Fate/Kyon's Order: Alter Egos in Chaldea
A Haruhi Suzumiya & Fate/Grand Order Crossover
by Derald Snyder
Part 11: Okita Alter (Part 1)
"So you want to help me create the perfect Nobunaga?" queried the Caster with white hair and sunglasses, wearing a black overcoat with purple highlights over a black business suit with a red necktie.
"That's right," Kazuradrop nodded, a shadowed figure standing behind her. "The current Nobunaga in Chaldea is a disgrace to the title of Demon King of Sixth Heaven. I seek to create a Nobu that's somewhat truer to the history and legend."
"...You'll excuse me if I seem a bit skeptical," the caster said hesitantly. "You're some class I've never heard of, and you're just a kid. How do I know you're not pulling my leg?"
"That's what my partner here is for," Drop indicated the shadow behind her. "She will provide the, shall we say, technical support necessary for your dream to come true."
The caster removed his sunglasses to get a better look at the shadowy figure. "With all due respect, you don't look much older than the kid."
"With all due respect, appearances can be deceiving," the shadow replied. "Once you see me in action, you'll be more than convinced, I assure you... At least give us a chance, Akechi-san."
"..." Akechi slid his shades back on, pondering... "All right, you're hired on a temporary basis. But if you don't deliver, it's the death penalty. For both of you."
"Duly noted," Kazuradrop nodded. "It's a contract, then. But before we can get started, we'll have to gather some data. Fortunately, I know just where to look..."
*Sakamoto Detective Agency*
"You've got some nerve, Ryouma, having all these chicks do your dirty work for you!" Okada Izo screeched, tied to a chair with his katana out of reach.
"Well, if you hadn't attacked us out of the blue, we wouldn't have had to restrain you like this," Haruhi got in the assassin's face. "I'm starting to see why Sakamoto here ditched you in life..."
"It's not like I wanted to leave him behind like that," Sakamoto Ryouma sighed, subconsciously adjusting his white hat.
"Are you sure you don't want Oryou to eat him?" said the woman with long black hair that floated off the ground behind him.
"No, Oryou, we already discussed this," Ryouma sighed in annoyance. "I'd rather have Izo here as an ally if possible. We'll need all the help we can get, especially if one of the Masters' servants has been kidnapped by the enemy."
"Do we know if she was really kidnapped?" Ritsuka mused, sitting on the couch, his stomach bandaged under his shirt. "Kazuradrop could have easily staged that with that other Nobunaga..."
"Well, that gunshot wasn't staged!" Haruhi pointed out. "Good thing this Oryou woman here was able to help you out... unlike this weird Okita-like servant." She pointed to the dark-skinned servant that was sitting in the corner. She did indeed bear a passing resemblance to the Okita Souji that was currently residing in Chaldea, though her clothing was dark red with a black scarf.
"I'm sorry... I tried to help Master," not-Okita said softly.
"Yeah, what's the deal with this saber bein' so weak?" Izo said in a half-mocking tone. "I'm surprised you weren't eliminated already!"
"I just happened across her right before meeting Nobunaga," Ritsuka replied. "She didn't even seem to know her name until I told her..."
"Maybe she was improperly summoned?" Haruhi guessed.
"Could be," Ryouma shrugged. "Look, Izo, if you promise not to start swinging your sword at my friends again, we'll let you loose. Sound fair?"
"Oryou still thinks Oryou should just eat him," Oryou deadpanned.
"What is it with you and eating other people, huh?" Haruhi put her hands on her hips.
"Actually, Oryou prefers eating frogs," the other woman shrugged. "Whole frogs, not frog legs, mind you."
"Loony bitch," Izo muttered. "Fine, I'll keep my sword sheathed, as long she stays the hell away from me!"
"All right, but we're gonna hold you to that," Haruhi said, taking Izo's katana and cutting his bonds, then handing said weapon back to the assassin. "So anyway, Sakamoto, you're the Rider in this Grail War?"
"Actually, I eliminated the Rider and kind of took his place," Ryouma corrected. "And Izo here is the Assassin, so that leaves five servants to eliminate..."
"Which I was about to do anyway, after I killed you!" Izo cut in.
"Well, we know that Nobunaga is likely Archer," Ritsuka mused. "But we don't know anything about the others..."
"Right, and having a battle royale to become one of the 'official' seven servants makes it even harder to figure out who they might be," Haruhi pointed out.
"Well, we definitely can't take on Nobunaga as we are now, so she's out," Ryouma stated, walking over to a map of Tokyo that showed the territories controlled by the seven servants. "And Caster's territory is blocked by Archer's, so can't do anything about that one either..."
"Which leaves Saber, Lancer, and Berserker," Ritsuka deduced. "So who should we go after first? Lancer?"
"Thing is, if we take out one, the others might see us as a threat and gang up on us, and then..." Ryouma drew a finger across his throat. "It would be better if we could split up and take them on at once individually..."
"I'm not sure if we have the manpower for that," Haruhi argued. "There's only three servants, and one of them isn't exactly up to snuff... and while I can fight on my own, if I get caught off-guard I die just as easily as any other human..." Just then, there was a knock at the door, which instantly had everyone on-guard.
"Hold on," Ryouma said as he approached the door. "I don't sense any servants... it's probably just the mailman." He opened the door a crack, and sure enough, a uniformed man carrying a satchel of mail was on the other side. "Can I help you, sir?"
"This the Sakamoto Detective Agency?" the mailman asked gruffly.
"Yes, it is," Sakamoto nodded.
"This is for you," the man took out an envelope and handed it to the rider.
"Ah, thank you. Safe travels," Ryouma said, the mailman going on his way. Shutting the door, he began to tear open the envelope... "Well, let's see what this is... Huh?" He pulled out a letter, but his confused expression made it clear he didn't understand the contents... "What the...? It's just a bunch of 1s and 0s..."
"Lemme see that," Haruhi held out her hand, Ryouma promptly handing the letter over. "Hmm... Looks like 8-bit binary. This has gotta be from Kazuradrop!"
"Kazuradrop? You mean the one who was supposedly kidnapped?" Ryouma asked.
"So she faked her kidnapping after all..." Ritsuka figured.
"So she could send us coded messages from behind enemy lines?" Sakamoto mused. "Pretty risky, but they might let their guard down since she looks like just a kid... So you can you read it?"
"No, but I know someone who can," Haruhi asserted. "Da Vinci! Come in, do you read me?"
"Y-yes, we c-can read you," Da Vinci's image popped up, her voice slightly distorted.
"Can you put Yuki on real quick?"
"J-just a moment..." The caster's image vanished, soon replaced with that of Yuki Nagato. "Yes, Suzumiya-san?"
"Can you read this?" Haruhi held out the letter in question.
"...It is a communique from Kazuradrop. The note says to take Okita Alter to face the Saber servant, that she is uniquely suited to take them on. She also says that she will provide support to Okita Alter discreetly."
"Okita... Alter? Is that... me?" the dark-skinned Okita spoke up.
"It must be," Ritsuka nodded. "The original Okita Souji is a Saber-class, so it makes sense..."
"Right," Haruhi agreed. "Thanks, Yuki. We can take it from here."
"Sayonara. Good luck," Yuki said before signing off.
"Well, that'll help with our divide and conquer strategy," Ryouma said. "Okay, so Ritsuka and Okita Alter go take on the Saber servant. Oryou and I will go handle the Berserker."
"So that means me and Izo take out the Lancer," Haruhi concluded.
"...Well, better you than the traitor or the useless chick," Izo sighed. "Just stay out of my way, got it?!"
"Fine, but I reserve the right to step in if you get your butt kicked," Haruhi asserted.
"Like hell that'll happen!" the assassin snarled. "Come on, let's get moving already!" He promptly stormed out of the detective agency, Haruhi checking the map real quick before hurrying after him.
"Alright, Oryou and I will head out as well," Ryouma sighed. "Master Ritsuka, Okita... good luck."
"Be careful," Oryou added, "Oryou won't be there to save you if you get shot again." With that, she and Sakamoto left.
"...Shall we go confront the Saber servant, Master?" Okita Alter asked.
"Yeah, let me just check the map so we know the route..." Ritsuka nodded.
*And so...*
Ritsuka and Okita Alter cautiously approached the Saber's redline, having managed to carefully avoid any skirmishes with soldiers or guards. "Master, I sense the Saber servant nearby," Okita spoke up, unsheathing her long blade.
"I really hope Kazuradrop wasn't pulling our leg..." the young Master said nervously. He then saw a shadow, feminine with a long scarf, approaching the duo... Then she stepped into the light, Ritsuka's eyes going wide upon seeing her. "You're...!"
"Huh...?!" Okita Souji gasped in disbelief upon seeing Okita Alter standing there. "You... you look like me! What's going on here?!"
"So this is what that Kazuradrop meant..." Okita Alter locked eyes with herself. "We are here to challenge you... for the Grail."
"Challenge me?! I don't know where you came from," Okita took a ready stance, "but I won't lose to anyone! Including myself!" She charged forward with incredible speed, Alter managing to deflect her first strike, but getting several cuts after that, collapsing to the ground with several bloody gashes!
"Mystic Code: First Aid!" Ritsuka intoned, a green aura enveloping Okita Alter, her wounds closing up, the servant jumping back to her feet.
"So you must be her Master," Okita deduced. "But you should know a copy can never beat the original!" She moved in to finish her doppelgänger- but this time, Alter was able to deflect all her strikes! "W-what...?!"
"That's right..." Okita Alter shifted her stance. "I remember now..." She suddenly went on the attack, Okita managing to defend against the counter attack, then jumping up to a nearby roof! Alter jumped after her, her sword clashing with Okita's in midair! "Seeing you move... caused me to remember how to fight..."
"No! I won't lose to you!" Okita asserted. Their swords clashed, neither giving an inch... multiple *clangs* were heard as Okita and Alter matched each other step-for-step...
"Bug Space."
"Huh?" Okita gasped as she and Alter were suddenly standing in a black void. "Wha... my redline's been cut off- (COUGH!)" She suddenly coughed up blood, nearly dropping her sword, Alter taking advantage and stabbing her through the heart! "No..." Okita fell to her knees, her form glowing as she began to fade away...
"What was that? Why did you suddenly cough blood?" Okita Alter asked, perplexed. "I didn't even touch you until then..."
"Didn't you... ever have... tuberculosis?" Okita gasped out.
"...No, I don't believe that I did... I don't think so, anyway. This is not how our fight should have ended," Alter lamented.
"Here, then..." With the last of her strength, Okita doffed her haori, holding it out to Alter. "Take this... carry on the will... of the Shinsengumi..."
"...I understand," Alter nodded, taking the haori in hand. "Now I fight for us both. Farewell, Okita Souji." The original Okita managed one last smile before fading away completely. The Bug Space also vanished, leaving Okita Alter alone on the rooftop. Looking about, she saw Ritsuka on the street below, jumping back down to him. "Master, the Saber servant has been defeated, though not in the manner I would have liked."
"That must have been Kazuradrop," Ritsuka mused. "Is that Okita's haori?"
"Yes... she passed it on to me." As she went to slip it on, Alter was suddenly engulfed in light... when it faded, her wardrobe had changed drastically. She now wore a black longcoat with gold highlights over a short-skirted red dress, with a black corset that was cut to show her cleavage. She also wore long black armored boots with tall platform soles. Her white hair had also lengthened drastically, flapping wildly with an invisible breeze. "I feel... stronger. More solid. Like my existence has been proven..."
"Excellent, excellent!" Slow clapping was heard, Ritsuka and Okita Alter turning to see Kazuradrop leaning against the wall. "Just as I calculated... not only did your encounter with the original Okita Souji cause you to synchronize with her, but you even took part of her Spirit Origin onto yourself, and ascended as a result!"
"Synchronize...? So that's why I suddenly remembered," Alter comprehended. "So you were not kidnapped after all?"
"More like I convinced Caster that I could be a powerful asset to him," Drop smirked.
"So Caster is the mastermind behind this singularity?" Ritsuka asked.
"Yeah..." Drop then gave them a physical description. "Unfortunately, I still don't know his True Name..."
"That description doesn't sound familiar to me," Okita Alter shook her head. "What about you, Master?"
"I don't know either," Ritsuka shrugged. "But seeing as both Nobunaga and Okita were summoned here, he must have some connection to one or both of them..."
"He did act like he knew Nobunaga somehow," Drop affirmed with a nod. "If only our Nobu were here, we could try asking her... anyway, I gotta get back before Caster gets suspicious. Good luck, Master, Okita Alter." Bowing to them, she turned and ran off.
"...I don't trust her. She did not seem completely honest," Alter observed after she had left.
"She has rebelled against her mother in the past..." Ritsuka nodded grimly. "She could be manipulating us somehow. For now, let's go back to the detective agency. Hopefully Haruhi and Ryouma were successful, too..."
"As you wish, Master. And then it's time to put an end to this." Okita Alter asserted.
*Sakamoto Detective Agency*
Haruhi was standing alone when Ritsuka and Okita Alter entered. "Whoa... Okita, you got sexy! What happened to you?"
"The Saber servant was myself, Okita Souji," Alter explained. "According to Kazuradrop, we synchronized, and then she used her Bug Space to ensure my victory. I did not agree with her methods, however."
"The original Okita passed on her haori to Alter here," Ritsuka added. "Drop seemed quite fascinated by Okita Alter's ascension as a result..."
"She's obviously up to something," Haruhi sighed. "And if you're wondering where Izo went..." Before she could continue, footsteps were heard. "Oh, maybe that's him there..."
But it wasn't, as Ryouma and Oryou entered the agency, looking a bit worse for wear. "Uh-oh, did you fail?"
"Not exactly..." Ryouma sighed. "We managed to fight Berserker to a draw, but we couldn't disable the redline... we'll have to try again at some other time. So how did things go with you? Oh, and where's Izo?"
"Izo stormed off after getting beaten by Li Shuwen," Haruhi explained. "Fortunately he softened him up enough that I was able to finish the job myself... Definitely made me work for it, though. I can sure see why he was a legend in his time..."
"We managed to defeat the Saber servant," Ritsuka said, before repeating what he'd just told Haruhi.
"Okita herself... so that's why that Kazuradrop was so confident," Sakamoto mused. "And it looks like our little Okita isn't so weak and frail anymore."
"Yes, my Saint Graph, though still unstable, has strengthened immensely," Okita Alter nodded. "I should be much more able to serve Master now."
"Well, why don't we call it a day, get some rest, and then tomorrow we'll figure out our next plan of attack," Haruhi suggested. "Sound good?"
The others voiced their agreement...
*The next morning...*
"Sorry you had to sleep on the floor, Okita," Ritsuka lamented as he and the others roused.
"I'm fine, Master," Okita Alter assured him, before yawning. "I feel like I could sleep more, though..." Just then, there was a knock at the door. Immeidately Okita was alert, one hand on her nodachi... "Oh, wait. It's just Okada Izo."
"I'll get it," Haruhi called, unlocking and opening the door. "Morning, Izo-san. Where have you been?"
"Drowning my sorrows at the bar," Izo grumbled. "Don't get the wrong idea, I only came back here 'cause I don't have anywhere else to go. Got it?!"
"Well, it's good to have you back, Izo, even if you don't reciprocate," Ryouma greeted.
"Oryou would rather just eat him," Oryou mumbled from behind Sakamoto.
"Do you practice being creepy?" Haruhi sighed, before conjuring a frog in one hand. "Here, eat this instead." Oryou practically teleported over, grabbing said frog and swallowing it whole without chewing.
"I didn't need to see that," Ritsuka grunted, a little queasy.
"Well, now that everyone's here," Ryouma spoke up, "Let's go over our plan of attack for today. Even though I failed to defeat Berserker, I doubt he'll want to ally with Nobunaga, so we shouldn't have to worry about him for the time being."
"Guess that's one silver lining of your failure," Haruhi gave a small nod. "So, you want to try a combined strike on Nobu today?"
"Yeah, but we're gonna need the element of surprise for it to work," Ryouma pointed out. "We need someone to scout out the redline so we know what exactly we're up against with Nobu..."
"How about Izo and I go?" Haruhi suggested. "He is an Assassin, after all, and I'm human, so they'll just think I'm a normal Master... Just don't try to ditch me this time."
"You said you could handle things last time!" Izo countered. "Ugh, fine, you're still better than the traitor or the weakling..."
"I'm not a weakling anymore," Okita Alter asserted.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Izo taunted back. "Come on, Master, let's go..."
"Just let check the map first, so we know where we're going," Haruhi insisted.
*And so...*
Izo and Haruhi crept quietly through the alleys, keeping a lookout for any soldiers... "Don't see anybody," Izo muttered, the duo quickly dashing across the street into the next alley, moving quietly to the other end... "Wait, I sense somethin'... It's kinda weak, but definitely a servant."
"Maybe it's a remnant of one that lost the fight to become one of the seven Heroic Spirits?" Haruhi mused. They slowly peeked out of the alley, seeing a lanky boy with short black hair, dressed similarly to Nobunaga. "Wait... could that be Oda Nobukatsu?"
"Wait, Nobukatsu? Wasn't that Nobunaga's brother who rebelled against her and was executed?" Izo recalled.
"Might explain why he's so weak," Haruhi nodded thoughtfully. "Let's not kill him- we'll knock him out and drag him back to the agency for interrogation."
"Bah... I'd rather just chop him up," Izo sighed. "Oh, fine... I'll distract 'im, you sneak up from behind."
"Sounds good," Haruhi agreed. So Izo jumped up to the roof, waiting until Nobukatsu was at the right spot...
"Whoa!" Nobukatsu cried as Izo landed in front of him!
"Pleased to meet you," the Assassin grinned savagely. "Now die!" He drew his katana...
"Oh, no! HELP, SIS- Mmmmph!" His mouth was covered as Haruhi jumped him from behind!
"Nighty night, Nobukatsu!" Haruhi taunted as she closed her eyes and pinched the back of his neck, the servant promptly going limp and unconscious.
"How'd you do that?" Izo asked curiously.
"Trade secret," Haruhi smirked. "Come on, let's get him out of here before any soldiers show up..."
"Right, right," Izo sighed as he sheathed his sword, picking up Nobukatsu's legs, the duo carrying him off...
*Back at the agency...*
"Ughh..." Nobukatsu slowly came to, soon realizing he'd been tied to a chair! "Huh? What's going on?!"
"Put simply you're a POW," Haruhi said with a smirk. "Welcome to the Sakamoto Detective Agency. I'm Haruhi Suzumiya, 49th Master of Chaldea. And this is-"
"Ritsuka Fujimaru, right?" Nobukatsu cut her off. "I know, Sister told me all about him!"
"Wait, Nobunaga knows me?" Ritsuka said, nonplussed. "But she didn't seem to recognize me when she shot me..."
"Not THAT one! My real sister, not the fake! The one from your Chaldea!" Nobukatsu corrected.
"Wait, how do you know the Nobunaga from Chaldea?" Ryouma asked suspiciously.
"Alright, brother, let me take charge!" Nobukatsu's voice suddenly gained a feminine lilt. "(ahem) Behold and despair, Masters of Chaldea! For it is I, the true Demon King of Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga! Hahahahaha!"
"HUH?!" Everyone gasped in shock.
*To be continued...*