber class above all else?

These were things that Sakura needed to know if she was going to find the strength to move forward in her battle.

With a small sigh Maiya couldn’t help but admire Sakura’s current determination. “Very well then. If that’s what you want, then we shall focus on them first. Do you have any idea where to begin looking for them? After all, Kiritsugu is not the type of person to reveal himself openly.”

That was something Sakura hadn’t thought of before but it was true. She had seen how Kiritsugu preferred to operate during their travels together. Secretly and methodically he hid himself and his family while making sure to prepare multiple outlets of escape in case anything went wrong.

But things were different this time. Unlike before they were no longer on the run, rather they had to stay within the city of Fuyuki or its surrounding forests so long as they stayed involved in the war.

And with Illya involved as the Master and roaming freely there were going to be some openings in their previously invisible hideouts. The question was where to start?

“Assassin.” Muttering his name the white skull mask quickly materialized next to her. “I want to you to begin searching for Illya or Kiritsugu’s whereabouts. You’ve seen his picture, correct? If you find either of them follow them until they reach their hideout and then return to us immediately without engaging them. Can you do this Assassin?”

“Of course, I shall be away then.” Taking his leave that would set one thing into motion, if either of them were spotted out in the open city their base would be quickly discovered. But there was no telling how long it might take before Assassin could locate them. They needed to do something in the meantime while they waited.

“Sakura, there is one person who might be able to help us with our mission. In the previous war a man named Fujimura Raiga had helped Kiritsugu by acquiring various hideouts and materials that he used during the course of the war. Perhaps Kiritsugu has called on his old contact yet again?

It was a reasonable thought, though anyone who was known to deal with a man like Kiritsugu was probably rather shady in some fashion. “Maiya, do you know anything else about this Raiga person? What he was like, or what he dealt with?”

Recalling the old memories Maiya’s expression flashed as she felt different things. “Well… I only met him personally once when he aiding us in smuggling in a few weapons I had requested but his personality, was rather interesting… Perhaps boisterous? Excited despite his age? I do recall that he had a daughter he often doted on, I think? But it’s up to you if you wish to pursue this lead. I believe I still remember the address of his main house. I can take you there tonight if you wish.”

Though it was starting to get late Sakura doubted that anyone who dealt in shady things would be asleep at this time of night. And if this man had a chance at helping her find her sister and Kiritsugu then it was worth a shot. “If you wouldn’t mind Maiya, I think we should go with your idea. If this Raiga person could help us find Kiritsugu any sooner then perhaps talking to him would be worth the risk?”

“Alright if that’s what you want to do then we will go at once.”

Quickly gathering their thing while making sure to leave their weapons behind the two of them set forth accross the bridge and into the residential area of Miyama town.

With about three hours to spare until Tuesday they wanted to get there as soon as possible.

************************************************************************************

It had only been about a day and a half since Bram has sent his Servant alone into the war of Fuyuki, but it felt like his departure had just happened a moment ago. He still recalled the scene as he watched his new friend go off into the warzone as he did his best to keep strong.

He needed to prove his strength to father and prove he was worthy of the crest of the Archibald. But in order to do that he needed to stick to the plan he had devised, even if it hurt a little in the end.

He was currently sitting in a large ornately decorated room deep within one of the spare houses that the Archibald controlled along with his other ‘partner’. This partner of his occasionally grumbled to himself and impatiently tapped his foot as he waited for who would arrive but besides that his emotions were nearly impossible to read. This was because his entire face was covered by the hood of a large clearly uncomfortable robe.

Why he refused to remove the robe or keep quiet Bram was unsure of, but he had to have his reasons right? Though Bram knew he himself was rather strange at times this fellow was even stranger than most people Bram knew. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was originally going to be the seventh master, Bram would have stayed completely clear of this Atram Galiast. Instead here he was, forced to sit in this uncomfortable room side by side with a man who clearly disliked Bram from his very core.

The footsteps of someone running towards the door and shouting “I’m late!” could be heard before the door was flung open making a large dent in the wall behind it. The woman who at first glance could easily be confused for a man due to the tight maroon suit she wore was clearly out of breath but still stood at attention and managed to give off a polite bow as she stated her name. “Bazett Fraga McRemitz, at attention!”

Atram was the first to speak up, with his mouth the only thing visible he uttered words of scorn. “You are late, Bazett. Is this the kind of service we are expected to receive in return for the honor you hope to gain for your pathetic name?”

Bazett was apologetic but she managed to utter a response. “No, my deepest apologies but the address that was sent to me was to a manor on the opposite side of London, I had only managed to find this out after arriving there and by then it was nearly imp…”

“No excuses! Do you think you can truly aid us if you continue this nonsensical rant!? I was already having my doubts about someone like you but this has cemented them even further. ‘Young Master Archibald’ I implore you to strike down your decision to hire this undesirable wench. Surely you can see that any talents she might be able to supply our team with is not worth the efforts it would take to contain her!”

Bazett’s face was already a mess due to all the running, but hearing such a response from one of the men employing her began to throw any hopes of accomplishing the job out the window. Nearly pleading with her eyes she turned to Bram, as if begging him to reconsider.

“That’s enough Atram. I will make the final decision in the employment of this woman, or need I remind you of your current stance compared to mine?”

Though his face was hidden underneath the cloak a gaze of intense hatred still gleamed through, to Bram it felt as if the piercing gaze might burn a hole through the thick cloth of the hood that covered Atram’s face.

Yet Bram remained strong and defiant to such a gaze. He hadn’t been trained by some of the best tutors in the art of diplomacy and control of one’s subjects for nothing. After a tense moment that seemed to last for an eternity Atram turned his head turned his attention towards the pathetic looking Bazett, crossing his arms as if showing some small form of defiance.

Seeing that he was the victor of their mental contest Bram was the next to speak up. “Now then, Bazett Fraga McRemitz. You have come in response to our request for aid. According the reports you are well versed in the art of combat and in particular against those of magical or demonic origin?”

“Yes!” Seeing that Bram was still giving her attention rather than dismissal Bazett couldn’t help but give a overenthusiastic response.

“Very well then, I also take it you will not be afraid to throw your life on the line if it means accomplishing your mission?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Hmm, then considering the circumstance, I will be willing to forgive your tardiness just this once, we will gladly accept your aid in accomplishing this particular mission.”

“Wha!?” The same sound came from the other two people in the room though for different reasons. In the end Bazett’s eyes lighted up with joy and excitement in the possibility of getting such a high quality job while Atram’s was one of disgust and repulsiveness at Bram’s decision.

“We will leave in two days time, before then you be informed of the current plan, but will this be enough time for you to prepare everything you will need?”

“Y-yes! More than enough time!”

“Very well then, we look forward to working with you. Oh and Atram, it might be best to learn to control that temper of yours, it could prove to be rather harmful if such a voice had fallen on the wrong ears...

************************************************************************************

The walk was mostly in silence but Sakura couldn’t help but wonder just what kind of a person Raiga was.

Was he a nice person? Would he be willing to help Sakura and Maiya in finding Kiritsugu? These thoughts and more filled Sakura’s head as they made their way through the various streets as the houses continued to grow larger and larger until they finally came across a single mansion surrounding by trees and various luxurious decorations.

“This should be the place, are you ready Sakura?” Maiya’s voice was one filled with concern, she was sure this would be Sakura’s last chance to turn back. But she knew that just wasn’t an option for Sakura especially with so much on the line.

“Yes, let’s go meet with him right away.”

As they approached the gate that separated the house from the outside world a single large man in a black business suit stood by the entrance. He turned his head as they approached but the rest of his body remained completely rigid. With a cold voice he spoke up as soon as they came into earshot. “What do you want?”

The plan called for Maiya to speak up first. “We wish to speak with Raiga Fujimura in regards to some ‘business’ that we hope to accomplish.”

“The master is busy, leave.”

This was the worst case scenario for Sakura and Maiya, if the guard was at least willing to talk then at least they could force their foot in the door a bit. But he was unwilling to even hear that much.

Should Sakura continue to push harder? If she did this man could very well become violent, and she doubted that he was aware of the magical world. If at all possible she wanted to involve innocents in the fight between magi but was there any choice?

1. Continue to plead with the guard.
2. Find ‘another’ way into the compound.
3. Turn back and rely on Assassin’s aid.
4. Write in...

Cherry Lover

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Hmm, I'm not sure which of these options is the best. Sakura could obviously kick the guy's ass if she wanted to, and she could also break in without any issue, but I'm not sure if breaking-in is such a great idea given that she's trying to get information from the guy. On the other hand, maybe he wants to hide something from her....

I'm going to say 1. for the moment, but I am interested to hear what people have to say.

Milbunk

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Current Results:

1. Continue to plead with the guard: Mike
2. Find ‘another’ way into the compound: Solarchon, Mac Chaos
3. Turn back and rely on Assassin’s aid.
4. Scout Mansion, report to Assassin: Li Shuwhere, Nuclear Consensus, Magus

I think I might end the results soon unless more people decide to mess with the votes again.

Cherry Lover

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Can you explain option 4 a bit more?

Milbunk

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It means what it says, Sakura would scout the place out and then contact Assassin before reaching another decision.

Cherry Lover

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Hmm, OK, I think I'll switch to 4.

SINIB

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[5:20:13 PM] francobull III: "I fuck dead animals"

francobull3 - Today at 10:15 PM: when will skeleton bullying day end

Milbunk

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Sorry Sinib but you are a little late, I already have the entire thing written and it's just being sent through a beta right now. Though it doesn't look like voting for three would have done much anyways.

Milbunk

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Attempting to force her way into the Fujimura compound seemed like a bad idea, after all even if she was successful would they really listen to her? And this guard did not look like he was willing to budge either, perhaps it was best if Sakura gathered more information first before making a rash decision that might hurt her chances in the long run.

“Oh, alright. Then we are sorry to bother you.”

Bidding farewell to the guard he only went so far as to grunt at their comment before watching them walk away and turn the corner.

“You seem to have some plan in mind?” Maiya was the first to speak up after they huddled into one of the side streets away from the prying eyes of anyone who might be near.

“Yes, for now I’m going to send out a few familiars to check the place out, maybe we can figure out what Raiga is doing and why he doesn’t want to be disturbed. After that we can talk with Assassin and plan out our next move.”

“Ok, share the connection with me so that I can sense if anything is off.” With Maiya’s agreement Sakura had no trouble bringing a few insects forth. Though it was still winter time seeing a few insects flying about should not bring about anything suspicious and even if it did the bugs could easily be created anew.

It was a bit embarrassing for Sakura but it was also the easiest way for her to share the vision of her familiars. Brushing her hair back she pushed her forehead to Maiya’s and sent a few of the insects forth creating a tiny connection to Maiya’s own magic circuits.

Sakura’s familiars were small which allowed them to hide themselves better, but because of the simplistic nature of most of the insects in order to get a good enough picture and sound quality to be of any practical use.

Thus in order to supplement the lower quality, Sakura used a higher quantity. Using multiple bugs to create a full feeling as if she was standing in the room Sakura could reach a far higher quality compared to a normal familiar while keeping a few redundant insects as well. It was a very resourceful action and a sign of her improved compatibility with these particular familiars as much as she disliked to think as such.

Doing her utmost to stay away from any signs of the human guards, the insects began to search the compound for the old man that they were looking for.

Though it took a few minutes of mindlessly searching eventually they came across a large outbuilding whose insides greatly resembled that of an eastern dojo. Inside the large room stood a lone scary looking man who stood legs outstretched as if he was attempting something like sumo.

“That’s him, I’m sure of it.” Maiya’s voice rang through Sakura’s ears and seeing as they found their target she returned her vision back to normal, keeping her flies on standby to keep an eye on the man.

“So now we know where he is. It might be best if we went directly to him, but I want to see what information Assassin has dug up first.” Removing her forehead from Maiya’s Sakura felt a tinge of dizziness as she regained her real sight. It was something she could never really get used no many how many times it happened, but it was a necessity if she was going to be able to use her magic to its full effectiveness.

‘Assassin, where are you? Have you found anything yet? We are currently at the vicinity of the Fujimura complex.’

A moments silence before Assassin’s plain voice rang through Sakura’s head.

“No, I am currently in the business district of Shinto, my reconnaissance of Shinto will be done within the hour but I have yet to see anything resembling Kiritsugu or Illya or any of their hideouts.’

‘Very well then Assassin, cont-’

Before she could even react something hit Sakura straight in the head before immediately following up with a critical hit to Maiya’s as well. The last thing Sakura could see before her vision disappeared was the faint outline of a yellow and green tiger striped shirt.

****************************************************

“Are you both at the ready then?”

Maiya stood at the ready her arm outstretched and between the two magi. They stood in the center of an opening in a forest in a country on the outskirts of Europe. They had come for one reason and one reason alone. To fight for the chance to win the Holy Grail.

They had both been chosen as Masters at nearly the same time, but with only one catalyst to spare they believed it was not wise to share it. Thus they had decided that the winner of an honorable magus duel would keep the catalyst. The loser would have to find an alternative for their servant.

It was a very powerful catalyst, one that had summoned the great King Arthur in the past war. A servant who very few servants could match but who was an exception as a servant herself.

“Honorable magi, may the duel begin in three.”

Both Illya and Sakura stood at the ready, for Sakura she had decided that in order to win this match as a magus she would do so without modern equipment. She knew this would put her at a disadvantage when compared to Illya who controlled a vast amount of circuits and homunculus body.

But she had an ace up her sleeve. A tactic she had been practicing for just this match that would allow her to surpass Illya for only just a moment, but that moment would be enough to grant her victory.

“Two!”

Their fight would be hidden away from prying eyes by a number of bounded fields set up by Maiya and Kiritsugu, while Maiya was mediating the match, Kiritsugu silently watched as he leaned himself on a nearby tree.

Sakura felt her circuits brimming with magical energy rush to life as a single spell filled her head, it had taken her a great deal of time to learn the theory of her magecraft. But with it Sakura truly believed she could overtake even Illya.

“One!”

Multiple strands of Illya’s hair began to float into the air as her own magic activated, though it was simple in it’s own right the strands of wire that turned into their own familiars.

Sakura had seen these familiars before when Illya was practicing with them, she knew that if Illya decided to get serious her chances would be slim. Yet sakura was ready.

“Begin!”

*******************************************************

“Are you okay?” It hurt, her head felt as if it had just run headlong into a brick wall. Her senses were in such disarray that Sakura was having trouble focusing on anything except the thumping of her head.

The first thing to come back were her ears.

“Hey Ms. I said are you alright? Say something!”

It was a female voice Sakura couldn’t recognize. The voice itself was far too energetic to be Maiya, yet it spoke in an almost friendly tone.

“Still too out of it, whew I was worried, for a minute there I was worried they might have figured out I mistook them for males who were up to no good.”

“Huh? Male?” The next thing to come back to Sakura was her ability to talk.

“Wa! You’re awake! Thank goodness, I was getting worried for a second there, hey you Ms. purple haired crossdresser lady how many fingers am I holding up?”

Though her vision was still blurry it was beginning to return as well. Sakura could see someone holding up their hand but she was unable to figure out a clear picture just yet.

“Hmm this is bad. I might have over-reacted a bit. Maybe I should go find one those guys to help, they might know more about first aid than I would.”

Attracting unwanted attention would be unwise. If Sakura was going to stay discreet they had to stay lowkey. Using whatever power she could gather in her voice she turned down the suggestion as gently as she could muster.

“NO! No that’s alright I’m fine.” The dizziness was finally starting to leave her head and her vision was finally returning in full. Looking around she found that she had been lying against one of the brick walls of a nearby building with the Fujimura complex opposite them. An older woman with an energetic appearance stood in front of them with a look full of concern while Maiya was lying beside her eyes still shut, likely because she had not woken up just yet but her body had already begun to stir. It wouldn’t be long before she did.

“Oh? Are you sure? Sometimes I don’t even know my own strength, I’m sorry about that. Are you really ok? Can you stand?”

Looking at the woman who stood before her, Sakura could see that she generally seemed worried about them, but there would be a time to deal with that later, for now whoever might have attacked them might still be around, she needed to awaken Maiya and get out of there so they could recoup their losses.

“Don’t worry about me Ms. You need to get out of here as soon as you can! Someone just attacked us, they might still be around here.”

The concerned look on the woman changed to one of embarrassment before quickly becoming one full of guilt. “Ah… About that…”

The girl began to explain the situation to Sakura, just as Maiya was waking up as well. Apparently her name was Taiga Fujimura, she had been out late for a drinking party when she saw two suspicious looking figures hiding around the corner of her home.

Instinctively she sprung into action, and using a nearby wooden sword that she just happened to have on her she quickly took the perpetrators out. She was about to call the police so that they could deal with the crooks when she discovered that the two figures were not actually men but females who dressed very masculine.

It was then that Sakura began to wake up quickly followed by Maiya.

“So you meant us no ill will?”

“Of course not! My weapon is a blade that shall only be used for good! I can’t believe I made such a silly error in the first place! But really I’m curious now, what were you two doing around here so late at night? Do you know where this is?”

Ah, that’s when it dawned on Sakura, if this girl was a Fujimura then perhaps she might be able to take them to Raiga. With a nod of approval from Maiya she began to explain a summarized version of her own situation. “We were hoping to speak with Fujimura Raiga but we were turned away. Do you know him?”

The woman known as Taiga perked up upon hearing that name. “Ah, Grandfather? Of course I know him! But why would two young ladies such as yourselves want to speak with him? You’re not in trouble are you?”

Sakura once more took a comforting smile in an attempt to calm Taiga’s worries. “No, that’s not it. We were hoping he might be able to help us locate my father, Kiritsugu we heard he had recently arrived in his town and I wanted to surprise him.”

“F-f-father!? K-k-kiritsugu is your father!? B-b-but I thought only Illya was his daughter! Just what is the man doing over in that dilapidated mansion?”

“Do you know Kiritsugu Ms. Taiga?”

“Ah, yep I know him! And his cute little daughter, but I didn’t expect him to have more children! It sure was a surprise!”

Maiya was the next one to interrupt their conversation. “Ms. Taiga you said it was a dilapidated mansion, does is have a japanese design?”

“It sure does! It’s over that ways a bit, if you keep walking over there you’ll find it in no time at all I’m sure!”

As Taiga turned and pointed towards a distant direction, Sakura sensed something ominous approaching. Before she could even react a white skull mask had appeared directly behind Taiga a dagger outstretched to the back of her neck.

Sakura’s eyes lit up in fear. “No!” Letting out a yelp, Taiga turned once more to face her, seeing that Sakura’s attention had been brought to something behind Taiga, she also turned to look out of curiosity only to find nothing but the empty street before them.

“Is something matter Ms.?” Confused by the sudden reaction it almost looked as if a set of giant questions marks could be seen above Taiga’s head.

“No, nothing’s wrong, I was just a bit startled that Kiritsugu’s residence was so close by. Oh and how rude of me, I never introduce myself. I’m Sakura, Sakura Emiya, and this is my mother Maiya.”

With a simple wave Maiya confirmed Sakura’s friendly intentions and once more Taiga’s attention was drawn towards them. “Very nice to meet you Ms. Sakura and Ms. Maiya. I’m glad we could meet, though I wish it had been under better circumstances…”

“It has been great talking with you Taiga but now that we know where to go we should leave immediately before it gets any later in the night. It was also a pleasure meeting you.”

With a friendly farewell Taiga bid them goodbye before picking up the wooden sword that she had set down and heading once more for the entrance to the Fujimura complex. leaving Sakura, Maiya, and the newly returned Assassin to talk amongst themselves.

As soon as the three of them could confirm that Sakura was now out of earshot Maiya was the first to speak up. “I’m sorry Sakura, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before but when he had participated in the last war Kiritsugu mentioned acquiring a Japanese mansion we could use as a second base. Before we could go there however, we were intercepted by another team.”

“It’s ok Maiya, that was a long time ago, it’s alright if you had forgotten. But now we know where we should go next.” She then turned to face the newcomer Assassin. “Assassin did you find anything else in regards to either Illya or Kiritsugu?”

“I’m afraid not Master, before I could search any further I sensed danger after our previous conversation had been cut off and immediately I returned here. I am glad to see that you have not had any danger befallen you.”

“It’s alright Assassin, I don’t think any of us expected someone who could sneak up on us like that and attack before we could respond. Whoever that lady was she sure was strong, she might even have more combat potential than any of us except for maybe Assassin. And that reminds me. Assassin I want you to go check out the mansion that Taiga showed us, see if you can find out of Kiritsugu or Illya are anywhere inside. But be extra careful, Saber is bound to be nearby and her detection skill is top notch.”

“Very well then Master. I will become as dark as night.” Confirming his Master’s intentions the skull mask that had temporarily appeared dissipated once more and began to head towards the intended location.

Sakura and Maiya would be close behind but on foot so as not to attract any more unwanted attention.

********************************************************

As soon as the two of them arrived at the entrance of the mansion Assassin appeared once more his white mask blended into the darkness.

“I have searched the compound and have found multiple signs of people living here, judging from the clothing materials it seems likely that it was in fact Kiritsugu and Illya. But something was off, I also found multiple maps of a nearby forest layed out on a table in one of the rooms, as well as other things hastily left behind.

It was as if the two of them were in a hurry to leave for somewhere.

“Lead us to these papers Assassin, I might be able to verify their intentions.” If anyone could do it, Maiya believed herself to be the best suited to the job.

Quietly walking into the house Sakura sensed a few minor bounded fields but none advanced enough to be of any real worry. It seemed that whatever had been created were merely there to alert any residents to danger, a warning chime almost.

Though the lights were off in the middle of the night the group eventually made their way towards one of the stray dusty rooms that Assassin had found. Upon entering Maiya quickly began to look at the maps, but the more she looked the more grim her face became.

“These maps, are old diagrams of the Einzbern forest, maps that Kiritsugu had shown me during the last war, with a few updated ones added in. It appears that for some reason they might have intended to breach the old Einzbern castle. But I’m confused. What could they possibly want with that place? Hadn’t it already been confirmed that the Einzbern had already lost their slot and rights as a Master to another person?”

Something seemed off about this, but Sakura couldn’t help but be worried about it. If Kiritsugu and Illya had gone to that castle then they had to have a reason for it. But what it was none of them had a clue as to why.

But that meant another matter was at hand. Now that their group knew where Kiritsugu and Illya were, they could choose to meet up with them and catch up before they reach the castle, it was a very long trip to those outskirts after all. And if they left straight away without returning to their base to grab their weapons they could make it all the sooner.

Or they could choose to stay here at the mansion and await their return. This was their home base after all, Those two had to return eventually, right?

And then a fourth option remained, Now that they knew where Kiritsugu and Illya were they didn’t have to search any further, they could simply return to their own apartment and keep this place under the watch of multiple familiars. The choice was up to them.

1. Immediately rush to the Einzbern Castle
2. Prepare their equipment first and then go to the Einzbern Castle
3. Hold out in this dilapidated Japanese Mansion until they return
4. Return to base and keep the place under watch with familiars.
5. Write in...

Milbunk

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Looks like it's two votes for 2 and two votes for 4 which means things are going fairly evenly right now.

Cherry Lover

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OK, then I'm going to go with 4, I think. I'm not convinced rushing to the Einzbern castle is a great plan.

Milbunk

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That means things are a tie between 2 and 4!

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They had already left towards the Einzbern Castle, of that there was no doubt. But why would they attempt to invade such a place? If Illya had stolen the right to the Einzbern Servant then why would she attempt to raid a base that was certain to be devoid of any Servant or Master?

“Maiya, do you have any idea as to why they might go to such a place? I don’t get it… There really shouldn’t be a reason to. Why they would risk their lives in an attempt to go to the home of their mortal enemy…”

Maiya thought to herself for a moment, thinking about the relationship between Illya and the Einzbern there was one thing that might be the case. “I’m afraid I can’t say for sure, but there is one thing I remember. In the previous war, the homunculus representative and Illya’s mother was supposed to play an important role in the end. But before she could do that…”

“Ah…” There wasn’t any need to explain any further, though the memories were faint, even Sakura could still see the kind woman’s smile as she was put through the same kind of torture Sakura had once experienced even if only for a short time.

“But that is in the past now, there is no need to think about such dark things. We should decide what to do from here on out.

Maiya’s voice was enough to bring Sakura back to the world of the living, throwing those dark thoughts away her mind began to spin yet again. “Ah yes, I think we should go and help them, our quarrel can wait.” This was Sakura something truly believed, she never truly wished to kill or gravely injure Illya. Though they might dislike each other currently, Sakura only wanted to prove herself and win the fight she thought she deserved to win.

Quickly activating her magic circuit Sakura began to check on the situation back in her home base, though she had a small swarm of familiars keeping eyes on the place she never heard or saw any alarms. The vision from them also confirmed that as far as she could see no one had attempted to break in. With some degree of confidence Sakura believed that their base should still be safe.

“Maiya, Assassin, I think it would be in our best interest if we followed in Illya and Kiritsugu’s footsteps towards the Einzbern Castle. I can leave a small swarm of familiars here in case they return while we are away and at maximum I can easily observe five locations total using this technique. I have also checked our base of operations and it still appears to be self. Let’s go back and quickly prepare ourselves before we rush into battle against whatever might await us at the Einzbern forest. If we can prove to be useful to Illya it might put her in debt but more importantly than that… I just don’t want to see her hurt…” That last sentence had been the hardest to say but it needed to be said.

Giving off a warm smile Maiya comforted Sakura with a response. “That is a sound plan Sakura, if we hurry we can return to base and equip ourselves in just under an hour, there is still time before dawn, let’s get moving.”


Before they could leave, Assassin couldn’t help but speak up. Though it was true that he often stayed silent in their affairs something seemed to be bothering him just a little. “Master, as long as you stay true your feelings I will follow you, but make no mistake, if you doubt your path then I will do every I can in order to see that the correction is made.”

Though his words were blunt and rather harsh Sakura still believed that in his own odd way Assassin was simply trying to help her as much as he could. Smiling at the invisible mask she unleashed the small swarm of familiars before heading off with the other two directly behind her.

************************************************************************

Running at full speed across the bridge and back towards their apartment they managed to cover the area in the span of about forty minutes. The remaining twenty was spent securing their gear.

Once they equipped themselves and prepared for what very well might end in a conflict of some sort they stepped into the darkness outside. Sakura couldn’t help but be bothered by just how bright the stars seemed on this clear night. It was as if they were staring into her heart, judging her from positions high in the heavens.

Perhaps it was the fatigue or maybe something else, but there was not time to think about that.

Before they could make a movement outside of their apartment building however, something appeared far off in the distance a flash of light that shone far above the towering buildings and reached into the heavens themselves.

It stretched out in a straight line but it was so bright even Sakura had to shield her eyes from the instantaneous light that had appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

“I know this light, ten years ago I saw it with my own eyes, twice in fact. That was an enormous blast of magical energy from a Servant. That had to be Saber’s Noble Phantasm.”

Judging from its distance and area in the sky it appeared to be coming from the direction the Einzbern forest, If that was true then Sakura and her group was already out of time. “Maiya if that’s true then we need to hurry, let’s use the car this time, it’s the fastest method of transportation we have. Assassin you can follow next to us in case anybody tries to interfere. There’s no time to waste, they might be in danger!

**********************************************************************

The plan was simple, so very simple, yet it had gone horribly wrong. Illya and Kiritsugu along with their Servant Saber had been spending time in their home when a messenger arrived.

Bearing the same white hair and red eyes that Illya herself had they knew it had to of been coming from the one and only family who employed such homunculus. The Einzbern.

The messenger herself had a simple demand for Illya, return to the Castle deep in the forest, and accept her fate as the new bearer of the third or risk the destruction of the city from an army of homunculi.

Of course there was no way they could accept such a ridiculous invitation. They all knew it would have been suicide, yet still they chose to march towards the Castle regardless. And it was not to accept fate and give in to the Einzbern’s demands, rather it was to put an end to the Einzbern army before they could get a chance to form at all. While simultaneously recovering the artifact that the Einzbern had to be holding onto. It was necessary for completing their desire of the reclamation of the third after all. The dress of heaven.

Plans were quickly drawn and maps brought forth, though they were previous blueprints and diagrams from the last Grail War Kiritsugu still believed they might be useful in creating a proper invasion route.

In addition to this, all three of them, Kiritsugu, Illyasviel, and even Saber had extensive knowledge of the forest itself having been there before or in Illya’s case having distant memories of the place.

It was such that they quickly gathered their things and left just as night had fallen. One silent drive away and they found themselves on the edge of the forest.

It would not take long for whoever was currently commanding the homunculi at the Castle to figure out their arrival once they stepped foot inside that darkened forest.

Because of this they decided that their best and only option was to simply charge with all their might. If stealth was not an option then they would barrel their way through, even Saber agreed to this. She was not skilled in stealth or espionage for that matter nor would she do so even if asked.

And so they ran, not long afterwards they felt the small electric shock of entry into the forest did they come across what was best described as an entire battalion of homunculi troops, as if they had been awaiting Illya and co.’s return all along.

As numerous as they were however, their quality was low. Saber was easily able to hold her own against the swarm of mindless charging homunculi and slowly but surely the three of them made their way towards the Castle.

Very fitting of its name the Caster had been turned into a literal stronghold, the attacks from the homunculi against their small team had been constant and numerous but each and every time Saber managed to hold her own against them with her single blade alone much to Illya’s amazement. Truly this was the knight of legend, the one and only king of knights.

Eventually they finally found their way inside the entrance of the Castle, it was here that Kiritsugu’s role would be key. The Einzbern had learned a great deal from his modifications of their base during the last war.

Using Kiritsugu’s barbaric tactics in order to fight fire with fire, a large amount of deadly traps had been placed in each and every corner of every hallway of the enormous Castle. Progress had slowed considerably and to make matters worse Saber had to continually fight off a constant stream of attackers while Kiritsugu and Illya made their way carefully through the literal minefield.

But eventually, after what seemed like an eternity they finally made their way towards the open courtyard where their goal awaited them. In the center of the elaborate garden a single homunculus lay there though she resembled every single enemy they had been fighting the past who knows how many hours Illya could tell, deep down that this had to be the one. The so called dress of heaven.

Quickly they approached her, after fighting off an army and those modern day traps they had little reason to suspect the Einzbern had any more traps up their sleeve, but they were wrong. Saber was the first to detect it, but by then it was already too late, perhaps her tardiness in detecting it was due to the large amount of stain she had to undergo in order to keep fighting or maybe the Einzbern had been able to hide it successfully from Saber’s great instinct but regardless, the trap had been sprung.

A thick, multilayered wall of silver wires encircled the entire courtyard trapping all three of them inside along with their target. It was an extremely dense bounded field, one that cost a great deal of magical energy to maintain but also one that prevented spiritual bodies or bodies with activate circuits from escaping.

A barrier that resembled that of the Ryuudou temple’s spiritual barrier except to a greater degree, there was no way Saber with her Servant body, or the magi with their constantly active circuits were going to be leaving that place unharmed.

Thus with their trap sprung the Einzbern enacted the second phase of their plan, using the unique quality of the barrier that allowed none to leave but anyone to enter they began to send in wave after unending wave of homunculi, their plan was tire and weaken the three of them until they could no longer stand. Doing so, even Saber with her inborn prana reactor and Illya’s nearly limitless magical energy would eventually fall to the horse.

Quickly becoming prey, the three quickly concocted a single plan, it was a very basic plan but it was the best option they had. They would unless Saber’s Noble Phantasm at full strength, and breach the barrier.

If anyone had the strength to accomplish such a thing it had to be Saber. Grabbing the unconscious  girl who was to be the dress, Saber called out the true name of her sword and aimed it directly skyward as if challenging the heavens themselves.

In a bright flash of light and an intense burst of magical energy the barrier began to crack and eventually fell to the Holy Sword Excalibur. But it was not without great cost. Using so much of her magical energy left Saber greatly weakened.

Thus using the chance Saber had given them they began to run, with Kiritsugu holding onto the girl with his lone arm, Illya had little choice but take to the vanguard and continually fight off the remainder of the Homunculus army that continued to seem limitless.

With little choice for elegance they rammed their way through one of the elaborately decorated windows and onto the soft grass below before running straight out of the Castle and into the forest.

Yes it was such a simple plan, but then why, why did Kiritsugu turn back when they had finally reached the edge of the forest and could see safety. Why after setting down the dress, and ensuring Illya and Saber were safe did he turn back and run straight back into that hellish place?

*****************************************************************************

By the time Sakura, Maiya, and Assassin had arrived darkness was still surrounding the area. As they went to park the car Maiya had provided for them they found that another car had already arrived and been deserted as well.

“That vehicle, it definitely seems like something Kiritsugu could provide.”

There was little doubt then that the other group was here. And then she sensed it, along with Assassin.

Another Servant and Master was nearby and approaching fast.

Quickly taking her weapon out Sakura hid behind the car and awaited who might appear only to find the one she had come this far just to find.

“Illya!? And Saber!?” Besides the two of them they also carried with them a girl who greatly resembled what an older Illy a might look like.

Before Sakura or Maiya could react however, Saber spoke up. “Halt! Master of Assassin, I know not where your Servant is but we demand that you leave at once, we wish not to deal with you at this current time. We have more pressing matters to attend to.” Noticing the oncoming people Assassin saw fit to hide himself amongst the nearby trees and await what might happen.

But despite Saber’s warning Illya was the one to speak up next in an attempt to pacify her currently fatigued Servant. “It’s alright Saber, I’ve told you about them before right? It doesn’t look like they want to fight currently. And besides they might be able to help us with Kiritsugu.

“Kiritsugu!? I noticed he wasn’t here, what happened to him Illya? Is he in danger?” It was very apparent that Maiya held a deep concern for Kiritsugu, it didn’t matter if he was their opponent or not, she only wished to help him if whenever possible.

“That I do not know, we had just escaped the Einzbern forest when he suddenly turned and ran back in without a single word. I feel as if he might be attempting to deal with the source of the Einzbern strength deep within the castle, but I am unsure as to how he hopes to accomplish that. But regardless it is clear that he needs our help. We were only going to drop off this girl first before heading back in ourselves but now that you have arrived I feel that it would be best if a truce could be in order. So what do you think Sakura? Do you want to sign a truce and chase after Kiritsugu right this instant? Or are you going to attempt your futile mission in trying to beat me and my Servant? Though Saber might be fatigued from the night’s combat she should still be more than a match for your puny Assassin. But do you want to take that chance, Sakura”

Helping out Illya seemed like a wise idea, but Sakura couldn’t help but feel that something was off with this whole thing. Kiritsugu was a smart man, he wouldn’t run back into enemy territory and on his own no less unless he had a good reason and was well equipped to handle the job ahead of him. Might it be better to leave it to him? Attempting to charge in there recklessly might end up causing their group to only get in his way.

1. Agree to the truce and help Illya charge the Einzbern Castle to rescue Kiritsugu
2. Agree to the truce but go in yourselves, leave Illya and Saber to rest their tired bodies
3. Agree to the truce but stay behind and allow Illya and Saber to go off alone
4. Attempt to convince Illya and Saber that Kiritsugu knows what he is doing and wait for him
5. Turn down the offer and challenge them to the duel, believe in Kiritsugu
6. Write in....

Milbunk

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The fatigue from their previous conflicts was sketched all over Illya’s body, Saber on the other hand appeared to be nearly at full strength though the aura she excluded was far weaker than when she had fought with Assassin.

“Illya you’re tired. If Kiritsugu has charged the castle yet again, then leave this to us. We are still in prime form, please stay back and rest while we go and help him. Charging in while you are tired will only put you in more trouble.”

These were Sakura’s sincere words, she would never put her sister in danger and being so fatigued was a recipe for disaster.

Though Illya held a kind a smile her words were the opposite to what Sakura wanted to hear. “Thank you for your concern Sakura, but I can’t leave Kiritsugu off on his own, if he’s in trouble I have to go and save him. The only reason I came back this far to ensure that the gown was secured. But we can’t afford to wait any longer.”

Turning away from Sakura and towards her Servant, Illya spoke her command. “Saber, I want you to go back into the forest immediately so that you can catch up to Kiritsugu. With your speed that should be an easy enough task, even though your magical isn’t as much as it once was.”

Saber, who had been carrying the homunculus after Kiritsugu handed it over, gently set her down and turned to face Illya. With her calm demeanor and knightly stature she voiced her own opinion on the matter. “I refuse, my contract as a Servant is with my Master, Illyasviel and not with Kiritsugu. Though he might have been my Master once before those bonds are gone. I will not take place in such a mission of my own will. If you wish for me to do so, then you will require a command seal. But consider this Master. As Sakura stated you are clearly more tired than anyone else here, let us focus on guarding what we came here for, that seems like the most ideal option for us right now.”

A sad look came over Illya’s face. The rift between former Master and Servant must have grown very deep when they had once worked together. But she was not about to allow that rift to get in the way of saving her one and only father. No matter how much Saber might hate her for it she wouldn’t let him disappear again, not after all the things he had to go through to reunite with her.



Holding her hand out and showing the command seal on her hand Illya began to speak in a determined voice. “Very well then, Saber, by this Command Seal, I or-”

“Wait! Illyasviel please stop and think for a moment!” Maiya’s shout rang through the edge of the forest. It was enough to not only halt Illya’s command but also half the forest creatures wandering the trees above them.

“I know you’re concerned for Kiritsugu’s safety just as much as I am if not even more so. But please stop and consider those around you. We’ve been together for so long now, were those bonds really so weak despite our recent rift so as to cause this mistrust? I know you want to go and save him as soon as humanly possible and believe me. If it were not for everyone here I would have long gone in there myself. But if we wish to successfully accomplish this goal, we need to work together to do so. Therefore I would like to suggest a temporary truce.”

Using Illya’s continued silence as a sign that she was at least willing to listen, Maiya quickly glanced towards Sakura and then back towards Illya and Saber, Maiya managed to convey her intentions to Sakura.

Seeing as Sakura was the leader of their team she decided to speak up next. “Illya, Kiritsugu has raised me like his own daughter despite not being related by blood like you. He saved me from my former life all on his own rather than leaving me to die. So please, believe me when I say that I don’t want to lose him anymore than you or Maiya. Allow me to send Assassin in ahead, though he cannot sense Kiritsugu’s immediate location, Assassin is an expert at tracking and espionage. He can easily sneak by any stray homunculi far easier than Saber, and can even aid Kiritsugu to ensure his safety at least long enough for us to catch up.

The deep voice of Assassin who still hid amongst one of the nearby trees was the next to speak up. “And why should I help this man?”

Sakura replied, her voice strengthening with every word she spoke. “Kiritsugu is not just my father, but also the source of my inspiration for summoning you Assassin. I wanted someone who would be much more likely to adapt to the modern age, and you seemed like a prime candidate, and I am glad to say that so far you have not disappointed. But not only that, I’m sure Kiritsugu has a plan for ridding this forest of the Einzbern menace that currently occupy it. If we leave them be now they will simply regain their previous numbers and will continue to interfere with the war until we stop them once and for all. Attacking them while their numbers are thin from the constant fighting is our best option.”

A moment of silence had passed as Assassin thought through his options before his voice finally rang out. “Hmph, then as you command I shall follow. To leave these puppets wandering the vicinity of the war would be a crime most untrue. If you command it I will aid this Kiritsugu with all my strength.”

Though still a bit nervous to this plan Illya spoke up. “Ah, if you are going to help Kiritsugu then I saw him run off in that direction.” Pointing towards the deep and darkened forest Illya showed the invisible Servant the way.

Seeing the direction that Illya pointed in Assassin began to prepare, he only needed to hear the final confirmation. “Your order Master?”

“Aid Kiritsugu with all of your strength, see that he is kept safe and sound until either his goal is accomplished and he returns or we catch up ourselves.”

“As you command,” His presence finally began to disappear, the masked Servant would see that his mission was a success, such was his very creed.

Sakura, Maiya, Illya, Saber, and the homunculus were the remaining people. With time already short Illya wasted no effort in her own movements. “Saber please place the woman in our vehicle I will cast a few bounded fields that will hide her presence until we return, after that we will leave immediately to pursue Kiritsugu and Assassin.

Saber began to do as she was instructed. Seeing that her Master was still unwilling to change her mind she knew that even if she did obey it would only put Illyasviel in more danger. And though Saber was unwilling to charge towards Kiritsugu’s rescue on her own, if Illya were to come with her she would reluctantly agree to help.

Watching Illya quickly construct her bounded field, Sakura still couldn’t help but speak up. “I know that once you have made up your mind you have no intention of turning back Illya. But is there anything I can do to convince you to at least rest for a short period of time so that you might catch your breath and regain some lost magical energy?”

While still focusing on her work Illya refused to turn and face her sister. Rather she spoke up as her hands moved rhythmically to create the magic sigil. “I’m sorry Sakura, but you are right. Once I’ve made up my mind. I follow through to it till the end.”

With a final touch the barrier was formed and Illya immediately began to run towards the forest that she had just recently been so desperate to escape. “Come, Sakura and Maiya. I’ve already been to the castle once and Saber is quite familiar with the land surrounding it. If we hurry then we can make good time. The sun should be rising any minute now, it’ll be much harder to hide ourselves once darkness fades.”

And thus the group was off to save the man that almost all of them loved so much.

*****************************************************************************

It had been over fifteen years since he had last set foot in this forest. The memories of his failure to save his beloved still rang heavily in his mind even after all this time. As he ran through the all too familiar forest his innate bounded field sprung to life.

Through a combination of time manipulation and familiarity with his surroundings he had so far managed to give most of the homunculi the slip. For the ones unfortunate enough to be caught within his range had their brains splattered onto the forest floor thanks to a few well aimed shots from his machine gun.

Though they had increased parameters compared to that of a normal human, their quality as fighters was vastly outmatched by Kiritsugu’s own skill as a killer.

They moved like mindless machines unable to think on their own. As if puppets following a puppetmaster they mindlessly charged their prey unafraid of their own demise. They were nothing more than machines, so in a way, Kiritsugu almost felt an affinity towards them.

However that affinity only made him curse them all the more strongly. He would put them and the rest of this miserable forest out of its misery, and he had just such a tool for the job.

Eventually his efforts had proven their worth. Though fatigued from the constant running and combat he managed to make his way relatively unnoticed towards a faintly marked building deep in the Einzbern forest.

By this point he was nearly out of ammunition and his lone arm was greatly fatigued due to the constant exertion, but he had made it to his first goal. Quickly rushing inside the aged wooden door of the crumbling shack, Kiritsugu ran inside and went to work.

There was a secret stash of munitions and a few explosive materials that he had hid here long ago in case an emergency called for them but he never had time to return and grab them. And lucky for him that would pay off for him here and now.

But it wasn’t the explosives he was after. Rather it was a single bullet stashed safely inside a well crafted case underneath the ground. Though he had more of these munitions he hadn’t yet had time for them to arrive in Japan. The war had moved too quickly, and these special rounds needed extra preparations in order to be properly prepared for a battle.

Opening the case, Kiritsugu breathed a small sigh of relief as he confirmed that his stash had not yet been compromised. The single bullet, the origin round lay safely stashed away in perfect condition just like the day he hid it there.

“Is this why you staked your life to return? For that weapon?”

His body began to react before his mind. Dropping his bullet he began to reach for his weapon only to realize that it was already too late. Cursing the fact that he was greatly limited in his carefulness due to his single arm he came face to face with the always floating mask of the Assassin.

“Sakura’s Servant!? What are you doing here?” Kiritsugu was surprised at this new development. He hadn’t seen Sakura or rather, he didn’t even know she was in the forest at all. So why was her Servant here?

Unmoving as always, the mask spoke so as to clear things up. “Kiritsugu Emiya, relax. I am under orders from Sakura Emiya your daughter, to server as your protector until your mission is accomplished. Though my mask often says otherwise, I will act as your shield until the moment I am told otherwise.”

Though it was difficult to believe someone as shady as Assassin, Kiritsugu had little choice but to do as such. This was Assassin after all. If he had truly wanted to kill him he would not have bothered with revealing himself and explaining his situation. And besides, though there were few people Kiritsugu trusted, above all else, if his family said so he would believe their every word.

It was one of his newfound weaknesses, a crack in his armor, but it was also a source of his greatest motivation and strength. “Our goal is the heart of the Einzbern castle in its basement. Though I am familiar with the old layout the Einzbern might have changed things around while I’ve been gone. I will need to get there if we are to stop the homunculi. I am familiar with how the Einzbern homunculi operate after working with them for a short time. They are creating a great deal of them very quickly by sucking the lifeforce out of this forest. Though they can create a lot of these puppets very quickly they are nothing more than that. They require a controller, a puppet master, in order to continue functioning. My goal is to take out that puppet master and then critically injure their manufacturing capabilities to stop the production of any more homunculi for the duration of this war. Do you understand?”

Kiritsugu himself was unsure if the mask could actually understand what he was saying. It never moved and only spoke when necessary. And deep down he still couldn’t help but feel a bit bitter that the source of his missing arm was also due to these so called old men of the mountain.

Yet it seemed as if this time the Assassin he spoke too was perfectly willing to go along with his scheme. “Very well then, as you know the way more than I do, I shall have you lead the way. But before that, we have some unwelcome guests surrounding this abode. In a most unjust way they intend to wait for you to leave and will then trap and murder you. I am unsure if they have to notice me. Shall I deal with them?”

This sudden emergence of homunculi explained their relative quietness as of late. But it also showed that indeed their numbers were finally beginning to run thin. “No, Assassin, I will engage them as well, guard the premises for the moment while I prepare. When I give the signal I will throw one of these and we will charge out of the door with the intention of finishing them all off as quickly as possible. Make sure not a single one escapes as they will likely continue to hunt either us or your Master down.” Though he had not yet asked, if Assassin was here then Sakura and Maiya were surely nearby.

“Very well then.” The mask vanished and Kiritsugu could no longer sense his presence but he was sure that it was around following his command. Pushing those thoughts aside he quickly began refilling his lost ammunition while preparing their escape.

In just a few minutes he stood nearby the door flashbang in hand. Whispering in the darkened room he muttered his words. “three… two… one…”

The instant he reached zero he quickly pulled the pin of his projectile threw it out in front of him, reached for his automatic rifle and charged out the door.


**************************************************************************

Their travel through the dark forest was slow but steady. Though Illya had previously expressed fatigue after she had had a chance to rest her speed and energy seemingly returned to normal.

Secretly however, Sakura doubted that Illya was actually ok, the fatigue had to be catching up with her. But she was unwilling to go against the determination of her sister. Any more delays and Kiritsugu might end up in a worse situation, or Illya might run off on her own with a weakened Saber. Neither of these options were appealing to her or Maiya.

And so they chose to travel together slowing them down in the process. Using her connection to Assassin, Sakura was able to track their general location. It was clear that he and Kiritsugu were headed for the Castle.

But that was not an issue, what mattered now was dealing with the enemies in front of them. As they travelled through the woods the homunculi who opposed them came at them in waves.

From what Sakura could tell, the homunculi themselves were grouped into two classes. The warriors who branded well crafted lances and halberds of reinforced steel. They charged directly and mindless at their prey and though their speed and strength was great they were no match for Saber’s blade or from a few well timed shots from a gun. It was Illya who revealed that though they were numerous in number, the production speed meant that their lives were extremely short and their mental capacities greatly hindered.

They would have trouble evading bullets as such a technique was unfamiliar to them and the Einzbern in general. That’s where the other class came into play.

With silvery steel wires the magi of the Einzbern homunculi wielded were quick and difficult to detect. It was mostly due to Illya’s ability to sense them before even Saber and Saber’s ability to react to danger, that they could be cut down or destroyed before they came close to their prey.

The distance that these magic wielding warriors held made them difficult to take down with ordinary pistol shots. They required Saber’s Magic Resistance in order to quickly fend off.

Thanks to the combined efforts of everyone using their unique talents to sense, detect, defend, and then annihilate their attackers the group was safely moving throughout the forest.

But still, Sakura couldn't help but feel that this all felt wrong. Everytime she was forced to stare down the face of one of the silvery haired, red eyed homunculi she couldn’t help but be reminded of her own sister.

It was beginning to take a mental toll on her. But she had to stay strong, for Kiritsugu and the rest of her family. She would do her best to suck it up and keep moving. The darkness of night was finally fading as the trees were illuminated by the faint morning sun. They would be at the castle soon.

Just a little longer.

**************************************************************************

Dawn was beginning to arrive and on the outskirts of the forest a single women dressed in a simple yet elegant dress of purple was walking along the quiet nightside road.

She had sensed the great magical energy from some mighty attack, and whether or her own will or through the will of someone else had decided to make her way towards the forest.

Beside her the invisible knight that acted as her protector followed along in silence. Always curious about the women’s thoughts he simply followed her whims curious as to what the women who had no mind of her own might react to new impulses.

It was therefore that the woman was the one to first spot the freshly made tracks of multiple vehicles leading into a small group of trees. Curiously tilting her head at something new she wandered over to discover that there were two vehicles one black and one grey that were covered in an energy very similar to her own.

“Rider… Sense familiar… Energy…”

Walking over to the cars she stopped when a thin invisible wall appeared in front of her. It was a magical bounded field, one that was designed to prevent the discovery of the vehicles and a field that would prevent any normal humans as well as ordinary magi from immediately noticing the vehicle’s presence.

But this woman was no ordinary magus. With a single outstretched hand and a pulse of magical energy the entire barrier was destroyed. Shattering uselessly to the ground as if it was made of paper the girl continued to walk forwards ignoring the faint chuckles of her nearby Servant.

The woman could sense the presence of someone nearby, curiously she walked up to the nearby black car and peered into the tinted window where she saw another woman, passed out and lying down on the leather car seats.

The woman inside the car was wearing a greatly concealed maid dress of European origin, but her face and hair were completely revealed as she peacefully slept.

“Well I’ll be damned, you know, that woman looks a lot like you Master. If her hair and eye color had a more purple hue why I might even go so far as to say that you two could be close sisters!”

“Sisters? Family?” Her curiosity further raised, the Master of Rider put her hand to the car window and tapped as if to wake up the sleeping girl.

Behind her, Rider appeared, a giant of a man he also held his own hand out. But instead of tapping the window like his Master he gently placed his thumb to her shoulder before letting out an impressed sigh.

“Huh, not only are you two similar in looks, but composition as well, that girl there is nearly identical in every way! Why I’d say you two were actually sisters! Hmm, why not take her with us to the old man? He might be able to explain this to us.”

“Sister?” Without a change in rhythm or emotion the Master of Rider continued to gently knock on the window. If it wasn’t for Rider she probably would have continued to do that for the rest of her days.

With a loud crash the window was easily destroyed by Rider’s fist. The barbaric man then proceeded to touch his outstretched thumb to the car itself before nodding approvingly.

“This vehicle seems to be well within my capabilities. Come Master, hop in. We’ll go to the old man’s place and see if he can shed some light on the subject!”

Unlocking the door with ease, the giant known as Rider adjusted and then jumped into the driver’s seat. Finding it still a bit cramped he decided to bear with it if only give his Master a more comfortable ride.

The woman on the other hand slowly walked towards the passenger side seat where she also sat down before immediately turning to face the sleeping woman before gently tapping her on the head and uttering a few words of curiosity. “Sister? My sister?”

Though the car had no keys, Rider was not concerned with such a thing. Ripping open the underside of the steering wheel he easily ripped and combined a few wires together. In under a minute the car sprung to life.

“Come Master! Let us go and discover these hidden secrets!”

Thus the pair quickly drove off with their new ‘friend’ before anyone could notice they had even been there.

**************************************************************************

Kiritsugu was familiar with how much stronger Servant’s were compared to Servants. He had seen them fight and even fought an Assassin before though he only managed to barely escape death thanks to the arrival of distraction.

But he even he was still impressed by the efficiency as to which the masked Servant took out his targets. By the time Kiritsugu had taken out five of the homunculi the Assassin had taken out fourteen and had approached the fifteenth, a spear wielding homunculi.

Uttering a few words that he could not make out Kiritsugu watched as the Assassin covered the final homunculi in an invisible cloth revealing his black and spider like body in the process.

Immediately afterwards the homunculi ceased its attack and it’s body jolted before seemingly returning to normal and bowing to Assassin.

Assassin was not a Servant that could fight head to head with one of the knight classes. Even though his parameters were greatly increased thanks to his extraordinary compatability with his Master in a direct head to head fight he would almost certainly lose unless he planned ahead or received outside help.

This was evident during his fight with Saber in the past few days. No matter what he did or what tactic he used he was destined to fail once he revealed himself to his enemy and challenged them to a straight fight. Both the Servant and Master were aware of this, but this only brought another question to light.

Why would they fight such a hopeless direct fight in the first place?

The answer was Assassin’s Noble Phantasm, Zabaniya ~ Duel Judgement. His two sided robe that granted him one sure surprise attack but also allowed him the chance to even control a Servant. If covered in the correct side of the cloth he could erase their minds and supplant his own mindless obedience into their very souls. They would become nothing but mindless husks who would answer Assassin’s every beck and call.

This was the technique he was setting up for use against Saber if only those blasted puppets hadn’t appeared and halted their fight.

The homunculi that Assassin now controlled would serve as his second set of eyes and ears. Because of it’s simplistic mind it was all too easy for Assassin to subdue and control. Using this enhanced familiar he could use it’s every sense just like he could his own and could even fight at normal strength while mentally controlling the newfound puppet.

It was a technique developed over years of intense mental struggle with two dividing forces. A technique that once activated on an actual Servant would give him the edge he needed to ensure victory to both himself and his Master.

But the day where he actually succeeded at taking control of a Servant were still far away. For now he needed to focus on ensuring the protection of the man before him.

“This homunculus will help to protect you and will act as a secondary shield for your body. Unfortunately my ability is limited to one at a time, as such I recommend we make haste immediately before any more of them show up.

Nodding in agreement the two of them left the decayed shack and began to head towards the Castle.

**************************************************************************

With Assassin’s aid, Kiritsugu’s progress quickly hastened, evading most of their foes with ease. Leaving the majority of the fighting to the hidden Servant, Kiritsugu had yet to even fire a single bullet after their previous encounter with the Homunculi ambush.

It wasn’t that he wanted to save his ammo, rather before he could even take sight of one their heads were impaled with daggers or their heads chopped off from the spear of their former allies.

They had made great strides and eventually after what seemed like an eternity the two of them finally laid eyes on the grandstanding castle of the Einzbern.

Like a shining beacon in this still dark forest and Assassin’s ability to detect those around him. The three figures made their way inside one of the first floor windows doing their utmost to make sure that no one followed them.

Unlike before, Kiritsugu’s new target was the basement of the Einzbern Castle. He believed that the manufacturing plant had to be located there. After all, he was very much aware that the Einzbern were their strongest in dark enclosed spaces like that.

Maybe had expected more resistance, or maybe the Einzbern hadn’t noticed them yet. Regardless, their path through the brightly lit castle halls was met without opposition.

And eventually they made their way to the darkened stone steps that hid the goal Kiritsugu was searching for. However before they entered Kiritsugu spoke up.

“Assassin, your goal was to protect me until my task was completed. My goal was to reach these stairs, so your task is complete. Go and aid your Master, tell her to escape this forest before any more homunculi arrive. I am more familiar with how the Einzbern operate. Tell her I will quickly disable the machine and make my escape. But if that is not enough, then leave your puppet by my side to act in your stead. That should be good enough for you, right?”

“Very well then, I will do as such, I wish you luck in your task.” In a business like manner the mask’s presence began to fade as Kiritsugu watched. With the lone homunculus by his side, he breathed another sigh of relief.

His mission was almost at an end. There was just one more thing for him to do, and Illya as well as the rest of his family would be safe from the Einzbern threat for a long time to come. Glancing around once more he entered down the stone steps into the dungeon below.

‘Just one more thing to do. One final task.’


**************************************************************************

Sakura and company were nearly at their goal, or so Illya believed when the white mask of the Assassin appeared directly in front of them.

Before Sakura could react Illya’s nearly panicking voice was the first to speak up. Perhaps it was the built up fatigue over the night but her voice sounded nearly delusional from the stress.“Assassin!? What are you doing here? Where is Kiritsugu? Why isn’t he with you!?”

Sakura spoke up next. Though she wasn’t sure if it would calm her down she had to give her voice as much as reason as she could in order to keep her own calm. “Ilya calm down, I’m sure Assassin has his reasons.” Turning to face the masked figure Sakura replied to her Servant. “Assassin, what is going on?”

The mask was as emotionless as always, his voice deep he replied to them. “I am still observing Kiritsugu with one of my familiars. He has reached his destination and will finish his duty before making his leave. He suggests that you Master as well as the rest of you make your leave from this place before the homunculi can regroup and attack. He will follow after he finishes his job.”

Maiya spoke up next. “Assassin, did he mention how he intended to take out the Einzbern forces?”

“He mentioned that he is in control of a weapon that will be able to take out the core of the Einzbern manufacturing capabilities as well as the heart of the homunculi hivemind.”

Illya’s continuously worried voice only grew more worried with each passing second. “A weapon!? If it’s one of the modern weapons that he uses then the destruction it could create would be immense.  Kiritsugu, you intend to go off all alone and leave to me all over again…? No… No..! NO!”

Her hands began to shake, as she stared off into the distance. Illya didn’t know what she would do if he left her again. She wouldn’t know how to live on. She would do everything in her power to save him, even the world itself would be a high enough cost if it meant she could save that useless man. For he was he father, and the man she adored most of all above anyone else.



With her hand outstretched yet again she began to utter yet another command to her Servant

“Saber! With these Command Seals…!.”

There was still time, if Sakura moved quickly enough even she could stop Illya from using it. But what would the cost be? If Illya was stopped their bonds might never truly be repaired especially if it meant Kiritsugu’s death.

But if the Seal was activated, Kiritsugu’s plans to stop the Einzbern intervention in this war might come to a halt. With just a few seconds remaining the time to act was now.

1. Stop Illya!
2. Allow Illya to save Kiritsugu
3. Write in...

Cherry Lover

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2. Allow Illya to save Kiritsugu

The way Kiritsugu is acting here, it sounds like he's intending to sacrifice himself, and I don't think either Illya or Sakura want that to happen. And, if it goes wrong, then hopefully Saber will die in the process, thereby taking Ilya out of the war without harming her.