I do not own anything, well, do I wish like hell I did.

Fate/Dark Order

Chapter 0 - Weary Wandering Wolf

The void, that's what it was called. There were a multitude of other names it went by, some grandiose and others incredibly mundane and even dull. For a number of reasons, the void was the most agreed upon name. It was one that rather accurately summed up the strange dimension's nature.

Actually, it wasn't really a dimension at all, it was what one could have called an un-dimension.

Some would have outright called it hell, a black vacuum that stretched onward for infinity with no end in sight. All one could hope to find were "rest stops" were their sanity could be recollected and strengthened for another long pointless track across the black nothing that lay in all directions. Walking without end or direction, yes, for good reason the void could have been called a living hell all to itself. However, they were just as many who'd said it was somewhat…tranquil in its own way. In the same emptiness others found maddening, there were almost an equal number who found peace in it. Perhaps these were the souls that had grown tired of the maelstrom of existence and longed for something simpler and quiet. If so, then the void gladly answered them had they have the courage to step into the abyss.

Granted, not all creatures who found themselves wondering the infinite darkness were friendly. It was quite the opposite.

None of this mattered to the knight though. Even if he was no more than a "spirit" now, he was still a warrior, and warriors were born to fight. He welcomed the unexpected and violent fellow wanders he encountered while traveling the void. It gave him time to move away from his contemplating, especially when the deep thought left him feeling angry. The beings stood before him all came at him with the intent to devour what remained of his existence.

He slayed them all without a moment's hesitation. It was a good way to pass the time, more so given he encountered a number of strange and unusual creatures, the likes of the which the knight had not had the chance to meet in his lifetime. Still, the pleasures he received from fighting for what was left of his existence were as fleeting as the wind.

The knight did not know why he persisted in this place, this chasm of existence that was hell for some and other purgatory. He wanted to know, he needed to know, what was it.

This…thing you all called a heart, this thing that filled you with that power, a power I nor any other Morlock had ever seen before. How could it have surpassed that of the Master's? Where did they find it? How did they know how to use it so effectively? What was it? What was it?

In this place devoid of anything resembling light or even darkness, those questions kept him going. While many of those around him relinquished their sanity, he held onto his for the goal of getting answers to those questions. Maybe it was a fool's goal, but that designation suited the knight just fine. After all, what else he had to lose, and who in this abyss of life would have the gall to mock him and expect to live?

Though difficult, it was not impossible to enter the great void. Foolish as it was, there were a brave few who dared to do so of their own free will. Their motives varied and rather or not, their gambit paid off was a topic of debate. What came before the knight one "day" on his endless journey would indeed prove that his attempts at continued "survival" were worth something.

And so too, were his inner musings.

"Ah, just as I thought," Began a voice that came from everywhere and nowhere all together. "Koragg the Knight Wolf, just the knight that I've been looking for, and still every bit the fearsome warrior you were in past battles."

His sword came out in a heartbeat, the still-sharp end pointed directly at the possible source of the mysterious voice. Though Koragg could not physically see the entity, he could feel it. Yes, the pulse, the power, if his "visitor" had been hoping to get the drop on him then they'd failed miserably. Throughout their little speech, his senses worked to pinpoint the source of the sound, eventually finding it not too far from his right. For the first time since he fell through to this interdimensional chasm, Koragg saw light. It was…he'd almost forgotten what the radiance of the divine and truly mystical felt like. In the void, light was few and far between, and even then, it usually flickered out seconds after its conception. What was coming before him would not flicker, in fact, it illuminated the void like a sun coming into existence. As welcoming as it might have been, Koragg's instincts told him to remain alert. Being a creature of darkness, light was his natural enemy, and it would remain so until further notice.

After who knows how long in near-blinding darkness, the Knight Wolf's battered but still fearsome form could be seen. His armor had been cracked in several places with some parts such as the wolf spaulders were either chipped or broken off completely. The "W" insignia across his body was equally chipped and cracked through. Even his own sword had a few nicks in it, but the weapon was no less as sharp and deadly as the day it was forged and the last time it was used in battle with the Mystic Rangers. If anything, its unholy power seemed to react to the luminous spirit before Koragg. Perhaps some remnant of the Master's power calling for the sword to drink in the light before it. Said light also illuminated his face, revealing the crack that ran through his pitch-black visor.

"Sheath your sword, Knight of the Underworld, I have not come to do battle with you. Quite the opposite, I come offering you salvation…and answers to your questions." What began as pure light began to take a shape that was recognizable. As if fashioned by a set of invisible hands, the luminous welded itself into the form of a humanoid woman. She wasn't quite as tall as Koragg, or even looked like a "normal" human woman. Her skin was pure platinum as if she'd been sculpted from metal while her hair could be described as nothing put streaks of light held together in a single place. Around her, the void brightened and even seemed to shrink away as if recognizing the mysterious entity as something not to be trifled with. Koragg could very much understand the sentiment as he too fell all his senses go on full alert. A pair of silvery-blue eyes bore into him like searchlights. Her right hand rose further driving away the darkness around Koragg, and dare he even say it, putting it at a slight cease of ease.

He did not sheath his sword as she'd asked, but what he did do was lower it. "Identify yourself and explain yourself, now. I won't ask again, nor will I allow for my time to be wasted."

It really wasn't much a threat considering the being before him probably possessed enough power to annihilate his existence as if he were nothing. Still wasn't going to stop him from standing his ground, he was still a knight and he did still have his pride after all.

The "woman" found his words amusing as evident by the feminine giggle that left her nonexistent lips. "You truly are every bit the warrior that I have suspected, and it is for that reason that I have sought you out." A sphere of solid shimmering silver formed above her palm. Within seconds it became translucent, showing something within it - images, recordings. Koragg recognized them all too well, and they only made him glare all the harder at the entity. "Of all the warriors offered by this world, you are without a doubt one of the most skilled…and perhaps the most honorable. Yet, in spite of all that, your end…are you satisfied with it? Are you at peace with spending the rest of your existence wandering this colorless void? Your heart weighed down by questions of its own existence?"

Koragg's whole body went rigid at the last few questions. Heart…heart…my…heart?

What was an open palm turned into a pointed finger, said finger pointed directly at his chest. "Yes, I did my research before coming to you. You asked me for a name, I have many names, some I believe you may recognize, but for now…you may address me as Alaya." The change in his attitude was immediate. If she had a true face, perhaps the woman would have smirked or even laughed. "I take it that means the Master mentioned me at least once, perhaps in a statement about devouring me whole, did he not?"

"He mentioned it once or twice." Admitted the Morlock, keeping his grip on his sword tight and ready. "I ask again, what do you want with me?"

"This is not a question of what I want from you, but rather what I can offer you, Knight Wolf." The viewing image beside them changed, no longer was it focusing solely on him, instead the focus had shifted to the Mystic Rangers. He felt nothing resembling anger or discontent seeing them, quite the opposite. It was strange since as a Morlock, he should have been chomping at the bit at the mere sight of their triumphs. Most of the tension in his body melted away as he watched them battled him and his fellow Morlocks; no matter how great the foe, they never wavered, and that resolve eventually saw them through. Not even when pitted against him or the Ten Terrors did this pattern change. It was…impressive, and at the same time so baffling to him. "What they possess, the strength which they carried with them allowing them to secure victory even when all hope seemed lost. Whereas most creatures of the dark would dismiss it, you have not. It has captured your attention almost to the point of obsession. Koragg, if I could give you answers to your questions, would you agree to my proposition?"

If he had eyes, they would have narrowed. Instead, he merely directed all of his aura towards the entity that stood before him. It, or rather "she" did not shrink under the pressure of his gaze or his dark power.

"…Continue to speak, and should I find your offer…satisfying, then there may be an agreement to be had." He finally said.

"In my world, there exists beings known as Counter Guardians, warriors are sworn to safeguard the world and its people. You could almost say…they're similar to the Power Rangers of your world, become one of my many Counter Guardians." Alaya spoke with razor-sharp clarity. Koragg gave no response to the comparison, as expected of him. The azure glow of the "woman" began to brighten. All across Koragg's body, he felt it - the raw power that defied explanation and all logic. "As a Counter Guardian, you be taken to many places throughout time and space, some of them wondrous and others frightening, even for a being such as yourself. Over your tenure, the answers you seek may be found…and your lust for battle sated." Again, her hand stretched out to the black void beyond them. Her words seemingly echoing for miles like thunder. "You are a warrior, Koragg the Knight Wolf, and like any true warrior you hunger for the heat of true battle. Such a thing cannot be found here in this gap between realms where only the broken and lost roam. Beyond it, legends from across time and countless lands, I offer you the chase to taste your metal against them. Become one of my Counter Guardians…and all these things you seek may just fall into your reach, but it will be up to you to seize them."

"I would have it no other way." Assorted the dark knight, finally dismissing his sword. For a moment, it appeared that an agreement had been reached, but something glinted behind the visor, a cold fire that stared back into the all-powerful being before the Morlock. Had anyone seen the showdown, they might have been impressed with the grit shown by the swordsman. "Before I can say yes to this agreement, I will require you to agree to a few of my terms. If I become your Counter Guardian, did I will go where you direct me and slay any enemies who oppose me, but I will do so my way. That is not up for debate."

Amazingly, Alaya chuckled, though rather it was in true amusement or in a mocking manner was a fair question. "Your way, yes, the way of the knight, the way of honor. Again, so strange is it to find a creature of darkness who abides by the code of honor…but you yourself are something of a …abnormality unlike the rest of your race. So be it, you will be allowed to dispatch any foes that stand in your way…your way."

He nodded. "Good, my second condition is this, my partner comes with me." As Koragg held up his right hand, the knight's call was answered almost immediately. Manifesting from the emptiness at the drop of a coin stood the jet-black stallion adorned in equally scarred yet still grim armor. Catastros announced his existence, and his determination to come along with a teeth-rattling snort. Like his master, he too looked at Alaya with eyes harden by experience and pure guts.

"…What would a knight be without his steed? Besides, your true power is linked to his so deprive you of him would only hamper you in your duties. Condition two, granted."

Catastros gave a noticeable grunt of acceptance. If horses could smile, then odds were that's what the phantasmal steed would have been doing. "You speak of me accomplishing my duties, if you truly are as omnipotent and all-powerful as I've heard, then you should know what my third condition is." To empathize his point, the warrior held up his left hand. From it sprang a crackling, searing mass of flame-like dark energy. For the first time, the "woman" reacted negatively, her shining eyes zeroing in on the dark magical energy before her. It seemed like a child scared of a lighter, and Koragg knew exactly that. "As I said, you wish for me to serve as one of your Counter Guardians, then I can and will only do so access to my full power as a knight of the Underworld. Surely you saw this coming, did you not?"

Alaya's eyes shifted from the swordsman's hand to his face. "And if I refuse condition number three?"

"Then thank you for wasting my time." He answered in a matter of fact tone.

The blue light behind Alaya grew brighter until it completely consumed "her" form. Koragg patiently waited for the light to fade, and indeed it eventually did so. In place of the humanoid figure stood something else, a single giant sphere composed of stainless silver, several rings orbiting around it as if it were some astronomical device. The aura of power remained, though it was no well and truly fanning out, terraforming the void into something else. For the first time, Koragg felt a warm wind, heat tickling his body. As he'd heard some humans describe, it might have been like watching the sun rise above the horizon.

"…So be it, but then, we must discuss condition number four."

Fuyuki City, 2004

Three hours to midnight…

The fragile peace of the night was broken by the sudden and violent wind that blew through without warning. It was like the beginnings of a squall with the stale tree leaves wrinkling even more as the air itself became charged with energy. Seconds passed and it seemed as if an explosion was coming, a moment later and that's exactly what happened. It was if a hole had been punched in the fabric of reality itself, time and space distorted at the hand of an outside force. At first, the bolts of lightning that arched outward in all directions were whitish-blue, then they changed into deep purple and pitch-black. They tore into the surrounding landscape like serpents searching for prey, leaving black scorch marks where they landed. Second by second, the air grew denser until it seemed unbreathable to even the insects in the vicinity, the smallest of ants finding themselves in the midst of suffocating under the strain. A moment later and the "hole" began to condense itself into a solid shape, a sphere. With the force of a building-leveling bomb, it exploded releasing a bone-chilling gust of air through the forest and beyond while the lightning exploded outward.

Hitting the ground feet-first, the dark knight kicked up a small cloud of dust with his unexpected entry. Beneath his feet dirt crouched as all the leaves had been blown away by the force of the portal that carried him through time and space. Countless tendrils of dark smoke rose upward from his body as he slowly rose. Behind him, the pale light of a crescent moon cast its eerie glow upon his purple, silver, and black-colored armor. Brilliantly reflecting the light were the silver wolf heads that adorned his shoulders and knees, absorbing the light was the black of his bodysuit. Held tightly in one arm, was a large triangular-shaped shield from which jetted out the dark purple hilt of a sword. As the winds around him began to die down, the warrior turned his head to peer towards the sky, finding dark clouds drifting over the white moon above him.

Darkness swiftly fell upon the forest, itself not quite returning to normal thanks to the presence of the newcomer. An unseen but very-much felt shudder traveled the tree-covered terrain. The animals of the land could sense it right down to their bones, and they responded to it in the only way they could-via hiding. All of their instincts told them the safest option, the only option that guaranteed survival was by making themselves scarce. Even the fiercest of predators knew better than to test themselves, for what had arrived in the forest was something whose being was centered around death and destruction.

In the far distant, one could have said they heard a wolf howl, not in sorrow or fear like the other woodland creatures that called the forest home. It seemed almost…welcoming.

Animals were not the only creatures that were roused by the new arrival, the spirits of the dead were as well.

The knight did not wait for the souls that still clung to the forest to make way for him, he made his own way. While his dark aura faded from physical sight, in terms of spiritual sight, it was still very much there, and to anyone who saw it, fear was appropriate as well as only response. Lost souls of the distant past and recent present felt the darkness as the warrior silently moved on. They screamed in fear and anguish thought a handful attempted to investigate the source. What they saw was a demon, a creature of dark power making his way across a world that had not seen his kind in thousands of years, and was not yet ready for such beings to make their return. Again, they screamed in fear and quickly fled to the other world, knowing this world would no longer had any place for them. Had they been paying attention to the past events of the last several days, they would have realized that sooner. It was those events that had brought the dark knight here, so far from his home, and yet the more he walked, the more "at peace" he seemed to feel.

Darkness and death hung in the air like ozone before a storm. By the second it seemed to grow thicker, either by the knight's presence or by the evil generating just below his feet.

"Hey, hey! Hey! You're trespassing!" Barked a childish feminine voice.

The knight stopped in his tracks, though not because he'd been "ordered to", but because he finally sensed something worth taking a look at. Slowly, he turned about finding himself standing before the first humanoid forms of life since his arrival. Before him stood a pair, one a little girl and the other a hulking brute that seemed more a piece of stone carved into the likeness of a man. From his head flowed a mane of jet-black brown hair reaching past his neck, his eyes were crimson-colored orbs floating in a pair of black sockets. Tightly held in his right hand was a massive slab of rock that seemed to have been carved into something resembling a sword. Said weapon was held out as the giant took a fighting stance seconds after making eye-contact with the knight, as well the little girl who had her eyes go wide after scanning him from head to toe.

Immediately, the dark knight responded in kind, drawing his sword from his hilt and taking a fighting stance mirroring that of the giant.

"B-B-Berserker, w-wha…" Fear was rapidly eating away at the young girl as her own ruby-colored eyes swerved from her Servant's to the knight's. As with the beasts of the forest, the air was becoming too heavy for her to breath as evident by the tightening of her chest. Any second, it felt like her heart and the rest of her organs were going to explode from the pressure. "What…what-"

"If you wish to live, child of the Einzberns, then step aside, flee from this place." His voice was thunder itself, yet as cold as the winds of the north and south poles, making her eyes grow wider and the newfound fear in them shifted into dread. It penetrated the core of the young homunculus like a spear thrusting into its target, shocking her into complete silence.

Silently, the giant's hand gripped the scared white-haired girl by the waist then lowered her thus confusing and startling her. Her cries of shock and even protest were swiftly muted as she caught the glint in the eyes of the Greek warrior. Lips and ruby eyes quivering, she attempted to argue, but her words were wasted as all the giant did was continue to glare at her, like a parent shutting down the argument of a child. Eventually, the child decided to listen as she turned around and began walking away. Fear laced her every step as her pace began to slowly increase. Every cell in her body was telling her to run, to get as far from the coming melee as possible. Her heart, on the other hand, was screaming for her to stop and face the new threat with her Servant. The great irony was her heart itself was shuddering in fear at the mysterious knight who'd appeared out of nowhere, literally.

H-He'll win. H-He'll win for sure, I-I-I mean B-Berserker's the strongest, r-r-right? Repeated the homunculus over and over again like a mantra as she broke out into a full-on sprint, aside from showing great fear in them, uneasiness and worrisome coloring her eyes for her Servant, yet her frantic body told her to don't look back. Her family castle was the place she was heading for, surely as soon as he'd defeated the newcomer, Berserker would return home and things would be as they were.

Once the child was out of range, the two warriors charged at one another, their respective weapons gleaming in the light of the moon, which revealed itself after a period of hiding. The giant warrior screamed in mad fury as was befitting of a warrior of the Berserker-class. In perfect contrast, the knight remained silent as he brought his sword forth, dark energy lighting up the silver and purple sword like a beacon. Beneath their feet, the earth trembled in pure fear as the greatest warrior of Greek mythology engaged a creature who would soon come to shake the pillars of humanity as they were.

Fuyuki City

Midnight…

"Ah, so you've come at last."

The woman's words were as empty as the golden shine of her eyes. If she had any true emotions left in her body, she might have been in shock at the otherworldly glyph lighting up the sky above her. Truly, it was a thing of both wonder and horror to spectators, who themselves did not know what to make of it. Artoria knew what it was, indeed, it had been centuries since she'd seen a magical seal such as the one before her, and even then, it wasn't quite as powerful as this one here. If she hadn't already cast away her humanity or reason then she would have been scared, well and truly scared for the dark color and aura of the circle signified nothing short of a disaster. For better or for worse, disaster had already arrived.

It was like gravity, an all-powerful force against which resistance was futile. Not even the Shadow was capable of fighting it, though that didn't stop it from trying. Its tentacles lashed out in all directions like a raging cephalopod trying to anchor itself onto something, anything. The struggle actually came off as a tad bit amusing to the Blackened Servant in spite of the fact the creature was essentially her backup. Since he never really asked for the assistance, she felt nothing for it struggles; not even the fact that its destruction ensured her a tougher fight ahead was enough to get her to act. With muted interest, she watched the squirming black and red-colored creature become trapped in the electric tendrils that sprung from the magic seal. Its constant jerking told her the pain it was in was immense.

Rather it was a blessing or a curse, its pain didn't last long. A second magic seal appeared directly below the first, this one rotating in an opposite direction. Artoria's ears picked up the sound of a chant which caused the second seal to begin moving upward, its own lightning bolts jetting outward in all directions and meeting those of its twin seal. In-between the two, the Shadow's struggles grew fiercer as it sensed the end approaching, alas, its fate had been decided. Just as its existence had been horrid, so too was its end. First were the ends of its tentacles, which it had used to drag Lancer to his final end, those caught fire first. Burning green and black, the flames began to spread across the rest of the body just as the two seals became separated by mere feet then inches. Between them, the Shadow screeched in agony as its darkness-composed being was broken down and dissolved like a chemical compound.

One final screech came, and then the entity that had plagued Fuyuki City's magical residents were no more. The raging waters that had sprung up in accordance with the spell began to calm, if only temporary as the magical seals disappeared, their purpose having been served.

The human spectators stared in open mouth shock at what they'd just seen, their eyes barely able to believe what they'd just seen. If she had any emotion, Artoria might have smirked at their dumbfounded expressions. Still, it was hard to blame them, even experience magi would have been completely blown away by what they'd seen. After all, it had been thousands of years since humans had laid eyes on True Magic, much less Dark Magic. Speaking of which, the caster of the spell made himself known as he came bounding across the field, his vintage knight armor illuminated by the shining moon overhead.

"You have come to stop me." Stated the Blackened Saber, both hands on the hilt of her equally blackened sword.

He came to a sudden stop directly across from her, his own gaze as piercing as hers, and his voice just as sharp. "What I have come is to stop the monstrosity within the Holy Grail. All I see before me is another obstacle to be overcome, though I will admit…you are one that I have indeed been looking forward to."

Her head fell as her glare increased in intensity. "Mere hours ago, you slew Berserker using power the likes of which I have not seen since Vortigern himself. Perhaps that power is enough, perhaps it is not. Regardless, I cannot allow you to continue to live."

The dark knight stood resolutely against the harshness of her gaze, in fact, he returned it with equal intensity. "Should anything remain of your warrior spirit, then you know there is only one way this dispute will be resolved."

"Then draw your sword, dark knight. Let this tainted blade feel the cold steel that you carry with you." Commanded the corrupted Servant. Seconds later and a dark aura exploded from her, sending hundreds of surging waves across the water.

Meeting the black aura was the purple and black-tinted aura of the knight, his own power radiating across the land like the prelude of a storm. For the seventh time that night, the air cackled with power serving as a warning to all that what was to come would be nothing short of a natural disaster, one that would claim the lives of anyone foolish enough to still be in the vicinity.

Unfortunately, such people still were.

"Boy," Commanded the dark knight, not even bothering to turn away from his opponent. To the side, the young redhead flinched at having the deep voice directed toward him. Though he did not completely break down in fear as the Einzbern child did, he did flinch. The frantic beating of his heart was almost pitiful to hear. "Go, this is not your battle, nor is the woman before you the same warrior you once fought beside. Accept that and go before your foolishness claims another life, especially while there is still one to be saved." His words penetrated to the core of the young man, who seemed to have snapped out of his previous daze. Though he continued to stare at the knight for a moment longer, he eventually heeded his advice and turned on his heel to join his compatriots. Quickly enough, their footsteps were nothing but faint echoes to the superhuman beings.

"Fool." Barked the corrupted knight.

"Save your breath for fighting." Calmly fired back the dark knight who at last drawing his sword, which glowed with a new shimmering light. "Now, en guard, King of Knights! Show me the worth of the strongest holy sword!"

Around the pair, the water exploded like a pair of torpedoes had been set off. The two black-armored warriors clashed blades, the air igniting within seconds of their long-awaited meeting. Beneath the stormy waves, the lakebed began to crack like glass. Soon enough the rest of the landscape would follow, and should the dark knight fall, then so too would the rest of the world.

Fuyuki City, Einzbern Castle

3:33 AM…

"That was…quite a battle, perhaps the fiercest battle I've ever fought, comparable to even my struggle to the tyrant Vortigern."

"You…yourself, more than earned your title, Artoria Pendragon."

In spite of the grievous injuries done to her, the King of Knights found it in herself to smile. While still hollow, there was a modicum of true emotion in it. Just as in mathematics, putting a negative and negative together yielded a positive, perhaps the same could be said for putting corrupted light and darkness together. Maybe the dark power of the tainted Grail and the power wielded by the wolf-themed knight had canceled out some of the corruption that had eaten away at her, restoring a small fraction of her original self. It didn't really matter in the long run, she will not last for this world much longer, and yet there was a small part of her that would have liked to have stayed a bit longer. No, what time she remained had to be fruitful as the warrior before her had proven himself to be that which was needed.

She'd lost all faith when the black mud of the Grail consumed her, and so this agent of the World had brought a small fraction of it back. What remained of her "honor" dedicated she answer that.

Using his sword as a crutch, the helmet-wearing knight was able to maintain an upright position. Though the weapon had taken several earth-shattering blows, attacks that blew apart mountains, it did not show signs of rust or even cracks. Blood-stains, blood belonging to the house of Pendragon, colored the once glittering weapon a dark shadow of red. Before the next moon had risen the weapon would shed more blood, given what she'd learned about the knight, it would only be the blood of the wicked and guilty.

"What is your name?" She questioned, her breath coming out in short whiz and pants that showed the unimaginable pain she was in, and yet she persisted in going on.

It took him a minute to collect himself, his own severe injuries visibly hampering him. Like the fading Servant, he too gathered the strength to stand tall and proud and identify himself. "My name…I am Koragg the Knight Wolf. Once a knight of the underworld in service of the Master, I am now a knight of Alaya, and I have come here to end the evil that is Angra Mainyu."

Artoria Alter's eyes briefly shut as she processed the information. "Ah, the underworld, the…Black Kingdom. Yes, it all…makes sense now, not only was your magic strong, stronger even than Morgan's or even Merlin's, but far darker as well." Though it caused her pain, she managed to laugh, her blood-stained lips twisting upward into a smile. "Not to mention…you…fought like a demon, but one with…honor. Against…me…of all people. How…ironic."

Koragg bowed his head, his voice somewhat softer than it'd previously been. "I merely treated you as your position and status deserved, King Artoria Pendragon. As I said, you truly lived up to your legend."

Another pain-filled laugh left her lips. "My…legend, Knight Wolf, my legend…was a road of blood littered with failures left and right…but it was one…that only I…could have walked. It was one…I chose…with this sword, this sword…that I now pass onto you."

Almost the whole of her legs were gone, not that they were much good anyway. With what remained of her strength, the corrupted knight managed to lift her sword arm. With its wielder thoroughly beaten, the glow of Excalibur Morgan had deemed, though the red glow of the faerie lettering of the blade still hummed with red luminescence. If Koragg had eyes, they would have narrowed, though not in anger or caution. Without a word, he kneeled and reached out with his left hand, itself broken in several places yet still maintaining the ability to function. The moment his fingers touched the weapon, his dark magical energy jumped from himself into the weapon. Ownership of the Noble Phantasm was rewritten in seconds, cutting off its connection with the fading King of Knights. When she went, the weapon would remain, and in good hands it would stay.

"Only…the darkest…of warriors…are fit to wield Excalibur Morgan…and yet, only the…strongest of warriors…are fit to wield Excalibur." Whizzed Alter Servant, her once hostile golden eyes quickly glazing over. "What you showed me here tonight…for a moment…it reminded me…of the foolish little girl I used to be…and the harsh and fierce person…my sister and father were, and yet…they remained true to who they were, unlike myself. As a Counter Guardian…as a demon…as a…a…knight, p-p-perhaps you…can do like them. Use…this accursed blade…as you see fit…use it well, Koragg…the…Knight Wolf."

Yellow had changed into green, hazy and discolored, but still twinkling with a spark of life. Artoria Alter's face was oddly peaceful, though in Koragg's mind, it had every right to be so. A solitary wind blew through the scorched battlefield that had once been the Einzbern Forest, flames crackling all around them. They provided a soft melody for which the King of Knights to fade away completely, her once dark form reduced to little more than a bloody dress barely hiding scorched and mangled flesh disappearing into particles of gold-colored light. Koragg held out his hand, watching some of the light particles dance around his fingers before they too were carried away by the wind. Amidst the crackling light of the fires, they sailed skyward, into the star-studded darkness before disappearing completely.

His own sword disappeared into its subspace container as Koragg painfully stood upward, his hand now occupied by the black-blade formerly belonging to the King of Knights. Expecting the weapon, he found it every bit as beautiful and dreadful as when he first laid eyes upon it. "Farewell, King of Knights, may we cross swords in earnest on a better battlefield." Whispered the Morlock, his head bowed in respect…and even hoping that his wish might one day come to pass.

Fuyuki City

4:05 PM…

"What…what…what…what…are you?"

It was the question she'd asked the night before, it was the question that had kept her up all night, and it was the question that had nearly driven Illya mad as she counted the minutes, hours, since the titanic battle had cost the little girl her Servant. The slayer of said Servant stood before her, having just saved her life.

Except given what she'd seen and the way he was looking at her, she truly feared all he'd done was save her for last.

Powerful, fierce, demonic, those three words perfectly summed up the creature that stood before her, the low light of the evening sun illuminating his purple, black, and silver armor. All of it looked just as pristine as the night before, maybe even a little more so given the glow of the new weapon the knight now carried. Not once did he turn to truly face her, his back turned to her with only his head craned to the side. In his hands was a sword, but not the same weapon he'd used to slay her Berserker, it was something new, something dreadful.

He was dismissive of her in his posture and voice, clearly seeing Illya for the frightened girl she'd been reduced to, that she'd always been yet so passionately tried to hide. "I am merely a knight on his quest, nothing more. Now go back to your brother, he will be needing your care when all of this is over."

The shield she'd seen earlier returned, and into it went the new sword, its holy and unholy glow dying down as it was sheathed. Completely turning to his back to her, the knight departed, his every footstep as silent and calm as that of a man trivially walking down the street. But to Illya, she saw no man.

All her wide, terrified eyes could make out was a giant, dark-furred wolf, one whose ferocity surpassed that of any creature she'd ever seen or could know. A mixture of panic swelled inside of her, overriding the relief she'd felt at her life being saved from the clutches of Cursed Arm Hassan. As the wolf vanished into the sea of trees he'd come from, the feeling proved too much for Illya to bear, causing her to blackout. In her dreams, she searched for her Berserker, praying she'd find him before the monstrous wolf would.

Fuyuki City

Dawn of a New Day…

It was over.

His mission had been completed, and dare Koragg say it, he'd even found it more enjoyable than he'd originally expected. Admittedly, he'd have to concede a point to Ayala when he saw her again. She'd said he'd find some "things of interest" on this particular mission, and her words had been proven true. In retrospect though, his "employer" was practically omnipotent so doubting her came off as rather stupid. That said, as Koragg had learned, even the "all-powerful" weren't above errors or failing to see things coming. His new existence was a testament to that fact.

Koragg had heard a saying during one of his many "quests" as a Counter Guardian, "In imperfection lies beauty."

He wasn't quite sure why, but he found something…comforting, enlightening even, in the phrase. Being the sort of person he was, such thoughts were quietly filed away to the back of his mind.

Dawn was breaking over the city of Fuyuki, the first dawn in which the darkness that had covered it had been lifted. Other more boastful warriors might have taken credit for shattering the veil, but Koragg was not one of them. Yes, he had his pride, but he also knew of his duties. As a Counter Guardian, the actions he'd carried out throughout the previous day and night had been just that - his duties, and nothing more. Granted, even he'd taken a bit of dark satisfaction in destroying the worm that was Zouken Matou. Not even Imperious had incited as much ire within the Knight Wolf as the "head" of the Matou family had.

Speaking of the Matou, he supposed now…they…no longer existed. After all, something told in the next few years or so, the last one would be changing her surname to Emiya.

"So, that's what he was like in his youth. No wonder that man possesses such a strong stupid streak of foolishness and rashness." Chuckled the knight, watching the young redhead and his lover embrace one another in the glow of the rising sun. Of course, the Tohsaka child sat in the rumble just a little way off, doing her best to look away. Truly, human romance was a subject he wasn't quite sure he'd ever understood, nor was he sure he wanted to.

Much had been lost in the mess that had become the Fifth Holy Grail War. Technically, there wasn't exactly a real winner since all the participants had "dropped out", not to mention the Grail itself had been destroyed, by his hand no less. The outcome, however, was still leagues above some of the other wars he'd seen were there was a winner, one who'd crossed any and all boundaries to claim what they thought was theirs. In their mad pursuits, they'd crossed a line that had caught the Counter Force's attention thus he was sent out. Most of those engagements had ended with nothing short of death all around, but there were a few outcomes where he'd seen a "glimmer" of light through the ruins that remained. This was one such time.

Even if he thought of Shirou Emiya as a fool, he was a fool who'd followed his "heart" through to the bitter end…and it had seen him through impossible odds.

Just like…just like him.

Truly, Began the dark-armored knight as he began to fade away while the morning sun's rays grew stronger by the second. It was quite fitting, night had ended and with it, his time was up. Though a Counter Guardian, he was still a creature of the dark, and darkness was always burnt away with the advent of light. This thing called a heart…it is indeed a baffling thing…but the power it seems to grant humans…it really just might be mightier than any blade in all the realms of existence.

As the Knight Wolf had came with darkness, he left with the emergence of light, his duty fulfilled and himself somewhat content in it all. Down below, in the battered ruins of a collapsed temple and a shattered artifact of doom, a young man broke away from his rescued love to glance toward the direction of the distant skyscrapers. He wasn't quite sure how to place it, but something told him…he'd done as he'd originally intended - to help those in need. More so than the dark-haired girl in his arms, he couldn't shake the sense that he'd helped someone else as well. The feeling was as mysterious and wondrous as the bright orange and red lighting up the formerly dark sky.

His task completed, the warrior returned to the great beyond from which he'd came.

There's the first piece of what will definitely be a long and epic story featuring more (anti)-heroics from Koragg and a soon-to-be introduced cast as wild and diverse we've all come to expect from a Fate story.

As you can probably guess, this prologue took place in a world resembling Heaven's Feel, parallel worlds and all that. Yes, Koragg fought Artoria Alter…and won. How did he win and why did she give him Excalibur Morgan, questions you'll have to read the story to find out, and see what other adventures he's had as a Counter Guardian. The idea came from a friend who sold me on it, and I'll admit it, I'm rather taken with the idea, especially with cases like EMIYA. I found there's actually quite a bit of room to experiment.