Fate/Apocrypha Vol. 2 + 3 (no spoilers)

[relt]

And so the dreams continue.

...with claws capable of easily rending steel and tals that would pulverize even diamond.

"tails"?

[Canon]

This... this isn't fair.

The Magus was shouting. After all, what stood in front of him was a Servant, along with the woman who was apparently her Master. They were in the middle of a Holy Grail War; it was hardly strange to find a Servant somewhere.

However, the Magus was not a Master.

The Servant had openly invaded his home, sealing all means of alert beforehand, and denying any resistance on his part by ■■■■■■ him.

This is madness! Have they forgotten the most fundamental principles of the Holy Grail War? I am not a master. I am only a Magus. How can I fight against a Servant?

This was an infraction. A breaking of the rules. Where was the judge? This Servant and her Master ought to be punished. The Magus was not even directly involved in the Holy Grail War, but only in a support role.

Were they even listening? This was unacceptable. He was fully intent on protesting. But he could only croak, and his conscious was leaving him. Just as he considered how strange this was, the Magus involuntarily brought a hand to his own chest.

His hand found an enormous hole, where his heart had been bore clean through. His Magic Crest was giving its all in an attempt to revive him, but with their degraded Crest, all it could manage was prolonging the moment before his death.

Ahh... so I am going to die.

The truth broke him, as fear shut down his mind. Drained of energy, he would never rise again.

Confirming this, the Servant spoke.

"This is a very nice place to live, isn't it, Mother?"

"Yes, it's a beautiful home. But we can't, Jack. This is the house of a Magus... they're sure to check this place first once their communications network is destroyed."

The mother explained in a gentle tone of voice to her Servant, who nodded meekly and tossed aside the corpse. It was a decent position geographically, but it seemed they had better find a different spot.

In which case, they should seize any necessities worth taking, and move on to the next location - until she found something that had not been in any of the houses they had broken into before.

"My, a piano... I didn't know that there were Magi who could play the piano."

It was a grand piano crammed into a small room. Judging from the relative thickness of the walls, it was likely reinforced with sound dampening measures. There were also a number of rituals and magical mechanisms set-up along the walls. One could surmise that the Magus had pursued his craft via the medium of sound.

Then again, the Magus was not a Master - which made him meaningless to Rokudou Reika. Not so much for the piano, however.

"Can you play it, Mother?"

"I used to. Quite often."

It was back when both her parents had still been alive. It brought her a sense of nostalgia, but it was not something she wanted to return to. The bliss was far too unfitting for someone like her, thought Reika.

She raised the fallboard. The piano appeared quite well used, but was faithfully maintained. Jack peered at the keys with great interest, poking at one of them lightly with her index finger. A beautiful note echoed through the room. Seeming pleased with the sound, she pressed on the keyboard again and again.

"Hey, Jack, would you like me to play you a song?"

"Would you...?"

Jack lifted her face, her eyes shining with unusual excitement. Telling her to shut the door, Reika sat down in front of the piano, placed her hand on the keys - and began to think of a song fit for her daughter's ears. But Reika had a limited repertoire, and there were only a few songs which she was confident she could still play.

"Is there anything in particular you want to hear, Jack? Something sad? Something happy? Anything is fine."

"Umm... something gentle. We don't want anything sad or happy."

The mother murmured in understanding. Recalling a song suited to Jack, she placed her fingers on the keyboard.

"This one is perfect for you."

Reika began to play a song that was gentle, as requested. It was not somber, yet contained a hint of wistfulness. It was not joyous, but brought calm to its listener. Entranced by the tune, Jack asked for the name of the song.

"Träumerei is its name. Kinderszenen No. 7."

"What's that?"

"It means dream in German, if I remember right."

The innocent children dream in their sleep. But for the adults who have known all good and evil in the world, dreams become recollections of their past selves. Reika did not know to which the song referred to - perhaps both - but she thought it fitting for Jack, who stood beside the piano as the melody took her away like a dream. Reika even felt some regret as she ended the song, and ended up playing the same song three times.

"We want to hear it again."

"Once we've found a place to settle, I can play it for you as much as you want."

Reika stroked Jack's head gently as she craved for more.

As this happened - the battle raged on the plains outside Trifas.

* * *

Ruler awoke in her room in the church's attic after about five hours of sleep. Thanks to the period of rest, her mind was clear and no longer mired.

Just as she finished carefully cleaning the room she had been lent, it was time for lunch. Offering her help to Alma, they began to prepare a stew together.

As Jeanne stirred the stock pot, a savory aroma rising from its bubbling contents, Alma who stood beside her toasting bread spoke out abruptly.

"May I ask you a question, Jeanne?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Do you believe in the Lord?"

Dumbfounded by the impossible question, Jeanne turned to look at her. Alma wore a troubled smile as she waited for the girl's response.

"Of course... of course, I believe in Him."

"It's often ridiculed by the world at large that only those who believe would receive salvation... that the non-believers would not be cared for, and were doomed."

"It is an incorrect assumption to begin with. It is arrogance to pray for the rapture to occur before the great tribulation."

Expressing joy in the company of the joyful, and shedding tears alongside the desolate in their hour of sorrow. It was the base condition of being a believer.

"I see... and would that be why you yourself had not been saved?"

The kitchen fell into a sudden silence. Jeanne, without looking up from the stew, shook her head at Alma's words.

"No, it has nothing to do with myself. The fires of execution were not the result of Him abandoning me. It was the fate that I had chosen."

She was finally finished with the stew.

Apparently, Alma was a Watcher of the Church, ordered to keep watch over the Yggdmillennia clan, reporting at the first sign of activity and fulfilling the regular duties of a sister otherwise. It was not an easy job; for one, in the twenty years since her assignment, there had been no real movements at all.

However, that quickly changed a few months ago. Family members from all over the world began to congregate, working through the nights to perform rituals. Large amounts of resources were transported into the city and the situation clearly pointed to the deployment of some powerful magecraft. Despite Alma's reports, the Church was delayed in its response and failed to intervene in the Holy Grail War until it had nearly begun.

"When did you find out about me?"

"At first, I thought you were a Magus of the Yggdmillennia. There aren't many tourists to this city, after all. I was contacted later and got quite a shock."

"Hmm... so why did you let me stay here if you thought I was a Magus?"

"Oh? And what does that have to do with anything? Our doors are always open to those who seek our aid."

Seeing the elegant smile appear on Alma's face made Jeanne smile back in return.

"Can I ask something, as well? Why weren't you surprised by this?"

"I did not think that a small city like Trifas would have a proper church in the first place. While I cannot speak of other Magi, I knew that the Yggdmillennias had survived by spreading their blood widely."

But it was not as though she had been doubting Alma all this time.

"And, in any case, even if a member of the Church knew of my existence, I did not think it would be a problem."

Ruler belonged to the side that protected the order of the Holy Grail War - she was an overseer. The existing overseer of this Holy Grail War had unilaterally decided to join the Red camp, but Jeanne had no way to know that when she first arrived. By now, she understood that it was Shirou Kotomine who had spun things out of control on his own judgment.

"So, Alma, how much do you know?"

"Not very much, other than that the overseer sent by our side is no longer under our control."

Alma replied impassively.

"I see... well, there is no issue then. The Holy Grail War is under my jurisdiction, so I would prefer a free reign in handling it."

For an instant, Jeanne considered proposing an alliance with the Church. However, there was the fear that their interference would invite further chaos into the proceedings. Although Amakusa Shirou Tokisada was never canonized, he did belong to the Church, and that would convert the conflict into infighting.

"Oh? Is that so? To be honest, I think I'm quite glad to hear that. As it stands, it looks like there is some friction with the Association, as well."

It was only natural, Jeanne thought. Based on what she heard from Mordred's Master, Shishigou Kairi, the Association had brought in freelance Magi at great costs to cover all their bases before joining the war. It must have been a slap in the face to discover that the overseer betrayed them, and had planned to do so since the start. And, as Shishigou said, they had been an acceptable expense. Without the freelancers, the Association might now decide to pour their full strength into the war.

"So you mean to say that both the Association and the Church will only observe for the time being, more or less?"

"Yes... I believe that's correct. We do not consider a fake Holy Grail to be worth such fixation. It's all the more unfortunate that Father Kotomine would be so obsessed with obtaining that wish-granter."

Alma confirmed her assumption, and Jeanne let out a sigh of relief. While any aid was appreciated, further interventions would be troublesome. This Holy Grail War was abnormal enough as it was.

"We also don't have a full picture of the situation, after all. Interfering in a situation where our own agent has gone renegade would only create further doubts."

That is fine by me. And... may I ask one last question?"

"Yes, go ahead."

"Why did you go out of your way to reveal yourself to me? I doubt it will cause any issue, but I do not see any need to, either."

"Oh, you've forgotten something very important."

As Jeanne tilted her head in confusion, Alma gave her a mischievous smile.

"Jeanne d'Arc... you are the great holy maiden who brought light back into the world. Was it wrong of me to wish to speak with such a person?"

Jeanne's eyes widened.

"Oh, um, mmmm... yes, I see, you are right. But... surely you exaggerate. I am neither great nor did I bring light..."

Jeanne lowered her eyes in embarrassment. It was true that her name had gained some recognition in the world. She would not have been summoned as a Servant otherwise. However, to have someone else speak directly of her admiration for Jeanne was highly discomforting.

"People of the world know of your sacrifice. It brings tears to their eyes, and indignation in their hearts. You might not have intended it, but your actions have become a source of motivation for others. I think that's something to be proud of. In fact... it was learning about you that made me decide to become a sister."

Jeanned chatted with Alma for a while longer before saying goodbye to the church. Although reluctant to leave, she could hardly have stayed there forever. However, in the midst of her regret, she recalled the sight of Alma waving her hand.

It was a strange sensation, leaving one's name for the generations to come. It was not the same as the welcome and acclaim she would receive upon freeing a city with the army at her back. The common folk had entrusted their hopes to her, that she would free their country. But it was different for Alma, who had learned of La Pucelle's end. She learned that Jeanne d'Arc had carried something with her - faith. And she knew the tragedy of the holy maiden who had faded into the flames. That was the standard "image" of Jeanne d'Arc to this world.

'You changed the world, you know. Much more than you realize.'

Alma had said that. Perhaps that was something for her to be proud of. But something snagged in her thoughts. Her existence did bring change to the world - but it was through the sowing of the seeds of disasters.

Jeanne shook her head as her thoughts changed tracks. It was something she would never forget, but it was not something she could worry about now. It had long since ended.

If only she could have spoken to him after her burning. Perhaps she could have comforted him. However, their lives had ended far in the distant past. There would be no resolution, no way to entrust it to what had been the future. Even so, to see that great Marshall of days past fall so far...

That alone would remain nothing but a source of sorrow to her.

Collecting herself, Jeanne paid a visit to the Fortress of Millennia. It had barely been half a day since she parted with Alma, but the air already felt somewhat gloomy and dim.

As she arrived at the gate, a homunculus opened it and greeted her.

"Lady Ruler. Has there been a development?"

It was one of the leaders of the homunculi - the one with rather sharp eyes who wielded a halberd in her hand.

"No, that is not why I am here..."

"Ah, you have come to see Sieg, then. I will lead you to his room. Follow me."

"That... is why I am here, I suppose."

It was true that she felt worried about letting him out of her sight. While she believed Sieg to be highly intelligent and collected, he was also the type to become exceedingly reckless once his mind was set on something. And that was without mentioning his Servant, the wild and devil-may-care Astolfo.

"She is, well, less of a Park and more of a Drive kind of Rider..."

Astolfo not only had no brakes, but had an afterburner. The Servant would not only allow Sieg's recklessness, but encourage it.

As these absent thoughts crossed her mind, the homunculus leading her came to a stop.

"Here we are. It is almost time for the others to wake up and take over for me, so I will go sleep now. Excuse me."

"Thank you."

Seeing the homunculus off, Jeanne turned to face the door again. She tried knocking but there was no response. Was Sieg still asleep? After some hesitation, Jeanne tentatively open the door.

In a word, the room was a mess. Discarded pieces of clothing were left here and there, and several emptied bottles of wine had laid on the floor. There was even a spot where the stone wall had been broken. She wondered what had happened.

There was a large double bed in the center of the room where Sieg was sleeping, his face buried in a pillow and the sheets wrapped around him.

"So he is still asleep..."

Sieg did not even twitch as she murmured. Rider was nowhere to be found but definitely close at hand, so he must be in his spirit form.

"Hmm..."

Perhaps due to his birth as a homunculus, Sieg appeared rather androgynous, like the other homunculi in the castle - though he leaned more towards female, with not a single strand of facial hair on him. It might depress Sieg to hear it, but Jeanne found an elegance in the homunculi, as works of art.

If the Rider Astolfo were a single pure bloom flowering gracefully - then the homunculi like Sieg were painstakingly polished gems. She could not compare and rank their different forms of beauty.

Sieg was in deep sleep. Perhaps it would be better to wait until he woke up by himself. Previously, they had both been utterly exhausted and ended up squeezing themselves onto a single, small bed. He definitely deserved to take up the entire double bed himself this time.

Without warning, the peaceful rhythm of his breathing changed.

"Sieg...?"

Some voiceless pain distorted his expression, and his skin became pallid, like he suddenly lost a great amount of blood. For an instant, Jeanne felt a chill run down her spine as Sieg's life force weakened.

"Sieg!"

Jeanne shook his shoulders in a panic, calling his name. When she did it a second time, Sieg's eyes snapped open.

"Ruler...?"

Whispering hoarsely, Sieg reached out to her. Jeanne hastened to take his hand and was relieved to feel his weak grip in return. However, his condition was serious beyond doubt.

"Are you all right? I will heal you right away..."

"No, I just saw a bad dream. It's nothing. I'm not hurt."

Saying this, Sieg placed a hand on his chest over his heart - the heart that once belonged to a hero. As he said, his sweat was clearing and the blood was coming back to his face. With no external injuries, one would be hard pressed to find anything wrong with him. As though Death himself had decided to move on, his soul remained in one piece.

"Are you sure that you are all right? Could it have been some kind of curse, or...?"

"That's not it, Ruler. This isn't magecraft. It... isn't."

Sieg muttered as he continued pressing on his own heart.

Just as Jeanne was about to question the meaning of his words, she finally noticed some strangeness in the scene. Sieg had already raised his upper body off the bed, so only his waist and legs were still hidden beneath the sheets - but she found the mound oddly large.

"Where is Astolfo?"

"Oh, right here."

Sieg rolled up the sheets, revealing the Rider that was wrapped around his legs. In spite of the turmoil that just occurred, he was still soundly asleep, a far cry from the image of a Servant protecting his Master. But more importantly...

"...Sieg, what is going on here?"

It was the lowest that Sieg had ever heard Jeanne's voice go, sounding like when she was fighting - a deep rumble that shook him to his insides. The dauntless voice would inspire brave deeds in her allies, and cause her enemies to quiver. For some strange reason, Sieg could not help but hear it from the latter perspective.

Well... I guess he took it off while we were asleep."

Sieg glanced at the various bits of clothing scattered around the room. It was most likely something he received from Celenike, but Rider had changed into proper pajamas before he went to sleep. One might question why he did not simply go into his spirit form, but suggesting that would definitely send him into a teary-eyed protest, as though he was being dismissed.

Although Sieg possessed little knowledge as a Magus, having been forged with Magic Circuits as his core, the quality of said Circuits were top of the line. As such, there was no issue with letting Rider maintain his physical form for long periods...

"...that was not what I meant."

"Right."

That was scary.

Anyway, Sieg could infer that Jeanne was probably taking issue with Astolfo's sleeping clothes being half gone. The buttons on the top half were all undone, revealing a white body. And the bottom half had moved downwards, apparently having pulled them off while sleeping.

Certainly, it was not a sight meant for the eyes of others. He was basically half naked. In any case, Sieg should wake him up.

"Rider, get up."

"Nnn? Nyuu..."

Mewling like a cat, Astolfo arched his back and rose from the bed. Jeanne swallowed her breath. With narrowed eyes, Astolfo glared at his surroundings, before giving a nod as though he realized something.

"Nyuu..."

He fell asleep again. Left with no choice, Sieg pulled on Astolfo's ears.

"Wake up, you useless Servant."

"I'm not useless! I'm a useful Servant! So many Noble Phantasms!"

Dramatically, Astolfo rose up, swinging both arms wildly in a fierce show of protest.

"Good morning, Rider."

Hearing this, Astolfo waved his hand, lazily grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, it's Ruler. Good morning... what? Did something happen?"

"Yes, I suppose something did. But leaving that aside for now. Can I ask you something, Rider?"

"Hmm? What?"

Jeanne cleared her throat, and then pointed at Astolfo in accusation.

"Why are you in such a shameful state?"

"Eh? Ooh, when did I take these off...? Is this shameful?"

Jeanne nodded her head strongly. Astolfo grumbled as he removed his pajamas completely before equipping his armor.

"I'm baaaack!"

"Do not stand on the sheets while wearing your boots!"

"Who cares about that? You're so fussy. I'm not making them dirty... I think."

"Well...? How did this happen?"

"How did what happen?"

"This! Why were you, um, sleeping together with Sieg?"

Astolfo looked truly confused as his head turned almost a perfect 90 degrees.

But he's my Master, right? And I'm his Servant, right?"

"T-That is true, but there was no need to sleep in the same bed together!"

"...You did, though."

Astolfo said quietly, and Jeanne froze. After opening and closing her mouth a few times like a fish, she turned to Sieg.

"Did... did you tell Rider?"

Sieg nodded in bemusement.

"Should I not have? I didn't think there was anything to hide..."

"Oh, um, no, of course not..."

Jeanne looked at him with some unknown resentment.

"It's not like anything shady happened. Right, Master?"

Strangely, Sieg could not help feeling that there was no joy in Astolfo's laugh. In fact, there was no laughter at all in his eyes as he glared at Jeanne.

"Well... I am sure that nothing shady could have possibly happened from yesterday till today, either."

"Oh, you never know. Maybe something will happen tomorrow."

Astolfo smiled as he looked defiantly at Jeanne, who returned it with an intense glare.

"I am simply requesting that you do not cause a disturbance with your appearance."

"I'm a Heroic Spirit, though. There are plenty of naked Heroic Spirits, you know?"

"That does not matter! And Sieg is still a child, so you should take extra care to be responsible!"

"My Master's not a child! He can make his own decisions. He can act on his own. He's a grown-up! What's wrong with you, anyway? Aren't you the indecent one, charging into other people's rooms this early in the morning? Without even knocking!"

"I did knock! You were asleep! And it's noon already!"

The two Servants glowered at one another, gnashing their teeth. Sieg raised his hands and tried to calm the pair down, but was completely ignored. It was quite disheartening.

"Just... act more prudently, please."

"No! It's when I sleep with my Master that I feel all fired up!"

"God forbid! The wrongness of it!"

"My, my. Crimes of passion, is it?"

An unexpected voice called out to them. Jeanne and Astolfo turned at the same time and saw Chiron peering into the room from the door. He held a hand over his mouth as he chuckled - a rare act for the Servant.

[Spartacus]

Just a normal day in your Holy Grail War

Thanks Capped Ranon

[Rafflesiac]

Rokudou

Rikudou

And the greatest Servant rivalry finally begins. I guess Astolfo was facing away from her or Jeanne turned away or something if she still thinks he's a girl.

[relt]

Thanks for the translation.

...so I would prefer a free reign in handling it.

The idiom is "free rein."

Well... I guess he took it off while we were asleep."

But he's my Master, right? And I'm his Servant, right?"

Both of these lines are missing the beginning quotation mark.

[Blanca]

Thanks for the update, sincerely appreciated

[Stasis]

. I guess Astolfo was facing away from her or Jeanne turned away or something if she still thinks he's a girl.

Considering Jeanne's character,I'm pretty sure he looked at her backwards all the time. Otherwise you'd necessarily have a classic "put that away" scene. Here she's not bothered by the fact he's naked, but rather by the fact he slept naked with Sieg.

[Canon]

"I-It is nothing of the sort... Anyway, Sieg, I wanted to ask you again about what happened earlier. I would like to hear your opinion as well, Chiron."

"Earlier? Did something happen, Master?"

"Yeah, actually..."

Sieg explained about the 'dream' that he had had. When he mentioned his chest being gouged, Astolfo pulled apart Sieg's shirt in a hurry and made sure that there were no wounds there. Impulsively, Sieg covered the blackened parts of his skin with his hands, feeling that letting the others discover it would only worsen the situation.

"Whew. What would we have done if it'd actually been life-threatening..."

"You could have not ripped my shirt open, I think."

"Rider... why must you... really..."

Jeanne pushed her fingers between her brows, as though weathering a headache. Putting all of that aside, Chiron began to analyze the dream that Sieg spoke of. With knowledge bestowed by the Greek Gods, it should have been trivial for him to interpret a dream...

"...allow me to say in advance that I cannot speak with certainty. After all, Sieg, you are unmistakably unique in this world, something that has never been possible in any of the Holy Grail Wars of history."

Chiron repeated that Sieg was an unknown factor. Beyond any description of 'rare', he was quite literally the one and only and unlike any other.

"You live on by the heart of Siegfried, successfully resurrecting through the release of Frankenstein's Noble Phantasm. However, the problem lays with your heart... the heart that ought have faded away when Siegfried left this world. Due to the binding by your mana and Circuits, it has become flesh, in a fashion."

The Einzberns created homunculi that were top of the line. It was even possible for them to manufacture homunculi to function as a vessel of a Holy Grail - a Lesser Grail, in other words - that was also capable of managing itself. Although Gordes had realized the potential, these functionalities were deemed unnecessary for the homunculi commanded by Darnic.

Even the homunculi forged for disposable purposes were structurally designed to be able to accept a 'vessel'. It was simply a matter of not having enough space to take in as oversurging an existence as a Servant.

The homunculi of the Yggdmillennias were unable to take in even a single Servant. However, it was only the matter of a single organ. Now, with that organ lost, instead supplemented by a very symbol of immortality - dragon's blood - even the impossible had become possible.

"Your dream was influenced by Siegfried, that much is without doubt... what remains doubtful is whether that had been but a simple dream. What are your thoughts, Sieg? Did you feel that you were in a dream?"

Sieg wordlessly shook his head.

"No... I don't think that was. There was a dream, before that."

He glanced at Astolfo. Surely, even this Servant would prefer not having his own past discussed openly. Mentioning it would not help anyone.

"In that case, I believe we should take it as an ill omen. I can only presume... but I believe that you may be attempting to become Siegfried."

"Become him?"

"Would it be so strange for such an overwhelming existence as the heart of a Servant to erode you? Your flesh would not be able to withstand it. It would eat in you, until the dike collapsed and you would be crumpled from the inside."

"But... as far as I can tell, Sieg's heart is functioning normally."

"Did you forget, Ruler? He had already become Siegfried once."

Jeanne nodded at Chiron's words, looking distressed.

"Yes... that possession was nothing short of a miracle."

"It was beyond even a miracle. Am I correct, Sieg, that you have been possessed by Siegfried twice now? How long has that been combined in terms of time?"

"Three minutes is the limit to one transformation."

"Then your flesh had been consumed for three hundred sixty seconds. Although I cannot know how long your lifespan will be, I can tell you that those six minutes as Siegfried are on par with your entire life. Understand that, for every time you allow Siegfried to take over yourself, you approach your own death."

Dead Count Shapeshifter - the Command Spells were a literal count to his death. He might be able to transform as many times as he could be replenished with Command Spells, but Sieg's very existence would crumble with every use. There would be no way to reverse that.

"Are you telling me that I shouldn't let him possess me anymore?"

Jeanne intercepted Sieg's queston to Chiron.

"That would be the wisest decision. You are a Master, Sieg. Having you fight was not a good idea to begin with. I hope that you can leave the battles to your Servant, and act as a Master should."

"But don't we need the power of Siegfried?"

"..."

Jeanne fell silent, averting her gaze. Astolfo was gripping Sieg's shirt tightly and made no sign of letting go.

"Besides, it isn't for sure that everything will go as Archer says. It's definitely possible that I just got confused and it really was a dream."

"But...!"

Chiron spoke out to dissolve the argument.

"This is not a matter that can be resolved by our decision. The question belongs only to his own will, and whether or not he will use the Command Spells."

Chiron was correct, thought Jeanne. The question laid with Sieg himself. Was he resolved to disregard Chiron's warning regardless? Would he choose to walk forward no matter what laid ahead?

It was a foolish question. Of course, he would choose to. And Jeanne had to let him choose...

...no! I can't let him choose! I mustn't!

"I shall take my leave here. It seems my Master has matters to discuss with Ruler and Rider, as well. You may take your time, but please bring yourselves to the meeting room after."

Chiron exited the room, forcing the mood to take another uncomfortable dive. Jeanne and Astolfo were both painfully aware that, whatever the oaths they made him swear, or the restraints and the compulsions placed upon him - if Sieg were to appear at the right place and the right time, he would definitely summon and allow Siegfried to possess him.

They could knock him unconscious, gag him and tie him up - but that probably wouldn't work. Why not just put him to sleep permanently, then - that would be even worse.

"You two aren't think of anything... drastic, are you?"

Sieg asked the two who looked at him with a heavy, lingering gaze.

"Not really."

"What makes you think that?"

They shook their heads. Sieg rose from the bed.

"We won't find an answer to this problem. Ruler, Rider... I'm really grateful for all your kindness, and I know I shouldn't disregard what either of you say."

But, still...

"...I'm sorry. I'll go take a look at the homunculi. Please go find the Magi."

Jeanne and Astolfo looked at each other, and sighed at the same time.

"Very well."

"Roger. And Master, don't run off and leave the castle, all right? Say something before you go."

"What am I, a child?"

The two Servants left the room and headed for the meeting room, all the while shooting looks at one another to keep each other in check.

"Well... what shall we do?"

"I'd ask the same thing."

In the end, there was only one way to make Sieg not transform, which was to create a situation where he had no need to. That meant crushing the enemy with overwhelming force - and of course, if they had the power to do that, they would not have to struggle so in the first place.

"Can't you handle it with those Command Spells you have?"

Jeanne shook her head and put an end to that train of thought.

"The Command Spells are in a form that is keyed to each Class. They cannot be matched to one of the wrong color or Class. If it could, I would have done so already."

"Why on earth would they work that way? They're Command Spells. Normally, any Master can use any one of them, right?"

Astolfo was correct, and that was exactly why in a normal Holy Grail War, the Command Spells could be safeguarded by the overseer and even granted as compensation when changes in the rules took place.

"What if I, as Ruler, devoted myself to one Servant and granted them Command Spells intentionally? This is for the sake of preventing a worst case scenario."

"I wish they'd had the foresight to predict something like this happening, too."

"No one would normally consider anything like our current situation."

Even the premise required for something like this Great Holy Grail War to take place was an aberration. The system itself must have become cautious of something of even worse possibilities occuring.

The one silver lining was that their opponent, Shirou, had also about three Command Spells for each Servant of Red, which were ineffective against the Servants of Black. As well, he did not manage to secure those for Mordred. At the least, the Servants on their side would not be bound by Command Spells.

"What do you think Fiore called us out for, by the way?"

"I wonder... perhaps she wanted to discuss the raising of funds needed for the airplanes? Or they have come up with some idea of how to approach the Hanging Gardens..."

"I hope so..."

* * *

"Unfortunately, things have not gone quite so smoothly."

The met at the same meeting room as the day before. There was some slight exhaustion in Fiore's face as she smiled. Chiron placed himself beside her like a steward, while Caules stood one step removed from them.

"Please wait a little while longer for the airplanes. It is planned for them to arrive within three days."

"Hmph, that's too bad. So, did you want us for something else?"

"Yes. Actually, it concerns the Assassin of Black."

"Now that you mention it... the Assassin of Black has not appeared for quite some time now. I was under the belief that the Yggdmillennias was holding Assassin in reserve for the chance to kill the Masters."

Jeanne said, and Fiore shook her head.

"It shames me to admit this, but it appears that the Master of Assassin has had his Servant stolen."

"Huh. That does sound pretty shameful."

Astolfo gave his honest feedback to the troubled Fiore. Jeanne recalled what Shirou had said on the subject.

"There's only one thing we know. Assassin is completely out of control."

Caules tossed a newspaper at Jeanne and Astolfo. Taking it in hand, Jeanne's expression became bitter.

"Identity of Romania's 'Jack the Ripper' Remains in Shadows"

"'Jack the Ripper'..."

"Even the sort of press that would use provocative headlines like this sometimes tells the truth. As it turns out, the serial killer they are labeling 'Jack the Ripper' is the real Jack."

"You... summoned Jack the Ripper as Assassin?"

Seeing Jeanne's raised eyebrows, Fiore looked disheartened.

"Yes, one of our own, Hyouma Sagara, believed that there was a limit to what could be achieved by the proper Assassin, Hassan-i Sabbah. He believed the best chance laid with summoning the newest Assassin, Jack the Ripper."

As the ritual of the Holy Grail War and its derivatives were repeated time and again, a number of strategies became established among its participants. It became common practices to prioritize the defeat of the Masters first - and to stay most on guard, not against the three knight Classes beginning with Saber, but the Assassin Servants.

It proved nearly impossible to survive an ambush conducted via Presence Concealment unless a Servant was kept nearby at all times. However, ensuring that one's Servant stayed in visual contact for security, presented another problem when one faced off against another Servant. The risk of becoming a part of the battle itself became higher than ever, and even Heroic Spirits would be placed at a crushing disadvantage if required to fight while covering for another. Even if one's Servant was not directly killed in the initial encounter, if caught in a situation where their movements became bound, only defeat remained in the end. Yet it was also foolish to keep one's Servant at a distance. As well, one could never discount the possibility of Assassin intervening and killing one of the Servants while they were entangled in battle. There were even anecdotes that, in one particular offshoot Holy Grail War, the Master who summoned Assassin ended the War in just three days. As such, all Masters began desperately shoring up their defenses against Assassins. After all, the true name of the Assassin Servant was known wide and far.

Hassan-i Sabbah was the head of a legendary order of shadowy killers in the Middle East, and the one from whom the term assassin could be traced back to. However, history told of only nineteen individuals who took up the name of Hassan. Normally, when summoning Assassin, one of these nineteen would be called. Although it was possible for others to answer the summons, the chances were so low that one could be forgiven for believing them nonexistent.

Across the many Holy Grail Wars, not only had the true names of the nineteen Assassins been laid bare, but the nature of their Noble Phantasms as well. Yet the Masters feared Hassan-i Sabbah all the same. It was beyond count how many Masters lost their lives at their hands, as Hassan slipped through regardless of all their countermeasures.

However, thanks to those countermeasures, the possibility of Hassan being killed by their targets became exceedingly high. It became common perception that summoning Assassin was an immeasurable gamble - as one either ended up taking the Holy Grail, or death swiftly followed.

Aside from that, the summoning of Hassan as the Assassin Servant was due to the word assassin itself being their catalyst. As such, if one were more creative in arranging additional lines in the summoning incantation, bringing in catalysts not associated with Hassan, then it would not be out of the question to call upon other Heroic Spirits. For example, Semiramis who was summoned by Shirou in the Red camp.

"When deciding the Heroic Spirit to summon as Assassin, Hyouma Sagara focused on the lack of information, and so his eyes landed on one of the newest Heroic Spirits, Jack the Ripper."

"That is true. After all, the Ripper is one of the great mysteries of England. Nothing is certain, not even his gender."

"Eh? But isn't Jack a man's name?"

Caules shook his head and answered Astolfo.

"He'd been called Jill the Ripper at first, since only prostitutes were targeted and all of them were killed without any apparent struggle. Well, the theory that Jack was female did die down pretty quickly... normally, you'd assume that he's a man."

"Most likely, Jack the Ripper is an Assassin that has never been once called to any Holy Grail War. I cannot even imagine what their Noble Phantasm may be. So you are saying that..."

"Our last contact with Hyouma Sagara was right before the summoning ritual. At the start, we assumed that an agent of the Association had killed him and seized his Servant..."

Fiore looked at the newspaper in front of Jeanne and Astolfo.

"...but based on that article, the Assassin of Black arrived in Romania and behaved in a way that we could not imagine was allowed by a Magus. We proceeded with our own investigation."

That was when Chiron and Fiore witnessed the duel between the Assassin of Black and the Saber of Red. The pair had considered this a great opportunity to exploit - but in the end, Assassin managed to retreat with only light wounds, and the confrontation between Chiron and Mordred ended with damage taken on both sides.

"Sigh... even now, I regret that I focused so much on Saber that I neglected Assassin."

Having just lost Siegfried at the time, it was decided that the highest priority for the Yggdmillennias was taking out the Saber of Red.

"Your decision was correct, Master. The fault was mine for failing to secure the kill."

Chiron consoled his lamenting Master. Caules agreed with the Servant.

"Well, in hindsight, not taking out Mordred became the silver lining for us, so that's okay. No use crying over spilt milk, right, Sis?"

As it turned out, Jeanne and Chiron only still survived due to the Yggdmillennias' failure to defeat Mordred.

"Also... we received a report from our kin down in Trifas. Last night, just before we were to engage the Red camp, contact was lost with several of our agents inserted around the city. Ten of them, and they were all veterans, if not all first-rate Magi."

Although they had not been chosen as Masters, a few among the ten were more skilled than Caules himself, with familial history going back many years. If their opponent had been Magi of the Association, there would have been any number of ways for them to remain in contact - so in this case, it was more likely that they had been unable to reach out at all.

"Ruler and Rider, what I would like to request from the two of you is..."

"...bringing the Assassin of Black to justice."

Jeanne interrupted Fiore, who nodded as she watched closely for Jeanne's reaction.

"I see... so you were concerned that this would conflict with my duties as Ruler, correct?"

"That's right. We are asking you to defeat a particular Servant, after all."

"I assure you, even in a normal Holy Grail War, the amount of innocent lives that Assassin and their Master have dragged into the fighting would have incurred a severe penalty."

More specifically, they had involved people who had nothing to do with the Holy Grail War, and on top of that, created a situation where that became publicized. Ultimately, it depended on the Servant chosen as Ruler to judge whether the rule-breaker deserved punitive measurements regardless of the latter condition. But Jeanne d'Arc as Ruler had strict definitions of what counted as 'within' the boundaries of the Holy Grail War, and what did not. She would show no mercy to any who attempted to cross the line from the inside to the outside, while those attempting the opposite would be expelled as carefully as possible.

"Besides, we have only these three days before the airplanes arrive to track down and defeat Assassin. After that, we must employ all our resources to pursuing the Hanging Gardens."

"So what you're really saying is, help us out if you want to set off in three days, right? Sly girl!"

Astolfo said quietly as he smiled. Fiore replied with composure.

"It is a teaching in our family that idle hands should never be kept wanting for work."

"I do not mind. However, may I request that Sieg does not participate in this matter?"

"Yes... I've heard that that homunculus can be possessed by Siegfried three more times. I suppose it won't do to waste them on a single Servant."

Jeanne sighed softly in relief. If Sieg were to join the battle, he would most certainly allow Siegfried to take over. Every Command Spell counted, and they must prevent him from entering situations where he would use any at all.

"Thank you. In that case, that leaves Rider, Archer, me... and perhaps the Saber of Red could be persuaded to join us? Seeing as she has faced Assassin once before."

Fiore's expression soured.

"I would... prefer not relying upon Saber and her Master."

"Why's that?"

Fiore kept silent despite Astolfo's innocent question. Caules decided that it was time for him lend a hand.

"Basically... the old man and Mordred are on the Association's side, and we'd have to disclose our own situation to explain why we're taking down the Assassin of Black. Well, he's probably already figured that something was up, but this is still a matter of pride. Besides, we don't want to owe him any favors."

"The Assassin of Black is not beyond the abilities of the three Servants present here. I myself had once..."

Unusually, Chiron trailed off mid-sentence. The others appeared bemused as they turned their attention to him.

"What is it, Archer?"

"Master, I believe you had sighted the Assassin of Black, as well. Can you see their parameters?"

"Oh, um..."

Fiore closed her eyes as to recall, but quickly opened them to give Chiron a look of confusion.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. Strange... I'm sure that I'd read Assassin's parameters... but, why...?"

Fiore put a hand over her mouth in shock.

"That is not all, Master. Although both of us had observed the Assassin of Black, neither of us are able to remember their face."

"Could it be... some kind of innate Skill, or a Noble Phantasm?"

"It is likely. As the Saber of Red wore her helm to keep her name a secret, so perhaps does the Assassin of Black possess some means of hiding one's true form."

The helm of Mordred was merely a temporary means to conceal her identity. After she revealed her Noble Phantasm, she did not hesitate to reveal even her face.

In a regular Holy Grail War, Noble Phantasms would only be used to deal a killing blow to an enemy Servant. This tactic represented the lowest risk and ensured that one's name remained secret. In single combat against another Servant, out of the sight of other Masters, it would prove a difficult obstacle to surmount.

But the Assassin of Black went above and beyond that. For Jack the Ripper, keeping one's identity a secret was not a tactic but a way of existence. Although the result of various deplorable conditions coming together, this was the killer who had murdered at least five prostitutes without leaving any trace of evidence. One legend spoke of the killer having even the devil's own luck, as graffiti that might have become evidence was ordered to be washed away by the Police Superintendent of the time over concerns of racial tensions.

The killer did not merely obscure their identity. Obscurity itself became the killer's identity, taking a life of its own.

"I detected nothing unnatural during the battle itself. Most likely, it was from the moment that we recognized Assassin as having disappeared that the information we gained became expunged."

"So, aside from knowing that Assassin is Jack the Ripper, we have absolutely no idea what their appearance or abilities are, much less their Noble Phantasm. Is that right?"

Fiore answered Astolfo as she nodded dolefully.

"That's right. This may be more difficult than I expected..."

[You]

golden age of the hassan

[Spartacus]

Too OP to the point HGW meta revolve around them.

[Rafflesiac]

the newest Assassin, Jack the Ripper

- - - Updated - - -

Also thanks for the translation Canon.

[relt]

Thank you for the translation

Caules decided that it was time for him lend a hand.

"him to lend"

[EDreamer]

Hi guys, long time no see. After discussing things with Canon, I've decided to start posting the translation for Volume 4 now despite the fact that Volume 3 isn't finished. I've finally finished translating Vol 4 on the side while doing Fire Girl, so we agreed that there's no point in waiting any longer. I've made a new thread for those who are prepared for spoilers. Right now only the prologue and chapter 1 are posted since I'm still in the process of editing the volume for mistakes and corrections, but I'll post a chapter each time I finish editing one and make an update in the new thread. However, discussion of Volume 4 is limited to the new thread, so try to keep out spoilers from this one, okay guys?

Here's the link to the new thread:
Fate/Apocrypha Vol. 4 + 5 (no spoilers)

[You]

clap clap clap

[wyldfire]

Thanks canon and edreamer. Today's a glorious day indeed.

[kuuowl]

How many chapters are left in Volume 3 to translate (I copy and pasted them all and put them into mobi for my Kindle, so I'm curious on how much extra digging I'll have to do to finish the volume myself)

[Laserman]

How many chapters are left in Volume 3 to translate (I copy and pasted them all and put them into mobi for my Kindle, so I'm curious on how much extra digging I'll have to do to finish the volume myself)

Purely in page numbers? Less than half.

There.

[chipathy]

page numbers arent the same as chapters

[EDreamer]

page numbers arent the same as chapters

Not much point counting in chapters, since they're few in number and wildly vary in length in this light novel series. Page count is more accurate.

[kuuowl]

Not much point counting in chapters, since they're few in number and wildly vary in length in this light novel series. Page count is more accurate.

That's a really good point, I do like the way they have subchapters for each perspective though.

Out of curiosity, how long did it take you to be able to even consider translating Japanese novels? I guess accurate translations + sorting it into nicely read English is pretty skillful.