Chapter I

"I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Staring into the emerald green eyes of the beautiful woman in front of me, I could only drop my jaw as the entire situation of what happened the last couple of hours just caught up with me and the appearance of the Servant in front of me caused all my stress and anxiety to overflow. Raising my right hand to the bridge of my nose, I released a sigh before something caught my eye, a set of command seals, in the shape of a stylized red paw print on the back of that very hand.

Glancing over at the now deceased body of the freelancer Rottweil Berzinsky slumped against the wall, I glared at the lizard-obsessed magus with as much hate as I could muster. This was all his fault, not dying fast enough where he could complete the Servant summoning ritual, but did die fast enough where the Grail no doubt sensing the death of a Master but not able to connect the summoned Servant to said Master, looked for the closest candidate so that the sanctity of the ritual would remain intact.

"Did you not hear me? Are you my Master?" the woman spoke again, a frown marring her beautiful features.

Honestly, if this were any situation, I'd be glad I summoned such a mesmerizing woman as my Servant. But given I had no intention in fighting the stupid ritual that the Yggdmillennia family stole back in World War II, meant that I was justified in suffering a headache. Unfortunately, I know how much luck could screw you over, so I decided to be the big boy I grew up to be and took in a deep breath. Giving my new Servant a steady gaze, I raised my hand so that she could see the back of it where my Command Seals were located.

"I am," I replied. "Of what class are you to whom I share the pleasure of meeting."

My Servant's eyes narrowed before a black bow appeared in her hand and an arrow just quickly loosed from it, hitting it dead center of the head of a reptilian hybrid that was behind me.

"I am of the Archer class," the Servant declared, drawing another arrow, this time aiming it at another hybrid that stormed into the room with a distorted roar. "And my aim will hold true to target your enemies so long as you are my Master."

My own eyes snapping towards a corner of the room, a hybrid, leaped from the shadows and towards Archer. I burst forward, reinforcing my body with mana as my wrist snapped in movement, unleashing a fan of knives that hit their mark, causing the hybrid to fall back. But it wasn't dead, so I raised my sidearm and plugged its head with two rounds point-blank.

"Nice to meet you, Archer," I said over my shoulder. "I would like to continue this introduction, but first, let's deal with these lab rat rejects."

"Agreed," Archer nodded, notching another two arrows as her feline eyes caught sight of the rest of the hybrids that now surrounded them.

And how did a day like this start you ask? Well, it all started out with…

…

"-yeah, yeah, Dad, I'm fine," I said into my cell phone before a thought caused my tone to lower as a mischievous smirk pulled at my lips. "You know, for a magus, you care a little too much. Not that I-" Wincing in pain as the person on the other side of the phone call started shouting, right into my ear, causing me to pull the phone away. Looking around, I looked around to see that everyone was staring at me, no doubt disturbed by my father's yelling. Smiling sheepishly, I offered a shrug and an apology. Once my father took a breath, no doubt to keep shouting, I cut in before he could get another word in, "Dad, you're on the other side of the planet and yet you're making a scene."

Hearing chastised grumbling, Dad gave one last word of beration before repeating his question.

"Yeah, Linnet and I made it to Bucharest safely," I said, glancing down at my little sister who clung to my hand, as she yawned. The long flight no doubt having tuckered her out, contrasting the excitable girl I knew she normally was. Not that I blamed her, sitting in a chair for hours on end would put a damper on anyone's mood. "We'll get a hotel and rest for the day before we start taking in the sights."

…

"Yeah, we'll make sure to have fun," I chuckled as we made our way to go to reclaim our luggage. "Right, Lin?"

"Nn," Linnet grunted, still tired, as she leaned her head against my leg.

Knowing that she was going to konk out any time soon, I led Linnet to the side before taking a knee to take her into my arms and she immediately wrapped her arms and legs around me, content with letting me carry her around.

"Yeah, we'll be careful, love you too Dad," I replied to the question my Dad had asked before ending the call and pocketed my phone. Following the signs overhead, I eventually found my way to the baggage reclaim area and waited patiently for our luggage. Luckily the only carry on we had with us was the backpack that mostly contained things to entertain Linnet on the plane ride. Additionally, our one luggage bag was big enough to carry enough clothes for the two of us for a week and enough space for us to get some souvenirs to take home.

Eventually, after roaming through the airport to the exit portals, we left the building itself with one of my arms holding Lin to me while my free hand was dragging our luggage bag behind me. Stopping at the spot where taxis loitered around with other cars for pickups, I waved one over. Letting the driver put our luggage in the trunk, I got in the backseat and buckled Linnet in before doing the same for myself. Giving the driver, who unsurprisingly spoke English given his occupation, the address to our hotel for the week, I watched the scenery go by as he drove us to the hotel.

Once there, I paid the fare as well as giving the driver a generous tip before taking our luggage and went inside. After giving my name as well as my credit card, it wasn't long before we were in our room. Setting Linnet in the bed and tucking her in, I went over to the window and drew the blinds so that I could see the city. Unfortunately, it was raining, so it was difficult to see past the mist. Fortunately, they got to the hotel right before the rain got heavy. Closing the blinds, I looked at the time, 4:45 p.m., it was a two-hour flight from London to Bucharest. Add in the wait times for departure and arrival, as well as customs, it had been a long afternoon.

Deciding to make use of the time left in the afternoon, I grabbed the luggage bag and decided to put all of our clothes in the dresser.

…

The next day, Linnet and I were eating lunch at a cafe, having been to the National Museum of Romanian history that morning. "Come on, Lin, finish your food," I said after swallowing a bite of my dish. "You want to get dessert don't you?"

"Fine," Linnet pouted before grabbing her fork and spearing a piece of mititei I had cut up for her and bringing it to her mouth to chomp on it. "Fae, where are we going next?"

I was about to answer when something caught my eye, trailing after it with my eyes, it was a person. Someone I didn't know personally, but someone I did know by reputation. And it was given the man's reputation that I didn't trust him at all. With a short burst of my magic circuits, I sent some of my familiars to subtly track the magus.

"Fae?"

Turning towards my little sister, who looked put out that I wasn't listening, I gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry Lin, I thought I saw a dog or something," I apologized.

Eyes lightening up, Linnet turned in her chair, eager to catch a glimpse of the dog that didn't really exist. "What, where?! Where?!" a grin pulled her cheeks as she looked around eagerly, her head turning about.

"I said, "I thought I saw a dog," silly," I laughed. "Sit right, Lin, and eat, or else you won't get dessert."

Gasping in horror, Linnet sat straight and continued eating, though much more quickly. Smirking in amusement, I steepled my fingers in front of me with my elbows on the table as I waited patiently for her to finish, having finished my meal mere minutes ago. Unknown to her or any others, my left eye wasn't sharing the same vision as my right eye. Instead, through my left eye, I was seeing through the vision of one of my familiars. Rottweil Berzinsky, the Silver Lizard, a freelance magus separate from the Mage's Association. Rumor was that he participated in one of those knock-off Holy Grail Wars at the request of a client who was participating but ended up killing them. However, given the man's personality and reputation, that particular rumor was no doubt true. Likewise, his magecraft along with his obsession with animals, particularly lizards, was also no doubt true. But his appearance does raise one question, why is he here? In Romania of all places?

I spent the rest of the day with Linnet, taking her to tourist spots and taking pictures of the both of us or the two of listening to audio tours as we roamed museums and churches. Or letting Linnet drag me to parks where she'd run around and play, taking great enjoyment in scaring flocks of pigeons. Unfortunately, not all of me was there because I always had my familiars watching Berzinsky because he was no doubt watching us. The entire time, I'd catch a glimpse of him among the crowds with my own sight before he'd disappear through the throng of people. He had to at least know of my own reputation amongst the Association, a freelancer doesn't get far by being ignorant.

Fortunately, he never made a move or got close enough. So by the end of the night after a dinner of pizza, something of which Linnet and I enjoyed, I tucked her into bed before I gathered my weapons. Luckily my familiars were able to smuggle them into the country. A set of throwing knives as well as a magically customized weapon, a custom FN 5.7 sidearm engraved with various runes in order to increase its lethality, such as Gandr enhanced bullets. Normally, most magi abhorred the use of modern weaponry. The fuckwits. But my family came to realize that humanity not only did not need magi anymore, but they advanced far along without us. After all, it wasn't a magus who discovered atoms or nuclear fission. So, my father's family decided to keep an eye on humanity. And boy did we prosper from it.

Sighing, I attached the holster to the back of my belt and slid the sidearm into it. Closing the case, I slid it under the bed and looked up at Linnet's sleeping form. In her slumber, she had moved around and had kicked the covers off of her, while her small hand clutched the hand of her teddy bear. Chuckling despite myself, I reached up to properly tuck her in again, with her teddy bear right beside her. Standing up straight, I looked over my shoulder.

"Make sure nothing happens to her," I said to my strongest familiar, one that took the form of a great grey owl. It blinked in response, but I knew it would keep her safe. Reaching into the closet, I grabbed my coat from its hanger and slipped it on. Closing the door behind me, I took in one last breath as Faelan Ashford, the easy-going older brother of Linnet and son of Galen and Aella Ashford, and slowly exhaled, now as Faelan Ashford, the Crimson Wolf, a Red Brand Enforcer of the Mages Association.

As I walked through the streets of Bucharest, for whatever reason, I couldn't help but contemplate my life. The Ashford family was an old family that in the past was more than obsessed with Noble Phantasms. Not that the other magi were already obsessed with Noble Phantasms, but the Ashford family was dedicated to their obsession. My ancestors had scoured the planet in search of lost Noble Phantasms from Heroes long dead and an ancestor once even claimed their family had the strongest bloodline connected to King Gilgamesh himself, the originator and collector of all original Noble Phantasms. No one knew if it was true given that bloodlines weren't well documented until the Medieval period, not that I actually cared if I was related to Gilgamesh. To further reinforce my family's reputed obsession with Noble Phantasms, we had even kidnapped a member of the Fraga family some centuries past in order to study their Fragarach, a powerful Noble Phantasm that only the Fraga family could wield. They still hold a grudge over that.

My gaze snapped from pondering when I felt the death of a familiar, a small pigeon, the last of its memories coming to my mind. It was observing Berzinsky from a fair distance in the sky, the man was uncovering a manhole when the freelance mage suddenly shot a Gandr rune at his familiar.

Ah, the sewers, that's where he is, and he is challenging me…

Eventually, I found a manhole that would connect to where Berzinsky was holed after sending a few more familiars to observe the man. Landing on my feet, I scanned the tunnel I found myself in, a knife in hand. Seeing nothing, my free hand went to my sidearm and drew it. Knowing where Berzinsky was, I sent my familiars back to the hotel where they would join the rest in keeping an eye on the area.

However, I barely finished giving those familiars the mental command when some sort of lizard-human hybrid leaped from the shadows, with me being its target. Eyes narrowing, my reinforced-reflexes were quicker than the hybrid as 5.7 buried two rounds into the hybrid's head and I sidestepped as its body fell and collapsed onto the floor. Walking up to it, I fired one more round into its head to ensure its death before I crouched next to it, using my knife to manipulate its body so I could observe it.

It had been human, once, whatever it truly was. But it stank of experimentation as scales grew in patches on its skin, its fingers nails were claws, its teeth were fangs, and its eyes resembled more of chameleon's rather than a human's. Given Berzinsky's presence in the city, I had no doubt he was responsible for this. No doubt using people as prototypes and experiments for his magecraft.

"Well, if I have to kill him, I have a decent reason to do so," I muttered to myself.

As a magus, I am not unfamiliar with magi using regular people as test subjects to further their magecraft. And as an Enforcer for the Clocktower, I was likewise not unfamiliar with how some of the… less restrained magi were capable of with human subjects. As I made my way through the sewers, I didn't have to worry whether or not I'd find Berzinsky. As I moved in a certain direction, the frequency of me being attacked by more of the hybrids increased with each step. Though I hoped I would find Berzinsky soon, depending on how many of these things there are, I might not have enough ammunition for these things.

Pausing at a corner to a juncture, I peeked around to see another hybrid. But this one wasn't out and about. No, this one was in a vat at the end of a room, and it wasn't the only one. Walking around the bend, I looked at one vat from another, walking amongst them all. Throughout the room, I could see that their occupants were in several stages of hybridization. Some were still human, some had their appendages twisted into large reptilian ones, some had horns growing out of their heads, and some had tails beginning or had already formed.

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

Snapping around to the origin of the voice, I saw Berzinsky leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

"Beauty is relative," I replied, keeping my 5.7 hidden behind my back. "What are you doing here, Berzinsky?"

"I could ask the same of you, Ashford," Berzinsky replied as he began to pace around the room. "Did the Association send you for me?"

"The Association?" I raised a brow as I began to pace as well, ensuring that the freelancer stayed in front of me, where I could see him. "It may surprise you, but I am here on vacation with my baby sister. Which is what I was enjoying when lo and behold, I saw you."

"My sincerest apologies, Ashford," Brezinsky raised his hands apologetically. "But when my familiars told me that an Enforcer was in Bucharest, I couldn't help but feel curious and find out myself. And let me say, you have a lovely sister." I saw the freelancer had to suppress a flinch as a knife cut his cheek and imbed itself into the brick wall behind him. "I only meant to complement, nothing more."

"Oh, I highly doubt that," I replied.

"Well, I can only imagine the possibilities of my research if your sister was in my hands," said Brezinsky. "An heir of the Ashford family, why I think I could actually reach the Root."

"Guess you'll never find out," I growled as I lowered my stance, ready to attack.

"Never say never, boy," Brezinsky hissed, before raising his hand. On it I recognized the red tattoo-like markings on it. Command Seals, for a Servant in the Holy Grail War. "Once I summon my Servant, even you, the mighty Crimson Wolf will be nothing more than a forgotten memory!"

"Ah, but you forgot one thing, Brezinsky," I smirked.

"Oh? And what's that?" the Silver Lizard snorted derisively.

"I'm a bit of a heretic, remember?" I said before my right hand snapped upwards and the sound of a gunshot rang through the sewers.

Brezinsky blinked, no doubt feeling the pain caused by the Gandr enhanced bullet before looking down at the bullet wound that was in his belly. Looking up at me, I could see the fear in his eyes as he realized what he was dealing with. For only a select few in the Association knew what I was capable of. So that meant the rest merely thought I followed the same magecraft my family did. And Brezinsky just realized all of it was bullshit.

I saw the freelancer make a desperate move for his desk and unfortunately, the line of sight was blocked by one of the vats. Still, I opened fire anyway, hoping one of the rounds would go through the glass and hit the freelancer. Seeing the more viable vats of subjects suddenly shatter and release the occupants inside told me that it wasn't the case.

The closest one immediately leaped at me, fangs bared and definitely aimed for my neck. Simply raising my 5.7, I fired twice into its skull before aiming at another hybrid and killed it with a single round to the back of its head. Unfortunately, the slide on the pistol stayed back, indicating the magazine being empty.

"Tch," I clicked my tongue in annoyance before ejecting the empty clip and popped in a new one just as another hybrid made a mad dash for me, claws reaching out towards me. A round to its knee caused it to stumble and fall to the floor before rolling due to its momentum. Stepping on it to stop it, I aimed for its head before shooting it dead before throwing a knife into the throat of another hybrid who took the opportunity. It stumbled like the one before it, already dead, and as it did, I pulled my knife from its throat as it went by before shooting dead two more. And a quick glance around informed me that Berzinsky had taken advantage of the distraction and retreated further into the workshop he created here. I had to finish here quickly.

By the time I did and followed after Berzinsky, I heard him say;

"...From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,

come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"

Fuck! He finished the last stanza in summoning a Servant! I had only a few moments before the Servant would be summoned. Reaching into my coat, I drew a line of knives and with pinpoint accuracy, threw them at Berzinsky. All of them impaled themselves into the arm that had the hand with the Command Seals and before he could scream, I dashed forward, using Reinforcement to propel me in front of him, and kicked him to the wall behind him. Following that, I raised my 5.7, aimed it at his forehead, and fired twice.

However, before I could breathe a sigh of relief, the Summoning Circle glowed brightly in red light and nearly blinded me before I had the sense to cover my eyes and look away. When it died, I opened my eyes and saw a woman kneeling on one knee. From what I could see, she was a woman of average height with unkempt brown and green hair and wore a black and green dress with black boots and gloves. But that wasn't what caught my attention about her appearance. It was the fact that she had cat ears and a cat tail.

Good thing we weren't in Japan, or some otakus who'd spot her would have a field day.

"In accordance with the summons, I present myself," spoke the Servant, her voice melodious. "I am a Servant of Red. My Fate will be with that of the Mages Association and my sword shall be as your sword." With that last word, she stood up to her full height, revealing her bright green eyes. She looked around, raising a brow at the dead body of Brezinsky before looking at me. "I ask of you, are you my Master?

AN: There will be some small changes to the Apocrypha storyline, nothing too major to break it.

Can't wait for the 5 stars coming out after New Years in FGO, I have 500 SQs saved up for Jalter and knowing my dumb luck I'll either get her on the first pull or burn through all 500 SQs and then pull her on a damn ticket.

Everyone have a good New Years and I'll see you in 2021!