Fate/Division by Zero
Chapter 4
900 XP Gained – Level UP
An hour later
Unknown location
A crackling signal sputtered into life on a screen. A Loader had been constructed in such a way that it only had two legs and a television on the top half. The current news broadcast was being shown at the moment.
"… unknown reason as for the sudden collapse of the top three storeys of the Hyatt Hotel. Casualties are expected, though it is not clear as to how many could be injured. The occupants of the penthouse suite in particular have not been seen as of yet. The hotel management did report that a threatening phone call was made about bombs in the building; therefore, many guests were in the process of being evacuated. Observers stated they saw a few explosions from the top floor, along with broken panes of glass, prior to the collapse. We'll have on this story later..."
Switching it off, Caster smirked to himself, "A little too flashy and public for a Holy Grail War. You need more style, Berserker; brute force just won't cut it any more when you're fighting me."
Checking the prison cells, he saw how Ryuunosuke had decorated each one with their occupants. Some had entrails strewn over each other to make a plait, or a leash around the neck of its victim. Dismemberment, with help from Caster's tools, was now commonplace.
Tutting to himself, Caster just took it into his stride, "He's a good kid, but a bit basic in his art. I could show him better ways of turning someone inside out, or rearranging the limbs on the body." He pulled out his scanner and saw the meter a third of the way along, "Good, another two days and the Key will be ready." He looked at the TV Loader following him obediently, "Then I'll have plenty to show the world what I'm capable of."
Laughing to himself, he waited for his triumph in his workshop, as Loaders began building a special keyhole in a dense stone with purple veins pulsing through it.
Next morning
"It looks so much worse in person..."
Waver was staring up at the broken Hyatt, the top part of it lopsided due to the uneven way the floors crumbled away. Hearing about it on the news like that meant it could only belong to the War. He knew somehow that it was his former professor who was involved.
"If a Servant was to breach his fortress like this, then it can only be Berserker."
Rider stood tall next to him. After convincing him about clothing in this era, he proceeded to stitch himself a pair of trousers using some fur and leather in his collection, thinning it down enough to be passable for common use. The wool he had made for a suitable sweater, and then the leather made for a decent jacket.
Of course, the helmet had to be hidden away.
Whilst it was disappointed, Meyontpaak the dragon understood that she couldn't just fly around behind them, since it was cause instant panic. She agreed to be returned to the river beyond the veil until the evening when Rider would summon her again.
"You do know that the whole building didn't belong to Kayneth, just the top floor, right?" Waver wanted to be certain about this.
"I do, I stayed in taverns and inns to replenish my health when needed, so am aware that Kayneth would not have necessarily owned the residence." The helicopters hovered over the building to help out with any searching, "Regardless, there must have been traps to prevent unlawful entry to his domain. With such a secured location, it could be no other."
"Yeah, Berserker is the type of monster that could just shrug off any magical defence with that aura of his." Waver peered off past the police blockade, "I can't see anything in that rubble, it is possible they escaped."
"True, however we cannot interfere in their investigation. Let us move on, Master."
As they walked on, Rider glanced back to see a pair of eyes staring right back at him. Glaring intently, he moved closer to Waver and strode away.
Assassin was in the crowds stalking his prey. His hood was up, which thankfully was normal at this time of year due to some biting winds hitting the populace, and he moved through the swarm of humans like a ballet dancer, never allowing anyone to touch him just in case.
He knew Rider was onto him, so he had to abandon that one. He felt Kirei's presence in his mind, coaxing him to check out the mess left at the hotel to see if there were any survivors from the War.
As he got closer to the police cordon, he overheard two officers talking. Leaning against the wall and activating his field of unimportance, he listened in. Using that power, even though he was visible, people would simply ignore his existence whilst it was on.
"… blood and trace elements of clothing. Firefighters are still sifting through to ensure there isn't any potential explosion from pockets of air from the sewers."
"What about the bomb squad?"
"They've performed their analysis and say there isn't any sign of gunpowder, C4, or any kind of accelerant, even on the rubble itself, which begs the question as to what happened."
"Yeah, the others are having problems at the top floor – well, new top floor – in determining what went on last night. No bodies yet?"
"Still no tell-tale signs, which is puzzling. If there's blood, then where did it come from if there are no bodies?"
"Heh, perhaps they flew away as they fell."
"Like that could happen..."
Assassin had heard enough and slipped off into an alleyway.
"Master, what are your orders now?"
Through the telepathic link, Kirei spoke to him, "Track the Master and kill him if you are not detected. If you can't locate him, that is fine too, search for the others. Be on the lookout though for Saber, his Master will not be happy to see you."
"I shall do as you bid."
Clambering up the windowsills, Assassin reached the top of the building opposite the Hyatt Hotel. Glad in the knowledge that his speed would be too fast for the police or TV crews in the helicopter to capture, he began to look for any sign of retreat.
That moment
Matou Manor
"▄▬▓██▓████▀!"
Booming sounds emanated from the lower chambers, reverberating through the household past the magical sound-cancelling barrier, due to the strength behind it. Thankfully, Zouken's boundaries around the house itself were much more durable, and outside of the land, no one could hear even a bird chirp from within the household's walls.
Kariya leant against the door itself, panting heavily as his face twitched and writhed, the crest worms consuming more flesh and blood to generate the mana needed to heal Berserker.
He knew that if this went on, his life would end just from the worms eating away his entire body.
Berserker was in pain.
Pain so unbearable that he was not able to shrug it off, nor use his pseudo Reality Marble to heal himself completely. The force Lancer held in that strike was equal, if not greater, than what Saber used against Berserker. There was no holy power of any sort, unlike Saber, nor was it just a strong hit.
It was sharp, and aimed under the helmet, which was a very difficult place to aim for, and went straight into Berserker's skull, if he had one at all beneath that metallic monstrosity.
Even Kariya didn't know what lay beneath there. He could only remember small segments from his shared dream-landscape. It never showed him without the mask on. He was tormenting doll-like bodies with multiple arms, nurses with bandages on their face, and even had at one point a human form wearing a painted-cloth shroud.
Kariya woke up when the axe swung down to cut his head off.
"Ojisan?"
Sakura wandered through the house up to her uncle, seeing the pain he was in, "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, Sakura-chan, no problem here." He winced, "Just a problem with my Servant, that's all."
"I see..." Her neutral face nodded, "Father is drinking more."
"Ah..."
Yes, the 'father' she spoke of was her unofficial parent, being Kariya's brother. Though Zouken all but owned Sakura, sickening Kariya to the depths of his soul, for legal reasons she had to call Byakuya father in public. Having been thoroughly 'educated' by Zouken, it was now an automatic response for her, and she could no longer stop calling him that.
In turn, she called that weasel Shinji her brother, being the son of Byakuya.
Kariya thought hard about how to break her free from all this once the War ended.
"Ignore him; let him drink what he wants. He perhaps doesn't think this affects him at all, but it will in the long run."
"Okay, if you say so Kariya-ojisan."
"Do you want to stay here for a bit?" Kariya started before realising how horrible it must be to be closer to this noise, "U-Unless you don't know want to, I can't imagine that -"
Shifting a bit, Sakura knelt and then leant against the same door, moving closer to Kariya.
"Just for a little while." Sakura checked his face for any reaction.
A skipped heartbeat, once he would associate with his body being consumed, this time due to closeness with another human being; a person he would like to call family, having been close to her real mother, Aoi.
Sakura just sat there beside her uncle in quiet amidst the roars of Berserker.
Fuyuki Church
2:15pm
Risei stood in front of the television in his personal quarters, the mood grim and biting his lower lip so hard that blood seeped out.
The main feature was about the Hyatt Hotel, and how the upper portion of the structure simply lost all cohesion, leading to potential issues with other buildings made by the same contractors.
Risei knew that the Church would ensure that no one gets the blame officially for this, and that a random occurrence and unfortunate coincidences led to that moment. A gas explosion with subsequent side-effects would be used. Shaking his head, he cared not for the details. There was an entire division in the Vatican devoted to falsifying claims and rectifying errors, of which this would fall under both categories.
No, what bothered him more was the next piece of news, one massively overshadowed by the hotel so it would seem a lot less severe, but not to trained eyes.
"… makes it to be the tenth missing person since yesterday. There appears to be no common ground on location, nor any sign of force or struggle. The identities of the people appear to be mainly women and children, and there is no ransom note or group as yet claiming to be behind this. Some were abducted on their way to school, or even at their home. Police are asking for any eye-witnesses to come forward to identify a suspect."
Switching it off, Risei began to pace the room slowly. It was too far a stretch to believe that this happened for no reason, and with this timing. Of course, he was fully aware that murders, kidnappings and a plethora of crimes were committed every day in Japan.
Yet, for a serial kidnapper, or worse, murderer, to appear in full force in the midst of the Holy Grail war?
It would have to be a Master providing sustenance for a Servant. Souls and life-force are incredibly powerful energies which can easily replenish a Servant's prana, or store it up to unleash a powerful attack.
It was an abomination against nature and God. No self-respecting and good-natured Servant would ever agree to consume a human to heal themselves.
Unless...
Thinking back to the hotel, Risei was certain that Berserker was somehow involved. His haphazard style of attack, defying all known magical boundaries and physical defences did make for an obvious marker. Though he couldn't blame the Master for summoning such a beast, Risei had to concur that there was no way that creature was 'good' in any sense of the word.
If he were badly wounded, would his Master have to resort to such desperate measures to return him to full strength?
Then again, while hypnotising victims wasn't beyond the pale for any competent Mage, having them vanish instantly would take some doing with magical circles and whatnot.
Risei sat down and held his forehead, mulling all this information through, before staring at the blank TV screen again.
"I need more time..."
The Church could strike now and issue a declaration to hunt down Berserker, but there were still many things left a mystery. If he were to falsely accuse a Master...
Getting up, he went to the main hall and knelt in front of the altar. Reaching down to his crucifix hanging from his neck, he grasped it with two hands, and began to whisper to himself.
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference..."
Repeating the prayer to himself, Risei placed his hope that God would forgive him for not acting rashly, even though he knew that lives would be at risk by holding back his desire to end bloodshed.
Silently, he cried in the darkened chamber.
Einzbern Manor
That moment
"At least no one was injured." Irisviel offered Kiritsugu, who was mulling over the destruction caused by Berserker.
"Thanks to the phone call." He held his brow, "I don't want anyone else to get hurt in this war, Iri..."
"And you've done well so far. I have no reason to doubt you will prevent all civilian casualties that you can."
"Yeah, you've done well Kiritsugu-san!"
Glaring at the blue wisp Navi, he ignored its words. When Saber was resting or guarding the home, he always left Navi to stand near Irisviel, since it used very little of his prana to maintain it. If battle was needed, then a greater familiar would be required.
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in..." Returning to his neutral and composed face, he watched Maiya enter the room.
"It's confirmed. No injuries or deaths reported by the hotel and police." She paused to let this sink in, "Furthermore, two occupants of the penthouse suite are still missing with no trace of them in the rubble, though hotel staff is certain that they were checked in at the time.
"So, they're not dead, yet. Kariya Matou must have escaped too." Maiya nodded in agreement, "We know he's probably safe in his Manor, but we'll leave him there for now. I'm not sure where Kayneth would go, but it would have to be something last minute." Going to the main desk, Irisviel followed him, and he rolled out a map of Fuyuki, made from satellite imagery, "Knowing how much of a perfectionist Kayneth is, he would have assumed a need to escape, but at the same time, would not dare to think of a secondary base as his primary atelier would be near impenetrable."
"So…" Irisviel flicked her eyes to the map, "What does that mean exactly?"
Maiya moved closer to scan the roads, "Kayneth is rich, but now it is far too late for a last minute purchase of a home. Given his bigoted background, it's implausible he would stoop to buying a home in Japan also." She pointed to some pieces of barren land, "It would need to be a construction site, or an abandoned building where no one is living at the moment."
"So, we need to search there." Irisviel understood, "When do I head out?"
"Not yet, Iri... We need a way to defeat him, since Lancer somehow beat Berserker. Whatever it was must have been strong. I'm thinking of a backup plan." Kiritsugu looked at Navi, "Can you bring Saber here? I need to discuss this with him."
"Yes sir!" Flashing brightly, Navi flew off and through the walls to her retainer.
Returning in less than a minute, the elfin swordsman bowed lightly to the trio.
"Saber," Kiritsugu beckoned him over, "Berserker was beaten by Lancer, most likely by something abnormal in Lancer. I doubt seriously that either of them is dead, but I believe our best chance is to defeat Lancer now when his Master is weakened without a real secure base." He looked to the side, "Berserker is too strong, but at the same time, we know that your sword can harm him for some reason. I need your help with this plan, and any advice you can provide."
Smiling, Saber glanced at the map of Fuyuki and opened his mouth to speak aloud his thoughts of his Master's idea.
Elsewhere in Fuyuki
An hour later
"Just sit still Kayneth!" Sola-Ui used another bandage and wrapped it around his upper-arm, tightening it much harder than needed, "It'll be over soon."
"Insolence... Berserker broke the sacred oath..."
He kept muttering nonsense to himself as Sola-Ui held both hands on his back to channel some of her prana to heal him.
"You're lucky that Lancer was able to get you away from there..."
"Pathetic, weak Servant... Should have summoned Saber, Archer, even Assassin..."
Sighing to herself, Sola-Ui glanced to her side to see that new guise and armour of the tall male Servant. It reminded her of a classical knight in the medieval era, were he geared for underwater salvage and warfare. The way the metal glimmered reminded her that this version must not have seen much action in the days of Rapture, and in her shared memories, she saw no other sign of this protector there. As Kayneth used a Command Seal to unleash this strength, it didn't seem to disappear immediately.
Sola-Ui wondered to herself if this version could be brought into battle again without the mana granted from the Command Seal.
Lancer rotated its head to stare at her from behind the locked porthole.
Immediately, she understood it was possible. Lancer told her just by looking; a message was transmitted to her telepathically.
"Lancer, could you return to your drill form. I need the extra prana to heal Kayneth better."
Bowing, the steam covered his body, and the groaning sound of the bulky Servant returned.
"Is there a problem, woman?" The male Magus bit out as he peered at the Servant.
Grabbing the back of his neck, Sola-Ui felt the blood rise to her head, "Who are you to call me 'woman'?" Gripping it tighter, she felt his muscles spasm from the shock, and his pained gasps were music to her ears.
Lancer stood by watching this passively.
"Agh... Why won't you help me, Lancer?" He struggled to get out, "I'm your Master!"
"Yes, and a weak one by the looks of things." Sola-Ui twisted the knife using her words, "If your Servant prefers me to you, what's the problem?" She released Kayneth and moved to his front so she could look at him in the face.
Despite the battle taking place many hours ago, he was still not fully healed, bruises covered his face, fractured bones from the falling masonry and concussion as well made for a sickly person indeed.
Though it wasn't for lack of trying.
"There's something wrong with you, I can't heal you as well as I could in the past." She thought to the battle, "It has to be Berserker's influence somehow, maybe to do with that ability of his?"
Kayneth angled his head to look at her with his bloodshot eyes.
"My Mystic Code protected me, but there might have been some leakage somehow."
The metal globe recognised its designation and pulsed once next to Kayneth. Without its vase, it sat there on its own, waiting.
"Either that, or there is another problem present with your body." She looked at their Servant moving closer to them, "Lancer is unaffected, and I doubt somehow that other Masters are experiencing the same problem."
She peered at him and noticed his eyes flick away from her gaze for half a second before returning to their former position.
"Could it be...?" Sola-Ui blinked once and stepped back, "No, it can't be..." Covering her face in shock, a small amount of humour leaked out in her voice, "Are you... afraid?"
"Me?! The great Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald?!" He stood up shakily, as his legs suffering wounds too made him unsteady, "Impossible!"
Watching him sit down quickly, she put her arms on her hips, "There's no other explanation left." She spoke succinctly, "Something is blocking me from healing you properly. Either there is an outside influence affecting your body, or you are forcibly rejecting my own prana by redirecting it away from the injured areas."
Kayneth remained silent, staring off into the wall ahead of him.
"The only reason you would prevent me from healing you is because you want to remain injured. I doubt you would prefer to die, since that is easily done." She leaned forwards into his face, cupping his chin in her right hand and pulling it up for him to face her, "You want to quit by claiming you are no longer suited to be a Master."
It wasn't a question, just a statement, but one that made Kayneth sweat, his irises shrinking to pin pricks.
"You know nothing, Sola-Ui..." His voice was absent of his haughty arrogance, but one of muted fear and dejection, "I've been near death twice already in as many days... I cannot even savour a battle with other Magi on equal ground, as they all hide behind their Servants." He covered his face with one hand, "As a Magus, I must be strong and strive to win. Death is always waiting in our lives and the experiments we people conduct daily. A life without risk is no life at all."
"But?" Sola-Ui tapped her foot repeatedly.
"I want a simpler life. I was happy teaching, I was... safe..." His grin returned, "I could trample on those weaker than myself with knowledge and status, with no retort or objection."
"Until Waver Velvet questioned you and the entirety of your teachings with his paper." Sola-Ui pulled up another chair and sat opposite him, she was getting tired from his words.
"Yes..." He growled, "That impudent boy with a shallow background, when compared to the blood of El-Melloi Archibald, dared to uproot the convention and tradition of all Magi."
"You know..." Sola-Ui crossed her legs and folded her arms, "I saw you had left it on your desk one evening and decided to read his work." Blowing her nails to get rid of any dust, she went on, "I found it inspirational and fascinating, worthy of further study." Ignoring Kayneth's boggling eyes she continued, "It may not replace years' worth of knowledge stored in Magic Crests, but with more application of his ideas, it could benefit any Magus willing to attempt to gain power."
"How..." The Master stood up, "How could you...? You're not taking my side?"
Sola-Ui shrugged, "You already crushed his hopes with that rejection. Does it matter what I think?"
"A wife should always obey and trust her husband!" He managed to keep standing despite his legs shaking.
"We're not married yet, husband-to-be. I can say what I want." Her grin was shadowed by her glaring eyes, "Getting back on point, to prove you are the greatest, you entered the Grail War, and now you're running scared because of the power of the Servants."
"Lancer is weak!" He pointed at the hulking creature, "He cannot help me anymore!"
"Then quit while you're still alive." Sola-Ui pointed to his arm, "Give me the Command Seals, and I will win this war for a coward like you." Her eyes teased him, "That means that you will need to accept that even Waver is more of a true Magus than you are, having summoned a Servant capable of riding a dragon of all things!" She saw him seethe, and his knuckles grew white from the pressure they exerted on his chair, "Maybe a long bloodline doesn't help in the end…"
Kayneth's face was blood red, and his wounds opened up on his arms, "Never..." Clenching his fists he yelled out loud, "NEVER! I WON'T ACCEPT THAT A MERE STUDENT IS GREATER THAN ME!"
His fiancée nodded to herself, everything was going according to her plan, "Then let me heal you, and go defeat Rider and Waver for yourself, and return victorious!"
"Yes..." Kayneth stared at his hands, fingers contorted as if crushing a skull, "I will savour his death umpteen times for my humiliation, healing him from the point of death only to squash him again."
Returning to her normal position, Sola-Ui proceeded to heal Kayneth, and saw almost an immediate change in that his wounds sealed up, preventing more blood loss.
Another hour and he would be fully restored.
Her smirk remained unseen by Kayneth for all that time.
Meanwhile
Tohsaka Manor
"I see, I thank you for the information, Risei." Tokiomi spoke over the magical speaker which allowed them to call each other. Ending the call, he turned around, his brow furrowed.
"Problem, Master?" Archer asked, whilst nursing a glass of his favourite tipple.
"Risei has indicated there may be a Servant or Master abducting people, though he does not know who as yet. There is little data to confirm if it is indeed a participant in the War, but he is concerned regardless."
"What are your plans?" Archer flicked his eyes to the window, his keen eyes sensing something in the distance.
"We should look into this further." Tokiomi sat opposite Archer, "If there is a person flouting the rules of combat and involving civilians, then they need to be taken out promptly."
"Agreed." Archer stood up, "Do you want me to go scouting?"
Raising a hand, Tokiomi encouraged Archer to sit down again, "No, whilst I am sure you are more than capable to see anything from miles away, we need to have a wide range of eyes."
Archer narrowed his eyes, "Assassin." Tokiomi nodded, "You're putting this massive responsibility on someone we can barely trust?"
"I understand your reservations, Archer." The Tohsaka head reached forward to pour himself a glass, "This will help us to get a perspective on things, and allow us an opportunity to view his intentions."
"Have you spoke at all recently to Kirei?"
"No lately, he hasn't been seen at the Church either." He shrugged, "As he could not withdraw from the war due to him being still active, and his Servant alive, he cannot stay there."
"Therefore, he must be roaming the streets or at another base of his own..." Archer glanced outside again, "So, where is he?"
That moment
Fuyuki Port
Risei informed Kirei of the plan by the use of a mouse familiar. Assassin was to search the streets until the culprit was found.
It was lucky then that Kirei already knew who that person was, and that he had more-or-less located the hideout. Assassin, being the useful Servant that he was, had been scouring the city to search for the Masters and to eliminate them if possible, using the Apple of Eden to split his body to speed up the search. All of the Masters had been found except for Lancer's, who went into hiding immediately after the Hyatt Hotel fiasco.
No one had been killed yet, since Assassin was never in a position to expose himself to initiate the kill. Though Berserker was currently silent in his home, the wards around the Matou home were durable and intimidating were he to attempt to enter. Rider detected Assassin straightaway, and remained on guard for his movements, so killing Waver was out of the question. Saber and her Master were ensconced in her Manor, so that was even more deadly to enter than the Matou home given that the Servant was most likely at full power.
Archer was known to be in the Tokiomi home, but as they were allies, killing was not permitted.
Assassin did note though that Kirei didn't seem bothered whether Tokiomi lived or died since no direct order was given to not kill the Tohsaka head.
The reason why Assassin didn't kill Caster's Master was due to his unique circumstances, that he was completely unaware of the circumstances of the war, and thus the rules.
This now leads us to why Kirei is in the docks. Assassin noted that he could not detect Caster, but given the latter's massive prana geared towards magical usage, it would be easy to hide his workshop even if they were standing on top of it. All results showed that the docks were the best place for the victims to appear, given the pattern of disappearances seemed to avoid this region.
If there is a hiding place, you wouldn't want to advertise it by having anyone go missing nearby.
The former Executor walked slowly, evaluating buildings, warehouses and factories there. Though it was approaching evening, workers were leaving their places of work, leaving their hard hats behind and their high visibility tops before returning home. Kirei knew that none of these people could be responsible for any of the atrocities, being as they were normal civilians.
Almost every place seemed to be working fine; some companies did work overnight, as ships with cargo containers arrived during the night, so there had to be workers to help unload them.
As he passed an innocuous warehouse, his sense of danger began to tingle, the hairs on the back of his neck raising. He had entered a bounded field, but nothing like the standard wards on homes to prevent unlawful entry. This had two functions, which Kirei easily overpowered given his own willpower bolstered by years of training his magical circuits.
The first was a gentle reminder to avoid the warehouse and to turn away, in other words, to forget about this place and not to bother coming back.
The second was an alarm, which Kirei managed to prevent from activating, one that would have alerted the owner of the field that someone had walked through the barrier.
This wasn't uncommon, and was used as more of a perfunctory tool to see how many people reached the boundary, and then were presumably turned away. If few people were in this area, then only a tiny percentage would wonder into this location, and then be coaxed away. Should the number of people rise greatly, perhaps a new factory opening nearby, then lots of people would be affected by this field. Therefore, it would negate its purpose since there would be too many people to track. Secondly, if a large number of people suddenly and randomly moved away from the warehouse, then it would only arouse suspicion, thus revealing the whereabouts of an abnormal location, one the Church or any determined Magus would investigate further.
Finding the large door to be firmly shut, Kirei moved to the smaller door at the side and found it to be unlocked. Walking inside and closing the door gently, he smelled the air, and could only sense dust and metal.
Grasping three Black Key hilts in his left hand, he moved stealthily towards the back of the dark warehouse. There were the sounds of machinery moving about which he ignored.
Reaching another boundary field, he slipped past it with ease. This one was essentially a firm order to turn around and leave, and not just a mere suggestion. It implanted thoughts in the person's head, depending upon their reason for being there, from such ideas as leaving the car turned on, to already having the correct documentation for the rental of the place.
Knowing he was reaching a dangerous point, he activated the blades from the Keys and moved closer past the large metallic yellow crates to the furthest section of the building
A final boundary field activated, and this time Kirei could not stop it. Essentially it was a full alert using a large amount of mana from the lands, transmitting a warning to the creator of the field.
Instantly the lights went on in the warehouse, causing Kirei to cover his eyes momentarily while they adjusted. The forklifts and cranes around him switched themselves on and readjusted their bodies to look like those robots he saw through Assassin's eyes at the first large battle between all the Servants.
"Well, well, well... Slow clap! The little rat followed the cheese right into my trap."
Blue squares appeared in front of Kirei and merged to show the smirk from the Servant known as Caster.
Keeping his expression neutral, he knew there would be no chance he could survive against anyone as powerful as him, but at least he could make an effort trying.
"Cat got your tongue?" Caster sneered, leaning forwards, "Why would you stupidly walk in here on your own?" Caster began to walk around, waving down his Loader bots as they moved back, putting their gun arms away, "You knew something was being hidden here, and yet you chose to enter alone?" Before Kirei answered, Caster went on, "Oh, and I know that you found my Master. I had a stealth Surveyor watching him closely."
Kirei stopped despite his instincts. He wasn't dead yet, nor was he forced into battle.
"I have no reason for coming in here." This was the truth. He racked his brains, but could not come up with any excuse to enter hostile territory like this. Curiosity wasn't part of it, nor did he want to kill the creator of the field.
"Let me give you a possible reason." Caster licked his finger and pulled out a notebook, "You saw my powers when I fought Saber and the rest, and wanted to know more about my powers..." He shook his own head, "No, that's not it, why would you want to see more Loaders?" This time his grin expanded wide to cover his whole face, stretching the odd mask, "I know..." He put the notebook away and held out his arms to show Kirei, "You wanted to meet me."
"Meet you?" The black-robed man frowned, "That doesn't make any sense. You are a Servant of another Master, and thus you are an enemy which needs to be defeated."
"And yet, your own Servant chose not to kill Ryuunosuke. He felt it prudent to contact you first." Caster clicked his fingers and two smaller Loader bots came from the sidelines and formed chairs, one for Caster, the other for Kirei, "Please, sit..."
Taking his offer, knowing he would be dead anyway if he chose to resist, Kirei did so, letting the Black Keys dissipate as he holstered the hilts into his sleeve.
"So, what does that have to do with anything?" Kirei still didn't see what this had to do with anything.
"Assassin is a perfect killing machine, quiet, stealthy, and swift. No one can kill a Master faster than he. Assassins by their own nature are evil, but possess an honourable centre, one centred on killing those who are good." Caster rapped his fingers on the armrest, "Why would a holy man like you have the mental similarity that of a murderer. Indeed, your Fifth Commandment states 'Thou shalt not kill'. Yet you let him live." He shrugged pithily, scoffing to himself, "Well, to kill a person before they kill others I suppose is 'for the greater good'."
"I..." Kirei paused as his thoughts blurred together.
"Aren't you the least bit questioning as to why I have let you live this long?" Caster cocked his head to one side, "You could be killed in an instant by my wishes. Your contradictory nature has intrigued me to the extent that I wished to meet you."
"But..."
Why didn't he order Assassin to simply kill that Master? He was seen torturing people and then abducting them for his Servant. Though he didn't know the reason, it could only be because of the prana requirement to keep Caster materialised in this world. The way he hurt others disgusted him.
His heart skipped a beat.
The side-effect of the Master-Servant contract was the ability to sense each other's thoughts, whether by choice for communication purposes, or unwillingly, when a strong emotion or desire was expressed. Assassin's unbidden recollection came through the shared visual connection. The killer with the hidden blade was captivated by how the ginger boy enjoyed maiming his victims, prior to abducting them with that strange device. Reminiscent memories came through, reminding Kirei that even Assassin needed to get information the old-fashioned way in his era by hurting those who withheld it.
No, Kirei didn't like to hurt others if he could avoid it.
A grin left his lips.
"Oh?" Caster was amused, "Have you come to some realisation?"
Kirei nodded, "Yes, I think I know now... I apologise in advance, but I'll need more time to determine if what I'm feeling is correct, and what exactly it is."
"So, what do you plan on doing?" Caster folded his arms, having tensed up, unsure of Kirei's answer.
"I will leave this place, to discover that reasoning for myself." Kirei stood up, "You have my word that I will not reveal this location to anyone else, however if another Master or Servant were to find it, then you can be assured of a fight from them."
Caster stood up, seemingly satisfied, "When you find out your own truth, seek me out. I'm sure we'll get along like a house on fire." His unnaturally white teeth gleamed.
Extending his hand, Kirei shook it firmly before retracting it.
"You are most likely aware my father is the administrator of the Holy Grail War." Caster's smirk confirmed this, "A word of warning, he has noted the missing people and may call for all Masters to hunt you and your Master down. I won't stop them, but nor will I actively look for you." He glanced around the workshop, "You have a good setup here, but be prepared to move. I assume those victims are needed for your own purposes."
"You can say that..." Caster tutted, "Still, I only need two more days before my plan is ready. You may need to talk to me before then, as there will be little to stop me after that."
"Till we meet again, Caster."
"Call me Jack, that's what my friends do, and none of that Japanese suffix stuff either." He sighed loudly, "I get tired of hearing that from Ryuunosuke all the time."
"Goodbye, Jack."
Walking away, Kirei felt an urge and a unique feeling swell in his chest.
Excitement.
Author's Notes
Things are going to change now, just you wait. Unlikely alliances and more problems will happen for all involved.
Now, for the unveiling of another Servant's stats:
Class – Assassin
Master – Kotomine Kirei
True Name – Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Game Series – Assassin's Creed
Alignment – Lawful Evil
Theme Song – Flight through Jerusalem – Assassin's Creed Soundtrack
Battle Theme – Access the Animus – Assassin's Creed Soundtrack
Base Skills
Strength – D
Endurance – D
Agility – B
Magical Energy – E
Luck – B
Class Skills
Presence Concealment – A+: It is possible to disappear completely and become almost impossible to be detected. However, efficiency will decrease once preparations to attack are taken.
Personal Skills
Disengage – A: Can completely remove himself from battle with no chance of pursuit. Any injuries sustained prior to withdrawal are not automatically healed. Rank up due to Presence Concealment.
Espionage – A: At this rank, as long as the user is not outed by his allies, it is impossible to discern any hostility from the user.
Projectile (Daggers) – D: Thrown projectile weapons are faster than the eye can see.
Noble Phantasm
Apple of Eden – Illusion and Physical Projection
During his era, Assassin located an ancient and mystical artefact, the Apple of Eden. Whilst its full powers have yet to be uncovered, when in possession of Assassin, having copied his own mentor in its application, he is able to create seemingly endless clones of himself. Each clone possesses the same class skill and rank of Presence Concealment, but all other skills are lowered by two ranks, but none can fall below the minimum rank of E. No clone can activate any Noble Phantasm either. If a clone is killed, then Assassin can create another one if need be. Prana is used for each summoning, but whilst they are active, there is no additional prana drain.
Due to this, the clones are used mainly for two purposes, distraction and information gathering. During combat, the clones can be generated to confuse the opponent and to take their attention away from the original Assassin who can deal a powerful blow. Outside of battle, clones can be tasked with navigating an area the size of a small city for any information requested by the Master. Though their skills are reduced, they are still Servants and thus can easily overpower and eliminate any targets that have little to no magical resistance, should the need be required. Given that they are manifested by the Apple, they need to report back to Assassin for any updates or news, and cannot communicate telepathically with either Assassin or his Master.
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit Noble Phantasm
Range: - 1-10
Maximum Target: 10 people
Social Discretion – Seamless Blending
Whilst Presence Concealment is primarily the art of completely disappearing from the visible and audible spectrum, this passive skill allows for use in public places where it would be difficult to vanish without anyone suddenly noticing the disappearance of a person. With no extra prana cost, Assassin can walk amongst crowds, sit on benches, lean against walls, and anything normal people would do, without drawing any extra attention to himself due to his garment.
Given his unique attire, this will help Assassin to approach targets gradually in areas where a frontal attack would not work. It can also be used for information gathering by getting close to and listening in on to conversations he would otherwise not be privy. This is not compatible with the Apple of Eden Noble Phantasm, as only the 'original' Assassin can activate it. He can however, activate this ability, but also have Apple of Eden running in the background, allowing the clones to continue their work with their own reduced skills.
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit (Self) Noble Phantasm
Range: - 1-50
Maximum Target: 1 person