Chapter 3: What Matters...
So here is an update from me, the author!
First off, once again just warning you, this wont be the normal pace for the series. So dont worry about me going too fast for you, or worry if I start to slow down. I just happen to be able to move at lot faster at the beginning.
Second, someone has made a Berserker of Red servant, but no master, and someone is also making a Lancer of Red servant with no master. So if anyone has ideas for masters, there is that. Also, Rider of Red is open.
Third, although ill dip into various things for humor and such, the fic will remain rated T. So, there will be teasing, embarrassing stuff, hillarious stuff, and nudity, but there will be a line. A line that allows for laughter, but still a line. lol
Fourth, a tip for all you Fate Fanfic Writers. It is very, very, very helpful to get inspiration and energy to write this by watching and rewatching Fate anime. Thank you Netflix for all your hard work.
Everyone seemed to just freeze in place when they saw what transpired in front of them. Everything just seemed to pause for a moment...as Toko caught the arrows fired at him.
And the moment that was seen, Archer of Red and his master went into full panic mode.
"Icarus! Get out of there now!"
"What the...what the hell was that?! Did he just catch magical arrows fired from a Servant?!"
Even Rune was ultimately dumbfounded by what he just saw. Of course, he was at a distance, so he only got the basics from a telepathic message from Assassin. He grabbed the binoculars to see and...
"What the...is that..."
Toko meanwhile looked towards Icarus, and remembered what Suzuki told him.
"If you get into trouble, don't be afraid. Just do what you can".
Un. Alright, Suzu-nee. I will do waht I can about the Servant in the Sky...activating large scale Magic Reinforcement of entire body, utilizing Air Burst Magic Code, activating spell to cut through wind resistance...here I come!
And then, Toko jumped...or more like launched...himself into the air, right where Archer was.
"What...you have got to be kidding me! This is unreasonable!"
And Rune and Inuzuka, who were watching this, were also dumbfounded.
"Inu-nii...please tell me you know something..."
"Actually...I do...but...no no! Thats not possible! For us to not even know that! But...its the only explanation damnit!"
"Umm...can you calm down and tell me?"
"How much do you know about Servants and the Holy Grails?"
"That they are powerful beings, heroes, divine spirits, sometimes phantoms and wraiths, that are summoned to fight for a Holy Grail War. Supposedly, you cant summon one without a Holy Grail War though..."
"I mean, dont we technically only summon copies of them, or into vessals prepared as well?"
"Yes. Well, naturally, there are people who decided to try and create their own..."
"No...no way...are you saying that boy is an artificial construct...an artificial person...a homunculus?!"
"I heard a rumor of one experiment, brutal even by Mage standards. Supposedly, they created hundreds of thousands of child sized homunculi. Child sized to save resources on producing the bodies, so they didn't have to deal with the hormones and such they prevented them from being able to grow also. And then...they started to break them. Physically. Mentally. Magically. They tortured them practically non stop, many of them died with each stage of training and development. Mages might be known for being cold hearted and ruthless, but this level was deemed sickening and horrific even by other mages, and its masterminds hunted down. Its believed the project was canceled, or that they all died, but...he is about the right age for the rumors..."
Toko began bursting and zipping around, as fire manifested in his hand and he launched multiple projectiles. Even though they both appeared as elementry school kids, the battle between them was nothing but epic. Toko was seriously coming at Archer, with enough force and power that it was clear that even with Archer's Magic Resistance, that would still be a painful attack to recieve. Plus, Toko had buffed all his physical abilities to levels Archer could not be sure about, so he had to avoid getting hit at all costs.
"No way...so then...that kid is..."
"Yeah. I am not sure how far the project went, but looking at him now...he got pretty far. He probably was dealt severe psychological damage in the process though".
"Cool..."
Inuzuka looked at Rune with a confused face.
"Cool?"
"Dude, think about it. He is going toe to toe with a Heroic Spirit right now. I bet, when he dies, he will actually become a Heroic Spirit summonable by the Holy Grail. We legitimately have seen a future Heroic Spirit in real life!"
Inuzuka looked over at the fight, and clicked his tongue.
"It also means they have another Heroic Spirit on their side basically, which means we are outnumbered. Instead of seven versus seven, its seven versus eight basically".
As they talked and considered, Set managed to get behind Horus, but Horus spun around with a kick and got him in the gut. But not before Set managed to slash his arm, though only with a light cut. And meanwhile, Toko launched a powerful lightning attack at Archer with the intention of knocking him out of the sky. Archer used a Noble Phantasm, Absolute Aegis, to defend against it, but even so it was strong enough to shake Archer.
"Yeah, but you forget who we have as our Sabre. Our Castor is also great, our Archer can fly, the Assassin I summoned is badass. Maybe they have the numerical advantage, but we have the backing of the Mage's Association. And once our territory is finished being created, we will kick their ass".
"Yeah yeah...I just dont like stuff like this" Inuzuka said. He had a carefully laid out plan to take out an enemy early on, but instead they just ended up learning it was Seven to Eight...well, Inuzuka was happy to learn this now at least, instead of later. "Alright, Archer, we are pulling out".
"Assassin, leave him alone for now. Their reinforcements should be appearing soon, so we can deal with them later".
And thus, in front of Toko and Horus, their opponents retreated and disappeared in front of their eyes.
"That is some bullshit" Terry Blood said, as he watched the screen that showed what just occurred. "Is that even fair?"
"Technically speaking, its not against the rules to fight yourself, or to become that strong. However, in this day and age, its an extremely rare occurance".
"However, it is not up for any of us to decide, but for Ruler to decide. The fact he has not stepped in yet means he must find it acceptable".
"Besides, we have a God as our Sabre. Right Mr. Blood?"
"Yeah yeah, I get it. Its up to me and the Big Guy. Speaking of which, do we have any ideas on what Servants the rest of them have?"
"So far, we dont have much info. Our remote observation is being blocked by heavy level Magecraft, so we cant see into the campus. However, we have noticed they have been importing objects, stonework, and metalry from other regions of Japan, England, America, Korea, and Black Market Artifact dealers. We also have heard reports the campus had its own museum, but the registry has been deleted and purged from the net. According to our tech experts, it was done rather...violently, for code anyways".
"So, they covered their tracks. That said, what do we classify the boy?"
"Look at the magic he is casting. I think he is a Castor class".
"But look at those physical abilities. And that tenacity. And those eyes, even if he maintained sanity...thats a Berserker's stare".
"Well, someone is capable of being categorized in multiple areas. However, if you noticed his eyesight and accuracy...I think he qualifies for Castor, Berserker, Archer...and Assassin. The fact is, until he attacked, no one had any clue about this kid's real strength. What of the scout team?"
"Inuzuka Takashi reports he believes he may be a survivor of that rumored project, the one that tried to create real living Age of Heroes class warriors and mages that would have the strength to contend with Heroic Spirits".
At those words, the Mages Association went silent.
"...HeroBurst".
"...to think that project would end up being a part of this..."
"I think Berserker might be the best classification after all. Supposedly, all those creations...those kids...were mentally broken several times over".
"Yes. They used some of the homunculi created during the first Greater Holy Grail War to reverse engineer the formula that created that one specimen, Sieg. The one who was able to develop a sense of self...independence...strength and emotion".
"Toketa Advanced School...how terrifying they have that power".
"Indeed" a big military looking man said, as he put his feet. "And, they are not the kids we thought there were, but have the ability to use that power".
"What are you getting at, Harrison?"
"Look at the patrol paterns the scout team noted. Thats not childs play, nor is it basic. Their positioning, patrol paterns. They seem random, but that only makes it difficult to predict and use to our advantage. However, if you watch them all, its clear they are coordinated. Minimum four man cells, with an occasional fifth every so often. And thats just what we can see...speaking of which, did none of you notice?"
"Notice what?"
"The battle between that boy and Archer, not a single report was made by the general public".
At those words, a commotion was raised. All this time, they had been worried a bunch of kids gaining power from the Greater Grail would expose magic. However, in a battle that should have caused some issues, somehow no one reported it.
"Dr. Warrens, tell me. What did our sensors pick up?"
"The golems we deployed, the ones that didn't get near the school and suddenly cut off and crash, registered a strange reading. The moment the boy engaged Archer of Red, some sort of field with a basis in what we believe is perception manipulation, also known as illusion, magic was formed. From what we have gathered, it appears that Toketa Students can activate the field whenever they wish, and we believe it prevents normal people from being able to percieve magic, and possibly even avoid the area in general".
"In other words, they can keep it off, make us play cautious and secretive, but whenever they want to attack, they can turn it on and ambush us?"
"...yes. In other words, they have a clear advantage".
"They have numbers, terrain, and the Grail. And we made the blunder of not giving them sufficient enough respect as enemies, they will have already made progress to have their Castor create their territory".
"Our Sabre is strong, but without knowing the other's strengths, we cannot sufficiently launch a good assault with all our strength...however, there may be a way to force their hand. If we send in our Berserker, make it look like he went off on a rampage...maybe we can have him lure out some of the others to fight. We will have the Master stay back, and let Berserker itself rampage".
"Fine by me" Terry replied, as he looked back at the images and data they had on Toketa. "The power of the Greater Grail...if we dont take it soon, it will start to harm and warp those kids for sure. Its not something that should remain in the world for too long a time...Marco! Castor!"
Suddenly, a ten year old boy entered the room, along with a very old man. On the boy's right hand were three Command Spells, and the man seemed to have a spark in his eyes. He was decked out in clothes and belongings that made him look rich, while the boy seemed eager yet innocent. He was Marco Galeazzo, from the famously rich Galeazzo family that was known for having their own banks and operating them. His mother on the other hand was a mage. As for the reason the Mage's Association supported him joining the Grail War, part of it was profit and business as he could provide them with more ways to manage and move around money when he grew up, and also because his wish would not cause issues for the Mages Association.
Because of that, although Terry Blood was someone who they deeply supported, especially as the Master of Sabre of Red, they did not make it so he was the only one they were betting on. As for Rune, he seemed safe enough. There was some weariness given the lack of information on him, but he seemed stable enough to be okay. After all, the Mages Association would feel very uncomfortable if someone made a wish that would cause all sorts of chaos and trouble.
"Yessiirrry?"
"Yes, Commander Blood?"
"How goes your own Territory Creation?"
"It is proceeding well. Do you have another task for us?"
"Yes. We are going to let Berserker rampage without his Master around to cause chaos and draw out Servants of Black. I want you to provide long range assistance with Magecraft, and when needed, transfer Berserker into your territory. We cant risk losing a servant so early in the game".
"Understood. Come now, Marco. Lessons can wait for later".
"Alright! Woo hoo! Lets play and have some fun!" Marco called out, acting as if it was all just a game.
"Now, I wonder who will appear this time?" Terry said as he wondered. There was no way a commander who had shown all this ability would send an Assassin to fight a Berserker, and a Castor would not be much help either. No, it was through this he hoped to see their Sabre. The trump card of any Grail War, Greater or normal. Sabre, considered to be the strongest of all classes, the Apex Warrior. That was who Terry wanted to see take the stage.
"...and so, that was everything that happened, and everything we learned".
Suzuki nodded at the words spoken by Toko and Sho. There were various other students there who had learned Magecraft, but not proficiently enough to take a spot away from the seven who summoned Servants.
Of course, a few Masters and Servants were also there, including Ren Nakamura, Lancer of Black's Master, and another teacher by the name of Lobo Sanchez, Master of Berserker of Black.
And as for who first spoke after that, it was not Suzuki, but Ren.
"And so, your Assassin there managed to completely fend off Assassin of Red, and also somehow managed to prevent you from taking damage by Archer of Red?"
"Well, it helped that we were able to identify Assassin of Red so quickly" Toko said, a bit nervous. "As for Archer, I am afraid I have no clue".
"A boy who flies...I will have to check the Ancestral Archive then. However, this is enough for the meeting right now. Everyone except for Toko and his servant, please leave".
A lot of people whistled and wooed as they heard that, but everyone respected the wishes of Commander Subaru, and left the room. At first, it might have seemed like a large meeting room, but because they figured that would be the first place the enemy would try to spy on, she instead put heavy concealment and security enchantments on the dorms. And as for whose room they were in, of course it was Suzuki's.
"Sorry about Ren. I am a bit concerned she is close to figuring it out, or figuring something out..." Suzuki said, as she bent down and got eye level with Toko. "Now, do you mind helping out?"
At first, Horus was confused. Not at the fact that Suzuki was getting Toko naked, but that he seemed a bit more willing with Suzuki. Well, willing was not the right word, but still...and then, it finally hit him.
"Wait, does she know that..."
"He is a homunculus? Yes. I am the one who looks after him. Its why I give him weekly physicals like this" she said as Toko now stood there naked. Not leaving his master hanging, Horus had disappeared his clothes and was naked with him. That said, Toko still looked very much embarrassed. "Furthermore, he was designed with a heavy resistance to magic. Instead of using normal scanning techniques, I have to personally touch various points of his body directly and spread my mana through his magic circuits to confirm he is okay, while visually making sure on the outside that it is properly connecting to all the magic circuits. Although his magic circuits actually seem really strong and sturdy, I cant help but notice seeing signs of them being broken and rebuilt over and over, so I have to do this slowly and carefully. I suspect, all of this was made so his body would be even stronger against magic attacks, and so that he would be able to cast extremely powerful magic with ease".
"Then, have you told him to stop being an idiot? He seems to think his body is hideous or something".
"But...but..."
At those words, Suzuki looked displeased and hit his butt.
"Horus is right. You are a moron. Now hold still, I need to make sure you are still okay".
With that done, she began to place her hand on various points on his body and used his magic circuits to investigate its state.
"What are you doing that for?"
"Well, he might have been built for battle, but in all honestly, we don't know the specifics of how he was created" she said as she felt around his body. "Because of that, what we do is Toko practices and learns his capabilities, and then I examine him like this to learn of any changes and shifts that might prove important or dangerous in his body. You see, his body was completed technically, but it was not optimized, so if I dont perform regular check ups and maintenence, it could be bad. Of course, by now I probably dont actually have to do it for awhile, but the longer we keep up this schedule, the easier life will be for him in the long run".
"Oh, I see...so its like safety checks. Sort of. Not really. Basically, it is both necessary and not necessary, and helps with peace of mind and likely extending Toko's life, or quality of life, or something like that".
"Exactly. As an Artificial Being, normally Toko's lifespan would be over by now. But I took him in and have made sure he gets the care and comfort he deserves".
And then suddenly, Suzuki pulled Toko into a full on hug. But due to their differences in height, his head went somewhere else physically. This caused Sabre to become a bit shocked and concened, Horus to give him a thumbs up, and Toko...
"Mmmmhhmmhmmhmhm!"
"Uhhh...please release my master before he suffocates".
"Oh...sorry Toko. That said..."
She then hit him several more times.
"Stop talking down to yourself!"
"So, who else in the school knows?"
She proceeded to examine his legs next as they spoke.
"No one. Outside of this room, no one knows what Toko really is. Its been hard, after all he has been here for two years and showed no sign of growth, but with what we want to wish for using the Greater Holy Grail, it wont matter soon enough".
"That is not what I meant" Horus replied. Even though he was also naked right now, something about him made Suzuki understand this was a serious and critical moment. "I meant, how many people know you knew Magecraft before everyone else?"
That was the important question. If she brought Toko to this school, that meant she knew about Magecraft for a lot longer then everyone else, that she had Magecraft for longer then everyone else.
"YOu really are an observant one. Makes me wonder why you let Assassin and Archer get so close..."
"Wait, you knew?! Then, when you did that..."
Suddenly, Toko's face turned red when he remembered the kiss. In truth, that had been Assassin powering up because he knew they were nearby.
"Speaking of which though, I should change into something easier to move in" Suzuki said, as she finished up examining Toko's arms. She then immediately on the spot began to get undressed right in front of them. "Toko, tonight you will be sleeping with me in my room. No complaints or exceptions. Today was the first time you fought a Heroic Spirit, so I need to have you under long term observation. You know where I keep the remote to my TV and my game consoles, so you should be fine here. Oh, and put your clothes in the laundry machine. I will run it tonight".
The thing about Suzuki was that she truly did see Toko as a little brother, and as such she held no issue doing any of this, from chaning in front of him, to sharing a bed with him no matter the circumstances or situation. Although, she did love to see his embarrassed face, among his other expressions, and she did have concerns about what all that power he held could do to his body. Although he should be fine on his own, she insisted on doing weekly maintenence checks, plus another examination if he really pushes himself. She was probably just being an over protective older sister, but still...
As she started to put on sweats, Toko started to get concerned now.
"Hold on, those are...are you planning on going into battle?!"
"Do not worry, Toko-kun. I shall be going into battle for her. She is just coming to watch and command as the Commander".
"Then, give me my clothes and I will..."
"No. You already fought today Toko. And as a result, they learned of your strength which we are keeping hidden even from the others. They know you are a powerful magus, so nothing the enemy says should seem too strange, but still. Besides, they will likely send someone who Assassin would be weak against, probably Berserker...and there is no guarentees you can survive a fight against Berserker. So you will sit your ass here, use my private bathroom if you need to, but this is something you cannot handle".
"...fine. Just...be safe..."
And so, Commander Subaru was picked up by Sabre of Black, and taken towards the battlefield.
And in that moment, Horus tackled Toko to the ground.
"Come on, lets wrestle and see who is stronger!"
"Wh-what?! But...but..we are..."
"And if I pin you down, I get to kiss you whenever I want!"
"No way!"
That ruskus started with Toko getting very red in the face.
And once they were out of Toko's earshot, she connected with the rest of the forces.
"Mika, Archer, tell me what is happening".
"We have confirmed the presence of Berserker, but for some reason he seems to be shielded by magic. We suspect Castor".
"Any sign of their Masters?"
"None".
"What does Berserker look like?"
"Like a charging, crazed, psychotic humanoid charcoal! That is spewing fire!"
Suzuki was not really thrilled when she heard that.
"Mika, can you douse him with water magic?"
"Y-yes! Leave it to me, Suzuki-sempai!"
"Listen, I have decided how we will fight this! We are leaving Assassin and Toko out so they can recover. Castor is also out, we have no need to expose him or interrupt his work at this stage. I dont want to use Berserker either and waste the command seals we may need to keep it in line. Therefore, this is what will happen. Archer will spot us and give us tactical info. Mika-chan will provide water magic support since it should be weak to water and therefore help keep it distracted. I also dont want Lancer in play since it was a Double Summon as a Berserker as well! However, they almost certainly want me and Sabre to take the stage and reveal ourselves...so, Rider, its on you! If it becomes necessary I will have Sabre back you up, but for now, we wont reveal our hand so easily!"
""""Understood!"""" everyone shouted in response.
"I guess its my time to shine then" Malcom Lee said, with a bit of an enthusiastic smile. "Finally, instead of people telling me not to cause trouble, they are letting me. Lets go beat that Berserker, Rider. Traps are all already in place, so focus on avoiding his attacks. Archer is going to support from concealment, along with Mika-chan, so lets do our best!"
"Naturally. That said, I detest taking pleasure in such things" Rider told him, looking as stern and stoic as ever.
"Haaa...we really are incompatible. Well, whatever. Lets do this!"
And so, Rider charged right towards Berserker.
Author's Note:
Alright, I feel my stomach starting to complain, and I probably should take a break for the rest of the night. Still, with this the story has gotten off to a good start! Hope you enjoyed! And poor Toko. He needs comfort and compassion given what he has been through... .
That said, I am curious on what everyone thinks so far, about their own OCs, about others OCs, about my OCs, and about some of the people, things (such as HeroBurst), and such I have introduced!