Rika Seto led the way through Fuyuki City's long, dark, winding streets. Following close behind were Saori Hidaka, Waver Velvet, and Rider Iskandar. They were a ragtag team to be sure, the most unexpected of quartets! But as the old saying went, desperate times called for desperate measures. With the Grail War in full swing, and enemies becoming increasingly dangerous, Rider was willing to take some risks of his own.

Recruiting two random girls off the street was perhaps one of the stranger things he'd ever done, but he was adamant about his decision and, if there was one thing Waver had come to know about Rider, Rider didn't take "no" for an answer.

"I wouldn't have become the King of Conquerors otherwise, boy!" he grinned, and that was that.

He and Waver met the two girls just a week prior. Rider had dragged Waver off to the market yet again, claiming that he wanted to get a better lay of the land. In truth, Waver knew he just wanted to goof off and run around the city. Of course, Waver protested heartily, but again, Rider didn't take "no" for an answer. They met Rika and Saori just past the edge of the marketplace. Rika was singing and Saori was DJing.

"My, my! What strange new music is this?!" Rider thundered in fascination as he watched Saori's hands fly across the DJ turntables. The rest was history. Rika seemed to sense a kindred spirit in the jolly, red giant and she was more than happy to invite him over for a DJ lesson. Somewhere along the way, they started talking about jobs, and Rika mentioned working at a detective agency. That was all Rider needed to hear before he started insisting that they work together.

"What?!" Both Waver and Saori exclaimed, then they exchanged brief looks, recognizing kindred spirits of their own.

"There's someone we've been trying to track, and if your skills are as sharp as you say they are, we would love to have you on the team!" Rider said.

"No, we wouldn't!" Waver snapped, but Rika was every bit as zealous and determined as Rider.

"Hype Detective Rika Seto at your service!" she cried, reaching out to shake Rider's massive hand. It was so big that her hand was about the size of one of his fingers. But he liked her spark and enthusiasm and was more than happy to return the hand (or rather, arm) shake.

One week later, they were closing in on their target: Kayneth Archibald. Word on the street said that he was trying to build a device that would interfere with Command Seals and weaken the bond between Master and Servant. For obvious reasons, Waver and Rider wanted that device destroyed. Rider hadn't been joking when he took Waver to the market and said he was trying to get a better grasp on the territory. Rider was trying to sense the magic in the air that Kayneth's device should've left behind, even if only in small traces. With Rika's keen observation, and her ability to move much more freely and undetected through the city than him, they finally managed to pinpoint a location.

"My sources tell me that our man has been hiding out in one of these dingy little corner stores!" Rika whispered, pointing ahead. The building was small and shabby, not at all a place befitting of Kayneth Archibald, but that was exactly what made it a perfect cover. "I don't know what he's doing in there, but I've seen guys in unusually well-kept clothing coming and going from that place almost every day since we met."

Saori, Waver, and Rider wore varying degrees of surprise, disbelief, and respect. Rika never struck Saori or Waver as particularly observant or intelligent, and yet, she paid better attention than they thought. Rider, meanwhile, nodded. As noted before, he sensed a kindred spirit in Rika, and he could tell that a sharp mind lay beneath the fiery orange pigtails. He had no idea if her deduction was correct, but it made sense.

"How about you, Waver?" Rika asked next. "What do you think? Does this seem like the right place to you?"

"Huh?! What?!" Waver jerked back, having not expected her to address him. "Uhh, I mean, well, yeah, I guess…" he muttered, looking away.

"You don't sound very sure." Rika turned around to look at him directly.

"Why do you care?" Waver snapped back. "Rider already—"

"I know, but I wanted to be sure. I don't doubt Rider, but you're a part of this mission, too, so I wanted to see what you thought."

Did Rider put you up to that? Waver scowled. His eyes darted over to his Servant's face, but Rider's expression betrayed nothing.

In his head, though, Rider was amused. I didn't ask her to do that, but… I'm glad she did.

"Yeah, I guess this seems right," Waver admitted begrudgingly. "Kayneth's my teacher, so I do kind of know how he thinks."

"Your teacher?" Saori's lip curled in sympathy and disgust. From the description Waver gave of Kayneth, he was a horrid man inside and out. At first, she assumed it was merely because they were rivals in the Grail War. Now, though, she had new understanding.

"He's just as bad a teacher as he is everything else!" Waver nodded, eyes flashing and fists clenching, but right before he could get any further in his rant, they were interrupted by the sound of a rustling tree. Waver and Saori whipped around while Rider rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Rika!" Saori whisper-yelled a second later. It was no danger, just Rika clambering up the tree. "Now is not the time for fun and games!"

"Oh, I'm just trying to get a good vantage point," Rika whisper-yelled back down. "I think it's best if you and I remain hidden, since it sounds like Kayneth would only expect Waver and Rider to try to break in, so we should keep our cover as long as we can! We're like secret weapons, Saori!"

"That's! … Actually really intelligent of you, Rika," Saori blinked up at the grinning face in the tree.

"Where did you find her again?" Waver whispered to Saori, shaking his head and jerking a thumb at Rika.

"Well," Saori admitted with a rueful smile, "Rika found me."

"My very first catch!" Rika declared proudly. "In only a matter of minutes, I deduced what an excellent partner she would be! That's why I'm the Hype Detective, and she's my Watson!" She flashed a peace sign while Saori rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead, but she was smiling too.

After a little more deliberation, a plan was set in motion. Rika's suggestion that she and Saori act like secret weapons, although made as a playful joke, was a clever idea. Waver and Rider took the lead, sneaking inside the corner store while Saori and Rika hid in the trees outside, waiting for a signal. Several minutes passed and Waver stuck his head back out the front door, a grave look in his eyes (or rather, graver than normal). The corner store was actually not being used as Kayneth's secret main base of operation, but there was a tunnel near the back…

The tunnel led to a giant warehouse smack in the middle of a dense forest. Rider and Waver instantly went on high alert. The magical energy in the air was far stronger here than back in the city. As their plan dictated, they would forge on ahead while Saori and Rika again hung back in the trees, awaiting their signal. Rika was a little more than disappointed that she wouldn't get to investigate the base herself.

"I'm the Hype Detective, after all!" she pouted. But Saori was more than happy to stay somewhere safe.

"We're also the secret weapons," she reminded Rika, sighing in exasperation as she dragged the other girl back towards the trees. Rika perked up slightly at the reminder, although she was torn between wishing Rider and Waver luck, and wishing that something would go wrong just so she could put her detective and secret weapon skills to good use. At the same time, Waver and Rider moved forward.

"If anything goes wrong, I want you to call for Saori and Rika immediately," Rider whispered grimly, gesturing to the phone in Waver's pocket. As any good strategist would, Rider was planning for every possibility and eventuality. If worse came to worst and Kayneth's device worked exactly as intended, he wanted Rika and Saori to be there to help guide and protect Waver in his absence.

Waver, however, didn't see it that way. "Are you saying I can't handle myself?" he sneered. Hadn't they survived several battles already? Why was Rider trusting these two non-magical strangers over his own Master?

"Strength in numbers, boy. Surely you know that?" Rider's voice was unusually cold. He did not mean to sound dismissive, but now was not the time for Waver's ego to jeopardize the entire mission. Furthermore, he knew a stern voice would catch Waver's attention more than a friendly one. It worked exactly as he expected, and Waver fell silent, eyes widening slightly in surprise.

Despite himself, Rider smirked inwardly. I know you better than you realize, Waver Velvet… He also knew that his Master, although capable, was prone to fits of pride and arrogance. It certainly was not out of line, and Rider liked that spirit about him, one might've even called it heroic! But Rider also didn't want Waver to jeopardize himself just because he felt as though he had something to prove to Kayneth and the others.

Rika and Saori… I think they could be good role models for him… They were neither mages nor fighters, but Rider had seen from the get-go how well they worked together. Watching Rika sing and Saori DJ, they had the sort of connection befitting of any good Master-Servant duo. Rider did not expect them to be able to protect Waver physically, but mentally and emotionally?

It would be especially critical if Kayneth's device worked, and Rider found himself being pulled away from his Master's influence. Of course, he didn't want that to happen, but again, as any good strategist would, Rider was preparing for any potential outcome, even the negative ones. In the end, Rider's foresight paid off.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Kayneth's voice sneered from the darkness and Waver and Rider whipped around to see the deadly, razor-sharp tip of a spear pointed directly at them. Melting out of the shadows, Lancer stood loyally beside his Master. Rider's hand moved to the hilt of his sword again while Waver growled softly. "You're just as bad at sneaking around as you are at keeping up with your academics, Velvet!" Kayneth smirked, clicking his tongue in mock chastisement. He hadn't known Waver would be the first to find him, but he was almost glad…

"You—!" Waver snarled, but then Rider held up a hand.

"How did you know we were here? How long have you been watching us?" His tone was casual, almost friendly.

Kayneth bared his teeth in an ugly, triumphant grin. "A Servant speaking for his Master? Tut, tut. Although, I cannot say I expect any better from…" He trailed off, nostrils flaring as he stared down his nose at his most pathetic student. He said no more, but his eyes conveyed more than words ever could. He is a perfect example of why those who dare think that mortals could ever be on par with mages are nothing more than delusional idiots!

Had Rider been his Servant rather than Waver's, they could've been a truly glorious duo! None of this "Servant interrupts Master" nonsense! But, Kayneth had Lancer. Lancer would suffice. Besides, with Rider in the hands of someone like Waver, even though it was a waste, it would make them both that much easier for Kayneth to destroy. Especially with his latest invention nearing completion…

Rider and Waver were unable to see it, but Kayneth pressed his wrist against his side, activating the device remotely. A low, steady hum filled the air. It was too low for a human ear to catch, but the vibrations were still just strong enough to disorient a Heroic Spirit. Rider narrowed his eyes. He could sense the magical energy in the air, and he even tried shaking his head as if to shake off the influence, but it did little to quell the buzz now echoing inside of his head. Kayneth's smirk widened. Of course, he made sure Lancer was protected from the device.

"Shall we begin?" he asked smoothly, gesturing to Lancer. He didn't leave room for answer, and instead, a second later, Lancer lunged.