Unity?

//PRESENT DAY//

The landscape was scorched, a flaming ruin of a populous city. The roar of a giant creature can be heard in the distance. The sky was red with a black hole full of nothingness. Down in the streets below, conflict was brewing.

A winged-reptilian creature the size of a car slammed into a wall. It got back up and roared at its attacker. It was swiftly stabbed in the heart in a blue-blur of speed by a magnificent golden sword. The beast roared in agony before going limp and silent. Its lifeless corpse fell to the ground. Standing over it was a young woman donned in an armor-plated, blue battle-dress. She had blonde hair that had bangs framing her face, a bun at back tied with a blue ribbon, and an ahoge sticking out on top. Her face was young and flawless, complete with deep-emerald colored eyes.

Her name was Arturia Pendragon; a Saber-class heroic spirit. But history remembers her as King Arthur; wielder of the holy sword Excalibur and ruler of Camelot. The King of Knights.

Her foe, an offspring wyvern was vanquished. Yet there was no time to celebrate. Arturia looks up to see a Wyvern fly down to attack to her…

Only to be skewered by a spear with a white flag tied to it. The wyvern was thrown aside. Arturia looked over to see the wielder of said spear stand over the dead body of the creature, and make the sign of the cross.

The young woman was wearing a dark-blue battle dress with stockings that showed off a teasing glimpse of her thighs, and a metallic ornament on her chest. She wore armored boots and gauntlets, along with full armored battle skirt around her midsection with a sheathed rapier hanging on her left waist. Her face was young just like Arturia's, but with crucial differences. She had amethyst-coloured eyes, and her long blonde hair was braided in a waist-length ponytail instead of a bun. To top it off, she wore a three-pointed ornament akin to a diadem on her forehead over her hair.

She held her flag upright as she stood over the wyvern. The polearm itself was dark blue with silver flanges. The flag was white with gold trim that split towards the end. It was emblazoned with a Fleur-de-Lis, a prominent symbol of her homeland. The woman whispered:

"May god be merciful…"

Arturia smiled.

-Typical Jeanne; Praying for even her adversaries.-

The young woman at last turned to Arturia with a smile.

"You hanging in there, Arty?"

Arturia almost chuckled at her friend's remark.

"Why? Am I getting sleepy Jeanne? I could've taken that one…"

"So I didn't imagine you leaving yourself open?"

"I knew you had it."

"Right..."

They were teasing each other, but it wasn't out of a rivalry or ill will of any kind. Arturia had a strong sense of comradery with this fellow Servant, considering how often they have fought together up to this point.

The servant before Arturia was Jeanne d'Arc; a Ruler-class hero. She was known in history as the liberator of France during the Hundred Years War, and the patron saint of Orleans.

Just nearby, two young mages were firing spells at demons trying to attack them left and right. They were both dressed in white/black long-sleeve attire. One was a boy with black hair and Japanese complexion, and the other was a European girl with long, tied back orange hair. Both had unique tattoo-like patterns on their right hands. They soon found themselves back-to-back, surrounded. The male mage spoke.

"This got out of hand in a hurry…"

His partner replied, enjoying the thrill of the perilous fight more than he did.

"Don't worry Gu-dork! We've been through worse! Just another day at the office!"

She casted a spell that sent two demons flying. More closed in. The boy mage responded sarcastically.

"At this rate Gabby, I think I'd rather have an actual office job!"

He blasted one away with a well-aimed curse.

"I can ask the doctor to swap with you."

"Well good luck getting him to fight. Roman is afraid of his own shadow... Get down!"

He and Gabby ducked as demon jumped towards them, only for it to be struck midair by a large, cross-shaped object that was thrown right over the mages' heads.

A shield rather…

The demon fell in a heap while the shield was caught midair by a servant who leaped to grab it. She oriented herself and slammed her shield down the ground near a group of gargoyles. The resulting shockwave kicked up a lot of debris and blasted them all away.

The dust settled to reveal a lilac-coloured haired girl of Japanese complexion. She wore black armor that exposed her stomach, black gauntlets, boots, and a garter on her right thigh. Her shield was as big as she was; cross-shaped with a circular center. She called out to the boy mage.

"Senpai, stand clear!"

The masters parted as more demons closed in. The shield-servant jumps forward, zooming right past the masters, bashing her shield against one of the offending creatures. The sound of bones cracking from the impact can be heard as the demon was knocked backwards by a great distance. The servant landed on her feet gracefully and spun her shield to send the remaining demons flying. When they were gone, the servant turned to the mages.

"That's all of them."

"Thanks Mashu. It was looking dicey for a while…"

"I knew you had our backs Mashu!"

Mashu smiled.

"You're welcome, masters."

The mages were step-siblings; Gudao Ritsuka Fujimaru and Gabrielle Rutherford. They were the last masters of the Chaldea Security Organization; Humanity's last defense against extinction. With them was Mashu Kyrielight, a Demi-servant who had been with the mages since the beginning. She acts as the masters' shield, protecting them no matter what threat came their way.

Gudao's command seals suddenly flared red. A male voice seemingly came out of them.

-"Masters, heads up. You've got incoming."-

The trio looked up to the sky worriedly. Sure enough, they spotted a group of wyverns flying towards them. Gudao quickly calls to the Shielder-class servant.

"Mashu!"

"On it!"

Gudao and Gabrielle gather behind Mashu as she raises her shield, just as the wyverns started breathing fire at them. She chants:

"Manifest… Lord Chaldeas!"

Mashu slams her shield down and a bubble of energy expands from it, encapsulating her, Gudao and Gabrielle. Flames engulfed the bubble, but the 3 inside were safe. The wyverns flew past and circled around a skyscraper to attack them again-

Only to be shot down by a hailstorm of arrows.

The creatures all fell down and landed on the street below. One wyvern which was still alive, tried to get back on its feet, then to be stuck down by Arturia with Excalibur. She pulled Excalibur out of the creature's body. Arturia hears something land on a destroyed car behind her. She turns to face it sword at the ready, only to lower her guard calmly at the sight.

There was a tall, tanned man with short, white hair standing on the car holding a black longbow. He wore a black tank-top and pants and a red overcoat. Arturia smiled at him as he spoke cheekily at her.

"Mistaking me for the enemy Saber?"

"If I thought you of all people would be my enemy Shirou, you wouldn't be alive to joke about it."

"So Ruthless is the King of Knights. Can I not plea to her majesty for mercy?"

"You would need to do a fine job convincing me to…"

"I hate to interrupt the tender moment you two, but… hyah!"

Arturia and the red Archer turned to Jeanne, who just killed a demon and was getting surrounded by more of them. Emiya draws a spiraled arrow out of thin air and notches his bow, aiming near Jeanne.

"Relax Jeanne, I've got you."

Emiya fires just as a demon jumps on to Jeanne, held at bay by her flag. The arrow splits midair in a flash of light into a shower of needles that hit all the demons around her. They all collapsed lifeless, as Jeanne pushes the last one off of her towards Arturia, who slices it in two with Excalibur. Jeanne brushes herself off as she walks towards them.

"Nice shooting Emiya."

Shirou replies.

"The only kind I do…"

Arturia simply smiled at that. It was sometimes hard to believe that the Heroic Spirit before her used to be her master in a Holy Grail War; Shirou Emiya. Granted, this was an older version of him from a different path of time, who was also an Archer-class servant in the same war she was.

Nearby, the masters and Mashu just finished clearing out enemies. They made their way to the 3 servants. Gudao acknowledges them before turning to Emiya.

"Nice work everyone. Archer, status report?"

"The primary target is 3 blocks from here. Team B is headed there now."

"Right. Gabby?"

"Way ahead of you."

Gabrielle held her arm up in front of her and her command seals glowed. She spoke into it.

"Rider, we need pick up at zone alpha."

A cheery feminine-esqe voice answered.

-"On my way Master!"-

Gabby turns to Arturia.

"Rider's giving us a lift. We need all our heavy hitters there."

"Understood Master."

(Screech)

A creature noise was heard in the distance, but this did not alarm either the servants or the masters. Gabby continued.

"That's us Arturia…"

Then Gudao came in.

"Mashu, Jeanne, and Emiya… we'll hold the line here and stop the spawn from spreading. Team B is gunna strike at the heart. We'll meet up later."

(Screech!)

Another sound, this one much closer and accompanied by the heavy flapping of wings…

"Here's our ride!"

"Hold on to me, Master."

Gabrielle wrapped her arms around Arturia as Excalibur dissipated and the knight put one arm around her master. Gabby quickly turns to Mashu.

"Hey Mash. Keep my brother safe for me."

Mashu answers dutifully.

"No one is going to lay a finger on Senpai."

"Except you?"

Gabrielle shot a teasing remark at Mashu, who instantly blushed with embarrassment.

A shadow passed over them. With her master secured, Arturia jumped powerfully up off the pavement. A hand reached down from the back of this new beast to catch them and pull them up. Arturia pushed Gabrielle up first. She straddled behind an androgynous boy wearing a white-furry cape and ornate light armor. He had messy pink hair that was tied in the back in a braided ponytail and black bow, 2 more at the sides, and a white highlight on front. His mount was a feathered creature with the head, wings, and talons of an eagle, and the rear end and back legs of a horse; A Hippogriff…

They ascended gradually as the Hippogriff flapped its mighty wings. Arturia pulled herself up and took a seat behind Gabrielle, who called out to the new servant.

"Thanks for the express pickup Rider."

The Rider in question answered her proudly in an unusually feminine voice for a boy.

"Don't mention it, master! No one rules the skies like I, Astolfo! The Twelfth paladin of Charlemagne!"

The Hippogriff screeched, as if to disagree with that statement. Astolfo looked down at it surprised and rubbed the back of his head embarrassingly when he realized his mistake.

"Oh right… you too Snowball. You comfy back there Arturia? There's no saddle but at least there's-"

Astolfo turned to look back at her, not bothering to look where he was going first. That was when Arturia yelled and pointed ahead.

"Look out!"

"Huh? Whoa!"

Astolfo looked back front in concern and saw a swarm of flying demons closing in. He quickly made Snowball go into a twisting nosedive, narrowly missing them. Gabrielle latched on to Astolfo for dear life, eyes shut, and screaming in terror as they plummeted towards the street. The Rider on the other hand was laughing excitedly, not caring how dangerously fast they were diving. Arturia increased her hold on Gabrielle, more concerned about the demons diving after them.

Astolfo pulled his Hippogriff up mere feet away from the ground. It flapped its wings mightily, leveling out and regaining altitude. Some demons failed to pull up and slammed on the street, but a great many more were gaining on them. Astolfo sees a ruined building they can fly through, smiles, and steers his steed towards it.

"I have a great idea!"

Gabby looks ahead at what he was referring to. Her eyes widen in horror.

"Oh no, Astolfo… That's a bad idea-!"

"I like it!"

They fly faster as they close in on a narrow opening. Gabby shuts her eyes and screams. The Hippogriff folds its wings briefly to fly through it, and flaps again once space opens up. Inside, they fly past stone columns that hold up the floors above, giving the illusion that they were flying faster than they were. Both Astolfo and Arturia looked back to see the demons that followed them inside, flying after them. She looks back at Astolfo and calls out.

"Rider! The pillars!"

"On it!"

Arturia summons Excalibur as Astolfo's Hippogriff flies close to a line of pillars. She uses her sword to shatter each pillar they fly past. The ceiling above collapses, engulfing the demon swarm chasing them, and kicking-up dust and rubble everywhere. They fly out the other side, home free.

Gabrielle was still holding on to Astolfo, eyes shut. He says to her…

"We're still alive master…"

Gabby opens one eye followed by the other, she looks back behind Arturia and finally relaxes before turning back to Astolfo.

"Oh… good. That was-"

He asks awkwardly.

"Exhilarating?"

"Terrifying. Don't EVER do that again…"

Astolfo rubs the back of his head embarrassingly. He assures her.

"Ohhh of course not Master. I forgot you don't like flying…"

Astolfo looks back at Arturia and gives her a look that said: "I'm TOTALLY doing that again."

Arturia could only humor the Rider-class servant with a subtle smile. Astolfo; the Twelfth Paladin of Charlemagne, was known for his adventures in his past life; One of those being a journey to the moon to retrieve the sanity of a fellow paladin... while losing his own in the process.

He asks Gabrielle:

"Where to?"

"Primary Target. Team B is closing in on it and will need support."

"Great! Knowing Mordred, she is probably taking that overgrown lizard head-on already…"

Arturia's anticipation for the final battle drained at the mere mention of that name…

Meanwhile in another part of the city, a trio of servants were fighting through a horde of demons. One was a tall, blue-haired man wielding a crimson red spear. He wore deep ultramarine full body tights, grey metallic pauldrons, long metal earrings, and a fur pelt that stretched from his shoulder to the opposite waist. He was twirling and jabbing his spear as demons kept jumping at him.

The second servant was a shorter, well-dressed man with light auburn hair and glasses. He wore a black coat over a long-sleeved dress-shirt, red tie, and gloves. Overall, his attire suggested that he was a Victorian-era doctor. He summoned daggers that he threw towards the rushing demons.

The last one was a fully armored knight of short stature, wearing a horned-helm with red accents. The knight wielded a red-accented broadsword that crackled with red electricity, swinging it and slicing apart demons left and right with reckless abandon. The knight fought more like a berserker rather than a dignified swordsman.

The spear-man swung his spear and sent a few demons flying. He heard a roar in the distance.

"We're getting close."

The doctor slashed a demon that came too close for comfort and acknowledged the spear-man.

"Judging by the fact that this place is absolutely infested, I'd say we are very close. Almost- argh!"

A demon jumped the doctor from behind, knocking him down. He dropped his knives and a sealed vial of orange liquid rolled out of his jacket pocket. He struggled with the demon gnashing at him, when suddenly the demon was stabbed from behind with a sword. The demon roared in pain as it was pulled off the doctor by the armored knight and thrown away with a forceful yell. The knight turns to the doctor as his; or rather her helmet folded away and revealed her face. She had a smooth, youthful complexion with deep emerald-green eyes. She had unkempt blonde hair that was tied in a messy high ponytail. She slung her sword up on the shoulder plate of her armor, and spoke down to the rescued doctor, her voice dripping with distinct rebelliousness.

"You're in too deep, Beansprout. A heated fight is place for a knight, not an Assassin…"

She held her free hand down for the doctor and helped him get back up on his feet. He dusted himself off and said to the knight lightheartedly.

"You really need to stop making fun of my parameters, Mordred. Many thanks."

The armored Saber grinned.

"Don't mention it Jekyll." She casually punches away a demon that tried to jump her without concern or looking away. "I would've let the mutt (gestures to the spear-man) over there help you since he's closer, but he's got his hands full."

"I heard that…! Hyah!"

The blue-clad servant twirled his spear and slashed all the fiends around him in one stroke. Once they were knocked away, his spear lit a crimson flame. He yelled:

"Gae Bolg!"

The servant threw his spear, which in the blink of an eye impaled each demon, one after another, leaving a trail of red light. It reappeared in the Lancer's hand an instant later. All the demons stood frozen and then all collapsed dead, after which the spear-man relaxed. He walked over to the pair of servants, picking up the vial that Jekyll dropped.

The Lancer's name is Cu Chulainn; The Hound of Ulster, and Ireland's Child of Light. Known for defending the lands of Ulster against the armies of Connacht, wielding the crimson spear; Gae Bolg.

"Seriously lass, you're worse than the red archer…"

Mordred huffed as she was spoken down to by the Blue Lancer.

"Hmph, don't compare me to that smug bastard. And next time mutt…"

She scowled as she raised her sword to his neck threateningly. The Lancer was not at all fazed.

"If you call me lass one more time, you'll find my sword where your tail would be."

Jekyll stepped in to calm her. He knew all too well that it's never advisable to treat Mordred as a mere woman, or worse yet; a little girl.

"Now Mordred, I'm sure Cu here didn't mean anything by it…"

Mordred looked at the Assassin and relaxed a little. She lowered her sword away from Cu, and walked away un-apologetically.

"Whatever. Let's get moving. We've got a flying lizard to swat."

Her helmet folded back up, covering her head as she then ran down the street. The servants watched as she dashed towards their objective. Cu rested his spear on his shoulder and said to Jekyll.

"Calling me a mutt… How on earth do you put up with her?"

Jekyll just nonchalantly smiled and answered as he adjusted his glasses.

"I have my methods. I'm her doctor after all…"

"Right. Here…"

Cu hands Jekyll his vial.

"You should keep this dog on a leash."

"Thank you."

Cu Chulainn nodded, and then ran off to follow Mordred. Jekyll stared down at the vial with contempt.

The Assassin class servant was Dr. Henry Jekyll; the same psychologist who tried to separate himself from his baser desires, resulting in the split personality that was Edward Hyde; a greedy, murderous sociopath. That side of him was thankfully sealed in the concoction inside the vial, unless he drinks it.

Cu Chulainn shouts from a distance, snapping Jekyll's attention from the vial.

"Keep up! Don't want Saber taking all the glory do we?!"

Not at all, thought Jekyll. He stuffed the vial back in his coat and quickly followed, thinking about his friend; the rowdy Saber that was Mordred Pendragon: The Knight of Treachery as well as one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round. She was Chaldea's newest servant.

He heard Gudao's voice through a mental link.

-"Jekyll, Gabby is on her way to you with Astolfo and Arturia, ready for surprise attack. What's your status?"-

"Almost in position. ETA: 1 minute."

-"Excellent. We're counting on you guys…"-

The link closed. This was going to end soon, but Jekyll felt uneasy. Not for himself, but for his Saber friend.

The King of Knights was going to join the fray. Jekyll thought to himself in worry:

-Mordred is NOT going to like this…-

(Roar)

Arturia, Gabrielle and Astolfo were circling the target from afar on top of the Hippogriff. Their target was a massive black dragon that was held down in the city square. It was guarding a core of crystallized mana. It was important that they secure the crystal while taking out the drake, especially now it was isolated away from potential collateral damage. Before they could move, the other 3 servants on the ground will need to engage for a distraction. Gabrielle spoke through her command seals.

-"Mordred, Cu, we're in position. Jekyll, get ready to snatch the payload."-

The 3 servants were hiding around a corner, overlooking the courtyard. Mordred was the most eager for action while Cu and Jekyll were a bit tenser, but otherwise resolutely committed. Cu Chulainn whispered.

"We're ready."

-"Engage."-

Cu nods at Mordred and they both bolted into the courtyard. The drake noticed them and roared. The servant duo split apart as the dragon breathed a stream of fire their way. Cu charges his spear and throws it at the drake. It glances off the dragon's scales, causing it to turn its attention to him. Mordred takes the opportunity by jumping on top of its back with a burst of prana. She thrusts her sword down, barely piercing the dragon's skin but otherwise causing it to thrash about frantically. Mordred holds on to the spines on the dragon's back as it tried to throw her off, gradually moving away from its hoard. Cu yells at Jekyll.

"Go for it!"

Jekyll makes a break for the crystal. Thanks to presence concealment of the Assassin-class, the dragon will not notice him in the thick of battle. Cu slashes at the dragon's hind leg, barely leaving a scratch, only for the drake to turn and swing its tail at him; Cu leaps away to avoid it. Mordred is still holding on as the dragon tries to shake her off. She looks up and see's Astolfo's Hippogriff flying overhead.

"Hey Birdbrain! We can really use that NP of yours right about now!"

She hears him through Gabrielle's link.

-"Birdbrain? Mordred, a hippogriff isn't a -"-

"ASTOLFO!"

-"Oh, right! Coming up!"-

Nearby, Jekyll tries to lift the crystal, but it was embedded in the ground. He summons a knife and hacks away trying to break it free. Above, Astolfo flies his Hippogriff over the courtyard and summons an ornate gold/white cavalry lance. It glows while he chants:

"Trap of Argalia!"

He throws the lance down. It hits the ground near the dragon and releases a pulse wave that hits the dragon just as it at last throws Mordred off its back. The pulse caused the dragon's legs and wings to dematerialize and render it immobile. The dragon roars in frustration as it tries to move.

On top of the Hippogriff, Gabrielle turns to Arturia.

"This is it! Put that thing out of its misery!"

Arturia acknowledges resolutely.

"Yes master."

Astolfo circles the Hippogriff around for another pass.

"Alright! Hang on Gabby! We're going upside down!"

"Oh boy," Gabrielle whispers worriedly as she holds on tight to Astolfo before he makes his Hippogriff go into a roll. Arturia releases her hold on Gabrielle and allowed herself to fall down to Earth, reorienting as she plummets.

Cu dashes to Mordred and helps her get up. She shrugs him off and folds away her helmet, summoning her sword. Mordred grins wickedly as she sees the dragon struggling and charges her sword-

(CRASH!)

Mordred and Cu had to shield their eyes from the thick cloud of dust that suddenly appeared in front of them. As it cleared, they could make out the silhouette of a very familiar servant holding a sword. For Cu, it was a sort of nostalgic sight. But for Mordred, it was a bitter one.

The dust cleared, and the King of Knights raised her weapon above her head; The Sword of Promised Victory glowed bright gold in all its glory. Arturia glared at her target; an unholy abomination. Her sword was now ablaze with golden fire, growing as she charged it. She closed her eyes, letting harmony within.

"EX-"

The inferno that was her sword reached its apex. Arturia opens her eyes once more; this time, unleashing hurricane without.

"-CALIBUR!"

She swung the sword down, sending a massive wave of gold fire at the dragon. The wave hit the beast, pushing it backwards with tremendous force. It collapsed into a lifeless heap against the wall of a building. When it didn't respond, Astolfo cheered from the hippogriff.

"She did it!"

Gabby smiled at the sight. On the ground, Arturia was staring at the corpse of the dragon, panting from the amount of energy she spent. Cu was relieved, but Mordred was gritting her teeth frustratingly in the fact that her "father" just stole all of her glory.

-We don't need her!-

Gudao, Emiya, Jeanne, and Mashu just arrived on scene. Emiya whistled at the sight.

"Looks like we missed out on all the fun."

Mashu and Jeanne were ecstatic that the mission was just about over, but Gudao was not at all in a celebratory mood. In fact, he was concerned.

Jekyll at last freed the crystal from the ground. He carried it and contacted Gabrielle.

"Master, objective is secured. Awaiting evac'."

-"Great! Well done everyone!"-

Gudao suddenly spoke up.

"Wait Gabby. We're not finished yet…"

-"What are you talking about, Gu-dork? We have the crystal and the dragon is dead. So let's"-

(Multiple creature noises)

All the servants looked around in concern as Gabby was suddenly cut off. There were growing noises coming from everywhere. Mashu and Jeanne inched closer to Gudao ready to protect him. Before everyone knew it, there were swarms of demons coming from every crack, crevice, and rooftop. The entire courtyard was quickly flooding with them, and soon all the servants were surrounded. Gabrielle and Astolfo were watching everything unfold from above.

-This isn't good…-

Mashu batted away several fiends with her shield, doing her best not to let any reach Gudao. Jeanne impaled one with her rapier and swiped more away with her flag. Emiya fired several arrows at incoming demons as Gudao surveyed the battlefield with worry. He could see Arturia, Cu, and Mordred in a circle, fighting surrounding fiends. As for Jekyll, he was completely isolated. Gudao calls out to Gabrielle.

"Gabby! Jekyll needs help!"

On it!

Gabrielle instructs Astolfo.

"Get us down there. We're picking him up."

"Alright. Hold on!"

Astolfo pushes his hippogriff into a nosedive. Gudao sees them closing in when suddenly a stream of fire forces them back into a climb. Gabby reels from the sudden change of direction and asks:

"What the hell was that?"

"Uhh… master?"

Astolfo points down, and to Gabby's horror, the dragon had gotten back on its feet, staring right at them. It must have recovered in the midst of the battle.

"Dammit! That thing is still alive?!"

Gudao grits his teeth in frustration as the dragon lets out a roar. It was clear that he couldn't rely on Gabrielle at the moment.

"Sabers! Lancer! Get Assassin out of there! Archer, clear them a path!"

Emiya summons a spiral-shaped sword and loads his bow with it. He fires at the line of demons separating the 3 servants from Jekyll. In a flash of energy, the sword/arrow explodes and sends a group of them flying. The dragon roars again, setting its sights on the 3 servants before it. It breathes fire at the trio, forcing Cu and the 2 Sabers to separate, cutting them off. Arturia calls out to the Lancer, completely ignoring the red Saber with her.

"Get to Assassin! I'll handle this!"

Mordred yelled angrily:

"Like hell you will!"

Arturia was suddenly shoved out of the way just she turned to face the dragon. She collapsed to the ground as Mordred stood and lit up her sword with red electricity. Cu watched the whole thing unfold from the flames and yelled after watching Mordred's undignified action.

"Mordred! What are you-?!"

Mordred ignores him as she faces the dragon. Her armor dematerializes, revealing a red outfit underneath. It was made up a battle-skirt and sash showing midriff, arm and leg coverings, boots, and a band that covered the bare minimum of her chest. Mordred's sword lights in a crimson flame, letting her fury flow. This alerts Gabrielle from above.

"Mordred, you're out of line!"

Mordred ignores her as well.

"This is MY kill!

The dragon turns to her, roaring in challenge. Gabby wondered if she should use a Command seal to stop her, but it was too late as the red Saber started chanting.

"CLARENT-"

Mordred pulls her sword back.

"-BLOOD ARTHUR!"

She thrusts it down, sending her own wave of fire at the beast. It strikes the dragon, engulfing it in an inferno. Mordred pants tiredly, having exhausted most of her energy. Arturia looks up at the devastation she caused with disdain as Gudao watched from afar, panting from Mordred's huge expenditure of mana.

-I thought I told them to help Jekyll. What are they doing?!-

Cu forced himself to go after Assassin by himself. The servant in question was surrounded by demons and only had one free hand to defend himself with. As one of the fiends jumped while his back was turned, Cu throws his spear, impaling it. He was soon grabbed by 2 other demons who tried to claw at him. He struggled to get them off, as they seemed much stronger than before. One came close to biting his face when it was suddenly shot with an arrow, followed by another that grazed Cu's cheek as it struck the second demon holding him from behind. They both collapsed in a lifeless heap. The Lancer looked back to Emiya, who a moment ago aimed his bow at him, and summoned twin swords in its place. Lancer wasn't pleased at all at being indebted to this particular servant.

"Watch it! You tryin' to take may face off?"

Emiya just remarks sarcastically.

"My finger slipped…"

Jekyll throws a knife at a nearby demon, crystal still held securely with his other arm. Even with Cu here, it became clear to him that there were simply too many enemies. They would be overwhelmed at this rate. The Assassin debated whether he should let Hyde...

-No! I am not letting that monster loose for everyone to see!-

-Especially not her…-

Speaking of which, Mordred collapsed on one knee, exhausted from using her Noble Phantasm. That lizard should be nothing but ash right-

(ROAR!)

Mordred looked up in shock as the smoke cleared. The dragon was on its feet and charging towards her at incredible speed. Before she could process what was happening, she was tackled out of the way before the beast could trample her. She found herself on her back, aware of a familiar weight on top of her. Said person was already giving her a disapproving glare.

"What did you think you were doing?!"

Mordred sits up and argues with her "father."

"I was handling it!"

"Didn't look that way to me…"

"I don't need your help!"

(ROAR!)

The Sabers looked back at the dragon, which continued charging towards Jekyll. Gudao tried to warn the servant but by then it was too late. The beast brushed Jekyll aside like a ragdoll, causing him to drop the crystal he was carrying. The masters watched in horror as the dragon slammed its front claw down on the crystal, shattering it.

The dragon's body lit up, energized by mana released from the gem. It glowed brighter and brighter, engulfing the entire courtyard. Gudao yells to everyone.

"Take cover!"

Mashu stood right in front of Gudao and Jeanne, raising her shield. Cu grabs Jekyll off the ground and bolts. Astolfo flies Gabby towards safety just as-

(BANG!)

A wave of energy erupted from the dragon and expanded in a sphere. It hit Mashu's shield, only to completely engulf her and throw her backwards from the force. The Sabers were caught in the blast as Mordred tries to quickly summon her armor back in vain. Arturia could only watch as everything went white, then fade to black…

"END OF SIMULATION"

Arturia gasped for breath as she sat up in her pod. It became apparent to her that everything was still black. She grabbed the headset covering her eyes and pulled it off. Her eyes were met with blinding light but quickly adjusted, revealing a spacious lab with 9 other pods like hers in a circle. She saw her masters and fellow servants coming out the simulation. Like her, they were all dressed casually and completely unharmed. Some were visibly disappointed with the outcome of the mission. Mordred in particular almost ripped off her own VR set in frustration.

"Damn It!"

The PA came on with a male voice.

"Alright everyone, that's enough for today. Gudao, Gabrielle, Mashu; come up to operations room for de-briefing. Servants standby."

Gudao looks over to Gabby, who swiftly stood up and waited for him and Mashu. Before they left, Gudao looked around the room; the reality of failure and shame creeping in. He didn't know what to say to his servants, as they seemed to take that defeat harder than he or Gabby did. Had this been for real, the outcome would have been bleak to say the least. He looked to his fellow master for some kind of answer or remedy. Gabrielle could only look back at him with apology when it was clear she couldn't give him one. She felt at a lost just as he did. Gudao tried to address his servants in routine manner.

"We will call you guys when we're ready. Mashu…"

"Coming Senpai."

The Demi-servant looked around to the others as they left, feeling the uncomfortable tension in the room. She didn't say a thing as she followed the masters out, leaving the remaining servants alone with each other.

Jeanne, Astolfo, and Jekyll looked around at the other servants, unsure of what to do. Cu Chulainn was sat down staring at the floor lost in thought, occasionally firing a glare towards Emiya, whose undivided attention was on Arturia. The Archer could only stare in sympathy, hoping she would at the very least acknowledge him somehow. The Saber was solemn, avoiding the gaze of the others, namely Mordred's. The other Saber was sitting down gritting her teeth in anger. She was glaring at Arturia, growing more frustrated when she would not look at her. Mordred eventually averted her gaze and cross her arms in a huff.

Astolfo looked as though he wanted to say something to relieve the tension, but relented when he saw Jeanne slowly, and silently shake her head at him. It was made clear to the Rider that any word could make an already tense situation worse. Jeanne looked at her friend Arturia in worry, trying to grasp what the Saber could be feeling. The Ruler wished she knew, and maybe then could she help her. Jekyll had most of his attention on Mordred, who looked as though she wanted to punch something, but couldn't. He knew it was only a matter of time before the silence was too much for her to bear. And then-

Mordred uncrosses her arms and plants her hands down with an audible thud. She pushes herself out of her pod and stands up, almost stomping her way to the exit. She grumbles for everyone to hear.

"To hell with this. I am out of here."

No one bothered to stop her as she walked through the automated sliding-door and went out of sight. After a minute, Jekyll left by himself, not before saying solemnly:

"I'll see all of you at dinner tonight…"

The Assassin grabbed his coat and left calmly, going in the same direction Mordred had went. Cu eventually took his leave.

"Well this was fun while it lasted. See you lads later."

Once he was gone, Astolfo stood up, unable to bear the tension any longer. He tries to be cheery, however…

"Come on guys! You're not going to let one bad exercise weigh on you. I mean… we're still a team. Right?"

Arturia and Jeanne look at him apologetically, unable to share his enthusiasm. They looked away soon after. Emiya just glared, telling the Rider that it was an ill attempt to lighten the mood. Astolfo could only rub his arm awkwardly when he was met with silence.

"Oh. Uhmm… I'll just be… going…"

Astolfo was sullen as he walked out, feeling a bit ashamed of himself. When he was gone, Jeanne stood up calmly.

"I'll be in the chapel if anyone needs me. See you tonight Arty."

Without looking at her, Arturia lets out a barely audible:

"Later, Jeanne."

Jeanne looked at Emiya, silently asking him to be there for her friend.

-Shirou, help her. Please…-

Emiya, getting the message, nods in acknowledgement.

"Take care Emiya."

"See you tonight Jeanne."

Jeanne exits the lab, leaving Arturia and Emiya inside alone. Emiya is the first to break the prolonged silence, speaking to her as softly and carefully as he could.

"Saber…"

Arturia doesn't look at him. Emiya knew that look she wore. It was one of regret and self-loathing. Not unlike the way she looked standing on that bridge back in Fuyuki City years ago. It was a different time, and a different war.

"Don't shut me out. You can tell me whatever is-"

Arturia suddenly stands up and says.

"I'll be in the gym."

Her tone left no room for Emiya to say anything else. He stares astonished as Arturia leaves. Finding himself alone, Emiya lets out a sigh and ponders; whatever must be bothering his former servant, it must be serious if she did not confide in him or Jeanne, and it was affecting Chaldea as a whole. His masters, the other servants; they were all supposed to be fighting together to save humanity. Despite all of them being on the same side, today made one thing abundantly clear…

They were NOT a team.