FATE/CATBOX FICTION
Chapter 8: Archer of Akakor
About 500 meters away from where Ritsuka and Mash were taking shelter, a completely different tree's trunk swirled about unnaturally like a swivel door. In fact, that was pretty much what it was – a sliding door disguised to be a natural part of the tree. Inside the 'trunk' was a series of worn stone stairs that led down into unimaginable depths.
The man who stepped through was around his mid-20s, with deep tanned skin and long black hair done in dreadlocks that were decorated with a copious number of colorful beads. A single lock of hair dangled before his eyes, as if acting as his charm point to attract members of the fairer sex. His white suit was pristine and clean – a sharp contrast to the rugged rainforest that was allowed to thrive without human interference. He used some kind of spell to shield himself within an invisible barrier to repel the rain, allowing for his spotless attire to remain unsullied despite the bad weather.
As if walking along the catwalk, he boldly strode toward where the two Chaldeans were sitting and chatting away. He knew exactly where they were, and he didn't want to waste time with any unnecessary side treks. Not only was he overly knowledgeable with the Amazonian terrain, he also had familiars scouting the area at all times. Unlike Inorai, who relied on covertly hidden technology to observe the South American wildlands, this man utilized snakes by using water-based Magecraft to issue basic commands to them. A tropical rattlesnake coiled around his leg and torso, then wrapped around his arm like a tree branch and hissed at him. It wasn't a malicious hiss; it was more like it was giving its report to him. How he could interpret anything from such a hideous sound was anyone's guess.
"Hmph," the man smirked, continuing to walk without losing his stride.
The rain was starting to let up. Within another ten minutes or so, the storm would finally pass and the Chaldeans could continue their journey. Mash decided to look outside and see if Kiritsugu's group were coming back soon. As the last of the rain pelted her bushy lavender hair, she looked around worriedly. Ritsuka noticed how pensive her friend appeared and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Senpai… I don't know why, but I'm getting a really bad feeling here…" Mash murmured.
"A bad feeling?"
The young Mage crept out of the hollow tree trunk and gazed around to see what was troubling her. That was when she saw them; a various array of snakes slithered and slid about like fish on land. Bushmasters, boa constrictors, green anacondas, lanceheads, coral snakes… There were even brightly-colored emerald tree boas hugging the nearby tree branches and staring at the pair with their hollow black eyes. The dense population of elongated reptiles trapping them definitely sent a chill through Ritsuka's spine. Believing that they were in danger, Mash summoned her shield and got between her Master and the vicious reptiles.
On the transmitter, Roman's voice blurted, "Your heart rate's gone up all of a sudden. Is everything okay there?"
"We're surrounded by hundreds of snakes," Ritsuka told him.
"You're kidding!"
"They aren't doing anything, but a lot of them look like venomous kinds."
"Damn it… What a bad time for Cu and Connla to take off. If they're not attacking, then just stay put and wait for the others to come back."
Mash added, "If needed, I'll use my Noble Phantasm to keep them at bay."
That was when they heard a twig snap beneath someone's shoe. Neither of the teenagers had moved from their spots within the last few seconds, so it meant someone else had to be nearby. They looked around, then discovered the white-suited fellow calmly approaching. His stride was never interrupted as the dense collection of snakes parted just enough for him to pass through.
Although Roman didn't want to be rude to the stranger, he couldn't help but glare as he demanded, "Are you responsible for this?"
"My, my. I don't recall doing anything to instill such ire in you, good sir," the man replied with a sickening grin.
"You're not denying it, so I have to assume you're the guilty party. Who might you be, and what is your business with us?"
"Why, I'm glad you asked. I am Alejandro Uruburu, one of the seven leaders of the Family Tree."
"Family Tree? Never heard of it."
"I'm not surprised. It's an organization exclusive to this world. Let's just say that there were certain Mages who didn't want to play by the Clock Tower's rules, so they branched off and founded the Family Tree in South America. I am the descendant of such a Mage."
"A Mage organization established in South America, huh? Then you wouldn't happen to be familiar with Akakor, would you? We're actually trying to find it."
"Of course I am familiar with it. If London is the Clock Tower's base of operations, then Akakor is ours. We just prefer to keep our activities 'underground', both literally and figuratively."
"What sort of activities are we talking about here? The kind of research that would have Sealing Designations enforced?"
"That's for me to know, and you to find out."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Alejandro bowed at Ritsuka and Mash, then said, "I actually want to extend an invitation to the young Master here. She is more than welcome to come with me to Akakor."
Roman narrowed his eyes. "Something tells me there are going to be strings attached to this oh-so humble invitation of yours."
"Oh, please. It's nothing so sordid as to put you on such edge. You see, my lovely familiars discovered that the girl wasn't commanding just one Servant, but four at once. I couldn't resist being intrigued by such a discovery, so I decided to grace you all with my presence and offer you asylum in exchange for being allowed to research her."
"Your gesture could have been a little friendlier than scaring them half to death with a horde of venomous reptiles."
"It's not my fault that my family specializes in manipulating snakes. I'm just using my gifts as I see fit. Don't want such a prized specimen falling into any of the other Family Heads' laps, you see."
Ritsuka suddenly declared, "I'm not going with you. If you only see me as a specimen, then there's no way we'd get along. I'll get to Akakor on my own two feet, thank you very much."
Alejandro shrugged nonchalantly. "Really? What a shame. The trouble is, I don't recall my invitation being a request for your cooperation. It's actually a demand."
"And if we don't go with you?" Mash asked tersely.
"Let's see now… Perhaps getting some venom in the young Master's system will help change her mind?"
Ritsuka's expression grew angrier the more she listened to Alejandro's selfish demands. Mash whispered to her, "It's okay. He shouldn't know that you have poison resistance. If we can hold out long enough, it'll give the others time to return and back us up."
"I know, but-"
"From the way you two aren't perturbed by my familiars, it would seem you've experienced your fair share of horrors," Alejandro stated. "All right then. If they won't do the trick, then my grandest pet will do the job nicely."
With that, he waved his fingers about to generate a small magic circle in midair, then snapped his fingers within it. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then everyone present heard the sound of rumbling waves coming from the river. Ritsuka and Mash glared over to see what was going on. The water was gradually parting due to something humungous emerging from beneath. A tremendous splash deafened their ears, and more water rained around them.
They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Looming over them like a foreboding tower was a monolithic white viper with twitching translucent fins flanking its head. Its curved fangs easily reached a meter in length, giving it a far more vicious presence than its tinier brethren. Speaking of which, some of the smaller snakes were frightened away by the giant's appearance and took refuge within trees or underground. The giant reptile's tongue shivered as it unleashed a serpentine howl.
"KSHEEEEEE~EEEEEE~EEEEEE!"
"W-What the hell is that!?" Roman blurted in abject shock.
Alejandro was the only one who remained calm as he said, "Isn't she magnificent? She's the guardian of the Amazon River – Yacumama, the Mother of Water."
"You can't be serious," Mash clenched her teeth nervously. "That's practically a Phantasmal! How in the world are you able to control a creature from the Reverse Side of the World!?"
"It's nothing, really. My ancestors always dreamed of being able to summon the legendary sea serpent. I just happen to be the pinnacle of my family's lineage, so I possess enough power and wisdom to reign her in. Normally she explores the Amazon River for any of the Clock Tower's interlopers, but I'm willing to make an exception for today. If the young Master won't come with me, then I'll just have Yacumama swallow her whole and bring her to Akakor with me."
"Ungh…" the Shielder grunted in dismay. Although she was excellent with defensive maneuvers, she had trouble dealing with pincer attacks like this on her own. It probably would have been easy for her to take Ritsuka and get out of there, but with Yacumama's appearance, she doubted they would be able to escape before it devoured them.
"Now then, what will it be? Will you come with me willingly, or will I have to force you?" Alejandro demanded. "You ladies better decide quickly - my patience is growing thin."
As Ritsuka and Mash pondered what to do next, they felt an unusual rush of wind pass by. Before they knew it, they were being carried out of the entrapment by someone. Alejandro was astonished by how quickly the figure moved. The newcomer skidded to a halt, then set the girls down.
Ritsuka looked up at him, then noticed the familiar dark red hood covering his head. Her expression lit up as she cried out, "Kiritsugu!"
"Damn it!" the snake-using Mage cursed. He knew that the Assassin was one of Ritsuka's other Servants. He had no clue that once Kiritsugu saw his Master and comrade in danger, he had utilized Time Alter: Double Accel to amplify his speed and get them to safety without having to worry about the snakes attacking him. Without saying a word, Kiritsugu whipped out his Calico M950 and immediately fired a ruthless barrage of bullets at the reptiles. Most were scared away, but he managed to slay a good number of them.
"YAH!" Mash took this opportunity to leap high over him. She braced her shield in front of her like a turtle's shell and dropped straight down on a bunched pack of snakes. With a terrifying slam that cratered the earth around her, she crushed them to death beneath her weapon.
"Gh! Get them, Yacumama!" Alejandro screamed, then turned to run away. Any semblance of professionalism and vanity he possessed instantly vanished once he realized that Ritsuka's Servants had returned. Since he didn't have a Servant of his own, he had to leave the battle up to the Phantasmal while he retreated.
"KSHEEEE!" the serpent howled and prepared to bite down on Mash as she was getting up from her attack.
Suddenly, a flurry of small fireballs peppered the side of its face. The massive snake cried out, more in annoyance than in pain. It was enough of a distraction for Mash to recover and rejoin Ritsuka and Kiritsugu. Alejandro had not thought his plan through enough to realize that the missing Servants would have seen Yacumama emerging out of the Rio de Madeira from far away. This gave Connla plenty of time to launch a counterattack by throwing some Ansuz Runes at it.
"This way!" she called out to the monster.
It heard her and turned its head to glare at her. Just then, a thorny crimson lance rocketed through the air and grazed one of its eyes, rendering it half-blind in an immense spray of blood. The spear spun about and returned to its owner like a boomerang. Connla had actually acted as a distraction so that Cuchulainn could land his deadly shot without being noticed. Gae Bolg returned to his hand, and both Celts dashed at the stunned Yacumama to engage it in close combat.
"Ready, kid!?" Cuchulainn asked her.
"I am!"
He came to a quick halt, then balled his fist and reared his arm back in some sort of hurling position. The much smaller girl hopped onto his large fist and squatted on it like a platform. At the same time, he used some Tiwaz Runes to boost his strength to herculean proportions. Once he was ready, he flung his daughter high above the river like a shotput. She flipped a few times until she was in front of Yacumama's face. The beast noticed her coming and bore its devastating fangs at her. In a split second, it lunged its jaw and bit down where she was.
However, it looked stupefied as it realized it had bitten down on nothing. An instant before its attack, Connla conjured a platform Rune and hopped directly above, practically vanishing out of her opponent's sight. She sailed in an elegant arc until she fell along its rear. She raised her spear, then plunged it deep into Yacumama's back, splitting its scaly flesh enough to expose a little bit of its spine. As she continued falling, her spear kept dissecting the beast in one clean motion.
"KEESHAAA~AAAAAAAHHHH!?"
Yacumama screeched in absolute agony. It flailed about, suddenly throwing Connla off and sending her tumbling toward the river. It finally spotted her again and whipped its gargantuan tail at her.
"KYAH!" the Lancer screamed. She could barely think as her body skipped along the water like a stone, until she crashed onto the shore in a bruised and bloody heap. Some of the smaller snakes approached to try and kill her, but Kiritsugu shot them to death with his submachine gun.
Meanwhile, Cuchulainn roared with the ferocity of a hundred angry demons. While Yacumama was busy with Connla, the Berserker dashed along the monster's belly, sinking his spiked heels into its flesh to help him gain traction. Along the way, he flailed Gae Bolg in a flurry, slicing apart the snake's skin so badly that a disgusting amount of blood sprayed all over him. After Yacumama disposed of Connla, it turned its attention to Cuchulainn as he leapt in front of its face. However, he dispelled Gae Bolg and actually grabbed the sides of its face while flipping over its head.
With a nightmarishly devilish grin, Cuchulainn used his enhanced strength to force the stunned Phantasmal's cranium upon a dead tree that had noticeably sharp and jagged branches at its apex. He jammed the Phantasmal's skull through the tree like a lance, killing it instantly. The others watched the visceral spectacle in total shock, not having expected him to perform such a grisly move. As if reacting to their leader's death, the smaller reptiles hissed at each other before slithering back into the rainforest.
Once Ritsuka was sure the chaos subsided, she ran to Connla's side and used some healing spells from her Mystic Code while asking, "Are you okay?"
"Ungh," the child Servant groaned and got to her knees. She rubbed her forehead to steady herself from a bout of dizziness. "A little winded, but I'll be fine."
"That looked like a nasty tumble. Try not to push yourself."
Cuchulainn approached them, then inspected Connla's wounds. After making sure she would be okay, he asked Ritsuka, "What happened here? Did that monster ambush you?"
"No, it was summoned by some Mage."
"How the hell can there be a Mage here when we're literally in the middle of nowhere?"
Kiritsugu and Mash joined them, and the Assassin said, "I caught a glimpse of him running northward. If there are no obvious signs of civilization to be found, then we should consider finding something like a secret passage in that general direction."
"You might be right," Connla agreed with a weary nod. "According to the research that Lord Sigurd and I did, Akakor is supposed to be an underground city."
"All right! Let's catch that perp and get him to talk!" Ritsuka exclaimed.
Cuchulainn helped Connla to her feet, then asked, "Can you stand?"
"Uuuh… I don't think I can. I feel like I'm seeing stars everywhere."
Without another word, he scooped her onto his arm before following the others into the forest.
Meanwhile, Alejandro ran with all his might back toward the false tree that he emerged from. He needed to get back to his workshop and figure out a new plan for capturing Ritsuka. All along the way, he kept cursing both Ritsuka for having such powerful warriors at her command, and himself for underestimating the teenager's tenacity. Anger and frustration clouded his senses – he wanted so badly to be able to summon even one Servant! He believed that if some neophyte youth like Ritsuka could summon multiple Servants at once, then there had to be some kind of secret technology that was supporting her. If Alejandro could figure out what that was, then none of the other Mages in the Family Tree would have any reason to belittle him anymore!
The frantic man was several feet away from the tree, and thus safety from a very angry Master and her Servants. However, he had to stop running so suddenly that he nearly tripped onto his face. He steadied himself and stared not at the tree, but at the stranger who emerged from behind. He had messy blonde hair that turned black at the tips, and donned a distinct black cowboy hat. His face was rather scruffy, with a bushy mustache lining his upper lip. Other than that, his black coat, necktie, pants and shoes were all suitable to the spaghetti Western cowboy aesthetic. The holster attached to his belt made him so dangerous that his amicable smile did nothing to soothe Alejandro's frazzled nerves.
"Howdy, pardner," the cowboy greeted with a thick midwestern American accent.
The Mage stepped back in panic and yelped, "Y-You can't be… Are you Grandpa's lost Servant!?"
"None other. How's my ol' Master been doin'?"
"He's been dead for years! Ever since he and Dad died, I've been given command of the Uruburu family! That means you're obligated to bow down to me!"
"Sorry, sonny, but the world dun work that way. Yer off yer kadoova if ya think I'm just gonna throw away my freedom t'be some lil' punk's personal bitch. If ya had Command Spells that'd be different, but from the looks of it, yer as bare as a baby's bottom."
"It's because Grandpa summoned you that you're even here in the first place!"
"An' I'm mighty grateful fer that. Too bad 'is penchant fer controllin' everyone 'round 'im hasn't dulled in the slightest, even in 'is family line."
"Ugh…" Alejandro winced. He couldn't deny the Servant's bitterness towards his former Master. His grandfather, Joaquin Uruburu, wielded so much power in the Family Tree that he expected everyone to do as he said without question. Even Alejandro and his father weren't exempt from Joaquin's excessive need to keep everything and everyone under control.
"Now then," the Servant said, and his glare grew firm. "I strongly suggest y'come with me quietly. Yer pet's dead, an' I'm willin' t'bet yer lil' familiars are too busy pissin' in their skins t'do what ya say."
"Absolutely not! If there's a Master who can command so many Servants at once, then I just have to know the secret! Then no one will have any reason to look down on me for not being able to summon a Servant! I'll have an entire army of them at my beck and call!"
"Is bein' able t'summon a Servant really the only thing that keeps this world movin'? What a sorry state of affairs. Oh well. Figured ya wouldn't cooperate, but it didn't hurt to ask nicely. Guess we'll have t'do this the hard way."
The Servant twirled his Colt revolver around his finger, then aimed it right at Alejandro's head and smirked darkly. The Mage trembled once he realized his life was in grave danger. He raised his hands and screamed, "STOP-!"
He didn't get to finish his sentence when a single gunshot echoed throughout the forest. Thanks to that, the others were able to find where Alejandro had run off to, and they came upon the scene. A small plume of smoke billowed out of the barrel of the mystery Servant's firearm. He then holstered the gun and approached Ritsuka's group with a hearty smirk, not looking back as Alejandro's body collapsed back-first onto the ground. The lone shot he fired had hit its mark - square in the space between the Mage's eyes.
"Hey there," the cowboy called out. "Everyone okay?"
"Y-Yes, I think so," Mash shuddered, still feeling a little shaken from their close call.
"Calm those nerves, missy. I snuffed out that pipsqueak. Ya'll won't have t'worry 'bout more freaks o'nature like that poppin' out anytime soon."
"Right… I'm not sure what's going on, but thank you for your help."
"Nothin' to it. Upsettin' the bad guys' plans 'as always been my forte."
Ritsuka eyed the man from head to toe, particularly taking note of his revolver. She then asked, "You wouldn't happen to be a Servant, would you?"
The cowboy nodded. "Thought that'd be plain an' obvious. If ya can't tell, I'm an Archer. Not just any Archer though – I'm the one an' only Archer of Akakor."
"Archer of Akakor?"
"Eh? Y'dun know 'bout the Akakor Holy Grail War?"
This time, it was Da Vinci who spoke through the transmitter. She told him, "Sorry, but Ritsuka and the others were pretty much dumped into the boonies. We haven't made contact with anyone who can tell us what's going on here."
"Ahh! Sorry 'bout that, madam," the Archer apologized with a friendly smile. "Guess I shoulda known better. We are in South 'Merica after all. Other than in Akakor and Brasilia, there ain't anyone left alive t'tell ya anythin'."
Kiritsugu murmured, "I saw what was left in Manaus. I assume that it's a similar situation in other major cities like that?"
"Yessir, that'd be right. But I dun wanna have us steppin' over each other b'fore we're all up t'speed. Let's take this nice an' slow, startin' with some proper introductions."
Da Vinci nodded. "I don't think you need to introduce yourself. I can already tell what your True Name is supposed to be."
"I think so too," Ritsuka said. "I would have thought you were Billy the Kid, but I already met him elsewhere. Besides, he used a 41-caliber revolver, whereas yours is a 45-caliber."
The cowboy whistled. "Good eye, missy. Billy the Kid was active just a lil' b'fore my time, so my model o'handgun would be later than 'is. Guess I'll spill the beans an' say it plain an' simple – my True Name's Wyatt Earp."
"Oh!" Mash immediately became delighted when she heard that name. "You're famous for the battle at the O.K. Corral, aren't you!? It's said that you're so lucky that you've never been injured during your time as a lawman!"
"I guess so," Earp shrugged. "I ain't gonna take all the credit fer that lil' firefight though. My brothers Virgil and Morgan, 'long with Doc Holliday, were the ones who organized that scrap. I was just 'long fer the ride. Still, those 30 seconds changed my life ferever. Guess ya can say the O.K. Corral an' I are inexor'bly linked fer good."
"How fascinating! So you said you were summoned to be part of a Holy Grail War. Is there one happening as we speak?"
"Naw, it 'appened 50 years ago. I've been coolin' my 'eels since then."
"Fifty years ago!? And you're still around!?"
Cuchulainn reminded her, "Don't forget about the excessive amount of mana lingering in the air. Not to mention the Archer class' Independent Action skill."
"Yup. The big guy's got it right," Earp nodded. "Ever since that fracas concluded, I've been doin' my own sorta legwork into the matter. Was a real ugly affair, y'see, an' I ain't satisfied with 'ow it concluded. Lots o'unfinished business an' all."
"Hmm…" Da Vinci murmured. "Maybe this 'unfinished business' has something to do with why we're here."
"Ya don't say. Well b'fore I give ya'll the lowdown, I got my own questions fer ya lot. First an' foremost, I wanna 'ave a word with the lil' missy 'ere," the cowboy said as he pointed at a bewildered Connla.
"Me? Whatever for?"
He stared her straight in the eye. He spent a good minute inspecting her, which made her feel more and more uncomfortable the longer it dragged on.
"Hmm… Hmmmm… Yup, no mistakin' it," he finally said, then patted her head. What he said next came as a total surprise to everyone present:
"Yer my ol' mate – Lancer of Akakor."
Clervaux, Luxembourg
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was a landlocked country bordered by Belgium to the north, Germany to the east, and France to the west. Considered to be one of the smallest sovereign states in Europe, it still boasted a rich history deeply intertwined with French, German, Belgian and Roman politics. On the surface, it seemed rather odd for 22-S to claim that a Parallel World Gate would be located in a country not heavily influenced by Britain
However, it was precisely for that reason that the Clock Tower established a hidden sanctum for the Gate. Thanks to their connections with the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, who was himself of Mage lineage, they were allowed to surreptitiously establish a Gate deep beneath Clervaux, the northernmost canton of Luxembourg. Although the stigma of Mages practicing their craft in public was not as prominent in this world compared to Proper Human History, they still wanted to be cautious of exposing their revolutionary technology to most of the international superpowers like America, Russia or China.
To such nations, it was still the Cold War – an era rife with political intrigue and fear of nuclear disaster. Even in 1976, the effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 still lingered in many people's minds. For the Mages though, a similar yet different fear always gripped them; a potential repeat of the South Hemisphere Disaster that happened in 1926. Both the Cold War and the Disaster prompted the Mages to ask Luxembourg for assistance in keeping the closest Gate to London, England a classified secret. Even the paperwork outlining the flow of goods between parallel worlds was written in a language that no existing nation had ever heard of before. Those who knew the language were kept under the Clock Tower's strictest surveillance. That way, even if some mercenary spy wanted to leak these secrets to the highest bidder, no one would understand how to reproduce the technology for themselves.
In any case, this was the situation that Waver and 22-S found themselves in. Once Iskandar's chariot reached the outskirts of the town of Clervaux, Waver ordered him to stay in spirit form while the others investigated by foot. Iskandar would have been more than happy to march in and use brute force to occupy the sleepy town of no more than 1,000 citizens, but Waver absolutely insisted that they be as stealthy as possible. Luckily, 22-S knew where they needed to go, so there wouldn't be any need for violence so long as they were careful.
As the pair walked along the quiet streets of Clervaux, Waver gazed around in fascination at the old-style European homes, businesses and establishments lining the forested hill. 22-S nudged her elbow against his chest and whispered, "Try not to gawk too much. You might look like a yokel to the locals."
"Oh, sorry," the teenager apologized. "I just never thought I'd get to see such a quiet town. I'm more used to London's urban lifestyle."
Behind them, the invisible Iskandar tried to whisper to them as best as he could. His baritone voice made him sound like some kind of miniature storm lurking behind them as he murmured, "So, where is this Gate supposed to be?"
"The entrance is inside the Castle of Clervaux. From there, we take an elevator down to the subterranean levels," 22-S explained.
"Castle? They still have such places even today?"
"Well, they call it a 'castle', but it's only in name. It functions both as a museum and as the town's administrative offices."
"I see. To think that the entrance to the Mages' crowning achievement is located in such a quaint hamlet… I have to commend them for selecting such a magnificently strategic hiding spot."
"Are you sure we're going to be okay?" Waver asked the Enforcer. "I'll bet the Association has already put the word out that we're fugitives. If I walk in there as I am, I might wind up getting us arrested."
22-S nodded. "Don't worry, I have a plan in mind. Once we get closer to the museum, I'll explain what to do."
After strolling through the village for another half hour, the pair reached the outer gates. 22-S took Waver aside and began her preparations for their infiltration.
As far as anyone in the Castle of Clervaux was concerned, it was just another ordinary day. A young secretary was so preoccupied with dancing her fingers along the clacking typewriter that she almost didn't notice her guest walk through the front entrance. She looked up and discovered a familiar white-haired lady approaching. She was garbed in a grey trench coat and wore a loose red shirt, light blue pants and white knee-length boots, making her appear classy by European standards.
The secretary stopped typing and greeted, "Welcome back, 22-Q. Are you here for business as usual?"
"Something like that," the Enforcer murmured in a hollow tone. "Has the elevator been repaired?"
"Yes, the mechanics from Belgium just finished yesterday."
"Excellent. We've been having some problems lately, so I need to make sure everything's running smoothly."
"Problems?"
22-Q handed her a pair of photos. "I'm sure your superiors have already been notified, but if you happen to see these two, please report to the authorities right away."
"Hmm… I don't know who the lad is, but isn't the lady another one of the Enforcers?"
"Yes, her designation code is 22-S. She and that boy, Waver Velvet, have been branded as traitors and are on the run. Exercise caution, and do not provoke them in any way."
"C-Certainly," the secretary murmured hesitantly.
"Very good. If you will excuse me," 22-Q regarded her with a light nod, then headed further into the museum. She took some stairs down to the basement, which was off-limits to the public, and made her way to a singular set of sealed doors at the opposite end of the hall. If any unauthorized persons attempted to get in here, they would have had no idea how to open them. 22-Q did however, and she pressed her fingers upon a particular section of the brick wall. It slid back to reveal a panel with letters belonging to the mystery language the Mages utilized. She dialed in a specific code, and the elevator chimed before opening for her. She stepped inside, and the doors closed. There were no buttons inside for her to tell the carriage where to go, but there was only one destination anyway.
After a moment, 22-Q exhaled a deep sigh. Her form soon became shrouded in a gust of wind that rendered her invisible for a few seconds. When it dissipated, the young woman was revealed to be 22-S in disguise. She looked over to her side and said to someone who was apparently standing next to her, "We're clear now. I'm going to drop the spell."
She waved her hand, and another small breeze fluttered within the enclosed space. Through a misty haze, Waver's form reappeared. If she had been nervous, then he had been outright scared out of his mind. Before they entered the facility, she had used Runes to turn him invisible, and he kept to her side at all times as she spoke to the secretary. He was so frightened that he almost forgot to breathe, and he let out a huge gasp of relief.
"Oh, god! I never want to do anything like that again!" Waver cried out. "How on Earth can you keep a straight face while pretending to be an Enforcer who almost got you killed!?"
22-S shrugged and said, "I do it all the time. It's how the Association's superiors always keep tabs on each other."
"Why'd you even go out of your way to report us to that woman!?"
"Simple - I had to stay in 22-Q's character."
"Geez… I wish I had even a fraction of your poise."
Behind them, Iskandar materialized into physical form and grinned, "Hey, you did good for yourself, boy. Thanks to that, we're now one major step closer to conquering Akakor."
"I already told you, we're not conquering anything!"
"No problem. If you don't want to, then I'll just do it myself. Once I have this kingdom in my grasp, it'll be easier for you to conduct your investigation. Wouldn't you agree that that's some mighty sound logic?"
"I dread to think what sorts of 'logic' you've got going on in that head of yours."
"Now, now, let's not get complacent here," 22-S urged them. "This was just the easy part. The real test is going to come once we go through the Gate."
Iskandar leaned over her and asked, "Oh, speaking of which, where exactly are we going through this portal anyway?"
"It's another version of human history, dubbed PW #00162B by the Mages here."
"PW… what now?"
"PW stands for 'Parallel World', and is followed by a six-digit hexadecimal code representing a color based on its red-green-blue values, or RGB for short. For this code, there is 0% red, 8.6% green, and 16.9% blue, with the remainder representing black. That means this separate world is coded to represent a very dark midnight blue color, since it is always nighttime there and only certain plants and herbs that Mages seek after can grow in such an environment."
Waver widened his eyes slightly. "Now that you mention it, I've seen some rare and exotic plants in the labs that can only grow in complete darkness. I was always told that they were cultivated under very special conditions, but they're actually from another world?"
"That's right. I picked that world since I haven't heard any reports of major uprisings from the locals, nor any Mages or Servants stationed there. We basically hopping in, then adjusting the return coordinates to be in this world's South America."
"Why can't we just warp directly there? Why do we have to go through this alternate world first?"
22-S frowned. "It's… kind of complicated. The Mages haven't perfected the technology enough for it to serve as direct gateways within this world. Dealing with the Second Magic isn't quite as cut-and-dry as you would like to believe."
"That's odd. I thought that would be the first thing they'd get right."
"No, they were more concerned with replenishing this world's depleting magical energy, along with establishing connections with new worlds. Once that was sorted out, they could then direct their energies towards further practical applications."
"I see. I guess I still have a lot to learn."
The Enforcer looked away from the eager student. She seemed so sullen that Waver noticed and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Well… I'm just hoping that our stay in the alternate world will be mercifully brief."
"What do you mean? Is there something you don't want me to see?"
"Sort of."
Iskandar folded his arms and stared at the despondent young woman with a concerned look in his eye. Although he said nothing, he listened to their conversation intently so that he could discern any vital clues that 22-S would drop. In particular, he couldn't overlook how she said there were 'major uprisings from the locals', and that the Mages 'established connections with new worlds'. Just from those hints, the king had a good idea of what to expect once they arrived at their destination:
Oppression of parallel worlds, hm?
