The Cultural City

That night in Romania, Karna pondered about the situation while his Master slept.

She's a young girl who was raised in an all-boys' Monastery being adopted by a priest, then unknown to said Monastery, was taught by a Vampire!

Due to her upbringing, there were lines she will not cross as a Magus but will fight like one. She only learned magic, but not live in its 'questionable' lifestyle due to how she grew up, fearing her family's outrage if she lived as a magus, thus became a Spellcaster by choice and use her magic for good.

Aware she was asked and paid to fight in a War to take the stolen Grail back, yet after that mission, the surviving Masters will fight each other for the prize.

Rin is confident in his strength as she did all she could to ensure his victory. But she has no idea what she'd wish for since she got what she wanted already, and if they win, gave him the Grail with no hesitation as she said so but he better not give it to anyone else or she'll deck him. But like her, he had no idea what he'd wish for as well. What'd he'll do with it?

Going as far as going to India and sought his birthplace, just to ensure he is here with all his Noble Phantasms...and her clients gave him to her because out of all agents sent to bring the Grail back, she may be inexperienced, but the most powerful.

She could sustain him with no trouble at all that he could go materialized all day and she's not least bit winded.

Wearing clothes in order to get by without getting strange looks, these outfits are strange to him, but the times are now different.

He has an inexperienced Master who clearly has no clue what she got into, only in it for adventure, money for her twin brother and simply because she was asked to. She's even fully-aware death was nigh, and asked her teacher to give her money to her brother if she dies, along with erasing her existence so nobody remembers her and would mourn her in a funeral. Her family who left her alone too often, has no idea she's a magus.

He has no idea what to feel about that to be honest.

She was a sister who will do anything for her brother.

The irony was, she has a good relationship with her family and he has a bad one with his though he's OK with his father.

Irony.

Not that he cared about it. He'll just do what his young Master asks of him to do.

xxx

Quite some time later in Sigisoara...3 days passed by...

'...its too quiet for a war.' Karna commented. 'No random attacks, no ambushes...its strange.'

'The last guy isn't here yet.' said Rin while they had breakfast together. She didn't like what's on the menu thus upon arrival, shopped for groceries. She was glad she knows some Western Cuisine or she'll have trouble improvising due to what's available in the market.

They have bread, breaded fish fillet, eggs, and a bowl of rice.

'And shishou told me there's 15 Servants all in all because the Grail summoned a Ruler who'll make sure the war goes the way it should. Not even Yggdmillennia can do a thing about that or be disqualified and there's no telling what class or how strong the Ruler is.'

'I see...'

'That one is late.' Rin sighed. 'I already told the Church Supervisor I'm here by letter. I'm not stupid enough to meet him alone since he has a Double Summon Servant. Had he had any other servant I'm fine with meeting him personally to announce my arrival and participation.'

'Who is it?'

'Semiramis. Yeeeeah, like hell we're meeting in person.' Rin griped. She did some research when she took out books about the Red Faction. 'And we'll see what the last guy is like. If he's a moron who went to meet the guy, we're on our own. In Grail Wars, don't trust anyone with a Caster and Assassin and the priest's servant happens to be both, since the actual Caster is a moron. We'll be better off that way.' she said. 'Our Saber could be anyone since the last guy is given a vague-type catalyst instead of a specific-type like the earrings I have. You're our Lancer, Archer is Atalanta, Rider is Achilles, Berserker is Spartacus, and Caster is William Shakespeare. Saber is all that's left and it could be anyone from the Round Table of Arthurian Myth. While we're allies for now...we'll be enemies once the Black Faction's all dead. A war of temporary alliance, only to turn on each other in the end...twisted.' Rin shook her head.

'Mm.' Karna could agree with that sentiment considering the line-up.

Her Writing Machine became active. 'Hm?' Rin waited for the writing to end, before she stood from her chair and picked it up. '...he's here at last. He wants to meet up. The others said no. Well, shall we meet this guy after breakfast? We also got orders from the top.'

xxx

Shishigou Kairi, a Freelance Necromancer arrived in Sigisoara, wanting to meet and plan for business.

However, only one answered him...and it was the sole kid of the team. An inexperienced, but ridiculously-powerful kid.

'Only you huh? Everybody said no.' said Kairi upon meeting Rin.

'Can't be helped. They're dumb enough to meet the Priest.'

'Hm? I don't follow.' Kairi frowned.

'Semiramis, a Double-Summon Assassin who's also a Caster-type, poison specialist. They were dumb enough to meet the priest. They don't realize that after defeating Yggdmillennia, we're fighting each other for the prize right? That sham of a priest probably poisoned the idiots and took control of the other Servants by now.' Rin scoffed. 'They never left the church after meeting him. If the church was a base, I'd normally see daily life activity there but nothing of the sort its like only one person is living in it so I had my unproven suspicions.'

'Whoa, low trust there kid, but I get your point.' Kairi mused. 'That COULD happen. We all have wishes we can't grant on our own power we'd want the Grail to grant it for us.' he said. 'In the end, the Church is also a rival, huh? Sooo what'd you do?'

'I had a mailman send a letter.' Rin smirked. 'So, who's your Saber?'

'She can't show because she's still in armor.' said Kairi.

'You mean you haven't bought her clothes?!'

'Should I?'

'You should, dumbass! What if we get an ambush?' Karna showed up, dressed casually in a pair of leather lace-up shoes with socks, black jeans, a long sleeved orange undershirt and a maroon jacket.

Kairi suddenly winced. 'Whoa! Alright already, I'm buying you one!'

'...he got nagged.' Rin sniggered.

Kairi's Servant turned out to be Mordred, the Knight of Treachery, and a female who looks younger than her but acts and talks like a guy, taking offense if treated like a girl.

And Kairi, the cheapskate, chose stuff her father would never allow her to wear in a million years!

She kicked his ass quite literally in annoyance.

She had to butt in and pick the poor girl a pair of longer shorts with suspenders, a shirt, and a jacket.

Thus started their alliance and they have one job.

Someone's attacking mages and they have to deal with it.

'First incidents were in Bucharest before last night's first incident here? Didn't know that.' Rin muttered. 'They must have come way late. And since the war hasn't started yet since you're not here yet, I never thought someone would start this kind of trouble.'

'Well, judging by how the bodies are found, someone's clearly incapable of supporting their Servant.' said Kairi. 'Someone on the Yggdmillennia Faction.'

'...soul eaters?'

'Yup.'

'Uggh.'

Rin made a face.

'This is one part I don't like. Yet some magi does it.'

'Yeah.' said Kairi as they walked together. 'They're probably still here. They started the murders in Japan in Tokyo. The victims are the Yakuza and Loan Sharks at first and they also one dead Host. Then they went here, targeting Magi sent by the Association to be our Intel Network its really annoying, so the others are sent to Trifas for safety, to our main battlefield.'

'Status of corpses?'

'Its the Host who died first judging by how bad it looked, heart torn out. But unlike the Yakuza and Loan Sharks, he was torn to pieces and a weird red stain on the floor near his body, like it was deliberately erased by some amateur. A circular stain.' Rin frowned at that.

'Possible Summoning Circle?'

'Yeah. And that, someone killed him and stole his Servant. Sagara Hyouma was the victim. His Black Faction Servant is stolen by someone, making them a Third Party or Darnic found a better Master for Assassin, who knows.' Kairi told her. 'He was from a family whose history and art made everyone deem them as 'rats crawling in a sewer'. They allied with Yggdmillennia some years back, further strengthening that unfortunate opinion.'

'They're clearly a new family and struggling to create their own style of magecraft or failed badly. Ambition is good if you have brains and skill to back it up as well as resources but if you've got nothing, you'll naturally be looked down on by the Association who wants results first and foremost.' Rin mused. 'History of age, quality and resources...that's what defines a great magus or a bad one.'

'Aa. But at any rate, Assassin of Black's status is up in the air right now. If we look at the bodies in the morgue today and see similar conditions, they're here.'

xxx

Japan...

The serial murders were on the news and the Order got wind of a situation in a certain apartment that they investigated.

'This doesn't look like what was done on TV.' the Order Doctors grimaced as they saw the unnaturally-torn apart corpse of Sagara Hyouma. 'The Yakuza and Loan Sharks had it luckier than this one. This is no psycho but something else.'

'Any other similar incidents?'

'We're looking into it now.' said Yukio, Middle First-Class Exorcist. 'This is the first abnormal incident we've got. But we're getting news that there's similar murders in Romania but more brutal. The corpses are chopped up.' he said as the other Doctors cringed.

'We sure get these nasty jobs...'

'Well, we're Doctors, we get these nasty jobs before the others move on our findings, isn't it? Let's wrap up, and get damn drunk!'

xxx

And so...

They say secrets don't last very long...when they arrived at night in Sigisoara through a Key.

They set up base and took to investigating the corpses...and of course...

xxx

Sigisoara, twilight...

Mordred is none too happy while munching on a bag of snacks while Karna sat with her, reading a newspaper.

Their masters came back.

'Nanda, you don't look too happy Saber.' Kairi commented at his disgruntled Servant.

'And I thought we're going sight-seeing!' Mordred grumbled. 'I thought we'd see Skyscrapers or an Amusement Park but this place is no different from when I was alive!'

'It can't be helped, some places in Romania have strong historical values for tourists so they preserve this medieval-esque style to keep tourists and money pouring into the country.' Rin pointed out. 'Its boring but its to satisfy people's just as boring tastes. Everyone has their own idea of fun.'

Mordred pouted.

'Well, had we been in the capital, we'd see those places you'd want.' said Kairi, amused with Mordred's bouts of childishness. 'But still, you sure like to eat a lot huh?'

'Eating is my hobby. It keeps me fit.' said Mordred.

'Hobby? Try telling that to the women of today who're on a diet!' Rin laughed. 'Then again, they're not very active like you so food actually becomes energy to spend while for women with sedentary lifestyle, they get fat instead.'

'Bleh, but anyways!' Mordred crumpled her paper bag. 'Hobbies are hobbies and a job is a job. I can't calm if people are being targeted.'

'Then be happy Saber.' said Kairi. 'We got a job. Let's suit up and while Rin and I will be the bait, you guys watch our backs. Assassin will come after us for sure, so you guys nail him.'

'It'll be a busy job being bait.' said Rin sarcastically. 'But its all we got. In the meantime, I heard something from shishou as well that Yggdmillennia will be here for Assassin soon. Kairi will handle Assassin while I handle Yggdmillennia. We can't forget what we're here for either. We'll have dinner before we move out.'

'Ooh, what'll it be?!' Mordred asked her excitedly.

'You'll see.'

In a house they intruded on after grocery shopping...Rin forced the inhabitants to go 'on a stroll outside' for three hours.

'Oi oi, we could have just bought food instead.' Kairi pointed out and Rin looked annoyed.

'Medieval town aside, the food is just as medieval!' Rin griped. 'Its so dry and just a pile of whatever! I want real food so I always cook! Jeez, Romania took medieval tourism to a whole 'nother level, I swear...!' she grumbled while angrily chopping fish up into fillets.

'I don't like it either.' said Karna. 'Food in my country is just as good even though its also medieval. The food here is just too bland and unimaginative.'

'Well, India's got it real good even in your era and you're way older than Saber.'

Needless to say, its Suimono, a bowl of rice, fish fillet with a delicious sauce, and vegetable patties in potatoes with ketchup.

'This is food?! It's good!' Mordred cried, never tasting good food before. 'It makes food in my era garbage!'

'What's food like in your era anyway?' Karna asked her.

Mordred just looked pissed before looking like a kicked puppy.

'I-I don't even want to remember it.' Mordred said, gloomy. 'Food is just boiled or roasted. No such thing as sauces or ketchup or whatever made this food tasty. S-sometimes the meat is undercooked or if the fire's too strong we're hard-pressed to cut the charred parts off...even worse if the middle is undercooked...' and she got more and more depressed as she recounted how bad food was in her time compared to today.

'Er...?' Kairi, Rin and Karna sweatdropped at Mordred's gloomy depression over food.

After dinner, Mordred was in a very good mood in happy bliss.

Rin and Kairi erased their presence in the house before leaving.

'Well, after a good meal we're working hard.' said Kairi. 'Let's start being the bait!'