Chapter 32 - Promises

Matou residence.

The change after the death of Matou Zouken was largely noticeable.

Lelouch knew little about the man beyond what Kariya told him. However, it was easy to see that, with his oppressor gone and dead, the man was feeling way better. According to the cripple himself, it felt like a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Of course, after what happened in the basement, Kariya was still weakened and frail. His body hadn't escaped malnutrition just yet and he was still unable to feel anything over a good portion of his own skin. But with the help of some medicine and short rest, he looked less pale. More alive than he'd been before when Lelouch first came face to face with a man so desperate, he used his own body as a feeding ground.

The Crest worms inside the Master of Berserker were mostly gone. As Byakuya stated, some survived. But without their creator to influence or control them, they might as well have been inert batteries. It was only a matter of when they would completely die off and dry up their mana reserves now that they weren't replenishing themselves with his flesh and blood. However, Kariya wasn't focused on them right now. His attention was on the little girl, his niece.

"Everything will be better now, Sakura. I promise."

Lelouch glanced at the child still clinging tightly to her uncle's side. Kariya had been repeating that message over and over to her for the better part of the sunless morning. Although repetitive, it was understandable for the little girl who was still having a hard time believing her nightmare had ended.

The raven-haired boy felt disturbed by what she had to endure. In all honesty, his disgust hadn't at all abated. From what Nobu reported to him about last night's events, it could've all gone sourly wrong had Zouken not needed the child alive and well in the first place.

'To think he planned to use the adopted girl as a new vessel to replace his destroyed body…' The Demon Emperor had always hated the idea of children being used by their families amongst his world's nobility. Arranged marriages and political hostages were one thing, but using gruesome magic to not only torture a person but take over them as well? It was a completely different matter. One that didn't deserve consideration at all. 'This child went through only a fraction of what made Kariya look the way he is right now. If she hadn't been saved… how could've she turned out—? No. Imagining that is unneeded. No need to disturb myself with my own presumptions.'

The girl lived and she'd be spared further horrors in the future. That's all that mattered, for him as a bystander and Kariya as her saviour.

The little girl started to yawn again. She was certainly exhausted, both physically and mentally, after everything that happened. Giving his niece another quick hug and a promise to eat breakfast with her a little later, she reluctantly walked off to her bedroom. This left Lelouch alone with the Matou brothers.

Byakuya himself was still wary of him. A result of Nobunaga's heavy-handed treatment of the scared man. But now free of Zouken, neither he nor Kariya managed to avoid the matter at hand. Without the monster who masqueraded as their family head, the Matou house needed to agree on what to do next. So important was the topic that the runaway sibling didn't use his current state as an excuse to push it aside.

As of now, three people sat inside the guest bedroom with a light, bust still somewhat tense, air about them. Both Servants were absent. Berserker, with no fight or foe in sight, vanished into spirit form. As for Avenger, she'd been left to burn away what was left of Zouken's workshop. Even if the man was dead, Lelouch preferred to play it safe and destroy anything and everything that was created by that man's magecraft. Even if Berserker torched it all, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"What do we do now?" Breaking the silence, Byakuya got straight to the point.

"We return Sakura to Aoi," Kariya stated firmly, one-eyed gaze directed at the ceiling above.

"A good idea, but it won't be easy," the older brother sighed. "After what you did to Tokiomi, Tohsaka wouldn't be pleased to see either of us. Besides, even if we tried, she'll probably doubt our motives after Zouken took Sakura away from her. I don't know what will happen, but if we bring Sakura back to her, things may get complicated."

Kariya narrowed his eye. "What would you know, brother? Just a few hours ago, you were fine with letting Zouken break Sakura."

"What choice did I have?!" the tension peaked as the man shouted back. "That was Zouken's—… The old bastard would've forced me to do it even if I didn't want to! Between letting her get hurt or getting myself killed trying to…" It took a second, but the man quickly cooled himself off. Breathing deep, he tried to speak again but couldn't help the cracking in his voice. "That… bastard tricked you into fighting this war, stupid. He knew full-well you would lose if you hadn't gotten lucky, but he didn't care. All he wanted out of your struggle was a laugh when you finally broke. Someone like that…"

'How could he fight it' was left unspoken. Truly, even freed as they were, the man was likely still in the trappings of fear and doubt. Like a looming feeling that Zouken may come back with a vengeance. Not all men escaped trauma so easily after conquering the cause. Lelouch knew better than to speak up here, during a sensitive topic between families.

"He ordered me around for years... after you left… you know?" Byakuya muttered under his breath as he relived the nightmare. "Day after day, he'd boss me around. And when he didn't like what he saw, or just when he felt like it, he'd push me into the pit every now and then. Even though it wouldn't do jack except hurt me because I have zero talent as a magus, that bastard just… just…"

'Training', but not for the purpose of making Byakuya a more capable magus. It was 'training' to cripple the man's will to fight back. To break any and all resistance. To make him an obedient pawn.

"I don't care what you say about me. I don't want to… but I will say it now. I didn't want the girl to go through what we did. To suffer what we barely endured." He'd lowered his head but kept the determined tone. "Shinji's barely older than Sakura, give or take a year alone. Do you know how afraid I was that Zouken might try to do the same to him as he did her? Or maybe… worse…"

A talentless child of a talentless son. The grandfather who sought an heir would have no use for them except as feed to his bugs. Servitude was an option, but why keep them when they were practically worthless to one as a magus? Even if Byakuya was kept alive, it was merely out of convenience in keeping their home seemingly occupied to the general public. A façade of normalcy that hid the monster in the basement.

But then again, a creature that was vile was still able to maintain the guise of an elder grandfather living in a lavish home. Considering the versatility of magecraft, it was no stretch that he could simply do away with his useless sons and grandchild and just hypnotize their neighbours into ignoring them entirely.

Zouken only kept them for fun, not much for function.

"That doesn't matter anymore." The runaway brother brushed his elder's plight like a stain on his jersey. "Fact of the matter is that Zouken is dead and will stay that way. What's done is done…"

"You—!"

"Gentlemen, please," Lelouch spoke up before they devolved into a pointless argument. "Getting into a tussle about the past won't change or help what needs to be addressed in the present. And while thinking about what has happened long ago is pointless, it's insensitive to lose ourselves to this when we are all still under pressure."

He gave an understanding nod to Byakuya but also levelled a furrowed brow at Kariya for his tactlessness. He didn't want to intervene in family matters too much, but he couldn't afford them to fight about it. With their attention on him, he resumed.

"Without your father, the two of you are now free. I'd say be happy about it. But the issue about Sakura should be resolved peacefully."

"Peacefully, huh?" Byakuya chuckled sourly. "Sorry, uh… kid?"

"Lelouch Lamperouge." Kariya corrected. "Don't be tricked by his looks. Lelouch might be young, but unlike you or I, he's not one to cower in the face of death." He leaned closer to his brother and added quietly. "Even if he's someone who helped me, he's far more dangerous than any of the other Masters that remain."

"Hm." Byakuya nodded with a stern expression before glancing back to Lelouch. Reading that look, it came off more wary than sceptical. Even without Avenger around, it seems the man wasn't able to look him in the eye properly. "So, kid, you helped out my little brother in surviving this far and also against our old man… I guess I should be thanking you again for that."

"There's no need." Lelouch shook his head. "I simply did my ally a favour. In return," he paused and allowed said ally to finish the sentence.

"Yeah." Kariya sighed with a tired smile. "As promised, now that Sakura is saved and Zouken is gone, I'll be dropping out of the war entirely. I won't get in your way nor will I actively seek out the Grail. I'll just lay low and wait until things blow over from now—Ngh!"

Before he could finish, however, Kariya groaned. A hand flew to clutch his temple as the cripple quickly seized his breathing with a gasp. Neither Byakuya nor Lelouch made to move, surprised by the sudden and wordless spasm but also concerned that Kariya seemed to be fine when he raised his free hand to stop them. They just waited for him to speak.

"Berserker. I feel like… like he was trying to speak with me..."

"Your Servant disagrees with our course of action, does he?" Lelouch asked, expecting as much but opting to wait and see what Kariya would do.

"I don't know… what he wanted specifically. It was just another one of his screams. It feels like… like that time at the docks. When he just charged at Saber."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed when he realized what the implication meant. But of course, it'd be that. "Hm. It seems your knight in shadowy armour still bears a grudge against dear King Arthur. Perhaps he still wishes to cross blades before you completely remove yourself from the fight."

Kariya was taken aback by that. Due to never having asked what the Servant wanted, that wasn't as much a surprise. More so with an incommunicable Berserker. Revenge and overthrowing Zouken may have also played a part in that, but the point still stood.

His Servant wanted to continue fighting even if his Master didn't.

"Huh… Guess I never really spared him much thought…" Kariya admitted with a wry smile and a sad gaze to the floor before meeting their eyes. "Guess I'm still going to be in this for a while."

"Oy, are you crazy?" Byakuya was quick to admonish him before scowling. "Know what? Forget what I was going to say. You were pretty damn insane to pull the stunt off last night anyways."

"What's your problem?"

"You are my problem, you careless bastard. You just barely escaped Zouken eating you alive from the inside, and now here you are about ready to jump into the fire?"

"It's my life. I do with it what I please!"

The snap back was received with grit teeth. Lelouch swore he heard Byakuya mutter something like 'damned martyr' and 'do what you want' before the man crossed his arms and looked away. Even though he was earlier regarded as a selfish coward, the fact he seemed concerned enough to protest his brother's recklessness made it apparent he wasn't entirely that bad. Just human.

Having no say in their familial affairs, Lelouch kept quiet until he met Kariya's tired gaze. He could only ask. "Are you sure you want to continue?"

"Berserker clearly won't let me back out," Kariya said with a resigned shrug. "And it's not like I don't owe him for saving me."

If being stabbed open to retrieve a parasite was saving, then Kariya was free to call it a favour as he wished. It still didn't sit right with the boy, however. Especially since they'd already expended enough effort just to take him out of the war safely.

"If that is what you want, then far be it from me to deny your volunteering." Lelouch offered his hand which the man shook in return. "However, if that is the case, I believe I need to reassess our plan for the future. Especially considering the… precarious state your life is in right now." The man returned a confused stare until Lelouch added, "You might not survive the next fight, even if Berserker does win."

The widened eye was immediately cut off by an answer. But Kariya likely didn't expect it to come from his own brother, still crossed-armed to the side. "I already told him." Byakuya commented. "Before this stupid war started, Kariya wasn't prepared as a magus. Not even close to novice level. Zouken's treatment may have accelerated and groomed your magecraft control to a substandard level, but you'd still be beaten by a child who'd been trained since they could speak."

"I don't need to be able to use magecraft," argued Kariya, shaking his head while his dead eye's gaze sagged off to the side. "If Berserker just wants to fight, then I let him. That's all."

Byakuya's grip on his own arm tightened that his sleeve seemed just about to tear. Through grit teeth, he responded sharply. "Even if we discount your body and mental state, you only have a small amount of Crest worms left. The rate that they make mana from eating your organs has decreased since they won't be riled up anymore by Zouken, but his death also means your batteries are basically limited." The older sibling stared hard when he got neither response nor reaction. Letting out a sigh, he continued. "When the war started, Zouken had adamantly stated you wouldn't live even if you won. You already had a death sentence the moment you left this house not a week ago. Anything else would just kill you earlier than that."

Lelouch stared at his ally. "Why hadn't you mentioned this before?"

"Why should I?" Kariya lazily snapped back. "Either fight and win or wait for worms to finish me off. I was going to die either way." The sick master chuckled. "I suppose I subconsciously just came to accept this the day I came back to take Sakura's place."

"Is there anything that can be done?"

Kariya just shook his head. "Neither Byakuya nor myself spent a damn minute studying the bastard's craft. Even if we had found a way to reverse its effects, neither of us would be capable of properly executing it. Besides, the worms already ate half of my organs. Missing a whole chunk of myself wouldn't be durable and it's not like the local hospital can lend a hand to me on such short notice AND let me leave at my leisure." The man scoffed with a hard chuckle. "By all accounts, I really am a walking dead man!"

'Then, he really is done. He was just waiting for the day he keels over.' Lelouch broke eye contact first. "Still… to die even after you saved your niece—"

"Come on, Lelouch. After all, I'd done, you'd pity me?" The cripple smiled even as he said it. "It's… of course it's not fine, but I didn't have any other choice in the beginning. Still, I've killed all I needed to. Sakura is saved and will return to her mother. As a side, neither Aoi and her family, nor my brother, will be bothered by Zouken ever again. All's well that ends well, don't you think?"

The Master of Avenger smiled back but couldn't help but say it. "For you to undergo so much for the child… and yet she won't be able to repay your kindness anytime soon…"

"Eh. Life is hell, kid. Get used to it." Kariya's lighthearted expression persisted. "Then again, I guess I shouldn't be saying that to a kid who had no qualms with betraying another Master and roasting my father to hell, to begin with."

Byakuya refrained from commenting but grit his teeth in frustration, not anger, at his last remaining family's situation. It seemed even he had to agree this was unfair. His little brother just managed to get his and Sakura's freedom back.

"I'll die, I've already accepted that. At the very least, I prefer to go out on my own terms. Without regrets." Kariya stopped and thought about it. "Okay, I do have one or two regrets but… right now, it's nothing important. The point is I'm fine with it, Lelouch. So don't feel sad about it, kiddo."

Feel sad? Lelouch didn't think that's what he was feeling… No. Perhaps he was. He wasn't saddened by the unexpected acceptance. Rather, the Demon Emperor was just… perplexed in seeing Kariya's take on it.

It was cruel. For death to be the only reward to his heroism, to die because one's parent was just a voracious parasite, to be given respite only in death. Lelouch had gotten used to being the cause of death and suffering, but it always astounded him when someone was so willing to lay down their life for a cause. It was… admirable to say the least.

Kariya just wanted to save Sakura. He was ready to kill for it. To die for it. But even as a victor in his plight, he was going to lose, one way or another. It just…

'… Hits too close to home.' Lelouch thought with narrowed eyes. 'So this is what it is like from another perspective. Huh, how ironic.'

This must be what it feels like to be on the side of the martyr. Granted, only a few were aware of the true plan, but when he finally managed to end it, run through by a blade in his best friend's hands, this must be the feelings they had on the day of his death.

Pity, sadness, frustration that it had to be this way. Lelouch especially hadn't really considered what Nunnally would feel at the culmination of it all.

In exchange for her brother's life, she would be granted a world of peace like no other.

In exchange for Kariya's life, neither Sakura nor his brother would need to fear for their own under the yoke of a monster.

They both tried to save others, but they were both forsaken by the world and those around them. Seeing the similarities now had the boy stifling a smile of his own. Like Lelouch, Kariya wasn't afraid of approaching death. Instead, the sick man barely coasting the thin line of his own mortality was readily facing it, all to repay the debt he owed to a Servant too far mad to reason with.

'But regardless of this acceptance… it still feels… wrong.'

He knew he could speak for himself, considering the hell he razed in his own world. But to say Kariya was a bad person would be insensitive to his past. The mistakes of his youth resulted in the suffering of the child, but he very much paid for it by now.

"And here I thought we could finally celebrate Zouken's death," Byakuya growled under his breath while sourly remarking to himself. "Just when I thought… we could finally share a drink… after all these years… Now you're going to off yourself for that crazy hunk of metal's wish?"

"Hm… I didn't know you cared so much, brother…"

"Of course, I do, you runaway bastard!" snapped Byakuya. "Even if I had to go through hell because you left me alone with that shithead of a father, we are still siblings, you selfish prick! Do you know how hard it is for me to hear you oh so willing to take the fall for another parasite's problem?!"

That he was brave enough to compare Berserker to Zouken may have been the brotherly rage he felt overtook him. But regardless, whether the Servant heard or not, Byakuya didn't back down nor did he hide his feelings. Kariya was slightly taken aback once more, but he let out a somewhat tired smile. The first he'd given to his sibling since last night, Lelouch noted.

"I didn't know you'd feel that way…"

"The hell? Did you think I was like that rat bastard and never expected me to be so against my own brother's suicidal recklessness?!"

"Heheh… I guess I shouldn't be. It makes me a bastard of a brother, especially after I abandoned you to live with that asshole all these years."

Byakuya fumed but wasn't as mad as he'd been earlier. More frustrated than anything, he hissed with slight tears in his eyes. "You damn well know it!"

Kariya chuckled to himself a bit. "Heheh… Hey, isn't Shinji overseas right now?" Kariya asked and continued once he got a confused nod in confirmation. "Guess that means I'm pretty worse off as an uncle to him too, considering I won't be able to see him again..."

There was more grinding and gnashing of teeth on Byakuya's part, but Lelouch asked once more. "Are you absolutely sure, Kariya? Even if your Servant does wish to continue, you still have the option of spending your remaining time with Sakura."

But the man just shook his head. "No. There's no running away from this. As much as I want to comfort the kid until I return her to her mother, I'd prefer it if Sakura just remembers me as the one who saved her from this home and nothing more. I… I don't deserve anymore… after all, I've done. Besides, I'd rather not let her see me fall apart at the seams once my time's up."

If he so wished to give the girl hope and deny himself, then anything he had to say would only fall on deaf ears. If he wanted to be remembered as a hero and only that, then Lelouch would concede. While it was advantageous to have such a key piece in the palm of his hand, this was as far as the boy would extend the courtesy.

From here on, Matou Kariya would be his most potent knight while Lelouch played as the man's demonic advocate.

"Earlier, in the coffee house, we were planning how to beat Rider and Saber, weren't we Lelouch?" he nodded before Kariya added. "Then, let's return to that matter. Berserker wants to fight Saber and that's the best I can do for him for helping all this time. You as well. Without you, I would have never had enough courage to fight Zouken."

Lelouch thought about trying to argue with him but stopped. Wasting time would only make matters worse and cut through what was left of Kariya's short lifespan. Letting out a sigh, the boy smiled. "Very well. I'll take Berserker's and your role into consideration. But I'm afraid we'll have to do that tomorrow morning. You need your rest, after all." He added the latter with emphasis as Kariya himself was still wobbly from the last fight. Even if Lelouch had concocted a plan now, it wouldn't be helpful explaining it to someone who was dead tired. "Tonight, however, I believe we should celebrate our victory and your freedom from your parent." He then glanced at Byakuya, hoping for a little support. "While I don't want to suggest anything, I believe you have enough alcohol for such an occasion, at least."

"Hmph, cheeky brat, aren't you?" Byakuya laughed before heading out. "Wait here. I'll pick out some of the good stuff."

"Byakuya—?"

"Don't you move, you little brat brother of mine!" snapped the man once more. The corner of his eyes were slightly red, but it wasn't out of malice that he added. "You owe me a drink for the decades of stress! Don't think you can skimp on that now!"

Exasperated with surprise, Kariya stayed silent. As his brother left, he slowly turned to Lelouch. "I didn't take you for a drinker. I know that the drinking age in the west is lower than here, but still…"

"I'm actually not that much a fan of alcohol and don't plan to become one tonight." Lelouch shrugged. "This is for you, as well as your brother. It might be your last chance to speak to one another after all."

The man's working eye softened its gaze when it met his. "I… I see. Thanks…"

"Think nothing of it." Lelouch, knowing that having last regrets was never a good thing, replied with a smile. "Spend the night having as much fun as you can. Forget about the war for now. We will worry about it when you're ready..." Although saying that, a thought came to Lelouch. "I have a question though. Both of you stated that Zouken lived for centuries… Does this mean he was alive during every Grail war, right?"

"Yeah, he told us about it a few times, but he only mentioned them in passing." That meant he didn't deem either of them worthy of the information. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing all too important…" Lelouch hummed something under his breath. "Did he have a diary of some kind or library?"

___________

Nobu officially hated all kinds of insects and bugs and… whatever the hell it was her flames were turning to ashes up the basement walls.

'First, he complains about my hugs even though he knows he enjoys them. Now, he bails out on me to talk with the bumbling duo…? That jackass!' Needless to say, Nobunaga was pissed she had to do cleanup after all that happened. 'I am definitely NOT going to let him sleep tonight!'

And that was a promise she was going to keep it.

She sighed in dismay still. Despite it being a request from Lelouch, she just hated the work itself. While normal bugs were no skin of her teeth, these worms birthed by the monster maggot mass were made of stranger stuff. But regardless of their resilience, they needed to be dealt with lest they pollute the area and maybe even the sewers below.

While Lelouch had blown the service tunnel up to seal any escape, one can't be too careful. Still, their stench was unbearable. Even if she was the only one capable of this arduous task, she demanded compensation. Anything the Matou siblings could give her were likely worthless, so that left only one to suffer her wrath for this.

'I will get back at him for this. Lulu will pay for making me go through this.' Burning down the remains took just a little over a few hours as she had to weave her flames through every nook and cranny. She would have blown the whole place up to oblivion for good measure, but undoubtedly a certain someone wouldn't be too pleased. But now that she was done, she was free to get her payment. Maybe forcibly cuddling him while he tried to get some sleep would do. 'Now, where is that prick?'

Her search led her to the main hall where she found two people she wasn't looking for. The Matou siblings, each with an expensive bottle of booze in hand, were downing drinks while sharing banter. Neither noticed her presence behind them.

"—when Shinji learned about magic, he spent the entire month… heh… running around and screaming something about a Prisma. Says he saw it on TV—hic—… Sorry…" Byakuya was already intoxicated. Being somewhat of a pro alcoholic, his words weren't that slurred, but his gaze was sure as hell drifting off more often than not. "Kid thought he could transform… into some kind of magic girl or something… Heheh…"

"Hic—Ah… Hahah… Makes you wish actual magecraft was that innocent, huh?" Kariya said before taking a slight sip from his bottle. "I would take magical girls' clothing over bugs in my gut any day—hic!"

"I don't know, bro. I have enough reasons to drink." Tipping his bottle to clink against Kariya's, Byakuya's usually fearful expression seemed to brighten somewhat. It was akin to an older sibling teasing the younger. "I don't need an image of you in a tight skirt."

"Oh, come off it!" Kariya scoffed back with a grin. "Don't tell me you forgot about the time Aoi made you were her dress—"

"Agh! You said you forgot about that!"

"Did I?" Kariya lifted his working eyebrow. "Can't say for sure—hic! I do remember someone rocking that one piece though. But Aoi hated wearing that flashy thing, so…"

"Why do you even remember that detail, you bastard!" It must've been the alcohol, for even when mad, Byakuya just laughed before finally noticing her presence. "Oh, hey, our bad for not seeing you there. Here!"

A bottle flew her way. Although she could've avoided it easily and let it fall to the floor, she deftly caught it with ease. "What's this? Appeasement?"

"Hey now, don't be so uptight, will ya?" the drunkard quickly raised his bottle towards her, beckoning a toast. "Cheers! To the woman who burned down that worm bastard that took my anal virginity—hic—! Thank you, fire breathing lady!"

And with that, he proceeded to guzzle the bottle's contents like he'd been thirsting in the desert for weeks.

"…" Nobunaga didn't reply. In fact, she just stared. Hard. It was only when she gave a questioning glance to Kariya that said 'He isn't serious, right?' that she finally got a response.

"I can lie if it makes you feel any better." Kariya, saved only by the small amount he'd drunk, was able to hold back a chuckle that would've gotten him killed by the disgusted woman.

'Who knew magi were as disgusting as bureaucrats in more ways than one?' Nobunaga massaged the bridge of her nose before brushing off her revulsion. She didn't have time to waste with these cretins. "Where's my Master?"

"Zouken's library." Kariya pointed at one of the doors to the wall behind them. "Said he wanted to read whatever information Zouken saved from previous wars."

Nobunaga raised an eyebrow. "And you just let him rifle through your family's secrets? I thought magi weren't this carefree with such information."

"Do we even seem like actual magi to you?" Kariya tried to sound incredulous or sarcastic, but being semi-drunk had it coming off as more surprising. "He can burn down the entire library for all I care. We were planning on getting rid of everything related to magecraft anyway—"

"Upupup! Not everything!" Byakuya quickly tutted. "Shinji and I will need some of those books in the future."

The cripple of a brother sighed heavily. "Oh come off it, Byakuya… You can't be serious—!"

"But I am, dear brother! Now with Zouken out of the way, I'm the actual head of the Matou clan. Whatever remains of our clan's magecraft is now my responsibility."

"After everything that happened, you still want to continue being part of that world?" Kariya was beginning to sound disappointed as well as confused by it. "Neither you nor Shinji can even use magecraft properly. What good will keeping that cursed collection do?"

"My son and I may be inept, but you can't say for certain that Shinji's children will be." Going on a drunken yet sane ramble, he added. "Think of it, Kariya! This might become the turning point for our family, to start small and rebuild ourselves up as a successful magi family again! Even better, we're free from that asshole forever! Besides, we still can use alchemy even if it's minuscule. I can bide my time teaching Shinji the basics and what we can dig up in our Zouken's keepsakes until our blood and descendants regain magic circuits. Think of it as righting the wrongs our dear father has done to us…"

"Please don't call that rat bastard that… It gives me the creeps…" It took a little while before Kariya gave up and sighed. "Fine. Do as you please. If you want to waste your life in that bastard's world, do whatever you want. Just… keep it within reason… okay?"

"Come on, Kariya! Don't sound so grumpy! Not to worry! I'll make sure Shinji and I keep things safe and clean. As clean as our new basement, eh, Miss Avenger?"

Nobunaga was appalled. The once anxious, cowardly, and seemingly selfish older sibling had grown into an overbearing brother under the influence. It seems he was a happy and oblivious drunk, otherwise, he wouldn't be so carefree with talking to her, the one who slapped the shit and piss out of him with just a backhand. It was no wonder he was able to endure this hell of a home.

"And…" Kariya mumbled whilst taking another swig. "Take care of… Sakura for me… will you? Even after you return her to Aoi and Rin."

"Well… she will need to heal first." Byakuya gulped the last of his bottle down before adding. "But I'll do what I can. God knows how the Tohsakas will take it after what she'd been through…"

Avenger's eyes narrowed with slight interest. She'd seen the girl last night. And while she hadn't met her prior to the torture she'd endured, it was by instinct alone that the redhead could tell she was far from her old self. A child who'd been adopted would never share qualities of her new family, and yet, little Sakura did. Her eyes and hair colour matched the Matou's to a scary degree. It was as if she was never adopted in the first place. Whatever the worms did to her, it altered her to the point of muting out the genetics she was born with.

Though that being said, it wasn't as if Nobunaga was a practitioner of modern medicine, so she wouldn't know if anything about the girl truly changed to match her captor and tormentor.

Nobunaga, slightly curious about the girl, decided to ask. "And, what do you plan to do with the kid? I can tell you wouldn't send her to modern healers, considering her state."

"Ah… hic—… It's too risky. We'll need to find someone that knows of magecraft. But it'll be difficult." Byakuya didn't even hesitate to pop open another wine bottle and only continued after he'd emptied down to the neck of the glass. "The Tohsakas were pretty much our only ally for the last few centuries ever since Zouken was in charge. It's not like he was even particularly friendly with others."

"We can't even rely on Shinji's grandparents…" Kariya glumly added. "Though they're magi who specialize in healing—"

"They kinda hate our guts for what Zouken did to my wife..." That the man didn't elaborate told Nobu all she needed to know. "It's been a decade… since they last spoke to me."

"Then blame it on the dead." The sudden advice had both men's attention on her. Indifferent, she continued. "Your dead wife's relatives' issue is with Zouken. He's dead. Congratulations. From here you can try to rebuild your connection whilst pinning it all on the bastard that bit the dust."

It was a common tactic back in her time. The bad blood between the family head and allies were resolved by replacing the leader of the family with one who is sympathetic to them. It wouldn't abolish all sins, but it was a start at improving relations.

To the former daimyo who warred with former friends and made alliances with enemies, such diplomacy was a dime-a-dozen politics.

To some degree, that is what she did when she made an alliance with the Matsudaira clan (even if it was mostly due to the weakening of the Imagawa clan). The point remained. With Zouken out of the Matou picture, they could now try to fix everything the old worm ruined over the years.

"Wow… I… hic… Thanks for the advice!" Byakuya barely wasted time thinking about it. With another empty bottle clinking at his feet, it seems the man wasn't as bothered about receiving advice from her so long as his sense of reasoning was dulled by the spirits. "It might work—no! It will! Besides, Zouken never allowed them to see Shinji. Even if I were the one to approach them, the old lady had always wanted to see her grandson. If the Matou clan will need allies, they're our best bet and Shinji will be our ticket in!" He glanced at his brother. "Although, I guess this will sour our relations with the Tohsaka… After all, Aoi will likely become the temporary head until little Rin grows up."

"...I don't care about politics. So long as you don't forget about your promise to keep an eye out for them, then it's fine." Kariya downed his bottle at that. Though, after a short pause, he then popped another open like his brother. It was midway through the second bottle that he continued. "Honestly, the whole magi community can eat shit and die as far as I'm concerned… All I ask is that you make sure Aoi and her family are taken care of, magi politics be damned!"

Byakuya snorted before chiding, "Shit… And here I thought Zouken wanted you to become a family head. You would've run this family to the ground with your obsession over her." A swig later and a second empty bottle in hand, Byakuya leaned in to tease. "Still pining for her from the shadows, you stalker bastard?"

"Shu-shut the hell up, you idiot!" Flushed, and definitely not by the alcohol, Kariya snapped back. "I've long gotten over her!"

"Sure, you have," Byakuya continued to tease until he fell silent. "Still can't believe it… We're… We're finally free… from that son of a bitch…"

"May his soul rot in hell." Kariya made a toast. "Cheers!"

"Amen, brother."

Seeing her interest in the drunk pair wane, Nobunaga looked in the direction where Lelouch was. She kept the bottle tossed to her. Giving it a gloss over, it was apparently sake under a brand she didn't recognize. Ignoring the cheers of the drunk siblings, she disappeared behind the door her master had holed up in.

To say the house was huge was an understatement.

It was a mansion, of course, in the western style. But due to being pretty empty, the spaciousness of it all made it seem dead. Lifeless. Or maybe that was giving the place too much credit. It was more accurate to call it pretty decrepit and akin to a graveyard or morgue. It had that kind of morbid atmosphere.

It was certainly a far cry from the modern buildings she and Lelouch visited. Those places were teeming with life. This place had the air of undead. More so the further one got into the mansion.

It would appear that Zouken didn't have much taste in décor. But despite it, he definitely influenced the walls of his home to the point of the halls inducing a creepy atmosphere. She didn't bother studying the inner architecture of this place but could still feel the fear factor the insect monster likely intended for any and all visitors. As soon as she walked into the library and found her partner in crime, she was able to breathe a sigh she didn't know she was holding back.

Lelouch was nose-deep in aged tomes. The desk he'd borrowed had mountains of Zouken's personal effects stacked atop one another in neat order. Though, she also noted her Master showed little respect for that which he found no worth. Even though it was a dead person's belongings, he would occasionally toss away what he thought was useless into another, more disorganized pile. Nobunaga picked up one such book and took a cursory glance. Upon reading a line, however, she immediately noticed something.

"This isn't Japanese." Thanks to the Grail, Nobu was able to speak and read every modern language. This one was not her mother tongue. Not even related, considering the ancient Cyrillic text.

"Yes. It's actually Russian." Lelouch commented as he tossed another book to the discard pile. "At first, I thought the old man was only two centuries old. But it turns out Zouken was far older than Kariya assumed."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, he's old enough to personally know Leonardo da Vinci and Paracelsus von Hohenheim during their life." Lelouch smiled at her surprised expression.

"Wait. He was still around by the time I was born...?" The boy nodded whilst grabbing a new one from the neat stack. "Huh. Impressive for a mere human that managed to live for so long."

"Not impressive when you take note of his methods. Apparently, he was using a special type of Crest worms to survive through the years." Lelouch's expression turned grim before he explained. "The old man apparently figured out how to attach his soul to living creatures. That and also the fact of keeping his human body alive was far too much effort than it was worth. So, in light of his findings, he decided to use a different method." A pause for effect as the boy tried to compose himself. "One wherein he used the bodies of his descendants as his vessel."

'An entirely unpleasant experience for his family' went left unsaid. Nobu nodded. "So he'd been feeding off of them for that long, huh. But since he's lived so long, does that mean you find anything interesting?"

Lelouch looked around the table, looking for the journals he saved before showing them to Avenger. "Most of my findings were on the preparation for the first Grail war. About how three founding families divided responsibilities, with Makiri, then Zouken before he changed their clan to Matou, took great care in the creation of Command Seals." A sour glance was shot at his own seals. "It seems we should thank the old-timer for that which binds our contracts."

"Hm…" He didn't sound as annoyed as his expression said he was, but Nobu chalked that up to just disgust for the man and his work. "Can we use it to our advantage?"

Nobunaga was curious if they would be able to weaponize such research. They already had a good number of unused Command Seals from the previous Grail Wars they stole from the priest, but additional ones wouldn't be refused. Considering the power boost Berserker got from just one being activated and him acting along the lines of its command, Nobu saw it as an absolute win over their opponents. However, the boy abruptly shook his head.

"Sadly, no. The notes describe a complex magic system in its entirety. And while I can come to understand a little of it at a time, it wouldn't be anytime soon even if I was capable of using magecraft. And I highly doubt our ally or his brother would be much help considering their talent or lack thereof in the craft. He also didn't write anything that could be used against the Einzbern. Which is quite interesting…"

"Hoh?" Nobu sensed actual interest in Lelouch's tone. "Interesting, how?"

Lelouch thought about how to phrase it before continuing, drawing up his source material for Nobu to see over his shoulder. "Although he wrote a lot of things about the Einzbern head during the times of the first Grail War, he didn't write anything actually critical about their former head, a woman by the name of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern." The mouthful of a name was oh so eloquently dictated by the boy without pause as he resumed. "Apparently, the two shared a common dream about creating a perfect world. One of the oldest diaries noted a younger's Zouken fascination akin to infatuation or romantic feelings for her."

"You've been reading up on someone's love story since holing up in here, Lulu?" Nobu couldn't help but tease as she pressed against him from behind. "That's quite adorable of you, little boy~~~!"

"It's just speculation," he sighed, pointedly ignoring her bust on the back of his head. "It's hard to say when he only wrote respectful praises for the person. Considering the number of people he'd mentioned prior to her, it was odd for one to be so positive compared to the overwhelming majority." Snapping the diary shut, he huffed. "But still, to learn that the monster who was grooming children to become his vessels in a worm pit once sought out a utopia for all humans… Hah… Quite the fateful end, turning into a villain instead of dying as a hero."

"Hm…" Nobu hummed at the unmentioned parallels but decided to redirect the topic instead. "So, if not the Command Seals or his origins, did you find anything else? He was there during the first, and you said he practically had a hand in designing the whole gig. He must have something useful."

Lulu paused in silence to look over a few notes. "There is one thing curious about the Grail system itself. As you know some parts of this war were left unmentioned to everyone outside three founding families, correct?"

Nobu snarled with mild irritation. "Yeah. The fact Servants are nothing more than glorified fuel for that cup."

"Still holding a grudge?" Lelouch said with a small smile as he looked up, inadvertently leaning against her bosom but meeting her gaze from below. "I thought taking out two of the three heads of the founding families would please you, my dear daimyo. Or, what is it? Is the blood of Tohsaka Tokiomi and Makiri Zouken not enough for you?"

"You know that I won't feel satisfied until all of them, and even the cup itself, is crushed under my foot, Lulu," doubling down on his attempts to tease her, she leaned in so that her eyes aligned with his. Both of them felt the other's breath on their foreheads. "For bringing this sham of a ritual to form, even the Einzberns must pay for their sins."

"Then, I shall have to serve them on a silver platter just for you, my dear." Her fellow Demon chuckled while he tickled the spot behind her ear. It wasn't lost on her that a simple tug from him would have their faces mashed together. It was then that she opted to break away from the contact first before popping the cork off the bottle she brought with her. "Oh, right. You also might be interested to learn another untold secret about this war."

With his back turned to her, Nobu managed to hide the flush of her cheeks behind the strong kick of sake. Despite calling them wimps and worthless, they had great taste in drinks. "Hm-hm? And what may that be?"

"Apparently, that which a Master and Servant pair seeks to attain is only one of two parts." The knowing smile on the boy's face told her the attempt to hide her shame was seen through.

"Quite the riddle there, Lulu. Mind keeping it simple for me?" Regardless, she pressed on, ignoring the smirk behind his eyes.

"Did you know that there is something called a Lesser Grail?" This indeed caught her attention and snapped her out of the shamed drinking. "And if there is a Lesser, there is also a Greater Grail. Two halves of the same whole."

"Wait, there are two Grails?!"

"Not in the way you'd think. The Lesser Grail functions more as the key to the Greater Grail. Its main purpose was to store the souls of the fallen Servants. In other words, the Lesser Grail is the device that allows the victor of the War to claim their prize from the Greater Grail."

That… changed things. From a strategic standpoint, it actually made their jobs of preventing a winner actually easier. So long as they kept the supposed winner away from the Lesser Grail, the War would never end and a conclusion will never be reached. Even if the other Servants were all killed off.

"But there's more." The boy caught her attention once more. "The Grail was advertised as an omnipotent wish-granting device that will do whatever its owner wants, but that's not the entire truth."

"Elaborate," Nobu asked with a serious tone. Both of them already knew that Servants were shafted by their true fate at victory's end, but it would appear to be all the cons. "Do masters fight for nothing then?"

"No. They do get something out of it. Only the manner of accomplishing the wish itself isn't as what we were led to believe." He showed her Zouken's journals which contained the scheme. "The Grail itself isn't a wish-granting machine akin to a genie in a lamp. From what the younger Zouken defined in his journals, it grants its user a connection to a virtually unlimited supply of magical energy, the core of all magics, the Root."

Nobunaga paused as she carefully observed the book. There were two pictures of the Grail. The Lesser Grail looked like an actual cup. The Greater Grail, however, wasn't drawn. But there were numerous notes and drawings referring to something noted as the Third Magic. The longer she looked at the complex diagrams, the more furious Nobu became.

"So not only were we Servants lied to?! Any Master's wish is basically null and void, forfeited instead for… for this?!" It was good—no, a great thing Lelouch was her Master. Being upfront with the truth was a plus, but he was also an outsider. One she could absolutely rule out as an accomplice to those she now hated more than her traitorous kin.' We are Servants… incarnations of Heroes long past that have left their marks on the Throne of Heroes… But… we're just… expendable?! Just to be used and tossed aside for these worthless magi to get their hands of some fancy magic art lost to time?! And here I thought the intricacies of my incarnation was a mess…'

Teeth ground so hard, it could be heard in the silence of the room. Something made up of glass shattered just as the floor beneath her foot creaked under sudden strain. She was pissed.

'Those bastard magi…' such was her fury that the shut windows of the study seemed to groan under the immense pressure her aura emanated. 'How dare they?!'

To have manipulated her into the role of a sacrificial pawn, to force her into a scenario where she either fought and won nothing or fought and died for less, to have pulled the wool over her eyes with the promises of a wish… Despite having known half the truth before, Nobu was angry beyond words seeing the full story now.

"Nobu?"

Even though she was called the Demon King, she wasn't ever truly the real incarnation of Oda Nobunaga. But despite it, she still shared the original Demon King's values. She would never use her soldiers as pawns. Nobunaga sent them to fight. She as well would fight alongside them. All for a purpose. All for a noble goal. Back then, it was to unite their lands, to bring peace under her banner, even if their legs gave out and could carry them no more, until theirs and their enemy's blood flooded the rice fields, even if her relentless push would damn her to hell, she and her armies would fight on for that noble purpose.

And her armies fought. Damn well, they did. Not because her allies and subjects would do everything their lord daimyo ordered, no. But because they knew what they were fighting for. They believed in the same dream of conquest as she. For glory and honour, for loyalty and trust amongst comrades, many pledged to follow her, to see the dream through. She is Oda Nobunaga, the one who fought and killed and slaughtered many in the quest to unify her fractured Japan. Her armies were ready to do everything to achieve that dream.

'But worthless magi have the audacity to call upon heroes like myself from the Throne… all for the sake of an infinite mana supply? Is that supposed to be some sort of joke?' The desire for omnipotent power, merely more of what they already have. The greed in such a desire was not lost on Nobunaga. And though many would argue that she was just the same in her conquest, let it not be said that Nobu wouldn't cut down the ignorant for such assumptions. 'Unlike me, they have no honour, no purpose, no genuine unifying reason for anyone to give up their lives… They aren't even risking theirs, sending us in as sacrifices to the slaughter. They aren't any better than those annoying monks who hid behind their walls—No, at least those monks had a sense of values that made them human. Magi are nothing but a joke. Not giving a damn about those around them and just doing as they please, ruining the lives of others…'

The thought of such a cold-hearted outlook on life, wherein all were just a resource to be used for one's own ends, was cruel and cold, but one she came to accept during her path as a ruler in life. But… that didn't mean she embraced it wholeheartedly like the sham of seers who created the Grail system, to begin with.

She didn't know what might have happened if Lelouch wasn't her Master. Or maybe she did? She might've returned to the Throne the moment she found out the truth and was well aware her Master was just the same as the rest of them. A head would've been blown to smithereens despite any attempt to protest or appease her anger.

However, Nobunaga also doubted she would have been summoned by anyone else in his place. She and Lelouch were two of the same side of the coin. They shared a similar story, the same dream (if a bit different in scale) and their deaths were the results of their own decisions. And theirs were tales with purpose and self-sacrifice. To be made pawns in some farce… 'They'll pay… they'll burn in hell… I'll drag their souls into it myself if I have to—!'

"Nobu." His voice pulled her out of the rage and anger for a brief second. "Are you listening to me?"

She met his eyes. The deep violets crossed the crimson gaze, remaining as calm as they will ever be. Lelouch could feel her anger. She could sense his frustration. Neither of them needed to rely upon their connection to know. Just looking at the other's face was enough to tell what their partner's thoughts were on the matter.

But while Nobunaga was consumed with hatred for those who tried to use her to such an end, Lelouch was different. Calmer. With a gentle voice and a hand clasping her clenched own, he asked of her.

"Breathe. Breathe and relax, my daimyo." She did as her partner asked. But it wasn't enough. "Stay your anger for a moment, please—"

"Can I burn this city?"

"Eh?"

"Can I burn this city?!" She sounded like a child, wanting to rid the stain that adorned her legacy. Japan belonged to her, but the ritual that sought to use her and had many heroes of the past ruined its purity, marking that which was hers. It would be fine if she decided to get rid of just Fuyuki, and maybe the neighbouring Minami City as collateral. She could rebuild it all afterwards anyway.

The look Lelouch gave her however was a clear parental answer. "No, you cannot. Besides, such anger is unwarranted to those innocent of whatever wrongs you're feeling now, my dear. Even if it's for the Tohsakas, that would be too much. If you plan to aim your anger at the Einzberns, they likely won't care if something happened to this place either since they're based in Germany—"

"Can I burn Germany then?" Petulant and immature was her tone.

It was as if she was looking for an out, a chance to vent her frustrations. But Nobu asked with such a serious face that this time, Lelouch stopped and stared at her for a few seconds. There was a short silence as the two stared at one another deeply. Then, it was broken by Lelouch's chuckle.

"Hey, I'm being serious here!"

"I know, but the answer is still 'no', Nobu. You can't burn Germany." He seemed to find it adorable with how she pouted. Lelouch seemed surprised that Nobu actually considered it but continued. "Although I wouldn't actually care, considering this isn't my home world... but I can see where you're coming from."

"Then, all the more—"

"Should you ask for it of me, I could destroy this world if it so deserves it." She didn't doubt he would. He'd already done so once. "But our issue is still, and only with, the founding families of the Grail War. For now, at least, they have already wronged too many, including ourselves. But… if we are to claim true victory, we simply need to make sure no one will win this war. And any other beyond it. Killing or destroying anything else will simply be a waste of time, my dear."

The hug she was drawn into and the composure of his tone caught her off-guard. Especially his caring smile which continued to grace her even as he pulled away. But when his hand grasped hers tighter, it was only then, when she looked down upon his that cradled hers, that Nobu realized she'd shattered the glass bottle by the neck in her absentminded fury. Lelouch was calmly brushing the glass from her fingers and tenderly searching for wounds on her palm. Even though, as a Servant, she could never be hurt by simple shards.

"Have you calmed down now?" he asked.

"I… am." She tried to. She really did, for his sake. "Forgive me… it seems… I forgot myself, getting angry for your sake."

"Mine?" the boy's question was accompanied by genuine surprise. But he didn't stop cradling her in his grasp. "Why is that?"

"It's just… I guess it's because it wasn't just myself who would've been fooled. Had you not been informed of the Grail's corruption beforehand, you might've…"

'Sought after a wish yourself… and be summarily disappointed by it all…' She couldn't say it. She didn't dare. How could she when there was still a nagging feeling within, eating away at her even now?

'What if…?' Even though it was just speculation, she couldn't help but worry. 'What if… deep down, he still wishes to return to his world?'

It was a stupid notion. That'd be like asking if she would want to be tossed back to her time, alive and the same as she was when she was mortal, but just some time after her passing. Considering the fact that many reviled her and Lulu both in life, what were they to do, being inserted back into the fray with nary a purpose after their original deaths?

But also consider that the wish they sought after may have been falsified, a trick simply to allow some other magus to approach this Root, what then? For what had their efforts been for? For what did they risk their lives apart from disappointment and loss?

Nobu couldn't fathom what she'd feel seeing Lelouch broken by that revelation, even though he was as calm as can be before her now.

"You need not worry about anything in regards to me, Nobu." It was then the boy hummed, interrupting his thoughts. "I don't seek the Grail, all-powerful magic or not. Besides, Zouken's journal says more about this Root than I gave it credit for. While not the wish-granting device we used to perceive it, in a manner of saying, it can still be used to achieve one's desires through sheer brute force."

"You mean to say?"

"If one desires power, it is power incarnate. If one desires destruction, it is a weapon beyond definition." Such were useless to her or him. Left in the hands of those magi, more of a detriment or a threat than anything else. "But say if one desires a change or peace, it can be used as a threat to enforce such… or maybe a catalyst to guide humanity down that path, should the winner be as benevolent yet strong as any could be." Such idealistic views were actually scoffed at by the boy. "It's a shame, though. The Grail in our war isn't working as it was intended."

"Shame indeed. If only this Greater Grail wasn't corrupted to all hell, I might have had a use for this Third Magic of theirs. It could even solve my little issue."

"Hm? What issue?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you're not telling me, Nobu?"

Nobunaga noted the clear concern in his voice, and, with a small smile, replied. "Don't tell me you hadn't noticed yet, Lulu? My body... it's hollow. Merely a shell. In the first place, after my death, I shouldn't have been able to return to this world, much less stay and live in it. My time here is limited and I would've been gone by the time I was called here, save for the lynchpin that is you, Lelouch."

"Our contract… from the start?"

"Yeah…" She took the opportunity to draw him into a hug. "That's why I was so curious to learn about the person who summoned me without some sort of catalyst. Who is this unfortunate, broken soul? Who was this brat that was so similar, so in-tune with me that he was able to call upon Oda Nobunaga's incarnation, not as the Conqueror of Japan, but the more reviled Demon King?" Confused was the boy's expression, but she shut him up with a finger before he could interrupt. "I will say it bluntly, Lulu. Under normal circumstances, there is no doubt I could have been summoned. To begin with, a Heroic Spirit is, by nature, rejected by the world itself and is always being pushed back into non-existence. We are, in a sense, clumps of mana given form and thought. But… even compared to the rest of the Servants, I'm even more of an anomaly than should be possible."

"Meaning?" he asked, waiting patiently until she did.

"It's to do with the fact that I… or rather, my current self, is too far a manifestation from the real Oda Nobunaga… But… at the same time, I am the greatest and most powerful form of the hero by the same name. An anomalous amalgamation of all Nobunaga's best and worst characteristics."

"I don't understand. Why did you never tell me about this?"

"Because… there was no need to give you unnecessary information, Lelouch. Would knowing my past, or spiritual lack of any real past of myself, even help you in your objective?" His visage soured slightly. She knew he knew it wouldn't. "Think of Servants as but a fraction of the actual hero. But then also consider that I am both the furthest truth from Oda Nobunaga that there ever will be, and, at the same time, I am the closest thing to that Heroic Spirit's incarnation. The most ideal form they would take should they ever be called upon by someone that matches them in both spirit and soul." The boy that was her Master knit his brow, an attempt to think and analyze this new knowledge. However, there was no need for it. "Don't trouble your cute little head with such thoughts, Lulu. I knew this issue would only confuse you and I've come to accept it since being summoned by you."

"But…"

"Drop it, Lulu." She stepped in further with the hug, laying her head against the boy's shoulder and burrowing her face into his neck. "It doesn't bother me anymore. Somehow, in some strange way, you seem to have enough mana to make me feel complete. Not just in the ethereal sense, but my manifestation has never been so… human… before."

"You remember being summoned as… less… in the past?"

"Who knows?" she didn't, but that didn't mean she couldn't trust what she felt here and now. "For all, I know, maybe, maybe not. But no matter what happens, I will forever remember this time that you alone made possible. Here and now, I feel more alive than I had been in life. And I'm grateful to you, Lelouch."

"What are you thanking me for…?" she felt him reciprocate the hug. "You're a fool, you know that?"

"I am the Fool of Owari, you know? Don't disregard my title, will you please?"

He chuckled but spoke softly. "Still, you and I are accomplices. That means we must look after one another. Your problems are as much my problem as well. And I won't hesitate to help you to solve it." Lelouch gave her a sincere smile. "After all, that's what partners are for."

"Is that so?" Nobu bit her lip. She wasn't the only one who had unsolved issues. Her master had one as well. And they both knew he hadn't resolved it yet. "If so, then, Lelouch Lamperouge… please, answer me… … Have you found a new goal you want to achieve for your life?"

She watched as her dear Master stopped and looked away. She didn't want to admit but there was one thing the despicable Gilgamesh had over her. Lelouch had achieved his goal during his life and was now a lost lamb in need of a new one. And, with the words of the dead Archer in mind, he was still a ruler in the heart. Be he dead in his world, he was still yet alive in this one.

But Nobu was afraid he would be troubled with it. She was worried Lelouch wouldn't be able to move on from his former life and, therefore, wouldn't be able to find something of worth in this new one.

Had he been simply another boy tossed into the flames that were her, she wouldn't have cared. But this young man had so much going for him yet he didn't recognize it himself. Apart from her affections, of course.

To him, what was the point of living if there was nothing one wanted? Why fight if one had no stakes in the victory? As a Servant, Nobu had an eternity to think of what she wanted. Not just her, but the many incarnations that were her. Lelouch wasn't the same though. And she oh so wanted to help him—Nay. Her heart and soul demanded she do so.

'You and I are accomplices. That means we must look after one another. Your problems are as much my problem as well. And I won't hesitate to help you to solve it.' Such were his words. So were her thoughts, 'If you can't find a goal in life worth living, then I shall give you one!'

She didn't broadcast it via their link. She merely waited for his reply. And waited. And waited. Lelouch was silent for some time. But then he looked over the books that once belonged to Zouken.

With a heavy voice, he started. "I was thinking… about Zouken's history… What led a man like him to become the way he was at the end. How did he become a monster? What broke him to stray from his original path? He wanted to change the world for the better. To use magic and magecraft, all he had, for the sake of masses and redesign a new system, a better world for all."

Nobunaga's hands gently clasped his face on either side. "You don't mean to tell me you'd compare yourself to that worm… as if you have something in common?"

He didn't try to escape from her. He merely chuckled. "Don't be absurd, Nobu. I knew people who had noble dreams that went too far. I'm one such person among many, infinite others… but I would never become anything like this man for I already died a demon in the world's eyes once. No. What truly made me question things was his life itself. The man was alive for at least five centuries. He had a goal in mind but look how it had ended for him. He was but a twisted version of what he used to be. He'd stopped caring about the world, his dream long forgotten, and was surely focused on getting Grail no matter what... All because he wanted to preserve his own existence."

From what he read about Zouken's first diaries, the man was cold but had only good intentions. However, as time moved Zouken changed. No. It was better to call it a 'fall from grace'. Gone was the person who wanted to create a utopia, replaced by a parasite who sought a means to extend his own life… even if it meant feeding on his own family.

The moment Zouken realized he wouldn't be able to accomplish his dream in his lifetime, he had taken a step into hell in search of a means to continue that relentless search. What he found was the monstrosity he'd soon become.

Lelouch made a weak smile as he stared at the piles of wasted research material and mementoes of a monster. "When I killed my father, I was afraid I would receive his code and become immortal. I had the smallest of fears that… should it come to pass, I may become even less than human and more like him. One who was so detached from humanity, he didn't care if everyone died for they would all be with him at the end of time…"

Such a thought was… confounding, to say the least. While Nobu prided herself upon the title she was bestowed, the human side of her revealed outright cutting herself off from it all. On the battlefield, she was a demon, yes. But there was still a side of her that preferred being off it. A more human aspect of hers.

Lelouch chuckled once more. "However, my fears were unfounded. After all, I'd met a person who had endured immortality and was leagues ahead of me in terms of seeing it through. Willful, selfish, arrogant, and prideful… Her wrath was something I hardly missed, yet her advice was something I never took for granted." His downcast eyes belied a regretful emotion hidden from her gaze. "She suffered because of her immortality, yes. She didn't want it, of course, but she endured. Even when she had the chance to throw it all away… she still… That witch was so willful, so selfish, she didn't dare stop me when I told her what I planned to do… Still so human and yet not."

Nobu couldn't help her flare of envy. Something inside of her wanted to know who that person was. She did already, but the urge to make it the main topic remained. Who was she that was able to cause such an expression to draw over the boy's face? But she didn't question it. She stayed silent and listened to his heartbeat instead. It was calm and soothing, as was his voice.

"I didn't want to see the world I changed to turn into dust. Even if it meant the end of me, I didn't want to see people I knew and cared about to die from old age before my eyes. I didn't want to live on while my friends and followers faded in time... And now, having learned more about Zouken, I started to think. Was there a possibility for me to become like him had I inherited my father's code? Had I taken my father's place, would I have grown disillusioned, lost, and twisted as Zouken was? An immortal being who'd simply lost his mind and forgot his original dream...? I can't help but wonder and feel somewhat relieved of being spared such a sad existence."

And yet, he couldn't help but regret leaving the other to her own. It was all over his face, even though he didn't say. Still, Nobu didn't pry that. It was insensitive to. Instead, she consoled his woes.

"None of that will happen. You aren't in your old world and, unlike Zouken, you accomplished what you wanted."

"Indeed, but that leaves me the question still. What should I do now?" he broke away from her embrace, despite her grips' protest to not. "What is my new goal? What am I to do with this new life? Ever since I was brought to this world, made to fight in this war, I kept repeating these questions. I don't have an objective beyond preventing others from getting the Grail. I don't know what to do after. Hell, I don't even know if I have an after." He stepped away, growing ever farther from her as he turned his back to stare at the dark sky beyond the window. "Life and death mean little if someone can bring me back from the dead. What is there for Lelouch vi Britannia to do then? Will I be tasked to do the same once more? To search for another war to stop any participants from achieving victory? What is there… for me… when I have nothing to call… truly mine anymore?"

Nobunaga silently stared at his back. It didn't sound like her master was depressed. But it was more like he was genuinely lost. As a Servant, Nobu got used to the idea that death would mean little to her. She would just return to the Throne and await another summoner to call her back and fight in another Grail War. But Lelouch wasn't a Servant as far as they know. Hell, they didn't even know what exactly he was now. If even the all-knowing Gilgamesh was puzzled by Lelouch's true nature and couldn't understand what exactly her master was, who was able to tell.

But then again, did it truly matter?"

As far as Nobunaga was concerned. He was her equal. He was the same as her, a fellow revolutionary and monster to the masses by their cruelty on their path of destiny. He was the one to understand her. And that was enough for her. This bond with Lelouch was all she needed. And if her partner was lost, it was her duty to guide him, was it not?

"You need not answer now, Lelouch, for you can always find one by simply living." She started as Lelouch glanced her way. "The old worm spent centuries trying to achieve his dream, but went mad and forgot it. That would indeed inspire fear for those who have already lost their own goals. But your worry is illogical. As far as you know, you fulfilled your responsibility to your world, to your people. And now, you're free to do as you please."

"But…"

"Hush," she silenced him once more with a finger to the lips. "Don't forget, Lelouch. You were denied a normal life by your world. I've seen your past. Through your own memories, I've experienced what you have, felt what you did. That which should've been given was taken away from you at such a young age. So why not spend that stolen life in this world? Trying experiencing what you were denied all these years?"

Lelouch went silent for a moment, thinking about her words. "Like what for example?"

'Me.' Nobunaga smiled but didn't answer with that. "You were born in a world that was at the edge of war. Then why not try to live in this world's lasting peace? You lost many who were close to you. Why not build new connections here? Colleagues, friends… a lover and family, it doesn't matter what. You can have all of it, any one of them, here and now once this is all over. Of course, it has its caveats, this world. It isn't better off than yours with the magi that are the worst kind of scum that still exist in hiding. This world is corrupted still and in need of change, yet you can quite easily live a blissful and ignorant life if you so wish." She smirked upon meeting the light in his eyes. "Of course, you could still choose to repeat what you've done before."

She took a step forward. Then another, and another. Upon reaching arm's length of him, she offered up her hand, a mirror of what someone had done for him before.

"This world… you can burn it down to the ground and rebuild it anew. You may be a normal human now, but if you so wish, I can offer you the power, my power, that of a true demon." It was an offer as well as an extension. What they had now was similar, but only for this war. The contract she offered henceforth was for now… and forever. "In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in a world of humans, you will live unlike any other: a different providence, a different time, a different life. But unlike the Power of a King, what I offer is myself, the Power of a Demon. One that will not condemn you to a life of solitude for I shall be with you until the end of time. So, answer me, Lelouch. Are you prepared for this?"

Royal violet eyes stared at the bloody crimson ones. His face was neutral but she could see the small hints in his expression. She was offering him the same as she had him. But she wasn't the immortal witch of his past. She was the demon of his present. Whether the one to stand by him now would be the same as that of the future… well, it was all up to his choice this very moment.

He was a sinner like her. One that would tear the world asunder should it be the means to their desired goal. If he was weak, she would be his strength. If he was lost, she would be his guide. If he was alone, she would ensure he would never be. Of that, he can be certain.

So why not offer him a contract he couldn't refuse? Just like that woman had him the day his side as a demon was born.

"You took over the world but gave it up for the sake of your sister. However, despite your guilt, your regrets, you cannot hide from me the burning excitement you had within when you confronted the world." His gaze narrowed, but there was no denying it. She'd felt his memories, lived his emotions, experienced his everything. His hopes, his dreams, his joys, his sorrows, his despair and passion. All of it. It was that which was her catalyst. His very being was what drew her into being summoned without an actual relic of her past. "Why not give in? Surrender yourself to that desire and let me help you? Do it once more, but this time, experience the pleasure of absolute control... of absolute conquest, all for yourself… with me by your side."

For a time, he was silent. "… Nobu—" But when he found his voice, she dared to stop him with her finger for the third time. This time, she dropped her arms and embraced him tightly. Gentler than she ever had anyone in life.

"I joined this war so I could finish what I was denied during my life. I'd initially sought the completion of my life's work. But… you denied me of this… You were brought here as the means to stop others from attaining a corrupted Grail. And yet, even though I was denied my victory again, you still showed me hope. You allowed me this short time to experience what I could not in my past. A chance to live life as a plebeian, to see the world, not in the fires of war, to feel… not as merely a rival to best… but as a person to trust… to understand… to love… All of that which had been denied of me…"

Her grip on his person tightened. But she didn't allow him a chance to speak yet.

"I understand you, Lelouch. I understand you more than I do my own soldiers than I ever had my own flesh and blood." Such was their life of betrayal, of loneliness. "You ruled alone, the same as I. You had bled and cried for your sins, as my mortal self once had. And yet, here you are. Allowed a choice to carve out a new path, free of what once held you back, of your responsibilities as an older brother. So, answer me, Lelouch. Would you accept my contract?"

"But… are you absolutely certain?"

"Hm." She couldn't help but smirk. She knew he was asking not for himself, but rather for her feelings. But he already knew what she felt. He was no fool. "Please, why hesitate now? Hadn't you once ordered God himself to march on? If the collective unconscious of humanity couldn't hold you back, is there ever really a need to consider what you can ask of me?" Meeting his gaze directly, she approached to the point that their faces were barely inches apart. "Even now, when I'm willingly offering my entirety to you and you alone?"

"Nobunaga…" his expression was still regretful. His feelings still wavered. But all he needed was a little push. She was ready and willing to give him even more than that.

"Will you join me in my journey to achieve the happiness that was denied from us?"

________

He could've called this a foolish idea. No, it was indeed a fool's errand to even doubt it was.

Lelouch didn't know what the future held for either of them. For all he knew, Nobunaga might soon be defeated and forcibly returned to the ethereal abyss. In the same vein, he could die and forever be lost in the void he was pulled out of.

If they failed, neither of them might ever meet again, their titles as Demons that rebelled against god be damned. Death meant little at this point, but neither of them needed empty promises.

'I did everything for the people I cared about. I saved, I killed and I died. Everything to give them a peaceful world they so deserved.'

Nunnally has and always will be his beloved sister. She who can never be replaced in his heart. The same was of those who followed him, who walked alongside him, who believed in his dream. Be they C.C., Kallen, Suzaku, and even Shirley, Rolo and Euphemia. They were all he considered dear to him.

His mask as Zero committed heroics in the name of creating a symbol of good for all. His atrocities and sins as the Emperor of Britannia was to paint a monster that bathed in blood. To achieve the gentle world Euphemia was mistakenly killed for, he had to turn the tables around, to sway the entire world with an act that would forever mark him as the greatest sin the world had ever seen. His hands were soaked with blood so thoroughly, the end result could only be a penance for his crimes. But then…

'It's all done. My role in that world… is long over. But… to offer me herself… in return for carrying it out once again, this time, on my own terms... Nobunaga…' The devilish woman's words were tempting. It was nothing short of a selfish proclamation of the warlord who wants happiness for herself… 'But to extend that honour to me. Do I even deserve it?'

Live for yourself. Lelouch won't deny his past life was focused only on two things. Nunnally and getting revenge against their family. He accomplished both with the former costing him the price of his own life. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Did it mean Lelouch wanted to spend what might be an eternity in the void? No, he did not. Apart from being an illogical point, he didn't believe his simple death was enough for atonement. Not after being brought to this world.

But Lelouch still didn't have a goal. He had a mission and target yet nothing beyond that.

So why shouldn't Lelouch take Nobunaga's offer and do as he pleases?

'In a perfect world, two individuals such as ourselves wouldn't ever be allowed satisfaction or fulfilment. But then again, this world isn't perfect and never will be. Even now, I'm not above destroying it.'

Lelouch stared deep into her eyes. The warmth of her touch and the desire in her eyes were all for him to experience. So much was her passion, he felt and understood all the nuances behind Nobu's offer. She wanted and craved a new life, a redo of her own. What's more, she would only extend her off to him.

Lelouch didn't deny any of what she said. Indeed, he felt the most alive at the cusps of death. Indeed, he was up for a challenge so long as his foe was the world. All he needed was a reason to work for it, a purpose to aim all he had into the one objective that was not his mission here and now.

"Achieving world conquest will be a hard journey." The former Emperor that once had the world in the palm of his hand warned the little upstart who barely conquered an island nation. "We will face challenges on our way. More so now that I have lost my original power—"

"And yet, you have me." The Demon King snapped with a cheeky, yet somewhat worried, grin. "Or, what is it? You consider my offer inferior to your little witch's?"

She sounded jealous as she said it. Honestly, he wondered why when he himself didn't have that sort of relationship with that woman of his past. She'd been an enigma to the end, but right now, that's all she was. An incomprehensible girl. The immortal who continued to call herself C.C. was someone he'd love like another but not in the same sense as anyone else. He'd also never forget such a woman. Not even 'til the day he dies.

"Hm, you misunderstand, my daimyo." Lelouch couldn't help the smirk from taking over his face. "The Power of a King compels absolute obedience. The Power of a Demon is wanton destruction. I was merely noting the vast disparity in how difficult it will be to rule over mortals with just fear and fear alone."

"What's world conquest without a challenge if not boorish entertainment?" Nobunaga replied with a euphoric smile. "It's nothing two Demons such as ourselves can't handle, is it not?"

The smirk grew into a devilish smile. "I suppose not."

"Then, what is your answer to my—MMPH!"

For just as she knew how to push his buttons by mimicking C.C. request, he knew to stun her with his resolve by replicating something that woman did before he'd once lost his way.

His answer went unheard to the world apart from her lips. Theirs remained sealed together until the dawn broke the horizon beyond the window's glass.

_________

Mackenzie's House.

Waver sighed while cleaning his room from whatever trash Rider had left strewn about. For one who calls himself a king, Iskandar behaved no different from a child. Even now, the Servant was busy playing another game on the console whilst the young Master busied himself with looking after the giant.

"You could at least help," was the grumble that broke the silence.

"Don't distract me, boy! I'm still in the preparation phase. I need more wood and gold."

That Waver spared a glance at the TV screen wherein the fantastical race of orcs depicted in pixelated sprites gathered materials for the King of Conquerors grand, albeit digital and minor, campaign to rid the world of all other races.

This had been going on for hours with only a couple of bathroom breaks in-between chapters, this being the seventh or so of the game. The young magus could only groan and sigh as he finally tossed what he'd picked up from the floor into the brimming dustbin. The King of Conquers was nothing if not an overly-enthusiastic gamer with zero priorities in his current state of living. It made Waver wonder sometimes how they'd managed to survive into the latter phase of the Grail War.

'With Tohsaka and their Archer out, I thought we should've been more pragmatic and plan on who to pick off next, but—'

"AAGGH!" Waver's disappointed gaze flew to the giant when he suddenly shouted. "The elves have mounted a counterattack? So soon?! That bastard's relentlessly swarming me but his moves say he cares little about his own number. How in the hell is such a viable strategy in these games of war?! You are worthless as a leader to your nation, TheLegend27!"

The boy's face could only hide in his palms as the big doof laughed and cheered, his well-trained and cared-for virtual armies taking the fight to his foes. Even now, Waver debated whether telling the big idiot he was just winning against AI enemies would convince him to get off his lazy ass.

"Waver, dear? Can you open a door, please? Someone is outside!" However, it was the soothing and gentle voice of his false grandmother, Martha, shouting from the first floor that saved Iskandar from disappointment. 'Although saying that, he might just try and find something else to play.'

Still, it was strange to be called down again so soon after just receiving another of Rider's deliveries for the guy. That Rider himself didn't budge because he was too intent on his game didn't bode well.

'Don't tell me you ordered another one of your shirts at my expense, you asshole!' The complaint was muzzled with the patience of a sage. He had to get used to it else he'd have lost his voice airing out his grievances days ago. Instead, he focused on attending to the visitor. "On my way, grandma!"

In all honesty, Waver wondered if they should move. They'd been receiving packages on an almost daily basis, hourly had he not placed restrictions on Rider's rampant online shopping. Then again, even if they did move, it wouldn't save the people he'd hypnotized to help them even if they relocated away from the house. He'd already placed their lives in danger with presence. They would still be endangered by those who would interrogate them for any information on Waver and Rider's whereabouts.

At best, they could only remain here, Rider's presence being the best protection they'd get from him until the Holy Grail War's end. It still didn't reassure the boy, however. The Magus Killer prowling about was still a scary assassin to be wary of, human or magus. Considering the stories he'd heard, the man was anything but merciful.

But then again, if such a foe was after his life, wouldn't he already be dead by now? By technicality, he was pretty weak compared to most of the Masters in this war in the first place. And so the fake grandson walked towards the door and opened it with not as much caution as his foes demanded of him.

"Who is it—? Eh?!"

"Good morning, Waver Velvet." But as soon as the boy met the other boy's eyes, the Master of Rider could only freeze. After all, if there was one Master he had to be wary of, not because of their ruthless history, but rather their mysterious past, they stood right in front of him. "Forgive my sudden and unannounced visit, but may I speak with you for a minute or two?"

"Wha—?!" he tried to compose himself but failed miserably. After all, the fact that this non-magus managed to find them faster than the rest had fear balling up the saliva in his throat. "What c-c-can I help you with?"

"Oh, come now. There's no need to be alarmed." Lelouch Lamperouge, the supposedly distant heir to King Arthur, the great monarch of the Britannian Isles, chuckled with a polite smile. "I simply wish to ask a favour of you and King Iskandar."

Had his Servant not instilled within him some guts to keep his composure, Waver would've crumbled under the stare of the boy younger than himself.

________

Finally another chapter done! Sorry everyone for the late update! And I'm hoping you guys will enjoy this new chapter I've prepared for you all and I'm cooking some twist for this fanfic so continue supporting me and I'll try posting early chapters starting next month so hope you enjoy your reading