"Professor, may I ask you a question?" Talia asks the elderly man as they walk side by side.
"Certainly," the Professor replies without averting his gaze as he keeps walking.
It is a chilly evening. If she were to be honest, she'd admit that she has so far failed to relate herself to it, even after being here in Fuyuki for a week.
They have wandered through the streets of the rural area of town, there was not a soul to be spotted alongside them.
"Why was there a meeting called so suddenly?" she asks. "And if it's so important, why am I coming along too?"
"It's because of a sensitive matter the Mage's Association has kept quiet about," the man explains as they round the corner. "As for your other question, you're coming with me as a safety precaution."
"Safety precaution?" Talia repeats after her Professor.
"Rest assured, there is no substantial threat to worry about. This matter should be resolved quickly," the Professor concludes, leaving no room for her to ask more questions.
He has only succeeded in worrying her further, even more than she has been before she asked her question.. The fact that the Professor hasn't divulged any details on the matter didn't make it any better, as well. Talia sighs, she has definitely not expected this when she received an offer to participate in an exchange program between the Atlas Institute of Egypt and the Mage's Association to observe the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki.
They arrive at a modest looking mansion in the rural area of the city. The Professor knocks three times on the door, then pauses briefly before knocking two more times. The door opens a few moments later, revealing a man in his late twenties with black hair covering his forehead.
"Ah, Professor Amari," the man smiles as he sees him before his gaze wanders over to the student next to him. "And that must be the ace student of your class if I'm not mistaken. Come in."
"Sir Hendrik, we finally meet in person," the Professor replies as Hendrik ushers both of them in.
Contrary to the outer appearance, the interior of this mansion is set up on the pompous side. Talia simply walks in silently beside the two other mages and follows them to the main hall. There, a table is set up with three other mages already sitting there and having a heated discussion of sorts.
The three of them take a seat at the table and help themselves to the provided drinks. Talia listens to the conversation the others are having. She feels so out of place here. Maybe she should have stayed at home but it's not like she had much choice in the matter. Her parents practically jumped at the idea for the sake of spreading the family's name throughout the mage world. It's too bad that the other two students at Atlas didn't accept the offer because they want to focus on their studies. Talia would had some like-minded company if they came with her.
About half an hour with no progress whatsoever passes before she knows it, they are waiting for the last mage to show up for the meeting. The door finally swings open before a man clad in a navy scholar coat and black pants walks in, his blonde hair swaying with each step.
"Ah, Kayneth," one of the mages at the table greets him. "We were starting to worry that you wouldn't make it."
"I've run into a few minor setbacks to solve regarding the Holy Grail War. It simply took longer than anticipated," Kayneth elaborates
"So you have been chosen then?" Hendrik asks. "Last I heard, five Masters have already been selected by the Grail."
"One of them being nothing but a hired gun," one of the mages scoffs. "Such an embarrassment, is it not?"
"Indeed," Kayneth adds.
Finally, they begin to talk about the reason for their assembly for the night. Several mages have gone missing here in Fuyuki over the last month, leaving no trace behind. There is obviously someone out there targeting these mages as much as the Mage's Association doesn't want to admit it. That individual has been dubbed the "Mage Killer" and the Association hopes to resolve this situation without the help of outsiders to avoid the embarrassment.
Talia is now sure that coming here was definitely not a good idea. Maybe she should request to go back home?
Just then, the door opens amidst the discussion at the table and an aide walks in quietly, walking up to Hendrik and whispering something into his ear. Talia is not quite sure but she is certain she just saw his expression darken for a moment.
Being two seats away from Hendrik, Talia sees him giving the person on his left and right some sort of signal under the table while the conversation gradually seems to die down.
"Talia, listen to me carefully," the Professor whispers to her. "Whatever happens next, you need to get to safety. Go to my house here in Fuyuki, contact the Association, and wait for help. Take the key."
He hands her a key underneath the table after finishing.
"Professor, what is happening?" Talia whispers back to him worriedly.
"That man across the table is not Kayneth Archibald," he concludes.
The table is suddenly flipped as Kayneth retreats a few meters back to build some distance between him and the rest. The other mages scramble to form a line and thrust their hands toward him as the first begin to mumble an incantation.
"Fervor mei sanguis," Kayneth says as he drops the contents of a phial on the ground.
Various runic spells fly towards the imposter but none of them hit their mark as a massive wall of mercury blocks them. The wall drops a second later and now there are five Kayneths standing there.
Talia does as she is told and makes a run for the nearest door while still processing what is happening. So many questions run through her mind while her survival instinct carries her out of the mansion. She stops at the gate to catch her breath and look back. She was told to get to safety but was it really the right thing to do when they were fighting the Mage Killer? Perhaps the Professor thought that she would be in the way.
Talia is about to continue when she suddenly sees something moving from the corner of her vision. Instinctively, she hurls a piece of the ground at whatever tries to approach her with one swift motion of her hands through her elemental magic.
Her effort proves to be futile, however, as it just passes through what appears to be a human sized shadow.
"A Phantom?!" she gasps as she continues to run away. "Only sunlight and any type of fire magic can kill those familiars. Of course, I don't have any of those things! This day just keeps getting better and better..."
Knowing that she has nothing to deal with the Phantom following her, she runs to the Professor's house. She gets some questioning looks on the way by a few civilians. To them, she probably looks like a student who is late to a party or a date, perhaps. Little do they know that she is running for her life.
She reaches the house after nearly ten minutes and almost bursts through the door after fumbling with the key. Every mage has his workshop set up in the basement. It is something of an unwritten rule almost. Therefore, she immediately runs downstairs.
Panic begins to take over as she can't seem to find anything that could get her out of this situation among the small collection of alchemical potions. A chill runs down her spine as she barely turns around and dodges a swing of the Phantom's clawed hand.
She stumbles backward, over a summoning circle as she is backed into a corner by the Phantom. This is it. She is going to die here all alone with most of her life still ahead of her. She should never have come to Fuyuki. She turns into whimpering mess as she is cornered and forced to watch her inevitable demise come closer and closer to finish her off.
She shuts her eyes so that she wouldn't have to see it at the very least when a sudden pain in her right hand makes her yelp. Strange red markings form on the back of her hand.
Time seems to stop for a moment as the summoning circle next to her sparks to life. A pillar of brilliant radiance shoots forth from the circle, making the Phantom shrink back from the sudden source of light.
The glow is soon replaced by smoke left over the circle. Just as the Phantom was about to continue what it was doing, a ray of sunlight shoots out from the smoke that vaporizes it upon contact.
Talia is just sitting in the corner, motionless, staring towards the source of whatever just saved her. A strange mix of relief and anxiety wash over her at the same time. Relief that the threat to her life is no more and anxiety towards whatever will emerge from the smoke.
It doesn't take long for the smoke to clear and, she stares in awe, unable to believe her own eyes. Standing inside the circle was a tanned man with brown hair. He's wearing a white cloak which is decorated with a broad golden necklace that is inlaid with sapphires on his shoulders. In addition, he wears golden gauntlets adorned with blue flecks and dark gloves. His bare torso is exposed, showcasing his athletic figure. Golden plates protect him around the waist with loosely fitting trousers below that with a piece of cloth in-between that has an intricate gold and blue pattern on it. In his right hand, he holds a heqa sceptre which is a gold and blue staff that is curved at the top.
"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings," he declares high and mighty as he looks at her with his golden colored eyes that shine like the sun itself. "Could you be the one who managed to summon me to this world?"
Talia doesn't respond because she is still processing what had just happened.
"I asked you a question," Ozymandias continues. "Have you not been taught proper etiquette? Especially in the presence of the Pharaoh!"
He takes a few steps towards her and scrutinizes her under his gaze. His eyes land on the Command Seals on Talia's right hand, giving him the answer to his question. Then, he takes in his surroundings, almost as if he is looking for something.
"Answer me," he demands. "What did you use as a catalyst to summon me?"
"C-Catalyst?" Talia fumbles to get the words out. "N-No, I didn't use anything!"
Ozymandias now stares at her, looking for any hint of deceit in her words. After that, he walks around in the basement to confirm what she is saying.
"It seems that you must be an extraordinary mage to be able to summon me, Ozymandias, without a catalyst," he exclaims. "Very well, I shall forgive your prior rudeness due to your talent this once! Follow me, there is much to be done!"
Talia blinks once, twice before asking herself what she has gotten herself into.
"Captain, stay on this distance to Fuyuki," James speaks into the intercom on his desk.
"Understood, Sir," the man on the other end replies before James lets go of the button.
He takes his glass of champagne and gets up from his desk, letting his gaze wander out the window to the open sea with Fuyuki at the edge of his vision. He prides himself with all the luxuries he has accumulated and he is especially proud of the private yacht that he will use as a base of operations for the Holy Grail War. Just with that alone, he already has an advantage in that he will be difficult to reach for the other Masters and Servants in this war unless they can fly or cross the water undetected.
He takes another look at the Command Seals on his hand and smirks. He always knew that he was destined for greatness, and now, with the Holy Grail having chosen him as a Master, that greatness would be realized. The only thing left for him to do is to summon his Servant, and he has gone to great lengths to procure a very costly artifact, which arrived mere hours ago via helicopter.
He gulps the contents of his glass down before heading to his private workshop downstairs where his workers were preparing the summoning.
Upon arriving, he asks the nearest worker, "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, Sir!" the man promptly replies.
"Good, then clear the room," James orders.
They do as they are told and file out of the room, leaving their boss alone with the summoning circle and the fossil of the first snake to shed its skin that serves as the catalyst. He accepts nothing but the best. Thus, only the mightiest of Heroic Spirits would be sufficient to him. Stretching out his right hand, he begins the incantation.
"A base of silver and steel,
A foundation of stone and the Archduke of contracts,
And my ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg.
A wall to block the falling wind.
The gates of all four directions close.
From the Crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.
Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill,
Repeat five times, but destroy each when filled.
I hereby propose,
My will shall create thy body,
And thy sword shall create my fate.
Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,
If thou dost accede to this will and reason, then answer me!
I hereby swear,
I will be all that is good in the eternal world,
That I shall defeat all evil in the eternal world!
Thou Seventh Heaven, clad with the Great Trinity,
Come forth from the circle of constraint,
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"
As expected, the circle produces a ray of light that engulfs the entire room in its brilliance. Once it's gone, James looks at the person standing in the circle.
A man, clad in gold, with hair as luminescent as the sun, glares with his crimson eyes as if he is measuring the Master's worth.
Crossing his arms, the Servant says coldly, "Answer me, are you the insolent mage that dares to make an entreaty upon the king in all his radiance?"
Bowing his head, he replies thus, "My humblest apologies, o great King of Uruk. I humbly implore you to aid me in this battle royale of mages for the Holy Grail. You are without a shadow of a doubt the most powerful hero in this war and can guarantee victory. I know it is impudent of me to ask but I beg you."
The golden Archer ponders over the words of his contractor for a moment.
"Normally, I would not deign to intervene in a petty squabble among mongrels," the Servant states condescendingly. "However, if they dare lay their hands on my treasures, then that's a different matter. Nevertheless, if nothing in this world is worthy of my adoration, you will pay dearly for summoning me and wasting my time, James."
"Please do not worry," James reassures him, his gaze still on the ground. "The Holy Grail will surely be to your liking, King of Heroes."
"That is for me to judge," the King of Heroes replies. "Well, I'll play along with your cajolery for now and amuse myself with some exploring in the meantime."
Gilgamesh looks around for a moment before walking towards the exit.
"Everything of value in this world belongs to me," he states solemnly. "No matter how precious of a treasure this Grail of yours may be, I won't let some lowly mongrels fight over it without my permission. I'll leave the details to you."
With that, he disappears into fine golden dust.
James breathes a sigh of relief once he is gone. It could have gone a little better as far as introductions go but it could have definitely gone far worse as well. He hates being subservient to someone and groveling before them but if that's what it takes to get the Holy Grail, then so be it.
"Well, now that the worst part is over, I can lean back and let him do the work," James comments to himself as he looks down on his Command Seals before going back to his drink.
"Y-You low-class scum!" Kayneth coughs out as he slowly crawls on the ground towards a shelf across the room. "You will rue the day you were born when I am finished with you! I won't let you die that easily. I will use healing magic to regenerate your heart and lungs while I tear up every inch of your flesh!"
"Have you ran out of insults now?" a man with silver hair that reaches down to his shoulders asks as he walks up to him before stomping on Kayneth's hand.
Kayneth suppresses the urge to scream from the pain. He doesn't want to give that person the satisfaction of it.
"Now, any last words? I will grant you one final request," the silver-haired man states calmly.
Kayneth stares daggers at the person who managed to get the better of him, in his home turf no less. He looks so angry that a vein might pop at any moment.
"I suppose that you want to know my name so that you can curse it in your final moments like so many others did before," the man continues. "Very well then. My name is Nicolas Hawthorne."
After saying that, Nicolas crouches down and snaps his neck, ending his life.
"Another piece cleared from the board," he mutters to himself.
Getting back up, he takes stock of the current situation. One week of work finally paid off. Kayneth's atelier spans the entire floor in this skyscraper with dozens of traps, ghosts and evil spirits acting as guard dogs as its defenses. However, no defense is completely flawless and the solution to anything can hide in plain sight.
A man such as Kayneth demands only the finest of housing, and fine housing needs high maintenance. Therefore, impersonating the janitor that has access to the floor without getting killed by its mechanisms was a simple yet effective solution. Any standard mage would view such a tactic as cowardly but Kayneth never saw it coming, until it was far too late.
Nicolas walks over to the shelf that Kayneth tried to reach. There, he finds a phial with a silver liquid inside.
He looks back to the now deceased Kayneth as he takes the phial in his hand and says, "A shame that you were unable to use your strongest and most prized weapon, Volumen Hydrargyrum. You would have probably killed me if you'd have reached it."
Following that, he walks over to Kayneth's desk and rummages for a few minutes through his documents until he finally finds what he is looking for. An invitation to a secret meeting between a handful of mages to discuss how they are going to get rid of the rumored "Mage Killer", to discuss how they are going to get rid of him.
Time is running short as he sees that the meeting will take place in less than an hour, meaning he won't have time to properly cover his tracks and dispose of the two bodies lying around here. It can't be helped. This meeting is a rare opportunity to take out five mages with one strike.
He walks back to Kayneths body while pulling out another phial from the inner pocket of his coat with a transparent liquid. He rips of a lock of Kayneth's hair and inserts it into the phial. The liquid turns yellow as a result. Then, Nicolas takes a deep breath before he gulps it down in one go.
The effect starts to kick in. His hair becomes gradually shorter and changes its color to blonde, his face shifts and contorts while he holds onto the nearby shelf to support himself. After the pain of the transformation subsides, he lets out a sigh before looking into a mirror. He now looks exactly like Kayneth Archibald.
"Testing, testing," he says to make sure that his voice also changed.
The only thing left to do is to walk over to the wardrobe so that his impersonation of Kayneth is complete.
"Scalp!" Nicoals shouts, still looking like Kayneth Archibald.
The Mystic Code Volumen Hydrargyrum shoots out several tendrils, all of them hit a barrier the last mage standing has erected. The blob of mercury continues its relentless assault until the barrier breaks and the mage is lacerated and falls to the ground.
"Receptum," Nicolas says to the mercury blob.
The Mystic Code retreats into the small phial it came out of before he puts the cork back on it.
If only he wouldn't have been so late to the meeting. They have probably sent someone over to Kayneth's apartment to check up on him while Nicolas was on the way here. A pity. He could have handled this much more delicately if only he had more time.
The deed is done. The gathered mages are no more. Unfortunately, a little girl managed to get away amidst all this chaos. Nicolas has sent a Phantom after her to eliminate her as well during a brief respite in the battle.
Sudden coughing grabs his attention. One of the mages is still alive, although just barely. He walks over to him and looks down on him wordlessly. His eyes showing neither compassion nor hatred.
"Y-You-" the man coughs as he lays in a pool of blood.
"Complacency breeds death," Nicolas elaborates. "You mages thought that if you were gathered you would be safe. Pathetic. Additionally, if the five of you would have worked together as a team you would have bested me but that's not how a mage thinks, right? Every mage to himself. That is your number one rule. Predictable as always."
The mage dies moments later from the loss of blood. Nicolas begins to clean up the mess he has made when he suddenly stops and clutches his forehead. His face starts to shift again and his hair becomes longer while changing its color back to silver. The effect of the shapeshifting elixir is wearing off. A few minutes later, he reverts back to his true appearance.
At that moment, his right-hand starts to ache horribly. He takes off his glove and sees Command Seals manifesting on the back of his hand.
"Finally," he mutters.
His work finally paid off. He has been killing mages over the past month here in Fuyuki to thin out the pool of possible candidates the Holy Grail could choose. The girl that escaped earlier doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is his goal. It doesn't matter if he has to walk over one or a hundred corpses to reach it but there is only one thing left to do for today.
He uses the abundance of blood on the ground to draw a summoning circle. After checking that everything is in order, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out an old book that he places in the spot for the catalyst. He is not planning to defeat his opponents in this war with brute force or overwhelming power, but with tactical superiority and precise hits. Therefore, this Servant should do the job just fine.
"For the elements, silver and iron,
A foundation of stone and the Archduke of contracts,
And for my ancestor, the great Master Schweinorg.
A wall to block the falling wind.
Close the gate in the four directions.
From the Crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the Kingdom.
Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill,
Repeat five times, but destroy each when filled.
I hereby propose,
My will shall create thy body,
And thy sword shall create my fate.
Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail,
If thou dost accede to this will and reason, then answer my call!
I hereby swear,
I will be all that is good in the eternal world,
That I shall defeat all evil in the eternal world!
Thou Seventh Heaven, clad with the Great Trinity,
Come forth from the circle of binding,
Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"
The room is filled with light that the summoning circle emanates. Once the resulting smoke clears out, the man crosses his arms behind his back to look at the Servant that he manifested.
A pale human with dark purple slicked back hair stands in the circle, clad in black and red robes. He carries himself with elegance judging from his posture.
"Thou who hath summoned me under the class of Caster," he says with a smile that hides something sinister underneath it as he bows formally. "I ask of you, are you ready to make a deal with the Devil?"
A memory floats up to the surface of Nicolas's mind. A memory that dates many years back and with it the valuable lesson he has learned.
Never make a bargain with a demon you intend to keep.
Caster extends his hand with a sly grin.
"By the power of my Command Seal," Nicolas announces as he raises his right hand in front of him. "I order you, Caster, to never use your Noble Phantasm on me."
One Command Seal disappears from his hand once the order is given. A wave of red energy is emanated that hits Caster who is taken by surprise.
"Interesting," Caster comments, regaining his composure. "But I suppose it wouldn't be any fun if things were to already conclude after my summoning."
"I know all about how you tempted a scholar down your path, Mephistopheles," Nicolas states. "This is merely insurance to keep you in check."
"Ha, very well," Caster replies. "It appears I have been drawn by quite the… peculiar Master. Now then, what will be our first order of business?"
Author's Note:
My apologies for the delay on this chapter. On the bright side, ZilverHope is joining me for this story alongside erenatnier. A big thanks to these guys and do check out their works if you have the time :)