The Servant of the Mount scoffed in response. "Such is the logic of aristocrats who believe themselves entitled to everything they could've wanted simply for existing. Tokiomi is no different. He instigated all of this simply because it is what was expected of him, he's likely never had an original thought in his entire life! And why would he need to as fated patriarch of a 'glorious' magus lineage?" His words oozed with mockery. "That dullard is merely engaging in the same actions as his forebears with a tiny variation here and there. No more than an obedient drone following the instructions of fools who failed to achieve their ambitions in their own time." He took a long drink from his wine, then grimaced. "And once Tokiomi fails, the cycle will begin all over again for his spawn and the ones that follow them. Pathetic."
Kirei sipped his own wine while contemplating. Honestly, he wasn't surprised by the venom in Rider X's borderline rant. What was common practice for magus families and even ordinary folk, one generation entrusting their dreams and ambitions to the one that followed, would naturally be utter foolishness in the eyes of a conqueror who trusted only in himself to cement his legacy. Many Decepticons had once been fellow gladiators Megatron had defeated and/or inspired, and he had formed his own political party in due time.
Someone like him, Kirei surmised, born into a position of nothing and desiring to claim everything, could never trust another with his dreams. But such ruminations of a tyrant's arrogance were for later. "Still, can you truly claim I am any better than my teacher? I still don't even know what my wish is, let alone if it is any greater than the Tohsaka's."
Rider X's smirk returned. "But here you are all the same, continuing to participate in the Grail War despite fulfilling your part in Tokiomi's plans. You might've been pulled into this due to your father being the Tohsakas' lapdog, but you have developed your own desire to fight, your own ambitions. That alone elevates you above his secondhand dreams." More of his teeth became visible. "Or has your interest in a certain Mage Killer diminished?"
Kirei said nothing, for they both knew the answer. "It truly is a unique sensation, isn't it? The discovery of a nemesis. Someone who stands in direct opposition to you, who you loathe and yet respect. You may not even know the reason why you face them, only that you must if you are to achieve your goals." The Heroic Spirit sighed in delight, his wine seemingly forgotten. "And the sensation of defeating them… ah, there can be no sweeter taste in any universe."
Kirei smirked as well, an interesting idea coming to mind. "No wonder Gilgamesh robbed you of that final taste, then. Isn't it a shame how you put so much effort into seizing the mantle of King of Conquerors only for another to swipe the prize out from under you?"
His heart sang at how that metal-framed expression promptly soured. "That only means I shall enjoy tearing Gilgamesh asunder all the more when his time comes." He took another sip, his smirk half-returning. "But Iskandar nevertheless fell whereas I remained standing, proving my way of conquest was stronger. In the end, he was inferior…"
Amusement continued to bubble inside Kirei; the gladiator-turned-conqueror actually appeared sentimental. No, Rider X was being sentimental, and he could guess why. "Tell me, will you ever meet another you would deem an enemy equal to Optimus Prime?"
Rider X stilled, no emotion discernable in his frame. For once, he appeared the soulless machine one would believe him at first glance to be. Finally, he said, "…I suppose not." He turned away with a wry chuckle. "Even with so many other worlds to choose from… the Throne of Heroes cannot produce fitting rivals for me so easily. But that does not mean I won't enjoy stripping him and Saber of their strength. I shall defeat them, Kirei, just as I defeated Optimus just before my…" A brief grinding emerged from him. "Death."
"That's what truly enrages you about your death, isn't it?" Once again, that titanic body stilled like an inactive machine, much to Kirei Kotomine's delight. "You dying so close to achieving absolute victory… and it wasn't even Optimus who put an end to your tyranny."
The hidden Master had taken much time to gauge his Servant's beliefs and motivations these last few days. Yet it was only through his most recent lessons that he could discern the source of Rider X's rage in his final moments. "Oh, you'd still be vexed if you had perished at Optimus' hand, but considering your… relationship with him, I think you could've accepted it grudgingly. The Champion of Kaon, Leader of the Decepticons, destined Conqueror of Cybertron, slain in his final battle with Autobot leader Optimus Prime, his eternal nemesis."
He snapped his fingers. "Oh, forgive me, that's not what happened." His grin widened, the image of a (comparatively) small black-and-yellow Cybertronian, fabled sword in his tiny hands, swimming to his mind's surface. "Ultimately, the one who ran you through wasn't Optimus… but his scout.
"Bumblebee, a little insect you had stripped of its voice long ago. My, an ending like that ought to be the highest of humiliations for such a mighty Heroic Spirit, no?"
As a Heroic Spirit, Rider X stood roughly two-hundred-fifty centimeters tall, and his entire body was comprised of weighty metals. One could therefore reasonably assume such a being would have difficulty moving quickly.
Yet even for the trained eyes of the Executor, that massive back abruptly became a silver blur that lashed towards him-
Kirei blinked to find his Servant's arm blade at his throat.
A rumbling cackle washed down upon him. "I am utterly delighted to see how far you've developed, my Master." The words came out calm and amused, but when Kirei adjusted his gaze, he could see a near-unbridled fury burning within those crimson optics. "But do learn to pace yourself. It would be shame if your life ended here right when it was on the very cusp of completing its evolution."
Despite the blatant threat at his life, the priest didn't so much as twitch, and it wasn't thanks to his surplus supply of Command Seals. "There's an old saying humans have on this world, my dear Servant and teacher: You can't train a falcon and then not expect it to hunt."
He certainly wasn't interested in dying just yet, but if his final moments were relishing in how, for once, he was the one getting a rise out of Rider X and not the other way around… Well, there were worse ways to go. His father could attest to that.
Megatron eventually leaned away from the desk, his blade retracting like his fury. By the Allspark, I have no idea what you might become, Kirei Kotomine. He laughed again, this time mentally. But I cannot wait to see the final result. And he had no intention of letting anyone kill him before he got the chance. Not the girl smothering herself with her own crown, not the golden twit who continued to deny him what was rightfully his, not any of the other familiars gallivanting about or the fools who held their leashes. Not even Zouken or his new pet.
Right then. "And has the bird I've schooled decided on how he shall claim his prey?" The two had enjoyed riling each other up enough, now it was back to business. Kirei was right, after all: The soldier he'd invested so much into swaying to his side and driving mad was gone, Avenger X remained a double-edged, poisonous blade (potentially as deadly to his allies as to his enemies), and Zouken was little better. Meanwhile, there were still quite a few teams remaining, two of which comprised of nigh-unbreakable bonds.
But that didn't mean Kirei and Megatron were without cards to play. "Assassin informed you of his findings, including Saber's secret Noble Phantasm?" Kirei asked, earning a nod from his mentor. Avalon, the ultimate shield, the perfect match to King Arthur's all-powerful attack. Fortunately, she didn't carry both at the moment.
"The Einzbern homunculus is in possession of it, and she remains at Emiya's hidden safehouse. We know where it is, even if Assassin cannot watch it constantly," Rider X pointed out. His partner's counterpart and those beasts he employed were too careful. He had entertained the idea of letting Hassan bring Archer X into the fold, but then she had gone on her citywide temper tantrum and gotten herself killed. You will pay for your meddling, Maul. "Mounting a frontal assault alone would be risky even for me, and Kiritsugu Emiya is not foolish enough to remain in one location for too long or leave a vital asset unguarded."
"The woman may be more than just an asset for him." Kirei swirled his wine pensively. "Saber or Assassin X alone could delay any attempt we make, and once Emiya hears of it, he'll send their partner to the house. If that happens, our chances of success would drop considerably." The knight and the shinobi were too good a team for any sole Servant.
"And they will become nonexistent once the other teams catch wind of this. The nobler ones may decide to aid the King of Knights' side while the rest descend on us like vultures." Rider X refilled his glass and inspected it again. "But what if we were not the ones who attacked?" He turned back to Kirei. "Tokiomi still considers you his dutiful student, no? What if you just happened to learn of Emiya's safehouse and swiftly rushed to tell him?"
Kirei sipped his wine again while weighing the options. "Tokiomi seems to be preoccupied with something involving Kariya Matou, but it could work. Archer has no reason to contradict me, especially seeing as Saber has caught his eye. I think Lancer X is growing suspicious of me, though, and she has Tokiomi's ear half of the time."
"He will likely disregard anything she says when offered the prospect of claiming the vessel for the Lesser Grail," Rider X countered. "With his ego, he still believes he can control the flow of the Grail War." A bark escaped him. "This despite the many developments no Master could've foreseen, and with a new surprise occurring with each day and night that passes."
Kirei echoed his laugh. "I'm beginning to see what you meant when with one inviting death through accepting stagnation." They clinked their glasses in a toast to the power of change.
Rin Tohsaka furrowed her brows together, centering all of her focus on one single thing. Her fingers bent over the table as her Magic Circuits flared, and a blue-green glow emerged. She chewed her lip a little. Just a little more…
The mana flared up and she flinched away while shutting her eyes. She opened them again to find yet another busted gem. Tiny specks of smoke curled above it. "Oh, come on!" Rin swung her head back with a frustrated moan, new braids dancing about from the motion. "I was so close this time!"
She would've banged her head against the table's edge if it hadn't been for an arm wrapping around her. "Oh, I don't know," a voice teased while she was pulled away, "I think it's rather impressive. Yes, the scorch marks, the shards… Very picturesque for a magus your age."
The girl squirmed slightly inside the one-armed hug. "T-It's not funny, Jade!" She tried to push her friend away but was easily thwarted at every step. They had been chatting about different spells and stories from Jade all while time flew by, the older woman even undoing Rin's twin tails at her request (request, not plea) to braid them the same way hers was. She had even shown a few basic katas to the starry-eyed girl.
Then Rin had wanted to show off her progress in Conversion. So far, it hadn't gone as she'd hoped. This was the second gem she had busted, and it looked even worse than the one before it.
Jade ultimately loosened her grip, allowing the tiny body to slip free. "Seriously, you're too hard on yourself, Rin. You clearly understand the theory behind Conversion, and you show fine technique given your age."
"Yeah…" the kind words made Rin smile a little, but it dipped back into a frown at her work. "But what good is all that if I keep making messes like this?" She sighed. "Father can make figurines out of crystals like this with just a wave of his hand, but no matter how hard I try…"
Lancer X scooted closer to where she sat and patted her shoulder soothingly. "Don't forget, Rin, your father has decades of practice and experience you don't." She eyed the crystals, a thought coming to her. "And I think another part of the problem is you may be trying a little too hard." When the girl glanced up to her, frustration giving way to a nonverbal question, she decided the time was right for a little teaching. "I learned the mystic arts from my mother when I was about your age.
"And here's one of the very first lessons she taught me: In order to attain control of something, you must sometimes surrender control."
Rin didn't even try to hide her confusion. "Huh? That sounds weird, Jade. How is controlling something supposed to work if you're giving up control?"
Her friend stifled a laugh. "Yes, I found the idea odd as well when Mother first told it to me, but after some further explaining, I understood it soon enough. Of course, I'vealways been a clever girl…"
"Hey, I'm real clever, too! …D-don't give me that look, Jade, I'm your Master's daughter!"
Lancer X found it increasingly difficult not to giggle at the adorably indignant little girl's puffed-up cheeks… and that's when inspiration struck her. "Alright then, keep holding your breath, Rin." Those turquoise eyes widened at the odd request, but she pressed on. "Go on, as long as you can."
And Rin did, clamping both hands over her lips as an added effort. Her throat burned, her face turned red, but she kept at it with every bit of stubborn pride a seven-year-old magus girl could have, her moist eyes staring back into Jade's hazel, encouraging ones.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and gasped for fresh air, her friend gently stroking her back. "You held out a few seconds longer than I had expected," Jade teased her slightly. "But it hurts, doesn't it?"
Rin straightened and tried to flash her a confident grin sadly undermined by her reddened eyes. "N-no, it wasn't that hard-"
"You don't need to hide your pain around me, Rin," Jade cut her off in an assuring tone. "Yes, it hurt you just as it would hurt me if I did it too. That pain is natural." She swept a hand towards the basement surrounding them. "Air is all around us and inside us, Rin, but we do not create it. We draw it inside ourselves…" she took in a long breath through her nose, then breathed through her mouth. "…and release it once our bodies no longer need it. The air is not ours. We are simply a vessel for it, a channel through which it takes its natural path.
"When you held your breath," she gently rapped a finger against Rin's chest, the girl sitting attentively, "you were forcing it to move against this path. You tried to bind it to your own will and doing so hurt you. Sorry for that, by the way." She ruffled her dark hair, the girl giggling as she tried to fend her off. "But now, you are breathing the same way you would normally and feel not a speck of pain, yes?"
"Mmhmm." Rin nodded before tilting her head. "So… is that what you meant with surrendering control, Jade? That by pushing myself to hold my breath, I was making it harder than if I just breathe like I always do?" Her heart swelled when her teacher nodded, but she still had questions. "So, what's that got to do with magecraft?"
"Magic shares many aspects with air, Rin." The Edenian hefted the girl by her armpits and hoisted her smoothly up so she could sit on the desk's edge. "The mana you draw into your Magic Circuits is much like the air you draw into your lungs."
"Sure, Magic Circuits are how magi like Father make magic happen-"
Rin stopped when Jade shook her head. "You don't need to make magic happen, Rin. Magic is a basic element of the realm, the world, around us. It already exists, regardless of whether you cast a flashy spell. As a mage, you have the ability to tap into it, but you mustn't believe it is some external force to be bullied and bent to your will." The Servant of the Spear slipped into a low grumble. "I have encountered far too many sorcerers like that in my life, and from what I've seen lately, many magi of this world make that mistake as well. So confining."
The girl tilted her head even further with a frown. "But Father always says a true magus needs discipline and self-control to reach their full potential."
"And he's not wrong," Jade acknowledged, "such virtues are vital for every student, no matter what they seek to learn. But there have been many mages and sorcerers who entrapped themselves in discipline and stifled their development in the process. In Edenia, we would say such practitioners are staring at sunlight through a crack in the wall, marveling at how it shines into their dark chambers, when they could just as well step outside and appreciate the sunlight directly. It's baffling how often the simplest solutions are the hardest to reach." She added a little wink that made Rin giggle even while she considered this. Her gaze drifted to the shadows stretched across the room's walls, the light so small compared to the sun outside.
Then Jade raised her right hand, and Rin watched enraptured as verdant streams of energy danced from her curled fingertips into a translucent sphere above her palm. "This is the lesson my mother taught me, Rin: rather than push magic into whatever direction you want it to go, you can just… encourage it. Position yourself as simply another piece of a natural process, then give it a little nudge along the path you would prefer it to take. Watch." She then turned her hand upside down, and the beads moved their dance through the air and into an untouched gem. "I am not forcing the mana to enter this crystal, Rin, I am simply adjusting its course, and the crystal just happens to be its end point. Do you understand?"
"I… I think so," she muttered in amazement, watching how the mana flowed down like a steady stream of water from a faucet. The gem flared, and then it began to expand, then it had turned into a spiraling, smooth cone that touched Jade's fingertips, green light still dancing inside its crystalline structure and the rims along its side. "Wow…"
Jade's smile had returned, gentle and maybe a little proud of her artwork. "The more you try and force something to happen, the more resistance you encounter. Loading many heavy rocks to block a stream is more taxing than simply putting a few in the right spot to divert its course. Such is nature. And we are all just another piece of nature, like the air we breathe, the water that makes up so much of this world, and the mana which flows through us."
Rin nodded slowly, eyes drifting from her new teacher to the sculpture on the table. Other words rang inside her head aside from Jade's, though, beliefs she had before. She'd always thought being a master magus meant controlling the strongest spells, climbing your way to the top. But now she was supposed to not try hard, just be a tiny part of the world? Tokiomi's daughter didn't know how to feel about that.
As if she noticed her confusion, Jade took an unused crystal in one hand and offered her the other. "Here, why don't you give it another go? As they say, third time's the charm."
Rin hesitated for a second, but then she put her smaller hand into Jade's and let herself get pulled to the gem. She stared down at its clear surface, her hands shivering as they lifted to hover over it, and activated her Magic Circuits just like Father had taught her. She directed the mana down towards the tiny thing, wincing preemptively. Please, please don't be a dud this time…
"Easy does it, Rin." Jade whispered into her ear. "There's no need to be tense. You have nothing to fear, no one is going to punish you if this doesn't work right away." Her muscles relaxed, her head stopped pounding, the flow of mana felt less rushed. "Just… breathe."
Slender fingers slid slowly over her eyes even as her teacher continued to speak. "You have the ability, the talent and the drive. Do not overthink or second-guess yourself, do not force yourself or the mana.
"Just breathe…" she heard her friend inhaling deeply and mimicked the action, both exhaling in the same moment, "…and do what comes naturally to you."
Rin felt the mana flare up before her, and it didn't feel as bad as the last two times.
The hands fell away from her eyes, and she gasped in delight at seeing the new tips springing up from the gem, pointing out and up to her. It was nowhere as beautiful as what Father or Jade had done, but it was Rin's work, and she could still see tiny specks of magic shimmering at the points. She whirled with a big smile to find Jade beaming right back at her. "Well done, little sister." With that, Rin leaped laughing into her arms.
The sisters stayed in the hug for a few minutes before Jade gently pulled Rin loose and turned her around to look back at the desk. They gazed happily at the collection of crystal forms when Lancer X felt a slight tremor along her arm. She looked down to realize it wasn't coming from her. "Is something wrong, Rin?"
The young girl tilted up her head to show her smile, nearly claiming that nothing was wrong, she was just enjoying her success… but the words didn't come out, and her smile faded, too. Jade's too smart to fall for any of that, she sighed to herself. "I… I just wish S-" She flinched when she remembered what her parents had told her. "…Someone I know was here, too."
"This someone wouldn't happen to be your sister, would they?" Rin's eyes widened while Jade continued. "You mentioned the name Sakura to Kariya Matou the night before, and I learned a bit later of her…" She discreetly clenched a fist by her side. "Circumstances."
But despite her attempts to hide it, Rin could clearly see the sudden sharpening of her body, the fire burning inside her eyes, the same fury she had unleashed against those horrid kidnappers. A whimper escaped the girl before she could stop it, and she flinched away when the Sevant turned towards her.
The glare of Jade's eyes faded instantly upon seeing her terrified state and was replaced by shame. She sighed and raised her arms in a nonaggressive manner. "I'm sorry, Rin, I didn't mean to scare you. It's just… I have experience with being separated from family and wouldn't wish such a fate on any child, let alone you or your sister."
Rin looked down as she continued to shiver. "F-Father and Mother told me… Sakura's now part of the Matou family. She's n-not my sister anymore…" She fiddled with one of her braids' ribbons, running the red fabric against her fingers. "But… I gave her a ribbon, the first one I e-ever made… right before she… left…" Tears emerged, and she tried to hold them back as hard as she could before she laughed. "I… I charged her a reasonable price for it, a three-carat diamond payable at a decent interest rate…"
…Why in all the realms can your seven-year-old girl practice usury, Tokiomi Tohsaka?
Rather than dwell on other absurdities, Lancer X settled for scooting closer to the girl and rubbing her back. "You miss Sakura, don't you? Even if she's not at your home anymore?"
"But I-I shouldn't, right…? I c-can't call her my s-sister anymore…" Jade's heart ached at the mask Rin was putting up to hide her grief, both because it was visibly crumbling away… and that a girl this young thought she had to put it up in the first place. "I-I'm a magus, right? Or at least going to be one… I c-c-can't let this b-bother me-"
The Edenian Heroic Spirit had heard enough: She pulled Rin back into her arms and embraced her as tightly as she could. "It's alright to be bothered, Rin," she spoke softly into her ear. "Becoming a magus doesn't mean you cease to be human." It shouldn't, she added to herself as she let her friend weep into her shoulder. "And…" She swallowed a moment. Never make a promise you can't keep, Mother's voice echoed in her mind.
"…You will see Sakura again. One way or another." Jade wished she could sound less vague, but Rin squeezed her all the held her in this position for a while before shifting so they could look each other in the eye. "Have I told you of my sister yet?"
Rin blinked through her unshed tears, then shook her head. "Y-you have a sister, too? ...Older or younger?"
"We're roughly the same age, our parents had been friends long before our births, thus, we grew up together." Jade smiled at her eyes widening. "Yes, Kitana and I do not share mother or father. To be honest, we weren't even of equal social standing." She leaned closer to stage-whisper, "Kitana was the daughter of King Jerrod and Queen Sindel."
Rin gasped, her sorrow briefly pushed aside as she grasped the implication. "You knew a princess?!" Then she coughed into a fist, flustered by her childishness. Gushing over a princess… what am I, three? "So, uh, if Kitana was the princess, who were you, then?"
Jade smirked proudly. "Her bodyguard, and an excellent one at that. Though it wasn't as if she were helpless…" Her lips shifted to a smile while she reminisced over… simpler days. "Throughout our lives, we played together, trained together and fought together. There were times, of course, where we disagreed and even fought with each other, but… I can't imagine what my life would have been without Kitana, nor do I wish to."
She noticed her little friend staring and realigned her thoughts. "Blood alone does not determine the bonds you have with others, Rin. I treasure my mother with all my heart, but my love for her is no less than the love I have for Kitana as a friend and a sister, even if she didn't share mothers with me." She drew Rin a little closer. "Do you think I call you 'little sister' simply because I like the way it sounds?"
Rin's hands tightened around her friend's arms. "You… you really mean it? You think I'm like your sister? But… doesn't that mean I'm replacing Kitana?"
"No one can ever replace Kitana" Jade stroked her cheek with her thumb, her tone calming as ever. "But I can have more than one sister, can't I? Can't you?" Rin nodded after a second. "The more people you love, the greater your capacity grows to love. Kitana remained my dearest friend and sister even after I fell in love with another.
"His name was Ko'atal, though most knew him as Kotal. A fierce and noble warrior, though not without flaws, of course: His temper tended to get the better of him, and when it did, he would make rash decisions. His passion melded well with his honor, however, and he did everything in his power to support our realm." Jade smirked as her brown features reddened ever so slightly. "And his fervor proved quite useful when we were alone."
She laughed when Rin's cheeks flamed up redder than her hair ribbons. "We were adults, dear, and passion between both parties can be enjoyed and… shared... in more than one way."
"EW!" The future heir of the Tohsaka lineage stuck out her tongue and covered both ears as tightly as she could. "Ewewewewewew! I do not need to hear about this right now, Jade!"
"Right now, but not never? So, perhaps in twenty years or so, you'd prefer we continue this-"
"NO!" Rin squeaked out, her embarrassment multiplying itself by the sound she'd just made.
Jade laughed heartily, finally calming down after a while. "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help myself." She held her hands in mock surrender when her little sister turned pouting away (though she could still recognize the tiny smile for what it was). "My point is, family needn't be those who share blood or a name. You decide whom to forge your bonds with, Rin."
Rin had finally calmed down, including from her initial sorrow over the loss of her sister. Still, as much as she admired and liked the Servant who had taught her so much, she couldn't feel completely convinced about this. "But… I heard… magi shouldn't let feelings or bonds cloud their judgement. They have to focus on reaching the Swirl of the Root, the end point for any magus…"
Jade leaned over her, a look in her eyes Rin wasn't sure what it meant. "Do you want to be 'any magus' when you grow up, Rin?"
The question sparked something inside her young soul. It didn't feel like anger or excitement or pain, but whatever it was, she didn't allow herself to break eye contact.
"Remember what I've taught you: forcing control over something only invites more resistance. And you do not carry a heart cold enough to ignore your empathy." She frowned at this until the next statement. "If you were, you wouldn't have rushed off to help Kotone three nights ago. You wouldn't be worrying about Sakura even a year after she was taken." Her frown fell away, and she focused even more. "This is no weakness, but a strength, Rin."
Jade mentally nodded at what she saw, but she kept her tone level. "Empathy, compassion and bonds… These can be shackles that hold you down and blind you to what matters. However, they can just as well push you past your limits and accomplish feats you could've never imagined. If you seek the Swirl of the Root, so be it. I will not force you to reject your obligations. Just don't limit yourself to this goal alone, and don't tell yourself you have to sacrifice your bonds with others if you wish to achieve it."
She gestured to the table, drawing these turquoise eyes to the many crystals lying there. "You're a bright young girl, Rin, and I have no doubt you will become a splendid mage. But you don't need to throw yourself into training or cast aside your humanity. Pace yourself, learn one lesson at a time, and adapt to the flow of the world even as it adapts to you." Jade then nudged her chin to direct the eyes back at her. "And most importantly, open your heart."
Rin Tohsaka gazed at the Heroic Spirit, drawing in every word, every speck of the lessons she had been taught in this little basement still tingling a little with mana, and ultimately nodded. "I… I'll try. I promise, Jade."
Lancer X was watching her carefully as well; she detected sincerity in those words and an earnest desire to improve, but there was still a hint of uncertainty there. Well, you can't just tell someone to turn and head left when they've been going right all their life, the Servant of the Spear reminded herself. She reached over to stroke that beautifully black hair, drawing giggles from Rin. She's young and bright. Let her come to her own conclusions.
Footsteps sounded through the small room, and both turned to see Aoi approaching them. She gave them a smile with more than a little sadness, but her voice was clear and direct. "Jade, your Master is finished with his business here." Rin stiffened slightly when her mother turned down to her. "You shouldn't miss your chance to see him off."
Lancer X nodded while rising gracefully to her full height. "We're finished here as well, so this is optimal timing." Rin hopped to her feet, too, and took her big sister's hand so they could walk to the door. Once there, the Servant inclined her head towards her Master's wife. "Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Aoi."
The mother shook her head. "No," she replied so softly Rin could barely hear her. "Thank you, Jade." During the parents' lengthy discussion and research, Tokiomi had made no secret of the things this warrior woman had done for them.
The two women and one girl quickly made their way through the Zenjou residence to where Tokiomi stood by the front door's side table, sorting together documents into a folder. He turned to them even while securing them inside his briefcase, a smile emerging at the sight of his daughter. "Ah, I take it you've spent your time with Jade wisely, Rin?" She nodded enthusiastically, her twinkling eyes providing a more than sufficient answer.
"She's an eager mind and quick on the uptake," Lancer X added to her pupil's delight while her Master opened the door for them to step outside. "Still a bit rough around the edges, but nothing a little refinement can't cure." All four of them walked to the front gate, no rush in their steps. Each of them, for one reason or another, wanted to cherish these peaceful seconds for as long as possible.
The father's smile grew softer, him knowing his Servant was telling the truth. "Good… good." He couldn't look anywhere but at the young girl standing there, radiant with mana and potential. He hadn't bequeathed the Tohsaka crest to her yet, but Rin was worthier of being the next head than him when he had been three times her age.
A little over a year ago, there would've been another little girl right next to her, a little smaller but equal in magical talent and bound to achieve unimaginable things when she grew up… provided she lived that long. Back then, Tokiomi had known without a shred of doubt what needed to be done so both of his prodigious little girls could become who they were destined to be without risks of whatever went bump into the night. But now…
He mentally slapped himself upside the head. This is no time for uncertainty, you fool. They had reached the gate now. Time was nearly up. His hand rustled slightly as it combed through the case, then it withdrew something more solid than the papers from before. "Rin, come here for a second."
She let go of Jade's hand and quickly came over while radiating curiosity. Her father knelt down to stroke her head. "Keep the Magus Association in your debt until you've matured. As for what comes after, I'll trust your judgement on that." Rin blinked in confusion, but he reassured her, "I know you'll be fine."
That much, he believed without a shred of doubt.
Lancer X and Aoi stood silently to the side as he continued. "The Holy Grail will appear someday. Claiming it is our responsibility as the Tohsaka family." If the Edenian warrior had listened to these words moments after her summoning, she would've been irate. Jade knew better than many what it meant to have one's childhood marred by heavy weights, and here her Master was, telling Rin that she would have to engage in the horrors of war should he fail. Even now, she wasn't at all happy with this. But… she respected honor and duty, especially to those one loved, and she understood Tokiomi was adhering to his responsibilities as head.
And she knew he had every intention of securing the Grail himself and taking this burden off his daughters' shoulders. Therefore, she held her tongue, even if seeing the young intensity in Rin's eyes made her spirit core ache.
"Most of all, if you're going to be a magus, there's no avoiding this path." Tokiomi finished by holding up the tome he'd retrieved from his briefcase. "Take this, Rin." She accepted the book with an excited sound, cradling it against her chest. It was the final of many preparations he had undertaken, just in case the worst happened to him. Tokiomi then righted himself and gave Jade a telling look.
She in turn knelt by Rin's side, feigning interest in her father's latest gift. "It seems you have quite a few expectations waiting, little sister. Do you feel up to the task?"
Rin glanced down at the closed book, considering the question, then nodded. "I can do it. I'll follow Father's teachings," she smiled brightly at the Heroic Spirit, "and yours, too, big sister." She giggled at the big hug she received, then whispered into her ear, "Will you keep your promise, Jade?"
"Of course, I will." Jade nuzzled her head against the smaller one. "After all, you'll keep yours." And even if it was solely for his family's sake, the Verdant Defender of Edenia would guard her Master's life to her dying death.
Or until they had won the Holy Grail. Preferably the latter.
Meanwhile, Tokiomi had stepped closer to Aoi for a few final words. "I'll secure the documents inside my office safe. You know how to access it. All that's left is to get her back. Once I'm sure she's safe, Jade will bring her here." He hesitated before adding, "If anything… happens to us, seek out Kirei or Kariya. You can trust them."
Aoi gave a firm nod. "I will. And… don't fail her, Tokiomi. Please." He was a little taken aback by the steel in her posture but smiled after a moment. Hidden thorns, indeed…
Tokiomi nodded his assent, then Aoi turned so she could see him and the hero pulling herself free from her daughter's embrace. "Come back when you're done," she said, a request bordering on an order. "Both of you." She managed a smile. "I'll put on some tea for you."
Jade returned it after she straightened. "It would be my pleasure, Miss Aoi."
"No calling me, 'Miss,' please, Jade. I'm hardly that old…"
"Very well." Rin grew all the more delighted at watching the back-and-forth between Mother and Jade. Maybe she's really gonna be my big sister when this is over! Her joy dampened a little when she remembered Father telling her that Servants shouldn't stick around after the Grail War, but a girl could dream, right?
Tokiomi for his part nodded relieved to himself before noting the sun's position. "Ah, it's time for us to go." Everyone turned to him, but he directed his smile and his words at his daughter. "You know what to do now, right, Rin?"
"Yes." She nodded with a proud, determined smile. "I'll see you both after."
The surety in her farewell warmed both Master and Servant's hearts and fueled their resolves all the more. While Aoi guided her little girl back inside, both marched out from the gate and towards their ride parked nearby. They would defeat Rider X and anyone else that stood in their way. They would win the Holy Grail so Rin would never be forced to fight in a War.
And most of all, they would succeed in their task tonight.
While they walked, Lancer X took a moment to say, "Thank you for the opportunity to spend some more time with your daughter. She's even more incredible -and spirited- than I could've imagined." She paused for a moment. "Though I must ask: A three-carat diamond as payment for a ribbon? Interest rates?" She narrowed her eyes at his lack of a reaction. "How is it that at her age, Rin already shows signs of a loan shark's mentality?"
"That she learned from her mother." Tokiomi scoffed at the incredulous look he received. "I'm fairly good at finances myself, but trust me, Lancer X, put Aoi up against the stock market or have her negotiate a real estate deal…" He barely managed to force down a shudder. "And she can make an entire Tarkatan horde flee for the hills."
She snickered despite herself at the image, but something told her it wasn't just a joke or an exaggeration, so she let the matter drop. They proceeded to the car in silence. But a few steps away, the Master stopped and cleared his throat, catching his Servant's attention. "Jade… I owe you an apology."
He noticed an eyebrow raising underneath her hood, but thankfully, she held her tongue. This was already hard enough. "During our… discussion yesterday morning, I was… needlessly cruel to you." Tokiomi's pride rumbled with each word; he'd never been fond of admitting fault for anything. Still, pretending he never made a mistake was hardly elegant or right. As he'd told Kariya on the rooftop, every human has to take responsibility for their actions and the consequences that follow.
Tokiomi Tohsaka was many things, but he refused to be a hypocrite. "I offer no excuse for questioning your wish or your resolve." He bowed in submission, for once not to the King of Heroes… but to a loyal friend. "I am… truly sorry."
"…Please raise your head, Master." He glanced up to see with some shock Lancer X returning the bow. "I am not without blame, either. I provoked the argument and derided your family's honor. For that, I am sorry as well." He forced down his smile; he honestly hadn't expected anything less of the Edenian.
She raised her head to reveal a sad gleam to her eyes. "And your words… were not completely wrong. It's possible that I may only be able to save one soul, not three. And for the life of me, I cannot be sure which one my heart yearns for the most."
Tokiomi nodded with genuine sympathy. After all, this little excursion had only inflamed his desire to see his own family complete again. "For what it's worth," he replied, "I do hope you can see them again. Your mother, Kitana, Ko'atal… All of them."
"As do I." Jade drew in a deep breath through her mask, then proclaimed with a calm determination in her voice, "And at the very least, I can try to save them all, can I not?"
"…Yes. Yes, you can. And you ought to." Considering the mission we're about to undertake, was left unsaid.
And a strange thought began to blossom inside the magus' mind as she gave him a grateful smile which he returned. One he might've never considered prior to the Holy Grail War, but as they made for the automobile and his gaze drifted towards the ethereal Heroic Spirit donning her hood and mask, he found himself entertaining it all the more.
Jade had gone above and beyond her duty as a Servant in aiding the entire Tohsaka family. As its head, Tokiomi therefore owed her a debt.
Was it not proper, then, that he try and repay it?
-40:06:28
The sun was slowly beginning to set on Fuyuki Park, but even with all the excitement in the last few days, there were still some activity, particularly around the playground. From their post by a small cluster of trees, two Servants watched as a small group of kids were running about the seesaw or on the swings. "It's baffling how the parents would even let them venture out here, let alone at this time of day," Saber wondered out loud.
During one final sweep of the city, Biscuit had run across Kariya Matou's team, and Caster X somehow spotted him. Taking him aside, the wizard had then asked him to pass on the offer of a parlay between them, the Einzbern team and the Tohsaka team, even suggesting that they by the ones to decide the meeting place. It was a strange idea, to be sure, and Kiritsugu was naturally suspicious of this; there was a possibility Kirei Kotomine or Rider X was setting a trap. Both Saber and Assassin X had vouched for Gandalf, however, arguing he was too noble a person for such subterfuge and too clever to be tricked this easily.
Ultimately, their Master had grudgingly agreed to the idea and declared this little spot in the park as the meeting point. There was no way in hell they'd just blindly walk into the church and bringing rival teams to the safehouse was out of the question. So, he decided the area just outside these trees would suffice. Spacious, far enough away from any witnesses even without a Bounded Field, clear view all around for snipers, loose soil that allowed for planting recovered explosives underneath with the Hidden Mole Jutsu… The perfect spot.
The human Shadow Clones were a ways off, and the meeting wasn't set for another few minutes, allowing the Heroic Spirits a little time to chat. Assassin X shrugged from where he was leaning against a tree. "The kids would probably drive them crazy if they had to stay home, kind of like how dogs need to go on regular walks." His eye focused on the adults half-lounging on benches or standing near the playground. "Besides, watching them play carefree can do wonders for their own nerves."
The knight-class Servant nodded after a moment of consideration. "Even if it's only for a few minutes, they can pretend they weren't at risk of getting caught in an explosion only a couple of hours… They can feel like it's just been another week like any other." She sighed almost wistfully. "The world is so simple when you're a child. You don't have to worry about much more than having a little fun every day."
"Something to envy, right?" She knew without looking her partner was eyeing her now. "It's a sad, cruel thing when kids don't get the chance to have fun." He nodded back towards the games further away. "There was a playground in the Leaf Village that looked a lot like this one. A little smaller and closer to the river, but you'd find a couple of kids scampering around there no matter what time or season it was. Father told me once it had been built decades before I was even born." Kakashi inclined his head towards her. "What about Camelot? Did anyone ever set up a nice little playground?" He paused. "Hold on… a setup like this wouldn't have existed in those days, right?"
She shook her head. "Not quite. Britain offered plenty of yards, parks and fields for children to run about, sometimes there was even a little hill where you scamper up and tumble back down again or some trees for hide-and-seek," Artoria gestured to a merry-go-round, "but nothing designed quite like that. And I had little time for such games anyway when I was their age." The seemingly young woman nodded to the kids running about and laughing.
He offered a sympathetic shrug. "Yeah, I wasn't the most social one around either when I was a boy. Too much in a hurry to join the academy and become a ninja like my old man."
"That makes two of us, though I was learning to be King." She hummed to herself, her gaze fixed on the swing set. "…There was a swing in Sir Ector's yard. A simple board of wood tied with thick rope to an elm's branches, but I would often make off for it once my studies were complete and sit right down to swing the day away." She smiled slightly while watching a boy push his little sister happily onward. "Sometimes I tried to reach the sun before it set."
Assassin X chuckled, nostalgia washing over him too. "For me, it was the monkey bars. I was always trying to beat my own records, maybe even swing from the metal and up into one of the trees. I think I still have a scar or two from a couple less graceful landings."
That confession earned him a giggle from Saber. "I once jumped off the swing just as it reached its apex and landed knee-first on an inconveniently placed rock." Both Servants winced before she continued. "Even with a certain wizard stopping by and lending me some remedies, it still took my knee two weeks to mend." She smiled a little longer, but it slowly grew sadder. "Then I became a squire, and thereby too busy for such childish pleasures."
She lifted her head to the sky, her gaze idly tracking the clouds. "You know, when I first made to draw the sword from the stone, Merlin was there as well to witness the event, no doubt to witness how all of his plans for the perfect King would begin. I thought this meant he'd be eager to see me embrace my destiny, but he advised me to give this a little more thought before I claimed Caliburn." The young King sighed as her thoughts drifted back to that day, that pivotal moment. "He told me, 'The moment you draw that sword, you'll never be human again.' I did so anyway without a moment's hesitation."
"You believed in your ideals, Artoria, and you wanted to help your people. There's no shame in having such conviction."
"But maybe I should have taken the time to think," Saber countered. "From there, it was a blur. Receiving Excaliburand Avalon, claiming the throne, forming the Knights of the Round Table… I acted decisively in every situation, shut off my emotions and desires in order to govern fairly. I did everything I could to become the 'perfect King' my people deserved…" Her green eyes traveled to the ground. "And it wasn't enough.
"Tristain said, 'The King does not understand the hearts of men,' and turned his back on the Round Table. Lancelot…" She swallowed a lump in her throat, "fell in love with Guinevere and was disgraced despite my efforts to forgive them. Mordred proclaimed himself my 'rightful heir' and led a rebellion when I refused his claims." Artoria sensed her friend's question before he could speak it. "It wasn't simply because of how Mordred… came about, though that did play a factor in my judgement of him, I must admit. But Mordred was rash, prideful and short-tempered, all qualities I believed made him unfit to be a King."
The Once-and-Furture King sighed again, a tired, mournful sound that carried on what stray breezes there were. "…When I was on that hill… surrounded by dead subjects… I had two thoughts, Kakashi. I wished I could do something… anything… to save my home… and for a single moment… I wondered if I should never have been King in the first place." Her head slumped along with her shoulders. "And I would be lying if I claimed that was the last time I've had that thought since then."
Her partner said nothing, and she continued with an ever-heavy heart. "Maybe that was why Merlin told me drawing Caliburn would mean sacrificing my humanity. It might have been a final test to see if I could understand just how the burden would be, how prepared I was. Maybe I should've never claimed the sword, the crown after all."
"Or maybe you… misinterpreted what he meant?"
Saber paused in her lament and turned to Assassin X, her eyes wide open. "What do you mean?" There was no pride or outrage in her query, only confusion.
"Well, the part about you no longer being human sounds pretty drastic, but could it be Merlin was speaking a little metaphorically?" Kakashi raised his arms placatingly. "Hear me out: You had an entire kingdom to watch over, hundreds if not thousands of subjects to provide for and protect. You couldn't make much time for ordinary activities and thoughts like taking a walk alone through the street or meeting up with friends, I can imagine. Being a King is certainly leagues above living as an ordinary human would." He shrugged. "But I still don't think you had to give up your humanity entirely while sitting on the throne, and it sounds a little dreary, anyway. Maybe you just took his words a little too literally."
Artoria Pendragon stared at him for what seemed like minutes, then released a third sigh more weary than depressed. "…That could be a possibility, given that man's personality. And mine." She had always taken things seriously, ever since she had been a little girl. Britain in those days had offered little for levity, and with the destiny that awaited her, she had never seen much reason to laugh. Honestly, the King of Knights had been smiling and laughing in this week as a Heroic Spirit more than she had in her entire past life.
She turned back to the main reason for this shift. "Well, regardless of whether I did misinterpret his words or not, my point remains, I want to save my kingdom from destruction, but I honestly don't know if I can do that, Kakashi." Any other person, and she would've been able to admit her weakness, but this ninja was like no other she had encountered. "You might've made a better King of Britain than me."
Assassin X shook her head. "Oh, I doubt that. It was hard enough for me just watching over three budding shinobi, and I messed up big with them." She offered him a weak smile that made his heart lurch. Seeing a confident, steadfast Saber in this depressing state… It was just wrong. He wracked his brain for a way to help her out of her self-loathing, something he should've said at the banquet instead of rejecting her belief… And then it came to him. "I haven't told you about the Will of Fire yet, have I?"
Saber blinked, tilting her head to ponder, then shook it. "I don't think so. Care to share?"
"It's the core philosophy of the Village Hidden in the Leaves," the Copy Ninja explained. "In fact, it's the ideal on which the village itself was built by the First Hokage."
"That term you've mentioned before," Saber briefly interjected, her curiosity growing. "I take it the Hokage is the Leaf Village's version of a King?"
Assassin X swayed his head lightly from side to side. "Sort of; my village was part of a larger country, the Land of Fire, and governed by a daimyō, a feudal lord, but the title Hokage is for the village's leader and typically strongest shinobi. And there were four other Kage, each one the leader of another of the Five Great Nations." He turned towards the trees in the garden, idly watching the few remaining leaves in the winter. "Back when I was just a boy, the Lord Hokage was the Third, hailed as the 'God of Shinobi' of his time."
"And you said your teacher would go on to become Hokage, too," Artoria recalled. "That would've made Minato-sensei the Fourth, yes?" Every time Kakashi had mentioned his mentor, it had been with the deepest respect and admiration. She in turn had grown to like the "Yellow Flash of the Leaf Village," even without meeting him in person.
Kakashi nodded happily. "At the age of twenty-one, no less." He shrugged in good humor. "Sure, you were already King long before then, but he too had earned his early promotion." His shoulders slumped as memories of the Nine-Tails' rampage surfaced. "Unfortunately, there was a terrible… incident only three years later. Minato-senseisaved the village, but at the cost of his life… and his wife's." He sighed. "They left behind a newborn son, Naruto," he nodded sadly at Artoria's widening eyes, "and the Lord Third had to come out of retirement to assume the Hokage position again."
"Dear Lord…" Only three years of leading a village, then fathering a child only to sacrifice your and your wife's life in the same day? Saber didn't wish to imagine that, and regrettably, her partner didn't have to. Poor Naruto… She cleared her throat. "Forgive me, I diverted us from the main topic. Would you still like to tell me of this 'Will of Fire' you believe in?"
As she hoped, her changing the subject snapped Assassin X out of his short funk. "It's not just me," he affirmed, "every shinobi of the Leaf Village tries to follow it. Simply put, our entire village is one cohesive house, and every single villager, man or woman, young or old, fighter or civilian, is part of one and the same family." He cupped his hands together, the fingers directed upwards. "One large flame that we all tend to and protect, just as the generations did that came before us, and so the generations to come can do the same."
Artoria could picture it, a single great fire cared for by many people and in turn warming them, and smiled. "It sounds beautiful," she praised. "And the Hokage is the pillar at the base of this flame, supporting it with their own strength?"
Kakashi shook his head a little, though. "The Hokage is the central pillar that supports the village, yes. But shinobi like me make up smaller pillars to share the weight, supporting the village as well and the Hokage so that they don't crack under the strain." He reached down to draw a circle in the dirt, then placed a pebble in its center. "As I said, we are all part of the same family, and that includes our leader. The Hokage cares for the village…" He scattered a number of smaller pebbles inside the circle. "And the village cares for the Hokage."
The King of Knights stared down at the collection in silence. She knew why her comrade had phrased his words in such a way, her thoughts traveling back to that banquet three nights ago.
She had said, "The King sacrifices himself for the country."
And Iskandar, King of Conquerors, had said, "The country sacrifices itself for the King."
Now, a humble warrior from a world was basically saying, "The King sacrifices himself for the country, and the country sacrifices itself for the King."
She slowly bent down to pick up the main pebble and inspected it. It was hardly any bigger than the others and had no particular features. One could've tossed it into a pile and then spend the rest of the day fishing for it. "A village as a house, and everyone inside it a member of its family… including its leader." She returned it to its spot. "A leader that shares their duty with others, protects and is protected… Just another member of the family."
Assassin X had been watching her carefully the entire time. "You know," he began, getting his comrade's attention, "I think if you had been born in my home, Artoria, you would've made a splendid Hokage. Maybe even as great as the King you were in Britain." She tried to protest, but he pressed on. "Even if you put up a cool demeanor, you're passionate, brave and always ready to put the needs of others before your own. This might be the first time you've heard of the Will of Fire, but I think it describes you perfectly."
Saber smiled bittersweetly. "I appreciate the praise, Kakashi, but you're giving me too much credit. I alienated my people and led my kingdom to ruin-"
"Excuse me," he interrupted her again, "but from what I've read, your kingdom fell because of a witch's manipulations," the Servant of Assassination noticed her fist clenching, "and frankly a series of tragedies. Some of them were your fault, I won't deny that, but not all of them."
"But I was the King, I should've been able to recognize the trouble brewing, I should've stopped her, I should've…" She turned away from him, her hand covering her eyes.
Kakashi sighed. "No offense, but that right there might've been your biggest mistake. You tried to be some all-powerful guardian, something beyond human that could take care of all the problems the people of Camelot had. You wanted to shoulder every last burden alone so no one else would have to." He pushed himself off the tree and let his hand fall onto his friend's shoulder. "That's why I think you're a good King. Maybe even a little too good."
Artoria faced him again with tears yet to be shed. An odd sound escaped her. "I wouldn't have thought there was such a thing as being too good a King…" She rubbed the moisture in her eyes away. "But with that in mind, do you really think I could've led the Leaf Village?"
"Certainly," he replied immediately. "You did everything you could for Britain out of love for it, didn't you? You just tried too hard to be perfect." Kakashi gazed up at the branches above them. "The Hokage I knew in life weren't perfect. The Lord Third was wise and loved by all of us, but he didn't quite have the stomach for the dark side of leadership, the kinds of decisions no one likes making yet have to be made all the same." Artoria nodded understandingly; she hadn't lived in a world of ninjas, but that didn't mean she wasn't familiar with this "dark side." Every kingdom had some less stellar secrets tucked away.
"Also, he was a bit of a pervert." That made her scowl and Assassin X hastily continue. "I mentioned the Lord Fifth in our first conversation, didn't I? Tsunade, a former pupil of the Lord Third, the master of medical ninjutsu in our world, a fierce kunoichi… and with a temper to match and an inability to walk away from any sort of gambling." He shook his head. "Not to mention she had worse luck than Qrow in that department; seriously, people knew her far and wide as 'the Legendary Sucker'." Not the sort of title one wants to be remembered for, Saber noted sardonically.
"As for the Lord Fourth…" The veteran ninja stood there for a while, his eyes shifting to the setting sun. His friend placed her hand over his and squeezed a little, bringing him back to reality. "Minato-sensei was the greatest man I ever knew. Without him, I wouldn't be half the person I am today." He released a sigh that seemed to weigh a ton. "But… even he couldn't be in every place at once." An odd sound, a mix between a laugh and a choke, escaped him. "And he had zero talent when it came to naming jutsu he had created. Plus, his wife Kushina clearly wore the pants in their relationship."
"That last one is hardly a flaw," Saber quipped before she realized it. Both Heroic Spirits promptly burst into laughter, the sound carrying through the air and mingling with that of the children who were just about to head home.
They calmed down soon enough, but the Servant of the Sword still carried a smile. "But I think I understand what you mean. The ones who held the title Hokage when you lived… each one carried his or her own flaws, but even so, you would serve all of them again given the chance?"
"In a heartbeat." The Heroic Spirit of the Shadows glanced up again at the few leaves hanging there. "Sure, none of them were perfect, and even if I never met them, I'll bet the First and Second had their own little imperfections. But that didn't stop them from leading the Leaf Village, nor did they fail to inspire so many youths to become Hokage themselves. In fact, knowing they weren't perfect inspired us all the more. We could relate to the Hokage, feel like the gap between them and us might've been wide but not boundless."
Saber followed his gaze, nodding quietly to herself. "Perhaps you're right. If I hadn't focused so hard on being the perfect King… If I hadn't built such a vast gap between myself and my subjects, even my Knights…" Her ruminations turned to her "son." Mordred had hardly been anything resembling perfect, but what if Artoria had at least taken the time to explain her reasons for withholding the crown? What if she had tried to teach Mordred what it meant to be King? "Perhaps I could've saved my home… if I had tried to be more human."
"Well, knowing that you're gluttonous, kind of judgmental, and a sore loser hasn't stopped me from being grateful to have you for a comrade." She wasn't sure whether she should thank him or clobber him for that. …Both sounds good…
Kakashi's eye returned to Artoria before she could decide. "I won't tell you to stop beating yourself up over how your kingdom's story ended. I've got my fair share of regrets, too, and they haunt me till the day I die again. But the ending is only one part of a story, and considering how the tales of King Arthur and her Knights of the Round Table are still being told today, you must've gotten a few things right during your time. It's like Gandalf said, there's no set rule to being a King or an emperor or any other kind of leader, and there's no way to be completely perfect in that role. You have a second chance, and I encourage you to think about improving your skills at ruling.
"Just please don't tell yourself you don't deserve to be a King, Artoria Pendragon. I'd gladly stand by your side, be it in Britain, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, or here and now."
Even with the mask he wore, she could clearly see the kind smile underneath it and wondered if the one she had was equal in size. "You know, I think I would like to at least visit your home, Kakashi. It sounds like a wonderful place." She knelt to pick a leaf that still had a few specks of green. "And I must admit, its ideal is… quite inspiring."
His eye remained closed, but his face radiated joy. "I'm sure its founders would be honored to know a few of its sparks helped ignite a flame on another world. And either way, I wouldn't say no to an invitation for a visit to your kingdom."
Saber made to say she'd prepare a feast in celebration, but then both paused and straightened. They made for their Master's clone and Maiya's, keeping their senses on the presences that were approaching.
Gandalf the Gray could hardly be considered anything resembling a "devil," but it seemed speaking of him just as well made him appear. The elderly Servant of Spells strode across the grass, his staff moving with each step his right foot took, his Master to his right. Kariya Matou hobbled along supported by his Servant, but in a way, he gave off an image of resolve.
From another direction came Tokiomi Tohsaka, taking confident, measured steps to which his cane moved in perfect sync. Lancer X walked gracefully by his left side, moving with the fluidity of a stream along the grass one step and a half ahead of her Master, hand hovering near the twin rods at her side.
At a nod, the duo stepped out of the trees, Saber right, Assassin X left, and between them came Kiritsugu Emiya, disposing a spent cigarette with one hand and opening his coat a little more with the other. He took careful steps just behind his Servants while his eyes darted from one approaching team to the other. And right in front of him walked Irisviel von Einzbern.
…Or so it seemed.
The only snag to their plan had been Irisviel's deteriorating health. Despite her determination to help, she was in no condition to attend this meeting. Hence her remaining at the house with Maiya as her bodyguard. Meanwhile, a clone from Maiya would substitute as her with the Transformation Jutsu, and a clone of Kiritsugu would be in attendance alongside the Servants, officially a "consultant." As for the original, he'd have assumed a vantage point with his Walther. Just in case. Assassin X's pack hid among the area, and the ground team carried coms and microphones, allowing him to listen in and give instructions.
"I've got Tohsaka in my sights," the Mage Killer reported to them. "If it goes south, Assassin X, you deal with Lancer X while you, Saber, hold off Caster X and Berserker."
"Optimistic as ever," the Copy Ninja mumbled underneath his breath as the three teams drew closer. The playground had already emptied due to night approaching, and Maiya's double had already set a low-level Bounded Field in place for privacy. Now Tokiomi and Caster X added to the measures in place with their own magics, ensuring that neither civilian nor enemy would interfere with the parlay. Of course, Kiritsugu's sniper rounds might not be able to pierce the barrier, but if done right…
Caster X took off his hat and bowed in greeting. "Tokiomi Tohsaka, Einzbern Master," he greeted them in simple respect, "thank you for agreeing to this meeting."
"I thank you in turn for this opportunity," Tokiomi replied with a slight bow of his own, "as I had not thought I would get to meet you, Irisviel von Einzbern." His gaze narrowed at the man standing beside her. "And as a bonus, the infamous Kiritsugu Emiya… what strange bedfellows your family makes these days."
"Compromise and unusual alliances tend to happen in war," Maiya replied evenly, making sure to shift her voice and mannerisms into Irisviel's like Assassin X had taught her. "Take the three of us coming together, for instance."
Kiritsugu took out his bare hands to shrug. "I'm just here as a consultant…" His eyes met Tokiomi's. "And as a bodyguard. Play nice, and we won't be killing each other tonight." He then turned to the other Master. "So, is your attack dog going to play hide-and-seek for the entire meeting?"
Saber's jaw clenched at the comment, but Kariya was unfazed. "Nah, he's just being a little… shy at the moment." He glanced to his right. "Come on, you wanted to talk to her. We might not get another chance like this." Gandalf nodded at this, silent encouragement in his stare.
A moment passed, then shadows rose and curled into a broad shape roughly the King of Knight's size before her, then they solidified to reveal Berserker kneeling before her. Saber nearly drew her sword on instinct, and both Assassin X and Lancer X braced for battle, too, but the Servant of Madness' partner raised a hand to stop them. All three finally noticed a distinct lack of agitation in Berserker's posture; whereas he would've shaken and growled with savage fury before, now not a single sound came from him. No rattling of his armor, no animalistic snarls, no howling a distorted "Arrr…thurrrr!" One might've mistaken him for a statue. But Saber noticed the angle of that crimson visor, just enough for him to see her.
She swallowed her anxiety and stared resolutely at that enshrouded helmet. "Sir Lancelot." This late in the Grail War, there was little point in hiding True Names anymore.
The clarity of his next words took her aback. "My King." Then before Saber or anyone else could react, he reached up with both hands and removed his helmet, allowing long dark hair to spill free. Simultaneously, the black mist surrounding his armor seemed to retract; thus, all of its illustrious features were revealed, as were its wearer's.
Dark eyes opened on a handsome face and gazed up at the stock-still King of Knights. "It has been a long time, Arthur."