Fate/Twin Rose Chapter 2: A White Rose that turns Red
By Bluestar076
Hello everyone! Bluestar here with the second chapter of this new story! First of all, I want to thank everyone who posted their reviews on the first chapter! Since this Is the first story where I get detailed reviews it makes me so happy to have seen so much of them, and I'm happy to see that you enjoyed the chapter! Now before we start this one, I've wanted to explain two things. In the previous chapter many people got surprised to see that Assassin of White had being pushed back from Archer of Red when she should have been more stronger, but the reason why I made this choice was that the battle between the two Servants at the end of the chapter was nothing more than a demonstration of what the Servants fight would have been in the future, so I didn't plan it to be that long (Also it's because that was the classic protagonist moment XD), so as the story goes on, you'll see Assassin of White using her real power (Even though a friend of mine, who's an expert of the Fate series actually told me that when it comes to lore level, she's actually weaker than King Hassan, despite her stats in GO). The second thing I want to say is that many of you guessed who were the two Servants that appeared and said their names, but I kindly ask you to NOT say the Servants names in order to avoid spoilers for those who don't know who they are and want to find out. And for last thing, would you like if I made an opening for this story like I did for Digimon Fused Adventure and Hollow Knight Stairway To Heaven? I've already have it ready, but this time I want you to decide since the characters are mostly yours! Let me know in the rewievs!
With this introduction said, we can start the chapter, where we'll see the rest of the Masters and Servants! I hope you enjoy it!
Note: I do not own Fate. All rights and characters belong to Kinoko Nasu and TYPE-MOON
Chapter 2: A White Rose that turns Red
Ding
A bell rang out in the kitchen of the Tohsaka residence, announcing that a meal was ready. When the pot was removed from the stove and opened, 24 four small but delicious and scented meatballs could be seen, cooked to the right point. Their scent could be felt in all the kitchen and would have made anyone hungry. Good thing that it was dinner time, so the inhabitants could eat those meatballs right away.
With the addition of some tomato sauce, Hinobu could serve the dinner. She put eight meatballs for each plate (since there were three of them) and served them. "There you go! Dinner is ready!" She said.
"Thank you, mom!" Kazuto thanked before already taking one of them, blowing on it and ate it. A beautiful taste immediately went through his mouth, as he put a hand on his cheek and made a tear of joy. "Hmmmm…tastyyyyy! It's just as I remember them…the softness of the meat combined with the taste of the sauce makes these meatballs delightful! It's been so long since I've ate them it seems like the first time! Thank you for making them, mom…" He said, showing his joy and making his mother happy.
"Your smile is all that matters to me, Kazuto! It's so good to share a moment like this again!" Hinobu replied smiling back. "And…I'm happy to see that you came back safe and sound. I knew that an enemy mage would have attacked you…but I didn't expect that it would have actually happened…" She then said.
"I know…and…it's my fault if this happened, if I wear these bandages now. I realized what you and my leader wanted me to say. I have to be ready for everything in this war…and I cannot let my take the best on me. I understand now. And I'll do my best, and this time…for real." Kazuto answered, looking at the bandages he was wearing on his arms and on his head. And by saying those words, he obtained a hug from his mother. "That's what I wanted to hear…" She said. After that, the two of them looked at the person who had the third plate with an innocent smile. "Oh, you haven't eaten yet?" Kazuto asked.
That person was actually Archer of Red, who sat in the table with a confused look on the plate. "Who…? Me?" She asked. "Yes! I've made three plates since I knew Kazuto would have come back with his Servant, so it's only natural I made a dinner for three! You can eat them!" Hinobu answered. The female Servant still didn't know what to do, so she looked at her Master, who nodded with a smile. With that consent, she could start.
"Uhm…ok…thank you for the meal…" She then grabbed a meatball with a fork, blew on it and then ate it. Soon, she could feel the same taste Kazuto felt before and she was surprised. "They're…delicious!" She commented before eating more of them. "Surprised? These meatballs are one of her specialties! I could eat thousands of them without being satisfied!" His master answered. "I agree! Even I have some skills in cook and I must say these are really good! Congratulations, mistress." Archer continued, making even a little bow to Hinobu. "Ow, you're going to make me blush…" Kazuto's mother said.
"And…sorry if I didn't eat them immediately. It has been a while since I was a guess in someone else's house and I didn't know if I was allowed by my Master." Archer then explained. "Awww, you're more tender than I thought! And you don't have to worry about how you should behave. Since you're Kazuto's Servant, you shall be treated like family, so there's no need for formalities. Make yourself at home!" Hinobu said, giving also a soft caress at Archer's head. "T-Thank you…this is…kinda embarrassing…" The Servant said while blushing.
"Oh, by the way, Kazuto! There should be a futon in my room. Once the dinner's over you should get it and put it in your room! Since Archer is going to sleep with you, she should get comfortable!" Hinobu then said to her son. "Oh right! Since I need to give her magical energy, she has to sleep close to me." Kazuto answered. "I hope you'll get comfortable here!" He then said, turning on his Servant, who simply made a smile.
And so, once the dinner was over, time passed and eventually it was time for both Master and Servant to go to bed. The day after would have been important for both of them. Now that the last Servant was summoned, the Rose Grail War was going to start for real this time. The conflicts, the strategies and the surprises would have started once that night passed, so Kazuto and his Servant had to be ready for it.
The Tohsaka mage fixed his bed and looked at the window. "Man…this surely had been a long day…a lot of things happened…and to think that this is only the beginning, since the real deal starts tomorrow! But…I can consider myself happy after all." He said.
"Happy?" Archer asked. She was now wearing a regular pajama as she was laying down the bed. "Yes. I'm thankful to this war…and to you in a certain way. Thanks to the Holy Grail War, I've come out of prison and finally came back home! Now…all I need to do is win. Then…I can finally turn back to a normal life." Kazuto replied, making his Servant curious.
"…Prison? You've…been sent to prison?" She asked. "Yes…it's a long story…" The Tohsaka mage simply answered. "Oh, don't worry! If you don't feel like telling me, that's fine. It's…probably painful for you to remember." Archer said.
"I will tell you one day. It's also related to the wish I intend to ask to the Grail. Oh! Now that I think of it…about your real name, Archer…what do you intend to do?" Kazuto then asked. Archer of Red looked down, showing an insecure face. Somehow that question made her uncomfortable, as if her name made her remember something painful related to her past. "I…don't know if I can feel of telling you. I really don't like to tell my name to others, but at the same time you're my Master, so not telling you would be kinda bad…" She said. "D-Don't worry! I'll tell you one day!"
"No need to worry! It's ok. We've both have something we don't want to tell immediately to the other with this! Ahahah!" Kazuto jokingly said before coming closer to Archer. "Archer…tomorrow the war that will decide our lives will begin. Is…is it wrong if I ask you to keep a promise?"
"Uh?" Archer didn't know what he meant by that. "We probably both have a reason to fight in this war, so we need to do our best. What I want you to ask is…let's fight together and look over each other's back. I know it may sound ridiculous but…I'll need as much support as I can." Kazuto explained. It was in that moment that Archer of Red could see his real colors. He may had sound like a cheeky boy with a sad past, but overall…he was nice and seemed to have a strong resolve to move on. And…Archer liked it. That was what made her decide to make that promise. "I will. I can feel a strong determination in you, and that's what I would want from my Master. As long as you have the Command Spells, my blades and my bow will be used exclusively for your sake. As you can say…you can count on me!" Archer of Red answered before making a smile with closed eyes.
This couldn't make Kazuto more happier. "Thank you Archer! I'll make us win, both of us." He said. "Well…I guess it's time to sleep now. Tomorrow it will be a busy day. Good night, Archer!" He added while going to bed. "Good night, Master…" Archer answered, by closing her eyes and starting to sleep.
Before closing his eyes as well, Kazuto looked at the desk, especially at the photo of a girl around his same age. He took it and kissed it. "I will find you…I promise…" He said. Once he put the photo back to the desk, he closed his eyes and started to sleep.
Both he and Archer needed energies for the day to come. They would have met their colleagues and together, they would have officially started this Holy Grail War.
Only one pair would have won. Only one pair would have their wishes granted. But who would have been? Only time knew. Only time.
The Next day…
It was a sunny day at Tokyo and already early in the morning, the streets were full of people, moving to get to work or to do a commission. For a metropolis like that, it was actually normal, even if someone would have found it stressful. It was a day like the others…at least…for the normal people.
Kazuto was sitting on a bench on a train. Just like he was told to, once he had summoned his Servant, he would have reached the other Masters of the Red Rose on their headquarter. By reading the paper Marcus gave to him, the place was quite distant from his house, so he had to take a train to reach it. Overall, the Tohsaka mage seemed calm and simply waited. But still, he gave a careful look to everyone that were in the wagon. He could never know if another Master was in there. In the meantime, a screen was giving the news.
"It has been already a week since the black out that cut off all the electric energy in the whole city of Tokyo. Despite the efforts to search it, no one was still able to find the cause of it. Many experts said that this was the first time something like this happened. The blackout lasted for at least four hours before the light came back to normal. Both the loss and the recovery of light were completely random, and this confused everyone. Someone thinks that it has been a simple short circuit that occurred in the whole city, while others think that it's the cause of something bigger. Either way, the investigation to find the cause are still ongoing."
Kazuto looked at the news and thought of it. A blackout that lasted for so long couldn't have been something simple. He thought to know the cause of it too well. "…It must have been caused by the apparition of the Holy Grail on Earth…to think that it appeared in Tokyo by pure chance…this is still weird for me…" He thought.
After a while, Kazuto reached the zone where his destination was located. Before reaching it, he had to do a long uphill road, where there was no one. Maybe they were all inside their houses?
"Hmmm…I think you can come put Archer. There's no one here." The mage said. With that, Archer of Red appeared out of nowhere close to his Master. "Are you sure, Master?" She asked.
"Yes. As you can see, the road is desolated. But…you didn't have to follow me in sprit form." Kazuto replied. "I…didn't have other clothes, plus…If someone would have seen me with these horns, they could have thought of it as a demon…" The Servant explained the reason why she followed him in a spirit form. Since the Servants were actually Heroic Spirits, they could even follow their Masters like invisible ghosts and materialize when they were called or needed.
"Oh right…I guess next time I'll have to think about it. Oh well…we're almost there. Let's continue." His Master concluded before continuing the road. Archer simply nodded and followed him.
And then…they've arrived at what seemed to be the headquarter of the Red Rose Faction, which looked like a two-floors house, that was built in wooden with a blue window on the second floor, and a chimney on the roof. Beside the door there was simply the street number written in gold. The door was green and had a golden doorknob, and under it, there was a simple carpet with the written 'Welcome'.
"Is this really the place? For being an headquarter it seems…normal." Kazuto commented. "Maybe they chose it to avoid suspicion. I think that you should ring the doorbell." Archer added. And so Kazuto did. They pair waited for a couple of seconds, before someone opened the door a little bit, making them understand that it was blocked with a chain from the inside.
Kazuto could recognize Marcus from the color of his eyes and the beard. The leader of the Red Faction looked at them not convinced. "Who is it?" He asked.
"It's me, Kazuto. I've arrived." The Tohsaka mage simply replied. "What's the password?" Marcus then asked, catching the other mage unawares. "Password?" Kazuto asked. "It's written on the paper with the address i gave you. Check the other side." The Yggdmillenia mage explained. When Kazuto took the paper and turned on the other side…he made a sceptic face, since the password was something really ridiculous. But to get in, he had to say it, so he took a deep breath…and spoke.
"…Marcus Graint Yggdmillenia is…super….super…cool."
"Eheheh! That's what I want to hear!" Marcus said all satisfied before unlocking the door and opening it. "Welcome to the Red Faction's headquarters! Come in!" He said to them before entering.
"Did…did that really happen?" Archer of Red asked to her Master. "Y-Yes…don't mind him, he's really…egocentric." Kazuto said. They both decided to ignore that embarrassing moment and entered.
The living room was pretty large, with a long white table with various papers on it and seven chairs around it, which meant that it was used for the reunions between Masters. On the far right, there was a door that led to the kitchen while on the far left, there was a small TV with two red armchairs. The TV was flat, but it didn't look like the last model. While from the opposite side of the entrance door, there was a large window where to see the outside, and near it there were an arcade machine and a pool table. Behind the arcade machine, there was a stairway that led to the upper floor.
"Wow…if I have to be honest, I would have expected this a lot different…" Kazuto commented. "I know. For my standards is quite average. But you will find out that it's actually a good place to use as headquarters. But here we are. Let me introduce you to the others." Marcus answered before turning around. And even Kazuto and Archer saw them.
The other Masters and their Servants that formed the Red Rose Faction. The Servants had all different clothes and looks, showing that they were from different cultures and ages, even the Masters were all different between themselves, and everyone had their eyes directed to Kazuto and his Servant. This made the Tohsaka mage a little bit uncomfortable, but he found it natural since it was a newbie. "Are you ok, Master?" Archer asked. "Yes…don't worry." Kazuto simply replied.
"Everyone! The wait is over! This is Kazuto Tohsaka, the last member of the Red Rose Faction and his Archer Servant. With this, we are fully booked! I ask you to treat him as one of you." Marcus then presented the last master to the others.
"So it's him?" One of them said. "I thought he was different…" Another Master added. "What's wrong with his hair?" A third Master commented before getting hit by her Servant. "Ouch!"
"Show some respect!" The Servant said.
"Now, Kazuto, why won't you meet your new companions? It's better for you to know them better, since you're going to work with them." Marcus then suggested. "Right away. Shall we go, Archer?" Kazuto said with a smile. "Yes, Master." His Servant answered smiling back. And with that, Kazuto Tohsaka started to meet the other Masters.
The first one he went to greet was a man with red hair and icy blue eyes. What was surprising of him was that he was around 203 cm tall and he had an impressive muscular body. He was wearing a large coat, along side with black jeans and black boots. Even his Servant had notable dimensions. The Heroic Spirit had short purple hair and was wearing wraps made of iron on his shoulders and even gloves made of the same material. He also wore black pants with green marks and a red band on his pelvis and was barefoot.
"So…we meet at least, Tohsaka mage." The mage simply said with a calm tone. Kazuto was looking at him, especially his body. "Wow…those muscles are really big…" He commented. This made the mage happy and satisfied as he showed his biceps. "Eheh! Like them? These muscles are the results of years of training especially for this moment. From where I come, it's a sort of tradition to be well trained. They represent my will to fight! It's important to train your own muscles. In my family there is a saying that I deeply respect." He then explained.
"Which is?" Kazuto asked. "Eat well! Drink well! Sleep well! And SHIT WELL!" The other mage yelled, leaving the other one and his Servant caught off guard. "Sorry for that. I usually get hyped when I say it. Anyways, your name is Kazuto, right? I'm Gordon Fragarthahch, nice to meet you." The other mage then presented himself.
"Fragarthach?" Kazuto then asked, unfamiliar with that name. "Yes. I come from a family that is specialized in training their own bodies instead of using regular magecraft. I use it to power up my body to be at maximum level in battle and support my Servant." Gordon answered, pointing his Servant. "And I can assure you that he's strong and solid as a rock, which makes me feel happy to have him as Master." The Servant then said.
"This is Saber of Red, my Servant." The answer that Gordon gave surprised Kazuto. "Saber? So you were able to summon the strongest class!" He said. "I know, right? Saber here is a warrior of all respect, and we can understand each other easily. What makes him special is not his class, but HIS STRENGTH!" The Fragarthach mage explained.
"Ahahah! Don't worry about his loud voice, Gordon really likes to emphasize words when it comes to fighting. Anyways, you're our Archer right? I hope we can get along really well." Saber then said, reaching out the hand. Archer made a smile and shook it. "I wish the same." She said.
"How curious…you have a regular body for your age, but I can sense an immense strength coming from you…I like it! I wonder if you would like to spar with me sometimes." Gordon then said, giving a closer look to Kazuto, who was afraid to accept after seeing his body. "U-Uhm…maybe it's better not. I mean…we can train together, but it's the White Rose we should fight…not each other." He answered. "Ahahah! Training is fine for me! If want to do that, you know where to go!" Gordon said still satisfied.
After meeting Gordon, Kazuto and Archer went to the second Master and his Servant. This one was more simpler than Gordon, as he had a skinny, yet toned build. He had a fair light skin, azure blue eyes and short brown hair. He was wearing an azure blue coat with a plain inner long sleeve shirt, along side with a red scarf, khaki pants and black dress shoes. He also wore a pair of black framed glasses on his eyes.
"Hello! You must be the last one, how are you?" This mage asked, showing a quite kind behavior. "Oh, fine! Thank you." Kazuto replied. "This one seems more normal." Archer observed. "Yeah, I don't have particular features unlike others here, but I can still make as a support in this war as a Master! I'm Calem Artel, nice to meet you." The mage then presented himself.
"Calem? That's a good name." Kazuto commented with a smile. He was already feeling some sort of communication with him. "Why, thank you! Even yours is not bad! Tell me, Kazuto, do you like music?" Calem then asked. "Music? Well…I do listen to it in free time and I used to play the drums. Why the question?" The Tohsaka mage then asked. "Really? You play the drums? Great! I love music and to think that there's another Master that plays makes me happy! I play the guitar if you ask. I think we'll get along pretty well." The Artel mage said.
"Yeah! I agree!" Kazuto replied before seeing the woman standing next to Calem. "I suppose she's your Servant."
"Yes. She's Lancer of Red." Calem agreed. His Servant was a woman, just like Archer and other ones in the Red Rose Faction. She had a café-au-lait skin, blonde hair and yellow eyes. The clothing she wore had a purple-black color. She had a short dress, a long black skirt around her legs and was wearing black high heel shoes. She also had a fur around her neck and for some reason…even a long, scaled and purple tail. Lancer looked at the other pair and didn't seem to be impressed. "It seems that the last Master of our faction is another average boy." She said before making a sigh. "And here I hoped for something more."
Her words made Archer a little bit annoyed. "You know…you shouldn't judge someone by his appearance." She said. "I'm only saying what I'm thinking. And I won't change my opinion until I've seen him in action. For now, he's nothing more than a boy for me." Lancer replied, staying firm on her thought.
The two Masters looked at each other embarrassed. "Uhm…sorry about that. She doesn't trust newcomers. She said the same even with the others." Calem said. "Don't worry…I'm used to it…" Kazuto said. "Maybe it's better that you ignore her for now, Archer…" He then said to her Master. "…Fine." Archer simply said.
Now it was the turn of the third Master. This one was 5'6 tall and was fair skinned. He had a wide face, pale yellow hair and a very short buzz cut green eyes. He had a narrow torso with semi long legs and was wearing casual business clothes. In particular, he wore a grey buttoned up shirt with black pants, a tie and dress shoes.
"Uhm…good morning." The mage simply said. "Are you alright? You seem nervous." Kazuto asked. "A little bit…it usually happens when I meet new people…especially in this situation…" The other boy said. "B-But don't worry! You can trust me!"
"Hey, there's no need to act like this! I won't bite. We're companions after all, right?" Kazuto said with a reassuring smile. "Right! Friends…sorry about that. Man, I should stop acting like this…ahem! I'm Alvis Walker." The mage then presented himself. "This here is my Servant, Rider of Red." He then pointed at his Servant, who was a woman with long pink hair that wore a large and white furred jacket with long and white furred boots. "Hi there, sweetie…you look as charming as my Master…" She said, confusing both Kazuto and Archer.
"Uhm…charming?" The Tohsaka mage asked confused, while Alvis facepalmed. "Oh no…here we go again…" In a moment, Rider of Red was really close to Kazuto, as if she was ready to kiss him and do something more. This also made Archer of Red go fully red on her face and made her feel extremely uncomfortable. "H-Hey!"
"W-What are you doing!? Y-You're too close to me!" Kazuto said with the face all red while smoke came out of his head. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear from a cute and shy boy like you…tonight we could go to bed together…and I could show you a really big surprise…" Rider of Red answered, making a pretty evident advance towards him.
"DON'T LISTEN TO HER!" Another Servant protested. This one had long and dark seawater hair that reached her feet. Unlike other Servants, she was wearing modern garments, such as leather trousers, a jacket and long black boots. "That whore tries to bang with every boy she sees! Don't let her trick you!" She complained. "A-Assassin! Calm down!" Her Master said.
"Assassin! Stop interrupting me when I'm trying to have fun! Or perhaps are you jealous that I can easily have more men than you could ever do?" Rider answered.
"Jealous? HA! Don't make me laugh! I'm the beauty of the desert! Back to my times, everyone would have given their lives to just kiss me! So I'm always one step ahead of you, bitch!" Assassin retorted.
"Oh yeah? Well I've had tons of lover in my past life, like Saber of Red here, and I'm sure they all have been much better than your people, witch!" Rider answered back, mentioning that she and Saber of Red actually knew each other in the past. But that was only the beginning…
"Bitch…" "Witch…" "Bitch!" "Witch!" "GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…" Both Rider and Assassin or Red started to repeatedly insult each other, raising their rage.
"BITCH!/WITCH!/BITCH!/WITCH!/BITCH!/WITCH!/BITCH!/WITCH!/BITCH!/WITCH!/BITCH!/WITCH!/BITCH!/WITCH!"
And then…
"SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU!" Archer of Red couldn't resist anymore and shouted out to make the other two Servants close their mouths. That yell left everyone surprised, even Kazuto. In the end, Rider and Assassin looked elsewhere, but still with a grunt on their faces. "Oh…thank god. I couldn't listen to those gooses anymore." Lancer commented.
"I…I really have no idea of what just happened…" Kazuto said, still confused. He simply had…no words. "Get used to it…Rider behaves like that with everyone…I know it from experience…" Saber of Red commented. "I think Alvis should hold her with a leash." Gordon added.
"H-Hey! If I do so, things could get worse!" Alvis replied. "Anyways…sorry for that…I'll be more careful…" He then apologized to the Master of Archer. "D-Don't worry…I guess I'll go…" Eager to finish the chat, Kazuto and Archer moved to meet the next Master, with the latter standing closer to the former, as she thought he was still shaken by what happened. And…she was right.
Since they've seen them before, Kazuto decided to meet the Master of Assassin, which was much different than the others. It was a boy with a tanned skin and slightly pointy ears. He had light purple hair, with a long lock of them on the right side of his face. His eyes were also purple and he was wearing a white sleeveless high neck long top and white harem pants. He also wore a silver anklet.
"Good morning…" The mage said showing a neutral and quiet personality. "Hello! You must be Assassin's Master. I'm Kazuto Tohsaka. What's your name?" Kazuto asked with a smile. "…Cahya." The mage simply replied.
"…And…?" Kazuto asked. "…That's it. I don't have a last name. I'm just Cahya." The other mage simply replied, surprising Kazuto. "Really? You…don't have a family? Or you don't remember it?"
"No…I don't have a family or parents, since I was created in a laboratory. You see…I'm not actually human. I'm an homunculus." Cahya explained. Kazuto remembered well what an homunculus was. They were humanoid beings created from alchemists to use them in battle, and sometimes, they could even serve as Masters for the Holy Grail War. "Wow! An homunculus? Does that mean that you come from the Einzbern family?" The Tohsaka mage then asked.
"No. That's not the case. I was created from a dying family named Rangda. I remember that when I came out of the capsule, everything was destroyed. So…I've started my life on my own. There are still a lot of things that I don't know. But here I am, as a Master for this war. I hope to be of help." Cahya answered, trying to make a smile. He had difficulties in doing so since despite his adult body, he was like a learning machine. "Oh right…you've seen her before, but this is Assassin of Red, my Servant." He then presented his Servant, who greeted Kazuto and Archer with a smile. "Hello! How are you, Kazuto? I hope that asshole didn't do nothing on you…" She said.
"Uhm…don't worry about that…she didn't do nothing. But thank you for sticking up for me." Kazuto replied. "Don't worry! Love should be used differently. If she bothers you two again, all you need to do is tell me! As the sun watches over everyone, I'll watch over you! Just like I'm looking over my Master! He has a lot to learn…so as a queen, I'm supporting him, like a big sister!" Assassin said. "T-Thank you…" Cahya answered.
"Awww…he's cute!" Archer commented. "He kinda reminds me of the supervisor…" Kazuto then noticed a similarity with Kanashimi, the supervisor of the war. "You're…actually not the first one that tells me this…someone even thought that I was his little brother." Assassin's Master said. "Ahah! Really? Well, I hope we can get along…" Archer's Master replied before heading to the last Master.
The last one had a more particular appearance than the others. It was a light-brown-skinned woman with a slim-toned figure. She had wavy magenta-purple hair with blue pastels at the tips reaching just above her shoulders. On the right side, she had an half-braid style, while on the left side the hair remained messy. Her eyes were almond-shaped and had a ruby color with thin eyebrows and long eyelashes. Some freckles could be seen underneath her right eye and she had a straight nose and peach-colored thin lips. She had piercing on the right ear all around the edge and a dangling crystal earring on her left ear. She was wearing a black bodysuit with a turtleneck, long sleeves and a middle-finger cut off sleeve both on hands and feet. There was also a blue sari wrapped around her figure loosely held in a black and red obi with a cloak-like belt that reaches above ankles in gold design and red beads. On her feet, she wore traditional Japanese sandals.
"Heyo! Welcome to the Red Faction! Ah…wait…maybe I said it out loud?" The girl said. "Uh? What do you mean by that?" Kazuto asked, but the other mage seemed focused on what she just said. "Oh gosh…maybe I've saluted in a wrong way…"
"Master! Remember what I told you! Be natural and stay chill when it comes to meeting other people!" Her Servant said. "Ah! Y-Yes, Master- I mean, Caster! …Oh god…I've messed up again…" The mage answered. Kazuto and Archer were confused. They thought that this girl didn't really know how to have a conversation, and they were right. "Are…you sure you're ok?" Archer asked. "Yes yes! Don't worry! Uhm…mind if I start all over again?" The girl answered quite embarrassed.
"Uhm…I mean…ok?" Kazuto replied. "Ok…ahem…hello! Welcome to the Red Rose Faction! My name is Astrea Lyra Alaniosta! But please, just call me Astrea!" The mage could finally present herself. "I…I finally said it…oh gosh.."
"Hey…are you sure you are ok?" Kazuto asked. "NO! THIS IS NOT FINE! I mean, I've just met the last Master of our faction and my presentation had been fucked up! How should I even resist to this crazy Grail War!? I didn't even want to be part of this! All I've wanted was just to summon a beautiful phoenix to have as a pet and now I'm here! How can this possibly- OUCH!" Astrea started to freak out and talk really fast until she got a karate chop by her Servant, who didn't seem satisfied with her prestation.
"Astrea! I just said to calm down! You'll give a bad impression of you to him if you continue like this!" Her Servant told her. "R-Right…sorry, Master- I mean…Caster…" Astrea said, putting her hand on her head. The Servant then looked at the other pair and made a smile. "Sorry for that. As you can see, she's still doesn't know exactly how things work here, so I'm teaching her how to behave! You could say that I am her sensei, and she's one of the many pupils I've had! Anyways, it's nice to finally meet the last pair of Master and Servant! I'm the Caster of Red! I hope we can get along well!" The Servant then presented herself. As for her appearance, she was a woman with long black hair that reached half of her legs and magenta eyes. She was wearing an oriental hat, one of those wore by the monks, and she had a strange collar on her front with two longs laces. Around her neck, she wore a necklace made of giant red orbs and was wearing a white dress with golden lines that was overdressed, revealing even her bra and her panties. On her legs she wore golden sandals and white leggings with golden lines.
"Nice to meet you too, Caster! And…don't worry, Astrea. Nothing bad happened." Kazuto said. "O-Ok…if you say so…" The girl replied.
"Since you already know me, we can say that you've finished meeting everyone. With this, we can officially start our work as a team!" Marcus then said.
"Now that I think of it…I've seen Saber, Lancer, Rider, Caster and Assassin. Since I have the Archer Servant…" Kazuto then spoke before looking at his leader. "Yes…it means that I have the Berserker." Marcus answered.
"And where are they?" Archer asked. "They are here, but in spiritic form. I would like to show him to you but as you could guess…he's quite hard to handle." Marcus said with a worried face, thinking of his Servant. "Even today I still have difficulties to control him."
"Really?" Archer asked. "Yes. We can confirm it. He's an hard one." Gordon answered. "I see…" Kazuto concluded. "Anyway! Without further ado, let's start our first reunion for the Holy Grail War! Please, have a seat in the table." Marcus then told everyone to take a seat in order to start their first tactics.
The mages all sat down, with Marcus to tabletop and the Servants standing up, ready to start the reunion. It was almost like the reunion of a group of workers with their boss. It was a funny similarity, but there was the same seriousness that could be found on any type of reunion.
"Now that Kazuto and Archer had joined us, the Red Rose Faction is complete. Henceforth, the Holy Grail War will officially start today" Marcus began.
"So…when do we start attack? I really don't want to miss the excitement of a good fight!" Gordon said, making the bones of his hands crack. "Hold on, Gordon…I can understand that you are happy about this, but before that, we need to have a point where to begin." Calem said to him. "Right. A fight cannot be won if there isn't a strategy before…" Cahya added. "Are…you sure? I mean, we can jump right in the battle and fight…right? At least, that's what i've seen in anime…" Astrea said.
"Astrea! Don't say things like this! This isn't some kind of show! If you act without thinking you could regret it deeply!" Her Servant advised. "Right…sorry, Master- I mean…Caster." The master said.
"Back to our conversation…our enemy, as you know, are the Masters of the opposite faction, the White Rose." Marcus then continued. "And do we know something about them?" Lancer of Red then asked. "Unfortunately not." The leader of the Red Rose replied. "The war barely started, so we first need to know our enemy better…" Alvis added.
Kazuto wasn't a person that hesitated to hide things. When it needed, he was more than willing to tell all kind of truths, so in order to help his companions, he told them what happened the previous night. "Actually…yesterday, before I could summon Archer, I was actually attacked by one of them." He said, surprising everyone.
"Really!?" Assassin exclaimed. "Oh god! An hitman! We're doomed!" Astrea added, exaggerating as always. "Did you just said…before you could summon your Servant…?" Marcus then asked with a cold stare. The Tohsaka mage gulped, since he knew where he wanted to go with that question. "Y-Yes…I've hesitated before summoning my Servant…he seemed to know it and he attacked me by surprise."
"IMBECILE! What have I told you!? You have to be ready for everything, and what did you do!? You ignored that and got attacked by the enemy! If it wasn't for Archer, you would have been killed!" The Yggdmillenia mage shouted at him.
"S-SORRY! I was still scared for everything! I'm going to be better, next time! I PROMISE!" Kazuto apologized. Some of the other Masters felt actually pity for him. That scene remembered a father scolding his son. "D-Don't worry, Kazuto…we all make mistakes…even if they could kill you…" Astrea said, scratching the back of her head.
"Plus…at least you managed to survive and let us know about one of our enemies." Calem said. "Yes, that's a nice start." Saber added.
"Hmmm…you're right. But still! You will get your humiliation later!" Marcus then concluded. With that, Kazuto's face went pale. He knew that Marcus wasn't someone that joked around, so the only thought of a punishment from him made him scared. "So…what about this Master? Did he tell you who was he?" His leader then demanded.
"Well, yes. His name was Maximilian Icecolle." Kazuto simply answered. "An Icecolle? I see…so we're talking about serious stuff…" Gordon commented. "If i remember correctly, his family is specialized in the dark arts of magecraft." Alvis then said. "Yes…we of the Yggdmillenia had some contact with that family many years ago, but then they decided to go for their own road." Marcus added.
"D-Dark Arts? Does that mean that this guy can do the spell 'Avada Kedabra'?." Astrea asked, but by asking that question, she got a sceptic stare from everyone. "…Ok…I'm gonna shut up…" She said. "We have a long way to go…" Caster added, commenting her Master's behavior.
"Anyway…he attacks with penknives that are moved by strings that he creates to make them chase direction and attack the enemy, and he can use a black smoke to retreat when he's in danger. As you can see…he hit me many times. After I've found him, I was able to be at his level by using my magecraft, but then he called upon his Servant…and I've got almost killed by her…" Kazuto continued, showing his bandages. "And what did his Servant looked like?" Rider then asked.
"She was wearing typical Japanese clothing, even though most of her body was overdressed, and just like Archer, she had two horns on her head. Maximilian said that she was an Assassin." The Tohsaka mage replied.
"Assassin? That means she's my opponent!" Assassin of Red answered. "Hmmm…even your Servant seems japanese." Lancer commented before looking at Archer. "Did you recognized her?" She then asked.
"No. There's no doubt that she's a Japanese Servant. In fact, just like me, she's an Oni demon. But I've never met her in my previous life. So I still have to know her identity." Archer replied.
"How interesting…to think that our enemy has something in common with us." Calem commented. "By taking some will, I was able to summon Archer and she then fought with her. And then, they've retreated." Kazuto then ended his account. "If I have to be honest, I think that Assassin of White wanted to test my strength. I have a feeling that…she was holding back." Archer added.
"It can be a possibility. Maybe they just wanted to see your moves." Saber answered. "Now that I think of it…that you said that Maximilian guy attacked you by surprise. Does that mean that he knew your position?" Gordon then asked.
"Now that you make me think of it…he said that he would have to thank someone." Kazuto replied. "So someone else told him. Probably another Master of the White Rose." Calem spoke. "Which means that among them, there's someone that can locate our positions. With that, they can attack us more easily, so we must be careful and find that mage as soon as possible." Marcus added.
"Well…to be our first information, they are quite important!" Alvis commented. "Yes. But we still need more. We should find a way to meet them." Cahya said. "I…actually have an idea for that." Kazuto the proposed.
"What is it?" Lancer asked. "As you know, it's inevitable that we are going to meet them one way or another. If neither sides do anything, this war won't go anywhere. So I was thinking…what if we choose hours to wander around the city to scour it and see if we can find the enemy Masters and engage them in battle?" The Tohsaka mage then proposed his idea.
"You know…it could actually work, Kazuto…especially considering that the White Rose is going to probably do the same. Masters and Servants are fated to meet each other in a Holy Grail War, after all." Calem answered, liking the idea. "Yeah…I agree. With this we could also know something better about our enemies, their magic and even their Servants with their Noble Phantasms." Cahya added.
"Hmmmm…nice thought, Kazuto. You may have done a reckless decision yesterday, but maybe…I was right when I said that you could be one of the greatest assets. With that, we need to choose a time for each day. Any ideas for today?" Marcus then asked to the others, who started to think.
"Uhm…I could have an idea…how about tonight? I mean…those who use magic arts usually show up at night, so it could be an idea…I remember that when I practiced magecraft, I used to go at the graveyard around nighttime, so…maybe they do the same? We could go…around 8:00 P.M. and check out. It could work…I guess?" Astrea then proposed. And after some seconds of silence…
"…Yeah it could work." Marcus answered. "Sure, why not?" Lancer added. The rest of the mages and Servants agreed, and this surprised even the same person that proposed the idea. "Oh my god…i-I can't believe it worked…" She said. "Good job, Master!" Caster told her with a thumb up and a smile.
"Now…who proposes to go? It's better for us not to go in many. If their Servants are really strong and can beat ours, the effects could be disastrous." Marcus then asked. "Oh, I can go, if you don't mind." Kazuto answered. "O-Oh! I'll go too! I want to show what can I do!" Astrea added. "Very well. Two of us should be enough." Marcus concluded.
"With this…we're good for today." Cahya said. "Yes. We shall see what results we'll get tonight and then we shall think about the next move to make. And remember to not panic! With a leader like me! Nothing is impossible! Ahahahah!" Marcus then spoke making a loud laugh, even if some of the other Masters didn't take him seriously.
"Sometimes I can't stand him…" Gordon said his opinion with a low voice in order to not be heard. "Yeah…he's quite egocentric." Kazuto added. "Now, all that we need to do is wait for tonight. In the meantime, I suggest you to train your magecraft upstairs." Marcus then said.
"Upstairs?" The Tohsaka mage asked. "That's right! Marcus built up a special training so that we can improve our magical powers. You should try it, Kazuto! You could even show us your powers!" Calem said with a smile. With that, even the others mages looked at the newcomer and his Servant.
"Suddenly I'm curious as well." Gordon said with a smirk on his face. "It's said that the Tohsaka are between the most able mages in the world. I wonder what you can do." Alvis added.
The other mages and their Servants were now around Kazuto, curious of seeing the skills of the newcomer. Kazuto felt embarrassed and a drop of sweat came down from his head, but he knew that he couldn't refute. "Sigh…guess I really have no choice, right?" He then asked to Archer. "Yeah…yeah." She simply replied.
"Fine. I'll show you my years of training with magecraft and alchemy." The Tohsaka mage concluded. Thus, a long section of training began for him. But before he could go upstairs, Marcus stopped him, putting himself in front of him. "WAIT A SECOND. There's still the punishment, remember?" He said. "O-Oh god..." Kazuto said after a gulp. He thought that the punishment would have been terrible but then...all that Marcus did...was put two pieces of bread in his head. The Tohsaka mage at first was confused...but then he realized what his leader was going to do. "So, what are you?" The Yggdmillenia mage asked. Kazuto wanted to be elsewhere, but he knew that there wasn't an escape. So he took a sigh...and answered. "An idiot sandwhich..."
"Good." Marcus simply said, taking off the bread. The other Masters and their Servants all turned around to not show that they were holding their laughs. "I'm receiving too humiliations today..." Kazuto commented.
Meanwhile, far from the Red Rose's headquarter, the other faction was passing the first morning in their headquarter. A tall and white castle with blue windows that had golden frames and a red roof. There was the main building and two tall towers, forming the headquarter as a whole. Everyone would have been enchanted by such a sight. A castle that reminded the house of a powerful king that lived through the dark age. A setting that made this war look like the actual War of Roses. In the middle of the nature, illuminated by the light of the sun that stood in the pure blue sky, and with white birds flying around it…
This castle…was the headquarter of the White Rose Faction.
One of the Masters was sitting down in one of the gardens belonging to that castle. It was covered in green grass, roses of various colors that were everywhere, even on the fences, small bushes, tall trees, and even a small pond. There were also a small dome to sit and a table where to take a cup of tea.
The mage was drinking her tea in calm and tranquility with her right hand, while on the left hand, she was holding what looked like a small hologram showing the headquarter of the Red Rose Faction, with all the Masters inside of it, talking to each other. It was like she could see them in real time, like some sort of live show.
"So in the end, the last Master joined the Red Rose Faction. I have a feeling that things will get more interesting from now on." She said. "Kazuto Tohsaka…he seems a particular person…and he's cute in a certain way…" This Master was a young girl with a slender body. She had long brunette hair gathered into a side ponytail, and she had blue eyes that somehow…glittered like stars. Her clothes were particular, since she wore a long and white chiton all over her body, with two golden buttons on her shoulders and brown boots. On her wrist, she also wore a golden bracelet that remembered a pair of bay leaves. Overall, she really looked like a woman coming right from the ancient Greece.
"I do hope what you say it's true. Sitting down and waiting for the Masters and Servants to gather was starting to get boring. As a top class mastermind, I do prefer pass directly on practical situations where we can calculate plan and put them in action. I already imagine it! This Holy Grail war will be full of plot twists!" Her Servant said while standing on the opposite side of the table. It was an old-looking man, tall and slim. His hair and moustache were grey, and his eyes were clear blue. He wore a pair of glasses and his clothing style was quite…gallant. With a long brown jacket with black buttons and two golden pointy items attached on it, long brown jacket with a golden line on his right leg, a red scarf, and even neck that looked like a group of blue butterflies gathered together, this Servant remembered a soldier of the 19th century.
"There's no need to worry, my dear Archer. Now that this boy had arrived, the wheels had already started to rotate. I hope you didn't forget what we said." The girl said, making the old man laugh. "Of course not! I'm a gentleman, after all! There's no way I would betray you in such a situation. Do you trust me?" The Servant asked.
"No." Her Master answered. Even if it was a negation, Archer of White seemed to be pleased with that answer. "That was exactly what I wanted to hear. You surely are a clever one, dear Cynthia." He then said, saying his Master's name.
"Clever enough to be a pair with you." Cynthia replied before she and her Servant turned around after hearing footsteps. Someone was coming.
It was Maximilian and his Assassin, the pair that attacked the last Master the previous night. The Icecolle mage walked in the gardens with a serious expression and his hands on his pocket, while Assassin stayed close to him with her usual grin.
"Well, if it isn't yesterday's disappointment that decided to show up despite the humiliation he received." Cynthia commented, making the other Master annoyed. "What did you say!? It was you that suggested to attack him since he was without Servant! I just did what you said!" Maximilian complained. "And yet, you decided to retreat despite the clear advantage. Plus, I didn't say to necessarily kill him. You could have tried to negotiate with him, like I would have done. Nothing is resolved with violence, you know. Yet you've decided to attack him and so we lost a possible ally belonging to the enemy faction." Cynthia answered.
"Tch. You and your diplomatic ways. Do you really think they could work!?" Maximillian continued. "I think you should stop mocking my precious darling…or else you could regret it." Assassin of White said with a low voice. "The same goes for you, Assassin. You didn't make a good show back there. It was clear that you hold back against Archer of Red, despite being stronger than her. Even the reviewers of the chapter complained about it!" Even Archer of White said his opinion, confusing everyone with the last thing he said.
"…What did you say?" His Master asked. Even he made a confused face. "…Don't know…I don't even know why I said it in the first place…anyways, the question is…why did you hold back?" Archer then demanded to Assassin.
"I…I didn't want us to come closer to my Master…and you know that he cannot hold my powers long enough." The other Servant replied. By hearing that, Maximilian looked elsewhere. "And you've seen the result. That Tohsaka mage had summoned his Servant, and now we have one more enemy added to the list." Archer said. "You talk like you can do better!" Assassin retorted. "Eheheh…I'm a genius! I would have already formed a perfect plan." Archer answered.
"I do think that Cynthia is right." Another voice said. After that, a man jumped from a wall of the garden and landed on the ground alongside his Servant. This man was around his mid-thirties, but looked like he was in his mid-twenties. He had a dark skin, deep and brown eyes and coal long black hair that were put in a dreadlock style and reached down half of his back. He was wearing a sleeveless black t-shirt that showed his arms, blue jeans with black shoes and fingerless black gloves. His building wasn't skinny, but not muscular either. On his left, there was his Servant. A woman with a pale skin, green eyes and her body covered in a black armor with purple lines. Her long hair were a mix between lilac and white. She also had cat-like ears on her head and claws on her hands.
"Like there's not enough pain in the ass! Now here comes the monkey with his beautiful Servant…" Maximilian commented, giving a smirk to the other Servant, who growled. "Are you making fun of the fact that I'm black again? This doesn't make you more clever, Maximilian. Don't try to change subject. What you did yesterday was too reckless. Not only you missed the chance to make that Master fall in our hands, but you also let him summon his Servant and counterattack. It's unusual from someone who can make strategies like you." The other Master said before turning on his Servant. "Calm down, Berserker. I've got this."
"Are we really making such a complain for a simple mistake that I did?" Maximilian asked. "Considering the situation we are in…yes. Thankfully, there are people that can understand, like Adew…Adewk…Adel…uhm…What was your name again?" Cynthia asked.
"Uhm, it's Adewale. Adewale Nwadike. You can call me Ade if you want. Thank you anyway." The other Master said, telling his name.
"Tsk. I've had enough of hearing you. I've just wanted to go here and relax and I've ended up hearing complains from you as if you were my mother. I'm leaving." Maximilian concluded before leaving. "Oh, honey…don't hear them. I'm sure you will get nice results…" Assassin said to him while following him.
"Haven't you been a little harsh on him?" A fourth voice said. When the two Masters and their Servants turned around, they could see a young boy with pale light hair done in braids and golden eyes. He wears a plain golden sweater, black jeans and white sneakers. Behind him, stood his Servant. A woman with long brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing elegant clothes with colors mixed between red, brown, golden and blue. She was wearing a long blue glove on her right hand, while on her left hand, she had an iron gauntlet. Plus, with her left hand, she was holding a scepter a tall scepter with a gem that looked like a star.
"Oh, it's you Oeneus." Adewale said. "I mean…I don't think he was to blame at all…he just went through the easiest way, and I support that!" The young boy said. "Oh, Master…sometimes you can be so naïve…but that's the good part in you!" His Servant said, making him confused. "What…? Did I say something wrong, Caster?"
Even Adewale smiled and came closer to him. "Oeneus…I see that you can be worried for him, but sometimes, we must take our faults for what we done. Sometimes the easiest way can lead to troubles, and we must think well of what we must do in this war. I'm sure you know better than anyone, considering that you come from a prestigious family like the Animusphere." He said.
"Yeah, I know…but I still think that he wasn't totally wrong with that decision." Oeneus answered. "As far, as I know, he's a strategist among our faction. I'm sure he'll come up with a plan." Archer of White said. "Maybe it'll be as clever as you, Caster!"
"Who knows? My brain can't be reached easily! Just like yours!" Caster answered back with a smile. "Now that I think of it…we should meet up with our leader and think of a strategy as well…" Cynthia then said, looking at the main building of the castle.
"Yeah…I think it's a good idea…" Yet another voice said. This time, it was a boy with black hair and brown eyes. He was tall around 171 cm and had some muscles on his body, but not too much. He was wearing a black long sleeve shirt, a dark blue hooded jacket with lots of pocket, a pair of jeans and brown boots. His Servant was a woman with a more sophisticated look. She had a gorgeous white-red dress, golden sandals and she also wore a big and golden crown with red gems. It was a look that reminded that of a queen.
"Tygo? Are you alright?" Oeneus asked. "Yeah? Why did you ask that?" The other Master answered. "I don't know…he seems quite anxious for me." Cynthia commented. "Is it war anxiety? I know something about it…" Archer of White added.
"That's right…after hearing that the Red Faction was complete, he started to worry on how he should behave. Even though, I don't think he should worry! Since he has a caring grandmother like me!" Tygo's Servant explained. "Gh! Rider! There's no need to say that!" Tygo complained. "But it's better to tell the truth!" Rider of White answered.
"Well, if you start to get afraid already by now, things could get worse." Berserker of White said her opinion. "I-I know that! Just…I need to see the boss…" Tygo answered.
"There's no need for that. I'm already here." Suddenly, another voice said. A voice everyone in the room knew well and made them immediately turn around.
At the entrance of the garden, appeared another Master with his Servant. He was a young man around 176 cm tall with spiky black hair and blue eyes. He had a round face, hawk's nose and curled up lips with bushy eyebrows. He was wearing a black suit with thin white stripes and a black cape. He also wore a gold brace on his right knee and black shoes. The other members also recognized his footsteps, since this individual also used a cane to walk. Beside him, stood his Servant. A tall man with white hair, a white beard, red eyes and an iron armor that covered his body.
"Isak Svala Von Lud…" Cynthia said. "The leader of the White Faction…" Oeneus added. "And…his Servant, Lancer…" Adewale said, looking at the Servant, who had a large smile on his face.
"How nice to see almost everyone relaxing on under this beautiful sun! The fresh air also made me want to take a walk." Isak said with a kind smile. "Some legends say that I shouldn't even touch the sunlight. HA! Just the thought makes me laugh." His Servant said. "So…it seems that there are five of us." Isak then continued.
"Yes. Maximilian and his Servant just went away after they couldn't hold a scolding." Archer of White said. "And…where's Seram?" Oeneus asked. "In her room. You know that she doesn't like to be in presence of other. But that's fine. We can still discuss in five! So…I suppose you know that the Red Faction is complete. The last Master had summoned his Servant." Isak explained.
"Yes. And by using my magecraft, I've seen that he joined the rest of the Red Rose Faction. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but they're probably starting their first strategies." Cynthia answered.
"Then what about attacking them now? I mean…we could finish the war much easier right?" Oeneus suggested. "That's not how it works, Master…" Caster said.
"Patience, my friend. I'm sure that there are someone among you that want to text the powers of our enemies in a direct war. But it's better for us to not do rushed actions. We first need to give…a first look at them." Isak answered. "Indeed. As a former leader in the battlefield, the first thing to do is to know better your enemy with small battle. Then…once you know them, you can directly SLAUGHTER THEM!" Lancer added.
"Therefore…I think that a good idea is to wander around the city of Tokyo, and search for them, trying to fight them in individual matches and…to see if we can take them down." Isak then proposed their first strategy with a smirk.
"I'll go!" Tygo promptly answered. "Are you sure, Master?" Rider asked to her. "Yes. If I stay here without doing nothing, I won't accomplish nothing. I'm offering to go! I can count on Rider's power." His Master insisted.
"Good! Very good, Tygo! Your courage is something to be appreciated. I'll accompany him. Even I am curious to see what the Red Rose Faction can actually do. We shall departure this night. If anyone else wants to volunteer, they're welcome." Isak said with a kind smile.
"Yes…" Everyone said. "I would like to stay a little bit more but…I need to see Seram and tell her the situation. Let's stay united, White Rose! Let's fight until the end…and conquer the Holy Grail for our wishes…" With these words and a suspicious grin…Isak left. "Good luck, Masters…" Lancer added, following him.
The other Masters stayed there, looking at their leader walking away. "…Master…I don't know why…but I feel that there's something off with him…" Berserker of White then said. "He looks suspicious but…at the same time he can do his job well. He's a teacher of the clock tower after all." Adewale answered.
"Yes. I remember having some lessons with him. He was well informed and clear when it came to speeches. Even though…some students and teacher stated that every time they see him…a shriek came down their spines." Cynthia said, remembering her old experiences. "So it's a remarkable figure…but at the same time he can't be trusted…I already like him!" Archer said with a smile.
"I think it's better for now to follow his directives…I don't want him to turn on his bad side…" Oeneus commented. "Right…i…I think I'll go now." Tygo then concluded the discussion and left the garden, followed by Rider.
"He seems to be in a hurry." Adewale said. "He's always like this…" Cynthia added.
Meanwhile, Tygo was walking through the corridors of the castle while looking down. The corridors of the castle were mostly white, and the floor was covered in a long blue carpet while on the sides, many circular columns were placed and the sunlight passed through the spaces between one column and another. The mind of the young Master was now full of thoughts and mental preparations. It had been a while since he summoned his Servant and joined the rest of the White Faction. But this situation just gave him more pressure ever since then, much like what happened to Kazuto.
His Servant followed him in silence for a while, but with a worried expression on her candid face. She did want to talk with him and ask more about his decision, but she also knew that he was a person that went paranoid when it came to confront others, and since Rider was a person who wanted to make the others feel better…she didn't want to be too heavy on him.
But still…she needed to talk with him. She knew that he wouldn't have changed his decision, but at least…she wanted to calm him down. "Uhm…Master…" She said.
Tygo stopped walking. For once, he abandoned his imaginary world and heard his Servant's voice, and then he slowly turned around. "…What is it, Rider?" He asked.
The Rider of White made a little smile. She was happy to see that she was able to form a communication with him. "I was wondering…are you sure about tonight?" She asked. "Of course I am! It's already been too long since we're here! Now that all the Servants had been gathered, we need to start the war as soon as possible! It's our duty to fight against the Red Rose! It's what we need to do to get our hands on the Holy Grail!" Tygo answered showing an apparent resolute. But the Servant knew that it wasn't exactly what he wanted to say. "And are you sure about it?" She asked.
The mage looked at her in silence for some seconds…and then…he made a deep sigh. "…Yes…but not at all." He then admitted.
"Then why did you propose?" Rider asked. "It's because I've been waiting for so many days for it! I can finally see if I'm worthy or not to be in this war with you!" Tygo answered before turning around. "I mean…we've already talked about it, right? You know I don't have that much of self-esteem. I'm not some kind of manga or light novel protagonist. Apart from my skills in magecraft…I…seem normal…compared to the others. You already know what the others can do! Even Oeneus seems better than me! It's just that…sigh…I want to know…if I'm someone."
Rider looked at him in silence and made a longer smile before she came closer and hold his cheek. "Now I understand…you just want to show you up, right? What you really want is to other to have reliability towards you. I can understand that you want to show what you are capable of, maybe it's something everyone want to do. But…if you really want to be firm on something…then what you need to do is to be sure of it, nothing more. Don't do rushed things…just be sure of what you want to do." She spoke.
"Rider…" Tygo simply said. "…So…i have to make a choice…which I'm certain of?" He asked. "Hm-hm! And remember that I will follow you in any choices you will do! As your Servant, it's my duty to protect you! And…it's something any good grandma would do, right?" Rider answered. This made Tygo more secure of himself. At least…he knew that Rider would have been there for him. "…Thank you, Rider."
"So, are you sure of your decision?" Rider asked. "Yes. I'll do it." Tygo answered, now more self-confident. "Eheh! That's what I wanted to hear!" His Servant answered with a giggle.
In the mean time, on an upper floor of the castle…even Isak was walking through the castle. The echo of his cane hitting the ground could be heard throughout the corridor. And then…the Master reached a door. "Here we go…" He said…before slowly opening the door.
The room was completely dark…with no sign of light at all. The curtains were closed…and the room was completely empty, with the exception of a small table at the center of it. For someone, it could have looked like a prison…but it was not imposed by someone…but this emptiness…was nothing more than the owner's will…to left there…without nothing.
Deep in the room…was a slim and young girl. She had dark red hair…and blue eyes, glowing in that darkness. She wore a black suit, white shirt, black pants…and a red tie. This girl had a null expression on her face. She wasn't showing any emotion at all. Only emptiness, like she was some sort of puppet, an empty shell, a nobody. She was holding a rag doll with two buttons as eyes, and a smile. She was looking deeply at it until she could hear the door opening.
"It's me Seram…" Isak said with a calm voice. The girl didn't answer, but his leader came closer to him. "So…how are you feeling today?" He asked.
"Melancholic…as always…" Seram simply replied, looking back at the doll. "…I envy this doll…at least…it can't feel nothing…no emotions like pain….or sadness…I would really like to…be like this doll…"
"I see…well…rejoice! Even if for a little bit. Did you know what recently happened? The last Master and his Servant had appeared…with this, the Holy Grail War can finally begin…and you…can take it out on other ingrates that will only make your life worse…" Isak said.
"…Worse? What could be worse…I'm already at the worse state…" Seram said. "Are you sure? Think about it…those people are fighting for the Holy Grail as well…if they win…they'll get their own wish…and will steal the only satisfaction you'll ever have…you won't be able…to get rid of this suffering. They don't care if someone suffers…their only desire is to prevail…" Isak insisted and then he came more closer to her and whispered in her ear. "Don't you think that they're despicable? You deserve better than this…and there they are, standing in your way…ready to give you more suffering…more…despair. Don't you want to erase them from the earth?" He asked. In that moment, his eyes changed color in red for a moment before turning back into blue.
"I…I do…" Seram answered, raising up his head. "That's what I wanted to hear…we shall need you, Seram…we can count on you…and Saber's strength. That suffering you're holding back…that hatred…let it out against them…they don't even deserve to be alive…they're nothing more than scum…like the rest of humanity…release the hidden power against them…and I can assure you…you'll feel better." Isak continued.
"…I…will…i…want them…dead…i…want everyone…dead." Seram answered, starting to shake with rage.
"Good…then I'll call you…when I'll need your help. I'm counting on you...my dear Seram." Isak concluded, before leaving the room, leaving the girl there…in the same loneliness she wanted. The girl looked at the command seals on her hand... "Saber…" She then looked at her right and saw her Servant. A gigantic being, that wasn't human at all. He simply stood there on his knees…breathing.
Isak left the room…and looked outside the castle with a confident smile. Lancer appeared on his right, showing the same satisfaction his Master had. "Everything is now on table…I can't wait for this bloodshed to start…eheheheheheh…this feeling makes me nostalgic…back in my times…when every enemy had gotten killed…and I was there…enjoying the sight." He said.
"You will have that feeling soon, Lancer. We have strong Servants and remarkable mages on our side…we have high possibilities to win the Holy Grail War…I can already say it for sure…it will be ours…" Isak answered, looking at the horizon with a grin and his eyes turning red once more.
A doll soon got destroyed by flames, as Kazuto landed on the ground. After he had met the other Masters of the Red Rose Faction, he took some time to train on the upper floor, which looked like an effective dojo. The room was mostly empty to have more space, with a written on the wall that said 'TRAIN'. From the floor, dolls of various numbers could appear, which could have been used by the Masters in order to practice with their magecraft.
"Uhm…how did I go?" Kazuto asked, turning around to the others, who clapped their hands at him by his surprise. "Not bat, newbie! I've heard that the Tohsaka family was specialized in using gems, but I didn't know you were a master of fire!" Gordon said. "Yeah! It was a surprise for me too! Plus, that movements you were doing made you look like a dancer." Calem added.
"So…I'm…elegant?" Kazuto asked, blushing since he wasn't used to take compliments. "Well, I think that's what he meant, Master! I didn't know you and I were much similar than I thought!" Archer added.
"Those flames of yours were fantastic, Kazuto…I wonder if you could make a certain situation…hotter…" Rider said, licking her lips. "There she goes again! Can't you hold your hormones, slut!?" Assassin complained. "Quit it! Both of you" Both Alvis and Cahya promptly said in order to avoid another scene like that of before.
Marcus sat on a chair and looked deeply at Kazuto's training for all the time. Once he was over, he stood up and scratched his chin. "Hmmmm…how interesting. A magecraft like yours is unusual among mages…but it seems powerful as well. Despite the embarrassment of yesterday, you are showing a lot of surprises. Remember it well, boy, since you'll need it in these days, not only as defense but also as an offense against the enemy. A mage with fire is a news even for me…I think a fitting title for you would be 'Disco Inferno!'" He suggested.
"W-What!? No! Why!? I don't think mages have a title but…I would be fine with simply 'The Mage of Fire…'." Kazuto answered. Calem made a little laugh at his leader's idea since he recognized the reference.
"Hmm. If that's your decision. Anyways…rest for now. You'll start to perlustrate the city in a couple of hours. We should go down." He then said.
Once everyone was down, Kazuto took a can of coke and drank it. The taste and the coldness of the beverage made him comfortable.
"So…how do you feel about tonight?" Gordon asked while leaning on the wall with his arms crossed. The Tohsaka mage looked at the window. The sun was starting to going down, and that road that went downhill was now filled in the light of the twilight. As soon as the sun would come down, he and Astrea would have wandered through the streets of that large city and searched for an enemy. "Well…it's complicated to answer that question. From one part, I'm the one that proposed this strategy and I'm ready to be part of the plan, but…at the same time I still remember the experience I had yesterday with that guy…and I really hope to do better this time…an error in this war could cost my life…and I've learnt it well…" He said.
Gordon looked at him in silence before turning around and answering. "I can't say that much, since I barely got to know you, but from what I've seen, you look like someone who thinks too much about the outcome. If you just go down and you do less mental blowjobs, everything will become much clearer for you. In a fight, everything you need to think about is the fight itself."
"Thank you…I guess?" Kazuto asked confused. He didn't know if Gordon was trying to help him or if he wanted to criticize him, since he used the term 'mental blowjobs'.
"Well, there's still some time before that. We can do something else in the meantime." Calem suggested, as he opened the box he had with him, revealing a guitar.
"Oh right. You said that you play the guitar…" Kazuto said. "Yes. My Master may not be that interesting as a mage, but he's talented when it comes to music." Lancer answered.
The Artel mage started to accord the strings of his instrument, and then…he started to play. His fingers moved gently on the cords, making them give the right sound that attracted everyone in the room. And then…he started to sing. A song that seemed sad, but optimistic at the same time.
"Come on, hold my hand…I wanna contact the living. Not sure I understand…this role I've been given…I sit and talk to God…and he just laughs at my plans. My head speaks a language…I don't understand…I just wanna feel…real love, feel the home that I live in…'cause I got too much life, running through my veins, going to waste…I don't wanna die…"
Soon, everyone made a little applause to him, appreciating his good voiceprint and the nice melody. "Beautiful! Too bad that you weren't born back in my era! I would have immediately chosen you as a court musician!" Assassin said with a smile. Even her Master seemed happy to hear it and curious at the same time. "So that's what they call 'music'? It's…nice…" Cahya said.
"Y-Yeah! It was really good! Have you ever considered going on a musical competition?" Astrea asked. "Eheh, not really…i didn't think about it until now…maybe once this war is over!" Calem replied, scratching the back of his head.
"I agree with Astrea! I think you should try…I mean, it's like Lancer said! You do have talent!" Kazuto commented. "I agree!" Archer added.
"Thanks, guys…wanna give a try, Kazuto?" Calem then proposed. The Tohsaka mage looked at the others and then pointed at himself. "Me…?"
"Yes! Give it a try!" The other mage insisted, giving his guitar to Kazuto. "Ok…I didn't play the guitar before, but I have a clear idea on what to do…" Archer's Master said. "Now…what should I sing…? Oh, I know it."
And so, Kazuto started to play as well. Despite being his first time playing the guitar, he showed to be as good as Calem. He moved his fingers with the right speed and the right delicacy and then he started to sing. His song was kinda sadder than the one Calem played before, but it had a notable melody and it was over all catchy.
"Nights in White Satin…never reaching the end…letters I've given…never meaning to send…beauty I'd always missed…with these eyes before…just what the truth is, I can't say anymore…cause I love you…yes I love you…ooooh how I love you!"
Another applause followed. "What a nice music…even though it gives some sort of sadness…" Saber commented. "But it still gives a sensation of love! Like a wanderer that tries to find his loved one!" Caster added. For some reason, those words that she just said made Kazuto look down with a sad expression.
"Hm? Are you alright, Master?" Archer asked to him. "Uh? Ah, no, not at all! I'm fine." Her master said as he snapped back to reality.
"Very nice, Kazuto! Are you sure this was your first time? You sang like a professional!" Calem then asked. "Well yes. As I said, I've used to play the drums, but never the guitar. Even I am surprised!" Kazuto replied.
"Really? Strange indeed…a-anyways…" Astrea said, coming closer to him and extending her hand. "Let's do our best tonight."
As an answer, Kazuto shook her hand. "Yes! You can count on me."
"Oh my god, he just said that I can count on him…is this really happening? Did I really make a friend? Oh dear lord, what should I do?" That answer, of course, sent her to tilt, and Caster already noticed it. "Master, act normal." She said.
"Right, Master- I mean…Caster." Astrea answered. "I see that you are starting to form a bond with each other. In a war, someone must be as close as possible with their companions. This guarantees cooperation, power and high possibilities to reach victory. It may sound cliché, but teamwork is essential, especially in situations like this. Remember it well. We count on you two, Kazuto and Astrea." Marcus then said.
"Yes!" The two Masters answered.
And then…time passed…and the night came by. The sun gave its goodbye for the day and gave it's place to the moon, that came up and shined its pale light on the city.
Kazuto was fixing his glove, as he looked at the window, ready to start his mission. Archer came closer and looked at the window as well. "So, Master…are you ready?" She asked.
"Yes, Archer. This time I'm ready. And…I promise to not make Marcus angry." Kazuto jokingly answered, making his Servant giggle. "I hope so! Well…time to descend into the battlefield once again."
"You seem to know a lot about battles…" Kazuto noticed. "Yes. I can't reveal your name yet, but…I can say that I know a lot. Back when I was a live, I was the satisfaction of my superior." Archer answered, trying not to go deeper.
"Well! That's good to hear. So…just like yesterday…let's watch each other's backs, right?" Kazuto asked with a smile. "Yes. Let's watch each other's backs." Archer replied.
Even back at the White Rose's headquarters faction, the two Masters and their Servants were ready to depart. Isak looked at the horizon with his usual grin, while Tygo had a determined stare. "At last, it's time to go. I wonder what our enemies will look like. Aren't you curious, Tygo?" Isak asked. "Yes...kinda." The other mage simply replied. "Then there's nothing to add. Let's go, Lancer." Isak concluded, before leaving with his Servant. "Are you ready, Master?" Rider demanded with a smile.
"Yes...time to show them who i am." Tygo repiled, ready to move.
With this, everything was definitely settled. This…was the start of the Holy Grail War.
Author's note: The song Calem played is Feel by Robin Williams, while the song Kazuto played is Nights in White Satin by Moody Blues. These songs belong to their respective authors.
And even this chapter was done! If i have to be honest, i had a lot of fun describing all the characters and writing their dialogues! I always thought that the interaction between one person and another had always been one of the best elements in the Fate series and i'm happy that could have done the same here! Also, with this, all the main characters had been introduced! Did you like them? Who are your favorites at the moment? Let me know in your reviews your opinion! I hope you liked it just like i did!
See you next time! Arrivederci!