Words Count: 4492

A/N: Sorry, this Ep was supposed to be up yesterday, but I think my scooter knows I'm about to replace her 'cause halfway through my ride, her wheels just went flat. I had to walk while hauling my scooter for two miles and was too tired to write anything.

Here's my usual spiel:

You can read from Episode 85 to 111 (And five Eps of the Sequel – Fate: False Sovereignty) in advanced. The Tier starts from as low as 1USD, try it out!

P a tr e on . com (/) LiamThePoor

Looking around curiously, Rin Tohsaka let out several sighs to calm her rising anxiety to varying degrees of success. Every time she thought she was no longer worried, that Leo and Alice Quentin surely had everything planned to the tee, a derisive glance here and there from the various Lords and Ladies would bring her heartrate through the roofs again.

This process repeated over and over until she could hardly wait to be done with the entire ordeal and, hopefully, be released to Fuyuki. If not for the fact she had little to no backing in the Clock Tower, being a supposedly 'barbaric' Eastern Magus and all, the twin-tailed tsundere would likely have screamed the heads off these Lords and Ladies, demanding to know what they were looking at.

Obviously, she didn't do that. Yes, she was impulsive and easy to anger at times, but she was not stupid. This wasn't her territory where her words were Laws, and even if it was, Rin had no delusion she alone could fend off a particularly persistent group of Mages even with her talents. Still, being gawked at like an animal in the zoo was making her angrier by the second.

She had no idea if it was just her imagination, but these gazes were giving her a foreboding premonition. Needless to say, she did not like it, she did not like at all. Thus, to somewhat alleviate the odd sensation in her heart, the tsundere could only try to make small-talk with the Enforcers responsible for escorting her to the Courtroom. "Do you know why it's taking so long?"

Unexpectedly, the Enforcers did not respond. In fact, they didn't even deign her question with a gesture or a glance, acting as though she did not exist. For a second, Rin genuinely thought she had somehow turned invisible, but another look at their moody expressions immediately told her something- Now, Rin knew not what, but something was definitely wrong given the looks they were giving her.

One of pity, sadness mixed with just the slightest touch of resignation. "Uhmmm… Is something wrong?"

She shouldn't ask, Rin knew she shouldn't, yet she could not help it.

She was curious, and the sooner she found out what was the matter, the more time she had to prepare. Hence, despite knowing full-well no one would respond to her pleas, she continued to pester the group of Enforcers.

"Do not worry, Lady Tohsaka. I'm sure it's nothing of importance, the last case is probably just taking longer than normal." At last, one Enforcer couldn't handle the guilt and explain to her patiently, an awkward smile on her lips. Rin didn't buy the excuse, though she would be lying if she said having someone trying to console her did not uplift her Spirit. "Ah-I see. Thank you, Miss…?"

The Enforcer seemed even more awkward, telling Rin, trepidation shaking her voice. "I do not think- Well, how about this? If you come out of this healthy and whole, I'll tell you my name?"

Ignoring the fact the Enforcer was addressing her like she was a toddler barely capable of speech, the way in which she was talking set off several alarms in Rin's head. Was Lady Alice Quentin not trustworthy after all? Had her friend Leonis, in his hastiness, misjudged the woman? Had– "Alright, it's your turn, Lady Tohsaka."

The words felt like slimes, throatily coursing out of the Guard's mouth in a thickly-accented voice. Then, the double-door opened to reveal a familiar Courtroom that was far too luxurious to be considered a place worthy of respect. "And now, in the Case of Fuyuki's Second Owner's negligence of her territory, has the Defendant– One Rin Tohsaka arrived yet?"

Rin looked up, eyes widening in surprise at the Judge…

"You're not Alice." The tsundere couldn't help commenting, and even though her voice was barely above a whisper, in the deafening, all-encompassing silence of the Courtroom, that was all that was needed to carry her words throughout the ever echoing Chamber. Amidst the deprecating looks of the Jurors, all of whom likely looking forwards to her downfall, Rin Tohsaka swallowed.

"Please take a seat, Lady Tohsaka? I neither have the time nor the patience to waste on you…" Fixing her glasses, the Judge leaned forth to peer down at the downtrodden tsundere. "Or do you wish to plead guilty this instance so as to not waste our time?"

The Judge said lamely, in spite of the sheer ridicule in her words, there was not even the slightest trace of amusement in her voice. Bangs covering her eyes as a stoic, expressionless look creeping upon her features, Rin lifted her face to reveal a look befitting that of a Magus Heiress. "My apology, I was merely caught up in my thoughts. May I ask why Judge Quentin was replaced?"

"You may, but it doesn't guarantee you an answer." Grinding her teeth, the tsundere could only let the matter go, yet just as she was about to sit, the new Judge continued. "If you really want to know, Judge Quentin has been deemed unsuitable to preside over your Case due to her health-related issues. I'm Judge Williams, and I'll be taking over for her. Now, if that's all, will you please sit down?"

Left with little choices, Rin obeyed, internally screeching at the sheer absurdity of the situation. Gaze landing on the Jury, thoughts whirled in her mind. 'Who could have done this? Who has the political influence to and why? Is it really just because of my relationship with Leonis?!'

One thing was clear to her though, this was not going to be a cakewalk as she had initially predicted, without Alice Quentin to bank on, she was as good as gone. Rin's only hope was to stall and wait for Leonis or someone else to the rescue. And, if that was not possible, she must rely on her own teachings to at the very least survive this whole ordeal. 'Just you all wait, I am NOT going to allow myself to be taken down so easily!'

.

..

…

Zolgen seethed in impotent rage as it listened to the conversation that was going on in the Office of one Lorelei Barthomeloi, despising its existence for not being able to move and change locations at will without the commands of its Master– Neglecting to admit this was one of the many safeguards put in place by its juvenile Creator. If only it could move to notify its Great Master of the schemes these bastards were cooking up behind its Master's back.

"Has Jamesstarted yet?"

The Butler– The cowardly little bastard, nodded and explained. "Your prediction was correct, Milady. Lord Trambelio has made a move against Rin Tohsaka in retaliation of Lord Magnum opting to join our Faction. Judge Quentin was kidnapped mere hours after she woke up from… Our meddling. My apology for questioning your orders once more, but should we really do this? It will no doubt make young Magnum grow resentful of us for taking advantage of his friend."

"It is necessary, already he's defying my orders. I do not want an Apprentice who will grovel at my feet, but I do expect more than the slightest modicum of respect." Lorelei replied, disturbingly calm as she continued. "Leonis Magnum's loyalty and allegiance lie not with us, but his interests alone, and perhaps that of Rin Tohsaka's, judging by the length of which he went to help her. We get the girl, and the boy will be puny in our hands."

"The boy is young and willful, what if he decides betrayal is the correct course of actions nevertheless, disregarding Rin Tohsaka's wellbeing, Milady?"

Then, a derisive chuckle escaped her lips. "The utter fool clearly cares for the girl, I get her- And I'll get him to be obedient for a time. Still, you're right to worry. He does not strike me as the type to be able to take humiliations for long. I have little reasons to doubt his Pride will eventually surpass his care for the young Tohsaka in the future, but even then, what could he possibly do to me? He may scheme all he wants, but against my absolute power, he's nothing.

In fact, I might even enjoy his struggles, I did take him under my wings to entertain myself, after all."

Lazily, the Queen of the Clock Tower flipped to another page of the documents she was reading, finishing with a ominous, "Worst case scenario, Leonis truly chooses to abandon Rin Tohsaka to save his own skin the moment he hears she's in more troubles than he can handle, then he will have proven himself a disloyal rat unworthy to be cultivated by my hands, in which case I'll be able to prepare for his eventual betrayal. Either way–"

Lorelei sipped on her tea, letting out an undignified groan as her taste buds flowered. "– I will be the only Winner out of this mess."

"I- I see, Milady…" Ambrosias sighed, feeling the slightest bits of pity for the pair. They were young, young enough to be his grandchildren, yet Lorelei had made her demands clear, and the Queen's Orders were absolute. "You may retreat now Ambrosias, I do not have a need of your service at the moment."

With that, the Butler left, leaving only the Clock Tower's Vice-Director/Unofficial Queen and the fragment of the newly-formed Demon to their devices. Obviously, neither knew of Zolgen's existence, not that it mattered much given how useless the Demon felt without the dampened connection to its True-Self.

'I must find a way to warn Master of their schemes quickly…!' Zolgen refused to fail its Master without even trying, thus with great effort, fighting against every instincts in its mind to resist its Master's commands, the parasitic Demon began to move, its slimy fat body sliding down the polished wooden-surface. 'I'm coming, Master!'

.

..

…

Alice Quentin groaned, hand slapping her forehead in a futile attempt to soothe the angry, stabbing pains in her frontal lobes.

Fighting to remember what had taken place, the Noble Lady sat up, but she had done so too quickly, and the consequence was her brain jumping to protest the treatment. Alice could practically feel the mush-batter slamming into her skull at the sudden movement, causing her to nearly lurch the entire contents of her breakfast and lunch on the floor. Granted, given her declining health, there wasn't much to puke out, yet the acidic taste at the back of her throat was repulsive all the same.

Eyes blinking to regain some sort of control over her aching brain, Alice silently got to her feet. While she had never been… Kidnapped in this way, this wasn't Alice's first rodeo. As a Lady and a Judge of the Clock Tower, she was used to being threatened and put in dangerous spots. An example was when one of her former suitors tried to pressure her into marrying him. It was back when she was still young and beautiful, long before the revelations of her infertility.

Since, her political influence had grown more and more, to the point she could no longer be looked down on by anyone save the likes of the various Great Lords and Ladies, better known as the Department-Heads and Lord Brishisan himself… 'It must be them! No one else would have the nerve to kidnap a Judge, let alone one from the Neutral Faction.'

The Aristocratic and the Democratic had been at War for generations, long before Lorelei Barthomeloi's Ascension as the proclaimed 'Queen of the Clock Tower', even before James Trambelio got into his current position as the de facto Head of the Democratic, but they had never tried to involve the Neutral in any way. The three Factions had a tacit understanding that everyone from the Neutral was to be left alone, for knew cared little for things outside of Magecraft.

It had been this way for centuries,

No Lord and Lady would dare to break this unspoken Truce…

Not unless they were confident in their ability to push back the Neutral,

Not unless they were part of the Twelve Great Lords.

"There's no doubt Magnum's capability has ruffled a few feathers, but three questions remain… Who's behind this, Lord Trambelio or Lady Barthomeloi? What time is it, and how am I supposed to get out of here?" Scowling, Alice looked at the padded white room, muttering to herself. "Damn these bastards… How dare they?!"

Even should she be capable of breaking out, there was no doubt in her mind she had already been removed from the Fuyuki Case, which meant she could not fulfill her parts of the Geas, and Leonis Magnum would have no reason to help her… Ailing nephew. "Damn you all, I'll you pay for this even if I have to give my life!"

Alice could only hope the boy would not take offense to her temporary disappearance, though given how he appeared, she knew chances were he would not forgive her, even if her breaching their Geas was not out of Alice's own will. Consumed by Wrath, the Lady balled up her fist and began landing punch after punch at anything that remotely resembled a path out. Her fists leaving permanent marks in spite of the pads' elastic textures.

— [Fate: DML] —

The once pristine and clean hotel-room was now a mess with papers, maps, pens and all sort of tools scattered everywhere. My face, when I actually bothered to look at my beat-up reflection in the wide mirror hanging horizontally on the wall was, needless to say, quite horrible.

There were bags under my eyes, angry-red veins over my sclera and my hair, while still silky-smooth, was messy and tangled beyond saving, a product of me ruffling it again and again throughout the night as I agonized over the Anne-Marie Case. It simply did not make sense, there were so many screws and bolts missing that even with [Future Calculation] I could not put all the pieces together.

Normally, I'd not bother to profile the Apostle all, but since Paris was such a huge City, and the sights of Anne-Marie, or whoever the Killer was, were never seen, I thought I could use the more traditional methods to create a Pattern in the killings and ambushed her at the next spot she or he might visit. But I was wrong, I had wasted an entire night searching for links that didn't even exist!

'Son of a bitch!' Palming my face, I asked aloud. "Gosh… What the fuck am I doing?"

Although, maybe it wasn't wasted? Her Pattern was all over the place, but there was a Pattern nonetheless. While the majority of the victims thus far had been completely random, innocent people, there were a few- about twenty percent with previous criminal-records for murders, rapes, gangbanging and child-abuse– Abuse of the sexual kind I meant. What I puzzled me was why or possibly what prompted her to start targeting the innocent.

If she hadn't started doing so, we could make a Deal, find a fall-guy and trick Lorelei somehow, but seeing as her list of… Acceptable targets had widened considerably, I'd be forced to kill her, not that I cared about her wellbeing, but still, knowing the whys would make my job that much easier… 'Wha- You still up, Leo-tan?'

Did this motherfucker just yawn in my face. Was he flaunting his ability to sleep while I had to slave away like a dog? Gritting my teeth, I cursed. 'Fuck you!'

'I- What- The fuck did I even do?!'

'You know exactly what you did! Don't play stupid, you're a disembodied Spirit, you don't need to– Wait-No… You can't even yawn, you fucking prick!' I screeched, my unhealthy pale skin growing a shade purple with anger and sleeplessness. 'Firstly, it's a natural response from way back when I was human–'

'That was fucking ages ago.'

'– That's beside the point! Point is, I can't resist it. Secondly, why are you so cranky first thing today anyway? You can usually stay awake for days, if not weeks and be fine!' Running a hand through my bleary eyes, I breathed an annoyed sigh. 'I don't fucking know, I think the Evolution is messing with my head. Maybe it takes too much from me and I'm suffering from the effects, plus the sleepless night…'

'Maybe you should take a brief nap, see if it improves your mood or not.'

"Yeah… Maybe you're right." I said, looking at the mess I had left on the bed and sighed. With a single motion, the gigantic heap of papers were tossed to the floor. Leaping on the soft mattress, I released a rumbling bellow, head resting on the pillow. "Goddamn, I- I'm gonna– *Yawn*– Get some sleep… Angra, you wake me if something important happens, okay?"

Mumbling sleepily, I cradled the pillow into my cheek.

'Sure, just ask me a favor right after insulting me, 'cause why not?' The Daemon King grumbled.

"Nightie-Night, Angra."

Darkness claimed me and sleep came easier than ever.

.

..

…

'What if there are two Apostles? Or two Killers? That would explain so much!' With that thought in mind, I shot up, wide awake. My eyes shot towards the scattered stacks of papers, heart beating wildly. "I- What hour is it?! Holy-Fuck, how did I not think of that before, it's so fucking simple! Was I that tired?!"

I glanced outside, seeing an all-consuming pitch-black color falling curtain over the famous City of Lights. "I- What? How did–?!"

'You slept through the entire day, Leo-tan.' Angra said. 'There was ringing in your Connection with the little Demon you created from the old Worm's remains. It seemed urgent, I tried to wake you but it's no use. I even had to check if you were breathing… How are you feeling?'

'Refreshed and more alive than ever!' I smirked, feeling my muscles tensing with hidden strength. Unlike body-builders, I did not have bulging muscles, nor was I grotesquely big, but I had visibly definitions, which seemed to have increased by several inches after I slept. How did I know this without taking my clothes off to check? Simple, my sleeves felt more restricting than usual, especially the shoulders and biceps. "Wait, give me a sec."

I told Angra, stopping him in his track and pulling up my Status Page. It was just a feeling, but I was fairly sure my Stats had increased by a bit. 'As expected…'

[Game Ver.a3.2]

Name: Leonis Magnum

Title: A Queen's Object Of Affection

Age: 10/22

Race: High Human

Level: 14 (99.1%)

HP: 100% – MP: 100%

STR: F – 2/250

AGI: F – 2/250

DEX: F – 2/250

VIT: F – 2/250

INT: F – 2/250

CHA: F – 2/250

Points: 54.7

[—]

'Was the Racial Advantage activated after I slept?' My sight zoomed in on the Stats. Everything had increased by 1AP, which wasn't much, but it was still an increase regardless. It made sense, muscles were built in your sleep. I had thought the Racial Advantage would advance just like adding Points to a Stat like usual, but the Body needing sleep for growth was completely understandable, I'd go as far as to say it was quite fitting. "Well, it is much appreciated."

A hint of a smile crept on my lips.

'What is?' Angra inquired curiously, to which I responded with a soft chuckle, "It's nothing, I just feel good, that's all."

… 'I see?'

'No. No, you really don't.' Clapping my hands, I smiled brightly. 'On a side not, I think I just solved the Anne-Marie Case!'

'How exactly?' The Daemon questioned, his curiosity seeming far more genuine than usual. I supposed even Ancient Evil Spirits could not resist the temptations of Mysteries. 'Think about it, Anne-Marie has been active for over a century, there's no way she will lose control so easily, and in a large City like Paris at that too! It doesn't make any sense for her to go after the innocents given what we know about her, but what if there's another Apostle or Killer who's using her to divert suspicion from them?'

The Daemon gasped. 'That sounds… Not implausible.'

'Right-Right?!' I exclaimed excitedly. 'Perhaps it's a copycat Killer, or an Apostle hell-bent on giving Anne-Marie a bad name. Hell, it might even be one of the criminals she killed. Maybe she accidentally transferred Vampirism to him or her and now they're wreaking havoc!'

'… It is not impossible, but you'll have to talk to the Apostle face-to-face to confirm your suspicions. Even if your hypothesis is correct, it does not change the fact you still have to look for her first.'

My grin widened– Like a shark's, it was a toothy thing that made me look much too young. 'And here goes my second theory, what is an Apostle's biggest weakness. What's the most mainstream?'

Angra groaned. 'Really? We're doing this again, dude? C'mon, can't you just fucking tell me already?!'

'Nuh-Uh. You either play the Game or be excluded. There's no other way about it.' Angra groaned even louder. 'Dude, don't do that, you're starting to sound less like you're actually annoyed and more…'

I trailed, not wanting to finish my sentence. Doubted I needed to anyhow. 'Fine. I'll play your stupid Game, the Apostles' biggest weakness is Sunlight.'

Much like in every videogame or franchise, the Apostles were extremely weak against the Sun, being Creatures of Undeath and the Night. Sure, the older ones– Apostle Ancestors for example, would grow resistant over time, but the fact the Sun weakened, if not burnt the younger of the Bloodsuckers was undeniable. 'And where would you hide in a City like Paris if you're a Sun-fearing Vampire? Which place is the darkest and easiest to hide from Sunlight?'

'I- I don't fucking know? In a damned dungeon?!'

'Nope.' I popped cheekily. 'Try the infamously haunted Catacombs of Paris. It's buried deep under the City where no Sunlight can touch you, it has yet to be fully-explored and only a small area is open to the public. Not to mention, nobody will think to look for a murderer there, even they, how the fuck are they going to find you in a labyrinth of tunnels, made entirely out of skulls and skeletons of the deceased in pitch-black darkness?'

Hearing no response from Angra, I continued in excitement. 'The Catacombs is also notorious for supposedly being haunted by the Spirits of the deceased, some even say it's the Entrance to Hell itself. Even I don't want to come down there and I'm a fucking Magus, what are the chances of a normal Police Officer willingly going down there without a Map?'

'If I were to hazard a guess… Chances of that are very low?'

'Exactly! Not to mention, the Entrance to the Catacombs is also one of the places that have not been hit by Anne-Marie yet. In fact, since four months ago, not a single death happened in a five miles radius of the Catacombs. Perhaps Anne-Marie's just taking her sweet time, or perhaps she simply does not wish to draw attention to her hideout…' A proud smirk blossomed on my face. Goddamn, fuck being an actor, I should become a detective. 'All that's left now is to check my hypothesis with [Future Calculation].'

Closing my eyes, I let out a breath to calm my excited lil' heart, voicing my question. 'What are the chances the Apostle Anne-Marie is hiding out in the Catacombs of Paris?'

81.6%

'And there we have it, folks. Another mystery solved by the famous, world-renowned Leonis Magnum!' I was cackling like I had gone completely and utterly insane, overwhelmed by the sheer sense of achievement and still riding the high of my nap/sleep. 'Let's go to the Catacombs then, Spatial-Awareness will make it a walk in the park, even without a Map.'

Hell, didn't I have a real Map as a Function? 'Scratch that, it's going to be even easier than a walk in the park.'

'Before that, I really think you should contact the little Demon you created. I'm having a really, really bad feeling about this…' I rolled my eyes. What could possibly be worrying him so much. Zolgen was probably attempting to contact me to relay information he thought I might want to know, which I supposed wasn't exactly his fault. I did force the command on him after all. 'Fine, fine. I'll call him in a few secs.'

'Leonis… I'm not kidding.' The Daemon drawled, the way he addressed me catching me completely off guard. Angra Mainyu hadn't called me Leonis for a long time. I only recalled him doing so a few times in a few different contexts, but those were all serious situations. "Angra, what's wrong?"

All hints of jokes were wiped from both my face and tone as I inquired with trepidation. 'I don't know, but the every time the connection is established, the World's Evils hammer at the edges of my mind…'

That… Did not sound good. 'Fuck…'

[Ars Goetia] activated and my Mana, which was usually tainted by the Elder Blood, thrummed in my Circuits, the traces of Spatial and Temporal disappearing to give space to something worse– Something filthy, and destructive, and Demonic. "Zolgen, what's wrong? Answer me!"

"Master! I'm able to reach you at last! Lorelei Barthomeloi has betrayed you! I know not the details, but it sounds like they're targeting Mistress Tohsaka!"

"What?" My hand crushed the bedframe, feeling splinters digging at the outer-layer of my skin. I asked unblinkingly, cold fury digging at my heart. "What did you just say? Why have I only been made aware of this now?!"

"My apology, Master." Zolgen apologized, sounding like it was close to tears. "The connection to my Fragment was interrupted by Lorelei's Bounded Field, I've only heard of this a few hours ago. I tried to contact you immediately, but you would not answer, Master. I've failed in my duty, please punish me."

"Enough." I told it, eerily calm as my Mana ran wild. There was no doubt I was angry, I knew Lorelei would try something to rein me in, but she had gone too far. I didn't care if she chose to directly target me, I didn't even care she had Enforcers drugged my tea then had me unscrupulously thrown on an airplane to France, but this was simply… "Unacceptable."

All of a sudden, as though in response to my anger, Infernal Iris and Invictus flashed into my hands. I didn't need to call them, the connections between ensured the semi-sentient weapons were entirely capable of sensing my emotions and intents, and all that currently occupied my mind were thoughts of murder. Already, scene of Lorelei's death by my own hands were clearly imagined, like a video being played on repeat. "I'll have her head…"

With that said, I disappeared in a burst of cyan flecks,

My destination obvious.