Fate: Edmund

Edmund woke up feeling strangely tired, despite having slept almost the entire day.

The afternoon light seeped lazily through the curtains of his suite, casting a golden hue on the walls and furniture. He rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up in bed, letting out a long sigh.

"Hah... so in the end, I interfered."

He ran a hand over his face as he reflected. He had said he would be just an observer, that he would stay on the sidelines while the war ran its course. But when he saw Waver about to die, he simply couldn't stand still. He protected his friend without a second thought, diving headfirst into the war he had so desperately wanted to avoid.

"It wasn't necessary..." he murmured, leaning back against the headboard and staring at the ceiling with a look of frustration.

"If Waver was meant to die at that moment, then it was his fate. I didn't have to save him."

He bit his lip, feeling an inner conflict that was deeply unsettling. He wasn't a savior, he wasn't a hero. He wasn't here to play the role of anyone's protector. And yet... he did it.

"Ugh... this is tedious."

With a wry smile, he shook his head. It didn't matter anymore. He had intervened, and no matter how much he tried to deceive himself, he knew he would do it again if the situation repeated itself.

"Well, there's no turning back now. If I've already interfered, then I'll keep doing it."

With that, Edmund got out of bed with renewed determination. He walked slowly to the bathroom and undressed at a leisurely pace. The hot water poured over his body, relaxing his tense muscles. As he soaped himself, he momentarily lost himself in his thoughts.

The Holy Grail War had already changed. His mere presence had altered the original events, and now his decision to intervene could tip the scales in ways even he couldn't foresee. But, for the first time, instead of feeling worried, he felt curious.

After finishing his bath, he dressed calmly and ordered some food from the hotel service. He sat at the table while savoring an elegant dish of meat and wine. He relished each bite with the calm of someone who still had time to enjoy before the night fully descended.

He finished eating, stood up, and looked at himself in the mirror. His reflection gave him a mischievous and amused look. With one last smile, he grabbed his coat and prepared to leave the hotel.

"Let's see what the night has in store for me."

Edmund left the hotel with a serene expression on his face but a clear plan in his mind. Now that Caster had been eliminated, only his master, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, remained at large, kidnapping children and committing atrocities without anyone stopping him. Edmund clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"I don't want anything strange to happen," he muttered to himself as he walked through the streets lit by the glow of the streetlights. "That guy is nothing more than a parasite who's still breathing purely by the whims of fate."

With this in mind, he set out to find him. And it was easy. Too easy.

With the knowledge he had from the anime, he knew exactly where to find him. There was no need to track or follow clues; he already knew the places where Ryuunosuke usually hunted his victims. He moved quickly, crossing dark alleys and deserted canals until he finally saw him.

There he was, in his blood-stained blue jacket, a sick smile plastered across his face.

Ryuunosuke hummed a childish tune as he toyed with his knife, walking casually as if the world belonged to him. To him, reality was nothing more than a canvas to paint with blood.

Edmund felt no disgust. No hatred. Only an absolute coldness as he watched him.

"Ah, ah, ah... Oh my, what a surprise!" Ryuunosuke looked up and grinned when he saw Edmund. "Do you want to play too? Do you prefer to be the painter or the painting?"

Edmund didn't give him the pleasure of a response. There were no words, no warnings. Only action.

In a single motion, he closed the distance between them with terrifying speed. Before Ryuunosuke could react, a dagger slid across his throat with surgical precision.

His eyes widened impossibly wide, unable to process what had just happened.

Blood gushed out in a hot torrent, staining the ground red. Ryuunosuke brought both hands to his throat, trying to stop the inevitable. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, wanting to say something, but all that came out was a choked gurgle.

Edmund watched him mercilessly, not a hint of emotion in his gaze. He leaned down slightly to whisper in his ear.

"Game over."

Ryuunosuke's body hit the ground with a dull thud. Life left him in a matter of seconds.

Edmund calmly wiped his dagger and walked away without looking back. His mission was complete. Now, the Holy Grail War could continue without the annoying presence of a lunatic who existed solely for chaos.

"One less," he murmured to himself as he disappeared into the shadows of the city.

Edmund walked away from the alley, his footsteps echoing softly in the quiet night. He had achieved his goal—Ryuunosuke Uryuu was no longer a threat—but now he found himself in a situation he hadn't anticipated: he didn't know what to do next.

"Well, Edmund, you've taken out one lunatic. Now what?" he asked himself quietly, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He had intervened far more than he had planned, and the course of the Holy Grail War was already altered.

He wandered aimlessly for a moment until an idea crossed his mind. An idea he knew was wrong but couldn't dismiss: kidnapping Rin Tohsaka.

"If she has a father like Tokiomi, it's better if I take her under my care…" he muttered to himself, feeling a mix of justification and doubt. He knew all too well what magus families were like—he had experienced it firsthand as a child. A magus's upbringing was nothing more than a chain of suffering disguised as a legacy.

He knew that interfering in a family matter of that magnitude was a crime within the magus world. If anyone found out, he would undoubtedly be hunted. But what did it matter now? He had already crossed the line of non-intervention. There was no turning back.

Edmund let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of determination and resignation.

"This will change a lot of things… but I guess I've stopped worrying about that."

Without wasting any more time, he left the city of Fuyuki. He knew exactly where Rin had gone with her mother, even though the original story never mentioned the exact location. That didn't matter. He would find it.

With a heavy exhale, Edmund disappeared into the darkness of the night, his decision already made. Right and wrong were no longer relevant concepts—all that remained was to act.

Edmund walked away from the alley, his footsteps echoing softly in the quiet night. He had achieved his goal—Ryuunosuke Uryuu was no longer a threat—but now he found himself in a situation he hadn't anticipated: he didn't know what to do next.

"Well, Edmund, you've taken out one lunatic. Now what?"

he asked himself quietly, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He had intervened far more than he had planned, and the course of the Holy Grail War was already altered.

He wandered aimlessly for a moment until an idea crossed his mind. An idea he knew was wrong but couldn't dismiss: kidnapping Rin Tohsaka.

"If she has a father like Tokiomi, it's better if I take her under my care…"

he muttered to himself, feeling a mix of justification and doubt. He knew all too well what magus families were like—he had experienced it firsthand as a child. A magus's upbringing was nothing more than a chain of suffering disguised as a legacy.

He knew that interfering in a family matter of that magnitude was a crime within the magus world. If anyone found out, he would undoubtedly be hunted. But what did it matter now? He had already crossed the line of non-intervention. There was no turning back.

Edmund let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, his expression a mix of determination and resignation.

"This will change a lot of things… but I guess I've stopped worrying about that."

Without wasting any more time, he left the city of Fuyuki. He knew exactly where Rin had gone with her mother, even though the original story never mentioned the exact location. That didn't matter. He would find it.

With a heavy exhale, Edmund disappeared into the darkness of the night, his decision already made. Right and wrong were no longer relevant concepts—all that remained was to act.