A decade ago, a disaster had fallen on Fuyuki City. With the Hyatt hotel at its epicenter, a great number of people had lost their minds and become violent or suicidal for a single night. In truth the number of victims who had lost their lives or been severely wounded barely reached two dozens, but it had nonetheless led to a drastic deterioration of the neighborhood. Be it because of worry that some of the gas to which the disaster had been attributed might remain or because of superstition, the hotel and several of the surrounding houses had become abandoned. Even now, a decade later, some of the residents preferred to make a detour around the block.
It was thanks to those superstition that a certain man had been able to take residence in one of the nearby houses without attracting attention.
The two of them made for an incongruous pair, an ordinary man wearing a white jacket facing a thin man dressed in black from head to toe, his face hidden by skull mask. Seemingly unperturbed by the clash between their appearances, they had been discussing for several minutes now.
"The common man is an unsalvageable fool, that is true of all eras."
With a deep, raspy voice, Servant Assassin expressed his opinion in earnest. After all, who would know the foolishness of the masses better than one who had carefully attained the highest reputation as a killer in his life?
Shaking his head in denial, his opponent offered a response.
"If that were so, then how do you explain that humanity has reached this far? Not only have we explored this planet, but the hand of man is now reaching even into what was formerly the realm of the gods. "
"Is that not obvious? It is because of the extraordinary few. I do not speak solely of those Heroic Spirits born from admiration, but of all those who showed the way for the rest of humanity. In fact, one needs only look at Heroic Spirits to witness the weakness of the people of this age."
A touch of bitterness entered the killer's voice at this subject, but he carried on without touching on his own feelings.
"With the new methods of transferring information, the excuses for ignorance that existed in the past are no longer valid. Yet still, the people choose to worship those who were exceptional from the start. Demigods, foretold heroes, ones chosen by fate, those are the ones that are glorified above all. Do you know why it is so?"
There was no time to even attempt to answer the rhetorical question; Assassin was evidently knowledgeable enough in debates to know better than to allow his opponent time to speak against him.
"It is not because their deeds are greater, or because they are more worthy, but rather because they are different. The common man cannot be expected to equal Heracles, for he lacks the blood of a god. With excuses like this, they run from reality and refuse to advance and seek glory. Despite gaining knowledge, they have not learned from it. That is why the common man is an irredeemable fool."
Its cause unseen yet undeniable, a sense of oppression filled the room as the words were spoken. Twitching nervously, Assassin almost rose from his seat.
The man in white, unperturbed by the presence, shared this opinion of the common man and could not deny that the current humanity was unsatisfactory, but the conclusion drawn by Assassin was something that he could not accept.
"That kind of thinking is itself the problem. It is certainly true that the average person is lacking in strength, but that is because they are unable to recognize the opportunities that present themselves." Through the steady tone of a lecturer, a hint of frustration could be felt. "Giving up before they begin, living on the comfort brought by the previous generations, humans make no effort to become strong, but that is not the same as being unable to reach strength. If one could find the right stimuli, the right circumstances, then I am certain that humanity can be broken free of its lethargy."
The skull fell silent for several seconds, gazing at the stony expression of the other man before breaking out in a mocking laugh.
"Heh. Hehehehe. An optimist, aren't you? I've met many men like you, few ever amounted for anything." Unwilling to remain for much longer in the now tense atmosphere, he yielded the point and moved on to business. "Still, you appear to have conviction and that will be sufficient for now. What was it that you wanted from me?"
The change in subject was hardly subtle, but the other man chose to allow it to pass; from the beginning, he had only wished Assassin's cooperation.
"There are five Masters unaccounted for, I wish for you to place one of these on each of them." Carefully he produced five strands of silver fabric that had been tied together. "The location is not crucial as they will attach themselves, but it must be on an uncovered area of their body."
Lifting it to his eyes, Assassin curiously inspected the devices.
"Some kind of puppeting magecraft, then?"
"You mean magecraft to forcibly take control of another's body from a distance?" At a confirming nod, the man shook his head. "I fear I do not possess the capacity for such a thing. It is nothing but a minor mystic code that will connect with the subject's mind."
"Nothing more than that? Hehehe. You magi truly are the most frightening of humans, a mere killer like me cannot compare. Still, I will do as you request for now."
Rising to his feet, he swiftly vanished into the shadows of the house.
Mere moments later a golden light gathered at the nearby window, revealing a man clad in majestic silver armor, standing perfectly straight as though perpetually at attention. Compared to his overly normal Master and the suspicious-looking Assassin, the presence of one who was so obviously a hero seemed to fill the entire house with dignity.
Undoubtedly, he had been the source of Assassin's uneasiness.
"The pretender has finally crawled back to his sewer."
The noble features allowed no sign of scorn to slip through.
"You should not be so blunt toward such a useful ally." Allowing a few seconds for the empty rebuke to pass, his Master continued. "You were displeased during our conversation, did you disagree?"
"No, it is certainly true that the people of this era are misusing the tools available to them, despite those tools being greater than they ever were." The words were forced through with reluctance, as though the mere admission displeased him. "However, I do not believe that this is not out of foolishness. They merely lack the guidance necessary to make proper use of them. Drunk in their freedom, they follow the words of those who are no more knowledgeable than themselves. The fall of monarchy was a shameful mistake, if a great king rose to prominence in this era then it could become a true golden age."
"A great king, is it?" Repeating the words to himself, a mysterious smile came to his Master. "But if you agreed with our discussion, then what was the cause of your uneasiness?"
"The man himself, of course."
"I see." With a nod of understanding, he spoke the obvious. "I suppose that for one as honorable as yourself, the very existence of such people must be repulsive."
"Not in the way that you believe. Although I disagree with such methods and have no use for them, I acknowledge that not everyone is able to fight on the frontlines; to sacrifice one's own glory and act in the shadows in support of the king is an acceptable substitute to ability." The words were all the more offensive because of how carelessly they were spoken, but the knight in silver did not acknowledge it. "But that is not such a man, he is nothing more than a glory hound. Resentful of the praise that others receive, he seeks to downplay their achievements. He is nothing more than a pretender, unworthy to stand on equal footing with us as a Servant."
If the previous words had been careless, the knight was barely containing his disdain by the time he finished.
"Glory…" And yet, his Master paid little attention to the comment torward their ally's character, his attention caught by another part of the judgment. "Please show it to me in the coming days, the glory of a battlefield. I will with my own eyes witness the value of a hero's life."
Without a care that his opinion had seemingly been dismissed, Saber bowed respectfully.
"Of course, and at the end of the battle we will restore the world to its rightful course."
Such was the nature of the vow that bound Master and Servant.