ACT-8 "Irregular"

Fou?

Master! Down that corridor! Someone's lying on the ground!

He's...dead. From the look of things, this was definitely the Master that summoned Caster.

...No... Did he have a fight with his Servant?

The wound is too clean. That's not how Caster would kill.

But then who? Hmm...

!? Eight Gates Golden Locks Formation!

Fou!?

Lord El-Melloi!? What...

Be careful, Mash, Fujimaru! A Servant is approaching you!

Huh? But there wasn't anything a moment ago...

Presence Concealment. An Assassin? Without the Qi Men Dun Jia, we'd have been in danger too.

...You use strange techniques. I didn't expect to be found.

Is this another one of the Assassins from before? It feels different.

This is...different. There was no Servant like this in the Fourth Holy Grail War I knew.

Then this is the "irregularity" that you were searching for?

Perhaps. This may be what has twisted the 1994 Fuyuki into a Singularity.

Even if this isn't the original cause, there must be some connection.

I've no reason to fight you. If you simply let me go, I'll leave.

That's not an option. We need to know who you are, and why you're here.

That's practically why we came here, after all.

I have no reason to acquiesce to your demands, and if you insist, I'll have to fight you.

You heard them, Fujimaru. Though regrettable, it seems like violence is our only option.

We'll neutralize and capture them, and then get them to cooperate!

Tch, you're strong!

There's something strange about this Servant.

He has a different aura than the other Servants in this Holy Grail War.

Yes, and he feels familiar. He's more similar to us, at Chaldea.

Fou, fou!

That's right. He seems similar to Emiya-senpai, the Archer...

!?

Everyone, be careful! I'm seeing a new Servant. They're heading straight for you!

What? Who could it be now... Oh, no!

Oh no! Master, get down!

...

Are you okay, Master?

Good... But we let Assassin get away just now. I'm sorry.

...I'm sorry. I lost track of his magical energy. He's probably already left the battlefield.

？！

That lightning just now destroyed my Golden Locks Formation as well. Curse them...

Oooh! The battle's already begun, it seems. Looks like we're a little late, kid.

Huh? That's strange. I was sure we'd be the first.

Th-That's...

Fou!

？！

Yeah. That Servant is probably Rider, but that Master is...

The first ones here? You idiot!

You know more than anybody how primitive the method you used to find this place was!

You didn't really think you could get a leg up on some of the best mages in the world with that, did you?

W-Who are you? What are you talking about...

This time, and every other time, you only make it through your problems thanks to good luck!

And because things work out in the end, you start to overestimate your own strength!

That's why you never get better! You know this, right? RIGHT?

Wait a second! Why do I have to get a lecture from someone I've never met?

Who are you, anyway? You're not the Caster who kidnapped the kids, or his Master, are you?

You idiot! You can't even analyze a situation properly!? I'm astonished you thought you could survive a Holy Grail War...

Christ! You're an idiot! An idiot! A huge idiot! Go choke on some rice and die!

...Something seems to have gotten into Lord El-Melloi...

Fou...

？！

W-Who do you think you are, anyway? Status-wise, you're clearly a Caster!

The Overseer's figured out that you're ignoring the Holy Grail War to do evil things.

BULLSHIT! If you can view someone's status, you should be able to figure out that I'm a Pseudo-Servant, you moron!

God, this is pathetic! The Command Spells on your hand are crying out in shame!

W-W-Whaaaat? A Pseudo-what?

It doesn't make sense for there to be extra Casters! No one said anything about this!

Hang on, kid. Whether or not that guy's a Caster, he's definitely not the owner of this workshop.

Huh? H-How can you tell?

By looking at the traces left here. Neither side was using the terrain, or trying to avoid damage to the area when they fought.

This wasn't a battle between an attacker and defender. Someone tried to run, and someone tried to stop them.

So neither the one who fled when we arrived, nor these people, are our enemy. They must be someone else.

Yes. The King of Conquerors knows exactly how to read a battlefield.

Anyway, you, with the gloomy face.

W-What...is it?

You've been picking on the kid an awful lot.

Does that mean you're prepared to fight the King of Conquerors?

W-Why would it mean that? You know exactly which of us is in the right!

Maybe, but he is my Master.

If you want to pick a fight with him, as his Servant, that means you'll have to fight me.

Rider, you...

Tch... That's...

Um, Lord? I thought the plan was to not fight Rider?

Let's retreat, Fujimaru. There's no sense in fighting here.

Humph. How boring. And I thought you had a little more spine.

...

Hah! So you're gonna say all that, and then turn tail and run? What a wimp!

Hey, don't get cocky.

GWAH!

？！

Gaah! This is pissing me off! A Servant shouldn't be getting involved in his Master's fights! Are you a helicopter parent or something?

？！

But we were lucky enough to run into our third target to protect, the Rider Servant...

Was it okay for things to fall apart like that?

I don't care! They don't plan on seriously fighting anyway.

Ignore them, they'll just sit in their hideout to eat rice crackers and watch videos all day!

I don't know...

Looks like Rider is a touchy subject for Lord El-Melloi, Senpai.

？！

I think so too, yes.

Fooou.