Chapter 2 - The Holy Grail War

-Ozpin-

"...and judging by what we managed to gather before the familiars were destroyed in the fighting we can accurately place what appears to be both Saber and Archer at the scene of tonight's battle." Bartholomew Oobleck read aloud, summarizing a report from Beacon's scryers. "The servants engaged one another but ceased when a currently unknown individual stumbled onto the conflict. Saber moved to eliminate the witness in accordance with the War's laws while Archer and her master, the Lady Schnee, attempted to stop him and...failed."

I lowered my head, grip tightening on the handle of my coffee mug at the unfairness of it all. 'The battle hasn't even truly begun and already people are dying.' I seethed, attempting to school myself back to at least an appearance of calm indifference.

This person was certainly not the first nor would he likely be the last person to die in the pursuit of the Holy Grail, five wars before and over three hundred years of bloodshed had made that abundantly clear. I had known what I might have to face when I accepted the role of headmaster and administrator both years ago of this academy, when I agreed to act as a moderator, doing my best to contain the fallout of the war and it's participants to a minimum.

'And yet of all the laws I must enforce this one is truly the most sickening.'

"And the damages are covered?" I said, voice calm, belying the turmoil that rankled just beneath the surface, "I trust the war chest can handle it, and the cover?" the green haired man's eyebrows rose but he quickly composed himself, his knew this game as well.

"The district is in shambles but most of the damage was superficial, buildings and pavement for the most part, easily repaired. Lord Ironwood has assured me the funds are being delegated through the proper channels, the story being that a shipment of flame attributed Dust was stored improperly inside its container, causing an explosion when jostled."

Not the most elaborate cover up in the war's long history of course but enough to curb the public's eye, the more curious would have to be handled in due time by illusion or some another means. James would handle the financial details, his family always had, their "solemn duty" in their quest for the Grail to assist those hurt in the wake of it's coming.

"Excellent work as always Bartholomew…" I said after a few moments, making a small hand gesture that unlocked the protective wards on my desk, allowing me to withdraw a sealed folder from within the top most drawer "have the scryers send back-up familiars to comb the site before public services can cordon the area, if nothing else I'd like to identify the witness." It wouldn't do much good for the poor soul but I could at least make sure his next of kin were well attended to for their loss. "On to the next matter of business, the Masters…" I opened the file spreading the contents across my desk, "at the moment I have confirmation from six individuals in regards to their participation, either in person or by other means, all of whom have completed the summoning ritual successfully and are moving to or presently residing within the city as we speak."

"Master Lie Ren is expected to arrive within hours along with his servant." the teacher noted, examining his scroll with marked distaste as he adjusted his glasses, "Really, that an Enforcer of all people could be chosen, from a clan with that sort of history no less, to compete is simply…!"

"It is not within our purview to judge the Grail's will." I reminded him with a wry grin, causing the man to huff in irritation, "Lie Ren, heir to the Lie Clan, possesses the seals and thus was judged worthy to compete, simple as that."

"Still an interesting choice…" the magus grumbled under his breath, "they all are, each talented and dedicated." he closed the scroll and looked me straight in the eye, "This war might actually be the one Ozpin, the one where the Grail is finally claimed after all this time."

"Yes…" I laid my elbows on the desk, staring down at each of the files on my desk as I rested my chin on my hands, "and the mere thought of that terrifies me to no end."

-Lie Ren-

'Not long now.' I thought to myself as I drifted along the ebbs and flows of mana made visible through the meditation, watching the currents shift along the air and through the surface far below like a flowing river, hearing the gentle hum of the Dust powering the commercial airship like a heartbeat as it made its way through the moonlit night towards its destination. 'Vale...' a city rife with magic and life, soon to be subject to yet another brutal conflict for a prize only a few could understand and far fewer could hope to hold claim over. 'And yet it is for that reason I'm going isn't it?'

Magenta eyes slowly opened I once again allowed myself access to my more mundane senses, glancing down at the back of my left hand where crimson lotus shaped sigil stood in stark relief against pale skin. To say I'd been surprised that the stigmata had appeared at all a few weeks ago was an understatement.

From what the Lie Clan records had to offer on the subject, the Holy Grail War would be a battle for supremacy between seven masters, usually accomplished mages, and their seven summoned familiars, spirits embodying the form of ancient heroes. For a man who had been trained for most of his life to police mages and their actions sometimes violently, a member of a clan devoted to the same cause, to have been chosen as one of the seven was...well, it was hardly a standard selection.

"...and why isn't this "airship" flapping its wings as a bird does? Has it just been gliding the whole way? Wow if only I had something like this at…!" I sighed, looking over to the massive window that dominated the VIP suite of the ship that gave an incredible view of the approaching landmass and the lights of the far off city or more specifically the girl in the frilly pink and white dress with short orange hair currently pressing her face into the glass, "...messages could be sent in hours rather than weeks, the scope of entire campaigns broadened with new supply chains! I could've even…!"

'What is that now, six, seven hours of continuous chatter and questions? Makes me wonder if servants even need to breathe?' I couldn't help the smile crossing my face though, as short lived as I allowed it to be. I'd admitted to some intimidation at the prospect of working alongside such a renowned warrior in this assignment but my experience over the last few days with Rider had in fact proven quite the relaxing change of pace and perspective, especially given her childlike wonder at the everyday marvels of this day and age that I'd never realized I took for granted. 'She's certainly different from the company I usually keep.' The airship had been her favorite new discovery and had had the servant gushing nonstop since we boarded.

"It's starting isn't it Master." the servant said suddenly in a different tone than before, pulling back from the glass as she looked out at the fast approaching city. "The battle to end all battles."

"Yes, you can sense it?" I asked, honestly surprised. Even in the midst of my meditation I'd only felt the barest twinge of activity from our destination, a sign of two great magical forces in close proximity to the other that could only have been two servants fighting. That I could even detect it that clearly from this distance was a testament to just how powerful they were and their effect on the space around them.

"Not like you could with your whole meditation thing Master Ren, no no. It's more like a tingling on the back of my neck, like that feeling you get right before a heavy storm or an ambush, that something's coming, you can't see it but you know regardless." The girl sighed contentedly, eyes closed as she took a deep breath. "Oh you can just smell it, feel it deep in your very bones. It's been too long."

I watched her bask in the feeling for a while longer before resuming my meditations, it would be a busy night once we landed and preparations would still need to be done, weapons procured, contacts in the area established and put to work gathering information, but for the moment I would enjoy the uneasy peace while it lasted.

'I'll do my duty to my family and Remnant, to ensure the Holy Grail and it's power falls into the correct hands, be it one of the other masters...or mine if necessary.'

-Weiss Schnee-

"Weiss, you need to give him some space you know? Get some sleep." I snapped my head around to look at the red hooded servant, lounging in a cushy high backed chair, legs kicking over the armrest as she let out a bored sounding groan. "It isn't healthy, for you or for him." I gritted my teeth, turning away as I stared down at the boy lying in the bed next to me, pale as a sheet and his chest barely rising with each labored breath, blonde hair spread haphazardly around his sweaty face.

'My fault...' I snarled inwardly, 'I screwed up and let an innocent get involved, and of all people it had to be HIM!' Jaune Arc, the same bumbling idiot of a second rate magus who struggled over the most basic of concepts in class, the one who had embarrassed us both with his idiotic attempt at "serenading" me in front of at least half the academy. 'And now he's hurt because of my weakness.'

Luckily I'd been able to overcome the curse afflicting the wound and heal it, though the boy still was a bit battered, bruises and scrapes present from when he fell to the ground and a bandage already tightly wrapped around his hand around his hand that had already been there.

"You know us Archer's actually have some pretty good eyes?" the small girl continued on matter a factly, her voice really starting to get on my nerves. "You're tired, you haven't slept in hours, and healing him the way you did drained your mana reserves heavily. I can feel it"

"Noted." I said sharply, fist clenched on my knee, "Why don't you use those eyes for something useful, like scouting for the enemy?" 'Like I told you too.' My mind finished for me. "You're aware that if Saber's master really is trying to stick to the rules and eliminate witnesses he'll send his servant back to finish what he started if he realizes he failed?

"With the sorts of wards and barriers you have around this place? I'd be surprised if even Assassin could get in here undetected." she replied with a shrug, turning over in the chair, resting her head on her arms. "Besides, it's not like you could keep me sustained in your condition if another servant actually attacked, especially that guy from earlier."

She was right of course and I hated it, the feeling that nothing was going as I'd always expected it too. After my lessons and in the dead of night I would often dream about fighting in the Holy Grail War just like my grandfather, except this time actually succeeding in obtaining the mythic object. Bringing eternal glory and supremacy to the Schnee Family with my loyal servant by my side.

Reality had been...sobering, to say the least. In my fantasies as a little girl I would often be accompanied by a handsome or beautiful knight of great renown, he or she the pinnacle of virtue, honor, and nobility, a shining example drawn from the Age of Hunters or some other bygone era.

Instead…I looked back at Archer, the teenager somehow managing to find cookies from seemingly out of nowhere, scarfing them into her face like a rabid dog before she noticed me staring, giving me a wide messy smile that she probably thought was comforting.

I'd been elated after father had told me of his plans to excavate the Hill of the Two Sisters to locate possible catalysts needed for the summoning ritual. I'd read all the stories in preparation a dozen times, Ruby Rose, legendary Grimm slayer who along with her half-sister Yang Xiao Long starred in dozens if not hundreds of daring tales chronicling their many exploits.

The stories each held her aloft as a genius tactician, leader, and a peerless warrior capable of defeating hordes of Grimm singlehanded. 'To think I actually idolized her...' However, since summoning the girl, despite me being the master in this relationship, actually ordering her to do something was like pulling teeth, the girl stubbornly impertinent.

"Weiss, whatcha thinking about?" And then there was the familiarity, a proper servant would be addressing me as Master or Mistress but this child seemed devoid of any concept of proper etiquette. 'I could use a command seal, order her to address me properly...' I thought before tearing the childish idea from my head immediately. 'Look at me, actually considering using a precious seal on something so trivial!' With my luck it would only serve to make the young servant more irritating.

Something was wrong with me for sure. I'd been impulsive, reckless and overconfident, foolishly leaving my defensible home base before I'd finished recovering from the shock of the summoning and adjusting to the new drain of supplying Archer with enough Aura and Mana to sustain herself. From there we'd walked around the city for hours until I felt the disturbance of what could only have been another master out scouting and, rather than retreat and devise a proper strategy, had sought to engage them without any forethought and had instead run into their servant.

Another childhood dream dashed, the dream of fighting alongside my summoned familiar as an equal. Archer may not have been what I'd expected or wanted in a servant personality wise but her skill in battle was undeniable. It had been perfectly clear from her first clash with the faunus that a fight between heroes was no place for a mortal, and what was more neither had even come close to truly drawing on their full power. I'd been practically helpless despite my magic. 'Like nothing I ever expected.'

"You know maybe…!" Archer was unable to finish her statement, seeming to dissolve in a flurry of rose colored lights as I cut off my flow of mana to the servant, forcing the former huntress into her spiritual form and sent her from the room.

Peace and quiet at last, 'Maybe...Maybe I do need to rest...' I felt my eyelids begin to droop, my head lowering, the weight of the day's events finally seeming to hit me as I slumped forward. 'Just for a little while.'

-Jaune Arc-

'Is being dead really supposed to hurt this much?' I wondered, floating in a dull red sea of pain, especially in my chest, as if my whole body were on fire. My nerves frayed and blistering, screaming for relief. 'Thought pain was supposed to stop after you die, or maybe I haven't...' That made sense I suppose, if I was still alive I'd still be able to feel. How exactly that could be possible I had no real notion considering the fact I'd had a blade run through or damn near close to my heart. 'I remember something about Weiss, if she was around I bet she could've healed me.' With the sort of ability the Schnee heiress displayed in classes it was hard to think of anything she wasn't capable of.

"And what would you do if you had such power?"

My eyes shot open to view an unfamiliar ceiling above me, my body practically cocooned in a nest of blue colored blankets and feeling strangely...energetic, yet exhausted at the same time. For the first few moments of consciousness I just laid there unmoving, brain trying desperately to piece together the fevered fragments of what had happened. 'I was on my way back to Beacon after work when I heard something, I went to investigate and I stumbled on that Faunus and the girl in the red hood fighting with all those insane moves, Weiss was there and then...and then…"

I sat up, barely registering that I had been stripped of my shirt, focus completely aimed towards the vivid scar just left of where my heart still beat if somewhat irregularly from the fresh shock. 'Oh crap, It wasn't just some nightmare.' I shivered, hand pressing against the tender edges of the wound 'I almost died...but then how am I still alive?' I might've specialized in healing but it was pretty hard to believe I could've healed a sword wound like that while bleeding out, hell those weird marks on my hand earlier were still giving me trouble, nothing I tried seemed able to remove it despite my best efforts. 'Probably Neptune's idea of a dumb joke. Had to hide it under a bandage just so Junior wouldn't grill me about it at work.'

I was so wrapped up with examining the new freshly healed injury that it took a few more seconds to become aware of a warm weight on my legs. A head of disheveled snow white hair was draped over me, grumbling slightly in her sleep as she had to readjust herself. Considering the only real contact I've ever had with women other than my mom and my sisters was the occasional drunken partygoer or the twins, this situation was a bit...tense and my face probably showed it. "Uh, Weiss?" I had to lightly jostle her a bit before her eyes opened wearily, yawning deeply as she sat up, still looking half asleep as she stared blankly at me. "Hey." I gave her a little wave.

She shook her head out, glancing from me, to my legs, and then to herself, hand absently reaching up to wipe a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth. I was about to ask if she felt alright before her eyes suddenly focused, letting out a cry of alarm as she jumped up so quickly she sent the chair she had been in flying, blushing furiously.

"Weiss!" a voice called out as the red hooded girl I remembered from earlier appeared, as in literally appeared from thin air, in a mist of rose colored light, a massive scythe held at the ready that should've been way too much for a person her size to handle. "What is it? What's wrong?!"

"Hey it's okay! Calm dow…!" I spoke quickly before a magically reinforced slap caught me across the face, plunging me back into the darkness. 'Oh c'mon!'

"So...I assume you must have questions." the heiress sipped at her tea briskly from across the long dining table, surprisingly normal for just how awkward the atmosphere was, especially after waking up the second time. "I'll try to answer them as best I can."

"Not really sure where to start." I murmured, sloshing the contents of my cup around idly as I looked around the richly furnished room feeling more than a bit out of my element here, "The last thing I remember was falling to the ground after that masked guy stabbed me, then you were there." I started, hand moving towards the wound, feeling it through the spare dress shirt Weiss had loaned me. "Then I woke up here and you…" I stopped, sensing danger as color quickly flooded the young girls cheeks. The hooded girl sitting next to her snickered playfully, earning an icy glare from the Schnee magus. Rather than freeze however the redhead just shrugged, going back to devouring the cookies on the plate before her loudly. 'What's her deal?'

"And that's all, you remember nothing else?"

"W-Well I…" I glanced at the hooded girl again, Archer I remembered Weiss calling her, "I know I saw you two fighting the guy that stabbed me, the sort of things you pulled off…" I'd seen masters work magic, Weiss herself was quite an example and I'd seen firsthand what some of the professors could do in demonstrations but what this girl and that Faunus had done, how they moved…"what is she?"

Weiss' expression darkened and for a second I'd thought I'd crossed some sort of line when she lowered her cup back to the table. "Jaune, have you ever heard of the Holy Grail?"

"No, what's that?" I asked truthfully, the term sounded familiar but I couldn't quite place it. 'Maybe something in a textbook?'

"So you don't know, I figured as much. I doubt someone like you would know anything for sure. Though I thought you might've at least heard the legend." Okay mildly insulting but I chose to ignore the jab, fidgeting uncomfortably in my chair with my shoulders slumped.

"Well I haven't okay? So what is this about and what does it have to do with her?"

The magus' brow furrowed, obviously contemplating how to proceed. "The Holy Grail…" she started, leaning forward in her seat, "is the term used to describe an item of immense power and speculation. What tales exist that speak of the Grail proclaim it the source of all the Dust in Remnant, magical essence crystallized in a raw form that we use as energy, both for modern machinery as well as for some spells and rituals." she pulled out a small blue crystal to demonstrate. "That is...not entirely true." Archer shot Weiss a nervous look but said nothing. "But it doesn't really matter." she said suddenly, shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" I asked, doing my best to follow along and failing somewhat. 'What is she getting at? Source of all Dust, what?'

"The stories are exaggerated most likely but the fact of the matter is that there is indeed an object, discovered centuries ago by my ancestor and two others, capable of granting its wielder an almost divine level of power, the power to make the wielder's dreams a reality."

"Huh?"

"It can grant any wish you dolt!" she slammed the hand gripping the gem onto the table, shaking sending cups and plates rattling, "Magic has pushed our understanding of the world and its laws but there has always been limits to what it could accomplish, limits the Grail can bypass, understand!?"

"I-I think so." I nodded quickly, letting out a ragged breath I didn't know I'd been holding as the white haired mage seemed to have relaxed. "But what does this thing, the Holy Grail, have to do with what happened tonight?" I choked down a yelp as her icy stare fell on me again, 'She's worse than Mom and the Malachites combined!'

"I'll try and make it simple for you. The problem with the Grail is that for all the power it holds, theoretically it can only grant a single wish to a single user, one it chose to wield it." the Ice Queen continued on, "This presented the problem of who exactly would get the wish, not to mention the Grail actively called for seven such masters which only further confused the issue."

"Makes sense I guess…" I said before I could help myself, "judging by how a lot of the people back at Beacon act I can't really imagine a group of mages sharing something like that."

"Quite true." She nodded sagely, "From what I've told the arguments over who the wish belonged were chaotic in the extreme, threatening the fragile peace we had only just won back from the Grimm." with a quickly uttered word a small white flame appeared in her hand, moving from finger to finger in a loose pattern "To counter this and maintain order, those three families that originally discovered it, in conjunction with the top magical associations of Remnant, established a ritual to summon the Grail that also acted as a means to choose a master decided by fate and skill. This ritual is today known as the Holy Grail War, a battle between seven individuals chosen by the grail using familiars summoned through the power of the source itself, the Heroic Spirits we call servants, able to take the form and consciousness of legendary figures." she spared a glance towards Archer, the girl still intent on the small pastries that now that I thought about seemed to just keep appearing out of seemingly nowhere. "Archer is such a spirit and I am her Master, fighting together to claim victory in this war."

And she lost me, my mouth gaped open dumbstruck, eyes shifting from one girl to the other. "Okay...okay okay okay. Hold on." I waved my arms in front of me, head and chest really starting to ache now. "You're trying to tell me that SHE…" I pointed at the silver eyed and very normal looking little teenager, "is some kind of familiar, and some kind of storybook hero at that!?" I'd seen familiars during my time at Beacon ranging from little wisps to the near monsters Professor Port kept in his study that supposedly were used to fight the Grimm hundreds of years ago.

"Course I am…" the red girl in question said matter a factly, shrugging her small shoulders in apparent confusion over how I wasn't seeing it, "how many girls do you know that can appear out of a cloud of light, then there's my sweetheart over here." she snapped a finger and suddenly the same wicked red scythe materialized beside her, leaning against the chair. "C'mon, the girl here tells you all about a secret war for something that can grant any wish and you're hung up on me? I'm flattered." Now that I thought about it the small girl did have a point, I let my hand droop back to the table, very much relieved to see the scythe vanish in a flurry of rose colored lights similar to those the servant had leapt from earlier.

"S-So this battle, the faunus guy that stabbed me is part of it too? One of those Heroic Spirits?"

Weiss nodded her head, the flame in her hand flaring up slightly before extinguishing itself as if it had never been. "Yes, that was Saber, a powerful blade wielding servant belonging to another of the Masters competing. As for why he attacked you, it was decided long ago that those without magical aptitude and even most other mages except for the masters and a select few others, should remain unaware of the War and to a lesser extent the Grail due to the potential damages caused in their wake."

I thought back to the warehouse district where I'd stumbled across the battle, the ground torn apart, buildings partially collapsed and from the sound of it that was minor compared to what could happen, I took a deep gulp from the teacup, trying to calm my nerves.

"People cannot be made aware, otherwise the mages would lose much of the trust they hold with the public. Thus it has become standard practice in past wars to...eliminate potential witnesses by any means necessary." I did a perfect spit take, Archer cheering while Weiss reared back in her seat in disgust, not like I cared much at the moment.

"You can't be serious!?" I stood up from my chair, slamming down on the table hard enough to set plates and cups rattling. "So anyone who even just happens to be walking by and see you all fighting is killed just like that!? It wasn't even like you three were very subtle all things considered!"

"What happened to you was a mistake that never should have happened." Weiss said quickly, obviously trying to regain control of the situation as if I was some child throwing a tantrum, "Bounded fields, illusions, spells of concealment, late night battles, all are methods usually put in place to promote the war's secrecy, it was my fault and the other master's for you getting hurt though our negligence but death is hardly the only solution. If I had my way I would've hypnotized you and be done with it."

"Then why haven't you, why bother healing me at all even!"

"Because I do not wish to be the sort of mage that lets an innocent person get hurt in the pursuit of something she desires, especially if it is because of her." the young heiress said simply, held high the perfect picture of determination, "It was my fault you were involved so I took charge of your care."

"But that still doesn't really explain why your telling me all of this." I pointed out, appreciating the concern but I could see some definite holes in her logic, "The Grail, the War, aren't you technically breaking a lot of rules by telling me all this? That Saber guy already thinks I'm dead so…" I noticed the short twitch above her eyebrow, the fleeting look of uncertainty, "h-he does think I'm dead...right?"

"You see the problem." the cloaked servant said animatedly, pointing a finger at me or more accurately my chest, "My partner here had to overcome a pretty nasty curse on your wound inflicted by Saber's sword just to heal you. Thing is she didn't manage to completely suppress its effect, whatever that blade did marked you like a signal, I can feel it."

"And if Archer can feel it then it can only be safe to assume Saber is still aware of it's presence as well." Weiss concluded direly, "Meaning that if his master specifically ordered the servant to kill all witnesses it encountered…"

"T-Then he's still after me." I stammered, feeling a cold sweat down my brow, my lungs constricting at the thought of seeing that masked murderer again. 'What did I do? What did I do to deserve this?'

"Yes, and considering the mana and resources I expended just to keep you alive I don't intend to let all of it go to waste by simply making you forget this all happened and sending you out to be slaughtered by the Beowolf on our doorstep."

"So what do I do?" I said with an audible note of panic in my voice. The black armored servant had already killed me once with me barely even aware of what had happened, the prospect of actually seeing it coming this time was heart stopping.

While I slowly felt my world crumbling around me, Weiss appeared deep in thought, Archer having left the room to fetch more tea after a stern order from her master. "Beacon, that would be your best hope." she said after a few moments, nodding more to herself then to me, "The academy is considered neutral ground in this battle.

The safest course of action is for you to stay the night here where my defenses and Archer can protect you, and then make your way to Beacon in daylight when Saber will be unable to hunt you openly. From there you'd speak to the Administrator, or headmaster as you know him, and leave it up to him to clear things with the other Master."

"O-Okay, sounds good." I nodded feebly getting to my feet and following Weiss out of the dining hall, making our way down hallway after hallway, room after room, all emanating a sense of wealth and prestige. "So your family owns this whole place?" I said open mouthed, probably gawking like an idiot. 'The entrance hall alone was big enough to fit Mom's place with room to spare.'

"It is a livable summer home I suppose, nothing compared to the Schnee main household in Atlas but it serves its purpose during the Grail War." I did a double take at that, looking at the girl's back in shock. 'You're kidding me, THIS is a Summer home!' "This will be your room here…" she opened one of the side doors leading into a room about twice the size of the room at Beacon I shared with Neptune, "Archer will be out on the grounds keeping watch but can be called at a moment's notice if you require anything, good night."

"Ya, night." I choked out nervously but she had already closed the door behind her, leaving me to myself for the first time in what felt like hours. "Man…" I sighed, burying my face in my hands before sweeping them back through my hair, looking out at the late night sky, a fringe of dawn sun just barely visible on the horizon, "Jaune Arc, what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

-Adam Taurus(Saber)-

"Damn humans…" I spat angrily as I leapt from rooftop to rooftop, passing like a shadow overhead as I neared the large manor located in the heart of one of the city's wealthier district, "never know when to stay dead."

I suppose it wasn't truly the blonde human's fault for my current mood however, if anything I respected his apparent tenacity, or dumb luck, in surviving close contact with Wilt. Few ever had survived to bear its mark or lived long to tell of it afterwards. That wasn't to say I wouldn't have hunted him down regardless like the weak little insect he was, letting him live would be akin to a personal insult to my reputation, but it was the fact I was being ordered to do it. 'Damn seals, forcing me to call a human "Master" when he isn't even master of himself!' The order was clear as was my compulsion to carry it out, "Eliminate all unspecified witnesses to the Holy Grail War you encounter regardless of status or circumstance with all available haste and at any opportunity." Broad enough to allow me some leeway without allowing me to deny it outright. 'Having me skulk in the shadows hunting strays, you'd think I would've made a better Assassin than Saber.' I mused as I felt the cool night air whip past my face.

I landed without a sound on a rooftop directly across from one of the more impressive estates, instantly aware of a surprisingly powerful barrier placed around the premises as well as a few wards set out to detect intruders. The whole setup was effective, at least if the foes they warded against sought to sneak in.

'Archer's about as well, I could just make out the floral scent of rose petals in the air.' So I was correct, the red girl's Master had been the one to take him after all, no matter. I had been looking forward to facing the diminutive servant again though I had not expected it to happen twice in the same night.

I glanced down at the katana strapped to my waist, the cursed blade shaking in its sheath as it caught the scent of its prey so close by. I gripped the handle firmly to still it, 'Soon, very soon.' Such a troublesome weapon, always so thirsty even back when I still truly lived. It would've been a simple if lengthy matter to bypass the barrier stealthily, weave my way through the wards and approach the building undetected but I felt sporting and the command did specify "with all available haste" 'Besides, let him feel fear...'

With a wicked grin I leapt across the way, falling through the barrier directly with a bright flash as it tried and failed to repulse me, landing on the ground completely unscathed. 'Barely even tickled.' I thought as I stared up at the new sparking tear as the magical structure attempted to repair itself, the stories about the Saber's lauded resistance to magic were not exaggerated it seemed. I could feel my Master's twinge of annoyance at the choice of entry, coward...

In an instant I drew my sword in an upward slash, neatly slicing through a red flash of energy down the middle, leaving smoking holes to either side of me. Archer herself stood above me outlined by the shattered moon in a black dress accented by dark leather armor, bladed bow in hand with another arrow of light already drawn back to her cheek, silver eyes fixed on me. "That's far enough Saber!" she called out, bow following every minute motion I made, "One more step and you won't be able to block the next one so easily!"

My eyes darted to the holes left by the first shot before resting back on the young huntress. 'A warning shot? Doubtful with the sort of power that was behind it.' Seems somebody's Master wasn't providing enough mana for their servant, forcing her to play conservative or risk her partner's life. "Your Mistresses' guest and I have unfinished business...' I replied, spinning Wilt in one hand, "send him out and I MAY consider a painless death for the two of you!"

"Hmm, let me think about it...nope!" the girl shrugged, my eyes widening as she suddenly vanished from the roof in a cloud of rose petals only to reappear suddenly right in front of me, burning arrow mere centimeters from my mask. With barely enough time to bring my sword up I suddenly found myself flying through the air, the force of the shot having pushed me backwards until I crashed into the wrought iron gate with a loud clang. "I'll ask one more time, leave! Now!" she repeated, bow shifting into the long scythe she had wielded earlier.

I pushed myself out of the new dent in the gate, dusting myself off before bringing the sword to bear. 'Such speed, at least on par or greater than my own, and here I thought Lancer to be the agile class.' and then there was the scythe, an Archer able to fight at close range

"Leave when I have the chance to face such a unique foe without any mage interference? Opportunities such as this are what makes this war entertaining!" I lunged forward, crossing the distance between us in barely more than a second, Wilt thrusting forward only to be knocked away just short of her heart by the haft, the girl twisting with the force as she brought the gleaming silver blade of her scythe racing towards my neck that I just barely managed to duck in time, feeling a slight breeze as it passed above me, the next few seconds a hail of sparks and the sound of metal on metal as we spun, twisted, and lunged for the other in a succession of quick attacks faster than any mortal, human or Faunus could manage. 'Nice reflexes.'

I let out a low growl, kicking her away before she could complete a particularly close pass that would've been much too close to my neck for comfort, sending her rolling back weapon held in front of her defensively.

'To think there are five more foes just like her.' I smirked happily as blood trickled from fast healing cuts on my arm and thigh, leaning forward with my katana out behind me, blood red blade shining dully in the light of the moon, 'What a glorious afterlife this is!'

-END

A/N: Hey all, this was originally part of a much bigger chapter (like close to 10,000 words) but I split it up a bit. Action in the next one that I hope to improve considering this one was mostly just a sort of where are people are we at now and an explanation (lengthy I know but lore right?) Also Ren and Nora everybody, couldn't find it in me to split those two up, and big thanks to Rogue Pylon for reminding me the guy could actually be an awesome character in this story. Speaking of story I couldn't believe the support this one got on the first day alone, thank you all for that and I'm going to have my best to have the next chapter out soon, basically just need improve how it flows.