Disclaimer: See previous chapters
KingofBeasts Productions Present:
Fate/Zero Hour: A Fate/Zero Multi-Crossover Fanfiction
Chapter 4: It's Down Time!
"I am deeply disappointed, Kirei-kun."
Even by magical phonograph, Kotomine Kirei can detect the small hint of displeasure found in his master's voice. Well, it wasn't without good reason; Tokiomi had honestly believed that his protege could keep the unstable Assassin under control.
As the night's events and Archer's account have shown, that trust was diminished considerably.
"My apologies, Master. I should have held a tighter rein on my Servant." the stoic priest bowed his head humbly a midst the barely lit chapel, his father Risei standing right next to him. It was pretty much all Kirei could say, really. With Assassin's existence revealed, much of their plan had gone out the window. There was simply no excuse to back up his failure as her Master.
"It is not a total loss." The elder Kotomine interjected "Even if the charade had failed, most Masters would not be aware of her presence unless she deems it necessary."
"...I supposed it cannot be helped now." The Master of Tohsaka's voice sounded rather strained due to the efforts to compose himself with the elegance and grace his family prided itself on "If Assassin's skills are to be believed, she should still be able to move around with some measure of stealth."
The Kotomines breathed out a collective sigh of relief. While it was true that all the Masters knew that Assassin was still on the board, the fact that she can hide in plain sight means she can still do reconnaissance as per the original plan. Once she had gathered all the information they can about the enemies, Tokiomi can mobilize Archer and effectively seize the day.
And even if one of the Masters wised up and tried to go for Kirei while he was at the Church, two things would hinder him/her; One, his protection within the sanctuary and Two, the place has already become Assassin's Territory. Both the Kotimines and Tokiomi noted that her ability as a Double Summon was a blessing in that regard.
"I thank you for your patience, Master." Kirei uttered in his deep baritone "What must be done next?"
"You are to send Assassin to shadow the enemy Masters as planned. If it is needed, use a Command Seal to restrain her from attacking as she had earlier." Tokiomi's voice spoke from the other end "Also, you are to remain in the church until further notice. The double layered shield that now hangs over it should prove to be a wall to keep the other Masters at bay. That is all."
With a sigh, Tokiomi had turned off the enchanted phonograph, having said what was needed to be said to Kirei. Sitting in his Workshop beneath Tohsaka Manor, he turned to Archer who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed the entire time. His expression was, to put it mildly, disgruntled due to the events earlier in the night.
"I would like to apologize for the earlier events, Archer." Tokiomi sighed as he addressed his Servant cordially "If I had known about Assassin's rash nature..."
"What is done is done, Master." The blue clad Servant shook him off with a wave of his hand "While I find this entire situation distasteful, the fact the wench can still execute her duty salvages what could have been a disastrous ordeal."
"Yes. That is correct. As long as she can accomplish her purpose, the plan can still proceed." The Master of Tohsaka found himself agreeing with his Servant, nodding as he took a sip of fine wine from his goblet. While he still viewed his Servant as a means to an end (and no doubt Archer thought of him the same way), he still found himself rather intrigued with the blue-clad man. He seemed to follow the same line of reasoning as he and moved with the same amount of dignity as well.
That was something Tokiomi had respected.
He had searched through whatever resource he had available for the identity of his Servant, but he found the tomes wanting. He found no record of a silver-haired swordsman in the history books.
The only dependable source of information he can go on was the dreams he had each night, a manifestation of the contract he had established with his Servant. What he saw in his sleep was rather...interesting to say the least.
"If you may indulge me, Archer," the red-clad Magus spoke after some thought "I would like to ask you a personal question."
The Servant of the Bow raised his brow at this, but chose to go along with Tokiomi for now. While both he and his Master knew that their partnership was one of convenience, it wouldn't hurt to answer a few queries every now and then. The more he knew his ally, the better.
"Very well. Ask away."
"Who is Sparda?"
There it was, a name that had appeared in Tokiomi's dreams often. On more than one occasion, Archer had uttered the name with pride, as if the man was one of high standing. From what the magus had gathered so far, that was the name of a demon who sympathized with the humans and turned on his kin. By sealing the door to the human realm, he had become a hero worthy of the Throne of Heroes itself.
Tokiomi could tell, however, that there was more significance to the name Sparda, especially to Archer.
"...Pass me the bottle, Master." Archer finally spoke, slowly taking his seat while getting glass of his own "You are in for a long tale."
"Hiiii~! Do you like what I've done with the place?"
"What in the Lord's name?!"
To be fair, Kirei's surprise at the state of the cellar was totally warranted. In many a universe, the dimly lit single sofa room was simply and rustic in design, fitting for those who have given up carnal desires in the pursuit of priesthood (though the many wines stored there were a powerful temptation).
Okay, it wasn't THAT bad; the room still looked the same, but it was a tad frillier than usual. On one table in the right was a carnation pink sewing machine set up and prepped to go. On one corner of the room were three mannequins, each clad in designer dresses of the Servant's design. On yet another corner of the room was a small pedestal with a three panel mirror surrounding it. On the center table were sketches of outfits as well as needles, pin cushions and quantities of blood red thread.
All in all, everything a chic fashion designer like herself would need.
"Oh, you mean all this?" Assassin blinked in confusion while gesturing to the entirety of the cellar "I needed to set up shop. If we're gonna win the Grail War, a girl's gotta pull out all her stops~!"
"...In light of your earlier blunder, I am considering using a Command Spell to force you to get rid of all these frivolities." Kirei sighed as he walked to the sofa and sat his rear down "But, if you believe that this is all truly necessary, then I shall indulge you...for now."
"But know this, Servant Assassin," The priest added before the blonde lolita could get a word out "I have no intention of winning the War. That honor belongs to my mentor Tohsaka Tokiomi. I am merely assisting him in that regard."
"Oh? So you have no wish from the Grail at all?"
"None. I have no real desire for it."
"Hmm..." Assassin seemed silent for a while as she reached her hand into the table, feeling around the disorderly surface for a certain item until...
"Aha! Got it!"
Kirei watched his peppy Servant pull out something with exaggerated flourish. Upon closer inspection, that said thing turned out to be measuring tape. Which was also sickeningly pink.
"...And what purpose does that item serve, Assassin?"
"Why, to take your measurements, of course!"
"Excuse me?" The priest was obviously uncomfortable with how the conversation turned out
"Aww c'mon, Kirei-kun!" Assassin leaned on him, looking up at her much taller Master with her best puppy dog pout with eyes (or in her case, eye) to match "I haven't had someone to model my clothing line for ages! Don't worry, it'll be worth your time, I promise! So pleaaaaaase?"
Kirei looked at his Servant with indignation due to the absurdity of her request. While he wanted to say no, he remembered that Assassin is of A-Rank in the Item Creation department. Again, having a Servant with Double Summon had it's perks.
"...Very well." he finally relented, hoping that his Servant wouldn't make him wear anything ridiculous.
"Yey!" Before he knew it, Assassin had grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the pedestal "Don't worry, this'll only take a second! Now extend your arm, please?"
Kirei was unfortunately trapped by his whirlwind of a Servant, so he had little choice but to follow her lead. He did as requested and watched as she stretched the tape over his arm, taking note of the length of his sleeve before doing the same with the other arm. He did admit, to himself at least, that Assassin seemed to know what she was doing.
"You know, I don't believe what you said earlier." The pink-clad girl spoke as she snapped the tape-measure back "About you not wanting the Grail."
"Excuse me?"
"Stand upright, please."
Kirei complied as she ran the tape measure down his back, noting the measurements before wrapping it around his waist "I mean, didn't the Grail choose you because you have a wish?"
"So they say." The priest confirmed with a blank expression "But I do not understand it. I have neither an ideal nor a desire, so why was I chosen to fight for the Grail?"
"Well, any wish you have might be more interesting than Beardy's boring 'Gate to the Root' wish." Assassin stuck out her tongue at the mention of Tokiomi "But you have no ideals or desires, huh? Hmm..." She scrunched her brow and put a hand on her chin to think for a few seconds before lighting up with an idea "Ooh! I know! Why not wish for something fun?"
"Fun? As in pleasure?" At this, Kirei lost his composure and let his annoyance with his Servant show "Ridiculous! Are you saying that I should wish for something so sinful?!"
"Sinful?" The lolita-styled Servat blinked at her Master with a puzzled expression "Pleasure doesn't have to be sinful, y'know? Just because something's fun doesn't mean it's bad, right?"
"And you would know of this, how?"
"Let's just say I'm an expert when it comes to this kind of thing." Assassin giggled as she snapped the measuring tape back shut, pleased with what she had accomplished "There, all done!"
Kirei sighed in relief as he stepped off the pedestal, but found that his discussion with his Servant had not ended yet "Ooh! I know! You can try havin' a little fun with lil' ol' me! Maybe we can find the answer to your question together! After all, La vie est drole!"
"I cannot afford to waste my time in what constitutes as your 'fun', Assassin!" The priest responded crossly at his Servant.
"Don't worry about that! We can do it while spying on the other Servants! Isn't it part of our job anyway? We can find out what the other Masters and Servants are wishing for and work from there~!"
"...I suppose we can do that."
"There we go! Glad to know that you're not such a stiff after all, Kirei-kun~!" Assassin giggled as she patted her Master's back heartily. Just then, one of her clones entered the room. She beckoned it closer and allowed it to whisper into her ear. From Kirei's perspective, it looked as if two identical dressed highschool girls were gossiping about so-and-so and so forth.
"...I see! What splendiferous news~!" The pink-clad Servant of the Shadows giggled as she snapped her fingers, the clone dissipating upon signal.
"What have you learned, Assassin?" Kirei asked her after that ridiculous display.
"As it turns out, Caster and his Master are the ones behind the kidnappings of children in the Miyama district recently. Sounds like my kind of fun, if you ask me~!" She giggled as she relayed this bit of news to the horrified Kirei as if she was the stating the weather "Are you gonna tell Beardy about this?"
"As a member of the Church, it is my duty to inform the Overseer of Fuyuki of this development." Kirei began to make his way out at a brisk pace.
"Okay then! I'll have a little something ready for you soon!" Assassin giggled as she watched her Master's leaving back. With a seemingly innocent giggle, she called out to him as he departed, her nauseatingly sweet words lingering like an echo.
"And remember, la vie est drole~!"
12 nn, the Next Day.
Berserker was already part-way through his shift, and he was quite glad that it was much calmer compared to the evenings, wherein his life as well as his Master's hung in the balance.
Speaking of his Master...
"Goddamnit. If you're going to be like this every night, we'll be lucky to be among the last Servants!"
"You...don't have to worry...about-bleargh!"
No sooner had Matou Kariya spoken did he begin to puke out Crest Worms from his person. Seeing as he had no other choice, the red-clad Servant of Madness groaned as he picked his Master up and placed him on his back.
"C'mon. We gotta get back to Mr. Chikagi's. He'll probably flip if he doesn't see us back at the Ahnenerbe by the time my shift starts."
"S-sure..."
With that, the two walked in contemplative silence, both Master and Servant wrapped in their thoughts until Berserker would be the first one to break said silence.
"By the way," He spoke as he slowly trudged towards their destination, careful not to make any sudden movements lest his Master would hurl again (which he'd rather not let happen considering he was on his back) "I never got to ask you this until now, but who is this Sakura girl to you? And why are you so dead set in winning the Grail War for her?"
"..."
Berserker sighed as he kept silent, fearing that he overstepped his bound as a Servant.
"I...I'm doing this so that she can go back to her home." Kariya finally spoke, gaining his Servant's full attention "After what that bastard Zouken did to her...she deserves to live with her family again."
As stated earlier, Berserker stayed silent. He only chose to nod as his answer, this gesture telling Kariya that he listened. As his Master sighed and contented sleep fell upon him, the Servant could not help but think:
"Damn...she really does remind me of Saya."
Bringing himself back to reality, Berserker took his focus off yesterday's events and focused on the now. As long as Kariya was resting, he did not need to think about the war until evening. He had been working on a salad order for one of the tables when he caught a glimpse of the next customer who had entered, the fact that his workstation was on the counter in full view of everyone meaning that he was quite visible as well.
If the shocked look on his face was hliarious, imagine his thoughts upon hearing the conversation between the silver-haired woman clad in all white and the blonde girl in a jet black suit that just showed up.
"Ooh! I heard about this place! From what I was told, it serves the best Raspberry Pies in town!"
"If such a place is praised for it's cuisine, then perhaps we should try it out, Lady Irisviel- Berserker?!"
"Saber, what is it?" Irisviel turned her head slowly, her expression one of adorable confusion as she joined Saber in staring at Berserker, who was clad in a red t-shirt, pants and apron instead of his wartime vestments. "Oh..."
And to add to the hilarity, Rider and Waver just happened to show up at the time.
"Well..." The Servant of the Steed would be the first to speak "This is awkward."
And as if things weren't absurd already, Berserker ended up serving the Masters and Servants present in the restaurant.
"Mm!" Irisviel cooed with delight upon taking a bite of the Raspberry Tart she had ordered "Delicious!"
"Indeed!" Saber managed to speak in between spoonfuls of Katsudon "This cuisine...*scrunch*...transcends all others! *munch*"
"Uhm...thanks?" Berserker found himself staring at the Servant of the Sword. More specifically, he was gawking at how much the King of Knights was putting down.
"Damn, this beats anything the commissary dishes out any day!" Rider laughed heartily, taking a bite out of his cheese steak sandwich before gulping down another beer.
"...Are you really drinking at this time of day, Rider?" Waver sighed, meekly munching on his BLT, as he watched him order another alcoholic beverage.
"Hey! I'm just taking advantage of the perks here!" The scruffy Ex-Marshall guffawed while slapping Waver on the back with just enough strength to make him lurch "Spirits don't get drunk as easily as normal people, so I'm milkin' it for all it's worth!"
"Speaking of which, what brought you two here?" Irisviel, being the more diplomatic of the two-girl pair, asked Waver.
"My Servant wanted to get out of the house and see the sights." The youngest Master of the War let out another sigh "Since it would be insane for two Masters to engage in broad daylight, I indulged him. He didn't have to drag me along, though."
"I had to get your nose out of the books somehow! You gotta learn to live a little! Life's too short to just sit in the house all day!" He then turned his attention to Berserker "And where's your Master?"
"He's not feeling well." Berserker sighed as he handed Saber her fifth bowl of rice.
"A pity. In that case, I hope he begins to feel better come night fall." the blonde knight spoke, smiling broadly before engaging her bowl of rice "After all, I would not be satisfied unless I defeat you at your very best, Berserker!"
The Servant of Madness smiled at the sincerity displayed by Saber. He turned to see that Irisviel and Rider had that same smile as well. Even Waver had that same look about him.
It was at that point that Berserker was glad that not all the Servants in this War are total jack-asses.
Meanwhile...
Within the heart of New York City, a land far away from the Fuyuki Grail Wars, Salem Azal sat in his office atop Progressio Enterprises. He was known all over the world as CEO of a multi-billion dollar IT company and a philanthropist who utilized his vast fortune to fund research that would take medicine into the future. If one would glance at his life, you can see that he believed in progress.
However, not many realize that 'Salem Azal' was but a mask; that he is an ancient being whose true name was lost forever in the sands of time, except to a select few.
So, it was in this starry Manhattan evening he sat, his jet-black suit and ebony skin blending with the night. The only things that illuminated the room were the moonlight, the stars and a single golden eye, located at his left side.
It was during such a contemplative evening that a small gust of wind burst into the room, threatening to scatter the paperwork he was nonchalantly skimming through. The most peculiar thing was that the window was not even open.
"There are such things as doors." The man replied calmly despite the unnatural occurrence "I believe one as civilized as you would most likely know how to use one, Lady Alucard."
"I see that several millennia has done little to dull your sense of humor, Salem Azal." The blonde vampiress Rachel Alucard materialized at the center of the room, wearing a noblewoman's smirk as per usual.
"On the contrary, I believe the ages have enhanced my ability to jest." Salem chuckled as he got to his feet. He walked over to where Rachel stood, bent on one knee, and kissed her hand in the proper manner a gentleman should "While it is good to see you, Rachel, you do not usually make social calls. I take it this visit is one of necessity?"
"Indeed it is." Rachel nodded, her tone and expression matching the seriousness of the situation.
"I believe it involves the Holy Grail Wars in Fuyuki. Am I correct?"
Both turned to see another figure enter the barely lit office with two cups of tea in hand. The figure, a lithe busty woman clad in a white polo top under a red vest. Her shapely legs under her knee high skirt were covered in black stockings and on her feet were black high-heels. Her features were regal, from the amethyst eyes, her long flowing golden blonde hair and her rosy cheeks. She bore all these with an air of nobility. The only accessory she bore were the glasses that adorned her eyes.
"Your timing, as always, is impeccable, Miss Valentine." Salem praised his assistant as he and Rachel took their cups.
"It has been much too long, Valentine." The former Observer giggled as she took a sip from her cup "And I daresay the quality of your tea rivals Valkenhayn's."
"Indeed it has, Lady Alucard, but back to the matter at hand." The female nodded as she took her place by Salem's side "You came here because of the on-going Grail War at the other side of the world, right?"
"Correct." Rachel nodded to affirm the blonde's suspicions "From the countless possibilities I have observed, what emerges from the Grail will no doubt decimate a huge amount of Fuyuki's population, therefore creating a catastrophe of almost biblical proportions."
"Ah yes, the so-called 'Great Fuyuki Fire." Salem nodded knowingly "And yet, for all our powers, we cannot prevent this from happening."
"Nay, but we can perhaps mitigate the damage." Valentine threw in her two cents "Might I suggest we contact the OSG? I still have the number they gave me when they came around the last time."
"...Perhaps." Rachel spoke after some thought, though Salem picked up on her unsure expression.
"Is something the matter, Lady Alucard?"
"While I do believe in the Ordinis Sancti Gladius' capabilities in minimizing the damage of THIS Grail War and I am indeed grateful for what they have done for Lambda-11, I fear that Edgar Silverstein's usually sound judgement may be compromised in this matter."
"How so?" The ancient guardian dared to ask.
"Due to one simple fact: his wife is among the Servants of this War."
A silence befell the other two upon hearing this. Whilst Salem's was one of deep thought, Valentine's was...conflicted.
"This is why we must first determine if Silverstein could bear the thought of learning of his wife's death...again." Rachel nodded before putting down her tea cup "I trust that you will make the necessary preparations, Salem Azal?"
"It will be done."
"Then I have no more reason for concern." Rachel gave the both of them a fleeting smile as a portal manifested in front of her "I wish you good fortune on your task."
She stepped into the portal and vanished as quickly as she came, like dust in the wind.
"Miss Valentine." Salem spoke after staring at where the vampire stood for a few minutes.
"Yes, sir?"
"Cancel my four o'clock the day after tomorrow. And...make that call to the OSG by then. I believe it is high time you met your brother-in-law."
"It will be done, sir."
End Chapter 4
A/N: And so begins the corruption of Kotomine Kirei. To any Kill la Kill fans out there, I hope I did Assassin and her psycho mentality justice!
Nui: Because if he didn't, his head's gonna roll! And roll! And roll!
*Shudders in fear* Anyways, the OSG is a group of heroes, each member hailing from different universes, who travel the multiverse to right wrongs and such. If you wanna know more about them, check out X the Reaper's "Fate Zero Sanity" and "Fate: OSG", where I borrowed them from (with the author's permission, of course!)
As for the two characters who converse with Rachel Alucard at the end (Yes, THAT Rachel Alucard from Blazblue), neither of them are OCs. Since I'm in a good mood, I'll drop a clue for each:
Salem Azal: His Tale is one of Souls and Swords, eternally retold.
Valentine: If you've read X the Reaper's works, and are a huge Odin Sphere fan, you'd get this
I guess that be all I gotta say for now. Leave a review, please! Or Nui's gonna kill me! Oh, and here's her stat sheet (which I took from Harosata's fic, but modified it as I saw fit!) So...I'll leave it to Nui to close up and *sprints away in fear*
Nui: Aww, he left already? Oh well! Next time on Fate/Zero Hour: Attack on Einzbern!
Servant: Assassin
True Identity: Nui Harime (Kill la Kill)
Title: Grand Couturier of REVOCS
Master: Kotomine Kirei
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Strength - C+
Endurance - B+
Agility - C+
Mana - C
Luck - A
Noble Phantasm - B+
Class Skills
Presence Concealment - B
As stated by the Servant herself, Assassin comes and goes when she please. Most people don't realize that she's there until she's practically right next to them.
Item Creation - A
Comes with being a Double Summon. Assassin wasn't called the 'Grand Couturier' for nothing, able to craft clothes of the finest fabrics (I.E Life Fibers) that protect the wearer as well as grant him/her various abilities. If given enough time, she can even craft a Godrobe, a garment of unspeakable power.
Territory Creation - B
Also comes with the Double Summon skill; Assassin is able to establish a Workshop wherein she can sew to to her heart's content.
Personal Skills
Double Summon - B
Assassin was a reputed seamstress in her lifetime as well as a ruthless killer. This translates into the ablility to access a Caster's class skills as well as her own.
Shapeshift - B
Assassin is able to assume any form to a believeable degree. However, her eyepatch hampers the skill's full potential.
Battle Continuation - A
Assassin has taken inhuman amounts of damage and, more often than not, got back up with an eerie smile.
Eye for Art - C
As the Grand Couturier of REVOCS, Assassin's eye for quality clothing allows her to recognize any Noble Phantasm related to clothing. Under the right circumstances, she can destroy said type of Noble Phantasm with just her pinky.
Noble Phantasms
Scissor Blade - I Killed Your Father - Anti-Unit - B+
A sword forged from Life Fibers in the shape of half a pair of scissors. It was created to slice through most armor type Noble Phantasms (in some cases, destroy) with ease. Goes up a Rank once she activates "Decapitation Mode".
Grand Couturier - Agent of REVOCS - D-A
A collection of NPs that range from razor-sharp measuring tape, puppet strings and clones made of clothes.