Chapter 2: Dead on Arrival

It was November 2nd, about half past seven, when a private jet landed in the Fuyuki airport. Black as the night sky, it had the words "Hell's Paradise" blazoned in red on the side. Out from the exit ramp stepped the three. One in orange, one in white, and one in black. With a wave of goodbye to their pilot, the three made their way through customs and out of the airport.

"I must say Seth, our pilot seemed especially nice. Are all executors just a bunch of friends in a vampire murder club? I've yet to meet one who wasn't in some way cheery. Or at least, they were always cheery until we started killing vampires." I shrugged. "It helps that you aren't like most other Magi, Ernest." It was true, even if Ernest wasn't perfect, there was one thing that put him solidly in the category of 'good' magus.

Simply put, he had standards.

"How so, Seth?" With a happy grin and a punch to the arm, Echo answered him. "You're a real nice guy Ernest! Dependable too! You don't insult the other hunters or swear at them for being pious pricks with sticks up their butts! Plus, you can hold yourself in a fight, and every executor can respect that!" I laughed. "Well Echo, when you put it like that, you make our pilot seem like no one would ever respect him." Ernest cocked his head in confusion. "You two say the strangest things, what was wrong pilot, his name, it was…?"

"Mario Mario, believe it or not, but everyone just calls him Mr. Dawn." That got Ernest a chuckle. "No seriously, the guy is cursed or something to never be able to remember his name. It's listed on his license and the official Church documents, he just can't read or hear it." Ernest continued his question. "Odd, but what is wrong with him, is he really a plebian with no ability to fight?"

I eyed him. "No one's a 'plebian' Ernest. But to answer, yes, he is the absolute worst guy you could ask to have in a fight. He's a pacifist to the core. Hates blood and guts and all that schlock." Echo piped in. "He also never reads his Bible!" More confusion splattered Ernest's face. "How do you know that?" Echo beamed. "Because he had it in the cockpit! It was totally covered in dust!"

I put my hand to my face. "He is good at transporting things fast and in style, as you saw on the flight here. Plus he has one trick he can do, but it's pretty limited and not worth mentioning. Overall though most executors start saying their final prayers and signing wills if they find out that someone higher up put them on a field mission with him. By the way, are we close to your apartment yet?"

Ernest pointed to the top of a skyscraper. "That's the suite. Pretty good view, huh?" I nodded, it was indeed a good view. "You stick out like a sore thumb though if anyone actually looks into where a young, wealthy magus might be staying during the war." Ernest smiled. "Exactly, which is why we're going into it, checking me in, and then looping back to the less modern side of the city." I turned, intrigued by what he had planned. "You see Seth, I've already paid off some plebian to come and pretend to be me after I check us in, then we'll go to a second, more secret residence where we'll officially stay."

Echo through her hands in the air. "Wow that's smart Ernest!" Echo grabbed my hand. "Seth, we should make a secret base while we're here too!" She then grabbed Ernest's hand and rushed us down the street, pointing to different alleyways that we could make into operations for 'halls of justice' and asked locals if there were any good caves around that could serve as a 'batcave.' She pulled us along all the way to the hotel, where Ernest checked in and we went on our way.

"Too cheery, really Seth, she is too cheery."

By the end of the day, I was happy to say that our trip through Fuyuki was uneventful, though busy. Echo insisted on trying the local cuisine and visiting shops to check out their clothing. The various cakes she tried and orange sandals she bought were her self-proclaimed favorite treasures of the day.

"Really Ernest, having faithful members of the Church stay in a heathen's temple, whatever will I say to my local priest?" Ernest returned my toothy grin with one of his own. "I couldn't tell you, Seth, you can figure it out when we go there later tonight." Echo stamped her feet.

"I don't like it! Not one bit at all!"

Two separate fists bonked her on the head.

"Get over it! I wasn't expecting you guys to come in the first place!"

"Grow up! We treated you all day, the least you could do is bear with it for Ernest's sake!"

"Eheheeeeeeh, fineeeeeeeee."

We made our way up the temple's gates. Ernest met with the head priest. He explained that we were religious folks who wanted to join him on his quest "To experience the wisdom and discipline of the religions of the East." The fat stack of cash also helped in getting our four extra feet through the gate too, so to speak.

The temple was named "Ryuudou Temple" and was as Ernest put it, "A leyline goldmine." This was good, as Ernest was what the magi called a "Master." A magus that was chosen to participate in the event called "The Holy Grail War." Now, of course as a member of the faith (and a rather well read one at that!) I knew that this particular cup was neither Holy in origin, nor that this event could really be called a war, as even though the participants are "heroes" and "wizards" that itself did not make this a conflict on the scale of a war, and personally, I had some doubts about whatever cup that was used in the process actually being a grail.

I digress though, given the seeming opt-in opt-out nature that the magus association holds over selecting at least one of its participants, it might be better to describe it as a game, a very violent and potentially death ridden game. Then, in addition with the original purpose of the grail in Arthurian legend, and the event's connection with heroes, to have their wish filled, their hunger, if you will, it might then be better to call the whole thing "The Magical Hunger Game."

I had to admit it didn't quite roll off the tongue, but ah well. Having been situated in our lodging, I turned to Ernest. "What is your plan now, Ernest? Will you summon your servant here tonight?" Ernest smiled a smile I didn't like. One that was asking not for a favor I would happily fill, but rather one that was so beyond the pale I would be inclined to flat out reject it. "Yes, but.."

"but…?"

"Could you two distract the priest at the Kotomine church while I raid its graveyard for a corpse?"

I groaned.

I could see it in Echo's eyes. The two of us could tolerate the way he treated the dead when he helped us hunt down vampires, but Echo especially hated the idea of desecrating the dead. I could see her restraining herself as much as possible from making a loud outburst. "I know you only use them as empty shells, but why the ones at the Kotomine church? Wouldn't the ones here suffice, especially with them being so near a leyline?"

"I don't really have the mana needed to summon a spirit on my own."

"So use the leylines, isn't that why we're here?"

"Well, yes, but if I did that I'd probably get a Japanese servant."

"Wouldn't that be an advantage in this case?"

Seven servants, Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Those were the classes a servant could take on when participating in the Grail War, according to the Church reports. There was one occasion during the third where that was not the case, but that war instead was an oddity and not the usual occurrence. Servants were strengthened by their legend, and to have one in their homeland all the more so.

"I couldn't get my hands on a catalyst for the servant I wanted, so I was hoping to use the Church and its holy ground instead, even if the chances are slim."

"You want to summon a saint of some kind Ernest? With a dead corpse as its bait and the Church as its backdrop?" He gave an embarrassed nod. "Yeah, on one hand I get a hero that's as cheery as you guys, and on the other it's not like some long dead plebian can complain about their body being used, in fact, it gives them a chance to be useful for once, right?" I shook my head. "It's despicable-" Echo called out. "Horrible!" I kept going. "Even more still, the Church is supposed to be neutral in this conflict and towards its participants, to aid you against a fellow member of the Church is made all the worse by you desecrating a body on both Holy and Neutral ground. All in all, it sounds like the worst possible way to start and the best possible way to get on the bad side of this war's judge."

Ernest kept silent. He only stood there, thinking. He knew I thought his view of others wrong, and his methods only just barely tolerable, he had known this for over two years now, he knew Echo felt the same, if not stronger, what then would be his justification to us? What would he come up with to redeem this unnecessary endeavor? Could the servant be that great? He said it was a slim chance, what did he believe made it worth it in our eyes?

"Seth, Echo, did you know people are dead after they die?"

Wha-?

"They rot or get stuffed or are turned to ash or whatever. Nothing that gets done to them can change that. Only heroes and the great people of our world are remembered after death. Those that are not worthy are nothing but extras, plebians undeserving of their lives after they already wasted them, but in death I have the power to give them purpose. My magecraft specializes in allowing me to control their dishonored flesh, fill their wasted, empty vessel with my own will, a will greater, better than theirs. With my power I could bring back a semblance of who they were, but it would only be a shell of their former self. I have no interest in bringing back a sliver of something worth less than nothing. If the plebians whose bodies I used were really good for anything, I would have heard of them."

That was the crux of it all. Ernest's magecraft defiled the dead's body, but never their soul. Nothing more than ruined flesh puppets, for him giving them purpose after death was a kindness, not the vile thing it was. I waited for why this particular sacrifice was necessary.

"When I summon the servant, the body should not, will not be harmed. I only need it for a moment, and you can decide if what I do after is acceptable or not. I need not say it, but it is something I thought you and Echo would approve of, otherwise I would not have dared try it with you here. Please, just trust me, help me, and at the very worst the body will be returned. I need only ten minutes." I sighed.

"Well Echo, what do you think?" Echo had her hand to her hand to her chin, eyes scrunched. "Helping a bad person to do bad is bad…" Her brow creased further.

"mmm…."

"HMMM…"

She pounded her fist into her hand.

"But his heart is probably in the right place, so if it blows up in his face, he'll learn to not do bad things anymore!" That certainly was a conclusion. Still, if Echo approved, then…

"Fine, but don't be surprised if this priest we're meeting tries to lop off your head. The name Kotomine is pretty well known among the Executors."