Fate/Blackened Sugar

[] Ask Artoria about what she did last night. She wasn't present at the Church when you came back with Ayumi in tow. In fact has she met the girl yet?

You began to eating in earnest, enjoying Assassin's meal with a satisfied sigh. It was delicious through and through, bearing the feeling normal meals you had at the office definitely lacked. It was the morning of another confrontation in retrieving Miyu so no doubt the remaining four Masters in the War were going to make their moves. You had to be ready since you could end up in a precarious situation as soon as you got careless.

"I'll be heading off to give Ayumi her meal. We can't have her go hungry," Assassin volunteered as she took up a tray and glanced your way, "I'll be taking my leave."

"Sure, thanks for the food," you nodded gratefully and she only smiled back at you.

"No flirting under the house of the Lord," Caren chimed in from behind her paper.

"This is why you don't have friends," you growled her way as the Nun gave you a smug look and continued reading. Shaking your head, you decided to make better use of your social skills by talking to King Arthur herself, "So, Miss Pendragon..."

"Oh just call me Artoria. To be honest, I rarely use that name these days," Artoria chuckled as she met your gaze.

"Artoria then... Have you found anything interesting last night? You weren't here when we came back with Ayumi in tow... In fact, have you met the girl already?" you asked with a curious look.

"I was out patrolling, hopefully for Luvia or Sakura to contact me in some manner. However they seem to be laying low for some reason. I have my suspicions that you have something to do with that?" Artoria asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well depending on how I deal with them tonight, I may end up fighting them. Though I do hope that as an Outsider, our lovely Administrator will keep you from taking my head now," You said as you raised your hands. Caren ignored you while Artoria simply gave you a pointed look before sipping her tea. You smiled and added, "Well, if it means anything, I have no intention of killing them. I just need their Servant dead in order to progress this War, but given the complications that have occurred with Last Night's Blackened Attack..."

"That's only making things harder. Which brings up the point, King of Britain," Caren said as she set down her newspaper, "You were sent here not just to monitor but to decide whether it's feasible for the Matou girl to continue fighting, were you not? I do have a suggestion."

"Oh boy," you coughed.

"I have met the Matou girl before and she seems like an upstanding woman seeking her independence. She has this drive about her that words won't get through properly. You may come and find yourself trying to drag her back by force. Now it's your prerogative on what you should do with the situation that's at hand but I think you shouldn't miss the opportunity of having Mr. Derrinsmith's help."

"What?"

"What?"

You and the Knight choked in your drinks at her suggestion. You managed to compose yourself first, "Wait, no. She doesn't have to. I mean, it's sort of fucked up making her fight her allies."

"Not only that but Sakura is not a child to be coddled, she's her own woman. I'm simply here to make sure she doesn't put herself in danger. And I have confidence the good gentleman here wouldn't kill her... Would you?" Artoria asked as she glanced your way.

"Of course not. I'd rather not make more enemies than I already have. I've fought Emiya Shirou once and I still get nightmares about it," you griped as you leaned back in your seat.

Artoria's eyes widened as she stood up, "You know Shirou?!"

"I... Well... He beat me up that one time. Has he told you of his escapades last year?" you asked with an awkward tone.

"Last Year..? Oh, you mean that Grail War he fought in America. I was there," Artoria told you with a frown before she relaxed in her chair, "At least at the last hour of it. I fought alongside a rather beautiful Queen against a Servant of Thorns."

So she was the one who helped Medb defeat Ferdiad? That Doll sure had luck in her side while she was ripping you to shreds.

"I see. Well as I said, we fought one another and that's the extent of it. Though Sakura did say that the man has gone missing which makes up her reason for fighting this War," you pointed out as you sipped your tea.

Artoria seemed surprised by this before frowning, "Did she now? And here I thought she was just trying to dismantle this War."

"It would seem that the Matou girl has her agenda," Caren said as she raised an eyebrow.

"Still, I did have an agreement with Luvia that she'll let me win. However given the circumstances, I doubt they'll let me take the Grail," you sighed as you shook your head.

"And why is that?" Artoria questioned as her eyes suddenly sharpened. Caren was also looking your way with a curious look.

"I'm going to wage another. The power of this Grail isn't powerful enough for my purposes. That's why I plan on establishing another in the future," you declared as you glanced at the two of them, "For a group planning on dismantling Wars, surely you can see how my true goals would make them turn against me."

Artoria stared at you long and hard as she clenched her fist, "You're not the type to use the Grail for something insidious but I can see you're the type of man to do what he needs to achieve his goals. Something tells me that this open admission has a reason for it being said?"

"Well, I did lie a bit in the middle of negotiating my alliance with Luvia and Sakura. But you can't do anything to me as you are now. You're an Outsider after all... Still, I do want to mention that my goal isn't to bring harm to the world. It's a personal one," you shared as you tried to convince the King before you.

"Personal?" Caren asked with a raised eyebrow.

"As they are now, the Petty Grails are too weak for my Wish. So I gather them. I fight Wars. I've fought for Ten Years to gather the amount I need. The power to rival Fuyuki's Grail," you replied as Artoria's eyes widened in turn. You then held up a hand, "Free of Angra Mainyu's corruption, a pristine Grail that would grant my wish."

"To reach the Root?" Artoria guessed.

"To atone," you replied as you met her gaze, "And hopefully fix my mistakes. Surely you have some regrets you wish to fix as well, Artoria? You understand, right?"

Artoria stared at you for a moment before closing her eyes and relaxing, "I'm content with the life I live now. I have no need to chase the past for it's long since gone. I do have regrets yes, but it's simply part of being human. If given the chance I would seize it... But not at the expense of the life I have now. Hans Derrinsmith... Just how broken of a man are you to consider this path? Because take it from me, there is no happy ending at the end of this."

She then got up and took her used dishes. Upon placing them over at the sink she then spoke once more.

"I will not get in your way however do know that my presence here solely rests upon keeping Sakura safe and investigating the Blackened as a favor to the Church. If that's what you wish to accomplish, Mr. Derrinsmith, then all I could say is good luck," Artoria said as she turned to walk past you, "I'll be getting some fresh air."

.....
....
...

Night eventually came and you were thinking about what Artoria had said. He was pretty messed up, that he could readily admit. Few people would approve of what he was planning, especially given the scale of destruction Grail Wars tend to have in their wake. Every one was aware of the risks and dangers, lives could be put at stake and yet still you want to pursue your Wish.

You knew all of that going into this fight.

That's why you didn't have doubts.

That's why you can only move forward. You can do the right thing when asked, to help, to save and to be kind. But when it came to seeing Celine again, you wouldn't hesitate to bring everything down just to meet her, to apologize for failing her.

You felt your Command Seals burn and so the remaining Masters were made privy to Miyu's location. You felt your entire body ache as you leaned against the wall nearby and grit your teeth.

Your vision zoomed out of the city, giving you a bird's eye view of the area. It then zoomed back down, allowing you to see clearly from overhead towards a dark cemetary within the older portion of the city. You zoomed further in as Miyu was being kept within a mausoleum with Luvia by her side.

You gasped as you were pulled out of the vision and you were back on your feet.

"Should we go?"

There's only one right answer to that...

"Yeah. Let's do this," you replied as you began to walk.

.....
....
...

You reached the cemetery a a handful of minutes later. You kept Assassin hidden while you walked on your own, the sensation of stepping into a bounded field filling your senses. You held up your cane which you brought with you and dispelled the minute effects aiming to distract your senses as you looked around.

It was a snow covered graveyard of the city's old residents. A thin layer of fog hovered in the air and you were certain that wasn't natural.

The moon shined overhead as the you looked ahead to see someone standing beneath a lamppost. Sakura Matou had her bow and arrows on her person and was equipped with the black and red sleeve Mystic Code she had.

"Hans," she spoke as she had a somber tone in her voice.

"Good to see you're okay, Sakura," you greeted as you looked her way, "How's Miyu?"

"Hans I can't let you have her. Not with what you're planning... Ophelia told us everything and we've come to accept that Ayumi needs to be put down. Hans, I'm sorry," Sakura apologized as she lowered her head.

"Someone's looking for you. Artoria was her name. Ring any bells?" you asked her with a raised eyebrow, "I don't want to hurt you, Sakura. But if you ask me, I'd stand down for now. I still need your help. We can take down the Blackened and Saber together-"

"We'll only do that if you give up on the Grail," Sakura argued with you as she held her bow, "We can't afford any more of these Grail Wars to occur. Not for anything Hans!"

"I know that... But this is important for me," you insisted.

"Don't you understand... Just how horrible these Wars are? What sacrifice people make into make them come true? How many lives are hurt because of them? Do you understand at all what it all means? My life has turned into what it was because of these Wars... And knowing they run rampant to this day and hurting others is something we can't let continue," Sakura declared as she drew upon her arrow and took aim at you, "You're a good person, Hans. Just give up."

You stared her down before you sighed, "I see. Then there's nothing left to discuss."

"Hans!" Sakura barked.

"I understand. But I can't just stop," you told her with a sharp tone, "Not with how much blood is in my hands already. The chance for me to stop has long since past. The only thing I can do now is win."

Sakura had a difficult expression on her face before Lancer appeared by her side.

"I told you Master, there's no use talking. That guy's a complete psycho," Lancer replied as she glared your way, "I always knew you were bad. You and that Ninja of yours."

"Lancer!" Sakura cried out as Lancer summoned her sickle.

"All this stress of being in the same room as Perseus can finally be let out. I've been waiting for this," Lancer hissed as she eyed you with a hateful look, "Here I come!"

Lancer kicked off the ground and darted towards you.

"Aegis," you chanted and a golden shield appeared before you, forcing Lancer to stop and cut it apart. The shield shattered and Assassin came out of her stealth behind you and thrust her sword at her foe, forcing Lancer to block.

"Finally, I can snap your little neck!" Lancer hissed.

Assassin remained quiet and knocked her back, palming the ground, she managed to disarm Lancer of her weapon by kicking it into the air. Lancer pulled on her Scythes' chain and swung it down. Chiyome flipped back and evaded as she landed by your side.

An arrow flew and Assassin swatted it aside.


[] Finish this in one. Have Assassin lower Lancer's guard and unleash Ame no Habakiri. Lancer doesn't know about it yet so it should get her.
[] Spare no mercy in this fight. You won't kill Sakura but you and Assassin will work together to wear her down with every trick you know.
[] This bounded field is going to do something, you just don't know what. Have Assassin keep Lancer busy while you investigate. Maybe draw Sakura away from her Servant.
[] Write in...