Probably not going to be many changes to this one, but I decided to tidy it up regardless.
Spoiler Warning: This Chapter is pretty-much light on the action and Lelouch Magnificent Bad-Assery.
Rest assured he'll be up to his usual standards soon enough.
Still no pairings. And for the last time I won't be deviating from Shirou's Harem if I can help it!
Fate/Zero Requiem:
An Alternate Tale of the Fourth Holy Grail War
Third Night: Land of the Sakura Petals.
Kiritsugu sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke, having just finished lighting up his first cigarette in nine years, the Magus Killer savoring the familiar taste as he made his way down the streets of the Shinto, the East Fuyuki housing district.
Unlike the western district of Miyama, Shinto was undergoing a large-scale redevelopment courtesy of the government, who wanted to construct a modern business district on the otherwise unused land.
As it stood, the project was only 40% complete, thanks in no small part to the subtle interference of the city's Second Owner, Tohsaka Tokiomi, who abhorred the advances of the modern age as any self-respecting magus should.
It went without saying that Kiritsugu, who regarded Magic as simply another 'Tool' by which to get the job done, regarded the Tohsaka head's efforts as a meaningless effort, as the modern age had already progressed far beyond any one man's bid to curb it, evidenced by the completion of the Fuyuki Park and Shopping District, and the fact that the council were already making plans to move City Hall brick by brick from the traditional Miyama to the modern Shinto, an act which would probably be the final nail in Tohsaka's coffin as Second Owner.
Not that such things mattered to Kiritsugu. Provided human lives weren't involved, he never paid much attention to politics. The council could have decided to move the Town Hall to the moon for all he cared, provided they took the proper steps to ensure no-lives were lost.
No, it was for a different reason that the man known as the Magus Killer was making his way through the crowds, his faded black suit and trench-coat, a trademark from his days as a freelancer, giving him the appearance of someone who'd just flown in on business, which in the strictest sense wasn't untrue, for while he was Japanese by birth, his job had kept him from his homeland for quite some time, long enough that it was almost pleasant to traverse the old streets, taking in the transformed scenery that had replaced those he remembered.
'I'll need to familiarize myself with the lay of the land again…' he noted, not an unexpected obstacle given the recent developments, but an unfortunate one nonetheless, the Magus Killer making his way carefully through the altered streets to one of the many Hotels that had been erected to cater to the needs of families and businessmen alike.
He breezed through the lobby with a confidence that to the casual onlooker spoke of familiarity, but in truth was the result of memorizing the floor plans of the building, striding purposefully towards the elevator and riding it up to the seventh floor, knocking covertly on the door to room 703, which opened to reveal the wary eyes of Hisau Maiya, his assistant and protege of sorts.
A somber woman, Maiya had grown up as a child soldier in a war-torn land, one of countless thousand innocent souls who'd had their humanity drummed out of them thanks to constant conflict and harsh treatment their commanders used to keep them in line. Kiritsugu had rescued her during one of his many missions, taking her with him and raising her as his assistant much like he himself had been rescued and raised by Natalia following his father's death.
In the world of Magi, those few who knew of their relationship and still lived would have regarded Maiya as Kiritsugu's apprentice. While this wasn't strictly false, Kiritsugu considered Magecraft as nothing more than a tool for accomplishing his goals, and had passed this ideal down to Maiya, teaching her only what was necessary for her to complete her duties, instead choosing to focus on her skills as an assassin, honing them to the point she could wield even the crudest weapons to deadly effect.
In a sense, Kiritsugu had taken a flawed tool and turned it into a weapon he trusted more than any other, certainly more than he did the King of Knights.
Skipping unnecessary greetings, Maiya stepped back, allowing Kiritsugu to enter the room even as she examined the hallway outside, a precaution that was unnecessary, as Kiritsugu wouldn't have approached the floor unless he was certain no-one was tailing him.
"The equipment you requested has arrived." She announced after locking and bolting the door, turning round to find Kiritsugu standing at the foot of one of the single beds that occupied the room, upon which were laid enough ordinance to make a small SWAT team nervous "Madam and Saber have arrived as well, and are making their way together. That way the other masters will assume Master is Saber's Master."
"Good." Kiritsugu grunted, his expression unreadable as he ran his eyes over the assembled ordinance before him.
Unlike most magi, who relied entirely on the Magecraft with little need for anything as mundane as weapons, Kiritsugu was the exact opposite, instead specializing in the use of state-of-the-art weaponry, a heresy that earned him the title of 'Magus Killer'. The sheer amount of firepower laid out before him, ranging from firearms to explosives, could have outfitted a small platoon, just the thing one needed when preparing for a war.
"There's more…" Maiya spoke up, kneeling before a VCR as she spoke "The Tohsaka mansion was bombed last night." She revealed, popping in the recording she'd made as Kiritsugu turned to watch "Look for yourself."
Kiritsugu frowned as he watched the feed the Maiya's bat familiars had captured with the cameras strapped to their abdomens, eyes narrowing further as he watched the destruction of the Tohsaka Mansion, and Tokiomi's escape courtesy of a masked Servant wielding a bow "What do you make of it?"
"I had my familiars search the wreckage." Maiya confirmed, rising to her feet after setting the recording on repeat "The mansion was completely destroyed, even more efficiently than if we'd used Plastic Explosives, it's only thanks to the bounded field that the authorities haven't come to investigate."
"Tokiomi wouldn't have wanted them coming around in any case." Kiritsugu mused, regarding the scene before him sternly "The problem is, who could've gotten past the bounded field to do this?"
"Assassin?" Maiya proposed, having been filled in earlier on the Seven's capabilities "Servants of that Class possess the Presence Concealment skill, and I doubt any of Hassan il Sabah's incarnations would have problems penetrating the home of a magus, regardless of skill level."
"That's certainly true." Kiritsugu conceded, though his frown didn't abate "However, just before I came over, Saber claimed she sensed one of the Seven's passing." He nodded at the masked figure on screen "If that's truly Archer, then that means Assassin was terminated."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Maiya wondered, not unduly, for while Assassin's were one of the weakest Classes, second only to Caster in terms of physical strength, their Presence Concealment skill meant the other Masters would spend most of their time jumping at shadows. With Assassin gone, the other Masters would lower their guards.
"Not necessarily." Kiritsugu muttered "There's nothing to confirm or deny it was Assassin that was eliminated." He gestured to the explosion "Also, there's the manner in which the attack was made, this isn't something a Magus would think of." He turned to look at Maiya "Did any Masters approach the Church last night?"
"Kotomine Kirei." Maiya confirmed, Kiritsugu's eyes widening at the revelation "Per your instructions, I had him followed with my familiars whenever he left the Tohsaka manor. Following the explosion, he quickly retreated to the church and was taken under the Overseer's protection." She nodded towards the screen "Given his past as an Executor, and his familiarity with Tohsaka's home thanks to his apprenticeship, it isn't impossible to think he set the explosives that destroyed the mansion."
"Maybe…but that's not his style…" Kiritsugu countered suspiciously, recalling the feeling of apprehension, if not wariness, that had overcome him when he'd read the report on Tokiomi's not-so-secret apprentice "He was a member of the 8th Sacrament, they specialize in hand-to-hand combat." He exhaled softly "To tell the truth if I didn't know any better, I'd assume we were responsible for this."
"What do you propose we do?" Maiya asked, regarding her mentor carefully, noting the unease in his stance, giving him the air of a cornered wolf. As if realizing her concern, Kiritsugu shook himself mentally to compose himself before nodding at the screen.
"For now, send a familiar to watch over the Fuyuki Church." he instructed, ignoring her reminder of the Church's status as a neutral zone "Keep it as close as you can without the priest noticing."
"Understood." Maiya acknowledged, sending a mental command to one of the bats still stationed at the ruins of the Tohsaka manor in the event someone returned to check the wreckage, the winged rodent making for the Fuyuki Church even as Kiritsugu availed himself of the arsenal she'd prepared.
Elsewhere...
"So this is 'Japan'…" Lelouch mused, eyeing his surroundings with a small smile as he made his way down the streets of Shinto, dressed in one of Kirei's spare priest vestments, though it sagged a little due to his Master being at least 7 cm taller than him "I have to admit, I'm impressed."
The sentiment was well deserved, for while it was true that the 'Japan' he had been summoned into wasn't as technologically advanced as the one he had spent the majority of his teenage years in, it was still impressive to see how far the culture had advanced without an oppressive empire to contend with.
'It's amazing they managed to get this far without Sakuradite…' he marveled, wondering if the ore even existed in this world. It had initially been discovered at Stonehenge during the middle ages in his world, yet no mention of it had been made in any of the history texts of this one, and Mount Fuji, the premier source of the mineral, was instead being mined for something called vanadium 'Oh well, perhaps they're better off without it, considering all the trouble it brought my world.'
Sighing to himself, the former Demon Emperor continued on his way, returning the odd greeting he received from the local passer's-by who mistook him for a priest, an irony he found particularly hilarious as he made his way towards the Fuyuki library, wanting to make use of the computer wing there, only to pause as he spotted the police rope that barred the entrance.
'A break in?' he wondered, quirking a bow at the sight of the ruined shutters 'More like a break out by the looks of it…' he corrected, noting how the metal only seemed to bend outwards, implying something big had rammed into them from the inside 'What could have done something like that? And why would they do such a thing instead of sneaking out?'
"Excuse me." he called out, walking over to the police officer that was currently overlooking the scene "Pardon me Officer," he called out, his eyes lighting up as his Geass Activated "But would you mind doing me a favour?"
"But of course." the Officer acknowledged, standing up straighter as the Geass Command, more like a suggestion really, overwrote his brain and forced him to obey the Servants' every word "What can I do for you?"
"Tell me what happened here." Lelouch demanded, his tone low so as to avoid drawing attention to himself, his features genial, as if he were merely asking directions "Was anything stolen from the Library?"
"None of the staff reported any missing equipment, and all the money is locked in a safe after hours." The Officer confirmed "However, upon further investigation, the head librarian reported that two books that hadn't been borrowed were missing from their shelves."
"Books?" Lelouch repeated, blinking in confusion, as what kind of thief stole books from a library, when it would've been just as easy and less conspicuous to read them during opening hours "What kind of books?"
"An Atlas and a copy of Homer's Odyssey and the Iliad." The officer revealed, Lelouch's brow quirking with interest, as there were very few people that would be interested in such things on this side of the pond, himself included, though certainly not to the extent of resorting to theft "The strangest thing is that whoever did this must've been hiding inside the library the entire time, as there's no signs of a forced entry. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Not for the moment, though I may need you later." he confirmed, ignoring the officer's salute as he turned on his heel and walked off, leaving the officer blinking in confusion as his Geass died down, the Servant turning his thoughts towards his latest findings.
'So, one of the other Servants decided to do a little late-night reading.' he mused, a hand coming up to stroke his chin as he made his way through the blissfully unaware crowd 'Possibly a Greek or Roman Hero judging if their reading material is any indication, though why they'd be interested in an Atlas is beyond me.'
A sudden wave of Prana washed over him, the Servant's eyes snapping up as he felt the approach of another Servant, scowling slightly as he stepped back into the shadows before reverting to Astral Form. While his Presence Concealment Skill meant he wouldn't be noticed unless he launched an attack, that didn't mean he was willing to take the risk of being noticed this early in the game.
'Judging by the sheer amount of prana I'm sensing, I'm guessing it's one of the Knight Classes or close enough.' He deduced, eyes narrowing as he peered out into the crowd, who continued about their business, heedless of the imminent danger 'With Gilgamesh gone, that leaves Saber, Lancer, and possibly Rider.'
He instantly dismissed Caster and Berserker from the list of possibilities, the former because for all their arcane might they were physically the weakest Servants and the latter because no sane Master would let that animal off its chains in public.
The remaining classes, however, were undoubtedly the main contenders for the war, Saber having made it to the finals in each encounter, and both Lancer and Rider possessing skills that made underestimating them suicide.
'If it comes down to it I'd rather it were Rider.' He admitted to himself, as when it came to 'mounted cavalry', he was quite confident in his ability to predict the enemy's abilities. Such thoughts were soon driven from his mind as the crowd parted, giving him a good look at the Servant in question.
She was short, shorter than him at any rate, dressed in a well-cut black suit with a grey collared shirt, black tie and gloves, giving her the appearance of a chauffeur or bodyguard, an image that matched the look in her emerald eyes, which glanced over the passing crowd like a lioness on the prowl, set in a Caucasian face that bore an expression that reminded Assassin so much of his half-sister Cornelia that he instinctively found himself looking for her sword-rifle.
'Okay, that's definitely Saber…' he deduced, eyeing the Knight of the Sword warily from the shadows lest he draw attention to himself, trusting in his Presence Concealment skill to keep her from looking his way 'What's she doing out in the open though? Don't tell me her Master decided to sight-see?'
As if to answer his question, a pale hand came out and grabbed one of Saber's gloved ones, Lelouch quirking a brow as he followed the limb to spot a tall young woman, early to mid-twenties at best, dressed in a white cashmere coat, her startling red eyes shining with a childish mirth that matched her silver hair as she pointed out something off to the side.
'That woman's not human…' he muttered, eyes narrowing at her flawless beauty, not even bothering to question how he could know such a thing, as it wasn't just knowledge of the Era that the Grail bequeathed unto Servants 'A Homunculus of some sort? She must be the Einzbern Master.'
Heedless of their observer, the two women continued to make their way through the market sector, looking for all the world like a couple on their way to a cocktail party, the kind normally associated by movie stars and those with more coin than sense.
It didn't seem they had any fixed destination in mind, instead simply wandering aimlessly, ignoring all the shops, cafes and tourist spots one would normally find such people frequenting. Occasionally they'd stop and marvel at the light of the setting sun shining on the windows of the buildings, watching the people of Fuyuki go about their busy, everyday lives from a distance.
"Assassin…" Kirei's voice intoned suddenly over their shared link, prompting Lelouch to twitch slightly at the sound of his Master's disembodied voice echoing in his mind, still not entirely used to their means of communication "Where are you?"
"Shinto Market Square…" Lelouch responded, keeping his voice low so as to avoid drawing attention to himself "I've located Saber and her Master and am currently in pursuit."
"Is it Emiya Kiritsugu?" Kirei inquired, and despite the distance between them Lelouch had to roll his eyes at the almost childlike anticipation in his Master's voice at the mere mention of the Magus Killer's name.
"Negative." He countered, sensing his master's disappointment through their connection "It would appear to be a woman. Judging by her complexion and crimson eyes, I can only assume she's an Einzbern Homunculus."
"A Homunculus?" Kirei pondered, his tone tense, and justly so, for the combat homunculi of the Einzbern were more than a match for any Church Executor or Association Enforcer, to the point it was generally advised not to tackle one head on, even with superior numbers "So Jubstacheit sent us an artificial master…typical of the man."
"You can't deny his resourcefulness, certainly." Lelouch mused, a wry smile adorning his features as he watched the pair move further along "I'm going to try and tail them from afar, see if I can't discern Saber's identity."
"Good hunting." Kirei offered, the tone carrying a trace of mockery as Lelouch felt his presence fade from his mind, the Servant waiting until he was certain the pair were gone before manifesting his usual attire and heading after them.
Fuyuki Beach, later that evening...
Saber frowned, the King of Knights emerald eyes peering into the darkness, watching for any signs of an enemy attack whilst simultaneously keeping an eye on her charge as Irisviel waded into the waters of Fuyuki beach.
Since being summoned into this world to participate in the Holy Grail war, the homunculus had been Saber's sole companion, her Master, Emiya Kiritsugu, refusing to even acknowledge her, leaving it to Irisviel to answer whatever queries the King of Knights might have.
As a result, when Kiritsugu had proposed the two to go on ahead to Fuyuki without him, Saber hadn't protested too much, instead swearing to protect Irisviel, to the end if necessary, as was fitting a Knight.
If Kiritsugu had noticed her dedication, he certainly hadn't shown it, nor did Saber realize she particularly wanted the man's approval. She was summoned to win the Grail War, and that was what she intended to do. She didn't have the time or patience for a man who couldn't accept the choices she'd made in her life had been her own.
"We should have come here when it wasn't dark..." she noted aloud, her tone apologetic, as if it was her fault Irisviel had missed out on the chance to see the sun sink below the waves, only for her Master's wife to counter with a smile.
"It's fine." She assured her, smiling as she listened to the distant roar of the waves, the night air cool against her flushed cheeks "Even at night the sea is beautiful...like a mirror reflecting the night sky."
Saber couldn't help but smile at that, watching as her friend promptly stripped off her boots and stockings, dancing lightly in the surf, her innocent, naïve smile that of a young woman in the bloom of her youth, rather than a married woman with a daughter.
"Today was nice…" Irisviel mused aloud, walking along the sand with a whimsical smile, her hands clasped behind her "I had no idea it'd be so much fun to walk through an unfamiliar town with a gentleman."
"Then I take it my imitation of a 'gentleman' was to your liking?" Saber asked, her tone amused, and indeed a little whimsical, recalling how she and Guinevere would likewise joke with one another when in private.
"You were perfect." Irisviel assured her, smiling encouragingly at her friend and protector with her hands held behind her back like a schoolgirl "Today you truly were a magnificent Knight, Saber."
"You honor me, princess." Saber offered, bowing courteously at her friend, unable to help the smile that adorned her face at the flustered look on Irisviel's face as the homunculus turned to face the sea.
"Saber, do you like the sea?" Irisviel asked suddenly, her tone laced with innocent curiosity, so much so that Saber couldn't help but smile despite her true feelings on the subject.
"I suppose I don't really know…" she confessed, her gaze following Irisviel's out to the distant horizon introspectively "In my age and country, the sea was where my enemies arrived." She smiled somberly "I've hated it, but never once admired it."
"I see…forgive me for bringing it up." Irisviel murmured, her expression clouding slightly at the revelation as she stood in the shallows, the waves coming up over her ankles "Even though you're a woman like me, as King Arthur, you couldn't afford to enjoy something like this."
Of to the side, concealed in Shadow, Lelouch had to fight the urge to choke behind his mask, his eyes widening as he gaped at the pair, mind blown by the revelation Saber's Master had unwittingly dropped.
'King Arthur?' he marveled, his violet eyes taking in Saber's regal features, a part of him admitting that, dressed as she was, she could very easily have passed for a very pretty man, what Tamaki would colorfully have referred to as a 'Fucking Trap', you could say 'You have got to be kidding me? The Once and Future Proud King of Knights is a girl?'
It was almost laughable; in fact were he not certain it would get him caught he probably would've collapsed in stitches already. To think that Britain's most beloved, famous King, whose adventures were the stuff of legend even in his own world, to the point the founders saw fit to rename the capital 'Pendragon' after him, was in fact a slip of a girl no older than her teens.
'Milly would've loved this…' he marveled, shaking his head in disbelief as he managed to get his mirth under control 'Come to think of it, she'd have had a field day with her, she looks the serious type…'
If experience had taught him anything, it was that Milly Ashford loved the serious types, if only because it was so much fun to watch them loose their cool. The sheer terror the woman was likely to inflict on the King of Knights should she get her hands on her brought a smile to his face even as he flinched in sympathy.
His musings were cut short, however, as a sudden wave of Prana washed over him, his head snapping towards the Fuyuki docks at the same time as Saber, the King of Knights tugging subtly on her Master's upper arm, instantly sobering the homunculus up.
"An enemy Servant?" the woman, Irisviel, asked warily, and despite his confidence in his Presence Concealment, Lelouch couldn't help but tense at the tone of her voice.
"Yes." Saber confirmed, Lelouch bracing himself to dodge at the first sign of a sword "He's making his presence known from the shadows, 100 meters from here." Lelouch relaxed minutely, though not entirely "He seems to be inviting us there."
"How thoughtful…" Irisviel noted, the homunculus glancing across the water towards the Fuyuki Docks "So he wishes to choose the battlefield." She turned to smile at Saber, and for a moment Assassin swore he saw Euphemia in the woman's smile "Shall we take him up on his offer?"
'Good grief, it's like Euphie all over again.' Lelouch mused, marveling at the level of faith the homunculus was displaying in her Servant even as his heart tugged at the resemblance her personality bore to his sister's 'Still, judging by this outright challenge, the enemy servant must be either Lancer or Rider…Caster wouldn't be so foolish as to directly challenge a Knight Class, and Berserker wouldn't have the wit.'
It went without saying how an Assassin would approach the situation, which was precisely why, when Saber and Irisviel made their way towards the Fuyuki docks, it was with a cloaked shadow following hot on their heels.
And I'll just leave off there. No new abilities to reveal, sadly, expect more later as the story develops.
Just to clarify: Risei was able to preserve Tokiomi's crest from his corpse, so Rin will be receiving the Tohsaka Crest as she does in canon. However, Since Lelouch essentially blew Tokiomi up, the only Gemstone she'll receive, if any, will be the one she uses to summon Archer/EMIYA.
Again, Servants being able to sense each other's passing is something unique (to my knowledge) to this fic. Either take it at face value or ignore it, but it's something I worked in to make Lelouch's manipulations more plausible.
Besides, as the vessel for the grail, Irisviel would've sensed the passing of one of the Servants.
As for why Lelouch is running around in Kirei's Hand-Me down Priest Robes instead of his usual 'Civilian Clothes' from Code Geass, I don't think either Risei or Kirei had anything else to wear beyond their priest robes, and It's not like Servants can just make clothes as they please.
Case in point: setting aside Gilgamesh for obvious reasons, Iskander had to order his pants & shirt through Waver and Saber's suit was purchased by Irisviel prior to arriving in Fuyuki, whereas her outfit in Stay-Night was provided by Rin, who likely gave EMIYA her father's hand-me-downs to wear since she's cheap like that.
As for the other Fate Servants, setting aside Berserkales and Sassassin (Sasaki ), Caster likely had Suzuki purchase clothes for her in order to better masquerade as his fiance, and Rider probably borrowed some of Sakura's clothes due to their similar sizes or Sakura purchased them for her after the war.
As for Lancer, given his luck either Gilgamesh or Kotomine probably purchased the Hawaiian shirt to mock him, never expecting him to pull the look off.