Chapter 10 - First Battle
A Date with Medusa
"Rely on your allies", Kirei had said. Who was the most vital ally Irisviel had in the war? Her servant of course. Yet she had hardly spoken more than a few sentences with someone she would be risking her life with. Let it not be said that Irisviel was incapable of learning from her mistakes. And so with such a mindset here she was strolling through Fuyuki with Medusa in tow.
She'd fashioned some mystic eye cancelers into glasses, so that Medusa didn't stand out too much. A blindfold would invoke too much curiosity, but her eyes of petrification needed to be restrained. "Do we really need to do this Master? If you wished to form bonds we could have done this in the castle. We could read books or just chat. This is dangerous." Medusa criticized. It turns out she was a homebody too.
It made a sad amount of sense though. Medusa had been hunted like a monster, isolated on an island. That kind of lifestyle lent itself towards developing antisocial tendencies. "Every day might be our last, so let's enjoy it while we can. We're partners now, and I'd like us to be friends if possible. Friends go out and have fun together. It'll be fine. I doubt anyone will attack us while we're in populated areas." Irisviel reassured.
Medusa sighed exasperatedly as they wandered from shop to shop. Irisviel had never really gone out on an outing like this before, and neither had Medusa. Both inexperienced in their own ways, they managed to break past the awkwardness between them and have fun. They settled down for a break in a cafe, with Medusa looking elegant as ever in a turtleneck sweater they'd just purchased.
"So, how do you like modern society?" Irisviel asked.
"It's…strange. I enjoy all the new literature, new foods, new liquor. But something about this time period is unappealing." Medusa answered.
Someone who they hadn't noticed up to that point, despite their supernatural abilities, spoke up at that moment. "Indeed. Each of you is nauseating in their own right, but it is society that disgusts me the most." A blond haired, handsome yet arrogant man noted.
Medusa was ready to fight, and Irisviel equipped a class-card in anticipation. They'd been caught completely off-guard. "You are dining with a king, mongrels. Show some respect. I would not sully my table with violence. There is plenty of time for that later." Gilgamesh proclaimed.
"How did you slip past our notice?" Irisviel wondered, still on high alert.
He glared at her fiercely. "A king does not need to be questioned by the rabble."
Medusa looked like she was ready to shank him, but Irisviel shook her head. Who knows how many people could die if Gilgamesh started a fight here. A diplomatic approach would be best. "Very well, oh King of Heroes. Thank you for gracing us with your noble presence. May I enquire as to your business with us this afternoon?"
"Good, you can recognize your betters. Few in this era could recognize me on sight, I commend you for understanding my majesty. Still, you have much to learn about how to treat royalty. I came because I wished to." He said as if that was final.
Thus, the trio ate the most tense meal they'd ever had in their lives. This was a cafe, there were only snacks on the menu here. But Gilgamesh had somehow ordered a seven-course meal. Some questions were better left unasked. He insisted they partake, and Irisviel had enough alcohol to become drunk. It was the only way she could calm her nerves.
He finished up his meal, and stood up to leave. "I have decided. You still disgust me, homunculus. Your soul is an abomination. But, it is intriguing that I could not see through it at first glance. Until I determine your true value, I shall allow you to live. Do not disappoint me." He said, leaving the cafe without a single glance back.
Irisviel slumped in her chair after he finally left. "That was intense."
"No one will attack us in populated areas you said…" Medusa looked irritated.
"To be fair, that wasn't an attack. It was just a meal." Irisviel defended.
Medusa sighed. "Semantics. It may as well have been a psychological attack, if not a physical one. Drinking what the enemy gave you, what if it was poisoned? I checked to make sure it wasn't, but you just drank it without even examining it."
"He wouldn't do that. If he wanted he could have probably killed us. I think poisoning someone at his dinner table would be beneath him." Irisviel noted.
"Besides, I didn't see you rejecting those drinks either." Irisviel added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Medusa huffed, crossing her arms. "I'm a servant. I can handle it better."
"I think someone is just an alcoholic~" Irisviel teased in a singsong voice.
Medusa rolled her eyes, then looked towards Irisviel with a serious gaze. "What did he mean, Master? That your soul is an abomination?"
"I am not just a single soul. I believe that is why he called me an abomination." Irisviel noted. If Gilgamesh could see through her, then it means her true nature was not perfectly hidden. Who knows how long she could really keep it all hidden?
"I see." Medusa said.
"You won't ask me more about it?" Irisviel asked.
"I can tell it is something you hold close to your chest. You wanted us to be friends, did you not? A friend would want to hear your secrets when you are ready to tell them, not when they happen to be exposed. Don't you agree?" Medusa said with a small smile.
Irisviel had never seen Medusa smile genuinely before. She stared, a bit dazed. "Beautiful. You look beautiful when you smile."
It was Medusa's turn to blush. "I'm not beautiful."
"Beauty is subjective. You're definitely beautiful." Irisviel nodded.
"I'm too tall. Too big. Compared to my sisters, I'm ugly." Medusa shook her head.
"I think you're prettier than them." Irisviel insisted.
"How would you even know what they look like?" Medusa wondered.
"My off-brand clairvoyance." Irisviel responded.
Medusa seemed to sputter at that. "But-but how? I'm a monster? You don't know how terrible I really am."
"I've seen that too. Maybe not the fully-monsterized version of you, but you in Gorgon form looked really hot." Irisviel blurted before thinking. This was her first time getting drunk in this new life of hers, her self control was little-to-none.
"What." Medusa stared at her with a look that seemed to wonder if her Master was mentally unhinged.
"Uhh…I stand by what I said." Irisviel said embarrassed.
"No seriously. What? I'm part snake in that form. I have scales, I have a tail. I'm way bigger than you. Are you sure we're talking about the same form here? Are you some kind of deviant?" Medusa asked suspiciously.
"Uh…um…I think it still looks cool. I like your normal appearance too, I'm just saying that Gorgon form also looks good." Irisviel explained.
"I don't even know how to process that." Medusa said.
"Maybe we can just walk out and pretend this conversation didn't happen?" Irisviel pleaded.
Medusa sighed. "We will talk about this. But I need time to digest this."
"Then back to our previous topic, thanks for being supportive. I guess we're friends now hehe. I'm here if you ever want to talk about stuff too." Irisviel said beaming.
"Don't say hehe without even laughing!" Medusa scolded, but she was smiling too.
"Let's get you home. You need to sober up for tonight." Medusa said, pulling Irisviel by the hand and out the door. She didn't let go of her hand the whole way back.
Storming the Matou Residence
After Irisviel used a tonic to sober up, she resolved to learn or develop a spell to sober her up, as well as one to prevent getting drunk in the first place. That had been embarrassing. She hoped she hadn't estranged Medusa too much, although if anything they seemed to be closer to each other now instead of more distant.
Her hired mercenaries had laid down bounded fields to make sure the neighbors of the Matous would not notice her activities. Kirei, Medusa, and herself stepped up to the front door. Irisviel was dressed in her Dress of Heaven. With a stab of her knife, she killed the manor's defenses one-by-one. Shiki was her favorite offensive card thus far.
Why go about things so directly? It was a taunt. Zouken Matou was a vile man, willing to go to any lengths to win. But to directly assault his manor? From the front door at that? For most mages, that would be considered suicide. Still, that wouldn't necessarily have been enough for Zouken to come out and face them properly. If he deemed it too dangerous, he could still flee. And it was very hard to find a hiding Zouken. She wanted to avoid a trip through the sewers if at all possible.
But even Zouken's rotting soul had an emotion that it could not forget. His love for Justeaze von Einzbern. Irisviel was modeled off this 'ancestor' of hers, and in the Dress of Heaven she was Justeaze's spitting image. She hoped that combined with her direct approach would lead to him dueling her tonight.
Thankfully, it drew him out. The best trap was one you saw coming, but couldn't resist playing along with regardless. She learned that from the mysterious catalyst robber. If Zouken abandoned his base now, it would be hard sustaining himself for the rest of the war. She was an enemy he had to face. The chattering of bugs echoed nauseatingly across the courtyard, their black masses coalescing into the form of an elderly man with a cane.
"My my, youngsters are awfully brave nowadays aren't they? Barging in through the front door to fight. To think you even brought a priest, is the Church abandoning its pretenses of neutrality finally? Not that it was ever truly neutral to begin with. Welcome to my manor, descendant of Justeaze." Zouken mused.
"This is a personal matter, and I am not the overseer for the war. No neutrality on behalf of the Church has been broken." Kirei corrected.
"Greetings, Zouken. We're here to kill you, but I'll offer you a deal. If Byakuya doesn't participate, I'll make sure he's able to live beyond this war. It's worth having your bloodline continue, isn't it?" Irisviel negotiated.
"Such a shame. He's the Master of Berserker, you see. So conflict is inevitable. You kids enjoy your duel." Zouken noted, and then faded away.
At that moment, a loud roaring sound could be heard as a tall man in black armor charged towards them. It seems their plan failed, but this was one possible outcome they'd predicted. They'd already sealed the entire perimeter so that Zouken couldn't escape.
"It's Lancelot after all. Don't let him hold any of your weapons, he turns anything he holds into his noble phantasm. Medusa, just delay him. I'll search for Byakuya. Kirei, come with me." She instructed, and darted into the manor.
"I'll take the top, you take the bottom. Hit the emergency communicator if you need help." They split up. Irisviel was the best for handling Byakuya, as their best medic. Kirei was ideal for killing Zouken, as their best exorcist. But they could both act in each other's place in a pinch.
Still, in order to observe the battlefield Byakuya was most likely on a higher floor, watching through a window of some sort. So she used her heat signature sensing goggles to look for signs of life above. Kiritisgu was onto something when he used modern technology to fight mages.
For example, Byakuya was likely hiding behind a bounded field. That would make it difficult to detect him via standard magecraft methods, but she could see his heat signature clearly once she stepped up to the highest floor. He was sitting on an armchair, his head buried in his hands. His hair was white, his eyes bloodshot, his body trembling. Bottles of liquor littered the floor.
"A-are you here to kill me?" He asked.
"I'm here to save you. If possible. Why don't you ask Berserker to stop attacking my servant? She won't attack him if he stops." Irisviel requested.
"I wish. The moment I give up on fighting the war, I'll die." Byakuya said.
"But you don't want to, right? You never wanted any of this? That's why your brother ran away right, because he knew he'd end up like you?" Irisviel pushed on.
"No, I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to be a good heir. I thought my brother was a traitor. I hated him. I was never as good a heir as he could have been, yet he ran off. Then, when I understood what it meant to be the Matou heir, I cursed him even more. He must have known what terrible fate awaited me, yet he abandoned me. I was so jealous that he found a way to be happy." Byakuya said.
"Kariya asked me, you know? He told me understood if I had to kill you for the sake of the war. But on the off-chance I could get away without killing you, on the off-chance you hated being a Matou, on the off-chance you wanted to make amends. In that highly improbable scenario, he hoped I could help you. Your brother never hated you, he only held pity." She explained.
"He asked for that? That pauper?" Byakuya seemed shocked.
"Looks like you did care about him, trying to check in on how he was doing. How else would you have known he was poor for a while?" Irisviel said with a teasing smile.
"Th-that's just…what's the point lying to myself even now. I don't miss him. But I wish things could have been different.. But it's too late. Tell him I'm sorry. And if possible, send my son to him." Byakuya said, seeming to steel himself.
She wasn't sure what he was about to do, but he gave off suicidal vibes. So she opted to use her last resort method. She stabbed at the point of death for all the crest worms in his body. To any bystander, she looked like a psychopathic killer as she stabbed him over and over again. There were just that many worms.
He stared at her, dying, with a betrayed expression on his face. But then she used her Avenger class card, Edmond Dantés, to resurrect him. Attendre, Espérer: a noble phantasm capable of resuscitating herself and her allies even on the verge of death. It was a power she didn't need very often, but it had saved her life when she was just a newborn. And now it would save Byakuya's.
He stood up, staring at himself oddly. "What did you do? I don't feel the worms crawling inside me anymore."
"Let's just say you're free. Zouken can't control you anymore. Raise your son yourself. Tell Kariya that you're sorry directly. Isn't it better that way?" She encouraged him.
"You're right. Of course. You're right. I don't know how to thank you." Byakuya commented.
"I bet if you could have wished on the Grail, you would have wished for something like this. So in return for my help, why don't you help me win? I won't be asking you to put your life in too much danger. Definitely a better deal than serving your 'father'." Irisviel held out her hand.
With trepidation, he clasped her hand in his and shook. "I see. That makes sense. Having another servant as an ally is the best tactical outcome. I'll help you out."
Irisviel could tell him that she helped him because she wanted to, that Berserker didn't have anything to do with it. But she knew how odd that would sound to any magus, it was better to let him think he'd grasped her character. She was benefiting after all, so this couldn't be called purely altruistic anymore.
They both sent their servants to assist Kirei, and headed down themselves. "How exactly do you know Kariya anyways?" Byakuya asked on their way down.
"He works for me. You know the other former Tohsaka child, Sakura?" Irisviel asked.
He seemed to connect the dots at that. "I see. He never could get over Aoi. He wanted to look after Sakura, so he works for you, her guardian."
She supposed it wasn't too odd that Byakuya would know that she adopted Sakura. "Yeah, well you'll be happy to know that he managed to move on romantically."
"No way. What's the story behind that?" He asked, shocked.
But at that point, they'd arrived at the basement. "I'll tell you after all this." She said, observing Zouken getting overwhelmed by the combination of Lancer, Berserker, and Kirei. Servants were existences of a higher order, he didn't stand a chance against two at the same time. Kirei was no slouch either.
Berserker kept killing countless bugs with every swing, while Lancer worked on trying to box him in through chains she formed out of her hair. In the original timeline, Zouken's true body had been a worm implanted in Sakura's heart. But in this case, he had not implanted his body into a new host yet.
Kirei chanted his baptism rites, and Irisviel assisted. The most useful card she could currently use for exorcisms was Dantés; his flames made of grudges were poisonous to the spirit. With her poisoning Zouken's soul, and Kirei purifying it, they managed to eradicate his soul from two different directions. In the worst case scenario, she could likely have trapped his soul in her reality marble. But his soul was kind of gross and if there was a better way, she didn't really want it.
Their mission complete, the group departed the mansion.
Aftermath
Pulling up her phone, she called Kiritsugu. "Mission success. I killed Zouken, and gained Byakuya as an ally. Do you think there's any use for the mansion still?" She wondered.
"Well, as your ally, I'll just say I won't miss this mansion if it's destroyed. Not that you asked me. Although, I would rather destroy the magical stuff and sell off the house. The money will be useful." Byakuya interjected.
Irisviel turned towards him apologetically. "Oh right, my bad. It's your house too. Sorry about that. How much is your house worth?"
"I'm not sure. Probably close to a billion yen. Maybe. I haven't checked." Byakuya noted.
"Hmm, that's what? Like 8 or 9 million dollars? Sure, I'll send you that money. In that case, you don't have any problems destroying it right?" She suggested.
"I suppose that works. Wow, you really want to blow up this house." He observed.
"I never get to command justified missile strikes. It'll be cool. You'll see. Kiritsugu, you heard him. Let's blow this joint." She said cheerfully.
"I'm not sure I condone enjoying an act of destruction such as this, but the Church has never liked the existence of Zouken. So I doubt there will be any repercussions for this." Kirei noted.
"Burn it down to the ground." Medusa added.
"Arrthurrr." Lancelot unhelpfully added.
After they stepped away to a safe distance, a missile struck the manor and demolished it into rubble. The explosion was deafening, but the bounded fields did their part and the good people of Fuyuki didn't notice a thing. Irisviel stared into the fire and wondered if she may be a pyromaniac.
They returned to the Einzbern castle to regroup, not stopped by anyone.
"You chose to do what was right, over what was easy. You're relying on others more, making new friends and allies. I'm proud of you, Irisviel." Kirei said smiling.
"Thank you, Kirei. You were a great help. Tomorrow, let's get some Mapo Tofu. I want to talk to you about something." Irisviel felt like she was ready. He deserved to know. She wanted him to know. The truth about her powers, and her mission. The potential futures she'd seen, and how she planned on averting it. She trusted him.
"I look forward to it." He replied, heading out.
"I'll be in my room." Medusa also left, and Berserker was probably in spirit form. That left only Irisviel and Byakuya.
"I don't think I'm falling asleep just yet. So if it's the same to you, I'd love to hear that story." He asked.
And so she narrated the tale of Kariya and Magdalena, and the misadventures of the Einzbern household. He had a hard time believing some of it, so she even called Kariya. The brothers argued heatedly and laughed passionately. They didn't even notice her leaving the room. All this effort was worth it, because it meant her little family wound up just that much happier.
Of course, good news and bad news tend to come in pairs. Maiya was waiting for her by her bedroom door. "Is it urgent?" Irisviel asked.
"Yes." Maiya answered simply.
Irisviel followed Maiya to the control room, where Kiritsugu was also present.
"Before you guys start, since we're all here. I'll just let you know. I saw Gilgamesh out in Fuyuki, so he's pretty much confirmed as Tokiomi's servant." She'd forgotten to mention that tidbit earlier.
Kiritsugu sighed in a frustrated manner. "This kind of information could mean the difference between life or death. Please let us know right away next time." He scolded.
He was right, it was pretty irresponsible of her. "I'm sorry, I'll do better next time."
Accepting her apology, he moved on. "First off, a huge portion of our cameras have been destroyed. Satellite footage is still up, but most of our other surveillance methods are sabotaged. We're blind."
"Another tech-savvy participant, I can only assume." Irisviel noted.
Kiritsugu nodded. "Yes, I was thinking along the same lines. This war got a lot more dangerous. Next, you told us that in your visions a man named Ryonosuke Uryu would have summoned a Caster, Gilles de Rais. Yet you made sure to kill him long ago, correct?" He asked.
She was getting a sinking feeling. "He's definitely dead. I saw his body. It was years ago." She confirmed.
"The pattern you had described, of a serial killer going around and slaughtering many children. It seems to still be occurring. Families have been discovered dead in their home, there are multiple reports of kidnapped children. We may be looking at another Gilles de Rais situation." He said grimly.
"Were there any killings remotely resembling the motif of a serial killer in Fuyuki before the war?" She wondered.
"None." Maiya answered.
"In the version of events I saw, Gilles was most likely summoned without a proper catalyst. I suspect it was Ryonosuke's murderous nature that gave him such a high affinity to Caster. What are the odds that there are two people with that kind of affinity in Fuyuki?" Irisviel said.
"So there are four likely possibilities. The servant is not Gilles de Rais, someone with a catalyst for Gilles summoned him, someone with an affinity summoned him, or someone with both an affinity and a catalyst summoned him. Considering Einzbern, Matou, and Tohsaka are all accounted for, and Kayneth is the participant from the Mage's association…we've got a rogue magus or another serial killer probably. Does that seem right?" Kiritsugu analyzed.
"Yes, Gilles is dangerous, but he's hardly the best Caster servant. Someone like Kayneth wouldn't try to summon him, he would have tried for one of the knight classes. He probably has Saber."
"If Kayneth really does have Saber, and Waver really does have Rider, then all masters are accounted for except one. So the Master of Caster is probably our technological saboteur." Maiya reasoned.
"A willingness to dabble in modern technology and a connection to Gilles de Rais. There is one person I suspect above all others. I fear Prelati has joined the war." Irisviel noted with a grim expression.
"Prelati, as in Francesa Prelati? Hmm, I suppose that is a good theory. She's popular in mage circles in America, but last I heard she was in Antarctica. Why would she have arrived here?" Kiritsugu pondered.
"In my visions, when she found out Gilles was summoned she tried her best to rush to Fuyuki. But Zouken prevented her from interfering. But in this circumstance she's probably his summoner. Something's not adding up. Last I saw her, Prelati tried spying on me in America. But I killed her a few times and she ran away." Irisviel said.
"Could it be that your ability to rebuff her so easily piqued her curiosity in you? The Einzberns are a family whose history is inseparable from the Holy Grail War. If she investigated you, then she probably learned details about the war much earlier than your visions and found a way to join as a participant." Kiritsugu guessed.
Irisviel sat down, those words echoing in her head. Was it her fault? Had she made more people die in her efforts to help? Still, this was no time to let guilt cripple her. "You might be right. This is probably my fault. Prelati's dangerous. Especially if she summoned Gilles. Gilles has Prelati's spellbook. If Prelati gets it back…she might be able to summon an Outer God to this plane. We can't wait and watch, we need to eliminate them." She said gravely.
"Even if we kill her, Prelati is notorious for her resurrection ability. Do you think command spells will carry over in reincarnation?" Kiritsugu asked.
"I planned on hunting down Prelati sometime after the war anyway. I have a way to end her, permanently. At least I hope I do. If it works, her command spells will be of no worry either." Irisviel explained.
"Alright, I'll have all our men focus on tracking them down. Get some rest. It's been a long day for you." Kiritsugu said dismissing her, and she accepted the reprieve.
Her sleep was tainted with nightmares, visions of demons flowing from the ocean and covering the land. A great monster swallowing life. Had she invited a disaster even worse than the Fuyuki Fire to this town?
