Chapter 2: Cast is complete.
When Kirei had told him that something ... complicated ... had occurred during the summoning, he immediately contacted Tokiomi so that they could meet and see how much the supposed "complication" would change their initial plan.
Tokiomi had them all meet in his residence. After half an hour Kirei arrived with ... Mask ... hidden in the shadows, if it were for the short messages sent through the mental bond, Kirei could say that Mask never existed.
Once inside the Tokiomi office, a murder has almost occurred.
XXX
A minute ago in the personal office of the leder of the House Tohsaka.
Kirei walks into the room, finding Tokiomi sitting behind the desk and his father in a chair.
"Tokiomi happened unexpectedly with the invocation" said Kirei, with his monotonous voice.
"What happened ?, It must be urgent, if you did not explain in your message" asked Tokiomi, slightly worried, his victory depends on the collaboration with Kirei.
"I could not invoke Assassin, something unexpected happened and I called a Servant of the Mask class" explained Kirei, receiving the surprised look of his father and his teacher.
"Mask I've never heard of a Servant like that, maybe it's like Avenger," Ridei said, recalling some details of the previous war, when the Einzbern invoked Avenger in place of Assassin.
"Where is this Mask?" Asked Tokiomi wanting to see this servant of the mask.
"Behind you, enemy Master" said a male voice coming from behind Tokiomi.
A Black Keys was an inch to cut Tokiomi's throat or worse.
"Old man stay down or die," said Mask, pulling an automatic pistol out of his cloak, specifically a Desert Eagle aiming at Risei, who had been sitting in the chair.
"Kirei Kotomine, can I kill them?" He asked Mask, before explaining his reasoning.
"One of them is a Master without Servant, we can take his Commando Seals, then invoke a Servant on our side, our sanse would grow the old man, I hate witnesses and he owns quite a few Commando Seals. "said Mask ready to cut Tokiomi's throat and make a hole in Risei's head.
"You will not need Mask." Tokiomi spoke, I get Mask's attention.
"A reason not to kill you now, not to do it later," said Mystic, approaching the blade to an artery.
"While both of us can be Masters, Kirei and I are allies in this war, we will work together to defeat the Servant enemies, I already have a strategy in mind and decided what our first move will be." He explained Tokiomi, taking a look at Kirei.
"He's telling the truth, they wanted to summon Assassin to gather information about the enemies, then defeat them with Tokiomi's Servant, but you're Mask, so I had to ask for an emergency meeting, but it seems you can take Assassin's role" Kirei remaining stoic as always.
"You could not tell me before." "I would have saved time and energy not being a living ghost and taking Desert Eagle from some minor criminals." Mystic said putting the Black Keys and the Desert Eagle in place.
"I'm going to scour the area, return in one hour, do your Master's work," said Mask before he left the room as he entered, like a ghost.
"My God ..." Tokiomi murmured, with a worried frown on his face as his eyes closed. "What a mess…"
"This changes things drastically." Risei agreed, his frown seemed to deepen.
"I never imagined that an Irregular Servant would be called"
"And my father assured me that the catalyst would surely have summoned Hassan-I-Sabbah ... To think that he would instead call ... Mask," muttered Tokiomi, making Kirei blink.
"Maybe not a problem, Mask proved to be effective, silent and deadly." Said Kirei, seeing Mask's stealthy abilities, he can say it's dangerous to lose sight of him.
"A Servant who uses modern weapons should be an insignificant Servant." Tokiomi took his leave, making sure that Risei's lips bent a little in response.
"Do not be so quick to underestimate it." Risei warned. "Although he may not seem heroic, his actions have obviously earned him a place in the Hero's fact should not be overlooked."
"... So, as you say, Risei-san, we'll have to be careful to deal with him for as long as he's around." Tokiomi answered uniformly. Risei sighed, deducing from the tone of the Magus that he is not yet taking it as seriously as he should.
"Even if the convenant convened was different from what we expected, the plan will continue as initially planned". Tokiomi informed Kirei as she turned to her student.
"Mask will still help me to get the Grail, that's for sure, until then, keep it busy until the appropriate time."
"Understood." Kirei answered before bowing and leaving the room.
XXX
Three days later.
Turret in Miyamachou of the city of Fuyuki is the Tohsaka residence. The two-story Western-style building serves as the ancestral home of the clan of the Magi who were, in truth, the true owners of the land.
It was in the cellars of the villa that Tokiomi kept his laboratory, and where the Tohsaka head was now, his blue eyes stared at the experimental device before him, which had a striking resemblance to the famous "black pendulum." The fundamental difference since the weight of this pendulum was actually one of the many heirloom jewels of the Tohsaka line, constructed so that the ink that ran along the string flowed while scribbling the last report of the Tokiomi spy into the Tower of the Clock on parchment sheet parchment below.
Of course it would have been much more efficient and definitely cheaper if he had simply bought a fax machine or even a telephone. That said, no position of the Wizard of Tokiomi would ever allow you to take the easy way, especially if said way meant resorting to the vulgar "Technology" of the so-called "Modern" World.
"That device still seems unseemly to me today." Kirei opined, Tokiomi's not-so-secret apprentice coming into the light, a frown of disapproval on his face as he looked at the camera as if he had insulted him personally.
"Do you think so?" Tokiomi reflected, his tone made it clear that he considered his opinion of the apprentice to be ridiculous.
"I think it's much more trustworthy than the" Fax Machine "used by your father First, there's no worry that power is exhausted, nor is there any possibility of the relationship being intercepted." He smiled as the pendulum stopped "Really, we wise we do not need the inferior instruments of this age."
Kirei said nothing, though internally he looked up at the arrogance of his would-be master.
Unlike the Wizards Society, the Holy Church had adapted well to the age of technology, using it to bridge the already declining gap between them and the Magi. With the arrival of the Internet, it was now possible to keep an eye on the known "proponents" of all the continents without having to rely on field agents.
"It would seem that Lord El-Melloi has acquired another relic." Tokiomi revealed with an amused smile, no doubt recalling the previous report on the "prodigy" of Archibald's heir to the loss of his original relic "His participation is certain now".
"It bothers me that two spaces are still missing." Kirei opined, his expression gloomy as he looked at his smiling teacher, who always seemed as if everything was dancing on his tune.
"No need to worry." Tokiomi reassured him.
"When the time comes, the Grail will simply fill the remaining spaces with casual individuals, regardless of skill, and the people chosen in this way do not pose a threat."
" I beg to differ." He said Mask coming out of the shadows as usual, this time he appeared next to Kirei. Tokiomi's student grimaced as his servant, Mask, showed up beside him.
"An enemy from here we know nothing, small or big can be a long-term can predict the movements of a soldier, but a foolish army with the knowledge of Caster or the strength of Berserker," said Mask being paranoid about possible scenarios.
Kirei honestly did not know how to behave around his Servant. On the one hand, as a former member of the Holy Church, his very existence was an abomination against the natural order of the world.
Like Magus, however, he had to admit he found the masked Servant fascinating. Not only because it was clear that it was not an incarnation of the notorious Hassan il-Sabbah, but it had something unique, difficult to explain in words.
"Very good, Mask." Tokiomi applauded, though it was clear from his tone that he was not taking the masked Servant seriously "I trust no one followed Kirei here?"
"No human being or suspected animal chased Kirei, I have not revealed anything abnormal according to magical or scientific criteria." He said Mask assuring the man dressed in red.
"Except for your daughter's adorable Tsundere." She seemed ready to fight Kirei, truly adorable, I want to have a child of mine to ruin. " He said Mask revealing a softer side of his personality.
"Already being a father brings a unique happiness." Tokiomi said, smiling even when Kirei imperceptibly drew back from mentioning her eldest daughter and heir to Tokiomi, who was also the youngest Kotomine apprentice under the tutelage of her father. "Rin has taken a turn for you, is not it?"
"If you mean paranoidly ..." Kirei muttered to himself, remembering the many, many times that the child had called him or scolded him for some perceived defect.
Her attempts to calm her anger usually made her even more fiery. So in the end he had simply taken a page from the good book and ignored it when he had too much to handle, which seemed to work quite well.
"In any case, my father would have known immediately if another servant had been called." He reminded his master: "According to him, so far Mask is the only Servant to have been summoned, so he's sure the other Masters are not making a move until now."
"However, it is only a matter of time before they do it". Tokiomi reminded him, his features are calmed despite threatening words.
"After all, it is public knowledge that founding families are always included in the roster." Compared to this, foreign magi have a distinct advantage, as they do not have a fixed - base power. "
"A small advantage in my opinion." He said Mask being in disagreement with Tokiomi.
"True, they are not familiar with the land like the founding families, and no doubt they will need time to set up their own camp, a time that we can use to strengthen our positions". He explained Mystic, showing again his main personality.
"You're right Mask." Tokiomi said, and for once Kirei noticed that the approval in the wizard's tone was not entirely mocking.
"I have to say, Kirei, when you summoned him for the first time three days ago I had my suspicions, but it would seem that your Servant is nothing if not dedicated to his task."
"That's how it seems." Kirei consented, tilting his head to his Servant.
"Mask you're free to leave, Tokiomi and I have to discuss in private," Kirei said, turning to his Servant, who had already disappeared.
"How can he do it?" He mumbled Kirei.
XXX
Meanwhile in Fuyuki City.
In a clearing in a bush in the corner of the small mountain town of Fuyuki, Waver Velvet began his preparation of the ritual convened after assuring he was completely alone.
Waver's nerves were kept extremely busy throughout the day because of the constant murmuring of chickens, so much so that a ritual of purification of the mind was necessary before conducting.
The shape of the magic circle must be drawn to the ground while the dripping chicken blood was still hot. He had practiced the procedure many times, drawing the four starting schemes for deletion within the convened circle.
No mistakes must be made.
"Shut, Shut, Shut, Shut, Shut, five perfections for each repetition, and now, let me annihilate the full seals!"
Carefully lay the chicken's blood on the ground while sang the spell.
In Tohsaka Residence
In the underground laboratory of the residence of Tohsaka in the same small mountain town the same preparations are being prepared for the same ritual.
"Or first, or silver, or iron, or foundation stone, or archduke of the contract, listen in the name of our great master, the Archmagus Schweinorg: let the downward winds be like a wall, leave the doors in all directions they close up, rising above the crown and letting the streets with three forks to the Kingdom rotate ".
Tohsaka Tokiomi sang the strong spell as he inscribed the magic circle, not using the blood of the sacrificed victims, but the essence of magical gems. To prepare for this day, T ōsaka freely released all the gems that were full of prana accumulated in his den.
Next to him were the father and son Kotomine, Risei and Kirei.
Kirei looked carefully at the holy relic on the altar. At first glance it looked like a fragmented fragment of a mummy, but in reality it was claimed that it was the fossil of the skin poured from the first serpent of the world, in ancient times, and unprecedented eons.
Kirei can not help but feel a wave of fear at the thought of the heroic spirit that he would call back.
Tokiomi's reasons for his trust were finally understood. No Servant can defeat the Heroic Spirit that Tokiomi chose.
In the castle of Einzbern
At the same time, in the distant castle of Einsberns, Emiya Kiritsugu was examining the completed state of the circle convened on the floor of the ceremonial hall.
"Would a simple ritual be enough?" Irisviel asked as he stood aside and looked over the procedure, it was surprising that the preparations were so simple.
"Perhaps you are disappointed, but the summoning of the Servants has never needed a certain extravagant spiritual evocation". Kiritsugu explained as he carefully controlled twists on mercury-designed drawings.
"Because it is not in fact the power of the magician that recalls the Servant, but the power of the Holy Grail." As a Master I am only a cord that connects the Heroic Spirit with the world in which we reside, and then only procure it with prana necessary for the materialization in this world ".
As if satisfied with the completed state of the summoned circle, Kiritsugu nodded and stood up. The sacred relic was placed on the altar - the sheath of the mythical holy sword.
"According to this, victory should be in our hands".
"Did you carefully memorize convocation spells?" Matou Zouken once again recalled Kariya for security reasons. The latter nodded in the darkness.
Full of the ruinous smell of rupture and humidity, a green darkness like that of the depth of the sea. This is the worm's reserve hidden deep under the ground of the residence of Matò which was on the hill of the small mountain town.
"It's beautiful, just, halfway through the spell, add two more spell lines."
"What do you mean?" Kariya asked confused
Z ōken smiled sadly at the confused expression of Kariya.
"Is not it obvious? Kariya, you should know that, as a magician, your skills are not just one or two points lower than the other Masters, will affect the basic abilities of the Servant.
If so, it can only be changed through the Servant class and we must raise the parameter from the root. "
Predetermining the class of the servant through the alteration of convocation spells.
Usually, the assignment of the Servant Classes is inevitably determined by the attributes of the convoked Heroic Spirit. However, there are exceptions; two classes can be designated by the summoner in advance.
One of them is Assassin. The Heroic Spirit that belongs to this class can be hired as a group of assassins who inherit the name of Hassan I Sabah.
And the other class is for all heroic spirits and can be manifested until the summoner incorporates foreign ingredients ò -
"This time, give the Servant called the attribute of" Mad Enhancement "!
Z ōken has declared aloud with a surprised face, as if accepting the disastrous implications contained in it.
"Kariya, as Berserker's Master, fights for me with everything you have".
On that day, spells coming from different lands and facing different entities were sung almost simultaneously, such a coinciding harmony can not be considered as a makeshift accident.
Because all the wise men have the same hope.
A hope for a miracle. The quotes spoken to the heroes on the other side of the universe by these humans, who brutally slaughter each other to get this miracle, jump out of the earth at the same time.
"Set to-"
This is the moment that will show the greatest test for him as a magician. If he has lost, he will also lose his life. Waver felt this acutely, but did not have a little fear.
A passion that desires strength. A determination that uninterruptedly pursues its goal. Based on these qualities, Waver Velvet is undoubtedly an exceptional wizard.
"Stop your body resting under my dominion, your destiny resting in your blade, if you subjected to the call of the Holy Grail and if you would obey this mind, then you will answer".
The feeling of prana that surrounded his body. The cold and agony malevolence caused by the dissolution and circulation of the Magical Circuits within one's body is something that no magician can escape.
He sighed his teeth as he continued to sing the spell.
"I make my oath, I am that person who must become the virtue of all heaven, I am that person who is covered by the evil of all".
Kiritsugu's vision darkened.
The crest of the Emiya family, passed through the generations and dug on their backs, began to sing separately the spell as single entities to support Kiritsugu's thaumaturgy. Kiritsugu's heart, in a dimension that escaped the control of his mind, began to beat rapidly like a hasty clock hand.
His flesh tormented by prana collected from the air had already forgotten its functionality as a human being. Instead, it had turned into a component of the mysterious ceremony, in a circuit that linked purely the ethereal with the material.
Kiritsugu not thought of the severe pain created by this discord that is enough to make people want to scream out loud and concentrate on the pronunciation of his spell. Even the presence of Irisviel, who stood beside him holding his breath, was no longer present in his consciousness.
By adding the alien ingredient prohibited to invoking spells, Kariya included two lines of spells that would have frightened the health of the called Heroic Spirit and take the hero down to a berserker level.
"- You, you need with your eyes wrapped in chaos, you, tied to the cage of madness, I am the one who commands those chains ..."
Kariya is different from other magicians because his magical circuits are made by other organisms that lived in him as parasites. The anguish necessary to incite them and activate his Circuits is incomparable with that suffered by other churches spells, the limbs were thrown open, and the blood was extracted from its broken capillaries.
The bloody tears flew from his left eye, dripping his cheek.
Even so, Kariya had not relaxed in his concentration.
Thinking of the duty he wore on his back, then he would not be returned at this time.
"All seven skies, dressed in a trinity of words, pass over to tighten the rings, and are the hands that protect the balance".
With this as the end of his prayers, Tokiomi felt that the acceleration of prana running through his body had reached its maximum limit.
The thunder and lightening roared, accompanied by rolling clouds that rose on a strong wind. In the pressure of a gale that would not allow even spectators like Kirei to open their eyes, the models of the summoned circle shone with bright light.
Finally, the Magic Circuits have connected the plane that is not of the men ... from the dazzling light that ended without end, a golden silhouette of a righteous man emerged. Incredible with such solemnity, the father Risei murmured dreaming despite himself.
"... we have won, Kirei, our battle is won ..."
Desire has been passed on to them like this.
Arriving on the other side and landing here, a legendary illusion wrapped in the tornado and lightening.
Originally of human kind but separated from the mortal plane. Elevated at the level of the elementals through powers not of men. The place where the supernatural primates gathered ... from the Throne of the Heroes that suppressed its power of the Gods, the Heroic Spirits interwoven by the dreams of countless ordinary men descended simultaneously on earth.
Then ... In a forest at night, on a stone stool shrouded in darkness, in each of these places someone asks him now in a majestic voice:
"I ask you, are you the Master who called me?"
XXX
Sitting on the roof of Tokiomi's residence, Mask smiled under the mask.
"All the players have arrived, my preparations are finished, Tokiomi, Kiritsugu you can plan as much as you want, you can believe strategic geniuses, but in reality you are all the characters of my greatest work." Mask said diabolically, before disappear in a crimson flash.
Mask is not the servant of anyone, in fact he is the true master of this game, a game that wants to win at any cost.