CHAPTER 1: SINISTER SHADOW CITY PART 1
The bright lights of the city shined their glow as Saya and Mash came to. Large buildings and skyscrapers closed them in.
"Looks like we've made it." Mash said.
"Yeah, but…" Saya started as they looked around. Despite arriving in New York City, the nearby surroundings possessed not a single soul, save for them.
"Da Vinci, are you picking this up?" Mash asked.
"Hmm, we're seeing that there are still people living in the city. You should be seeing some. New York is referred to as 'The City That Never Sleeps'. Even with some of the weirdness going on, people should be out."
"I'm still not seeing any." Mash replied. "This can't be good."
"Wait, who are those?" Saya said, pointing out three figures.
Clanking could be heard as the figures grew closer. It was obvious that the three seemed off. Silver knight armor adorned the group as they approached the Master and Demi-Servant, their lances at the ready.
"Senpai, be careful." Mash stated as she summoned her shield. The move proved right as no sooner than she did, the first lance lunged at her.
Mash was pushed back slightly as she nimbly used the motion to raise her shield, uppercutting the knight. The other two charged, Mash flipping backward to avoid. With all three in range, she swung wide, sweeping the knights in one blow.
"Mash, careful!" Saya shouted as more knights began to approach. She knew it wasn't good; they're we're going to be too many.
The precession of knights continued forth as the two were pushed back. With the buildings preventing further retreat, things weren't looking good. Had they not just arrived, this wouldn't have been a problem, but now, now it was.
"Someone seemed like they're in trouble." a voice called out. The knights glanced upward as a silhouette fell below.
The person was a man clad in a green gentleman's coat with green pants. A white, striped button up was decorated with a red tie and silver brooch. A green top hat sat atop blond hair, the left side of his hair sticking outward.
"You don't mind if I take these girls away from you?" he cheekily smiled.
He twirled his red jewel topped cane before tapping the ground with it. Smoke began to pour forth, clouding the three from the knights' vision.
"Grab onto me." he said, pointing the cane upward.
Mash and Saya did as he said. No sooner than grabbing him did something shot from the cane. In a moment, the trio launched into the air onto the rooftop. The two girls felt the sudden force as they reached their destination.
"That was…something." Saya uttered out.
"Guess I should have warned you. The first time can be quite an experience." the blond man said.
"Just who are you?" Mash asked.
"Ah, yes, introductions. Pardon me." he said, tipping his hat and bowing. "I was brought here as a Servant of the Assassin class. My name is Arsene Lupin."
"Arsene Lupin…" Mash muttered.
"Wait, you mean the Gentleman Thief from the Maurice Leblanc novels?" Da Vinci chimed in.
"Correct." he replied. "Let me guess: you believed my existence was entirely fictional. Well, worry not, for you see, these only aided my later career. Think about it. If a man passed off old stories of you as fiction, would it not aid in hiding oneself from those against him?"
"I suppose that'd be true." admitted Mash.
"Hence, your appropriate skepticism." he gestured. "Now then, moving to our next subject. Would you two partake in joining me in a venture to our hideaway? You don't seem to be working with those held up in that castle."
"Castle?" Saya pondered.
"If you don't know that, you're truly not one of them. Not to mention that explains why you're on the streets."
"Okay, we'll join you." Saya said.
"Excellent. Now, how are you in jumping from roof to roof?"
—
"We're here." Arsene said with a sweeping gesture.
"…"
Saya and Mash were speechless. Despite his grand gesturing, the building at laid before them appeared to be an older, miskept apartment building.
"I know, it's not much, but it's certainly inconspicuous." he tried to cover up.
The three entered the building as the Assassin lead them further in. Heading up the stairs, they stopped as they reached the fifth floor.
"This way." he motioned as he guided them to an apartment. He knocked. "I come bearing gifts."
Opening the door, only two people were inside, a man and a woman.
The man standing by the table had frizzy brown hair. His black over shirt was covered with several straps that ran randomly over its torso and sleeves. A white shirt was tied around his waist, obscuring his dark pants. The weirdest part of the outfit though was the multiple chains wrapped around him.
Meanwhile, the woman had long white hair with a red and black miniature crown. She wore a red red with yellow accents and a large, white flower design taking up the left side of her torso. Fingerless white gloves and long black boots made up the rest of her outfit.
"Ah, you brought guests." the woman said in a calm, singsong voice.
"So who are these?" the man asked.
"Actually, I didn't ask." Arsene said. "I found them out on the streets being attacked by the knights."
"Oh dear." the woman gasped. "Don't you know how dangerous the city has become?"
"We hadn't." explained Mash. "We're not from around here. Senpai and I are part of an organization named Chaldea. We've been helping restore the greater history of human. When we believed we finally fixed everything, we found strange anomalies, this place included."
"So you're the ones who have been doing that." the man chimed in. "We got knowledge about people doing that, but not who."
"Looks like we're all trying to do the same thing." the woman said. "It's great to have you here, um…"
"Mash."
"Saya."
"Mash, Saya, glad you're here to help. I suppose it's our turn to introduce ourselves. There's no need to hold back true names."
"Since you know our Assassin class servant, I guess I'll go next." the man said. "I'm Harry Houdini. When I was brought here, I manifested as a Caster."
"And my name is Marie Therese. I'm a Rider and I suppose I'm the leader of our ragtag group."
"Now that introductions are out of the way, it's about time we explain our situation to our newbies. Besides, I have new information to tell."