Chapter 22 : Seventh day

Alessandro Serpi was on the phone with Giovanni Monteverdi X, in his hotel room in London after the horrific disaster that took place a few hours earlier in Regent's Park.

« Newscasts are already talking about it, Grand Master, now everyone knows what happened at Regent's Park. What should we do? »
« Nothing, disciple, for now nothing. It's not worth it to get so excited, but now explain to me again what happened, calmly this time. »
« Okay. So ... while I was fighting the Masters I realized that a Caster-class Servant had created magical territory by surrounding it with a barrier. During the battle the barrier was completely destroyed by a magical blow, made of light, which came from the outside. It looked like a Noble Phantasm. Then the earthquake started. »
« A Noble Phantasm? »
« The Servants present at Regent's Park were Assassin, Lancer, Caster, Archer and my Saber. Therefore it may have been the work of Rider or Berserker. »

« You will have to find out, disciple. I've already decided to send you someone who can help you. »

« Wait! No! I don't need … »

« The decision has already been made. Continue to fight and do not challenge my decisions. »

« Okay. I humbly ask for forgiveness, Grand Master. »

« Forgiveness is granted to you. »

« Thank you, Grand Master. Now back to work. »

« Excellent. »

Alessandro ended the call and sat on a nearby chair, after leaving a sigh of exasperation. The fact of not being able to challenge any choice of the Coven put him in difficulty and made him feel like a useless pawn who simply had to follow orders without ever protesting.
Saber left the bedroom wearing only the suit she usually had under her armor. Without leggings and without a cloak, the girl was almost unrecognizable.
Saber took off her laurel wreath and laid it on the dining table, then silently headed for the fridge to get something to eat. As soon as she turned her back on the boy, Alessandro couldn't help but look at her butt. He felt guilty and annoying in doing such a thing and so, without making a noise, he got up and walked quickly to the bathroom. He closed the door, undressed and got under the hot shower water.

Meanwhile, Saber took a bottle of wine out of the fridge and filled a glass goblet. After tasting a little, she licked her lips and said:
« The best of the best. »

Saber realized that Alessandro was in the bathroom washing himself and so, moved by curiosity, she began to rummage through the things of her Master. 

She found a small notebook from which came out a photograph of Alessandro as a child with his mother and his father. Turning the photo she noticed that it was written: "Where are you?". 

She went into the dining room, sat down on the sofa and, crossing her legs, began to sip her wine as she read the contents of the notebook. It was a sort of diary of secrets inside which, Alessandro, had written his thoughts, his sufferings, his doubts and even his loves. Saber noticed that the boy often asked himself about his father, so the girl immediately concluded that his father had abandoned Alessandro.

Suddenly Alessandro's furious hand tore the notebook out of Saber's hands. The boy, infuriated, exclaimed:
« What right did you have to peek into my stuff ?! »
Saber, without even looking at her Master, answered quietly:
« We need to know each other better, Master. I need to know what kind of person you are, otherwise I cannot know how you will behave in future battles. »
« To hell with it! It's just an excuse to poke your nose into matters that don't concern you! »

« I already told you that these things concern me … » 

« No, you're wrong! My past is not your business! End of the discussion! »

« Master … »
« End of the discussion! »
« Master, think … »
« I said: END OF DISCUSSION! » Alessandro screamed, angry.
The boy went into the bedroom, still wet and in a bathrobe, while Saber, who did not accept having to do with a Master who had secrets with her, decided to join him to reason with him.

Saber saw her Master sitting on the bed with a photograph of him and his parents in his hand. His fury seemed to have died out completely. His eyes were sad and shiny. Saber, seeing her Master in that state, asked him: 

« What happened to your father? »

« Why do you want to know? » He asked.
« I want to help you. »
« You can't do it, Saber. There is nothing left to do now. My father is no more. He died at least a year ago. »
« I'm sorry … »
« You don't have to mind, Saber. I learned of his departure I think ... five months ago from a member of the Coven. Obviously you're wondering how this is possible, well ... know that it's the same question I asked myself thousands and thousands of times. »
Saber sat next to Alessandro and, with a sympathetic voice, asked:
« Can I know what happened between you and your father? »

« He abandoned me, that's all. He left me and my mother when I was only seven. My mother never explained to me the reason for this but I know that like me she always hoped for a return. > 

« Do you want to bring it back to life? »

« No, no ... I'm not so selfish as to bring my father back to life just for my own good. But I would have liked to have answers. For years I tried to understand his reasons, his desires and for years I tried, with all my being, to track him down. That was my purpose. That was the only thing that made me feel alive, for some strange reason. I chased an eagle in flight and hoped to reach it with my hands, but that eagle disappeared. It disappeared into thin air. When I learned of my father's death, my whole life lost its meaning. What's the point of going ahead? What's the point of fighting? What I was fighting for no longer exists. My father died without giving me any answer, without even calling me once and I was not even able to attend his funeral. »

« Master … » 

« I'm sorry, Saber, for behaving that way with you ... but you have to understand that it is painful for me to remember that man who was my father. »

Saber put her hand on that of Alessandro then, with her other hand, brought the boy's face to her. Alessandro's heart began to beat like a drum, like Saber's. The two looked at each other in a moment of solemn silence. Saber approached him slowly, closing her eyes. Their lips were about to touch, gently. Alessandro closed his eyes and waited for the decisive moment. There was less than a breath between the two. Their hands were sweating, their hearts were leaping like kangaroos and their thoughts were completely blurred. They were so close, attracted like an iron magnet, and were driven by a powerful and warm energy that was ready to burst. 

The phone rang. The enchantment broke. The two stopped after taking a fright. Alessandro stood up quickly, hiding what had happened between his legs, and headed for the phone. He answered:

« Hello? » 

« Hi, dear, it's been a while since last time! » It was the voice of Yukiko.

« Yukiko ...? What do you want from me? »
« I knew you came to the hotel, a few days ago, did you have fun? »
« Oh … »
Alessandro had a memory gap, probably still had to recover from what had happened with Saber. As soon as he remembered his visit to the hotel, he exclaimed:
« Of course! Yes, that place full of disgusting homunculi! »
« You noticed, then. »
« Did you think I was stupid? »
« No, actually I was hoping you would see them. I needed it. »

« Why? » 

« I want to talk to you in private about something very important. Something about you. But there must not be your Servant, I want it to be a private discussion only between you and me. »

« Now do you really think I'm such a fool to do such a thing? »
« It's not a trap. »
« I don't trust you. »
« Marco Serpi. »
At that moment Alessandro paralyzed. Hearing that name made him stiffen and, shocked, asked:
« How do you know that name? That's my father's name! »
« Of OUR father, you should say. »
« What ?! »

« I won't tell you more, not this way. Let's meet tomorrow morning in front of the Tate Britain, we'll talk more about the two of us there. Nothing will happen to you, 

I promise. »

Lore : The Second Purge

Begun in 1813 by the will of the Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi VI. The intent of the Coven was to attack the heretics and Satanists who had been traced to Hamburg. Some historians suspect that the Grand Master was influenced by his friend Jules Leveque, who was a soldier in the service of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Second Purge ended around 1814 when the Russian Empire succeeded in freeing Hamburg.
During the Second Purge several people were killed, including:
. 3 witches
. 126 heretics (including 37 who were members of the Rote Mäntel organization)
. 19 pagans

Lore : Rote Mäntel

A magus organization of German origin. Its story is complicated enough to understand since the organization itself was not founded to welcome magi.
Its origins date back to 1241, when Hamburg officially became part of the Hanseatic League. The organization Rote Mäntel was initially occupied only in trade with London, Marseille and mainly with Bruges. The organization became particularly rich towards the end of the thirteenth century.
Like the rest of Hamburg, this organization embraced Lutheranism around 1532 and continued to do business in Belgium, France and England.
When, in 1598, London abandoned the Hanseatic League, the Rote Mäntel decided to strengthen their relations with some similar commercial organizations, some of which were based in Lübeck.
The Rote Mäntel approached magic only during the wars between the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Russian Empire (1812-14). The reason for this change that transformed the organization from a commercial body to a magi guild is probably to be found in the Second Purge carried out against the Rote Mäntel by the Coven.
To get their revenge, the Rote Mäntel, used their investments to have a well-stocked and even protected location. There they began to practice Magecraft and decided to attack the Coven in a clash between the magi during 1864. The Coven, being more experienced than the Rote Mäntel, succeeded in triumphing.
The organization in Hamburg decided to join the First World War hoping that it would be able to fight against the Coven, but this was not the case. With the rise of Nazism and the beginning of the Second World War, the Rote Mäntel left in 32 to Italy and killed many members of the Coven, about 200, during the Blutrache (lit. "Blood Vengeance").

The Rote Mäntel are so named because in the past and now the members of the organization stood out because they wore long red cloaks. This organization still has its headquarters in Hamburg and is constantly competing with the Coven.
The Rote Mäntel are commanded by a magus, elected by the majority, who takes the title of Roter Vater (lit. "Red Father") and by a magus chosen by the head of the organization that obtains the title of Rote Mutter (lit. "Red Mother").
Most of the organization's magi are Christians and many of them have inherited from Nazism the idea that not all human beings are equal. But for the Rote Mäntel it is not a question of race, but of power. In fact this organization is not racist but could be defined as misanthropic, in the sense that it despises all those who are not magus. In fact according to the Rote Mäntel the magus is superior to the common human being and for this it should have more rights than the latter.

Chapter 21 : All against all (part 2)

Tetsuya Murakawa was destroying, one by one, several creatures made of sand that had been evoked  by Sergei Rybakov.
At that moment Clovis Wolff arrived and threw two magic blue bullets, from his hand, at Sergei. Tetsuya, noting that the Russian magus had been knocked out of that attack, decided to start the attack on Clovis, without hesitation, but the latter fired four more magic bullets. Tetsuya avoided them and, with impressive agility, immediately reached Clovis and punched him in the face; Clovis did not fall to the ground, in fact, he counterattacked with a fist in turn; Tetsuya did the same. The two magus began to fight with their bare hands, but in the end Clovis fired a magic bullet that threw Tetsuya into the lake that was a few meters away from them.
Harumi, who was hidden behind a tree, thought of ordering Archer the retreat since the magi involved were too many.
Alessandro Serpi returned to the battlefield and the first thing he did was look for Harumi but he was hit by a magic bullet shot by Clovis. The two took a cold look:
« Rote Mäntel. » Alessandro said.
« Coven. » Said Clovis.
Alessandro got to his feet and, snapping his fingers, said:
« Dis. »
Clovis was pushed to the ground but got up immediately and, after firing three more magic bullets, jumped and hid behind a tree. Alessandro had managed to dodge the blows and exclaimed, snapping his fingers:
« Lignum. »
The tree behind which Clovis was hidden came to life and attacked the magus. Clovis had to load a deadly magic bullet to be able to destroy the living tree; then fired two more shots at Alessandro, who said snapping his fingers:
« Defendere. »
The bullets were blocked by a magic shield created by Alessandro. Clovis then said:
« You're pretty good for being so young. »
« I don't need your compliments, German magus. Go back to Hamburg and leave this war before getting hurt for real. »
« I see that the Coven still has problems with us. You just can't forget the past,
can you? »
« There is only one way to forget past sufferings, and it is to eliminate those who caused them. »
« Strong words for someone who is about to die. »

Meanwhile, Tetsuya came out of the lake. Tired and dazed, the man saw that Lancer had difficulty fighting. Tetsuya didn't have enough magic energy to give his Servant for another Noble Phantasm, however, he could at least upgrade her.
Tetsuya stood up and ordered Lancer:
« Lancer, fight! Destroy our enemies with this upgrade that I give you! »
Tetsuya used a Command Seal to greatly enhance Lancer's abilities. The Servant stood up and, with a combative smile, exclaimed:
« Thank you, Master! I will make good use of this strength! »
Lancer rushed at full speed against Saber, who had not expected an attack from behind; Saber was overwhelmed by Lancer's attack.
Archer, shocked, shot several arrows at Lancer but she parried them and then she jumped towards her enemy and kicked him over; then it was Caster's turn who, seeing Lancer coming, summoned about twenty beings made of ink that the warrior attacked. Lancer destroyed all those creatures easily and quickly and then it was finally time to kill Caster.
But at that moment a Noble Phantasm was launched.
It looked like a slash of sunlight that shattered Caster's barrier and hit Lancer. The blow came from outside the magic area created by Caster but nobody had any idea what kind of attack it was.
Tetsuya immediately rushed to rescue Lancer, who was injured but not mortally.

Meanwhile the other Masters tried to understand what kind of attack had been launched. At that moment there was a strong earthquake. Sergei, frightened, exclaimed:
« No! Not another time! »
Huge chasms opened in the ground and the Masters were forced to retreat along with their Servants. What happened at Regent's Park was similar to the Ibaraki Disaster.

Chapter 20 : All against all (part 1)

Alessandro Serpi was a very powerful magus. When Harumi realized what kind of adversary she was dealing with, she got scared. She had never faced such a strong magus and she didn't know how to behave.
Alessandro Serpi saw the girl tremble and decided to get away from her. He approached the Regent's Park lake and, snapping his fingers, said:
« Aqua. »
The lake started to move and suddenly an immense jet of water appeared and surrounded Alessandro, obtaining a serpentine form; the boy snapped his fingers again and said:

« Ledo. » 

The water launched, with incredible power, towards the girl who quickly dodged; the jet of water crushed the tree in two then turned and attacked the girl again. Harumi had to dodge three more shots and then quickly ran to find a shelter.

Alessandro was getting bored. He no longer wanted to fight that way but didn't notice that behind him was Tetsuya, who had already recovered.
Tetsuya took Alessandro by the shoulder, turned him towards him and hit him with a fist in the face that made him fly to the ground. Happily, Tetsuya exclaimed:
« Take this, you good for nothing brat! Now you're not arrogant anymore, huh? »
The jet of water returned to the lake, like a snake escaping into its own den. Alessandro got back on his feet almost immediately and at that moment he said to Tetsuya, with a satisfied smile:

« I congratulate you for hitting me once. » 

« Fuck you. »

« Stop making the big guy, you don't scare me, don't you understand it yet? I can safely kill you like nothing. »

« You still do the asshole, I see. Very well, then I'll break your face! » 

Tetsuya dashed forward at high speed but at that moment he saw a black sand mastiff coming to attack him. He immediately turned and hit it with a kick.

Alessandro turned and saw Sergei Rybakov coming; the man said:
« I hope I haven't interrupted you. »
« And who are you? » Alessandro asked, puzzled.
« My name is Sergei. Sergei Rybakov. I see you're busy fighting Murakawa. »

« You are perceptive. » Tetsuya said in a sarcastic tone. 

The black mastiff tried again to attack Tetsuya but the latter hit it with a punch so strong that made it return a heap of black sand. 

Alessandro saw a magic circle appear under his feet on which a bird was drawn and suddenly he was thrown into the air; Harumi, who had created the circle, made another on which both a tiger and a bird were drawn; she jumped in and jumped to reach Alessandro in mid-air and hit him with a fist that made him fall into the trees.

Harumi attenuated her fall by evoking another magic circle on which a turtle was drawn. She fell to her feet and did not injure herself, but realized that Tetsuya had recovered and that Sergei had joined the battle. Fearing failure to fight both she hid behind a tree to avoid being seen.

Meanwhile Saber, Lancer and Archer were fighting each other. No one had gained a real advantage over the other but at that moment Sergei's Servant also intervened; Saber and Lancer were able to avoid the black smoke knives that the Servant had thrown and then Saber leaped and tried to decapitate the enemy, but without success. The girl distanced herself and exclaimed, shocked:
« I went through you! Bastard, you're like a ghost! »
« Exactly! » He exclaimed throwing three more knives.

Saber avoided them with a leap backwards, landed on a tree branch; near her came Archer who said to her: 

« That Servant is a finger in the ass, I tell you right away. »

« Looks like an Assassin. » Observed Saber.
« I think so too. »
« Why can't we hit him? »
« I have no idea, honey. » Archer answered by winking at her.
« I propose a truce between us for now, at least until we have defeated that Servant. »
« Seems acceptable, baby. What do you want me to do? »
« You have to cover me. »
« Do you have a plan? »
« Yes. »
Saber came down from the tree and with the drawn sword went to Lancer, running, and exclaimed:

« Hey, Lancer! Do you want to dance a little more with me? I'm ready to make you cry a 

little more! »

« Be quiet! » 

Lancer launched herself towards her opponent, with the spear pointed frontally; Assassin, meanwhile, noticed that the two Servants were about to collide and threw four daggers at them; Saber immediately noticed Assassin's move and with immense agility jumped towards Lancer, grabbed her spear and, turning, made Lancer lose her balance, making her fall to the ground; quickly, Saber, kicked Lancer and sent her flying towards Assassin, the latter remained motionless knowing that he would not be hit by Lancer's helpless body. 

Saber cunningly went around and, with her sword drawn, took Assassin from behind, he dodged Saber's slash and the latter avoided Lancer's body, which slammed into a tree.

Saber, with a victorious grimace, muttered to herself:
« I knew it. »

As soon as Assassin landed, Saber exclaimed:

« Archer! Hit Assassin! »

Archer shot two arrows and Assassin avoided one but as soon as the second passed through him Saber was near to Assassin; Saber slashed a blow that wounded Assassin at his side, the latter immediately moved away and slumped to the ground. Saber commented with a smile full of pride:

« So that's how your skill works, Assassin. Only one object at a time can pass through, interesting. I guess the fact that you suffered a wound weakens you a little. »

« May you be cursed, Saber! How did you guess my power? »

« I've only had luck. »

« Damn! » Assassin exclaimed, unnerved. 

At that moment a sort of magic blue bubble was generated around Regent's Park. It was a magical area created by Caster who came to the battlefield with the open book and goose feather in his hand.

As soon as Archer saw Caster he shot an arrow to eliminate him immediately but it was destroyed by a human being completely made of ink. 

Caster, commenting on Archer's failed attack, said:

« If you thought you could kill me with so little, you were wrong! The ink of my words communicates to people and people protect me so that I continue to write about their world. There is nothing you can do to stop me. »

Archer then exclaimed, smiling:

« Don't brag too much, Caster! A few little men of ink won't stop me from killing you! »

«We'll see. »

Lore : The Sunaharas

A fairly well-known magus family in Japan. It has always been at the side of the Tohsaka family since the post-war period but has never been able to match it or overcome it. The magi of the Sunahara family are generally quite weak having little magical energy in them, however there is an exception and this is Sunahara Hisae. This girl is a magus who can literally move objects with her mind. Hisae has become, due to her great skill, the main representative of the Sunahara family.
The family also works in the Mage's Association.
The best known members of the Sunahara family are listed below:

. Sunahara Koshiro (founder of the family born around 1852)
. Sunahara Atsuko (aunt of Hiro and Hisae, younger sister of Kazuo)
. Sunahara Kunisada (uncle of Hiro and Hisae, elder brother of Kazuo)
. Sunahara Kazuo (father of Hiro and Hisae)
. Sunahara Chieko (married into the family, mother of Hiro and Hisae)
. Sunahara Hiro
. Sunahara Hisae

The Sunaharas never took part in the Holy Grail War that happened in Fuyuki and, as a family, they were never interested in having the Holy Grail.
That said, this family cannot be considered completely "clean" since Sunahara Kunisada, brother of Kazuo, was expelled by the Mage's Association because he had tried to summon a demon in the human world. The fate of Kunisada was decided by Kazuo, who chose not to kill him and to have him emigrate to the United States without saying anything to the Mage's Association.
Tohsaka Tokiomi learned about Kazuo's plan and decided to inform the Mage's Association. Kunisada was killed in the USA and Kazuo was demoted by passing from the Pride: Law rank to the Fes: Festival rank.
Most of the magi of the Sunahara family have a modest number of Magic Circuits, about 22 or 23. The exceptions are:

. Sunahara Hiro who owns 20 Magic Circuits
. Sunahara Hisae who is said to possess 47 Magic Circuits

Extra : Alessandro's hotel room

A premise: the proportions of the objects are not exact. My aim was only to give a general idea of the hotel room and the positioning of some objects. Nothing more.

Chapter 19 : The war begins

Regent's Park.

Alessandro Serpi was leaning against a column of a pavilion that overlooked the park's lake. He waited, with his arms crossed and anxiety in his heart, for the arrival of his enemies. The idea of fighting in the park was Saber's, who was excited to fight his first enemy; even the strategy bore Saber's signature: the plan was to attract the attention of the Masters in order to start the battle.
Alessandro, obviously, was against this idea but Saber was immovable and so the poor boy found himself at two in the morning in a park to await the arrival of the other Masters.

Saber was warming up with several slashes, the girl was visibly anxious to fight; 

Alexander told her:

« Nobody is coming, Saber. »

« Are you tired? »

« No,but … »

« Then we can wait a little longer. I'm sure everyone will come! »

« Let's hope not … »

« You don't have to worry, Master, I can easily deal with every Servant without any problem! I could even defeat two hundred Servants completely alone! » She exclaimed, in a haughty tone.

« Saber, have you noticed that you are enjoying yourself a little too much? Maybe you should be careful what you talk about, you could look bad at the time of the battle. »

« Do you doubt my abilities? »

« A little bit … »

At that moment Murakawa Tetsuya arrived. The man saw Saber sheathe the weapon. The girl, smiling, exclaimed:

« So my first enemy has arrived! Where is your Servant? »

« Soon she will be here, don't worry. But where is your Master, little girl? »

« Here. » Alessandro replied.
Tetsuya saw a young boy with a black robe emerge from the pavilion. He was the Master of Saber: Alessandro Serpi. When Tetsuya saw him he sighed, unnerved, and exclaimed:
« Another brat? Really? Holy shit, this must be a fucking joke. This Holy Grail War is turning into a diaper battle for children. How disgusting! I had heard that the Saber class was the most prestigious, with the best Servants, it's embarrassing to see that there is a brat having a similar Servant. »
At that moment Lancer arrived. Tetsuya, seeing his Servant, exclaimed with a sadistic smile:

« Good, now that my Servant has come let the dances begin. I'll crush your little dickhead, you brat! » Tetsuya launched himself at Alessandro. The boy didn't move an inch. He snapped his fingers and said:

« Dis. »
An invisible force overturned Tetsuya and dropped it on the green ground. The shocked man did not know how to explain such an event. He got up and grumbled, annoyed:
« You've had luck, brat. »
Tetsuya launched himself again against Alessandro hoping to attack him with a punch in the face but Alessandro snapped his fingers again and repeated the same word:
« Dis. »
The man was overturned again. When he stood up again, he shouted:
« What the fuck is that stuff ?! What kind of magic is that ?! Are you doing the tough guy with me, asshole? I'll smash that dickhead like nothing! »
« Okay, fine. » Alessandro said.

« Of course that's fine, asshole! » 

Tetsuya took a tree and uprooted it from the ground and then, with a superhuman strength, threw it against Alexander. The boy snapped his fingers and said:

« Defendere. »

The tree collided with a sort of invisible shield that appeared before Alessandro Serpi. The tree fell to the ground making a big thud, the boy was uncut. 

Tetsuya was shocked, he could not believe his rival was so strong. Alessandro cast a cold glance at the man and said:

« Is that all? Did you really think that a magus capable only of strengthening his physical abilities was able to face a magus of the Covenn? Are you kidding me? I didn't train to be defeated by garbage. »

« How ... dare you ?! How the fuck dare you ?! Son of a bitch! » Screamed Tetsuya. 

« So far you haven't been able to hit me once, what are you hoping to get screaming like crazy? Wouldn't you be better off silencing and studying a way to hurt me? »

« Fuck you. Lancer! Attack that Saber! »

Lancer immediately obeyed and launched herself at Saber. 

The two warriors exchanged several shots but then Lancer kicked Saber's belly, and the latter flew to the ground. Lancer, with a proud tone, exclaimed:

« You remind me Rider: you are stupid in the same way. »

Saber stood up and, after cleaning her cloak, showed a victorious grin. Lancer did not understand her rival's reaction and asked her, confused:

« Why do you have that smile? Do you find it fun to be knocked out by your rival? »

« No, I laugh because fate played a bad trick on you, Amazon. »

« What are you talking about, Saber? » Lancer was getting nervous.

« First, let me tell you an anecdote about me. When I was still alive, one day, a senator laughed at me and thought of humiliating me just because I loved things that for my people were considered for women, this senator had the courage to insult me in front of the Senate, but I proudly stated that there was nothing wrong with being considered women. I told them that there was nothing wrong with being considered women because one of my favorite peoples, the Amazon, was made up of brave warrior women who were as good as a thousand men. In your opinion, 

what is the moral of the story? »

Lancer didn't know what to answer. She was confused by Saber's words, but the latter said with a triumphant smile:

« You really don't get it, Penthesilea's Nurse? »

Lancer then realized that Saber had guessed her true identity. Enraged she decided to attack her immediately but Saber parried several shots and, after avoiding a seventh shot of Lancer, counterattacked with a slash that made Lancer's helmet splash into the air. 

Saber, with a proud grimace, exclaimed:

« Destiny is against you, Amazon. I know your real name. Surrender and let yourself be killed, otherwise you will die like a worm! »
« Who do you think you are ?! You can't face me! I will kill you, Saber! »
Lancer turned to Tetsuya and asked:
« Master, am I allowed to use my Noble Phantasm? »
« Do it, Lancer. Let's finish this battle. Let's show these fools how to fight. »
« Very good! »
Lancer got into position. Her spear began to shine. The woman threw her spear upwards and then jumped and screamed:

« Congratulations on discovering my true identity, Saber, but now the game ends here! 

You are dead! »

Around Saber sprang five astral spears, made of light, and Lancer screamed at that moment:

« My name is Cleta, bastard! Die! Katadíki Tou Krótona! 

(My Condemnation of Crotone) » 

Lancer hurled her spear which, together with the other five, hit Saber generating a giant explosion of light that made the ground tremble. 

Tetsuya was sure his Servant had managed to kill Saber. The smoke dissipated completely. 

Saber had disappeared and with her Alessandro Serpi.

Tetsuya immediately realized that probably neither was dead.
Lancer was hit from behind by a kick by Saber while Tetsuya was overturned by a push generated by Alessandro.
Lancer was shocked to see that Saber had not even been injured and, infuriated, screamed:
« How the hell did you survive? »
« Did you really think that to defeat a Heroic Spirit of my caliber was enough a single Noble Phantasm launched by a third-rate Lancer? Do not make me laugh! I'm beyond your abilities, Cleta! Haven't you figured it out yet? This battle will be your last. »

« To hell with it! I won't let you defeat me, Saber! »

Lancer took a running start and threw herself at her rival and, holding the spear, prepared to stab Saber. Suddenly an arrow was shot but Lancer was fast enough to parry it in mid-air.

Archer joined with Fukano Harumi. 

Saber turned and saw Archer coming down from a tree with Harumi on his shoulders; the girl went to the ground. Archer, with a respectful bow, introduced himself to Saber:

« I am Archer and the princess with me is my Master, Harumi. I guess you're Saber, am I right? »

« Exactly! I'm glad to see an Englishman in this war! »

« How did you guess I'm English? » Archer asked, worried.

« Your armor, your way of behaving and even that mustache… I know a lot of things, Archer. I know all about England, France, Germany and Egypt! » Exclaimed Saber with pride.

« That armor… are you Roman? » Asked Archer, intrigued.

« Exactly! But who do you think I could be? »

« It would be interesting to find out. Let's see what we can do about it. »

While the three Servants began to fight among themselves, Harumi headed towards Tetsuya, who was stunned. The girl approached him and immediately noticed that he was still breathing, so she decided to prepare a spell to give him the coup de grace but at that moment she saw a boy wearing a robe approaching her: Alessandro Serpi.
Harumi, seeing Alessandro, prepared to face him and he stopped ten paces from her. Alessandro's gaze was as cold as ice and she could sense that the boy emanated much magical power. Alessando told Harumi:

« I put that stubborn son of a bitch to sleep, so it's just you and me in this fight. » 

« I had guessed it by myself. »

« Good. Want to make the first move or wait for an official invitation? »
Harumi created a magic circle in front of her, on which a tiger was drawn, threw herself into it and then, clenching her fist, threw herself towards Alessandro. The boy snapped his fingers and said:
« Dis. »
The girl was pushed back and thrown against a tree. Harumi, panting from the pain, tried to get up and, with a trembling voice, asked:
« What did you do? »
« I threw you back. It is a kind of force push made to ward off threats. At the Coven this is the first Magecraft we learn. Use little mana and it is very useful. »
« Coven...? Did the Catholic Church send you? »
« Yes and no. None of your business. »
« What do you want to do with the Holy Grail? »
« It's none of your business. » Repeated Alessandro.
« Your powers are abnormal ... do you really use mana? »

« Haven't you figured it out yet? » 

Harumi knew the world of magic and spells perfectly. He knew that a magus to cast a spell used Magic Circuits, this was the way to be able to use magic energy. But Alessandro Serpi had no Magic Circuits visible in his body. He used a completely different method to cast spells.

The amount of mana in Alessandro's body suggested that he was a sort of ancient magician, a very powerful expert magician, yet he was just a young boy. Had the Coven found another way to cast spells? Was this really possible?

Harumi asked his rival: 

« Why don't you have Magic Circuits? All the magi of this war use Magic Circuits to be able to cast spells, that's what we use to make Magecraft. You don't have Magic Circuits and yet you can make Magecrafts. How? »

Alessandro remained motionless for a moment, with a shocked look, without words. Then, a little at a time, a small grin appeared, which turned into an amused smile and finally exploded with laughter. The boy laughed and laughed as if he had been told a joke. Harumi was confused: what was so funny about her question?
Alessandro calmed down and, wiping his tears, replied:
« Forgive me, really… forgive me, but I never imagined such a question from a magus. Holy Mary, what a sweet irony. Tell me, according to you I wouldn't be a magus? »

« Are you? »

« See it for yourself. »

Alessandro raised the sleeve of his robe and showed the Magic Circuits that stretched along the arm. Harumi, shocked, had no idea that his opponent had so many Magic Circuits, but she probably feared it because of the enormous amount of mana he gave off. 

Alessandro Serpi lowered his sleeve and Harumi, still puzzled, asked him the fateful question: 

« How many Magic Circuits do you have? »

« 255 Magic Circuits. »
Harumi, shocked, asked, stammering:
« Does this mean that you belong to a magus family? »
« Details that don't concern you. » He replied going towards the girl.
Alessandro approached Harumi and, looking at her from the top down, exclaimed:
« Now I hope you understand that you can't win this battle. A small magus like you will never be able to face me. »

Chapter 18 : Rybakov's suspicions

In the dark streets of London, in a narrow city alley, Sergei Rybakov was sitting on the asphalt holding a notebook and a pencil. He was writing a poem. At that moment his Servant appeared and told him:
« This city will be wiped out by the Holy Grail War. »
« What do you deduce it from? » Asked Sergei annoyed for being disturbed.
« I perceive very strong Servants and even magi with great magical power. The matter is getting really dangerous. »
« If you say so … »
« You don't seem very attentive to my words. What are you writing? »
« A poem. »
« Are you a poet? »

« да. »

The Servant approached with his open hand to take the notebook but Sergei jumped up and exclaimed:

« Don't touch my stuff. This is my poem, it's doesn't concern you. »
« I was curious to read it. »
« It doesn't concern you. »
« Why not? Are you afraid of being a bad poet, Master? »

Sergei put his notebook in the inside pocket of his brown leather jacket and, with a brusque manner, stepped forward with his shoulder to his Servant. 

The man headed for the Grand Entrance of Hyde Park where, to his surprise, he met six men dressed in black suits carrying a large wooden crate in the park. The men hadn't noticed him, thankfully. Sergei's Servant came up behind him and whispered:

« I feel magical energy escaping from that crate. »

« What do you think it is? »

« It could be a great ceremonial object ... or a magic weapon. »

« A magic weapon? Do Masters use such large magical weapons? »
« I never said it was a Master's weapon. »
« Do you think there are other people involved in this war? »
« There are always. »
Sergei Rybakov decided to sneak into the park to see what was in that crate. He followed the men in black, being careful not to make any noise. He saw those men stop on the banks of the Serpentine Road; the men opened the crate and pulled out four shovels and began digging a hole. One of the men, meanwhile, took out a gold chest which had some special decorations that reminded the branches of a tree. The chest was buried under the ground. The men covered the tracks well, making sure to compact the soil perfectly.
Sergei saw those people use a card through which they cast a spell that hid the evidence of their work. The men closed the crate, after having put away the shovels, and left.

Sergei decided to leave. 

« Why didn't you get that golden chest back? » The Servant asked, once the two had left the park.

« Because I don't care. I'm not going to make the wrong people angry. I have a war to fight, I can't make other enemies. » He replied.

« As you wish, the responsibility is yours, Master. »

« I know, I don't need to hear it from you. »

At that moment both Sergei and his Servant saw, in the distance, Lancer jumping from one roof to another. Sergei, initially astonished to see that Lancer was still alive, asked his Servant:

« What should we do, in your opinion? »

« Lancer is going to fight. A battle awaits us, Master. »

« Do you want to have fun kicking some ass? »
« I have no problems with that, Master. »
« So be it! пойдем на войну! »

Chapter 17 : War

Alessandro Serpi was in front of the mirror. He was putting in place the black robe of the Coven, he wanted to get rid of all the wrinkles and clean it from dirt. Behind him, lying on the bed, was Saber. The girl was prone, with her head resting on one hand and her legs in constant motion; she wore only the upper part of a white shirt and played chess with Alessandro.
« You're good enough for chess, Master. » She said.
« What do you deduce it from? »
« You can find the time to make yourself beautiful in front of the mirror, while you have to face your opponent in a strategic game. In my day these things didn't even exist. »

« You'll learn quickly, I'm sure. »

Saber moved the tower and Alessandro, without even looking, said:

« Queen eats the tower. »
« What? No! How did you do? »
« I have the impression that you're doing it on purpose. » Observed Alessandro.
« Why do you say that? »
He turned to her and replied:

« Because you often make the same mistakes, as if you were repeating them 

on purpose. »

Saber made a mischievous grin and, moving her bishop, exclaimed:
« Checkmate. »
Alessandro took a look at the board and realized that Saber had actually trapped the king. Sighing, the boy commented:
« See? You're not denied for this game, and maybe you weren't even before. Why did you repeat those mistakes on purpose? What did you hope to get? »
« A strong enemy to defeat. » She answered lifting the black king of Alessandro.
« Let me understand better. »

« In war there is not only victory or defeat, there is something else. »

« What? »

« The legend. There is a big difference between a trivial war and a war that is told. The first is forgotten, the second becomes a legend that will remain forever in the memory of humanity. But to be able to carry out such a war, a war that is narrated, one must know how to create an enemy that is worthy of being defeated. This is what I did with you: I gave you small victories but then I inflicted the great defeat on you. »

Alessandro took a chair and sat down in front of Saber and thought: 

« However your tactic is risky. An enemy that wins gains morale and therefore becomes more dangerous. And what happens if that enemy can take great advantage from those little victories? How can you hope to defeat him? »

« The advantage is never in the hands of those who win but it is in the hands of those who know how to win. You can get a win or you can get twenty wins, nothing changes, if those victories have been granted to you, that means you don't know how to win and therefore you will lose when the victory is no longer granted. Who knows how to win always knows how to win, even when it seems to be at a disadvantage. »

« And if your enemy knew how to win? »

« Do you think it's so easy to learn to win? To know how to win, you must triumph over an army that confronts you without giving you any victory. When the enemy army gives you victories it threatens your experience because it falsifies it with an illusion, with a lie. How can you learn to win based on a lie? »

« But what is the purpose of all this? What is it for? »

« To be remembered. Your allies and foreigners must believe that the enemy you are facing is really strong, that he is a great leader. Your equal. By selling this innocent lie you will create your myth, your legend, winning the battle against the enemy. The ultimate goal is to be remembered forever. The aim is to have a name that can never be erased from history. »

« But what is the use of having a war that is told? What is the purpose of it? »

« A legend can change the world and people's way of thinking. A legend can make you divine, both good and bad. The war as an end in itself is useless, it is a joke of bad taste. The war must have a following, it must have a story that is told. Only then you can scare your enemies and be loved by your friends. »
Alessandro saw Saber's eyes shining with pride and joy. The girl was obviously enthusiastic. Intrigued, he asked her:
« Do you have any wishes? »
« Me? »
« Yes, do you have any desire to ask the Holy Grail? »

« Ah … » Saber sighed with a melancholy look. 

The girl got up from the bed and looked out the window. With her eyes focused on the afternoon sky she replied to Alessandro:

« I have many desires: I would like never to have been killed by those whom I considered my friends, I would like to be able to reincarnate to restart the conquest ... no ... maybe these desires are
stupid … »
« What is your greatest wish, Saber? »
« My greatest wish? Well … »
Saber remained silent thinking about it and then answered, turning to Alessandro:

« My greatest desire is to be able to rejoin the woman I loved most of all. A very powerful queen, the most beautiful of all queens. I would love to be with her for eternity. »

"A beautiful desire." thought Alessandro. Saber's desire was to be able to spend eternity with the person he loved, this was what spurred her to move forward. 

He was not like her, he was aware of this. He had no desire for the Holy Grail. He was forced to fight the Holy Grail War but at the same time, when he felt Saber's desire, he thought it was unfair and selfish to do less just because he had no desire. 

Saber had a wish and Alessandro convinced himself to fight so she could make it happen.

He approached the girl and, looking her straight in the eyes, said to her:
« I promise you that I will make it come true. Together we will win the Holy Grail War and you will be able to embrace your beloved one again. I promise you, Saber. »
Saber was shocked by the benevolence of her Master and with a smile, and tears in her eyes, she said:
« Thank you, Master. You have no idea how much better it makes me knowing it. »

Lore : Perceive mana

The ability to perceive mana is something that all the magi have in common. This innate ability allows to perceive the magical presence of other magi and Servants, however it is not a localization system that allows to find a magus or a Servant, it's like a "sixth sense" that simply warns the magus that there is a disorder in the surrounding environment.

The radius of this perception varies depending on the power of the magus that perceives and depending on the magical energy of the magus that is perceived. 

A magus generally cannot perceive magical energy outside of a New York-sized area.

Chapter 16 : Friends and enemies (part 4)

Hiro returned to his hotel room with Rider. Yukiko was in the kitchen preparing food. The girl's gothic clothes had been placed on the bed, Yukiko wore more homely clothes with an apron. When the girl saw Hiro entering the kitchen she asked him:

« Where have you been the night? »
« Around. » He replied.
« All night? »
« Does it seem strange to you? »
She turned to him with an intrigued grin and asked, again:
« Why do you avoid answering my questions? »

« Because like you told me this is my war, not yours. So what I do is none of your business. »

« I like the answer. Make yourself comfortable, I'm preparing fish. »

« I'm not hungry. »

Hiro left the kitchen and settled himself comfortably on the sofa. He turned on the television to watch some movies. Hiro didn't feel like talking to Yukiko. 

Rider's criticisms had made him understand that he was too good, too kind as a Master. He couldn't deny that it was true. However, despite the veracity of Rider's words, Hiro felt bad about being so immature, so inexperienced.

Yukiko, meanwhile, placed a plate of fried fish on the table in front of Hiro, then went to the bedroom to change clothes. Hiro completely ignored the meal and kept his eyes glued to the TV. Rider came and took the plate, sat down next to Hiro and began to eat the fish. Her satisfied face immediately made the boy realize that Rider's favorite food was fried fish. "So it wasn't for me," Hiro thought. Was Yukiko aware of Rider's favorite dish? Or was it just a coincidence that Rider really liked fried fish? 

Yukiko knew too much, of this Hiro was aware of it. But he knew that she worked for some sort of secret organization, but he didn't know anything about it: he didn't know the name, he didn't know the venue and he didn't even know its purpose in the Holy Grail War.

Hiro turned and saw Yukiko leaving the room in her usual white gothic dress. The girl smiled at Hiro and asked him:
« Do you like me so much that you can't stop looking at me? »
« What ...? No! No! You misunderstood! I didn't want to stare at you ... I swear! It's just that … »
« I'm kidding, relax! » She exclaimed, laughing.

« Sorry, it's ... I have so many things on my mind. » 

Yukiko approached Hiro and leaned against the sofa and asked curiously:

« Have you got so many things on your mind? What kind of things? »
« I know there are many things you haven't told me. »
« Because there are so many things you don't need to know, Hiro. »
« This doesn't help me at all! I need to have at least someone I can trust! It almost seems to me that everyone wants my bad! » Exclaimed Hiro, nervous.
« What did you expect from a war? Did you expect to be surrounded by friends who love you and pamper you? »

« No, but I want to know who my friends are and who my enemies are. Right now I can't understand it and it bothers me. » 

« This is because you lack experience, as I told you last time. You lack experience and therefore you cannot understand that nothing is well defined in war. Whoever is your friend can become your enemy, whoever is your enemy can become your friend. You can't know. Do you know who you have to trust, Hiro? Rider. Although now it seems to me that you are not going along very well. Can I know why? »

« We have ... divergences. »
Hiro then asked Yukiko:
« Why did you say the first time we met that I was the perfect magus to win the war? I doubt you're not a magus, you should have noticed that I'm not that strong. »
« What makes you believe you're weak? »
« I was defeated by a certain Murakawa Tetsuya. An asshole magus that compared to me looked like a goddamn god who came down to Earth to kick my ass. Against him my powers were useless. Does this look normal? »
« Do you think I lied just to convince you to participate in the Holy Grail War? You really are paranoid, sweet Hiro. »

« You're insulting my intelligence, Yukiko, I don't like that. Don't make fun of me, I know you're plotting something. Maybe you're using me to reach an end that I don't know yet, 

but I'm not stupid. » 

Yukiko saw the look of Rider, who was approving Hiro's attitude; sighing, the girl walked away from Hiro and left the hotel room, knowing she would never be able to win that argument.

When Yukiko left the room, Rider complimented Hiro:
« You did well, Master, to face that girl. »
« Thank you, Rider. I'm glad to know that I have your approval. »
« You don't have to do it for my approval, but for your own good. »
Hiro got up from the couch and headed for the front door. He locked it and told Rider:

« I want to see that tome. »

« What tome? » Asked Rider, perplexed.

« The one that Yukiko didn't want me to read. She must have left it here somewhere. »

Hiro started searching among Yukiko's things but couldn't find the book. He needed answers, he wanted to know what was happening and what Yukiko was planning in reality. 

He glimpsed a plastic card inside a notebook. He picked it up. The card was green and there was a photo of Yukiko with her name, her age, her date of birth, her rank and then there was also a sort of code. Hiro read:

« Name: Yukiko. Surname: Kumahira. Age: 25 years. Date of birth: August 8, 1996. Rank: Priestess. Identification Code: 819YK96. »
Hiro turned the card over and saw the symbol of a tree surrounded by nine circles. Below read:
« Order of ... Nidhoggr ...? What is this stuff? Who the hell is this girl? »
« Not a friend of yours. »
It was Yukiko's voice. Hiro turned and saw the girl standing with a gun pointed at him. Rider arrived immediately, ready to attack Yukiko, but the latter stopped her saying:
« I don't recommend it, Rider, unless you want to leave this war early. I don't want to hurt you, not yet, I knew perfectly well that it was useless to keep hiding from you  my true identity, but it doesn't matter now if I keep pretending or not. I was hoping to carry out a normal collaboration with you, but apparently I will have to force you to work with me. »
« What are you talking about? You can't do that! »
« Sluta. »
Hiro felt paralyzed. He couldn't even move his head and his neck hurt. Rider, who was behind the boy, immediately noticed that there was like a mark, a strange symbol, in the neck of his Master. The symbol was glowing red.
Rider, shocked, asked Yukiko:

« What did you do to my Master ?! »

« Nothing special. Let's just say that it is an original and functional way to tame him. I need Hiro to fight by my side, whether he wants it or not. Do you understand where I want to go, Rider? Now you can no longer do anything to me because your Master is in my hands. If he dies, you have lost. »
« You're a damn bastard! »

« I know. But I'm not done with Hiro yet. »
« What else do you want to do to him ?! » Screamed Rider.
« Slaven Lyda Mig! » Exclaimed Yukiko.
Hiro screamed in pain and then fell to the ground, unconscious. Yukiko sat on the chair behind her and put the gun on the bedside table, then told Rider:
« Observe: Hiro, get up. »
Hiro stood up. Rider exclaimed, furious:
« Stop it, damn you! »
« No, no, wait. It's not over yet. »
Yukiko undid one of her boots and then took off her silk stocking and, holding out her bare foot in front of Hiro, ordered:

« Hiro, kiss my foot. »

Hiro obeyed and kissed her foot without hesitation. Rider was shocked by the force of that spell. Hiro had become Yukiko's domesticated dog.

The girl laughed and pushed Hiro to the ground, who did not react. He lay on the ground, as if he were lobotomized. Yukiko slipped on the stocking again; she put on her boot then, heading towards Rider, he said:
« You were right not to trust me. »

Lore : Order of Níðhǫggr

According to Norse mythology, Níðhǫggr ("the one who strikes with hatred") is a dragon-snake that lurks among the roots of Yggdrasil. According to some legends he devours the roots in order to destroy the cosmic tree, according to others he is an evil being who torments the souls of the dead.

The Order of Níðhǫggr is a sect born in 1107. Its first location was in the Holstein region, more precisely in the city of Itzehoe. In its beginnings the sect gathered several personalities who claimed to know the time when the world would end. These men, considered crazy, claimed to have visions in which they witnessed the arrival of the apocalypse. 

No one believed their words and so, to avoid being exiled from the city, these men known as the Visionaries gathered in the Order of Níðhǫggr.

The Order has never been aggressive or even dangerous. The members wrote what they saw in the visions and the different prophecies were collected inside a tome but it was lost due to the destruction of Itzehoe, which occurred in 1201.

The Order of Níðhǫggr disappeared completely and no one heard of it anymore.

Chapter 15 : Friends and enemies (part 3)

Alessandro Serpi had obtained from Kumahira Yukiko a note with information on the hotel and the number of the room where Rider's Master was staying. Alessandro had already used a spell to track down the various Servants on the London map and he already knew that there was a Servant in that hotel. However, he didn't know if he really was Rider or not. He didn't even know which room the Master was in with his Servant. So Yukiko's information could be false. It could have been a trap.

Alessandro decided to disguise himself, so as not to be recognized, and entered the hotel. He had ordered Saber not to follow him because they would surely have recognized her. 

Alessandro had worn a hat, a pair of sunglasses, bright summer clothes and he had even taken a backpack to give the impression of being a tourist. 

Entering the hotel, he took a look around and immediately noticed that most of the people inside were dressed in elegant suits. The floor was made of a polished marble and in the center of this there was a symbol that Alessandro had already seen: the symbol was that of a tree with nine circles around it.

Why was there a similar design in a luxury hotel? 

Intrigued, Alessandro went up the elevator and reached the floor where the room indicated by Yukiko was located. He immediately noticed something strange: there was no one in any of the rooms. No noise could be heard. It seemed that the hotel was uninhabited, which was rather strange since it was full of people in the lobby. Suddenly, Alessandro was seized by an enormous doubt: "Why didn't they stop me?"

The boy returned to the elevator and went down to the ground floor. He saw that the men in the atrium had too many features in common: hair, eyes, face shape, way of walking and more. 

They looked like machines commanded by someone. Those people were surreal. He climbed the twenty-two stairs in front of the entrance and, having in front the whole panorama of the atrium, he noticed how their movements were stereotyped. In front of Alessandro there were people who repeated some actions, which moved in a way that was apparently random but that was actually well calculated. The displacements were definite and repeated. No one left the hotel.

Alessandro snapped his fingers, muttering at the same time:

« Inveniet Vitam. » 

Alessandro immediately saw that while the bodies of the people outside the hotel lit up a white color, those of the people inside the hotel emitted no light.

He snapped his fingers again, muttering:
« Suspendat. » Then he added, irritated: « Fucking homunculi. This place is full of homunculi. »

Alessandro returned to his bedroom where he saw Saber standing, waiting anxiously for him. The girl asked him curiously:

« Have you discovered anything? » 

« That place is full of homunculi. It's not a real hotel, it's a damn cover. »

Alessandro went to the bedroom and began to undress; meanwhile Saber asked him again:
« So does that mean it was a trap? »

« Maybe, but I bet there's more. Yukiko probably wanted me to see that stuff, I doubt she's a fool. She has something in mind, maybe she wants to scare me ... or maybe … »

« Will you call the Coven? »
« Yes. I will report to the Grand Master. He must know. »
Shortly afterwards Alessandro phoned Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X to tell him what he had seen:
« Hello? Disciple, what news do you take me? » Asked Giovanni.
« We have a problem, Grand Master. »
« What is it? »

« I met this girl named Kumahira Yukiko, she invited me to this hotel in front of Regent's Park. » 

« Ok, go ahead. »

« I checked the hotel and it swarms with homunculi. As if this were not enough, I noticed a symbol on the floor of this, a drawing that reminds of Yggdrasil. What do you think it means? »
« Apparently things are getting interesting, disciple. If what you are telling me is true, it means that this Yukiko is directly involved with the appearance of the Holy Grail. I suggest you approach her with caution. I don't want you to hurt yourself unnecessarily. We will try to find out more about it. »
« Okay. »

Chapter 14 : Friends and enemies (part 2)

London, Trafalgar Square.

It was night when Alessandro Serpi arrived in the largest metropolis in England, together with Saber he reached Trafalgar Square. He stopped in front of the large fountain in the square where he saw the young Kumahira Yukiko sitting on the edge. The girl, seeing Alessandro, stood up and with an enthusiastic expression exclaimed:
« Have you had a good trip, Saber's Master? »
« Who are you? » He asked, confused.
« Kumahira Yukiko. I'm here with the Rider Master. I am his beautiful and brilliant "assistant". So is that Saber there? I didn't recognize her with those clothes that are so ... modern. »
Saber wore a sweatshirt with jeans and tennis shoes. To the comment of Yukiko, Alessandro replied:

« I didn't want to raise unnecessary suspicions. You are the friend of Rider's Master, have I understood correctly? So where is he? » 

« At the moment he's not here. He just had a battle against the Lancer Master. »

« Then we have nothing to tell us. Come on, Saber. »
Alessandro Serpi and Saber moved away from Yukiko.

Alessandro did not want to fight the Holy Grail War but could no longer run away, he could not refuse to fight against the other Masters. For this reason he intended to fight quickly against the Masters, he didn't want to waste time. He immediately wanted to take the Holy Grail, take it to the Coven and return to his quiet life. 

The following morning, in the hotel room, Alessandro prepared a map of London and placed it on the floor. Saber, meanwhile, was in the bathroom taking a shower. The boy threw on the map of the city some salt and, snapping his fingers, exclaimed:

« Revelare! »
The salt magically moved on the map. It divided into seven small clusters distributed in specific areas of London. Alessandro immediately took a parer and a pencil and noted the position of six accumulations of salt. Then, snapping his fingers again, he exclaimed:
« Signum Videre! »
The salt moved again but this time it didn't settle anywhere. It moved casually on the map of London. Alessandro intended to use salt to locate the Holy Grail but couldn't find it. When he realized that it was useless to continue, he snapped his fingers, disappointed, and said:
« Suspendat. »

The salt stopped. Alessandro sat on the bed and read the list of places where the different Servants were. 

At that moment Saber came out of the bathroom with the towel around her body; the girl, smiling with satisfaction, exclaimed:

« Your bathrooms are not so bad. I feel clean and fragrant. »
« I'm happy for you. »
« Thank you! So, Master, did you find our enemies? »
Saber sat next to Alessandro. He, noticing that she was a little too close to him, shifted slightly and showed her the list, saying:
« Here: it does not seem a difficult task. Most of them are in the City of Westminster or in the City of London. Almost everyone stays in hotels so this means that they are all foreigners like us. »
« What is the strategy? »

« Regent's Park seems like a perfect place to fight. Two Servants are around that park. It will be complicated to attract only one, surely we will be forced to face two together but in any case … »

« For me it's not a problem! » Exclaimed Saber, with a voice full of pride. She added: « I can also deal with two hundred Servants completely alone! »

« Er… you know there are only seven Servants, right? » He asked.
« What difference does it make? »
Alessandro sighed and bent to close the map. Saber did not like to be ignored and so, with a capricious way of doing things, he decided to sit on Alessandro's back. He, annoyed, exclaimed:
« What are you doing? Get off! »
« You treat me badly, Master! You must never ignore me! I am unique in my kind and nobody should ignore me! »
« You're behaving like a child! »

« Not true! » She said standing up. 

Saber grabbed Alessandro by the arm and brought him to herself. The boy was turning red like a pepper but Saber didn't care. She threw him on the bed, stood before him and exclaimed, in a proud tone:

« Observe me, Master! I'm the most glorious Servant you've ever had! I speak not only of my unique beauty but also of my identity! I can assure you, Master, that I am not a Servant like any other. I'm unique! I am special! »
Alessandro did not even believe a word of Saber. For him his Servant was just bragging. However he felt that there was something strange, even though her attitude was annoying he felt attracted to her. This he had also noticed in Rome. Saber had something in her appearance, her body or her way of doing that made her seductive.
His eyes were on a perfect breast, wet but covered with a towel. At that moment he thought, "I could take it off and see that divine body." As soon as Alessandro realized that the thought was strange for someone like him, he got up from the bed and walked away from Saber.

She, confused, asked him: 

« What's up with you? You're looking at me like I'm a monster. »

He took his breath and said:
« You're doing something to me, I realize it. »
« What are you talking about? »
« I feel something for you, but it's not love. It is ... a completely unjustified sexual attraction. I'm not saying it is strange to have it but with you it seems almost forced. It is as if you emanate a kind of energy that influences me. What have you done? »
« I don't know what you're talking about, seriously. Perhaps you are embarrassed because you think of me in a certain way? It's normal, you know? »

« It's not that! » Alessandro exclaimed, unnerved, and added: « Saber, maybe you don't realize it but you probably have a kind of power or skill that is directly influencing me. I want to hope that you are not doing it voluntarily, because otherwise we have a problem. » 

« I'm not doing anything like that, Master. But if it bothers you that I'm wearing a towel, then I'll go get dressed. »

« Thank you. »

At that moment someone knocked on the door. Alessandro went to open and saw Kumahira Yukiko. Surprised to see her, Alessandro took her by the wrist and dragged her into the room. She, with a mischievous smile, sat on the dining table, put down the umbrella, and exclaimed:
« I like bad men. »
« Don't play with me. How did you find me? »
« I have my methods. »
« Not the right answer. Tell me how did you find me otherwise I will kill you. »
« We both know you won't. I'm just here to give you a message: if you want to face the Master of Rider know that he's staying where I stay. »

« Why are you telling me this? » Alessandro asked, confused. 

« Because I want to have fun. » She answered.

Yukiko came down from the table and gave Alessandro a note with the hotel address and the room number written on it. Then, before leaving, she kissed Alexander on the cheek and left the room.
The boy had the chance to eliminate the first Servant but he didn't trust Yukiko.
Saber, dressed casually, saw Yukiko leaving the room. Worried, she walked quickly from her Master and saw him standing as still as a statue. Saber asked him:

« What happened, Master? What was that girl doing here? »

« She gave me this note. » He answered by showing her the note.

« What is written? »
« Here are written the room number and the street of the hotel. This is where the Rider Master is located. Apparently Yukiko is betraying her colleague … »
« Or it's a trap. »
« This too may be possible. »
« What do you want to do, Master? »
« I want to be sure. »

Chapter 13 : Friends and enemies (part 1)

« Does it hurt you? » Harumi asked as she bandaged Hiro's arm.
« A little. » He replied.
« Why don't you want to go to the hospital? »
« Don't worry, it's just a small wound. Indeed, if I had not lifted the sleeve of my shirt I would not have even realized I had a cut. I have no idea how I did it. »
« Many things have happened. » She added.
« Yes, it's true. »
Harumi and Hiro were in Regent's Park and were in front of a pond. A little farther on there were Rider and Archer, distant from each other, who didn't even look into each other's eyes. Hiro, noticing their unusual attitude, asked Harumi:

« Our Servants fought together and yet behave as if they were enemies. Is it normal for you? » 

« They have been allies, it's true, but this because they had an enemy in common. But remember that they also have a common goal that will put them against each other. This is true both for them and for us. You can't blame them if they behave that way, they'll face each other one day. »

« Right, you're right. »

Hiro was embarrassed because he realized he had asked a stupid question. It was obvious that Harumi was not really a friend. The two had fought together, it's true, but they were still enemies. 

Hiro thought back to the battle against Murakawa Tetsuya and remembering the ineffectiveness of his magical powers he was convinced that perhaps he should not have taken part in the war. 

Harumi immediately noticed Hiro's thoughtful look and asked him curiously:

« What are you thinking? »
« I am weak. » He murmured, tormented.
« I didn't understand, can you repeat? »
« I'm really weak. I am a very weak magus. » Hiro stated.
« Why? »
« Before taking part in the Holy Grail War I was the most feared boy in my school. I used my Magecraft to get what I wanted, I loved being feared and respected by my peers. I thought I was a powerful magus. A magus worthy of being part of the Sunahara family. But in the battle against Tetsuya I discovered that it was all a lie. It wasn't me who was strong, it was the others who were weak. I, in my weakness, pretended to be the best by attacking those who were weaker than me. »

« Why did you take part in the war? » 

« I don't even know it now. » Hiro answered lying down on the ground.

« Don't you know? » Asked Harumi, perplexed.
« Initially I wanted to participate only to show myself and my family that I was the strongest, but now that it has been made clear to me that I am the weaker it is useless to go on. Don't you think so too? »

Harumi didn't know how to answer that question. On one hand she wanted to win the war at all costs, but on the other she found it dishonest to manipulate Hiro's fears. She saw in his eyes, staring at the stars, an immense sadness. Harumi felt the melancholy of an abandoned boy in Hiro's words. She had seen that look before. 

Harumi instinctively stood over Hiro. The boy, shocked and embarrassed, exclaimed excitedly:

« What are you doing ?! »
« Shhhh! » She shut him up.
The girl approached him. Harumi's cold forehead and Hiro's warm, sweaty forehead touched. She looked him straight in the eye and whispered:

« Don't give up hope, Hiro. Now you are weak but one day you will become strong, I am sure. You just have to trust your skills. » 

« Okay ... yes ... you're right. » He stammered.

« Good. »
Harumi stood up, leaving Hiro lying on the ground, confused. The girl turned to Archer and said:
« Archer, come on. We're done here. »
« As you wish, princess. » Archer answered with a bow.
Archer picked up Harumi and jumped over the pond.

Rider approached Hiro, who was still lying on the ground with a lost look. The Servant looked down at his pants and commented:
« I can see it. »
« What? » He asked.

« That. » She answered pointing. 

Hiro immediately got up and turned away, shyly, to hide the fact that he had an erection. Rider asked his Master:

« What did you talk about? »
« Nothing special. We talked about different things. »

« You're too naive, Master. You trust people too easily. That's no good. It's not good, 

you understand? »

« I … »

« You must be aware of this, Master. You must be aware of this serious defect. If you don't understand it you can't improve it. You don't have to be friendly with the other Masters, it's wrong from every point of view, especially in this war. » 

« I know, Rider, I don't need to be scolded! » He exclaimed.

« I was humiliated by Lancer. Never in my life have I been pushed around like that. This humiliation torments me, Master, makes me feel like a weak Servant. »

« You are not weak … » Hiro said with a comforting tone. 

« I know. You are the weak one. You are weakening me, Master. »

The coldness with which Rider spoke those words shocked Hiro. Rider continued:

« I can accept that your mana level is low, I can accept that you lack a strategic mind and that you are not a real expert magician. I can accept that you are not physically up to keep up with our enemies. But I can't tolerate your naivety. If you go on this road defeat will be certain. »

«I … »

« Don't talk. I don't need your words, I want facts. Show to me that you are a worthy Master otherwise withdrawn from this war and stop fighting. I prefer to abandon rather than be humiliated as in the last battle. »

At that moment Rider perceived a strong magical presence in London. Her shocked gaze, directed towards nowhere, was like that of a frightened girl. Initially Hiro did not understand the reaction of his Servant but then felt a rush of shivers running down his body. 

A feeling of dizziness struck his head. His hands began to sweat and his legs trembled. Hiro, despite being a weak magus , was still able to perceive the magic energy of other magi. The boy realized he had perceived a truly powerful Master, much more powerful than Murakawa Tetsuya. Who could it be? What kind of Master could have so much magical power within him?

Rider, on the other hand, perceived a very powerful Servant. She had never experienced that feeling of terror. She was aware of the fact that the perceived Servant was above average. He certainly had to be a deified hero or something like that.

Well what they had perceived was the presence of Alessandro Serpi and Saber, who had just arrived in London.

Chapter 12 : London (part 3)

The battle involving the three Servants, Rider, Lancer and Archer, was closely watched by Caster, who had concealed his presence. With the end of the battle, Caster decided to go and report everything to his Master who was in a hotel room.

Clovis, hearing his Servant's report, commented:

« It is not yet time. » 

He sat in the armchair reading several documents that had been given to him by the Rote Mäntel. The pages talked about the Holy Grail and the different information the organization had on it. All the information about the Holy Grail was clear on one thing: it was known that it would appear in London but the organization was not aware of where it would appear.

Caster asked, interested:
« Do you have a plan, Master? »

« Yes, it's definitely not the one to get me killed. Those three Masters with their Servants could be quite difficult to deal with. Especially the Master of Lancer: 

Murakawa Tetsuya. »

« What do we know about him? » 

« Before participating in the Holy Grail War he was a T6 agent, an organization of paid magi to kill certain targets. In short, magic bounty hunters. Murakawa Tetsuya was a hitman who was kicked out of T6 because his methods were considered, I quote: "Immoral, typical of a man completely devoid of empathy for others." »

« Said by an organization of assassins, it sounds somewhat ironic. »
« True. But the fact remains that this Master is dangerous. Very dangerous. »
« How do you propose to act, Master? »

« I don't want to face him knowing I have other problems. I want to wait. I want to act knowing that I have everything under control. » 

The next morning Clovis woke up on his bed. It was half past eight. He got up and after being in the bathroom got dressed, had a quick breakfast and finally decided to turn on his cell phone. He saw a call from Dr. Meyer.

« Holy shit! » Exclaimed Clovis shaken.

He had to call the doctor back immediately. Maybe he had good news, but what if he did what he would do? He still didn't know. He had no idea but he absolutely needed to hear about Freda.

The doctor called back:

« Hello? » It was Dr. Meyer.

« Hello, doctor. Good morning. I saw that you tried to contact me. So is there 

any news? »

« Yes, but ... it's not good news. »

Clovis's heart stopped. The man began to sweat and had a slight dizziness. With a stammering voice he said:

« Dr. Meyer, please tell me ... that everything will be fine. Tell me my daughter will recover. Tell me my daughter will recover! »
« No, this is unlikely to happen. Your daughter has a form of tuberculosis known as TDR-TB or totally drug-resistant tuberculosis. There is no medicine that can heal your daughter, Mr. Wolff. I'm sorry. »
« Fuck you! » Screamed Clovis throwing the phone against the wall.
He overturned the table and threw the chair screaming, again:

« Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Christ! It's not fair, God, it's not fair, FUCK! » 

He put his hands trembling on his head and closed his eyes. He didn't want to cry. He didn't want to be weak but he couldn't help crying for his daughter, who had counted hours.

At that moment Caster came, slightly astonished by his Master's anger. He looked around and calmly asked:

« Something troubles you, Master? » 

Clovis then realized that it wasn't all lost. The Holy Grail would have saved his daughter. Winning the war meant saving Freda. It was time to act. For this he had decided to participate in the Holy Grail War. It was not selfishness that guided him but the need to save his daughter at all costs. 

He would have no mercy for the other Masters.

He stood up. He clenched his fists. He wiped his tears and answered Caster:
« We will win this war, Caster. We will win this war at any cost. I don't care how many will have to die for me to win, I don't care. We will win this war. » 

Chapter 11 : London (part 2)

An arrow. An arrow hit Lancer right in the thigh. The warrior, wounded, had to stop and tore the arrow from her leg. Tetsuya and his Servant were totally lost: who had fired that arrow?
On a roof of a house, Archer appeared along with his Master: Fukano Harumi. Archer, curling his fine mustaches, exclaimed, seeing Lancer:

« My rival! A few days have passed since our last meeting! Did you miss me, honey? » 

« Archer! Son of a pig, how dare you attack me right on the most beautiful? »

« When I saw you I couldn't help but hurt you, honey. You and I have a pending 

account. »

« Okay, you bastard, do you want to play the hero of the situation? Then come! I'll be happy to smash that pig-like head you have! »
« Your offenses don't affect me! Here you go! »
Archer, jumping, shot three more arrows together. Lancer parried all three of them without any problem then, with a dash forward, tried to hit Archer but the latter, with feline speed, shot a fourth arrow that caught Lancer off guard, hitting her right shoulder.

« May you be cursed! » She screamed, tearing the arrow from her shoulder. 

« Don't be so aggressive towards me, honey. It's not my fault if you suck. »

« Okay! Now I'm really angry, Archer! »
Lancer started the attack and directly clashed with Archer. She hit him several times with the spear but he was able to parry all the shots using the bow but the warrior, with great skill, was able to hurt Archer at his side and kicked him to the mat.

Archer, however, used that blood to shoot a crimson arrow that caused a large scarlet explosion on impact. Archer stood up and saw Lancer grow out of the smoke, more angry than before. 

Meanwhile Harumi clashed with Tetsuya. The girl was pretty good at using magic and this was unnerving Tetsuya, who decided to stop and not let himself be carried away by anger. He observed:

« You do pretty well with those magic circles. You use them to enhance your physical abilities, right? When we met in Ibaraki I thought you were an amateur but now I have to think again. You're pretty good, you're definitely better than Sunahara. »
« You also use mana to empower yourself, if I'm not mistaken. »
« You noticed, then. »

« It wasn't difficult to understand. » 

« Yeah, I guess it's hard not to guess my Magecraft. Hey, kiddo, do you smoke? »

« No. »
« So, if you don't mind, I'd like to smoke a cigarette. »
Tetsuya lit a cigarette and began to smoke it quietly, as if there was no battle going on. He told Harumi:
« I don't like dealing with brats. I feel like an adult playing in a kindergarten with children. It's really pathetic, do you realize it? This is a war and I am forced to fight against adolescents who have just reached puberty. This is really pathetic. »

« Do you have any problems, Murakawa? Are you afraid of being defeated by a "little girl"? » 

« Ah! You have a sense of humor, I like you. But no. It is not a question of fear, believe me, it is a matter of principle. The principle according to which brats should not enter the adult world. You are too young to understand the world and yet you act like superheroes only because some comics have deluded you into believing that everyone can be superheroes if they have good ideals and excellent virtues. But the truth is that ... you are stoned with hormones. You are driven by an irrational force that makes you think you are invincible but you are not. That Sunahara is a living proof of your arrogance. » 

Tetsuya threw the consumed cigarette to the ground and turned it off using his foot. Then he took off his sunglasses and cast a cold look like a murderer and said:

« But don't get me wrong: I'm not going to go easy just because you are a newbie who just stopped using the pacifier. All the brats playing at being adults will be crushed by real adults. »

Tetsuya put his glasses back on and took out the lighter. 

Harumi created a magic circle on the ground and prepared to jump in it, but Tetsuya kicked his lighter against the girl's head; Harumi fell to the ground, pained, and Tetsuya hit her in the stomach with a kick that caused her to end up in the middle of the road. 

A car passed at that moment and Harumi was about to be overwhelmed, but fortunately she was saved by Hiro who threw himself on her and took her away from the road.

« Thank you. » She said, surprised.
« Technically you also saved me, so I'm paying off the debt. »

« What a good boy! » Tetsuya exclaimed from the other side of the street, then added: « Now that you've saved her from the bad I guess you'll feel like a force of nature, 

right? »

« You talk too much. » Hiro answered.
« I don't doubt it. In fact I got tired of talking, now I'm serious. »

Tetsuya stood right in the middle of the road. As soon as another car arrived, he moved aside and kicked her violently towards the two boys. 

Hiro and Harumi threw themselves on the ground and the car exploded behind them. Hiro, angry and shocked, shouted:

« Murderer! You're a damn murderer! »
« Ok, fine. So? »

Tetsuya hit Hiro in the stomach, grabbed him by the throat and threw him over the garden of a house. Harumi, who had just risen, tried to reach Hiro but was hit by Tetsuya. The girl fell to the ground, stunned. Tetsuya took her by the hair and threw her against the wall of a house. 

Harumi tried to get up but he was too pained to succeed. At that moment Tetsuya was hit by Lancer's body: the Servant was stunned. When Tetsuya got up he saw Archer and Rider allies and realized that there was no point in continuing the battle.

Lancer recovered and said angrily:
« You are bastards! You only allied to defeat a great warrior like me! You are unfair! You are cowards! »
« Enough. » Said Tetsuya.
« Master! »
« Now it's useless to fight them. They will do teamwork to be able to defeat us, fighting them now is useless. Let's go for now. »
Tetsuya and Lancer retreated. The battle was over.

Chapter 10 : London (part 1)

« So this is London! Look over there! That huge tower with a clock! This place is really
cool! » Excitedly exclaimed Sunahara Hiro to her friend and colleague Kumahira Yukiko.
The girl, curious, asked him:
« Have you ever been to London? »
« No. I have to tell you, this place is really weird for me. I mean, look: double-decker buses, red telephone boxes and all these people from all over the world! Compared to Kyoto, this place is more lively! More colorful! I don't know if you understand me. »
« I think so. The first time I came here I was only four years old and my father took me to Westminster Abbey. It was there that for the first time my father told me about magic. I don't know why he chose that place or moment to do it but I know that since then my life changed completely. »
Hiro immediately noticed Yukiko's melancholy look and asked her, worried:
« Is everything okay? »
« Don't worry about me, Hiro. You're the one who has to fight this war, not me. »
« Right, sorry. »
Yukiko led Hiro to a luxury hotel. She paid for the room for the two of them and for the Servant. They reached the room using the elevator and, once inside, began to empty their luggage.
The reserved room had a spotless bathroom, a small living room with a high-definition television, a kitchen and a bedroom with a double bed.
Seeing the bed, Hiro asked Yukiko, embarrassed:
« Who will sleep there? »
« You and your Servant. » She answered quickly.
« Okay. But where will you sleep? »
« On the couch, isn't it obvious? »
« Right ... right … »
Yukiko took a tome of at least a thousand pages from one of her bags. The cover was black and full of silver symbols; in the center there was a tree around which there were nine circles. When Hiro saw the book he became curious and tried to open it, but the girl suddenly came to grab his hand and said, smiling:
« This is not yours. You can't read it. »
« Sorry, I was just curious. »
« You must never mind my own business, Sunahara Hiro, are we meant? »
« Okay, sorry, I didn't want to be a nosy guy. »
« Good. »

At that moment Rider appeared. The Servant went to the window, raised the curtains and saw the city skyline of London. 

Yukiko sat on the sofa, crossed her legs, and began to observe Rider's behavior carefully. Hiro asked Yukiko, intrigued:

« What is she doing there motionless? » 

« The Servants do not belong to our time, as you might know. They are heroes of a distant past summoned to fight a war for the sole purpose of obtaining the Holy Grail. Many of them adapt easily to our time, others may take a little longer. Rider, at this moment, is "immunizing", let's say so. She's trying to accept this world a little at a time. It is said that there is a possibility of 0.04% that a Servant goes mad due to a failure to adapt. »

« Okay ... and ... how do I understand that she has adapted? » Asked Hiro, worried.
« If she doesn't kill you it means it's all right. »
« Not the answer I expected. »
Rider moved away from the window and headed into the bedroom to look outside the other window. Hiro, puzzled, asked Yukiko:

« How long will this thing go on? » 

« I have no idea. » She answered in a playful tone.

« Okay, okay, in the meantime how do we know if there are other Servants or not? »
« They've arrived. » Rider answered coming out of the bedroom.
« Excuse me? » Hiro asked, turning to her.
« I said they arrived. I'm perceiving another Servant. Now they are two, now they are three, now four, now … »
« Okay! I understood! We are screwed! Yukiko, what's the plan? »
« You are the Master, this is your war, not mine. »

« Come on! Help me! » 

Yukiko sighed and got up from the couch. She grabbed Hiro by the sleeve of his suit and held him up to the window then, with her finger, pointed out that there was a Master out there, under the hotel, that wasn't attacking. The boy, confused, asked:

« Why doesn't he attack us? »
« The battles are always nocturnal because they are less likely to cause civilian casualties. He knows we're here but he won't attack us until the sun goes down. Do you understand? »
« Yes. But what should I do in your opinion? »
« Here, I advise you to … »
« One moment! » Exclaimed Rider.
« What's going on, Rider? » Asked Hiro.

« Why do you take advice from this girl? Master, are you sure she's not involved in this war? Are you sure she doesn't want to have the Grail? » 

« Come on! Don't be paranoid! Yukiko just wants to help us, doesn't she? »

« You are right not to trust me, Rider. » Yukiko answered, coldly.
« What ...? » Hiro was confused and agitated at the same time.

« Nobody can be trusted in this war. Maybe you should also teach it to your Master. »

« Yukiko, what are you saying? »

« I tell the truth, Hiro. I have already told you: this is your war, it is not mine. You can't trust me whenever you want and like it. You are a magus. You are a Master. Assert yourself and experience the battle. Otherwise you will die like the other failed magicians. » 

That night, outside the hotel, Hiro Sunahara went in search of the other Master. He was accompanied by Rider and together with her he explored the area around the hotel but with no positive result.

Hiro was attracted to Rider, not only because he was obviously a beautiful girl, but also because he was curious. He had a samurai armor so he had to be a warrior but he didn't know his identity. Nothing of her was familiar to him so, out of curiosity, he asked her:
« But what is your name? »
« Rider. »
« Yes ... no ... I, I mean your REAL name. Do you understand? What's your name? »
« I can't tell you this, I'm sorry. »
« Why? »

« The name is for a Servant as a treasure and as a curse. It can say everything: it can say what our weaknesses and our strengths are. Believe me, it is better that the enemy does not come to know my name. » 

« But I'm not the enemy. »

« No, it's true, but you're immature. »
« Excuse me? » Hiro was offended by that sharp criticism.

« Forgive me, Master, I don't want to be disrespectful but… you have to understand that in my eyes you are still too immature. You depend too much on that girl and totally lack experience. Your magic energy is quite low and so far you have not shown that you have great strategic skills. I'm sorry to have to tell you this but it's true. » 

« Of course ... I understand perfectly. »

Hiro felt bad to hear that criticism from his own Servant. He knew he was not the best in the Sunahara family, he was aware of it. He knew his father looked at him like an inept magus, unable to do even the simplest magecraft and knew perfectly well that almost everyone considered his sister, Hisae, a natural talent, a magus worthy of being the spokesperson for the Sunahara family. Hiro wasn't all that. He had no talent, he was not as good as her and he was aware of it and to hear it say in the face even from his Servant demoralized him.

At that exact moment a spear was thrown towards Hiro. Rider, quickly, stood in front of him and diverted the blow with the katana; the spear was grabbed on the fly by a Servant: Lancer.

The two warriors exchanged a cold glance. Lancer, pointing his weapon at the opponent, exclaimed:

« You're good enough to be paired with such a weak Master. As you may have guessed, I am Lancer and I am here to take your life. »

« Really? Do you really think you're strong enough to face me, Lancer? You are pathetic! You don't look much like a warrior, let me tell you! »
« Do we want to find out? »

Lancer rushed at full speed to Rider and kicked her in the stomach; Rider managed to land on her feet but Lancer suddenly reappeared behind her and immediately tried to stab her with her spear; Rider spun around and parried the various shots with the katana then, with great cunning, she pretended to hit the left forcing Lancer to raise her guard to the right then, quickly, she made a side shot and hit right with a precise slash but Lancer was however able to parry the blow. 

The two distanced themselves and Rider asked Hiro: 

« Have you noticed too, Master? »

« You took her in full. » He replied.

« Exactly, yet for some reason she managed to parry the blow. » 

« Are you surprised, Rider? » Asked Lancer, in a bold tone.

« I don't know how you managed to survive such a blow, but know that it's not the only kind of attack I can do. So get ready, Lancer, because next time you won't be so lucky. »
At that time came the Lancer Master: Murakawa Tetsuya. He, with an annoyed grimace, looked around and exclaimed:
« Fighting on the streets of a city is so trivial. It's fortunate that there is no one at the moment, otherwise it would have been trouble. So, are you the Master of Rider? »

« Exactly! I'm Sunahara Hiro! » 

« Sunahara? I know that surname. You belong to that family of magi who have never been able to match the Tohsaka, am I right? You don't look like a magus to me, I have to be honest. You have a low amount of mana and to make matters worse you have the face of a brat who has just come out of high school. I'm tired of facing kids who still have diapers. I want a real challenge. »

« Bastard! Do not underestimate me! » Hiro screamed, throwing a powerful shock wave with his hands.

Tetsuya was pushed back a few inches. Hiro was shocked. He was sure his attack was much more powerful than that.Tetsuya, laughing, exclaimed: 

« What the fuck is this? The girl's push? Are you fucking with me? »

« What ...? » Hiro was left speechless.

« Let me guess, you had already used this technique with other brats from your school but had had a different effect with them. Did you turn them over? Did you kill them? Did you send them back to their mother's womb? It doesn't matter, because with me that stuff doesn't work. Do you want to know why? Because I, unlike those brats, developed my mana. I'm a real magus, 

not just any jerk. » 

« No ... it's impossible … » Hiro couldn't believe it.

« It's not impossible, brat. It's true. You are a scarce magus whose power is basically to push people to the ground but without touching them. It's not even telekinesis! The problem is that such Magecraft is devastating for those who are not magi, but for those who are magi ... well, I think you've already figured out where I'm going with this. I don't like repeating myself. »
"I can't win this war." Was Hiro's first thought. He was paralyzed with terror. He thought he was at least strong enough to be able to fight against a magus but in reality he was not. In reality he has always been weak and incapable. Shocked by terror, Hiro began to cry.
Tetsuya, seeing his reaction, mocked him:

« Ah! But look at you, brat! Now you crack like a bitch, eh? You don't do the bully anymore, 

do you? » 

« Shut up … » Hiro replied with a humiliated look

« I didn't hear you right, what the fuck did you say? »
« Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Damn asshole! » Hiro screamed, angry and in tears.
Tetsuya stopped laughing and, turning to Lancer, said:
« Ok, it's not fun anymore. I got bored. Kill them. »
« Yes, Master. »

Lancer started the attack but Rider intercepted it. The two exchanged several shots at high speed and initially seemed to be head to head but then Lancer, with an unexpected move, hit Rider with a kick that made her crash into the wall of a house. Rider, stunned, tried to recover as quickly as possible but Lancer was already on the point of inflicting the coup de grace.

Hiro tried to rescue his Servant but was grabbed by Tetsuya and thrown to the ground like a garbage bag. Tetsuya turned to Hiro and said, with a sadistic smile on his face:
« Don't get upset. See your Servant die. »

He turned to Lancer and exclaimed: 

« Lancer, finish the job. Let's give a good show to these weaklings. »

« Yes, Master! »

Lancer launched herself at Rider with her spear ready to pierce Rider's heart. Rider was still stunned and was not realizing that her opponent was now within walking distance of her. Rider could only hear Hiro's desperate cries. She looked up and as soon as she saw Lancer she immediately thought to stop the blow but the katana was still on the asphalt. 

Lancer was too close by now. 

Rider couldn't do anything anymore.