[FF] Trinity VII: The Twilight (Type-Moon/Harry Potter X-over)

[Kieran]

Good new chapter...

Thank you.

Why I have the feeling that, no matter what, Shin's actions will both hinder and help the Seven's plan in Gringotts?

Because you know me well, by now?

. . . In all seriousness, that's part of the delay - I'm trying to decide exactly how Shin's involvement plays out.

[Kieran]

DISCLAIMER: Lunar Legend Tsukihime, Fate/Stay Night, and all related characters and concepts are the creation and property of Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon, along with anyone who's happened to license them, like Geneon or Funimation. Harry Potter and all related characters and concepts are the creation and property of J.K. Rowling, along with her publishers and Warner Bros., as regards the movie material.

This is a not-for-profit, just-for-fun project.



Writer's Note: Certain dialogue sequences in this story are lifted from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but I trust in the intelligence of my readers (and the availability of the books) to recognise them.




Chapter 74 – The Gringotts Job




May 2, 1998






To Takara’s surprise, getting into Diagon Alley itself was simple enough. Magical means of entering the alley might be restricted (or, at the very least, monitored) but there was nothing to stop them from taking a cab to within a block of the Leaky Cauldron and walking there. Of all of them, only Takara’s wand could’ve reasonably had the Trace – the rest of them would’ve had it break too long ago for the Voldemort-controlled Ministry to maintain it – so entering the alley proper was no difficulty, either; nor Gringotts itself, for that matter.

It was only once they were inside the bank that things had to potential to get “interesting, in the ancient Chinese sense,” as her lover was so fond of saying . . .

With the addition of the Resurrection Stone, Mellinoë had changed in more ways than one. Its warnings of danger continued, but they were no longer rumbles of thunder in her mind; cold chills crept along her body, instead, as though skeletal fingers were being drawn across her skin. The sensation was, obviously, not pleasant, but it was less distracting than a sudden thunderclap. She was on-edge and aware of her surroundings, this way, rather than startled. Takara was morbidly curious to learn how that particular enchantment would react with her Death Sight, as it was precognitive, as well — but hoped that she wouldn’t have to find out.

In any case, the sword’s phantom touch virtually never left Takara as she walked down Diagon Alley alongside Tonks. Her raised hood and its accompanying shadows did much to hide her features — thank goodness for the rain providing the excuse — and what they couldn’t accomplish, the Clock Tower’s on-hand stash of costuming supplies did.

The existence of a fully-stocked cache of totally mundane disguise equipment had briefly surprised her. But, her father had pointed out, while impersonating specific individuals was often hard to prepare for, and high-security areas on high alert would react badly to new or unknown faces, occasionally all you wanted was to stand in a crowd without standing out. Or, at worst, you didn’t want your face connected with whatever it was you were trying to accomplish; it was for cases like those that the stock had been established.

And it was all the better if those faces were not reliant on magic for their existence, because that tended to be what all wizards and protective enchantments screened for. To many such individuals, the idea of using hair dye was barely comprehensible. More advanced prosthetics – such as hair extensions, latex masks, or padding – were utterly unimaginable . . . And as such, they would pass by wholly unnoticed.

Certainly, it will bypass the “Thief’s Downfall,” Takara reasoned, since there’s no enchantments in the disguises to wash away . . .

Of course, that had been one of the main reasons this particular method had been chosen in the first place.

. . . At worst, it will undo the Transfigurations on these “Sentinel uniforms” — but since we didn’t plan on going out looking the same as we did coming in, that’s hardly a problem.

The chill in her bones intensified, as though Mellinoë was tightening its grip, when they approached the marble structure of Gringotts. Mentally, the Japanese witch frowned, because prior to the sword’s completion, its warnings of danger had always involved Riddle directly, or his Death Eaters; those who “held themselves above the gods,” as Galen’s invocation had put it. The sword had been infused with lightning to punish those guilty of such hubris, and so its powers were focussed accordingly.

. . . But so far as any of them knew, the goblins weren’t allied to the Death Eaters. So, was their information inaccurate, had the sword’s enchantment been more altered by the Deathstone’s presence than they‘d realised – or was there a trap of some kind, waiting for them?

Unfortunately, there was no way to know until it was too late to do anything but react; nevertheless, Takara did what she could to hold herself ready.

Here we go . . .






Shiki noted Takara’s tension as they walked along the alley. It was worrisome, but not really surprising. Nor was it really surprising to him that she was the only one who was so notably tense. He and Ciel were old hands at this sort of operation, Tonks had training, and even Galen, from his implanted memories, was a natural actor of sorts – but his daughter, in the end, wasn’t used to this kind of sneaking around.

Even in this life, she hadn’t done much in the way of stealth operations. Much like Tonks, she’d had some training for it – and unlike Tonks, a genetic affinity for it – but most of her secret activities had involved keeping secrets, rather than covert infiltrations. Likewise, most of her combat experience came from straight-up fights, rather than low-to-zero-residual neutralisations; or, to those not versed in trade-speak, assassinations. Despite her Nanaya blood, his treasure was more of a samurai than a ninja, by inclination – not necessarily a bad thing, but it rendered her ill-at-ease for this kind of job.

Unfortunately, she’s the only one who can use that sword safely, he thought resignedly. And it is our safest option for destroying that Horcrux – much like Tonks, with Galen’s help, is our safest option for getting into the vault . . .

Fortunately for Shiki’s nerves, to say nothing of the mission, Takara held it together as they entered the bank (not that he’d ever really expected otherwise). Then it was showtime, as Westerners were wont to say.

As she reached the head of the line, Tonks-as-Bellatrix declared, “I need to visit my vault.”

As expected, the goblin showed no especial concern for her appearance, but sounded so blasé in his response that he had to be making an effort. “Key, please?”

Shiki did his best to tense inconspicuously. They’d run this as a thought exercise, and practised its components at least a dozen times, but it didn’t make the sudden spike of adrenaline any less potent. This was the moment when either their plan would begin to work, or it would come apart rather spectacularly . . .

Because he was watching for it, Shiki noted the way the sleeve of Tonks’ robe fell across her arm as she lifted the key from her belt pouch into view, and specifically, the way it bunched under her triceps; as if guided by an invisible hand. He could also see the goblin’s eyes, guided by social customs and predatory instincts, following the key.

Shiki could not hear the word “Legilimens” whispered once the goblin’s eyes reached a certain point – but he could see those eyes become suddenly unfocussed as the spell took effect.

The speed with which Galen had progressed in learning Legilimency had surprised Shiki, but not his proficiency with it. He’d always known Galen to be quite imaginative and creative, and knowing what he did now about the boy’s origins . . . He’d been an illusionist, of sorts, in the time and place of their original meeting, and that skill set and experience stood him in good stead.

That new Occlumency defence of his couldn’t possibly be so elaborate and detailed without it, Shiki mused. I never did figure out where he actually hid his memories and thoughts, either – but who has time to search the entirety of Hogwarts, at night?

He smirked. And anyone who does will have to face not only the defences Hogwarts actually has, but the fact that they’ll almost certainly be in there long enough for Galen to realise that there are intruders in his mind, and react accordingly . . . And given the aforementioned creativity and imagination, Shiki did not envy those intruders in the slightest.

That aside, however, such a talent also meant that Galen could create within his targets’ minds a frighteningly convincing illusion – such as the perception that the key which was handed over belonged to the vault whose key had been demanded.

So far, so good, Shiki noted.

He’d helped test and refine the plan, with the few Nanaya techniques that Aoko had recovered over the years adding extra possibilities that standard Legilimency wouldn’t have allowed – such as maintaining the connection after eye contact was broken. So long as Galen kept his wand pointed at the goblin, and his focus concentrated, he’d be able to make the teller experience whatever he wished; the only limit lay in the details of his imagination.

The drawback, of course, was that Galen’s focus on the spell had to remain more or less total – and his Occlumency training definitely helped with that – but it still fell to them to subtly guide him into moving around the bank, without looking like they were guiding an invisible person. It was, naturally, no easy task . . . But then again, he and Ciel were used to both undercover work, and working with one another – and they’d known Galen for a long time.

Between those talents, and the fact that the current climate discouraged people from being too curious, they managed to shepherd him – along with the rest of the group – out of the main floor, and into a cart. Between the tension they were all feeling, and the speed of the vehicle, the ride was thrilling, to say the least; especially when they finally hit the Thief’s Downfall.

Shiki thought that he heard a whisper, but couldn’t be entirely sure he that he didn’t imagine it. “Lord Hades, please . . .”

No sooner had those words been spoken (or seemed to, at any rate), than the world began to shudder—

—and then, to heave . . .






It wasn’t much of an earthquake, all things considered; when seismographs were consulted later, they found that it barely managed to reach 4.7 on the Richter scale. That placed it strictly in the category of a “minor” earthquake, of the sort that happened, perhaps, on a weekly basis across the world — though admittedly, the middle of London was an unusual location. Nevertheless, at that magnitude, it caused windows to rattle sharply, small items to fall off of shelves, and things of a similar nature, but nothing more. People were aware that it had occurred, of course, but it was hardly the cataclysmic event that was expected thanks to popular media.

. . . Of course, what many people failed to consider was that an “earthquake,” as they understood it, was merely the outer edge of the phenomenon; in a very literal sense, a surface reaction. For all the damage that earthquakes could and did do to structures and landscapes, it was only the echo of the force of the earthquake itself; the true strength of a quake was expended in travelling through the Earth itself.

In short: all that was accomplished by the quake on the surface was a pale reflection of the force brought to bear — and the subsequent damage wrought — underground . . .






As Galen had previously noted, the Elixir of Life had a remarkable effect on the brain. It didn’t make you any smarter, precisely, but it did “overclock” one’s processing speed – much as people had been known to experience accompanying bursts of adrenaline in a crisis.

Given that he was experiencing both effects at the moment, and his own learned ability to run parallel thought processes (nowhere near Sion Eltnam Atlasia’s level, mind you, but still impressive) Galen had, in one sense, ample time to consider the situation.

As the tremor began, and he observed its effects – understanding that it was just the beginning of the event – he briefly entertained the idea of grabbing the Aozakis and trying to Disapparate past whatever defences the goblins might have put in place against it. Anti-Apparition Jinxes did exist, of course, and he was sure that as with the Thief’s Downfall, Gringotts had their equivalent; but in the end, any enchantment could be overpowered. You just had to be strong enough to be able to do it – and by now, Galen had a fair amount of confidence regarding his own strength.

However, he swiftly discarded the idea – as much because it would leave Tonks unprotected as for its recklessness. Grabbing the Aozakis and leaping out of the moving cart also occurred to him – they’d have an easier time dispersing the momentum he generated than that of the quake’s derailing their high-speed cart. He’d even be able to aim their descent, that way. But again, it would leave Tonks unprotected.

No, unfortunately, the only way to protect everyone in the mining cart was to stay put . . .

Sticking Charms to our feet, Unbreakable Charms on the floor and sides of the cart, Galen thought, opening his senses and preparing himself — while at the same time, he noted that in the time it had taken him to do that, Shiki’s wand was out, and Ciel’s was half-drawn.

And here – we – go!

The track buckled underneath them, sending the cart and its occupants hurtling into the air; specifically, towards a wall, at very high speed. To make matters worse, the space was rapidly being filled with falling debris from the cracks opening in the cavern ceiling. Galen deflected a pair of boulders crossing their flight path, but was surprised when Shiki cast a Banishing Charm at the wall, and Ciel a Hover Charm on the cart, simultaneously – causing the cart to effectively come to a hard stop in mid-air.

Good thing I used the Sticking Charm, Galen realised, or we would all have been pitched out of the cart regardless with that stunt. As it was, the whiplash had caused the goblin – being far shorter than the rest of them – to bounce his skull off the rim of the cart. He looked to be out cold; only the enchantment was keeping him upright.

And as such, apparently Ciel felt free to speak to him, because after she ordered sharply, “Takara, see to the goblin.” she followed the command with “Take over for me, Galen – we’ll handle the rocks!”

The cart dropped about six inches before Galen caught it with a Hover Charm of his own, at which point he began to gently lower them to one of the more solid planes of rock below. As he was doing that, however, one corner of his mind was engaging his peripheral perceptions in watching the Aozakis at work, as they began to act in earnest to deflect falling and flying debris.

Galen liked to think that after all these years, he had something of a handle on the concepts of “speed” and “precision”; they were Takara’s forte, after all, and Hermione, between her lioness and her vampiric natures, was no slouch herself. Moreover, he’d worked hard to train himself to gain a measure of both, even if he’d probably never match the girls without the Elixir’s boost – but as he always had, Shiki Aozaki made it clear that he would only ever be a talented amateur, at best.

It wasn’t just that he was blindingly quick – or would be, to anyone without Galen’s enhanced senses and predatory, motion-tracking instincts. It wasn't just that his wand movements were pared down to the absolute minimum of motion required, allowing for even faster movements, and that he still managed pinpoint accuracy with that absolute void for a margin of error . . .

No, it was the fact that, within the scale Galen had learned, Shiki was nearing the absolute limit of human capacity for such things – and that he’d accomplished it through sheer training. Shiki Aozaki was a wizard, but didn’t have anything beyond the basic enhancements of a magical nature to push him further. No Animagus form-melding, no Elixir of Life or similar potions – genetics might have given him the capacity for what he did, but he was the one who’d reached it. Everything he was, he was, unto himself.

If anything, Galen suspected that the Elixir would probably only increase his efficiency; the lesser strain on his body, mind and magic would allow him to do what he was already capable of for longer – and wasn’t that a terrifying thought?

Still, the younger wizard thought idly, just watching him work is what it must have been like seeing Bruce Lee fight, or Beethoven compose – a master at the pinnacle of their talents, performing their craft. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

And Ciel, to her credit, was no less astonishing.

From what little Galen had gleaned of Ciel’s fighting style in the canon of “Tsukihime,” the woman was fast, but not much on evasion or defence. Truthfully, she didn’t need to be; the paradox that kept her alive, and her own suicidal nature, allowed her to pretty much ignore those aspects of combat. This version of Ciel was very different, obviously, but he knew from experience that she was still pretty reliant on bulling through her problems with raw magical might.

(Much like he himself, honestly; Hermione’s influence had added a bit more finesse to his arsenal, by virtue of the sheer volume of counter-curses he had available, but he still tended to try and just power through his opponents, most of the time.)

This, however, was the first time Galen had ever seen her really fight, or been in a position to contrast her with her husband, and that contrast was honestly striking. She wasn’t as fast as Shiki by a long shot, but she was graceful, and what she lacked in precision, she made up for with ruthless brutality. She matched Shiki’s almost delicate stabs of the wand with broader, more encompassing strokes that used sheer power to sweep the debris aside. Visually, it was the difference between using a stiletto and a spear – but there was artistry in the way each of them employed their approaches. And watching them work together . . .

It’s like watching the opening cinematic of “Bayonetta 2,” when Bayonetta and her sister-slash-rival are fighting back-to-back, he marveled. There are no words, no visible signals, just the fight – and even so, there are no doubts, no hesitations, and no openings between them. They manage perfect coordination – synchronisation, even. It’s absolutely wild . . .

Luna could manage that, sometimes, with honestly unique sense of insight and the right partner – Ginny, most frequently, but she occasionally managed to read Shirou and Ilya could do that, with the Veela bond and the experiences between them; presumably Kiritsugu and Iris could do the same. He and Hermione could pull it off when they were blood-linked, though it was more on her part than his until recently, when he’d started training in Legilimency – and it wasn’t nearly as perfect as what he was seeing here. And it was accomplished with no obscure magic or supernatural abilities, just experience and trust . . .

Galen shook his head, repeating his earlier thought as he settled the cart into place.

Absolutely wild . . .

As they settled onto the ground, Galen released his spell’s hold. And, nearly simultaneously, a thick, cold mist began pluming up into the air, before settling over them like a blanket. And yet, oddly, when Galen drew the Deathcloak’s hood more tightly around himself, he realised that he could see clearly through it, as though the fog wasn’t even there.

“That’s odd,” Ciel murmured, as if in answer to his unspoken realisation. Her next statement only added to the bizarreness of the situation, as she continued, “From the way it looked when it was coming up, I’d have thought it would’ve settled more thickly than this on the ground.”

“If it had, he’d be dead,” Takara said, motioning to the goblin, “because I’d never have seen clearly enough to finish knitting his skull back together. As it is,” she added with a grimace, “he’ll live, but I don’t think I’ll be able to revive him just now.”

“That’s OK,” her father noted. “We don’t actually need him to be conscious, just alive enough to open the vault door, so we don’t trigger its protections. So, in the long run, this is probably safer – and speaking of safer, kitten, would you mind . . .?”

“Of course, Father,” Takara replied. She did a quick diagnostic spell with her wand, before adding, “Nothing about it registers as toxic, so that’s good news; but this mist is way too cold to be volcanic steam.”

“Too cold and too clear,” her mother agreed. “Shiki?”

From the angle he was standing at, Galen couldn’t see what Shiki did in response; there was no way to know whether he used his wand, or if it was some inborn function of his magic – maybe something to do with the Nanaya Deathsight? Regardless, the older wizard was silent for a long moment, afterwards.

“It’s like a Notice-Me-Not Charm, squared,” he answered at last. “It almost reminds me of a Nihonji temple ward . . .” He frowned. “I can’t tell where it came from, but it is keyed to us. So long as it lasts, we should be able to slip in and out of here without raising an alarm.”

“Hm,” Ciel said contemplatively. “Perhaps there is something to be said for the power of prayer, after all . . .” Then she gave her head a minimal shake. “Regardless, we’re wasting time – let’s get on with it.”

Once again, Galen found himself in the position of “pack mule,” though this time for only the goblin, rather than “the goblin, everyone else, and the heavy mining cart – while several dozen to hundred feet in the air.” This was an improvement, he supposed. And honestly, it wasn’t long before they found themselves in front of Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault – or at least, where the movie had placed that vault.

Tonks withdrew the key from the clenched hand of the still-unconscious goblin. Transfiguration was her forte – hardly a surprise coming from a Metamorphmagus, if a bit cliché – and so her part in the plan was to render the key’s surface malleable, such that it would shape itself to the tumblers of the lock. Between that and the use of the mind-controlled (or in this case, insensate) goblin, it had been their hope that they could open the vault door despite not having the actual key on hand.

It should be, Galen thought grimly. So far as we were told, the keys themselves have no particular enchantments requiring specific users – if they did, Hagrid, Molly Weasley, and anybody else with Harry’s key would’ve been in trouble . . .

But if this doesn’t work, he thought grimly, we’re going to be the ones in trouble. And then we’re going to have to get creative.

Fortunately, it appeared that the gods were on their side (possibly literally, and that was something that demanded to be looked into, when they had the opportunity). The tumblers in the lock clicked easily, when they manipulated the goblin’s hand to turn the key, and the door pulled open with an equal lack of difficulty.

Even better, it’s the right vault, Galen noted, even as he locked onto the item in question.

“The shelf on the upper left corner, Father,” Takara reported in agreement, having tracked it probably even faster than he had – avian vision enhancements, and all.

Shiki’s head tilted, and then he nodded, before thrusting his wand forward. Takara rose into the air, her breathing becoming slow and even, as her father directed her within reach—

Lightning flashed suddenly within the vault. The sounds of steel striking metal and of a defiant, fading wail would’ve been drowned to anyone with less sensitive hearing in the explosive crack of thunder that followed. Nevertheless, it was a trait Galen dearly wished, at the moment, that he didn’t possess, because the thunder’s echoes reverberating deep in Galen’s bones.

When they could all see again, the engravings on Mellinoë held a dull, violet-white glow – and the edges of the cleft that had split the cup in two possessed a similar, cherry-red one. Either the heat or the force of Takara’s blow had caused the rim to bend itself inwards, along the blade’s path, and still-liquid metal gold dripped down that defining trail.

Takara, for her part, made a sharp swing in the air, as though to clean the blood of blood – or in this case, perhaps, molten metal. Then with a whisper of steel, the sword was sheathed again, and she let out a sigh that coincided with her being pulled out of the vault and lowered to the ground.

After that, closing the vault door was simple enough.

“Obliviate,” Takara murmured, pointing her wand at the goblin. “If we’re lucky, they’ll blame that on the crash – come on, let’s leave him by the cart and get out of here.”

They did exactly that, before Takara cast aside her wig and hairpieces, as well as the padding she’d been wearing in her cheeks, and on her body, Vanishing them as she did so. Between that and a few strategic charms on her hair and the plain glass lenses of the spectacles she pulled out, it was a matter of moments before the dumpy-looking blonde with the almond-shaped brown eyes who’d come in vanished. In her place, there was now a svelte redhead with a spray of freckles on her cheeks, and Caucasian-style green eyes.

“What do you think?” she asked lightly.

“I think that with a little work on her, you and Hermione could go as ‘Anno Dracula’s Kate Reed, before and after’ next Halloween,” he teased. “You’ll do; now, let’s go. I’m starting to get nerv—”

Another thunderous rumble – this one more easily identifiable as a distant explosion – chose that moment to echo from up above.

“. . . OH, COME ON!” Galen protested. “I DIDN’T EVEN FINISH!”








Additional Writer's Notes: At last, as promised, the heist. Sorry for the wait, hope it was worth it for you - and hopefully, the next chapter won't take so bloody long!

In other news, I've seen "Doctor Strange" (fun, but very trippy, visually), and I actually do have a idea of how to mesh it with the Trinity's current world, which means the MCU sequel might be doable . . . But in the interests of spoilers, I'll hold off actually posting it for a while.

And anyone who can figure out Galen's new Occlumency defence gets an Internet-brand Dark Side cookie.

[Rai Burnout]

Nice chapter... Of course Mother Nature is screwing them over. Nothing goes right. Though I'm assuming this is Shin's involvement. As for Galen's mental defense. It's a modified version of the mental vault concept illustrated in the series "Sherlock". Its changed to illustrate a space instead of storing memories.

I'll wait for my cookie.

[hatori]

Sounds more like Hogwarts Castle, in the dead of night. without lit torches.

[Kieran]

Nice chapter...

Thank you.

Of course Mother Nature is screwing them over. Nothing goes right. Though I'm assuming this is Shin's involvement.

Probably true.

As for Galen's mental defense. It's a modified version of the mental vault concept illustrated in the series "Sherlock". Its changed to illustrate a space instead of storing memories.

I'll wait for my cookie.

Sounds more like Hogwarts Castle, in the dead of night. without lit torches.

Half each - you've got the general setup right, but you haven't worked out the biggest actual protection; in this case, where his memories are actually stored.

I'll give you a hint, because it is vague: just about anybody on this board could probably find them.

[hatori]

Hogwarts Library?

No. too obvious... i think

[Malphas]

I would go for the erised mirror, which remains a very good defense when you don't know exactly what you are looking for.

[Kieran]

Second clue: Takara, Shirou, Rin, Ilya, Kiritsugu and maybe Shiki could get to them, once they figured out where they're stored.

[hatori]

....Memory within a memory(?) -> Pensieve/Pensieve jars - > Room of Requirement-> Hogwarts castle in the dead of night. ( in reverse order)

[Rai Burnout]

I'm placing my guess on the room of requirement itself. Unless its not only finding the room but summoning a pensieve as well. After all. Even if you know Hogwarts layout it means nothing unless you know the room even exists.

[Xamusel]

...Castle Brunestud?

[ghost001]

Great chapter. Well, the idea of using mind arts was interesting, although I'd probably go with Imperio, and after the business was done, alter Giblin's memory. I think that it would be less risky way than constantly focus on maintaining connection with mind. And it could be quickly recast after Thief's Dwonfall. Or I don't remember how exactly it functioned in books. Egh, the part that sucks about writing fanfiction is that you must constantly check the source material in order to keep to canon.

By the way, I thought about a trick that could make Shirou more Fate-ish. How about conjuring a blade pointed at the enemy, and the instant it's created, use strong Depulso to send it at the enemy? I know that it would be more work than a simple curse, but agains an enemy whose shield you can't break through? Griffindor's sword would take to long to conjure, perhaps, but what about a simple swrod made out of anti-magic metal? If he could quickly conjure three of four copies, which should be easy given there are no enhantments on them, it could easely break through any (magical) shield. Although, given that Shirou now has the Wand of Destiny, such tricks are probably redundant.

As for the memories... Chamber of Secrets?

[MWkillkenny84]

Good chapter.

And I think Shin started his op at the exact moment Galen was finishing to talk.

As for the memories place... the Emiya residence in Fuyuki?

[hatori]

wait a minute...

Cafe Ahnenerbe?!

That's where he hid his memories?!!

[B.B. Rain]

Anyone on the Board...Beast's Lair = Chamber Of Secrets?

My other guesses include: the surface of the Moon, in an Astralized state similar to a Servant, somewhere within/using the Room of Requirements to conjure up a scene from the Sixth Holy Grail War, and a replica of the Holy Grail (F/Z or The Last Crusade edition) hidden somewhere among the furnishings/decorations.

[Kieran]

A lot of good guesses - I'm impressed by your creativity! - but so far, B.B. Rain has come the closest, I'd say, and he's still not quite there yet.

And now, regarding a couple of other points raised . . .

Great chapter. Well, the idea of using mind arts was interesting, although I'd probably go with Imperio, and after the business was done, alter Giblin's memory. I think that it would be less risky way than constantly focus on maintaining connection with mind. And it could be quickly recast after Thief's Dwonfall. Or I don't remember how exactly it functioned in books.

Less risky, yes, but . . .

One of my issues with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was how easily Harry employed two of the three Unforgivable Curses - after the failed attempt in fifth year, and all the effort put in to hold him to a certain standard (whether I agree with that standard is another matter; I demand consistency), he just casually fires off two of the most terrible spells in wizardry? Successfully, no less?

*Shakes head* My protagonists are far from saints, but they recognise that there are lines they shouldn't cross - and there are lines they won't cross. The two lists don't always match up, but they try to avoid being as terrible as the evil they're fighting against, or what's the point? Hence, they found alternatives they could live with.

Egh, the part that sucks about writing fanfiction is that you must constantly check the source material in order to keep to canon.

Or, at the very least, have a really good explanation for ignoring it.

By the way, I thought about a trick that could make Shirou more Fate-ish. How about conjuring a blade pointed at the enemy, and the instant it's created, use strong Depulso to send it at the enemy? I know that it would be more work than a simple curse, but agains an enemy whose shield you can't break through? Griffindor's sword would take to long to conjure, perhaps, but what about a simple swrod made out of anti-magic metal? If he could quickly conjure three of four copies, which should be easy given there are no enhantments on them, it could easely break through any (magical) shield. Although, given that Shirou now has the Wand of Destiny, such tricks are probably redundant.

Unfortunately, stygium can't really be Conjured - its nature doesn't really let it work that way. As to the overall idea, the time lag between Conjuring a sword and firing it off doesn't really make it a practical technique in a fast-and-furious battle. It's a great ambush tactic, but if your enemy can fire off anywhere between one and three Curses in the space it takes you to form a blade and launch it, it's not really the best idea, eh?

. . . Now, that said, "Doctor Strange" indicates that, on getting involved in the wider MCU, Shirou could (re-)learn to use a lot of his old tricks.

Good chapter.

And I think Shin started his op at the exact moment Galen was finishing to talk.

Thank you, and probably.

[fsnfan]

The Shrieking Shack maybe?

[hatori]

Somehow i believe that his Occulmency defense is gonna be tied to A Midsumnmer's Night Dream. Essentially, Kieran Holt's druid slash Servant Persona copy guarding the location of his memories... probably the Einzbern forest (?), that's been set into a memory.

[Kieran]

The Shrieking Shack maybe?

Nope. It's something a Type-Moon fan (and those aforementioned characters) could figure out, it is a part of his mental landscape, and . . . Mm. What's a third clue I could drop . . .?

Ah - even if Remus could figure it out, he'd never be able to get near them.

[Xamusel]

The full moon?