Fate/fractal
by crisis rain

12/18/2029 9:41AM
FUYUKI CITY, JAPAN

The door unlocked from the outside and opened, spilling bright light into the shuttered, dark apartment. A look of haggard fatigue was present on Rekka's face as she peeked inside cautiously, glancing around the place. The tenant stood outside, smiling slightly at the young girl. "Just find my office on the first floor if you need anything, Tsugumi-san. Then... the keys I'll leave here." He gestured to the dangling keys that were still hanging inside the lock. "Take your time unpacking."

Rekka watched the mousy, little man that was her tenant for the next month walk down the outdoor corridor, shivering in the December cold. Steadily grasping the key and wrenching it free out of the lock, she lugged her suitcase and duffel bag inside her apartment, slamming the door shut.

She was tired beyond belief. Her eyes were bloodshot from enduring the teeth-grinding experience aboard the plane that took nearly eight hours to cross the Eurasian continents, across the East China Sea and all the way to Japan.

And then a long, two-hour bus trip to Fuyuki City.

She would unpack later. Dropping the bag by the doorway while lazily locking up, she dumped the keys by the nearby kitchen counter and promptly fell on top of the unmarked mattress in the middle of the small unit, the peace and quiet finally lulling her to a deep sleep.

12/18/2029 9:03PM
FUYUKI CITY, JAPAN

Half of the day had passed since then. The sun had long set, and the evening turned into the dark pitch black of the night time hour. The city was still glowing; illuminated brightly. In this apartment complex that was situated very close by to the Mion River, she could see from her window a nice view of the harbour as well as the bright lights glittering from Shinto, compared to the quieter half of the older area of Fuyuki.

She stepped out of the steaming shower, wrapping back her long, wet locks in a thick towel, bundling up as she dried it off quickly. Pulling a dark turtleneck shirt over her torso, she glanced at the slightly fogged-up mirror, combing back a few runaway streaks of wet hair back into place.

Rekka stared at the outside scenery for a long time while blow-drying her hair, eyes fixed at the glimmering, artificial lights.

A map was spread out over her bed. She sat on top of her mattress for a while, gazing at the map while her eyes picked out the names of local landmarks that were noteworthy to remember.

Shrugging on her fur-trimmed jacket and pocketing the small parcel that Touko had given her in her breast pocket, Rekka pushed her long hair out of the way, picked up her keys by the counter and flicked the lights off, exiting her apartment.

The streets of Shinto were still bustling with people at this late hour. Rekka shuffled past the crowd, eyes wandering around as she glanced about the streets. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary for the moment being. She walked on, aimlessly passing by various shops and restaurants.

Soon, she found herself close by the harbour, where the area had gotten considerably more quiet compared to the bustling downtown area of Shinto. Leaning against the pedestrian railing, she gazed out at the ocean. Although she had just arrived to the country and had been here for less than a day, her eyes were diligently scoping out the city for any "abnormalities" as Touko had put it. Nothing, but a cold, wintry wind. Shivering, she decided to call it a night and began heading back.

Until her senses flared up when a source of uncontrollable prana began to badly leak in a distant direction.

The ridiculous amount of prana rising rapidly then falling caught her full attention. Regularly speaking, this was way beyond normal. Rekka let out a sharp exhale, and held her breath as she focused again, pinpointing for the source. Another spike nearby nearly caused her heart to skip a beat. And thus, she began to run - back to the direction where she came from.

Passing through a quiet residential street, she heard nothing but the sound of her footsteps clattering noisily through the nightly reverie. The sudden sharp rise of prana was gone. But she was sure she had sensed it around this area.

'Is it the Holy Grail that Touko-san mentioned?' She vaguely recollected, glancing about cautiously around her surroundings. It was strange how this part of town, not a soul was in sight, wandering the streets. Slowing down to a quick walk, Rekka soon found herself listlessly parading around the empty neighbourhood, searching for whatever magical residue she had felt earlier, in vain.

A cold chill was beginning to settle. Rekka stopped, hearing a distant scuffle resound somewhere close by. The sounds of uneven footsteps, fabric being scraped against the pavement, and inhuman grunts could be heard. Her heart quickened once more, as she carefully walked as quietly as she could, down the street.

Squish.

Something that didn't quite sound right came right below her foot. Rekka stopped, having reached halfway down the residential avenue, and glanced down curiously. Something pale and thin was protruding from beneath the soles of her shoes. Gently scraping her feet away, she was soon horrified to see a dismembered finger lying in a pool of splattered blood, slightly glistening beneath the dim light of the overhanging lamppost from above.

Immediately backing away from the single digit, Rekka swallowed and slowly glanced around. No one was in sight. She noticed that there were several more patches and blood splatter on the concrete, and began to follow after the trail. After a short tour around the corner, she saw that the trail tapered off into a dark alley where the neighbourhood trash were kept. Somewhere in her mind screamed at her to turn back - turn back now, it's not too late - but she couldn't turn back now, she had to find out where this blood was coming from -

The stench of blood filled her nose as she carried onwards, before stopping abruptly when she noticed a tall, looming man standing idly in front of a lump of unidentifiable mass. His back rose up and down sharply, as if he was breathing hardly from a wave of exhilaration. Upon hearing the sudden approach of an intruder, he turned around and revealed a lone, gleaming red eye in the shadows.

Go back.

Turn back, now.

Run!

With her breath caught in her throat, Rekka took a step back, unaware of the low-lying mist that was beginning to settle in the dark alley. Sharply glancing by the man's feet, she looked on in growing horror as a muddled lump of flesh lay on the floor, the chest and ribcage torn open revealing the glistening, white bones. Judging by the looks of the mutilated corpse and the strewn, torn clothing that lay lingering around the body, it was probably a woman.

Her heel kicked against something, and stumbling almost clumsily over it, Rekka looked down stiffly to see a bloodstained hand purse.

"AAnnotHERRRR...? cAn iiIIiIiIIiiIiiii... mAsTeR..?" The man's speech was distorted by a low gurgle, sounding almost inhumane if it were not for the vague pronunciation of words that came tumbling out of his mouth. A distant voice - a young man? - came a bit clearer than this savage. "Go ahead. I don't mind."

Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears. She could almost hear that sudden skip in her pulse when those words were uttered.

With reflexes that far surpass that of mankind, the hatted figure leap up into the air and sprang towards her. Run! Dodge it! Move aside! Her mind screamed, and with all her might, the young magus threw herself backwards, tumbling out into the open street. The man wasted not another second going after her again, hands drawing out tiny little blades that were stained with his previous victim's blood.

The chase was on. Rekka sprinted down the street like she had never done before in her life. Even as a magus, she knew defeating something of that caliber was beyond her abilities. The only way to ensure survival and a way out of this mess, was to run - and escape.

That is, if she could outrun him.

Never mind she just stumbled in some badly mutilated corpse.

Never mind the fact that there was some guy out there who's manipulating the strings behind this.

Just focus on getting the hell out of here.

The mist continued to surge forwards along with the man's movements, and in the distance the clouds were beginning to eclipse the full moon.

12/19/2029 12:06AM
FUYUKI CITY, JAPAN
( RESIDENTIAL PLAYGROUND IN SHINTO )

"I ask of you - are you my Master?"

The question was concise. Simple. But to her, not a word made sense even though it was spoken perfectly.

He seemingly paused for a moment, as if suspicious of her hesitance. Rekka opened her mouth, gaping for a moment but no words came out. What should she say? What did he expect her to say?

Yes? No?

How about, 'Could you repeat that for me, please?'

A sudden stinging sensation interrupted her confusion as she quickly snatched up her right arm, the skin on the back of her hand suddenly burning without warning. As she squinted through her pain, she could see a blood-red sigil being forcibly etched upon her skin - a tattoo that was carving itself into her flesh, magically.

What on earth?

The pain passed, and her brow relaxed in relief, slightly damp from perspiration. As she huffed heavily, holding onto her arm tightly waiting for the last lingering bits of pain to fade away, the green-clad stranger let out a sigh that sounded like an amused snort at the same time. "I see. So you have the Command Seals. That alone is enough for me."

Command Seals? She glanced up, perplexed confusion more than evident upon her face. "I... w-what?"

"You seem confused. That is a bit... inconvenient." His curt reply came. Rekka chewed her lip angrily. She didn't liked to be out of the loop on things, but she really couldn't get a handle on this. Was this part of Touko's plan? To have her summon some sort of prank?

The mist was growing thicker. It wasn't ordinary - foggy, in December? The hatted monster took a menacing step forwards, drawing out his blades once more. The lamppost that was the only thing shedding light in the area flickered for a moment, before being blown out - malfunctioning from the surge of increased prana in the air. This mis was not ordinary, all right - it was...

"I see, there's not much time to chat if the enemy decides to use his Noble Phantasm." Her saviour, or so he seems to be, accepted the challenge by stepping forwards, brandishing his two spears in a show of bravery. How frustrating. How humiliating! It was quite obvious that something dangerous was about to occur, but she has not an ounce of a clue exactly what was transpiring.

"Kkkkkiiiiiii..." A low hiss came from Mad Hatter. It was the best nickname she could come up with in her panic-stricken mind at the moment - a temporary name, at least, until she has a chance to gather her bearings and find out just exactly who his - or more importantly, what.

A shuffle of movement, as the two circled around each other, their eyes kept on one another without fail. And then it all happened in a blur - when she no longer saw the image of Mad Hatter, he had already leap six feet towards the spearman, wildly flinging out his arm in a crazy frontal attack. The spearman caught up on par however, his arm already rising up along with the red spear and parrying the short knives that tried to cleave his shoulder into shreds.

And then a series of complex maneuvers followed afterwards like an endless chain. Blows after blows were exchange, each man's killing intent rising to grow larger than the other. They weren't sparring simply for pleasure - they were fighting to kill. Unlike the situation where she was simply 'prey' and Mad Hatter over there, was 'predator' - this was a real battle. A battle between two 'predators' in their duel to the death.

It was hard to say who would result as the victor from the battle. Mad Hatter was quite tall, but he was skinny, lanky; fast. He could contort his body to impossible limits and counterattack within the blink of an eye. The Green Knight was shorter, a bit more bulkier, had a stronger build - his strength was evident at how easily his spear crushed the concrete, and his agility was perhaps even faster - but with Mad Hatter dodging his attacks and capable of firing his knives like projectiles, it was hard to secure a solid hit.

She also observed at how intelligent Mad Hatter was in conservatively keeping his distance one moment, before leaping in to take advantage of the long-range spear's weakness the next. The most vulnerable range of a long-ranged warrior would be, of course, their immediate airspace. The Green Knight must know his own weakness all to well, for he was beginning to take the defensive, utilizing an irregular pattern of attacking with both his two spears to ward off Mad Hatter's attacks while keeping himself well-defended.

While the lack of a clear outcome was rather upsetting, Rekka couldn't help but to watch their battle in speechless awe. They were certainly not human, as much as their appearances suggested. They were...

Legends.

The breath she had been holding in came out sharply at the realisation. Heroes? Legends? Wasn't that...

The Holy Grail?

She breathed in again, the sparks of metal slaughtering against metal lighting up the playground pavement dancing before her eyes. Red and golden streaks raced across the black night while being countered by silver specks of the short knives.

Mad Hatter drew back, feet scraping along the pavement floor. "!" He screeched out, several of his blades running cracks along the edge. Compared to the Green Knight's spears which were heavy, leveled, and sturdily-built, the knives would crack from such intense pressure coupled with the spearman's strength.

The prana surge returned - and this time, a wave of nausea came crashing down on, wracking a painful sensation in her head. Rekka swayed on the spot, barely keeping herself firmly planted upon the ground as she struggled to comprehend the overload of prana in the area. "What is... he doing...?" She managed out between breaths, the pain returning to the back of her eyes. Mist was billowing out from Mad Hatter, prana leaking out horrendously everywhere.

The Green Knight stood regally tall and firm against the face of this new threat, but his brow was lined with worry. "So this is your true Noble Phantasm? This bounded field is your doing?"

Rekka swallowed. Bounded field. Reality Marble. Certainly, the playground was enveloped in a creeping mist that wasn't quite ordinary. Her vision was beginning to haze over, until she could barely see the outline of Mad Hatter and the Green Knight. She took a step forwards.

And the world reversed around her, spinning out of control. She toppled along, her steps unsure as her vision spun before her. Falling back to the ground in a dizzy slump, she blinked fearfully at her surroundings. Somehow, she was facing the opposite end of the playground park - no, where was she, exactly? Everything was clouded over and dark. Her sense of direction was blocked by the raging veils of prana, and the mist that impaired her peripheral judgment.

"Master, this seems to be a Reality Marble we're currently trapped in." Came the spearman's voice, his voice echoing out in all directions. How inconvenient - it seems like the bounded field distorted the direction of sound as well. "Again with the 'Master' thing." She muttered, picking herself back up. "This bounded field seems to be rather sturdy, if not a tad crude." Certainly there were misshapen cracks and flaws here and there where she would catch glimpses of the real world, but the mist was too prevalent to determine her exact location.

"As a Servant belonging to one of the three Knight classes, my Magic Resistance rank should be enough to repel a majority of the unscrupulous disadvantages." His voice came reverberating again. Rekka massaged her temples. Servant. Reality Marble. Magic Resistance rank.

And the Holy Grail.

Somehow it sounds like a game. Of statistics, magic equipment, creativity...

And luck.

"However," He continued a bit more cautiously this time, "I am genuinely worried about your well-being. With this mist in the way, I cannot discern your location, let alone secure your safety."

Rekka let out a slight snort. "First and foremost, I am a magus. You fight your battle. Take him out before the Reality Marble becomes more than a thorn at the side." Pulling back her sleeve, the long-haired woman closed her eyes, easing out the rippling waves of headaches and nausea that assailed at her continuously.

Before long, if she did not act, her mind will be broken by the Reality Marble.

"Understood." He replied, and then his presence was gone.

12/19/2029 12:22AM
FUYUKI CITY, JAPAN
( WITHIN THE MISTY REALITY MARBLE )

Lancer walked prudently and quietly, with Gáe Dearg and Gáe Buidhe brandished languidly by his sides. The pavement road seemed to stretch on indefinitely. It was most certainly the work of a Reality Marble at work - distorting space and trapping its victims inside its bounded field, his opponent was rather crafty.

And quite the coward.

"Come out, you mongrel! Come and confront me so that I can cleave your head and present it to my Master as a gift!" He called out mockingly, taunting the hidden culprit behind the misty shadows. A sudden slight vacuum of air being drawn back from behind him came as a warning; whirling around, his red spear met the bared fangs of Mad Hatter's knives, the creature growling in discontent.

Before his yellow spear of mortality could pierce his opponent, the Hatter already jumped off, using his spear as leverage and tumbled silently back into the darkness.

"..." Lancer lowered his spear slightly, but still remained cautious as he glanced around him. He had lost him again. Damn.

Another cold rush of air. He swung around to meet the Mad Hatter, who was shrieking loudly in taunting laughter. Bounding away from Lancer's furious jabs and thrusts on light toes, Hatter was slowly drawing out more knives and blades from a back pocket hidden beneath his pea coat. Knives of all shapes and sorts were produced - a butcher knife, a serrated razor, surgical blades, and the like danced along his knuckles as he juggled and played with the dangerous toys. Lancer's brow furrowed at the sight - in total, six blades had been drawn. The previous silver throwing knives were discarded as they dropped to the floor in a dry clatter.

"So those are your Noble Phantasms - how strange yet unfortunate." He seemed to be confident despite the number of weapons Mad Hatter possessed outnumbered his two spears. "Although many you may have, you cannot possibly expect such cutlery can defeat my spears." As if to prove his statement, he twirled his spears in succession, assuming back into a fighting stance. "Good, this is good! Let's contest to see who can cut the other man first!"

With a powerful kick and a burst of power, Lancer sailed towards the Hatter, the crimson spear aimed for his heart. Hatter brandished his six, oddly-shaped knives and folded his arm over his chest, reciting a prayer - strangely, in a much more lucid voice than before.

"Hail Mary, full of grace -

the Lord is with thee."

Lancer had to flip his grip midway when one of the knives came soaring for his face, deflecting the blade and forcing him to change course.

"Blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus."

One, two, three - three more blades came streaking out from his gripped knuckles like a ravaging claw, brushing lightly against his left shoulder. Lancer hissed out in anger, retaliating with his golden spear as the previous serrated blade came flying back to Hatter's side.

"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,"

Another knife came, hurtling towards the spearman's left arm, slicing at the ligaments that held Gáe Buidhe. Nearly dropping his golden spear, Lancer clenched his fingers down, feeling several nerves disconnecting.

"Now, and to the hour of our death."

The mismatched blades fell down by Lancer's feet, collecting a puddle of his blood from where the blades had connected so furiously fast within the span of the last half-minute.

Hatter smiled - he smiled a toothy grin, revealing his row of sharpened canines.

"Amen."

All six Noble Phantasms shot down before crashing down upon the knight, their blades poised to skewer, slice, and cleave.

12/19/2029 12:25AM
FUYUKI CITY, JAPAN
( SOMEWHERE ELSE WITHIN THE MISTY REALITY MARBLE )

Her mind was wracked with pain, but still, she persisted. If she could exploit a weak point somewhere and pick at it, the hole would eventually let her peel away this disgusting bounded field.

She had confidence in the man that had sworn (or so, it was implied) to protect her, would get through this battle no matter the outcome. She did not have any prerogative as to why she would feel this way, but simply perceiving him in those brief moments before had convinced her so. Little did Rekka know, but Lancer's 'Eye of the Mind' skill is quite high; perhaps his presence had simply influenced her into thinking as such.

Or, she could simply let the Reality Marble fade away by itself. But waiting out like a helpless chap wasn't her cup of tea.

Something that would disturb the caster's - Mad Hatter's - prana, might invoke some change within the bounded field.

"Working hard, aren't we?"

A familiar yet unfamiliar voice. A stranger yet not a stranger. She snapped open her eyes, finding herself staring face-to-face with a young man not much older than herself. Short, neatly-trimmed black air. A pair of rimmed glasses. A small smile.

All in all, he looked rather ordinary, if not a bit on the polite site.

"You - ! ...Who are you?"

He simply offered her a pleasant smile, bowing slightly. "So you are the seventh Master. I had great expectations of you once I saw that you were a magus." He pointed to his hand, before lifting it up. A blood-red sigil. A tattoo, of a different design, imprinted on the back of his left hand.

Somehow, it was uncanny.

Realising that she, too, possessed such a mark, she immediately glanced upon her right hand. The tattoo - it was still there.

"...does this mean you're... a 'Master' as well?" She cautiously asked, not wanting to reveal that she knew hardly anything about her current situation. If she could, she would have phoned Touko ages ago about this. But seeing as she's run into a bit of... trouble, that phone call would have to be saved for later.

"The Command Spells are proof of a Master, are they not? Or did you think I painted them on as a joke?" He laughed, his laughter light and jubilant. Rekka did not answer him. If he was a 'Master'... then that thing... Mad Hatter most likely was his 'Servant'.

She was beginning to get the gist of things.

He as no ally. He was an opponent.

He held his smile, his features unmoving. "...I see you catch on quick. That's good. It means you'll survive a little longer than most other people."

Rekka's arm pulsed with prana again, and lines that were unseen before gleamed a bright red before fading like a heartbeat.

"Gandr again, huh?" This time, his voice came off as disappointed. "Let me humour you with some information before you decide to do anything."

She paused, the load of prana that had accumulating at the tip of her finger being restrained back as her interest was piqued.

"My Servant's Noble Phantasm at best in most normal situations - is rather weak." He continued on, not caring whether she would answer him or not. "Simply speaking, each of his six 'Noble Phantasms' is only Rank D."

Certainly, she did recall commenting silently that the Green Knight's spears were much more refined than the flimsy throwing knives Mad Hatter had carried.

"But, if three conditions are met, his Noble Phantasm becomes Rank A." The male held out three fingers tauntingly, the mist swirling uncertainly around them. "One, if it's night time." One finger folded down.

"Two, if the weather is foggy."

Certainly, there was mist. Another finger folded down.

"And three, my favourite -" He smiled now - a sickening, sadistic smile that crept on his face like a crawling worm - "is if the victim is female."

The last finger wagged mockingly in the tense air.

The sudden realisation that, something was about to go very, very wrong struck Rekka. She froze, every bone in her body stiffening up as the fear she had felt from before return back, paralyzing her limbs.

"Do you know, Tsugumi Rekka? That right now, all three conditions have been perfectly met?"

She couldn't even ask him how he knew her name. She couldn't speak. Fear was lodged in her throat. She feared that if she glanced behind now, that would be the last thing she would ever see.

He wasn't planning on finishing off the knight.

All along... this entire time -

She was the prey.

...

...

...

Lancer knew that since the beginning, there was something off with his opponent.

The mongrel's attacks didn't seem to really harm him - as if, they were purposely inflicting the minimum amount of damage, as his Noble Phantasm's rank had suggested. Rank D - they were in no way, possibly any match for his Rank B Noble Phantasms, the Gáe Dearg and Gáe Buidhe. He could tell, as he exchanged blows with his opponent that he wasn't really serious - he was holding back.

He had no reason to, unless -

Lancer had realised it the moment the last line of the prayer had been uttered. The six blades that were to strike at him from above suddenly disappeared - along with the one-eyed enemy.

"Master - !" He turned around in sudden fury, knowing that he had been fooled. There was no need to think. His Eye of the Mind's skill will let him take his chances and see this through.

Even though his Luck was rather terrible, he would overcome it with skill.

Hoisting Gáe Dearg in his arm, he threw it as hard as he could, purusing the fading after-images of his opponent.

...

...

...

She could not move.

Not because of fear alone - but because by some will, some unseen force - she was bound to the ground, her body petrified. Was this the work of the Reality Marble? The opponent's Noble Phantasm?

"Kurogiri Hazuki is the name. But I doubt you would need to know that anymore." The lenses of his spectacles glinted in the dim night.

Was this the end?

How could she not have foreseen this? The hour, the fog and the mist...

...and the fact that the previous victim was also a woman…

Was she going to die here like this? Never really got to fight to the end? Never had the chance to show her worth as a magus?

Ah... well... it's "die or be prepared to die" in the world of magi...

Even though everything was happening in a split second, she could feel the sudden disturbance of the smoky air from behind, the putrid breath of the madman lunging at her with all six blades extended downwards aimed for her neck, and she could sense his blood lust so badly, that it prickled the hairs on the back of her neck and made her skin cold.

But her heartbeat continued to beat.

Quickly, before she could discern what had happened next, a sharp thud echoed in her ears.

A quiet flutter of movement akin to a bird landing from its flight, and then the sharp singing voice of metal striking the pavement floor.

The figure tumbled to the side, rolling across the floor as it writhed and screamed in pain, scattering all six of its morbid Noble Phantasms as they skittered across the ground. A deep gash appeared on its right shoulder, spurting out a fountain of blood that leaked out in intervals. The force that binded her on the spot relinquished its hold, and Rekka slumped to the ground on weak knees, noticing the tip of the crimson spear had buried itself on the ground right next to her.

"Master, are you alright?"

Landing expertly beside her and picking up his fallen spear as soon as he came, the knight stood up once more, brandishing his weapons aggressively. He took every precaution, it seems, to ensure that no further harm would come upon his benefactor.

Having him by her side was a great relief to her, as well as seeing that the mist was beginning to thin out, the normal world returning back to focus slowly. Rekka nodded dumbly, before realising he wouldn't be able to see her nod. "U-Um. Yes... y-yes, I think so."

The enemy Master seemed appalled that his Servant's Noble Phantasm he was so very proud of had been thwarted for the first time.

"...How can that be? All three conditions had been met. It should have been infallible!"

The knight did not speak. His brow was twisted in contempt. "Under normal circumstances, due to the chivalry of my status as a knight, I would bequeath you the reasons why I was able to defeat your Servant. However - what I found most inexcusable was this mongrel fleeing in the face of battle only to target my Master."

Kurogiri did not say anything, except grit his teeth in frustration. His howling, mad Servant was beginning to grunt angrily, eyes glinting with anger.

"...Withdraw, Assassin. I will let you have victory for tonight's performance... Tsugumi Rekka."

The Reality Marble disappeared completely, and the Master and his Servant were no longer there.

The knight let out a tired sigh, lowering his weapons. He did not seem to say anything more, simply surveying the area for a quick moment, and when he regarded the fact that they were safe for the time-being, turned to face her.

"I do wish that upon summoning me, I wouldn't have to be forced to engage in such an unsightly battle next time, Master." He solemnly stated with displeasure evident in his voice. Rekka frowned at this once more, pushing a hand against her knee and standing back up to her feet. Strength was returning back to her body now that she was relieved from the prana pressure of the Reality Marble.

"I didn't have much of a choice. Even I wasn't sure what would happen when I did." She chewed her lip furiously, tapping a finger on her arm as she stared at him, up and down. It was still a little hard to believe... but she had summoned a rather adept familiar.

No, calling him a familiar would be an insult. He was err... what did he say he was again?

"Master?" He called uncertainly, watching her gaze uneasily.

"Ah, Servant." She remembered now. He blinked back expectantly at her, as if she was a bit muddled. "Right, right. I'm, er... glad that you saved my life back there. Very glad." She concluded awkwardly, scratching the top of her head as she fumbled for words. As much as she knew, Rekka was a bit bad at being thankful due to her insufferable pride.

"It is my duty to protect you." He replied simply. She cracked a stiff shoulder, massaging it for a moment.

"Well... you do seem quite reliable..." Rekka mused aloud. "...though, I honestly don't have a good grip on the situation yet." With a sigh, she brushed some sand off her jacket sleeve, glancing around. It was already well past midnight - nearing one o'clock in the morning soon. And she was already covered in mud, sweat, rainwater, and grime from rolling around in the streets.

He didn't answer her, but simply stood stoically by the side.

"Well, I suppose you might give me some insight about what's going on. But this is hardly the place to do it. Err, I suppose we should head back... home?" Somehow, that last sentence sounded awfully wrong. It soon dawned upon her that her apartment was in no way, fit to cram two people inside, no matter how almighty and powerful he may be -

"Master." His voice was disturbed.

"What?" She crossly snapped back.

"...it appears that I cannot shift into my spiritual form."

She stared at him. "E-Excuse me?"

"My spiritual form. Somehow, I am lacking the skill to convert myself into spiritual form. This is greatly distressing, since I cannot accompany you under that veil of protection and stealth all Masters rely on."

His explanation was curt - he almost sounded annoyed at having to explain every bit and detail to her.

"Ah. You mean that was how Mad Hatter disappeared?"

He raised a brow at Assassin's nickname. "Er, well. Yes. That was him assuming spiritual form. Generally I should be able to do as well, without any problems, except in this case..." His gaze seared as they came across his Master's unassuming figure. "...perhaps, did you encounter any... mishaps when you summoned me?"

Rekka paled slightly, her smile crooked. "E-Er, well… towards the end of the ritual, my prana flow had been disconnected for a brief second…"

An unreadable expression came across the young man's face - distress? Worry? Or simply awe at the fact that he had been summoned to participate in the Holy Grail War, with such an incompetent Master?

Upon reading her Servant's unnatural silence, she flared up. "What? It's not like I can keep perfect composure when a psychopath was trying to cut me up like a turkey!"

He did not answer her immediately, but glanced around sharply. "...it would be unwise for us to bicker here while lingering around for too long."

Finally something she could agree on. "Right. I had forgotten to mention, but that Servant had already claimed a victim. Straying around these parts would attract the unwanted attention of the local authorities." She replied glumly, briefly remembering the obscured, grotesque visage of the women that had been killed almost an hour ago. "...though, I think it would be a problem if normal folk saw you walking around town brandishing those spears of yours." She pointed out bluntly, gesturing to his crimson and golden companions. The knight nodded curtly.

"True enough. Is there a particular route you would recommend?"

Rekka paused for a moment, pondering as her mind drew up an imaginary map of Fuyuki. "...by the harbour. The docks and the coastal roads are void of people at this hour." True enough, not just anyone would be wandering around the more desolate parts of Fuyuki at this time of the night. "Very well. Please lead the way then... er…" He trailed off, gazing at her expectantly once more. She gazed back him, silent.

"...What?"

"Your name, if you would so please." He bowed politely as he graced her with his honest question - she swear he was mocking her. Grinding her teeth for a minute, she huffed slightly. "Tsugumi - Tsugumi Rekka. You can just call me Rekka though."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Rekka-sama."

He was definitely mocking her.

"And you are?" She raised a brow conspicuously, glaring back at him. He smiled briefly - just only briefly.

"Please, just call me Lancer."

Lancer. What an odd name. Well, it would do for the time-being. "Alright, Lancer. Let's go." At her command, the odd duo of Master and Servant fled into the cloak of night. Below, the sparkling city of Fuyuki continues on, unaware of what will transpire in the next few months.