I keep looking around in the endless darkness surrounding me, but it's no use. The trap has already been sprung and I've got no idea what I'm up against. I wonder what exactly this even is and where I am. All I can say for sure is that this is some high-level magecraft.
"Before we begin, let me give you some advice!" the voice around me says. "Screaming won't do you any good, but it's music to my ears!"
There's that irritating voice again. If I had to guess, it's one of those Servants the church sent us after, but it's more likely that this is Caster. So much for the ceasefire.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I say. "Are you too inept to attack an enemy that's right in front of you or are you just a sadistic freak?"
"Why, of course!" he says cheerfully. "I am the devil after all! Tis' obvious that my personality would be twisted!"
His lighthearted laughter subsides and his voice becomes deeper. Despite the fact that I can't see him, I'm certain that the bastard is smirking right now.
"The more you suffer, the more I enjoy it," he says. "So please, do entertain me as you fall into the depths of despair!"
The ground below me disappears. Complete darkness drags me down without a sense of direction. I spread my arms and legs to slow my descent. The pain of an agonizing impact can come any second and I know it.
But for some reason, my eyelids close. Though I haven't done any taxing activity and got enough rest, I feel the numbness of exhaustion spread throughout my body.
It becomes increasingly difficult to stay conscious as the fatigue threatens to overwhelm me. But all my efforts are in vain as my mind slips away and I fall further into the darkness...
This is a bold claim coming from this strange man. To Jeanne, the Lord is the one who forgives all sins and brings salvation.
But in this era, salvation is relative and has different interpretations across many religions. What manner of deliverance does he have in mind is the question.
And saving the world? As far as she knows, the world isn't in a great state of peril like during the Hundred Years' War when she was alive.
Snowflakes gently fall around them in this mirage that depicts an empty street. To Jeanne, it's obvious that she is caught in some sort of illusory trap. Though using magic against her is very difficult due to her naturally high resistance, the same thing cannot be said for her surroundings.
As much as she wants to know what this man is talking about, she knows she has to get out of here as soon as possible. Her Master's life is most definitely in danger and takes precedence over her curiosity.
"You did not answer my inquiry," she says, still pointing her banner at him. "I shall ask once more, what have you done with my Master and where have you taken me?"
"I assure you, your Master is unharmed," he replies calmly. "For the moment that is. From here on, everything depends on you."
Jeanne narrows her eyes. He's obviously trying to blackmail her into something. And he wouldn't be this calm and confident right in front of a Servant if he doesn't have a means of defending himself. She decides to hear what he has to say for now.
"As I was saying," he continues. "This ritual. This Holy Grail War is just the opening act. A means to an end. What I strive for is nothing less than the salvation of mankind."
Nicolas retains eye contact, possibly to gauge her for any reaction.
"You speak of salvation, yet you remain vague," she responds. "And judging from what I have seen thus far, I highly doubt your intentions."
He turns to the side and averts his gaze.
"It is wise to be suspicious," he says. "However, I have no self-serving interest beyond that point. The difference, my dear, is that I simply do what others will not. Even if I have to bloody my hands a million times over, I will do whatever it takes."
As he says that, he stares off into the distance and clenches his fist.
"You would willingly sacrifice millions?" she asks.
"To save billions!" he retorts, turning back to her. "As a species, we humans are inherently flawed. We hurt, betray, and kill each other for the pettiest of reasons. And I will finally put a stop to all of this."
There must have been many people in the past who have said similar things, believing they're the one to end all suffering and tragedies in the world. Unfortunately, it's never as simple as that.
"And how do you plan to go about achieving that goal?" she asks. "You should know that the wish the Holy Grail is to carry out must be done in a way that you can understand. It cannot magically erase humanity's struggles."
Nicolas chuckles and begins to slowly walk around her, one slow, methodical step after another. Jeanne turns her banner with his movements to keep him in her sights. A few moments of silence pass, only interrupted by the crunching of snow.
"I know that, of course," he says. "Do not take me for a fool. I have spent decades to arrive at my conclusion."
"And what conclusion is that?" she asks.
"I will expunge humanity from all its negative qualities," he states. "No more cruelty, deceit, envy, greed, hostility, and selfishness. No more evil. Would you not agree that this would result in a perfect world, a utopia, where no one would have to shed tears or cry ever again?"
As he finishes, he comes to a halt to turn his head toward her again, eagerly awaiting her reply.
It does indeed sound like a paradise at first glance. A world where humanity could never commit any acts that are deemed evil because they simply do not have the capacity to do so.
But that's wrong.
Jeanne shakes her head. "You are wrong. Ridding humanity of their bad qualities robs them of their good ones as well. You would be giving up both good and evil. And if that were to happen, humanity would cease to be human."
Nicolas raises an eyebrow and stares dumbly at her for a few seconds.
"I thought that you of all people would understand," he says. "Have you forgotten how your own countrymen sold you out to the enemy when you were captured? Have you forgotten that the very war you fought in only came to be because of petty squabbles for land and power?"
Jeanne lowers her flag and plants it on the ground next to her, but still holds onto it with one hand. This man doesn't appear to be lying. Perhaps there's a chance he can be talked out of this.
"Are you implying that those people can be called human, even after committing such vile acts that served no one but themselves?" he adds. "Are you forgiving their wicked actions against humanity just like that?"
"There are some who may never have my forgiveness," she says. "But salvation is a different matter. It is not in my place to judge what is evil, nor is it yours. That right belongs to our Lord in heaven."
It's fine for someone to ask the Holy Grail for a personal desire like her Master wants to. Such things won't disturb the natural order of things. However, what this man plans to do is going to change everything on a fundamental level. It can even lead to humanity's ruination.
Nearly a minute of silence passes as he seemingly contemplates her statement, all while keeping that neutral expression on his face. Occasionally, one of the raven familiars croaks to the side, though both interlocutors aren't paying attention to them.
He has to... No, he must abandon that wish of his. Jeanne silently prays that he can be swayed. For his own sake... and her own.
But this man persists.
"Tell me something, Jeanne D'Arc of Domrémy," he asks. "What was the reason you went to war? You heard the Lord's voice, yes, but why did you decide to heed his call and throw your life away like this?"
The reason for that is well known. Jeanne is hesitant to answer this, not because she can't or doesn't want to, but because the question appears redundant. This man obviously did his homework and knows who he's talking to. So, why does he ask something that he already knows the answer to?
Regardless, it would be impolite to remain silent. Thus, she replies, "Hell had come with war and no one was able to live in peace. I responded to the call of war in order to soothe the Lord's sorrows and put a stop to it. I was the only one who heard his lamentation."
It was as simple as that.
"And you fought valiantly," he says. "Bearing that banner, your mere presence changed the course of the war. Though you were branded a witch, a heretic and condemned to the stake, the Hundred Years' War finally came to an end two decades after and peace was restored. You gave your life for the greater good."
He turns his back to her.
"But are you fine with how things are now?" he continues. "The peace you and the people who fought beside you tried so hard to obtain was eventually shattered. It was as if your actions never mattered at all."
Jeanne's grip on her banner tightens a little.
"What are you saying?" she asks with a little more force in her voice.
He can insult her all he likes, she doesn't care about that. She stands above such things. However, it's a different matter if he just dismisses all the effort of the people who bravely fought beside her. Calling the blood and tears that were shed meaningless is just too cruel.
"Have you seen the current state of the world?" he asks.
How could she? The Holy Grail only provides enough basic information about the era they are summoned in order to blend in.
"I thought so," he continues. "Then allow me to show you."
He holds up his right hand, concealed in his coat until now and snaps his fingers.
The environment around them falls apart. It's as if the curtain on a stage is lifted to transition into the next scene.
I let out a groan and slowly open my weary eyelids. The first thing I notice is that I'm apparently resting my head in my arms on a wooden table. The smell of freshly brewed coffee along with some traces of alcohol reaches my nose as I take stock of my surroundings.
I'm in... the Clock Tower's freelancer lounge. Other freelancers are spread out across the other tables or couches, having breakfast, chatting with each other, reading the newspaper, or checking out the board for new jobs.
Wait... How did I get here? Wasn't I doing something else? I can't seem to remember.
My thoughts are a little jumbled due to the slight grogginess. I rub the sleep from my eyes and sit upright in my chair. I feel as though I just awakened from a long sleep. But what am I doing her-
"There you are," a male beside me says.
I turn to the source of the voice. The person who walked up to me is a man that's easily 20 years older than me. He has spiky white hair, blue eyes, a three-day stubble, and wears a dark blue jacket and regular jeans. This man, Ryoken Kinami...
"Zayne, what's wrong?" he asks, crossing his arms. "Didn't you get enough sleep last night?"
Is the closest person to a father I ever had.
"Uhm, no. I'm fine," I reply. "I was just in thought. Nothing important."
He raises an eyebrow, but ultimately shrugs. "Well, if you say so. Follow me, I got our next job."
He turns around and begins to walk away, leaving no room for further discussion. I immediately follow him out of the lounge into the hallway.
"Wait, aren't we getting something from the board?" I ask as I walk beside him.
"Not today," he replies. "There's a special request from the Department of Policies."
It's strange for a request to come from their Policies Department of all branches. And even if they have a problem, why do they bother to ask freelancers? They have plenty of their personal enforcers at their disposal. This case must be something out of the ordinary or something very serious.
After a short, silent walk, we arrive in front of an office. Ryoken knocks on the door.
"Come in," a feminine voice says from within.
We enter the room. It's a pretty standard office in the Clock Tower. There's a shallow wooden table in the front with two dark green leather couches opposite to each other next to it. Shelves line the walls to the left and right with many books, tomes, various liquids in different colors, and other oddities.
We walk to the front of the desk in the back where a woman is quietly sipping tea. She's of Asian descent with long purple hair, a kimono of equal color, and matching eyes behind her glasses.
What's also of note is the large white snake resting on the windowsill behind her. It's easily five meters in length and eyes us with curiosity.
This person is one of the higher-ups of this department. She has a reputation for being efficient and remorseless, just like the snake behind her.
"Miss Adashino," Ryoken greets her.
"Mister Kinami," she says without sparing me a glance. "I am glad you accepted this special offer."
She reaches under her desk and pulls out a file which she slides across the desk. Ryoken picks it up and quickly skims through it.
"The Syndicate is starting to become a thorn in the Clock Tower's side," she says. "More than some of us here would like to admit. Though it has been scarce with its acquisitions, its activities have increased dramatically over the past few months."
Having finished with the file, Ryoken hands it to me.
"The Council of Lords wants this matter put to rest before it spirals out of control," she adds. "Which is why I decided to include your faction of freelancers."
I'm half listening to what she says as I sift through the file. It's a provisionally sealing designation on the unknown leader of an organization that calls itself "The Blood-Red Syndicate." Apparently, it's an underworld organization that hunts down and kills mages all over the world to take their magic crests.
Normally, stealing someone else's magic crest is a worthless endeavor since it cannot be transferred to someone that doesn't have blood ties with its owner. What makes them so dangerous is that they have found a way around that and they use it to sell the stolen crests to the highest bidders. Some of the stolen crests have never resurfaced though, which indicates that they keep a few to themselves for unknown reasons.
The bounty on the head of the leader and the stolen crests is absurdly high. I'm sure that some of the families who are missing their crest have pitched in to raise the bounty to this point.
"How many are already on this case?" Ryoken asks.
"Other than our personal enforcers, only you," she replies. "But it won't stay like this for long. I have more appointments with other freelancers shortly."
"I see," he concludes. "We'll get to it then. Goodbye."
Adashino nods as she tends to her work and tea once more. Ryoken and I leave the room without another word.
Once we're back in the hallway, I give the file back to him. He's the one who calls the shots and decides on a plan because he knows best.
We walk a few more minutes in silence toward the nearest exit. Ryoken goes through the file one more time on the way. I'm sure he's already cooking up a plan on what we're going to do. There are very few leads to go on and they're all scattered across the globe. The Syndicate covers its tracks pretty good from what I've seen.
As I think that, I notice that he's no longer walking beside me. Quickly turning around, I see him standing there just as he closes the file with a furrow in his brows.
Something's wrong.
I walk back and look at him in bewilderment. "What's wrong?"
"It's just," he says. "Looking back on everything, I think we should maybe sit this one out."
This isn't right.
"Too many skilled people have died over the years trying to unmask the Mastermind of this organization," he continues. "We might as well meet the same fate."
He would never say that.
"When has that ever stopped us?" I ask him. "You taught me to never back down in the face of adversity! You taught me that if you can't win a fight, you regroup, formulate a better plan, and come back stronger!"
Is this real? Am I dreaming?
"Yes, I did," he says. "But maybe this one's too much."
He extends his hand, looking at me expectantly.
"What do you say we just continue like before," he says. "Once we've got enough money out of it, I can retire and you can live out a peaceful and happy life. What do you say, son?"
A part of me wants to agree. A part of me thinks that that'll lead to a better outcome. But it suddenly clicked.
This is not what happened.
"No," I answer. "I can't do that."
His expression turns deadpan and his arm drops to the side. "Do you want me to die?"
Everything starts coming back to me.
"I don't," I reply, firmly meeting his gaze. "But it's already too late for that..."
"After everything I've done for you?" his voice rises.
He angrily takes a step toward me and for a moment I can't believe what my eyes are seeing. He's aging rapidly right in front of me.
"I took you in when you were young!" he says, taking another step.
I want to move. I want to turn around and run away from this, but I can't. It's not that something's binding me or holding me in place. No, I'm frozen in place by my own doing.
I'm afraid.
He takes one more step. "I took you in when you had no one!"
I swallow and feel my hands shaking. I can't take this anymore. He has reached a point where he only has a thin layer of skin on his bones.
"And this is how you repay me?" he shouts.
His skin turns to dust, leaving only a skeleton with clothes of the man I once knew. His skeletal hands reach out to grab me by the collar of my shirt while I'm unable to stop it. All I can do is stare wide-eyed at the swiftly decaying skeleton.
Even the bones disintegrate, leaving only a pile of dust in front of me.
I take a few steps back and try not to fall to my knees. Only now do I notice my ragged breath. I just... can't take this anymore.
One more time I look around. This all feels so real. Sight, sound, and smell.
But it's not. I repeat that to myself over and over as I stabilize my breathing.
"Hmm, I'm not sure if I should be impressed or angry at the fact that a mere human managed to break through," a voice echoes around me. "But seeing you in such despair was such a delightful sight nonetheless!"
My sadness and grief quickly turn into anger, directed at the culprit behind this charade.
"Go to hell, Caster!" I shout.
"Hell, you say?" he replies. "What a peculiar choice of words. I regret to inform you that we are already in hell. Specifically, yours. Hahahahaha!"
"Shut up," I say. "Your attempt to break me already failed! I see through your bullshit now."
"Oh really?" he replies.
My surroundings fall apart again.
"I either break you or kill you," he adds. "Now then, struggle as much as you like. Do your best to entertain me!"
"What is this?" Jeanne asks, looking left and right.
Ruins, destroyed buildings, and barren land surround her. Smoke is rising toward the darkened sky in the distance. A few scattered fires illuminate the area, highlighting the destruction. There are a few visible corpses among the dusty rubble. They were only regular people going about their daily life before it suddenly ended.
"Behold," Nicolas says, spreading his arms to the side. "A glimpse of the modern era."
As terrible as this sight in front of her is, she has unfortunately gotten used to such cruelties during her lifetime.
"And if only that were everything," he adds, letting his eyes wander around the scene. "Corruption in places of power, people reduced to an existence that equals a slave, countless more starving or avoiding life-threatening danger on a daily basis while others spend their days in abundant bliss."
The scenery changes multiple times as he says that to underline his words.
"And then there are the mages," he continues. "Just imagine what good they could do with all that power. Instead, they choose to selfishly hoard their secrets in their lust for power and fear of others reaching their level. A prime example of human greed and pride."
The environment changes back to how it was originally. Back in the snow-laden city of Fuyuki, Nicolas turns back to the Saint.
"You said earlier that hell came with war back then," he says. "That people were unable to live peaceful lives. Answer me this: what is the world right now if not hell? Has your noble sacrifice brought about anything other than a temporary time of peace?"
There's a bit more fire behind his words now. He talks as if he experienced at least some of what he is saying first hand. Perhaps this man has suffered great hardships in the past?
Regardless, now is not the time to dwell on such thoughts.
"I fought for something bigger than myself or my country," she replies. "And I do not believe that my actions were meaningless either. Though I do not condone the circumstances you have shown me, be they be true or not, it is not our right to change humanity on such a fundamental level."
He scowls. "So, you reject my wish? You reject a perfect future where no one would get hurt again?"
"What you seek is not a perfect future, but a twisted utopia," she replies. "Humans are not inherently evil. They fight their inner wickedness, sadness, and anger to become better. However, your wish crushes that altogether. That is why I cannot let it pass."
She picks up her banner and points it at him again.
"I ask that you give up on this quest that will spell humanity's destruction and stand down," she says with no room for discussion.
"How disappointing," he scoffs. "I had such high hopes that you would understand, but in the end, you are just a naïve little girl."
At that moment, the ravens in the area begin to swarm her. Jeanne draws her sword for a wide swing, creating a momentary flaming tornado around her that burns them to ash.
She has lost sight of Nicolas during this momentary distraction, but sees several shadowy silhouettes emerging from the ground in front of her. She readies herself for their attacks.
But these seem to be only familiars. The question that worries her the most now is: where is her Master and Nicolas' Servant?
A guy with slicked-back black hair, green eyes, wearing a ragged dark green coat approaches me. I immediately take aim at him.
"Come on, you wouldn't shoot me, rig-" he says in a sarcastic, almost mocking tone.
But I shoot him right between the eyes. Another ghost from my past. One I didn't think I'd ever see again.
"You're not real," I say while his corpse turns to dust. "None of this is."
If Caster can make such an elaborate trap, why mess around like this if he could probably just outright kill me? He is either stalling for something or just a sadistic freak. I'll place my bet on the latter.
"Don't think such mean things about me!" he cries.
I keep running through the hallways of the crumbling Clock Tower, all the while shooting at clones of the previous guy chasing me.
I turn a corner, spin around, shoot twice, and resume running. Even though this is all an illusion, there's no saying that they can't harm me. People can die from shock even if the threat to their life never existed in the first place. Frankly, I don't want to find out if that applies here too.
Amidst those thoughts, I notice that everything around me suddenly stopped. My pursuers are nowhere to be seen and an unnatural silence washes over the place. The temperature also drops by a good ten degrees Celsius, causing me to shiver.
I briefly hear the rustling of clothes right behind me. Instantly turning around, I stare into the pale face of the devil behind this. Wearing black and red robes with short purple hair, an unnaturally wide grin spreads across his demonic face as he grabs hold of my left hand.
"Your soul is now mine!" he declares.
Everything seems to slow down as my mind races to find a way out of this predicament. Numbness starts to spread from my left arm. It feels as if life itself is leaving my body.
"Pakt mit dem Teu-" he begins.
Before it's too late, I whip out the hidden knife from my right sleeve...
Jeanne looks around after dispatching the last familiar summoned by Nicolas.
She notices that the fake environment is falling apart, but not because it's switching to another scene like before. No, it's actually falling apart and reveals the real setting.
The ground beneath her feet becomes sand and dirt. Tools lay scattered around with some machinery. The nearest point of interest is a building that is still in its infancy. Platforms of concrete stacked on top of each other with a few meters in between them reach up to the sky. A few steel beams peek out here and there. This is a construction site.
Most importantly, with the illusion breaking down, she can now sense the growing presence of a Servant at the top of the building.
Blood drips down to the ground between me and Caster as I stumble backward. My knife clatters to the ground as I clutch the bleeding stump on my left arm and suppress the urge to scream.
"Huh?" Caster says in confusion as he looks at the severed left hand he is holding.
I can't waste time now. I must act while he's distracted.
Time Alter: Double Accel!
I close the gap between us as I run up to him. He's standing perfectly still, just like I expected within my accelerated time.
But then...
He turns his head to look directly at me. I completely freeze at that moment when I realize that he isn't affected by it at all.
He defies all my expectations yet again as he just tosses my left hand back at me and starts laughing. One hand covers his face while the other clutches his stomach in an attempt to control himself.
"To think that you would go this far!" he says. "I am not even mad! I shall allow you to leave this time for that savage and ruthless display just now!"
I'm not going to question this anymore. He's completely nuts. I run away from him as fast as I can while pressing my severed hand against its rightful place.
Time Alter: Reverse Flow!
I go through the pain of getting my hand cut off all over again as it attaches itself back to my body. Frankly, I wasn't even entirely sure if this would work, but I had to do it. I'd rather lose a hand than finding out whatever Caster was about to do to me there.
I reach the edge of the roof of this construction site and spot Jeanne all the way on the ground.
"Saber!" I yell, catching her attention. "I'm going to jump! Handle the landing!"
Without a second thought or looking back, I jump off the building. The world around me rushes by in a blur as I pick up speed, but I've no need to fear. I trust that she'll catch me.
And my trust is well placed.
In mid-air, about halfway down, she scoops me up in her arms and lands on the roof of a nearby building one block further.
She puts me down gently and asks, "Master! Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply. "Thanks for the save."
I glance down at my left hand and stretch my fingers a little. It still feels a little numb, but it'll pass by the looks of it.
"What were you thinking!" she chides me, crossing her arms. "You should use a Command Seal to call upon me if you are in danger. I cannot believe how reckless you are."
"I mean, it worked out didn't it?" I reply.
Well, it was too close for comfort in hindsight. I barely escaped by the skin of my teeth and almost lost my left hand for good. Not to mention that the things Caster showed me are sure to become nightmare fuel down the line.
It doesn't look like she's too pleased by my response. She's looking at me with a deadpan expression, but her face softens not long after and she heaves a sigh.
"So stubborn," she mumbles. "Well, you will get an earful from me when we are back home later."
As much as it annoys me that she scolds me like a child, she only does that because she cares so much in the first place. I can't help but admire that selflessness of hers.
A strong gust of wind blows past that nearly makes me fall. Jeanne reacts in time and grabs my shoulder to stabilize me. We both look toward the source and see that Gilgamesh's golden ship flew past us with a horde of lesser sphinxes in tow.
The chase continues further upwards. The ship loses all its velocity at once, coming to a complete stop. Without the ability to do the same, the sphinxes have no choice but to rush past him. Once that happens, the golden ship accelerates again and generates portals around it that open fire.
One by one they are shot out of the sky and vanish until the Pharaoh's Cosmic Sphinx reappears and the chase continues.
But that's not all. In the distance, I spy a cloud of fog that's moving faster than usual through the city.
As if all of that isn't enough, an explosion goes off in another direction. I can make out two figures jumping around the rooftops. One is the Archer in red we know, the other is a figure in white robes with long, green hair.
All of this makes me realize that the night is still young and the war has only begun.
