Fate/Legion

Investigation Report

Now there are few things in life that scare me. Anything with tentacles is one. The loss of magic is another. Today, however, I learn a new fear. The fear of a raging Hercules.

I haven't the slightest idea where he came from, but with Medea taking Nero, Lily, and Artoria out somewhere, I have only Mordred to attempt to control him. Unfortunately, Mordred appears to be the problem. She holds Hercules' sword/axe in a dual wielding fashion with her own sword. Even with Hercules unarmed, he's nothing to scoff at. Mordred wildly swings her weapons, but her opponent brushes it off.

"Master!"

An armored Mordred tackles me to the ground. A wooden beam shot overhead like a cannonball, leaving the patio in splinters.

"RRRRRWWWWAAAAAAARRRR!", the behemoth bellowed. He rushed forward with killing intent against Mordred. Rather than dodge the charge, she met her attacker head on zealously. Despite being a virtual clone of Artoria, Mordred appears no different from Hercules. She only ever attacks, brutally.

She struck out with her weapons, but to no avail. When they made contact, Hercules was at top speed. Mordred, however, was only starting. The hulking Berserker had the momentum. Striking out with his elbow, he caught Mordred directly in the windpipe. She was hurtled backwards, crashing into the stone wall in the courtyard.

It was clear Mordred couldn't continue. Several of her ribs broke on impact. Battered and bloody, it was a strain for her to stand.

"Dammit! I shouldn't have let Medea leave. She'd run circles around this guy.", I cursed my short sightedness.

Hercules turned to me with a cruel rage. He lumbered towards me, ready to tear my limbs off. Mordred appeared in front of me. Standing ready to meet Hercules' final charge. She never would.

Hercules stood immobilized by a red scarf that wrapped around his ankle.

"Oh dear. I don't suppose you had good reason to leave yourself with only one servant?", a white haired woman nonchalantly declared.

Caren Hortensia, the Holy Grail war mediator. Like her father, the infamous Kirei Kotomine, she has taken on the role of mediator with an unusually sadistic pleasure. Her demeanor is that of a priestess, yet her body language seems to declare her a prostitute. She could teach me a thing or two about manipulation. In short, she's terrifying.

"Shouldn't you be looking into the unusual servant count?", I coldly hissed.

"That's actually why I'm here. We have indeed found the problem.", Caren declared, "Sasuke Emiya. Get over here now."

She ordered Emiya so quickly that I thought she was bluffing, after all she had not even looked. How could she tell if he was there? Sure enough, Emiya slowly marched his way towards us, his servants Enkidu and Jeanne in tow. What an idiot.

The priestess gave a warm smile, "Excellent. Now, please take a seat."

We obeyed silently while Caren pulled up a chair for herself. Clearly she had less than fortunate news, not that her presence was fortunate to begin with.

I whispered to Emiya when he sat next to me. "What took you so long? Your pet Berserker almost killed me."

"Sorry, Erickson. I got held up by Kariya.", Emiya whispered back.

I shot him a glare before whipping my hair back hard enough for it to hit him. Serves him right. Besides, what could he talk about with Matou? It's not as though Kariya knows I roomed with Emiya.

"So if the two of you are done flirting, I'll get started.", Caren mused. A crevice of a smile formed up on her lips.

I felt myself go red. Me!? With him?! No!
I-I.... I could never. It's not flirting and I wasn't worried about him! I just wanted him to get back here sooner! Wait, no! I meant I wanted him to get back here to control Berserker, that's all!

"Um, Erickson?", Emiya's voice draws my attention, "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright!", I snapped. I shot Caren a vicious glare. I wanted to make sure she knew not to suggest that again.

An awkward silence followed. Perhaps I shouldn't have snapped.

"Well", Caren began, "If that is settled, please order your servants to control your Berserker, as well as heal Saber."

Emiya nodded the affirmative to Enkidu and Jeanne. They did not hesitate to follow instructions. I suppose I should admire the trust they have for him.

"Very good. Now listen closely.", Caren leaned forward as though to give a secret, "We of the church have found the source of the unlimited servant count and the reason no master suffers any strain on their prana levels as a result. The Greater Holy Grail, which was believed to have been destroyed in the last war, has embedded itself into the living rock of Fuyuki itself."

"Wait", Emiya interrupted, "just what are you implying?"

Caren formed a sour frown. "I'm implying that the Greater Holy Grail is still in existence. What more is that it is leeching off the city. Grass, trees, bacteria, insects, animals, humans. I assume you've noticed how people are less responsive and often bordering on depression. There is, indeed, a reason for this. That reason is the excessive servant count."

Saying I was stunned was an understatement. My servants, slowly bleeding the town? I know all too well what this conspiracy means. I pray Caren neglects to tell Emiya.

"You've probably already guessed this. But should enough servants die in this grail war, the Greater Holy Grail will be capable of fully regenerating itself.", Caren announced.

Emiya's jaw fell open to the revelation. That bloody witch. She should've kept her mouth shut. A whole week of living with him let's me know full well that he won't let it go. He'll probably try to stop the fighting all together. Which means more time for the other masters to summon more servants, which means the grail becomes all the more powerful.

I wonder how Kariya is taking this?