Chapter 1: From the King's Tomb

-:- The 1st Night -:-

~To those who want story, but don't like lemons: Relax. I'll put big, juicy warnings up so you can enjoy the story lemon-free.

Enjoy.

Shirou wasn't sure how he found himself at the River Thames that night.

Most likely, it had to do with Rin being gone. She went off to Germany this time, looking for the person she hoped to make her "master." The idea of apprenticeship or how it even worked was still lost to Shirou, but a fair bit of competition in the Clock Tower thrived on it.

Some magi only took the cream of the crop as apprentices. Other were less selective; their only qualification being that their prospect students leave some type of impression on them. Then there were the strange ones; the eccentric lot who literally picked anyone who would ask. Shirou was not a part of this world despite attending the Clock Tower. Really, he wasn't even a student, and when Rin - his only excuse for being at the Clock Tower - was off somewhere, he would always feel awkward while simply walking the institute's halls. Maybe that was why Shirou was gazing out on England's longest river by himself: Just so he could be away.

Regardless, it was this coincidence that caused him to standing there when a girl in a battle dress arose from the waters.

Blonde and with a familiar face, he almost mistook her for Saber. Though, on closer inspection, he noticed the difference. Then the girl coughed.

'She's still breathing!' was Shirou's only thought before he peeled off his jacket and shoes, and dove in after her. Grabbing her, he swam back to the embankment.

On that dark knight, even with the bright lights that usually lit up the River Thames, not a soul would have noticed the girl until it was too late. It was miracle that Shirou even did. Another miracle was that she was still breathing despite having floated so far down the river.

"Hey! Hey, are you alrig-?"

Those concerning words stopped when Shirou got a closer look at what the girl had brought out of the water with her - the Holy Grail. There was no mistake. Its image had long since been imprinted in his memories.

So many questions arose: Who was this girl? Why did she have the grail with her? Where did she get those scars?

While he attempted to compile at least some of these thoughts, the girl beside him woke up.

"Hmm...? ...Who are you?" she asked.

Shirou calmed himself. At least there was one question he had an answer to.

|||~I~|||

They were the last penance Shirou had left. Attempting to call Rin one more time, he slid them into the payphone.

"Come on. Pick up, Tohsaka..."

Her heard ringing, more ringing and then silence.

"Seriously...? What was the point of her even getting cellphone?"

If there was ever a time where Shirou needed Rin around, it was now. Right outside the phone booth sat the girl he had just saved. Like a mother would her child, she kept the Holy Grail cradled within her lap.

When her savior came out of the booth, she finally tore her eyes from it.

"Did your call get through?"

"No. I just wasted all my change trying, though."

With a sigh, he sat down next to her. Everything on him, save his jacket, was wet; and the chilly London air wasn't helping things. Shirou would have asked the girl next to him if she was cold as well, but he knew that a Servant would be burdened by such a thing. Even the scars she had when he rescued her from the river were mostly all healed already.

"So... You said your name was Ruler? I never heard of a Servant class like that before."

"It's a special class separate from the usual seven. When the grail itself feels threatened, it summons standard-bearers like myself to guide the conflicts. Even wars occasionally require order."

"Shouldn't you have been called two years ago when the grail was destroyed, then?"

"What was destroyed then was not the true grail. It was replica of the Lesser Grail."

Shirou made a face.

"Replica? Lesser Grail? ...You mean the grail in Fuyuki was a fake?"

"The copied Lesser Grail was fake, and the Greater Grail that was born from it was tainted. For those reasons, I was not summoned during the previous conflict. This current war is different matter."

Current war, she said. So a new Holy Grail conflict truly had started, and only two years after the previous one. That was unprecedented. The fifth war occurred a decade after the fourth, and even that was considered a huge folly.

"The...Lesser Grail, you called it? It's authentic, not like one used in the fifth war?" Shirou asked, still trying to process things.

Ruler nodded.

"And you only get called when it's threatened? Who's trying to destroy it?"

"Another Ruler."

Shirou was at a lost. "But...how-"

"I'm sorry. It would take too long to explain, and I have already wasted enough time as it is."

Ruler stood from the bench with the grail still in hand, then briefly asked for Shirou's name.

"It's Shirou. Shirou Emiya.

"I thank the Lord for sending you to me when He did, Shirou, but now is my time to depart."

"To where? What are planning to do with the grail?"

Ruler hugged the Lesser Grail closer to her.

"I'm going to summon a Servant with it."

It was strange how quickly Shirou processed this, especially when compared to how he took in everything else. It was also amazing how quickly he made up his mind about what to do next. Most of Ruler's wounds had healed, but whoever had given her them in the first place was likely still looking for her. Trying to pretend that he could protect a Servant better than she could protect himself was likely just stupid chivalry on Shirou's part.

Or maybe it was that Ruler looked too much like Saber for him to not help.

Regardless, he stood. "Fine. I'm coming with you."

"Shirou, it's not your responsibility to-"

"I just got done saving your life. Until I've made sure it's safe for good, you're stuck with me for tonight."

Once again, the two found themselves staring at each other.

"...Are you a magus, Shirou?"

"Yes, I am."

Hearing that made Ruler come to strange resolution. She then asked Shirou "What's the best way to get from London to Somerset?"

|||~I~|||

Catching a bus out of London at this time of night was a challenge. Especially for Shirou, who still had trouble reading English. In the end, he and Ruler were riding out of the United Kingdom's capital. It was a long bus ride, and a quiet one. Occasionally, Shirou would look over at the Ruler gazing at the passing scenery, unable to decipher any of her thoughts from the reflection in the window.

They eventually arrived at their destination, and started towards Glastonbury. The moment Ruler brought up Somerset and summoning a Servant, Shirou knew exactly what her goal was: She planned to summon the legendary ruler of Britain - King Arthur.

When summoning Servants, one thing to keep in mind was where the Servant was summoned. If conjured in the lands where their legend originated, their strength could go unchallenged. Throughout all of Britain - even the United Kingdom itself - there existed no hero of greater fame than the King of Knights. Her's was a legend that rivaled those of Heracles and Achilles. If Ruler managed to summon her anywhere within England, it would be no exaggeration to say she could win this current war single-handedly.

And what better place to try to summon a heroic spirit than near their tomb?

After a short walk, the duo stood at the entrance of Glastonbury Abbey. It was far past closing hours, but fortunately, the abbey wasn't a heavily guarded place at night. Sneaking in was as easy as walking through the entrance. Once inside, Shirou took in the familiar sight of the abbey. Even at night, it was hard not to appreciate the medieval architecture in spite of most of it being in ruin.

"...Shirou, before we go any further, there's something that must be taken care of first. Glastonbury was once a monastery, was it not? Is there a house of worship nearby?"

Ruler's tone was as stern as her expression. This concerned Shirou somewhat, but he brushed it off and guided her to Lady Chapel, the last standing house of worship that remained in the abbey. Several of its walls were missing as well as most of the second floor, but Ruler didn't mind that. Nor did she mind the lack of a cross or any depiction of Christ for her to pray to.

After setting the Lesser Grail on the altar, she bowed before it and gave prayer. Silently, Shirou watched her. It was the first time he really paid any attention to her beauty. They were almost unreal, her doll-like face and pristine features. Just the image of her praying, by itself, should have been immortalized in a painting, then hung up within the Vatican's walls.

"Amen. Shirou...can you come over here, please?"

"What is it, Ruler?"

"Do you remember what I said about the other Ruler? It's because of them that I am trying to summon a Servant. There is a issue, however: I am not a magus. I was never born with magic circuits. I have high [Magic Resistance], but it stems only from my faith. Actually summoning a Servant would be impossible for someone like myself."

So, that was what the reality of the situation. Even though Ruler had the grail, she had no ways of making use of it. It was like being stranded on an island with an oar but no raft.

"Is that why you asked if I was a magus? Do you want me to do the ritual instead?"

"No. You see, several functions of the Lesser Grail were locked away. Ruler sabotaged it so that it would not respond to magi. To be more specific: It refuses to give out Command Seals. Making a contract is impossible for you, Shirou."

"So...there's nothing we can do about this?"

"There is...something. It may be impossible for you to form a contract with Heroic Spirits, but providing them with mana and keeping an already existing spirit in this world is still possible. The exact opposite goes for me: I can't provide any mana, but I can make a contract with the Servant."

"I thought that was impossible for Servants? I mean, I know a Servant that pulled it off, but she was cheating the grail's system the whole time."

"Servants cannot summon other Servants, because spiritual bodies cannot support other spiritual bodies. I am an exception due to my body being made of flesh."

"You... Your body is body is real?!"

"It's something similar to possession. Though, not quite. Either way, yes. I may have the capabilities of a Servant, but my body is as real as yours. I'm fully capable of forming a contract with a Heroic Spirit."

"Then as long as I can provide it mana, we can summon a Servant together, right?"

"Yes, but we'll need to form our own contract first. Something that allows us to share the burdens of managing a Heroic Spirit."

"Alright... How do we do that?"

Ruler's face suddenly started to boil.

"Shirou... I... I need for you to lay with me."

There was silence within the chapel.

"You mean...sex?"

Ruler nodded meekly.

"To form a contract with you, I'll need your mana. Intercourse is the best way, to-"

"A-are you sure there isn't another way?!"

He knew better than to ask. She wouldn't have made such a suggestion in the first place if another option was available.

"No... I sorry that I don't fit your taste, but-"

"That's not it! Trust me. ...You're beautiful. It's just, I have a girlfriend, so..."

An awkward silence breezed between them again. Shirou had made a similar contract with Rin when she temporarily gave him some of her mana to fight Gilgamesh. Rin's face constantly ran through his thoughts like a slideshow.

"This truly is the only way, Shirou..."

"Damn it...! I'm sorry, Tohsaka..."

Shirou took off his jacket, the only piece of clothing he had that wasn't moist, and laid it on the chapel's floor.

"Sorry, but this is best we can do as far making things more comfortable," he said.

"N-no! It's very considerate, actually. ...Let's get started."

|||WARNING|||

X~I~I~I~I~I~I~X~ Lemon ~X~I~I~I~I~I~I~X

Ruler laid herself on Shirou's jacket after dematerializing all her armor. At first, Shirou had assumed that her corset was propping up her chest and squeezing her waist, but no - Ruler's body was just that curvaceous.

Seeing how daunted she was, Shirou had to ask "Is this your first time?"

"Yes. I'm a little scared..."

"Don't worry. I promise I'll be gentle."

While he was sure Ruler didn't share Rin's temperament, Shirou really didn't want to relive his past as a "beast." As tenderly as he could, Shirou cupped Ruler's large breasts in his hands. He had had never felt anything so soft before. It was like he was fondling marshmallows. Feeling Ruler's erect nipples poking at the inside of his hands, Shirou decided to let them breathe.

"I'm pulling them out, Ruler."

She meekly nodded in response.

Shirou opened the top of her battle dress, and two voluptuous melons popped out at him. It was sight that almost made his jaw drop. Ruler's beasts looked so plump, he had to fill his hand with one. Or, at least, he tried. The busty tit wouldn't fit in his hand no matter how much he fondled it. Seeing how little attention the other breast was getting, Shirou softly bit down on its nipple.

"Mmnh~!"

Despite looking luscious than any fruit he had ever seen, Ruler's breasts didn't taste sweet. Honestly, Shirou was a little disappointed. While tasting and fondling her chest, he also ran his other hand down one of the Servant's creamy thighs. They were meaty too. Shirou almost wondered what they tasted like.

To say Ruler had the perfect figure would not do her or her body justice. Neither did saying she was curvy, buxom, or well-stacked. Her ample bosom, her wide hips, her smooth thighs. "Sexy" was the only word for it. By far, she had more sex appeal than any other woman Shirou had ever met.

After listening to her moan, he couldn't wait any longe; and after he playing between Ruler's legs, and seeing how wet his fingers were, he knew that she couldn't either.

"That's... so humiliating."

"Heh... It's fine, Ruler. It's normal to get like this."

Shirou's zipper came down, and the head of his dick teased the standard-bearer's lower lips.

"...I'm gonna go slow. Alright, Ruler?"

"Jeanne..."

"Hmm?"

"My true name... It's Jeanne d'Arc."

Joan of Arc - the Maid of Orléans. During the Hundred Years War, when the French were constantly losing territory against the English, a peasant girl from Domrémy, claiming to be guided by God, made it her divine mission to expel the invaders from her homeland. That was who the girl underneath Shirou truly was: a Saint.

He smiled sweetly. "Alright, Jeanne... Here I go."

At first, the head went in slowly. Then Shirou quickly forced the rest of his way in. Jeanne yelped and beat his chest as she bled.

"Y-you said you would go slow!"

"It'll start feeling good soon."

"Hmph... As if I would believe you now..."

Why did Shirou suddenly find himself feeling deja'vu? He brushed it off, and continue his coitus with Jeanne.

"Aah~ Hah~ Hah~"

Jeanne's moans resounded off what walls the Lady Chapel still had, with her heavy breasts floundering madly. The pair were beautiful in motion - mesmerizing even. Shirou couldn't tear eyes away.

That is until Jeanne's pussy squeezed him tighter.

"Nnh-!"

He felt so good, it was almost painful. It was like her walls of her pussy were trying to squeeze him to death. It should have slowed him down, but Shirou sped up instead. The sounds his crotch and Jeanne's made each time they met got even lewder.

"Aah-! Ha-! S-Shirou... Go slower like you said..."

"Oh! Sorry..."

This was what Rin scolded him about. He would always be overtaken by the pleasure, and forget about his partner. But still... Jeanne's tight, virgin pussy was felt way too good.

Were virgins always like this? He never noticed with Rin since he was also a virgin at the time, but Jeanne's pussy seemed like it trying to squeeze the life out of him. It was amazing.

"Does it still hurt, Jeanne?"

"No... I feels a little good, now."

"Alright. Let's do this, then."

"Huh...?"

Shirou flipped Jeanne over and put her on her hands and knees.

"Shirou! This position is-"

"Really sexy."

"Aanh~ Noo...-"

From behind, Shirou penetrated her. To fuck a Saint in such a position while inside a House of the Lord - It was a miracle lightning had yet to strike him.

Moonlight got inside the chapel. It danced off Jeanne's smooth, shapely bottom; which shook slightly which each thrust Shirou gave it. Her cheeks were as comely as her breasts, and as flawless as every other speck of her skin.

How ironic it was for a saint to invoke so much lust.

"Uhn-" Shirou felt himself about to cum and hastened his pace. "Jeanne...!"

He held onto her waist as he came inside her.

"Uaaaaaahh~~~"

Jeanne could feel herself being filled up. Every time Shirou's dick pulsated, she felt it. When the load was fully delivered, Shirou released her, and let her fall gently onto his jacket.

She panted while hot cum leaked like a creak down one of her thighs.

"The contract...is now...complete..."

|||SAFE ZONE|||

"I wasn't too rough, was I?" Shirou asked while he and Ruler dressed themselves.

"N-no... It was actually less painful than I imagined it would be. ...It even began enjoying it near the end."

That was relieving for Shirou to hear. Perhaps he was just sensitive to this sort of thing, but beast called a brute in the past had traumatized him a bit.

A contract now formed, Shirou and Ruler headed for High Alter. Very soon, Shiro and Saber would meet again. What would he say when they did? Then it occurred to Shirou that Servants couldn't remember the last time they were summoned anyway. The thought of Saber not even remembering his face, disappointment him a bit.

"Shirou, stop!" Ruler commanded, sticking out an arm.

Not being a Servant, Shirou wasn't able to notice him until he materialized himself. A silver-armored knight stood before them. He didn't block their path to the High Altar, but his emotionless eyes said that he would not let them escape either.

"Gilles..." Ruler murmured.

Shirou did not even have to ask to know who the man before them's identity was. If Ruler's identity was Joan of Arc, the knight's identity could only be Gilles de Rais.

One of Joan of Arc's most famous comrade-in-arms, he fought beside her during the Hundred Years War. All of the glory he gained during those battles, however, faded, after the Maid of Orléans death. Not long after her conflagration, a dispute with a local bishop caused his lands to be seized by the church, and he himself discovered to be responsible for the murders of hundreds of children - Murders he was later executed for. In spite of this harrowing legend, however, the man in front of them had the aura of proper knight. A true nobleman, even.

"Gilles, why are you-"

"Tame your tongue, witch. I will not bleed my ears listening to your deceit."

"Gilles, it's me! Jeanne!"

A sword materialized in the knight's right hand.

"Cursed sibyl... Not only do you steal her face, you dare to take her name as well? To facade as my Holy Virgin...is a sin worthy only of God's holy retribution."

His words were just as cold as the London waters that almost drowned her. As many battles as they had fought together, as much time as they had spent together, as much as they had confided in each other; why couldn't Gilles recognize her? How could he deny her right now?

"Ruler!"

Shirou's voice shocked her back to her senses.

"Shirou..."

"The ritual - shouldn't you go do it as soon as possible?" he asked.

Indeed, she should, but with Gilles here, plans have changed.

"Gilles is a Servant. If I leave you to perform the ritual, you will have to fight him by yourself."

"That's fine."

"What! Shirou, no magus can fight a-"

"I did it before, and I'm still here somehow. I'm not saying I can beat him, but I can at least hold him back long enough for you perform the ritual. Now, go on."

Shirou stepped forward. "Trace On!"

Kickstarting his magic circuits, cackling flashes of light lit up in his hands. Kanshou and Bakuya, a pair of swords, one black and its twin the color white, were projected in his hands. Though he was now armed, Gilles still didn't perceive Shirou as a threat. It had not been the first time he was underestimated. Like a sprinter when a pistol was fired, Shirou broke off towards the knight.

Jeanne didn't wait to see what the outcome of their first clash would be. She ran for King Arthur's tomb, the sounds of steel hitting steel ringing out behind her.

|||~I~|||

Right in front of the High Altar was where Arthur's tomb resided. Flowers had been placed upon it. It was not a strange thing. Despite none of them being alive during her reign, the people of Great Britain still visited and left blessings for their king.

'I have to be quick,' Ruler thought while sitting the Lesser Grail over the flowers.

In spite of what some believed, the preparations for summoning a Servant were not overly complimated. All one really needed was a conjuring ward, blood, a chant and, preferably, a catalyst of some sort.

With a suitable catalyst and a talented enough magus, the first three steps could be disregarded entirely. Unfortunately, Ruler had no catalyst and was no magus. However, she was a Ruler class Servant. Most of her abilities were lost to her, but she could interact with Lesser Grail directly. It was a like temporarily overriding a system shutdown using a special key.

There was no more time to waste.

After hastily tracing a ward around the tomb with her sword, Ruler cut herself and let her blood leak into the grail. She didn't need much.

She then chanted...

Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill.

Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.

Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let my one true savior, Christ, be the ancestor.

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

Ruler formed a link between herself in the Lesser Grail. The systems that had been locked down were now bypassed.

Let it be declared now;

your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.

Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.

Access to the [Throne of Heroes] was granted to her. Ruler could feel them coming. A Heroic Spirit of near peerless prowess. One that held a connection to the tomb before her.

An oath shall be sworn here.

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.

From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,

come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!

The inside of the Lesser Grail ignited with a blinding gleam. As the visitor from the Throne was arriving, the light that accompanied it expanded until all of the High Altar was bathed in light.

How long had it been since she stepped foot in her homeland?

|||~I~|||

Shirou had almost forgotten what this felt like: Facing off against something far beyond you. Barely being able to withstand each blow. Trying to find openings that didn't exist.

It was as nostalgic as it was painful.

"Gah-!"

One of Gilles' strokes sent Shirou barrelling across the grass. As soon as he got back on his feet, he rushed the knight again. Not even taking a stance, the Servant parried each blow Shirou delivered.

On the final parry, Gilles disarmed the magus of both Kanshou and Bakuya, then moved in for the killing blow.

'Trace On...!'

Shirou barely projected [Durandal] in time. Sparks flew and he staggered backwards, almost losing his footing again. The hand that held the fabled sword trembled. Shirou had successfully blocked the attack, but his arm almost went numb as a result.

"That makes nine times... Nine times, I have either disarmed you of your weapons or destroyed them entirely," Gilles said. "Making new arms seems to be your specialty."

It was only because of this specialty that Shirou had managed to last as long as he did. Gilles had obviously been classed as a Saber. In a one-on-one bout, Shirou stood no chance.

Projecting new weapons each time he lost his old ones gave him an slight edge, but it wasn't a true advantage. Not when he knew he couldn't keep it up forever. This wasn't like his fight with Gilgamesh. His opponent was at full power and specialized in close quarters rather than ranged combat. Also, nothing was bolstering his strength like Rin's contract had. Shirou's back was against the wall.

Then again, winning was never his goal; survival was.

'One more minute... I can keep up with him for one more minute!'

"Trace on!" he exclaimed.

The legendary sword of Sigurd [Gram] was composed in Shirou's other hand. Wielding two of Europe's most revered weapons, he locked into arms with the french knight one last time.

Everything he had went into this final spurt. Each slash struck fiercer than the last. Each blow carried more weight than last. Each of Gilles' attacks were parried quicker than the last.

The knight of horrors was both alarmed and slightly awed by Shirou's assault. Calling it a cornered mouse standing its ground would have been an understatement. He didn't just want to scare off his predator, Shirou meant to slay it - to defy the established food chain.

'Lunacy' was all Gilles thought while the clashes of his and Shirou's blades lit up the abbey.

It was lunacy because no matter how fierce his slashes, how strong his blows or how quick their technique, Shirou could not win.

Both [Durandal] and [Gram] were shattered to pieces with a single, powerful stroke. It was obvious they would. At the end of the day, they were still just copies - knock-offs of original. Even without a Noble Phantasm, Gilles could overcome such fabrications.

Burying his boot in Shirou's stomach launched the magus over twenty yards away.

"Uyaargh-!"

Gagging for air, Shirou lay crumpled on his side while Gilles approached.

"Nearly three minutes you managed to stand your ground. Death should have came to you a dozen times over, yet you still breathe. That is worth many felicitations, mage." Gilles pricked Shirou's throat with the tip of his sword. "But you also shield the imposter who wears Jeanne's face, and that is worth twice as many deaths..."

Shirou's watched Gilles raise his sword. A minute exactly - that was how long he lasted. It just wasn't enough.

'Sorry...Rin...'

As the frenchman's knight plunged, an array of light from the direction of High Alter stopped it. Gilles stared in bemusement.

"She...actually used the grail? But how?! It should have been useless!"

Shirou was also captivated by the light. When he had summoned Saber, his eyes were closed, so he never got to witness the spectacle that came with a Servant being summoned. Eventually, it died down. Then footsteps were heard; heavy, armored ones. They were too nostalgic for Shirou not to react.

"...Saber?!"

From the ruins of the abbey, an armored Servant appeared. The Servant of the sword - Saber.

A Servant Shirou had never seen before.

With armor shades of silver and crimson, a helmet that bore horns and a sword as menacing as its wielder; the warrior before Shirou gave off an aura more akin to a gladiator than a knight. But then, why would someone like that be summoned at King Arthur's tomb?

Shirou couldn't come up with an answer before the silver knight launched itself at the Servant standing over him. It smashed against Gilles like a freight train, sending him skidding back for yards.

Had it been a truck, a bus or even a tank, the result would have been same. Perhaps, even more devastating, actually. And the knight didn't stop. Just as Gilles stopped skidding, they bashed against him again, and again, and once more until his back smashed into one of the lone-standing walls of the abbey.

Even then, the barbarous knight shot itself once more at Gilles like a missile. It was like a explosive had gone off. The collision brought the entire wall down, and made the debris plume. It wafted about in a gray cloud which Gilles jumped out of it.

He was bleeding, and wounds could be seen where the pieces of his armor had fallen off. All of this with just five blows.

The first had chipped his sword, the second debased his armor; on the third, his arms went numb; on the fourth, he bled and on the fifth his left leg became useless. Even in a battle against Servants, such overwhelming defeats were rare. And yet, it was obvious that this new Servant outmatched Gilles by leagues.

"Ha! And you call yourself a Saber? Throw away your sword and take up a plow, you serf!" the silver knight taunted while walking from the debris.

"...What are you?"

The knight raised its blade. "The disgrace of Camelot..."

Then it kicked off the ground with such force, the debris surrounding it dispersed. Unable to properly evade, Gilles put up his sword to defend. He may as well have been holding a parasol to a meteor. For, just like one, the knight's sword came down with an impact that shattered the earth below it; tearing it asunder with a single, obliterating blow. Even outside the abbey, the streets of Glastonbury quaked.

And so concluded the first battle of the Black Grail War.