Author's Note:
I'm finally back with another chapter, after some months. I may not be able to post new chapters very regularly, but I'd like everyone to know that I have not forgotten about this no matter how busy I have been. Thanks for the continued support!
There were a few excited comments about Taiga meeting with a married Shiro and Rin. It's all planned out and it will definitely happen, just not right now. Till then, enjoy!
Chapter 4
Viola swallowed hard as she followed Caster back into the old forest. The fear of how Caster would have killed her earlier was enough for Viola to submit to Caster's demands and ended up following her.
"Now, don't you bother trying to call the Master of Rider or the Master of Lancer for help," Caster warned, her voice kept low, which sounded intimidating to Viola despite the smooth texture of Caster's voice. "I already placed a mental block on you for good measure, but who knows, you might have had something else up your sleeve, do you not?"
Viola struggled to speak. The mental block placed on her weighed too heavily on her mind, and she was unable to utter a word due to the pressure that was placed on her mind.
"Hmmm.. I take your silence as consent, then," Caster smiled slyly.
"There is no way I would consent to the likes of you!"
That was what Viola would have screamed if she had the chance to. However hard she tried, none of those words ever left her vocal chords. Tears of resignation flowed down Viola's cheeks, which Caster took much pleasure of seeing.
Caster smiled as she ran a finger playfully along Viola's trembling jawline, giggling when Viola flinched away. "Fu fu fu… I'm quite looking forward to taking you to my Master. There is much to talk about, I'd imagine. Oh, and there is also much to do, with all that has happened in the past few days." Turning around, Caster began to walk again. "Come now, love. Master is expecting me already.
It was fairly easy for Shiro, Rin, and Saber to make their way to Taiga Fujimura's residence that night.
The roads within Miyama Town bore an eerie, silent atmosphere, almost seemingly like a scene straight out of a horror flick. Thanks to rumors of an outbreak of a "highly contagious mutated strain of rabies" which began in Fuyuki City, much of the inhabitants of Miyama Town have locked themselves in their homes, while a few others made the decision to try and leave the city as fast as possible. However, these people soon discovered that the mass panic had inadvertently caused a major blockage of every transportation network heading in and out of the city.
The truth is, however, far more outlandish and unbelievable.
If word emerged of a battle royale between mages gone awry, there would have been a massive shift in the paradigm of mere commoners.
The truth was something that neither the Mages Association nor the Church were willing to disclose to the world at large, and therefore took extreme measures to protect the secrecy of this War, and the existence of Magi, in essence.
"I heard that even Bartomeloi Lorelai is here, along with her Chelon Canticle Brigade," Rin told Shiro, holding on tightly to him as he deftly maneuvered the Kawasaki GPZ900R through the streets leading up to Taiga's residence.
"It's become that serious?" Shiro wondered aloud.
"Mmm. It has," Rin replied.
"Are you sure that this is the right thing to do?" Saber asked as she kept pace with Shiro effortlessly, even while carrying Sakura on her back.
"You mean sending Sakura to Taiga?" Shiro asked.
"I don't mean that she is not capable of caring for Sakura, but Taiga does not know the truth about us," Saber urged.
Rin sighed. "I know, but between Taiga and anybody else right now, there is nobody whom we know that can do this."
"You did say that the Mages Association is in Fuyuki City right now," Saber replied.
"They are, and so is the Church," Rin answered. "But they are all indisposed right now."
"Yeah, they are not going to be able to care for and protect Sakura for the time being," Shiro replied.
"Shiro and I don't completely trust the Association either," Rin added. "The fact that we had to participate in yet another War at the behest of Lord El-Melloi II, who tried his best to stop this War from taking place, has been a slap in our faces as far as trusting the Association goes."
Saber's face bore the look of mild resignation upon hearing what Shiro and Rin had to say. "I just hope that Taiga doesn't end up getting into any trouble for what we are asking her to do, that's all."
"I'm also afraid of what might happen, if you think about it," Shiro replied, slowing his motorcycle down to a stop.
"Shiro?" Rin and Saber asked in unison.
"We don't know for certain what could happen if we get Taiga involved," Shiro reiterated. "We might have to figure something out by ourselves until we know for certain that Sakura is out of danger, and by extension, Taiga as well."
"A wise decision, I must tell you," Lord El-Melloi replied all of a sudden, arriving at the same location together with Luvia and Archer.
"Ugh, you startled me!" Rin exclaimed. "Just where did you appear out of?"
"Lord El-Melloi II had Archer bring him and myself to catch up to you all," Luvia answered. "He was hesitant about you involving someone who has no idea about the existence of the Association."
"It's due to the fact that Matou Sakura is currently serving as the vessel to the Grail, she might undergo some changes that a non-magus will have a hard time understanding, much less coming to terms with," Lord El-Melloi II stressed. "I'm sure you recall what happened to Matou Shinji in the previous War, no? I read the reports, and I am aware of what might happen to anyone who is serving as a vessel to the Grail."
"You have a point there," Shiro replied.
"If that is the case, who can we turn to for help?" Rin asked.
"We don't have a choice but to take care of Matou Sakura by ourselves," Lord El-Melloi II answered.
"And how are we supposed to do that? We are short of hands now, considering the situation we are in," Shiro muttered. "We still have that bastard to hunt down and get rid of."
"We have to return Matou Sakura to the cave where you found her."
"There!?" Rin exclaimed.
"Don't you remember what our plan is, in regards to the Greater Grail?" Shiro asked hesitantly.
"I remember," Lord El-Melloi answered matter-of-factly. "Believe me, I know what we must do. I will be in that cave along with her, for I have much to do in that cave, and I will setup a Bounded Field to alert all of you if there is an intrusion by any Servant. I also have Trimmau to provide some degree of protection until you get back to the cave."
Shiro paused for a moment to work out how Lord El-Melloi II's plan was able to fit into the grand scheme of things. While he sat on his motorcycle formulating his plans, a familiar voice spoke from somewhere behind him.
"Fancy meeting you here, Emiya-san."
"Ciel!" Rin exclaimed.
"I was wondering who the Church's representative would be," Shiro said, flashing a small grin. "Who knew that it would be a member of the Burial Agency."
"The mages from the Association and myself have already begun rounding up Matou Zouken's vampires for culling," Ciel reported, acknowledging Shiro and Rin's greetings with a nod. "For the time being, Bartomeloi Lorelai and her Brigade have turned their attention into finding and destroying the vampires, while the rest of the mages have turned their attention into keeping the information controlled."
"So I assume that we don't need to be out there dealing with the vampires anymore?" Luvia asked.
"It's highly likely that you will find yourself having nothing to do, unless you encounter any vampires in your way," Ciel replied. "The Association and the Church really went all out in mobilising their forces to keep everything quiet."
"How many casualties did this city suffer?" Shiro asked.
"The Association estimated that they will be culling a total of 50,000 vampires. For all we know, it could be even more than that."
"That's nearly a fourth of the city's population!" Shiro replied, seething as he clenched his fists. "All this for what reason, Matou Zouken!?"
"It could have been worse," Ciel replied. "At the very least, be thankful that the Association and the Church mobilised us early on, and in great numbers."
"Yeah, and it was done only to protect the secret of their own existence!" Shiro argued. "You don't think that the Association or the Church has a sense of doing so because it is the right thing to do?"
"That I do not know," Ciel replied. "Whatever it is, they ended up making a wise decision."
"That is not our concern now, Emiya," Lord El-Melloi II said, stepping forward. "We must get back to what we planned to do."
"If I may ask, what do you plan to do from here on?" Ciel asked.
"I'm going to the cave underneath the mountain, because the Greater Grail is located within that cave," Lord El-Melloi II replied. "I need to find a way to destroy the Greater Grail."
"I read about it from the Mediator," Ciel replied. "There is a catastrophic event that would take place some years from now which will destroy the Grail if is left unchecked, right?"
"Indeed, it will," Lord El-Melloi II replied simply. "It is definitely a well-planned event, with meticulous preparations made beforehand."
"Who would have had the ability and the audacity to do such a thing?" Ciel asked.
"That person… Is none other than Emiya Kiritsugu."
Everyone's heads turned towards Shiro, with the exception of Archer, who remained clueless of the whole exchange.
"Emiya… You mean your father?" Ciel asked.
Shiro nodded silently.
"Your father, who realised the danger of allowing the Grail's existence, wanted to ensure that this farce would not continue to plague Fuyuki City, and in extension, all of mankind. Therefore, he detonated several explosives along the leylines of Fuyuki City, which caused a buildup of prana in the ground around Fuyuki City," Lord El-Melloi II explained.
"Thus, when there is sufficient prana all built up along these faults, it would trigger an earthquake which would cause the ground above the Grail to collapse onto it," Luvia concluded.
"It's a brilliant plan," Lord El-Melloi II opined. "And a very fitting plan, given your father's nature."
"That can't possibly be my father," Shiro whispered through clenched teeth. "My father is nothing like that!"
"I was one of your father's opponents during the Fourth War, and I made it rather clear to you that I knew his modus operandi," Lord El-Melloi II answered.
"He won't casually sacrifice an entire city just because of the Grail!" Shiro stressed.
"This isn't the time to be arguing about this, Shiro!" Rin demanded. "We still have plenty to deal with at this point!"
"Miss Gorilla is right, unfortunately," Luvia added. "There is the problem of Caster's activities, which have been tied to the disappearance of several men in the past few hours, then there is the vampire problem, and there is Matou Zouken."
"Fine," Shiro relented. "Lord El-Melloi II, we'll entrust Sakura to you, then."
"Let's go back to the cave and allow me some time to set up a Bounded Field first," Lord El-Melloi II answered. "From there, we can then work on our next move."
"Well, this is certainly a surprise, Caster," Mikhel said, rubbing his chin.
"Indeed it is, Master."
"So this was your plan?"
Caster smiled as she walked up toward Mikhel, caressing his cheek when she was within reach. "Truth be told, Master, this was an unexpected development in my plans, but it turned out to be far better than my original plan," Caster cooed, turning around swiftly and confidently to face Viola. "Thanks to Berserker and her Master, our fighting forces have improved rather significantly."
"How sure are you that Berserker and her Master will comply to our commands?" Mikhel asked, his curiosity piqued.
"I placed a mental block on her to prevent her from speaking or even thinking anything right now. She is as good as a wild dog right now, but we do need to tame and train her so that she will comply to us."
"Okay," Mikhel answered at length. "How do we go about doing this?"
"Well, there are many, many ways in which we can do this, but nothing works quite like my very own way of turning a person," Caster whispered seductively as she walked up to Viola, planting her lips on Viola's lips.
"Wha- wha- what are you doing!?" Mikhel stammered. He could definitely feel his blood flushing his face as he beheld the sight.
"... I'm trying to turn her to our side, obviously," Caster replied after her lengthy liplock with Viola. "Even if she is a magus, she cannot possibly hold out against my ability for long."
"I.. I know… but…"
"Relax, Master," Caster whispered. Turning to face Viola again, Caster caressed her cheeks. "Now, Master of Berserker.. It seems that you can be quite the stubborn one, aren't you now?"
Viola began trembling in reply as she tried to avoid eye contact with Caster.
"You do know that there is nothing that you can do to get away from me, now that you have no means to call upon your Servant. Since you're as good as ours now, there is no better choice for you than to join us, no?
Viola shook her head as vigorously as she could while under the influence of Caster's entrapment.
"Oh my, you still plan to resist till the very end now, do you?" Caster cooed. "You know, the spell which I just cast on you will eventually break your resistance. It so happens that we have plenty of time to spare so that the spell takes its effect. Until then, there is much that we can do to pass the time."
Flicking her finger, Caster summoned her tentacles to pick Viola up. "Well then, shall we begin in my Master's chambers?"
"Wh-wh-what exactly are we doing in there?" Mikhel stammered again.
"Fu fu fu… Oh come now, Master.." Caster giggled. "There is no need to ask, because the both of us will be working together to break her will. And you are the perfect choice to do just that."
"Break her will? How?" Mikhel asked, scratching his head.
"Oh, something that you are very, very good at," Caster replied in a slow manner.
"Master, based on the information that we got from the kid, my onii-sama was last seen here, along with her Master," Archer stated as he set Luvia down on the ground.
"I see some blood stains here," Luvia remarked. "Miss Gorilla told me that she treated Konig-san's injuries, but there's something odd about the way the blood is staining the area."
"Could they have been attacked after they were left here?" Archer wondered.
"You have a point, Archer," Luvia replied. "There is a way to find out."
"Oh? You have a way?"
Luvia whipped out a blueish tinted jewel and clenched it in her fist. Closing her eyes, she began reciting an incantation, releasing a burst of prana in the process.
"Sammeln, flicken und zu verteilen. Alle Ereignisse in der Zeit aufgedeckt!"
As Luvia finished her incantation, she opened her fist, allowing the jewel to disintegrate and disperse. The jewel shards emitted a glaucous glow which illuminated the entire area in a dazzling light show which would have been deemed as an attraction in a fair or a theme park, but for all its intents and purposes, Luvia's incantation allowed for her and Archer to determine a very important factor in their search for the truth behind the way the blood stains were found here.
"Look, Archer. My suspicions have been all but confirmed."
Archer squinted. "My apologies, Master, but what am I looking for?"
"Can you note any difference in the bloodstains right now, under my light incantation?"
Archer took a minute to walk around and observe the blood stains. Before long, he looked towards Luvia. "I can see that some of the blood stains glow differently from the others, but the texture of the blood stains remain the same when lit by your incantation."
"Very good, Archer," Luvia smiled. "As expected of someone keen of eye as you."
"Oh? Is that a compliment I hear coming from you?" Archer smirked.
"Who knows?" Luvia shrugged playfully. "However…"
Luvia's brief show of playfulness disappeared all of a sudden as she observed the blood stains.
"The similar texture of blood means one thing: all the blood here belongs to one person. Meanwhile, the other clue we see here is that the blood glows differently under the light."
"I can only think of one outcome of this observation," Archer remarked. "This person bled at different points in time."
"Two for two," Luvia replied coldly. "Now, with the information that Miss Gorilla provided us, I know for sure that the person bleeding here is, without question, Viola Dajana Konig."
"So you're trying to say that onii-sama's Master was attacked shortly after receiving treatment from Saber's Master?" Archer ventured.
"It's highly possible."
"She isn't anywhere right now, that's what I can say with the limited coverage I have with my eyes," Archer continued. "Is there a way we can track the blood stains?"
"I wish I could, but we have a problem," Luvia sighed.
"What's that?"
"The fresher blood stains don't seem to form a trail," Luvia answered Archer. "It's almost as if she was wounded immediately and had her wound closed up for whatever reason or intent."
"That's… That doesn't make sense," Archer replied, thumping his head softly with his fist.
"Indeed it does," Luvia concurred, rubbing her chin. "Between Matou Zouken and Caster, who would be the more likely assailant?"
"I imagine it would be Caster, considering that she went rogue?" Archer wondered.
"But Caster is behind the disappearance of the men in this city," Luvia replied.
"If you ask me, the Zouken guy is more interested in survival now that Assassin is completely killed, no?"
"His damn vampires is doing just that for him; keeping him alive!" Luvia grunted, pacing about as she tried to figure all the possibilities out.
"If anything, the vampires brought more attention to him and his life is in greater threat now, don't you think?"
"Wait, that's right!" Luvia exclaimed suddenly, causing Archer to straighten up in shock. "You are right, it could be Caster! What if Caster was out looking for more men to devour, but somehow stumbled upon an injured Konig-san, and attacked her?"
"Well, that's what I was saying, but even I don't see why Caster should close up the wounds she inflicted on onii-sama's Master."
"Could Caster have captured her, then?"
Archer pondered for a moment. "That's not beyond the realm of possibilities."
"So now, we need to locate-"
Luvia was not able to complete her sentence when Archer grabbed her without warning and rolled out of the way of a figure that leapt towards her.
"Wha- what was that?" Luvia stammered.
I don't know.. a Servant? But it cannot be.. there is hardly any prana coming from it!"
"Well dodged, and well played," Bree commented. Her stone golem stood up again after missing the opportunity to attack Luvia.
"Why are you here?" Archer demanded. "I was told that we had a non-aggression pact in place right now."
"Oh, to hell with that!" Bram exclaimed as he alighted from Rider's horse. "The Association has forsaken the Grail, so the pact is now of no use!"
"Hey now, we had no such news of that," Archer replied, holding his hands up. "We are here to find my onii-sama and his Master, who was last seen here before she was attacked."
"Attacked?" Bree exclaimed. "You lie!"
"Say all you want, but we are honouring our non-aggression pact, while you are finding every reason not to do so," Luvia chided. "Besides, if we were the ones who attacked Konig-san, why should we bother about healing her and then attacking again?"
"mac Branain, let's not waste our time listening to this rabble. Let's press our advantage and attack!"
"Listen to us! Konig-san was ambushed by Caster and she is probably Caster's captive as we speak!"
"What did you say?" Bree asked. "Caster did?"
"Don't you try to stall for time, Edelfelt!" Bram demanded.
"Hey now, Master of Rider," Archer replied. "I understand that you happen to be my Master's teacher… or something like that, just like who Lancer's Master is to you, as well as my onii-sama's Master. Don't you think that your conduct is unbecoming as a teacher toward your students?"
"I don't need an enemy Servant to be telling me what to do!" Bram growled.
Archer sighed. "Hey, we might have to fight them," he told Luvia telepathically.
"I hear you. Take the initiative if you see hostility from them."
"H-hey, Sir Bram!" Bree suddenly pleaded. "We really need to look into this, the whole thing about Caster abducting Viola!"
"Pay no heed to what they are saying! It's all a ploy to distract us!" Bram seethed. "Rider! If Bree isn't going to attack Archer or his Master, we will!"
"... Perhaps not," Rider replied after a brief pause.
"What!?"
"I have a bone to pick with that accursed woman," Rider continued. "If there is anyone that I wish to destroy right now, it is that woman, for all of her conniving and scheming!"
"We can take care of that later!" Bram shot back. "We have an enemy standing before us!"
"Not my enemy," Rider scowled as he replied. "Yours."
"Rider!"
"Silence, boy!" Rider bellowed in admonishment. Turning toward Luvia and Archer, Rider shot a glare toward them. "If the information you gave us is false, I will cut you both down."
"That won't be a problem, because we are coming with you." Archer replied nonchalantly.
"What the hell!?" Luvia exclaimed.
"I have an onii-sama to save, so our interests are aligned, although just momentarily."
"You mean to put our lives in danger just because of your onii-sama?" Luvia demanded.
"Relax, I will protect you if these fellas try to attack you," Archer reassured.
"S-shut up," Luvia grumbled, looking away. "I don't need your protection."
"Fine then," Rider acknowledged. "Makes it all the more easier to come after you if you are wrong and that my Master was correct."