Author's Note:
I feel like this fanfic is a bit too quiet, and honestly, it makes me a little sad 🥲. Not many people seem interested in reading it, and when I look at other people's works, they seem to get way more lively reactions than mine.
What makes me wonder even more is that a lot of what gets posted out there are just translations from Chinese to English. It makes me think—should I maybe try posting a translated story too? Haha.
Oh, by the way, have you guys seen the Resident Evil 9 trailer yet? I seriously can't wait for next year—I'm dying to play it!
*****
Rin faltered at Allen's words. The righteous resolve she had clung to only moments ago wavered, crumbling under the weight of reality. All she could do was clench her fists tight, powerless before the Masters and adults locked in their deadly struggle.
"What's wrong, child? Why have you gone silent? Fight him. Struggle, and die with pride. Wasn't it your intention to save those people?"
"I…" Rin tried to speak, to insist she wasn't afraid. The stubbornness in her heart urged her to resist. But then her eyes met Allen's—his expression bored, almost disinterested. The fire in her chest extinguished. She bit back her words, swallowed her pride, and chose instead to flee, carrying the unconscious girl on her back.
"A wise decision," Zouken sneered. For an instant he was perplexed by Allen's indifference, but quickly dismissed the thought. Instead, he turned his malice toward Rin, his swarm lashing out to ensnare her retreat.
But the vermin never reached their prey. A surge of azure flame erupted, devouring the path of his familiars.
"You again… Who are you? Why do you persist in standing against me?!" Zouken's voice dripped with fury.
"You don't need to know who I am. Goodbye."
The fire roared. It engulfed the sewer chamber in a merciless blaze, consuming everything within—including the wretched captives. But salvation had already been denied to them; from the beginning, they had been reduced to nothing more than feed for Zouken's abominations.
Only the girl on Rin's back could be called fortunate. She alone had yet to be defiled by those loathsome worms.
"Ahhh…!"
Zouken's shriek echoed through the tunnels as the azure fire consumed him. His worms and insects screeched in unison, their cries a grotesque chorus. Bound together by the magical link of their hive, the agony of one became the agony of all. The blue flames did not merely burn flesh—they seared the very soul. With every moment engulfed, Zouken's withered existence was carved shorter. It was doubtful he would endure long enough to see another Holy Grail War.
When at last the swarm was reduced to ash, silence fell. Caster, however, had already fled. Slipping away through the labyrinthine sewers, he escaped destruction. Medusa gave chase, but the passage teemed with beasts that rose in her path. Their numbers slowed her, and the prey slipped from her grasp.
"Master," Medusa said, her voice edged with frustration, "forgive me. I failed to kill Caster."
"It doesn't matter," I replied, shaking my head. "You're not at fault. Let's return. I've had enough of this stench."
Meanwhile, I didn't really care where Rin had run off to tonight, but I was certain she would be just fine. I could sense Assassin watching me, though it didn't seem like he was trying to launch a sneak attack.
I mounted Pegasus together with Medusa, and in an instant, we left the place behind. Assassin tried everything to follow, but he quickly lost our trail the moment we took to the skies. The speed of Pegasus' flight was so fast, it was like a meteor streaking through the night, vanishing before Assassin's eyes.
...
Meanwhile, Aoi, who had received news from an unknown person that Rin was in Fuyuki City, immediately drove there in her car. Aoi felt worried for her daughter's safety, but also guilty about the situation. She knew Rin's friend had recently gone missing, and Rin had even asked her about the state of things in Fuyuki. But as a mother, she had brushed it off. She should have also told her husband about this matter, but she didn't want to burden him—especially with the war he had to deal with right now.
Even though Aoi had no aptitude for magecraft, she was the wife of a magus and came from one of the old traditional magus families. She also understood that her husband's abilities, compared to the magi of the Clock Tower, were rather average. That was why she wanted him to focus on himself and not be drawn into danger.
She also tried contacting her other daughter, Sakura, because she thought Rin might have been missing her and secretly went to look for her. But reality wasn't as hopeful as she expected.
When Aoi arrived at a kindergarten in Fuyuki City, she saw two girls sleeping on a bench. She recognized them immediately: her daughter Rin, and Kotone, Rin's best friend. Aoi rushed over, checking Rin's condition first. She sighed in relief when she realized Rin was safe, though she noticed several wounds on her body.
"Rin… I'm so sorry. Because of my negligence, you ended up like this," Aoi whispered, blaming herself.
"Don't blame yourself, Aoi. Rin is fine now—I've already tried healing her," came a voice.
It was Kariya, standing not far from them.
"Kariya-kun… what happened? Why are you here?" Aoi asked.
But Kariya only revealed his face, half-paralyzed and twisted grotesquely.
"Your face…" Aoi gasped in shock.
"This is the result of the Matou family's magecraft. You don't need to know the details," he replied.
"Why would you do this, Kariya? I don't understand…"
Kariya just looked up at the sky and the moon shining above.
"Of course, for the Holy Grail. I've joined this war too, and I seek something from it," he said in a voice tinged with nostalgia.
Then he turned away.
"You should take them and leave this place at once. And make sure Rin never comes back to this city."
As Kariya walked away, Aoi could only watch his departing figure.
"Kariya… why did you suddenly become like this? Do you intend to die after killing Tokiomi?" she murmured, fully understanding her old friend's thoughts. He still hadn't let go of Sakura, who had to be separated from Rin because she was sold to the Barthomeloi family. Aoi had explained countless times that Sakura was happy there, but it seemed her friend was far too stubborn to accept it.
At the same time, Gilgamesh was staring at the wine glass in his hand, but he immediately tossed it into the trash. To him, every drink here was nothing but garbage, unworthy of a king like himself. He then reached into his Gate of Babylon, pulled out a proper bottle of wine, and poured himself a glass. Not long after, the door opened.
"Archer," Kirei said, stepping into his private room. He looked both confused and surprised to see Gilgamesh there. But Gil only glanced at him before taking another sip of his wine.
"What do you want, Archer?" Kirei asked.
Gilgamesh looked at him and replied, "Nothing. I'm simply a little curious about you. I wonder what your true goal is in joining this war."
"My goal? Isn't that obvious? I'm only participating to help my teacher win this war," Kirei answered flatly. He wasn't afraid of Archer and had no intention of submitting to him.
"Is that so? Yet I can't help but feel you're searching for something else," Gil said.
Kirei fell silent, giving no reply. He simply grabbed one of the wine bottles and walked out, leaving Archer behind. But Archer wasn't disappointed by the way Kirei dismissed him. He knew he still had time to toy with this man later.
...
The next morning, Allen woke up as usual and began his daily routine. Lately, he felt his life was growing dull. All he did was stay home during the day, then go out at night to take part in the Holy Grail War. He wanted to do something different—anything to break the monotony.
His eyes shifted toward Medusa, who was quietly reading a book.
"Rider… would you like to come with me for a walk outside?" he asked.
Medusa looked up and nodded. "Of course, Master."
She agreed without hesitation. Allen couldn't help but feel grateful to have a Servant like her—so obedient, never once refusing any of his requests.
They both then walked toward a shopping district in the city, and their first destination was a clothing store. That was because Allen felt Medusa needed some new outfits, since all she had been wearing until now were jeans and a turtleneck shirt.
"Okay, try this on and let's see if it suits you," said Allen, encouraging her to try out various kinds of clothes—dresses, nurse uniforms, office lady outfits, school uniforms, bikinis, and more. He even bought her some lingerie that would be perfect for her to wear at night.
Medusa's face turned slightly red at her Master's request, especially when she had to try on some very sexy underwear.
"Master, what do you think?" At that moment, Medusa was wearing a very tempting nightgown in front of Allen.
Allen simply nodded. "Yeah, I like that," he answered with excitement. Of course, as a cultured man, he wasn't going to get a nosebleed over how sexy his Servant looked. Besides, he wasn't the type of guy who got embarrassed easily or acted weak like most protagonists, especially in front of a beautiful woman like her.
In the end, Allen bought all the clothes Medusa tried on.
After leaving the clothing store, they went around to several food shops, trying out different local dishes, and Allen also bought some snacks to take home.
But along the way, they spotted a tall man with striking red hair and eccentric clothing not far from them.
"Master," Medusa tried to warn him, as she had noticed Iskandar's presence nearby.
Allen turned his head. "What is it?"
Medusa pointed in the direction where Iskandar was.
"Ohh, so they're here. Come on, Rider, let's go say hi to them," Allen said casually.
Medusa hesitated. She knew this could be a little dangerous, and she worried about her Master's safety. Even though she knew Allen was very strong, but as his Servant she didn't want him to be put at risk. Still, in the end, Medusa followed his lead and stayed on guard.
"Hey, Caster—hmm, no, that wouldn't be polite. King Iskandar, hello. What brings you here?" Allen asked curiously, then noticed a young boy standing next to him—it was Waver Velvet.
Iskandar smiled warmly at Allen and Medusa.
"Yoo, Rider—and the unknown Master. How are you both doing?"
"We're doing just fine. You can call me Leo. Sorry, I can't introduce my real name, I hope you understand," Allen said, reaching out his hand for a handshake.
Iskandar grinned and gladly shook his hand.
"Hey, Iskandar, your Master seems a bit shy," Allen remarked casually.
"Hahaha, forgive his rudeness. That's just the way he is," Iskandar replied with a booming laugh.
Allen chuckled along with him.
"Hey, stop laughing at me… ahhh, my hand!" Velvet yelped as he tried to hug Iskandar, only to hurt himself against the man's rock-solid body.
"Hey, we should move. People are starting to stare at us," Velvet said nervously.
"Of course. Wherever a king walks, people's eyes will naturally follow," Iskandar answered nonchalantly.
"Hey, how about we chat at that restaurant?" Allen suggested, pointing at a well-known ramen shop nearby.
They went inside and ordered food. While sitting down, Allen noticed Iskandar carrying a large barrel filled with wine.
"Hey, why are you carrying that around everywhere? Are you planning a party or something?" Allen asked.
Iskandar grinned with excitement.
"Oh, you're not wrong. But more than that, I intend to host a grand drinking feast for kings and heroes from across different eras who are participating in this war."
Then he turned his gaze toward Medusa.
"Hey, Rider—what do you say? Are you interested in joining this gathering? And of course, Leo, you're also invited, since you're Rider's Master."
Medusa only looked at her Master, since every decision ultimately rested in his hands.
"Of course, I won't refuse your invitation. Rider and I will both be there to join your drinking feast," Allen replied. He truly admired Rider's character compared to most of the other Servants he faced as opponents.
"So then, the ones left to invite are Archer, Saber, and Lancer," Iskandar said. "I don't really know how to reach Archer or Lancer, but as for Saber—I think we can approach her directly. The castle she resides in is already half destroyed, so it should be easy enough to find her."
But not long after, a blond-haired man walked into the restaurant.
"Ohh, looks like you won't need to bother searching for Archer," Allen remarked, pointing toward the entrance.
Iskandar turned his head, and sure enough, he looked a little surprised—before smiling broadly as his eyes fell on the blond man who had just stepped inside.
"Ohh, I was just a little curious about the aura I sensed around here. Turns out it was only Rider and Caster," said Gilgamesh, his gaze unbearably arrogant.
"Ohh, what a coincidence, Archer. I was just looking for you," Iskandar replied warmly.
"And what business could possibly make a mongrel like you seek me out?" Archer answered in his usual mocking tone.
But Iskandar paid no attention to Archer's insult.
"I'm planning to hold a grand drinking feast for kings and heroes from across different eras, and I wish to extend an invitation to you, Archer."
*****
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