Fate/Twin Roses Chapter 5: Weird Encounters
By Bluestar076
Hello everyone! Bluestar here with a new chapter of this story to start September! I'll already warn that in this chapter and in the next one there won't be any battles and they'll be mostly made of dialogues and interactions between characters. After following a suggestion of one of you, I've decided to make two lighter chapters, since in most chapter I make, I usually put at least one battle, so I guess it's ok to take a break sometimes and do more chapters where nothing happens. Even in the various Fate series there are some parts in the stories where there are no battles at all. Plus, with this, I think I'm able to dig more in the characters you've submitted! As for the previous chapter, as you could see, the Lancer of White is Vlad III. To be precise, is the one coming from Fate/EXTRA, which is based on the real character of the king of Romania (This is why he's still classified as a Lancer despite not being in Romania, unlike the one from Fate/Apocrypha which is a Berserker Servant and is based on the legends that revolved around the Impaler being the famous Count Dracula). With this said, we can start! I hope you'll like these two chill chapters. And as always, enjoy!
Note: I do not own Fate. All rights and characters belong to Kinoko Nasu and TYPE-MOON.
Chapter 5: Weird Encounters
Alexandria – 12th of August 30 B.C.
In ancient times, there was a land where one of the greatest empires that the world had ever seen was created. A land bathed by the Red Sea, by the Mediterranean Sea, but most importantly by the long river known as Nile, which helped this reign to prosper. An empire where the architecture, the art, the religion, the math, and military force where the main topics. For thousands of years…this land was ruled by sovereigns that were considered direct offsprings of the gods and exercised their power by performing great deeds. One of them unified the two separated reigns into one and began the tale. Another one, the most famous one, filled the land with tall and magnificent palaces, bringing it to the maximum peak of beauty, while the last one…despite not being a man…was able to make the reign survive despite the presence of stronger empires in that age.
But eventually…everything comes to an end, like this reign. It was with this particular last sovereign…that the curtain fell on this ancient domain. A domain that survived for generations, prospered for thousands of years and showed what was made of. But even so…its dying breath was inevitable.
One day…the cities of the land…were started to get invaded…crushed by the oppressive forces of the Roman Empire, which had been in contact with them for a long time…until now. Their force was brutal and far superior than that of this decadent empire. The inhabitants could only wait for the end of all, hoping that everything they had done…would not be forgotten in the future. And even their sovereign…their queen…had been waiting for the end, which finally arrived.
In the city of Alexandria, inside an hidden tomb…a woman was waiting for death to come. She hid herself in there to not give satisfaction at her enemy. A woman which was known for her incredible beauty…but also for her knowledge and skills, despite being accused to be a traitor and even a poisoner. A woman who guided the land with everything she could give.
Since she closed herself inside that tomb, she could not see outside…and this gave her a lot of sadness. Because…at least, she would have wanted to see the land she guided and loved…one last time. She could feel the pain that her subjects were feeling…and their cries for help. She knew she couldn't help them…but at least she wanted to be there with the people she cared about.
But most of all…she wanted to be near the man she loved. A fighter, a general, a leader…and a lover. A man she supported in every fight, every struggle. Even in the times when they were distant…she always gave her love to this man and showed it in every possible way. But now…that man was no longer with them. He decided to commit suicide after hearing the news that the queen took away her own life (Which was a lie). Now…this queen was alone…her kingdom was getting destroyed…and her beloved one was dead. But despite all…she had a smile on her face. Because at least…she knew that now…she had the chance to put an end to that suffering. She had nothing else to lose…therefore…she decided to end it all…
The woman turned around…and looked at a cobra, which was glaring at her. "…With this…the sun sets on this magnificent kingdom. Everything really comes to an end eventually, right? But that's fine…at least…I shall be able to reach him…and we'll be together again…this time for all eternity." She said. "…You can bite me snake…I have no reason to remain here. So please…end my life…by biting me with your poisonous teeth."
The cobra looked at her for some seconds in silence…and then…it attacked her right at the neck, ending her life, like she asked.
Tokyo – Red Rose Headquarter – 14th April 2021 – 4.00 A.M
Cahya, woke up with a long gasp. "Anf…anf…anf…" He took a lot of breaths before looking around and notice that he was on his bed. To confirm what happened, he even looked at his own hands. "It was all…a dream?" He wondered in a low voice. By turning on his left, he could see his Servant, Assassin of Red, sleeping next to him with a smile on her face.
The homunculus could take a breath of relief. But still…everything for him seemed so…real. After an experience like that…he couldn't sleep again…so he decided to…go to another room…and think.
In order to not wake her Servant up, Cahya made slow and soft movements until he reached the entrance of the house. He slowly opened the door…and looked at the starry sky. "The girl in the dream was Assassin…and she seemed…pretty sad." He thought. During an Holy Grail War, it was possible that the Masters dreamed of the past events of their Servants. It was probably related to their bond through the Command Spells, and this could help them understand their Servants better and know them…more personally.
This was what happened with Cahya that night. He dreamed…about his Servant's last moments. It was nothing more than a natural dream…but for him, that dream could be of a great significance. "Sadness…I've heard that it's one of the main feelings a human can have…i…I wonder how it feels…to have sadness…" He said, looking at his hands with an apathetic face. "How to…feel…"
Seeing that sadness…somehow made him curious. He even felt…some sort of envy for that. Envious of that capacity of expressing feelings. Those feelings…that made him curious…but that his homunculus body could not give him. Feelings that made him somehow…motivated to participate in the war. Every time he saw one of his companions…or other people…he felt an unpleasant sensation of diversity.
Ever since he was born, he could see humans laughing, get mad or grieve…and this made him wonder…why couldn't he? Why couldn't he prove those same emotions? Was he really…just a doll to use for war? He didn't tell anyone…but he…actually didn't like the situation he was put in. Living only to be chosen by the Holy Grail…and die…seemed like a waste for him. Maybe he would have done something different with his life…but life itself…didn't give him a different choice.
"I wonder…how it feels to be different…" He said. Unfortunately, he couldn't have time for those questions. For now, his main thought was the Holy Grail War, that same event that he was created for. A conflict that he didn't like, but that at the same time…gave him some hope. Maybe…it could give him a chance to change? Who knew?
"Hmm…maybe it's better to go back to sleep. I need to be ready for tomorrow." He said before going back to the house, but with still some thoughts in his mind.
[Katekyo Hitman Reborn – Boys and Girls]
*Seven Cards that represent the seven classes of Servants appear one by one before splitting in two different decks, each one having the seven cards*
[Boys and Girls be ambitious, Boys and Girls keep it real, Boys and Girls be ambitious, Boys and Girls keep it real]
*Kazuto and Archer of Red open their eyes, and then Kazuto with flames on his hands and on his head starts to perform various melee attacks while Archer of Red attacks with the katana, the naginata and her bow. After that, the two start to fly in the sky*
[Following the manual, jumping out of everyday, you are a boy…]
*Kazuto wakes up and quickly prepares himself to leave the house with Archer of Red while having a croissant in his mouth. The two of them leave while Hinobu looks at them with a smile from a window.*
[Not able to become an adult, but not able to stay as a child, times like that will come…]
*Kazuto and Archer of Red are reached by the remaining members of the Red Rose Faction. With Gordon give some punch to the air, Saber of Red give his Master a pat on his shoulder with a big smile, Calem walking with a smile and his guitar on his back, Lancer of Red walking with her eyes closed, Alvis looking at the phone while Rider of Red tries to get his attentions by licking her lips, Marcus giving tips to the group, Astrea joining the chat by talking alongside Caster of Red, Cahya who looks at the group with a light smile and Assassin of Red that walks happy with her hands on the back of her head*
[Where everyone is in a hurry, in the world that we live in…]
*Meanwhile from the top of a roof, Seram, Isak, Cynthia, Tygo, Adewale, Oeneus and Maximilian along with their Servant are watching the Red Rose Faction, with Cynthia giving a quite serious stare at Kazuto*
[We stopped upon a shooting star!]
*Suddenly Kazuto and the other members of the Red Rose Faction stop and turn around, noticing the constellation of a rose in the sky. Then, the camera zooms at Kazuto's eyes before the screen becomes white*
[One thing that I cannot give up, with just one, I can become strong!]
*Saber of Red and Saber of White clash their swords and make a battle cry, while Rider of Red runs on her carriage to reach Rider of White, who summons her giant to attack her. Meanwhile, Assassin of Red and Assassin of White both make a fight pose before attacking each other with melee attack. Then Assassin of Red releases some golden stardust with a determined face while Assassin of White throws plates with a grin on her face.*
[You were scared and I pulled your hand, we keep walking!]
*Lancer of Red gets surrounded in purple flames before creating purple dragons that are cut in half by Vlad III with his lance, who jumps towards her with an excited face.*
[Our breath increasing in the head wind!]
*Caster of White attacks Astrea with magical beams, but the girl is saved by Caster of Red, who cuts the beams with her staff and is ready to fight, while Berserker of White dives with anger to attack Berserker of Red, who is furious as well and he's ready to attack her.*
[Boys and Girls be ambitious!]
*Then, Kanashimi holding the Black Keys with a worried face, Hinobu making a smile with a thumb up and a shadowy figure that turns around are seen.*
[ Boys and Girls keep it real! Boys and Girls be ambitious! Boys and Girls keep it real!]
*Archer of Red is preparing a flaming arrow while Archer of White is ready to shoot with his gun. The two Servants throw their blasts which clash against each other and form an explosion. Then the screen turns white and in the end, all the Masters and their Servants are seen striking a pose while a rose stands on the center. The opening ends*
Tokyo – White Rose Headquarter – 14th April 2021 – 7.30 A.M
Another day had begun…both for Tokyo and for the Holy Grail War.
Three days had passed since the first excursion to the city that started the conflict. After the battles between three Masters of the Red Rose and two of the White Rose, everything seemed normal for the following days. For both factions this was kinda disappointing. The war had started but after that single event, nothing else in particular happened. But they also knew that it was normal, since mages usually act hidden in the shadow and it's not always that easy to find them, especially in day time.
So from one side, these three following days were relaxing, but challenging at the same time, since both factions were focused on searching each other. Something would definitely happen…or at least, that was what they hoped.
It was early morning, and someone was enjoying breakfast inside the castle of the White Rose…even too much.
Maximilian Icecolle was sitting on a large pillow, eating some grapes alongside his Servant, Assassin of White, who was serving the fruit from one of her plates. "Say 'aaaah'" She said while putting a bit of grapes inside his Master's mouth, who seemed to like the service. "Hmmmm…delicious. Having breakfast with someone like you is certainly something truly excellent, Assassin." Maximilian commented.
"Awwww, it's so nice to hear you say that, sweetheart…I'm so lucky to have someone like you as a Master." Assassin of White answered while slowly putting her hands on her Master's hands. "If you don't mind…maybe tonight we could do something…funny…" She said with a lustful tone. This made Maximilian really excited. "Oh yes! I would really like to…" He said.
The two of them started to kiss each other (Even with the tongue). It was indeed romantic, but someone found it…uncomfortable. "Eugh…can't you do this somewhere else? I'm trying to eat…" Oeneus commented. He was sitting on a large table while eating some waffles with maple syrup. "Well, Master, I guess this is their way to show their love!" Caster of White commented.
"No…I just find it disgusting…" Oeneus insisted. "It seems that you still don't know what the beauty of a woman is, Oeneus. Well, how to blame you. You're still a kid after all." Maximilian said to him.
"Oh come on! I don't think grown ups would do that! Am I right, Caster?" Oeneus tried to find some support in his Servant, but that didn't seem the case. "Actually…when a relationship is at an high level, it could end up like that. But it's natural, since it's love! One of the most beautiful feelings in the world!" Caster of White said.
"Meh…if you say so…" Oeneus said. "Maybe it's better that you leave them. We have other things to do." Tygo told him. Even he was having breakfast alongside his Servant, Rider of White. "By the way, Tygo…how are you doing? Are you feeling better?" The other Master then asked him.
"Yeah. Overall I'm fine. Thanks." Tygo simply replied. "Good to know. When you came back to the Headquarter three days ago, you were really messed up! That Master of the Red Rose must have been pretty tough…and the most shocking fact is that she was Caster of Red's Master! So technically she must be my opponent!" Oeneus commented. "I'm really curious to study her moves! Judging by what you said, she wasn't a regular Caster-Class Servant!" Caster of White added.
"Hm-hm! It's probable that we'll meet them very soon." Rider of White said. "Well…time to finish here. We have to start the excursion as soon as possible." She then said.
"Wait what?" Oeneus asked. "Didn't you hear last night? While we were discussing of the next strategy to apply, Maximilian suggested to wander around Tokyo and find some places where the Master of the opposite faction could appear during nighttime, so we can predict their arrival. He even suggested to use items that could help us locate magical energy through the streets of the city. And it seemed that Isak liked this idea." Tygo explained. "Since nothing in particular had happened, I suggested to do something that could, at least, help us find the enemy." Maximilian added. "And as always, you did a great job, sweetheart, fufu…" Assassin of White told him.
"Oh, I see…nice idea, Maximilian." Oeneus said. He then noticed that his Servant was having a large smile on her face, which made her look weird. "Uhm…what's with that smile, Caster?" He asked.
"Oh oh oh oh OOOOH! I just had an idea for an incredible invention to make for this strategy! If you excuse me, I'm going straight at my laboratory!" The woman Servant said before running away. "H-Hey! Oh, dear lord! She's always like this! Every time she has one of her crazy ideas in mind, she runs like…some sort of blue hedgehog!" Oeneus said.
"It's her personality. She is a genius after all!" Rider of White told him. "Plus, her inventions usually work. Even with all the job she done with you. I think you should be more happy with the results she gets." Tygo added. But the Animusphere mage didn't seem to be in that mood, as he snorted. "Tch…happy. Why should I be happy?" He said before leaving the room.
"Man, he really doesn't like his Servant…" Maximilian commented. "And that…could be troublesome." Tygo added. In that moment, another Master came by…someone that actually surprised the others.
It was Seram, who entered in the room just to reach the exit. She was dressed with her typical uniform and had two large dark circles on her eyes, implying that she wasn't a person that slept that much. On her face, she had a dull expression, almost emotionless. She didn't even look at the others, she just went straight to the door.
"Oh, hey Seram! Are you leaving that soon? Don't you want to eat?" Tygo asked. That question made the girl stop and slowly turn around. "I'm…not hungry. I don't really like to eat at all…" She simply said. "I'm heading out…that's what Isak told me. Later." With those simple words, Seram simply left. She wanted to end the chat as soon as possible.
"She can be so boring sometimes…that's what prevents me to make even an advance on her…" Maximilian said. "Come on! It's not cute to say!" Tygo told him. "Still…It's the first time we see her coming out of her room. I wonder why…" He then wondered. "Probably because Isak told him so." Rider of White said.
"How strange that he's the only one she talks with…I wonder what kind of link they have." Assassin of White said, curious.
Meanwhile, after some minutes of walking in the castle, Oeneus was able to reach Caster of White in her laboratory (Even if he had to run). "Anf…anf…dammit, Caster! You could have waited for me! As my Servant you should always be around me!" He complained with his Servant who…didn't seem to listen.
"…Are…are you listening to me?" He asked. No answer. "COME ON, SAY SOMETHING!" The Animusphere mage started to lose patience as he started to yell.
"Done!" Caster of White suddenly said while holding what seemed to be a mechanic spider. Once she placed it to the table, the small machine started to move and move around. "What…is this?" Oeneus asked. "These spiders can walk on every surface and can sense if there is magical energy in the surrounding era! If they sense it, they send me a telepathic message to advise me! Quite comfortable, isn't it?" The Servant explained.
"…Yeah…they're…nice." His Master answered, not very convinced. "You don't…like them?" Caster of White asked him. "No no! They're…ok." Oeneus insisted.
The Servant already understood that he wasn't feeling ok, and as a genius, she wanted to know the reason for that, since she always wanted to study a person in their deep, even her own Master. "Are you suuure? 'Cause you know you can't lie to me, Oeneus!" She said with a smug smile.
"Gosh, why do you always act like this, Caster!? It's like you know everything about me! Well guess what, you're not! Dear lord, you can be so invasive sometimes! Can't you just stick with your duty as a Servant!?" Oeneus suddenly exclaimed before turning around with his arms crossed.
Caster of White was surprised to hear that by someone, especially from her Master, so she widened her eyes a bit. After that discussion, an embarrassing silence followed. "Uhm…wow…..i…..didn't expect a reaction like that. Are you…mad at me, perhaps?" The Servant then asked.
"Well duh! Can't you see? Do you think I had fun to follow you around in this giant castle like two damn kids!?" Oeneus replied, still annoyed. Caster could see that he was really offended by what happened before and…She was sad to see him in that state. After that rash…Oeneus took a deep sigh and crossed his arms. "Listen…let's forget it. It's useless to even talk about this." He said.
Caster of White looked down with a little bit of sadness. She wanted to say something or solve the situation, but…she thought that if she would have done so…things could have gotten even worse between the two of them. She was a genius indeed, but sometimes, the human's soul could be complicated even for the smartest ones. Still…she wanted to know more about her Master and what he had in mind…especially after a reaction like that.
"Just…how can you be so sure of yourself? It's like you can know any solution! Just…where did this…confidence and excitement of yours come from?" Oeneus then asked.
"Well…sometimes I even wonder myself. You're not the first one that asks me something like this, Master. Even back when I was still alive, there were many people who asked me…how I was so smart and confident. And the answer had always been one: simple desire of learning. Ever since they are born, humans always have the desire of knowing more about the world that surrounds them, expanding the knowledge inside their brain. And…I think the same happened with me! Eheheh! But…even if I'm a genius, I still want to know more about others and see how do they live and think. And yes…sometimes I exaggerate, just like what happened now. And perhaps I should apologize..." Caster of White explained. Is…is this what you wanted to know?" She then asked.
"…Kinda." Oeneus simply replied. "…Listen…I know that you probably don't like me…but…can I at least…ask you a favor?" His Servant then said. "Can you…put some trust in my skills? Even if we are different from one to another, we still need to fight together since you have those Command Spells. These works you see in this laboratory…I'm doing them also for you. I know you probably have a wish…and as your Servant, I need to help you make it come true. Well, I'm not that powerful as a Caster or even as an Heroic Spirit, but I hold some hope in these items. And…I really think they could be brilliant if you use them. So…can I at least…help you?"
Oeneus slightly turned around towards her. He couldn't stand her that much…but he could see that she was sincere in that moment. Plus, she was right. Despite everything she still was his Servant, so she could operate only thanks to him. And…deep inside, he didn't want to see her sad. "…Fine. I will…give them a try." He said.
"Yippie! Thank you! Now…I think we have some duty to accomplish! Ready to dive in?" Caster of White asked, starting to get excited again. "Yes. Let's go." Oeneus simply said. And with that, the young Animusphere mage and his Servant started to leave the castle, even if he still had some thoughts in his mind.
"…Maybe I've exaggerated? I didn't mean to be rough with her but…she just…makes me so envious…"
Meanwhile, Seram was already at the entrance of the headquarter, ready to depart. She simply looked at the horizon with dead eyes and standing with the back slightly inclined. Even if it didn't seem…she couldn't wait to go in there and find someone.
"So, we are leaving?" Her Servant's voice asked. "Yes…being alongside other humans…I hate it…but…I want to go…hmm…how painful…" Seram answered.
"Tch. Do whatever you like. As long as you don't turn out to be useless." The Servant said. "I won't." The girl simply replied. After that, she started to run quite fast and jump from one tree to another. Seram now had a job to do, and the only thought she had was to carry it away.
Tokyo – Red Rose Headquarter – 14th April 2021 – 8.00 A.M
Back at the Headquarter of the other faction, Cahya was able to regain some sleep and wake up normally. After taking a short shower, he went downstairs, where he could see that his Servant, Assassin of Red, was already sitting at the table and eating some biscuits with milk. "Hm? Oh, Master! Good morning!" The Servant said, raising her hand up.
"Good morning." The homunculus simply said before sitting on the table as well. "You should try these biscuits! They're delicious!" His Servant suggested before eating some more of them.
The Red Rose headquarter was a property of Marcus, but since Cahya didn't have a place where to live since the one he was created got destroyed, the leader of the Red Rose decided to let him stay in the headquarter, since putting a Master as a guard of the place could have been a clever move. So, in a way, this was their house.
The two of them continued to have breakfast in silence for a couple of minutes until Cahya decided to take the chance to talk about the dream he had at his Servant, starting the discussion with something that Assassin of Red didn't expect. "Say…Cleopatra…"
"AH!" Suddenly, Assassin of Red went fully red on her face and quickly turned on her Master. "C-C-CAHYA!"
The homunculus didn't understand her sudden panic. "…What? Did I say something wrong?" He asked. "W-Why have you called me by my true name!? Y-You caught me by surprise! Why did you say it?" The Servant asked, still a little bit shocked. She knew that, since he was devoid of emotions, Cahya was typical to say unexpected things, but this time he surprised her as well. By seeing her in that way, her Master made a sorry face, fearing that he might have offended her.
"Hey! Chill! You didn't say anything wrong! I was just…surprised. It's been a while since I was called like that…" Assassin of Red said. "Yeah…you probably find it strange, right? Despite being the great queen of Egypt I get called very rarely by name…"
"Well…if you wish to…I can start calling you by that." Cahya proposed. "No no no! It's fine, really! If my name would be revealed, it could be troublesome…" Cleopatra answered. "But…what made you call me by that?" She then asked.
"Well…" Cahya then started to tell her about the dream he had, when he saw her look up with sadness but happiness at the same time…before she decided to end her life.
"Oh…I see…so you've dreamed about my last moments of my life before i've entered in the Throne of Heroes…" Assassin of Red said, looking away. It seemed that bringing back those memories made her feel uncomfortable. "So…they were true?" Cahya asked. "Yes…I've decided to kill myself with a cobra. I mean…I couldn't do anything else at that point…the Egypt was being conquered…and my lover was dead. I just wanted to end it all." The Servant confirmed.
"Don't worry…I don't condemn you for that. On the contrary…at least I know a little bit more about you. And what you were feeling back then…that was…sadness, right?" Cahya then asked.
"…Yes. Everyone feel it…even people like me. And trust me…I was really sad back then…" Assassin of Red replied before making a deep sigh. "Sadness is something you wouldn't want to feel…but you do. It's one of the main emotions a human can feel, after all…"
"…How does it feel to have sadness, then?" Cahya asked, showing curiosity on the argument. "…It's complicated to explain. Sometimes like I said, it's something you don't want to feel…since it brings pain. But in other cases…it can actually help you. Like when you have to bring out something you were holding for too long at someone…being sad can be useful." Cleopatra answered.
"I see…if you say so…it was complicated in your case. Back then…you didn't want to be sad, but at the same time, you were happy to feel that sadness…emotions sure can be complicated…I couldn't never understand them…but…it must be nice to feel them…" Cahya commented.
"Awww…don't say this, Cahya. I'm sure you have a feeling right now. I don't think you are a doll!" Assassin of Red told him, stroking his head. "Even you can be considered a person!"
"Hmm…if you say so…" The Master answered. In that moment…they could hear the doorbell, meaning that someone else had arrived while they were talking. "Oh! Someone is here!" Assassin said while turning on the door.
When Cahya went to see who he was, he slightly opened the door and could recognize Calem accompanied by Lancer of Red. "It's me." He simply said. "Password?" Cahya asked for safety as always. "Marcus Graint Yggdmillenia is super super cool." The other Master of the Red Rose replied. He was calm while saying it, but every time, every member of the Red Rose Faction felt a little bit stupid by just saying that. Since he had the confirm, the homunculus opened the door and let Calem and his Servant enter.
"Oh, it's you guys! At least you two showed up…I was starting to get worried…" Assassin of Red said. "There's actually an explanation for that. I'll explain it right now." Calem told her while laying down the guitar. "Hmm…it seems that you're quite enjoying those cookies you have there…" Lancer of Red added, looking at the bag of cookies.
"Well…it's my breakfast. If you want some of them-" Assassin of Red was going to let her eat, but she didn't even need to end her line that Lancer of Red already sat down and started to eat them. "...You can have them…"
"She's quite voracious." Cahya commented. "Yeah. When she sees food, she can go crazy for that!" Cahya added with a giggle. "Anyways…I'm here to tell you about the new strategy we adopted. Since you weren't here last night, you couldn't know it." He then added while turning on the other Master of the Red Rose. "I'm all hears." Cahya said.
"You see, Marcus started to get frustrated about how things went during these three days. After those first battles we had, there weren't any signs of Masters of the opposite faction. After some discussion, we decided that searching only during nighttime wasn't enough. So we decided to do some investigations even during the day to see if we could find other Masters or even at least some signs of magecraft around the city of Tokyo." Calem explained.
"Wait…wasn't fighting during daytime prohibited in a Holy Grail War?" Cahya fairly asked. Ever since the system of the war was founded, the Mage's Association put some rules over the war itself, and one of them imposed that the Masters and their Servants couldn't fight against each other during daytime. This was because the Mage's Association always wanted to leave magecraft as a secret among mages, and if someone tried to expose it at common people, they would have done something about them, even if it meant to kill them.
"Don't worry! I'm sure someone wouldn't do something like that, not even the enemy Masters. We just need to find them or see some signs of them." Calem assured him. "I see. Well that's a relief…I feared that we would have went into trouble. So the reason why there's no one here…" Cahya then deduced.
"Yup! It's because they are canvassing the city. Gordon and Alvis are searching on the north sector of the town around Nishipori, Kazuto and Astrea are looking on the west sector in the zone of Shinjuku, while Marcus is searching on the south sector at Shinagawa. As you can see, everyone is pretty much already at work! We're the only two ones missing." Calem answered.
"So it means that we have to search on the east sector of the town?" Assassin of Red guessed. "Yeah. That was the intent." Lancer of Red answered for her. With that, Cahya understood what needed to be done, and he was ready to give his help. "Understood. We are ready to leave."
"Good to hear! Now that I think of it…do you want to go together or split once we're there?" Calem then asked. "Uhm…I don't mind then. But maybe…I would be more comfortable if it was just me and Assassin. I…hope to not be rude…but I feel like I can work better." Cahya answered with a small drop of sweat coming down from his head. He was kinda embarrassed from saying that, since he feared he could have sounded offensive.
"Ahah! Don't worry! I can understand. If you feel better by being alone that's fine! A good way to have harmony in our group is to understand the others ways. The more we understand each other, the more fine we'll be right?" Calem said. "Y-Yeah…if you say so…" The homunculus replied. "I do think this is also a good way to see you the beauties of this city, Master! Don't you think?" Assassin of Red added with a smile. Seeing all that attention actually made him embarrassed.
"…I don't think he's that convinced." Lancer of Red commented.
Once they decided on what to do, both Cahya and Calem and their Servants left the headquarter and took the shortest metro for the east sector. While Assassin of Red could stay in her physical form since she had a more normal appearance, Lancer of Red had to stay in the spiritual one, since they couldn't know what someone would have said if they had seen a woman with a large scaled tail.
While sitting on the train, Cahya had his usual neutral stare. He didn't seem to think about something in particular. Despite being in a situation like the Holy Grail War, he seemed…chill.
"You seem pretty calm." Calem noticed. "You say so? Well…I'm not...thinking about anything in particular. I'm just waiting to reach the stop." The homunculus simply replied. "It's my first mission in the Holy Grail War, but…I don't feel neither excited nor anxious. I…I wonder if it's normal."
"It can be normal for someone to be calm even in situations like this. It could even be considered a virtue! Keep the calm is a great thing to do in a war, since it can help you to reason better." Calem said.
"You…seem pretty calm as well." Cahya noticed. "You say so? Heh…it may sound like this but…I can't hide the fact that i…am quite anxious as well!" The other Master said while scratching his back, surprising Cahya. "Really? Strange…you don't look like you're scared." He said. "It may sound like that, but I do feel some sort of pressure. I mean…apart from the battles we had three years ago, we don't know pretty much about the other guys. Which means that I have to be extra prepared for any eventuality. But I guess it's natural to have some fear inside, since it's part of being human, isn't it?" Calem explained.
"Fear…I hear often that it's often a negative thing…I wonder if I'll feel it as well…even if I'm in danger…" Cahya said.
"It's probable. Everyone fear something, but it's good to find the courage to defeat it. I'm sure you'll understand what I mean one way or another." Assassin of Red said.
In that moment…the train stopped and the people started to come out, as always. Even the two Masters stood up, since they were arrived. "Well! We're here. Good luck, buddy!" Calem said before exiting. "You too, Calem…" Cahya simply added, as he watched while his friend left.
"We should go as well, or the doors will close again." Assassin of Red told him. His Master simply nodded and came out of the train. Another day of investigations…much like the others. But maybe something would have come out this time?
Tokyo – Yurakucho – 14th April 2021 – 10.00 A.M
Yurakucho was a business district of the city of Tokyo and was situated at south-east of the imperial palace. A peculiarity of this place was that were tons of places that remembered a more ancient Japan, due to the presences of many Izakaya, which are bars in a classic japanese style with red lanterns on the outside and yakitori, outdoors restaurants. But at the same time it's the house of many modern places including cinemas, conference rooms and car parks.
In those streets it was hard to walk since they were quite narrow and a lot of people passed in. But somehow, Calem was able to move. It was only him and his guitar, since Lancer of Red continued to stay in her spiritual form. The young mage could see the other people passing by or eating delicious food of the classical japanese cooking like ramen, bento or more simply sushi. Calem actually liked seeing those things, even if they were simple.
"Not gonna lie…this place is very pretty. Before coming here, I've only seen a couple of things about Tokyo. But seeing them in person is quite another thing. If I'll be able to come out alive, I should definitely come back here during holydays." He commented. "I didn't expect you to be pessimistic Master. You think that you could actually die?" Lancer of Red's voice asked. "It's not that I want to die, of course. But at the same time, I'm well aware that there is the possibility that I could be taken down." Her Master answered before making a giggle. "But to be honest…it's kinda hard to take me down if I have a Servant like you, Lancer! I know that you are really strong, so I'm relieved."
If she was in her physical form, Lancer of Red would have probably blushed a little, since she didn't expect a comment like that. "If…If you say so. Now…where do you want to start?" She then asked. "It's lucky that we started in a place like this. It's a good spot where to hide among people. I suggest to give a good look at everyone and see if we found someone weird or bizarre." Calem answered. "So you have already an idea…nice shot, Master. Maybe you're not that average as I thought." The Servant said, sounding strangely enjoyed.
"Well! Happy to hear that! Time to go, the-" Calem was about to start the investigation, until something caught his attention. While casually looking up, he could see what happened to be a strange white spider walking away from a ceiling. This made him turn more serious, since he could already notice that that creature wasn't normal. "Is there something wrong, Master?" Lancer of Red asked.
"I…think…we may have already found something…" Calem said, starting to go where the spider headed. And his guess was right. That spider did belonged to someone.
From the top of a car park, Oeneus was using a device attached to his wrist that could make him see the position of the various spiders he and Caster of White released on the district. The Master of the White Rose didn't get along with his Servant, but he could admit that her inventions were really something. "Wow…it's like sending a drone…" He commented.
"Eheh! Like it? With this, we can see every zone of the city much easier! Did you find anything, Master?" Caster of White asked, feeling satisfied of her Master's reaction. "No…not at the moment…this place is full of people, so find them will be hard." Oeneus answered before using a remote-control to the spiders by using a button of the device (Which looked like a small clock).
Much like a Bluetooth device that could work even at miles away, the spider received the command and started to use an invisible scan around their zone, which was similar to the scan of a metal detector. Once they have done the scan, Oeneus could receive the results through various graphics…until the device told him something that caught his attention.
Magecraft presence in the area: 25%
"Huh?" He said. "25%? Hmmm…usually regular people don't have magic circuits inside their bodies…which means…" Caster of White added. With that…Oeneus stood up and looked at the district from the top of that car park. "Yes…maybe we have found someone…hoping they're not from our side…" He said.
"Aw, Master! You almost sounded cool with that sentence before adding that last thing!" Caster of White commented. "That…doesn't help…" Oeneus answered.
"So…what now? Do you have some idea on how to act?" The Servant then asked, making her Master think and scratch his chin. "Hmm…they will probably move a lot around this zone. If I could, I would probably make a direct approach, but among all these people will be troublesome…you said that these spiders can also do something offensive right?" Oeneus asked.
"Yeah. What about it? Remember that we can't do that much in daytime…" Caster of White answered. "Oh don't worry, I don't plan to do something dangerous. My father had always been precisive when it came to magecraft, since…he comes from the London Tower, even my sister always taught me something about it. I know we can't pass in a direct action but…do you think placing a trap it's possible?" The Master of the White Rose then explained what he was planning to do. "A trap? Well…it's a risky move but it's still possible!" The woman Servant replied. By hearing that, Oeneus smirked and looked at the horizon. "That's fine by me. If it helps, then I accept it. Let's go then." He said before jumping from the car park.
"It seems that seeing some possibilities makes him feel at ease. That's good to know!" Caster of White thought before following him. Even without knowing it…two Masters, one from the Red Rose and the other from the White Rose, had already found some clues that would have brought them to their encounter.
Tokyo – Akihabara – 14th April 2021 – 10.10 A.M
Akihabara was one of the most famous areas in the city of Tokyo. It was known to be the place where most electronic stores could be found. It could also have been considered the heaven of all the anime and videogames lovers, since there were many stores that sold anything about those arguments. In short, someone would have considered it 'a place for nerds'. There were also tall buildings with giant posters and screens that were illuminated at night, so it would have been also a nice place to visit during nighttime, much like an American metropolis.
It was here that Seram went for doing her investigation. At the moment, she was hiding on a dark alley while looking outside. She could see all the people that were passing by on foot or on a bike, which were really common in Japan. Somehow…the sight of it, make Seram shriek with nervousness. "If you keep on staying here, we won't do anything. You should move, Master." Her Servant, Saber of White, suggested, sounding annoyed by the girl's behavior.
"Being among those people…the only thought makes me want to puke…i…I don't want…" Seram said while staring at them. "You really are an antisocial person, huh? Well, too bad. We're forced to if we want to find something useful. So I suggest to move your ass." The Servant commented, not caring how he spoke to his Master.
"I…I know…" The Master of the White Rose simply replied. She gave one last look at the people. She immediately felt an agonizing feeling of nausea and her whole body started to tremble. She was hesitant to do that, even if her Servant insisted on going…it was then that she felt a voice inside her head that assured her. "Don't worry…you can go. There's nothing to fear…" It was Isak's voice. Somehow…he was communicating with her.
Suddenly…Seram felt a little bit better, as if the leader of the White Rose Faction gave her some sort of tranquillizer. Now she felt more at ease on going outside. "…Sorry, Saber. Let's go." She said before coming out. "She changed her idea quickly…man, what a weird girl." The Servant said.
Meanwhile, Cahya and Assassin of Red were walking through that area…giving a look at the people passing by. In particular, the homunculus Master seemed to be attracted by the people of the place, since there were someone really happy. While passing by, he could hear a discussion between two friends.
"Have you read the final chapter of the Attack on Titan manga?" "Yeah! Man it was deep, I think Isayama surpassed himself this time." "Happy to hear that you liked it! I can't understand why people hated it so much…it's a decent ending!" "You know how kids are today…"
"Manga…it's a…type of comic…if I'm not wrong…" Cahya thought. Even Assassin of Red gave a look around and she ended up seeing a guy that was staring at the action figure of an anime girl in bikini. He didn't give a good impression, since he was making a creepy laugh and drooling. "Oooh Medaka Kurokami…you'll always be my top waifu! If you were real…I would do anything to make you step on me!" He said.
"Eugh…gross…" The woman Servant commented, feeling disgusted. "How can people be attracted that much to this kind of stuff? I couldn't imagine someone that would be attracted by me in that way…"
"Well…do you have some sort of image like that?" Cahya asked, referring to the action figure. "Well, there are many sculptures of me. I'm the most famous figure of Egypt alongside one of my predecessors Ozymandias after all. But…brrr! Thinking that someone would fap in front of an image of mine is creepy!" Assassin of Red exclaimed.
"Hmmm…I guess it's…a kind of passion…I wonder if I could find one as well…" Cahya commented. "It's possible! You can have a passion for anything. Food, shows, gardening, boats…the possibilities are endless!" His Servant answered. "Even I have various passions! And I think this world would give me even more! Things like that can be so simple, but can give you tons of satisfactions!" Assassin of Red explaining, making some elegant movements with her arms.
"Heh…must be nice…" Cahya commented with a smile, before getting surprised by what he just did. "Did…did I just make a sincere smile?" He thought. "Hm? Are you ok?" Assassin of Red asked. "Y-Yes. Don't worry." Her Master simply replied.
"So…how do you plan on find an opponent?" The woman Servant then asked. "For now…it's better to just move around this area. Maybe something will turn out. It may sound like nothing, but I actually have something I can use." Cahya explained before using a magecraft spell. In that moment, his eyes turned from pale violet to clear blue. Soon…his vision became darker, but he could see what seemed to be the aura of the people around him. "I remember always having this gift. This stealth vision of mine lends me now if there is magical aura inside the others." He said.
"Wow! That's neat! And how does that work?" Assassin of Red asked curious and surprised to see that her Master had a skill like that. "If the people around me have a yellow aura it means that they are regular people, but if they have a blue aura, then it means that they have magical circuits inside their body. This helps me to detect other mages much easier." Cahya answered.
"Amazing…I didn't know that you had something like that. I mean…it's true that you are an homunculus but still…it's surprising! So…are you seeing something, then?" Cleopatra asked. For some seconds, the Master of the Red Rose didn't see nothing…until he had found a person with a blue aura. They were a few meters away, sitting in a cafè.
"I found one! Follow me!" Cahya said before starting to walk fast. "Coming right away!" His Servant said while following him.
After some minutes of walk, they reached that cafè…which was weird from their point of view, since it was full of young girls that had a maid outfit. Some of them even had fake cat ears on their heads. For both Cahya and Cleopatra…this was weird. "Oh god…I think we're in a maid cafè…" The Egyptian Servant noticed. "What's that?" Cahya asked. "It's a place where the bartenders have maid outfits and they need to behave in a kind way with the costumers. But if you try to flirt with them, they're authorized to beat you up. I've…read something about it." Assassin of Red explained.
"Oh…I see…so…that mage was sitting right…there…" The homunculus then pointed the seat where he felt the magical aura. But when both he and his Servant saw who the magus was…they were actually surprised.
"There's your coffee, mister!" A maid said to the costumer. "Yes. Thank you." The man replied. Once the maid left…the figure of the person Cahya sensed could be seen better. He…was none other than the supervisor of the Holy Grail War, who noticed the pair. "Hm? Oh! It's you, Master of Assassin of Red…Cahya…am I correct?" He asked.
"Kanashimi…Kotomine…yes…it's me…" Cahya answered feeling out of place. "That young priest? Why's he here?" Assassin of Red thought. The priest, Kanashimi then pointed at the chair that was in front of him. "Why don't you take a seat?" He asked. For security, the homunculus turned on his Servant, who nodded. "Ok then…"
Kanashimi then looked at Assassin of Red. "Hmm…so you decided to make your Servant visible to others?" He asked. "Well…yeah…Assassin has regular clothes…so I guess she won't give any suspects…" Cahya answered. "Why are you here, supervisor?" He then took the chance to ask him a question. Kanashimi looked at the cup of coffee with his usual melancholic stare. One particular fact of him was that everywhere he went…he always had that sad expression. Even the local people thought of him as a depressed person. "I wanted to go out for a walk, since the nice weather. A thing that not many know about me…is that I get bored easily. Therefore…I usually try to find something to do, like going out in places like this. I like the zone of Akihabara! There is a lot of positivity in here…which makes me happier." He answered. "I guess that you are here for the war on the other hand. I guess it's natural. Mages are destined to meet each other, after all."
"Yeah…it had been a while since the last important event so…we're making an investigation." Assassin of Red answered. Cahya on the other hand, kept on looking at the priest, who was drinking his coffee with so much calm. The homunculus couldn't help but notice that sad face Kanashimi always had. He didn't seem disturbed by something or sad, so that face was a mystery for him.
"I see…well…I can't say that much about this. I'm just a supervisor after all." Kanashimi said, while making a small smile. "The Holy Grail War is an event where chosen people confront their ways of thinking. And the one who is more firm on their decisions is usually the one that prevails. My position…is neutral."
"Even if you don't like it?" Cahya asked. "Yes. You can consider me like some sort of judge, not from one side neither from the other. All I need to do is to make sure things go as they should be. To be honest…it's a job that scares me a bit. But…if they decided to do so, I have no other choice and do my duty, even if I'm not as strong as other mages that participate in this War." Kanashimi replied, before looking at the homunculus straight in the eyes while standing silent for some seconds. "You on the other hand…seem pretty calm. I wish I could have that same confidence as you have." He said…with a little bit of regret.
"I don't think of it as a positive way like you do, father Kanashimi. I…don't like the situation I am either…as something created artificially…It's hard for me to understand emotions like a regular human, those same emotions that attract me so much…moments like this make me wish I was different…" Cahya replied with a sad look.
Kanashimi kept on looking at him. This made Assassin of Red confused. Why was he looking at him in that…interested way? Maybe it wasn't the case for Cahya, but she…found him a little bit creepy. "So…it is the human emotions that attire you to be different? Well…that's a nice motive to move forward. Learning is something that helps everyone through the circle of life. And when you think that now you know everything, you discover that there is actually more things to know. You look like…a disciple that is searching his teachings." The priest continued, finding the homunculus cute.
"That's…a nice metaphor, I guess." The Master of the Red Rose said confused. "Eheh, come on! I'm playing with you! You are a nicer person than you could think. Perhaps you should keep that in mind, Cahya. I think this will help you." The priest answered before standing up. "Well…i think that I'll pay the coffee and then leave."
"Understood…I think we'll go too." Cahya replied. "I bid you good day and goodbye then." Kanashimi concluded before making a little bow and entering inside the cafè. Cahya looked at the door for some seconds…and then left with Assassin of Red.
"Gee…not trying to be offensive, but that guy was weird…" The female Servant commented once they were far from the cafè. "You say so? I think he was nice. I was surprised to see that he wanted to tell me something important." Cahya said his opinion. "Well, I didn't say that he was rude or something, it's just that…he didn't give me a good impression, that's all. Especially in the way he kept on staring at you." Cleopatra added.
"If I'm not wrong…it's a tic of his. He does so in order to read the other in a better way." The homunculus explained. "Really? Bizarre…well I guess everyone have their ways, I suppose…" Assassin of Red answered. "Even you have yours." Cahya commented, making his Servant blush. "W-What's that supposed to mean!?" She exclaimed.
"But…I think she's right…part of me says that he acted weird, even if that's his personality. To think that a positive person like him always have that melancholic face is strange…hmmm…maybe I shouldn't think about him that much…let's see if I can find someone else…" He thought. Surely Kanashimi was a strange person…but that wasn't the main focus for him now. He had to see if he could find another Master…not knowing that there was another one in the area.
Tokyo – Yurakucho – 14th April 2021 – 11.00 A.M
Calem had been walking for a while for now. He was focused on seeing that weird spider he had seen before and tried to follow him, until he had reached an empty zone with an enclosed wall, an electric one. Apart from him, no one else was there…and as such, Lancer of Red appeared in her physical form. "We've been walking for a while, Master. Where you think they could be?" She asked.
"Until a few minutes ago I was able to see what seemed to be a mechanical spider. I'm sure that can't be a regular thing." Calem answered. "Mechanical spider? Hmm…interesting. So there's someone who wanted to mix magecraft with advanced technology. It could actually be a genius idea…" The Servant commented, not knowing that the one who made that spider would actually be excited to hear something like that. "But…if you say that you don't know where did it go…then we got back to square one."
"Hmmm…I wouldn't be so sure, Lancer…maybe…there's more than meets the eye…" Calem replied, making his Servant curious. Even he didn't know why. That seemed to be a normal and calm place. But…something in his head told him to not trust what was seeing…maybe there was something tricky. Lancer of Red tried to say something but Calem quickly told her to keep quiet. He was convinced of his thought, and he wanted to follow it. He didn't know how to proceed…so for now…he stood still…and silent…
One minute…
Two minutes…
Three minutes…
Four minutes…
Five minutes…
Six minutes…
Seven…minutes…
Calem remained silent…someone would have considered him weird at that point. What was he waiting for? Did he fall asleep on his feet? Lancer of Red knew that there should have been a reason for him to not do anything for this long, he wasn't that naïve. But she couldn't ask anything, since he wanted silence…until Calem made a smirk. "Lancer, take your lance." He said.
Lancer of Red was confused, but did so, and when she did so, a tons of mechanical spiders appeared, trying to attack them both. Only now the Servant knew what his Master was planning from the beginning. She quickly jumped and with a single cut, she destroyed all the spiders and landed on her feet. She then made a smirk as she looked at her Master. "Not bad…I was starting to worry about you, but you actually had the situation in hand. Not bad at all, Master…" She said.
"Eheh! Thanks! I had the suspect that there was actually something in here, so I decided to wait for the perfect moment to counter attack this surprise attack. And it worked! I'm sorry if I sounded dumb for a moment." Calem replied.
"Heh…you are forgiven. In fact, now you're starting to entertain me, Master…" She said with a giggle. "So…we were lured in an ambush, huh? This must be the work of the enemy…but where they could be?"
"They could be anywhere…but I think to have a way to drag them here…luckily for me, I have studied many ways to attire people…with my music…" Calem spoke. He then opened his bag and took a musical instrument…but not his typical guitar. Something much smaller.
It was a lyre. An musical instrument that was typical of the ancient Greece. It was used to produce a soft melody that helped to tell the stories of famous and strong heroes. It was a string instrument, a smaller version of an harp that could reproduce the same melody. With that…he closed his eyes…and started to play it…
Meanwhile, Oeneus was trying to get signals from the mechanical spiders through the device that was attached to his wrist, but he couldn't do so. All that he could see were just static screens with the written 'NO SIGNAL', which meant that the spiders were no longer reachable. "Dammit, DAMMIT! I can't believe he was able to see through our trap!" Oeneus exclaimed, bewildered and frustrated. "Well…I did say that there were some risks…but hey! At least we had found someone in the end!" Caster of White told him, trying to be optimistic.
"But it's not enough! Now we don't know where he could be! And think of it! If the trap worked, maybe we could have weakened him! And we would have been able to take him down without a fight!" Oeneus complained.
"It…wouldn't have worked like that…you, too, saw that his Servant was with him. And judging by her look…she must have been a Lancer-Class one…" Caster of White reminded him.
"Gh…" The Animusphere mage couldn't hide it. He knew that she was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. "Shit…now what do we do…" He said while looking down. "Hey…you don't need to act like this…we can still find another way! I'm always full of-" His Servant was trying to reassure him, but she stopped herself when both she and Oeneus started to hear something…unusual.
It was…a sweet melody…that could be heard from afar. "What…is this music?" The young Master said. In that moment…without knowing it…he found himself…manipulated by that melody…like a sailor that get attracted by the singing of a mermaid…all of his thoughts and senses seemed to disappear. His consciousness seemed to be focused only on following that melody and his body moved alone.
"Master? Hey! Master!" Caster of White exclaimed while following him. She tried to call him back to reality…but with no effort.
After some minutes, Oeneus and his Servant arrived at the source of the melody, which was Calem. Once Caster of White started to see him, she quickly turned back into her spiritual form, so that he could not see her. When the Master of the Red Rose saw the one of the White Rose he stopped the melody.
Oeneus felt the enchantment leaving him and shook his head, confused. "Ugh…my head…what happened?" He wondered before raising his head up and looking straight at Calem. The sudden sight alarmed him and made him jump backwards. "AH! You!?" He exclaimed.
"Surprised? It's one of the effects of this lyre. Through his melody, I can attire the attention of the surrounding people and make them come to me. Guess I was lucky that you were the only one who fell for it." Calem explained with a smile. "So…I guess that you are the one who used those spiders." He then said.
Oeneus started to sweat, as he was feeling some pressure, but he tried to keep calm at the same time, so he answered. "How were you able to see through our trap? Ever since you stopped moving I understood that you knew something…but how?" He asked.
"Oh, it's not actually that of a big deal. When I saw the first spider and started to chase it, I've noticed that it was going towards a part of this zone where there weren't many people. That's where my first suspects started to rise, something in my head told me 'Wait Calem, something is wrong'. Then, when I ended up here, everything was more clear for me. All I needed to do was wait until you would have started the surprise attack and null it. That's it. Pretty simple isn't it?" Calem explained. "Anyways, I suppose you come from the White Rose Faction. You can tell your Servant to come out. There's no one here, after all."
"Oh please, there's no need! I'm enough for you!" Since he was frustrated on how the situation was going, Oeneus tried to act cocky in an attempt to keep calm. "How about I show you right now!?" He then tried to attack Calem with several punches. But this wasn't a problem for the Master of the Red Rose, who avoided all of them with ease. "COME ON, STOP MOVING!" The Animusphere mage shouted.
"Well ok." Calem replied before giving him a kick on the belly that made him fly away. "GAAH!" After he fell down, he had to spit some blood from his mouth. "Dammit! Are you trying to fuck with me too?!" Oeneus exclaimed. "I would never do that. What you see is just auto-defense. You are the one who attacked me after all. And you should now well that we can't fight right now. I can understand your rage, but perhaps you should chill down before you do something reckless." Calem replied, trying also to give him some tips. After that, he sat down, put his lyre back and grabbed the guitar instead, starting to play a while with the strings.
"What…what are you doing? You're in front of an enemy right now!" Oeneus asked. "Just taking a break. I've been walking for a while I was searching for someone like you. Technically now that you are here, my work should be done. I was able to catch up with you, and you did the same. I think it's something you should be satisfied of." Calem replied, surprising Oeneus…
"You're…you're right…" The other mage said. "Wow…the calm of this guy is amazing…" Caster of White said. "I'm Calem Artel. What is your name, kid?" Calem then asked. "You're…asking for my name?" Oeneus said confused.
"Shouldn't i?" Calem insisted. "…Oeneus Animusphere. Happy?" In the end, the mage of the White Rose replied. "Oh yes…I've heard of your family. Then I suppose that you are related to Marisbury Animusphere, one of the lords of the Clock Tower. Happy to see that there are notable names even among the members of the White Rose Faction." The Master of the Red Rose commented.
"Well…Marisbury is actually my father…gosh…talking like this with an opponent of mine is so weird! I don't even know you!" Oeneus said.
"Weird…huh? Yeah…I am weird. In fact, what you say is right. Something like this shouldn't even happen, but…here we are!" Calem spoke. At this point, Oeneus didn't really know how to deal with him. He even started to think that he could be crazy. Who…was this guy?
"You may be weird, but…maybe there is something interesting in that weirdness of yours, Master." Lancer of Red said her opinion. "Heh, thanks, Lancer! You are praising me a lot today! That's unusual from you!" Her Master noticed. "I just say what I think. That's all." The Servant answered.
"So she is the Lancer of Red…she seems quite strong…" Oeneus thought by looking at her. "So…what do you intend to do now? We're both here, but we can't do stuff! Are we just gonna sit down and do nothing?" He then asked. "Wow, such insistence. But I guess it's normal. We're in a Holy Grail War after all. Indeed we can't do much, but now that we met, we don't want to lose sight of each other. Your plan failed, but I'm a guy who likes to give second chances! So, how about this. Let's meet up again tonight, in a desolated place like this. A car park for example. You will show me what you've got. How do you like it?" Calem then proposed with a smile, but this made the other Master only more nervous.
"Stop being friendly with me! This isn't a proper way to deliver a challenge! I am a Master of the White Rose, or have you forgotten!?" He exclaimed. "Oh, does that mean that you accept?" Calem countered with a smug smile.
"DAMMIT!" Oeneus thought. "Of course I accept! My duty is to take you down, after all! God, can you stop making stupid sentences like that!?" He said. "Why are you so angry? You're making it sound like I've insulted your mother or something. Are you really that frustrated, Oeneus? Did that little failure triggered you that much? You're making me curious…why are you so angry? Is it because you see how your plan failed?" Calem then asked.
"OF COURSE, DUMBASS! I've finally had a good idea for once that would have brought me something positive but nothing! Even if little, there could have been the possibility of taking out one of the enemy Masters and bring our team to advantage, but you had to screw up everything and now I'm back to zero! It's just frustrating to see that every time I have an idea, it ALWAYS fails!" In the end, Oeneus told what he was really thinking.
"Oeneus…" Caster of White thought. Both Calem and his Servant were surprised to hear that reaction. The Master of the Red Rose could see that his reaction had more reasons than just a simple failure. "It's just that…for once I had an hope and you just shattered. I ended up being in the same shitty situation as ever in my stupid life! For once I thought that it was possible for me to have a change, but it seems I was wrong yet again! There! Is this what you wanted to hear!?" Oeneus unleashed all the fury of the moment at the other Master. Then…he stopped to take some breaths. Calem simply remained silent.
After that rash, Oeneus turned around. "Oh, why am I talking with you? I know you see me as some stupid brat. Go on then! Laugh at me! Sorry if for once I wished to be different!" He added.
Calem then made a more serious face as he took off his glasses. "…I don't think that's a reason to mock you. You said that you want to be different, right? Well…that's actually a thing I want as well." He said. This time it was him that surprised Oeneus, who turned around. "W-What?" He asked.
"Yup! Just like I said. I, too, wish I was different. It may not seem like that, but there have been many moments that made want to blame the person I am. As you can see, I am someone who maybe it's too friendly with the others. And like in your case, it can sound offensive. So yeah…I exaggerate sometimes too, and I fear to do so even during this Holy Grail War, since it could bring dangers to me and my companions. Sometimes I wonder…why do I behave like this? Even now, I wonder why, while trying to find a way to improve my persona. And I didn't mean to make you that annoyed. Even if we are enemies, I still think I owe you an apologize for how I behaved. I think we were both wrong. You were wrong on making a reaction like that, while I was wrong on being so oppressive towards you. I know…it's strange, isn't it? But I am a strange person after all. And as for your thought, I don't see anything wrong with that. We all want to change for the better even if we often fail to do so. Change is difficult, but your pursuit on it is something that you shouldn't underestimate. I won't ask you anything else since you have right of privacy as well, but…I can tell you that we all make mistakes, but there's nothing wrong with them, since they're the thing that makes us stronger. Sure! It won't change the fact that I'll do my best to defeat you, eheh, but…I think you understand what I mean." Calem explained before taking his guitar. "Well…I think we said pretty much everything. I'll wait for tonight for our battle. I look forward to see your best shots, Oeneus. See you!" And with those words…Calem left.
Oeneus didn't do nothing to stop him. He just stood there with a bewildered face. But what Calem did next, shocked him even more. The Master of the Red Rose put his hand on his shoulder in a friendly way. "Oh, and…good luck." With those words, he left. Lancer of Red gave one last look at the Master of the White Rose…and then turned back in her spiritual form.
Oeneus was left there…alone. That whole discussion simply left him speechless. That guy for him…was just incredible. Yet he didn't understand why he behaved in such a way. He was his opponent, right? Then why did he…try to help him? Did that really happen? Did he…supported him?
Caster of White appeared, worried for her Master. "Uhm…are you ok?" She asked. Her Master hesitated for some seconds before answering…but then…he said it. "No one's ever talked to me like that before. But…why…? Why did he do that?" He wondered. "Well…I don't know either. It may sound weird but…I think he was nice! Maybe…he saw something that you still can't see." The Servant tried to make her guess.
"…Something I still can't see, you say?" Oeneus simply repeated what she said…before looking behind him. "Well…if you say so…then there's no reason I should disappoint him this evening." He said before making a deep sigh. "It didn't go as planned but…maybe this day…wasn't all that bad. Come on, Caster. Let's think of a way to win this battle." He added with somehow…a newfound resolute which made Caster of White smile. "Eheh! That's how you talk! Ready to give you all the help possible!" She said. With that, they decided to leave as well. "Maybe he's still offended but…he seems excited for this opportunity that Master gave him! That's a good thing to see!" Caster thought.
"I don't know if he was sincere or if he tried to fuck with me, but…If he wants to see what I'm capable of…I'll give that. But…how will it work? I hope well…maybe he was right…we may...be similar in the end…" Oeneus thought.
In the mean time, Calem stopped at a yakitori restaurant to eat some noodles. After lunch, he and Lancer of Red would have waited for the night to come so that they could have their battle. "It's strange that you decided to help him." Lancer of Red said. "I just thought that he needed a little bit of help, that's all! I can't wait to see what he can do. This will be our first battle in this war, right?" Calem replied.
"Yes, even if we don't know who his Servant is." Lancer of Red said, remembering that Oeneus's Servant wasn't there with him. "Well, we'll find out eventually. I'll be counting on you then, Lancer!" Calem told her. "Heh…I'll do the same, Master." The Servant replied with a giggle.
Tokyo – Akihabara – 14th April 2021 – 12.10 P.M
Seram was eating a meat croquette while walking though the zone of Akihabara. During all the journey, she tried to avoid the gaze of other people, as they disturbed her. In fact, while she was walking, she continued to feel sick, like she got some disease. But still…she continued to walk, since it was her duty.
"Other people…I hate them…but…I can't avoid it. I need to do this…even if I don't want to…" The girl thought. "Hey, Master. It's been a while since we started walking. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Saber of White's voice then asked.
"Hm-Hm. I've had a feeling that someone with magical circuits was here. They're nearby. I can feel it." Seram replied. And in that same moment, when she turned around…she could spot someone that was an interest for her in the distance: Cahya, who was walking with Assassin of Red while searching for someone with magical circuits as well. "…Found them." She simply said in a low voice.
"Found anything yet?" Assassin of Red asked at her Master. "Not yet…man…it's really like find a needle in a haystack." Cahya replied, but suddenly…he stopped. "Wait…I'm sensing something…it's close but…" He said. He was sure of what he was saying…but on his vision, all the people that he was looking were surrounded by a yellow aura, which meant that they didn't have a magical aura. So…what was happening…exactly?
"There's no one here…but…the signal is coming closer…" Cahya said confused. "What, did you forget to change the bacteries?" Cleopatra asked, making a joke.
"H-Hey! I'm serious! This is no time for jokes!" Cahya protested. But then…he could hear some footsteps right behind him. Cahya slowly turned around…and saw her.
Seram. She was looking at him with her usual apathetic stare. By just looking at her, the homunculus could feel a shriek passing through his back. It was the dark circles on her eyes that troubled him the most, as he saw them as a sign of pure emptiness. That…person that almost didn't look human…simply looked at her without any word coming out from her mouth.
"Oh…dear lord…" Assassin of Red commented. "U-Uhm…" Cahya tried to say something, but Seram raised an index finger, told him to keep quiet. Cahya did so since he was scared.
"…Come with me…" Then, with a low voice, the Master of the White Rose told her to follow her, as she started to walk away from the other people.
"Should…should we follow her?" Assassin of Red asked. "I…I think there's no other choice. She's a mage with no doubt. And…she didn't give me a good first impression. I fear that she could do something terrible if I don't follow her…" Cahya replied. His life had been short until now, and he usually didn't feel anything but…maybe that was a sparkle of emotion…even if not a positive one. Was he feeling…genuine fear?
He even looked at the Command Spells he had on his hand. In the worst scenario, he would have used one of them to end the situation quickly. He was scared…but he took a deep breath…and followed her.
In the end, Seram brought Cahya and his Servant in a dark alley with two bins. The mage girl took a deep breath of pleasure. "Much better…These places are my house. Lonely…and devoid of people." She said before turning on Cahya. "…Master of the Red Rose. I meet you, at last."
"Well it seems that we found one in the end…" Assassin of Red said. "A Master of the White Rose…a particular one…" Her Master added. After that odd start, Seram started to walk closer. Alarmed, both Cahya and the woman Servant stood on a battle pose. But Seram didn't seem to answer or anything. She just came closer.
"I…I'm warning you! You won't like what comes next if you make one more step forward!" Cahya tried to warn her, but the Master of the White Rose didn't seem to care even in the slightest. The homunculus gave his warning, so he took a large sword and tried to attack her. But all that Seram had to do was to stop the blade with just too fingers. "AH!" Cahya exclaimed.
Seram didn't do anything, just like before. She just came closer and…smelled him all over his body. "What…the…" Assassin of Red said, confused.
"…Your smell…is not that of a human…how strange…" Seram spoke with her typical tone. "I-It's because…I'm not actually human. I'm an homunculus." Cahya explained.
"Ho…munculus? So…you're an experiment…just like me." The other Master continued. "What?" The homunculus asked. "…Nothing. Let me tell you this…Master of the Red Rose. I came here to find one of your kind. And as such…I was forced to walk among the common people…that I hate with all my heart." Seram answered. "Therefore…I hate you as well."
"What? You hate him? He didn't even do anything! Why should you hate him?" Assassin of Red asked. "Because it's your fault. Yours and all the mages of the Red Rose. Because of you…of this war…I'm forced to be with the people I hate so much…" Seram replied.
"You…hate humans? Why?" Cahya asked. "…You wouldn't understand. I have…my reasons to do so." This was the simple answer of the Master of the White Rose before she turned around. "Let's meet up tonight…in a place where no one can see us." She then added.
"What!? You leave like this? Without talking a little bit more!?" Assassin of Red asked, surprised. "My duty is done. I have found what I've been asked of. The place is the Ueno Park at 20.00 A.M. That…is where I'll tear your body apart. You and your Servant." She said. After that advisement, she jumped on the bins and then on the roof of a building.
"Wow…that was…weird…are we sure she's human?" Assassin of Red wondered. "I know…it surprises me as well. But I can't deny that I am curious as well…" Cahya added.
"About what?" His Servant asked. "She said that she hates the other people. But why? What makes her think in that way? I'm sure she was serious, judging by her expression and her tone. Indeed…I wonder why. I mean…she made me curious after coming out of nowhere. Well…I guess I can't avoid what's to come." Cahya explained. He then turned on his Servant. "So…are you ready for this, Assassin? This will be our first battle in this Holy Grail War. And I fear that she won't go easy on us…"
"I'm always ready, Master! I'll make sure to teach her a lesson for invading our space!" Cleopatra answered. "How about you?" She then asked. "I have…quite mixed feelings about this. From one point…it's the sole purpose I was even created, but on the other hand…I don't know on how should I behave in situation like this…so…I'll do my best? I guess?" Cahya replied.
"Eheh! Yes! Something like that! Just keep calm and stay focused on the struggle! I'm sure a person like you can do that! I'll be counting on you!" Assassin of Red told him with a smile. "Thank you…" Cahya concluded before looking at the direction where Seram headed.
Even if it didn't last long, that meeting was quite intense. She said only a few words, but the homunculus could already see what type of person that girl was. Now…all that was left to find was the reason why she behaved like that. Would he have been able to find out? He couldn't know…but at least he wanted to try. A person who wanted to know better humanity…and a person who hated it…fighting against each other. What would be the result?
Meanwhile…Seram was already distant from the Master of the Red Rose. She was sitting on a roof, looking down on the passersby. "It took a while. But at least we made it." Saber of White's voice said. "Hm. Tonight…I'll give my all. As always. He's just another obstacle." Seram added.
"You're dead serious, aren't you? At least that's a good thing to know. Don't worry…his Servant didn't seem that much of a trouble for me. I'll crush her easily." The Servant continued.
"It better be…" Seram concluded before looking at the sky. A girl with an enigmatic personality…and a deep hatred towards humanity. Someone would have considered her extremely creepy. But she didn't mind. She got used to that description, as she embraced it. For her…all that cared was to move forward…and win.
"Well said, my dear Seram…this conviction and resolute of yours…will be the things that will bring you to assured victory…" Isak's voice kept on talking to her…somehow.
And we're done for today! That was…a peculiar writing. I don't know why, but I've enjoyed describing all the zones of Tokyo that appeared in the chapter. I've also learnt a lot of things through this so I'm happy overall! As you could see, this chapter was more on the interactions and the descriptions of the environment and the emotions that the characters were feeling and even put some foreshadowing on some of them. It was still weird for me, since I've written only a few chapters that are like this between this and Saint Seiya Golden Brigade, but I think that it went well!
And of course, now it's time to tell me what you think about this chapter. Did you like it? What do you think of the Masters and Servants that appeared on this chapter? Did you like the interactions? As always, I invite you to tell me your opinion on the reviews.
See you on the next chapter! From Bluestar here, Arrivederci!