*clears throat* Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated! But I must admit that I can't blame people for giving up on my stories. You'd think the whole pandemic situation would give me more time in lockdown, but the opposite was actually the case. I hope you guys aren't too mad at me! And I hope to be able to advance more regularly, especially now that things are heating up for final confrontations!
Chapter 12 – Rinshan Kaihou
Risei
"Alright. I am glad that the talks with the fire department have been settled. I guess we can be grateful that no causalities were involved", Risei put down the receiver and sighed.
He was glad that no corpses were complicating his job, though it made judging what exactly had happened quite difficult. He stared at the phone long and hard, but decided that the best decision might be to call him right away. He had a bad feeling.
"Good evening, father. I hadn't expected you to call so soon", the voice of Kirei spoke up the moment the connection was made.
"I apologize for disturbing this late, but something new has occurred today and I wonder whether you and Assassin know anything about it. The Red Woman made another move."
"I have sent Assassin on an important scouting mission today from which she is just about to return", Kirei stated plainly. "But since it seems urgent, please tell me what has happened."
Risei grimaced. With Kirei being just as much in the dark as he was, their options were limited to simple brainstorming. He still relayed what his informant told him.
"There was a fire at the Matou residence today night. Its Bounded Field collapsed at around 10 p.m., by then the building was already reduced to cinders. Police and fire department are obviously very confused about the delay between the fire breaking out and the neighbours notifying the police. The reports also note how there seem to be no victims whatsoever. There should have been at least four people in there and no remains have been found. A man fitting the description of Byakuya Matou and a boy that must have been his son have been seen at the Shinto train station, but so far haven't come forward to the police. Of Zouken and Sakura there is no trace. Of Kariya as well, but we both know that he left and never returned to the mansion at the beginning of the Grail War."
Kirei listened wordlessly to all of this. When Risei was finished, he would still ponder a minute more before giving his response.
"Assassin mentioned that Kariya and Caster were discussing Sakura. It is very possible that he had come to take her."
"I see. Admittedly, I hadn't thought of that possibility. What do you think the Red Woman intends to do with Tokiomi's girl? She has the same promising blood of her sister. Blood that could be used for a many a wicked heresy."
There was another pause, though notably shorter.
"It didn't seem to me that this was the reason behind Caster's interest in the girl. Assassin herself seemed very conflicted about what she had seen them discuss and questioned me about the girl's background", Kirei replied.
"What did you reply?"
"Only what was necessary. Assassin seemed to develop sympathy for Matou's cause. And I... I didn't want to add upon her plight after what happened to Tohsaka."
Risei couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Kirei's matter-of-factly treatment of his Servant so far had indicated that he regarded her as a tool to achieve the Grail and frankly he himself did so, too, given the premise of this battle.
"If I didn't know you better, I would say you are worried about your little companion...", Risei mused and couldn't hide a trace of amusement.
There was another pause and he could have sworn that there was a slight sigh on the other end.
"Unlikely. I simply do not wish to endanger our work. Assassin may pretend otherwise, but she has a tendency to act according to her impulses... impulses that often work in her favor, but not necessarily always play out in ours."
"Surely", Risei said carefully.
He couldn't help but imagine his son and his headstrong child Assassin. The girl's arrival had thrown quite a wrench into their plans, but somehow they managed to hang on and still fought on, even though it was from the shadows only waiting for an opportunity that might arise for them. From what he could tell, it went better than expected so far. And maybe it was finally his age talking, but when he saw him work together with that fierce little thing, Risei felt heavy in heart. It was that heaviness that made him talk now.
"You know... once this is over, I really think you should take her back."
Another pause. Quite understandable as Kirei must have done his best to follow his track of thought there.
"What makes you say that?", Kirei replied, notably cautiously.
"Call it a sudden fancy if you want to. I... I must admit that I had been slightly disappointed by your decision back then. And while I understand that your reasoning might have been that the life you have lived so far is not suitable to raise a child... I think you will do a great harm to both her and yourself if you keep running away."
"Father...", there was a strange tone in Kirei's voice, one Risei couldn't quite pin down.
"You know, chances are that even if someone obtains the Grail, the Grail Wars themselves will continue. And someone needs to take my place for that future. It would put my mind a lot to ease if you'd take this opportunity to settle down."
"I'm not sure I..."
He was not able hear his reply. His attention was immediately drawn to the picture of the surveillance camera showing the entrance to the chapel. He was no Magus, he had no way to sense the presence of what was coming, but the good old fashioned alarm system still kept him informed of unexpected morning visitors. Risei had expected as much to happen ever since he made the announcement the day before, but he didn't expect it to happen this early. Especially since she had not sent any familiar to it.
"I'm sorry, Kirei... she is here..."
That was something his son didn't need to process very much.
"Assassin just arrived. I have already sent her to you, so stay where you are!"
As he watched her look up to the camera with a knowing smile, a warm shiver went through his chest. He knew very well what that expression was supposed to convey.
"I'm afraid that will be unwise. Well... no matter what happens, I might get some answer to our question."
Kirei had already hung up and was at this point likely already ploughing his way towards the church. Risei however rose up from his seat and looked around. His time was short. His eyes were scanning all of his surroundings, looking for things he could use to his advantage. Ironically enough, his eyes rested on his bible placed on the desk below. He picked it up, opened it at a certain page, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Now knowing what do to, he ripped at a page and put the red bookmarker into it before closing it again and carrying it close to his chest as he made his way to the chapel.
It was the color that struck Risei the most when Risei entered the chapel. Thanks to the stained glass the early morning sun illuminated the chapel only dimly and yet it was like she herself was radiating a bright red light as she stood there in the middle of the main aisle. It even seemed a little warmer than the morning chill in the backyard suggested. TV and video screens could also never hope to do her justice. Despite his age he couldn't help but be drawn in by her beauty. Risei noted that despite her youthful features, white skin and full lips, there was a certain agelessness adding to her unnaturally deep red hair. He assumed that it was the result of her magic, a sign of vanity that reminded him just so slightly of Tokiomi. Nevertheless, as their eyes met, he didn't perceive any obvious malice. She studied him more with an expression of scientific curiousity, once again something more akin to the Magi he was used to deal with.
"I'm afraid it is a bit early for mass", Risei gave a dry chuckle as he stepped to the altar and carefully placed the bible at the center.
"It should be obvious that I have not come to pray to your god... though I must say, what I have read up about him has intrigued me", the Red Woman spoke with a melodic ring in her voice.
Risei raised his eyebrows at this unexpected proposal. For while it was forbidden for Servants to enter this neutral ground, it seemed safer not to remind her and instead humor her for the time being.
"It would be a shame to my profession to deny someone to speak about theology who comes to seek it. What knowledge do you seek?", he asked as he stepped away from the altar, shortening the distance between them.
"It is curious how in two worlds that couldn't be more different there are yet some similarities when it comes to the gods that are worshipped", Caster spoke amiably.
"What makes you think that?", Risei's thoughts immediately went to her nightly bonfires. Something that wasn't part of Christian tradition except to Easter in some parts of Europe.
"First, your people have reached the truth that there is only one god even when surrounded by many heathens who worship a multitude of idols. A truth that from then on spread across the world. And looking at your holy book I can even see some faint signs of what I knew all along. A last battle for the soul of mankind and a great hero of the past coming again with a flaming sword to battle against the servants of the great enemy who constantly lurks in the shadows to have humans stray from the path of light..."
The priest gave a dry chuckle. That woman did her homework.
"The book of revelation? End time prophecies are part of many pantheons though. One even more grim than the other...", he mused.
The Red Woman motioned with her hands with feigned indignance.
"Is it not a prophecy that was foretold?"
"That is actually being debated to this day. There is many a voice surmising that it is actually a parable of events long past. Those who take the scriptures literally become fewer every generation."
Caster took this information in with her initial scientific curiosity, though Risei caught a glimpse of pity in her eyes, a foreboding shadow of her actual intentions.
"Maybe you should trace your roots again, there is wisdom in these words, even though they are hidden behind errors and falsehoods", she said gravely.
"Is that why you are preaching to people of this city? Why you have been burning priceless temple artefacts?", Risei asked, unable to hide the sharpness in his voice.
And indeed, the Red Woman reacted quite irritated about that.
"I have rid this temple only of false idols. I am surprised that you take the side of this primitive local cult. Should you not be glad that I have brought them closer to the one true god we might possibly even share?"
"So you have studied both the bible as well as history. I should be flattered", Risei replied sardonically. "But I am afraid the days of aggressive mission is over. In fact this little chapel here only exists by the grace of this country's hospitality and the expectation that different faiths in this day and age should respect and value each other."
"Is that that the reason for your hostility then?", the Red woman asked with an icy voice.
Risei felt the burning lump in his throat rising. There wasn't much more time he was able to buy for himself. A first drop of sweat was running down his brow. Had it become so much more hot in here all of a sudden?
"I made it very clear why I halted the Grail War. Burning history may not affect the Grail War, but working magic in public and wanton slaughter in the streets does."
Caster's eyes narrowed, Risei became uncomfortably aware of their resemblance to burning embers.
"Bold of you to proclaim lies and half-truths even when the target of your slander stands right before you. Since you are well aware of your foul ploy, I shall be able to save my breath defending myself."
The old priest ground his teeth. It was true that it was him who should be defending himself, but he was aware that there would be just one way for how this would end. He took a deep breath before speaking, even though the air smelled oddly like sulphur.
"You are a Servant summoned to fight for the grail... and yet you show no interest in the it, instead using this city as a feeding ground. What is it you truly seek?", he asked through gritted teeth.
"Unlike you who pretends he does not favor the side of his offspring, I never sought to hide my intentions. This Grail you seek will only bring you death and destruction. And even if I might not be able to prevent it myself, I can make sure that the people will be prepared."
Risei weighed her words carefully, expecting a hidden meaning somewhere. If that was her aim, her behavior didn't seem to match up to it.
"I agree that a device of such near limitless potential could be used for many ill intentions. But if you expect us to self-destruct because of it, why not try to claim it yourself? Why be so roundabout?", he asked, unable to gloss over his suspicions.
The Red Woman's eyes remained narrowed even at that attempt to understand her position.
"Is that your idea of mocking me? You said yourself that I am supposed to be a Servant fighting for the Grail, you in your position must know that this whole farce cannot result with anyone of us able to claim it."
"So that is how it is? You feel betrayed by this framework? In that case I can assure you that it is not of the Church's doing."
"Don't take me for a fool to be toyed with", she spat acidly. "It is you who is the fool! All of you Masters and Supervisors alike! There are dark things in this world, quite possibly agents or even incarnations of the Great Other! If I got into the position to claim the Grail, it will be already to late! No... It must happen exactly as the flames foretold or this world will be consumed by darkness!"
The priest took a step backwards in response to the harshness of her tone.
"I just... I just cannot allow you to get the general populace involved... you should be aware of how the mystics need to be hidden..."
Risei wasn't a man who was easily threatened into submission, but the burning rage of a Caster class Servant was something that made him painfully aware of his own mortality. There was a simmering heat in the air that made him expect to get singed if he put just one step forward.
"And if I submit to your cowardly rules, you will generously lift your pitiful bounty?", her mouth formed a cruel smile.
The priest cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Your actions are the sole reason of them. So if you cease your daily preaching and promise to keep Berserker on a short leash..."
"... then you will turn your eye away when I continue to fight and kill your dear son?", she gave mocking laugh. "Unlikely. You will only search for another opportunity. Very much like this one, or not? Keeping me engaged in conversation long enough for the wolf girl to arrive."
Warm blood had been rushing to his head ever since she pointed out his relationship with Kirei again, but pointing towards the closing in Assassin felt like putting her hands around his throat. Given her insight, she too must have been carefully gauging how much time she was able to spend in idle chatter.
"Unfortunately she will not make it... and I will not risk putting my faith on your word either. Even now you are interpreting my warnings only in ways that are convenient to you. How very disappointing... even my first impressions of your faith seem to have been wishful thinking only. I'm afraid this is farewell then."
Risei gave a helpless grunt as the temperature at once became utterly unbearable. With all energy leaving his limbs and being forced upon his knees, there was little time to put his last thoughts into motion.
Kirei
All he could hear when arriving at the chapel was ragged breathing and the pounding of his heart. He went far beyond the limits of the human body in his sprint to reach the secluded hill. So much so that it took him a while to hear the cackling of flames and slight puffs of dark smoke pouring out from the roof.
Am I too late?
Kirei gritted his teeth and fought with himself to avoid looking down on his lone surviving command spell. He sent Assassin up the hill to protect his father, but refrained from teleporting her there. Surely enough, loosing your command spells wouldn't exactly forfeit his contract with Assassin and it would only mean forfeiting the Grail as you still need one to compel your Servant to claim it for you. But since Kirei didn't have much interest in it in the first place, he was left stumped why he hesitated in using it. As he slipped through the half open chapel doors, he braced himself for a scene of regret.
The inside of the chapel was still surprisingly intact. It was by far not the same level of destruction as in the Tohsaka or Matou residences, but that was likely due to their early arrival. The inside was dark, all light blocked out by heavy smoke. He still saw that the rows of benches were sitting untouched to either side as he made his way to the altar. There he saw Assassin first. She had taken a cloth from the altar and was still busy putting out the last bits of embers, which apparently were limited to the north transept. When she sensed his approach, she stopped what she was doing and turned towards him with a grave expression.
"I'm sorry... I... didn't make it in time..."
He followed her eyes and found the corpse of what he assumed to be Risei Kotomine at her feet. Even as he kneeled down it was hard judge due to how burned his entire body was. He was crumpled face down on the ground with one arm outstretched to the direction of the altar as if he was trying to escape his assailant, but at the same time the condition of the corpse looked like someone had soaked him in gasoline and set him ablaze at without delay.
No, that is not it...
The stench was nauseating and Kirei had to cover his mouth as he was fighting his gag reflex, but he was still sure that there was only the smell of burned flesh and charred wood in the air, a Magus didn't need accelerants for this kind of attack, especially not this one.
"Don't be sorry... Even if you have arrived in time, Caster likely had Berserker guard the place. Especially when she is so impervious to sneak attacks as you say", Kirei told the girl as he was still inspecting the scene. Something about this was odd, but he couldn't yet say what.
"Still... I could have at very least avenged him...", he wasn't looking at her, but he was pretty sure she was biting her lip again.
"And what then? A suicide rush would do us no favor."
My father is more clever than this... He wouldn't have faced her without some kind of precaution to get back at her... he would have...
Somehow his gaze fell back towards Risei's outstretched arm. Then to the other one. His first instinct was that the old man had been trying to escape, but this made no sense as he was already assured of the futility of that during their phone call.
Could it be? Was he trying to point at something?
"What is it?", he heard Assassin asked.
"I don't know, just a hunch..."
He stood up and walked over to the altar, looking around with a deep frown. Arya followed him to his side, visibly confused.
"The altar has been set as if for mass..."
"He expected people to come during the Grail War?", Arya asked.
"To be honest, there weren't ever many followers of the Church here to begin with. The days that the foreign district at Miyama was populated by actual foreigners are long past."
Kirei found himself picking up the prominently placed bible. It was not the tome used for mass, it was a worn pocket bible Risei used himself. He opened it and found himself at the page where the bookmarker led to. There was a prominent tear. Someone very carefully removed a verse. Kirei's eyes went back to the charred corpse.
"I hope your efforts were not in vain..."
He left Assassin behind again as he rushed back to his father's body tracing the outstretched arm.
""God is a Spirit: And they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.""
A faint glow was emanating from the ruined flesh. The holy sacrament embedded in it seemed to struggle to fulfill its designated purpose. Despite that (or maybe because of it) a tingling sensation in Kirei's own right arm turned soon into a searing pain as one by one his lost Command Spells returned as well as a fourth one and burned themselves into his flesh. After that the pain soon subsided and his hand felt like they had always been there. He looked up at the girl who watched this intently.
"He planned for this?", she asked dubiously.
"He certainly didn't intend for the majority of his command spells to be destroyed beyond repair. He had countless of them, inherited from Masters who dropped out of previous Grail Wars."
"I thought the majority of them were killed", she stated, still confused.
"One doesn't exactly exclude the other...", Kirei replied grimly. "We should hurry. As soon as the other Masters learn what happened this place won't be safe anymore."
Assassin seemed aghast at the notion.
"We just leave him here?"
"It is not our task to clean here up", Kirei replied through gritted teeth.
"He was your father!", Arya stated full of reproach.
"Be assured that he wouldn't want us to risk our lives because of misplaced sentimentality. Now come."
With that he turned around and left the chapel, having nothing else to pick up there. Assassin seemed hesitant to follow him, but did so all the same.
Waver
Waver woke up to the sound of birds chirping and bright sunlight falling upon his eyes. In what had become a daily routine by now, he still kept lying there in a daze until he realized the absence of Rider's mindnumbing snoring. He must have woken up early and walked off once again. Only a week ago that realization would have caused him to scream bloody murder and run after him, but at this point resignation had settled in, so he rose up and proceeded to leisurely slip into his clothes before going downstairs.
Upon entering the living room the first thing he heard was the sound of some overly excited Japanese newscaster. Only illuminated by the glow of the TV Robert Baratheon was lazing squarely on the couch, the remote in one hand, a can of beer in the other.
"I better don't comment on how it looks that you are drinking this early. Good morning anyway", Waver said, glancing uneasily at the still closed shutters.
"Good morning, boy", Robert replied the greeting, looking at him sideways. "Though surely, does it still count as a morning with the sun standing so high? And speaking of time: I didn't take you for one to sleep in so much either."
Waver scratched the back of his head uneasily, being painfully aware of his unkempt appearance.
"I usually am not, but our day trips have shot my inner clock to pieces", it took him a while to realize what was off about the whole scene in front of him. "The Mackenzies aren't already up?"
He couldn't help but notice even in that dim light that Rider's features slightly tensed.
"Our hosts have come home even later than us last night. I suppose it is just natural that they sleep in heavily", he replied.
"Is that so?", Waver rubbed his eyes, unable to shake off that uneasy feeling he had.
Without waiting for a reply he shuffled his way to the couch tucked himself into a corner next to the lumbering giant who magnanimously put his leg aside so that he had some space.
"Anything new happening out there?", Waver asked half-heartedly.
"Have stopped messing with your poor bird cadavers that you have to ask me?", Robert chuckled.
"I hoped maybe you found something that escaped my familiars. Not that I'm too good at this anyway…"
"In that case… m,h, the locals now have their hands up about some kind of arsonist going around Miyama. Would be a shame if our hosts would be dragged into this. But apparently he expanded towards the outskirts of Shinto this morning. Or at least so it is speculated."
A tinge of annoyance crept up about why Rider was bothering him about that until he realized that the homes of all three heads of this Grail War had burned down over the course of the last week. Not that the general populace knew about the Einzbern castle though.
"Outskirts of Shinto, what exactly does that mean?", he asked uneasily.
"The chapel…", Rider replied darkly. "Nowhere near as badly hit as the others, but the main building still took some damage. A rush-job maybe. A murder squad is investigating since they found a body."
Waver's eyes widened.
"The judge…", he realized with horror.
Robert gave a grim nod.
"This means if…", he looked up at Rider, but didn't dare finish his thought aloud. If Rider got killed, there was no neutral ground anymore, no place he could escape to if he himself ended up targeted by other Masters afterwards.
Rider seemed to have read his thoughts. The blue eyes glancing down at him were narrowing in a frown.
"Were you so eager to leave me behind? Har, don't you worry, I don't die so easily."
He took a deep breath.
"Of course… You are too stubborn for that I suppose."
"Damned right you are for once, boy!", he grunted back.
Waver took closed his eyes. He needed to think about the implications a bit.
Looking at it objectively, it looks as if someone is trying to target all those responsible to uphold the Grail War first. Before that it could have easily been said that taking out the strongest Masters first is just par of course for a Grail War, but with the priest gone… Then again, he just halted the fight for the sake of hunting Caster, so that makes him a pretty clear ta-
Somehow his own thoughts were interrupted by the growling of his stomach. Waver uneasily had to admit that breakfast should come first before wrecking his head about what all this meant for his position in the Grail War. He looked back towards the stairs, but the floor above was still hidden in darkness.
"Oh well…", he mused softly. "Maybe it is a good opportunity to pay them back at least a little bit for the burden I am to them…"
With that he jumped up and walked with renewed vigour into the kitchen. Opening the fridge he found a half used egg carton, butter, mushrooms, something vaguely resembling bacon and sausages (though not quite the ones he had hoped for either).
"Let's see…"
After piling all that up on the work surface he made a deep dive into the cupboards. It took him a while to find the one used to store tin cans and much rummaging to find one containing beans. He couldn't help but feel a little triumphant as the rubbed away the thick coat of dust. With everything gathered the preparations proceeded quickly enough and a bit later he found himself watching everything sizzling on the stove.
"Oho! I didn't think you could cook."
Waver winced a little as he realized that Rider had left the TV behind and was looking curiously over his shoulder for god knows how long.
"I wouldn't go that far, but… well, I had to learn how to get by on my own a little earlier than I would have liked to", he felt a little melancholic as he remembered the time after the early death of his parents. "I suppose that's one of the reasons why this whole Grail War is so important to me. With no one else to rely on, I have not much room for failure."
Robert seemed just as wistful as he was looking absent-mindedly at the sausages on the pan.
"It may surprise you, but I can understand that feeling. My parents died when I was 16 and I honestly don't know how I would have ended up like if not for old man Arryn and Ned reining in my worst impulses… Just have to look at my brothers for that… well, that pompous ass Renly never knew them and drifted around aimlessly. Meanwhile bitter Stannis was hit the hardest, haven't seen him smile ever since."
Waver looked at him, not quite knowing what to say. Or what to think. The grandiose Rider wasn't exactly one to hold back on his emotions, but Waver sensed that there was a deeper pain to that memory that he wasn't eager to divulge upon.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that…", he just said.
"Don't be. It happened such a long time ago I can barely remember their faces", Robert replied grimly. "All I'm saying is we should treasure the time we have with the people in our lives. Speaking of which…"
He nodded towards the stairs where the Mackenzie couple were drowsily coming down.
"Ah, you are in the kitchen, Waver?", Martha asked, still rubbing the sleep out of one of her eyes. "I'm sorry we slept in. You must be quite hungry."
Waver donned a somewhat guilty grin.
"Don't you worry. Just sit back and relax. Breakfast is almost done."
Martha remained at the edge of the kitchen, blinking in surprise. A scene Glen found oddly hilarious.
"Our grandson making food for us! Now that's a new one!"
"As I just told Robert, don't expect too much of it though. I tried to my best to recreate a piece of Britain with what I found, but it's still just an imitation."
Even if it ended up sub-par, their immediately brightened reaction as they snapped out of their previous grogginess was worth it. And as such they found themselves at the dinner table enjoying their meal while Martha went on and on about all the things they intended to do with their child and grandchild before they moved away. Knowing it wasn't technically him she was making these plans for and he just cheated his way into their memories was making him feel quite a bit guilty, but he nodded along regardless to go with the flow.
"You know, it is a shame that you moved so soon", Martha said. "Just as we got the house ready and settled in here. I always imagined you would live close nearby and have you over every other day. Just like Glen. I still remember you being all excited about the roof…"
"The roof?", Waver asked.
"Ah yes, I had installed a platform up there so that you can sit outside and watch the sky during the night. When I was wandering through the forest for the first time and saw how clear the sky is, I knew I wanted to live at the edge of town where the stars aren't quite blotted out by the city and you can watch them without too much of a journey. It is a shame we could never watch it together."
Waver was poking his egg weighing his options, wondering whether making them happy would outweigh his guilt for doing so through deception. He glanced at Rider, who looked at him with curious eyes, nodding all so slightly.
Of course, it's not like we have anything better to do…
He gave himself a mental push.
"Of course, if you'd like to, we can watch the stars today!", he suggested.
Glen grinned and exchanged a satisfied look with Martha, but just before he was about to nod it seemed like they both remembered something and their expressions changed to something hard to figure out. Disappointment? Regret? Guilt? Something else entirely.
"Ah, nothing would make me more happy, but I'm so sorry, today is maybe not the best day for this", Glen replied mournfully.
"Is the forecast saying it's getting cloudy?", Waver said uneasily, somehow doubting that was the case.
"Much the opposite, it would be a perfect day", Martha said. "It is just that we are needed elsewhere."
"Needed?"
Something about that word seemed odd to the Master of Rider. If they had plans to go out, certainly that would have gotten in the way, but there was something about her tone that made it sound more like an obligation than a fun trip to the cinema.
"Well, it is just that we have to be at the temple", Glen said apologetically. "Maybe next week is a better time?"
"The temple?", Waver echoed, suddenly a whole lot more uneasy. "Can't you visit that during the day?"
"But the Lady Melisandre is holding her bonfires at night. And today's supposed to be an especially important day where all of Miyama is expected to gather."
Waver half chocked on his egg. He glanced at Robert who also put down his fork and tilted his head backwards, suddenly a whole lot more tense. He realized that they had been out the last three nights and dreaded the worst.
"I didn't know you were curious about these sermons…", he said carefully, stopping himself at the last moment to call them creepy.
"Oh, at first we were just as sceptical as you are, but with the head priest trusting her and letting her live at the temple, we knew she had to be a good person", Martha went on. "And she had been so good at bringing the community together! You can't imagine how lonely it had been here at times, with everyone in the neighbourhood just minding their own business and rarely coming together. Fuyuki has been growing so fast, it makes the people forget what it means to be human."
"So I take it that's where you have been these past nights?"
That's why they have always been so drained… it wasn't just being up late that got them… oh no…
"Oh yes, yes!", Glen grinned. "In fact, why not come with us? We can watch the sky from the temple premises before the bonfire! The stars shine even brighter up on the mountain!"
Waver swallowed hard, his mind racing how to express his uneasiness about it too harshly.
"To be honest, you look quite exhausted because of these nights. Are you sure you don't want to take a break and sit back for a day or two?"
As he asked that, he paid close attention to their eyes, looking out for the signs of bewitchment (aside his own, that is). And indeed, they weren't just frowning at the notion, they did seemingly pause in between registering his words, briefly spacing out. Waver's heart sunk into his guts.
"Oh, it's alright, thanks for worrying so much about us", Martha said soothingly. "But we are not all that tired and this is an important day. It would not feel right to just skip out on it."
"Did she say why it is an important day?", Robert asked, leaning forward.
"Well, not really. But she insisted that as many of the neighbourhood as possible gather because she had an important announcement to make. What about I cannot say", was Glen's reply.
Waver carefully tried to convince them to stay from two more angles, but backed down when it seemed to irritate them. Not knowing what kind of countermeasures the Red Woman wove into her spell and knowing that she was probably capable of quite some nasty ones, he dropped the matter. After dinner Waver and Rider retreated to their room, hopefully out of earshot.
"We have to do something", Waver announced the instant he closed the door behind them.
"It is not like we haven't tried, they clearly seem to enjoy these nightly gathering", Robert mused.
"Or so they think. Come on, even you must have noticed that they behave oddly."
Robert scratched his beard with a sombre expression, but didn't say anything.
"I don't know the specifics of the curse they are under yet and it might be dangerous to try and it may be dangerous to try to find out, but the signs are all over the place that something has decreased their willpower."
"Like your craven concoction?", he asked back, his eyes slightly narrowed. Somehow Waver was too upset about the revelation that he didn't even flinch at the accusation, it even made him laugh.
"For all I know my own suggestion spell works even better thanks to whatever Caster did to them. All the more reason to end this."
"So what do you expect me to do? Walk up to the temple, smash in the door and drag her out?"
"Isn't that your usual go-to strategy?", Waver shot back dryly, causing Robert to give a bemused shrug. "But you are right, Caster is at her strongest in her workshop. We need something to lure her out…"
His train of thought was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Somehow his first thought was to glare at Robert, knowing that the MacKenzies rarely had guests.
"Your mafia friend again?"
"Not that I know", Robert replied easily. "He should still be busy sorting through all the Grail War repercussions."
"I see…", with all the new revelations, Waver had a bad feeling.
He nodded towards Rider and went down the stairs just in time to see Martha walk towards him.
"It is for you, Waver-chan", she said with an impression Waver couldn't exactly read. She seemed just a bit confused as was.
"For me?"
"Yes, it seems to be a girl from the neighbourhood."
"A girl…?"
Blinking and somehow with his brain skipping a beat about him being the one who is asked for, he walked up to the door, only to immediately jump two steps backwards as his eyes fell upon the scraggy european girl wearing simple casual clothes standing in the doorway.
"Robert!", he called out in high alert.
Rider didn't seem in that much of a hurry to throw himself in front of him, but walked up to his side all the same.
"Good morning, little one", he said casually. "I must say I hadn't thought to see you again this soon."
"Me neither, but my summoner asked me to bring a message", Arya said uneasily. "It is about Caster. And that he's proposing an alliance."
Now even Robert raised his eyebrows in surprise before he turned to Waver and met his eyes. This day was becoming stranger and stranger by the minute.
Kirei
"You sure this is a good idea?", Arya asked, breaking the silence.
Before she had only impatiently paced the room up and down while Kirei was seated at the big table in the middle of it, contemplating on the best choice of words to make this work.
"Given the options we have and the bridges we already burnt with Emiya, they seem to be natural allies", Kirei said easily.
"Only if the oaf king doesn't mess his part up", the girl replied, obviously suppressing her urge to use even more descriptive words.
"Would you rather take on Caster alone?", Kirei asked with the hint of a smile.
Arya squirmed only a little bit before sighing and taking the seat opposite of him. The place of their strategy meeting was a backroom of the bar they had first met in. With the shutters almost closed and only faint light illuminating the number of tables arrayed in here it had a dark and brooding atmosphere. When they rented it the owner said it was mostly used as a Mahjong parlor. But now all the tables were empty except the one in the middle where Kirei had seated himself to wait for their new ally. And thinking that this is what they rented it for, the owner still left a Mahjong set between them in a black wooden box.
"We still have some time", the girl said, her voice thick with hesitation. "I… couldn't help but contemplate the last words of your father before he… well…"
"He died with his head held up high, focused on furthering our cause", Kirei said solemnly.
"That is not what I meant. Before that. He said something about taking 'her' back. What did he mean by that?"
Kirei's eyes unintentionally narrowed as he was watching her stare at him from opposite the table. Her grey eyes seemed not quite as empty and uncaring as he remembered them doing. Kirei leaned back in his chair.
"So you heard that part as well…"
"I wasn't trying to sneak up on you…", she replied defensively.
Kirei shrugged. It didn't matter in the end. It wasn't like that much of a secret anyway. He looked up uneasily at the clock above the entryway.
"My father never quite understood my reasoning for doing anything, always viewing in me what he liked to see in himself. Wanting me to settle down may have been his age talking."
Assassin cocked her head.
"You are changing the subject."
"Not necessarily", he replied drily.
"You lie!", briefly a mischievous smile crept up on her face, she was clearly enjoying using these words in particular.
"For the record, I try to make it a habit not to", Kirei sounded more defensively than he wanted to.
"And yet you lie. Even if by omission."
A sigh escaped his lips.
"I have a daughter", Kirei replied awkwardly. "Caren."
Only saying the name out loud caused a whole bunch of memories, images and feelings to flash in front of his eyes. A baby girl with porcelain skin, looking so fragile he feared it would break if he held her. And so he never did.
"I didn't take you for a family man", the far too curious for her own good Assassin commented.
"And you are right with that assumption. It was a mistake", he sensed her disapproving look. "Not in that way. She was very much a child of our combined ambitions. Unfortunately for her, for us, my own ambition was a mere experiment, to get more insight into what I truly am. An experiment that ended in failure."
"You abandoned her", Arya accused with a spite he hadn't seen directed at him before.
Kirei nodded, acknowledging her rise in emotions with bile satisfaction.
"Indeed. I abandoned her, I gave her to my wife's relatives after her… untimely death."
"Why?"
Such a simple question and yet Kirei struggled to find a quick reply. He glanced again at the clock.
"In your world… this strange place you come from… How much do you know of the concept of 'Origin'?", Kirei asked instead.
Arya seemed taken aback.
"You are changing the topic again?"
"No, no. Much the opposite. I want to know how much you may be able to understand the worries that plague me for as long as I had been old enough to question myself."
"I'm not sure I get it, but I can tell you that for me 'Origin' is just a word. I have no idea what you want to say."
Kirei nodded again. As he suspected. Then again, the majority of people in this world would have replied just the same. Only his own proximity to mages and those who hunt them granted him insight into what might be the reason for his twisted self.
"The Magi of this world have reason to believe that all life on this planet is in a constant cycle of rebirth, though with a finite pool of, simplified, a kind of soul matter to draw from. The specifics are among the mysteries of the Root that all Magi strive to uncover, but it is commonly accepted that every human soul has an 'Origin', a singular concept derived from its source. Think of it as a concentration of purpose. Of what came before it and of what it will become. It subtly influences your every action, your very sense self and it is said that once you become privy to your Origin, it will consume you utterly. Truth is… I do not know my Origin. But I have a suspicion... One that very much scares me."
Arya's grey eyes bore into him as he finished that explanation, her brows creasing ever more during it. She clearly wasn't convinced and Kirei at once wondered why he had been this open about the worries he kept to himself all these years, not even trusting them to his father or to Claudia. Was it the knowledge that the girl will vanish anyway after the Grail War is concluded? Or had he simply slipped and become too trusting for his own good?
"So you are saying people here believe that a word decides what kind of person they are?", she asked, her tone cold and weighing every word heavily.
"That is one way to put it", Kirei said carefully.
The girl snorted derisively, a mocking smirk forming on her face.
"That sounds like a really stupid thing to believe!"
Kirei swallowed.
"I admit it does sound a little strange speaking out loud… but it is how it is all the same."
"No, it's dumb!", Arya cut in sharply. "It sounds awfully convenient to blame a word for the things you do or don't do. I have seen rotten people, cruel people, people who love to hurt others. Should I have taken pity on them because a word made them do it? Shouldn't justice come for them all the same?"
"I… am not saying that, I was just trying to get across the concept."
"But are you denying that you have a choice? That you cannot decide for yourself whether to harm others or not because of a stupid word?"
"And yet fighting against your nature leaves you empty and unfulfilled", he replied, a lot more weakly than he intended.
There was a pause where Arya, still with a heavy frown, studied his face.
"Why did you give your child away then? Was it not to protect her?"
"From myself, yes", Kirei insisted strongly, once again reminded about how unprotected this little human being was, at the mercy of his whims.
"Why do you care then, if you are evil at heart? Was it not because you decided to care? Because she is your daughter, your family?"
"I…", the blunt reply remained stuck in his throat.
"You don't know?", she asked with the challenge in her voice.
"I know right from wrong, if that is what you want to imply. But… that does not mean I acted out of love. I gave her away because I didn't want to do the wrong thing, knowing that I might have felt satisfaction for betraying this little human being who would have to rely on me for survival."
Arya seemed to consider laughing it off, but somehow decided to accept that explanation, answering only with a solemn nod.
"Well, that at least means there is hope for you. But is it that satisfaction you actually crave?"
"I… don't know."
"That certainly explains why you are so messed up. I often wondered why the monsters on my list acted like they did, how they derived joy from destroying others, but in the end it is a hollow, selfish joy. I wondered just as much whether they felt it worth it when the end came for them, especially if my Needle was slicing through their throat. I ask you, Kirei Kotomine, once you meet the God of Many Faces, what kind of life would you like to look back upon?"
Kirei leaned back in his seat. While he somehow expected a question such as this to be the thing Arya was after, he still struggled to come up with an immediate answer. What did he expect from life in the end? He always followed the footsteps of his father, out of duty or out of a lack of options or maybe even out of a sense of righteousness. Did he find any joy in it? No. He married Claudia trying to find out whether he can feel love, but their doomed marriage had always felt hollow if not for that disgusting trace of satisfaction that he felt about how her efforts with him went nowhere… and the tinge of regret about how she died believing his heart would ache about it.
"That is the question now, isn't it?", Kirei wondered aloud. "With no one to give me directions, it is now something I have to decide for myself."
"Indeed", the girl said. "Then again, you live your life not just for yourself and your short sighted whims. Every action you take does affect others. Like your daughter who right now has to live without a father. 'When the snow falls and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives'. My father used to say that. There were times where I dismissed this saying, thinking that I managed to survive on my own while everyone else was slain. I realized far too late that even when it seemed like I was just surviving on my own, I never truly was, even when those that offered me a home betrayed my trust. I had the memories of my family, of my parents and my siblings, and how they made me who I am. That's why I never quite succeeded at being no one. But who does she have to teach her about justice and responsibility the way your father taught you? Who will give her a sense of self? Isn't that your duty as well?"
Kirei gave a wry smile.
"Right now those who are probably better people than me. But you are indeed right with one thing. I…", he took a deep breath, sorting out his jumbling mess of thoughts. "I don't like my instincts. At all. They go against everything I have been taught about life. So… yes, I guess it can't hurt to stick some more to what I know instead of what I can only assume. At least until I find a truth for myself."
"Is that what you want to use the Grail for?", Arya leaned forward, a sceptical frown on her face.
Kirei shrugged.
"I'm just saying it seems like a waste", she explained. "You don't want to be a monster, so… I recommend you just... don't be one!"
"If it were that easy, I wouldn't have opened up my worries to a nosy teenage girl."
"If it is any help, I am thankful for the honesty", she finished with a soft smile.
He felt another odd stabbing sensation in his heart. Honesty. In this big scam of a game. It seemed too absurd. But he would lie if he hadn't gotten quite comfortable with their work relationship. If they are all odds end up going to make it, what should they use their wish for indeed?
"If we succeed, will your wish be to save your father then?", he heard himself asking.
Her eyes widened a bit, but her expression softened even more.
"It would be a start. However if this Grail is as powerful as you claim, then I can save everyone. And then I could get home."
Instead of dying in winter…
Seven Servants were needed to claim the Grail. Seven, not six. He swallowed down that wretched feeling in his gut and swallowed hard. He knew his wish was selfish and short-sighted… and maybe even just a bit dangerous. She was right about that. Kirei decided at that moment that he could live with it if she succeeded with her quest instead.
They sat there in silence for a few more minutes, only a careful clacking sound audible when Arya reached out to grab the black box on the table and started to unpack the pieces. She was almost finished building something of a ramp up to the box out of turned down tiles when she looked up and nodded towards Kirei.
"So our guests have finally arrived…"
Mere minutes later the owner of the bar guided Rider and his teenage Master inside. Kirei noted that Robert Baratheon, wearing a black suit lacking a tie and a shirt that could barely contain his shape, still unbuttoned at the top, was leading the way with his boy Master right behind him. So while they seemed to have decided to give their proposal a try, there still seemed to be some reluctance on the part of the boy. Unsurprisingly, given his first impression of the duo.
"Welcome", Kirei said, standing up from his seat and coming around it to greet them. "I am grateful for your trust in coming here."
Arya rose as well, but remained behind him. A move that should show them their trust in return.
"Well met", the massive giant bowed casually. "Lady Stark. Priest."
"You may call me Kotomine", Kirei replied, replying with a bow of his own, noting that both Arya and the boy were content with brief nods.
"Kotomine it is then", Robert replied with a thoughtful expression. "I must say, I haven't expected to hear so soon from you again. I hope the death of Joff and his Master hasn't spurred you into rash action."
"Something you would know well yourself, if the stories of my father were true", Arya impetuously blurted out.
The massive knight cocked his eyebrows before bursting into throaty laughter.
"Alright, I can't deny that!"
"Be assured", Kirei chimed in. "We have contemplated our options very well."
He nodded to Arya, who then went back to her seat behind her Mahjong pieces. Kirei himself went back around the table to a place facing the door as the boy Master Waver Velvet spoke up:
"You want the Command Spells from the church for yourself, don't you?"
"I'm afraid that this isn't an option anymore. The judge was killed by the Red Woman this morning", he replied coldly.
"Oh…", was Waver's blank reaction as he was just staring at him wide eyed.
"Grmpf, this truce never felt like it could actually be enforced", Robert mused. "Seems I was right on the mark with that one. My condolences anyway. I noticed he shared the same house as you."
"He was my father", Kirei's reply remained flat, the words rolling off his tongue without any twinge of sadness.
Their maybe allies exchanged telling glances about that revelation, but as they were muttering new apologies the owner of the establishment returned with two large trays of bread.
"Feel yourselves at home", he said as he placed them, barely acknowledging how odd his guests looked like, before he went back out the door.
Kirei waved towards the dishes with a tight smile.
"I was told it is common courtesy in your culture to share bread before going down to business."
Rider glanced towards Assassin before renewing his bow.
"Indeed, you have done well in your research, priest Kotomine. We shall graciously accept this token of friendship."
He ushered the boy to take a seat before he did so himself. His Master looked decidedly uncomfortable nibbling at a heel of bread after sniffing dubiously at it and watching his Servant gobble it down in an instant. As he was finsishing his piece, Kirei himself glanced towards Arya. She also only took a few token bits, too focused on playing with her Mahjong pieces. When he saw her placing down the Red Bird and the Plum Blossom pieces on top of the box and the Red One Stone piece at the top of the stairs, then took the Gontiang and placed it on top of the Plum Blossom. She gave him a subtle nod. It was at him to explain their plan.
"Now that we have gathered here and confirmed our mutual trust with bread and salt, it is time for us to prepare a plan of attack."
"You want us to challenge the Red Priestess, aye? What trouble can one frail woman possibly give us?", Robert interjected.
"She is crafty enough to have taken control over Berserker for one", Kirei replied. "Assassin witnessed during his rampage that she managed to track down his Master and took over his contract."
Rider's brows rose and Kirei thought to notice the creases of smile to form beneath his beard and a fire to get ignited in his eyes.
"The Mountain is there… and he can be my opponent?", he said. "Har! Now that is a very interesting development indeed!"
"And it will be necessary", Arya said, placing down the Blue Bai and Red Zhong down at the bottom of the stairs made of pieces. "A Red Priestess is very difficult to face even in the best of circumstances. She will know we will be coming and she will know what we are going to try."
"Do you mean she has some kind of precognitive skill?", Waver asked, Kirei noted he was raising his voice for the first time in their meeting.
"It is not always active if that is what you are saying. But I know that Red Priests can see the future in the flames. Some better than others. And that they have to know what they are looking for."
"So she will just slip away?", Robert asked dubiously.
It was his boy master who slapped his fist into his hand.
"She can't!", he exclaimed. "Not when stuck in the temple!"
Kirei smiled at his understanding.
"The temple can only be accessed by a narrow stairway, at least for Servants. That means, if we block this path, she will be trapped on the Mountain."
"It's a siege then. Bah, that might become tedious pretty fast", Rider grunted.
"Not particularly. If we besiege the place, she will probably just use Clegane and her shadow servants to break open a path for her. That is why we have to strike together. We need you to engage Clegane, keep him busy long enough for Arya to get past him in spirit form."
Assassin picked up the Green Fa piece and rested it in her hand.
"Mmh… Arya, you say that the Red Woman has the ability to predict what we are doing? Maybe even watching this very conversation? How can we make sure that she will actually be there?", Robert asked, scratching his beard.
For all of his supposed oafishness according to Arya, he seemed quite quick on the uptake when it came to strategy. Kirei wasn't quite sure whether that was good or bad in this situation.
"Fortunately for us, she has a schedule to keep", Arya replied, not placing the Green Fa as of yet. "She has to be at the temple for her bonfires. And recently she shortened the schedule quite a bit."
"She must be preparing something if she is in need of so much magical energy…", Waver whispered under his breath.
"Indeed, so timing is of the essence", Kirei replied.
The boy didn't seem quite convinced yet.
"You seriously want to fight her when all the attention is on her?", he said. "That sounds like trouble."
"Maybe. Maybe not. We have to avoid her using the people as a shield in any case, so the wisest move would be for us to go for a pincer move. Assassin from the front, me from the back."
Arya finally placed the Green Fa next to the box and from there moved it onto the box. She then pulled the Xiatan flower from the small pile of leftover pieces and placed it next to the Red Bird and switched them. The Green Fa was then put next to the Xiatan.
"The limitations for Servants luckily don't count for us humans. I will climb the hill and attack her from above while she is busy fending off the frontal attack. With a little luck her followers won't even realize I'm there before I slip away again."
"This seems exceptionally dangerous for a priest, even if he is a Master", the boy commented dubiously.
Kirei gave a wry smile.
"I am an Executor of the Holy Church. I have been trained specifically to deal with troublesome Magi and unlike our friends here, a Servant of the Caster vessel is nothing but an exceptional Magus and susceptible to the same weaknesses."
Rider bellowed.
"A man with a daring plan! I must say, I very much like it!"
And with that, Arya moved the Dongtian closer to the Red Bird and turned it over. Their plan was set. Well, almost.
"What are your thoughts, Master of Rider?", he asked.
"Ugh…", the boy shrank a bit. "It… it does sound insanely risky and I can think of countless things that can go wrong. But… hell, I came here to take risks and we need to do this. For our sake and for the sake of those under the Red Woman's spell."
He and Robert exchanged a glance and a slight nod.
"Then it's decided! I'll lead the charge", Robert bellowed. "It shouldn't be said that the Demon of the Trident balked when a priest was willing to go for the kill! We shall make it a race for who gets to strike down that witch first!"
Arya sighed audibly and Kirei had a hard time not have his smile crack.
"Please don't do that though", he said. "Your part is to take out Berserker and then hold the line. If you leave the stairs, you will open up an escape route for her."
"If it is any consolation, she might still try to force her way through you if we fail", Arya added. "Then you can still have the honor of the kill."
Rider rose his arms made an ironic bow.
"Sure, sure. Do not fear, I was just fooling around. You'll have my warhammer at your service!", his smile took a dark edge. "She shall learn that Ours is the Fury!"
Melisandre
And with that, the flames in the temple's fireplace flickered and took on more natural shapes, refusing to grant her any more insight into her enemies' plans. The Red Woman slumped back on the tatami mattress, her legs slightly aching from the strain of her awkward sitting position. This traditional hearth was a square in the middle of the room that was usually used to make tea. The flames where neither high, nor could she comfortably get into a good angle, so it needed some getting used to, but it had to make do to read the flames while still having a bit of privacy.
Now that the vision has ended, Melisandre rubbed her temples, thinking. They were right, she couldn't cancel her gatherings, even though they underestimated just how important they were for the future of this world and the darkness it was going to face. She could not afford to stop and could not afford to die, at least not yet, at least not as long as there still was the danger of her message becoming forgotten. Her hands inadvertently clutched the ruby at her throat.
"It appears I need to make some preparations..."