Kagutsuchi

"The battle..." Irisviel sighed in elation amongst the battle torn city of Fuyuki. "Is finally over."

Amidst the broken concrete streets and burning buildings, Irisviel stood just a hair away from Saber. Around them were the remnants of what was once a thriving metropolis, brimmed with tall skyscrapers and denizens filled with loud and vibrant souls. At this very moment however, everything was quiet. Peaceful. The only sound that serenaded the two of them was the song of smoldering flames burning away the devastation. With their feet submerged in the delightfully black and warm ichor, the two of them stared up at the smoke filled sky, marvelling at their victory. Beyond the dust and smoke, they could make out the image of a gaping black maw decorating the sky, gushing forth the soothing essence of the grail onto the world.

"You were amazing...Saber. You have defeated all the other servants!" Irisviel said as she gazed up at the tall servant. His face, which was still fully hidden from the world, was still held upwards rigidly. "Lancer...Archer...Rider...Assassin, Caster, and Berserker. They never stood a chance against you." She jumped enthusiastically and spun around, splashing the mud onto her white dress and the servant's pants. "You truly are worthy of being its champion. The grail is now yours."

Despite her victorious jubilee, Saber in contrast stood oddly still, not unlike a statue. His back was straight and tall, and his arms dangled at his side. He then spoke in a mechanical and hollow tone. "Is...that so?" His haughty and prideful aura was absent, but Irisviel did not mind.

"Indeed!" Irisviel chirped, choosing to be his avatar for the excitement that is about to be bestowed upon him. "Don't you see? Your greatest wish...your most coveted desires…"

She reached up and clasped his mask between her hands. The white surface was chilling to the touch, despite the fires that burned around them. "All of it, I will soon make yours."

"My greatest wish…?" Saber echoed.

"Yes." Irisviel cooed. "Now, tell me...what is it you desire most, my precious servant? Anything that you want, I shall guarantee. The grail is complete, up above the clouds, waiting for you to beckon it. I shall be your messenger. All I need now is your solemn prayer to it, and whatever you wish for will become reality."

Saber stood motionless, heeding the words she was speaking with a hauntingly quiet gaze. Was he still unsure? Even now? At the precipice of this ritual?

"Come. Please offer salvation to the grail and accept its blessings." Irisviel begged him.

"My wish…" Saber lowered his head. Irisviel withdrew her arms away in anticipation. She beamed brightly as Saber placed his arms onto her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"My purpose…" His fingers then traveled up to her face. Irisviel's smile waned, and now she was the one is starting to hesitate.

"Saber?" Something was wrong.

His hands halted just below her chin. Caught off guard, Irisviel's eyes widened as she found herself unable to breathe. She looked down at the servant's hands to find the armored knight gripping her small neck with an iron grip. Sharp gasps of what little air she had left escaped from her mouth in panic, and she noticed that nothing was coming in. Her words were garbled and dry as she meekly raised her hands to the ones that were suffocating the life out of her.

"S-sa...ber..?" Irisviel choked. Her vision blurred from the pain and the tears cascading down her face. "W-what are...you..?"

"My goal...my purpose in this world…" Saber finally answered her prayer, but it was not one she expected nor desired. His words cut into her like a knife, sending a stream of terror running down her spine. "Is to destroy you."

Her iris shrank in fear and her breath hitched within her throat, only for it to be trapped underneath the servant's vice like grip, ushering forth an entirely new wave of agony. The sharp digits tightened its hold, like a serpent crushing its prey. "W-why? Sa..ber please don't-"

She cried out in pain as she felt the talons of his fingers piercing her neck. She desperately tapped her fingers against the tall servant's grip, begging for him to let go, as she no longer had any oxygen left to cry out. A cold and dreadful weight pounded against her heart, sending it down into the pit of her stomach; a feeling that can only be described as pure, endless despair. In her haze, she looked back up to the man strangling her to death, only to see a shadowy head looming over the servant's shoulder; a head she had not noticed until now. A dark whisper left her lips on its own, almost as if the words were not hers.

"Who...are you?" Her eyes sharpened into a dangerous glare.

The shadow's singular eye then glowed a sickenly bright green with a wide and taunting smile looming underneath. It laughed at her; at her pain and helplessness. It fed on her agony with glee as the volume of the specters laugh continued to increase.

"Die. Begone from this world." Saber's voice boomed in front of her. Oddly, his voice sounded a lot deeper than it usually did. Perhaps it was from her consciousness leaving her body. Everything was starting to go dark. She could hear the bones in her neck starting to snap. The last thing she saw was the black outlines of Saber's body encompassing his entire scope. Then, there was only darkness, with the sounds of howling and shrieking laughter as her parting gift from the world.

Irisviel gasped as she jerked her body upright from her bed. Her breaths tore at her throat, but she did not care. She took in as much air as possible, as if her life depended on it, despite her throat's protest. A cold sweat ran down her back, as the brief remnants of that horrid dream still haunted her mind.

"What's wrong?"

Irisviel shrieked upon hearing his voice, jumping up from the mattress as she did. Right next to her bed, Saber sat on his chair in his human form, wearing the suit she picked out for him. In his hand was a mug of steaming black coffee. He gave her a stern, narrow-eyed look. But she could hear a glimpse of worry in his voice along with a twinge of confusion. By now, whatever she was dreaming about had long left her memory. Yet for some reason, the servant's voice did not calm the cold, unending terror in her heart.

"What is it?" Saber asked as he placed his mug onto the coffee table.

Irisviel instinctively crawled back on her bed, away from the servant, clutching her sheets so tightly her knuckles whitened.

"Its….its nothing, Saber..."

A/N: Hey guys. This is just another NOT DEAD update I wanted to post to show that I'm still working on this. As always, thank you guys for sticking with me, despite my schedule being so shit.