"Lancer kill yourself!"-mental link

"Lancer died!" - speech.

'You aren't human!'-thought.

Hongan-ji Temple.

It was night when he witnessed the attack.

It was night when they attacked. The old temple was surrounded and her retainers were slowly pushed back. Her soldiers were trying to kill her. However, she wasn't angry because of it, he could feel it. She knows they were deceived by Akechi Mitsuhide into believing the temple was full of enemies. She couldn't understand why Mitsuhide did it, at least not at that time.

Violet eyes watched as she went back to the temple, followed by her young page, all of them carrying torches in their hands.

"Do whatever it takes but make sure that traitor doesn't get my head!" screamed the woman who wanted to unite the entirety of Japan and almost succeeded. Her hair was long and black but he could see red among it too. Her eyes were the same. Same red eyes that he sees every day. They were full of anger, hurt and sadness.

While her loyal servants were setting the temple on fire, she allowed herself to look at Kyoto. There were many things on her mind, but the biggest among them was regret. Regret that she couldn't finish what she started all these years ago. Regret that her dream won't be fulfilled with her as the ruler of Japan...and finally regret not seeing the outside world as she dreamed.

As the temple was slowly consumed by fire, Oda Nobunaga pulled out her sword before kneeling. She lived her life as she pleased and she will go out the same way.

That night Demon King of Six Heaven died from her own hands. Her body was never found, consumed by fire.

That night, the Demon Emperor silently witnessed this memory.

Fuyuki city.

Avenger knew from the moment she was summoned her master must be an unusual individual. To call for someone like her, especially in her current form without catalyst, said person must have had a unique life to say at least. It must have been some kind of war veteran or tyrant who was just as ambitious as her. Then why was she summoned by a young man such as Lelouch? Avenger knew that her life wasn't easy, it was full of trials and errors. If Lelouch was similar to her then Avenger didn't know if she should be concerned or happy that there was someone similar to her?

'And then there are these dreams...his memories.' The first dream raised many questions but it showed her that Lelouch wasn't a simple man from a foreign land. No, there were things she couldn't understand about him...Namely the last dream she saw after returning from the hotel. Right now both of them were in the city.

This...this wasn't right. What Avenger saw wasn't right, it was wrong. All of it! What she saw the first time and now again were memories of Lelouch's past life. She couldn't understand what she had seen, not yet at least.

'I have destroyed the world and created it...a...new. That's what he said, his last words...but this plan...Zero Requiem...I don't understand!' Avenger placed a hand on her forehead, trying to think about it all over again. Her dream was to create a new empire in Japan under her rule. Better than previous ones, one that will be remembered as the greatest empire in Asia. She wanted to travel and spread her hegemony further beyond the tiny island. Avenger was ambitious but it wasn't because she was power-hungry!

'I was born when Japan was divided, the current system of that time was weak and ineffective. Someone should have changed all of it and I took it upon myself...Lelouch had a similar situation but at the same time, it was different...Still, doesn't explain why he decided to end everything like this.'

Right now Avenger was in civilian clothes, in the middle of the city.

After what happened last night her master suggested looking for a potential new base. Seeing that Kayneth was tracked down and his hotel destroyed, Avenger agreed. Having a backup place to hide was a nice idea. Right now Lelouch was looking through some motels, trying to find a cheaper one. While they had money, spending more than needed would be a waste.

While Lelouch was talking with another owner of a motel, Avenger was staring at his back. She saw something last night, something she didn't know how to react to. She should have been amazed by the sheer absurdity of what she learned last night. This Zero Requiem and everything that led to it...it was wrong.

"Okay, this place isn't too bad and the price is tolerable but maybe we might find a better choice. Do you think we need to look somewhere else?" Lelouch asked while standing next to her.

Avenger blinked, lost in her thoughts before answering. "I suppose we can look for a cheaper place. We have nothing to do until the blonde idiot calls us anyway."

"Hmm, in that case, let's go, Avenger." Both master and servant left the building and headed further into the city. Finding a place inside the city might minimize the possibility of attack by a servant, of course, both of them understood that it was too optimistic. However, no doubt someone like Saber will think twice before starting a fight in the middle of the city.

The red-haired woman didn't stop staring at her master, still thinking about that dream. Lelouch, on the other hand, decided to stop paying attention to how his servant was eyeing him like a hawk. The former terrorist had an idea but didn't want to test it until he got enough evidence. Still, the raven-haired boy decided to distract his servant.

"Avenger, we didn't have a good dinner for some time now. Do you want anything for tonight?" The last few days were busy with a war going on. After summoning her, Lelouch quickly learned that his servant wasn't against the idea of eating until she was full. The former emperor smiled warmly, cooking for someone brought up many memories of his past life. However, he immediately dismissed them and shook his head, trying to forget about it.

"Well, now that you mentioned it." A predatory smile appeared on her face. "I wouldn't mind trying more western food...and some sake would be welcomed too." Lelouch raised an eyebrow.

"Drinking during a war doesn't strike me as the best decision, Avenger."

She quickly waved away. "Come on, master. I never had a problem with drinking, not to mention servants can't get drunk...I think. Wait." a smirk appeared on her face and Lelouch for some reasons felt unsafe. "Don't tell me you can't handle a bottle or two, master?" she teased while Lelouch quickly shook his head, too quickly.

"Of course not! I'm just worried about you, that's all." Avenger smirked before placing a hand on her chin.

"How cute."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, remembering a similar experience from the past. They continued looking for a new hideout for some time. Soon both servant and master decided to take a rest inside a small coffee shop. Avenger wanted something to drink and Lelouch accepted by ordering some tea. When it was brought to them Avenger was first to taste.

"Compared to what that Sola-Ui woman made, this one is way better." Her master nodded.

"Indeed, this place seems nice enough." Lelouch looked around and noticed that the cafe looked more like a pub than he first thought. Not to mention that it looked western, remembering the name of this place he blinked. "Copenhagen. That was a name written over this place. I think it's a pub."

"Uh, do you think they sell liquor here?" Avenger asked hopefully while her maser sighed. "Come on, master! You need to relax a little. Living without any fun isn't a good life I will tell you. Makes me question how you had fun before the war." she asked with a smile but her eyes never left his face, watching every emotion he made.

Lelouch's face changed to a more thoughtful one when he raised his left hand to lay his head. Avenger noted how melancholic he appeared in her eyes. 'It would appear Lelouch doesn't want to remember his old life, in that case, I better stop.' She needed to learn more things about his former life before she could make any final decision but making her master uncomfortable sounded awful to Avenger.

"You know, master." another smirk but this time more dangerous appeared on her face. "Alcohol can be used for many things besides drinking. Let's say, making something flammable." she wanted to laugh when her master's face changed from melancholy to interest. "Ara, someone is interested?"

"Of course." chuckled Lelouch. "That idea has its merit. Just imagine if instead of shooting at the master of Rider, I threw a Molotov cocktail. Rider would have a harder time protecting him." a malevolent smile formed on his face, but Avenger couldn't help but find it cute.

The idea of Rider panicking while trying to help his master who was on fire was so ridiculous, it almost made Avenger burst in laughter. Of course, she didn't care enough about Rider's master to hurt him this much but Lelouch's suggestion was fun to say at least. The red-haired woman looked around, still laughing a little after what her master said.

"In that case why not buy some right here?" she smiled hopefully but her master declined.

"We still need to find a new place to stay in if our current base of operation gets compromised… However, after that, I don't see a problem with buying some." Lelouch chuckled with closed eyes when Avenger's face brightened. Even someone like her could get excited over small things. "Maybe in a different place though. This one looks decent enough but saving some money would be good."

"And here I thought I managed to crack through you, master." Avenger sighed before looking around them. Right now this 'Copenhagen' was pretty empty save for two girls in the bar. One had orange hair while her friend had brown. One of them was the employee working and brought them tea. The former leader of her clan raised an eyebrow, both girls looked young for being here. With the information the Grail provided to her, Avenger was sure both of the girls must be still studying in school. "This place has cute girls at least. Won't you agree, master?" she glanced at him, hoping to see the interesting reaction but got disappointed.

Lelouch spared a quick look at the two other occupants of the pub before turning to her. "I suppose," he said with clear indifference in his tone while Avenger sighed.

'Well, I saw something in his memory. There were a lot of beautiful women in his life, I can't deny that.' While what Avenger has seen last night inside her dream was akin to a quick overview, she noticed that some faces appeared frequently. Especially the face of three girls who had green, blonde and red hair colours. Green and red were appearing more than others. 'Were they his lovers or something?' For some reason, she eagerly wanted to know about it.

"I think we should continue with our search, Avenger." She nodded. Soon both of them left 'Copenhagen'. "Hmm, I wanted to stay somewhere closer to the centre but I suppose looking on the outskirts might be worth something too."

"I don't mind. Just walking around this city is nice." she looked around. Buildings both tall and short surrounded them on both sides of the street. Her master said that Fuyuki was a tame place compared to some cities he visited before and that made Avenger curious. Of course, after witnessing his dreams she could guess that her master in truth was talking about cities from that place. However, Avenger was interested to see other cities of Japan, especially Kyoto.

'Lelouch summoned me at Hongan-ji Temple but we immediately departed for Fuyuki. We couldn't stay there any longer because of the war but it is still a shame.' When Avenger was called as a servant in this war, one of her motivations, besides winning, was seeing how much Japan changed. 'I spent my entire life on this tiny island while the rest of the world could have been explored and conquered. And even as a servant, I stick out in this city. This seems like some sort of irony.' she clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Something wrong, Avenger?" her master easily sensed the feelings of his servant. Avenger nodded.

"I'm just pissed that even now I can explore the world as I wanted during life...I suppose it is nothing major, I'm just annoyed that this Grail War couldn't be somewhere else." Maybe the country of Portugal? She was always curious to see the country where her first arquebus came from.

Lelouch smiled. "I think I understand where you're coming from...I will admit that I wouldn't mind a change of scenario. Sometimes it feels like everything important in my life happens in Japan." he allowed himself to smile before quickly realising that he might have said too much. Lelouch looked at Avenger, only to see her smiling at him.

'...I'm still unsure about some stuff but at the same time it feels strangely relaxing talking to Lelouch like this.'

They continued their walk in peaceful silence. Lelouch was glad that Avenger didn't ask what he meant. For some reason, Avenger was sure that both of them would talk about it sooner or later. Of course, she intended to have the conversation sooner. It was easy to see that her master knew what she was thinking about or at least had a suspicion. Right now they could focus on their current objective.

However, it would seem fate had another idea. The female servant immediately froze.

"An enemy servant is near." Violet eyes went wide before narrowing and looking around.

"Attacking in broad daylight...I knew it was a matter of time before someone tried it." he sighed, while Avenger thought about transforming into her battle attire. However, they were still in the centre of the city standing among civilians. She and her master could hide in some corner before she changed in fighting mode. Then she could take Lelouch and escape through the roofs of buildings. Fighting or retreating will be easier this way.

And once again, fate had another plan for them.

"HAHA! I can't believe we meet again so soon!" laughed the loud male voice. Avenger let out an irritated sigh. Her master on the other hand quickly became more relaxed or at least made it look like he was relaxed seeing a familiar servant. Avenger didn't want to look at the enemy while Lelouch smiled.

"I'm surprised to see you so soon too, Rider." The large man and his puny master stood a few meters away. When Avenger turned to look at them she noticed that the King of Conquerors was wearing some kind of shirt while his master was in the same clothes from their previous encounter. However, the moment her red eyes fell on the younger boy, the enemy master clenched and turned away. Good, fear was always a tool in her hands. "...I suppose we both didn't come here to fight today. Don't you agree, Waver Velvet?"

The boy in question gulped before nodding. "Indeed. I and Rider are here for another piece of business. We have no intention of fighting you."

"Right now," added Lelouch and she could feel how this Waver's fear grew as he nodded, trying to stay confident.

"Yes."

There was a long silence. Rider was smiling but again was staring at her master's face, waiting for him to say anything. Waver was nervous but Avenger will give him credit, the boy was doing his best. Lelouch had this fake relaxed smile on his face, thinking about something before speaking.

"In that case, I see no problem," he declared happily. Avenger saw how Waver sighed in relief while Iskandar let out another loud laugh.

"See, master? I told you it will be fine!" male servant slapped his master on the shoulder, the poor boy almost fell ahead. "Avenger and her master are smarter than to start fighting in the city!"

'While I will prefer to avoid starting a battle in the centre of Fuyuki it doesn't mean my hand cannot be forced.' Avenger thought to herself while her master asked.

"Still, I'm curious about what you're doing here."

Rider looked at his master with a curious gaze. "Hey, master, how about we call them as well? Avenger calls herself a ruler of Japan after all. So she will fit there." his master looked at him with wide eyes while Lelouch and Avenger blinked in confusion.

'What is he talking about?' Iskandar said something about her being a ruler but Avenger didn't understand.

Waver wanted to say something in objection but stopped. He glanced at her and Lelouch before turning back to Rider. The young master turned away from them, Iskandar immediately followed his example. Both servant and his master were discussing something. The female servant glanced at her master who was just as confused as her.

Soon they turned back to them. Waver was the first to start.

"Avenger and...uh?"

"Lelouch." her master smiled while giving his name. Waver nodded.

"Avenger and Lelouch. I and Rider would like to ask you to join us at the banquet tonight." Avenger raised an eyebrow.

'Banquet? What are they talking about? We are in the middle of a war and they want to have some sort of tea party?' it would seem her master was asking himself the same question as he spoke.

"Pardon, but is this a good time for something like that?" Lelouch was confused but at the same time, Avenger could feel through their connection that he was curious about it. It was Rider who answered.

"After yesterday, I grew curious to learn more about other servants." he quickly raised his huge hand to stop them from asking the obvious. "I don't mean their abilities or fighting style. I want to learn what kind of people I'm fighting against in this war. I want to know their wishes." as he finished, Avenger's eyes went wide.

'What kind of wish that we all have?' Well, it was obvious to her what she wanted. 'Be reincarnated in this age with a body that won't disappear...' she lowered her gaze and stared at her hands. Now, remembering this Avenger forgot that she had a certain unpleasant truth. 'In the end this form of me...'

"Interesting." started Lelouch, his eyes narrowed. "So that's what you want, King of Conquerors." He studied Rider, trying to learn if he was sincere. The redhead man smiled but unlike before this was one was careful, almost challenging.

"If you think it is some sort of trap then feel free to refuse our invitation, Master of Avenger, Lelouch." The female servant stopped her thoughts and once again focused on Rider. The large man chuckled. "However, it will be a big waste on your part if you refuse."

Red eyes narrowed, she asked. "And why exactly?"

Enemy servant grinned. "Because it isn't every day that you have the chance to drink with three kings from the past. Me, Archer and Saber… Four if you will come, Avenger."

Lelouch and Avenger both froze. Three kings? Was Rider talking about the Golden Archer and Saber. 'Wait, Saber isn't Jeanne D'Arc? If this is not her, then who is he talking about?'

While Avenger was lost in her thought, her master spoke. "Does that mean you already invited Archer?" Unsurprisingly, Rider nodded.

"Yup." he said proudly, placing a hand behind his back."We met him accidentally too. Archer was looking for this place called a swimming pool, said that they might be worthy of his attention. Funny fellow." Funny wasn't the first-word Avenger will use to describe that guy but a swimming pool? The Grail provided her brief information about it and she had to admit she started to get interested in this place too. Maybe she and her master should visit this place too.

Lelouch turned to her and used their mental link.

"It might be a good opportunity to learn more about Archer. Not to mention Jeanne D'Arc...but why would Rider call her a king?" Avenger didn't know either but agreed with her master. Finding more information about their enemies is too important to ignore. When she nodded, Lelouch continued. "...Not to mention I'm curious about their wishes as well."

Avenger didn't miss a look in his eyes. It was like back in Copenhagen. She wasn't sure if she liked it but for now, Avenger needed to focus on the current situation. She and her master returned their attention to Waver and Rider who were silently waiting for an answer. Lelouch opened his mouth and started.

"King Iskandar," he said with respect, the older man smiled. "It will be an honour for us to share a drink with you. We will be there." Rider laughed.

"Great! The more people, the more interesting it gets!... By the way, do you know any place where we can borrow some wine?" he asked innocently while his master's eyebrow twitched.

"Rider! We won't steal anything anymore!" Avenger raised an eyebrow. What did he mean anymore?

"Okay, okay master. Jeez, sometimes I think you need to drink something yourself." his servant waved away.

"It would appear Rider and Waver don't have problems with each other," Lelouch whispered only to her. Avenger nodded, ignoring how a young boy was scolding his servant at the moment, she could see that they were friendly with each other.

"They are better than Kayneth and Lancer, that's easy to see," she smirked while her master chuckled.

"Not too difficult but I see what you mean," Lelouch said with a soft smile but Avenger wanted to ask if they were having a good relationship as well. Of course, Lelouch and Avenger already said to each other they like working together but she wanted to know more. Seeing his memories, and he undoubtedly also saw her own, she wanted to find out if he felt the same way.

'Uh, maybe it would have been better if I didn't go to sleep the last night...no, I shouldn't think like that. That was important!' Avenger immediately shook her head. It would have been worse if she didn't see it. Lelouch most likely knows who she is while she didn't know who Lelouch Lamperouge was. Just because that last dream was important to her. Now, thinking about Rider's offer she thought about something. '...maybe I could use this opportunity.'

"Oi! I almost forgot!" suddenly shouted Rider. He turned to them and said. "I chose Saber's place. Be there at night."

His master let out a tired sigh. "Be there at ten p.m...Also, no. We haven't talked about it with Saber yet." he added the last part, sounding a little embarrassed. Avenger wanted to ask something but Lelouch stopped her.

"Very well. We will be there...for this Banquet of Kings."

Several hours later, Fuyuki City.

Sun was setting over the city as a lone servant made its way from building to building, jumping from one roof to another. Lancer stopped for a moment to take a quick glance at Fuyuki as it was slowly covered by night. The knight allowed himself to close his eyes and enjoy a breath of the night air. Being able to move like this was one of the most enjoyable things he could do in this war. Sadly, everything wasn't as pleasing as such a simple thing.

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne will lie if he said that everything was going smoothly for him in this war. It wasn't even about the war, he knew from the start that fights will be difficult and was happy about it. It only meant that the knight of Fianna will have more chances to prove himself in combat and return his honour. However, there was a giant obstacle that was standing in his way.

'My lord's chosen one, Sola-Ui.' Diarmuid sighed, remembering the face of the female magi. 'Why just why my lord decided to bring her with him. Not only that but he wanted her to be my master.' he hoped he would be able to avoid repeating the same mistake that cost not only him his life but most importantly his honour as well. However, it was too late. 'I already can see that my damn mole affected her. Why must I be so unlucky.'

One of the reasons why he was on reconnaissance at such late hour, was because his lord didn't trust him enough to be near his wife anymore. And honestly, Diarmuid fully agreed with him. Lord Kayneth was many things, while he didn't have the honour of a knight, he was still a noble magi who faithfully loved his future wife even if she wasn't returning these feelings. Diarmuid wasn't a stranger to arranged marriages, especially among the nobility, so he could understand why Sola-Ui might have been unsatisfied with her fiance.

'I can only hope that lady Sola-Ui will at least try returning some of my lord's affection.' his current lord Kayneth wasn't a most pleasant person, Diarmuid won't deny that, but he wasn't the worst man he knew either. His master just needed more humility and maybe became a bit less self-centred. Still, he was his master and as a loyal knight on his journey to return his honour Diarmuid will obey his every command.

Right now both magi were busy with preparing the new potential base. Some ruins of the old building on the outskirts of the city. After losing their previous hideout in the hotel, Kayneth and Sola decided to find something far away from the local population and Lancer agreed. The death of innocent people sickened him. At the very least, the perpetrator behind the hotel's explosion had enough compassion to spare normal people. However, the idea that they weren't hesitating to attack them in the city was alarming to the knight, to say the least. Whoever this Magus Killer was, he is ruthless.

'I'm glad that my lord didn't contact Avenger or her master immediately. The less these two know about us the better.' Diarmuid fought many battles and knew when he saw a dangerous individual. It wasn't just the female servant's strength he was worried about but her and her master's character. Avenger didn't hesitate to hide her true nature while her master was hard to read as an individual but Diarmuid could tell that he was hiding many secrets behind his innocent smile. His lord didn't believe him, saying that someone like Lelouch Lamperouge couldn't be a threat on his own. The Knight of Fianna disagreed but his lord refused to listen to him.

'This Lelouch Lamperouge isn't a simple boy. Just one glance at his eyes was enough to see it. There's something wrong about him, I can feel it.' The boy was giving him a familiar feeling, similar to something he felt many years ago but Lancer couldn't remember what exactly from where. Avenger herself was too dangerous. The female servant threatened his lord's life several times and Lancer won't allow another chance. 'Why can't this war have more servants like Saber? People with the honour of a knight.'

Diarmuid sighed once again before looking over Fuyuki. If one forgot about the deadly war between wizards and heroes that was going on here, this city would seem like a peaceful and quiet place to live. Sadly, Caster and his master were still on the run. Assassin was still alive and plotting something. He hasn't seen Archer since that night at the port. Rider was showing up a lot. First in the port and now in the sewers. At least someone was actively trying to find others. Diarmuid wouldn't mind running into Saber for the sake of finishing their duel since it was stopped two times now.

However, fate had another plan for the cursed Lancer.

As Lancer continued moving, he felt something strange in the air. It was mana and a lot of it. Lancer looked around trying to find where it was coming from. Soon he found the trail and followed it. As Diarmuid continued to follow the trail of mana among man-made buildings, he couldn't help but remember times when he haunted demonic boars back when he was still alive. A nostalgic smile formed on his face, but it quickly vanished when he heard a familiar voice.

"Lancer! Where are you right now? I ordered you to call back if you found anything." his lord called through the mental link, sounding irritated as usual. Diarmuid stopped before answering.

"Sorry, my lord but it would appear I found a trail of mana and it is very strong." there was a long pause, his master no doubt thinking what to do next.

"Very well, continue and investigate where it's coming from. If you find Caster, engage in combat. Lamperouge said that Gilles isn't a powerful enemy and I already wasted a day trying to find him."

Lancer wanted to disagree and suggest calling their allies but he was sure his master wouldn't be happy with such an idea. He didn't know if it was because it was Lancer's idea or calling for help seemed like a sign of weakness to him. Whatever it was, Lancer continued and did as he was told. He jumped from roof to roof until he found himself above the uncompleted construction site. People were building another skyscraper and right now it was empty. Lancer stood on the last floor that has not yet been finished. He started walking around, both his Noble Phantasms ready if needed. Diarmuid carefully checked the floor, moving between half-finished rooms that lead to an open area. There he felt a big source of mana but couldn't find where it was coming from.

Suddenly something fell near his feet. Lancer carefully studied the object that fell before his eyes went wide. In front of him was the biggest worm he ever saw and it was alive. The hideous worm moved towards him and jumped. However, before the little abomination managed to bite the knight, Lancer wasted no second and stabbed it with his Gae Dearg. The red spear ended the worm's life in a second. Raising it and bringing it closer, Diarmuid could see that it was a magical worm.

'What is it doing here?' However, then something else fell on the ground. Then again and again. Lancer looked around, his eyes narrowed. Worms, all of them similar to the one he killed. All of them were moving quickly and towards him. Before any of them could jump at him, the knight struck each one of them. Both Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe were covered in filth but Lancer was too busy to pay it any attention. He raised his head and froze. On the ceiling above him, Diarmuid saw dozens of these creatures but then something else fell near him. He thought it was another worm but when he took a closer look, his eyes widened in horror.

It was a human skull.

Diarmuid could see small pieces of meat on the bone. He clenched his hand around his spears and looked back at the worms who were eating the body of the poor soul. How such a monstrosity could still exist in the age of man was beyond Lancer but he didn't care. Monsters needed to be slain after all, no matter what. Diarmuid raised the red spear and aimed to take all of them out in one hit but before he could do anything, Lancer jumped back.

The Knight of Fianna immediately took a battle stance. Gae Dearg aimed forward while Gae Buidhe in the left hand to block any attack. Looking back at the place where he stood a moment ago, Lancer saw a hammer that pierced the ground. The hammer was black and covered in unnatural red lines. Diarmuid remembered where he had seen something like this before.

"Berserker."

It wasn't before the wild servant showed himself. The Black Knight materialized in the air before him, standing a few meters away. He was silent. Lancer didn't see any weapon on him but it didn't mean Berserker was unarmed. After witnessing his short fight with the Golden Archer, Diarmuid was careful around the unknown servant.

"Well, nice to see you again." he greeted hoping for an answer.

There was none.

"Hmm, so silent type? I don't judge but a heaving conversation will be harder this way." Berserker didn't make any sound or move. "Can't you at least tell who this guy is?" he raised his eyes at the corpse that was still surrounded by worms. The black knight said nothing. Diarmuid sighed. "Does that mean you won't allow me to leave?"

This time Berserker answered or at least something close to answering as he growled in agreement before rushing at him. Lancer sighed again before speaking.

"Well, this day was getting boring anyway."

At the next moment, two knights with tragic ends clashed at the fight.

Einzbern Castle.

"Do you think they will like my sake?" his servant asked while carrying a bag full of sake.

After being invited to meet and discuss the war with other servants, Lelouch suggested to not go empty-handed. However, Avenger understood this as a chance to buy alcohol for herself. Now, she wasn't an alcoholic but the last time, when she had a drink, was several centuries ago and understandably she wanted to try modern sake. Lelouch didn't even try to stop her and just agreed. At the very least, alcohol might make others more talkative. However, talking will be the only thing Lelouch wanted tonight. Fighting in enemy territory while surrounded by a few servants wasn't the best scenario.

'If only I could contact Kayneth! Lancer would have been a good backup if needed.' Especially if it comes to fighting Saber.

Lelouch and his servant did as they were told and made their way towards a German castle in the forest. Thankfully Avenger remembered where it was after her fight with Caster. On their way there she sensed a huge presence of magecraft. Fuyuki forest wasn't a simple place according to her, while Avenger's knowledge in magic arts was minuscule, as a servant she could feel boundary fields that were covering the entire forest.

'Hmm, there are more reasons why Saber's master chose this place.' Lelouch thought to himself as he and his companion finally saw a castle. It was done in the old European style. The first thing that immediately caught their attention was the opened entrance door and the familiar figure inside.

"I ask you once again, Rider. Why are you here?" Saber's voice, confident and noble, just like at docks. Violet eyes soon saw the blonde servant standing in front of her master from the Einzbern family, a homunculus Lelouch reminded himself, still being little amazed by it. In the entrance stood the chariot of Rider with himself and Waver on it. Iskandar was still wearing casual clothes, Lelouch also noticed the huge barrel near him.

"Ara, Rider brought a lot of good stuff too," Avenger smirked, already knowing what was inside. "Hmm, maybe he isn't too bad after all." Lelouch stayed silent, his eyes focused on Saber

'Why do I feel this strange feeling inside me?' Just like on the docks when he saw her for the first time, Lelouch couldn't help but feel like she was familiar to him.

"Oh, come on! Saber! We come all this way to have a few drinks with you! I swear we won't cause any problems for you." Rider loudly laughed. Saber didn't attack him yet and her invisible sword was lowered, she eyed him but soon her eyes fell on a new pair of guests. Iskandar noticed it and followed her gaze. When he saw a familiar face he laughed once again. "Oh, look! Avenger and Lelouch are here too!"

"Lelouch?" The white-haired woman behind the servant raised her eyebrow. The blonde servant stared at the raven-haired master next to Avenger, unknown to others she felt something strange too. Avenger narrowed her eyes when she noticed how Saber was ogling, in her mind, her master. Lelouch on the other hand chuckled.

"King Iskandar, thank you once again for inviting us but please leave me the pleasure of introducing myself to such beautiful women." Lelouch smiles charmingly. The reaction was visible as the white-haired woman gently giggled with pink shades on her cheeks, her servant still stoic but her posture more relaxed. His servant had a blank face, not liking it. Rider laughed once again and smacked his master on the back.

"Take notes, boy! That's how you get yourself a girl!"

While Waver was glaring at his servant, the white-haired woman looked at Lelouch and Avenger. "You're here for the same reason as Rider?"

Lelouch nodded. "Indeed, my lady. We have no intention of fighting tonight."

"Or at least starting a fight," Avenger whispered before turning to the blonde servant in the room. "Sup Saber!" she smirked when the supposed Holy Maiden narrowed her eyes.

The Einzbern master thought about this situation before nodding. "Very well. As a master of this castle, I shall grant you this permission." her servant turned to her with a confused expression.

"Irisviel?"

The woman is now known to Lelouch as Irisviel smiled. "Don't worry, Saber. I have a feeling that someone like Rider won't break his promise. Isn't that right, your highness?" she asked the only male servant. Iskandar nodded.

"But of course! What kind of king am I if I can't keep such a small promise! Tonight I wanted to hear what other rulers want from the Grail. In the end, we're all here as kings, right?" Rider asked as he turned from Saber to Avenger.

Both female servants stared at each other. Saber didn't know how to feel, she knew that Avenger called herself a ruler but without knowing her real name it might have been a lie. Avenger, on the other hand, was confused if Saber was indeed Jeanne D'Arc then why was she called a king? Maybe Rider made a mistake? Or maybe Caster?

"...in that case, I'm not against this either." finally said Saber.

Her master happily clapped her hand together. "In that case please follow me."

Soon all quests found themselves inside an open garden. Lelouch had to admit that this place was very beautiful. Not as good or big as a garden in Aries Villa but still impressive. Saber carefully set on the ground while Rider collapsed near her. He turned to Avenger and waved.

"Come on, Avenger join us." Lelouch had to admit that despite Rider's appearance or role as a servant, the huge man was giving off a friendly aura. One could forget that this was supposed to be the King of Conquerors.

'Or maybe that's the charm of the King of Conquerors.'

The red-haired woman eyed both servants before raising her gaze and looking at their masters. Both Irisviel and Waver were standing at the side. Lelouch wanted to question the idea of two enemy masters standing next to each other so casually but neither of them was giving him the impression that they could attack each other like this.

Avenger turned to Rider and spoke. "Very well but I have one condition." Iskandar raised his eyebrow. "I want my master to sit with us as well."

There was a short silence as both servants looked at each other in confusion. Lelouch, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes.

"Avenger! What are you doing?" he used their mental link but she didn't respond. Instead, she smirked making Lelouch stop. "Wait..."

Rider was first to speak. "No offence but this is Banquet of Kings, Avenger. I didn't invite you or Saber because you were regular heroes."

"I don't have a problem but I agree that a regular human has no place in a conversation among kings." Saber reluctantly agreed with Rider. Avenger raised an eyebrow.

"Well, in that case, my master will have no problem being here." her eyes turned to Lelouch who now froze. "After all..."

'No. Don't tell me!'

"As a member of the Britannian Royal family, he has a right to be among kings."

This time everyone froze.

Lelouch clenched his fist. 'I wasn't the only one who was seeing her memories. She knows...she knows about Britannia. She knows about me...Does that mean she knows about Zero Requiem as well?' This wasn't good. Lelouch was from a different world and no one should have known about it. 'She said I must keep it as a secret no matter what but now..' Lelouch remembered what she told him. The Demon emperor wanted to say something, anything but stopped when he saw the expression on his servant's face.

Avenger was looking directly at him. She had a soft and warm smile on her face that Lelouch hasn't seen before. He stopped, not knowing what to do. His servant didn't say a word but for some reason, he felt like she was apologizing.

Rider turned to look at Lelouch with a surprised expression. Was this boy he was cautioned about is the future king of his master's homeland? That would answer some of his theories about Lelouch. Behind them, Irisviel and Waver stood shocked.

"Wait, she means British Royalty?!" asked Rider's master his eyes wide open, was his enemy some kind of prince form his homeland?! How was it possible?!

However, most surprised and shocked was Saber. Her expression was a pure shock as she stared at Lelouch. She had a hard time believing it. The Grail was providing her with information on what was happening with her kingdom after her death. Was a boy before her a member of the family that ruled over her lands? Did that mean that the master of Avenger was her-

"What do you think, Rider?" Avenger asked, satisfied with the reaction. "Is my master allowed to sit and enjoy a drink with us?"

Rider stayed silent for a moment, his eyes closed as he thought carefully about it. Then he said. "Very well, while not a heroic spirit I suppose he can sit and listen to us as well."

Lelouch let out a tired sigh but he supposed that now denying what his servant said wasn't the smartest idea. Avenger again smiled warmly at him as he sat next to her. 'Now, maybe I can use this to my advantage. Their masters might think that I'm related to this World's British family and think that I don't have only Avenger with me.' Both Kayneth and Waver were from Britain. Lelouch supposed that even as magi they should be worried about the idea of fighting members of the Royal Family. 'I know that this World's Royal Family is too different from mine and doesn't have as much power as the Royal Family in Britannia had. What I don't know is how much influence they have in the magecraft world.'

"Master of Avenger." Lelouch turned to Saber who never stopped staring at him. "...What Avenger said. It is true?"

"Why do you care so much, Saber?" Avenger asked with narrowed eyes. She didn't like how the blonde servant was paying too much attention to her master. "I know that you and his homeland fought each other in the past but-"

"What are you talking about?" the blonde knight asked with narrowed eyes. She placed her working hand on her heart and spoke: "Modern Britain might be different from my time but it's still a place I loved and protected no matter what."

'Wait, what.'

"Wait. But you are French right?" Avenger asked as confusion was noticeable in her tone. "You are Maiden of Orleans Jeanne D'Arc right?" Suddenly Rider started to laugh like a madman. Saber frowned but shook her head, her eyes looking at the ground.

"I see. So you have met that deranged Caster." Saber said as she stood up. "Let me clear that misunderstanding, Avenger because as King, I cannot let my pride be insulted," she said with a serious tone. Both Avenger and Lelouch glanced at each other, confused. "I'm no Maiden of Orleans. I'm a knight who fought for her country against invaders and I'm a king who was called the Once and Future King, I'm the King of Knights, the one who pulled out the sword Caliburn."

Lelouch froze, his eyes stared at her in shock. This strange feeling, all this time it was?!

'No, how she can be...'

"I'm Artoria Pendragon."

'...my Great ancestor!'

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Oh, boy! Banquet of Kings is about to start and now Lelouch met his ancestor...or did he?! I won't say anything but I have plans about this revelation. By the way, some of you noticed that the last chapters were updated in a short time. What is it? Some kind of schedule? No, no, of course, it isn't. I just had free time after leaving my old job and used it while I could. I won't promise anything but it will take some time before the next chapter will be ready.

About this chapter. Some people predicted how Avenger will react to Lelouch's death and his last plan. Don't worry. Our demons will have their moment to talk. Also, while not important right now I want to say that I many plans about who should be Lelouch's servant in this story. I thought about Mordred, Napoleon, Moriarty, Lancelot Berserker, Avicebron, Carmilla, Artoria Alter, Dantes and Nightingale. Nightingale was close to winning. She deserves more love but I know that Nobu is a better choice overall.

Also, it has nothing to do with fanfic but I wish all NA FGO players good luck...She is coming and we will need it.

Anyway, I will try to update soon, until the next chapter!

Thanks to Beta-reader: Gundam-Knight-Chris