A/N: Well, well, well, I guess I didn't post this chapter at the end of August 2017 like I had jokingly hoped. In fact, it took me way too long to actually make an update. Ah, well. You win some, you lose some, I guess. Thank you very much, fall semester of college. Your role in delaying this chapter is very much appreciated. It really is. XP
I do hope none of you lost interest in this story and moved on to other stuff while waiting for me!
Okay, on with the overdue chapter! ENJOY!
P.S.: This story just reached its 100th review! Wow! I honestly didn't think I'd reach that milestone at this point of time, given how much of a newbie I am to the Type-Moon lore. But I thank you all for being so supportive and constructive in your criticism! Your honest and insightful reviews are what drive me to continue onward! :D
Edit: Just fixed an error mastergamer98007 pointed out about Gilgamesh's nickname. Thanks for the heads-up, man! :D
Miyama Town
The night was once again still and silent in the streets of Miyama Town. One would be surprised by such a peaceful atmosphere, given that there was a mighty battle involving five Servants in the park earlier, plus a heated duel in Homurahara Academy. All around, there was an almost unnerving stillness in the area.
That is, except for one street.
Olesya and Arturia walked up the sidewalk that was supposed to lead them to Tokiomi Tohsaka's manor. Neither of them had spoken a word since departing from the high school. Olesya was wearing a look of shame on her face, whilst Arturia, absorbed by her thoughts and back in her civilian clothing, had her fists clenched to the point where they were trembling.
"But it is I! Your son, and your rightful heir!"
"Look at this, Father! This is your blood! Your blood! It runs through my veins! Yet despite knowing this, you deny me my right to the throne?!"
"Well then, why did I have an understanding with the people of Camelot?! An understanding that you could never achieve?!"
Mordred's words rang in her mind, and the King of Knights gritted her teeth at the memories of them. How dare she say she had a right to the throne of Britain, like it was some toy that she wanted! How dare she challenge her ability to rule over Camelot, and unabashedly so! She couldn't bear to let Mordred say those words and then get away with it!
"The next time I see Mordred," she thought bitterly, "I won't hold back."
Speaking of which...
Arturia looked at Olesya. She still couldn't believe that her Master made her retreat from the duel in such a disgraceful and cowardly manner. Her Master, who she believed to be an honorable woman, one who would know better than to take such an action! She thought Olesya was better than this, from the bottom of her heart...
Worse yet, this decision now meant that Olesya was one Command Seal short. The next two had to count if they were going to persevere in future battles...
Arturia's instincts suddenly kicked in, and all thoughts of Mordred and her duel with her vanished. She stopped in her tracks and grabbed Olesya's shoulder, forcing her Master to stop as well.
"Olesya," she whispered in warning, "don't walk any further."
"You don't mean..." Olesya replied in terror.
"Yes." Arturia materialized her armor. "This presence...it's another Servant."
Standing in front of them was an abnormally tall man wearing an inky-black cassock and an ancient robe with blood-red coloring patterns. His skin was unhealthily pale, and the bright streetlight accentuated it to the point where the man seemed to glow. Unkempt dark-gray hair fell from his sunken-skinned head, and his eyes were reminiscent of a fish's, giving him the general impression of a madman.
"Yet another Black Servant...?" whispered an apprehensive Olesya. "What does the Black Faction plan to do, whittle our strength away with these fights?"
"That does sound like their best course of action. Stay close to me, Olesya."
The Servant and her Master moved themselves underneath another streetlight, just yards away from the Black Servant.
Then, to their surprise, the Black Servant knelt on one knee and bowed his head in humility. Arturia was instantly reminded of the knights that had faithfully served her...but unlike Mordred, this Servant was absolutely unrecognizable.
"I have come for you, my sweet and holy virgin!" the man said suddenly, his voice teeming with joy and excitement.
An awkward silence hung over the trio, before Olesya finally asked, "Do you know this man?"
"I've never laid eyes on him," Arturia replied with brutal honesty.
Almost immediately, the Servant trembled and grumbled. Arturia's grip on Rhongomyniad tightened; clearly he was trying to hold back an insanity-fueled rage.
"No, no!" he cried. "Are you saying that you have forgotten my face?!"
Arturia took one hesitant step forward. "Forgotten you? I've never met you in my life. You mistake me for another."
The man clutched his head as it shook in disbelief. "No, no, NO! How I could ever mistake you, my darling?! Do you remember?! D-Darling, it's Gilles de Rais! Your other half!" Before Arturia could respond, he continued, "I have prayed for your resurrection, and have been waiting for a miracle to reunite us! To that end, I've come all this way to the end of time!"
Arturia continued to hold her guard. This Servant, Gilles de Rais as he called himself, clearly had no intent of fighting, but she wasn't willing to bet on his friendliness, not with that blatant insanity of his.
As for Olesya, she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Gilles de Rais... She knew she heard of that name before, but from where, she had yet to know...
"Gilles de Rais," Arturia replied, "I humbly apologize, but I do not know you, nor have I heard your name before, and you have clearly mistaken me for someone else. I assure you of that."
Now, Gilles' form became strangely prone. His expression was a painfully heartbroken one, and he seemed to be trying his best to keep his head up.
"No..." he moaned. "No, you-you can't have forgotten! N-Not your former identity!"
The King of Knights' eyes narrowed into slits. Gilles was quite the badgering one. She had to settle this once and for all.
"As you have seen fit to give me your name," she said, "then I must give mine, to keep in line with the chivalric code. My name is Arturia Pendragon, the heir to Uther Pendragon and king of Britain. I enter the Impossible Holy Grail War in the Lancer class, and I align myself with the White Faction."
This was the breaking point for Gilles. His eyes bulged out as widely as they could, and he started violently punching the ground with his bare fists, creating small craters where they once were.
"NO, NO, NO! NOOOOO! HOW COULD HE DO THIS TO MY BEAUTIFUL MAIDEN?! DEPRIVE HER OF HER SACRED MEMORY AND HAVE HER SUBJECTED TO THE CRUEL THROES OF INSANITY?! CURSE HIM! CURSE HIM! SUCH CRUEL TORTURES GOD INFLICTS UPON MY HOLY VIRGIN! SUCH HORRIBLE INJUSTICES!"
"ENOUGH!" Arturia shouted angrily. "You embarrass yourself, Servant!"
To her relief, Gilles stopped, but he continued to verbally express his madness. "Awaken, o fair one! You have no need to call yourself Lancer of White any longer, because the Holy Grail War has already ended! The Grail has chosen me, Gilles, to be its champion, without any fighting at all! After all..." His eyes went as wide as saucers. "My one and only eternal wish, the resurrection of Jeanne d'Arc, has finally be GRANTED!"
The ground between Gilles and Arturia exploded, sending blocks of asphalt, concrete, and earth flying up into the air. Once the debris fell back down to the ground, and the cloud of smoke cleared, Arturia and Olesya saw a familiar person standing in front of them, facing Gilles with a threatening stance.
"Saber..." Olesya whispered, shocked.
But it wasn't Mordred. It was the White Faction's Saber, Tokiomi Tohsaka's Servant...the currently-unnamed one wearing the set of radiant, silver woven-plate armor. Gilles growled at Saber, but he didn't respond or even flinch, merely aiming his greatsword at his enemy. He growled even more when Arturia joined her compatriot's side.
"So..." Gilles snarled. "So...this is the one who holds you hostage and deprives you of your holiness by sealing your kind and pure heart away." Then, he closed his eyes. "Very well, then, if drastic measures are called for to free your heart, then I will take my leave and prepare myself for this noble quest."
He stood up, and Arturia and Saber instinctively took defensive positions. Fortunately for them, all Gilles had against them was his nonsensical ramblings.
"I swear to you, Jeanne," he continued, his voice teeming with determination, "I will not rest until I can free your soul from the terrible prison of God's cruel curse!"
To Arturia's complete annoyance, Gilles bowed his head again before fading away into nothingness. Once he was gone, Olesya heaved out a heavy sigh of relief.
"It's very difficult to deal with one who ignores everything you say," she said.
"Next time, I shall strike before he speaks," Arturia replied. "His type completely infuriates me." She then looked at Saber. "My humble thanks, Saber of White. Had it not been for your intervention, I doubt I would've been able to fight this enemy effectively, not without my steed."
Saber nodded without making so much as a grunt. As for Olesya, she sighed again, this time with sadness, upon hearing that last remark from her Servant. After all, she knew what exactly she was referencing to.
From a far distance, atop the rooftop of a small office building, three Assassin Servants were perched on the antenna tower. They were barely visible in the shadows of the night, and anyone on the street level could easily mistake them for lost rags caught on the tower and blowing in the wind. One of them hissed like a snake, his posture relaxing with satisfaction.
"It appears observing Lancer of White and her Master has yielded unexpected fruit," he said in a high-pitched voice.
"We found our fellow Caster Servant," added another Assassin, his voice strangely effeminate despite his clearly masculine body.
"Of course, we must follow him..." the third Assassin snarled savagely.
"Of course, of course..."
All three Assassins leaped towards the next rooftop, a few yards away.
The sewers, Central Fuyuki
"And the hand goes like this..."
Ryuunosuke carefully adjusted the large bolt that had been driven through the boy's pale and supple flesh, then took a couple of steps backward to examine his handiwork again. It was not just one child hanging from a pillar, but multiple with each of the dozens of columns that were in the dark, damp sewers. After looking at it from a couple of different angles, the artist smiled with satisfaction.
"Now that's nice," he said. "Very nice! Perfect, in fact!" He looked over his shoulder. "What do you think, Rei-chan?"
"It's so beautiful, Ryuu-kun!" Reika exclaimed giddily, her eyes shimmering with wonder at the art her partner took such great care in creating. She then wrapped her arm around the live girl that had been standing beside her. "What do you think, sweetie? Isn't Ryuu-kun the best?!" She frowned disapprovingly when the girl simply continued to tremble and whimper fearfully, prompting her to casually shove the child away. "Tough crowd, huh?"
Suddenly, the couple's fish-eyed friend materialized into the sewers, loudly marching through the vast chamber with an ambiguous look on his face.
"Ah!" Ryuunosuke cried. "Welcome back, Bluebeard, big guy!"
"How'd the search go for you?" asked Reika. "We tried looking everywhere but, well, we got distracted by a bunch of houses and we went inside and took the kids and ripped apart the parents and-"
"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"
Two horrible creatures, both resembling a mix of an octopus and a starfish, suddenly dropped from above and landed on the girl that Reika had just tossed aside. The busty woman began laughing maniacally as she watched the horrors tear apart and devour the screaming child alive. Meanwhile, Ryuunosuke glared at Bluebeard in outrage.
"HEY, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!" he shouted. "THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY LAST PIECE OF ART FOR THE NIGHT!"
But Bluebeard ignored him and hollered, "ACCURSED GOD!"
Reika casually looked away from the horrifying, gruesome sight of the horrors devouring flesh and bone, and she regarded Bluebeard with childlike curiosity. "I'm assuming you found your other half and things didn't go over too well between you two..." she said.
"God continues to maintain His hold over Jeanne's soul," Bluebeard replied, his voice trembling dangerously as he regarded his pseudo-Master. "He refuses to let her go!"
"I'm sorry, wha?" Ryuunosuke deadpanned.
"He's saying his girlfriend is trapped in something, Ryuu-kun!" Reika exclaimed in concern. "This sounds like a very bad situation! We must listen!"
"By Jeanne, I assume he's talking about that chick in the crystal ball...?"
"WE MUST PROVE THE COLD, HARD TRUTH TO HER!" Bluebeard suddenly shouted.
"And...what would that cold, hard truth be...?"
"That no cruel deed and no horrible crime is worthy of God's punishment!"
"But...aren't we kinda proving that right now, Blue-san...?" Reika asked.
"Hmmmmm... Yes, yes, of course... We have already committed such repulsive atrocities, yet it is not enough to prove to Jeanne the folly of her deeds... They have yet to force her hand, to get her to curse God's name... Yes, then it is settled! To get Jeanne's undivided attention, we require greater depravities, greater blasphemies! We must erect a veritable tower of human sacrifices in her name!"
Reika's eyes shone with a horrifying fascination. "Oooooh... I like the sound of that!"
But Ryuunosuke did not look pleased at the suggestion. "Wait a minute, so...from now on, it's quantity over quality...?"
"INDEED! Precisely so, Ryuunosuke!"
The aspiring artist blinked, then looked at the masterpiece he had already created. "But...isn't it kind of a waste-?"
"Oh, come on, Ryuu-kun!" Reika interrupted, grabbing his arm. "We're talking about Blue-san's girlfriend! He loves her to death! We've gotta help him win her back!" She then looked up at him quizzically. "Wouldn't you do the same for me...?"
Ryuunosuke's eyes widened. "Well, of course, but I-"
"Then it's settled!" Bluebeard announced mightily. "Let us go sacrificing the seventeen in their cells right away. Then we shall go acquire some more children for our revelries."
The demon stomped off towards an undisclosed location, leaving an ambivalent Ryuunosuke and an excited Reika behind.
"Wooooow! Isn't this so exciting, Ryuu-kun?!" Reika said, hopping up and down with childlike excitement. "We get to play matchmaker for our demon friend! Who else in the world would get to say that?!"
"Yeah, but..." Ryuunosuke took another glance at his handiwork. "I feel like the big guy is really missing out on a very important aspect of art, Rei-chan. I mean, what'll be the better way to get his chick's attention? A whole bunch of art being shoved in her face, or a few pieces of carefully-crafted art put on display for her honor?"
"I know you want to work hard for Blue-san, but we shouldn't dawdle! His girlfriend's in trouble and we have to help him free her as quickly as possible! You didn't dawdle for one second when you freed me, you know."
"Yeah, I guess that's true..."
Reika proceeded to take her boyfriend's hands and hold them together with her own.
"Then let's get going!" she declared. "We've got a demon's girlfriend to save!"
She then proceeded to guide Ryuunosuke away from the scene, after Bluebeard. As the depraved trio moved onward, none of them noticed the subtle, snakelike movements in the shadows...
The Tohsaka Residence
"My sincerest apologies for the trouble you had to go through alone, Olesya Animusphere."
Tokiomi Tohsaka sat calmly in one of the chairs in his living room, flanked on both sides by Kayneth and Bram. On the opposite side of him was Olesya herself; she too was seated in a chair. Arturia was standing beside her, while Saber had already de-materialized upon entering the mansion.
"There is no need to apologize, Tohsaka," Olesya replied, her voice flat and devoid of any discernible emotion. "I doubt that Lancer and I would've been able to learn more about the Black Faction otherwise."
"Speaking of which..." Tokiomi started rubbing his goatee as he started considering Olesya's information. "What did you learn about the Masters and Servants that you faced tonight?"
"The Servant at Homurahara Academy was easy to identify. She was Mordred, the Knight of Treachery who caused the downfall of Camelot." Olesya ignored the dark look on Arturia's face and continued, "She is the Black Faction's Saber Servant...but with all of that power, rage, and ferocity, one could easily mistake her for a Berserker."
"A Black Servant with a close personal history with one of our own Servants... This could be disadvantageous to us..."
"If I may, Tohsaka," Kayneth piped up, "I suggest simply keeping Lancer of White away from Saber of Black at all times. Lancer's ability to judge the situation could be compromised should she face Saber on the battlefield."
"That is true..." Tokiomi replied. "A simple solution that I find extremely appealing. What do you think, Animusphere?"
Olesya didn't hesitate when she replied, "I think it is a brilliant solution."
Arturia looked at her Master in shock, but otherwise, she didn't bother to express her disagreement. Instead, she begrudgingly settled down and allowed the Masters to continue their conversation. After all, it wouldn't be becoming of her as a knight to interrupt it. Even so...
"What about the Servant you encountered on your way back here?" Bram asked.
"He was a Servant who was absorbed in his own madness. He identified himself as Gilles de Rais, and it was pretty clear that he is the Black Faction's Caster Servant. He showed no obvious aptitude for ranged weaponry like an Archer Servant, and while he is definitely insane, he was able to control himself very well, not to mention speak eloquently enough. That is an uncharacteristic attribute for most Berserker Servants."
"Gilles de Rais..." Tokiomi repeated. "The French baron who fought alongside Jeanne d'Arc in the Hundred Years' War?"
Olesya's eyes widened in surprise. She now knew where she heard of Gilles before, but...that Servant was him?!
"Ruler's old comrade-in-arms, in the Black Faction's ranks?!" Kayneth exclaimed, the shock of the revelation dawning upon him as well. "That's completely outrageous! Does Ruler know of this newest Servant?!"
"No. She can only learn of the true identities of the Servants if she personally faces them. Outside of that, she keeps track of the Servants only by class and Faction alignment, and only through the Spirit Board." Tokiomi began tapping his chin as he started considering all of the possibilities at hand. "The real question is if Ruler should be made aware of this discovery..."
"I do not think it is the wisest idea. Knowing their past acquaintance with each other, I fear that Ruler may become partial towards this Black Servant...and perhaps towards the rest of the Black Faction."
"But isn't the point of the Ruler Servant supposed to be that they're a neutral third party?" asked Bram, his eyebrow raised with ambivalence. "Acquaintance or not, it seems like Ruler is bound by the rules of the reserve system and cannot make any exceptions even if she wanted to."
"That is true," Tokiomi replied. "However, we must err on the side of caution. After all, this is...the first time the reserve system has been put into effect. Fuyuki's leylines weren't even designed for this phenomenon." His azure eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Given the unique circumstances of this War, there is a good possibility that not everything was entirely perfected like all of us had desired." He placed his arm back on his lap after doing some thinking. "I believe it is in the best interest of the White Faction if we inform the Overseers of this development, and give them specific instructions to withhold that crucial information from Ruler at all costs. It shouldn't be that difficult for them, given Ruler is supposed to be mostly independent from them. Does that satisfy everyone's concerns?"
"Yes, it does," Bram replied.
"Of course, Tohsaka," said Kayneth, loyally bowing to his superior.
"It is a satisfactory course of action for me," Olesya added indifferently.
Arturia merely remained silent, all the while looking at her Master dejectedly.
After Tokiomi called an official end to the meeting, Arturia and Olesya left the room, the former still dejected and the latter clearly indifferent. Once they got to an empty room, one where they were sure no one was eavesdropping, Arturia clenched her fists and stopped walking.
"Master," she said.
Olesya turned around, her expression no longer that of detachment. "Yes, Lancer?" she replied.
"How could you...?" Arturia's fists quivered. "How could you not let me deal with Mordred? How could you not simply stand by my side when our allies tell me to stay away from her and avoid her like a coward?!"
"You heard Tohsaka. Your judgment will be impaired when you face her. And you've seen how she fights! The kind of power she wields! Without your steed, your ability to use your Noble Phantasm, I'm afraid you will be bested by her the next time you cross paths!"
"Perhaps so..." Arturia's eyes narrowed in disgust at the possibility. "Even then...I...I just cannot let her win the Grail..." Her thoughts shifted to a hypothetical Camelot under Mordred's rule...and all she could see was horror and misery. "I cannot let her claim Camelot so recklessly! You must understand, Master! She is like a child about to get a tool, under the belief that it's a toy, and without proving her right to earn it! I must fight her and prove to her the folly of her ideals!"
"I'm very sorry, Lancer, but I will not let you jeopardize our chances of winning the Grail ourselves!" Olesya raised her hand, the one bearing her Command Seals, and Arturia was faced with a brutal reminder of their current standing in the War. "Please, don't make me waste another one!"
Arturia's fists were clenched so tightly that she was close to drawing blood. She couldn't believe her Master was actually agreeing to this strategy. The more time she spent with Olesya, the more she felt like she was being a...a coward.
Olesya sighed and lowered her hand. "I'm so sorry, Lancer..." she said. "I know how important this is to you, I really do... But I have every intent of staying in this War until we win the Grail."
"Master...you can't be-"
Olesya interrupted her. "There is ample opportunity for Saber to be taken care of by another Servant at any time during the War. We do not have to lift a finger when she's concerned. Do you understand?" Lancer remained silent, prompting Olesya to smile and say, "If, by any chance, you and Saber are the last Servants in the War, then combat is inevitable. It will be then when I'll allow you to do whatever you want with her. I will not hold you back. Does...Does that sound okay with you...?"
Arturia still wasn't satisfied with Olesya's suggestion. That still meant staying away from Mordred at all times, something a knight would never, ever do...and Mordred would never live it down. That was just as horrible as handing the throne over to her on a silver platter.
But she took one swift glance at Olesya's Command Seals, and Arturia immediately knew what was at stake. After all, Olesya wasn't making a suggestion. She was making an order disguised as words of comfort...and yet, it was still an order. One that she did not agree with at all...and yet one that she had to agree to, for the sake of their standing in the Grail War...
With every muscle in her body telling her not to, Arturia nodded begrudgingly. Though she got what she wanted, Olesya frowned sadly. After all, she was not blind to her Servant's moral struggle. She knew Arturia wanted nothing more than to face the Knight of Treachery again in battle. And she knew she just dashed those hopes with the threat of using their second Command Seal in one night.
The two just stood and stared at each other, a rift now wedged in-between their relationship.
Einzbern Villa, outskirts of Fuyuki
"Alright, let's get ourselves set up, shall we?"
Removing his sunglasses, Kairi slammed a large, heavy duffel bag on the living room table, startling Irisviel and Waver with the unexpectedly loud banging noise that it made. He then zipped the bag open and pulled out a great number of various items that were instantly recognizable to Irisviel.
"These are..." she began.
"Yes," interrupted Kairi, not making eye contact with the Einzbern homunculus. "These are your husband's things. He loaned them to me, free of charge, by the way." He took out the largest item, a massive, rolled-up sheet of paper and unfurled it, revealing it as a map of Fuyuki, annotated by a private individual. "Let's review the lay of the land, shall we?"
"O-Okay..."
The freelancer pointed to two colored arrows on the map. The blue one was pointing to a high-rise building in Shinto, while the red one was pointing to one of many average houses in the middle of Miyama Town.
"The blue arrow points to the Hyatt Hotel in Shinto, where Teams Archer and Berserker are staying at. The red arrow is another residential area; Teams Lancer and Rider are camping out there. Should either of their bases, or ours, fall to an attack by the White Faction, any survivors could rely on the other bases as backups. If our base falls, the boss highly recommends we hightail it to the Shinto base first since we're on friendlier terms with Edelfelt and Matou."
"I agree, that is the best course of action," Irisviel replied, as she bitterly reminisced on her latest encounter with the confrontational Feend vor Sembren.
Kairi then pointed at the westernmost location on the map. "Now that should be, uh, Ryuudou Temple. It's the center of a large and powerful magical barrier. There is only one entrance accessible to anyone who chooses to enter, and that is the main temple path. Only natural spirits like Servants can enter anywhere else." He looked up at Irisviel and Waver. "D'you guys understand?"
"Yes," Irisviel replied, nodding her head.
"Y-Yeah, I-I think..." added Waver with uncertainty.
"Good." Kairi looked back down at the map and started pointing out other locations. "In addition to Ryuudou Temple, there are three spots where the Fuyuki leylines converge: the White Faction's base at Tohsaka Manor, the church, and a new residential area located east of the city center. All four locations are very suitable as locations where the Grail can be summoned. The boss wants us to secure all four locations as bases of operations, when there are less Servants fighting in the War."
"All four of them?" Irisviel asked in surprise.
"Yes, all four. I mean, there's you, me, the boss, and the lady. We can all take one of each. After all, we've gotta cover as much ground as we possibly can when the time comes to summon the Grail. Sharing Saber as our guardian may be a bit of a hassle, but I think we can pull it off without a hitch."
"And what about me?" Waver asked. "Wh-Where do I fit in all of this?"
"You don't," Kairi replied bluntly. "The boss expects you to be dead by that point."
The student sweat-dropped. "That's very comforting..."
"Alright, that just about sums up everything the boss wants you all to know. Any questions?"
Irisviel shook her head, then looked at Mordred and asked, "Do you have anything to say, Saber?"
The Saber Servant was coolly leaning against the wall and back to wearing her civilian clothing. She was totally immersed in her own pride following her battle with Arturia, despite its actual outcome.
"Yeah," she replied smugly. "Can you repeat that, please?"
Now it was Irisviel's turn to sweat-drop. "Repeat it? Which part needs repeating, Saber?"
"Well, um..." Mordred nonchalantly regarded Kiritsugu's annotated map. "Can you start over with those blue and red arrows?"
To everyone's surprise, Kairi chuckled pleasantly, as if he had just been told a good joke. He rolled up the map and stuffed it back into the duffel bag before collecting all of the photos Kiritsugu had on the White Masters.
"I don't think you need an explanation on what's going on, Saber," he said calmly. "All that's required from you from this point on is your own power and nothing else. Think you're up for the challenge, Saber?"
Mordred's eyes widened in surprise, surprise that this man was being so positive and confident about her power, unlike her own Master. First, he had no qualms about allowing her to go confront her father, and now this? At first, she really loathed the idea of her Master loaning her to another person like a dispensable tool. But this faux-Master was already starting to become a more preferable partner in her eyes, compared to her true Master. At the very least, she saw more of a trace of this Kairi Sisigou than her Master.
She bared her teeth in a hungry grin, materialized Clarent, and slashed the air with it.
"Why, of course!" she exclaimed haughtily. "After all, you are staring upon Mordred Pendragon, son of Arthur Pendragon, who I have bested in combat no more than two hours ago! There is no challenge in this world that is enough to break me and my chivalric spirit!"
"Excellent," Kairi replied, giving her a haughty grin of his own. "I'm glad to know that I have such a powerful warrior by my side."
Mordred's grin widened even more. She rested the hilt of Clarent on her shoulder and regarded Kairi impressively. As for the freelancer himself, he looked back at Irisviel and Waver.
"Any other questions that need my attention?"
Waver shook his head silently, while Irisviel replied flatly, "No..."
"Very well, then. Dismissed!"
"Ohhhhh, not just yet..." a new voice croaked, surprising Irisviel and greatly startling Waver. An Assassin materialized by the doorway; he was short and stout, like a dwarf, with a bald head that gleamed from the chandelier's light.
"Assassin!" Waver cried, a few beads of sweat already present on his forehead. "I thought I told you not to materialize so suddenly like that! D'you have any idea how many times you've nearly given me a heart attack?!"
"My apologies, Master," the Assassin replied, though he didn't sound apologetic at all, "but there is some important news that I thought you should hear without delay."
Irisviel blinked in surprise. "Important news?" she asked.
"Yes." The Assassin sneered. "We have located Caster of Black."
24-Hour Hotel in Fuyuki, Shinto
Kiritsugu was hard at work, sifting through the loads of paperwork he had on both the Black and White Factions. His hotel room was barely illuminated by the poor lightbulb installed on the ceiling. Outside the window, it was already dawn in Fuyuki City; the first hints of sunlight were starting to peer over the horizon and shine through the glass. Anyone else staring upon the scenery would have the impression that another average night had passed over Fuyuki...but Kiritsugu knew that night was anything but.
As he put away the highly detailed file he had on Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia, Kiritsugu's eye caught a peculiar shade of white. He glared at the photo in question, and narrowed his dark eyes at the sight of him.
Shirou Kotomine, the Master of Assassin of White. He had managed to compile further research on him ever since Kairi Sisigou was inducted into the Black Faction's ranks. Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough to paint a clear picture of him. But there was something he learned during that time that did catch his attention: the fact that he transferred his Command Seals to a homunculus, his proxy Master.
The Magus Killer hoped that this meant Shirou Kotomine wanted out of this War and got his wish, but there was still something odd about the whole thing. After all, the Holy Grail selected him as a Master for a reason, and he must've known that. So why quit before the fighting even began? Even a Grail War as unusual as this was still up to his caliber.
"Shirou Kotomine..." he thought grimly. "The one target I can't understand... What are your motivations?"
His thoughts were interrupted when his cellphone suddenly started ringing. Averting his gaze from Shirou's photo, the assassin quickly grabbed the device and looked at the number. Upon recognizing it, he answered the call with a blank expression.
"Report," he said.
"We have a problem on our hands," replied the voice of Kairi Sisigou.
Kiritsugu's posture immediately became stiff. There was something about the change of tone in Kairi's voice that greatly unnerved him, not to mention the urgency of his message. His fellow freelance assassin was definitely not acting like his usual brash, overconfident, crass self.
"A problem?"
"Yeah. Remember your little situation with Caster of Black?"
The assassin blinked in surprise. "You found him and his Master?"
"Yeah, and that's where the problem lies. You see, Assassin of Black got a hold of their trail in Miyama Town and followed them to the sewers in the middle of Fuyuki...where they were met with a very...unpleasant sight..."
Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I'm listening..."
"They found the bodies of over fifteen children, all elementary school-age."
Kiritsugu's eyes were now wide with horror, but he managed to compose himself and calmly reply, "What?"
"Over fifteen children, all murdered in a variety of unspeakably gruesome ways. Judging by the news coverage that I've been seeing ever since my arrival here, I am afraid to say that Caster and his Master are most likely the serial killer that the populace has been worried about lately." The freelancer paused briefly. "Ah, it seems your wife wants to speak with you..."
The line went silent for a brief moment, allowing Kiritsugu to heave out a sigh of distress. First the debacle of having to find that Waver Velvet boy, and now this monstrosity? The problems just kept mounting up for the Black Faction...
"Kiritsugu," a new, familiar voice said.
"Iri."
"We must report Caster of Black and his Master to Ruler and the Overseers immediately! The two of them have attracted too much attention to the War with their atrocities! Their actions clearly indicate their disregard of the rules of the Holy Grail War!"
Kiritsugu narrowed his dark eyes yet again. "No, Iri."
"What?! But Kiritsugu-"
"The Caster class consists of Servants with a high proficiency in magecraft. We risk losing a valuable teammate if we dispatch Ruler to handle the situation." He closed his eyes. "Besides, we also risk being sanctioned by the Holy Church if this discovery comes to light. Caster has been our responsibility ever since he was summoned. We do not look good as a team if one of our teammates has been slaughtering innocents unsupervised."
"Then what are we gonna do? Clearly Caster and his Master have no intention of stopping! There are more lives in danger through our inaction!"
Kiritsugu opened his eyes; they were hollow and completely devoid of emotion.
"Then we will take care of the problem ourselves."
"Okay. I understand, Kiritsugu. Goodbye." Irisviel handed Kairi his phone, whereupon he disconnected it; the Einzbern homunculus sighed heavily. "This is not good..."
"Why?" Waver asked. "What'd he say?"
"We can't inform Ruler and the Overseers of Assassin's discovery."
"What?!" Mordred exclaimed in outrage, while Waver looked just as affronted. "Why the hell would my Master suggest such a horrendous thing?! Does he not understand that children are dying?!"
"He understands perfectly, Saber," Irisviel replied somberly. "But we all must understand that this is our Caster we're talking about. As a team, we are responsible for coordinating and supervising each other. That much was expected of us by Ruler and the Overseers."
"But since we've been doing a marvelous job at that," Kairi continued, "our Caster has been allowed to run wild, killing as he pleases, while his Master just sits by. Because of that, it's bad for the Black Faction's image. If things really get out of hand, we could be looking at repercussions from the Holy Church."
"But it's better than just sitting on our asses and doing nothing!" exclaimed Waver in outrage.
"Who said we were doing nothing?" Kairi procured his shotgun and twirled it around. "We're gonna do something about this, alright. We're just not getting Ruler and the Church involved."
Understanding Kairi's implication, Mordred's lips curved into a wild grin.
"Ahhh, I see!" the Saber Servant cried. "Yes, I like that option as well!"
However, Waver took no comfort in this suggestion. "W-W-Wait a minute, you're saying we should go and battle Caster of Black? On his turf?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Kairi replied as he rested his weapon on his right shoulder. "Why? Got a problem with that?"
The student started sweating nervously at the freelancer's intimidating demeanor, and he replied, "No, not really..."
"Good. Then let's move out, everyone! We're going hunting for a Caster."
Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel
"We interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring you this important breaking news."
Klaus, Kariya, and Atalanta glanced at the TV as the serious face of a dark-haired, nicely-dressed anchorman appeared on the screen. Next to the reporter's face was an image of columns of dark smoke rising from a park. Klaus's eyes narrowed at the image with suspicion.
"Reports are coming in about several explosions that occurred in Miyama Park several minutes ago. We go live to the scene-"
Klaus turned off the TV and glanced at Kariya.
"Several explosions?" he asked. His voice was a bit tense, sounding as if Klaus was trying to start a conversation with an estranged relative after years of not seeing each other. "Do you think it was a battle between Servants?"
"Could be," Kariya replied, as he tried to mask his grimacing. "I believe there was a park near the church..."
Furrowing his eyebrow, the Edelfelt Master stood up and approached one of the windows of the hotel suite. They were in a room at one of the highest floors of the building, thus giving them a good view of the rest of Shinto. But Klaus didn't concern himself at all with the marvelous view.
"So the War has officially begun..." Klaus commented.
Kariya made a halfhearted gesture with his hand. "May the best Faction win."
The Edelfelt Master's eyes narrowed suddenly. "May the best Master win."
An awkward silence fell upon the suite, but the only one seemingly unaffected was Atalanta, who merely sat stoically in her luxury chair. Klaus continued to look out the window, while Kariya stared at his fellow Black Master with suspicion.
"Yeah..." the Matou Master replied slowly, making sure he chose his words carefully. "Yeah, that's right."
After a couple of minutes passed, Kariya chose to stand up and leave the room. He hoped to leave silently, but unfortunately, yet another jolt of pain stabbed through his forehead. He groaned and clutched his head in response, prompting Klaus to look at him.
"What are you doing, Matou?" he asked.
"Retiring for the night," Kariya replied through gritted teeth and a foggy eyesight. Then, he quickly added, "And it's Yggdmillennia."
Klaus's eyes narrowed again. "Your family may now belong to that disgraceful Yggdmillennia clan, but you are all still part of the Three Founding Families. You should learn to respect your true heritage a little more."
Kariya glared at Klaus again, with even more spite than before. "I will never accept the name of the Matou. They are a...a...disgusting family." He ignored the glint of disapproval that flashed in his fellow Black Master's eyes. "That worm Zouken should be counting his blessings that the Yggdmillennia took his family in when they did. Otherwise, the Matou would be worse off. Heh. Not that I'd care."
A dark look swept over Klaus's normally charming face. "So...you wouldn't bat an eye if your family, and its magecraft, died off?"
"If you realized the original practices of the Matou, you'd be singing the same tune as I." Kariya smirked triumphantly as he realized his current standing for the umpteenth time and relished in it. "So yeah, I wouldn't bat an eye to such things. My family's former so-called glory is like a flame, in that it eventually dies out."
Klaus pursed his lips. "You know," he said calmly, even though Kariya could tell the hatred that was laced in his tone, "I can see you, specifically, were meant to be an Yggdmillennia. After all, you have no shame at all. No respect towards the true wonders of Magecraft. Without the Yggdmillennia, I would say, with confidence, that you would be in an even more disgraceful position."
"Heh." Kariya bared his teeth a little in his confident smirk, while he simultaneously masked another grimace triggered by his headache. "With that attitude coming from you, I'd say, with confidence, that you are in the wrong Faction. You sound a lot like Tokiomi Tohsaka, after all."
To the Matou's surprise, the cool, calm mask disappeared from Klaus's face almost immediately. Now, his expression revealed his true mood at this very moment: unmatched fury and hate.
"Don't you DARE compare me to that bastard, you third-rate Mage!" he shouted.
Another awkward silence hung above the two men, and Atalanta merely sat in her chair, calmly awaiting for the verbal exchange to be over. Kariya stared in surprise, while Klaus did not seem to register his fellow Black Master's existence anymore, for he was now preoccupied with his lust for vengeance against Tokiomi Tohsaka.
Finally, after realizing Klaus's emotions, Kariya asked, "So...you do not like Tohsaka either... Is that correct?"
"I would like nothing more than to see him writhe and burn over and over for what he did to sully my family's reputation!" Klaus snarled. He clenched his fists so tightly he was close to drawing blood. "That bastard..."
Kariya stared at Klaus for a couple of seconds, and then, he started to chuckle. It was a feeble chuckle, but it was one of legitimate happiness, nonetheless.
"What's so goddamn funny?!" Klaus demanded.
"My sincerest apologies, Edelfelt," replied Kariya. "But it seems to me the bastard just has a natural talent of pissing people off with his egotism and holier-than-thou outlook."
The Edelfelt started to calm down. "You do not hold favorable views of Tohsaka either?"
"His wife is my beloved childhood friend, and I treasure his daughters like they're my own." A serene, soothing image of Aoi, Rin, and Sakura Tohsaka at a park flashed across Kariya's mind. "He...He does not treat them well."
Klaus stared in surprise at the very Black Master he disapproved of the most, perhaps even more than the Magus Killer. Though he still despised everything Kariya Matou stood for, their shared perspective of Tokiomi Tohsaka removed some taint from his own perspective of Kariya. It was a very interesting occurrence.
"Well...I guess we have one thing in common," the Edelfelt Master remarked.
"I suppose," Kariya replied, just as he started to remember the history between the Tohsakas and the Edelfelts. "Though I'd also suppose my opinions of Tohsaka are nothing compared to your bad blood with him?"
"The matter between you and Tohsaka is infinitesimal. Mine goes back generations, and is deeply rooted in our family's blood. Our standing is now entirely dependent on the outcome of this Holy Grail War." Klaus pursed his lips again. "It's something a disrespectful, third-rate magus like you wouldn't understand."
But the accusatory, spiteful tone was now mostly gone from Klaus's voice. Though he and Kariya Matou Yggdmillennia were undoubtedly going to disagree on a lot of things, the topic of Tokiomi Tohsaka was definitely not one of them.
The two magi continued to stare at each other with a degree of understanding.
The Tohsaka Residence
Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri slowly, cautiously stuck her head into what Tokiomi Tohsaka referred to as his manor's old dance hall. Having been declared useless to the Tohsaka family since World War II, the vast room, which took up a great part of the manor's east wing, was now re-purposed into the perfect site for Caster of White's personal Workshop. It was where Caster and her Master had holed themselves up ever since the mass summoning of the White Servants. The only ones to set foot into the room since the start of the War were Tokiomi and Sola-Ui's beloved husband Kayneth.
But since she, nothing more than the White Faction's head healer, had a lot of time on her hands, Sola-Ui chose to be a little curious.
And it seemed that curiosity paid off. Sola-Ui now bore witness to the happenings inside Caster's Workshop. She could feel a large quantity of magical energy concentrated inside the former dance hall compared to the rest of the Tohsaka Manor grounds. There were many tables holding numerous magical items, as well as a large shelf occupied with what Sola-Ui could assume were spellbooks. And she could see Caster of White herself crafting a strange purple potion, the latest of an assortment of multicolored potions and other tools of various purposes.
She had to admit, it was an astounding sight, seeing such a powerful woman at work...
"It's not nice to spy on people, you know."
Sola-Ui's heart might've as well stopped dead in fear when she heard Caster speak; the witch's voice was cold and laced an almost toxic aura, and yet, there was also a seductive quality to it.
"I-I-I'm s-sorry!" the redheaded healer sputtered. "I-I didn't mean to-"
"If you really want to watch me work, darling," Caster interrupted calmly, as she continued to craft her potion unimpeded, "then all you have to do is ask."
Finally, the White Servant turned her head to look at Sola-Ui, and the healer's eyes widened a little at the sight of her. Caster was truly the ideal image of a witch from a forgotten age, with her almost ghostly robe, colored in a mysterious, distrustful shade of bluish-purple; and her sinister face, obscured by the hood of her robe and her pale-blue hair. Though her appearance was something even her colleagues in the White Faction found vexing, Sola-Ui couldn't help but admire it instead.
To her, Caster of White seemed to be the perfect representation of a woman who always had her way, regardless of the obstacles and consequences.
"Oh, good evening, Madam Sola-Ui!" a weak but cheerful voice greeted. Sola-Ui instantly realized that, in her attention towards Caster, she had forgotten about Caster's Master, Itsuki Himuro.
"Good evening, Himuro," Sola-Ui replied, never taking her eyes off Caster.
"I assume you're here to see our progress?" Itsuki asked curiously.
"Uhhhhh, sure..."
Sola-Ui simply blinked nervously when she saw Caster's own lips curve upward, forming a devious sneer.
"Marvelous," the witch replied. "Shall I show you what I have so far?"
Sola-Ui stepped forward, her eyes now focused on Caster's new potion.
"What is that potion?" the healer asked.
"A little something of my own design. I am reserving it for my Master, just like these." Caster gestured to a small group of similar purple potions. "He is not going to last in that bed in normal conditions, and his powers are necessary if I am to bring out my maximum potential during the heat of battle."
"Your maximum potential...?"
"Something you would not understand, darling. It is knowledge that dates back to the Age of Gods."
"The Age of Gods? The time period in which the world followed the laws of not physics but those of Mystery? The time period in which the powers of Magecraft were closer to Magic?"
"Why, yes. The Age of Gods." Caster looked down at Sola-Ui, and the redhead could faintly sense a twinkle in the witch's unseen eye. "You sure do seem well-versed in your history, my dear."
Sola-Ui frowned and crossed her arms. "You're surprised?"
"Your husband once fleetingly described you as a mere healer during one of his inspections."
"Kayneth?" Sola-Ui gritted her teeth. "He is my fiancé, not my husband. And he underestimates me and my abilities. As do my brother and the rest of my family."
Caster made some sort of brief humming noise to signal what appeared to be understanding.
"Such is life..." But Sola-Ui pursed her lips. "That is why I must marry Kayneth. My brother may be a White Master, but he isn't as successful as the others. And to my family, that is indicative of nothing more than a colossal failure. Thus, the continued preservation of my family's magic hinges more on my marriage with Kayneth. Should my brother fall in battle, which my family views as a surefire possibility, then I will be the one entrusted to the connection of the Archibald and Sophia-Ri magics." The healer clenched her fists lightly. "That is all that is expected from me. I have no benefit of my own from this union..."
"It must be hard," Caster said, "to be seen as nothing more than a tool meant to achieve the desires of others."
Sola-Ui then looked up at Caster with surprise and wonder. Something seemed to click into place, as she remembered a certain legend boasted by Kayneth as he and Tohsaka discussed the White Servants.
For a bedridden cripple, Itsuki Himuro got the Servant best suited for his astonishing abilities: Medea, the Witch of Colchis, a highly powerful sorceress of Greek legend. Blindly forced to love a foreigner she had never seen before, by a goddess with abilities (and motives) beyond her understanding, she betrayed her country and brutally murdered her brother without a second thought. She then assisted the same foreigner in reclaiming a country that was rightfully his, through the use of her magic and simple deceit.
Not long afterward, Medea was scorned by the very people she aided, denounced as a selfish witch whose only concern was self-preservation, and who manipulated those around her to get what she wanted. Her actions in reclaiming the country for her lover were ultimately for naught, and they were both chased out. And as the final nail in the coffin, the man she was surreptitiously forced to love chose another woman over her for marriage, and for child-bearing. Since then, Medea surrendered to the very perceptions people developed about her, and lived the rest of her life as the Witch of Betrayal.
Medea was not just a powerful woman who always had her way; she was also a woman who turned the misperceptions of herself against those who believed in them. That, in Sola-Ui's mind, was indicative of something more than just a powerful woman...
"You want to know what I think?" Medea suddenly asked.
"What?" Sola-Ui responded, almost entranced by the witch's allure.
"I think...we deserve better..."
And with that, Medea grinned widely. The wisp of smoke from her newly-crafted potion rose in the air and surrounded both women like a draconic being.
Copenhagen
"Shirou... Promise me... Promise me that you will...give our...beloved daughter a...happy life...just as you did...for me..."
Shirou Kotomine sat in one of the private tables of the unremarkable pub. He opened his eyes at the memory of his one true love, Mirai, and mulled over her last words. It had been years since her passing, and it still felt like he had to endure an eternity before he could achieve his goals. The Impossible Holy Grail War may be the vehicle he needed to carry out these goals, but there were still many obstacles to overcome, obstacles that seemed impassable. Such as...
Shirou's eyes narrowed darkly at the thought of the one Black Master that truly frightened him... He would not allow the Grail to fall into his hands. He simply could not let that come to pass.
"Kotomine-san," a voice said.
The young, white-haired, tan-skinned man looked up and saw another man, seemingly young enough to still be a teenager, approaching his table. He was wearing clothing consisting of a sweater, a scarf, and tactical pants, all of which matched the color of his hair. The man...or boy, more like it, had a very stoic, cold, professional demeanor to him, something one would never expect from a person his age.
"Welcome," Shirou replied. "Please, have a seat."
The boy sat down in the opposite seat and eyed the cup beside Shirou's right hand. It bore a golden, simmering liquid topped with a pure white surface.
"Green tea?" he asked.
"Why, yes," replied Shirou as he glanced at the cup. "Flavored with a couple of drops of my own pocket cream." He then looked back at the boy. "Why do you ask?"
"It's my first time in Japan, and I've heard some positive things about their beverages. Specifically this one."
"It's good for calming the nerves. There's a lot of antioxidants in it as well."
"Really?" The boy looked vaguely interested, and Shirou wasn't sure if it was because he was just humoring him or if it was just his perpetually serious demeanor at work. "I've been recently contemplating an alternative for smoking. After all, the health of my lungs is beginning to catch up to my work."
Shirou blinked in surprise. "You smoke?"
"Why, yes. Speaking of which, is this place a smoking establishment?"
"I didn't see a sign saying otherwise, but-"
The boy ignored him as he took out a cigarette and lighter, lit one end of the cigarette, and stuck the other end into his mouth. Shirou's eyes narrowed with pity as smoke puffed out from the corners of the boy's mouth. He had heard about this boy in the world of Spellcasters, but he did not expect him to be...this young...and yet doing things no child should experience...
Yet another reason why he should strive for possession of the Grail.
"My apologies for the interruption, Kotomine-san," the boy said, once he was done; his voice was now slightly more raspy, and smoke leaked out from his mouth like a haunted spirit. "For some reason, this land has been nothing but a source of stress for me."
"I see..." replied Shirou. Then, a thought came over him, about an issue he wanted to address. "You know...my contact never gave you an actual name."
The boy arched an eyebrow. "Did he now...?"
"Well, he referred to you as Soldier A, but I personally do not believe in assigning code-names to those I know...even my clients."
A tense silence followed. Shirou instantly knew that he had provoked the boy's suspicions, but he stood by his personal preferences. He simply would not allow himself to treat this youngster like a mere tool. Even though he was dipping his hands into the world from which the Magus Killer came from, Shirou knew he was still better than that.
"I go by multiple names," the boy finally replied.
"Then what shall I call you?"
It was silent again, for the briefest moment, before Shirou got his answer.
"You can call me...Sigma."
"Sigma... Very well. So it shall be." Shirou smiled. "Thank you for responding to my summons, Sigma."
Kotomine Church
"Risei, Kirei."
Both father and son looked at the phonograph-like device they had installed on the altar. They were surprised Tokiomi was contacting them already, but they chose to ignore the timing of the Tohsaka head.
"Yes, Tokiomi?" Risei replied.
"I have some urgent news to share with you," Tokiomi's voice said. "News that mustn't fall upon Ruler's ears."
"You picked an opportune time to call. She is still on her way from the battlefield at Homurahara Academy."
"Very well. I shall make this succinct. The White Faction has encountered the Black Faction's Caster Servant."
"The Servant that has yet to establish contact with the Black Faction?" Kirei asked in dull surprise.
"Indeed. We were able to figure out his true identity right away: Gilles de Rais."
"Gilles de Rais..." Kirei's brown eyes narrowed slightly. "Ruler's old comrade..."
"Yes, they are indeed the one and the same. Unfortunately, unlike Ruler, Caster of Black has a stake in this Grail War. I do hope you both know what this could entail..."
Risei nodded, his wrinkled face even more grave. "I agree with your course of action, Tokiomi," he replied. "We cannot run the risk of Ruler making the same discovery, no matter what her standing is in this type of Grail War."
Kirei looked at his father. "Father, what are you suggesting?" he asked. "Are you saying we shouldn't inform Ruler about this?"
"That is exactly what we're saying, Kirei. Although the reserve system has been enacted without complications thus far, it is still safe to say there are unexpected limits imposed by the leylines of Fuyuki. They are still unstable with all of that excessive mana accumulation. Who knows what kind of imperfections still lay underneath the surface of this War? Such as, say, Ruler having some reserved biases?"
"If she finds out her old friend Gilles de Rais is a participant in the War, and becomes partial towards him and his Faction because of these imperfections," Tokiomi continued, "then it will undermine everything we worked hard for. With Ruler on their side, the Black Faction will have an inequitable advantage over the White Faction, and a greater chance for any one of its members to obtain the Grail."
"Which is absolutely why we must deceive Ruler on Caster of Black's true identity," Risei added. "It is for the good of this fight. Do you understand, Kirei?"
Kirei regarded his father with a stiff expression. For a couple of minutes, he remained silent, contemplating his choices. Finally, he replied, "I understand completely, Father."
Kirei entered the church's private room, deeply immersed in his thoughts. His own father and mentor were telling him to betray the trust placed in him by his Servant, betray it by lying to her. Lying to the face of a saint. It was something he never thought he'd do in his entire life. No matter how his father and Tokiomi worded it, it made the brown-haired priest sick to the stomach...
...No...he was sick to the stomach because it was squirming with...with delight at the fact...
Fortunately for him, Kirei saw a brilliant shade of gold, and his mind was taken off the creature that resided inside him.
"Archer of White...?"
The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, coolly turned over to his side on the couch, his pose evocative of a male model posing for his latest shoot. His flashy clothes were definitely reminiscent of that: they consisted of a white, short-sleeved shirt with a low neckline, a golden necklace, and a pair of pants with a color scheme that reminded Kirei of a python. In his left hand was a cup of red wine; his fingers were gracefully wrapped around its handle, like a smooth luxury coat upon a billionaire. Strewn around the room were a number of empty wine bottles.
"There are far fewer bottles here than the ones being passed around in Tokiomi Tohsaka's residence, but of higher quality," he explained smoothly. "I must say, that's some Master that little girl has. It's a shame that she herself cannot enjoy these pleasantries, if the...laws on drinking here are of any indication."
"What are you doing here?" Kirei asked calmly. "I thought you were lounging at Tohsaka Manor?"
"Apparently there are a lot of Masters and Servants there with a lot of time on their hands. I simply could not share my glorious space with them for more than a few precious minutes, for they have yet to earn that right."
"Don't look down upon the hospitality of your generous hosts." Kirei walked further into the room, and proceeded to pick up the discarded wine bottles and put them back in the small shelf where they belonged. "Do you mean to tell me you're dissatisfied with your Faction, Gilgamesh?"
"My invitation to this world from Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri was worthy of my elevated station and I felt I had to respond to that. And now there are noble and powerful figures in my presence. Of course, my power dwarfs theirs like a blazing sun to a dwindling star, but I judged them all to be effective retainers, not to mention excellent sources of amusement.
"And yet...they all have such selfish and materialistic goals and desires for this War...most of which pose as a challenge to my undeniable superiority..." Gilgamesh's snakelike eyes of crimson narrowed briefly. "Some moreso than others... Even the appointed leader, Tokiomi Tohsaka, the only one who I have a positive opinion of, still has his own limits."
"What do you mean by that?"
"He wants to reach the vortex of the Root." The King of Heroes scoffed coldly. "What a boring and tedious little plan."
"Tokiomi is a traditional mage," Kirei explained indifferently, "and reaching the vortex of the Root is a feat all archetypal magi pursue to the end of their days. It is...not something for outsiders to comment upon."
Gilgamesh smirked cruelly as he started to gently tip his cup from side to side, letting the wine within swish kindly. "Mages. What a misguided and incomprehensible enclave. What exactly do they hope to achieve by reaching the Root?"
"In essence, reaching the vortex of the Root is akin to escaping from the material world." Kirei's eyes narrowed darkly at Gilgamesh's opinion of Tokiomi's goals. "For us, who are interested in this world, it may very well be a tedious plan..."
"True, that. After all, this very universe is chock full of material pleasures to indulge in. I have no interest in pursuing other worlds for pleasures that evade my comprehension. I find that they should not be of anyone's concern." The King of Heroes took a sip of his wine. "But I also have no interest in working with those whose pleasures threaten to usurp my rightful place. That, I simply cannot abide with."
Kirei blinked idly. "The Holy Grail is a wish-granting device capable of limitless potential. I would even say that it has the power to alter even the reality of the material world. When presented with such an opportunity to change their lives in accordance to their beliefs, it is natural for humans to slit each other's throats and turn their friends into enemies, and vice-versa, if it meant being able to claim it. It is this very reason why this Grail War has been so successful despite all the personal risks at hand."
"Really, you don't say...?" Gilgamesh asked sarcastically. "Aren't we all fighting in teams at this very moment?"
"Humans are inherently selfish, and think only for themselves. The Masters know the risks of losing the Grail if they disregard the rules of the reserve system. Thus, they must work together in their Factions. It is to ensure the Grail takes on its fullest form during materialization. But you will see proof of their selfishness once the War moves to its second phase, where the surviving Masters must operate independently, regardless of Faction. New flags are raised. Friends turn into enemies. Throats are slit from behind."
Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed again, but this time, there was a sinister and knowing smile on his face.
"And what about you, Kirei?" he asked.
Kirei hesitated a little. "What about me?"
"Would you slit a throat and turn a friend into an enemy for the Holy Grail?"
"Me? Absolutely not. I am the Overseer, and the Master of Ruler." In an almost indiscernible moment, Kirei stumbled in his words and cleared his throat. "I am to have no interest in the Grail whatsoever."
"You say all of that, and yet you also say humans are inherently selfish and think only for themselves. I can attest to the latter statement...and I can also attest my doubt that you are an exception. After all..." The King of Heroes took another sip of wine before narrowing his eyes cunningly at the brown-haired priest. "I hear you are already keeping secrets from your Servant."
Kirei's eyes widened in affronted surprise. "It is for her own protection, and for the integrity of this Grail War. This has nothing to do with any personal desire for the Grail! If anything, this is supposed to help keep the odds in your favor!"
The King of Heroes smiled selfishly. "The odds are already in my favor, though, for the Holy Grail is mine. It has always been mine even before this foolish War of yours started. After all, everything of substantial value inherently belongs to me and me alone. The real question posed here is whether anyone is worthy enough to claim it as a plaything for a short time." Gilgamesh's snakelike eyes glinted. "And I must say, you, Kirei Kotomine, are shaping up to be a very suitable candidate. After all, I find myself interested in you..."
Kirei hesitated, letting Gilgamesh's words sink in for a moment, before replying, "I do not appreciate your laughable attempt at tempting me, Archer of White. You are just aiming to sow discord between me and Ruler, aren't you? Because you do not respect or recognize her title."
"I hold nothing against that deluded little girl. Tokiomi was right; she is still young and has yet to know her rightful place. Not unlike you, Kirei Kotomine...the one who is in the most need, and yet is also the one who is in the most denial about what he needs... How very sad and ironic."
"You are a mere Servant, and you dare sit there and lecture me about what I need?!"
"Don't get cocky, mongrel. You should hold your tongue and listen, for I am a king that has tasted all of the pleasures the world has to offer."
"And I am a saint who has forsaken a life of normalcy for something greater," a new voice said boldly.
Kirei turned around and saw Jeanne standing behind him. Though he wanted to feel relieved at her saintly presence, he just felt that dull absence of real emotion again.
"Archer of White," Jeanne continued sternly, "what are you doing here, on neutral territory, so early in the War? I do not believe your Master has fallen yet."
"I was merely exploring these lands," Gilgamesh replied calmly. He set down his nearly-finished cup of wine and stood up from the sofa. "Being stuck in that gloomy and boring residence was irking me very greatly and I was compelled to learn about the era I am in. It is in my understanding that, here, I can come and go whenever I please as long as I am not planning to conduct an assault."
"Your assumptions were correct, but I do not approve of your interaction with my Master. It raises too many questions." The saint stepped beside Kirei and unsheathed a sword from her side, aiming the blade at Gilgamesh. "I suggest you leave now, White Servant."
Gilgamesh merely laughed, gently pushed the blade away, and approached Jeanne, who firmly stood her ground. To her disgust, the King of Knights took a lock of her blonde hair and took a long sniff of its scent.
"You are truly a sight for the eyes," he said seductively. "I was wrong to be overly aggressive during our first meeting. Perhaps there is a place for you at the top of my harem, when this is all over..."
"You are a foul, egotistical man whose life knows no sin," Jeanne spat back. "I weep for your soul."
The King of Heroes frowned nastily at the Ruler Servant's comment. At first, Kirei thought it would be the final breaking point for him, triggering an unbridled attack on the church. But then, after apparently considering his all of his options, Gilgamesh's frown turned back into a smile, and he started chuckling.
"For a girl who is immersed in her delusions of grandeur that undermines my own, you have quite a sense of humor! I think I will keep a close eye on you from now on." He then stared cleverly at Kirei, who could easily imagine him adding, "On both of you."
"And I to you, Archer of White," spat Jeanne, not pleased in the slightest with Gilgamesh's behavior.
Gilgamesh scoffed dismissively before turning around and dissipating into a shower of golden dust. Once he was gone, Jeanne let out a heavy sigh and sheathed her sword.
"Thank the Lord I didn't have to restrain him with a Command Seal," she said. "Or kill him." She then looked at Kirei, who was still staring at the place where the King of Knights disappeared. "Are you alright, Kirei?"
"Yes, Ruler," Kirei replied distantly. "I'm fine..."
"What were you two talking about? Did he attempt to sway your opinion on the White Faction?"
"You say all of that, and yet you also say humans are inherently selfish and think only for themselves. I can attest to the latter statement...and I can also attest my doubt that you are an exception."
"The odds are already in my favor, though, for the Holy Grail is mine. The real question is whether anyone is worthy enough to claim it as a plaything for a short time. And I must say, you, Kirei Kotomine, are shaping up to be a very suitable candidate. After all, I find myself interested in you..."
"...Kirei Kotomine...the one who is in the most need, and yet is also the one who is in the most denial about what he needs... How very sad and ironic."
Kirei wished the King of Heroes' words were mere bait, aimed to complicate his Master-Servant relationship with Ruler. And yet...he sounded confident in his assertions...and the creature within him was squirming with delight...
"What exactly did he see in me...?" the priest thought. "Did he...see a reason for me to seek the Holy Grail...?" He then longingly glanced at the nearly-empty cup of wine Gilgamesh left behind. "Something I could not see...? But how could he? I am in a position where I cannot acquire the Grail even if I tried. What do his words mean...?"
"Kirei?"
Kirei was uncomfortably pulled back into the throes of reality by Jeanne's call. He looked at the Ruler Servant, who was looking back at him expectantly.
"What were you two talking about?" she asked again, putting more emphasis and sternness on her words.
The priest merely looked back emptily, unsure of what his response should be.
Chapter 7:
Schemes and Daggers
Kairi: We must ensure this Servant doesn't compromise our chances at victory.
Caules: Do you have any idea what kind of trouble we'll get into if everyone else realizes what we're doing?!
Waver: *horrified panting*
Saber of Black: I will see to it that Father witnesses that great act of glory!
Kiritsugu: We can escape, if we go now!
Irisviel: You can't turn your back on this. Not now. You...You'd eventually kill yourself.
Next Time:
The Search for Horrors
A/N: I feel like this isn't my best chapter for the story, but I'm still pretty glad that I managed to get back onto this before I forgot about it, or worse.
Anyway, this chapter does live up to its name. There's lots of scheming happening here, without a doubt. Also, I hope any of you know who Sigma is, and what kind of special connection he has to a certain character here. As for Shirou's purpose in hiring him, all will be revealed in due time.
I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:
-The Joining (guest reviewer):
1) Well, this is an AU, so you'll be seeing a number of unexpected characters. But I'm glad you're not bothered by their presences.
2) When you say Olga Marie, don't you mean Olesya? They're completely separate characters...
3) Heh heh heh... The circumstances of Ryuunosuke and Reika meeting are definitely not slice-of-life material. You will find out why as the story goes along. But your scenario of them being married and starting a family of their own is pretty hilarious. If I were to make a "Carnival Phantasm" fic based on the Rule Zero timeline, it'd definitely be a thing. XD
4) As you can see from the end of the chapter, there'll definitely be more of Kirei trying to search for his true purpose in life. And right now, he's getting two conflicting counselors in the form of Ruler and Gilgamesh...
5) In regards to the noticeable power difference between the Black Faction and the White Faction, it's supposed to help highlight the pros and cons between both teams. And I will say that the Black Faction actually has certain advantages over the White Faction...which I will not discuss yet.
6) So you have a suggestion for me, huh? Do share. I'll see if I can fit it anywhere into Gilles' storyline.
7) Your suspicions have been confirmed with this chapter. Once again, Gilles has mistaken Arturia for Jeanne again. Poor, poor fool indeed.
-superpeirce (guest reviewer): Yes, I get your drift. And indeed, it would be.
-00Altair:
1) Good point there. As you can see from the chapter, I'm trying to minimize Arturia's use of that nickname.
2) Alright. Thanks for responding to my own response.
3) I will definitely try to minimize dialogue during the next battle scene unless it is appropriate or accurate to the characters' personalities.
-miguelgiuliano . co:
1) I ran your review through Google Translate, so the responses here might not be what you're looking for. I'll try my best to address all of your review's points and concerns.
2) By Walker, I assume you're talking about Waver, right? If so, then I still intend for Waver to have an interesting yet similar storyline in this fic. Sorry if Iskandar isn't Waver's Servant this time around, but I was hoping to shake things up a bit.
3) Well...Kiritsugu IS already cheating on Irisviel in "Fate/Zero" already. So that part is completely accurate with his character. I can't try and punish him for that. My apologies.
4) Yes, there'll be more confrontations between Arturia and Mordred in the future.
5) As for Ruler having her own Servants...I'm actually still thinking about that possibility. But just so you know, Medea is already the White Faction's Caster Servant. So unless I kill her off early in the story, she can't be summoned as one of Ruler's Servants.
-BanTheFairyKing: I'm glad you really love this story! I credit its quality to my love of the "Fate/Zero" anime. It was so unique to me and I just wanted to replicate its style for this fic.
-Guest reviewer: Thanks, but can you be more specific in your review? What did you enjoy? Is there anything you did not like? Any questions or concerns?
-Oruzhiye:
1) Don't you just love going on a reading binge with a fanfic?
2) I will say that Kirei's path will be defined by the end of the story, for sure.
3) Hahaha, Team COOL! I get the reference. XD
4) Such is the archetypal mage. Always a self-righteous asshole, no matter who they're criticizing.
5) Despite being so courteous and gentlemanly, Klaus is also another archetypal mage. He expects to be in control himself. Not to mention he still looks down on Kiritsugu for the kind of mage he is. It doesn't matter how powerful the Servant selected for him is; if Kiritsugu was the one who chose the Servant and not him, he'd think of Atalanta as sub-optimal.
6) As you can see...Kariya has some kind of saltiness against Tokiomi...
7) Like Waver said, he thought that the Einzberns were going to punk him and steal Assassin from him, thus he didn't respond to their summons. And he had no idea the reserve system existed. So...he was only guilty of being ill-informed.
8) LOL, Mordred riding a tank. Unfortunately, that cannot happen, lest they want the Japan Self-Defense Forces to descend upon the Black Faction's butts.
9) I'll try not to kill Siegfried off so soon.
10) And as you can see, Olesya has descended into a small state of depression and self-doubt from the loss.
11) As you can see, Gilgamesh hasn't changed at all. He may praise Tokiomi, but he still finds quite a lot of fault in him. Not to mention he sees Kirei as a source of entertainment for him once again.
12) Nope, Medea's planning something a bit more devious...
13) Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter! :D
-angelvan105: But given this is set in the Fate universe, I'm pretty sure I'll find a way to f**k both Arturia and Mordred over...somehow... We'll see.
-Lancerino memerino:
1) Nice username, by the way. Lancer truly is a god of memes. (You're talking about Cú Chulainn, right?)
2) So my action sequences are a bit slow, huh? Care to describe how, if you can? I would love to improve as much as I can, but your criticism was a bit vague. I'm not sure what you would expect for improvements.
3) Shirou's a bit bland to you, huh? That's most likely because he hasn't gotten into any action yet. Don't worry. I'm sure it'll change when Shirou gets himself into some trouble.
-SentinelPrimeKnightOfCybertron:
1) Oh yes, as you can see, Kirei's back already.
2) Well, Kariya obviously still has a grudge towards Tokiomi. I will elaborate a bit more as we go along.
3) Heh heh heh, and Zouken's obviously not enjoying being under Darnic's wing. It's great giving that slimy old man his rightful comeuppance after all he had (or, in this case, would've) done to Sakura.
4) And now I'm hinting at Medea about to do something. Isn't foreshadowing great?
5) Hahaha, Lancers do have terrible luck. Even Arturia, in her Lancer form, isn't having the best time right now. I feel bad for them.
-Light (guest reviewer): Thanks! There'll definitely be more fights in the future, I can guarantee that!
-kace1234 (guest reviewer): That'll give too much away, so I'll decline to answer at the moment. My apologies.
-amerdism:
1) Sorry for the delay, my friend. If you followed my profile, you would've realized that a lot of stuff had been happening to me and I barely had any time to attend to this chapter. But I promise you, I'll try not to dawdle that much with future chapters.
2) Well, Shirou may not be participating in the War, but he's obviously scheming something behind everyone's backs...
-Mastermind4892: There's actually history between Medea and Atalanta, so that'll be addressed as well. But I will try and fit something in for Iskandar and Medea's interactions, now that you've made an excellent point on them both being heroes of Greek legend.
-Raraiki: We shall see about that...
Well, hope you enjoyed this late but lengthy chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!