Here we go.
Beta: CrowSkull
Other Beta: Cam
The Seventh War
Chapter 6
Victor looked up from his bed as knuckles rattled against his already opened door. His face lit up in a joyful smile when he saw the one who he has been most hoping to see enter through that very doorway for days now. "Grandson," The old man said as he reached out to grab the young man's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze which was really just him squeezing as hard as he can with his old bones and muscles. "I have been worried for you, has everything been okay in the war?"
"Sh," Francis shushed, giving his grandfather an apologetic look the instant after. "Mom and Dad are still in the house. They still don't know about what I'm doing and I'd prefer it that way if you don't mind."
"No, no, I understand," Victor chuckled. "Forgive me, sometimes my mind slips here and there. But still, how is everything? Are you okay?"
Francis sighed as he looked back and checked the hallway to make sure no one would be listening in on them before nodding and shutting the door behind him. He took his usual seat, which was a chair at the corner of the room which looked as if it had been sat in countless times already. Once he doubled checked with his senses that no one was listening in on him, he explained himself.
Everything that had happened, one by one, had Victor slowly widening his eyes more and more while also surprising him with each and every encounter that Francis had run into during his short time as a Master of the Seventh Holy Grail War.
"Oh my… you have certainly been busy."
Despite it all, Francis just laughed. "Yeah, tell me about it. And that's not even the worst of it, after I brought Aza home and dealt with her father, Berserkers Master showed up in front of the house. Just a handful of hours ago, actually."
"He did?" Victor sat up and immediately regret it, wincing and holding his side where a badly healed injury kept him bedridden for life. Francis helped him lie back down and warned him not to try something like that again as it was a danger to his health. "Francis my health is the least of my concern at the moment. Berserker's Master is clearly not someone that should be trifled with, and you have made a great enemy of him."
"He tried to kill Aza," Francis explained as if that explained everything. "He was a great enemy before he could ever be anything else. I'll make sure he pays for that someday, or at the very least guarantee that he will not be the last one standing in this war."
"Hah," Victor sighed heavily and shook his head. "What did he want? There has to be something, and since we are currently not explaining to your parents what is happening then I assume that you were able to work it out?"
"Something of the sort." It was Francis' turn to sigh as he remembered what happened. "Long story short he's blackmailing me to leave him alone while the war rages on. He thinks I'm dangerous and doesn't want me to go after him anytime soon. I assume that's until we are the last ones alive."
"Hmph, he is right to fear you. You broke down his greatest defense with ease. That is no small feat, Francis. Destroying a magic barrier usually takes much, much longer than just a few seconds."
"I don't think his greatest attribute is defense anyhow," Francis explained. "The shield was clearly meant just to take something in. I think even Aza would have been able to take it down if she focused it, but she just assumed that the shield would be too strong. Not that I blame her, any trap like that will make a Magus believe that the barrier is there for a reason, and it's not to act as a paper-thin defense from the outside."
"Nevertheless, he is being cautious of you. If he wasn't, why would he go through all the trouble and risks following you all the way here and waiting until you were alone to speak with you?"
"I have a feeling its more of my Servant," Francis said. "Assassin proved to be much stronger than his class insinuates. The way he fought Berserker… I have a feeling that if the fight went on, it would have ended in his victory."
"I'm not so sure about that, Master."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Grandson." Victor and Susano said at nearly the same time.
Francis blinked in a confused manner. "What do you mean?" He asked them both.
"Allow me to explain," Susano said as he manifested on the other side of Victor's bed. For a split second, Francis was terrified that someone would walk in at that very moment if he hadn't already locked the door behind him. Victor looked at the Servant with wide eyes, having never seen him before he was clearly awe-struck.
"This is Assassin…?" Victor said with a soft chuckle. "I never suspected that he would look so unlike an Assassin class Servant,"
"Oh, you have no idea," Susano laughed. "Anyway, if I kept fighting Berserker as I was before, I would have lost eventually. It is true that I am clearly the more skilled, but his healing was just as fast as my damaging him. Even when I used one of my fastest and most deadly techniques, I couldn't end his life fast enough before I ran low on mana. It is highly likely that Berserker's Master doesn't know the strength of his own Servant, and assumed that he was losing when I was cutting him up as I was."
"Are you sure?" Francis asked as he unbuttoned his shirt so that his upper chest was more visible. Over his heart and nearer to his left shoulder, the magic crest of the glacier family glowed a vibrant bright green color. "Before Berserker and his Master retreated I just started tapping into the power of this magic crest. It could have boosted you enough to the point of being able to slay Berserker, don't you think?"
"Hm…" Susano stroked his goatee as he gave it some thought, then shrugged his shoulders. "Even then, I don't know. That is only something that we can confirm if we put it into practice instead of hypothesizing potential outcomes."
"I suppose you're right," Francis sighed as he leaned back in his seat. "I suppose we were lucky that the other Master and Servant we came across didn't attack us, we might have been screwed if they did."
"I would have been able to get us out of there, I may have been tired but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have been able to push myself to get us out of there."
"And what about Aza?"
"Pft, as if I'd let myself deal with your incessant complaints if I had left her behind," Susano scoffed. "Even if your little girlfriend is the Master of my wench of a sister, I wouldn't have let her die unless she deserved it."
"Wait, your sister is also a Servant that's been summoned to this war?" Victor asked, shocked. "Amaterasu? The Kami of the Sun?"
"Also a coward, runner, and cries to daddy for help and still manage to lose to me even after that," Susano said with a burst of hardy laughter. "Then again, I have Tsukuyomi to thank for that, don't I? Ah well, the past is the past. The fact that my sister is an enemy Servant doesn't matter to me at this very moment. Since your little girlfriend-"
"Just call her Azael, please."
"Fine, Azael," Susano corrected. "Used a Command Spell on her to order her never to attack us means that she isn't going to be a problem until we're the last ones left. And at that point, well, we'll deal with that when the time comes."
"Right," Francis didn't want to think about that any more than he had already, so it came naturally to easily agree. "It still shocks me that she'd do that. She was always so headstrong and if I know her than she'd never want to waste a command spell like that."
"Maybe from her perspective it wasn't a waste," Victor pointed out. "The girl obviously cares for you, Francis. The feelings you once had for each other are clearly still there. In fact, I happen to believe that they never left in the first place, did they?"
"No, no, you're right." Swallowing back his embarrassment, Francis nodded his head. "What we shared isn't something either of us ever got over. Whatever that means for the future we'll just have to see. I think its a poor time to talk about something like that with her during a war like this, and I also think its the last thing that we should be talking about right now. My relationship with Aza shouldn't be a concern that rises over the events of the Holy Grail War."
"Fair, very fair," Susano replied as he leaned back against the wall.
"What of this ally of yours? The old man?" Victor asked. "What was his name again?"
"Piotyr," Francis had a hard time pronouncing that despite hearing the way the man himself said it before. "Piotyr Vezenov. Ironically, other than the Masters that I haven't run into yet I know very little about him. But his Servant, Rider, appears to be a pacifist. Which should make him a minor threat unless we provoke his Servant or if he uses a Command Spell."
"Good thing you two are allies then or was it a cease-fire?" Victor continued before Francis could answer. "You might as well be allies at this point. With enemies like Berserker, Archer, and even this Saber Servant out there as a potential threat in the future. Temporary alliances can mean the difference between being overwhelmed and destroyed and winning the war. I suggest that you get in contact with him soon and form some kind of plan together. Even if his Servant is useless unless provoked, that doesn't mean that the Master is as well. He created a Reality Marble on his own, correct?"
"Y-yeah." Francis felt shivers run up and down his spine as he remembered that. It was incredible, it was something he hasn't even attempted to try before ever in his life. "It was an incredible sight to behold."
"Anyone man or woman who can create a Reality Marble by themselves is not someone to mess with. I think this Piotyr is hiding his true strength, and the fact that you saved his life will have him naturally in your debt. He has already advised you to visit the church to see the mediator, perhaps you can rely on him for another favor?"
Francis looked at his grandfather and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "That's another thing," he crossed his arms. "I spoke with Father Paul. The current mediator of the Seventh Holy Grail War."
"You did?" Victor asked, clearly not aware that he actually went and spoke to the man. "I see, what did you want to find out from him?"
"Some of the things he explained to me I already knew, but there was really just one thing that I was so curious of that I couldn't just let myself be ignorant of the true events. Victor," It was a rare time where Francis referred to his grandfather by name, but when he did, he had his full attention. "You said that you were a Master of the Sixth Holy Grail War,"
Victor nodded. "I did, I was."
"The Sixth Holy Grail War lasted a single day." Francis pointed out.
Victor sucked in a breath and shut his eyes.
"The war lasted a single day," Francis repeated. "That means six Masters and six Servants died in less than twenty-four hours. And yet, here you are, alive and… I won't say well, but you are still here. What I want to know now, is this; Which one of you is lying to me?"
"Grandson… I helped you learn how to control your magecraft from the moment you started showing signs of it. I pushed for it even when your father was against it, and convinced him that you had to learn it. Why would I lie to you?"
"Why would the mediator?" Francis asked. "If there is anything you taught me it was to be cautious and thorough. You told me that there was just you and one other survivor and you both failed to make a wish of the war, and Paul is telling me that there was only one survivor, which has to be you since you're here now safe and sound."
"You don't believe me?" Victor asked calmly.
"I don't know what to believe right now," Francis admitted with a shaky laugh. "I just saw two Gods fight each other in a bloody alleyway, I had to defend myself from a Servant and an enemy Master with Shadow Magecraft, and if there is anything that I have learned from reading up on the past wars, especially the fourth, it was that people can be very deceptive, and manipulative. Being related to the liar just makes it easier for the victim to be made the fool."
"I did teach you well," Victor chuckled. "Very well, I will say that I did not ever lie to you about what happened, at least from my perspective. Obviously it should go without saying that I've changed after witnessing the events of the Sixth War firsthand. It has rendered me bedridden and my magecraft has decayed in just a few short years."
"What happened?" Francis asked.
"I lost," Victor admitted, letting out a long, deep sigh as soon as he did so. "I lost horribly. My Servant was killed, and I was at the mercy of the other Master. However, something happened. I don't know what, but I was allowed to escape with my life. I left Fuyuki and I never returned. I still see the dead faces of everyone that had lost their lives… it was so… brutal."
"So there was one other Master?" Francis said to himself. "Maybe… maybe neither of you are lying. The way you are saying that makes me believe that you are telling the truth, and according to the information from Paul, perhaps from his perspective or from what the Mage's Association allows us access then there was only one survivor. Hm…"
"Why are you so interested in the previous wars?" Victor asked finally. "They are events of the past. I had my chance, I lost my chance, and you have gained your own recently. Focus on the current war and then feel free to discover what happened in the past once the Seventh is all over and done with."
"There is something to learn from these past wars," Francis explained. "I don't know what it is but there is something that I don't know and it's bothering me, I have a feeling that it will be a lot more important than any of us are enabled to believe. Something is being hidden, and I want to find it as soon as possible."
"I'd suggest against that but it seems that you have made up your mind." Victor sighed. "And what of you, Assassin? What are your thoughts on your Master's decision?"
"My Master is my Master, he can do what he wants if he thinks it important to the outcome of this war," Susano replied. "My thoughts matter little anyway, I am just here to serve as his bodyguard for the time being. My input will only matter if I know what questions to answer, which I don't, as the secrets of the Holy Grail are lost even to me."
"I see," Victor let out yet another sigh. "Do as you deem necessary then, Francis. I must say, I am impressed that you would go so far for a mystery nobody else really cares about, but if you really think that there is something important to discover, do it. Even if I wanted to stop you," He gestured to his old, decrepit body hidden under the covers. "I don't think I'd stand much of a chance."
Francis chuckled at that. "Very well, I am glad you understand at least. I want to tell Aza as well, but she is probably still being taken care of by Masuru, I don't want to impede on that."
"Considering the way she reacted when you left, I have a feeling that she'd welcome you back," Susano remarked with a teasing grin.
"Ergh," Francis looked away. "I'll stay here for tonight," He deflected. "I don't trust Berserkers Master as much as I trust I'll be safe outside at night. I'll make sure that nothing will happen and then plan for the future. I think I owe Piotyr another visit, and after that, I'll see how Aza is doing, and then I'll return to the church."
"If that is what you want, so it shall be," Susano mocked as he dematerialized.
"Interesting Servant," Victor remarked. "He suits you well."
"Yeah," Francis scoffed. "He really is a character."
Masuru offered a bowl of soup to Azael.
Azael took the soup and held it within her hands.
When she looked at Masuru she saw her sitting at the edge of her bed, smiling gently as the admittedly fantastic scent of the soup reached all the way up and into her nostrils.
Azael sighed.
"Yes Masuru, you can start healing me now."
"Wonderful," Now with permission Masuru slid down the sheets that were covering Azael's body, revealing her legs and maneuvering her slightly so that she could get a better look at the stab wound that was dealt unto her by an enemy. Just yesterday it was bleeding, bruising, and normally would have taken days or weeks or even longer to heal. With a homunculus designed to play the support role however, it took no less than a few hours after closing the wound for the damage on the inside to be mended. Now, it was just a soft fading purple bruise that spanned out from the initial point of entry for about two to three inches. "How does it feel?" Masuru asked as she placed a hand against it, gently providing pressure as she fueled magecraft into her hand.
"Almost like I was never stabbed," Azael laughed as she ran a hand over where the stab wound used to be before Masuru healed it. "I don't feel any pain anymore. A little sore, yeah. But nothing to bitch about, really."
"That's good, I am glad," Masuru said. "Do you have any plans for tonight? The sun is going down soon and I imagine that vengeance must be on your mind, is it not?"
"M-Maybe not tonight," Azael admitted, albeit nervously.
"No?" Masuru tilted her head to the side. "Is there a reason for that? I'd have guessed that you would have wanted to go out and hunt down the Master of Berserker and his ally for ambushing and hurting you like that. My, I remember your… colorful words as you thought about what you were going to do to them and how."
"Yeah, well, I'm still a little shell-shocked about what happened. It was literally the day before yesterday. What Amy and I were up against… surprised me, it made me realize just how screwed I'd have been if Francis hadn't shown up, and even against Servants. I've been training my entire life and yet I couldn't even hold a candle to Berserker. Hell, I even made him stronger!"
"Surely that was exactly what you said it was before, a surprise. Not every Servant has the ability to absorb magical attacks."
"Yeah, but still. I threw everything I had against that thing," Azael replied, remembering the events clearly within her mind. "It just absorbed attack after attack, healed from actually everything and it just kept on fighting and fighting. And the fact that I couldn't do anything to help Francis and his Servant against that? I feel so weak and pathetic…"
"That is not true," Masuru gently placed her hand on top of hers. "You are so much more… I can see it just by looking at you."
Azael raised her head from her bowl of soup and stared into red eyes. For a moment, she felt an incredible warmth before she stomped it back down and shook her head. She reminded herself of who she was talking to. It wasn't her. Not her… "I think I'll okay by myself for the rest of the night, Masuru,"
Masuru blinked her eyes, confused. "Did I say anything wrong?"
"N-no, it's just…" Azael sighed. "I just need to be alone for a bit, to think ahead about what I need to do next. Nothing… You didn't do anything wrong."
Nodding her head and affirmed, Masuru stood up from her bedside. "Then I shall be nearby if you need me, Mistress Azael."
Azael didn't say anything in response as the homunculus made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her. Right as she heard the door click into place Azael slumped backward on her bed, suddenly exhausted. She brought her hands up and rubbed them down her face, wondering how she could have slipped up so horribly just then. Masuru nearly got to her again, she was just so nice and gentle, and there was nothing wrong with that per se but she just…
With yet another sigh Azael rolled onto her side and looked over to the Saber Servant that had been sitting down and meditating while staring out the window for about thirty-six hours straight. She stared into her back, thinking back yet again on that night. Amaterasu could have fought with Francis' Servant, and yet she chose to stay behind and simply watch as Berserker and Assasin battled. She even went as far as to attack Francis and Assassin even after they just saved their lives. If she hadn't used a Command Spell, she was afraid that Amaterasu would have seriously hurt Francis or worse…
"Why?" She finally said to the Servant after a few minutes of thinking about whether or not she should even bother. "Why did you attack them?"
For the first time in over a day and a half, Amaterasu moved. Inclining her head over to her Master just enough to be noticeable. "Whatever could you mean?" She asked in a tone that was vaguely sarcastic.
"You know what I mean, Saber," Azael said, sitting up and throwing her legs over the bed. She stood and made her way to the Servant, who looked up at her as she walked around to her front, blocking her view to the outside. "Francis and his Servant, they helped us and you still tried to kill them. I want you to tell me why?"
"Hmph," Amaterasu puffed air out through her nose. "You know my legend, do you not? That is a question you should already know the answer to, and one I am surprised you would bother to ask."
"I might have decided not to if you didn't just sit there the entire time," Azael pointed out. "And I may know a version of your legend but I didn't even know you had a husband before you told me, so I think that my and your versions are just a little different, don't you think?"
Amaterasu sighed and shook her head exasperatedly. "Master, this is something that I am uncomfortable talking about-"
"I don't care right now," Azael cut her off. She dropped down to one knee to get to her Servant's level, who blinked owlishly at her as brown eyes met vibrant green. "You tried to attack Francis. I like Francis. I would hate it if he was hurt, and if I hadn't been forced to use a Command Seal on you," She showed her hand, which was now missing one segment of its markings. "He really might have been hurt. So, tell me why you did that before I use another Seal to force you to tell me."
Amaterasu held her glare for several more moments before letting out an airy laugh. She stifled it down before it could get too out of control and when she was done she gave Azael a confident stare. "Fine then, I'll tell you something about my past. First off, the Servant you know as Assassin, I know him very personally. As he is my brother,"
Azael nodded along. "Yeah, I heard you scream that out when you attacked. Susano, right?"
"Indeed. The Kami of the Storm. Hmph, he is undeserving of such a title…"
"There was something he said that caught my ear," Azael remarked. "He said something along the lines of "You don't want to end up like last time, do you?" And after that, you went crazy. Does that mean what I think it means…?"
"Yes," Amaterasu confirmed. "In my true life as the Kami of the Sun, I was killed in a great Civil War… by my brother."
"Well, that definitely makes things more clear," Azael said with a sigh, giving her Servant a pitying look as she calmed down. "How did it happen? How it all started, I mean. You two are brother and sister, surely the two of you didn't go from that to wanting to kill each other overnight."
"True," Amaterasu allowed. "There was once a time I would call him a true brother in our younger years, but that quickly changed the moment we were given our titles…" Amaterasu shook her head at the memory. "Everything changed then, I was the Goddess of the Sun and he the storm. We were nearly polar opposites, and we grew further and further apart. He used to brag about it, saying that although I wield the power of the sun, he holds the power to smother it."
Azael widened her eyes at the familiar saying. "Holy shit… he is the one, isn't he? Your one and only true counter…"
"He is," Amaterasu confirmed. "As am I to him."
"But you lost," Azael pointed out.
"I did, in the end," Amaterasu replied. "Did you think that we only battled once? Hmph, no. We were equals for millennia. Until… he tried a new strategy." Shaking her head, Amaterasu scrunched her brow down in clear anguish. "I'll tell you more another time, but with what you know now you should know the gist of why I attacked my brother and distrusted him so. I'll apologize for putting your ally in danger, but not for him."
"It's… it's fine," Azael said with a heavy sigh. "I won't hold a grudge against my own Servant as long as they know what they did wrong. Thank you for helping me understand," Tapping her shoulder, Azael gestured for her to stand. "Now follow me,"
"Follow you? Where?" Amaterasu gestured to the window. "The sun is still out. The night doesn't come for several more hours."
"All the more reason for us not to waste it in here," Azael said as she began to put on her usual outfit. "Let's go visit the school, I know some things that we can do over there. It's better than sitting in her wallowing in the past until night actually comes. Let's make something of it."
"If that is what you wish," Bowing, Amaterasu flashed into her casual modern outfit. "Lead the way, Master."
"What is this?" Amy asked as she looked down at the fizzy drink between her hands. "It smells… strange."
"It's called strawberry soda," Azael explained. "Drink it."
"I am a Servant you know, I don't need to eat or drink," Amy remarked.
"Yeah, yeah, you've said that before. Just drink it, I spent a dollar-fifty on that, if you don't drink it then I will."
"Fine," With a roll of her eyes, Amy pointed the bottom of the can to the ceiling and downed the entire thing in seconds. Azael gave her quiet approvals in the form of a hum. When the Servant was done drinking she looked back at the can and crushed it within her hand. As the two of them walked she threw it in a nearby trash can.
"So, how was it?" Azael asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It was okay, I suppose," Amy replied, shrugging. "I thought the modern drink would be more… delicious. Then again, I have tasted divine waters and Sake, so a mere soda wouldn't stack very high on the tier list compared to that."
"Guess so," Azael laughed. "We're coming up on the school now. Francis shouldn't be here right now, he texted me earlier that he's staying home tonight. So that should give you some time to calm down."
It was Amy's turn to raise an eyebrow at that. "Calm? I am already calm."
"Yeah, now, but even with the Command Spell I know that you don't like the idea of not killing your brother on sight." Azael pointed out. "So I think its good that we give you some time to think about it and relax. Who knows, maybe you and your brother can makeup or something."
"I see what you are trying to do," Amaterasu replied, scowling at her Master. "Susano and I are not a pair of siblings that can simply make up as you so easily put it. He killed me and brought my kingdom to ruin."
"And that was thousands of years ago, and clearly he met his end as well." Azael remained steadfast. "I'm not saying that you should forgive him and maybe suggesting that the two of you could make up was a bit much since even if you did you'd just lose your memories the moment the war is over, but I think that with some time, and with the Command Seal binding you, you could at least work with him."
"I am going to have to anyway, don't I? Even if I wanted to go after him I wouldn't be able to touch him."
"Which should make it easier for this all to work out."
Amy sighed through her nose and shook her head but couldn't help but feel amused. Azael was a being a good Master, looking after her allies and keeping alliances, even if Francis was a given because of his relationship with her. They were a good fit, Amy noticed that her Master was also changed after what had happened the night before. She was a lot more temperamental before Berserker nearly defeated them both and now she hasn't said a curse word in several hours. Which had to be a new record, if anyone was keeping track.
"If you say so, Master," Amy said as they made it to the same school she met Francis for the first time.
"Wait," Amy stretched out an arm across Azael's chest and narrowed her eyes toward the school. Ever so slightly, her eyes shined a golden color as she felt something stab within her mind.
"What is it?" Azael asked, also suddenly serious. "A Servant?"
"Yes," Amy said, narrowing her eyes even more. "There is or was a Servant in this school, and it isn't my brother. No, this is something different. Traces of magic line the halls of this building. Tell me, are the halls clear?"
Azael checked the time on her phone. "Everyone should be in class at this time so I'd say so."
"Good," Amy pulled her Master by the forearm into the school and down one of the hallways. After looking both ways to make sure she was alone, gold light flashed around Amy's body and her combat kimono returned. Her sword remained sheath at her side, but she kept a hand on it at all times. "Somewhere down the hallway, I sense something vaguely. It isn't a Servant, its much too weak to be one. But it may be a trap. Be on guard."
"Oh, I will," Azael said fire waved around her left hand. Shrugging off her jacket next, she revealed her arms. One of which had the suppressing bracelet on. "This time, I won't let myself be fooled so easily."
Azael followed her Saber Servant closely behind as Amy traveled through the halls. It was a large building, so they had a short distance to travel and several empty classrooms to check. As the time ticked by Azael felt more and more anxious, feeling as though something was going to jump out of them from any angle and at any time. She kept her flames close and her Servant closer, not willing to let any long-distance separate the two of them in what had to be some kind of trapped hallway.
"There," Amy said as she pointed to one of the professor staff rooms. "The sense I am feeling has its greatest force inside of that room."
"Let's take this on together, then," Azael said, keeping a hand on Amy's shoulder as the two of them slowly made their way toward the room. Whatever was in there would have to get through the Saber Servant if they wanted to get to the Master. In this case, there was only one direction the enemy could attack them from. Which would make it painfully easy for Amy to take care of whatever threat it was before it could pose a threat to her.
Amy gripped the round doorknob and twisted, the lock popped open easily as she pushed through it regardless. The door fell off its hinges and inside the room was… nothing that Azael immediately found threatening. It was a room full of professors, who were all sitting at their computers. What put her on guard was the fact that none of them even bothered to look at the two of them even though they had just broken down their door. Confused, but not letting down her guard, Azael slowly moved forward away from her Servant.
"Hello?" She called out to the absentminded professors. "You just going to ignore what we just did?" She asked, still confused.
"The magic is coming from this room…" Amy said, thinking about what was happening before her eyes. "Yet none of these people seem to be reacting, but something is wrong. I just know it."
"Is this some magical trick I don't know about?" Azael asked.
"It may be, but stay on guard, we don't know who this may be. I don't think its Berserker again."
"Isn't this not allowed anyway?" Azael asked as she looked around the room. "Servants can't do anything during the day except walk around. Though clearly it seems that rule is more of a guideline than anything solid."
"Rules can be bent instead of broken. The presence of a Servant still lingers. But there was definitely one here before."
"Hm," Azael walked up to one of the professors. After giving it some thought, she tapped them on the shoulder. Nothing happened. Doing it again, she grabbed the man's shoulder instead. Shaking them and trying to get their attention. Still nothing. At that point, Amy was already by her side. Sharing a nod with her, Azael decided to turn the man around. The chair rolled as she pulled him away from the desk. The man leaned bodily backward into his chair and glowing green eyes stared at her.
The man's head came flying off as soon as those eyes flicked down and toward her. Azael yelped and jumped back from it, looking at her Servant with shock in her eyes. "This is no man," Her Servant explained with disgust in her eyes, looking down at the still writhing creature as it screeched and roared so loud it hurt her ears. "This man has been dead for minutes before we got here. He's been reanimated, just as all the other ones are."
Azael looked around and confirmed what her Servant had said. The professors were no longer human. They looked at her with hunger in their green, glowing eyes. Drool dripped from their frothing mouths as inhuman screams escaped from all of their mouths. Azael took another look at the scene before her and grit her teeth.
Not again. "Amy, you're immune to fire, right?"
"I am," Amy confirmed, slowly drawing her sword a second time. "Wait, what are you doing?"
"Not holding back," Azael said as she cupped her hands together, forming a glowing ball of flame within them. "These things can't get out to the halls, people are going to freak out if they see one of them stumbling around. I can't allow it, I am going to destroy this room and everything in it."
"Very well," Amy said, easily convinced. "Do what you wish, but make sure that the damage isn't too extensive. There are still innocents in this building."
"Oh, don't worry," Azael smirked as she mentally mapped out the outside of the building. "This room leads to nothing on the other side. They'll probably call it a gas leak, I don't know."
The ball of flame in her hand grew to the size of a basketball before shrinking back down to the size of a golf ball. In its condensed form, Azael held that arm out and supported it with the other, quickly backing up to the entrance of the room before letting go of the stored up magecraft. The fire engulfed the entire room and the creatures within it before they could even get too close to her, and as the heat of her flames started to burn and melt away the staff room, Azael went a step further.
"Scorch it all to nothing!" She screamed as she increased the intensity of the fire blast twofold. The entire room exploded and the shockwave blew her back, but before she could smash against the wall Amaterasu caught her. She staggered as she was placed back down on her feet, looking at her work with a special glint in her eyes as she marveled at her own destructive force.
"That was too much!" Amaterasu berated as she made her look at her. "The entire room is destroyed and the room above it is damaged! People will know that this was more than a gas leak Master, what were you thinking!?"
"Relax, its nothing serious. I know no one was hurt," Azael said with a scoff. "C'mon, you can bitch to me more about it later when we're out of here. I'm sure Francis would like to know that his school isn't safe to attend anymore. Whoever infected those people could still be close by."
"You… ugh," Shaking her head, Amy dematerialized. "This is a mistake, Master. You being so casual about this is… concerning."
"No one was hurt," Azael said in a bored tone as she picked her jacket back up and threw it back on. "And this way, there's no evidence of what that Servant did."
"After that display, I'd be surprised if they could find anything."
"The Master of Saber destroyed the signal I was keeping track of," Archer remarked as he stood in the shadows beside his Master, just a block away from where the still-smoking explosion took place. "Caster isn't there, he wouldn't have gone down so easily, neither would Berserker or Eren."
"I see, this is regrettable." Lao sighed. "I've been tracking that signal for over an hour… so much for a morning patrol," He said, turning around from the explosion. He even went so far as to wear more casual American clothing, as did his Servant so that they could fit in more and not attract so much attention. "Come, there's nothing else for us here. Saber's Master made sure of that."
"There may be something I'd be able to rummage out of the ashes…" Horus pointed out.
"Not when there are so many firemen and police officers on their way to the scene. No, I appreciate the effort Archer but right now we might as well return to my home." Lao said.
"Hm, perhaps this short trip wasn't a complete waste of time," Horus said as he pointed his finger down the block. "I can see Saber's Master from her, calling someone on her phone. She is scratching at her arm, and she looks shaky. Much unlike how she was when she came out of the building. I suspect that she has trouble controlling her magecraft. It would explain why her abilities are so violent and explosive."
"Control troubles, is it?" Lao tried to see what Horus was referring to but couldn't find it. He assumed that it was the fact that he was an Archer Servant that he was able to see so far away. It made sense. "That is something to keep in mind for when we eventually do battle against her."
"Do you think you could beat her?" Horus asked.
"Oh, I think I can easily defeat her," Lao replied. "Not to sound cocky or anything, but unless she surprises me I'd be able to run circles around her. Arrogant children are the easiest to teach, and the easiest to manipulate. Her ally is more of a concern to me than she is, and we would earn an enemy out of him if we bested her."
"The white-haired one?" Horus raised an eyebrow. "I'd think your confidence would be well placed with him as well."
"Him, I'm not so sure. He faced off against Eren just as I did, and drove him away. That is a victory in itself. He may be young, but I'd keep my guard around him." Lao explained. "Now come, the Masters of Saber and Assassin are of no concern to us now. Caster and Berserker are. We'll rest for the remainder of this day and continue hunting them down tonight."
"Like that's been going so well as of late," Horus laughed.
"Come now, we've had an unlucky streak, sure, but we have yet to be defeated. Let's not allow us to grow complacent because of that. I have a promise to keep, after all. Eren Vex will die by my blade."
"As you say then, Master." Horus stepped out of the alleyway and dematerialized into golden particles.
Lao looked up at the sky, and then at the sun which shined brightly in the center of the sky. "It really is a good day," He muttered as he walked away from the explosion behind him. "A shame I won't be able to enjoy good days until this war is over."
Shorter chapter this time around but one that will lead to other events. Hope you all don't mind. See ya next time!
T w itter . com (slash) genatools
