EDIT: Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, and sometimes other elements. Because of its high tensile strength and low cost, it is a major component used in buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships, trains, automobiles, machines, appliances, and weapons. Iron is the base metal of steel. -Wikipedia. That's your daily fact, now don't expect them daily, or even chapterly, since that's too much work for my lazy ass.
Greetings boys and gorls. A lot of readers are from America. So howdy, it's real cold up north just take it from me. School is piling up so if this was later than you expected I'm sorry. Trying hard to balance everything and this, unfortunately, comes near the end of my priorities. Btw, Grammarly for Google Docs sucks - hope they fix that soon.
Irisviel had held a face of disgust ever since she entered the sewers. It didn't smell as bad as one might expect, but the slime, grime, moss and mould was enough to turn most peoples stomachs. She was holding her hands together in front of her chest, looking around her at every little sound. Whether those sounds be from rats or the simple drip-drip of condensation off of pipes. Saber didn't seem to care, striding forwards with blade in hand. On her face, only determination.
"Just a little bit further, Irisiviel. This sewer opens into a large cistern which should house Caster." She left out the "if he's even here" part, but Iri still interpreted such. After the first night, Irisviel had elected to discard the white fur winter attire she had brought from Germany. How she was thankful for that now. It was unlikely that any of these stains would come out.
"I don't sense any residual mana, are you sure Caster will be here?" The homunculus asked, uncertainty in her voice. This entire 'investigate' thing was way more than she expected it to be. The silent creeping through dark, seemingly endless hallways just wasn't her style.
"You may be correct. We can only be sure if we see with our own eyes. Casters can be very deceiving." Saber wisely pointed out. She turned the corner and smirked upon seeing an opening into a large room with monumental pillars.
The two moved in silence and entered the cistern in the same fashion. The dark stillness of the spacious room chilled from the neck down. Irisviel could almost feel the cold moisture cling to her skin. It smelt stale, with a hint of copper and decaying flesh. A thin layer of grime coated every surface, making disgusting squishing noises beneath the two girl's footwear.
"I still do not sense anything. We will proceed a little further although it is unlikely we will discover something." Saber planned, marching onwards. They entered the cistern and beyond, passing the first row of columns. Upon finding nothing, Saber's shoulder untensed and her weapon came to rest calmly in one hand. Only her eyes remained on alert. They pierced through the darkness of the cistern, searching for threats that could be lurking within.
"The less time we spend in this place the better." The homunculus looked around herself, scowling at a particularly dark spot on the ground. "It's very foreboding… Dark things have happened here." Irisviel whispered, trying to peer into the darkness although she could hardly see beyond an arms length.
Saber turned and looked towards her fake master. "Alright Lady Irisviel, we can leave. We'll have to take the same route back, however." Saber conceded, leading towards where they had entered. Without warning, she stopped, motioning for Iri to do the same with an extension of her arm. "A servant is approaching, perhaps we were right all along." Saber motioned for Irisviel to move back, so she could be out of range of possible injury.
Down the tunnel where Saber was vigilantly watching, came the sound of rolling wheels along with the baying of bulls. The noise approached quickly and within moments, the illumination of lightning and sparks made shadows against the wall. Saber knew by noise alone that it was Rider, however, she did not know his intentions. In another second, the chariot careened into view. Laughter rose above the sound of bulls and wheels but the sound of amusement was cut short upon spotting Saber. With a yank of the reigns, the bulls slowed - albeit with great vocal displeasure - to stop in front of the King of Knights.
"We meet again, King of Knights. I had expected a servant, but not one so noble as yourself in a place like this." He commented. Saber had hardly caught it, but she was sure his smile widened when she scowled. "Unless we are too late. Have you discovered and slain whichever servant called this foul place home?" The cape-clad servant asked, leaning on the edge of his chariot while a smaller man peaked between the railings.
"King of Conquerors, regardless of the conditions of which we meet, you are not excused for tailing my master and I." Saber accused, blade clanking loudly into place as she set her stance.
Iskandar donned a look of confusion. "Tailing you?" He repeated before laughing heartily. "Nothing of the sort. My master discovered the sewers as a possible location for a workshop using some sort of magecraft." Rider explained with pride. In the background, Waver specified that it had been alchemy.
"Then your master is mistaken, as no servant resides within these sewers." Saber countered, turning suddenly to look toward a thump which came from one side.
There was a pained groan before the object stood and cracked it's back. It was a man if the voice was anything to go by. "I told you we wouldn't be late, we're just in time! Just because you're a stickler for punctuation doesn't mean you can just drop your master down a hole!" The man shouted to the ceiling, voice growing louder with anger towards the end of his rant. Mumbling profanities and curses, he brushed himself off and took a large breath. The man turned and revealed himself to the two servants who were both incredibly confused. This man wore black from neck to toe. On his face, was an eerie luminescent crimson mask. The mask was the only easily visible part of him. One had to squint and guess where the rest of his body was. At least, the humans did anyway.
"Where are my manners. I have guests, so a greeting is in order." The masked man bowed formally with a chuckle. After a moment, he stood tall and spread out his arms. "Welcome, welcome. You may call me… Limes, yes that will do fine. Limes like the fruit, you know?" He gestured with one hand in a small circle. When nobody acknowledged him, he waved off the one hand. "Moving on, Welcome Saber and Rider - or should I say Artoria and… I don't actually know your name." He admitted, placing one hand on his mouth and using the other to point towards Rider.
The servant in question smiled. "Iskandar, King of C-"
"And Iskandar." The masked man cut the servant off, deflating him entirely. "One of you is rather gullible. Figure out which one I'm speaking about." The Masked Man offered, flapping his wrists as if he were rushing them along.
Saber wasn't playing any games. Turning her body, she pointed her blade towards the man. "I won't indulge you by playing in these games. Who are you and how is it that you know of my name?" Saber's tone always had an odd sort of regality to it. Even her normal speech demanded attention and suggested the listener obey, or else.
The masked man froze like a statue in mid-wrist-flap, going straight stiff soon after. "Then you won't get any answers. If you indulge me by playing my game, you'll get answers to important questions which are rising in your mind at this very moment. Questions like, who am I? What do I plan on doing, how I know your name - Oh, wait, you already asked that one." He said, snickering at his own joke. "All those among various other questions. In a few minutes if you don't agree to play a simple game…" His voice suddenly turned dark. The hands which had been motioning flamboyantly to his words snapped rigidly to his sides. "You may find yourself asking how you can save yourself and Irisviel at the same time. Or something along the lines of; Caster how did you get so powerful?" The man in the mask shrugged when nobody responded. He lifted a hand to his forehead. "Oh right, you probably couldn't piece together that I'm Caster's master, well let me say it slowly for you.." And he did, every syllable stretched to the point where it was indecipherable.
Saber was never one to harm supposedly innocent men, nor was she one to become enraged over mere words but this individual was truly testing her patience. Protecting Irisviel was her main priority. When the man said her name, Saber almost felt Iri flinch somewhere behind her. Nobody should know her name. And what did he mean by protecting herself and Irisviel at the same time? Not wishing to test her fate against a servant she hadn't even laid eyes upon, she followed the path of least resistance. "Alright then… Limes. I believe Rider is the gullible one."
Limes glanced between the two. Rider looked hurt and was pouting, Saber just appeared determined. The masked man suddenly burst into laughter and gave a short round of applause. "Very good, very good. Your wisdom and intellect truly proceed you. This is far from surprising, Caster has spoken at length of you specifically Saber. If I were to guess I'd say he has a crush on you." Limes spoke the last part with an open hand against his mouth, as if that would prevent Caster from hearing it. "See? You've already gotten a hint into who Caster might be and that was on the first question!" Limes shouted, throwing his arms to the sky. He gazed between the two servants, both were very far from sharing his enthusiasm.
"Wait a minute, If your Caster's master, why would you come alone to see two other masters and their servants?" Came a question from Waver Velvet. It had been the first time Irisviel had heard him speak. She noticed he had said 'see' rather than 'attack', which was what she believed this man would do soon.
Limes simply snickered. "You think I'm alone, boy?" As if on command, the crimson mask seemed to split in two. Now two masks eerily glowed in the darkness. There had only been one other servant here before, Saber was sure of that. Where Caster had managed to appear from was beyond her comprehension. Unless… Did that cloak have some sort of magic resistance or magic concealing ability? Both master and servant wore it and both appeared as if they were normal humans. Only the mask gave their status as mages away. It exuded an overwhelming sense of dread, betrayal and anger. Caster's mask had this effect simply amplified. This was why Limes had been so confident. His servant had been with him the entire time. Both Saber and Rider went on guard, glancing between one another in a silent conversation. With their eyes alone, they agreed to work together should anything occur.
"I have to apologize on behalf of my master. He's on the edge of psychopathy if you couldn't tell already. It is good to see you again, Saber." Caster greeted, bowing formally. The servant and master could be passed off as twins by their appearance. The only variance was that Caster elected to button up his cloak and some sort of wrapping was concealing his eyes.
"Again? We have not spoken before this time. Explain yourself, Caster." Saber growled, growing more and more aggravated as the exchange continued. Her name being common knowledge was enough to make her upset. Constantly being infantilized and disrespected by everyone around her was infuriating. It was nearing the point of making her consider actions against her code of honour. With the patience only found within true kings, she ground her teeth and held back the tide of anger.
Caster actually seemed uncomfortable, shrugging and tilting his head. "It's hard to explain. If I did explain it, you wouldn't actually be able to understand it, so let's just say I've fought alongside you." He must have seen the pieces click into place behind her eyes because he suddenly shook his head. "No I'm not a Knight of the Round and I'm not Merlin either. Don't Excali-Blast me because you think I'm Lancelot or Gawain." He chuckled dryly, coughing awkwardly when nobody joined in. "It's just better that you don't know who I am. If everything I've planned goes correctly, you won't need to know anyway."
"Hey now, hey now! Stop stealing my show!" Limes berated. Caster turned to face his master, then glanced back at Saber to bow farewell. In a whiff of smoke, the servant left "Back to our regularly scheduled programming." Limes began with a muffled clap of gloved hands. "Since Saber answered my first questio-"
"Before either of us continue, what is your plan here, Limes? If you ultimately seek a fight then let us skip the pageantry and commence battle." Rider was the one to speak up now, appearing rather disinterested as he leaned over the chariot railing on one elbow.
Limes sighed and rubbed the bridge of his mask's nose with two fingers. "I'm not here to attack either of you, I just wanted to mess with the two of you and give you some answers at the same time. It's a fair trade, entertainment for information. Now can we finally get back to the game?" He asked, not really waiting for an answer as he leapt right back into his overjoyed state. "Since we've been thoroughly delayed, we'll have to skip the commercial break and leap right into round two! As Saber has answered the first question, the second question goes to you; Rider." He paused a beat, the two servants simultaneously thought they heard the sound of applause. "Since you were the ones misled, how do you believe it was done?"
Rider moved into a thoughtful pose, staring slightly upwards while trying to use one of his weaker muscles - his brain. After a few seconds, Saber thought she could smell something burning. "He put mana into the water supply purposefully." Waver spoke up again.
"Correct! Caster suggested it after all. Like Saber, he knows quite a bit about you as well, Waver Velvet." Limes agreed. "He cast some spells and let the mana runoff into the water supply. It leached into the river and your skill in alchemy pinpointed the exact sewer entrance we wanted you to come from. Saber was unexpectedly easy. We were planning on using a lure of sorts but once we saw what you were already planning to do, we let sleeping dragons lie."
"All this effort to pester us with petty questions which have no purpose?" Saber asked. Before Limes could answer, Caster reappeared in front and spoke overtop of him.
"I'll have to agree with Saber, master. These questions are useless and the ones you have planned to ask will only escalate the situation. I'll be conducting this game from now." Caster stated, voice rather cold and calculated in comparison to his carefree controller. "Question one, why are you fighting this War, what is your wish?"
The other servants flinched. This was a massive change in pace, but far from unwelcome. Even a rat would have been more appealing to them than Limes. Saber spoke first. "To stop the fall of Britain, disregarding my position as king if I have to."
"Stupid." Caster replied monotonously, getting the King of Knights to flinch as if struck. He turned his mask towards Rider. He seemed nervous, surprising for a man so large. Suddenly he spoke one word but neither of the servants with their enhanced hearing could even pick it up. "Pardon?"
"..Reincarnation." Rider's face was embarrassed, but he suddenly grew to look determined. "I wish to conquer the world with my own two hands!" Saber and Caster most likely had the same face at that moment. The only name for the emotion was: "Really?"
"Even more idiotic." Caster turned to look at Saber. "One of you wants to rewrite history and change every subsequent event afterwards, creating a paradox where everyone you knew and loved lacks your guidance to carry them forwards. Your comrades in arms will fall without you, or fail to rise in the first place - Bedivere specifically leaps to mind. The cascading domino effect such a lack of figurehead would create might alter the entire world as we know it." He critiqued, turning to Rider. "The other wants to be a living, breathing person again so they can attempt to conquer a world they know nothing about, with no comrades, no supplies and no real ability besides charging forwards like a buffoon. You and I both have been granted knowledge of the modern world through the Throne. Do you really think the Clocktower would permit a fully-fleshed servant to take over the known world?" Caster shook his head. "So small minded, have neither of you sat down alone and truly considered the repercussions of your potential wishes?"
Silence descended over the cistern. The sound of dripping moisture filled the gap as the berated servants digested the spoken words. If they would actually develop from the information was another story. "What wish do you have for the Holy Grail then, Caster?" Rider asked, actually interested in the servant's words. Caster's master had been too flamboyant and confident to be respected. Caster spoke with calm honesty and intelligence which was almost refreshing to experience.
"I have no wish for the Grail, It cannot grant my true wish in its current state regardless." Caster replied solemnly as if he were disappointed with the fact.
"What wish could possibly exceed the power capabilities of an omnipotent wish granting device?" Saber asked, watching Caster shuffle nervously.
"Perhaps I will explain it to you at some other time."
"Why not this evening?" Came a suggestion from Rider. "Of course not in this dreary place, but somewhere we can all communicate our desires and continue this game with Caster."
"The Einzbern Castle is accommodating enough for such an event," Irisviel suggested sheepishly, getting a shocked look from Saber. "The main courtyard is spacious enough and open to the air. It is secluded from the public as well." Irisviel stated, listing the positive attributes of the castle.
"It's also home to one of the most dangerous servant classes of a highly prestigious mage family. How can we be sure it won't be trapped?" Waver added a very strong point against the location.
"A little insulting don't you think, boy? The lady offered her hospitality in her own home and you accuse her of underhanded tactics?" Rider commented with a smile, enjoying the fact his master was growing more confident as well as tactically wise.
"On my honour as an Einzbern, I swear there shall be no traps or tricks. Caster can even verify the lack of magical elements upon his arrival."
Caster didn't respond one way or another to the comment. "The Einzbern castle is acceptable to me. Regardless of how my master objects to such a meeting. I will attend with or without him."
"Preferably without." Saber absently commented, sword still poised to strike at a moments notice. Not once had she left her battle ready position.
"Agreed." Rider nodded. Caster's master hmph'ed and crossed his arms like a berated child. He even turned around and began grumbling to himself. "If we are all accepting of the location, let us be off so we do not infuse our clothes with this stench."
Nobody had any objections to that.
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"What the hell was that, Rider!?" Waver shouted, walking alongside his servant. After they had left the sewers, Rider magically changed into his casual clothing which consisted of a T-shirt and blue jeans. The shirt was a true miracle of fabric engineering. How it wasn't torn to shreds while straining against Rider's muscular figure was awe inspiring.
"Yes, Caster was quite a sight wasn't he? That mask with such an impressive gaze was quite mystifying." Rider marvelled, scratching his face appreciatively.
"I wasn't talking about Caster you big oa-" Waver was cut off when a flick to his forehead sent the young man careening into a pile of trash tactfully positioned in an alleyway.
"I know what you were referring to, I simply ignored it. Even with my noble phantasm, Caster and Saber would be able to destroy us both. When Caster stated his desire for peace, I sided with him. If Saber had suddenly decided on being the aggressor, I would have leapt to Caster's side." Rider stated with pride. "Whoever made the first strike would have been deemed the aggressor."
"How can you say that when we ma-" Another flick.
"Quiet, boy. You know what the girl said about information and all that." Rider chastised, stopping so his master could pick himself up and rejoin his side. He was grumbling something and rubbing his head but Rider's words seemed to remind him of something rather important. "Surprise is an advantage used only once." Rider stated wisely.
Waver continued nursing the mark on his head as they walked towards a well-known shopping district. Rider had to ask a local for precise location. Since Waver didn't actually know Japanese, Rider became a translator due to his proficiency in all language - a perk of being a servant. Mount Miyama, the shopping area, was the center of marketplaces in Fuyuki. Unlike Shinto, where most businesses were large chains with cheap but plentiful goods, Miyama held small shops which, while limited in variety, were of high quality. Upon hearing this, Rider made it his goal to search for a quality wine suitable for the oncoming banquet.
"With your size, it'd be hard to surprise a blind man." Waver grumbled, getting a laugh from his servant.
"Indeed, however, size does not always correlate into skill. Take that little girl, Saber, for example. While not as large as myself she could easily overpower my blows." Rider ardently remarked, looking at the various stalls some distance ahead.
"Wait, so you're saying a little girl a few inches shorter than me could beat you?" Waver asked with some shock
"That is not entirely what I have said. While she may have more power in each strike, she would not be able to defeat me." He said with confidence.
Waver was silent for a moment. Rider probably gleaned that information from his time fighting beside her against Archer. Come to think of it, Rider never commented on Archer after that fight. Was it because he was as scared of the servant as Waver was himself? Wait a minute… That blonde man up ahead-! It couldn't be!
"King of Conquerors," Archer stated, less a greeting and more of a tiresome acknowledgement. Rather than flashy golden armour, the servant of the bow had elected to wear a black blazer with clean white accents and a single white pinstripe. Complementing his jacket, the servant decided to wear simple black trousers and a half-unbuttoned white dress shirt beneath the blazer. His hair was still spiked to the heavens and his golden earrings still gleamed in the afternoon sun.
"King of Heroes." Rider acknowledged with much more enthusiasm. "Enjoying the sun or looking to purchase something?" Rider asked. He must have said something insulting, as the golden servant scrunched his face in disgust.
"The modern world is filthy. I have no desire for any trinkets as they would disgrace my collection." Archer scoffed, carelessly glancing towards one of the buildings full of souvenirs.
"Come now, there must be some items of value which you do not have. Why just recently I purchased a video game and found it quite entertaining!" Rider boasted, thumping his fist against the logo on his shirt with pride.
"If it is enough to entertain a lowly mongrel like you, it might be enough to bore me." Archer shot back, subtly implying he may actually have to try such a thing. Was this really how these two should be acting? Archer had almost obliterated three separate servants at once while barely taking a single scratch. Now they were talking as if they were old friends over something as idiotic as video games. Waver peeked at Archer from his hiding place behind his servant.
"Say, King of Heroes, would you be interested in a night of discussion involving the other servants? Saber and Caster will be attending as well." Rider propositioned, to the dismay of one specific master who had paled considerably.
"Intriguing, you mongrels have decided to communicate amongst one another? I may have to grace the meeting with my presence if only to watch animals attempt coherent thought." The King of Heroes said with an absolute shit-eating grin.
"Perhaps you can grace us mongrels with the knowledge of your name while you share a drink then. We meet at the Einzbern castle tonight, attend whenever you desire following sunset, King of Heroes." Rider laughed, passing by the other servant. Archer could have demolished the entire area with the snap of his finger and Rider was actually taunting him! Either he was just that stupid or… Well, there really wasn't any other option in this case. Waver glanced behind him to where Archer had been a few moments ago and found no trace of the servant. This was going to be a long night, wasn't it?
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"You believed the best place for a gathering of all-powerful servants to be our main base of operations." Kiritsugu summarized, blinking a few times in disbelief while his wife nodded enthusiastically. With a sigh, Kiritsugu turned to Maiya who was standing some distance away, leaning against a wall. "We'll need more explosives, it won't do enough to kill either servant bu-"
"No explosives or traps!" Irisviel interrupted her husband, surprising everyone - including the homunculus herself - with the outburst. She shrank under Kiritsugu's cold gaze and found words difficult to form. "Saber and I promised that there would be no tricks in this meeting. It won't escalate into fighting Kiritsugu, I promise." She pleaded, looking into his dead eyes with stubborn resolve.
Eventually, he faltered under her stare and softened. "Maiya, we'll need to prepare the other property. We've overstayed here and after this meeting, one of the servants may grow too confident. An hour following tonight's events, we'll relocate." Kiritsugu ordered. He nodded towards Irisviel as a message that she could continue as she saw fit. Maiya followed behind Kiritsugu and the pair moved to the pseudo-planning room.
"The only part of this plan I haven't fully decided on is whether we should remain during the meeting or not," Kiritsugu revealed. He took a moment to disarm the trap set on their intelligence, lifting the map-tarp off and taking a journal from the pile after he was done. "I don't want you to go alone anymore, things are getting too dangerous for us to act apart. Caster has suddenly become an active member and if his goal really is to 'mess' with me then you might be their next target." Kiritsugu lamented, flipping open the journal and writing something down with a fountain pen. The pages of the journal were well worn. Wrinkled near the turning edge and covered with ink from top to bottom. Littered throughout the pages were sticky notes and even letters which spread the pages apart. They were taped into place to prevent them from falling out. She didn't try to look directly, but Maiya caught her own name - among others - written on the letter face
"Sir, Caster has made it known that he wishes to remain neutral through the War until you are prepared." Maiya reminded, not wishing to express her own opinion on the matter. If she had, she would have told him that he was worrying too much over her. She was expendable anyway, why should he care about a simple tool?
Kiritsugu was silent, pen still while his mind worked. When the pen resumed, his voice followed. "Caster's master has made it publically known that his main goal is to disrupt things. I may have a plan that could use this against him." The journal closed and the Magus Killer slid the pen into the bindings. "We'll load up the car with what we need then get you prepared. I have something I'd like you to carry, just in case." Kiritsugu offered, getting a slight nod from Maiya as she began gathering handfuls of documentation she had just brought in a little more than a day ago.
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The sun dipped below the horizon, bathing the surrounding forest in warm colours. Being the end of winter, the trees were all dead which meant this orange-red bath had actually given the normally serene forest an eerie vibe. Regardless of the season, the area surrounding the Einzbern castle perpetually smelled of smoke. Like a campfire in the distance, or smouldering wood beneath one's feet. It seemed to rise out of the ground and the bark of each tree. Why such a phenomenon existed was beyond anyone's reasoning. Kiritsugu had hypothesized that the bounded field surrounding the area was the source, but a similar field existed around the castle back in Germany which lacked the smell.
Maiya had long since left for the other property, stopping at an apartment and two other buildings to mislead any followers. Each stop, she delivered fake packages of 'supplies' which were actually explosives. A slight magical enchantment was cast over them to prevent a common curious citizen from opening the package and blowing themselves up, as well as make them appear genuinely important.
Kiritsugu was confident that she would be alright. He turned from the window and clambered down the stairway to move closer towards the courtyard. Rider and Caster would soon be here and he intended to watch as well as ensure nothing funny was afoot. In his spare time, the Magus Killer had enchanted a large tablecloth with a healthy dosage of Perth runes. Perth was the runic symbol for mystery. It allowed the cloak to exhibit properties similar to an Assassin's presence concealment. Not even servants could detect him without searching for him specifically. Stacking a single character upon itself multiple times as he had done decreased stability but greatly increased the quality of concealment. He had taken a bit longer than he wanted, but between having the material explode in his face and taking a little bit more time, he'd pick the latter. Throwing the sheet over himself like a large cloak, Kiritsugu moved to peek out a window overlooking the courtyard. Nothing to do now besides wait and hope the two other thirds of his team conducted themselves properly.
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Rider and Caster arrived almost in unison. Rider carried with him a barrel of alcohol under one arm and his master under the other. He rode into the courtyard valiantly upon a chariot which left without him when he was deposited. Caster appeared already seated in a puff of smoke - without his master. Kiritsugu immediately thought of Maiya. The Mask - apparently named Limes - would be waiting for Maiya.
"Much better than that sewer, no?" Rider asked, laughing as he set down the barrel and his master. "It took all afternoon to locate a barrel of premium wine but it was worth each minute!" The brute raised one clumsy fist to smash open the top before he found his motion halted. Caster had moved underneath him to hold back his arm. For someone who appeared rather scrawny, he was rather strong. The cloak seemed to make sleeves around his arm to only reveal his hand - which was covered in tight black gloves.
"I prefer my wine with fewer splinters." He commented, reaching into his cloak and withdrawing a nameless dagger. With it, he precisely sliced the very top from the barrel. It was odd seeing a blade cut through solid wood as if it were tissue paper. With a laugh from Rider, Caster returned to his seat and replaced the blade in his cloak.
The layout of the courtyard was simple. Rectangular in construction and neatly designed with thin trees, hip-height hedges and flower beds. Four paths extended to a large paved circular center. Each path led to an entrance of the castle - or exit depending on how one looked at it - set in the middle of each surrounding wall. With their current numbers, Saber, Rider and Caster made three-quarters of a plus-sign, or an X depending on how you looked at it.
Rider dunked a long-handled water scoop into the open barrel and took a hearty drink. He refilled the cup and began passing it around. Once everyone had taken their first drink the conversation began.
Or it would have if golden sparks hadn't distracted everyone. Archer's figure suddenly came into view and immediately, Caster and Saber leapt to their feet. Saber had even withdrawn her blade. "Archer!" They both shouted in unison.
"What are you doing here-"
"What is the meaning of this?"
The two spoke overtop one another. Rider looked embarrassed, Waver facepalmed and the golden servant simply laughed. "Your reaction is far from surprising. Gazing upon royalty in its purest form is indeed rather shocking." He stated and then proceeded to do the wildest, most unexpected thing: He sat down cross-legged.
Caster and Saber exchanged glances before a cough directed their attention to Rider. "I may have run into Archer during my search for drink." He scratched the back of his neck. "And I may have invited him to our banquet." He admitted.
"If you mongrels require it to act civilized, I bid my word as King of All Things that I shall not act out of place should you provide a modicum of entertainment." Archer huffed with closed eyes. "Now am I to be served or am I to do it myself?" He asked with a tone indicating there was only one correct answer.
Rider twitched as he noticed his oversight and he wasted no time moving to correct it. Taking one sip, the King of Heroes scowled and insulted the quality of Rider's beverage. Through a golden portal, he brought forth his own gold pitcher of wine and four gilded chalices for each servant. Upon tasting this new drink, all present complimented the quality. After sampling the truly decadent wine, the standing servants settled back down and contributed to a growing awkward silence.
"Archer, you may not have met this servant, but the one in black and crimson is Caster. As far as we know, he is an admirer of our King of Knights." Rider explained, trying to fill in the golden servant with details. Caster himself was sure his cheeks were the same colour as his mask, he was silently cursing his master's existence and large mouth simultaneously. "They also lack a wish for the Grail." Rider added, getting a snort of derision from Archer.
"That's not entirely true, Rider." Caster commented, sipping his beverage through a straw underneath his mask. It was unclear where it had come from, but it was certainly there now. "I have a wish, it simply cannot be granted by the Grail." Caster clarified, looking towards Saber in anticipation.
"Previously you declined the chance to explain the meaning of that, would you care to elaborate now?" Saber pried, eyeing Caster with a predatory gaze.
Caster looked down at his drink, swirling it around the edges. "Perhaps during my second glass, return to me then." He acquiesced. "I feel rather intimidated being in the presence of great and mighty kings while I have had no such title."
"Speaking of titles…" Saber began.
"Titles indeed, Saber and I know the titles of one another quite well. However, we have little on you, Caster. And we lack your formal name, oh King of Heroes." Rider finished for her, looking between the two mentioned servants with a smile.
Caster wiggled in his seated position, taking another sip to try and pass off his obligation to speak. Archer narrowed his eyes, knowing quite well what Caster was doing. He deciding not to call him out on it - yet. "It should have been quite obvious from the moment you laid eyes upon me, but let it be said I am nothing if not forgiving." Archer scowled. "The King of Kings, the King of All Heroes, the Oldest King, the True King, all titles belong to me: Gilgamesh, the Wedge of Heaven." He introduced himself, taking a sip from his chalice.
Two of the three other servants gaped. His name alone explained why he had been so ridiculously powerful. Gilgamesh was a very well known servant to the Throne. Mainly because he was labelled the "Ultimate Servant Killer" with access to every known noble phantasm and an impossible number of everything else. It seemed that the surprised reaction pleased the True King if the smile he had indicated anything.
"Those are quite the titles, you must have been a true hero in your life." Rider admired, taking a mighty gulp and refilling his chalice.
"If I may, I request we return to Caster," Saber added in, getting a nod of acceptance from the other servants as they honed in on the spell-caster.
"As I said, being in the presence of such powerful, royal servants is rather intimidating. The only title I had came to me after my death. It's unlikely that you know of me, but if The Iron Hound rings any bells I'll be surprised. Less desirable names were directed my way during my life. Names like Face of Betrayal or Soldier of Misfortune." He paused to take a sip from his cup. "Not like any of them were accurate, but rumours can sway the public. You would know firsthand, Saber." Caster shrugged, looking up and between the other servants. Even trying to relate to her wasn't working. That scowl of Saber's indicated as much.
Rider hummed, nodding appreciatively. "A few times you have expressed your knowledge of Saber and her history. How did you come about this?" Rider asked, interested in who was informing the servant.
Caster sighed. "That question is as convoluted as my true name. I hope you won't find it insulting if I ask you to accept the notion that I knew her quite well in my life."
Saber was quick to leap in. "You have admitted you are not a Knight of the Round or someone close to me during my time as King of Britain so how is it that you know me so well without ever having lived during my time?" Saber asked, growing more accusatory and vindictive with each question.
"I never said I did not live during your period. Nor did I specify which period I was alive in." Caste shot back, peering down into his cup and swirling it around again. "Why don't we move on from mysterious topics for now. King of Conquerors, why do you ask others to join your ranks if you know they are kings themselves? Such a proposition goes against a king's natural code, does it not? I believe that both Saber and Archer can agree with me on that point." Caster asked, turning the attention off himself towards Rider. Saber actually nodded in agreement and Archer closed his eyes. What that meant was up to interpretation.
Rider took a smaller drink, cheeks turning a shade of red as alcohol, aged for hundreds of years and of the finest quality, hit him like a tonne of bricks. "What you say is all true. If I were asked to follow under the wing of another King I would obviously decline. I ask not out of the desire to subordinate those around me but out of a desire to avoid senseless fighting. Co-operation could make the goal of claiming the Grail so simple."
"Are you forgetting that only one servant can claim the grail?" Saber asked.
"Not at all. If we worked together we could determine who deserved the Grail by merit and wish alone." Rider clarified
Archer laughed at that. A surprisingly honest sound which almost verged on hysterics. "You believe the Grail should go to the one of greatest merit? Of purest wish? What lunacy! By your words alone, you've admitted the Grail should go to me." Archer pointed out, continuing to laugh. Caster was actually chuckling as well although Saber found this all far from entertaining.
"That is enough, Archer." She levelled. All other servants slowly silenced themselves and turned towards the petite king. "Rider, It is surprising that I agree with you…" She began, pride swelling through Rider's features. "...but it expected that I only agree with half of what you have said." Rider deflated and grumbled through a sip of wine. "The servant with the greatest wish is the most deserving on the Grail, merit does not dictate worth."
"Ah, clever. As expected from the ado- King of Knights." Caster commented with a cough, obscuring his blunder by sipping wine. Gilgamesh scowled at Caster before his attention was turned to Rider.
"Caster has already destroyed our wishes with logic so who out of us do you believe to be deserving of the Grail off this new criteria?" Rider asked, looking towards Caster accusingly.
"Come now, the man wearing cloth and ceramic used logic to defeat the two of you? I should attend meetings of mongrels more often, this is hilarious!" Gilgamesh laughed heartily, sipping from his chalice.
"Their wishes were not thought out, I simply pointed out basic flaws." Caster mumbled in his own defence.
"Our wishes may have been found to hold flaw, however, they are still valid." Saber resumed.
"Being reborn still has value?" Rider asked with confusion. He had thought over his wish at length following the first meeting with Caster and had concluded that his wish was rather short-sighted.
"Hm? Of course, it does. If I had plans of using the Grail, that would be my own wish." Gilgamesh interjected, narrowing his eyes as he turned to face Caster once again.
The servant being stared down by demonic red eyes shrank slightly. "Rider's wish was not simply reincarnation, Archer. It was reincarnation so he could conquer the world with his own hands. I pointed out that the current rulers of the world wouldn't appreciate that very much was all." Caster clarified in a hurry, not wishing to have his form demolished by countless noble phantasms. Archer seemed to accept that answer and resumed chuckling as quiet as he could manage. "And don't get me started on Saber's wish." He mumbled.
Saber loudly cleared her throat. Through this entire assembly, she seemed to be the acting mediator. Even when drinking - she was currently on her third cup - she couldn't relax it would seem. "Caster, you have proven to me that perhaps my wish deserves a second thought but that does not give you the right to be arrogant."
"Arrogant? Saber you misunderstand. I do not believe I'm better than anyone else here. In fact, I think I'm the least deserving of the Grail and the least likely to claim it. I just came for a drink and - to be honest - some time away from my master." Caster clarified, taking a drink and motioning for a refill when he was finished.
"My apologies for misinterpreting then," Saber admitted, sipping more wine and letting a beat of silence fill the air. "You've had your drink of wine, Caster. Care to explain your wish now?"
All eyes fell on Caster for what felt like the dozenth time that night. With a light sigh, the servant drank heavily through his straw and requested another refill. When his chalice was replenished, he spoke. It was all or nothing. "The Grail is not what it seems." His words made the other servants scoff, one even rolled their eyes. "Hear me out." Caster demanded, drawing attention back to his words. "During the Third Grail War, the Einzbern's - the family Saber is currently summoned under - summoned a ninth class type servant." The other servants seemed confused. Saber and Rider repeated the number in disbelief. "In a normal Grail War, there are seven servants." Caster proceeded to list the names of each classification. With each name, he raised a finger. When all seven were accounted for, he raised the eighth finger. "There is also the Ruler class, a servant more powerful than all the other normal seven classes combined. This is a predetermined class summoned in the background of the Grail during each War. Similar to the Overseer of the Church, Rulers act as a mediator. If a servant or master tries to dismantle the Grail War or the system of the Grail, Ruler will strike with impunity to resume the normal course of the war." Caster paused to sip. "While I can only hypothesize scenarios Rulers would be required, one example might be if all the masters and servants of a war decided to collectively stop fighting and halt the progress of the Grail. Ruler would be summoned with the single purpose of disrupting the members of that team. Ruler's only goal would be to resume the natural flow of the Grail War by whatever means necessary." Caster paused for a drink and a breath.
"If the Grail is not what it seems already, why has a Ruler not been summoned?" Saber asked, actually interested in what Caster had to say now.
"I'm getting to that." Caster chided, clearing his throat. "The ninth servant class I mentioned is called Avenger. I actually have no idea how or why such a servant can be summoned, but the servants which qualify typically have a reason to seek revenge - hence the name. In the Third Grail War, the Einzbern's summoned one of these Avenger servants. To my knowledge, it was incredibly weak and died easily in the War to Sabers and yes, Sabers - plural. The Einzbern's forgot about their chance at victory and carried on. Little did they know, Avenger corrupted the Grail from the inside out after his death. The first symptom came in the form of changes to the summoning ritual. In the first three Wars, only true heroes like yourselves were able to be summoned. In this War and all the Wars of the future, anti-heroes and outright villains have been added to the Throne of Heroes and are able to be summoned. As far as I know, it cannot be fixed by any form of magecraft. Unfortunately, I do not have access to true magic, so the outcome of that is undetermined. But the corruption does not end there." Caster paused for another drink. The other three servants were entirely invested. Even Archer almost looked concerned. "You all have no doubt heard of The Monkey's Paw? An incredibly dull, cliche story which informs the reader should be careful what they wish for. Instead of a useless story, however, the Grail has made it a reality - and amplified it. As an extreme example, if a servant offered a wish to be alone in their own personal paradise, the Grail would kill every living human being and reincarnate the servant. They would, in a sense, be alone. Or… If someone were to maybe wish for an end to all conflict, humans with an evil element would be killed. What could constitute as an evil element? I have no idea. However, leaving the entire human populace in the hands of a magical artifact is a terrible idea. Your guess is as good as mine as to how it could misinterpret your wishes. Your wish could make it so that you were never even born or it could turn you into a tyrant who murders for the prosperity of her country. And your wish could have you reincarnated as a Dead Apostle." Caster motioned his head towards Saber and then Rider respectively.
A long period of dead silence ensued as all servants digested the information. "A relic which brings suffering and pain through wishes? All the more reason for me to add such a thing to my collection." Archer said with a smile.
"You wish to collect such a foul device?" Saber gasped, glaring at Archer.
"Of course. Many items within my treasure exist only to kill humans or gods for that matter. Another amongst their ranks would be far from surprising. The expected use of an item does not dictate the item's worth Rather, because the Grail is coveted, it is valuable and because it is valuable, I must have it." Gilgamesh spoke as if his words were gospel.
Caster scratched the top of his head. "I think you vaulting the Grail would actually create a paradox which would tear the membrane between the Throne of Heroes and reality apart. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in order for items to leave your vault you must actualize the opening and retrieval before it becomes physical." Archer was still frowning, but he nodded once. Although he disliked another knowing his abilities so well, sometimes knowledge was valued greater than emotions. "If you took the Grail and admitted it to your vault and that action concluded the war. When you dematerialize - the physical copy of you within the Throne of Heroes would hold the Grail inside his treasury. If you weren't summoned in the following war, when the war called for the Grail it would violate the laws of both the Throne and your noble phantasm by trying to pull a physical relic through a timeless, ephemeral plain of existence, from a mana-coded flesh copy of..." Caster trailed off, tilted his head as if to think before giving it a shake. "This is all just guesswork. Anything could happen, really." He surmised, wrapping both hands around his chalice before returning to gazing at the crimson fluid within. Archer chose to hold his forked tongue.
"That was quite an explanation." Rider marvelled, then scratched his head. "You lost me about halfway."
Saber sighed. "No matter who uses the Grail, it will cause as much death as possible." She summarized, wondering how such a man could conquer a large part of Asia.
"More or less." Caster agreed.
"But is our wish still completed?" Rider asked sheepishly, getting fierce glares from Caster and Saber. The answer was actually far from a direct no. Theoretically, the wish would be granted.
Caster suddenly twitched. "Ah, it would appear my master has bitten off more than he can chew." He said absently, looking between the servants present before snapping his head towards a window on the second floor of the castle. "If I must leave abruptly, it will not be by my own hand and I apologize in advance."
"Even if you are not departing at this moment, I am," Archer stated abruptly, closing his eyes. "You have failed to continue providing entertainment and I being dissected by a spellcasting mongrel infuriates me. You may enjoy what is left of the wine. Consider it a gift from one king to another." He passed off, fading away into golden sparks. Caster gleaned from his quick exit that Archer had left to control his anger. If he had stayed any longer, his temper may have gotten the better of him.
All three servants collectively released a breath. The air was so much easier to breathe without Archer nearby. "You still have yet to reveal your wish, Caster."
"Ah… My wish, I had hoped you would forget about that." Caster admitted. "My wish is simple but ungrantable. I wish to save everyone. Knowing how the Grail works, it would be turned into kill everyone because of the old saying: 'salvation in death' and all that. Because of what I have learned, I have opted to abandon the wish in its entirety."
A brief beat of silence ensued before Saber spoke up. "Ironic that the one who pointed out how futile our wishes were had to abandon his own." There was no pity in her voice. It wasn't quite spite, more like neutrality. Was she actually beginning to warm up to the servant?
Caster laughed. "Maybe my human stubbornness drove me to accept the contract. I must have thought I could change fate and achieve my dreams regardless of what I had heard, what I had known. Upon becoming a servant, I realized my wish was far from accomplishable, and I've continued to realize that as time goes on." He paused, emptying the last sip from his chalice and setting it down. "I don't regret the choice though. Never once have I regretted any of it. I think it's better to take action - even if it leads to an undesirable result - than sit back and do nothing."
Saber actually smirked. "You sound almost human." Her voice was soft, but the sarcasm within it made the other two servants chuckle. "I have only one question remaining. After that, I will allow Rider to ask as many as he so desires. You and I have taken an overwhelming majority of the conversation tonight." She nodded towards Caster.
"Indeed!" Rider laughed out, slugging back the rest of his chalice.
"Perceptive as always, King of Knights. I'll answer whatever question you can come up with."
"Very well." Saber followed Rider's lead and drained her own cup. Upon doing so, she bashed one gauntleted hand against her breastplate and closed her eyes. "Why conceal yourself so thoroughly? Is your identity such a great secret or are you simply repugnant to look at?"
Caster and Rider shared a look before breaking out into roaring amusement, even Saber joined in with a chuckle. "Who would have thought the girl to have such a sharp tongue?" Rider asked no one in particular, doubling over in a fit of laughter.
"Alright, alright. I've had enough wine to actually affect me. I've no fear of revealing my features to anyone any longer." Caster agreed, reaching up and first removing the crimson band over his eyes. His head was down, so nobody could see the colour or shape of his eyes just yet. Caster fumbled around with something around the back of his head and as the mask fell…
The very space around Caster distorted and in a blink - he was gone.
Saber had long since stopped her outburst of mirth while Rider was still snickering at the joke, wiping tears from his eyes and taking heavy breaths to control himself. "It would seem his master really was overconfident. A shame that the timing had to leave us on a cliffhanger." Rider looked longingly into his empty chalice, recalling the memory of when it was full. "Quite inconsiderate."
Saber was quiet for a moment, sipping her own almost empty drink. "I had entered this meeting despising the man. But after hearing his explanations and coming to better understand his reasoning, my hatred has turned into slight respect." Saber admitted, getting a chuckle from Rider.
"That reminds me, Saber. Did you ever have someone special back in your life?" Rider curiously. He had his eyes closed as if remembering something fondly.
… … …
… … …
… … …
The door to the car popped open and a woman in a suit quickly exited. Her head snapped around to verify she was alone. It was Maiya, wearing Kiritsugu's trench coat. Saying it looked bad on her was actually far from the truth. It was strangely fitting on her frame. Searching through a few of the pockets, she eventually found a keyring in one of them and opened the main gate to the property. The sun had fallen beneath the horizon an hour ago. Darkness was settling in for the night and with it, a calming quiet. Miyama had the benefit of being a very peaceful district during the night. It was the complete opposite of the Shinto zone, where urban noise continually droned on. Cars and police sirens were replaced by wind and distant animal noises. The creaking hinges of the front gate added an unnatural tone to this choir. Maiya pushed her way into the yard and calmly moved to unlock the front door, only, it was already unlocked. It wasn't like Kiritsugu to forget something important like that, immediately Maiya was on edge. Reaching behind herself, she withdrew a simple Glock and quietly slid open the doorway.
Empty.
Maiya had always thought traditional Japanese buildings had a sort of calming elegance to them. Unilluminated in the dead of night rapidly changed that mood into eerie abandonment. The assassin squinted, slowly stepping into and down the hallway. Two doors sat along the left midway down the hall. At the end, it cut off towards the right. A light was shining somewhere around the corner, casting a dim glow on the ground. Doing her best to avoid making a single sound, the assassin crept forwards. She was thankful the floor was made of tile rather than wood. Wood would creak under her weight but the tile was too securely set to make any noise.
She pushed open each door with her pistol to verify that the small rooms were empty. Continuing down the hall, she rounded the corner with her weapon first. At the end of the hall was a small lamp. The shade was set up specifically to shine just far enough to reach the corner. Caster's master was making this too obvious. Nobody else would do anything this foolish and meticulous. Maiya turned her head around, surprised nobody was behind her.
The entrance hallway carried on after the initial corner. It terminated further down, but a left turn led deeper into the home. Hallways surrounded each room, connecting to each other only occasionally. It was common for one side of these hallways to be made of glass, leading out into the yard or a slight path between rooms. If one wasn't familiar with the layout of the house, it would be incredibly easy to get lost. Thankfully Maiya had memorized the blueprints of the house when it was first purchased.
Blueprints were slightly different than physically being within the property but it would be enough to get around. There were two large paper doors leading into the kitchen from this hallway. If she moved further north into the house, she would come to two larger rooms. On the East and West sides, were attached buildings designed for guest accommodations. If Maiya were to make an educated guess, Caster's master would be in the large shed within the backyard. It was the most secure place in the entire property while simultaneously being the best place to hide supplies. She would still secure the area by checking each room, however.
… … …
Ten minutes passed since she opened the front door. She secured both East and West sections and had just entered the second bedroom of the main building. This room, unlike the first, was more cluttered with trinkets and such. It had probably been the room the previous owner lived in. A small wardrobe with the doors open to reveal various outfits, an unmade futon, books of various genre and title strewn about the room along with an out of place armchair in one corner. Maiya ran a brief check around the room. There was nothing within this room either, which meant Limes was in the shed out ba-
"You know, usually it's the wife or girlfriend that gets to wear a guy's clothes." Came a condescending voice. Without hesitating, Maiya turned and fired two rounds at the noise. The flash illuminated the room and in that brief instance, she could see him. Caster's master was just sitting in the chair. He hadn't even moved when the rounds were fired. Upon lowering his arms, she realized what he had done. He had sat in the armchair and waited, holding the cloak to drape over his top-half. It concealed the glow of his mask and made him near invisible in the darkness. The two rounds from Maiya's pistol were flung off wildly to the sides, whizzing as the spinning bullets lodged in place.
"That's rude. You offer girls suggestions and how do they repay the favour? They try and kill you!" He huffed in fake insult. The man stood and fluidly slipped the cloak over his shoulders. "Where's Kiritsugu, girly?" He menaced, crimson mask adding to the ominous tone.
Maiya didn't even offer a response, running out of the room and into the hallway. She pointed her gun at the door, expecting the masked man to follow her. Two seconds of concentration went by before she was tapped on the shoulder.
"Are you deaf? Maybe cat's got your tongue?" Maiya snapped the gun up to her shoulder, gritting her teeth as she pulled the trigger. A loud ringing split through her head from the gunshot but the action proved successful. A pained noise from the man as the bullet sheared off a section of his mask was enough to tell her that much. A trickle of warmth flowed from her ear, she wouldn't be able to hear from that side for some time.
The assassin turned with her elbow, looking to strike the masked man in the head if he hadn't been smart enough to move away. He had, surprisingly, which left her to simply level her pistol for another shot. "Well if you weren't deaf before, you are now." He casually commented, holding his left forehead where the mask had been shattered. "Kiritsugu keeps coming up with new tricks. First the martial arts, then the rune-enchanted clothes and now rune-enchanted bullets. Putting extra speed and force into bullets was clever I'll give you that." He straightened and moved the hand away from his face. "But it still can't go through Caster's cloak."
She could hardly blink before he was already too close. His fist was already moving to strike while she was hardly moving her body. The blow struck under her ribs and the impact sent the woman flying out through the glass towards the backyard. Rolling in shards of glass, she gasped for breath, holding onto her side to try and dull the pain.
"Huh, you're more durable than I thought you'd be." He commented absently before looking down and making a noise. "What's this?" He asked in exaggerated surprise, crouching to retrieve the gun Maiya had dropped from the attack.
The assassin struggled to get up, propping her body upon her elbows before shakily standing. "I had Caster whip me up more gear that'd make Kiritsugu really have a run for his money. If I knew I'd have been facing one of his lackey's I would have just brought a gun." The man in the mask casually stepped down onto the grass. "I know, I know. I said I'd be a good boy and wait for him to come to me…" Maiya moved.
Limes caught a fist aimed for his face with one hand. "But it's good to keep people on their toes. That and Caster left me alone with nothing to do. He didn't even invite me to that damned banquet of his, bastard." His free hand snapped up around Maiya's neck, lifting her off the ground as if she were weightless. She gasped for air, clutched at his forearm and tried to dig her nails into his skin. She found that the cloak simply would not yield, so she tried something else.
"You weren't there, so you wouldn't know any of this but believe me, he was quite inconsiderate. And that damned Magus Killer." He growled, tightening his grip on her throat. "Who does he think I am? A simple mage he can just toss aside like all his other targets?" His tone grew angry, a hidden rage behind his words. "Why are you here instead of him you wordless bitch!" He shouted, gasping as a gunshot rang out through the night.
The masked man released the assassin and stumbled backwards, clutching at his abdomen. Maiya fell to the grass on her knees, sucking in lungfuls of air. In her hand, was a still smoking Thompson Contender.
The masked man looked down at himself as the cloak around his shoulders disintegrated. It was as if the material were ageing at an incredible rate. It flaked apart and disappeared in the wind. "Are you serious? He gave you his prized weapon!? What other tools did that idiot give to someone as useless as you?" He quiestioned, voice edged with barely contained fury. From this angle and with the damage to the mask - she could see his eyes. They were cold and dark like Kiritsugu's but without any heart. Within them, only evil and cruelty.
She had fired an Origin Round into him, but that cloak took the bullet and its effect in its entirety. At least she could actually hurt him now. With considerable effort, she stood, replaced the Contender and withdrew another weapon. Used during Kiritsugu's training with Maeve, it was an HK45. Naturally chambered in .45 ACP, the pistol was simple to use and incredibly accurate. Kiritsugu gifted it to her, but he himself had received it as a gift quite some time ago.
"Oh come on!" The masked man lamented, leaping backwards into the open door of the bedroom. During the action, his motions seemed to be assisted by the wind itself, accelerating his movements and propelling him further than normal. This was most likely how he was so fast and how a single punch had thrown her so far away.
Rather than try to shoot the man while he was moving, she waited and fired at the edges of the doorway when he entered the room. Six rounds, three in a well-spaced line near the door's edge and three further to the right as if she were leading a clay pigeon. With four bullets left in the magazine, she reloaded and retrained her weapon - storing the used magazine in a pocket just in case.
One thing Kiritsugu never told her was how damn heavy his coat was. It weighed twelve pounds in material alone but with the Contender, his pistols, the Calico and rounds for all, it was over fifty pounds. The Calico had been replaced with his training pistol, but the weight was near the same. She both didn't know how to use the weapon and preferred being more mobile with handguns.
She looked around herself, unsure of where he would come from next. The silence of the night seemed to become suffocating. "Hey girly, are you so focused on using guns because you can't fight any other way?" Limes spoke from somewhere within the building. Maiya focused on where it had come from, checking behind her as she remembered her initial mistake. Carefully, the woman moved back towards a building larger than the stone shed. It was an area devoted to martial arts training; a dojo of sorts. "I don't like talking to myself you know!" He shouted again from somewhere else within the building. Nothing came out to surprise her along the path to the door. When she tried to open it, she found it locked.
"Come on, you wreck my cloak and now you're not even going to kill me properly?" Limes continued taunting. Something stirred to the right in the corner of her eye. She fired her gun on instinct, putting two rounds into whatever had moved.
A blanket... It was a blanket?
While realizing her mistake, the assassin snapped both arms in front of her face. A kick aimed to take her head off her shoulders collided with her forearms. The force behind the strike should have broken both her arms but Kiritsugu's coat dispersed the impact. Her time training under Kiritsugu had meant she learned martial arts through experience just as he had. It was far from anything rigorous or formal, but like the man she served under, she learned to predict attacks as well as how to make an opponent become predictable without even noticing. Maiya moved with the blow, stepping back and dropping her guard over her left side. As expected, the masked man aimed another kick to that side.
Rather than try to block or parry his leg, Maiya turned her body to put Kiritsugu's coat in-between. Just as it had done a moment ago, it turned an attack which would have surely broken bones or killed her into something that would only cause bruises. Not expecting such a seemingly suicidal move, the masked man sucked in a sharp breath. Or maybe his surprise came from the pistol nearing his face.
He tried to twist out of the firing path but couldn't fully escape before the gun went off. The bullet pierced his left shoulder and carried on with a visceral crunch. The enchanted bullet fragmented but due to the nature of the enchantment, each fragmentation carried on through the bone and out the other side. Limes' arm was destroyed. The two separated, and as Maiya tried to re-train her weapon, a kick collided with her hand and it was sent flying off to the right. Instead of being surprised, Maiya pulled her right arm up to hook Limes' leg. She pulled him forward into her, roughly slamming her bare fist into the side of his head.
While she wasn't enchanted or magical in any way, neither was Limes without Caster's cloak. The strike and odd position of his legs toppled the man directly onto his demolished shoulder. Grunting in pain, he kicked out of her hold and rolled away. The wind seemed to assist his recovery into a standing position. Rather than let him make the first strike, Maiya moved to finish what she started. She stopped short, feinting a punch which followed into a low kick. Her attack went through, however instead of him losing his footing, his legs snapped shut on her foot when it struck his thigh. In that brief instance of stillness when he trapped her leg, both participants knew the fight had effectively ended. Limes' right elbow reared back to strike at Maiya's knee. The bones shattered and snapped but still the assassin hardly made a sound. Following her down as she fell backwards, the masked man nailed his fist into her chest. He straightened and moved his leg near her side, lifting the other to stomp on her face.
Rather than let it happen. Maiya twisted her body to strike him right where it hurt - between the legs. Like a sack of rocks dropped off a cliff, he collapsed on the ground but he never once stopped fighting. They were both skilled in combat, but he held the advantage with weight and height. She tried to grapple the man and keep him down but he was simply stronger than her. He used his legs and the one good arm to twist the assassin around and line her up into an armbar. Pulling back on her wrist while forcing her away with a foot to her back, he dislocated her shoulder with a loud pop.
"Looks like we're both out of an arm. If only w-" He interrupted himself with a shout of pain. Sticking out of the side of his torso was the handle of a knife. Maiya had deposited it while he was focused on talking. With the release of pressure on her arm, she slammed the palm of her good arm into the masked man's chest so she could slide out of his grip. Her body turned on the ground and her legs kicked him away to put some distance between them. Leaving the knife embedded in his side, Limes stood and glowered at the assassin.
"That's enough. I thought you were a simple human, someone who could be taken out easily. I see now that you're actually a threat. There's no need for me to hold back any longer." Limes commented. Maiya had hardly even listened. She had taken hold of another Origin Round and was reaching for the Contender within Kiritsugu's coat. With the sound of rushing air, he moved and was upon her. She hardly managed to duck under a punch but neglected to account for the follow-up strike. He dropped his elbow onto her shoulder and was forced to her knees. She tried to stand and recover but found the man holding her down with his weight. In the next moment, she was kicked in the chest and sent backwards onto the overgrown grass. Her core ached with pain, but stubbornly she tried to rise. She would have as well, had Limes not forced her back down with a stomp
"Uh-uh, no more tricks and bullshit." He chastised with a wiggle of his finger. As casually as one might sit down in a chair, he plopped his weight onto her stomach. The pressure made it hard to breathe and her vision became clouded with stars after he hooked her across the face. She reached up, trying to jam her fingers in the hole of his bad shoulder but she was batted away.
"You destroy my cloak, you make me look like a fool, you keep getting up again and again." He shook his mask-clad face. "You get to die now." Another strike to the head. Maiya found it hard to focus. Just as she thought she had regained herself, another blow stripped her of complex thought. His strikes were so spaced because he was only using one arm. If he had both, she would have probably gotten pummeled at this point. The blows continued. Through them all, Limes never screamed or shouted a cry of effort. The silence broken by gradually wettening thumps was almost more disturbing than if he were screaming bloody murder. She lost consciousness on the ninth strike. Knowing she was unconscious did not stop Limes from beating her. He continued striking more than two dozen times. Blood covered his arm and body but it was unclear whose blood it was. The face he had been speaking to mere moments ago was a bloodied mess. The same could be said for his knuckles. He was sure that several bones in his hands were broken, but he didn't care. With a collected cycle of breaths, he stood from the limp body.
"You know, if you had been a mage, you might have actually beat me." He turned, pausing as if listening to a voice from the deformed mess behind him. "Yeah, you're right. If I had just taken you seriously, to begin with, I wouldn't be having such a hard time." The man reached up to take off his mask, taking longer than it usually would due to him only having one arm. "Even if you weren't a mage." He paused, wiping the mask clumsily on his vest. "Enchanting your knife might have done the trick." He grunted, glancing down toward the blade still lodged in his side. "Oh well, you know what they say don't ya?" He paused, waiting for the silent voice to respond.
"Life's a bitch."
Limes turned, bewildered that someone had actually responded. His eyes met the barrel of Kiritsugu's Contender and in that instance, before the trigger was pulled, his mind ran through a thousand possible actions.
He settled on one. With a flash of crimson light, the space directly between Maiya and Limes distorted and the still sitting form of Caster appeared. On the servant's left, his master, the right, the downed form of Maiya. The trigger had already been pulled, and an Origin Round struck the side of Caster's cloak before anyone could react. Just as it had when Limes had been shot, the cloak flaked apart and blew away with a gust of wind. Caster had been teleported a few feet off the ground, enough so that his head was level with his master's. This meant he fell to the ground shortly after appearing and being shot. Upon grounding, he twitched. The flakes of his cloak exploded into blue bunches of sparks as they flew away.
There was silence. All three members remained where they were and tried to rationalize what just happened. Maiya's face had almost fully recovered, as had her knee. The former was battered, bruised and swollen but the cuts had knit themselves together with what looked like magical thread. Her knee was setting itself and repairing the splintered bone
"So that's why I felt a strong tingle during the banquet." Caster commented casually. Underneath that black cloak had been, unsurprisingly, another layer of concealment. Unlike the fine coordinated material of the last covering, this layer was more disjointed and hastily created. He looked more like a bloodied mummy than a powerful servant. Crimson wrappings, like bandages, were wound around his entire body. Maiya couldn't see beneath this layer, but she was sure there was armour underneath as the variance in width was too strange to be a bodily deformation. Even the servant's head was wrapped up tightly. She thought she could see hair beneath but with the blending of colours, she wasn't sure whether Caster's hair was red, blond, white or even black. Or perhaps the colours came from her recovering head wound.
"What are you doing you dumbass, make us another pair of cloaks!" Limes shouted. At some point, he had replaced the damaged mask on his face.
Caster remained silent for a moment, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "I can't." He stated simply. "I don't remember how. Why do I not remember how?" He looked towards his master, then at Maiya. Upon seeing the Contender the pieces seemed to click into place. "I see. That explains one question I've had at least." There was a brief pause as Caster stood up. "How strange. Master, we're leaving."
"Are you kidding me? This bitch blows out my shoulder and stabs me in the side and you act like a punted dog? Kill her, kill her right now!" He demanded. Caster turned to face Maiya, who was still confused and trying to recover cognitive thought after all the blows delivered to her head.
"There is no need. She is not important in our plans and her life will serve purpose later." Caster spoke as if he knew something important. He turned to face his master, extending a hand to touch the broken mask. Upon contact, the material seemed to expand and grow to return to its fully repaired state. "I had not intended to be anywhere besides the Einzbern castle tonight. If we do not return to my workshop soon, I cannot guarantee it will still be there."
"Tsk - Fine. Count your blessings and pray I don't see you again because if I do..." The masked man menaced while pointing at the assassin with his good hand. When he trailed off, the thumb from that same hand went up to run across his own neck.
Caster didn't say another word, but he did roughly yank the knife out of his master's side and lift the man off his feet. Limes' howl of pain and curses trailed on through the night as he was carried away by his servant.
Maiya dropped the Contender on the ground and tried to regain her breath. What the hell just happened? Kiritsugu would be upset that she hadn't caught a good look at Caster's master but would be happy to hear that neither of the two had access to those cloaks. She stared up at the starry night sky. The cool air breezing across her hot skin and sore body relieved her some. It made the swelling of her face die down as well. Her eyes closed and her mind flickered back to the Castle when she was leaving.
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"Caster's master is a powerful man. I couldn't tell if he was a mage or not, but he was able to keep up with me without breaking a sweat. With your experience, you might be able to keep up to him."
"Might? Sir, why are you telling me this?"
"Because I want you to be prepared. If you aren't unexpectedly skilled, you'll lose." Kiritsugu took off his coat and moved behind his apprentice assassin. Reflexively, she lifted her arms to put it on before turning to look at him.
"Sir?"
"You have my Contender and four Origin Rounds. Three in the left side interior, one in the chamber. If you're going to use it, make sure they hit. Magazines for the pistol I've given you are in the right side. This coat is magically enchanted to mitigate impacts while being incredibly durable. Bullets will only give you bruises, punches shouldn't hurt very much unless they're considerably strong. You have to be careful, however, since the force can still launch you." Kiritsugu moved to her front, tugging at his own coat's collar to adjust it on Maiya's frame.
"Sir, stop." She coldly spoke, lifting Kiritsugu's hands from her. "I'll succeed in eliminating the target." She responded, surprising her mentor. He chuckled to diffuse his nerves, then refocused on her when she took hold of his chin. "Use your tools to the best of your ability, do not consider their feelings - only their actions."
Kiritsugu nodded and took a step away. He inhaled deeply to steel himself. "You're right." He accepted, stepping back. "But in order for me to use my tools correctly, they have to be in peak condition." The Magus Killer placed an open hand on his chest, slowly pulling it away. Maiya was shocked. A gold and royal blue scabbard was exiting his chest. In a second, its full glory was hovering above his own hand. A radiance of light gently bathed the two of them. It was a magnificent, gorgeous sheath.
"Avalon - You can't!" Maiya objected, getting a shush from Kiritsugu.
"Avalon won't work without Saber in its proximity. But I've found its healing effect can be toggled if you concentrate on it within you. Using it this way, you can have one use of its power. If you die or get knocked out, it will bring you back. If you're too wounded to continue fighting, focus on Avalon to heal your wounds. Put everything you have into killing Caster's master and when that's not enough, Avalon will let you try once more."
Maiya was speechless. Even as Kiritsugu pushed Avalon into her body, she couldn't find words to express her emotions. Kiritsugu himself must have taken notice of this. After turning and walking away, he spoke:
"Go, I'll see you in a few hours."
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Her throat and mouth were incredibly parched. She felt weightless and a quick glance revealed Kiritsugu was carrying her to a bed. How long had she been unconscious? The bed was warm at least, and the water which somehow found its way into her mouth was a welcome feature.
Was this what it was like to have someone care for you? She had to admit that it was kind of… Nice. Kiritsugu had been the only one who cared for her through her entire life, she owed that life in service to him for saving her - it was all she could provide and all she would provide.
Saber entered the room, and the pain in her body rapidly eased. Drearily she looked between the two of them. Even half-conscious it was plain to tell they were polar opposites. One was a radiant figurehead of royalty and leadership, honour and chivalry. The other was the embodiment of deception, efficiency and blind scales. Perhaps opposites attracted? No, of course not. There was a limit to how opposed something could be before attraction turned to repulsion. She could see in both of their eyes that they were only working together to achieve a common goal.
Kiritsugu spoke and Saber exited the room. When they were alone, Kiritsugu took Maiya's hand and squeezed tightly. She was alive, he was so grateful for that. In her delirium, Maiya said something but her brain couldn't recognize even her own words. The syllables seemed disjointed and words became incoherent noise. He seemed to understand though if the change in his face indicated anything. Whatever she said, she hoped it helped him somehow.
REALLY dialogue-heavy chapter. Insight to the changed on the characters and knowledge on just how much Caster knows. If you can't start to tell who he is now... You should do some studying! At some point in the future, I'm going to be compiling a list of changes made in this world as compared to the Fate already known. It will most likely be at the end of the Fate Zero arc - during a break where I compile my thoughts, take a rest from writing and try to work out what I want to write.
I only got a couple of reviews, which means my pickings for who to feature is rather limited (Write more reviews damn it!) but it's a good way to communicate with reviewers. A guest predicted that Caster is Gil-Caster, which is actually a rather good guess. I'm not saying whether they are correct or not, but after reading this chapter their opinion may have changed greatly.
Write reviews, favorite and follow if you liked it! Hopefully I get the next one out soonish.
