Act 2: Scene 8

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Elimination Battle Begins

Morning

"I'm not sure what's going to happen when I start it back up." Mihara said from the side of the garden, the shade of his Private Residence covering him from the morning sun.

"I've hacked into its command protocols to treat us as friendlies, so it shouldn't attack. But we'd better be prepared for the worst. For all I know Dan's droid might wake up and go berserk due to my mistakes when I re-activate it."

Arrayed just in front of him were the holographic screens of his Interface showing an operation paused just before being completed. Under the sunlight and resting on the grass laid the inert, spherical remains of Dan's droid that the Master had salvaged from yesterday's conflict.

"Regardless of what may happen 'tis still just a program; we will be able to handle it." Saber said in response, the blade of her crimson sword embedded upright into the ground as she grasped its hilt.

"Yep yep, Saber's right!" Caster replied, her ears and tail standing upright as she watched the program sit silently. "Start it up whenever you're ready Master!"

"Alright, here goes." He said as he turned to his Interface, his fingers flitting about the screen as he completed the reactivation operation.

Several seconds passed after he finished typing, an awkward silence covering the garden as Master and Servants waited.

Then, several lines and circles of lights scattered across the program's dull surface began to flicker on. Seeing this, both Servants assumed a battle-ready position, just as the spherical program slowly began to levitate itself into the air.

And once it reached high enough, it stopped.

Motionless in mid-air.

Silence reigned in the garden as Master and Servants watching the program, just as the lights on its surface watched them.

Finally, the program emitted two short beeps, as Mihara released the breath he unconsciously held in.

"Alright, it doesn't treat us as hostiles." He continued, his eyes carefully scanning his Interface as his Servants lowered their weapons. "First step done. It shouldn't treat Dan and the others as friendlies either from here on, but I'll only know for sure when we take it into a fight."

"We may worry about such things later." Saber said, arms crossed as she looked at him. "As long as it takes defence of your life as its prime directive, it matters not if it treats our opponents as friend or foe."

"Okay, there shouldn't be any problem about that at this point." Mihara continued as he watched Saber observe the program up close. "Unless someone hacks into it again, it should place my safety first."

"As long as you are confident about it, then that should suffice." Saber said as she slowly stepped towards the program, her sword disappearing from her hands. "With this you may mount a credible defence against that Master's enchanted weaponry."

"A pretty flimsy one but still a defence I guess." Mihara said as he rocked his head from side-to-side, a hand bringing up another Interface screen with charts and lines of information.

"After analysing the remaining fragments of Zhang's code that were eating into my avatar yesterday, it seems as though my modified shield ends up being a liability. Whatever that Code Cast is, as long as it has a connection to my avatar it'll follow through and start deleting things very quickly. It seems like the only way for me to avoid it, is to using some sort of proxy to hold the shield up."

"Yet in turn your proxy becomes at risk." Saber said. "So it would only work once."

"Yes, and no." Mihara said, his fingers typing into his Interface. "Yes, the program Zhang uses can tear through the droid as it did me yesterday if given the chance. At the same time, this droid has better reflexes than I do.

"So if I tell the droid to drop the shield before Zhang's Code Cast has a chance to start tearing into it, it'll have another chance to reconstruct the shield. And any bits of code that gets through, I can try clear it up before it becomes a problem."

"And you thought up of all this just last night?" Caster asked as she bounced towards him. "You're a genius, Mihara! I can't wait to see the look on that ugly guy's face when he figures out that dirty trick of his turns out to be little more than a joke!"

"Honestly, I can think of several other ways he could use to break through." Mihara said with a shrug.

"Now, now goshujin-sama, you really should start taking pride in the little things." Caster said. "Even little achievements like this mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, y'know? Well, it actually gives you a fighting chance now at least!"

"I guess that's an improvement from what happened yesterday." Mihara said with a wry smile. "I'll take your words to heart, Caster."

'Having said that.' He thought as he lowered himself onto the porch, his gaze fixated onto the flying sphere before him. 'I really don't know if I can survive today. By skill level alone, my opponents outstrip me. Just looking back at what happened in the first half of this week is enough to remind me about that gap. And if I were stupid enough to ignore that, what sort of conviction could I muster knowing that I have to repeat last week all over again?

'For that matter, I really don't know what Suzuha was thinking, sending me that message yesterday.' He continued as he closed his eyes and remembered the short conversation he had with the NPC the night before. 'To know the name and identity of a Master that couldn't survive through the preliminary rounds. Truthfully something like that shouldn't matter to me- it would have just been like Shinji… if he had managed to survive.'

"And yet, why?" He muttered aloud as he opened his eyes. "If she's been keeping such a close eye on me why didn't she know that? Why did she mention him all of a sudden, when I've all but forgotten about him amidst the chaos of the last two weeks?

"Come to think of it, the people who die during the actual Coliseum rounds are only a fraction of the number of people that die during this entire event. We haven't even thought about the other tens of thousands who died during the preliminary round…"

"Goshujin-sama, is something the matter?" Caster asked as she came over to sit beside her Master. "You're busy thinking of complicated things again aren't you?"

"I guess I can't deny that this time." Her Master replied with a tired smile. "But, well, I'm just a bit too wrapped up in the thought of killing people… again."

"Do you need me to remind you of our discussions just yesterday, Praetor?" Saber asked as she stood before them, arms crossed.

"No, no my amnesia hasn't gotten that bad Saber." Her Master said as he shook his head. "But there's only so much remembering that alternative can do."

"Then perhaps it would be a good idea to discuss our opponent's strengths and weaknesses instead." Saber said as her arms fell to her side. "That way you may begin to piece this puzzle together, and put things into perspective."

"Saber does have a point." Caster said. "Though as usual it's covered in so much fancy-talk one could barely make out what she's saying."

"Does it say something that I can actually understand her clearly after the last two weeks in that case?" Their Master asked.

"It is only appropriate for my manner of speech to be like this, lowly Caster." The swordswoman said with a smirk. "It is only befitting my status as an Emperor, and a representative of the Saber class. Of course, trickster foxes like yourself should just resign yourself to simpler talk, as befits you. Truly, our Master has a better sense of class than you ever could."

"Hmph, you should just be grateful our Master's such a nice and understanding person that he'd actually take the time to try and understand all that moon-speak you keep using." Caster said, giving her a sidelong glance. "Though I'll let that slide since you'll probably be doing a lot of that heavy lifting today against that brute we have to call a Lancer."

"Indeed he is little more than a muscular brute, yet at the same time it is clear to me that he is a noble warrior at heart." Saber said as she nodded. "Were our situations somewhat different, I would be quite honoured to cross blades with him. Unfortunately he has aligned himself with one of the most ignoble of Masters, whilst his short temper and preconceptions does him little good."

"Hmm, I'm surprised you can come to an understanding with each other." Caster said, a hand to her chin. "Well let's forget about that part. Do you have any ideas as to who he might be, this foul-mouthed, muscular brute Mihara?"

"Not really sure how either of you get off on calling him 'just' a muscular brute with a sharp tongue." Their Master said as he shook his head with a small smile. "Though having said that-"

Before the Master could finish his sentence, he began to feel the floor vibrate beneath him, just as a chill crawled up his spine.

"Ugh, it must be that tall, dark and scary Priest." Caster said, looking over her Masters shoulder as he sat rigid.

"'Tis about the right time." Saber said. "You should answer it, Praetor."

"I know, I know Saber." He said as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Afterwards he turned to look at his Terminal, the large exclamation mark on its flat blue screen calling out to him as it continued to ring incessantly.

Slowly he reached his hand out to the device, before picking it up and placing it in his lap. And here, he couldn't help but pause for another second as he heard his heartbeat slowly pick up in pace.

Yet his moment of hesitation only lasted that second, as the Master shook his head, and let his hovering finger gently tap the screen.

Upon release, small ripples began to emanate from the point of contact on the Terminal's screen, before taking a life of their own as they rose up like a fountain. Soon the mass of blue pixels solidified into the clothes and features of a certain Priest, clear to both Master and Servants.

"Greetings, young Master." The small holographic model said as the Priest's characteristic smile crossed its face. "I am pleased to see that you are in good health, Mihara. All things considered, the resilience you have shown is quite remarkable."

"Remarkable or not, I guess the only thing that does matter is who's left standing at the end of this week though correct, Father Kotomine?" The Master replied with a deep breath.

"Indeed; it is good to know that you continue to take the Holy Grail War seriously." Kotomine continued. "Quite a number of your peers last week seemed to take this course of events as 'just a game', and hence failed to collect their cipher keys in time for the Coliseum Round.

"It was disappointing really; I was looking forward to seeing them and their opponents cut each other apart. For the time being, I must content myself with seeing their despair as they were disqualified, their digital models being torn to shreds by the SERAPH for their negligence."

'And yet you say this with such a happy face.' Mihara thought as he watched the holographic model, face impassive as he tried not to think of the scene described by the Priest.

"Regardless; I am looking forward to this week." The Priest continued. "Now that the gravity of the situation has set in, I expect more exhilarating fights to make up for last week. Especially from Masters such as yourself, who have been dealt such a serious insult during the course of this week."

"We would appreciate it if you would leave the idle banter alone, 'Father' Kotomine." Saber cut in. "The appointed time of our duel is today; that should be the only thing that matters to us, as participants, and you, as the overseer of proceedings."

"Hmm, quite true, Servant Saber." Kotomine said with a nod. "Then let me start from the beginning.

"Today is the day of your Elimination Battle, young Master. I hope you have prepared yourself well over the past week. All participating Masters are asked to report to the Arena Entrance at the designated time attached to this message."

As the miniature avatar spoke, a digital time appeared over his head, Mihara's Servants looking at it as the Priest continued his spiel.

"You must bring your Terminal to the Arena Entrance, on which should contain your two Cipher Keys."

'The same canned announcement as last week.' Mihara thought. 'Guess that's still the hallmark of an NPC.'

"Failure to bring both Cipher Keys at the designated time will result in immediate dismissal from the Holy Grail War, and deletion from the Moon Cell. You have already been given ample warning as to the consequences of such failure, and there should be no reason for tardiness on arrival." At this he paused for a moment, before continuing.

"And, with those instructions, I look forward to welcoming you to your Coliseum Fight."

Finished, the miniature avatar took a short bow as his digital form began to dissipate, the various pixels that made him dropping back down into the Terminal like grains of sand. Eventually, all that remained, was the designated time still hovering over the Terminal, the numbers printed in bold, blue, neon font.

That Priest's got some scary timing.' Mihara thought as he watched the pixels collapse back into the flat screen. 'Though come to think of it I could have just opened my Interface up directly now can't I? Guess it's still force of habit.'

"So it appears we are to head to the battlefield this afternoon." Saber said. "Very well then; we should take this time to prepare."

"Yep yep." Caster nodded in agreement. "Well backtracking a little, that guy did say something quite important yesterday, right Saber?"

"From what I can infer, he mentioned the name of the Lord he served whilst he was still of flesh and bone." The swordswoman said with a nod. "Ushiwakamaru was the name."

"Oooh, I remember that name!" Caster said, her ears and tail standing rigid.

"Ushiwakamaru." Mihara repeated, his eyes going wide after several seconds in realisation. "The childhood name of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

At this he opened his Interface with a click of his fingers, the holographic blue opening before them as window blinds would. Wasting no time his fingers began moving across the keyboard that had appeared in front of him as he spoke, listing out the information they had been able to gather this week.

"A supposed life-long companion of Yoshitsune, with some sort of connection to a bridge. He also appears to have dozens upon dozens of melee weapons at his disposal- as we saw in our fight just yesterday. Considering all of this, especially the man he appears to hold in such great esteem, there's only one person that Lancer can be."

As he finished, his Interface stopped on the profiles of their opponents, Zhang Zhaobang and Lancer.

"Musashibo Benkei." The Master said with a deep breath, a shiver crossing his spine as he and his Servants watched to the screen.

"One of the more, if not the most, famous warrior-monks of Japanese history." He said. "Branded as an 'ogre child' from birth, he joined and trained at the Buddhist Monasteries of Japan from young age."

"Indeed, he meets such expectations as an 'ogre' with his size and strength." Saber said, nodding. "And it is quite clear where his blind fanaticism comes from- such a troublesome combination. 'Tis a wonder why more discipline was not instilled into him during his years of training."

"Perhaps he was just a bit too much of a 'brute' for even his teachers to handle?" Caster asked. "Certainly with that hunk of meat I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be intimidated at least a little!"

"Perhaps he was kicked out of the monastery for misbehaviour, I'm not really sure." Mihara answered. "I'd probably have to dig in the school library for full information, but he definitely left the monastery at some point in his life. Instead, he joined a group of mountain ascetics, known as Yamabushi."

"Oh. Them." Caster said, making a face for a moment upon hearing the term.

"Well, while he was part of this independent group, it is said that he placed himself at Gojo Bridge outside of the then-smaller town of Kyoto." Her Master continued. "Every passing warrior he disarmed, and eventually he collected nine-hundred and ninety-nine blades."

"That is a lot for one man." Saber said. "Hmph, so clearly even a life of refrain was not enough to cure him of his more violent disposition. What for he collect so many however?"

"I don't think anyone really knows." Mihara said as he shook his head. "Some said he wanted to melt down the metal of a thousand weapons into a new one for his own use. Well, that's just speculation, but since he's here in the flesh why not ask him yourself?"

"T'would make at least some interesting chatter for us during our duel." Saber said. "At the very least, listening to a man blinded by his own rage is only entertaining for so long. 'Tis lucky he is not a Berserker- those are truly the most boring of the lot."

"Still, if that weapon was his desired goal, he missed it by a hair's breadth." Mihara continued. "The thousandth weapon was the first time he had suffered defeat, at the hands of the then-young Yoshitsune, Ushiwakamaru.

"So he decided to stop being such a hermit from here on out is it?" Caster asked.

"Not exactly." Mihara said. "He actually challenged Ushiwakamaru a second time on the grounds of a nearby temple-"

"Before losing, again, and then deciding to tag along?"

"That sums it up, yes, Caster." The Master said, bobbing his head side-to-side. "He was loyal to a fault from here on out, accompanying Ushiwakamaru throughout his travels, and battles as lord and retainer."

"It was quite a chaotic period then, for sure." Caster said. "Though that's kind of miffing for me…"

"What is, Caster?"

"Well it's just that I said before that they should have come after the time I was active, but to think that it was literally just…" Her voice began, before trailing off at the end as she paused for several seconds.

"Well, nevermind about that for now." Caster continued with a smile. "Now that we know who he is, we can start planning what to do against him, right?"

"Indeed, although just after our fight yesterday I have already taken a good grasp of his abilities." Saber said. "Knowing what we know now, as well as taking our opponent's penalties into account, his cumbersome and slow movements should prove no trouble for me. Though, it remains to be seen as to what effects his Noble Phantasm may have."

"That's true, isn't it?" Mihara said, a hand to his chin. "We nearly got caught out, last time. But the Matrix isn't sharing any more information than that however- any information about Benkei's Noble Phantasm isn't being shown."

"We will have to deal with it when it comes in that case." Saber said as she shook her head. "But keep what we know in mind, Praetor. An idea may come to mind later in battle. If we know what it is, we may prepare counter-strategies. Or perhaps, it may reveal an abrupt weakness in his form that we may exploit, and lead him to defeat."

"I'll try." He said with a sigh.

"Well then, well then." Caster said. "Enough about that hunk of muscle; what about that slimy green moss we've had to deal with so many times this week?"

"He mentioned something very important as well yesterday right, when you pushed him right Caster?"

"Yep yep." The foxgirl nodded. "Something about a forest… Uhm, Sherwood Forest, yeah that's it."

"And another dead-giveaway." Mihara said after a pause and a deep breath. Despite that realisation however, he felt another chill crawl up his spine as he placed a hand to his forehead, the true extent of the uphill battle they faced appearing to him.

"If he values Sherwood Forest so highly, there is only one person that he could be." Mihara continued as he shook his head, a hand reaching out to his Interface screen and pressing several buttons on there to reveal the profile page of his next two opponents.

"Without a doubt he is perhaps the most famous, or infamous, bandit of Medieval Britain, Robin Hood." He spoke as he bit his lip, all three pairs of eyes turning to the screen once again.

"Hmph, my instincts were clearly spot-on." Saber said with a huff. "As we had made abundantly clear yesterday, he is little more than a scoundrel who cowers in the shadows of forests then. He should have no place here, but we will see whether he can fight as spiritedly as his words seem to indicate."

"His origins are a subject of debate, but it seems as though the 'Robin Hood' we know is not the person who is the actual originator for the name." Mihara continued.

"Hmph, so not only a scoundrel, and a coward but also an imposter." Saber said as she crossed her arms. "Truly the worst of many worlds rolled into one."

"Not exactly an 'imposter' as such." Mihara continued. "More like, the inheritor of a title?"

"So even the thiefs of his time have ascended to the level of adopting hierarchical titles is it?" Saber said as she shook her head. "His legend originates from Britain, you said Master?"

"He's more of what they'd call a 'chivalrous' thief, Saber." The Master said, as though defending his opponent. "The time period that Britain was supposedly in when he was alive, was one of great instability characterised by oppression and tyranny of the ruling Lords."

"So is that the excuse?" Saber asked with a huff. "Then I presume this title of 'Robin Hood' is also synonymous with 'chivalrous thiefs'?"

"Basically, yes." Mihara said. "The 'original', was believed to have shared the same beliefs as all those who came after him; protecting the common people from the tyranny of the ruling class. Unfortunately, this original was believed to have been bled to death by his aunt, the Prioress of Kirklees, for some unknown reason.

"After to his death, there have been several different people that took up the title, and name, of Robin Hood. In turn they supposedly threw away their original name in favour of anonymity- even those that they helped never knew much about them. The SERAPH's records say that is also true for the 'Robin Hood' we are supposedly facing as well."

"Hmm, I see." Saber said after a short period of silence. "So as 'Robin Hood', the man truly became nothing more than a practical shadow, rarely recognised for his supposed 'good deeds', and is only notable for the ire he causes for the local Lords of the time?"

"Yes." Mihara continued before he turned to the screen. "His choice of weapons and tactics didn't really help with his image, as I'm pretty sure you know. Sharing another similarity with the original Robin Hood, ours is very well-versed in all manner of chemicals that can be found in the forests, both poisons and medicines.

"As the son of a Druid family, he also maintains a strong relationship with spirits known as 'faeries'. I suppose that didn't really sit well with everyone during the time either- Christianity had a strong grip in the country during the time. Their phobia to forms of religion other than their own during this time was fairly well-known."

"So Britain was also swallowed up by religious fanatics of their own time then eh?" Saber asked. "To think that the rubbish all those men and women spewed during my time ended up becoming such a large cult as it is…"

Saber's voice petered out slowly, her eyes deep in thought as she looked down at her feet. Several long moments of silence ensued, before eventually being broken by Caster-

"Well, knowing all those nitty-gritty details is good and all, but his little sob-story of being ostracised doesn't change the fact that I have a very, very big grudge against him! That, and the fact that we'll have to grind him into fertiliser within the next twelve hours doesn't change things either."

"I suppose that's true." Mihara said as he took a deep breath.

"One good thing though is that his choice of tactics means he's already shown what his Noble Phantasm can do long before the main event though!" Caster said, clapping her hands.

"Yeah, that's true." Her Master said with a nod. "Though, I don't really expect the antidote we have bought to confer permanent immunity and he'll likely be using it a lot. We'll have to keep an eye out on ourselves to make sure we take another dose of it, before we begin to suffer too severe symptoms. Whenever he decides to use his Noble Phantasm as well, we should make taking that tree down our priority as well."

"Umu, a sound plan." Saber said. "Very good. Now that we know all that we can about our opponent, we should complete preparations for your defence against the opposing Masters. There should also be an opportunity to talk with Aoko Aozaki about another Alteration. The data we may have collected since our last venture may be small, but every opportunity should be exploited."

"…Alright." Mihara said with a nod after a short pause. "Let me try and finish up my program and uploading it into the droid, then we can start moving. Shouldn't take too long- an hour at most."

"Very good." Saber responded as she stepped onto the porch from the grass. "In the meantime I shall return to the kitchen to enjoy more of those fruits that you had prepared beforehand."

"I think I'll join you for a few of those." Caster said as she stood up. "We can plan for what we sort of tricks we can pull over those two sleazebags in the meantime."

As the Master sat at the porch for a few more seconds, he couldn't help but look at the forms of his Servants as they turned into the house.

'I wonder… should I have told them about what Suzuha told me?'

"But it's not like knowing those sorts of details would make a difference in this fight though." He said as he shook his head, turning back to the garden before him, and the reactivated droid that had been silently, patiently, floating there all this time.

'Yeah… knowing the details of the dead can't change anything about the living.

'But why do I seem to be thinking so much about it, if that's the case?'

"Aoko Aozaki appeared to be very busy this afternoon." Saber said as the Master and his two Servants stepped around the main school building towards the gym.

"No kidding." Caster added. "Rushing through the Alteration like that, before jumping into the back of the Chapel then out again before we even had a chance to leave ourselves!"

"Perhaps it has something to do with why she is here within the Moon Cell?" Saber asked. "I should remember to ask her about it next time we need to see her again."

"Well, that's only if we can actually catch her." Caster said. "I guess we've been fortunate enough to find her in the Chapel all this time. She may be out next time we need her for an Alteration."

"That is true." Saber said. "Though with the agreement those Aozaki Sisters have with the Moon Cell, I would assume that there would be at least one present at all times. The other… Touko Aozaki, if I remember, seems less inclined for idle chatter, but perhaps her story can be just as interesting. Would you not agree, Praetor?"

"Huh?" Mihara asked, pulled out of his train of thought. "Well, I guess it would be interesting, if they're willing to share. Though, for someone like me I feel as though it'd be too complicated to understand."

"Hmm, perhaps that is for the best." Saber said. "For one such as yourself, worrying about the next fight is the most imperative matter, yes?"

"Indeed." Her Master said with a sigh. "Though I wonder about what she said with 'staggered' fights. I haven't heard about that before…"

"Well, if it's about that it's kind of simple, isn't it?" Caster asked. "I mean, sure the Moon Cell, and in turn the SERAPH are all-powerful and all that, but they're still computers looking for efficiency right? With all the Masters that are in the Holy Grail Wars, splitting the number into two, more manageable chunks lessens system resources when the Coliseum Fight happens."

"Indeed, there would be a distinct surge in conflict due to the week's finale." Saber nodded. "So as Aoko said, splitting the candidate numbers in two and staggering them by a day allows for optimal use of resources, especially considering the sole Arena that has been built to accommodate us all."

"The Moon Cell's surprisingly stingy like that huh?" Mihara said as he furrowed his brow. "I would think creating another Arena would be easier. We happen to be in 'group A' then, wasn't it?"

"Well, it matters not which grouping we have been put in; eventually the two groups will be recombined, and we will have the opportunity to face off against the remainder, come what may."

'More like we may have the opportunity to face them.' Mihara thought as he turned his gaze forward. There, his gaze focused on a tall man in a priest's sombre cassock, standing before those foreign, yet familiar, metal doors embedded into the side of the school gym. And as before, the digital chains criss-crossed its surface, shimmering ever so slightly.

"Welcome, young Master." Father Kotomine said as the Master and his two Servants approached. "I was beginning to think that you were having second thoughts about arriving for the appointed time today. I am glad that such thoughts were mistaken."

"To die either in the Coliseum, or by defaulting on the Moon Cell's rules." The Master said. "All things considered, at the very least one of the options involves a small chance of survival."

"It is just as my Master has said." Saber said, her arms crossed. "But to add to it, our opponents have slighted us in a most reprehensible manner. It would reflect poorly of us to forfeit this battle on a technicality, rather than give them the thrashing they deserve."

"Well said." The Priest said, giving his usual smile. "I assume that you all share the sentiment. Against opponents such as Zhang Zhaobang, who possess such overwhelming skill, capability and ruthlessness, such deep-rooted feelings of frustration may yet prove to be the greatest asset you possess.

"Yet such feelings would matter not if you do not have the required Cipher Keys for this week." Kirei Kotomine continued after a brief pause as he raised a hand forward, palms open. "Present them to me, so that I may open the doors to your Coliseum Fight."

Taking a deep breath, the Master closed his eyes for a moment to steel himself. Upon opening them he clicked his fingers, his Interface opened on command just as the outline of the two cards immediately formed on its surface.

The Priest gave a nod at this, his smile growing slightly wider as his hand reached out, the two yellow cards appearing between the two.

And just like last week, the two cards floated through the air towards the two steel blocks on either side of the Coliseum entrance. And upon contact, the chains that criss-crossed its doors quickly dissolved, as the steel doors slid apart moments later.

"Remember, young Master. The only way to leave the Coliseum is to win. It is kill, or be killed."

Kotomine spoke his final words of warning as Mihara stared at the metal platform that stood just beyond the doors.

Wordlessly, the Master stood there for several more seconds even after Kotomine finished his parting words. He turned towards his two Servants beside him, both of whom gave him a nod of assurance.

And with another deep breath he stepped forward onto the metal platform, as the steel doors slammed shut behind him.

Without bothering to turn around to watch the door disappear behind him, the Master took a deep, long breath. And once finished he instinctively turned to look at his two Servants by his side, both of whom gave him a smile for his troubles.

Just as he returned the gesture, he felt the platform beneath his feet begin to move, just as the whirr of machinery began to fill the black void that surrounded them.

And, almost as though a fog was lifted, the blackness that surrounded him abruptly dissipated, revealing a large shaft with glowing lines criss-crossing its walls all around him.

And just like last week, he saw his two opponents standing several metres away on their own platforms, separated only by the gaping void that surrounded them.

And even though he knew that the SERAPH had already put security measures in place between the platforms, the Master couldn't help but shudder as he turned his gaze towards the floor.

At the very least, that way he could push the memories of what had happened throughout the week to the back of his mind for the moment.

'…Damn, I can't help but get cold sweat every time I see them.' He thought as he clenched his fists in an attempt to stop their shaking. 'Still, things are a little different now in the Coliseum. We're better armed and know much more about our enemies. We won't be pushovers this time. Right?'

As he finished the thought he took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, before he took quick glances at his opponents on the opposite platforms.

In contrast, the two veteran Masters and their Servants kept quiet. Their forms barely moved as they all waited for the elevator they were riding to reach its destination, the sound of invisible, digital machinery the only thing keeping them company on this fatal journey. Eventually however-

"Hmph." Saber huffed, the first to break the silence. "While I admire men who are made of stone for their tenacity and perseverance, statues such as these make for poor conversation partners."

"No kidding." Caster said added. "I mean, it's interesting and all to watch the carver go to work, but just looking at the final product gets really boring after a while."

"Huh, you two can say that since you don't actually have to work with Masters like these two on a daily basis!" Archer said. "Cut me some slack and think about how I feel like, following Mr Knight here around all the time."

"There is little sympathy to be had for one such as yourself, Archer." Saber said as she folded her arms. "After all, your Master was lenient enough to allowing you to deploy your Noble Phantasm the first time. After being caught out the second time, you had simply got what you deserved."

"Yeah, not to mention that that was the time you actually tried to kill my Master outside of the Arena!" Caster added, her voice rising slightly.

"Fine, fine, so I made a few bad calls in life." Archer said as he shrugged. "But can you blame me for trying? 'If you don't try everything, you won't get anything' is a saying after all."

"Your 'anything' borders on the level of inane." Saber said. "Your Master has made this abundantly clear, I am certain. And there is only one prize to be claimed at the end of this tourney anyway: Conflict of arms in a clear battlefield is more than enough to decide who is worthy of taking it."

"Saber does have a point, Archer." Lancer said, his voice echoing slightly in the confined space. "There is little sympathy to be had for you, especially considering the lines to be drawn that one shouldn't ever cross. Though, if circumstances differed I would offer you my condolences."

"What, and here I thought you were as straight-laced and uptight as this statue over here!" Archer said, turning to the Servant and jabbing a finger at his Master. "Well then, mind enlightening me a bit as to what line's a line too far for you?"

"At its core, this Holy Grail War is a battle between individuals and the dreams that they hold dear." Lancer began. "Even the Moon Cell cannot put such nebulous things into numbers, which would be why it has designed the system we are participating in now. Since after all, only the one who holds on to their dream most dearly can hope to stay alive!"

'The one who holds on to their dream most dearly… is it?' Mihara couldn't help but repeat, just as he saw Archer shake his head.

"That doesn't really answer my question, big guy." The Servant said with a shrug. "After all, is there any better way to prove that you're willing to go the distance, than being willing to bend and break a few rules to achieve it? Well, your ragtag group's been playing the meek little lamb for the last week, but what do you think, Caster, Saber?"

"I know not whether your 'bending and breaking' of rules encompasses more than just plain assassination and murder." Saber said as she crossed her arms. "Since that is apparently all you are capable of doing outside of the Arena. And even then, your methods are as useless as they can be!

"Well, were this a field for playing politics and not a place for honourable combat, I would be more than willing to show you the finer art of 'practical' assassinations. Though, I suspect your grizzled companion over there wouldn't be nearly as interested." Saber finished as she brushed aside a lock of hair as she cast a glance towards Lancer.

"Well-said, Saber!" Lancer's voice echoed through the shaft alongside the hum of machinery. "My place is only on the field of war, a place where there's little time to worry about such irrelevant things. All that matters is whether you can out-wit and out-live the opponent that faces you in direct conflict!

"Yet though I must agree with your words, your conduct so far is anything but." Lancer continued after a short pause. "I have not forgotten your insolent words yesterday, and I will seek to finish the duel that we had started."

"It seems as though my message has yet to be able to get through that thick skull of yours." Saber continued. "Then I assume your steadfast hold on your misguided beliefs is still as strong as ever?"

"Of course!" Lancer shouted as he cast a piercing gaze over his opponents, eventually settling on Caster's much smaller form as he continued. "I have already made clear my stance throughout the entire week- a being such as her thrives off trickery and deceit!"

"Well for once I can actually say you're correct on that, you big fat oaf." Caster said as she stuck her tongue out. "With that loose thing you call a mouth, I guess it isn't really that much of a secret that I'm better at the sneaky stuff, compared to all this fighting.

"Then again, it's the brains like me and Saber here that actually gets things done- all you're good for is just muscle that works best when he's making holes in the wall! I wonder if someone with such narrow vision as yours ever thinks about what happens after the fight is over?"

"Oooh, scary!" Archer said as he put up both his hands. "Two wolves in sheep's clothing- ain't that shocking? Though, I'll admit the only experience I've had with back-stabbing politics involve fat old codgers. Your Master don't look half like that, nor does he look half keen on such tactics either. So, whaddyou say, Mihara, wasn't it? What sort of dirty tricks are you up for, eh? How far's too far for you?"

"Hm? Uh…" The Master looked up at the Servant, his mind having only paid half-attention to the conversation until now. "I'd suppose… it'd depend on the situation, right? Like both my Servants have already said, sometimes some situations call for a different approach."

"Hahaha, there we go!" Archer laughed. "That's more like it. Doing the same old thing gets boring after a while, don't you think? All this fighting's good and all, but spicing it up here and there makes it all the better!"

"That is enough, Archer." Dan's wizened voice echoed through the shaft for the first time. "Do not get carried away when we are so close to the final field of battle."

"What the heck's that supposed to mean?" Archer asked as he turned to face his Master. "Just having a friendly chat like this isn't that big of a problem, is it?"

"Hmph, were it on a more appropriate topic then I would not mind half as much for your idle banter." Dan continued. "Yet I am certain that the nature of this fight has already been made abundantly clear. Such underhanded tactics will not be employed during this fight, and neither will I tolerate your use of them again."

"Maaan, you're such a stick in the mud." Archer said as he turned away, shaking his head. "What happened to all that talk of 'knowing your enemy' you were spouting on about earlier this week?"

"There is a difference between getting to know one's opponents, and simply using them for sport." Dan answered, his voice stern. "All you are doing is becoming careless around our opponents, and carelessness is the one sin that has the potential to undo everything. Even the most carefully-laden of plans will come undone in an instant."

"Psh, fine, alright already jeez!" Archer said as he shook his head, throwing his hands into the air as he turned to his opponents across the chasm. "Man, that's my Master for you- always by-the-books, no-frills no-fluff. Though, knowing him he's just like this because I'm the one who's talking to him.

"Oy, Mihara, how's about you try talking to grumple-stiltskin over here?" The Servant continued, crossing his arms as he jerked his head towards his Master. "He's saved your life more times than I can count this week alone- he's almost definitely got a soft-spot for you to do all that."

"Eh?" The Master asked, caught off guard again as he instinctively made eye-contact with the green Knight.

For several awkward moments the two Masters stared at each other, the silence of the humming code surrounding them.

'Shit… now what?' The thought echoed in the young Master's mind as he fumbled for what to talk about with the old Knight across from him.

'I'm not even sure what I'm doing anymore. There is no reason for why I'm here. All these opponents are too powerful for me. And that message that Suzuha sent me last night is still confusing me… Although-'

As a thought occurred to him, the Master closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before looking at the Knight.

"Sir Blackmore. I know that, due to the nature of the Holy Grail War, that this is the first, and likely the last time we'll have a chance to speak to one another like this. So, I would like to ask you something that's been weighing on my mind: Why are you fighting in this War?"

"Hmm." The Knight said, his gaze never leaving his opponent. "That is a strange question to ask one such as me, Mihara. For at the end of the day, I am still a soldier. And for soldiers like me, there is no such thing as 'why' in War.

"At his core, a soldier can never have, nor ever need, such a reason. At the end of the day, our personal feelings, wants or desires matter not in the preservation of larger things. 'For Queen and Country', is a saying from where I am from, after all. Once soldiers enter the battlefield, the only way forward is to achieve our orders. Either that, or to die trying.

"And my orders, are to secure the Holy Grail for my Queen- nothing else need be said. Though my life has changed much over time, never have I needed a 'why'."

'…Of course.' Mihara said as he briefly bowed his head in the face of Dan's answer. 'That's exactly the same thing that Rin Tousaka said to me at the start of the week. Asking him something like that is pointless.'

At this, his eyes couldn't help but wander to the other Master within this elevator room, just in time to see him unfold his arms and stretch himself.

"As always the loyal soldier Dan." Zhang Zhaobang said, his voice echoing across the shaft for the first time. "A person as shaken as him asks you for a reason to fight, yet you reply with an answer fitting only for a robot."

"There is no shame in speaking the truth." Dan answered curtly as he turned to his associate. "I am only making it distinct: The difference in reasons for why a Soldier like me would join the Holy Grail War, and why a Magus would join instead.

"But since you seem to take issue with my reason, perhaps you feel that you can answer this young man's question better?" The Knight continued as he gestured to their opponent Master. "Considering the extreme lengths you are willing to go to, your reasons for participation must be compelling indeed."

"Compelling?" The man asked as he scoffed. "Ever since the day of that cleansing of Hong Kong, there has only been one reason for me to fight. And that very same reason has brought me to the .

"I am certain you already know of what happened then." Zhang continued as he swept his gaze over the other Masters. "I can still remember the events of that day as though it were yesterday- the sight of my home, my friends and my family. All burning, until nothing was left."

"Though their propaganda machine may say otherwise." He continued as he looked at Mihara, just as several white pixels began to emanate off the old Assassin's tanned, cracked skin. "Though their collaborators may act in the name of 'World Peace', at the end of the day all they are looking for is a system of perpetuity, where the word of the Harway Conglomerate is Law.

"For them, all the nails that stand up, must be hammered down. So even if I may forfeit my life in doing so, that is a fair price to pay if it means the implosion of the Harway Conglomerate. And the scars that I bear ever since that day, will be a constant reminder of the reasons why I fight."

"…So a man who has nothing left but his burning desire for vengeance." Dan said. "It is somewhat ironic then, that at the same time you continue to use such brutal methods as did those who had wronged you."

"Do not try to mock me, Dan." Zhang said as he glared at the Master.

"That was not my intention." Dan apologised quickly, although Zhang continued regardless.

"I have already placed my goal in my sights, and as long as I can achieve my goals, then that's all theirs is to it. I never meant to take joy out of what I do, and rarely are my fights personal- all I do is just so I may reach my goal that much faster. That is true here in the SERAPH, above all else."

At this, an awkward silence once again covered the elevator shaft as the hum of the code that made up the elevator shaft slowly engulfed the area.

Before Mihara had much of a chance to dwell on the answers his opponents had given him, a sudden rumbling shook the shaft as Mihara noticed his surroundings slow to a halt.

'…We've arrived already.' He thought, cold sweat breaking out as he saw the beam of light appear along the ground behind him, and behind the other two Masters before him.

"Come, Archer." Dan said as he turned around, his Servant following him. "The time has come to embrace the battlefield once again."

As Mihara began to turn around towards the entrance to the Coliseum with his Servants, Zhang's voice made him pause one last time.

"Though I've said that I never mean for these fights to be personal." Zhang said, Mihara turning his head around as their gazes locked for the first time. "I couldn't help but notice how lost you have been throughout the entire week, Mihara. I'm surprised someone like you was even able to make it through the preliminaries, where thousands of others have failed."

At this, the Master's eyes popped open as that fact struck him.

Without waiting for a response, the enemy Master silently turned around and left, Lancer following suit.

'…That's right isn't it?' Mihara thought as he glanced at his two Servants, both giving him a nod in reply as he took a deep breath. 'I alone somehow managed to survive up until this point.

'Why is it, that clueless me has succeeded, whereas thousands of others, like that 'friend' of mine, did not?'

And, given the empty question to arm his ailing conviction, the Master and his Servants entered the Coliseum battle.

Live or Die by the Sword.

What power do you hold in your hands...?

Dancing flames, Decaying Earth, Withered Ocean.

The seven figures stood at the centre of a small, empty plaza devoid of any signs of human habitation or use. All around them, stood the remains of a blasted-out, drowned cityscape- the remnants of its inhabitants long swept away by the vagaries of the currents that drifted endlessly through this infinite, digital sea.

Yet even though these crumbling buildings surrounded them, like the empty audience stands of a less-than-popular spectacle, all of that was dwarfed by another enormous construct in the distance. Its height alone made it stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of the city, yet even then the SERAPH had chosen to make its presence even more pronounced.

Its pearl-white stone walls stood out, an incongruous fit amidst the endless grey ocean. The carved outer windows stood clearly in view even from this distance, in eerily perfect condition that stood out amidst the crumbling buildings that surrounded them.

Indeed, it was the unmistakeable presence of a Roman Coliseum.

"All will be settled here, today." Dan Blackmore declared, his arms crossed and gaze fixed on the enemy Master and his two Servants, who stood at the opposite end of the plaza.

"You said it!" Archer replied from beside his Master as he stretched his arms. "Man, it's only at times like this I can go all-out."

"Hmph, it's been a long time coming." Zhang replied as he cracked his wrists, brows furrowed as he watched his opponents. "Let's finish this cleanly, Lancer."

"As always, Zhang." His towering Servant replied as a naginata solidified in his outstretched hand. "Let us finish our duel today, Saber. I will answer your insult in the name of my current Master, as well as my Lord Ushiwaka with your head!"

"As meat-headed as ever, but I will play along." Saber answered as her crimson sword appeared in her hands. "Since I will have made sure that your grating, incessant babbling ends today!"

'…This really isn't the best place to fight, especially considering our experience yesterday.' Mihara thought as he surveyed the plaza and the surrounding town, not paying attention to the conversation between Servants. 'For the time being, we're best trying to stay in this plaza… Or finding a better place to fight that's more open with less places to hide.'

"Well while those two smack each other silly, what about you, little fox-monster?" Archer asked as he turned to Caster. "Where would you like me to nail an arrow in you today?"

"Well, aren't we confident?" Caster replied. "I don't really see where it's coming from though, considering how badly all your little schemes failed through the entire week. Perhaps you really are 'just' a pretty face- you certainly don't have the brains to back it up, otherwise you'd have realised that my Master's the one who's winning this fight tonight!"

"Excuse me?" Archer retorted. "The last time I checked, the only one who won fights in the real world were the strongest. You and your lost Master are the last ones I'd put in that category!"

"Geez, and this is why I sad you were just a pretty face." The foxgirl said as she shook her head. "Well, all the better then- you can treat this as a learning experience as to why a shady guy like you should've stayed lurking in the forest!"

"And you 'ought to crawl straight back into whatever hole you came from, you monster fox!" Archer shouted as he threw open his cloak to reveal the crossbow strapped to his arm. "I'll make sure you're filled with more arrows than a pine has needles by the end of this!"

"Well said, Archer!" Lancer replied as the Servant smashed the butt of his polearm into the ground, the stone cracking as the two Masters behind them backed off slowly. "We shall let our weapons decide who is worthy of passing through to the next round! Servant Saber and Servant Caster- your Master is an inexperienced warrior, but perhaps the both of you will prove to be entertaining sport, before we take your heads!"

As Lancer's declaration was issued, a jolt of magic could be felt evaporating from the area as Mihara instinctively leapt back, before activating his Interface as a cold chill ran up his spine.

-The barrier that separated them from the inevitable conclusion of the week had disappeared.

"Let's begin!" Dan shouted from across the plaza, his green Interface already surrounding him like a protective column.

And upon the old Knight's command, Red Saber and White Lancer leapt forward faster than their Masters could comprehend.

Their weapons connected in a thunderous clash of steel, just as Caster's mirror swung before her to cleave through a flurry of arrows directed at her. In reply she called forth a stream of fire at Archer's position, just before an orange CodeCast surrounded the enemy Servant as he leapt into a cluster of buildings to the side of the plaza.

Mihara could only grind his teeth as he attempted to keep track of the fight before him. The droid he had been working on last night solidified beside him meanwhile, as the honeycomb shield immediately formed around him as he prepared his CodeCasts on-screen.

And in the next instant, he couldn't help but flinch as a jolt shook his body as he saw cracks and bullet-holes already appear in the shield that surrounded him, just before it shattered and a new one brought forth.

'-Time to see how strong my convictions really are!' He thought, as his vision darted around the battlefield to find where the enemy was sniping him from.

"It's do or die now-!"

A/N:

I admit, I've been telling myself I should post this chapter sooner or later over the last month. But, it's been difficult. It was difficult to even get myself to push this chapter out, even after the long break I gave myself.
Still, I hope this was good enough for now, I will try to get the Coliseum Fight completed by the end of this month, though having made this chapter much shorter than usual, this means the fight chapter will be quite big. Not to mention the aftermath, which I hope will be interesting enough to make the wait worth it.
To all those who have waited patiently, I'm sorry for the delay- I only have life, work, study, and my inability to balance it all to blame. I pray this won't last for too long...

05/06/2016