The Great Holy Grail War (Part 2)

She was dreaming.

Dreaming of a field of flowers.

However, she could not understand what she was seeing.

Thousands of petals danced freely in the air. A giant tree, one of cherry blossom that must have existed for tens of millennia stood tally above everything else on that lone hill surrounded by flowers.

Green, yellow, orange, red, white. Tree of different seasons surrounded the hill covered by a flower field, mountains with snow top could be seen from the three sides. A boundless sea, one which she could not see the end was beyond the north of the hill.

But why is it so desolate?

Despite being such a beautiful world, why couldn't she find it as 'real'? Why was it so melancholy? It was akin to a perfect image, engraved into the world by a lonely man. Her Servant, Rider, his non-existing legend, the tales carved from the past in the form of a Heroic Spirit.

There was only one thing she could tell, that this was a world that only black exist. Those vibrant nature, the vast blue sky, that limitless ocean, they all seemed to be so fake in some way, painted by himself, in a quest for salvation.

It was as if it was a grave created for someone.

I should have summoned Astolfo, thought the dark witch. She prefers young boys. She loves to defile the pure and innocent. She loves to watch the despair the naive ones show when they are cornered.

That's why she does not like him.

He, the one who has known the cruelty of the world, does not belong to the pure anymore. He is on the same side as her, he is someone who has done the same- no, he has most likely done deeds way worse than she has ever seen.

That's why she can only ridicule him.

You, who can only see the world as if it was through a mirror, how can you exist? How can you appreciate the value of life? How can you feel the thrill of death? How can you weigh the worth of others?

Truly, what a foolish man you are.

-x-X-x-

"There's something I want you to do, Master."

"Yeah, what is it?" Moving up the one hundred and seventy-two steps staircase, a fiendish man similar to an American outlaw answered the mental link.

"Buy me some clothes."

"...Why?" His name is Sisigou Kairi, one of the six Magi hired by the Mage's Association to participate in the Great Holy Grail War. He is the Master of the Saber of Red, and a first-class Necromancer.

"Do you want me to wear this all day long? I am used to it, but it's still uncomfortable. I also prefer being in physical form and having my feet planted on the ground. Or do you want me to walk around the town in full body armor?"

"Ugh." He has a scarred face, razor-sharp eyes with a noticeable gaze, a muscular frame, and a black jacket fashioned from hides skinned of magical beasts. He carries a thick stench of blood, and gunpowder emanating from his entire body due to the battlefields he has worked in as a freelance bounty hunter.

"Don't be a cheapskate, Master. It's just cloth! Aren't Mages like, really rich?"

"...Okay, fine. But it's too early, so I will buy you whatever you pick after we're done with this." Agreeing to Mordred's request to purchase her some clothes, he continued heading to the church on the hilltop in Sighisoara.

The city of Sighisoara was formed by a settlement of Saxons in the 12th century. Even within Europe, it is rare to find a city where the vestiges of the Middle Ages so strongly remain.

Sighisoara is also the closest city to Trifas outside the detection borderline of the Yggmillennia and their Servants. It was a wise choice for them to position themselves here. While Trifas is too dangerous to enter, being the enemy's home ground, Bucharest is also simply too far.

Sisigou reached for the church's doors. It was nine o'clock, just as arranged. Entering the building, he found a smiling man standing before the altar. Looking at his gesture, it was likely that he was the one who was sent by the Church.

"Welcome." The white-haired man greeted.

"...I am the one hired by Rocco Belfeban. I guess you're the supervisor?" Sisigou smiled and mentioned the name of the head of the Department of Summoning who employed him.

"Yes, I am Kotomine Shirou, the representative of the Holy Church and the overseer of this Great Holy Grail War." The tan man replied. "Now, please take a seat."

"Do you sense any other Servants here, Saber?" Seeing no changes to the opposite man's face, the bounty hunter nodded and walked down the aisle. He took a seat on one of the benches, and examined the building's structure for an escape route. After all, you could never be sure when your ally will turn into an enemy.

"No... but I've got a bad feeling about this place. Be careful, Master."

"Could you please show me your Servant?" The tan man moved closer and asked.

"Huh?" Sisigou furrowed his brows at the strange question. "No, I don't-"

"Do it, Master. I need to be materialized to better protect you."

"...Alright." Receiving Saber's affirmation, he connected their link and a knight of silver and red appeared beside him. Saber of Red was a Servant of small stature who was completely covered in thick armor. Her helmet has a pair of goat-like horns growing out of it.

"Hm?" The Asian priest frowned slightly and rubbed his eyes. 'This... I can't see her full parameters.'

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Shirou smiled and gestured to his right. "Then, allow me to show you my Servant. Assassin, please reveal yourself."

"As you wish."

"What-" Surprised by the sudden action, Sisigou jumped up and distanced himself away from the bench... because Assassin of Red has materialized right beside him.

"Tch. Assassin, huh?" Mordred grumbled. When an Assassin gains entrance into this world, it obtains the Class Skill of Presence Concealment. While under this skill, and in spirit form, an Assassin can never be detected by others unless she moves to attack.

"I am the Assassin of Red, looking forward for our cooperation... Sisigou, was it?" Assassin of Red is a peerlessly beautiful woman who is wrapped in a dress as dark as midnight. Semiramis smiled in a friendly manner and a pleasing aroma spread out... but it instead received the opposite result she desired.

"Yeah, thanks." The freelancer stated and further distanced himself by sitting down on a bench near the church's entrance. He is a Necromancer, one who has walked with death his whole life in order to study his Magecraft. He is always near death, and recognize one who is surrounded by that aura.

The Assassin of Red reeks of death... in a wrong way.

"This Assassin... She's definitely not one of the nineteen Hassasn-i-Sabbah. The Hassans are purely killers, ones who take down their targets in secret. But she... she is completely different. She's like a venomous snake who prefers to manipulate the minds of men to do her bidding."

"I agree, Master. She reminds me of Mother." Mordred stated in their mental link, so that the priest and Semiramis could not hear their conversation.

Mordred's mother, in other words, King Arthur's sister Morgan le Fay, is said to have attempted at bringing down the King and having Mordred take over the throne, and had been as powerful a Magus as Merlin. Given Saber's comment, Assassin must be quite the plotter as well.

"Please don't trouble our guests like that, Assassin." Shirou commented and the laughing Semiramis promptly dematerialized.

"I apologize for my Servants' action." The Asian priest offered them an apologetic smile and sat down on a bench near Sisigou. "Now, shall we go over the situation of the Holy Grail War? The Yggdmillennia clan already possesses six Servants: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, and Caster. It seems only Assassin has yet to join them."

"Have you discern the identity of any Servants?"

"At the moment, not one, unfortunately. Well, we have yet to engage them in combat, so I suppose it is only natural. However, we do have confirmation of the parameters of the six Servants." The tan man took out a few documents from his pocket and handed it to the bounty hunter.

Sisigou skimmed over the papers. The contents only stated the parameters and the Class Skills of the Servants, there were no critical information such as their Personal Skills and Noble Phantasm.

The greatest obstacles are undoubtedly the knight classes: Saber, Lancer, and Archer, each having the statistics above the normal Servants. Also as expected, they used the Berserker class to strengthen a weaker Servant, but with such low specs, it is unlikely to become a significant threat. As for Caster and Ride- Huh?

"What is this?" The frowning man pointed at the paper of the Rider of Black. "Are you sure these parameters are authentic?" He was not wrong. Typically, Rider are weaker than the knight classes in the physical department, and instead, the cavalry class will have stronger and more powerful Noble Phantasms.

"Sadly, it is. We wouldn't have gotten his parameters if not for luck as we only caught a glimpse of him once." A frown also formed on the Asian saint's face. "Initially, we believed that he may be Vlad the Impaler seeing that we are in Romania. However, the fifty hunters sent by the Association were 'skewered' by another Servant."

Heroic Spirit Vlad Tepes had been a great hero who fought against the invasion of the Ottoman Turks tooth and nail using guerrilla tactics. While famous for being the model for Count Dracula, within Romania his heroic aspects are emphasized. The boost he gains from his fame must be at the highest possible for a Servant.

"...The Servant who dispatched the fifty hunters could only be Lancer. There aren't any episodes with Vlad III using swords or bows. Berserker and Assassin are out of the question, and the possibility of him being Caster is practically zero, meaning it has to be either Rider or Lancer."

"Both Rider and Lancer specs are right for someone with a fame boost, but Rider was summoned after the activation of the reserve system. Although we have not confirmed Rider's weaponry, the Servant who took out the Mages was wielding a spear."

"So this absurdly overpowered Lancer is the Impaler himself, and we have no idea of whom Rider is..." Sisigou pulled out a cigarette, though he quickly returned it to his pocket after realizing that he was in a church and in front of a priest. "Alright, the news are good. So, what about the ones on our side?"

"Not bad at all. Your Saber can fight their Saber on equal grounds, while our Rider and Lancer both have the strength to oppose their Rider and Lancer." Shirou smiled, then realized the irony of his statement, that the strongest Servants all seemed to be matched in the same classes in this war.

"I'm glad. Well, see you later." Sisigou got onto his feet.

"Hm? Are you not going to remain? This church has great defenses and is under the protection of multiple Servants at all time. The other Masters are also present-" Noticing his targets leaving, the Asian priest quickly stood up and tried to stop them.

"It's fine. I work better alone, and I got lucky when I summoned Saber." Sisigou waved his hand without looking back. It's not that he's not on guard, it's just that he trusted Mordred who was watching his back. "Yeah, no, how can I cooperate with someone who summoned that Assassin. This is way too fishy."

"I wholeheartedly agree, Master. You have quite an instinct, I must say."

"Thanks for the compliment." The bounty hunter whispered and stepped out of the church under the frowning gaze of Shirou and the concealed Semiramis. "Now, we go to Trifas. If worse comes to worst, we could be dealing with every Servant in the war. You okay with that?"

"Leave everything to me, Master, for I am Mordred, the only knight to have surpassed my father!" Saber grinned while Sisigou chuckled. It is said that, in summoning a Servant, a Heroic Spirit with a mentality similar to the summoner's own will be chosen. And she truly did resemble him.

Mordred, the Knight of Treachery, was one of those rare villains who, at the very end, managed to tarnish a glorious legend.

Having been left in charge while Arthur was out on an expedition, Mordred saw her chance, instigating the army and taking the throne that she so wanted. Upon the King's return, a battle immediately unfolded between the forces of Arthur and Mordred, what would be known as the great battle of Camlann.

Most of the King's famous knights were no longer present at this point and Arthur and Mordred engaged in one-on-one combat in the middle of the blazing battlefield. Even as she was pierced by the holy spear Rhongomyniad, Mordred dealt a fatal blow to the King.

Arthur commanded Sir Bedivere, who remained loyal to the King to the last, to return the holy sword. It is said that Arthur either passed away on the hill or was healed in the Isle of Avalon.

However, the only known fate of Mordred was that she was killed in the duel. But that is only natural. After all, Mordred is the antagonist who deceived the great Arthur Pendragon, the legendary King of Knights, whose name remains carved in Britain even today.

Back in the church, Semiramis materialized next to Shirou. "Shall we pursue?"

"No... it's too early to be creating internal conflict." The tan man shook his head. "I reckon we-"

BAM!

The closed doors were once again forcefully opened. Out of the blue, a foppishly dressed man announced his entrance grandly by quoting his works, before bring them the awful news... of a loose Berserker.

-x-X-x-

No.

No. No.

I don't want to die.

The homunculus wailed. He knew, from the conversation between the one named 'Caster' and 'Roche', he was fated to die. To be consumed as the 'core' for his Noble Phantasm. Destruction means death, he, the one who was just born, the one who was fated to be a Prana tank, does not want to accept it.

No. No. NO.

Move. Move. Move. No matter how frail this body is. No matter how weak his legs are. No matter when he could not walk. Please... just move...! To escape from this terror, to see the outside world, move!

His Magic Circuits flared. For the first time, the homunculus decided to rebel. It didn't want to die, it didn't want to be a sacrifice who will be dumped away like a trash... so for once, why couldn't he be selfish?

He wished for the destruction of the reinforced glass that encased him. Answering his deepest desire, the innate spells within him came into existence. Yes, the container was analyzed, and his magical energy shall grant it its 'destruction'.

"Straße Gehe- Argh!"

"Be silent." However, his attempt at escaping failed before he could even finish muttering the spell. There, standing in front of him was a silver knight. Rider. He knew who he was, as he was one of the many familiars, called Servants, summoned by the ones who created him.

'Why?' His eyes asked.

"Because the problems you'll cause are too great to ignore, homunculus." Fenric stared at the artificial puppet through his helmet's visor. "This is a gamble for me as well, but does it really matter since Astolfo is not summoned? No, the future has already deviate the moment Celenike found a catalyst that can summon me."

'What are you talking about...'

"You are an unknown element, one who has the power and fortune to change too many stories. Every Servant, every Heroic Spirit is the protagonist of their own story. But you, you somehow found a way to transform a war between sixteen heroes into your own story."

"Sure, it may not happen without the full support of Astolfo, thinking it in this way, the Holy Maiden should also act like a normal Ruler without meeting you... What a joke, I will not allow the Holy Grail War to turn into a love story." Rider's red eyes glared into the homunculus' soul.

"That is unacceptable, no one knows how much problem that'll bring to us. In the end, the unpredictable shall be cut out first." Finishing his soliloquy, he opened his mouth once more as indecipherable words flowed out. "Now... be obedient and become the core of Adam, Sieg."

Step, step, step.

"Um?" Hearing the footsteps, Fenric glanced at the staircase on his right and discovered Avicebron and his Master. "...Caster."

"Rider? What is going on?" The philosopher of Spain scanned the area and glass tanks before questioning the only other non-artificial being in the basement.

"You should increase the security of this workshop to your own's level, Caster. The homunculus you chose as the power source of your Noble Phantasm almost broke out." The silver knight touched the reinforced glass and prodded it, producing clanging noises.

"What? The core almost broke out?" Avicebron raced down the stairs, leaving Roche behind, and inspected the artificial puppet. "...Truly, it is as you said. The homunculus seemed to have woken up earlier, were you the one who sent it back to slumber?"

"Yes."

"I am grateful." Seeing Fenric's affirmation, Caster expressed his gratitude. "You are now welcome in my workshop, Rider."

"Understood." The silver knight nodded, and disappeared into the shadows. He knew that Avicebron was genuinely thankful for what happened.

The act of a Magus allowing another individual into his workshop is incredibly rare because a Mage values his workshop more than his honor and life. This just proves how important the creation of 'Adam' is to the twelfth-century poet.

In a way, Fenric and Avicebron are extremely similar. After all, they both mercilessly tramples anyone underfoot so long it is for the sake of realizing their dreams. However, there is one big difference between them.

Avicebron desires to create the perfect human, Adam, to erase all sorrows in the world despite saying that he hates human, while Fenric, the man who believes that he understands the value of life the most, ignored the cries of others, and simply wishes for the salvation of only one individual.

Truly, what a pathetic duo they are.