Fate/Kyon's Order: Alter Egos in Chaldea
A Haruhi Suzumiya & Fate/Grand Order Crossover
by Derald Snyder
Part 10: Kazuradrop
"Noooo! Don't compress me, Lip! Don't- huh?" Her eyes blinked open, realizing that she was sitting in an unfamiliar room... but the person standing before her was all too familiar.
"Morning, Drop~!" BB greeted with a grin. "Have a nice nap while you were cubefied?"
"...This isn't SERAPH," the Alter Ego known as Kazuradrop looked around. Past BB, she saw a few humans in matching uniforms- a boy with short, mussed brown hair, a redhead with her hair in a side ponytail, and a slightly older woman with a yellow headband and a ribbon on one side of her brown hair. "Wait, I know you... you're the human who picked a fight with me and Violet..."
"That's me! Haruhi Suzumiya, 49th Master of Chaldea! And these and Ritsuka and Gudako, the 48th and 47th Masters respectively."
"Hiya!" Gudako waved with a big smile.
"I already know about Ritsuka Fujimaru," Drop sighed. "So, if this isn't SERAPH, this must be Chaldea's base. And that must mean Mother's mission to stop Kiara Sessyoin was successful."
"Well, aren't you Sherlock Holmes," BB snarked with a smile. "Yep, Kiara's deader than a doornail, good riddance. So now I and your sisters have all settled in to Finis Chaldea proper! And since things have settled down a bit, I figured it was finally time to decompress you!"
"Wonderful," Kazuradrop rolled her eyes. "Does that mean we have to act as proper Servants to these Masters? You of all people should know how much I hate taking orders- especially from you."
"Oh, are you saying you'd rather be recompressed to cube form...?" BB's eyes glowed an ominous red.
"Fine, fine... I'll serve the Masters, but not you," Drop conceded. "And I don't want to be teamed up with my sisters or any other Sakura-themed servants, if there are any. Are these conditions acceptable, Masters?"
"...Sure, I guess," Ritsuka nodded.
"Aww, but why do you hate your sisters? What did they ever do to you?" Gudako put her hands on her hips. "I'm an only child, I'd have loved to have sisters!"
"It's literally a skill of hers," BB elaborated. "Repulsion For One's Kin. I've sealed the skill, but that just means she won't try to kill Sakura-themed servants outright."
"I guess that means we should keep her away from Parvati and the Gorgon sisters, then," Ritsuka mused.
"Well, who would she like being paired with, then?" Haruhi inquired.
"Probably anybody associated with insects, given that her other unique skill is Insect Eater," BB responded. "Know anyone like that?"
"...I've got nothing. And I hate bugs!" Gudako said.
"Can you think of anyone, Ritsuka-kun?" Haruhi asked.
"Actually, I've got a better idea," Drop interrupted. "What about that interface that was supposed to come in your place, Suzumiya-san? I'd like to meet her instead..."
"You want to meet Yuki? ...Sure, that's no problem," Haruhi nodded. "Just don't try anything funny, because's Yuki's hacking makes BB here look like a rank amateur!"
"Ohhh? This Yuki is more powerful than you are, Mother?" the Alter Ego said slyly.
"...As much as I hate to admit it, yes. She even managed to fix up this timeline's Hakuno-senpai as good as new, when I couldn't do anything of the sort," BB stated, her face coloring a little.
"Wait, so he's here too?! ...Well, that's a surprise. Is he a Master as well?"
"Nope, we put both him and his twin sister through testing, and neither of them made the cut," Haruhi shrugged, BB looking away in clear frustration. "We still hired them as staff members, though. Anyway, I'll take you to Yuki now, her room's not far from here."
"Very well, Master," Drop assented.
"Yeah, just watch out if she's putting up a cutesy front, that usually means she's trying to manipulate or deceive you," BB pointed out.
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh?" Ritsuka observed, causing BB to flush deeply, Drop putting a hand over her mouth to muffle her snickers...
*Yuki's Room*
"Konnichiwa, Nagato Yuki," Drop greeted the interface, Haruhi standing at her side. "I am Alter Ego-class, True Name Kazuradrop. I heard about you from Mother, but this is the first time we've met in person."
"Well met, Kazuradrop-san," Yuki gave a small nod. "I have heard about you as well from Blossom-san. She has stated that you are not to be trusted in any way, so do not think your politeness toward me will cause me to lower my guard."
"Yeah, that's why I'm escorting her personally," Haruhi concurred.
"She said that, did she?" Drop frowned. "Well, I can't say I blame her. But I'm just curious about there being a data-based lifeform that seems to completely outstrip Mother in almost every way. Just how did you come into existence?"
"That is classified information," Yuki responded immediately. "I will say that I am not the only one of my kind, but I am the only one stationed here at Chaldea."
"Yeah, Kuyou doesn't count, because she comes from a completely different faction," Haruhi added.
"Well, can I at least ask how you became acquainted with Suzumiya here?" Drop inquired.
"We first met in high school. She and her love interest came to the Literature Club, of which I was the only remaining member, and renamed it as the SOS Brigade."
"SOS Brigade? But isn't an SOS a distress signal? With all due respect, what kind of name is that?" Drop turned to address Haruhi, utterly perplexed.
"It was supposed to stand for 'Spreading Excitement all Over the World with Haruhi Suzumiya' Brigade," Haruhi admitted, looking a little sheepish. "It sounds kinda stupid now that I've grown up... But yeah, I created the club because none of the other after-school clubs really meshed with what I wanted. We just kinda retained the name after we graduated, though."
"And you were okay with this?" Kazuradrop asked Yuki.
"It did not hinder my goals at the time," the interface responded. "In hindsight, I am grateful for their companionship."
"So what do your fellow aliens think?" Drop pressed.
"They have... reservations, but do not object. Any further information is classified," Yuki stated bluntly.
"Really..." the Alter Ego closed her eyes in thought for a moment. "Ah, I see. The reason they don't object is because Suzumiya has a power that they wish to investigate, am I correct? Don't try to lie, I know that she isn't normal, given that she was able to hold her own against a being such as myself." Yuki remained silent.
"Good deduction," Haruhi spoke up. "But that's all you're going to get. Let's just say it'd be a really bad idea, to get on my bad side..." She squeezed Drop's shoulder hard enough for her to grimace in pain. "If there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that some mysteries are better left unsolved."
"...Your point is well taken, Master," Drop ceded. "Well, could I at least meet this other alien as well? This... Kuyou?"
"Sure, but don't expect her to tell you much of anything either," Haruhi said. "If that's okay, Yuki?"
"It should be fine," the interface gave a slight nod. "Kuyou should be at the library at the moment."
"Alright, let's go," Haruhi said as she escorted Kazuradrop out.
*Library*
"...is it just me, or does this place seem much bigger on the inside?" Kazuradrop observed, seeing the rows and rows of books on what seemed to be multiple floors.
"You can thank Murasaki Shikibu for that," Haruhi replied. "When she was summoned, she used her unique powers to recreate and expand the library in a way that warped space, allowing us to store thousands and thousands of books inside a smaller space. In the interest of full disclosure, Sakura Matou's servant, the rider Medusa, tends to spend a lot of time here."
"Duly noted," Drop's face darkened. "But how will we locate Kuyou Suou?"
"Simple," Haruhi smirked. "Oh, Kuyou! Front and center, your Master is calling!" Drop jumped slightly in surprise as Kuyou abruptly seemed to materialize before them.
"I am here, Master. What is your order?" the dark-haired alien asked stiffly.
"No orders, but I have a servant that wanted to meet you," Haruhi gestured to the smaller Alter Ego. "This is Kazuradrop, one of BB's 'daughters', you might say."
"Daughters...?" Kuyou looked confused. "But, BB is... not human..."
"I was created from discarded emotional data from BB," Drop elaborated. "Just garbage that she didn't want to deal with. I don't like her, and she doesn't like me. Why she even kept me around, I can't fathom... But enough about me. Let's talk about you. Where are you from?"
"Sky Canopy Domain," Kuyou answered. "But I cannot say anything else. Forbidden."
"Classified information, huh?" Drop raised an eyebrow. "Okay, how about why you came here? Was it because of Nagato and her fellow aliens? Or Suzumiya here?"
"...Yes. Both," Kuyou replied after a moment. "I... We... wanted to... try to... communicate with Nagato's faction. But I had no idea how to do that... even now, communication remains... difficult. That is why... one reason why my original self created me inside the Throne of Heroes. To be summoned by Haruhi Suzumiya."
"Ah, I see, because the summoning process grants you knowledge of the language used in the place and era you are summoned to," Drop nodded in comprehension. "So what's the other reason you were created?"
"I'll answer that," Haruhi cut in. "Basically, Kuyou went to the SERAPH singularity as well, but she got absorbed by Kiara Sessyoin. After we beat her, Kuyou was freed, and was grateful to me for saving her."
"Yes... It was horrible. A nightmare," Kuyou shuddered from the memory.
"I can imagine," Drop nodded. "You have my sympathies."
"Thank you."
"So that's one thing you've got in common with BB and the others," Haruhi noted. "Your hatred for Kiara."
"Well, in my case, it was more along the lines of 'I wanted to be the one on top'," Kazuradrop shrugged. "Not to mention she might have had a hand in our creation to begin with... just pawns in her twisted game."
"Well, we don't treat our servants as pawns on a chessboard," Haruhi replied. "Basically, as long as you behave, we'll let you do as you please here in Chaldea, within reason. Take Kuyou here. We might have been enemies at one point, but her Alter Ego hasn't caused any trouble, though we do have her under escort as a precaution."
"And if we don't behave?" Drop pressed.
"Usually you end up in the brig for a while. Nobunaga's spent time there on occasion, when one of her pranks goes too far. So far though, it hasn't gotten so bad that we've had to unsummon a servant and send them back to the throne... not yet," Haruhi said deliberately.
"...Message received."
"So, what skills... abilities... do you have?" Kuyou inquired curiously.
"My skills? Hmm..." Kazuradrop put a finger to her chin. "I guess the most prominent ability would be my Insect Eater skill. Basically, I can gain the power of any Sakura-type servant that I devour. Although, I don't have to consume them completely... just a piece of their Spirit Origin would be enough. Although in that case, the power only lasts a limited time before... digestion, you might say."
"Oh, right... I remember, you ate a piece Kingprotea's bandage and grew to her size," Haruhi recalled. "But you're saying it would've eventually worn off?"
"Right... that's probably why Mother had Passionlip cubeify us both. Protea's actually my worst matchup in a straight fight, her Infantile Regression would eventually make her too big for even me to consume."
"Actually, it was Violet who told Lip to do that, after I freed her from Kiara's control," Haruhi clarified.
"Um..." Kuyou spoke up. "Definition of... Sakura-type servant?"
"Basically BB and the Alter Egos she made personally. Oh, and Parvati, too, her human vessel has a similar origin, so to speak."
Kuyou's face contorted in confusion. "I... do not understand. About Parvati."
"I'll explain later," Haruhi sighed. "Aaaaanyway... so, you were with Violet when we first met so you could use her powers?"
"Right. Vio's powers- arm whips and Mystic Eyes of Petrification- are useful abilities, but not feasible to use for trying to usurp BB," Drop elaborated. "Also, being the eldest of the Sakura Five, she's the one whose presence I can at least tolerate. I still don't like her though."
"Usurp... BB?" Kuyou asked curiously.
"Yeah, none of the Alter Egos that BB made really like her all that much," Haruhi responded. "And I can see why, she's practically insane sometimes."
"Actually, she's slightly more stable now, compared to when she first made us," Drop stated. "But that's probably because she's not using the power of the Moon Cell this time around..."
"Well, how about this: next supply sortie we'll take both you and Violet, so you can copy her powers and tag-team our enemies. Sound good?" Haruhi proposed.
"...not ideal, but acceptable," Kazuradrop assented. "Will Nagato or Suou accompany us?"
"Probably not," the reality warper shook her head. "Though Yuki will be monitoring us from mission control."
"Mostly for your sake, I presume?"
"Yeah. In the interest of full disclosure, she did serve under Ritsuka-kun as a Caster-class servant when she first arrived here," Haruhi recounted. "Though she could also qualify as Foreigner or Alter Ego, due to her alien nature, Moon Cancer, due to being a hacker like BB, and maybe even Assassin, given how quiet she can be... she's startled me more than once by suddenly being there, right behind us..."
"Ah, I thought I detected a data distortion," Drop looked behind Haruhi. "So that was you, Nagato."
"Yes," Yuki suddenly appeared. "Impressive that you were able to slightly detect my presence, Kazuradrop-san."
"Keeping an eye on Kuyou, just in case?" Haruhi sighed, turning her head to address the interface.
"Yes. And Kazuradrop as well. I am aware that you can handle yourself, Suzumiya-san, but I am concerned about you being caught off-guard."
"I wasn't gonna try anything," Drop pouted. (Yet,) she added internally.
"Um, excuse me..." the group turned to see a dark haired woman wearing a Victorian-era purple dress which accentuated her curves quite nicely, though her face was more on the 'cute' side. "Could I kindly ask you to continue your conversation outside, so others can read in peace?"
"Oh, right. Sorry, Shikibu-san," Haruhi ducked her head. "We'll be on our way, then. Come on, everybody."
"Understood," Yuki nodded, she and the others following Haruhi out of the library...
(The library... might be a good place to hide if a plot of mine goes awry,) Kazuradrop thought to herself. (Not to mention a treasure trove of information on Heroic Spirits' backstories, so I can learn all their weaknesses... it'll take some time though.) But the Alter Ego could afford to be patient, as long as she stayed in the Masters' good graces...
*The next day...*
The time and location was somewhere in medieval Prussia(Germany), Haruhi having taken Violet and Kazuradrop as agreed beforehand. Ritsuka had chosen to take the larval Tiamat and Enkidu, while Gudako had deployed with Suzuka Gozen and Semiramis. Currently the party was facing off with a gaggle of green goblins armed with clubs, who didn't seem to have any strategy other than 'attack and attack more'.
"These guys are totes stupid!" Suzuka taunted as she chopped a goblin's club in two, her floating swords cutting it to chunks in short order. "Hey Semiramis, you gonna make me do all the work?!"
"You seem to have things well in hand," the assassin shrugged. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a goblin charging at her flank, sidestepping its club swing before pressing her hand to its chest, covering it in poison which dissolved the monster into pus and slime!
"Yuck, that's an awful way to go!" Gudako shook her head.
"At least it died swiftly," Semiramis smirked.
Meanwhile, Tiamat summoned a Lahmu to impale one goblin, Enkidu then jumping and blasting it from above to kill them both! "Nice teamwork, you two!" Ritsuka complimented.
"Yeah, you could learn from them, Drop!" Haruhi called out.
"Oh shut up!" Kazuradrop shot back, using Violet's borrowed power to whip the club out of a goblin's hand, then jumping on the monster and wrapping her whips around it's neck, pulling and snapping, the goblin collapsing and dissolving into black smoke. As for Vio herself, she was using her whips to split two goblins' heads in half! Another goblin hurled it's club at the Alter Ego, managing to knock her glasses off her face!
"Big mistake," Violet growled, looking the offender in the eye- who suddenly turned to stone! She then ran and hit it with a flying kick, the statue crumbling into rubble upon hitting the ground. "The glasses weren't just for show, you fool." She turned to try find where her spectacles had fallen, only to see Haruhi walking up with said glasses in hand. "Oh, thank you, Master," she nodded, quickly slipping them back on.
"No problem," Haruhi smiled and nodded, looking over and seeing that the rest of the monsters had been dispatched by the other servants.
"Alright, let's get moving," Ritsuka said. "We need to find the Grail that's generating these monsters..."
"Your Majesty, do you think you could use your Hanging Gardens to scout out where more monsters are, please?" Gudako politely requested.
"Very well, Master," Semiramis nodded, teleporting to the Hanging Gardens floating in the sky, looking out over the edge... "(I see some larger monsters to the northwest of here,)" she telepathically relayed to Gudako.
"Okay! We gotta head northwest!" Gudako pointed. "Come on, Suzuka!"
"Right behind ya!" the schoolgirl saber nodded.
"Can I ride on you, Suzumiya?" Kazuradrop requested. "Being the smallest one here, I'll have trouble keeping up..."
"Oh, all right," Haruhi acquiesced, crouching down so Drop could climb on her back. "But don't get used to this, got it?!"
"Duly noted, Master," Drop said as she was lifted up. (What a waste of time... there's nothing in this singularity that I can use to my advantage...) But there would be other opportunities...
A few miles of walking later, the party heard animalistic growls just beyond the next rise... "I think we found them," Enkidu observed, sure enough, two large vaguely feline-looking monsters leapt over the hill, roaring!
"Soul eaters," Ritsuka noted. "Tiamat, Kazuradrop, Violet, you're best suited for taking these ones on."
"Understood, Master," Violet nodded, assuming a ready stance, Drop sliding off Haruhi's back and running up to her sister's side. "Remember, don't underestimate them just because they're feral beasts."
"I know that, Vio!" Drop shot back in frustration. "Crap, here they come!" The soul eaters made a beeline for the smallest Alter Ego, sensing that she was easy prey... only for Violet to pulloff her glasses and petrify one straight away! The other leapt at Kazuradrop-
Only to find itself in a dark place, looking around in confusion. "Foolish beast..." Drop's voice echoed, "Welcome to my Bug Space, where you're nothing but an insect to be squashed!" Kazuradrop suddenly appeared, towering over the soul eater with a malicious grin on her face, closing one hand into a fist and smashing the monster repeatedly! By the time she was finished, the soul eater's head was naught but a bloody smear, the rest of the monster dissolving away.
"I didn't realize you'd retained that ability," Violet noted as she and Tiamat broke down the other petrified soul eater into small rubble.
"You can thank Mother for that," Drop replied. "She wanted me to retain some ability to fight even if I hadn't absorbed any powers... However, the data capacity is limited, so two or three monsters of that size is about all I can handle. And while I could use it on a servant, any halfway-strong one could break out with some effort. So this ability is best used as a surprise attack. Humans are strictly forbidden, however."
"Good, that makes it less likely for you to turn on us," Haruhi nodded curtly. "Still, good work. Now we just have to find the Grail."
"It's probably right over this hill! Come on!" Gudako beckoned, dashing over said hill...
"Hey! Wait for me!" Suzuka cried as she went after her Master- only to collide with her as she ran back up!
"It's a giant dragon! Run for your lives!" Gudako screamed in panic. Sure enough, a massive blue-skinned dragon arose from behind the hill, roaring loudly!
"No worries, I'll protect you!" Suzuka asserted. "Demonic Sun Shower!" The dragon cried out in pain as several swords coverged, turning it into a pincushion! But the winged reptile broke the swords off, trying to crush Suzuka with a claw, the saber barely evading. "Geez, talk about thick skin!"
"Fall back!" Ritsuka ordered, most of the party retreating... but Enkidu remained where he was, pressing his hand to the ground, the Chains of Heaven suddenly materializing and restraining the dragon's feet! The dragon roared and flapped it's wings as it tried to escape to no avail... failing that, it attempted to breathe fire on Enkidu, but the lancer managed to flip-jump out of harm's way.
"Those chains won't hold it forever," Kazuradrop pointed out.
"They won't have to," Haruhi shook her head with a knowing smile.
"What do you me-" Drop was cut off as a massive laser came down from the sky, blasting the dragon's head and neck into oblivion! "...Oh. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. I didn't realize it could attack like that..." She watched as what was left of the dragon faded away, a Grail forming where it had fallen.
"Holy Grail secured," Enkidu said as he retrieved the chalice. "Semiramis, you have my thanks for your assistance. I will be sure to inform Gil of this, as a payment for the debt you owe him..."
"(Duly noted, Enkidu,)" Semiramis replied through the telepathic link.
Ritsuka nodded in satisfaction, taking the Grail from Enkidu. "I think we're done here. Da Vinci, you can recall us now."
"Roger, commencing rayshift now." Kazuradrop closed her eyes as she and the others were recalled, soon reappearing at Mission Control. She watched dispassionately as Ritsuka handed the Grail over to Da Vinci... "Right, good work, everyone. That was fairly simple compared to the last one, with all the kaiju..."
"Kaiju? I bet Protea had a field day," Drop couldn't help but snark.
"Oh, she did," Vio nodded. "Oh, I don't know if Mother informed you of this, but you'll be staying in the same room as Protea and myself for the time being. So try to at least not be too mean to her, understand?"
"Whatever," Drop rolled her eyes. "She doesn't bug me too much, I'll leave her be. I assume she's in her core form, otherwise she'd have to have a room all for herself at least..."
"Yeah, it'd be pretty cramped for her, that's for sure," Haruhi half-snarked. "At least you were more of a boon than a burden, Kazuradrop. I didn't even have to get my own hands dirty this time."
"I'm still curious about your fighting style, Master," Drop stated, putting her hands behind her back and trying to look as non-threatening as possible.
Haruhi noticed the change in posture, smirking knowingly. "Well, I might let you peek at one of my sparring sessions sometime... IF you behave yourself. Anyway, off you go with Violet, now. Go on," she made a shooing gesture.
(Damn, she's on to me,) the Alter Ego realized, reverting to a neutral posture. "Fine, let's go..." Violet and Haruhi exchanged nods as the former escorted her sister away.
"...Still totes up to no good, huh?" Suzuka observed. "I don't envy you, Suzumiya, having to look after that alien and Vritra, and now her along with BB herself..."
"Yuki helps with that, but yeah," Haruhi nodded. "I could see the gears turning in her head when she said she wanted to meet with Yuki and Kuyou, but at least they knew better than to spill everything..."
"At least the other Alter Egos can restrain her if she tries anything," Da Vinci pointed out. "But yes, she'll be watched for the foreseeable future."
"Aw, but she's so cute!" Gudako whined. "Why does she have to be evil and stuff? Maybe she just needs a hug..."
"I think it goes a bit deeper than that, Gudako-chan," Haruhi closed her eyes, heaving a sigh. "She's pretty much admitted that she knows she's garbage data, the lowest of the low, hence her desire to be the one on top instead..."
"That's not right! No one is garbage! She shouldn't think of herself like that!" Gudako protested. "Right, Ritsuka?"
"I agree. No one is garbage here, everyone deserves a chance," Ritsuka nodded with a slight smile. "And that goes for Kazuradrop as much as the other Alter Egos..."
*Cafeteria, the next day*
"Why hello, Hakuno Kishinami," Drop greeted cutely as she and Violet sat across from Hakuno and his twin sister Haruka. "Do you know who I am?"
"Um... one of BB's daughters?" Hakuno guessed.
"Yes, this is Kazuradrop, the second youngest before Protea," Vio introduced. "However, she attempted to usurp Mother and kill your counterpart in the Moon Cell, so be wary of her."
"Oh, sure, give him a bad impression of me, why don't you," the smallest Alter Ego sighed. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try and kill YOU. You're not a Master, so you're obviously not the same as that AI program..."
"Uh... thanks, I think?" Hakuno subconsciously moved his chair back a half-inch.
"With all due respect, you don't look all that dangerous to me," Haruka spoke up.
"Well, my original purpose was a virus cleaner with no combat ability," Drop explained. "But I wasn't satisfied with being a literal bottom-feeder, so I took steps to overthrow Mother and work my way to the top of the food chain. Obviously, I failed, else I wouldn't be here with Vio and the others now. I came pretty damn close though... Ow! Vio!" she cried, as her sister tugged on her ear painfully.
"But you're not going to try anything like that here, right?" Violet's voice took on a threatening tone.
"Ow! Ow! No I won't! I swear! Ow!" Drop cried out in pain. After a few seconds, Violet let go, Drop rubbing her ear to try and relieve the lingering discomfort.
"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Haruka said.
"Not really. What Drop didn't tell you is that her endgame was the destruction of all humanity," the elder Alter Ego said bluntly. "To be fair, part of that might have been corruption from the power she was using from the Moon Cell to try and usurp Mother, but even so..."
"Well, she got what she deserved as far as I'm concerned!" another voice spoke up, the group turning to see Tamamo-no-mae walking up to join them. "I remember that struggle in the Moon Cell all too well, Kazuradrop, so don't think you'll fool us by disguising yourself as Sakura this time!"
"I can't do that anymore anyway," Drop shook her head. "Seems you haven't changed a bit, Fox Caster. Still desiring to get in Hakuno's pants here?"
"Oh, come on! You too?!" Hakuno promptly buried his face in his hands in embarrassment.
"H-he's not the same person!" Tamamo protested, even as she blushed profusely. "And besides, any encounters we had in the Moon Cell were consensual! Not that you would know anything about intimacy, young lady!"
"I know all the technical aspects of the birds and the bees," Drop replied smoothly. "But perhaps we should change the subject before not-Master dies of humiliation?"
"Yes, please!" Hakuno insisted, still hiding his face.
"You needn't worry, Caster," Violet assured Tamamo. "All the Masters have been informed of Drop's treacherous nature, and we are doing our best to keep her reined in as well. At least she performed well during the deployment yesterday."
"Yeah, I heard about that," the kitsune nodded. "I kinda wanted to come along, but Master Ritsuka said you and Haruhi would be enough. Nero has her concerns as well, but she trusts Master's judgement."
"Anyone else here from the Moon Cell that I should know about?" Drop inquired.
"Well, Karna, Nameless and Gawain are here, but the latter two don't seem to remember anything from the Moon Cell," Tamamo answered. Oh, and Nameless goes by 'Emiya' here."
"So Nameless has a name? Who would've thought," Kazuradrop snarked. (So he and Gawain remember nothing, but Caster and Saber do... Hm. No point in trying to manipulate the first two, the others would shut it down right away. Oh well, plenty of other servants here...)
"Drop, don't think I don't see the gears turning in your head," Violet warned.
"I'm just processing the recent data input, that''s all," Drop replied innocently.
"Sure you are. Well, I have to get back to the kitchen before Nameless scolds me. Have a good day, Ma- (ahem), Hakuno-san," she bowed to Hakuno before turning and heading off.
"Sayonara, Tamaro-san," Hakuno waved back.
"...So she hasn't tried to flirt with you or anything?" Drop asked once she was out of earshot.
"No, she's been very polite," Haruka answered in her brother's stead. "I can tell she's attracted to him, but she's kept it completely civil. Nero, on the other hand, teased him by lifting her skirt a little when she caught him staring."
"You HAD to bring that up..." Hakuno ducked his head. "I mean, I'm a red-blooded male, and she's cute! Can you blame me?"
"I guess not," Kazuradrop shrugged. (So they still pine for Hakuno despite not being the same Sovereign of the Moon Cell... good to know for blackmail purposes.) But then, she heard shouting her attention drawn to a girl with long black hair, wearing a black officer's hat and uniform, holding some kind of cake with a lit fuse!
"Nobunaga! Don't you dare!" cried the woman chasing her, a blonde wearing a black bow and a pink kimono, wielding a long-bladed katana... (A Saber-class,) Drop observed, smiling a little as said woman suddenly coughed blood, halfway collapsing to the floor as a result. (And not a very good one...)
"Hahahaha! You can't stop me, Okita! This place is about to get wild!" Oda Nobunaga taunted, the fuse slowly burning down, several patrons quickly rising from their seats and fleeing!
"Crap, we better get under the table!" Hakuno grunted, standing...
"No need, I've got this," Kazuradrop waved him off. "Bug Space."
"...Huh?!" Nobu suddenly found herself in a dark void. "Where did everyone-" the cake bomb went off, covering her in frosting and cake crumbs! Then she found herself in the cafeteria again, everyone else completely clean! "Okay, who dares humiliate the Demon King of Sixth Heaven like this?!"
"I am the one you seek," Drop stood up and walked over. "I am Kazuradrop of the Sakura Five, and I used my Bug Space to ensure the bomb's only victim was you. Is this really what the great warrior Oda Nobunaga has been reduced to?"
"Why you...!" Nobu growled, looking as if she was about to strangle the little servant where she stood, only to be restrained by Okita!
"Alright, Nobu, you've had your fun. Let's go to the showers and get you cleaned off. And then you're under house arrest!"
"Aw man!" Nobunaga groaned as the saber began dragging her off. "I won't forget this, Kazuradrop! Oda Nobunaga will have her revenge!"
"You can try," Drop taunted. "Crisis averted, everyone! You can resume stuffing your sorry faces!"
"Phew, thanks," Hakuno sighed in relief. "Maybe you're not so bad after all..."
"Eh, I just didn't feel like getting covered in cake," Drop shrugged. "Demon King of Sixth Heaven, my foot. The real Nobunaga would be turning over in his grave at that sorry imitation!"
"I don't know, I hear she's actually quite competent on the battlefield," Haruka mused. "But yes, thanks for averting that clean-up disaster."
"You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, Drop," Vio pointed out. "You're a good example of that yourself."
"I won't deny that," Drop smirked. (Still, I wonder if I couldn't use that Nobunaga for my own purposes, given her inclination to cause trouble... perhaps I'll go and apologize to her later. And then express interest in further pranks...) It wouldn't hurt to test to see how much she could get away with before the Masters put their foot down, after all...
*To be continued...*
A/N: If I decide to continue this further, the next chapter would be a compressed adaptation of the event where Okita Alter debuts. We'll see what happens...