Chapter 1
The Foreigner-class
-London-
-Mage's Association-
-Classroom of Modern Magecraft-
In a dimly lit classroom, a man stood by the blackboard and was crouching over his desk. The man donned a smartly black and blue coat over his white shirt and brown distressed pants. He had long hair that he momentarily brushed away from his face, which was currently in a distressed frown. The man was grunting and making several clicking sounds with his tongue. He was clearly under duress as he darted his black eyes onto his watch.
"10:45. She should be here. Where is she?"
"I'm here, Lord El-Melloi II." The voice of an older woman reverberated through his class room.
The man, named Lord El-Melloi II, quickly darted up and headed towards the other end of the class room. He saw a tall woman. The woman was wearing a brown blazer over her white crisp shirt, her black pants rustled as she stepped along the aisle of empty seats and approached him in a slow manner. Her red hair was tied into a low ponytail. She moved her black glasses over her red eyes, which focused on the man.
"You're late, I specifically said that our meeting would be at 8:45." The man begrudgingly reminded before he added to nail his complaint. "Ms. Touko, Aozaki."
The woman, named Touko Aozaki, merely smirked at him mischievously and answered the man in an unapologetic manner. "I'm so sorry, Lord El-Mellio. I just renewed my license, you see."
"Let me guess, your car got pounded, and your license had just been released from the coppers."
"No!" Touko said, but she sighed and gave up. "…Yes. I almost got DUI too."
"May I remind you that you're one of Mage Association's most powerful?" The man reminded the woman of her own status. Her stance was completely contrast to her title. Touko's brazen look made her seem like an ordinary woman that everyone could meet along the streets, but in truth, she was a very powerful mage whose power completely belittled a lot of mages within the Mage's Association, including Lord El-Melloi II.
"And may I remind that I don't really care." Touko plainly answered, making the man curse. She ignored the outcry and asked him as she sat down on one of the chairs in the front row, "So, what's this meeting all about?"
At the mention of the meeting, the man took a deep breath and his frown disappeared. In its place was a down casted, but calm expression. At last, the woman asked about the purpose of the meeting.
"Well, where should I start…" Lord El-Melloi II began and the woman's gaze became serious as she focused her attention at the man.
As the meeting progressed, Touko's cool headed persona slowly diminished. The topic of today's meeting was very strange and bothered her in many ways. She had never thought that she would hear such things tonight.
"Wait, let me get this straight," she called out the man, making him pause his discussion. "Thirteen days ago, a man ransacked the Animupshere Library of Artifacts, which was on an island called 'Isla Sorna', near the coast of Costa Rica. Said man then stole four artifacts that were all catalysts to summoning Servants. But wasn't the island protected by Animusphere crests and sigils? Did they all fail?"
"Possibly. However, the man is named Souren Araya, and if I remember correctly, he is a powerful Mage equal to you, Ms. Aozaki."
Yes, that's right. Touko grumbled in silence. Her mind played the memory of meeting Souren Araya a long time ago. The man was indeed powerful and was equal to her in terms of strength in magic. To hear his name today, she couldn't help but feel nothing but eeriness.
However, the presence of the man was all wrong.
"That's impossible. You know that too, El-Melloi II." She said adamantly and the man only made a deep sigh in agreement.
"Yes. It's impossible to see him moving around that island, let alone attacking and disabling the protection sigils that defend the library. However, it's the truth, Touko, and you must accept it."
Tch, he's right. Touko couldn't help but accept the man's words. No matter how much she denied it, she couldn't change the fact that the man had raided the infamous Library of Artifacts of the Animiusphere and stole four catalysts for summoning Servants. It all happened seven days ago and that was the truth.
"What else did he steal? Stolen catalysts aren't enough reason to call me here and I couldn't care less about that man…even if he could still move."
"He also stole something else: The Einzbern Codex."
The Einzbern Codex!? At the mention of the object's name, Touko couldn't help but make a gasp. "The Einzbern Family are a powerful family of Mages that uses alchemy and that codex contains all of their works and spells." That book is powerful, the woman thought hard in shock as she put her hand on her chin.
And then she gasped again after she remembered a memory about the book. "That book contains the blue prints of the Holy Grail War system, the same one that was dismantled in Fuyuki." She paused, glanced at the man, and asked him. "He's going to start a Holy Grail war, isn't he?"
"Actually…he already started it. Three Servants were summoned two days ago."
"What?!" Touko almost jumped in her seat. She didn't expect that the man had already made a move. "To start a Holy Grail War, seven heroic Spirits are needed to be summoned. He had already summoned three Servants, which means he already created a working Grail. Is this going to be like the infamous Sixth Holy Grail War from thirteen years ago?"
"Correct." Lord El-Melloi II said bluntly. Touko rested her back on the chair again. She couldn't believe what the meeting was all about. The Holy Grail War – a mystical battle royale-like war between seven Servants and Masters. The last war, the Sixth one, which happened thirteen years ago, had almost ended in disaster. Many people had died and the Mages Association had to work relentlessly to repair the damages that the war had done.
It should have spelled the end of such a ritual. Or so she thought.
She didn't expect that she would witness the start of another one and that brought her to this meeting. Having discussed such a heavy topic, that she had less knowledge of, the woman figured out the reason why the man had called her here.
"You want me to join the war, don't you? You want me to defeat him?" Touko asked as she cast an irate frown at Lord El-Melloi II. The man gulped down in nervousness. The woman's stare felt like daggers stabbing him in the chest.
"It wasn't my decision. It was the Lords of the Clocktower. They zeroed in on the fact that you and Souren Araya were collogues."
"Ha! Those old chums." Touko cursed under her breath. She didn't want to join any way because she found it completely stupid, absurd, and a waste of magical resources. Only a desperate Mage who wanted to achieve cheap glory would ever want to join such a ritual. However, since that man was involved, she could not help but feel curious and somehow, a need to see him again.
"Fine then, I'll bite this one." Touko's answer made the man smile. "However, I get to choose my catalyst and Servant, got it?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Lord El-Melloi II said as he walked away to get a catalyst for the woman to use in summoning her Servant.
-London-
-Langdom Street Apartment – No.9-
-Rooftop-
After arriving at his apartment, Captain Price immediately put his stuff down and took the box to the rooftop of his apartment. He opened it and immediately checked the contents. True to the Mage's words, he found a set of instructions, written in a dirty white paper that looked like it was made hundreds of years ago.
I can't believe I'm doing this. All right, what is the first step? "First step…draw the circle below." Price looked below the first page and saw a drawing of a circle and a six-pointed star within. There were also several lines along the insides of the circle, making the diagram look so sophisticated and hard to draw for a man like him.
"Fuck…I should've paid more attention to Blues Clues's drawing segment." Price cursed and glanced at the dirty rooftop floor, analyzing how he would draw the circle. He was not good at drawing, but that should not hinder him from achieving what he wanted:
Summon his Servant and win the Holy Grail War.
After an hour of making several grunts and curses, Price stood up and exhaled sharply out of exhaustion. The soldier's blue eyes concentrated on the ritual magic circle that he had drawn. The lines were identical to the instruction, words that he could not understand were written along the sides, finishing the circle's elaborate design.
The Ritual Magic Circle looked good and it made him smirk in anticipation. However, the positive reaction was short lived when a cold wind suddenly blew passed him. It created hollow sounds that sent a slight shiver down his spine. The full moon above, and the diming city lights from afar, were his only source of light on the rooftop, making the whole scene like a B-grade horror movie.
Why does it feel like I'm about to walk into hell itself? Price thought hesitantly, but then he remembered his friends and his wish. He brushed the remaining doubts out of his mind and declared. "No, I'm doing this for them. For Price, for Ghost…for Roach."
He closed his eyes and muttered under his voice with a hint of desperation. "A world without war, a world of peace – it will happen soon."
The man then glanced down and began to read the second part of the instructions.
"Second step: Put the catalyst in the middle of the circle." Price glanced down to the box and saw a thick dark brown book wedged inside. The book looked so old that it seemed time itself must have forgotten its existence. But despite the decrepit look, the soldier couldn't help but feel a strange aura surrounding it.
Price took the book out and blew the cover, sending some of the dust to the air. Words on the surface appeared and it looked like it was the title of the book.
'TRIGUN'
"Trigun, what the hell is Trigun?" Price asked to no one and shrugged his curiosity away before he put the book in the middle of the circle. It sounds powerful. He then moved back to the side and quickly read the third instruction. "Third and final step: Raise your right hand to the circle. Chant the words below at the strike of twelve…midnight?" The man glanced to his watch and read the time.
'11:59:10'
"Ten seconds." Price said in alertness as he readied himself. The time now was ten seconds to midnight and yet the man felt time was moving slowly. He felt a bit agitated. He really wanted to summon his Servant now. And then after ten seconds, his watch chimed as it welcomed him to midnight. Just as his watch sang, the man raised his right hand and began to chant.
"I call forth into time.
To heroes of legend.
Through wishes crystallized
One of the individuals
One of the collective
And one of civilization
These are the final wishes of humanity."
"Huh?!" The summoning circle suddenly lit up in blue and myriads of colorful orbs started to dance along the side, startling the man, making him stop mid-sentence. However, he quickly regained his focus and resumed his chant.
"As I stand upon the infallible boundary, before the brink of its destruction,
Take form from legend, armed to fight once more.
From the collapse, we will forge a path.
And from that path, we will carve a future."
The wind suddenly rushed past him and began to blow hard. Price felt an enormous pressure of air coming out of the circle in the form of a cold whirlpool.
This is it…I can feel it! A tense smile formed on his bearded face. This was the first time that he felt such an enormous pressure and he wasn't scared of it. Because the reaction that he was seeing right now told him that what he was doing had a strong effect to the ritual.
"Through you, I embody change.
And through me, you embody will.
To those written into legend, of Heroes and Villains,
from Men and Women, from Kings and Queens, from Emperors and Empresses, from Gods and Goddesses.
To those who hail to heed the call
Come forth in duty, from desire, under will!"
"Wha-?!" For a split second, Price saw the back of his right hand flash red, but before he could observe more, the ritual magic circle exploded into blue light, making him step back and shield his face with his left hand. "What happened, what's wrong, did I made a mistake?!" he screamed the question between his grunts. The man hit the exit door of the rooftop with his back, the harsh wind pinning him there.
And then, as fast as it happened, everything went silent.
Is it over? Price lowered his hand and looked at the scene before him. The floor of his apartment's rooftop was a mess. The ritual magic circle was half erased, large cracks webbing along the floor. Soot and the smell of something burnt filled the air and the man's nostrils, making him cough a little.
But then he noticed something. A figure was now standing in the middle of the ruined summoning circle. He could tell that it was a man due to his build.
The man was clothed in a long, red coat that almost covered his black shirt, pants and boots. His hair was blonde and styled in a tomahawk-like style. He also possessed a large pair of orange glasses over his closed eyes that reflected back the awe-struck face of the soldier who began to move closer to him.
"Whoa…I summoned this?" Price said as he observed him more. His mouth was half-open, still shocked and amazed by what he had summoned. His observation, however, was cut when his eyes landed on the man's left upper limb. He caught a glint of blue-green teal and noticed something strange. The man's left hand and forearm didn't match with the human skin. In fact, it was made of metal.
Artificial limb? Price thought vigilantly. He had seen many artificial limbs before, but none of them looked futuristic like this one. The man's left hand radiated blue-green colors and the soldier could tell that it was inhumanely, or out of this world, strong.
"Hello there."
Price quickly jumped back and saw that the man had opened his eyes, looking at him. His eyes were blue, just like the former captain, but its hue was mystifying. It had the color of a pristine ocean and was devoid of any malice or danger.
"Ah, sorry if I startled you," the man spoke again, but Price did not react. His voice was gentle, the soldier took note, as if he was a person that would not harm a soul.
Is this my Servant…If that is so, then he looks lanky. Price judged the man who was most definitely his Servant. He thought that he would summon something big and strong, not an average-looking and lanky. The former captain felt a bit disappointed, but he knew that he should not be too quick to judge the man.
He might not know, but he could be hiding his true strength underneath that ridiculous red coat of his.
"Um…hello, sir?" Price blinked. The man was smiling in an awkward way at him. Based on his attitude, Price's Servant looked like he was a goofy or comical one. He didn't have any problems with that, but he had hoped it wouldn't hinder him from doing his task.
"Yes?" the soldier finally answered him and the man stood straight and asked him once more.
"Are you the one who summoned me, sir?"
"Yes. I am the one who summoned you." Price said plainly. With that, the man widened his smile into an excited one, showing his pair of small fangs. He quickly moved closer to the soldier and dropped down to his knees as he kneeled in front of him.
"I am Vash the Stampede and I'm a Foreigner-class."
Foreigner-class—hm? Price was puzzled by the term. It must be a magical term and he took note of it, but then his eyes noticed a metallic glint on the man's thigh. A leather holster was wrapped around it, and within it was a huge silver gun. A lanky man with red overcoat, a silver gun on his thigh – Price pieced together a conclusion about Vash the Stampede's identity. "Are you a gunman?"
Vash slightly flinched, but he didn't look at the captain while he answered him. "Yes, sir, I am."
Hoh…So he was a soldier like me, only a bit more futuristic. Price smirked as he introduced himself. "I am Jonathan Price, the man who summoned you."
"Very well. You are now my Master and I am your Servant. My fate is in your hands. My will is for you to control. The contract is now complete. Please command me well, sir." Vash said in a very humble way. He looked up and smiled at his new Master.
This looks easy. The former captain made a satisfied grin. He had a Servant now, which made him a legit contestant to the Holy Grail War. Now all that he needed to do…was go through the war and win the mystical object. Soap, Roach, and Ghost, don't worry…I'll make amends with all of you. What we were fighting for will soon come true. Price moved his right hand and stopped after he noticed something. A tattoo was now on the back of his hand. Three triangles, spread out across the surface of his skin, making it look like the fully bloomed petals of a flower. The tattoo looked like a normal tattoo, but what set it aside from a normal one was that it was glowing in crimson red.
"What is this?"
"Command Spells, sir Price. It shows our contract." Vash answered as he stood up from the floor.
"I see." Price said as he continued to stare at the tattoo with a very eager look. Its red colors drowned out the blue of his eyes.
-The Regents Park-
-London-
The Regents Park was one of the best parks in London. During the day, the place was brimming with many different activities, such as play fairs or a small carnival. People flocked along the sidewalk to either feel relaxed and be close to nature or to get away from the bustling life of London City. The park, however, told a different story during nighttime.
The trees that lined up along the sidewalk darkened the path further, despite the lamps that were burning bright. The only sound that could be heard was the creepy sound of the wind whooshing passed the tree lines. The place was deserted every night and it was the perfect place to conduct some illegal activities.
But for Touko, who was now walking along the dark path, this place was perfect for something else. "To summon a Heroic Spirit, one needs a large place to draw the circle..." The woman muttered under her breath as she blew smoke from her mouth.
The mage reached an intersection where she stopped. She glanced around, watching the trees that were softly swaying by the wind, trying to feel any movement around her. And then, after a minute of silently standing in the middle of the four forked pathways, she made a wild grin.
"This place is perfect." She declared and flicked her right hand to the air. All the lights around the park switched off and then she took out a piece of chalk, which she threw to the ground.
The chalk, instead of shattering, stood still on the ground before it began to move in a rapid manner as it drew a summoning circle.
Touko stood, her cigarette half burnt as she exhaled a puff of smoke while she watched the chalk dance along the ground until it finished what it was doing.
"That's okay." She said and the chalk exploded into a small puff of white. The woman stood to the side and took out an object from her brown coat's pocket. It was a thick book wrapped in a white cloth with a seal in the middle and words inscribed along the sides.
"CHALDEA-CATALYST NO. 67"
"Alright…let see what I can summon with this one." Touko said as she threw the white cloth away, revealing the title of the book that she was holding.
"INVINCIBLE: COMPENDIUM AND GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS"
"BY ROBERT KIRKMAN"
"FIRST MANUSCRIPT VERSION - NOT FOR SALE"
The mage woman put the book in the middle of the circle, and just as she did that, her phone chimed and welcomed her to the midnight hour.
"Now, now, now, all in good time." Touko calmly switched her phone off and raised her left hand to the circle.
"I call forth into time.
To heroes of legend.
Through wishes crystallized
One of the individual
One of the collective
And one of civilization
These are the final wishes of humanity.
As I stand upon the infallible boundary, before the brink of its destruction,
Take form from legend, armed to fight once more.
From the collapse, we will forge a path.
And from that path, we will carve a future.
Through you, I embody change.
And through me, you embody will.
To those written into legend, of Heroes and Villains,
from Men and Women, from Subjugators and Conquerors, from Kings and Queens, from Emperors and Empresses, from Gods and Goddesses.
To those who hail to heed the call
Come forth in duty, from desire, under will!"
The circle suddenly radiated in rainbow colors that danced around the intersection. The woman stood by as she watched her left-hand flash in red. A tattoo began to form on the back of her hand, and it was in the shape of a raging fire. It made the mage smirked in anticipation.
"Heh, this looks interesting." Touko muttered under her breath and the dancing light show suddenly disappeared.
The woman looked in front of her and her red eyes focused on the figure that was standing a couple of meters away.
The figure was that of a large man, but he wasn't human. It was a humanoid lion with fur white as snow and it donned dark blue and black armor. He was tall and towering over the mage. His left hand was holding a futuristic like axe weapon. The sight of the alien creature made Touko's grin widen in amazement. The Servant before her looked very strong and she was very pleased.
The Servant's eyes suddenly opened, revealing a pair of black eyes with a predatory gaze, which was now directed at Touko.
"You," he muttered with a heavy, grave voice, "Are you the worthless insect who summoned me."
Worthless insect? Wow, belittling much? Touko snorted at her Servant's hardcore bravado before she responded. "I am no mere insect, sir. I am the one who summoned you."
The Servant stared back at her. His gaze became even more dangerous. If looks could devour a person then he had already devoured the mage a long time ago.
"HA! Pathetic! To be summoned by a mere human mage, and a lanky one, is truly a comedy for me!" The lion man laughed loudly in a degrading way. His laughter echoed throughout the park and it was enough to make a normal person pee their pants. But Touko remained standing in her place, her confident smirk never disappearing despite her Servant throwing insults at her.
"Yes. I am indeed a lanky human mage. And yet I am the one who summoned you…which kind of speaks on what your level truly is, sir."
The lion man stopped his laugh and shot a glare at the woman. A growl escaped from his large and sharp teeth as he realized that she had insulted him back. He roared and swiftly moved his axe, slamming it on the ground in anger, missing the woman's left elbow by an inch.
"You dare insult me, puny human!?"
"Yes, because you have no power over me, just as I have no power over you." Touko explained while she fixed her glasses. She then tilted her head and cast a wonderful smile at him. "So why don't we start over again. Let's introduce ourselves, so we can finally seal the contract and have power on each other."
This woman….! The lion man shifted his axe away and took a step back. It was now his turn to be amazed, impressed that the woman didn't show any hint of fear at all. Was not she afraid of him? She should be. She was just a mere human and humans tended to get scared by aliens like him.
"Heh, I'll let you go this time." The lion man smirked, begrudgingly, and moved his axe behind him. And then he introduced himself with a loud, booming voice.
"I am Thokk, the Battle Beast and I'm an Avenger-class." He then glanced down at her and added with a mocking tone. "You should be lucky that I'm your Servant. I care not for the Holy Grail…I only want to fight and be on top."
Suave, Battle Beast. You're one of Invincible's greatest foes. "I am Touko Aozaki, your Master. With this, our contract is sealed." Touko said and cast her unwavering grin at her Servant, Battle Beast. The Servant, in turn, growled in a low tone – not out of animosity, but out of acceptance. He accepted her as his master for she had shown bravery earlier, which startled him. He hadn't expected that at all.
The two stood in the middle of the intersection as the moon above them waned. The darkness of the night continued to deepen.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of COD, TRIGUN, and Invincible. Names, Places and Events are all fictional, if one exist in real life then its purely coincidental.
Special thanks to Pure Red Craine for Beta-reading.
Yay! To those who have read the first chapter, I would like to thank you all! Your likes and your reviews are very much appreciated and it amde me fuel my writing spirit! Thanks you all guys, you are the best!
So, what's in this chapter? Well, Captain Price has finally gotten his servant, and...ITS VASH THE STAMPEDE FROM TRIGUN! The reason why for this is because I love the anime and it made me curious as to what it would look like if he becomes a servant and viola! Here it is! As for Captain Price, what fate do you think awaits for him in this Holy Grail War?
Do you think he'll win in the end? And who do you think the other servants would be?
Stay Tuned for more! Thinker out!