CHAPTER 2: SINISTER SHADOW CITY PART 2

A single, solitary figure glanced over the city, his long, white hair swept up by the wind. Adorned in a long, white coat decorated with various gold chains and buttons, a black shirt held back by tan belts, and dark blue pants, it was clear they'd updated their look to suit their modern surroundings. Brushing the hair out of his eyes, he gazed more intently.

"Master of Chaldea, you're here." he spoke. "Come, let us meet. The wheels of fate are ever moving, bringing this moment closer. Come to me."

—

Having had everyone seated around the table, Arsene began his report.

"Even though you two know some of the facts, I'll explain everything for our guests. Whatever is happening to this city started not long ago. New York City was cut off from the outside. Yet, that wasn't the end of it. Contrary to history, a strange castle has appeared in Central Park."

"Wait, a castle suddenly popped up out of nowhere!?" Saya interjected.

"Was that the castle you mentioned earlier?" asked Mash.

"Indeed. Archer and I journeyed over and confirmed it's real and that it's the enemy's base of operations. They stayed behind to monitor it while I came back to report. As these two know, I stumbled upon them on the way and the rest is simple."

"How guarded was the castle?" Marie Therese asked.

"The knights we've seen patrolling parts of the city had a strong presence. Although, something felt off, almost like something else is there."

"Thank you for the report. Now, I'll explain the rest." Marie said as she turned toward Saya and Mash. "Each of us found ourselves called forth as a countermeasure to this situation. I ran into the others not long after. Heh, I suppose we realized we weren't much of a force by ourselves so we joined together, just Caster, Assassin, Archer, and me. Oh yeah, Archer is currently out as Assassin explained, but you should meet them eventually. Until we put a stop to whoever is behind this mess, you're free to lodge here. It's not much, but we can't exactly be too flashy."

"Thank you." Mash bowed her head. "Well Senpai, if we're staying here, we should get everything established."

—

"No, no, no!" a man frantically cried out. Exhaustion was evident on his face as he found himself face to face with a dead end.

"Tsk, what a shame." a man's voice said as two figures approached him. "Looks like this is the end of the road."

"Can I have this one?" a woman's voice asked.

"Sure." the man replied back.

"Please, I beg of you, spare me. I'll give you whatever you want." the panicked man tried reasoning. "Money? I'll give you money."

"Oh please." the woman said. "We have no need for that."

"We want two things." the man said.

"S-sure. What are t-they…" the other man spoke.

"First off, this." the woman replied.

A sharp pain ran through the cornered man as the knife entered his stomach. A cry of pain sounded out in the night.

"Ah, music." the woman cherished.

"Now, now, don't go dying on us already." the man jumped in. "Don't you want to know what the second thing is? Damn, looks like you were too precise on that one. Oh well. You think the others will like the meal he'll provide?"

"Why wouldn't they, Father?" the woman replied.

—

"Everything appears to be in place." Saya said as she dusted off her hands.

"That's good to hear." said Marie Therese. "If there's anything you need, let us know."

"Actually." Mash piped up. "We noticed people aren't on the streets. I know the situation, but you'd figure some would be out."

"It's not good." Marie Therese started speaking. "The knights you encountered are the least severe threat that's out there. We've heard about a roaming group of people who hunt anyone they encounter in the streets. Some have given their numbers as low as two or as high as twenty. To make matters worse, it appears there's another Servant stalking the streets and even homes. The people of the city are frightened, locking themselves in their houses. We've tried tracking these down, but we've come up empty handed every time."

"No wonder people don't come out." Saya replied.

"Excuse me." a voice called out. Turning around, they saw the familiar Assassin in the doorway. "I know you just settled in, but I was wondering if you want to join me in meeting with Archer."

"Of course." Saya said.

"Indeed. This could be a great chance to see the full scope of the problem." Mash added.

"Okay." Arsene said. "Get ready. We leave in five."