A/N:
Holy shit, it's almost been a month since my last update.
Hmm, that's a long-ass time, huh?
I apologize for that, but real life called. Sorry...
As for this chapter... Oh dear. It's short... I'll try to get longer ones out, because this chapter is actually a little too short...
Nothing more to say here: Just going to get into the chapter now. Hope you guys enjoy it.
Running disclaimer!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I do not own the Nasuverse. Do you know what I do own? A fancy new laptop. Aw yeah!
WARNING: OOC (some parts), incomplete understanding of lore(feedback appreciated on this topic: I'll check out the wikis or something later.), obviously AU, and probably some emo-ness/angst going on. I am not a professional. Just putting that out there.
Viewer discretion is advised.
Chapter Ten: Of Men and Monsters (Part One)
Before the start of the Fourth Heaven's Feel:
Avenger gazed out of the window of the castle. She looked at the clear sky, the white snow, the dead forest. The wintery forest, majestic in its stillness. And she looked upon a father and daughter, playing in the snow.
They were making a game out of finding walnut buds, it seemed. The little white-haired girl and her much bigger father, playing in the snow. How... Picturesque.
Armored fingers gripped the windowsill, and began squeezing. Wood gave away under the relentless grip.
"... That's how parents should treat their children."
The windowsill broke.
"It is, isn't it? If even the most merciless killer can show affection to his daughter, then... Shouldn't that emotionless king be able to do the same?"
There was an ominous presence around the church as well as inside the church.
The overseer of this Holy Grail War, Father Risei Kotomine, laughed.
It was a bitter sound.
Around an hour had passed since the summoning signal to come to the Fuyuki Church had been activated. Of course, none of the masters had come. Instead, there were five familiars gathered in this dark church. How strange, that a house of the Lord would have such a malevolent aura.
It seems as if most of the masters had sent representatives, at the very least. Apart from Caster and his master, Kotomine who was supposedly not even in the war anymore, and Saber and her master it seemed as if every other master in the war had at the very least sent their familiar.
Just then, the door slammed open.
"Sorry we're late. Has the thing started yet?"
One golden-haired blue-eyed master said cheerfully. Behind him, Saber shook her head at her master's antics.
Risei sweat-dropped.
Is this guy really that dangerous?
Then he remembered the 'Battle at Matou manor' and the ensuing destruction. Including those accursed black flames that STILL haven't gone out, and were an absolute nightmare to cover up. Add in the fact that the mansion was basically gone, and...
... Yeah. He is.
The priest cleared his throat.
"No, it actually hasn't. But I might as well begin now."
"Awesome." Naruto threw himself onto a bench and began chilling like a boss. Saber twitched.
At times, her master really was quite immature.
"Ahem... Seeing as no one else is appearing..."
After that simple opening, the old Father faced the congregation of familiars and one human.
"The Holy Grail War is in danger. I'll get straight to the point, so as to not waste any of your time."
Risei paused, and began to think about how to word his next sentence, before speaking once again.
"It has come to my attention that Caster's Master is the man who is behind the serial killing and kidnapping cases that have happened lately in Fuyuki city. He used his Servant to carry out his crimes, and he ignored the crime scene right after he was done. That is to say, he's not concealing his traces. As you can see, that's a direct violation of the 'secrecy' part of this war."
Part of the Grail War was the need to conceal magecraft from mundane eyes. Therefore, seeing as Caster was killing his victims with magecraft and not even bothering to hide the evidence...
Although there was no response from the familiars, the Masters who heard his words through their familiars should be wavering right now, at least slightly.
Naruto's eyes hardened at this proclamation.
"He and his Servant are no longer your individual enemy, but a general threat to the summoning of the Holy Grail. Therefore, I am use the authority of supervision I have at such critical times, to temporarily change the rules of the Holy Grail War."
The priest raised his right arm, exposing said arm by pulling up his sleeve. Tattoo-like images were covering his arm. Though they may seem like tattoos, they were actually Command Seals.
"These are the Command Seals left over from previous Grail Wars. I can transfer these reserve Command Seals to anyone based on my judgment. I suppose you all know the importance and value of these seals?"
Risei smirked when he noticed Naruto and Saber tense slightly at his proclamation. It would have been so boring if all he was facing was a room full of familiars.
"Therefore, by my command: All masters are to cease all hostilities against one another. You should focus your energies on destroying Caster and his master. As for incentive: I will select the master who manages to annihilate Caster and his Master, and bestow upon him one additional Command Seal. If this mission is accomplished alone, only that person will be awarded. By that logic, if many work together then all will be awarded."
Father Risei rolled down his sleeve.
"The War will be resumed once Caster has been slain. So, if there are any questions, you should ask them now."
Complete and utter silence. Silence that was broken when the blond-haired man reclining on one of the benches in the church stood up, stretching to his maximum height. If one looked at his eyes, they would find that these cerulean orbs were filled with cold rage, holding nothing but contempt and anger.
The blond-haired man left, as did his servant. The door slammed shut behind them. His departure sparked a flurry of movement, as the sounds of moving chairs and the sounds of beings leaving mingled together.
And then there was silence.
The church was once again, silent.
Risei smirked.
"I wonder... Just what will happen in the future?"
Naruto was angry. Scratch that, he was more than angry. He was genuinely pissed off.
"So... That Caster is a mass murderer after all." He muttered. "Well then! That's... I don't even know what to say."
Naruto and Saber were walking back to their place of residence after hearing this depressing news.
"Not only that, but he's been killing children-!"
Naruto didn't approve of senseless murder. Not at all. Therefore, to hear that this disgusting being was killing children, that rankled on Naruto's nerves. He didn't even care about the reward. What he wanted was to see that fucker dead.
"The whole point of this... Every single battle, we've tried to minimize collateral damage, and now this fucker... That's... Words can't describe my feelings."
"Naruto, we're killing him first. There is no question of that." Saber remarked grimly. For a knight such as Saber, Caster's actions were completely and utterly repugnant.
"Besides, if we let him go the number of victims are going to pile up." Saber continued. "
Naruto grunted. "We're going to have to do some research. At least we have a name to go by- Gilles de Rais, huh?"
"Naruto, what do you propose?"
"... Time to hit the books."
Baron Gilles de Rais, a French knight who was a companion of the famed Joan of Arc, the maid of Orleans. He was also well known for being a mass murderer, a serial killer. To put it bluntly, the man was a raging bag of psychosis.
"At least we know why this guy was so obsessed about Joan."
A spiky blond head of hair was smoothed by large callused palms, before the owner of said head of hair and said palms put down the book he was reading.
The two were currently in the local library, doing research on their opponent's various myths and legends.
Naruto put down the book about French History, and turned to the small stack that he had amassed. A copy of The Epic of Gilgamesh, a collection of Irish legends, the aforementioned book about the exploits of Joan of Arc, and a tome containing the mythos surrounding the King of Knights, Arthur Pendragon.
"Still, I wonder how he could have been summoned as a Caster. As far as I can tell, he'd be more suited for a Saber or something along those lines. He'd probably be a pretty crappy Saber, but summoning this guy as a Caster makes no sense at all."
Saber interjected. "From what I understand, Caster dabbled in the occult for some time: namely, the summoning of demons. That could be how he would be summoned for Caster. Though from all indication, his summonings failed. Still, that's something to watch out for."
"Yeah, but how on earth was he even summoned in the first place? We already had seven servants, so why is there an eighth? No, something's off about this Holy Grail War, Saber, and I don't like it at all. Not in the slightest. Either way, now we know our opponents. And as they say, knowing is half the battle."
Saber grunted, and shifted in her seat a little. She straightened her tie, before speaking once again.
"Naruto, what is our plan then? Are we to proceed with the previously planned course of action?"
The blond sighed in exasperation.
"Isn't it obvious? Go after this fucker and kill him. I'm going to have to inform Kariya of this change. Either way, Caster's actions cannot be tolerated."
Saber cocked her head.
"You seem to be more offended by this affair, as if it's a personal matter. Why is that?"
"Don't you remember my history? From the dream cycle?"
"... Ah..."
"Adults shouldn't hurt or kill children. Not like this. In a perfect world, that wouldn't happen. Unfortunately, this world is far from perfect. Even so, there has to be some modicum of justice. One man shouldn't be allowed to play God with the lives of others, and that's what this senseless murdering is."
Saber gazed at her master with an almost sorrowful expression.
"It is settled then. We are going after this man?"
"Yes."
She nodded. "Very well."
A large red-haired figure caught Naruto's attention. "Well, speak of the bloody devil and he answers. Is that who I think it is?"
Saber glanced where Naruto was staring. Her eyes widened.
"Rider?"
Indeed, the burly servant was also in the library, reading several texts. He was dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, and in general seemed to be enjoying himself.
"What is he doing here?"
"Probably doing more research as to the opponents he would be facing." Naruto replied. "I know for a fact that I would. After all, he knows most of the servant's identities now."
He looked pointedly at his servant.
Saber leveled a chilling glare at her master. It was more playful than chilling, actually.
"I will have you know, that wasn't my fault. It was a mere slip of the tongue."
"I never implied it was your fault..."
The big servant waved in their direction.
"That's a clear-cut invitation if I've ever seen one."
"True. As a fellow King, it would be dishonorable to run from such a direct challenge."
And so, the pair made their way to Rider's table.
"Hello there, King of Knights, Naruto!"
"Greetings, Rider." Saber said, stiffly. This was after all an enemy servant. He may have appeared amiable, but appearances can be deceiving. Although Rider didn't seem like the type to backstab his enemies, one could never be too careful.
"Yo." Naruto waved lazily.
"You dare address a king so impudently, boy?"
"I dare."
Saber tensed. This situation...! This was bad. If Naruto antagonized Rider, things may devolve into a fist-fight. Although she had no compunctions on fighting, she would rather not fight in front of so many mundane people. After all, the entire war revolved around secrecy.
Her fears proved to be unfounded when Rider laughed uproariously.
"HAHA! You really are an interesting one! Are you sure you don't want to join my army?"
Naruto shook his head.
"Sorry, Rider. I can't do that. It's not just my pride that I have to consider. Saber is very proud, to the point where it's almost a character flaw."
Saber twitched.
"Of course, that's not a bad thing. Being proud is never a bad thing, and Saber has every right to be proud. After working with her for a few weeks, I can tell she deserves her title 'King of Knights'. Therefore, to be treated as an underling under another king would surely rankle her pride. I can't step on her pride. That's the one thing I'm not allowed to do."
He paused.
"Well, there are many things that I'm not allowed to do, but that's not the point."
"Ah, too bad." Rider sighed. "That's unfortunate, that is."
"Rider!" That was a new voice.
"Hmm? Is that your 'master'?"
Rider blinked.
"Why so it is."
"Where the hell have you been!" Waver Velvet ran to his servant, huffing slightly from his exertion. "You left me alone, dammit!"
It was then that he noticed the company Rider was keeping.
"Ah, shit."
"It seems as if all of the masters are hunting down Caster, isn't that correct, Kiritsugu?"
Irisviel asked her husband. They were going over their own course of action, their own plan. Behind them, Avenger was leaning against the wall, smirking. It should be noted that she was dressed in horribly scandalous clothing, wearing extremely short short-shorts and a shirt that exposed her navel.
"Yes, that's correct. Because there's some compensation for the trouble, most of the masters will probably be hunting that guy down."
Kiritsugu cleared his throat.
"However, concerning this Caster, it would be unwise to attack him. After all, we're one of the only ones who know his name."
The strange Caster had appeared before Avenger and Irisviel on the morning of the second day of the war. He was raving about how Avenger was 'An imitation, a pale copy of the Holy Maiden', and about how 'Fakers must be punished for this blasphemy'.
Avenger hadn't taken kindly to his words.
Kiritsugu shook his head.
"That servant is clearly touched in the head... Regardless, we don't need to chase him. He's probably going to come to us, so all we have to do is set our trap and wait for the mouse to come scurrying along."
"More waiting?" Avenger spoke, clearly irked.
Kiritsugu made to ignore his servant.
"Oi, master, you remember, don't you? The terms of my agreement? I'd obey you, and in return... You'd stop seeing me as a fucking tool. Don't you remember that?"
Kiritsugu remained silent, giving no indication that he heard his servant's words.
"Fine then, remain silent you old bastard." Avenger turned to the door. "I'm going for a walk. Remember, you can't order me around unless you use your Command Seals. And you've only got three of them. You'd better make them count, eh?"
The silence continued.
"... I'm no man's tool. Not anymore. You'd best remember that, Kiritsugu."
Kiritsugu exhaled a sigh of relief when she left.
"That girl..." Irisviel muttered. "That girl, you shouldn't treat her like that."
"How I treat Avenger is of no consequence." Kiritsugu replied. "As long as she remains compliant to my orders, it is of no consequence."
"She's..."
"Avenger is something like a rabid dog, that'll bite the hand that feeds it. We did summon the great betrayer, Mordred after all."
Irisviel's accusing glare caused Kiritsugu to wilt slightly.
"... Fine. I'll talk to her later."
"Remember that she is still a knight. A blood-knight, a knight of death and killing, but she's still a knight. She has her pride."
"Have you two been speaking to one another?"
"As a matter of fact, we have. It was very insightful." Irisviel sighed.
"That poor girl..."
Kiritsugu cleared his throat and began speaking.
"Essentially, we aren't going to be fighting Caster. Another master will probably kill that guy, so we don't need to worry about him at all. Rather, we're going to be targeting the other masters as they hunt down Caster."
The white-haired woman was shocked at this callous statement.
"Not fighting Caster?"
"Caster is the bait. Caster is the target, the one that these masters have set their eyes upon. Caster has also expressed interest in Avenger. Therefore, Caster will have to come here, eventually. And once he arrives, some of the masters that are chasing him will also arrive at this castle. And then we can pick off some competition. We're going to hunt the hunters, if you will."
That was how Kiritsugu thought. He had no morals. No pride. He'd do whatever it takes to secure victory. He'd blow up a building or kill innocents if he had to.
This person scared Irisviel.
This person was not her husband. This person could only be described as a predator: a merciless killer.
And...
Irisviel glanced at the corner, where a black-clad woman was residing. That woman didn't speak a single word, merely regarded her with a cool eye, before turning her attention elsewhere.
That woman, Maiya Hisau... It wasn't the first time she had seen Maiya. She knew the woman managed all of Kiritsugu's worldly businesses, but her behavior was most irregular.
During this strategy session, this woman never had a sliver of doubt as to Kiritsugu's words and heartless demeanor. It was as if everything Kiritsugu was doing was completely normal. Maybe, for Maiya, this is how Kiritsugu normally was. The Magus Killer.
"...How about the ceasefire that the supervisor proposed?"
She asked a completely irrelevant question, in order to divert her attention and avoid thinking of these anguishing topics.
"We'll ignore that rule. That shifty priest never said anything about consequences if we break this 'truce'. Therefore, if he really gets on our case about it, we'll just pretend like we didn't know about the ceasefire."
"I see."
"I think that this session is over. Maiya, return to the city and gather intelligence. Irisviel, you'll stay with me so we can prepare for Caster's imminent assault. The man has to be planning an attack, after all."
"Yes sir."
Irisviel heard the door open, before closing. Maiya had left. She sighed.
"Kiritsugu..."
Irisviel blinked. Was the man...
"Kiritsugu, why are you hugging me...?
The black-haired man didn't speak, instead hugging the Irisviel tightly. His shoulders were shaking, and... Was he crying?
This wasn't the 'Magus Killer' personality. This was the more emotional man behind the mask. It seems that even Kiritsugu Emiya had a heart as well.
"Irisviel: We can... If I decide to run away, Iri, would you come with me?"
"Run away?"
"Yes. Run away, and leave all of this behind. Would you come with me?"
"Ilya… our daughter is still inside that castle."
"Then we go back there and get her out. I'll happily put a bullet in that old man's heart."
Kiritsugu's eyes were hard. He was serious about this.
"We could leave, live on the road. You know that I'd protect the both of you with everything that I've got."
Irisviel's own crimson eyes softened. This man wasn't the one that she had met nine years ago. This man had changed, which is why he was proposing such a shocking plan of action. She was the cause of his change, she and her daughter.
But...
"Are we actually able to run away?"
"There's a chance."
"... Kiritsugu, you know that we can't do that."
Irisviel pointed that out, gently. The words were cruel, though she didn't want the, to be cruel, but the truth-!
The truth is often cruel.
"... You can't run away. Didn't you promise that you'd definitely win the Holy Grail, and fulfill your ideal? Yeah... That ideal of a good world. A world where no one needs to be unhappy. Where people can smile."
"... I'm afraid, Irisviel. That man, that Naruto Uzumaki... I thought he was an unknown. But then, on that first night and on the second night..."
"That man, he could have killed me. Easily. What kind of monster is he!? I could have died. He could have killed me, and the worst part is, I can't even predict him. He's unpredictable, impossible to comprehend. What kind of guy can fight heroic spirits head to head? That's just insane!"
Kiritsugu is a killer. A hunter. Therefore, his worst nightmare would be to be hunted by someone else. And Naruto Uzumaki, that man could be called the 'hunter of hunters'.
Impossible to predict. So powerful that any resistance by a mortal would be laughable.
Kiritsugu could have died. He would have died, and left his wife and child all alone. That prospect was absolutely terrifying to deal with, for this poor man. Nine years ago, he wouldn't have cared, but now?
The fear of losing the ones he cares about is a frightful prospect. That's his weakness: the ones he loves.
"I won't let you fight alone."
Irisviel said gently as she caressed her husband's shaking back.
"You have me. You have Maiya. Even Avenger will fight for you. Kiritsugu, you're not alone anymore."
"Pah! A pox upon this weather!" Avenger grumbled. It was rather cold after all, and she wasn't really wearing warm clothing. Servants, while hardy, were still subject to their external conditions. They could in fact feel cold.
"A pox upon manipulative bastards!"
She growled, and struck the wall. The wall trembled.
The servant pulled her dainty fist out of the wall, leaving a large hole, before continuing to walk down the hallway.
"... A pox upon my-"
The words choked in her mouth, dying out. She growled, and turned her head angrily to the side.
A mirror caught her attention. She gazed at its surface, marveling at her face.
That was the face of her father. Her face. And that face was a reminder of her great failure.
The girl stood, staring at her own reflection, before sitting down onto the hard floor.
"... Father..."
That sword. Excalibur. She remembered that sword well. It was the sword of 'Salvation'. The holy sword that belonged to the greatest king that Britain had ever known. That sword was King Arthur's sword.
That sword's light had reminded her of her best memories. Campaigning with the great king, serving at his Round Table: She believed not in King Arthur's ideals, but in the great king himself. The king who was perfect. The epitome of perfection. Flawless, invincible, maybe not human... King Arthur was her idol, for a time in her life. That idolization, that shaped her.
"Damn it all. Damn it. Damn it. Damn it."
A shaking accompanied each phrase, as she struck the ground in her anger.
"... I need to see you again. I need to talk to you again. I need to tell you something. I'm not allowed to call you my king anymore, but..."
She longed for the king's approval. And she regretted her actions on that day, at that hill. The hill of swords and blood. Her battle. King Arthur's last battle.
She regretted it all. And now...
"I am no man's tool. Not again! Never again! Please... Forgive me... But I need to see you again."
A/N:
Here we go. The intro into one of the more depressing arcs that I've concocted.
Great.
Damn, I'm pretty tired. Yesterday was one of the most depressing days of my life. It started out okay, but then it got progressively worse as time went on. I won't regale you with the details, as my life is probably what you guys DON'T want to read about.
Essentially, it boils down to: Being dragged to some desert for some obscure reason, getting a really bad sunburn, mosquitos, having to deal with my brother's friends (Extremely bratty children) and essentially having a bad time.
One kid fainted because it was too hot. That should give you an indication of how bad it was where I was.
Ahem... Anyway, we're back! I'm really sorry about this short chapter, but I feel as if I have to get this out here now, before it continues to fester on my hard drive and gather cobwebs...
Of course, future chapters will be of more typical length.
Shameless plug: The link to my Forum is in my profile. Go check that out, if you have the time. Challenges and news are posted there.
And once again, if there are any mistakes in my writing, please tell me so I can rectify them.
Rein Hellfire: Getting some water. I'm thirsty.
