5 For Him & For Her

(Kiritsugu's POV:)

The day of the summoning ceremony, Kiritsugu's emotions got the better of him when he discovered that King Arthur was actually female. Thus he retired to his room to cool his head, so he didn't worsen the impression he had on the two servants as they would be key pieces for him in the war.

After cooling off in his room, Kiritsugu informed Jubstacheit of the fact that they had managed to summon two servants, Saber and Caster. Knowing it would increase their odds of winning the grail Jubstacheit was pleased to say the least. He, however, reminded Kiritsugu, not to get complacent over the fact. As having two servants wouldn't mean the would win the grail.

After assuring him, Kiritsugu went to look for the servants, as he had already come up with a plan for the war. He wanted to have Saber pose as his wife's servant, while Caster, act in the shadows alongside himself. He believed the Caster and Assassin class' suited him more the Saber did.

When he arrived at his wife's room he noticed that the door was open, and was preparing to head in when he noticed, his wife sitting on her servants lap, laughing as Caster teased Saber. He didn't know why be he felt like he didn't have the right to enter. He was able to control his emotions to an almost scary level, and yet, he couldn't take that next step.

Knowing that the two servants had noticed his presence, yet remained silent. Kiritsugu returned to his room and began to think. He would be lying if he said deep down he wasn't at least a little upset with the way his wife was acting. However, he of all people had no right to judge her, seeing as he himself was in a sexual relationship with Maiya behind her back.

He was already steeled his heart to sacrifice her in order to finally have his wish for peace. He was in no position to deny her the right to happiness, until the grail war. He wasn't a good husband, or a good father. So he decided to let Caster and Iri do as they pleased, so she could have her happiness, while he would be able to distance himself, in preparations for her death during the war.

Over the next six months, he carefully monitored things between the two and knew, they were in love with one another at this point. He didn't feel anything at this point, he had already been able to completely shut out the love he used to have for her from his heart, burrowing it deep in his heart. Even to the point to where, he would rarely talk to her anymore. Aside from spending time Illya, whom he believed to be his only salvation in life, Kiritsugu spend most of his time communicating with Maiya, trying to scope out and info on the rest of the Masters.

He knew that his choice had not only affected his relationship with Iri but with Caster as well. Causing Caster to speak with him even less then him and Iri at this point. So when he suddenly showed up at his door, he was quite taken back.

"Sit anywhere you'd like." He said in his usual indifferent tone.

Quickly finishing up his work, he placed that laptop to the side before looking at Caster who decided to sit in the chair in front of the desk, so they would be facing each other. Not wasting any time Caster stated why he was there. "Kiritsugu, my reason for coming here is to ask that you officially break things off with Irisviel."

Flinching for a moment, Kiritsugu knew this would be coming and was ready for it. "I see, I will get a set of divorce documents sent over to Irisviel within the next few days." Thinking that was all he was here for, Kiritsugu turned back to his work, in order to distract himself.

When Illya was born, he had felt for a brief moment, content, he felt like he didn't desire anything else in life but for her to smile. Yet he also realized those emotions had made him weak, and may cause him to hesitate during the war, which if on the battlefield, would mean death. Caster being summoned was a perfect chance for him to distance himself. He still deep in his heart, loved her and Illya, but knowing that by giving up on his emotions, and driving them out it would grant him a greater chance at achieving his goal, just like in the past. So he did precisely that and began to distance himself.

Ever since he began to push Iri away completely, he was prepared for the outcome of her leaving him. Over time he had been able to noticed that the feelings she had for him lessened with time, Until it reached a point where, she loved him, and if there was anyone who would understand why he was distancing himself from her and cold to her, it was her, she had always been that way. She was the type of women who was prepared to give up anything for the sake of those she loved, even her own life. In a way, she would be considered just as selfless as he was; Maybe that was what brought the two together. He knew that, with him pushing her further and further out of his heart, she to was doing the same. She knew what he was thinking, and to make things easier on him, decided to not fight the separation, until reaching this point where their love was closer to obligatory love that she was giving him as Illya's father. They both knew that the love and emotions they had shared for each other was something which would hold him back, and had been making him soft.

Yet call it letting his emotions once more get the better of him, in order for her to not be alone Caster was the best choice in replacement for him. He didn't want her to have to suffer from the same loneliness he felt, and believed he needed to be the one who felt it the worst. So he had been making plans for Caster to get with Iri, yet Caster proved to not need his plans, and managed to save Iri from her loneliness even without him.

Having been distracted he believed their conversation was done, and that was all Caster had come for, yet his now Ex. wife's servant spoke once more, "Thanks, I have one last thing to inform you of. I have used my Noble Phantasm to look into the future." Remembering his Nobel Phantasm was to copy the abilities of another, Kiritsugu assumed he copied someone with a divination ability, which wasn't to far fetch, and he didn't know why he didn't try that. "And? What did you see?"

After a pause, the servant continued, "The Holy Grail, was corrupted during the third war by Angra Mainyu. In my vision, we managed to get to the very end, and then you found out that the grail, cannot grant your wish for world peace."

Hearing that the grail was corrupted, although shocked, didn't effect Kiritsugu as much as the later parts of the sentence. With a voice that sounded like was about to kill someone Kiritsugu asked "Are you serious? Have you spoke to Iri about this?" He wanted it to not be so, after all he had come to far just for it to all be worthless.

As if knowing his inner struggles Caster continued, with a sigh, "Of course I have, you are a lucky man Kiritsugu." Confused by what he meant, he attempted to calm his emotions that were on the brink of going haywire. Continuing Caster spoke "From now on, you are no longer Iris's husband, and you only have yourself to blame, however, it doesn't change the fact that the women I love, still desires to see your wish for world peace come true. Although the grail wont grant your wish, I wouldn't mind assisting you in your quest to become a hero of justice. However, know that if I do, we do things my way."

Kiritsugu, although grateful for his help, knew he was but a servant, and come the end of the grail war he would dissipate along with Iri's death, and was confused, unless? "You have a way to save Iri?!" Beginning to grow even more agitated due to many unexpected things happening. Kiritsugu, began to take deep breaths, before quickly finding his composer. He felt like he had been played in a way by Caster, and he didn't like it. "Yes I have a way to save her, and Illya. This changes nothing with regards to the divorce though, as you and I both know Iris deserves her own happiness just like you seek yours through saving others." Understanding what Caster was getting at Kiritsugu, stated. "I will not go back on my word as I knew something like this could happen the moment I began to distance myself. She deserves her own form of happiness, and doesn't need to follow my ideals. If her form of happiness lies not with me, but with you then, that is the way things are. However, if you truly have a way to assist me in ending conflict then please tell me."

Releasing a sigh Caster stood from his seat and looked out the window. "Kiritsugu, have you ever once stopped to question if maybe you were going about things in the wrong manner?" Suddenly being question about his methods, Kiritsugu couldn't help but become slightly annoyed, Yet he still stated, "To say I haven't would be a lie."

"Do you honestly believe conflict can be stopped, just so you may save a few innocent lives? I know how stuck in your ways you are, and you will most likely write whatever I say off is idiocrasy, but I want you to seriously consider, if conflict ended, what then? Conflict is one of the factors which drive our world forward, the economy, technology, and society as a whole wouldn't be able to advance, without a source of conflict driving them to improve. Removing conflict would cause many people to find themselves in dire life conditions, resulting in even more deaths. Conflict itself is not a bad thing, its people who are bad. I will assist you in changing the world for the better, limiting the effects of conflict on the innocent, yet not removing it entirely. You need to learn that you cant save everyone Kiritsugu. You preach about how you would kill the minority to save the majority, yet who said you needed to absolutely kill the minority? The only reason you believe that, its due to you closing off your heart, and emotions but if you opened up your heart and learned empathy, and what it truly means to be a 'hero' you so desperately seek, you will be able to save even more lives. All you need to do first is open up your heart and accepted the help of others. Not as tools but as people. Of course who knows if even I'm right. I wont say that your ideals are wrong and mine are right, I just wish that you would realize that you closing off your heart, isn't helping you become a better 'hero of justice', open up some."

Saying this Caster left the room, leaving a silent Kiritsugu. Honestly he didn't agree with everything Caster said, one thing that stuck with him though was that Caster would assist him in changing the world for the better, under the condition he stopped closing off his heart to others, and treated people as just that people, rather then tools. Having a person with seemingly endless methods and even a way to view the future would help him greatly. If the grail truly wouldn't grant his wish, then he would just go back to his old way of life, and having Caster's assistance would be game breaking. Thinking until here, for some reason he thought of his other assistant, Maiya. She was someone whom at times could be even more machine like then even himself and he knew a large reason for that was him treating her as his own personal tool, not even sparing her body.

Sinking into contemplation Kiritsugu began to think that maybe with Caster's help, he could find some answer he had been looking for. Kiritsugu looked out the window, gazing at the ever falling snow falling around the Einzbern castle. Unaware that, that very same snow, connected all those within the manor for a brief moment.

Whether it be Saber, whom was on the roof, gracing out at the snow, while contemplating what she had just heard from Caster and Kiritsugu's conversation.

Irisviel, whom was drinking tea, watching the snow fall as she awaiting the return of her beloved. Hoping everything went well, during their conversation.

Or even Ryker, whom having just left the room, teleported to the rooftop garden contemplating his talk with Kiritsugu, as he stood there, surrounded by flowers as the snow slowly fell around him, he started to think, what if each tiny snowflake, represented a future, yet to pass. Those which land upon us, are paths we may take. Those flakes which we miss, are those paths which had closed themselves off from us. Slowly, those that land upon you begin to melt, due to factors that originated from you, yourself. Until eventually one last snowflake remains, the one which had been predestined to last longer. Yet what if suddenly you moved, rather then, from above, many snowflakes not hit you from in front as well. Would that not mean, that the future, isn't so predestined as believed, and one small action, could open up a great many new possibilities?

"Hehe... maybe, yet maybe, its nothing more then the silly thoughts, of one who's obsessed with the snow." Ryker said before disappearing from the garden, scattering the pure white snow.

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