Fate Accel Zero Order
Prelude
Dr. Roman:
I'm sorry to ask you to come this early in the morning,
Fujimaru.
Dr. Roman:
It hasn't been long since what happened to Da Vinci, but we detected another Singularity.
Fou:
Foou, fooou!
Mash:
I'm sorry for being late, Doctor! I've been having trouble waking up for the past few days—Oh.
Mash:
Oh, you're here already, Senpai. As a master of REM sleep, I can see you are ready anytime.
Fujimaru 1:
Waking up immediately is a special skill I have.
Mash:
I know. I noticed that when I first met you.
Mash:
I still remember how cheerful you were when you woke up that day. That memory is one of my best to date.
Fujimaru 2:
Actually, I pulled an all-nighter...
Mash:
That is not good. Chaldea time is now the benchmark in this world.
Mash:
Senpai, staying past 1 in the morning is bad for your body. Even if you get login bonuses at 4.
Dr. Roman:
Mash, I'm glad to see that you're doing great, too.
Well, can I start briefing now?
Mash:
Um...s-sure.
Sorry, Doctor.
Mash:
You were talking about a new Singularity, right? But Doctor, aren't those coordinates the same as Singularity F?
Dr. Roman:
It does appear that way on Chaldeas' map, but the temporal axis is different.
Dr. Roman:
This Singularity corresponds to the point 10 years earlier in time than the Singularity F you guys investigated before.
Dr. Roman:
I can't conclude that this is a Holy Grail for certain, but an extremely similar response has been observed.
Mash:
Earlier, huh? But is it really possible that a Holy Grail would manifest at the same point so frequently?
Dr. Roman:
Actually, even I can't explain that. So, I thought I would bring someone who seemed capable of doing it.
El-Melloi:
I see. That's why you called me here.
Mash:
Zhuge Liang... No,
Lord El-Melloi II!
El-Melloi:
Indeed, I am familiar with Fuyuki City in Japan...
Or so I'd like to say.
El-Melloi:
But unfortunately, my knowledge is estranged from the history recorded by Laplace here in Chaldea.
Dr. Roman:
That's expected. Now that human history has been incinerated,
Dr. Roman:
many different possibilities got mixed in with Chaldeas' observation results.
Dr. Roman:
Perhaps, Chaldeas didn't exist in the history where Mr. El-Melloi II came from.
Dr. Roman:
Your world and our world... I am not sure which one is the proper history, however...
Dr. Roman:
It is obvious that both worlds are “centered and extremely close to each other.” Otherwise, you wouldn't have been summoned.
El-Melloi:
You're talking about the cluster of parallel worlds in the Primary Branch... In other words, Phenomena Permissible for Revision that share the same future despite minor differences...
El-Melloi:
And Phenomena Designated for Removal: the cluster of parallel worlds that would eventually lead to ruin like fallen leaves.
El-Melloi:
Unfortunately, that kind of topic is out of my purview.
El-Melloi:
It's a part of the World that, unless you're one with a Heroic Spirit like me, is hard to understand.
El-Melloi:
Besides, it's not something Fujimaru must hear, either.
El-Melloi:
So, I'm going to tell you only what I know. This is all just based on the events that occurred in my world, mind you.
El-Melloi:
So. Your records indicate that the first Holy Grail War took place in Fuyuki City of 2004. However...
El-Melloi:
As far as I know, the Holy Grail War has occured five times in Fuyuki City.
Mash:
Five times! That many!?
Fou:
Fooou?
Dr. Roman:
Hm, I see. So depending on the situation, the Holy Grail War already happened five times already.
Dr. Roman:
—Wait, five times already!?
A ritual of that scale was performed five times!?
Dr. Roman:
How did they hide it from everybody!? Don't tell me the Holy Grail War is a competitive sport in your world,
Dr. Roman:
and people treat it like the Olympic Games!?
El-Melloi:
A rather amusing idea, but that's not it, Doctor.
El-Melloi:
In our case, the Mage's Association and the Holy Church colluded to cover everything up.
Dr. Roman:
O-Of course they did... Whew, that scared me.
Please continue, Professor.
El-Melloi:
The temporal axis observed this time was not the 2004 where Singularity F was located, but 10 years earlier... The Fourth Holy Grail War.
El-Melloi:
When it comes to my world, it's not a surprise that you could detect a Holy Grail in the past at those coordinates.
Mash:
The possibility that a Holy Grail could exist at that era in the past... Indeed, that would be able to give birth to a new Singularity.
Mash:
Could this be a misadjustment on Sheba's part?
I mean, to observe the light of civilization in the past...
El-Melloi:
I personally hope that's the case.
El-Melloi:
Now that human history has been incinerated, it's impossible to observe light on a normal temporal axis.
El-Melloi:
If a light is lit on Chaldeas in its current state, that can only be a Singularity that's removed from the temporal axis.
El-Melloi:
Am I right, Doctor?
El-Melloi:
This is probably a stain that has already been disconnected from human history and will eventually contaminate it.
Dr. Roman:
Exactly, Professor. No matter what this Singularity actually is, we must retrieve the Holy Grail that exists there.
El-Melloi:
I suppose so. Retrieving or destroying it is the mission given to Fujimaru.
El-Melloi:
...However, there is a problem.
El-Melloi:
The main reason why the Holy Grail War was repeated five times in Fuyuki was because the Holy Grail never manifested itself, not even once.
El-Melloi:
Also, due to a certain accident, this ritual has been mutated to a state you can barely call it “ritual” anymore.
El-Melloi:
In conclusion, you mustn't retrieve this Holy Grail. It is a Holy Grail that must not manifest... It's just a poison.
El-Melloi:
While it tempted the participants as a “wish granting device,” in truth, it was merely a device of mass destruction created for the purpose to eliminating the world.
Fujimaru 1:
You are really knowledgeable.
El-Melloi:
Of course, I did my research. Besides, it's my responsibility as a participant... No, I just want to reassure myself.
El-Melloi:
I put in a considerate amount of effort to dismantle Fuyuki's Holy Grail.
El-Melloi:
When it comes to the circumstances surrounding this land, I've left no stone unturned.
Dr. Roman:
How dependable. From the way you sounded, I guess I don't have to ask you to help us, right?
El-Melloi:
Doctor, you sure are a bad guy. You called me here because you wanted me to help, no?
El-Melloi:
I will join this investigation. I believe I am the best observer, don't you think so?
Fujimaru 1:
You'll be a great help.
Mash:
Yes! It'll be very assuring to have all the information about our destination.
Fujimaru 2:
You say that, but you really want to go, right?
El-Melloi:
I won't deny that. The Fourth Holy Grail War is a fateful event to me in no small way.
El-Melloi:
And it's about to begin right now.
I'd be lying if I said that I had no interest.
Dr. Roman:
Then it's settled. Get ready for Rayshift now.
Dr. Roman:
The target coordinates are Fuyuki City, Japan, 1994.
Looks like it's gonna be different this time around, too. So watch out!
Fou:
Fou, fooou!
ACT-1: "The Man Who Knows Fuyuki"
Mash:
So this is...Fuyuki before it was in flames?
Fou:
Fou, fou!
Fujimaru 1:
Looks peaceful.
Mash:
Yes. Seeing how vibrant this city is...
Somehow I feel very relieved.
Fujimaru 2:
Is it rare for you?
Mash:
Oh no. I've seen the scenery of modern Japan during the incident of Ogawa-heim already. There's not much difference.
Mash:
But to think in 10 years, catastrophe would visit a quiet town like this...
El-Melloi:
You shouldn't be too sentimental. We exist in a world where everything's been incinerated, not just this town.
Mash:
Y-You are right... But...
El-Melloi:
My apologies, I could've worded it better. Yes, normal life is hard to come by, but don't get obsessed over it.
El-Melloi:
Fearing the inevitable tragedy like the catastrophe of war would only slow you down.
El-Melloi:
Because we fight as we are confronted with the destruction of mankind's past and future.
El-Melloi:
What I meant was, we should keep that in mind, and prepare ourselves for any situation.
El-Melloi:
Take this instance for example. You probably think there won't be any threat in a peaceful residential district at a time where everybody is asleep, correct?
Mash:
That's right. To be honest, I find it hard to believe this place was the site for a Holy Grail War...
El-Melloi:
That perception is too naive. In a fight between mages, first you must question everything you see. For example...
El-Melloi:
Qi Men Dun Jia, Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation!
Assassin:
Ugh!
Mash:
!?
Fou:
Bfoooou!?
Dr. Roman:
Assassin Servant!? Was that Presence Concealment!? But even so that was way too concealed!
Assassin:
D-Damn you! How is that possible!?
El-Melloi:
Are you asking how is it possible for me to see through your Presence Concealment? Well, I couldn't.
El-Melloi:
However, I do know from my investigation that the Assassin in the Fourth Holy Grail War could split into multiple entities and monitored the entirety of Fuyuki.
El-Melloi:
I knew we'd get caught in your surveillance network seeing how flashy Rayshifts can be. Then it's only natural for you to come scouting.
El-Melloi:
Now that you're in my Stone Sentinel Maze, there's no point in you using Presence Concealment.
El-Melloi:
Now, Fujimaru, it's time to put up a fight. I'll explain everything later.
--BATTLE--
Mash:
Enemy Servant eliminated. The battle is over.
Fujimaru 1:
That was a pretty easy win.
Fujimaru 2:
That was pretty weak for a Servant...
El-Melloi:
That was just one of the many Assassins. As you've seen, that Assassin has the ability to split and manifest multiple bodies.
El-Melloi:
That's why the fight is not over yet.
We must prepare for the next encounter.
Mash:
Do you mean a single Heroic Spirit has the ability to manifest as a group?
El-Melloi:
Not only is it a fearsome ability to use in espionage, unless one has an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, it means that Assassin can overwhelm any opponent with sheer numbers alone.
El-Melloi:
Humph, but now that I've mastered Qi Men Dun Jia, they'll just end up as my prey.
El-Melloi:
They'd have to keep the entire Fuyuki area under surveillance for the time being. That said, they can't exactly ignore us either.
El-Melloi:
Assassin will most likely keep sending people to attack us.
El-Melloi:
As a result, they have broken the golden rule of military strategy by continuously investing their combat personnel without reserve. How very sad, indeed.
El-Melloi:
We'll have to fight them one after another, but they shouldn't pose too much of a threat.
El-Melloi:
Just take them out the minute you lay eyes on them. Now then, there's no time to waste. Onward I say! Onward!
Fou:
Fou?
Mash:
Huh? But...
Fujimaru 1:
Aren't you going to give us an explanation now?
Fujimaru 2:
What the heck is even going on right now?
El-Melloi:
Apologies, but it will have to wait. I'm not trying to be pompous, it's just we're in a race against time.
El-Melloi:
Oh, don't make that face. I'll explain as many things as I can on our way, starting with the most vital matters.
Fou:
Fooou...
ACT-2: "Military Intervention"
El-Melloi:
To be honest, the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki is basically a scam.
El-Melloi:
The whole “battle royale for the chance to grant your wish” format is just an outright lie to lure in participants.
Mash:
A lie? That's terrible... Tricking someone by telling them their wishes will be granted... That's criminal!
El-Melloi:
It absolutely is. If these Holy Grail Wars were a widespread thing in a different world, I bet there'd be a lot of lawsuits being filed over them.
El-Melloi:
That being said, in this world...
El-Melloi:
That is, in my world, that didn't happen.
That's because Holy Grail Wars only took place here.
El-Melloi:
It was an insidious trap. One that, with the defeat of each participating Servant, means an unprecedented disaster draws closer.
El-Melloi:
When the required number of summoned Servant have been sacrificed, “All the Evils of the World” Aŋra Mainiiu will activate.
Fujimaru 1:
All the Evils of the World?
Fujimaru 2:
That's a pretty dangerous-sounding name.
El-Melloi:
You don't need to know everything. Just consider it something like a bomb that could destroy the world.
El-Melloi:
It has more than enough power to wipe out the entirety of human history up to that point.
El-Melloi:
Singularity F, the first foundation you all have restored...
El-Melloi:
I see that as the likely state of Fuyuki after the conclusion of the Fifth Holy Grail War.
El-Melloi:
The first point to fall as the world crumbled. All because a ritual that should have never been carried out was indeed completed.
Mash:
But why would someone set a trap like that?
Who would do that?
El-Melloi:
This ritual started off with a very different purpose, and became what it is through a ridiculous man-made disaster.
El-Melloi:
That disaster is a “past event” even in this timeline.
El-Melloi:
At any rate, the problem is that the paradox Sheba detected in this era is like a Holy Grail.
Dr. Roman:
I see, if the Holy Grail is already here...
El-Melloi:
Yes. If the Holy Grail has already manifested, this city should be in flames right now. But at a glance, that's not really the case.
El-Melloi:
So the Holy Grail detected by Chaldea is likely something different from Fuyuki's Greater Grail, corrupted by Aŋra Mainiiu.
El-Melloi:
If I recall, this Fourth Holy Grail War is still in its early stages now. Tonight is when everything moves into motion. We can use that.
Mash:
Ah, I see. So that's why you've been so conscious of the time today.
El-Melloi:
That's right. Right now, it's critical that we stay ahead of events. This harbor district will be the key.
Fujimaru 1:
What's going to happen here?
El-Melloi:
Hmm, it seems we have to end our chitchat before I get to explain that. The events have caught up to us.
E：???:
You there. May I ask who you are?
E：???:
It seems you are also participants in the Holy Grail War... Seeing how you have Servants with you.
F：Saber:
Irisviel, something is strange. I no longer detect the presence of Lancer, who invited us here.
Fujimaru 1:
Is that... Saber?
Dr. Roman:
She appears to be, but that's not her. I mean, she's contracted with another Master already!
Fujimaru 2:
Is this another Heroine X incident?
Mash:
Let's not go there for now, Senpai.
This time, we're being serious here...
El-Melloi:
That is one of the seven Heroic Spirits summoned into the Fourth Holy Grail War. Class Saber, Altria Pendragon.
El-Melloi:
That being the case, sorry, but we will be your opponent now instead of Lancer.
El-Melloi:
Irisviel von Einzbern.
Altria:
What... You! How do you know my True Name!?
Irisviel:
This is no ordinary opponent.
Be careful, Saber!
El-Melloi:
Okay, Fujimaru, time for Round 2. But this opponent is quite powerful. She's on an entirely different level from Assassin.
El-Melloi:
I realize I'm shoving you into a rather difficult fight, but unfortunately, I need to put one more restriction on you.
El-Melloi:
...I'm sorry, but don't defeat Saber here.
Only push far enough to make her retreat.
Fujimaru 1:
That's a tall order!
Fujimaru 2:
And how do you propose we do that?
El-Melloi:
I already told you we're pressed for time. I'll explain everything later. Now, go on and do your best!
Fou:
Fou, fooou!?
--BATTLE--
Mash:
The enemy Saber has withdrawn from battle!
Fujimaru 1:
We don't need to go after her?
El-Melloi:
Leave her be.
The next one is who we should go after.
Mash:
The next...one?
El-Melloi:
I've been keeping the Servant who was supposed to fight Saber in my Qi Men Dun Jia formation. But it's about time...
Lancer:
Who are you? Was that strange stone maze your doing!? What happened to Saber!?
Fou:
Fou!?
Fujimaru 1:
Something really came out!
El-Melloi:
Calm yourself, First Spear of the Knights of Fianna. We're not Archibald's enemies.
Lancer:
What!?
You know my True Name...
F：???:
Humph. We seem to be faced with a formidable opponent. How did you know that I was Lancer's Master?
Mash:
? Where is that voice coming from?
Dr. Roman:
He's shielding himself with magecraft.
This Servant's Master is hiding somewhere close by.
El-Melloi:
Lord Kayneth, we have hastened to join your side and stand in support of you.
El-Melloi:
For certain reasons, I cannot divulge my name, so let me give the name of Lady Reines as my guarantor for the time being.
F：???:
Reines... My niece?
I demand to know what is going on here!
El-Melloi:
Though I would not hesitate to provide an explanation at the present time, I would beg your forbearance until tomorrow.
El-Melloi:
However, allow me to say just one thing in advance: I can tell you the current location of Caster.
F：???:
Caster? How do you know that?
El-Melloi:
Tomorrow at noon, I will prove the truth of my words.
El-Melloi:
I will show you anew what value lies in listening to our story.
F：???:
Humph...
El-Melloi:
Then, we will pay a visit to your penthouse suite in Fuyuki New Tower at 10 p.m. tomorrow night. So for tonight, will you allow us to go?
F：???:
Ohh? So you even know my address, do you?
...Very well. I don't dislike a smart man like yourself.
F：???:
All the more if you're a mage with a sense of gratitude. But that faint trace of a working-class accent in your English... What a shame.
F：???:
But, very well. I shall accept your proposal.
F：???:
Having observed how you handled Saber earlier, we will depart here in peace.
Kayneth:
I will neither flee nor hide myself. I look forward to hearing just what it is you're planning.
Mash:
That's... Lancer's Master?
Lancer:
Are you certain about this, Master?
Kayneth:
Patience, Lancer. Yes, they are clearly a suspicious bunch. But when you know so little about what you face, it's best to wait and observe.
Kayneth:
Best to be cautious when starting a fight, got it?
Lancer:
...Understood.
El-Melloi:
Then we'll be taking our leave.
Come, let's get going, Fujimaru.
El-Melloi:
Now then, we can finally take a moment to talk properly. How far did I get in my explanation earlier?
Fujimaru 1:
You said that once this war ends, the world will be destroyed...
El-Melloi:
Ah yes, that's right. Defeated Servants are absorbed into the Greater Grail of Fuyuki as sacrifices to bring it to completion.
El-Melloi:
But what happens then is not the granting of a wish, but the release of Aŋra Mainiiu... From the start, this war was never meant to have a winner.
Dr. Roman:
What a cruel tale...
Dr. Roman:
After investing so much of yourself and even murdering fellow mages, your reward is the opposite of what you would wish... That's truly cruel...
El-Melloi:
It certainly is. I imagine if I'd been the winner of the Fifth Holy Grail War, I would have turned evil from despair.
El-Melloi:
Forgive me. And to think I'm the one who's always saying sentimentality is pointless.
El-Melloi:
In my experience, the Greater Grail activates in a limited capacity after the defeat of the fifth Servant.
El-Melloi:
However, that also means that if we can convince at least three Servants to withdraw from the battlefield intact...
Dr. Roman:
Then the ritual will end up eternally in limbo, the Holy Grail will remain incomplete, and we can simply secure its vessel. Right?
Fou:
Fooou.
Mash:
Understood. So this time, we won't be fighting to defeat the other Servants, but to protect them, in a sense.
Mash:
Though it'd be best if we could resolve all this amicably.
El-Melloi:
Right. But we can't assume everyone will agree peacefully.
El-Melloi:
Since we want the War to end in a stalemate, we need to first seek out and defeat the Servants with whom such an agreement is impossible.
Fujimaru 1:
Just when I thought you were a gentleman!
Fujimaru 2:
Just when I thought reason would triumph!
El-Melloi:
I'm aware of my own savagery. Let me say right now that I started off as a cowardly, subservient boy.
El-Melloi:
But the war strategist I housed in my body gets so worked up I couldn't help but change.
Fujimaru 1:
He is THE Zhuge Liang.
El-Melloi:
Truly. Strategists in Ancient China can get even more violent and ruthless than military generals.
Fujimaru 2:
Sayest thou truly?
El-Melloi:
What kind of foolishness is that?
El-Melloi:
It's one thing if theater actors or poets use that language, but why would you talk like that? Are you making fun of them?
El-Melloi:
Show some respect!
Fou:
Fou, fofofooou...
El-Melloi:
Now, back to our conversation.
El-Melloi:
Of the participants in this Holy Grail War, there are two Servants we couldn't even try to spare... Caster and Archer.
El-Melloi:
Without a shred of doubt, I can say those two would be incapable of reaching an understanding with us.
El-Melloi:
So it'd be best to get them out of the way before they start engaging other Servants.
El-Melloi:
That brings us to Assassin. Their Master is colluding with the one in possession of Archer.
El-Melloi:
Since we plan to fight Archer, we'll inevitably have to fight Assassin too. Though they've already marked us as opponents anyway.
Mash:
Oh, the one we fought right after we Rayshifted here...
El-Melloi:
Next, we have Berserker... Since his madness prevents us from reasoning with him directly, everything depends on his Master.
El-Melloi:
The key will be whether we can convince the Master while he's still able to keep full control over Berserker without having to use Command Spells.
El-Melloi:
That said, there's always the possibility Berserker could go on a rampage himself, independent of his Master's will.
El-Melloi:
One vital thing I learned after the Fourth War ended is that the one who'd summoned Berserker was in an extremely unstable condition, both physically and mentally.
El-Melloi:
But I never did get to meet him myself...
Mash:
Well then, shall we put dealing with Berserker on hold for now?
El-Melloi:
Though I can't help but feel it is risky, yes.
El-Melloi:
Therefore, by process of elimination, we can conclude that our best chances for success lie with Saber, Lancer, and Rider.
Dr. Roman:
Ahh, so that's why you prevented that clash on the docks between Saber and Lancer.
Mash:
Then that only leaves Rider's faction.
Do you think they'd be likely to cooperate?
El-Melloi:
...
Fou:
Fou?
Fujimaru 1:
Why are you falling quiet all of a sudden?
Fujimaru 2:
Is there something worrying you?
El-Melloi:
...Yes. It all depends on how well I can get them to accept what I'll say to them.
ACT-3: "Second Owner"
Dr. Roman:
Well, Mash? How's the summoning circle coming along?
Mash:
Not so well...
Fujimaru 1:
Is it not working?
Mash:
The Leyline is here, but it's being guarded by another spell so I can't access it.
Fou:
Fooou!
El-Melloi:
Hmm, I guess it's difficult to set up on a land controlled by a proper mage...
Fujimaru 1:
What do you mean?
El-Melloi:
All the Leylines in this area are under the control of a certain mage clan.
El-Melloi:
I thought there would be a weakness I could exploit, but I was too naive.
El-Melloi:
...Her father truly is a skilled mage. With how I am now, I can tell the structure of this spell is very solid.
Mash:
What should we do? At this rate we won't be able to get supplies from Chaldea.
El-Melloi:
We've got no choice but to destroy the keystones the mage placed, and take the Leyline for ourselves.
El-Melloi:
They should be fairly well-defended,
but we'll have to break through.
El-Melloi:
I'd like to avoid unnecessary combat, because we can't fight on an empty stomach. Nothing for it.
Dr. Roman:
You mean destroy the barrier keystones!? If you do that, won't the mage, the Second Owner, get mad?
El-Melloi:
Of course. But the family that owns this land, the Tohsakas, are also the mages that summoned Archer.
El-Melloi:
In other words, they're our enemies to begin with.
Dr. Roman:
...I see. But the keystone to the Leylines should be carefully hidden, right?
El-Melloi:
Don't worry. I know where they are already.
Mash:
What? How did you find out?
El-Melloi:
The next heir to the Tohsaka clan is a student of mine. In the end, I dismantle the Greater Grail here with her help.
El-Melloi:
When that happens, I learn the structure of the Leylines in this area.
Dr. Roman:
Wait a second. You're going to wreck your future student's estate?
El-Melloi:
This future happens in a different timeline. I have no duty or responsibility to the Tohsakas in this era.
El-Melloi:
And the Tohsaka family was one of the clans responsible for the Fuyuki Holy Grail War.
El-Melloi:
If they lose their Leyline and become impoverished, it's their own fault. I'm sure the future Tohsaka will understand.
Fujimaru 1:
She's not around to agree, though!
Fujimaru 2:
...Someday we might end up paying for this big time...
El-Melloi:
Let's start with the nearest point.
El-Melloi:
After we destroy several of the keystones, we can try setting up the circle again.
Dr. Roman:
Is this okay?
Stuff like this always comes back to haunt you...
Fou:
Fooou...
ACT-4: "Those Who Lurk in the Dark"
Dr. Roman:
Wait up! I'm picking up traces of magical energy nearby... They're not human, and they're heading straight for you!
Mash:
I can see them too. What are those monsters? They look like something, um... that I want nothing to do with.
El-Melloi:
They're fragments of the sea monsters summoned by Caster.
El-Melloi:
The Caster who participated in this Holy Grail War has completely lost his sanity.
El-Melloi:
He doesn't have any strategy or plan. He just keeps summoning familiars to devour innocent civilians.
Fujimaru 1:
We have to stop them.
Fujimaru 2:
Let's get them!
El-Melloi:
They won't hurt us if we leave them alone, but...
El-Melloi:
Even in a dark back alley like this, if innocent people come back here there'll be a disaster.
El-Melloi:
Let's take the time to get rid of them.
--BATTLE--
ACT-5: "The Meeting of El-Melloi"
Mash:
That's another Leyline point secured.
It's going well, isn't it, Master?
Fou:
Fou, fou!
El-Melloi:
Yeah. But it's about time. Let's finish up here, and head to negotiate with Lancer's Master.
Mash:
Is this really going to work?
He seems like a very cold person...
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah, he's definitely a cold-blooded mage.
Fujimaru 2:
Yeah, well, he's going bald, so...
El-Melloi:
Leave it to me. But Fujimaru, I'd like you to let me handle all negotiations with Lord Kayneth.
El-Melloi:
I'll keep a telepathic channel open so we can communicate in secret, but keep your mouth shut at all times. Got it?
Fujimaru 1:
I'll let you handle it.
Fujimaru 2:
Let's see what you can do.
Lancer:
...
Dr. Roman:
(His Servant seems ready to fight at any moment!?)
Mash:
(The air's heavy... How is El-Melloi going to get through this, I wonder?)
Kayneth:
I spoke to Archisorte last night. You were lying when you said you were acting on Reines' behalf.
El-Melloi:
But you agreed to meet with us anyway.
Which means...
Kayneth:
There's something else I want to ask you about.
Your statements about Caster last night...
Kayneth:
Why were you able to know the Holy Church's actions in advance?
El-Melloi:
Because for me, it happened long ago in the past.
Kayneth:
What?
El-Melloi:
The morning after the Servant battle at the wharf, the Overseer speaks to all participants and offers a special reward for the first to kill Caster.
El-Melloi:
...But that's not all I know.
El-Melloi:
You originally intended to summon Iskandar for this battle. You even had the catalyst for it.
El-Melloi:
However, it was stolen by a student at the Clock Tower, Waver Velvet...
El-Melloi:
...and you were forced to summon Diarmuid Ua Duibhne instead.
Kayneth:
How did you...
El-Melloi:
And it's not you that's providing the magical energy for that Servant, it's your fiancée Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri.
El-Melloi:
You have her in another room to keep her safe.
Well, it's good to be careful.
Kayneth:
...
El-Melloi:
Oh, speaking of Lady Sola-Ui.
There was a love letter draft left in your study.
El-Melloi:
I believe it began, “To my beautiful beloved, your eyes glisten like the morning dew...”
Kayneth:
Shut up! Shut up! Enough!
Who are you!?
El-Melloi:
I wasn't lying when I said I was acting on behalf of Lady Reines.
El-Melloi:
But I will only officially receive that duty four years from now.
El-Melloi:
And thus, everything I told you is part of my memories of the past.
Kayneth:
...Humph.
El-Melloi:
You're taking this seriously. I suppose I should've expected that from the leader of the Archibald family.
Kayneth:
A traveler through time, huh? I've heard that some are working very hard at that research.
Kayneth:
I thought it was stupid nonsense that would never come true... Even so, I need a more believable explanation.
Kayneth:
What you're saying is similar to True Magic.
Of course, there must be quite the backstory involved.
El-Melloi:
I'll give you an overview.
Let me begin.
ACT-6: "United Battlefront"
Kayneth:
I see. Observing the past projected on the Earth Environmental Model, and the Rayshift technology that implemented the Heroic Spirit Summoning System...
Kayneth:
And all of this is made possible by the use of the Spiritron Calculation Engine.
Kayneth:
Spiritron Calculation Engine... I'd heard rumors that the Atlas Institute was working on such a thing, but...
El-Melloi:
Yes. All of these great achievements in magecraft are accomplished by the Archibald family.
Fujimaru 1:
(Whaaaaat!?)
El-Melloi:
(You there, don't let it show on your face!)
Mash:
(Remember, poker face, Senpai!)
Fou:
(Fou fou fou...)
Kayneth:
So in the future, the Archibald family achieves all this?
El-Melloi:
Of course, this is only possible due to your astonishing leadership. Your later exploits at the Clock Tower...
El-Melloi:
...bring together a number of different academic factions to make this huge project, “Chaldea,” a reality.
Dr. Roman:
(If Director Olga Marie heard this somehow,
who knows what she'd say...)
Mash:
(Right, I don't even want to imagine it...)
Kayneth:
Humph. I have no connection to the Atlas Institute.
I dislike that group of eccentrics.
Kayneth:
I would never work with those pessimists...
Or so I thought, but... Heh. Hehehe.
Kayneth:
I see... Well, it's not impossible, is it!?
Fujimaru 1:
(Whaaaaat!?)
Dr. Roman:
(Whaaaaat!?)
Mash:
(Is the Lord of the Clock Tower an...)
Kayneth:
Well, I was just thinking that the Evocation department and Mineralogy department weren't enough for me to get the upper hand in the academic world.
Kayneth:
I was thinking perhaps it was time to find some new research. Yes. I'm surprised I had such skills in that direction, though.
Kayneth:
Hmm. I guess even in my old age I can still pull off some new tricks, huh?
Dr. Roman:
(What—!? He's not the kind of person I thought he was. He's not, right?)
Diarmuid:
Amazing! Yes, I always believed in you.
Diarmuid:
Right now, you may be struggling, but in the future you'll achieve great things!
El-Melloi:
Of course, it's not only your technological achievements, but the financial backing provided by the Sophia-Ri clan.
El-Melloi:
The vast amount of funds required for Chaldea was only available due to the loving relationship you have with your future wife.
Kayneth:
Aww, shucks. Hehe. I've dedicated my whole life to magecraft, so I don't know if I could be a family man...
Kayneth:
At least, I didn't until now!
I see! Fwahahaha!
Mash:
(Oh, so the reason Lord El-Melloi wanted to get the Lancer faction on his side first was that...)
Dr. Roman:
(They were the easiest to trick, maybe.)
Fou:
(...Fo-u.)
El-Melloi:
And so we've come here to make your future glory all the more certain, Lord Archibald.
El-Melloi:
But time travel brings with it certain restrictions on what you can do in the past.
El-Melloi:
We can't offer you too much aid, but when it comes to information...
Kayneth:
Yes, with your intervention, I'll have the advantage over the enemy at all stages in the process.
El-Melloi:
The first thing you must do is eliminate Caster.
The other Masters don't know where he is.
El-Melloi:
If you can launch an attack first, the additional Command Spell the Overseer promised will be yours.
Kayneth:
Wonderful! So I'll get a fourth Command Spell before I've even used one?
Kayneth:
Hahaha! This battle's as good as won!
Kayneth:
I joined this battle mostly on a whim, but if my future descendants are intervening...
Kayneth:
Perhaps there's more meaning to this than I thought?
El-Melloi:
Please just keep in mind that such possibility cannot be ignored.
El-Melloi:
We can only speak to events that have already been decided when it comes to our intervention.
El-Melloi:
We must remain silent about anything that has not been observed by anyone in this temporal axis.
El-Melloi:
Otherwise, the ripples caused by the change of history will grow too great, and may activate the Counter Force.
Kayneth:
Hmph...
El-Melloi:
Our very intervention has caused the future to change and lose its certainty.
El-Melloi:
What happens now is unknown to us as well.
Kayneth:
These secret spells enter the realm of True Magic, and so they aren't that easy to use, huh? So I guess it all depends on how you use them.
El-Melloi:
We're almost at Caster's workshop.
This is where it gets rough.
Diarmuid:
We've already passed the boundary, it seems. Something's coming!
???:
HISS!
El-Melloi:
Caster's pet familiars.
El-Melloi:
He has a powerful Noble Phantasm, but is weak as a mage. However, in large numbers these things pose a threat.
Kayneth:
Hmph. If it's giving such power to scum who can't even keep their magecraft secret...
Kayneth:
I guess I'll need to personally secure this Fuyuki Grail.
Kayneth:
Go, Lancer!
Destroy all who would stand in my way!
Diarmuid:
As you wish!
Mash:
Senpai, we're being left out of this for some reason,
but we have to fight, too!
Fujimaru 1:
Let's help them.
Fujimaru 2:
Begin the fight!
Fou:
Fou, fou!
ACT-7: "Hunting for Bluebeard"
Mash:
The enemy's weakening! Hurry!
Diarmuid:
We'll break through. Is that all right, Master?
Kayneth:
Yes. Punish the owner of these filthy beasts in the name of El-Melloi!
Fujimaru 1:
El-Melloi?
Fujimaru 2:
You really are related?
El-Melloi:
(I'll tell you about that some other time...)
Mash:
Th-This is...
Diarmuid:
How disgusting...who could do such a thing to a corpse?
Kayneth:
Humph. This explains the Overseer's hurry.
Dr. Roman:
Be careful! I'm detecting a Servant very close to you!
G：Caster:
How dare you philistines interfere with our pursuit of beauty? Are you trying to stop the awakening of the Holy Maiden, too?
Mash:
Marshal Gilles de Rais?
Dr. Roman:
No matter where he's summoned, this guy never listens to what you have to say...
El-Melloi:
The Master who summoned him this time has only made him worse. Even without the Holy Grail War, he needs to be eliminated.
Gilles:
Nonsense! You will be the ones sacrificed here!
--BATTLE--
Gilles:
Ooh. So this mundane ending is also the will of God?
Mash:
Servant Caster is defeated.
We've won.
Fujimaru 1:
Where's Caster's Master?
Fujimaru 2:
We're not done here!
El-Melloi:
He's not a mage who poses any threat alone, but...
El-Melloi:
He is a murderer who will continue these acts on his own, even without Caster. He must be dealt with.
Kayneth:
But Caster himself has been defeated.
Haven't we done what the Overseer asked?
El-Melloi:
Indeed. Go to the Fuyuki Church and request your additional Command Spell. We'll clean things up here.
Kayneth:
Humph. That's right. I can't let the Overseer see you, can I? We'll meet again later.
Diarmuid:
Thank you for your help.
Hope I see you next time, future heroes.
El-Melloi:
Now then, I'm not looking forward to it,
but let's track down this serial killer.
ACT-8: "Irregular"
Fou:
Fou?
Mash:
Master! Down that corridor!
Someone's lying on the ground!
El-Melloi:
He's...dead. From the look of things, this was definitely the Master that summoned Caster.
Mash:
...No... Did he have a fight with his Servant?
El-Melloi:
The wound is too clean.
That's not how Caster would kill.
El-Melloi:
But then who? Hmm...
El-Melloi:
!?
Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation!
Fou:
Fou!?
Mash:
Lord El-Melloi!?
What...
Dr. Roman:
Be careful, Mash, Fujimaru!
A Servant is approaching you!
Mash:
Huh? But there wasn't anything a moment ago...
El-Melloi:
Presence Concealment. An Assassin? Without the Qi Men Dun Jia, we'd have been in danger too.
Assassin?:
...You use strange techniques.
I didn't expect to be found.
Mash:
Is this another one of the Assassins from before?
It feels different.
El-Melloi:
This is...different. There was no Servant like this in the Fourth Holy Grail War I knew.
Dr. Roman:
Then this is the “irregularity” that you were searching for?
El-Melloi:
Perhaps. This may be what has twisted the 1994 Fuyuki into a Singularity.
El-Melloi:
Even if this isn't the original cause, there must be some connection.
Assassin?:
I've no reason to fight you.
If you simply let me go, I'll leave.
El-Melloi:
That's not an option. We need to know who you are, and why you're here.
El-Melloi:
That's practically why we came here, after all.
Assassin?:
I have no reason to acquiesce to your demands, and if you insist, I'll have to fight you.
El-Melloi:
You heard them, Fujimaru. Though regrettable, it seems like violence is our only option.
El-Melloi:
We'll neutralize and capture them, and then get them to cooperate!
--BATTLE--
Assassin?:
Tch, you're strong!
Mash:
There's something strange about this Servant.
Mash:
He has a different aura than the other Servants in this Holy Grail War.
El-Melloi:
Yes, and he feels familiar.
He's more similar to us, at Chaldea.
Fou:
Fou, fou!
Mash:
That's right. He seems similar to Emiya-senpai, the Archer...
Assassin?:
!?
Dr. Roman:
Everyone, be careful! I'm seeing a new Servant.
They're heading straight for you!
El-Melloi:
What? Who could it be now... Oh, no!
Mash:
Oh no! Master, get down!
Assassin?:
...
Mash:
Are you okay, Master?
Fujimaru 1:
Yeah, thanks.
Mash:
Good... But we let Assassin get away just now. I'm sorry.
Fujimaru 2:
Where did Assassin go?
Mash:
...I'm sorry. I lost track of his magical energy.
He's probably already left the battlefield.
El-Melloi:
That lightning just now destroyed my Golden Locks Formation as well. Curse them...
Iskandar:
Oooh! The battle's already begun, it seems.
Looks like we're a little late, kid.
Waver:
Huh? That's strange.
I was sure we'd be the first.
Mash:
Th-That's...
Fou:
Fou!
Fujimaru 1:
I definitely know that face!
Fujimaru 2:
This is getting complicated!
Mash:
Yeah. That Servant is probably Rider, but that Master is...
El-Melloi:
The first ones here? You idiot!
El-Melloi:
You know more than anybody how primitive the method you used to find this place was!
El-Melloi:
You didn't really think you could get a leg up on some of the best mages in the world with that, did you?
Waver:
W-Who are you? What are you talking about...
El-Melloi:
This time, and every other time, you only make it through your problems thanks to good luck!
El-Melloi:
And because things work out in the end, you start to overestimate your own strength!
El-Melloi:
That's why you never get better!
You know this, right? RIGHT?
Waver:
Wait a second! Why do I have to get a lecture from someone I've never met?
Waver:
Who are you, anyway? You're not the Caster who kidnapped the kids, or his Master, are you?
El-Melloi:
You idiot! You can't even analyze a situation properly!? I'm astonished you thought you could survive a Holy Grail War...
El-Melloi:
Christ! You're an idiot! An idiot! A huge idiot!
Go choke on some rice and die!
Mash:
...Something seems to have gotten into Lord El-Melloi...
Fou:
Fou...
Fujimaru 1:
No one likes confronting their own past.
Fujimaru 2:
It's funny. Let's watch for a minute.
Waver:
W-Who do you think you are, anyway?
Status-wise, you're clearly a Caster!
Waver:
The Overseer's figured out that you're ignoring the Holy Grail War to do evil things.
El-Melloi:
BULLSHIT! If you can view someone's status, you should be able to figure out that I'm a Pseudo-Servant, you moron!
El-Melloi:
God, this is pathetic! The Command Spells on your hand are crying out in shame!
Waver:
W-W-Whaaaat? A Pseudo-what?
Waver:
It doesn't make sense for there to be extra Casters!
No one said anything about this!
Iskandar:
Hang on, kid. Whether or not that guy's a Caster, he's definitely not the owner of this workshop.
Waver:
Huh? H-How can you tell?
Iskandar:
By looking at the traces left here. Neither side was using the terrain, or trying to avoid damage to the area when they fought.
Iskandar:
This wasn't a battle between an attacker and defender. Someone tried to run, and someone tried to stop them.
Iskandar:
So neither the one who fled when we arrived, nor these people, are our enemy. They must be someone else.
El-Melloi:
Yes. The King of Conquerors knows exactly how to read a battlefield.
Iskandar:
Anyway, you, with the gloomy face.
El-Melloi:
W-What...is it?
Iskandar:
You've been picking on the kid an awful lot.
Iskandar:
Does that mean you're prepared to fight the King of Conquerors?
El-Melloi:
W-Why would it mean that?
You know exactly which of us is in the right!
Iskandar:
Maybe, but he is my Master.
Iskandar:
If you want to pick a fight with him, as his Servant, that means you'll have to fight me.
Waver:
Rider, you...
El-Melloi:
Tch... That's...
Mash:
Um, Lord?
I thought the plan was to not fight Rider?
El-Melloi:
Let's retreat, Fujimaru.
There's no sense in fighting here.
Iskandar:
Humph. How boring.
And I thought you had a little more spine.
El-Melloi:
...
Waver:
Hah! So you're gonna say all that, and then turn tail and run? What a wimp!
Iskandar:
Hey, don't get cocky.
Waver:
GWAH!
Fujimaru 1:
He sent that kid flying with the flick of a finger!
Fujimaru 2:
What a fickle creature...
El-Melloi:
Gaah! This is pissing me off! A Servant shouldn't be getting involved in his Master's fights! Are you a helicopter parent or something?
Fujimaru 1:
Calm down, Professor.
Fujimaru 2:
No, I think they're supposed to do that...
Dr. Roman:
But we were lucky enough to run into our third target to protect, the Rider Servant...
Dr. Roman:
Was it okay for things to fall apart like that?
El-Melloi:
I don't care! They don't plan on seriously fighting anyway.
El-Melloi:
Ignore them, they'll just sit in their hideout to eat rice crackers and watch videos all day!
Dr. Roman:
I don't know...
Mash:
Looks like Rider is a touchy subject for Lord El-Melloi, Senpai.
Fujimaru 1:
It's a problem.
Fujimaru 2:
We'll have to deal with it ourselves.
Mash:
I think so too, yes.
Fou:
Fooou.
ACT-9: The King of Knights Returns"
Mash:
The summoning circle's complete. Finally...
Dr. Roman:
Good work. Now I can finally offer you some real support.
Fou:
Fou, fou!
Dr. Roman:
It's really a pain, though, meddling with the land another mage controls.
El-Melloi:
Well, thanks to us, the Leyline the Tohsakas have kept for generations has been ripped into pieces.
El-Melloi:
It'll take a lot of talent and technique to rebuild it. Hahahah. It'll be a good practice lesson.
Fujimaru 1:
You're a tough teacher, huh?
Fujimaru 2:
Isn't that kind of mean?
El-Melloi:
Not at all. I'm simply offering my students challenges equal to their abilities and tenacity.
El-Melloi:
In other words, I hold the daughter of the Tohsakas in extremely high regard... No point in talking about that now, though.
Dr. Roman:
Um, I'm sorry to interrupt your break, but...
Dr. Roman:
...You have a visitor. One approaching Servant.
Looks like a Saber.
Fou:
Fou!?
Mash:
Saber... Altria Pendragon, the one we saw at the wharf?
El-Melloi:
Probably.
Hmm... I guess we exposed ourselves too much.
El-Melloi:
We made it very obvious that we're an enemy.
It's inevitable that they'd retaliate.
Altria:
Servant, Saber-class. Once again, I challenge you.
Let's have a fair fight.
El-Melloi:
A fair fight, huh? Humph.
I know exactly what you're up to.
El-Melloi:
For this Holy Grail War, the Einzberns are using their Servant as a decoy, while a hired assassin strikes from the shadows.
Irisviel:
What? I'll thank you not to make false accusations.
Irisviel:
And what are you planning? I can tell that you weren't an officially summoned Servant.
Mash:
...What do we do, Lord El-Melloi?
El-Melloi:
I'd like to avoid unnecessary battles... But it would hurt us to leave this circle we just established.
El-Melloi:
We have the high ground, Fujimaru.
We'll draw out the battle until they decide to leave.
Fujimaru 1:
Got it!
Fujimaru 2:
We'll go with that plan.
El-Melloi:
And Mash, in this battle keep an eye out for ambushes on your Master.
El-Melloi:
I'll use my Qi Men Dun Jia to support you.
If you sense anything strange, deal with it immediately.
Mash:
Roger! Mash Kyrielight, commencing combat!
ACT-10: "The Mysterious Assassin"
Irisviel:
This is tough... They have the Leylines on their side.
As the fight drags on, we'll be at a disadvantage.
Altria:
Irisviel, I can still fight!
I have plenty of magical energy stored up!
El-Melloi:
Hmm, they're hanging in there longer than I thought.
This is going to be rough...
Mash:
Huh!? Watch out!
Irisviel:
What?
El-Melloi:
I knew it! An ambush! But that attack...
Mash:
Yes, it wasn't targeted at Senpai.
It was for Saber's Master.
El-Melloi:
They're not working with the Einzberns?
So they're someone else entirely?
Assassin?:
Spells that control the terrain make it so I can't hide, huh? This is tough to work with.
Mash:
That's... the Servant who killed Caster's Master!?
Irisviel:
It's an Assassin.
Are they after both of us?
Assassin?:
No, I'm only interested in one target.
You, bearer of the Grail.
Irisviel:
...What?
Assassin?:
It's not that you've done anything wrong. Taking your life is simply the quickest route to dismantling the Grail.
Altria:
I won't let you!
Mash:
Saber and Assassin have begun combat.
What should we do?
El-Melloi:
Regardless of what that Assassin's after,
we can't lose Saber here.
El-Melloi:
Fujimaru, move to support Einzbern!
--BATTLE--
Assassin?:
Tch! Stop getting in my way!
You're not part of the Holy Grail War, are you?
El-Melloi:
Neither are you, it seems. What are you after?
Why are you trying to kill the Einzbern Master?
Assassin?:
...There's no point in explaining it.
Assassin?:
I am commanded from beyond the bounds of human understanding. I cannot coexist with those trapped by ethics.
Mash:
Assassin has retreated.
...Shall we follow?
El-Melloi:
No. Let's avoid any other battles. Overexerting ourselves just makes us a target for other enemies.
Fou:
Fooou.
El-Melloi:
I'd like to suggest to Einzbern that she put away her weapon for the day.
El-Melloi:
You have more threats to worry about than just us.
Irisviel:
...Very well.
You did save us.
El-Melloi:
You may not believe me, but we don't intend to make enemies of the Einzbern clan.
El-Melloi:
We couldn't help what happened on the wharf.
El-Melloi:
In fact, I'd imagine Saber there found it strange that we didn't pursue her.
Altria:
...That's right, Irisviel. There's something strange about the way they fight.
Altria:
I don't know why, but there's a meekness, as if they're trying to keep themselves from winning.
Irisviel:
I'll make this simple. Are you our enemies, or our friends?
El-Melloi:
Our goal does not involve the battle for the Grail, and to achieve that, we need your Saber to be kept safe.
El-Melloi:
That's all I can say for now while still telling you the truth.
Irisviel:
...Very well. As long as you don't make yourselves obvious enemies of the Einzberns, we'll leave you alone.
Irisviel:
We have lots of other enemies that we need to prioritize first.
El-Melloi:
Let me ask you something.
Do you know who that Assassin was?
Irisviel:
Not really. He was saying something strange. That neither of you were participants in the Holy Grail War...
El-Melloi:
That Assassin's presence is clearly an irregularity.
El-Melloi:
Not that we're one to talk, in that respect. Our immediate goal is to solve the mystery of his identity.
Irisviel:
The mystery, huh? He did seem strange, yes.
El-Melloi:
What do you mean?
Irisviel:
I've never met him, but for some reason...he seems like someone I'm deeply related to.
Irisviel:
Like he was here only to kill me, and I was only here to be killed by him...
Altria:
That can't be true!
Irisviel:
It felt like we existed only to destroy and be destroyed.
El-Melloi:
The intuition of a homunculus, the crowning achievement of the Einzberns' most secret techniques, cannot be easily dismissed.
Altria:
...Fated to kill each other... No.
No, Irisviel. That's not true.
Altria:
I will protect you with my blade.
You are here on this battlefield to be victorious.
Irisviel:
Yes, you're right. With a Servant like you at my side,
I have nothing to fear at all.
Irisviel:
One last thing, Heroic Spirit with the shield.
Your support was wonderful. Thank you.
Mash:
No, um...
Altria:
...(That thing that looks like a shield...
If that's what I think it is, she's...)
Altria:
...(...No, if she doesn't know herself yet,
it's not right for me to say...)
Fujimaru 1:
Something wrong with Mash's shield?
Fujimaru 2:
You know it?
Altria:
...No, not really. But you aren't bad people.
That I'm sure of.
Mash:
...Y-Yes. It makes me happy to hear that, but...
Fou:
Fou, fooou.
ACT-11: "Strategist's Trap"
El-Melloi:
All right, now that we've settled things with Saber...
Dr. Roman:
It was a de facto peace treaty, yeah. But what about Lancer... What about Lord Archibald?
Dr. Roman:
He's still enemies with Saber over the Grail, right?
El-Melloi:
That's the problem. There's a limit to what you can do when you're trying to be friends with both sides.
El-Melloi:
Hmm... Seems like we'll need to come up with another plan.
Mash:
Do you have some way to persuade him?
El-Melloi:
If you want to convince someone of something, the fastest way is to present them with an illusion they want to hear.
El-Melloi:
As Lord Kayneth thinks that the world revolves around him...
El-Melloi:
...he's likely to believe anything that reinforces that.
A true strategist can control people's minds with ease.
Fou:
Foufoufou!
Fujimaru 1:
Zhuge Liang, that's a con man, not a strategist.
El-Melloi:
But first... We need to deal with this Shadow that refuses to leave us alone.
Assassin:
GWACH!
You found me again–!?
El-Melloi:
The Stone Sentinel Maze is perfect for keeping out Assassins. It's like having your own portable workshop.
El-Melloi:
You fell into my clutches the second you tried to sneak up on me!
--BATTLE--
Mash:
Enemy Servant eliminated...
But is this another fragment?
Dr. Roman:
Even if they're not tough individually,
it's hard to deal with so many of them.
El-Melloi:
Let's just meet up with Lord Kayneth before anyone else follows us.
Kayneth:
Just like you suggested, I sent a familiar to the Matou mansion last night and negotiated with them. Berserker will join our battle,
Kayneth:
with the condition that we provide for them an opportunity to face the Tohsaka clan's Servant.
El-Melloi:
Thank you very much. But I'm not certain that it justified the trouble you went through...
Kayneth:
What? What do you mean?
El-Melloi:
There's been a major development on our side.
A decisive improvement, you could say.
El-Melloi:
We were able to observe several factors that were still uncertain, allowing us to share much more information with you while still avoiding paradoxes.
El-Melloi:
As a result... We can now tell you the entire truth.
The whole truth about the Fuyuki Grail War.
Fou:
(Fo?)
Kayneth:
W-What do you mean?
El-Melloi:
Didn't you find it strange to begin with?
El-Melloi:
Why would a huge ceremony involving a battle for an omnipotent wish granter take place in the middle of nowhere, so far from the Clock Tower?
El-Melloi:
And then there's the fact that out of seven participants, only one slot was provided for the Mage's Association.
Kayneth:
Yes, well... that's why I participated. Even if it didn't live up to its reputation, it was still a fun game with little risk.
El-Melloi:
It's worse than simply not living up to its reputation.
The whole Fuyuki Grail War is a fake.
Fujimaru 1:
(Whaaaat?)
Fujimaru 2:
(Hello!?)
Mash:
(Senpai, you're letting it show! Keep a poker face!)
El-Melloi:
This is all a conspiracy by an enemy of the Archibald family, the Trambelios.
El-Melloi:
The plan was to get you away from the Clock Tower for a period of time,
El-Melloi:
and then while you were away, quickly expand their influence in the Mage's Association!
Kayneth:
W-What!?
El-Melloi:
We knew that you would fall for this Trambelio trap, and decided to intervene in the past.
El-Melloi:
But we couldn't warn you about it in advance.
In order to share knowledge of the future...
El-Melloi:
We needed to observe unshakable evidence in the past that a conspiracy existed.
Dr. Roman:
(Wow... How does he come up with this stuff...?)
Fou:
(...Fou.)
El-Melloi:
Last night we found that proof. We have direct testimony from the Tohsakas, one of the three clans behind the Holy Grail War.
Kayneth:
H-How did you get it?
El-Melloi:
We destroyed every Leyline we could find in this city.
El-Melloi:
Of course, this destruction had nothing to do with the Grail War, but that's why the Tohsakas gave in.
El-Melloi:
They didn't want to lose the rights to their land over a fake Holy Grail War.
El-Melloi:
The Tohsakas confessed to colluding with the Trambelios in order to lure you out with a fake fourth Grail War.
Mash:
(What makes it worse is that he's mixing in truth with the lies...)
El-Melloi:
They knew you wanted glory not as a researcher, but as a warrior, and created the perfect arena to lure you out...
El-Melloi:
That's the true nature of the Fuyuki ritual.
The other participants, the Holy Church's Overseer...
El-Melloi:
They're all decoys to make the farce more believable.
Kayneth:
How intricate! How wicked!
Kayneth:
...But those Trambelios, those fools that espouse “democracy” so much, might just do something like that!
Kayneth:
Why... Why have I wasted so much of my valuable time on this!?
Mash:
(Welp... He fell for it. Yeah.)
El-Melloi:
But it wasn't a total loss.
Your defeat of Caster was truly impressive.
El-Melloi:
I think that display of boldness may have only increased Lady Sola-Ui's love for you.
Kayneth:
Y-You think so? Hmm...
El-Melloi:
I'm sure of it. I am a man who's very sensitive to how women feel in that regard. I believe it was—
El-Melloi:
“I was never interested in him before, but now that I've seen how brave he is, I've gone from hating him to loving him!”
El-Melloi:
It was a change of that magnitude, I believe.
Kayneth:
Oh, my! Wait, what was that one part? Well, whatever. It all worked out in the end!
Dr. Roman:
(Oh... I'm starting to kind of feel bad for him...)
El-Melloi:
But still, there is no time to waste. You must hurry to London, and stop the Trambelio plot!
El-Melloi:
No matter how secure the Archibald family is, without you they're no match for the wicked plots of the populists.
El-Melloi:
The aristocracy—
The feat of our very clan depends on this!
Kayneth:
Curse those sneaky Trambelios!
Curse you, Valuayeta!
Kayneth:
I'll show you a thing or two! Sola-Ui!
Hurry and get ready!
Fou:
(Fooou...)
Diarmuid:
Our new battle lies beyond the sea... Master, I, Diarmuid, shall accompany you!
Diarmuid:
I never had a wish for the Grail to begin with.
My spear shall accompany you, no matter the battle!
El-Melloi:
Oh, excellent. I'm sure that if you have a Servant at your side, Lady Sola-Ui will be very happy.
Kayneth:
...Uh...hmm...
Kayneth:
Lancer, by my Command Spell, I order you.
Stay here and continue the Holy Grail War.
Diarmuid:
W-What!?
Kayneth:
Farce or not, now that I've entered the battle,
I must win it in order to maintain my reputation.
El-Melloi:
Amazing, Lord El-Melloi! You know exactly how important the Archibald reputation is!
Kayneth:
I leave you my Servant as a present.
You may represent the clan in my stead.
Kayneth:
Defeat everyone involved in this stupid farce, and show them who is truly strong.
El-Melloi:
Leave it to me!
Diarmuid:
...Very well. If you say so, Master.
I shall do my best with my new Master.
Dr. Roman:
(This is awful! I've never seen someone get a Servant contract just by making stuff up!)
Kayneth:
...Oh, one last thing. You said you saw a draft of a love letter in my study, right?
El-Melloi:
...? Yes. What of it?
Kayneth:
I would never allow someone to search my room while there was something so foolish still in it.
Kayneth:
Am I wrong in thinking that the study you refer to...is one whose master never returned to it?
Mash:
...
Dr. Roman:
...
El-Melloi:
...Yes. That's right.
Kayneth:
Humph. I suppose in that regard, I should thank you.
El-Melloi:
...Your words honor me, my old Master. You are the Lord I wished to be. You are the great El-Melloi.
El-Melloi:
Your talents are the greatest treasure the Clock Tower has. Please, take care of yourself.
Dr. Roman:
Lord El-Melloi... I guess here I'll call you Lord El-Melloi II, but...
El-Melloi:
What is it?
Dr. Roman:
I'm likely wasting my time here, but all those lies you told your predecessor...
Dr. Roman:
You're aware of how false they really are, right?
Mash:
What do you mean, Doctor?
Dr. Roman:
Chaldea isn't a time machine.
And you guys aren't there from the future.
Dr. Roman:
This Singularity is just a tiny little area. A bubble appearing on the ashes of human history.
Dr. Roman:
Once the irregularity that created the bubble is gone...it will be like a dream that has nothing to do with real history.
El-Melloi:
...
Dr. Roman:
Thus, no matter how hard you work, you can't actually change history.
Dr. Roman:
Even if you save someone here, that salvation is only temporary.
Dr. Roman:
In the timeline you're from, the dead will remain dead, and the tragedy will remain a tragedy.
Dr. Roman:
It's theoretically impossible to change the past via a Rayshift. Everything you're doing...is meaningless.
Fou:
Fooou...
El-Melloi:
And why does that matter, Doctor?
Dr. Roman:
I just wanted to make sure that you personally knew that nothing would come of this.
Dr. Roman:
It seems to me like you're trying to get through this as peacefully and smoothly as possible.
Dr. Roman:
But you don't need to. There are simpler and easier ways, aren't there?
El-Melloi:
Nothing will come of it, huh? ...Maybe that's how it looks to you. But to me, this has a lot of meaning.
El-Melloi:
Even if I can't really save them, I wanted to do the best I could here.
El-Melloi:
This isn't atonement for the past.
My heart refused to let me—
El-Melloi:
—be weak enough to make the same mistake twice. That's all.
Dr. Roman:
...
El-Melloi:
You're free to laugh at me if you like.
El-Melloi:
I just don't want to be forced to realize my own powerlessness again.
El-Melloi:
Of course, the pain of regret is mine alone.
It means nothing to anyone else.
El-Melloi:
In that regard, I do feel bad for wasting Fujimaru and Mash's time, but...
Fujimaru 1:
I don't mind.
Fujimaru 2:
It's not a waste.
Mash:
You're right. It's wrong to see something bad happening and not try to do anything to stop it.
Mash:
Regardless of the result,
I agree with Lord El-Melloi's plan.
Fou:
Fou!
El-Melloi:
Thank you. That helps a lot.
Dr. Roman:
...I see. That's what it is to be human, huh?
Dr. Roman:
Okay. I won't bring it up again.
So do you have a plan for our next move?
El-Melloi:
Yes. Kayneth prepared an alliance for us with the Berserker group.
El-Melloi:
We'd be foolish to let that go to waste.
ACT-12: "Discussing the Holy Grail"
Matou Kariya:
...You're Lancer's Master?
El-Melloi:
I've been asked to participate in the Holy Grail War in his stead. You're Matou Kariya, Berserker's Master, right?
Matou Kariya:
Yeah. You're going to keep your promise, right?
El-Melloi:
Of course.
Archer is a serious threat to us as well.
El-Melloi:
But your Servant's Noble Phantasm can defeat him.
If you want to deal with him, it'll help us a lot.
Matou Kariya:
A one-on-one battle with the Tohsaka Servant, someplace where no one else will interfere.
Matou Kariya:
You're going to provide us that?
Here, in this forest?
El-Melloi:
More specifically, at the mansion deep in this forest.
El-Melloi:
Right now, Archer, Saber, and Rider are all there having a standoff.
Mash:
Um, Lord El-Melloi, doesn't that mean they're all going to fight each other?
El-Melloi:
No, it doesn't.
El-Melloi:
All three of them have something they prize more than strategy: their pride as kings.
Mash:
...I see. By the way, what is this forest?
It's far away from Fuyuki's city limits.
El-Melloi:
This is an area the Einzberns set aside for the Holy Grail War. Of course, it has a powerful barrier.
Fou:
Fou, fou!?
Dr. Roman:
Wait, is it okay for us to just walk straight into a dangerous place like that?
El-Melloi:
It's not a problem. Rider destroyed all the alarms and defensive traps. There's no reason to worry.
Dr. Roman:
Sounds like things are getting rough.
What's going on inside there?
El-Melloi:
Heh. Listen to this.
El-Melloi:
They're just having a drinking party.
Mash:
They're really drinking, Senpai!
Mash:
What is Rider wearing...
Also, is that a barrel?
Mash:
And what's that cup-like thing with the long handle?
Fou:
...Fou?
Dr. Roman:
Hmm, I can't see what's going on since it's just audio, but it sounds like something unbelievable.
Iskandar:
Oh? That's a strange pairing, I see.
Altria:
Y-You people are...
Irisviel:
Did you join forces with Berserker? Why?
Waver:
A-Are you going to attack us here?
Matou Kariya:
That's Tohsaka Tokiomi's Servant... Archer!
Berserker:
aaaa...
Gilgamesh:
Who gave you permission to look upon me, mad dog?
Your insolence warrants death!
Iskandar:
If they're here to ruin our banquet, doesn't that mean that we'd all fight them together?
Gilgamesh:
No. Those who violate my laws must be judged by my wrath. I am the King of Heroes, and none may stand against me.
Iskandar:
I see. So you're laying down the law as a king, then? Then there's no reason for me to get involved.
Iskandar:
Saber and her Master have no problem with that,
I assume?
Irisviel:
I'd like to ask them to take it somewhere else... But as long as they aren't attacking us, we've no reason to intervene.
El-Melloi:
Excellent! Then the terms for the battle are laid down! Berserker's only foe here is Archer.
El-Melloi:
We will intervene in the fight and take down Archer!
Fujimaru, your orders!
Matou Kariya:
Kill him! Crush him! Berserker!
Berserker:
A...uaaa!!
ACT-13: "Battle Royale"
Gilgamesh:
Damn you! What a farce...
El-Melloi:
We did it! The King of Heroes, the greatest threat of the Fourth Holy Grail War, is defeated!
Matou Kariya:
Hahh... Hahh... Did you see that!
I showed... Tokiomi...
Mash:
Hm!? Berserker's Master is...
Dr. Roman:
This is bad. The vital signs I'm seeing here show he's dying!
El-Melloi:
Damn it! We made him use too much magical energy!
El-Melloi:
Hey, if you're going to pass out, at least bind Berserker with a Command Spell!
Matou Kariya:
...
Fujimaru 1:
He collapsed?
Fujimaru 2:
Hang in there!
Fou:
Fou, fou!
Mash:
It's okay. He's just unconscious. He's still breathing.
El-Melloi:
No! When this Berserker loses control, it'll go after Saber...
Berserker:
Aaaaa, uaaaaa!
Altria:
What? Why is it attacking me!?
El-Melloi:
We've got no choice. Fujimaru,
let's give up on Berserker. We'll take him out here!
Fujimaru 1:
What?
Fujimaru 2:
Isn't he on our side?
El-Melloi:
We can't put Saber in danger here!
El-Melloi:
With Archer out of the picture now, we're past the stage where we need Berserker's help anyway.
Diarmuid:
This won't be a pleasant fight...
But I guess I've got no choice against this mad warrior!
El-Melloi:
Lancer, your Noble Phantasm gives you an advantage against him. Stop whining and help!
Waver:
W-What's going on here?
Iskandar:
...
--BATTLE--
Diarmuid:
Pierce him! Gáe Dearg!
Berserker:
uaaaaa!
El-Melloi:
Now, Fujimaru! Finish him...
Iskandar:
HOLD IT!
Fou:
Fou!?
Mash:
Rider defended Berserker?
Waver:
Hey, what are you doing!?
Iskandar:
Yes, I've thought about it, and I've decided.
I'm joining forces with the mad warrior.
El-Melloi:
W-What!?
Waver:
Where is this coming from?
What's the point of siding with him?
Iskandar:
Well, there isn't one, probably.
Waver:
Then why? Just ignore him!
Iskandar:
I'm not choosing who to side with.
I'm choosing who to fight.
Iskandar:
The King of Heroes was my main target, and he's gone. So I was deciding who to fight next.
Waver:
Then you want to fight Saber next?
Iskandar:
Nope. That gloomy-looking strategist with the furrowed brow. He's my enemy.
Mash:
What?
El-Melloi:
...Why fight me?
You don't stand to gain anything!
Iskandar:
No, not really.
El-Melloi:
I've done everything I possibly could to avoid a conflict with you! So why!?
Iskandar:
I just don't like you for some reason. That's all.
El-Melloi:
Wha...
Fou:
Foufou?
Waver:
Why!? Why do you always stop making sense whenever something important happens!?
Iskandar:
What doesn't make sense here is that strategist.
He doesn't make sense at all.
Iskandar:
He's some kind of strange Servant, neither human nor Heroic Spirit. And his predictions are so accurate it's scary...
Iskandar:
He clearly exists outside the rules of this battle.
And yet he's obviously trying to intervene.
Iskandar:
The one thing I can say for sure...is that he's here to interfere with the Holy Grail War.
Iskandar:
I don't know what he's after, but I'm one of the Servants summoned for the battle.
Iskandar:
Someone who's trying to destroy the battle itself is a far greater threat than a mere enemy, right?
El-Melloi:
...
Iskandar:
Saber, Lancer, if you want to work with him, you're my enemy.
Iskandar:
And thus, I'll side with Berserker. Very simple, right?
Diarmuid:
...What will you do, Master? If you order me to defeat him before Berserker, I'll do it.
Fujimaru 1:
Is it okay to fight?
Fujimaru 2:
Can we win?
El-Melloi:
...No, don't do it. Have you forgotten what we're here for? We're only allowed to defeat four Servants!
Mash:
We've already defeated Caster and Archer, as well as most of the Assassins.
Mash:
If we make an enemy out of both of them, then that's more than four...
Iskandar:
Well, Berserker's very weak, and his Master is barely alive.
Iskandar:
Personally, I'd like to take them and retreat.
What will you do? Will you follow?
El-Melloi:
...Leave. There's nothing we can do.
Iskandar:
Excellent. Enemies who are smart, but nothing else, are easy to handle.
Iskandar:
Once Berserker has revived, we'll settle things then! Farewell!
ACT-14: "The Shadow Chasing Irisviel"
Fou:
Fou.
Fujimaru 1:
Things didn't go as planned, did they?
Fujimaru 2:
Things just aren't working out, huh?
El-Melloi:
That Rider, I knew he had such a crazy attitude, but... who knew it'd be this bad?!
El-Melloi:
We're enemies just because? What was he on about!? He just pisses me off!
Mash:
I guess Lord El-Melloi gets emotional when we deal with Rider...
El-Melloi:
I'm calm! It's just a natural reaction due to the stress!
Fujimaru 1:
I see.
Fujimaru 2:
Lord El-Melloi is chill. Okay?
Mash:
Yes...
Dr. Roman:
Hmm? Hold on a second. I'm getting a magical energy signature approaching you. Its strength indicates it's a Servant.
Dr. Roman:
It's different from any remaining Assassin fragments, and also from Rider and Berserker who retreated earlier.
Mash:
That means...the figures don't add up, right?
El-Melloi:
Yeah. There are only seven Heroic Spirits that the Fuyuki Holy Grail can call forth. Meaning it's an irregular like us. It's him.
Altria:
You mean he's going after Irisviel again?
Assassin?:
I look away for one second and you've got even more friends, huh? You guys are such a pain.
El-Melloi:
Now that you've been caught twice by the Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation, you realize it's pointless to hide your presence?
El-Melloi:
But how condescending of you to just walk straight up to us.
Assassin?:
Well, I'll never get anywhere just waiting for my chance.
Assassin?:
The Holy Grail War is nearing its end, and before its conclusion, I must have that homunculus destroyed.
El-Melloi:
So you're after the vessel of the Holy Grail after all. It seems like our goals are similar, but our methodology is different.
Fujimaru 1:
The vessel of the Holy Grail?
El-Melloi:
Yes. She's pretending to be Saber's Master, but...
El-Melloi:
She is serving a different purpose. She collects the souls of fallen Heroic Spirits... A Lesser Grail, the key that opens the Greater Grail.
El-Melloi:
Like giving an autonomous personality to ceremonial equipment.
Irisviel:
You're quite knowledgeable. But I don't really like you saying I'm pretending to be a Master. Am I not a proper Master? Is that what you want to say?
El-Melloi:
There's no reason to hide anything this late in the game, homunculus.
El-Melloi:
Irisviel is being used as bait. I know the true Master is hiding in the shadows.
Altria:
What do you mean? Irisviel is my Master, totally and completely. I am not contracted to anyone else...
El-Melloi:
What?
Irisviel:
Will you see this and still doubt?
El-Melloi:
Command Spells!? Then you really did contract with Saber?
Mash:
Lord El-Melloi, this is no time to be surprised!
The enemy Servant is coming at us!
--BATTLE--
Assassin?:
Tch, giving me a hard time...
El-Melloi:
Hold on. Fighting any more isn't going to get us anywhere. There's nothing for either of us to gain.
Assassin?:
Either of us to gain? It's almost like you completely understand what's going on with me.
El-Melloi:
You have nothing going on, personally.
You're a Servant without a Master.
El-Melloi:
You're not fighting to benefit anyone at all.
Altria:
No Master? Then what about the contract?
How is he getting supplied with magical energy?
El-Melloi:
Of course, a Servant can only materialize in this world when there's a summoning and a contract.
El-Melloi:
However, in his case, the contract wasn't made with a human. ...Isn't that right, envoy of the Counter Force?
Dr. Roman:
The Counter Force?! Then this Heroic Spirit has contracted with the World itself!?
Assassin?:
...How did you come to that conclusion?
El-Melloi:
We're not part of this temporal axis, and thus have a bird's-eye view of the situation here.
El-Melloi:
We know that the end of the Holy Grail War here in Fuyuki will lead to the end of the world.
Irisviel:
What was that? What do you mean?
El-Melloi:
...I wasn't going to say anything until the end, but there's nothing for it. I'm coming clean.
El-Melloi:
The ritual here at Fuyuki will succeed, unlike in the past and future, and it will lead to the activation of the Greater Grail.
El-Melloi:
The reason all of this was observed by Sheba—was that this area had to be the cause of the Singularity.
Dr. Roman:
I see! It wasn't just observed as an unstable dimension, but as the origin of the collapse that would become the Singularity!
Irisviel:
You guys...know not only of the past, but also the future? From a different temporal axis?
El-Melloi:
That is correct. I witnessed the failure of the fourth war, investigated the fifth war, and prevented the sixth war from happening. That's who I am.
El-Melloi:
And I've assumed the role of pinpointing what makes this battle different from the others I've known.
El-Melloi:
And the answer to that...is you, Irisviel. You are the vessel of the Holy Grail, and also a Master that controls a Servant.
El-Melloi:
It was supposed to take another 10 years to complete. The Einzbern family's ultimate homunculus.
Irisviel:
Ten years? That's...
El-Melloi:
It's a small difference, but this is a definite advantage.
El-Melloi:
I mean, for the Einzbern family to find a way to win not via a makeshift guerilla warfare, but actual frontal assault...
El-Melloi:
Having a Master with the highest specs, commanding the strongest Servant, and access to the Lesser Grail.
El-Melloi:
Victory is certain for Einzbern. And this victory is plenty reason...for the Counter Force to activate.
Assassin?:
...The Holy Grail War you know of didn't have any interference from the Counter Force?
El-Melloi:
That's right. It wasn't a factor during the third war. Meanwhile the chance of success was about fifty-fifty during the fourth and fifth war.
El-Melloi:
At the very least, from the perspective of the World there was no real emergency to get involved.
El-Melloi:
During the fourth war, the Einzberns' research results were behind by one whole generation. When they finally completed their research during the fifth war, they made a mistake in their strategy.
El-Melloi:
To be honest, I'm surprised to see that this time the Einzberns managed to call checkmate on everyone.
Dr. Roman:
So to sum things up, this Singularity is basically...
Dr. Roman:
...the embodiment of the “if” situation where the Einzberns are the superior contestant in this war.
El-Melloi:
Yes, and the Holy Grail reading that Chaldea picked up was most likely Irisviel's magical circuits themselves...
El-Melloi:
Seeing how perfect the results of the Einzberns' research are this time, you can probably even call her a pseudo Holy Grail.
Irisviel:
I'm not sure whether or not you're praising me or insulting me, but I'm going to need you to explain more.
Irisviel:
What do you mean the world will end if the Fuyuki Holy Grail is completed?
El-Melloi:
Yes, allow me to tell you everything. Agent of the Counter Force, you should follow along, as well.
El-Melloi:
I'll show you an even better way to accomplish the task you have been given.
Assassin?:
A simpler and even more certain way than destroying this homunculus here?
Irisviel:
...
El-Melloi:
Well, I can't say that it's entirely simpler, but let me ask you something instead, Heroic Spirit.
El-Melloi:
Would you do anything because it's the simpler way?
Do you wish to kill Irisviel here, no matter what happens?
Fou:
...Fou?
Assassin?:
...I do not know. I have not thought of that. I had resigned myself to thinking there was no other choice. I did not have the luxury of options.
Assassin?:
And now that you're telling me to choose... I am faced with a conflict within myself that is rather difficult to explain.
Assassin?:
If you're telling me there is a different choice with this homunculus...then I think I would like to explore that as well.
Assassin?:
I wonder why? I've never experienced this feeling before.
El-Melloi:
That's because you still have a human heart left in you.
El-Melloi:
A foolish but noble soul, from before you became part of the machine known as the Counter Force.
ACT-15: "To the Greater Grail"
Matou Kariya:
...And so, that's how I became Berserker's Master.
Iskandar:
Hmm. I see... Hey, kid. Does everyone in this Holy Grail War have a tragic story like that?
Waver:
So has that clueless optimism of yours finally gotten embarrassing?
Iskandar:
Huh? Why?
Waver:
...I was stupid for asking.
Waver:
So... Matou was it? Now that you've taken out Archer. What do you plan on doing next?
Matou Kariya:
Finishing off Tohsaka Tokiomi, of course.
He's powerless without a Servant. So, this time...
Iskandar:
Right.
Matou Kariya:
Bleh!
Waver:
You punched him? Punched him?!
Isn't that going to kill him?!
Iskandar:
Hey, Matou Kariya. Who did you want to protect?
Who should you save first?
Matou Kariya:
That... would be Sakura...
Iskandar:
So if you killed that Tokiomi guy, would the situation change for her right away?
Matou Kariya:
But...without the Grail, Zouken is going to...
Iskandar:
So would finishing off Tokiomi be the fastest way to get the Grail?
Matou Kariya:
...
Iskandar:
Geez... So your need, priority, and capability aren't lining up in the least, you fool.
Iskandar:
You're not worthy of sharing my path of conquest yet! Time to go, kid.
Waver:
Huh? Where?
Iskandar:
To conquer and pillage, of course!
Matou Kariya:
...Huh? Hmm... What?
Iskandar:
Unfortunately, it seems the mastermind is out.
Iskandar:
Well, I burned all the bugs in that basement to a crisp, so let's call it a day for now. By the way, I brought this girl here with me.
Matou Kariya:
S-Sakura?!
You...saved her?
Iskandar:
Don't be stupid. I'm not a savior. I'm a conqueror.
That makes this girl part of my plunder. She's my slave.
Matou Kariya:
What!?
Waver:
H-Hey. What are you saying!?
Iskandar:
But now that she's my slave, I'm willing to trade her on my own terms.
Iskandar:
Do you want to pay her way out of bondage?
Matou Kariya, I'll do that for the appropriate price.
Matou Kariya:
Y-You want to solve this with money?
Iskandar:
Not at all. That right hand of yours will do.
Give it to me, along with your Command Spells.
Matou Kariya:
!?
Waver:
Huh? But wouldn't that...
Iskandar:
Well with your current state, it's possible you'd die.
It's your one life, you decide what to do with it.
Iskandar:
Do you take the chance to save this girl and possibly live your days, or fight to the end with Berserker? You decide.
Matou Kariya:
Sakura...
Matou Kariya:
...Okay. Take my right hand.
Iskandar:
Got it. Then clench your teeth hard and endure it.
Matou Kariya:
Gah...
Iskandar:
Good. It seems the crest worms came along with the hand. I'm sure they'd pick the Command Spells over their host.
Waver:
W-Will...he be okay?
Iskandar:
The rest is up to fate, though his chances are low.
Kid, take care of him as much as you can.
Waver:
I-I am not that good with healing spells!
Iskandar:
Hey, Mithrenes!
Iskandar:
This girl and half-dead boy here. Take them out of Fuyuki, find a building with a red cross on it, carry them there, and return.
Waver:
...Is that the kind of job you would ask a Heroic Spirit to do?
Iskandar:
You're the one who had me get water from a river, and you want to say that?
Iskandar:
Well, there is no other course.
We must hurry and head to the next battle.
Waver:
The next? You're going to fight them all?
Without Berserker?
Iskandar:
You worried, kid?
Waver:
What are you saying?
You're stronger than everyone.
Waver:
I don't think we'd lose, even if all the Servants came at us at once!
Iskandar:
Hahahaha! Well said!
Now, let us hurry to the decisive battle!
Zouken:
M-My manor is burning! My cute bugs are dead?
Zouken:
That Kariya! What did you do!? And where's Sakura!? They ran out on me!
Zouken:
Gah!! Those damn brats!
Berserker:
uaaaaa...
Zouken:
...Huh? Berserker? His magical energy has been used up and he's about to disappear...
Zouken:
...These are... Kariya's Command Spells?
He turned his back on the Holy Grail War and ran!
Zouken:
But for him to cut off his hand and dump it here...
That's not something a coward like him would do...
Berserker:
uaaaaa...
Zouken:
Aww, there, there. You're upset you've been betrayed too, huh? You're just like me. I just can't let this go.
Zouken:
Guess we'll just have to show them...what happens to savages who oppose the Matou family.
Irisviel:
I can't believe it... The Greater Grail is tainted by an Anti-Hero!?
El-Melloi:
Seeing is believing. It's faster to just have you see the real thing.
Assassin?:
The dismantling of the Greater Grail... If you knew a way to solve the problem at its root, why didn't you do it?
El-Melloi:
Well... This is kind of like taking out nitroglycerin from a huge vat.
El-Melloi:
If you're not careful, the container will break and it could spell disaster. In order to do it safely, you need preparations.
El-Melloi:
It couldn't just happen over a night or two.
Dr. Roman:
And yet now, you're just riding in here without any preparations...
El-Melloi:
I reconsidered my methodology.
El-Melloi:
If we have enough firepower to blow away our vat along with its explosive contents, it's possible things would go our way.
El-Melloi:
Based on a quick estimate, in addition to us from Chaldea, if we can get at least three more Servants...
El-Melloi:
We could do what we needed to.
Mash:
Oh, but if we could unify the three factions...
El-Melloi:
Yes, only four Servants would end up defeated, achieving our goal and resolving the issue at hand in a peaceful way.
Fou:
Foou.
El-Melloi:
Had we won over Rider's faction, we wouldn't have needed to deal with the Greater Grail.
El-Melloi:
So we've excluded the possibility of dismantling the Greater Grail this time, but...
El-Melloi:
I didn't think the Counter Force would become involved. There couldn't be a better ally if we had him on our side.
Assassin?:
No matter when or where we're called for battle, we will always shed blood for purposes beyond human intellect.
Assassin?:
It is not unusual for us to find ourselves against everyone, without being understood by a single person.
Assassin?:
...So this is a strange feeling. It's been a long time since I've worked with someone...Huh?
El-Melloi:
Yes, they were caught in my Bounded Field as well. As I thought. I guess Presence Concealment doesn't work against a better Assassin.
Assassin?:
I'm also good at lurking in the shadows. Both of us are aware of what the other is capable of.
Dr. Roman:
...An Assassin Servant!? You two are amazing.
I couldn't tell at all!
Assassin:
How dare you... Don't think you're going to win just because you prevented my first strike! I'm going to get you all this time!
El-Melloi:
Watch out. They're different than the fragments we've dealt with up until now. They're going to mobilize everyone else left.
ACT-16: "The King's Pride"
Assassin:
Why would you...try so hard to destroy our wish...
Oh, a bell... I can hear the bell toll...
Assassin:
O great founder—the first and the last “Old Man”...
Assassin:
Please, please forgive me...
I have...blundered...yet again...
Mash:
Servant Assassin completely eliminated.
Assassin?:
That's what happens to assassins that miss their chance and aren't able to pick the best occasion.
Assassin?:
It seems the Master who gave Assassin their orders didn't know how to handle them in the right manner.
El-Melloi:
Aha. The Master must've been replaced.
El-Melloi:
Perhaps Tohsaka, having lost Archer, was plotting a comeback by switching to Assassin.
Fujimaru 1:
The Tohsaka family is a hot mess.
Fujimaru 2:
That elegant man's luck is the worst.
El-Melloi:
Humph. It's only fair for a talented–no,
privileged–family to meet adversity!
Fou:
Fou?
Mash:
Normally he's a fair person, but sometimes I feel like he's fighting with something we can't see...
Mash:
This is...the place where our final battle took place in Singularity F.
Fou:
...Fooou.
El-Melloi:
What do you think, Einzbern? Now that we are here, it's obvious that the magical energy radiating from the Greater Grail has been altered.
Irisviel:
...Yes. Unfortunately. This is not even close to the Holy Grail that we sought after.
Irisviel:
How ironic. By the time victory was finally within our reach, what we'd desperately desired to win had already been destroyed...
Diarmuid:
Even before checking its contents, I can strongly feel the evil presence hiding within.
Diarmuid:
Is it okay to just break this carelessly?
El-Melloi:
Only three Servants have been defeated.
That's not enough to awaken Aŋra Mainiiu.
El-Melloi:
Even if it overflows, it'll be just a mass of ambiguous curses with no purpose at this point. We can handle it with the force that we have now.
Dr. Roman:
...Wait. I'm picking up magical energy!
A Servant is approaching at incredible speed!
Dr. Roman:
That speed is not normal. It must be a type of Noble Phantasm that can increase mobility!
Mash:
Increase mobility? That means...
Altria:
Yes, it must be Rider.
El-Melloi:
Rider!? Why now!?
Iskandar:
Oh, good, good. Looks like it's still not too late.
El-Melloi:
Do you still intend to continue the Holy Grail War? Don't you sense the cursed magical energy that's coming from the Greater Grail?
El-Melloi:
That is not the wish granter you were looking for!
Wake up already to the fact that you've been tricked!
Iskandar:
Huh? Well, I don't give a damn.
Waver:
You don't!?
Iskandar:
No. I just came to stop you guys from running away with the winnings.
Iskandar:
You, the strategist with a wry face. This is the perfect battlefield for us, I must say.
Fou:
Fou, fooou?
El-Melloi:
...I don't get it. What is it that makes you oppose us so much?
Iskandar:
It seems you somehow can see what lies beyond our fate, but isn't that boring?
Iskandar:
If that's really the case, I must at least play the role of someone who ruins your plan.
El-Melloi:
What?
Iskandar:
I can tell, you're also chasing a shadow on the path of conquest. Which means you share the same joy as me, the King of Conquerors.
Iskandar:
I must entertain a fellow like you.
For that's my duty as a king.
Mash:
Entertain... You stand as our enemy only to make him laugh?
Irisviel:
That's crazy...
Altria:
Yes, he's most certainly crazy. However, it's a motivation befitting of this Heroic Spirit.
Altria:
While there is no limit to this king's selfish arrogance, his actions are based on his interest in others. In fact—
Altria:
He might look like a goril– Excuse me, a brute, but the truth is, he's notorious for meddling in others' business!
El-Melloi:
B-But you should also excel at assessing the situation!
El-Melloi:
It's obvious the kind of catastrophe this curse-filled Greater Grail is capable of causing! The world is facing a crisis!
El-Melloi:
Despite the situation, you still want to fight me for such a selfish motive!? What are you thinking!?
Iskandar:
Sure, you grumble, but you do like them, don't you? Games.
El-Melloi:
...What...
Iskandar:
Your burden and resolve do not matter. Unless you enjoy the challenge that's in front of you, life has no meaning.
Iskandar:
Get more fired up, strategist. I will even stake my own path of conquest. Come, time to finish this.
El-Melloi:
For you to go that far... Are you saying...
I am worthy as your opponent?
Iskandar:
Of course. Though I have no knowledge of where you came from and how you are connected with me.
Iskandar:
But what stands in front of me is indeed a warrior.
I won't be satisfied unless I defeat this man.
El-Melloi:
...Haha, ahahaha, hah hah hah hah hah!
Mash:
Wh-What's going on...
El-Melloi:
Sorry, Fujimaru, my Master.
This will be my one selfish request.
El-Melloi:
Let me fight him. My mission, the fate of the world...
I'll put it all aside.
El-Melloi:
I'll focus solely on him. I don't even know if I can win or not... Just let me at him!
Fujimaru 1:
It can't be helped.
Fujimaru 2:
Sounds exciting.
Mash:
S-Senpai!?
El-Melloi:
I appreciate your approval. Heh, if it were one of my students, I'd give the fool a good dressing-down...
El-Melloi:
I won't mind even if I end up being defeated. If it's for someone as foolish as him or myself... Then there's meaning in serving him!
Fou:
Fou! Foufou, fo—u!
Mash:
Fou, even you give such a war cry... What's going on here doesn't make sense to me...
Diarmuid:
Do not be sad, girl. This is called a man's dream. If you are also a Heroic Spirit, join them even if you don't understand.
ACT-17: "Wish of the Three Founding Families"
Waver:
Rider!?
Iskandar:
Ugh... Well done! Hehehe, Stone Sentinel Maze, huh? You got me there.
El-Melloi:
...
El-Melloi:
This is not a skill I mastered myself.
I gained it by accident.
El-Melloi:
After all, with my own ability, I'm no match for you...
Iskandar:
Haha, moron.
El-Melloi:
!?
Fujimaru 1:
Did Rider just...flick his forehead?
Waver:
Why would you do that to him...
Iskandar:
It doesn't matter whose power you wield on the path of conquest. How you wield it, lead it... That's what makes the difference.
Iskandar:
If you saw my Ionioi Hetairoi with your own eyes, I'd expect you to understand that, at least. Idiot.
El-Melloi:
Rider...
Iskandar:
Huh? Did it hurt? Sorry. I don't know how to control my strength. I've lost the feeling in my fingertips lately, so...
Iskandar:
Well, since you've already gotten such deep lines in your forehead, I assume a small attack won't leave a scar. Right?
El-Melloi:
...Nonsense. Some scars affect the heart more than the body.
Iskandar:
Haha, give me a break. Anyway, it was a good fight.
I'm sorry, kid, but it's time for me to go...
Waver:
...Why? I am the one who's supposed to cry now.
Why are you crying instead?
El-Melloi:
...You're right. I'm embarrassed to be seen this way.
I never thought I would have such a meeting in this lifetime...
El-Melloi:
Ugh! ...What!?
Mash:
Lord El-Melloi!?
Fou:
Foooh!?
Altria:
What was that attack!? From where!?
Zouken:
Bahaha, you dropped your guard, strategist. I guess even the magecraft you're so proud of is useless if you're distracted by something so pathetic.
Berserker:
aaa...Aaaaa...
Diarmuid:
Berserker!?
Assassin?:
Damn! I didn't expect to be ambushed at this stage!
Irisviel:
You must be... Zolgen, Makiri's mage!
What on earth are you doing!?
Zouken:
That's my line, Einzbern!
Zouken:
Helping to dismantle the Greater Grail... Have you fallen so far that you've even forgotten the wish of the Founding Three?
Irisviel:
It's so obvious! This ritual failed a long time ago! Heaven's Feel will never be achieved with the Grail in a state like this!
Zouken:
So what? What's wrong with it? What we become... What we achieve... That no longer has any meaning.
Zouken:
We've devoted everything to the past 500 years...
I don't care as long as I can witness the fruit of our labor.
Irisviel:
Zolgen, are you out of your mind!?
Zouken:
Who knows? How do you separate sanity from insanity? Now that my soul has withered away, I can no longer tell.
Zouken:
Still, I will not let you lay one finger on this Greater Grail. This is the realization of our old dream. I will never hand it over!
Berserker:
Aaaaaa!
ACT-18: "The Fallen Grail"
Mash:
We have defeated Berserker!
Fujimaru 1:
How's Lord El-Melloi?
Mash:
He is unconscious and in critical condition. He needs help right away. But the fact that we defeated Berserker means...
Zouken:
Bahaha, ahahahaha! Fools. To think you unwittingly helped to bring this ceremony to its completion.
Dr. Roman:
I see, that was the fifth Servant defeated...
Zouken:
At this stage, I no longer need the Lesser Grail to extract the sacrifices' magical energy. With my life's final ritual, I'll fuel them directly into the Greater Grail!
Irisviel:
Huh!? I am losing the magical energy I was conserving... Zolgen, is this your doing!?
Zouken:
No... I only hastened its awakening... Not in an imitation like yourself, but in a true vessel...
Mash:
Master! Someone...is coming out of the Greater Grail!
Fou:
Fou!?
Dark Irisviel:
Well done, Makiri Zolgen. You're more shriveled up than the last time I saw you.
Zouken:
Oh. Oh... Justeaze, the Chalice of Heaven...
Your beauty is exquisite...
Zouken:
I see... So that's it... My role was no more than to recall your visage...
Dark Irisviel:
My senile old foe. Enough. Your part is over. Now, go dream of the ideals that'll never be fulfilled... Then die.
Irisviel:
Zolgen!
Diarmuid:
Berserker's Master...was devoured?
Dark Irisviel:
It's still...not enough. As if my vessel could be filled with five measly Heroic Spirits.
Dark Irisviel:
You awaken me after preparing such a pitiful offering? The preparations for the feast are far from complete!
Irisviel:
Justeaze Lizrich... No, it's a ruined Holy Grail, polluted by All the Evils of the World.
Dark Irisviel:
Humph. What a foolish remark from my descendant. I am the Chalice of Heaven. The incarnation of the Third Magic who shall reach the Root and annihilate all evil.
Dark Irisviel:
It's time. Pledge me your lives and souls! I will draw upon your blood to fulfill the cherished wish of 1,000 years!
Diarmuid:
Saber, she is...
Altria:
Yes, this magical energy's density...
At this rate we have no chance of victory!
Dr. Roman:
I see... Since we lost Zhuge Liang–I mean, Lord El-Melloi II–we can no longer fight...
Altria:
Were he safe, we may have stood a chance.
But the absence of one Servant is critical!
Diarmuid:
Especially against an enemy of this stature, his loss is devastating. We must retreat!
Altria:
The two of us will hold her off while we evacuate the Masters and the others. Lancer, you with me!?
Diarmuid:
Yes!
Irisviel:
But Saber!
What will become of you?
Altria:
As long as the Master flees to safety, we can immediately withdraw from the front lines via Command Spells.
Altria:
But, since you hold the Command Spells, everything hinges on your safety! Now, go!
Diarmuid:
Heroic Spirit of the Shield! Assassin of the Counter Force! Please protect the Master!
Assassin?:
Yes, leave it to me.
Mash:
Y-Yes, I will!
El-Melloi:
...Ah!
Mash:
I'm so glad you regained consciousness!
Fou:
Foou?
El-Melloi:
Ugh... My Spirit Core is undamaged, but I can't move my body... I guess a Pseudo-Servant has its limits...
El-Melloi:
...What about Saber and Lancer?
Fujimaru 1:
They're fighting the Greater Grail.
El-Melloi:
Ugh! In order to let us retreat?
Mash:
Yes. They said we had no chance of winning at the time...
El-Melloi:
No! Even if we run, we don't have any reserve forces! We must stand our ground and fight!
Waver:
So what do we do!? You yourself have no strength left to stand with us!
El-Melloi:
Waver Velvet, you're the key here.
Waver:
...Huh?
El-Melloi:
I know who you are, you brat.
El-Melloi:
You find your powerlessness repugnant. You despise your incompetency and mediocrity. You are mired in an inferiority complex, with nothing to boast of to the world.
Waver:
W-What's up with you? Don't tell me...
El-Melloi:
The immature dream of a brat who always laments his own weakness... Are you prepared to finally wake up?
El-Melloi:
The terror of wielding overwhelming power. The terror that heavy responsibility imposes. Will you taste these sensations while you are still just a brat?
Dr. Roman:
Lord El-Melloi, what are you doing!?
Fou:
Fou!?
Waver:
...
Waver:
Fine. I'm ready. We have no other choice, right?
El-Melloi:
Hah, you truly are a fool. A fool who doesn't know his place. You truly understand nothing at all.
El-Melloi:
But, that's exactly why...he once took a particular interest in you...
El-Melloi:
Glory lies beyond the horizon... Huh?
Waver:
Tell me! What am I supposed to do?
El-Melloi:
Take my hand and pray. “The art of certain victory, the mode of harmonizing with charges, is a matter of opportunity.”
Waver:
Umm... The art of certain victory...the mode of harmonizing with charges...is a matter of opportunity.
Waver:
Ah! Whoa!
Waver:
What's this? What's happening to me...
El-Melloi:
Yes, it seems you've gained the strategist's favor.
He permits you to be his temporary avatar.
El-Melloi:
Instead of my broken body, he can boss you around as much as he wants.
Fou:
Foou!
Waver:
I can tell...there's something inside of me... Zhuge Liang... Whaaaaat!?
El-Melloi:
Rejoice, young man. You are the hero you always dreamed of being. Now, can you do your new form justice?
Waver:
...Yeah, I can! I can do this!
El-Melloi:
Fujimaru, sorry, but I'm entrusting you with this immature Pseudo-Servant.
El-Melloi:
He's a little unreliable, but he'll be of use.
Go back and aid Saber and Lancer!
Fujimaru 1:
Okay!
Fujimaru 2:
Leave it to me!
Mash:
We need to hurry, Senpai, while Saber and Lancer are still alive!
Dark Irisviel:
Hah hah, is this the best you can do? Pathetic Heroic Spirits. It's like you remained solely to nourish me.
Diarmuid:
Ugh...this isn't good. I'm nearing my limit...
Altria:
She's stronger than I imagined!
At this rate...
Waver:
Hold on a bit longer and push through!
Diarmuid:
What!? Why did you return!?
Altria:
No, Lancer, the boy is different from before...
This magical energy... He is clearly a Servant!
Waver:
We've returned to our former strength. We have Saber, Lancer, and the Counter Force Assassin...
Waver:
The lineup he envisioned is assembled!
All we need now is orders, Fujimaru!
Fujimaru 1:
This will be the final battle!
Dark Irisviel:
Foolishness... I'll devour every one of you.
Return to your origins within my chalice!
--BATTLE--
Dark Irisviel:
Why... This hand...was meant to reach the ends of the stars...
Altria:
Did we...win?
Mash:
The enemy's magical energy has disappeared...
Victory is ours!
Waver:
...
Fujimaru 1:
Good job!
Fujimaru 2:
Are you okay?
Waver:
I...I had no idea!
Waver:
I never knew that fighting for one's life...was this terrifying...
Altria:
You did well. Very well for one's first battle.
Diarmuid:
You deserve praise for not freezing in terror.
Be proud and bask in the glory of your victory.
Waver:
Everyone...
Irisviel:
They're all Heroic Spirits summoned to Fuyuki by the Greater Grail. Now that it's gone, they can't retain their form...
Altria:
It is time to part ways. It was a taxing battle, but I am glad it ended well.
Diarmuid:
May we meet on another battlefield. I am sure it will happen when the fate of the world is at stake.
Fou:
Foou...
El-Melloi:
The Holy Grail that we detected from Chaldea has disappeared without a trace.
El-Melloi:
Also, Irisviel. You no longer have the ability to transform into the Holy Grail. What do you intend to do now?
Irisviel:
Yes. Now that the Holy Grail War has been rendered meaningless, my existence is of no value.
Irisviel:
I helped to destroy the Greater Grail with my own hands. There's no way that I can return to Einzbern now...
Mash:
Umm, our original goal included recovering the Holy Grail that appeared in this Singularity.
Mash:
If you like, why not return with us to Chaldea?
Dr. Roman:
Yeah. If we abandon her, someone else might try to use her later for more sinister purposes.
Dr. Roman:
It's probably best for us to take her under our wing.
Irisviel:
...For someone with no one left to turn to, it's a generous offer.
Irisviel:
Yes, I accept. I entrust myself to you all. Master from another world, let's work for a better future.
Fujimaru 1:
Yes, thank you.
Fujimaru 2:
We welcome you!
Waver:
Are you guys...returning, too?
El-Melloi:
Yes. Zhuge Liang as well. Relax.
You'll soon return to your ordinary, mediocre self.
Waver:
...
Waver:
You were right. This power is still a bit too much for me.
El-Melloi:
Now that you know that, it is time to continue your studies.
El-Melloi:
Someday, you will be forced to bear this power.
El-Melloi:
Be consoled by the fact that you still have time.
Become strong while you still can.
Waver:
You sound just like Rider.
El-Melloi:
Humph, don't embarrass me. I am still no match for the King of Conquerors.
Waver:
“Still,” you say? Does that mean you're also training?
To eventually be his equal?
El-Melloi:
...
El-Melloi:
The route to the surface is a labyrinth of caves, so I'll take you there. Then we part ways.
Fou:
Fou, foou.
Assassin?:
I guess I should say goodbye as well.
Waver:
You're not returning to the surface?
Assassin?:
I don't originally belong to this world, so it's a waste of time. If I wait, I'll soon be summoned back to the Throne.
El-Melloi:
That's right, I forgot what type of being you were.
Irisviel:
...
Assassin?:
...It's strange. After we met, I had the feeling that only death would separate us.
Irisviel:
Yes, it's weird, but I don't know why.
Yet...this strange feeling is not unpleasant.
Assassin?:
Yeah. Same here...
Assassin?:
...I thought I was cursed to fulfill my mission only through sacrifice or death.
Assassin?:
Now, for the first time, I feel like I was able to fight to protect something.
Assassin?:
Thank you. ...Although I don't know whether it's my place to say such words.
Irisviel:
Yes. Goodbye. I'm glad I could meet you, nameless Heroic Spirit.
Dr. Roman:
Good work! You went through a lot this time.
Fou:
Foou, foou.
Dr. Roman:
Da Vinci is now giving Miss Irisviel a thorough checkup.
Dr. Roman:
I'm surprised. I never thought a Holy Grail could exist in such a form.
Mash:
What about Lord El-Melloi?
How are his injuries?
Mash:
Compared to a genuine Servant, Servants like us who possess the flesh of human beings
Mash:
will die if they suffer too much damage...
Dr. Roman:
Yes. He'll be in the ICU for a while.
He needs complete rest.
Dr. Roman:
How reckless to have someone else form a contract with a Heroic Spirit while seriously injured.
Dr. Roman:
He was nonchalant so you wouldn't be alarmed, but he was actually in really bad shape.
Fou:
Foou.
Mash:
But, thanks to him, we somehow pulled through... Also, the Heroic Spirit who was an agent of the Counter Force...
Dr. Roman:
Right. What a strange encounter. To think that even after humanity's history has been incinerated, the Counter Force would still function.
Fujimaru 1:
What is this “Counter Force”?
Fujimaru 2:
What was he, exactly?
Dr. Roman:
The Counter Force...in theory, it's a force that acts to preserve the human race.
Dr. Roman:
It's said that people who accomplished rare feats of valor in life are summoned by this Counter Force.
Dr. Roman:
If a crisis threatens the human race, they are summoned through time and space to eliminate the source of the calamity.
Mash:
So they are Servants who have no Masters, summoned solely to fight?
Dr. Roman:
Yes. Even in death, their souls are tasked with a mission to fight for all eternity.
Dr. Roman:
I cannot possibly understand their feelings...
They must endure unspeakable anguish.
Mash:
...Yes. Although I'm a mere Demi-Servant and not a Heroic Spirit,
Mash:
I cannot imagine being summoned to battle without a Master.
Fujimaru 1:
Really?
Mash:
Yes. What supports me in battle is you, Senpai, the one I sealed a contract with.
Mash:
That bond gives me the strength and courage to overcome fear. To fight without such support would be too cruel.
Fou:
Foou...
Assassin?:
...
Assassin?:
Will you come out already? You're the star performer.
No one will interfere now.
E：???:
Humph! So you knew.
I don't want to! What a pain.
E：???:
Isn't conserving energy popular in this age?
I wanted to catch you off your guard.
E：???:
Well, good job picking up on me instead.
I appreciate the welcome. Less lonely.
E：???:
But why didn't you warn your friends of the danger?
E：???:
They only destroyed a contaminated Holy Grail.
E：???:
I, Aŋra Mainiiu, its contents, remain separate.
Assassin?:
I didn't want to rely on the help of others intervening from another world.
Assassin?:
Your curse belongs solely to this world. It does not extend to theirs. It's logical for me to deal with you alone.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
Oh, how nice. It's a fine thing to take pride in one's work.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
I guess it would be painful for us to be pitied when we fight. No one would gain anything.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
Happiness is everything, right?
Well, anyway—
Aŋra Mainiiu:
...In that sense, you're just as much on the losing side as I am.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
I know you're a mass murderer by your scent.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
I bet you'll come “here” in the end.
After you're worn out by an eternity of abuse.
Assassin?:
I don't think so. This is the fate I have chosen.
I was never compelled to, nor did I ever give in.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
That's precisely why. You should have broken down somewhere along the line. That way you would have had a chance at peace, even salvation.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
But because you couldn't stop being a “Hero of Justice” until the very end, even after death, you became a cogwheel in a mechanism like the Counter Force.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
Surely that's proof you're on the losing side.
Assassin?:
My life led me to this point. I have no regrets.
I do admit that we're fundamentally similar.
Assassin?:
You'll curse the world, and I'll save it.
We are both devices with assigned roles. That's all.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
—
(Grin)
Aŋra Mainiiu:
Okay. If you're so sure, I guess I have to show you my respect.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
If curses and salvation face each other, there is no choice. We must both seek love and recognition in the way we know best.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
For such an occasion, why don't you name yourself? Unlike me, you remember your own name, yeah?
G：Emiya Kiritsugu:
Emiya... Kiritsugu. Or so I was called when I lived as a human being.
G：Emiya Kiritsugu:
I will save the world. I did so until now, and I will forever.
Aŋra Mainiiu:
There ain't a world that can be saved by humans.
How long will you try to disprove that conclusion!
ACT-EX: "Retrieving the Holy Grail"
Mash:
Senpai? Do we still need something here?
I believe the case is closed...
Fujimaru 1:
I don't think that's the last Holy Grail...
Fujimaru 2:
Uh, you know. Standard procedure.
Mash:
I see... Senpai's sixth sense... I understand.
Mash:
I, Mash Kyrielight, shall search the premises as Senpai's Servant!
Mash:
Ahhh—!?
Fujimaru 1:
Mash!?
Fujimaru 2:
That was fast!?
Mash:
Master, this is bad! Look what I found sprawled out in the shade, near the cliff!
C：???:
Ouch, that hurts, that hurts! Don't pull so hard!
I'm weak, so if you pull too hard something'll snap off!
Mash:
There is a suspicious-looking figure lying on the ground!
Fujimaru 1:
It's the shadow itself—!?
Mash:
Yes. I cannot grasp its identity even in light.
But it is not quite a Shadow Servant...
Mash:
What should we do, Master?
He does not seem particularly evil...
C：???:
Oh, so supple. Hmm, fine curves too...
(Rub rub)
Mash:
Hyahhh!?
C：???:
Heh heh. Perks of being injured. Time to recover! Even on the verge of death, a beast's instincts are uncontrollable!
C：???:
You have quite a fine Servant with you!
She would give my former Master a run for her money!
C：???:
I'm just talking about looks, of course.
It's sad, but both are still mentally children.
Fujimaru 1:
This...is a Perverted Servant!
Fujimaru 2:
Mash, give him a good beating.
Mash:
Y-Yes! I, Mash Kyrielight, shall mercilessly exterminate him with my new moves!
--BATTLE--
C：???:
Ahh—!?
You wretches seriously beat on an injured person!?
C：???:
This is a scene where a virtuous person would ask,
“Why were you lying on the ground?”
Mash:
I beg your pardon. I'll try it again.
Mash:
Why aren't you still on the ground?
It looks like you're still breathing, but...
C：???:
That can happen. Dead, but not really dead.
You see, resurrection is my special ability.
C：???:
Ah, never mind. This isn't the time to bring that up.
C：???:
I know about you people. You're the ones who destroyed the Greater Grail along with that Counter Force fellow.
Mash:
Y-Yes. Do you know about Senpai?
C：???:
I do. I observed your Master fighting for a bit from the best seat in the house. So, anyway, what?
C：???:
It's your fault that I was lying collapsed on the ground... Would you believe me if I said that?
Mash:
Our fault?
The Dress of Heaven:
I'll explain the rest, Avenger.
At ease.
Mash:
Iri!? But that form...
The Dress of Heaven:
Hello, Mash and Fujimaru.
Good work.
The Dress of Heaven:
I'm the Dress of Heaven. I'm a different entity than Irisviel, with whom you were working until just a while ago—
The Dress of Heaven:
Simply put, I'm like the spirit of the Greater Grail.
Avenger:
That's right. You people destroyed a woman in black, didn't you? Think of her as a good version of that.
The Dress of Heaven:
That's a crude explanation, Avenger.
Why can't you be more classy...
Avenger:
Forgive me. At any rate, you were beating me viciously until just a moment ago. Of course I'm going to harbor a deep grudge.
Mash:
Iri is the one who beat that man in black to within an inch of his life?
The Dress of Heaven:
...Well, I hate to say it, but yes and no.
The Dress of Heaven:
Fujimaru. Listen closely, for this is your group's problem as well.
The Dress of Heaven:
You destroyed the black Holy Grail. That's fine.
I don't mind. Even though it was painful.
The Dress of Heaven:
But to be honest, that was a mistake.
You shouldn't have done it.
The Dress of Heaven:
The reason is—
The Dress of Heaven:
The reason is, the way you destroyed it was too lenient!
The Dress of Heaven:
You should've done it more thoroughly! For example, you could've blown it up together with one floor of a luxury hotel!
Fujimaru 1:
Spoken like a rock star!
Fujimaru 2:
...All right, this is starting to sound familiar.
Mash:
Um... Iri?
What do you mean by that?
The Dress of Heaven:
I'm saying you were too naive. You didn't completely destroy the black Holy Grail.
The Dress of Heaven:
You broke the vessel in a clumsy manner.
As a result, the Lesser Grail...
The Dress of Heaven:
Irisviel was broken into shards and scattered. Each of those shards has begun working independently.
The Dress of Heaven:
They are—
Fire Iri, Water Iri, Earth Iri, and Wind Iri!
Fujimaru 1:
The four elements of Irisviel!
Fujimaru 2:
That's too many.
Avenger:
Exactly. Four of them are too much to handle.
I tried to get them to calm down...
Avenger:
...But I was just wasting my breath, as they attacked me.
The Dress of Heaven:
Yes. Like the original Irisviel, the four split-up elements would be kind under normal circumstances.
The Dress of Heaven:
But Fire Iri, who is particularly extreme, rose up in revolt.
Fujimaru 1:
Fire Iri?
Fujimaru 2:
Revolt?
The Dress of Heaven:
Yes. And like leaping flames, the other Iris were awakened to their violent side.
The Dress of Heaven:
Sad to say... but even after gaining their freedom and individual personalities, their grudge against you didn't disappear.
The Dress of Heaven:
Do you understand, Fujimaru?
Your war isn't over yet.
The Dress of Heaven:
Four types of Irisviel, let loose in Fuyuki.
You have a responsibility and a duty to defeat them.
The Dress of Heaven:
They're, how can I put it... Anyway, persistent, immune to discouragement, and obstinate.
The Dress of Heaven:
I'm sure they'll come back after you beat them.
But please stick with them until the job is done.
The Dress of Heaven:
Besides, it looks like that gloomy, yet shy, sensitive, and handsome man... Ahem. I mean, the hooded assassin has gone back.
The Dress of Heaven:
In the first place, that man isn't suited for this kind of job, right?
The Dress of Heaven:
I'm asking you as a favor, on behalf of Avenger.
The Dress of Heaven:
Assassin... Save the city of Fuyuki instead of him.
Only you people can do this job.
Fujimaru 1:
Sure. Leave it to us.
The Dress of Heaven:
Thank you. I was hoping for that answer, cute Master♡
Avenger:
Are we done talking? Then I'm counting on you folks to take care of the rest.
Avenger:
I'm not suited for fighting and I hear that woman in white doesn't want to see me, undisciplined as I am.
Avenger:
From here on out, this is your domain. Teach those fragments of the Holy Grail a lesson to the very end.
Fujimaru 2:
That dress is lovely.
The Dress of Heaven:
(Blush) Th-This is Einzbern's formal wear. I mean...
The Dress of Heaven:
It's a dress for magical rituals! Now don't pay me any more embarrassing compliments!
Avenger:
Are we done talking? Then I'm counting on you folks to take care of the rest.
Avenger:
I'm not suited for fighting and I hear that woman in white doesn't want to see me, undisciplined as I am.
Avenger:
From here on out, this is your domain. Teach those fragments of the Holy Grail a lesson to the very end.
The Dress of Heaven:
Yes. The rest is up to you, Fujimaru.
The Dress of Heaven:
Also, I'd like a word with you, Avenger, so please come here. When you get right down to it, this is your fault, isn't it?
Avenger:
But I'm a victim in all of this.
Corporal punishment is barbarous.
Mash:
...Um...
Mash:
I feel like I'm out of the loop, but we've got a new mission, Master!
Mash:
Let's make a fresh start and search Fuyuki again from scratch!