Alter Egos are beings born from the separation of certain aspects or personas from an original entity, later gaining independence as standalone existences.
In essence, they are manifestations of emotions, desires, or personality traits belonging to their source being—given form, thought, and identity of their own.
Meanwhile, Avengers are Servants driven by vengeance and hatred. Their resentment becomes the core of their power.
Put simply, the Avenger class is one with the potential to become a great threat—not only to humanity, but to the balance of the world itself.
Next is the Ruler class, Servants chosen to oversee the Holy Grail War and ensure no participant breaks the established rules.
Then there are the Beasts, Extra-class entities that manifest as great calamities threatening the very history of mankind.
To oppose a Beast, the Grand Servants are summoned—heroes of exceptional caliber whose power surpasses the limits of ordinary classes.
At their core, Beasts possess a Saint Graph far beyond the scale of any normal Servant.
However, despite being outside the standard system, they still possess the familiar characteristics of ordinary Servants—Parameters, Skills, and Noble Phantasms.
Lastly, there is the Foreigner class, one of the strangest extra classes of all.
Foreigners can be considered vessels for entities that originate from outside this world—or more precisely, vessels specifically crafted to contain the power of Outer Gods.
Rian gave a lopsided smile. "Curious, aren't you? Is it your Master's order? Or not? Whatever the case, I can't tell you. But… try guessing on your own."
Hearing that, Lancer let out a soft chuckle. "Guess it myself, huh? A good choice. Heh… you really are interesting, Eighth Master."
From that point on, the two of them continued their conversation, sipping on their cans of coffee.
***
While Rian and Lancer chatted like old friends, a long staircase stretched upward toward a temple located in the western mountains of Fuyuki City, within the Miyama district.
The moon was almost entirely hidden behind drifting clouds, and the distant view of Fuyuki glimmered faintly with scattered lights.
Suddenly, a katana slipped from someone's grasp and clattered loudly down several steps.
At the top of the stairs, near the temple gate, stood a lone swordsman with long indigo hair tied into a ponytail and sharp indigo eyes.
He wore a light-purple traditional umanori kimono and hakama, matching purple tabi, black geta, and a haori with protective tekkou around his wrists.
The man was none other than Sasaki Kojiro—Servant of the Assassin class.
But his condition was dire. Fresh blood dripped from his lips, his body trembling with weakness. Raising his right hand, he stared at his blood-soaked palm.
"Good grief… to think you were a being overflowing with such hatred."
As those words left his mouth, the Assassin's body weakened further. He staggered, lost his balance, and collapsed backward.
But in the very next second, a left hand burst violently out of his chest—ripping through him from within, like a burrowing mole erupting from its tunnel.
From inside the Assassin's body emerged a figure draped in a tattered black cloak, his face completely hidden behind a white skull mask.
It was the True Assassin: Hassan of the Cursed Arm.
Tall, lean, and dark-skinned, he stepped out of Kojiro's collapsing form like a shadow being peeled from its host.
His right arm was wrapped tightly in stiff, board-like bandages, and beneath his ragged cloak, glimpses of jet-black skin could be seen—dark as a moonless night.
The skull mask obscuring his face only intensified his menacing aura.
With a screech like an insect shrilling from the depths of a hive, True Assassin leapt away from the Ryuudou Temple gate, leaving behind Kojiro's mangled, blood-soaked body.
For those unfamiliar with the broader story: Zouken Matou, enraged by Rider's defeat at Saber's hands—and disgusted by Shinji's utter incompetence as a Master—had set this deadly plan in motion.
Because of this, Zouken decided to intervene directly in the Fifth Holy Grail War by using Assassin's body as a catalyst to summon the True Assassin.
As a result, the True Assassin was indeed summoned with limited intelligence.
However, he compensated for this flaw through the accumulated human experience he had gained across his various manifestations throughout the series.
***
"However you look at it… I think I understand now. I've unintentionally triggered the Heaven's Feel route, haven't I?"
Rian's calm voice drifted through the cold night air. He stood in the courtyard of the Ryuudou Temple, the silence heavy, the faint metallic scent of fresh blood lingering around him.
From the beginning—back when he was chatting with Lancer—Rian had already known what was happening thanks to his Six Eyes.
Yet he chose not to interfere.
Instead of taking action, after asking Lancer about his purpose, he simply invited him for coffee and talked with him like two old friends reunited after years apart.
For Rian, whichever route he ended up on didn't matter. The more difficult the path, the greater the rewards he would reap.
At his right side, Larva stood faithfully, occasionally glancing around with a cautious expression.
Then, Larva tilted her head up to look at him, gently tugging at the edge of his trench coat to get his attention.
"Master, only three of them died here," Larva said softly. "The rest had their magical energy absorbed… What should we do? Do you want to change our target?"
Rian turned his head, looking at the small girl beside him, and answered calmly, "Yes. We're changing our target."
"Who is our target?" Larva asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Hm… forget about Assassin and Caster. Archer is already… Lancer… Berserker as well. That leaves Saber and Rider, right?" Rian murmured, thinking aloud. "How about… Saber?"
"Saber?" Larva repeated, her voice carrying a curious ring.
"Yes," Rian replied with a slow nod, a faint smile forming on his lips. "And… let's play things a little like a villain. That kid would definitely enjoy it."
Larva's curiosity deepened at once, mingling with the confusion clearly reflected on her cute, innocent expression.
She lowered her head slightly, as if trying to process what Rian meant.
Meanwhile, behind the black interface glasses he wore, Rian's eyes widened a fraction.
Internally, he couldn't help it—Larva looked so adorable in that moment that he felt a sudden urge to pull her into a tight embrace… and the fleeting thought of kissing her almost slipped through as well.
"How… will that work?" Larva finally asked softly, seeking a clearer explanation from Rian.
Rian let out a soft chuckle, a hint of fondness coloring his voice. Then, without warning, he lifted Larva into a princess carry—his usual way of holding her. Their eyes met in quiet stillness, as if the world around them had vanished.
"In simple terms," Rian said casually, "that kid is far too obsessed with the ideal of a righteous hero. Add his savior complex on top of that."
He smiled faintly before continuing,
"That's why… Mom needs to play the villain too."
From behind the long black-blue scarf covering half her face, Larva revealed a rare, sweet smile—one that bloomed softly like moonlight breaking through winter clouds.
With a gentle yet curious tone, Larva murmured, "Mom still doesn't quite understand what you're planning. But… since you look happy, then very well—I'll try."
"I'm glad you understand," Rian replied, closing his eyes briefly as he let out a soft sigh.
When he opened them again, they were sharper, focused. "Alright. Hold on tight, because things are about to get a little unstable."
Hearing that, Larva wrapped her arms tightly around Rian's neck. A moment later, Rian bent forward, his stance lowering—then with a single explosive push, the ground beneath his feet cracked.
In the next instant, Rian shot forward at incredible speed, Larva held securely in his arms.
Their destination was clear: to find—and challenge—the Servant known as Saber.
***
Rian and Larva's journey took no more than seven minutes. Now, the Master–Servant pair stood at their destination.
They found themselves on a quiet street lined with traditional Japanese buildings. The dim glow of streetlights cast long shadows across the pavement, adding to the stillness of the night.
Standing before them was a short-haired blond boy with golden-brown eyes.
His appearance was simple: a long-sleeved blue-and-white baseball jersey paired with slim blue jeans.
This boy was none other than Emiya Shirou—the Master of Saber, and the protagonist of this world.
Shirou looked tense, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his temple.
Both of his hands gripped a wooden practice sword, now wrapped in circuits of glowing blue magecraft, turning it into something far beyond a mere training weapon.
"Shirou, be careful. That Servant's aura… it feels different somehow."
A firm, vigilant voice echoed from Shirou's side. Its owner was Saber, the Servant bound to him.
Her true identity was none other than Artoria Pendragon—the Knight King and wielder of the legendary holy sword, Excalibur.
Saber appeared as a young girl, seemingly in her early to mid teens. Her frame was slender and petite, her skin fair and soft, and her eyes shone with a clear emerald brilliance.
Her golden hair, fine and shimmering as though dusted with specks of sunlight, further emphasized her graceful presence.
Saber's face carried a unique contrast: a gentle hint of naivety layered over the unmistakable resolve of a king.
In her hands, she held something invisible to normal eyes—Invisible Air, the wind-woven sheath that concealed the true form of her sacred blade.
"Yes," Shirou finally replied, his voice tight with caution. "I understand, Saber. Don't worry."