So, as everyone knows at this point, yes, this story is going into FGO. But there's a problem. I dunno much about FGO. I had started early enough to comfortably finish the first Halloween event, but I stopped altogether at the start of the first Summer Event, because rotten rolls were the norm for a good while before then. So, I'm going to need help with the lore of Chaldea. As in, ALL OF IT. This lack of knowledge made me hesitate to write beyond the Case Files anime, but I'm committed at this point. Even pointing me in the right direction is fine.
Anyways, here is the fourth chapter of Evil of Humanity.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Fate/Dominance: Evil of Humanity
"Your Father has been looking for me?" Naruto asked.
Currently, he, Olga and her assistant Trisha were seated in the cabin room granted to Olga by the Train's staff. From what he'd seen, they were all designed the exact same: Two single beds on one side of the room, with a pair of two-seat sofas with a table in-between on the other side, by the window. Olga and Trisha were seated on one side, facing Naruto.
Olga nodded. "Ever since he came to the decision of participating in the Fifth War. Maybe even as far back as the end of the Fourth, as he was already doing some research at the time."
"Is that so?" He quoted his Archer Servant, to the amusement of his astralized Servant, with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, my father's interest was piqued when he found that the Grail had, at one point in time, been cursed, and that your victory put an end to said curse." She explained.
"Among other things..." Trisha began. "Lord Animusphere hoped for an explanation to the curse."
Trisha was a woman in her mid-twenties, with green eyes and blonde hair tied in a large bun. She wore a purple dress, with a light tint of blue, and had half-rimmed tortoise shell glasses. Around her neck was a necklace of a couple in an erotic embrace.
"Curses, to be more accurate, even if they all came from a single source." Naruto corrected. "But, I could have sworn both Kayneth and Tokiomi informed the Association about it."
"So, it was not misinformation?" Olga asked.
Naruto nodded. "70 years ago, the Einzbern, in a desperate effort to claim victory, as well as reclaim their beloved Heaven's Feel True Magic, bent the rules of the Grail System to summon a class different from the standard 7, replacing Berserker with Avenger. Their goal was to summon Angra Mainyu, the Evil God of Zoroastrianism and equivalent to Persia's Ahriman. Of course, rather than the desired result, what they summoned was a simple man, scapegoated into being 'All of the World's Evils' so the rest of his home village could be 'sin-free'. After all, if one man alone had all the sins and Evils within him, then surely the rest of us could only be good, right?" His sarcasm was followed by an eye roll. "His name was even erased from the Avesta, ensuring that not even history would recognize him as a Man. As a Servant, he was pathetic, to the point where not only could Servants with no combat abilities defeat him, let alone the Saber he'd fought in the Third War, but he even lacked a proper Noble Phantasm. And so, he became the first casualty of the War. And the biggest mistake to ever come of this system."
Olga-Marie's eyebrow rose. "How did his defeat corrupt the Grail?"
"Simple." Naruto smiled. "All of the sins and Evils that Humanity was, and still is, capable of was inscribed on his body, making his very flesh a tapestry of the people's wish."
"The people's wish?" Her eyes widened. "You mean..."
"Exactly. When he was sent to the Grail after his defeat, it turned him into All of the World's Evils, as the people of his village desired. A man-made God, lacking any true Divinity, yet no less dangerous for it. With his corruption of the Greater Grail, all future Grail Wars would be changed, for it could now summon truly malicious Spirits, like Bluebeard Gilles the Rais in the last War."
"And you, somehow, removed such a thing from the Grail?" Olga asked, sceptical.
"Of course. Only the victor of the War can do so." He smirked.
Victor of the War...?
"Your wish for the Grail." The Animusphere heiress realized.
"Correct." He nodded. "I wished for Angra Mainyu to be purged from the Grail. Simply wishing for it to be purged period could have been changed into something like wiping out Humanity itself. No Evils around anymore if there are no humans left, after all. Wording was key."
"But this would mean that what Lord El-Melloi II, Kayneth Archibald and Tokiomi Tohsaka have said about you is true as well, no?" Trisha interjected. "That you have absorbed All of the World's Evils into your body?"
To their shock, their answer came in the form of tattoos appearing all over his body.
"With the corruption removed from the Grail, it would obviously reach for the closest vessel. In this case, yours truly." He smirked as the markings vanished. "Since the Counter Force has yet to appear and chase after me a decade later, I think we're in the clear. Don't you agree?"
"You say that, but surely there would be some change to your psyche from what happened?" Olga asked.
"Well, any denial from me wouldn't seem genuine, would it? Perhaps the words of another would help?" He suggested.
"Oh, very well." An echoed voice responded. "I suppose I shall provide."
The Servant appeared, seated next to her Master.
She crossed a leg over her knee. "Greetings, Magi of the Stars. I am Semiramis, the Queen of Assyria, and Servant to Naruto Uzumaki for almost a decade now."
"You would use a mere familiar to validate yourself?" Olga asked, slightly incredulous. "They follow their Master's Commands, making their words-"
"I'm going to have to stop you right there." Naruto interrupted as Caster frowned. "You see, this is the exact reason Kayneth was the least threatening adversary of the War. Heroic Spirits may be familiars, but they were once Humans like you and I, and have not lost their Free Will. It is why Zolgen Makiri created the Command Seals after the First Grail War. When a Master's Absolute Authority over their Servant is limited, Compatibility is crucial. It is not only the loyalty of the Servant, but the Master's trust of their Servant, that makes all the difference. With the exception of Kayneth and the Matou Master who summoned Berserker, every Master cooperated with their Servants."
"Even the Magus Killer?" Olga doubted.
"He entrusted King Arthur with the safety of his wife, who pretended to be the Master. He worked around the compatibility problem, albeit in a distant manner." He shrugged.
"If compatibility really does depend on those factors... What are my father's chances?" She asked, worried.
Naruto looked up for a moment before returning to her. "Based on what I know of him, he seems like an ordinary man born as a Magus. He lacks the ego and dismissive attitude one would find in a Magus."
Trisha nodded while Olga frowned.
"As such, I'd say his chances are quite good, on his end. Of course, if some familiar faces return in the next War, he will need a powerful Servant to prevail. But, if he's participating, I assume he already has a Catalyst."
"He does." Trisha confirmed, to Olga's surprise.
"Then he is prepared." Semiramis nodded. "But what about you two? If he were here, he would be seeking Mystic Eyes to gain an edge for the War. That is not the case for you, is it?"
Olga and Trisha looked at each other for a moment before Olga nodded. Trisha nodded back and removed her glasses. A moment later, her eyes changed to deep purple.
"Oh, you already possess Mystic Eyes of your own." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are you looking to sell them?"
"No." Trisha shook her head. "These are Mystic Eyes of Premonition, and they have given me a vision."
Olga nodded and claimed. "I am here for the Rainbow-Class Mystic Eyes that will be showcased in this auction."
Naruto whistled. "Rainbow-Class, eh? Not many of those floating about." Among the rank of Rainbow Eyes are Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. He wasn't even sure if SHIKI's 'Life Perception', the counterfeit of Death Perception, would even count as Rainbow. Both saw the same Lines on Sentient Life, but Life Perception worked only on Sentient Life.
"Yes, they are so rare, I wouldn't be surprised if barely a handful of people in Clock Tower have even seen some." Olga agreed.
"And those eyes predicted a pair would appear?" Semiramis asked.
"That is correct." Trisha put her glasses back on.
"And what about you?" Olga pressed. "Both you and Lord El-Melloi II, veterans of the Holy Grail War, in the same Rail Zeppelin Auction. I didn't think the lineage still had the influence to pull such strings, even with El-Melloi II requesting a favor from the Sophia-Ri Family."
"Neither of our invitations were conventional." Naruto admitted. "Waver's was left behind by a thief who took his catalyst from the Fourth War."
"A thief lured him here?" Trisha's eyes narrowed. "And a catalyst for the War..."
Olga Marie frowned. "And what about you?"
"My invitation..." Naruto pulled the letter out. "Waver gave it to me...at the behest of the Kaleidoscope himself."
Both Olga and Trisha's eyes widened before they turned to each other, in a silent conversation.
"...Naruto Uzumaki." Olga leaned forward, her hands on the table. "I believe you were led here to meet us."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You believe this very encounter was his plan?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Because Humanity as a whole is in danger."
Naruto frowned while Caster raised an eyebrow.
"As you know, the Animusphere Lineage can gaze upon the Stars and foresee pieces of the future."
"And you have foreseen danger?" Semiramis asked.
"...No." Olga shook her head. "We have foreseen nothing past 2015."
Naruto's gaze hardened. "Not even Extinction?"
"Nothing." She emphasized.
"...And this is why your father seeks the Grail?" He asked.
"Chaldea's entire purpose is to prevent whatever catastrophe is coming, and preserve the Human Order." She confirmed. "But I don't think he wants the Grail to stop it, because we don't know if it could."
The two of them looked each other in the eyes for a moment.
"You're telling the truth." He concluded. "Very well. You want my help preserving this World? You'll have it."
Caster's eyebrow raised while Olga's eyes widened. "Really!?"
"Did I stutter?" He asked.
"No, not at all." She shook her head. "Thank you for hearing me out."
"And well done to you, for reaching out to me." Naruto nodded as he stood up. "Good evening."
Both he and his Servant walked out.
Olga Marie turned to Trisha with a beaming smile. "We found him, Trisha! We found the victor of the Holy Grail War!" This was, without a doubt, the best news she could ever report to her father!
Trisha smiled. "Yes, this was a most fortunate incident."
"Incident?" Olga blinked. "Surely your eyes saw him in the auction, no?"
Trisha shook her head. "Not if the reason he is on board is entirely the doing of the Wizard Marshall. His connection to parallel Worlds gives predictions, even those of the Animusphere, some inaccuracies whenever he is involved. I imagine I wouldn't be able to predict if he ever stood before me, even should it be planned ahead of times."
"I guess that's true, isn't it?" Olga conceded before a thought hit her. "But, if he sent Uzumaki our way, does that mean...?"
Trisha nodded. "Another Earth, another Humanity, must have gone through this ordeal."
"I am surprised you agreed." Semiramis admitted after they entered his train cabin. "As it will be a decade following the War, I had imagined we would depart long before then."
"We most likely would have." Naruto confirmed, eyes to the ceiling as he lied on one of the beds. "But what if, on the off-chance, we stayed behind long enough and had been caught unaware and unable to stop it? If it really comes out of nowhere and all of Humanity suddenly vanished, including us? Including her? That thought angers me." His eyes glowed red for a moment.
She smiled. "So, you doomed your own World for taking your wives, niece and son away, yet will protect this one for giving you a daughter?"
He turned his head to look her in the eyes. "Is that odd?"
"No." She sat down on his bed and placed a hand on his cheek, her thumb running along the highest whisker mark. "I admire the love and dedication you have always placed in your family. To carry those you cherish on your back. And now, to grant their individual wish. You are selfish in your selflessness, as all tyrants are meant to be."
"Well, I am the Tyrant of all Tyrants." Naruto smirked. "What would people here think if they knew some of their gods bend the knee to me, in another World? That there were Aliens who sought my throne and were felled like all before them?"
She merely smiled in amusement. The Silver Faction was fortunate to have one such as him as their Master.
Just as this World was fortunate for having him as a Shield, however briefly. He will vehemently protect it, for that is how his heart worked.
A true Beast among Man.
The next morning, Naruto stepped into the dining car, and raised an eyebrow at the person seated at the table nearest to the door.
"What a surprise." He said. "A Church Executor, here of all places?"
The Executor turned to him slightly and bowed his head. "Karabo Frampton. I am simply here to participate in the auction. I assure you, there is nothing to worry about."
Karabo was an elderly man of dark skin and slicked back blond hair. He was tall and broad-shouldered, making his church-garbed figure imposing to most people. The other standout feature of his was a scar on the right side of his face, just over the right side of his eye, starting vertically from his forehead to his cheekbone.
"Oh, I'm not worried." Naruto shook his head. "Even with the Church's hatred of Magi, I fully expect seasoned warriors to have civility."
"An agreeable thought, certainly." Karabo nodded.
"Still, this does not change the fact that an Executor is here, in Rail Zeppelin." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Would I be correct if I assumed you are here to sell innate Mystic Eyes?"
"You are." Karabo confirmed. There was no reason to hide it, when this was the whole purpose of the auction. "Their burden is great, especially as time passes."
"I see-" The door opened behind him as he spoke and he heard a familiar gasp. Turning around, he saw Gray, looking at him with wide eyes.
Karabo raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, little apprentice! Over here!" A young lady of bright pink hair, with purple tips, called out to Gray. She wore a white lolita dress with a purple skirt and tights. Her left eye was blue, with a beauty mark under it, while her right was covered by a star-shaped eyepatch. This was Yvette Lehrman, a student of Waver's class, like Svin, Flat and Caules. She was also very vocal about becoming Waver's mistress, much to the instructor's annoyance.
Gray gave him a worried glance before walking to Yvette's table.
As his gaze followed the girl, he noticed Hishiri seated on the other side of the dining car, by the corner.
Semiramis, meanwhile, was seated by the bar. Some of the Magi in the car were giving her cautious glances. A part of them realized she was dangerous, even if they were unsure how.
As soon as his Caster was in his line of sight, she beckoned him over.
"Looks like that's my cue." He noted before turning to Karabo. "That was a good talk, Karabo Frampton. Good day to you."
Karabo nodded and returned to his meal.
As Naruto walked to the bar, he noticed Yvette pulled up her eyepatch to reveal a gem in her socket. A malachite that, in her words, was a Mystic Eye of Viewing Emotions. Turning Gems into Mystic Eyes was apparently a craft of her family's. They certainly possess variety, in that aspect.
He sat next to his Servant.
"You were right." She said. "There is a Servant here."
"Of course." He chuckled. "Have you seen them yet?"
She shook her head. "They have remained astralized up until now. But they will slip up, eventually, whereas I have the advantage of Presence Concealment. What about the Master?"
"The Servant is bonded to that kid Waver brought along, Caules." Naruto hummed. "But it's definitely a disguise."
Her eyebrow rose. "What makes you say that?"
"He doesn't have a heartbeat, which I know Caules does, from the many times I've observed Waver's class."
"That is pretty telling." She agreed. "So, this may be the one who stole the Catalyst?"
He nodded. "Which also means that the Servant summoned must be linked to Iskandar in some way. Any single hero within the Ionioi Hetairoi could have been summoned, because they are all linked to Iskandar and, by extension, his mantle."
As she nodded, Waver groggily entered the dining car.
"Welcome, Sir!" Yvette greeted loudly, causing Waver to look at her in annoyance.
"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Naruto chuckled. As he wasn't speaking over Yvette's louder voice, his comment went unnoticed by all but his Servant.
"Here, here, have a seat!" Yvette stood up, took the adjacent seat, and offered her previous seat. "Your cute apprentice is here, too!"
Waver ignored her offer and sat next to Gray, to Yvette's dismay.
Naruto listened as the trio discussed the nature of the free-slot invites for newcomers, as Waver hoped the staff of Rail Zeppelin could track who gave him his invite, to no avail. Even his own invite, which came at Kishua's request, was a free slot.
"C'mon, what is with you two!?" Yvette crossed her arms, as if fed up with something. "Why are you two so tense over that guy!?"
"You're better off not knowing." Waver brushed her frustrations aside. "As a regular of this place, you should know that any guest, regular or new, should be treated with caution."
Yvette pouted. She couldn't gleam much from that guy's emotions. The most prominent one right now was amusement from making the duo in front of her so uncomfortable.
She was so curious on their history! A rival? A secret mentor? An estranged BL partner!?
"I can tell you're thinking of something outrageous." Waver scowled at seeing the starry-eyed, red-faced Yvette.
He should have stayed in bed. At this point, the thief would probably just drop a message by his door, rather than reveal themselves.
...Why did he not realize this sooner?
After eating his meal, Waver did not linger in the Dining Car any more than he had to.
A few minutes later, he had sensed Gray run off in a panic. Curious, he had gone to the Lobby Car to observe her. It turned out, she was feeling a bit ill from riding the Rail Zeppelin. Karabo Frampton had shown some worry for her, which was strange for an Executor of the Church to show compassion to a Magus.
The interesting part came when they made physical contact as he handed Gray an apple. Those Mystic Eyes of his could gaze upon one's past, leading to him finding out about Gray's connection to Arturia. She then expressed her worries about not truly a place by Waver's side, to which Karabo offered words of encouragement, that she was already important to him, before leaving the car to get some rest.
Gray turned around as she heard footsteps and her eyes widened as she saw Naruto.
"Eyes that see into the past." He said as he stopped next to her. "It's little wonder he wants to be rid of them."
She blinked. "What?"
Naruto turned to her. "Waver must have told you that here in Rail Zeppelin, you either bid to buy Mystic Eyes, or you sell the ones you already have, right?"
Gray nodded, before she realized what he meant. "But...Why would he come to sell his Eyes?"
"You remember Sir Wills, yes?" He asked, to which she nodded. "What about the drawback of his Fairy Eyes?"
Gray titled her head for a moment. "Umm...I remember Sir mentioning an infatuation with Fairies?"
"That's right." He nodded. "The cost of having these Fairy Eyes was to become obsessed with the Fae. What, then, would be the cost of seeing others' past?"
Gray blinked, before her eyes widened. "...His own past?"
"That's my guess." He crossed his arms. "The more use his eyes go through, the less he remembers his own life. A very messed-up case of Alzheimer, if I do say so myself."
Gray turned to the door with worry.
"Best-case scenario, he remembers everything once he's rid of them." He shrugged. "Even in the worst-case, he no longer has those eyes that he can't control. Remember that, girl. 'Magi live by Death's door' because everything has a cost."
Gray thought about his words as he walked away.
"This train will stop at this location for about 2 hours." The conductor, Rodin, announced throughout the Rail Zeppelin as it stopped. "You are free to spend this time either aboard the train or wandering outside..."
Most of the guests did get some fresh air, including a slightly weak Olga. It seems that the leylines that served as tracks had been wearing her down, like they did with Gray.
"Getting under the weather, little lady?" He asked the girl as she held a handkerchief to her lips.
"No, nothing that far, yet." She shook her head. "After this fresh air, I can hopefully last the rest of the trip."
"There's bound to be a few more stops like this one." He nodded.
"True..." She agreed. "By the way, Sir Naruto..." Before she could ask her question, however...
"Sir Naruto?" Both of them turned to a wide-eyed Yvette. "You mean...this guy is Naruto Uzumaki!?"
Immediately, all attention turned to them. Every Magus' eyes turned to him. It was to be expected. After all, his victory validated the Ritual of the Holy Grail War, which up to his victory had been waved off, as the lack of winners meant that the wish-granting potential of the Greater Grail hadn't been proven.
The greed was palpable...almost as palpable as the women's desire to use him and his power to elevate their lineage. To these people, he was a trophy. A trophy to win and showcase.
From the moment everyone's attention was on him, Naruto sensed Killing Intent from Karabo. The Executor remained unmoving, as if taking advantage of the fact that no one would pay attention to him, before the intent faded after a moment.
How curious...
"So that's why Sir was so uneasy with you around!" Yvette pointed at his face. "You're the guy who beat him in the War!"
"Actually, Waver's gotten over that." Naruto lied with a chuckle. "He's that tense because he recently found out that we are Brothers-in-law."
His words brought shock all around him. Odds are, the El-Melloi may get some enemies purely because he was around them, but Reines did enjoy flaunting to others. She could handle this kind of heat, much more than Waver ever could, even at her young age.
"Y-You and the young lady Reines?" Yvette stuttered.
"We hit it off quite well in our first meeting, to my own surprise." He admitted. "And I was always around to help the Lord in the recent events, so it was to the bloodline's benefit, in the end."
As Yvette kept staring in shock, he turned to a wide-eyed Olga-Marie. "You had another question, right? Shall we head back inside?"
Olga blinked in realization and nodded before they walked toward the Train.
"So, what did you want to ask?" He asked as they stepped into the Lobby Car and were headed for her cabin.
"It was about your Servants." She said. "Do you really have six Servants to yourself?"
"Five" He corrected. "I lost my Rider Servant, Lu Bu Fengxian, during the Fourth War, but never let the other group find out."
"How!?" She asked. "How could you sustain 7 Servants!? 5 now without any support from the Grail!?"
"Power." He gave the simplest answer. "I possess raw power in spades. Maybe I'll show some of that when Waver and I find that Thief."
"Would you?" She asked as they stopped in front of her cabin. "It sounds somewhat far-fetched to have such a potent lineage, yet go unnoticed for any amount of time."
"I think you'll find I'm anything but normal, even among our crowd." He smirked.
"Yes, I suppose you are." She agreed before opening the door. "Trish-"
She stopped, her eyes wide.
A headless body was on the floor, which was splattered with blood. Drops of blood dripping from the ceiling.
Trisha's decapitated corpse
Olga screamed.
"Don't look." Naruto told her, holding her against him, making her face away from the sight. She struggled to get to Trisha's body, but he held tight.
Waver and Gray were the first to enter after them. The two of them were just as horrified.
Waver looked at him with suspicion, but didn't voice anything aloud for Olga's sake.
"We were outside with most of the guests." Naruto explained.
"I-I just wanted some fresh air..." Olga whimpered as her struggles lessened.
"We came back in, since we became the center of attention, and found the room like this." As he continued, Caules, Yvette and Karabo joined them.
"We should contact the Conductor." Waver said.
"That will not be necessary." Two individuals entered the room. One was Rodin, the conductor. Clad in his black conductor uniform, he stood back and let Leandra, the auctioneer, do the talking. "Such a disturbing turn of events."
Leandra kept her eyes covered by red straps. Her blonde hair was slicked to the right and she wore a blue kimono under a beige fur coat.
Olga took offense in the dismissive tone Leandra used. "Were you the ones who killed her!?" Her eyes then widened and she turned to Karabo. "No, It was you, wasn't it!? The Church is looking for any excuse to kill Magi!"
"Sadly, I was not the one who struck her down." Karabo did not hide his animosity, despite his calm tone. He then turned to the train staff. "May I perform an autopsy? I have prior experience with decapitated bodies."
"From what I can tell, it was a single, clean strike from behind, but I cannot figure out the weapon used from the wound." Naruto supplied.
"Oh? You have experience in the medical side of things as well?" Waver asked with some surprise.
"It runs on my mother's side of the family." Distantly so, admittedly, as the Uzumaki were a cousin clan to the Senju. "Should we find the head, I can reattach it to the body, if only for the proper respects."
"...Thank you." Olga whispered.
"Come on." He pulled her outside. "Stay in my room, at least until this one has been cleaned up."
She nodded, following him as they walked past Hishiri.
"I can't believe she's gone..." She said, sitting down on one of the sofas and looking out the window. "I walk away for a bit of fresh air, and she's gone..."
"The first loss is often the one that hits hardest, even if it is not the most painful." Naruto said, taking the seat facing her. "We humans are emotional creatures, and we cling to those who bring out those emotions, even if some are more subtle than others."
"Have you lost anyone?" She asked.
"Two wives, a niece and a son."
She turned to him with wide eyes.
"You never get over the death of a loved one." He said. "It's a weight that follows you for the rest of your life. The only thing that changes is whether your shoulders can bear that weight."
"...Every time you remember them, you remember that weight, hm?" She hummed to herself, looking back to the window.
Naruto glanced at his door. "I'll give you a moment to yourself." He stood up and walked out.
Semiramis appeared as soon as he closed the door. "It appears our mysterious friend is planning to ambush Iskandar's former Master."
"Anything in particular?" He asked.
"Yes." She frowned. "The Master called the Servant Faker."
He raised an eyebrow. Faker? The only time he'd heard that was when Gilgamesh spoke of, or to, the Archer-Class Counter Guardian. But this clearly wasn't the case.
"Interesting..." His lips cured upwards. "Perhaps a Class based on the unusual circumstances? He had no time to go to Fuyuki and use the leylines connected to the Grail for a proper summoning..." Nor did he have the Command Seals to be connected to the Greater Grail.
"An imitation Class, for an imitation summoning?" She asked.
He nodded. This was very good. He would enjoy seeing that with his own eyes...
It was finally time.
Clouds had gathered in the sky, red lightning cracking.
He felt the Servant stand atop the train.
He walked to the last Freight Car and stepped out of the door.
"You have some rotten luck, Kiddo." He called out as he went up the ladder.
Waver, Gray and the Servant turned to him in shock.
"And you have the strangest timing." Waver said.
"Do I?" Naruto asked, stepping past the teacher-student duo. "Or is it only natural for me to sense a Servant and see for myself?"
The Servant in question was a black-haired woman. She wore a black top that left her midriff exposed, with a black skirt and black stockings, all underneath a red mantle. She had Heterochromatic eyes, her right being slightly golden while her left was blue.
"And the second Master arrives on the scene." The woman said. "I admit, this is unexpected. Shouldn't you Command some backup?"
"Backup?" He asked in amusement. "Against the likes of you?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Just because the girl took some of my Prana with that scythe of hers doesn't mean I am weakened."
Naruto smirked as the others felt the air grow heavy. "Nor does it mean you were ever a threat."
The Servant scowled. "The humans of this Era have certainly grown arrogant... Very well. So long as you are in one piece, my Master will find a use for you."
Waver and Gray watched warily, with Gray standing before Waver with Add still as a scythe.
The woman charged with battle cry and swung her sword. Naruto pulled out Muramasa, with the sheath, and flicked the tsuba, blocking the sword with the exposed blade. With a push, her feet slid back, to her surprise.
"Is that all?" He asked.
She gritted her teeth and pushed, only to be punched in the gut. Naruto pushed her sword upward before kicking her in the face, sending her rolling back.
Waver's eyes widened. He was actually standing toe-to-toe with a Servant! Depending on how much of her power she was using, he could have an edge on her!
Faker clicked her tongue and stood back up. She glanced at Gray and smirked "You see, girl? That's a warrior. One who has been hardened by countless battles. In fact, the gap between you two is so wide, you need a demonstration to truly understand!" She looked at Naruto and her eyes gained an orange glow.
He raised an eyebrow before he turned around against his will.
"Mystic Eyes!?" Gray gasped before eyes widened and she tensed.
"In this Era, you'd call them 'Noble-class Mystic Eyes of Coercion, I believe." Faker smirked. "To be forced into a hopeless battle against an insurmountable enemy... Yes, this is another form of madness Lord Dionysus would approve of."
"Oi, oi, oi, Gray!" Add called out in panic as Gray took slow, struggling steps. Waver's eyes widened.
When Gray stood in front of Naruto...
He poked her forehead.
"Huh?" Gray blinked as she suddenly had control of her body.
Faker's eyes widened.
"Control of motor functions stripped away from the individual, and yet..." Naruto turned back to Faker. "Anyone who can cleanse themselves of any foreign energies can be freed of your grasp."
"Oh, figured it out already, did you?" She raised an eyebrow before raising her sword to the skies. "Alright then, how about this!?"
Lightning crackled at a focal point in the clouds. A mechanical chariot pulled by a pair of skeletal Wyverns.
Waver's eyes widened. "Gordius Wheel!?"
"No." Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Hecatic Wheel. It's a rank weaker than Gordius."
The wyverns took off, gaining speed before charging toward the trio.
"My name is Hephaestion!" Faker claimed. "I am the primary confidante of the King of Conquerors, Iskandar!"
"...A fake name to hide a fake class, then?" Naruto wondered to himself as the chariot charged.
He strapped Muramasa back to his waist.
"You idiot!" Waver cried out as Gray ran back to her teacher. "You can't deal with something like that! Summon Mordred or Oda!"
Naruto raised both of his hands...
And caught the wyverns by the heads before lifting a foot and pushing it against the chariot, stopping it dead in its tracks.
"I call bullshit!" Add exclaimed as the teacher and student duo looked at the sight before them with complete and utter shock.
"...You're not human." Faker claimed with fear in her eyes. "You are no pure human! You must have some demonic heritage to perform such a feat of strength!"
Naruto smirked before placing his raised foot under the chariot. "This little effort? I've lifted beasts far heavier."
Pushing the Hecatic Wheel upwards, he threw the whole thing over his head, sending it rolling behind the Rail Zeppelin.
As it landed on its wheels, it immediately gave chase.
"Sir!" Gray called out as she tried to pull Waver away.
"No, Gray." Waver shook his head as he pulled out his knife. "I can handle this last effort."
As the Hecatic Wheel grew closer, Waver cut off a lock of hair and used a control spell to make the Noble Phantasm's lightning flow down to the earth, causing a bright flash of light.
When Gray regained consciousness, she was sitting against the wall of the freight car. She gasped and looked, before seeing that Waver was next to her and she relaxed.
"Are you alright, Gray?" Gray blinked and noticed Caules was there.
"Y-Yes..." Gray nodded before turning to Waver. "Sir?"
"I'll manage..." Waver muttered, looking pained and exhausted.
"You had nothing to prove." Naruto, leaning against some cargo, said. "You should avoid such desperate moves in the future. I won't always be around to save your ass, you know?"
"When I arrived here, he was holding the two of you on his shoulders." Caules explained.
"Yeah, he caught us all when the Servant bailed." Add, who was sitting on Naruto's palm, added.
"He nearly fell off the train when your grip loosened." Naruto said before handing Add to Gray.
"Thank you." Gray nodded before putting Add back in the cage. "But, who was that Servant?"
"She called herself Hephaestion, a close confidante of Iskandar." Naruto answered before shaking his head. "But she was lying."
Waver's eyes widened and he leaned forward, fighting against the pain. "How can you be so sure?"
"You were a Master, too." Naruto frowned. "You should have figured it out already, but you're letting her connection to Rider affect your judgment."
"What do you mean?" Caules asked.
"She was the one calling herself Hephaestion, boasting the name itself." Naruto clarified. "To reveal your True Name in such a manner is to reveal your abilities, tactics and weaknesses to your enemies."
"...A fake name to hide her Class?" Waver asked.
"Despite having a chariot, she didn't call herself Rider." Naruto nodded. "Meaning she possesses a different Class. Even her fake name is a clue."
"It is?" Gray asked.
"Why that name, of all names?" Waver asked himself. "She must have a connection to not only Rider, but also his confidant, Hephaestion." He leaned back against the wall, feeling his strength leave him.
"Rest up, you reckless idiot." Naruto said, amused as he approached Waver. "Figure it out once you've recovered."
"Right, that might be a better idea..." He admitted before losing consciousness, to his student's panic.
Naruto picked him up over his shoulder. "One of you, go prepare one of the beds."
"Ah, right." Caules nodded and ran ahead.
"Will Sir be alright?" Gray asked.
"He'll recover in due time, after some outside help." He said as they entered Waver's cabin.
Caules had pulled back the sheets on the closest bed.
"Hold him seated." Naruto instructed as he placed Waver at the foot of the bed. As they kept him steady, he removed Waver's vest.
"The pain is coming from his back." He said. "We'll put him on his stomach and rip his shirt open, since removing it would require straining his back."
They placed Waver on the bed and Gray ripped his shirt, revealing the large burn on his back.
"I'll speed up his recovery with the Primeval Battery." Caules said, placing said Mystic Code on the drawer between the beds. He knelt down and shifted Waver on his side, facing him. He placed one hand on the battery and the other on Waver's shoulder, causing a pink current to flow through his hands.
"Using bio-electricity to send signals into his body for faster recovery." Naruto nodded before he moved behind Waver. "I'll do my part as well."
Placing his own hand over Waver's burn, he activated the Mystic Palm Jutsu, causing his hand to glow light-green.
"Oi, what's the catch for helping him?" Add asked.
"There is no catch." Naruto shook his head. "The Servant and her Master are targeting Waver, and would have aimed for me next anyway, because we are Masters of the Fourth War. The faster he recovers, the faster we can deal with them."
"Makes sense to me." Caules accepted. "His recovery is doing well. What are you doing back there?"
"Accelerating his natural healing with my own Prana, by focusing on the injury." Naruto answered.
"No wonder his cells are activating so quickly..." Caules muttered in fascination. "Is...Is that how you'll reconnect Miss Trisha's head once it is found?"
"Yes, it is." He nodded.
Gray watched worriedly as the two focused on healing Waver.
She fell asleep part of the way through, wondering if he'd recover by morning.
Honestly, this chapter feels a little weird. Even with the battle, this chapter feels like it's all set-up for what happens in the later episodes of the Rail Zeppelin arc.