I confess, I was no expect in the layout of the city. Were this my home city back in Canada, it would have been another story. Every street name. Every intersection. Every bus route. I could have told you it all. I had the entire city mapped out in my head and memorized before I had even turned sixteen.

But since moving here… I simply hadn't bothered. Wasn't like I went out much at all, unless I was leaving the city entirely. If I ever did have to go somewhere, there was always an online map app or program I could use anyways. To claim I knew this city would have been a flat lie.

…But even so, I couldn't remember it taking this long to get from Glenwood Park to Johnathan's house…

I had decided to walk, considering the sun had still been out and it wasn't like I had anything else to do anyways. The sword was hidden in my bag for now. Not like I could just openly carry the thing, after all. Everything looked normal. Felt normal. …Smelt normal, even. So then… why did I feel like something was off?

I couldn't place my finger on it. If I had to try and explain it… well… the pacing was off. A street that I figured would take me a minute to walk from traffic light to traffic light would sometimes take two. Or less than thirty seconds… If I wanted to turn right, I still turned right, according to the street names and how that all lined up. But it didn't feel like I was turning right. More like… like the world was re-orienting itself to make me feel like I was turning right, if that made sense? Same with the distance; like the world was distorting itself to match something outside of the visual.

"Weird… but all the cars are acting like usual…" I muttered to myself, leaning against the wall of one store or another, watching the cars drive by.

I could see people walking about and hanging around inside the shops as well. By all accounts, this was a perfectly normal Sunday in my mind. A perfectly normal walk.

But, then again…

…People, when they wanted to believe something, typically did so. Even if it meant tricking themselves to do it. So then, was I just trying to tell myself everything was normal, when it really wasn't? I know I'm not an expert at navigating this city, but still… hadn't I felt too many abnormal feelings on distance and direction for this to just be a coincidence? Or was I starting to go crazy from the pressure of possibly being ganked and killed at any moment? It was true that I was being very cautious, even when compared to my usual cautiousness while working. Maybe I was just stressing myself out and overthinking things.

…Wait…

"…Why was I trying to talk myself out of a suspicion…?"

I could just… test it. I didn't know many roads, but there was one coming up that I knew for sure took me exactly one minute and thirty-seven seconds to get from where I turned onto it to where I needed to turn onto a side street on my way to Johnathan's place. It was a road I had needed to use plenty of times in the past couple of years, so I knew it very well.

"Right then" I muttered when I reached my test road. "Time starts… now."

Just walk normally to the point, Nathan.

…Twenty-two… Twenty-three…

So far, nothing out of the usual…

…Thirty-seven… Thirty-eight…

Cars are still driving normally. Pedestrians, while few in number, don't seem to be aliens faking it or anything…

…Minute four… Minute five…

Almost there now. Hmph, you really were getting all worked up over nothi-

Minute thirty-two.

There I was, standing right in front of the point I needed to turn. Only a minute and thirty-two seconds… Five seconds off. Most people would attribute it to nothing more than maybe they just happened to walk a bit faster this time. Or they didn't really remember how far the distance was. But not me. I knew. I knew for sure. I was… well, my mother would say I was anal about these things. Father would call me a delusional fool. But that was father. When has father ever understood anything when it came to me?

"But then, what is going on here…?"

Something magical, no doubt. But what, exactly; 'magical shit' wasn't a specific denotation. Was it some kind of trap? Probably; even most likely, I'd say. But then, who's? Not Rider's. Berserker probably can't do something more elaborate than a brainless charge, if the fight I saw showed anything. Could be Assassin, I suppose, but considering what I knew already, this was-

"Archer. …Or rather, Archer's master."

…Then that's what was going on. Just like those people we ran past after the fight, I was caught in some kind of illusion. When I got caught up in it, I couldn't possibly say. But that was also besides the point, for now at least. Right now, I needed to figure out how to get out of it.

"Well, step one of untangling any web if understanding you're in the web in the first place" I sighed. "Credit where it's due, though: this web is very impressive. The fact I went this long before even bothering to test it… Tried to talk myself into ignoring it, even. A charm or something to influence thoughts as well, then, maybe?"

As for step two… How to shatter the illusion? If this were a 'normal' illusion, so to speak, then the answer would be obvious: find a contradiction, and the entire illusion shatters. Like magic tricks: once you understand how the trick works, you're not really going to fall for it.

But this was actual magic. Magecraft, whatever! Point was, would something like finding a contradiction even work? Or would the illusion find some way to distort itself to keep the contradiction out of sight? Sort of like… like how the distances and directions were warping themselves; keeping me thinking I was on the right track. By now, I was actually who knows where, I understood that.

…Which was really, really, bad…

"Ok, how to break this, how to break this…" mind was racing, but nothing seemed to jump out at me as a solution.

…Well, if this is an illusion… Then could I not just… kill someone…?

After all, it wasn't like they would be real. Unless the illusion blended in reality like that? Could it though? I suppose it could; was magecraft, after all. Not like I would know it's capabilities. So then do I just go ahead and test that idea out anyways? Even if I end up killing someone?

"…I mean, technically I have a choice, but realistically speaking, it's the best course of action, no?"

I told myself that multiple times in my head as I opened up my backpack and pulled out the sword I took from Caster. Funnily enough, as I was looking around, I couldn't see any pedestrians now. There were still cars, but I didn't want to test this idea out by potentially getting run over for real. If anyone was going to die in this test, sure as shit wasn't going to be me. That said… I was very clearly holding a sword, and none of the drives seemed to care one jot. Were Americans okay with all weapons to this degree; thought it was only guns… Hell, I'd have expected someone to react even if it were a gun.

"Ok, so most likely an illusion" I sighed, taking off down the street, back towards some shops I'd past just a bit earlier. "Now all that's left is to break this thing…"

Sure enough, there were no pedestrians on that street either. But the shops weren't empty. They couldn't be, I suppose, or it'd be too obvious. The illusion was still trying to keep itself going; trying to lull me back into it.

Unfortunately for it, while it is truly beautiful, I think I'd much rather see the beauty in it shattering that anything else it could continue to show me…

A simple thrust through a screaming woman's stomach and… the shop was gone. The sound had been unbelievable; as if a thousand panes of glass had all shattered simultaneously. The woman was no more, nor was the blood that had appeared to stain the blade.

As for where I actually was now though… The alleyway looked fairly familiar. This was… I had followed Johnathan through here a few days back, no? Meaning this was the business offices district of the city. I was way off course. The visuals had returned in a split instant, alongside the sound of the shattering glass going off. The sword was embedded within a trash bin, having gone straight through the plastic. I would have been impressed with myself, had I failed to understand the implications of being where I was standing, now very clearly free from the illusion.

"Well, shi-"

From behind, something clobbered me in the back of the head. In less than a second, before I could even really register the pain, I was out cold.


"-to run out! It was going- -instant, as if- some kind of mental protection!"

"Way I- -mine. Of course I'm- you carry him."

Vision was blurry still, but at least I was coming round enough to be able to make words out. Meant I wasn't dead yet, which was nice. Not that I feared death itself, but dying with my last view being a sword sticking to a trash can… Well, it wasn't the pinnacle of beauty I always envisioned myself going out on…

"Hmph! For a servant, you sure talk back a lot."

"For a master, you sure seem forgetful when it comes to giving orders. Besides, Berserker is the bigger threat, no? My eyes are better keeping a watch for him."

"He had a sword, Archer! I could have very well been run through with that thing!"

"If you are who you claim you are, then a lone man with a sword should not be able to overcome you. Especially since he's not a magus like you are."

"Ugh, you two mind keeping it down a little" I groaned. "I can already feel the headache setting it…"

By this point my vision had returned well enough that I could see both Archer's master and a man who was apparently Archer standing by the windows, across the room. Or should I say office, since this was very clearly a giant office floor in one of the towers. Cleared of all the shit that I'd have figured to be in one though; pods, desks, chairs. Just a giant open space, with what appeared to be magical orbs of some kind providing light.

"Would seem your captive is up" I could hear the smirk in Archer's voice, even though his back was to me.

"And as lippy as ever" the woman scowled, walking over towards me. "Honestly, were it not that I need you to answer some things, you'd already be dead. Best watch your mouth with me; Berserker and Rider aren't here as a distraction this time."

"Not happening" I smirked, realizing my hands were bound behind my back. "Also, seriously? Look at me, look at you, then look at me again. I'm flattered, but I'm not this threatening."

"Perhaps not, but always better to be safe than sorry. Especially when it comes to… unknown factors…"

The woman stood a safe distance back, looking down on me. Really now, not even sitting me up in a chair, or chaining me to the wall? Just leaving me propped up against the wall? How lame of a capturing this turned out to be… Ah well, at least she should be from this Clock Tower thing; maybe I can get some answers from her.

…Not that you can record it, sadly. Where is your stuff anyways, Nathan…?

"I'm just going to bypass the pleasantries and get right to business here."

"I think that'd be best, yeah" I interjected before she could continue. "Unlike Rider and the priest, I sense a complete lack of civility in you."

In the next moment, two things happened. For one, Archer burst out laughing. Two, I felt a heel smash into my leg.

"Ah, fuck" I groaned as the pain set it.

"I did warn you…" the woman sighed. "Get it through your head: this is my game we're playing now, not yours."

"…Credit where it's due then" I smiled through gritted teeth. "You at least understand this is a game."

"You consider it a game, so when dealing with you, I will treat it as such, yes."

"Oh, never mind then… Here I thought I finally met someone else with a modicum of understand-"

Another stomp of the heel. Hurt less this time though; targeted the same spot as the first time, which was still fairly numb. So, she was someone who worked by breaking the body… Typical, and disappointing… Would have hoped a proper magus, who knew illusion magic no less, would know how to properly break someone…

"You're no magus" the woman continued. "How did you become a master? Hundreds of magi tried, but only two from the Clock Tower were selected."

"You really think I understand how any of that works?"

"Something must have given you an edge! Who is your servant?! What was your catalyst?!"

"Don't know, and don't have one. You see these red marking things. I only have two of em for a reason, you know!"

"Implying your servant tried to kill you. The sword was clearly magical though, so that is highly unlikely as an outcome. More likely, your servant gave that to you as some means of protection."

"Oh, jeez… It's not like I'm in an alliance with a master who controls the Saber servant or anything" I rolled my eyes. "How could I possibly come across a magical sword! A mystery that will forever remained unsolved, I'm sure!"

Ah, even when in pain, it was fun to spin webs.

"As if the servant to another master would give you anything."

"It's almost like Saber is a decent person, I know! Must be hard for someone like you to wrap your head around…"

Archer started laughing again.

"Oh, I like him, master" he spoke through his laughter. "Someone who can talk trash in the face of death… reminds me of my mercenary days."

"Not helping, Archer!"

"And this very clearly won't work on him either, master. Can't you see you don't scare him? Your whole act was shattered like your illusion, this time before you even began. You can stomp and injure him all you want, but I doubt you'll pull anything useful from him like that."

"Finally! Someone who speaks some sense" I cried out in mock relief. "I thought dealing with the kids was bad, but holy shit, how do you do it Archer?"

"You could say I have plenty of experience dealing with nobility."

"Really? She's a noblewoman? From where? England? Sounds English, and dresses real fancy, sure. Even carries a dainty little fan with her. But aren't noblewomen supposed to be, you know… a thing of the past? Or at the very least, beautiful?"

The third stomp on my leg was completely expected. Didn't make it hurt any less though. Think she realized she targeted the numb spot the second time; hit a different place with this one.

"Ok, that's enough, both of you" Archer sighed. "Now I'm starting to get a headache. You there, you understand the position you're in, correct?"

"…More or less, yeah" I sighed. "Not like I actually want to die or anything."

"Then let's start over, from the top" Archer spoke more so to his master than me now. "And remember, master: dignified and poised. Or at least, that's what you told me, no? If you're going to force me to play the part of nobility again, you can at least maintain your composure in the face of one 'lippy, insignificant human' as you yourself put it."

"Yes, understood…" the woman sighed, before turning her attention back to me. "My… apologies… for the crass display. I just felt the need to do so after our last encounter."

"Jumping the line to kick my ass isn't very dignified, I'd say" I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of what I was experiencing. "But I suppose none of the one's waiting are ever going to find out. So then, like the priest… well, more so like Rider… shall we keep this civil?"

"That would be… agreeable, yes. So, you have spoken to Rider and that false priest since then."

"If by then you mean that big fight, then yes."

"I see… Then I suppose I have even more questions I need to ask."

"Well, no time like the present then" I sighed. "But could you, you know, undo this first."

I flopped over and shook my arms to indicate the bindings.

"That? No. Those will remain for now, I think" the lady smirked from behind her fan.

"Figures… Well, worth a shot at least. Fine then, lets get this over with…"

I propped myself back up against the wall; thank god for my legs not being bound as well. I suppose they weren't that afraid of me making a run for it, considering, well… Archer. Putting on my fake, civil smile, I prepared myself for the next web that needed to be spun.

"So, what could a proper magus of the Mage's Association possibly want with an outsider like me?"


A/N

HAPPY CANADA DAY! Hard to believe we're in July already...

Hope all my readers in Canada enjoyed their day off (or tomorrow if your workplace does that instead) and as always, to all my readers: Thanks for reading!