Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
King of Beasts Productions Presents:
Fate/Zero Hour: A Fate/Zero Multicrossover Fanfiction
Chapter 13: Twist and Contort
Fuyuki Hyatt.
"How long do you think the orc will last before he gives up?"
"I'll give it two or three rounds."
"Knowing Yuuki, I'll say one."
"Let me in some of that action!"
"So...what's going on?" Edgar asked as he sat beside Scarlette in the training room that somehow resided in it's own pocket dimension inside the hotel room. For how that was possible, let's just say "magic" and leave it at that. At the side, the various members of the Sentinels were placing their bets on how long this will last.
"Apparently, Miss Konno has wagered the orc that should he beat her, he can leave. Otherwise, he has no choice but to join us. By the way," A light smirk appeared on her face as she handed a $5 bill to Alvin, who was taking bets, to the surprise of Edgar. "I bet five rounds before he gives up."
"Thank you for your patronage, boss lady." The brunette ex-merc chuckled as he took the bill.
Meanwhile, Yuuki and Garrosh Hellscream were staring each other down, the former with a faint smile while the latter had a confident grin.
"I have faced creatures that would haunt your dreams, little girl." Garrosh brandished Gorehowl, his signature axe whistling in the air with each swing. "I do not fear the likes of you!"
"Why don't you come at me, then?"
"Heh, with pleasure!" The massive orc stomped his way towards the petite girl with his axe raised, the signal that the duel had begun. The Ex-Warchief winded up for a powerful one-handed horizontal swing, the momentum of the blow meaning to bifurcate the girl in two.
Imagine his utter surprise when Yuuki parried his attack with one upward swing, smirking while she did the deed.
"Not bad. There was a lot of power behind that one, so my arm's still shaking a little. However," Yuuki dashed past him, shifting her body so that she could land a spin kick at his back that would cause the orc to stagger a few steps. "Missing that kind of attack leave you wide open, you know?"
"Grr...you little wench!" Garrosh growled before turning around and launching a new offensive with several vicious swings, all of them either dodged, blocked or parried by the tiny swordswoman.
"She's pretty good." Edgar noted with approval.
"It was surprising, seeing such skill in such a tiny body. Her title as the 'Absolute Sword' back in her world is certainly no joke." Scarlette answered with a proud smile.
"You should have seen her at our last mission." Imca added. "Her swordsmanship is certainly no joke. I'd wager that she is one of our best behind only Akame."
"Akame?"
"One of our other comrades. You'll meet her soon enough. Oh, looks like the match has been decided."
They all returned their focus on the match. Sure enough, Yuuki had landed a horizontal strike with her sword that disarmed the orc, his axes landing a few meters away from where they stood.
"And that decides that." Yuuki giggled as she planted her blade into the ground.
"You..." Garrosh growled as trudged towards Gorehowl and grabbed it. "I demand a rematch! I refuse to believe that I've lost to the likes of you!"
"You sure about that?" The Absolute Sword blinked in surprise.
"YES!"
"Hmm...alright then." Yuuki smirked as she got into a stance once more. "Just remember: I gave you an out."
Four more rounds later...
"How..." Garrosh was on all fours, looking at the ground in disbelief after losing four more consecutive tries. "HOW COULD SOMEONE LIKE YOU BE SO STRONG?! What is your secret?!"
"Well..." Yuuki put a finger on her chin while thinking on it. "I swung a sword every day for three years."
"Surely that can't be all!"
"Yeah, I had three square meals a day too. And enough sleep. Can't go wrong with that." She added.
"Are you mocking me?!" Garrosh roared incredulously, unable to believe that he was bested by a little girl.
"Hey, you asked!" Yuuki giggled before sitting in front of the defeated orc with a grin. "That means you're one of us now, right Mr. Azal?"
"Quite astute, Yuuki." Salem chuckled as he called from the seats "Now that that's done, I suppose you all should be returning to your posts, yes?"
After much grumbling from all involved, everyone (even Garrosh to his chagrin) dispersed to do whatever it is they do as a cover for their multidimensional activities.
"Quite satisfied with yourself, eh?" Edgar smirked a little as he watched Scarlette count her winnings.
"Mr. Azal pays me well, but it does amuse me to win a bet every now and then." The Witch of Elrit Forest giggled as she pocketed the bills. They were walking back to the living room when they saw two more individuals enter from the door using their room keys. "Ah, you two are back as well."
"Yup! We had it in the bag, like usual!" The first individual, a brunette with a Pocky stick in her mouth, a blue hoodie and daisy dukes declared with a grin.
"Try not to get so cocky, Kyoko." The second one was a bluenette with short hair and a barrette tucked in the left side, clad in a white blouse and short black skirt and socks.
"What's wrong with bein' a little happy about a win, Sayaka? Don't be such a wet blanket!" The brunette chuckled before Scarlette giggled.
"It...it can't be..."
Upon hearing the name and seeing her face, Edgar's face immediately paled. For him, it was like seeing a ghost. Fitting, as she reminded him of one of his greatest failures as the leader of the OSG.
"Alright, calm down you too." The blonde giggled before making the introductions. "By the way, this is Edgar Silverstein, Director of the Ordinis Sancti Gladius. Edgar, this is Kyoko Sakura and Sayaka Miki, two more of our agents."
"Nice to meet you, sir." Sayaka bowed politely before looking up to see his current bewilderment. "Uhm...are you alright, sir?"
"I-it's nothing. I'm fine. Nice to meet you as well." Edgar briefly nodded, unable to process what he just saw before turning to Scarlette. "I'm going to retire for the night. If you'll excuse me..."
Before either of them could say anything, the Shadow Knight had abruptly left.
"Geez, what was that guy's problem?" Kyoko huffed while crossing her arms. "It's like something crawled up his ass and died there."
"Was it something I said?" Sayaka asked, worried that she might have offended him.
"I'm sure it wasn't. This is quite out of character for him, at least from the last few days he was with us." Scarlette stared at the direction Edgar fled intently. "And I plan to find out what the cause is."
Ryuudou Temple, at the same time.
To say that Uryu Ryuunosuke was having the time of his life would be a brutal understatement. The massacre of the monks provided him with plenty of materials to work with. It was on this fine night that he was using the entrails of the fallen to paint his latest work. It was macabre, but it was expected of an Uryu Ryuunosuke original.
"It's a shame that one monk and his brat got away." The fiendish serial killer said as he arranged intestines in specific way. "They would've been some nice materials to work with."
"Leave them be. We have more than enough to work with." Caster walked in, his gleaming warglaives stained with blood. His eyes glowing in anticipation as he had begun to harvest more Soul Stones from the corpses. He also set up a Bounded Field to make sure no one would interfere. It would shatter upon the completion of the ritual, but by then it would all be ready. "Soon, I will have enough to move forward with my plan. The ritual should take place tomorrow night as scheduled."
"Cool!" Ryuunosuke chuckled, apparently satisfied with his work before turning to Caster. "So...why do you want this Holy Grail thingy?"
"Excuse me?"
"That's what all you guys are fighting for, right?" The clueless Master asked with utmost curiosity "I wanna know what your wish is, Caster! Does it involve killing people?"
"...In a fashion, I suppose." Caster smirked despite himself. "I only seek to attain power. The power to chart my own destiny, not be under the thrall of another again!"
"Ah, so you wanna be able to choose how you live? Hmm, I can understand a little." Ryuunosuke shrugged.
"Pray tell, Master, how so?"
"Well, everyone around me says killing is bad. That all the fun and squishy parts of a person shouldn't be let out." He explained to his Servant with a smile. "But that would be a perfectly good waste of art materials! Killing others is the coolest thing ever, and I'm not gonna let other people tell me otherwise!"
"...You are quite amusing, Master." Caster chuckled despite hearing such a bizarre explanation.
"So you're gonna show me this really cool thing you've got planned tomorrow?" Ryuunosuke looked up at his Servant with expectant eyes.
"Yes, Master." Caster smirked at his excited Master. "Tomorrow night, you will see, in your words, 'the coolest thing ever'."
Kotomine Church. The Next Night...
"It's reaaady!"
Kotomine Kirei was a little surprised that Assassin had called into the cellar just as the sun set. He immediately saw the reason why: The Servant of the Shadows was grinning at him eagerly as she presented her newest creation: It looked enough like a simple priest's robe with what looked like a pair of eyes on the chest area. Nothing special to the beginner's eye. However, Kirei could immediately sense an enormous amount of prana that has been harvested into it, as well as an almost malicious entity within as well.
"What is this?" He asked, obviously in shock at what he was seeing.
"A Nui Harime Original~!" Assassin giggled, her demeanor especially bubbly tonight. "It's a little something I tailored especially for you, Kirei-kun! I assure you, this is an authentic Godrobe made of 100% Life Fibers! I don't do that for just ANYONE, you know?"
Godrobes...Life Fibers...he had all seen this in his dreams. As Assassin's Master, he has been able to peer into her past. What he saw was truly horrifying; a plot to dominate the world through clothing, led by a woman who had betrayed humanity. Assassin herself was by-product of this treachery; she was, after all, a being born of human flesh and the very same aliens that tried to take over her world. It was only by the intervention of a girl also wearing a Godrobe that this was put to a stop.
As a man of the cloth, he had every reason to be against such a thing. Especially after hearing Assassin's wish, he knew that the girl was nothing short of pure evil. Despite that, he admired how the girl lived. Free to do whatever was true to her nature, lacking the inner conflict he had between his own nature and his doctrine. Sure it caused suffering for others, but it was something she did of her own will. Hell, can he even say that Assassin was truly evil, if she was simply doing what came natural to her? Could he say that she was evil if she was simply born the way she was?
"Uhm, Kirei-kun? You're spacing out."
"My apologies." Kirei snapped out of reverie. "It is just that I have been thinking a lot of all the things you've said. How to just have 'fun'. La vie est drole, as you aptly put it."
As he continued, he felt himself clenching his fists, his clouded eyes showing his inner conflict. "My upbringing is telling me that this is wrong, that to live in such a way is not right in the eyes of our Lord. Yet, why do I yearn for your lifestyle? For your sense of freedom?"
"Oh, Kirei-kun! You're finally getting it~!" Assassin was suddenly behind him, smiling ever so subtly as she slowly unbutton his robe, her words sweet and enticing. "You see, living life by a doctrine is no fun. A person should be free to live by his own rules, not one set by some cosmic judge from up high~!"
With one gentle tug, she let the robe fall, exposing his ripped chest; a culmination from years of training as an Executor.
"My solution for that is simple;" She winked as she delicately put the Godrobe on. "Free yourself from the shackles your doctrines. Live EXACTLY how you want, Kotomine Kirei."
As soon as it was buttoned up, Kirei felt as if the robe sprang to life on it's own. The next few moments were the most excruciating ones of his entire life, as he felt as if he was being sucked dry by the fabric he was wearing.
"Wh-what is this?!" The priest doubled over, experiencing agony he had never imagined.
"Don't let it control you, Kirei-kun." Assassin smiled as she watched like a proud mother. "It doesn't wear you. YOU wear IT! Show it that it is YOU who should be obeyed. Dominate it!"
With one loud scream, Kirei clutched his head as a flash of light erupted from him. Seconds later, the pain was gone. Instead, it was replaced by a strength, a vitality he never experienced before. The sensation of having such power was overwhelming for him.
"How do you feel, Kirei-kun." Assassin asked sweetly as she approached her Master with arms folded.
"I feel like a new man." Kirei clenched his fist, feeling the power coursing through his veins. "Is this what it means to possess a Godrobe?"
"Indeed, my Master." The Grand Couturier giggled as she did a curtsy. "Your name indeed suits you now. No one has been this exceptional a model, not since my dear Mama."
"I thank you, Assassin- no, Nui Harime." Kirei replied with the first sincere smile he had in a long time. "For opening my eyes to the possibilities within my grasp."
"No problem-" Both Assassin and Kirei felt a sudden wave of power overwhelm them. They immediately knew who it was.
"My, Caster-kun's finally made his move." Assassin giggled as she gleefully led her Master out of the cellar. "It's time for your debut, Master! Time to show them the splendor of my newest model!"
"Of course."
Close enough to Ryuudou Temple...
"So glad you can make it, Jhin."
"To miss an elaborate production such as this would be a crime against nature, Miss Cinder."
"As colorful as ever, Mr. Virtuoso."
Three figures were watching Caster's ritual from the shadows; one was a woman clad in red, long black hair flowing past her shoulders down her slender frame. Another was a man in a black suit, green hair, and a fedora with a malicious glint in his golden eyes. Speaking of gold, the man known as Jhin was one wearing a most peculiar mask and had an arm with the aforementioned color scheme.
"I take it your assignment went well?" Cinder asked the Virtuoso.
"Yes, the Death of Ben Tennyson was a tragedy perfect for the masses." Jhin chuckled at the memory. "Reaper is certainly a talented playwright. Even as we speak, he is on his way back with package."
"Good job, then. Less things we need to worry about." The green haired man known as Hazama chuckled. "Now, I believe we're here to scout our enemies."
"Yes. We are merely the audience this time around. The stage is set, the players are in place!" Jhin was obviously excited. "Now it is time for the show of the century!"
"Way to be melodramatic, Jhinny." Hazama groaned while Cinder smirked.
"He IS right, though. Now is a golden opportunity to observe our enemies. To assess their strengths...and to expose any weaknesses they may possess." As she said the last part, a cruel smile formed on those dainty lips. "The OSG, The Sentinels, and the Bureau...Soon, they will know that the Night is always darkest before the dawn."
End Chapter 13
A/N: That was quick!xD
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to another edition of Fate/Zero Hour! This chapter, we see more of our multiverse hopping group, some drama between them, Kirei's descent into darkness, and Caster finally making his move!
As for those last three who showed up (assuming you all know who they are), they will have a HUGE impact in future Zero/Hourverse works. If you've read Ultimax: Episode Minato and Kyoko's Amazing Journey, their shadow has already been cast.
Once again, a huge thanks to X the Reaper for helping me craft the Zero/Hourverse, even letting me play around with the OSG. If you haven't read his Fate Zero Sanity series yet, what is wrong with you?! Get to reading it NAOW! It explains why Edgar is iffy around Sayaka, at least!
I don't got much left to say other than please leave a review when you're done. Until next time, I'm the King of Beasts and I'll see you next chapter!
Next Time on Fate/Zero Hour: Drawing the Battle Lines!