Melancholy of One (A Grail Works. LTD. Story)

[Kieran]

Kara's Profile has been updated.

An excellent description - and an equally excellent depiction.

Misc. Author Notes: Back when this story was in the concept stage, I was toying with the idea of 'someone who could effortlessly defeat Gate of Babylon and/or Ionian Hetairoi, but without being ridiculously OP in general' and came up with the idea of an attack that was otherwise weak but specifically targeted something based on age or how long ago they had passed on. Ideas changed as they go on, and it ended with Kara's Vanishing World - which rejects and destroys things that are supposed to have died or been destroyed already.

It's therefore worthwhile to note that Iskandar was always intended to be a Servant that Kara would face late in the Grail War, although the idea of pairing him specifically with Hakuno didn't come until way later.

Some concepts just stick, no matter how long they take to get put into use.

Well I went back and checked and actually I took over 3 years, because of another long gap near the start. Late 2014 to mid 2017. Sheesh.

It happens - I've been at trying to properly write a Grail Works sequel myself for how long, now?

And thanks for the encouragement!

You're quite welcome - and you deserve it, after all.

Well, no worries there. Unlike the 6th Week I've already a pretty good plan for everything I want to do over the next 7 days, and the final round of the Moon Cell Grail War. I hope what I do write will be to your satisfaction.

Good to hear.

[walrus]

My god, it's 2017 already? Gotta read it again from the start.

[pureauthor]

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Aband/On/ly

*~*

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

Father Kotomine's boots rang out through the otherwise-silent hallways as he continued onward in a slow, steady pace.

“The final week,” he said to no one in particular. “Already.”

Out of the 128 Masters and Servants, the numbers had been relentlessly pared down, again and again. And now, only two were left.

The Holy Grail War was always so similar, and yet always had so many surprises in store.

“I will admit to being surprised.” He paused midsentence. “When I first laid eyes upon the boy and his Servant, I did not judge him as being one who had the fortitude to make it all the way to the final round of the War.”

“Well, shows what you know.” The air beside him shimmered and rippled, and Arcueid stepped through the portal, walking perfectly in sync with him as if she had been there all along. “Shiki's always been special, and he always had what it takes to do something like this.”

“I suppose he has proven as much.” Kotomine conceded the point. “And you?”

“... I need to ask you about the SE.RA.PH. Summoning system and what Servants can be called out.”

“Why would you feel a need to learn more about that in particular?” He slowed his pace and turned to face her, “Does it have anything to do with that woman you found?”

“Yeah, she called herself an Avenger, and she claimed to be a participant in the Grail War?”

“A participant? That appears highly unlikely. After all, there are only two Masters and Servants remaining, and both are accounted for. They certainly cannot be the one disrupting the Moon Cell's function.”

“Well, that's what she said. And what's an Avenger anyway? I mean, I know just a little bit about Servants and all that and I'm pretty sure that's not a class I recognize.”

“... My apologies,” Kotomine said as he increased his pace. “But right now, I do not have time for an explanation. Suffice to say I will need to contact the Moon Cell directly for this.”

“Seriously?” Arcueid made a disgruntled face as a doorway appeared in thin air and Kotomine stepped through it, vanishing from the hallways of the digital school. “Oh fine, whatever. I can just go ask Ilya.

“Ilya? Are you there? What can you tell me about Avengers? In context of the Grail War, I mean?”

*~*

Home Base, Avalon

“...zzz”

“Ilya? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, say something.”

“zzz g'way... dn't... wnna... sndwch... zzz”

“Ilya?”

“....snrf”

“I mean, it's already ten thirty in the morning. At least, I think it is. Is the time in the Moon Cell even synced properly to over there? Hello? Is anyone there?”

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukimihara Academy, Room 3-A

A Distant Union

The silence in the room was suffocating. Shiki paced to the far end of the room, stood there for several long seconds tapping his feet before turning around and walking back to the other end.

On the makeshift bed he had been using ever since he'd started this stupid Grail War, Kara lay resting.

Well, not really. Rest didn't really seem like the correct word to use in this situation. She was sleeping now, at least, which was an improvement from simply being unresponsive back in the arena.

But if the soft whimpers and furrowed brow where any indication, her sleep was not at all a peaceful one.

He didn't know what to do. He'd already tried to wake her up – first by calling out her name and then later by touching or shaking her. But nothing seemed to work.

Whatever demon Kara was facing in her nightmares, she had to surpass it alone.

He let out another frustrated sigh as he turned and for the first time realized just how bright it was outside his room. He'd barely gotten any sleep himself despite how exhausted he felt after returning from the match, and to be honest, his time spent dozing off had its share of nightmares too.

“What were you thinking, Kara?” he asked, more so to drive away the oppressive silence than because he expected any real answer from her. “Doing something like that... if it was going to end up with you in this state, then...”

He trailed off. He knew he was being unreasonable. Kara must have known about this part of herself – whatever it was – and decided that it would be the only way to succeed against Rider. If not... it would take only one of his army's men to realize that removing the Master would be the most efficient method of winning the fight, and he'd be dead right now.

But was this how it was supposed to go? Had she expected to come out of this in one piece? Or was being rendered unconscious and unresponsive something she hadn't expected.

Swallowing, Shiki turned and continued pacing. It didn't seem like there was anything else to do.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the beeping of his terminal. Jumping slightly, Shiki fumbled with the device for a moment before he was able to read the message that had been sent.

“Attention, all Masters. The next set of opponents have been announced. Please proceed to-”

He shut the system off and gave a feeble laugh. What was the point? There were only two of them left and he knew damn well who his next opponent was. He had seen Leonard walking away from the elevator after coming back up, albeit wounded for once.

That was right. It was already the final week of the Holy Grail War.

He turned to look forlornly at his Servant, still silent as the grave.

“Kara...”

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukimihara Academy, Library

“An extra class?” Arcueid mumbled to herself as she flipped through the pages. “So the initial summoning was centred around the seven main classes. A Ruler, I can get. Someone to oversee a grail war if there's a serious anomaly. But why would anyone create a Servant class designed specifically for antiheroes.”

Ilya once told me that the Einzberns had hoped to use the Avengers in order to gain a decisive advantage during the Grail War. Of course that didn't work out, but let's go back further to the source. In the first place, they wouldn't be able to create an Avenger class as part of their specific Grail War unless it had been part of the initial greater system.

The initial Grand Order had been created with the intent of defending humanity against existential threats. In that case, creating a Servant specifically for beings so defined by their thirst for vengeance seemed counterproductive at best.

Modifications to the initial system at a later date, maybe? Arcueid flipped the page again. She wasn't used to having to seek out information like this. Normally her abilities that defined her as the White Princess allowed her to simply gather relevant information that she could later use to her benefit. Before that, reading had been something she did strictly for pleasure.

But here in the Moon Cell that apparently didn't work. She wasn't sure if it was because she was technically in a completely alien environment, or because there was supposed to be another her running around on the earth, or simply something about the digital nature of SE.RA.PH that blocked it, but well, facts were facts.

Add that to Ilya apparently being a lazybones (did the physical manifestation of a grail spirit actually need sleep?) and she was stuck here instead. Referencing indexes and flipping through glossaries.

Oh well. It's suprisingly easy once you get the hang of it. I've already found out what I needed to know anyway. She shut the book and tossed it aside.

“Miss.”

Arcueid stood and looked at the librarian, who was standing there with a frown on her face.

“Huh?”

“You're not a Master, and while we tried to be understanding of the circumstances and made an exception to allow you to enter, we have to request you do not make more work for our staff.”

Arcueid blinked and looked behind her, where nearly two dozen books had been tossed haphazardly to the floor after she had finished with them.

“Oops. Okay, I'll clean them up, don't worry.”

As Arcueid busied herself with reshelving her books, she let her mind drift off once more to the issue of the Avenger.

The important takeaway is that Avenger isn't someone who can be summoned under normal circumstances. Someone needs to be able to manipulate the system, and very well at that, in order to call a Servant from that specific class.

Either that or... Arcueid's brow furrowed in deep thought. When she had been brought to this world and been forced to participate in the War, she had been forcibly made a part of the Berserker class. If she recalled, the primary qualification for that class was for someone to have lost themselves to battle-lust at one point in their lives.

She bit her lip as a memory – one nearly a millenium old – snaked through her mind. Screams and curses hurled against her as she had slaughtered her own kin in a frenzy of bloodlust-fueled rage.

That's the other possibility. Someone who was called in and couldn't be fit into any class other than Avenger. And the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She did speak as if she wasn't a conventionally summoned Servant.

Well, that was one hypothesis. Now, what to do about it?

She still didn't want to involve Shiki in this mess. He still had a Grail War to fight, after all. But going back to the room seemed her best shot at catching Ilya when she woke up – and then they could properly discuss the implications of all this. After all, if anyone in their little organization knew about how the whole summoning system worked, it would be her.

Her decision made, to turned and strode out of -

“You're not allowed to borrow that. You're not a Master.”

Masking a grumble, Arcueid handed the book to the attendant without looking and headed off.

*~*

Dark World

She ran, panting, gasping for air.

From what? She wasn't sure. Towards something? She didn't know either.

All she knew was that she couldn't stay still. The very thought seemed to raise a chill of dread from deep within her, and she found herself dashing frantically through the darkened hallways.

Hallways... a school? She remembered a school.

She remembered... remembered...

“What good are you?!”

“Ah-!” instinctively she ducked away from a blow that never came. She stumbled as the world seemed to tilt crazily around her.

And that voice continued, seeming to come from the air around her. That voice... that voice...

“Why would someone as useless as you be given to me? Is this a joke? Is the Moon Cell making a cruel mockery of my vision and dream?”

“No, please...” barely aware of what she was saying, she continued her mad dash through the school. The hallways themselves seemed to stretch out infinitely, and they twisted and warped around her as she ran, leaving her disoriented and shaken.

She fell, found her knee knocking hard against a sharp edge. Stairs? Stairs! She had... go upwards. Somehow, she knew that if she went up, she would be-

“And you! Trying to hide behind a façade of someone stronger than you? When it was obvious that you're so weak you could never pass for a hero of legend? Don't make me laugh”

“I'm sorry,” she whispered. She wasn't sure who she was speaking to. She wasn't sure who was speaking to her, only that she had to get away. Keep moving.

Keep moving.

Suddenly, a flat surface. There was nowhere further up to climb. The world continue to swirl dizzily around her, and she felt a burning pain in her eyes.

If only that voice would quiet for a moment. If only the words would stop, would not cut her to her soul every time she heard them.

“And you can't even die? What am I supposed to do? Just sit there and wait for the enemy to target me instead?”

“I'm sorry! I'msorryi'msorryi'msorry!!” screaming, she dashed headlong down the corridor, heedless of anything that might be in front of her or blocknig her way.

Get away...

Please, don't make me remember...

She tripped, sprawling on the floor, four limbs now feeling more like blocks of lead than muscle and bone.

Still she tried to pick herself up. Tried to crawl forward.

If only...

A room... there was a room... nearby. If she could just get there, everything would be all right. She would be safe there. The world would no longer fold away under her feet, her vision would not twist and distort.

“Enough is enough. I'm not going to waste me time with something as worthless as you. I hereby revoke the contract between us. You are not my Servant.”

“Master...” she could barely hear the sound of her own voice.

If only she could make it there. Someone was waiting for her in that room. Someone who accepted her.

“And I am not your Master.”

“Master...” the world was fading away again just as her destination came into sight, blackness eating away at the edges of her vision, and she knew she would not make it in time. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt tears that traced burning trails down her face.

If only...

“Mas... ter...”

…

…

“Shi... ki...”

*~*

Chapter End

*~*

[Xamusel]

...did I really read that right? Or is that not Shiki revoking the contract between he and Kara?

[pureauthor]

It's really meant to be more akin to a nightmare that she's suffering. Note from Shiki's perspective she's still fast asleep.

As to the origin of the voice... well, maybe the prologue might hold a clue.

[Kieran]

...did I really read that right? Or is that not Shiki revoking the contract between he and Kara?

It caught me by surprise, too; until I remembered this morning that there's more than one Shiki (i.e., the local version as opposed to our Grail Works visitor) - and more to the point: there's more than one SHIKI . . .

[Xamusel]

Oh, right, I forgot to keep a note of Kara's wakefulness in regards to that scene... my bad.

...and I really need to look over the prologue again to make sure of things.

EDIT: ...and a point to Kieran, too... what possessed me to forget about the original Tohno Shiki, anyway?

[pureauthor]

Er, so maybe I missed something about my own story or I didn't indicate it clearly enough, but what makes you all think the voice from her nightmare has anything to do with Shiki?

[Xamusel]

...I could very well have been wrong. I apologize for the mishap.

[pureauthor]

I mean, there's nothing to apologize for. I'm just a little confused about how effectively I communicated what I wanted to.

[Xamusel]

No worries... I had misread it, apparently, so that's possibly what lead to it.

[pureauthor]

Chapter Sixty Seven and a Half: Gach/A/dvertisment

*~*

Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by Aniplex, Delight Works, Type Moon or any subsidiaries of said companies.

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukumihara Academy, Room 3-A

“Master?” Kara said from behind his shoulder as she looked down at the terminal he was holding. “I don't mean to pry but... you seem to be excited about something.”

“That's right, Kara,” Shiki said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “The reason I'm so excited is simple. And that is... Fate/Grand Order has finally come out in english! People swore up and down that it would never come to pass, but now it's finally happened!”

She blinked and glanced around the room, as if expecting something to have changed. “Fate... Grand Order? Is that, uh... some new event or quest that the Moon Cell has set up?”

“No, no, no!” Shiki shook his head impatiently. “It's a mobile game!”

“A mobile... game?” She now had a frown on her face. “Forgive me, Master, but I'm not very familiar with what it is that people do for entertainment in the outside world. What is it about?”

“Well, it's basically like a story where a hero needs to go save the world. It's been praised for having extremely good writing and excellent storylines, but it was only available in Japanese or Chinese until recently, so english-speaking people either needed to be able to speak the language or rely on fan translations to understand the story.”

“Oh, I guess allowing this game to reach a wider audience would be a good thing.” Kara nodded, then frowned. “But... Master?”

“Yes?”

“How is this english release relevant to you? I mean... aren't you Japanese?”

“That is an excellent point, which I shall now proceed to completely disregard so I may continue talking about this game's english release.”

“I... see...? I, uh.... well, what's the game about, then?”

“Oh, it's, uh...” he rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment before snapping his fingers. “That's it! It's like a Holy Grail War, except the Wars are the catalyst for disasters spread out all across human history and you need to travel across time and space in order to save the world!”

“O – oh?” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Kara looked a bit more interested, and was leaning a little closer. “Like a Holy Grail War? This... um, mobile game allows you to summon Servants, then?”

“Yeah! But well, not directly. I mean, you can't pick who you want to summon.”

“Well, that's not surprising; most magi don't have the resources need to manipulate the summoning program to choose who they want,” Kara said and nodded. “Still, the Moon Cell uses its immense computational power to match Servants and Masters with a high compativility in most cases. How does this game of yours determine who you summon as your Servant, Master?”

“Oh, that. Well, it's... uh, random.”

Kara blinked. “Random?”

“Yeah, it's, uh... well, you spend jewels called quartz to get a chance to summon Servants. And well, there's a chance you don't actually summon a Servant. You might end up summoning magic equipment that you can use to improve your Servants instead.”

“Servants? Plural?”

“Oh, yeah. Since it's a game and you don't actually need to feed them your mana to keep them going, you can have as many Servants as you want! ... Provided you can summon them, of course.”

“Hm,” Kara scratched her head. “Well... I suppose it being a game means Master-Servant compatibility isn't that big a factor. Well, in that case I wonder what my chances are of calling upon a top-tier Servant. Such as Achilles, perhaps. Or maybe even the Emperor Nero!”

“Well...” Shiki sighed. “Not good. Servant's are divided by rarity. And you have a 1 percent of pulling a Servant of the highest rarity.”

“A single percent? Master, are you serious?”

“I don't like it either. And actually, the 1% is just for hitting that rarity tier. Once you hit that it's still up to chance that you summon a Servant you actually want.”

“That's absurd! Even the Moon Cell's infinite processing capabilities would find it difficult to reliably summon a desired Servant, in that case!”

“Yeah, but the game's designed well enough that you can still beat all the important content even with the more common Servants. After all they have really good Servants like Cu Chulainn and Medusa in the more common tiers. You'll be able to complete the story just fine without ever hitting a five star rarity summon.”

“O – oh... Is the story itself good then?”

“Well, it's certainly a selling point. Like I said you've got a plot where you need to travel through time to fix history. And there are dozens of Servants all working to either help you or stop you, and plenty of amazing fights between legendary figures of history! Like for example, an army of Celts invading America and Hindu Servants getting caught in between the whole mess.”

“Well, when you put it that way...” Kara smiled and rubbed the back of her head. “That really does sounds kind of interesting. Speaking of which...” she trailed off, a distant look in her eyes. “I wonder if I'd recognize any of the Servants in this game.”

“Ah, I see. You have not sufficiently informed our young maiden of the true terror of this game.” A booming voice suddenly cut through the quiet of the room.

“Wha-!” Whirling, Shiki turned and saw - “Father Kotomine! How did you enter the room?”

The priest did not answer, merely smiling as he walked closer to the two of them. “Yes, you will indeed attempt to summon Servants. Over, and over, and over again. But what you will find instead is only despair and broken dreams!

“And then, when you lie broken, lying in a pile of countless worthless craft essences and five copies of Saber Gilles, then you shall hear my whisper in your heart. That you wanted this and brought this upon yourself. Rejoice, young one!”

Shiki blinked. Kotomine was gone, and there was only the two of them in the room now.

“That was... odd,” Kara finally said after a long moment.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Shiki said as he rubbed the back of his head. Then something struck him. “But... Kara?”

“Hm? What is it, Master?”

“Weren't you still unconscious? When did you wake up?”

“Oh, that?” Kara laughed and shook her head. “Oh, don't worry about it Master. Of course I'm still unconscious!”

“... What?”

“I mean,” she shrugged, a small, helpless smile on her face, “this is only a dream, after all.”

BREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

“Gah!” Shiki jerked awake in his chair at the sound of his terminal's alarm. “What? Who? Where?”

Silence.

He was in his room. And Kara was... still lying on her bed, eyes still shut but face furrowed in a deep frown.

Taking a deep breath, Shiki ran a hand through his hair.

What was that all about? What the heck was I talking about? A grand order? He glanced at the dustbin in the far corner of the room. Did it have anything to do with what I ate last night? Well I'm never ordering the Vegetable Surprise again in that case.

Shaking his head, Shiki walked over and stood by Kara's still form. On an impulse he reached down to grab her hand.

“... Wake up soon, okay?” he said, his voice soft. “It's lonely with you like this, you know?”

Kara continued her slumber, but it seemed as if her face slowly became more serene and relaxed.

Shiki smiled.

*beeep*

A new message? Fumbling for his terminal, he opened up the latest missive and began to read it.

“Our most sincere thanks for your efforts in helping to promote our new launch! In recognition of your efforts we have deposited a free 10 saint quartz on your account. It may be spent at the Commissary at your leisure.”

Another beep and the terminal shut itself off.

“... What the hell?” Shiki said to the empty room.

*~*

Chapter End

*~*

Sorry, not sorry. I had to do it.

Actual update will come in about a week's time or so.

[Xamusel]

*reads for a while*

Uh-huh, uh-huh...

*gets to the end*

...

ROFLMAO

...no, that reaction is not common for me at all, so don't expect it to happen again.

[Kieran]

*reads for a while*

Uh-huh, uh-huh...

*gets to the end*

...

ROFLMAO

...no, that reaction is not common for me at all, so don't expect it to happen again.

*Chuckles* I have to agree, though it took me a minute to understand what I was reading.

. . . Curse my lack of tech-savviness; I couldn't play it if I knew how.

[pureauthor]

*reads for a while*

Uh-huh, uh-huh...

*gets to the end*

...

ROFLMAO

...no, that reaction is not common for me at all, so don't expect it to happen again.

Well glad I could provoke that reaction at all, then!

*Chuckles* I have to agree, though it took me a minute to understand what I was reading.

. . . Curse my lack of tech-savviness; I couldn't play it if I knew how.

Honestly? One less soul falling into the darkness that is Gacha Hell is a pretty good thing. Glad you liked this short little post, though!

[pureauthor]

Chapter Sixty Eight: Exi/St/ruggles

*~*

Disclaimer: I own nothing

*~*

Moon Cell, Arena, 7th Chimeric Lunar Sea

Exploring The 7th Chimeric Lunar Sea

King Arthur's swung her golden blade, cutting through the assembled group of Guardians that had gathered to assault her. Six weeks of constant combat against the digital constructs had granted her familiarity and experience with the tactics they would use, and they were torn apart almost before they had a chance to begin their attack.

As the Guardians fell before her, a homunculus dashed at them, its steps shaking the earth. She turned to regard it – her eyes narrowed in concetration for a moment, and then she was darting under its wild swing. As the fist crashed down onto the earth, she slashed upwards, drawing a thin golden line from the creature's hip to its shoulder.

A long moment of silence, and then the two halves of the homuculus split and collapsed to the floor. Another moment, and the creature faded away into nothingness.

“Good work, King Arthur.” She heard her Master's voice as he walked up from where he had been standing, calmly watching the fight. “At this point, the Guardians' attacks do seem more like formalities than anything else, doesn't it?”

“They have grown stronger ever since the first week.” After one last sweep of the hallway to ensure no more enemies remained, she let Excalibur fade away before turning to regard her Master. “But I suppose you are correct; these are not particularly trying foes.”

As Leonard approached her, she took the time to look more carefully at him. He still had that same unaffected expression that he always worked so hard to maintain. The same, boyish looking smile and the sharp focus in his eyes.

Of course, there was now an ugly red scar cutting across his features. One that started at his cheek and travelled down his neck, vanishing below the collar of his shirt.

She can't see the marks as anything but a symbol of her failure to properly defend her Master.

“What's the matter, King Arthur?” As her Master tracked her gaze, he suddenly seemed to realize what she was looking at. “Ah... this.” One hand strayed up to brush against the scar.

“... My apologies. I should have properly anticipated that Assassin might have tried to target you in such a manner.”

“It's fine. You still handled the fight splendidly, after all. And that he lasted all the way to the semifinals indicates he was no run-of-the-mill Servant, does it not? It's only natural we would have needed to start exerting more effort at this point.”

“I suppose.”

Leonard sighed and the hand lingered at the scar. “I do wonder,” he said after a moment of silence. “I doubt this scar will remain with me after this Grail War.”

“I would guess not,” she said as she continued to walk down the hallways. “Your body here is merely a digital representation of your soul. As is mine, in a sense.”

“Yes, that makes sense.” Was that a hint of melancholy she detected in his voice?

“Master Leonard?” Pausing their walk, she turned back to face him. “Is... anything wrong?”

“I don't know. This probably sounds strange, coming from me, but...” A smile quirked the sides of Leonard's lip. “I almost think I might find myself missing this scar if it were to leave me.”

A short silence.

“You want a reminder.”

“Hah. Perhaps,” Leonard lowered his gaze to the floor as the two of them continued to walk. “I must admit, the first five weeks were... well, not particularly trying. I suppose a lot of it was due to being able to summon you as a Servant.”

She merely inclined her head to acknowledge the compliment.

“Regardless, it was easy to forget that this is a war. That there are others, skilled and talented, and just as driven as I am.” He heaved a sigh. “Sometimes I find myself too isolated for my own good. This scar... well, I suppose it serves as a rather graphic reminder of what the path I walk will cost.”

“...” She was silent for a moment as she sifted through her thoughts. “Do you truly believe you need such a visual reminder, Master? That your experiences in this war will not stay with you, regardless?”

“I would like to believe I don't, of course.” Leonard sighed. King Arthur had to admit that this air of melancholy about him certainly seemed unusual. “But when it comes down to it, I would have liked to believe that I wouldn't have been badly wounded like this in course of the war. Or for that matter, been forced to expend a Command Seal to defeat my opponent.”

“Your hubris is getting to you again.” She sighed. “Master, when I was king some of my knights were more than capable of matching me in swordplay. There were others who were better than me at command of their mounts, others who were competent administrators, still others with a grasp of military tactics and strategy that surpassed mine. I recall a distinct lack of good cooks, though.” A slight chuckle, and then a shake of her head. “Do not assume that kingship means you must be superior in all things.”

“Yes, I suppose.” Leonard shook his head once, before drawing to a halt and looking about the room. “It's... just a new feeling. Something I have to get used to, is all.”

“Then you did not run into many physical challenges in the physical world?”

“None like this,” Leonard shifted his gaze to stare at the digital sky above them. “Then again, I was trained specifically so that such things would not pose a challenge to me in the first place.”

“I wonder...” King Arthur took a deep breath as they rounded the corner. “I was not chosen or trained for my role, unless one wants to lay the responsibility upon Fate itself. When kingship was thrust upon me, I was forced to learn so much at once. I struggled daily... At times I felt I would be overwhelmed. But at the very end of it, I believe those struggles and challenges were instrumental in helping me understand what to do.”

“So you think I would need to struggle too?”

“I can only speak from experience.” Her gaze sharpened. “Have you not realized, Master Leonard? Already you ask more questions, and you seem to be more open to new ideas. Perhaps true challenge, and perhaps even defeat, is what will help shape you into a better person, and a better king.”

The boy who would be king chuckled and shook his head. “Perhaps.” His voice was soft, as if he were speaking mostly to himself. “Perhaps.”

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukumihara Academy, Room 3-A

Quiet Night – In The Room

“So that's more or less what I know,” Arcueid concluded as she leaned back in a chair and folded her arms. “She calls herself an Avenger, and she's probably not a standard summoned Servant.”

“Ah, geez. I can't get a good recording of her appearance.” Illya, or at least the digital image of her, looked grumpy as she sifted through the data available to her, which wasn't much.

“Really? I though I'd have broken most of the barriers tha the Moon Cell used to block such things.”

“Right, which is why this is most likely something the Servant itself is doing,” Illya sighed as she raised one hand to massage her forehead. “Oh, wait. That reminds me. Shiki said one of the other Masters had some info to pass to you. It may have to do with our Avenger friend.”

“Oh?” Arcueid glanced around the room. Kara was still unconscious. Arcueid watched the rise and fall of her chest for a brief moment before shaking her head. “So! Where's Shiki now, then?”

“In the Commissary, most likely. I made him go and get some food. And he only left because I promised to watch over Kara the whole time he was gone,” the Grail spirit folded her arms and looked over at Kara's still form. “Honestly, he's so worried about her he hasn't even really thought about what happens if she doesn't wake in time.”

“... You mean by the final match?”

“Well, yes.” Illya shrugged. “She is his Servant, and if she remains like this... he might not be able to compete at all.”

Arcueid folded her arms and sighed. “Worst comes to worst, I can grab Shiki and bail. I'm not sure about Kara, though. If we brought her out of the Moon Cell, would she actually have a body to stay in?”

“... You know, I'm not sure either,” Illya furrowed her brow as she looked at the Servant's still form. “Well, she might be able to exist as a spirit, like I am right now.”

“But you're tied to Avalon, aren't you? As far as I know, Kara isn't tied to any artifact or location in particular. Not even the Moon Cell.”

“True... And yet, by her own admission, she can't really die.” Illya shook her head. “I really can't guess what would happen. For someone who's supposed to embody Dying... maybe even being brought out of a relatively sterile environment like the Moon Cell into the real world filled with constant death might be too much for her to handle. After all, we saw what happened during the deathmatch.”

“... We don't want her to stay in here, though.”

“No, definitely not.” Illya shook her head. “She said herself that after this Grail War ends, she'll just return to waiting for nothing. She's not a legitimate Heroic Spirit, so it'll most likely be treated as junk data. As far as I know, she can't even have copies generated to be a Servant like the Heroic Spirits. She's the only one. And... then she'll just be in an empty, silent world, all by herself.”

“Well, can't you think of something? I know it's a bit late to start thinking about all this, but maybe we could find some way to create an artificial body for her to live in? Even as a stopgap?”

“... Huh, that's a little surprising, Arcueid.”

“What is?”

“You, caring so much about someone like her.” Illya's smile was warm. “You've really changed a lot since we first met, haven't you?”

“It's not really like that.” The vampire sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “It's just... thinking about Kara made me realize that she's kind of like me.”

“... Like you?”

“Her existence, her personality... well, it's mostly due to an accident. The Moon Cell didn't process data perfectly enough, and eventually it resulted in her being born. And I existed, but you couldn't say I existed as me until Shiki killed me the first time.” Arcueid shrugged. “In the end I got my chance to enjoy myself, and to live a longer life with meaning behind it. So I guess I'd like it if Kara got the chance too.”

“Yeah, you're right. I'd like that chance for her, too.”

Just then, the door to the room beeped and slid open.

*~*

As Shiki stepped through the doorway of his room, he caught sight of Arcueid leaning back on a chair, carrying out a casual conversatino with Illya. When she noticed he had returned, she gave him a lazy wave of her hand.

“Heya, Shiki! How was your meal?”

“Welcome back, Shiki-san.” Illya smiled as well.

He gave a non-committal shrug. “Dinner was okay. But anyway, there's something I need to pass to you, Arcueid. One of the earlier Masters seemed to know something about that person you're hunting and she asked me to pass the information to you.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that from Illya. So, let me see what we have-”

She was cut off as a scream of agony tore through the room.

“Kara!” In a moment Shiki was by his Servant's side as she thrashed and writhed. “Kara, calm do- guh!” As he tried to hold her down, he suddenly realized that she was strong – far stronger than he was, and he was thrown back by a wild sweep of her arm. But of course. Technically she was a Servant, wasn't she?

Her scream had transformed into more of a wail, a steady howling as she jerked and fell to the floor. Arcueid had dashed to Kara's side and was now holding her down, trying to stop her from flailing and hurting herself by accident.

And suddenly, Kara jerked once more and lay still on the floor of the classroom. Hurriedly, Shiki crouched at her side, trying to see if she was awake.

“Kara?” He spoke softly, unsure of what to do or say. “Are you okay-”

“MASTER!” Another shout and suddenly he found arms thrown around his neck as Kara clung tightly to him.

For a moment he found he couldn't speak, and then he closed his eyes, bringing his hands up to hold her close.

“It's all right.” His voice was soft. “It's okay. I'm here.”

Kara continued trembling and her grip on him only tightened.

“Master...” she said again, her voice a mere whisper in her ear now. “Master.”

“It's all right.” He continued to repeat as he continued to run his hands down her back, trying to soothe her fears and terrors. “It's all right.”

And for a moment, all was silent in the room.

*~*

Chapter End

*~*

I keep running into spots where I think they're really good places to end the chapter, but then I wonder if it means the chapters are now getting too short.

Maybe it means I need to cut back on the dramatic moments.

… Naaaaaah.

[Xamusel]

Well... it sure has been a decent update, I'll be honest about that, pureauthor. I applaud you for the update.

[Kieran]

. . . Sounds like one heck of a nightmare . . .

And it's nice to see Arc maturing.

[pureauthor]

Well... it sure has been a decent update, I'll be honest about that, pureauthor. I applaud you for the update.

Thanks very much!

. . . Sounds like one heck of a nightmare . . .

And it's nice to see Arc maturing.

Glad you liked the Arc characterization! And yes, the nightmare certainly was a bad one. An important one? Well, that too, maybe...

[pureauthor]

Chapter Sixty Nine: Reve/Al/l

*~*
Sorry about the longer than usual wait (says the guy who took two-year-long sabbaticals on this work). I got involved in another fic writing event that demanded a lot of time and attention. But I'm back now and the show must go no!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukimihara Academy, Rooftop

Sunny Day

“You know, it's been six weeks now,” Shiki said thoughtfully as he sipped at his drink. “But to be honest I can never shake the feeling of it being odd when I step onto the roof and feeling the sun on my face.”

There was no response from Kara, and after a glance in her direction, Shiki continued talking.

“Like, I know the whole thing is a virtual recreation of a school. But it still feels real. And when I think about it, sometimes I wonder what my body will end up like when I come out. For most of the participants, they're technically digital avatars of their soul or something while their real body is stored elsewhere. But I technically jumped straight into the Moon Cell from a different universe. And Arcueid too. I wonder how the Moon Cell hanndled the transition.”

Still nothing.

“Hey,” he offered her an encouraging smile, “am I boring you?”

“No, of course not, Praetor.” She offered him a smile, but it was a quick, distracted one. “But... don't you think this is a little... wasteful?”

“Wasteful?” He took a quick look over the table. “I'm pretty sure we can finish the food I bought. And going back to the whole issue of this being a virtual recreation, it's not like this food is actually real. If we don't eat it I guess it turns back into being data or whatever?”

“No, that's not what I mean,” one hand raised up to massage her forehead and a look of exasperation found its onto her face. “Praetor, why are we even holding a picnic?!”

A pause, and then Shiki shrugged his shoulders. “After what happened during the sixth round and you... well, based on your behaviour I have to assume you didn't have a particularly pleasant time while unconscious. So I figured it would be best we take this chance to relax a bit.” He paused, and he felt his smile growing more rueful. “After all, this... will be the last chance we have before the end, won't it?”

Kara's expression melted away from annoyance to a more worried guise as she turned away. “Praetor... it's already the third day, isn't it? Forgive me my weakness for not awakening sooner; I've wasted far too much time as it is.”

“Don't be ridiculous. If it wasn't for that... well, whatever it is you did, there's no way you'd have beaten Rider.” Shiki breathed out a long sigh. “On that note... do you mind telling me more about what that was?”

Kara's face was currently the borrowed one of a Roman Emperor, but the pain in her eyes was as real as anything could be she averted her gaze. Shiki nodded and reached over to pat her shoulder.

“It's all right. If it's painful for you, you don't have to talk about it. I just want you to know that it saved me. Saved us. So... thanks, for whatever it was.”

A pause, and then a nod. “If I could use it to help you, Praetor... then it was worth it.” That statement seemed to have resolved something in her, and she smiled up at him now. One hand reached over to grab a sandwich and bring it to her mouth. “I still think this picnic isn't really necessary, though.”

He chuckled and leaned back in the bench as well. “Well, if you're that eager, I suppose we still might have some time for a short visit to the Arena after all this. We should probably at least get a feel for what the place is like, after all. But!” He held up a hand in anticipation of what she would say next. “Only after you get something to eat. You haven't eaten for three days.”

“Hardly a concern for a Servant, Praetor.” Kara's smile was crooked, but nonetheless she took another large bite from her sandwich. After chewing and swallowing, she chuckled once. “At least they've started serving better food than the curry bread.”

Shiki smirked too.

Then Kara looked around, as if the thought had just occurred to her. “Say, Praetor? Where is the lady Arcueid? I must admit I would've thought she'd want to be present for something like this.”

“Hm? Oh, she said she'd join us later. But right now she's talking with Illya about the information I shared with her.”

“Oh, you mean about the Avenger Servant...” Kara's brow creased. “Strange. I do have some knowledge of the extra Classes, but the Moon Cell's Grail War is tightly restricted and controlled. I would not think such extraneous classes would be allowed to participate...” Her brow deepened. “Unless they had enough power to override the Moon Cell's authority in the first place and forcefully impose their own characteristics upon the Moon Cell.”

“Well, according to Arcueid this mystery Servant has been acting in the shadows. So I think we're still kind of in the dark about this one.”

“True. Still, it is unusual...” His Servant narrowed her eyes as she continued to chew her food. “If she's acting in the capacity of a Servant, then is she independent of the Moon Cell, or not? If she isn't, then something's not right, because the Moon Cell Grail War is designed to support a maximum capacity of 128 Servants – the amount at the beginning. Did she arrive after the first week, then?”

“Can't be. Arcueid was drawn in by her before the War started, so this Avenger had to be present then.” He ran a hand through his hair as he recalled what Arcueid had told him.

“This is my job, Shiki, so don't worry about it! You focus on winning the Grail War, do you hear me?”

He supposed it made sense. Focus on the task in front of you, and let others who could do so pursue their own paths. That was the most efficient way.

That didn't mean he had to like it, though.

*~*

Moon Cell, Digital Tsukimihara Academy, Room 3-A

“So, before we go through the notes Shiki gave me, what do we already know?”

“Not much,” Illya said as she rubbed her head and sighed in frustration. “Your description of her physical appearance along with her calling herself an Avenger is a clue, but not much of one. Of course there's also the possibility that she deliberately disguised herself with that appearance.

Arcueid folded her arms and closed her eyes, dredging the details of the Avenger's appearance from her memory. Skin so pale it was almost white. Hair that was a pale grey and fell about her shoulders. Her clothes, a white robe that honestly resembled a burial shroud more than anything else.

“... Whatever else she is, I have to suspect she was strongly associated with death.” Arcueid finally said as she placed Marie's note on the table in front of her. “All right, let's see what that Master wrote for- huh?”

There was a flash of actinic light that filled the room, and Arcueid saw Illya instinctively screwing her eyes shut and turning away. Her True Ancestor eyes easily adjusted to the flash, though, and her mouth fell open as she saw-

“The note!” It was shimmering blue, the edges already fading away from an ongoing deletion. Hurriedly, she reached out to seize the paper, unfolding it as quickly as she could.

“Wait, this is-”

With a final sound like something sizzling, the piece of paper vanished entirely.

“Rgh,” Arcueid growled under her breath as she slumped back in her chair. Then she blinked. “Illya? You okay?”

“Ooh, my eyes...” Illya mumbled as blinked rapidly, trying to clear the flashes from her vision. “What happened – the note! Where-?”

“Something – or someone – deleted it.” Arcueid pursed her lips. She was starting to feel it now, a familiar undercurrent of anger and irritation when she met someone who was toying with her. “They really didn't want us to find out more about themselves.”

Illya sighed and one hand reached up to rub her forehead. “Okay, so we're back to square one.”

“Not quite. Yeah, they deleted the note but I caught sight of a couple words on it.” She cupped her hand under her chin and sighed.

Now, I just need to figure what 'thousand every day' refers to... as well as the letters 'Iz'.

“If whoever is pulling the strings managed to destroy the note from here, that means they're able to keep tabs on the individual rooms and competitors,” Illya now had a grumpy expression on her face, “as well as affect them directly, to one extent or another. That's not good.”

“The guy I saw the other day had a display showing information about all the participants in the war. So I guess this helps lend credence to the idea that both Avenger and that guy are working together.”

There was a silence, and then the Grail spirit sighed and let out a rueful smile. “You ever get the feeling that we're in over our heads?”

“Oh, always,” Arcueid now had a cheerful smile on her face. “I gotta say, hunting down Dead Apostles was usually a lot more straightforward than this. But this is a lot more fun, though!”

“I'll take your word for it, then.” She rubbed at her eyes again. “All right. No point sitting around waiting. Let's see what else we can find.”

“Way ahead of you!”

*~*

Moon Cell, Arena, 7th Chimeric Lunar Sea

Exploring the 7th Chimeric Lunar Sea

“Hah!” Kara's swung her blade through the air in precise strokes, slashing clean through the Guardian that had come up to challenge her. Pausing to steady her stance, she shifted her gaze as the sound of footsteps heralded two newcomer Guardians.

Her body rippled, and then she appeared as a male Archer clad in cerulean armour. Raising her bow, she fired a flurry of arrows at the targets, downing one of the pair as they charged her. As the second one neared her weapon changed to that of a bloordred axe, and she swung it in an arc that split the creature end to end.

Finally, silence reigned once more, and Kara sighed as she returned to her guise of the Emperor Nero.

“All clear, Praetor,” she reported.

“Good work as always, Kara.”

“I admit these newest Guardians do pose something of a challenge, at least compared to the earlier foes.” She turned to regard her Master with a warm smile. “But, it is nothing that we cannot overcome together.”

He returned the smile with a nod. “You've really improved, haven't you? From when you first started out.”

Started out? Ah yes... I must have looked a sight then.

“Well I admit I've grown more experienced since then... but credit where credit is due, it was mostly the Lady Magus and her efforts that allowed me to improve as I have. If it weren't for her...” she trailed off, staring at the walls of the Arena around her. “Master... I would not have been able to do anything the first week.”

“Well, I'm sure you'd have managed.”

Her laugh was sad. “I appreciate the sentiment, Praetor. But I know for a fact that I would simply have failed miserably.”

“... For a fact?”

Dismissing her blade, she sighed and folded her arms. “I... suppose there will be no harm in telling you now, Praetor.” And I suppose there never was any harm, really. But... I was always a little too afraid. “But you... are not the first person to have summoned me to participate in the War.”

“Oh. I... didn't realize.”

“Of course you wouldn't. I kept it a secret. And the only other one to know is long dead by now.” Kara's smile was melancholy. And I thought I'd left it behind me. But... I suppose those nightmares served as an unpleasant reminder.

A silence fell upon the both of them until Kara broke it with a sigh.

“I failed him. I failed my first Master. A Servant's one task is to carry their Master's wish to the Holy Grail. And I could not. I was barely able to defeat the weakest of the Arena Guardians. If I'd faced any real Servant in combat, I would have been crushed.” Kara closed her eyes. “Sometimes... Praetor. Sometimes I think about what would have happened had the Lady Magus not been partial to you. Without granting her strength to me... I would simply have failed again. Failed you.”

“Well, we're both lucky then.” Shiki managed a smile at her. “But you can't help how weak or strong you are, so there's no reason to beat yourself up over it.”

That's not it at all. I was... selfish. I knew. Deep in the back of my mind, I always knew. If I joined the Holy Grail War I'd be a millstone around my Master's neck. But I was selfish enough to try to seize the chance to live... as a person. Just for a little while.

They continued walking for a while before her Master spoke up again. “So... your first summoning. How long ago did that happen?”

Kara frowned. “I... do not know. It's not so easy for me to keep track of time, Praetor. At least when I'm not being summoned.” Who knows if I truly even experience the flow of time others do while I'm being stored. “But... I do believe that it would have been a long, long time ago. So much of the experience has faded in my memory by now. I barely even remember what my old Master looked like anymore. All I remember is his name.”

“His name?”

“Yes...” Kara frowned slightly. “I remember thinking it sounded odd. But then I didn't have much experience with human naming schemes, so who was I to judge?”

Another moment of silence.

“My old Master's name was Twice H. Pieceman. And he failed because of me. He died because of my weakness. And I can.... never make up for that.” She turned to face her Master. “But I've been given a second chance, Praetor. And I won't fail you again. This time, I will carry your wish to the Holy Grail. This, I swear.”

*~*

???

“Ggh... hrrr... hrr...” Each step was agony. Every movement seemed to send a jolt through her body, like a thousand tiny hands were clawing away at her, seeking to break her apart and drag her shattered fragments into the abyss.

Not... yet...

It was close.

She could feel it.

Another step forward.

We're... nearing. I can... tell.

At her side, he lingered. A silent, constant presence.

So close.

She was tired.

But she was so close.

A doorway of light in front of her. A length that she could have normally crossed in a span of seconds now seemed an impossible distance as she took another staggering step forward, planting one foot firmly in front of the other.

Once... the other side...

“Soon...” she growled through gritted teeth. Her hands clenched, rage temporarily overriding the feebleness and weakness that seemed to drag down her body, and she found her pace increasing.

I'm coming for you.

I'll find you.

I'll end you.

Once and for all...

I'll kill you... Leonard...

*~*

Chapter End

*~*

Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated!