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Fate/Zero Hour: A Fate/Zero Multi-Crossover Fanfiction
Chapter 10: Civil Diplomacy
Fuyuki Hyatt. 10 PM
"This is a bad idea."
"For once, we are in agreement, Mr. Svent."
Shu was, for the lack of a better term, wondering why he and Inori were watching from the door to the penthouse. Alvin and Selvaria stood with grim faces while Minato stood to the side with a blank look as usual. Most likely than not it had something to do with the newcomer Mr. Azal had brought in.
"Is that guy really bad news?" The former King of the Void asked his seniors regarding the red-skinned giant who sat on the couch in the middle of the room, a smug smirk on his face (which looked anything BUT human) as he looked around at all in the room with contempt with a massive one-headed battle axe in hand.
"Been to his world on a couple of errands." Alvin explained "Trust me, that guy is a grade-A douchebag."
"Indeed." The blue haired Valkyrur continued as she directed a leer at the man's direction "Mass genocide and war mongering are among his many, many crimes."
"He sounds like the kind of guys we deal with on a regular basis." Shu interjected, still confused about the entire thing "If that's the case, then why did Mr. Azal bring him in?"
"Looks like we're about to find out."
Just as Alvin spoke, Salem Azal entered the room in his usual crisp jet-black business suit and two teacups in hand, flanked from both sides by Edgar Silverstein and Scarlette Valentine respectively with Neji following the rear. With a nod towards his other recruits, the leader of the Sentinels took his seat in front of their guest with a wide smile on his face. Edgar and Scarlette, however, shared their disdain for their visitor.
"So glad you can join me for some tea, Mr. Hellscream." Salem greeted the hulking warrior amicably "Unfortunately, Miss Alucard will be absent from the proceedings as she has other matters to attend to..."
"Spare me the pleasantries, human. I was not plucked from my time to engage in meaningless conversation." The harsh growl that came from Hellscream, his sneer revealing rows of jagged teeth in addition to his tusks "And keep your swill to yourself!"
"So you have the gall to spit on our kindness, you-!"
"Now now, Miss Valentine." Salem raised a hand to placate his secretary, showing no indication that the orc's rudeness ruffled him "No need to get angry on my account. However, your words wound me so, Garrosh." The ancient spoke with jest in his voice "For you to act so crudely after we have saved you from the jaws of death-"
"You should have left me to die, human." Garrosh interrupted once more, hostility dripping in his voice as he glared daggers "You know who I am, what I have done, and that I regret none of it!"
"So why did I save you, you ask?" Salem interjected with a wry grin on his face "Why? Can I not do so from the goodness of my heart?"
"Hmph! Your jesting irritates me, human!" The orc growled as he continued to glare daggers at the man "I demand you send me back to where I came from at once! I have a war to win!"
"Ah yes, because you have a war to win with your Iron Horde." Salem sighed before taking a sip of his tea "Tell me, Garrosh Hellscream, why must you continue to underestimate the heroes of your world? The fact that they unseated you meant that your reign was doomed from the start. And given that you dabbled with powers beyond your ken, that makes you no different than-"
"YOU WILL NOT FINISH THAT SENTENCE, YOU WORM!"
The red-skinned behemoth quickly rose from his seat, raised Gorehowl and was about to strike Salem where he sat. However, a chain with a red jewel at it's end bound Garrosh's striking arm, stopping the axe within inches from his face. He turned to see that Scarlette had her hand extended, her purple eyes narrowed in a glare directed at the orc. Edgar, who had been observing the entire time, would widen his eyes in astonishment to see that the chain was a Psypher similar to his own Belderiver.
"Release me, woman."
"No."
"Insolent wench. Don't make me snap you like a twig." The initial rage Garrosh felt was replaced by an amused expression, his lips curling upward to form a nasty grin as Scarlette did not back down "I will not be held back by flimsy chains!"
The Son of Hellscream raised his fist to strike down the blonde woman, who remained defiant despite her situation. The fist never landed, however, as a palm strike from Neji, who looked as if he appeared in between them out of nowhere, landed directly on Garrosh's chest. If one looked at the ninja's face, he would see the intense, hateful glare directed at the attacker. While the sheer impact would've sent a man sprawling, all it did was force the orc back a few steps.
And make him quite furious, of course.
"You dare lay a hand on me, whelp?! I WILL CRUSH YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"
"You're welcome to try-!"
"ENOUGH!"
Everyone in the room was just about to get involved in the potential altercation, just about ready to leap from their positions, when a loud booming voice stopped all in their tracks. They all turned to see that it was Salem, closing his eyes and rubbing his fingers on his temples to show that he did not appreciate how this was all getting out of hand.
"Ms. Valentine and Mr. Hyuga, I am quite disappointed at your failure to maintain decorum. I had expected more out of you two. See to it that this does not happen again."
"We're sorry, sir."
He let out a huge sigh before continuing his lecture and directing at Garrosh "As for you, I do not appreciate you assaulting my employees in the manner you did earlier. Perhaps we shall continue this discussion in the morning, where cooler heads will prevail?"
"...Fine."
Garrosh really wanted to go at it and snap the boy's neck like a twig, but considering that he was outnumbered, decided against it. Sullenly, he stood up and trudged his massive frame towards one of the empty rooms.
"...I still think this is a bad idea, sir." Scarlette would be the first to speak after the orc was out of earshot. "You as well as everyone in this room knows of his reputation. You of all people know what he has done."
"I concur." Edgar added, his wisdom as a leader coming to the fore "With his rap sheet, even I would be willing to sic the OSG on him without a second thought."
"I appreciate your input, everyone, and indeed I do. Make no mistake, he will one day account for his deeds." Salem nodded as he turned to walk towards his quarters, waving his hand as a gesture that everyone was dismissed "However, for what will be coming next, we will need the ruthlessness of Garrosh Hellscream."
Meanwhile, deep within the bowels of the city...
"How...How could they?! THOSE MONSTERS!"
Even now, Caster could only watch as his Master, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, lamented the destruction of his "art". He himself was frustrated with how his base of operations was completely demolished. He had no idea who was behind this, but he could only suspect that it was one of six Servants of this Grail War.
"Hmph..." The Betrayer muttered to himself as his Master sobbed in the background "For my enemies to attack while we were elsewhere..."
The purple-skinned Servant had to applaud the audacity of his enemies desecrating his turf; as a Caster, he naturally receives an advantage should battle erupt close to his Territory in addition to his Demonic Defender of the State skill. The destruction of said Territory negates that advantage.
"At least most of the Soul Stones I have been gathering remained intact..."
Still, it wasn't a total loss; He can take comfort in the fact that while he lost a good deal of them along with his base, he still had more than enough to enact his plan. As such, one of the most crucial pieces he had been gathering for the War, bolstered greatly by assimilating an unknown Magus family into them, were spared from the destruction. This means he could still move on to the next step to winning the Grail War, despite some setbacks.
Before he could find a new place he can claim as his Territory, Caster must first placate his Master over his lost "art".
"HOW COULD THEY STILL CALL THEMSELVES HUMANS?!"
"Master." The deep baritone of the Servant caused Ryuunosuke to snap out of his manic mourning to turn to him with a blank look on his face, his eyes red from all that wailing. "I understand that you lament the loss of your life's work, but we must move. If our enemies have found our hideout, then they are sure to return in bulk."
"But...how could they destroy such my art?" The clueless Master answered with a hoarse voice "Don't they understand beauty?"
"Beauty...Yes, I suppose you can call the works you make out of human corpses such." Caster replied with a light smirk "I, however, see beauty in other things."
"Like what, Mister?"
As if prompted by his question, Caster opened his large fist. By force of will, he allowed a small, green flame to flicker on his palm, dancing as if it was alive.
"Woah..."
"Do you not find this beautiful, Master?" The fallen Night-Elf said in a whisper as the flames danced in his hand "The feeling of energy surging through your fingers. The experience of holding power within your hands...While I do see the appeal of your macabre masterpieces, I tend to appreciate art that is more...alive."
"It's so pretty, Mister." The deranged artist nodded in appreciation, his beaming grin illuminated by green light "I bet my ancestors couldn't do that even if they tried!
"Oh? So you are a Magus as well, Master?"
"Nah. I just like killing people." Ryuunosuke answered back with a sincerity that would unnerve a normal person. "Seriously, though. You're really good at magic!"
"My thanks, Master, but is only a means to attain power. The aesthetics are only secondary."
While it was true now, there was a reason Caster chose to master the arcane arts. Even now, he thought of the the priestess he used to adore, looking beautiful and all clothed in white...
"That was a lifetime ago. And she had already made her choice." The purple-skinned Servant brought himself back to reality before his thoughts strayed too far "What I need to accomplish now is to find a new atelier."
But where, though? There weren't many places he can find where he and his Master can remain inconspicuous. Those locations that can provide that were not those he can easily defend...
Except probably one.
"Of course." Caster's sinister grin returned as he remembered that place, having sent a shade to scout the entire city. It was perched atop a mountain as well as one of the richest leylines of the city to siphon mana from. Also, it provided a natural barrier that diminishes the abilities of a Servant unless they enter through it's front gate, making it easy to defend.
All in all, it was the perfect stronghold.
"I believe it is time for us to leave, Master. I know the perfect place for you to continue your art."
"Hm?" Ryuunosuke asked with a puzzled expression "Where will that be?"
"Ryuudou Temple, it was called."
"This is Kerrigan. We've neutralized the Protoss, but a wave of Zerg are advancing on this position. We need immediate evac."
"Belay that order. We are moving out."
"WHAT?!" Even if this was just a dream, a part of the Servant-Master bond, Waver could see the look of disbelief on Rider's face as the man from the other screen, known as Arcturus Mengsk of the Sons of Korhal, relayed what would become a death knell to this 'Kerrigan' woman. "You're not just going to leave her!"
"All ships prepare to move away from Tarsonis on my mark."
The young magus could not believe how this Mengsk would be so impassive to sacrificing his forces. He then turned to see that Rider's expression was slowly transitioning from shock to outrage.
"Boys? How about that evac?"
The girl seemed woefully unaware of what was happening, that she was being cast off to these 'Zerg', a ferocious horde of alien creatures bent on destruction, which made it all the more unbearable for Rider. "Damn you, Arcturus." The man did not shout, did not yell. All he did was curse the name of the man he served, a man he thought would bring change to the sector. "Don't do this!"
"It's done. Helmsman, signal the fleet take us out of orbit. Now!"
Transmission was cut, and what Waver saw on the empty screen's reflection was chilling: His normally confident Servant, a shocked and broken man murmuring the name of his lost love.
"Sarah..."
Mackenzie House. 8 AM
Waver woke up with a start, beads of sweat pouring down his forehead as he struggled to make sense of this vision.
"That was..." The young lad did not need to go any further: What he saw was indeed the past life of his Servant in the form of a dream, the manifestation of their partnership.
"Who was this Sarah?"
A question he would have to ask Rider when he got the chance. For now, he turned groggily to find that, to his surprise, neither his Servant nor Ayaka were nowhere to be found.
He was about to get up to look for them when he had heard laughter coming from downstairs. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where the two went.
Downstairs, Around the Same Time.
"Pass me some of those eggs please, Mrs. Mackenzie!"
"Sure thing, James! You too, dearie! Eat as much as you want, you poor thing!"
"Th-thank you very much, Auntie!"
And as Waver suspected, there they were eating breakfast at the table with his "grandparents". That didn't stop him from staring agape at them though for two reasons, each of them chowing down a well-made meal.
"Don't worry, I explained everything." Rider, clad in a white shirt and his jacket hanging on the coat rack, uttered those words to Waver's horror for very, VERY obvious reasons.
"Yes he did, son." Glenn Mackenzie beamed at the young man brightly "It was very kind of you, lad, letting the little girl take shelter here after all she'd been through. Though Martha was a little cross that you did something so dangerous."
"A little would be putting it mildly. She was also kinda mad that you didn't introduce me yet!" Rider added with a grin while watching Ayaka scarf down some bacon fondly.
"What you did was very foolish move, Waver my dear." Marsha sighed heavily as she placed a plate of food in front of Waver as he took his seat, which she followed with a proud smile after "But it was also one of the bravest. I'm really proud of you, dear!"
As Waver turned a bright red due to her sincere praise, she then turned to Ayaka with that same, motherly smile "Feel free to stay as long as you want, dearie! You've got some very dependable big brothers watching over you, after all!"
Waver felt his heart melt when he saw the young bespectacled girl give the elderly woman the biggest grin he had seen from her since that night. After that traumatic ordeal of losing her entire family, the fact that she could still smile meant she was on the road to recovery.
It was then that they began the meal in earnest. For that small moment in time, Waver forgot that he was in a battle to the death with six other magi. For now, there were no Servants nor Masters, heroes nor demons. All that existed was a simple, if not unorthodox, family enjoying a meal together.
"So...what do you wanna do about Caster?"
Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end. Once Rider and Waver were alone in the dining room with hot mugs of coffee in each hand (Glen and Marsha were showing Ayaka the garden at the time), a grim look had set upon the Servant's face, thus setting the tone for the discussion at hand.
"Isn't it obvious?" The student answered as his own expression became serious "We have to stop him and his Master before he kills anymore. Before what happened to Ayaka's family happens to others."
"True, but it won't be that easy." Rider nodded as he took a sip "I'mma thinking that the bastard moved his base of operations ever since we trashed his place."
"I bet he wasn't too happy about that."
"No shit." The Commander grinned at his Master "However, I'm guessin' that there's more to Caster's master plan than meets the eye."
"What makes you say that, Rider?" Waver asked with a raised brow.
"Two things; First, one of my men managed to take pictures of the ground in Caster's lair. We didn't notice it at the time, but I'm glad he did." Rider reached into his pocket and pulled out a hand-held device more advanced than anything of the time period. With a few presses of a button, a holographic image showed up. He slid the device across the table to Waver's hands so that the lad can take a peek.
"Those are..." Waver stammered, appalled at the sight of circles drawn with blood on the murky ground.
"You're the mage, kid. You know what they are."
"They're magic circles. The kind used for forbidden magic."
"Which brings me to my second point." Rider once again reached into his pocket and pulled out a metal box with a combination lock to keep it in place. Once again, a few presses on the keypad and it was instantly unlocked, revealing what was within.
"By the Root..."
Waver could not deny what he saw: within the metal container was a crystal about the size of an egg. It's mirror-like clarity and green glimmer did little to mask the dull glow that emanated from the stone. While it was undoubtedly beautiful, he did not doubt that it was an ominous item, one not meant for mortals such as he.
"Saw more of 'em just like it back at Caster's." Rider began to explain once more as he stored the emerald stone once more "I sent it over to R&D for analysis, but even after extensive tests, all they can tell me is that it 'defies all known laws of science'. Makes me kinda wish Ol' Zeratul was around right now..."
"The amount of raw mana within is enormous." Waver began his own preliminary analysis "However...it also possess a certain taint, implying that it was crafted through deplorable means..."
"Which explains the magic circles and all those dead people." Rider summed it all up for him "If he still has a collection of those things, that can only mean that Caster's end game is bigger than any of us realize."
"All the more we have to stop him, then."
"Damn right, kid. Way to get with the program." Rider grinned proudly at his Master as he stood up from his seat "Which means our next course of action is clear."
"Which is?" The boy asked quizzically as he stood up as well, making sure to finish the last of his coffee.
"We're gonna head to the Ahnenerbe to meet a certain like-minded individual towards Caster. Be sure to drag Ayaka away from the Mackenzies." Rider spoke jovially as he grabbed his Kevlar jacket from the rack "It's almost lunch time and I'm sure she'll enjoy Berserker's cooking!"
"I wonder how my Master and Lady Sola-Ui are doing right now."
It was about mid-day right now when Lancer found herself up and about Fuyuki. She had been permitted to go around the city after Sola-Ui herself volunteered to keep watch over Kayneth. The sight of the rather flustered woman scrambling to cook breakfast for the Master was...amusing, to say the least.
"Perhaps my words had some effect after all..."
This delighted Lancer to no end as strolled through the city looking as ethereal as ever; Of course, she could not wear her battle garb outside the war and going out in spirit form was not as fulfilling to say the least, so she decided to wear some clothes Sola-Ui had bought for her. Her long, platinum blonde hair was let down, allowing to flow in the breeze as she walked. She wore a blue sleeveless blouse under a white sweater. As her bottoms she wore beige capris that hugged her shapely legs perfectly while she wore high-heeled sandals for her dainty feet.
Needless to say, she turned a lot of heads as she walked.
None of that mattered to her, fortunately, as she was simply taking in all the sights and sounds of the city, something she could never enjoy due to the war. By noon she had passed the more robust portions of the Miyama district to find a quaint little restaurant called the 'Ahnenerbe'.
"It seems like a nice place to pass the time." The Servant thought as she looked inquisitively at the place, admiring at how homey it looked from the outside. "Perhaps I should see what this eatery has to offer..."
"I'd recommend the pies. I heard they're pretty tasty."
Lancer turned in mild surprise to see a familiar scruffy man in a kevlar jacket followed by a boy in a green sweater vest and a young girl with glasses and a white sundress. Two of those three she had seen once before.
"It has been a while, Servant Rider." She acknowledged with a small smile and a polite nod "And you as well, Waver Velvet. I hope you are both doing well."
"Indeed it has, doll. Haven't seen ya since the first night of the war." The Servant of the Steed returned the gesture with his own, Waver stammering to do the same while Ayaka blinked in confusion.
"I have had battles with the other Servants to attend to. Saber, Archer and Assassin have all proven very formidable." Lancer remembered the night at Einzbern Castle grimly.
"I don't doubt it, especially if the latter two are working together." Rider nodded in agreement. If what he witnessed that first night is anything to go by, then the Toshaka Master working with the Executor would make a very formidable alliance.
"One we may need for what Caster's gonna come up with." The Commander of the Raiders thought grimly before returning his mind to the matter at hand "Anyways, what brings you here, Lancer?"
"I only wished to see what this city has to offer. And you?"
"I was gonna meet up with someone over an important matter." Rider answered back with a smile "Apparently I'm really lucky today, because I need to talk to you the same thing."
"Is that so?" Lancer blinked in confusion, wondering what Rider was getting at "And who is this person you wish to meet up with?"
"You're about to find out."
With that being said, Rider went ahead and opened the door for the other four, who followed promptly. Two things about the place struck Lancer; One, it was as homey as she thought it was on the inside as well, and two, a familiar silver-haired man with mismatched red-and-green eyes was behind the counter cooking menu items for what customers they had that hour.
"Is that..."
"Berserker? Indeed that is." Rider chuckled before motioning them to approach the counter. As soon as he had heard the footsteps, Berserker looked up to see the four.
"Tch, this better be important, if both you and Lancer decided to show up." The irritable Servant of Madness growled "Just because you helped me against Caster last night doesn't make us best friends, plus I'm pretty damn busy right now!"
"No need to be a dick, Berserker." Rider's mirthful mood disappeared as he propped up a menu "In fact, that's exactly why I needed to see you today. I got it on good authority that Caster's planning something. I don't know exactly what yet, but I'm sure it ain't good for any of us."
"...Tch, what a pain in the ass. We'll talk as soon as I'm on break. So what will you be ordering?"
"That sonuvabitch!"
Berserker's outburst was reasonable, as Rider and Waver had shared everything they knew; about Caster's atelier, the murdering spree he and his Master had been on, as well as the mysterious gems the Servant had been harvesting out of human souls. Fortunately, Ayaka was on the far end munching on some meat pies happily, thus oblivious to the discussion.
"I had thought that Caster was a demon. A monster who cared little of men." Lancer whispered, quite horrified at what she had heard "What you have told me has all but proven it."
"While my men have destroyed the stones as well as his hideout, I don't doubt that Caster's still in production of these stones and still has an adequate supply." Waver threw his own two cents in "If this keeps up,then the Overseer may have to stop the War due to Caster's rampage."
"Not mention all those innocents that will die as well." Lancer nodded as well
"All the more reason we gotta deal with Caster now." Rider nodded grimly "If we still keep at each other's throats, there might not even be a Grail War to win if we leave him alone. Which is why we have to defeat that purple-skinned ass once and for all!"
Waver could only stare in awe as Rider somehow got Lancer and Berserker, their opponents and two heroes in their own right, to nod and agree with his way of thinking. Part of him wondered if that was what it's like to be in the middle of a meeting between heroes who have united to stop a common threat. At least it does create a feeling of awe.
"How do you propose we do that?" Berserker would be the first to speak "Even with the three of us, finding Caster won't be easy."
"I know." Rider answered back with a wide toothy grin, his next objective clear "Which is why I'm gonna need to speak with the other Servants as well. And I think I know just how to do it..."
End Chapter 10
Omake Time!: A Summer's Breeze.
"It seems you're not making much headway on your latest pet project, huh?"
"Ah, it has been a while, Counter Guardian ROSE." Salem had been sitting alone in his quarters, his nose buried in paper work, when a figure clad in a white cloak that obscured most of her features stood behind him. "I take it you're here because of the world's concerns regarding Garrosh Hellscream?"
"Mostly PROUDMOORE's, but yeah." ROSE let out a small laugh "We're a bit concerned that he would undermine everything you have and will accomplish. That he is but a wild animal that cannot be controlled."
"Yes. While my earlier meeting with him shows that he cannot be controlled, I can at least aim him at those who seek to upset the balance. Rest assured, I will do all I can to make sure that Garrosh will be on the proper path."
"...I'll spare you the lecture and say that this is enough for me. But we of the Counter Force are going to hold you to that, Zasalamel. Especially a certain Phenom..."
"But of course. By the way," This would be the only time Salem turned from his desk to face his visitor "I have a message from your daughter Ruby. She misses you and, if I may add, she's doing quite fine as a Huntress-in-training at Beacon. You would be quite proud of her."
"...I always am."
As she vanished, Salem would later make note of the small smile that he saw from underneath her hood.
End Omake
A/N: FINALLY! THE LATEST CHAPTER OF FATE/ZERO HOUR HAS FINALLY BEEN POSTED!
Ragna: *sarcastic* Hooray...
Sorry that I took so long, dear readers! Real life has kept me away from some time and whenever I do decide to write, I'm usually drained from work. But don't worry, I ain't quttin' on these fics any time soon!
Saber: Can you please just get on with it?
Geez, nice to see you too. Anyways, it seems that Rider and Caster, two of the Servants I've been giving the least focus to, are taking the spotlight this chapter! What exactly IS Caster planning, and will Rider be able to band the rest of the Servants to stop it? All these questions will be answered as we draw closer to the fabled Banquet of the Kings! Kinda nervous about writing this part, so I hope I'll do all the Servants' ideologies justice during the discussion!
One more thing: That little omake at the end is actually a sequel to a one-shot fic I wrote as tribute to Monty Oum, creator of the fantastic web-series RWBY and well known for his work on Red vs Blue, both of Red Rooster. It's called "Crescent Rose" and checking it out will give you an idea on the identity of Counter Guardian ROSE!
Well, that's all from me. This is the King of Beasts and I'll see you all in the next chapter!
Saber: Looks like it's up to me to say it...Next time on Fate/Zero Hour: Extending the Olive Branch!