Fuyuki City.
The first thing that Irisviel felt when she woke up was the coldness of the floor. She tried getting up, but pain partnered with her already-weakened state hindered any attempts to move at all.
With the war in its final stages and many Servants having already been defeated and subsumed by the Grail, the vessel known as Irisviel von Einzbern was feeling it the most. Her homunculus form, an unstable mess due to its inhuman design, could barely carry herself anymore after being drained excessively. More so now that her functions nonessential to survival were shutting down in place of the Grail booting up.
'Where… am I…?'
But despite the exhaustion, despite the strain, she instantly felt the need to assess her situation. A dying false human she may be, her magical programming and a small semblance of a human heart demanded she questions her circumstances.
The last thing she remembered was being attacked by Avenger, the Servant who shouldn't have been ever summoned at all. Striking when Saber was away, they were powerless to resist their captor. Although knowing this, Irisviel still had no means to contact Kiritsugu. A quick pass through her pockets and she knew she'd been stripped of all her personal items apart from the clothes on her back. The homunculus also knew she couldn't use her magecraft to signal where she was. She didn't have the strength to utilize her circuits with movement alone causing her great pain. Aside from simple limb movements, she couldn't do anything.
'No… That… doesn't matter!' She gritted her teeth in defiance. 'I need… to find a way… to contact Kiritsugu… and Saber!'
She forced herself to sit or, at the very least, lean against the nearest wall. But before she could try standing, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"I see that you're finally awake."
Irisviel's gaze flew towards the speaker and felt a small chill run down her spine. For a moment, she thought she saw someone else staring her down. But as her vision cleared and adjusted to the darkness, there, barely three meters away, a seemingly innocent raven-haired boy stood by. The young man's face was barely visible from the shadow of his locks, but she recognized the supposed prince of Britain all the same.
Lelouch Lamperouge then turned to give her a graceful bow, but all she saw was her kidnapper being polite for the sake of it.
"I'm sorry that you have to endure such conditions, Lady Einzbern. However, as my enemy in this war, this is as far as I can extend my hospitality. Forgive the insult that is my Servant's… rough treatment."
Irisviel bit her lip. Even with that pleasant smile, knowing what he was capable of, she had her guard up. "Where am I?"
"Shinto, at the top floor of the newly built Community Center Building," he said so casually, not even bothering to hide it. "Worry not. I've already seen to secure the entire structure. At this moment, there is only us. So, although it is a bit rude to not even offer some tea or snacks, how about we chat for a bit to pass the time?"
Irisviel's gaze narrowed. Aware that she was no simple boy, she began thinking of ways to delay or stall him. Judging by the light in the sky, there had already been a considerable passing of time. With that in mind, no doubt Saber and Kiritsugu were already out looking for her. If that was the case, then all she needed to do was bide her time until they did and manage to take out this young yet cunning Master.
And, even if she failed at delaying, there was still a plus side to her predicament.
'So long as he thinks I'm Saber's Master, Kiritsugu will manage.' She knew he would. Though a false soul was she, Irisviel's heart knew better than to doubt the man she loved. She was confident her husband would eke out a victory here no matter what.
"Not one for talking, are you?" Irisviel held her breath when she was suddenly tossed to the floor. Air escaped her with a gasp as the impact rocked her insides hard. Turning with all her effort to see the new speaker, she held her tongue when the cold metal of a katana was held against her throat. Crimson eyes met even more fiery crimson gems as a redheaded woman stared the silver headed one down. "If you plan to buy time for a certain mercenary to save you, you're too naive, Einzbern homunculus."
Avenger, materializing before her to push the flat edge of a blade further against her pale skin, wordlessly threatening to slit her neck. However,
"Avenger, come now. That's no way to treat a guest." One knowing look from her Master had the eagerly grinning woman backing down. Avenger clicked her tongue in slight disappointment but dematerialized a moment later. She then appeared behind the boy to… snuggle against his neck? The boy reacted by simply running his fingers through her locks whilst smiling apologetically. "Apologies for that. However, among our foes, you and yours have been a… let's say a 'particular interest' of ours for quite some time."
"Interest?" Irisviel noted the glare Avenger shot her way over the boy's shoulder.
"Hmph. Killing you right now would be far too easy." Added the Servant as she embraced her Master from behind. "But the easy way out isn't something you deserve, Einzbern. Magi like yourself disgust me."
The venom was genuine. Although, Irisviel wasn't sure what to make of it. Avenger hardly paid her any mind the last time they met. She tried keeping calm as she stated, "I did nothing to you or your Master. For what reason do you bare such hate—?"
"Bullshit! You and the other founding families had the audacity to bait us, Servants, with a chance of a wish!" The homunculus trademarked crimson eyes widened in surprise but the Servant woman spewed a small fire as she failed to contain her anger. "And yet, you plan to use them as sacrifices instead for your sham of an impossible ritual! If that's not an offence to me or my Master, then what is?!"
Irisviel froze. The question of 'how did they know' was stuck in the back of her throat. But the boy was obliged to explain the unasked.
"After defeating a certain Matou Zouken, I had the chance to peruse an ancient collection of old journals. Though it may have been rude to dig into such personal belongings, I had the permission of the current head and now the true head of their household. How it shocked me to find the information stored there!" He was feigning surprise at this point, going for a dramatic wave of his hands and raising his voice slightly. But Irisviel sensed the condescension in his smile. "Your family, as well as those of the Makiri and Tohsaka, has quite the history, Lady Einzbern. A very dark and damning story of the invention of the Holy Grail War that was advertised as a way of achieving one's dream… only for all of it to be a farce of the highest order, designed to lure heroic spirits in as a resource to power your ritual… Truly, had I not read through the diaries of a centuries-old vampire, I wouldn't have believed a thing."
"And?" she almost couldn't maintain her cool. "What of it? Why did you choose to explain all this?" Damned if she didn't, damned if she did, she opted to ask. Considering how much he already knew, she had to know what he would do with what he was already aware of. Lying at this point might just get her killed. And if that happened, Kiritsugu… Kiritsugu will lose his only chance at attaining his dream. With a poker face polished into perfection by the Einzbern's greatest sage and golem, she demanded to know whilst trying not to let anything slip. "For what reason do you bring all this to my attention, Lelouch Lamperouge?"
"The Lesser Grail." Her heartbeat fluctuated. "Won't mind sharing what you know of it with us, Lady Einzbern?"
She said nothing. All she had running through her thoughts were attempts to escape this situation without explaining anything further.
It was bad. Really, really, really bad. No one outside of the three founding families was supposed to learn about the true Heaven's Feel ritual. And yet… the eighth Master and their impossible Servant, a pair that appeared out of nowhere and brought chaos to this war, did know.
It was just not possible. Unless…
"...If you know about the Lesser Grail, then you must certainly know how it works. How the entire Grail War functions as a process…"
"Process, my ass, witch bitch! This entire war is a sham. A play for fools who know not that they are the finale to the comedic act. Or should it be a tragedy dressed like one?" That explained Avenger's anger that was laced with bile. She continued to hiss, restrained from actually attacking only by the boy's hand on her own as it rested on his shoulder. "This isn't a war. War is killing your enemies, conquering the land, and forcing your rule on others. War is assassinating, killing rulers and their heirs. War is conflicts resolved through death and destruction, of towns, of peoples, of nations as a whole! That is war! Your falsehood is nothing but a load of bullshit created by scummy magi bastards who don't have the balls to sacrifice their own lives for the sake of an ideal, honourable or not!"
"No, you're wrong! We—" He… Kiritsugu wasn't like that! He wasn't—!
"To hell with your opinion of my 'wrongful views'!" Finally snapping, Avenger vanished for a second before reappearing not a few inches away from Irisviel's face. "Your family had no shame to call upon us warriors and conquerors of the past, promising to make our greatest wishes a reality! You all lied and used us as feed for a fucking cup! Answer me, you puppet pretending to be human!"
Avenger roared as she raised her by the collar. The silver-haired woman let out a yelp of pain, but in the face of a Servant, she was nothing but a helpless ragdoll. She was merely a tool far too easily broken.
"Where is the Lesser Grail? Speak now and I promise to turn you into a pile of ashes without going through eternal suffering!"
"Aghk! Ngah!—!" she hung on dearly for life as murderous red pierced through her teary own. The fact that the threat hardly promised survival didn't even register in her mind. Not when her heart was already resolved to continue on… even if it meant death. "I won't tell you anything—Ngh! Never!"
Though the Servant would snap her neck as easily as a twig in this case, she wasn't going to betray her beloved. Just as he would wish her to abandon him if it was for the sake of that dream… that beautiful, honest wish, she would allow herself to be killed if it meant protecting it just a little longer.
"J—just kill me! Kill me… and be done with it! You won't learn… anything… from me—NGAH!" Her voice hitched as her vocal cords felt about to snap. She was beginning to black out. Just a minute, nay, ten seconds of her neck being squeezed between Avenger's index and thumb would end her like a bug. But…
"Avenger. That's enough."