Chapter 2
Calm before the storm
-Unknown Place-
Where am I? Price slowly opened his blue eyes. A calm blue sky greeted him and there was a faint rumbling noise that filled his ears. He moved his hand only to feel the familiar surface of grass and the coldness of earth. The soldier, confused, slowly sat straight up, and began to look around. He was in some sort of garden. There were tall walls that encircled around, luscious green grass and tall trees were all over the place. Price found himself sitting underneath a tree and the soldier drew a confused look.
Wait, when did I get in a garden? He thought as he observed more. "Am I dreaming?"
His eyes wandered more and then stopped at the opposite tree. He was not alone in the garden. Across from him, and sitting under the shade of a large oak tree, were three people. One was a woman clothed in a white space suit, whose eyes were closed and wore a kind smile. On her lap were two boys, who were both identical twins.
"Those people…" The group was sleeping soundly underneath the tree. With the combination of silence and the tranquil blue sky above, the scene in front of Price was very peaceful – heaven-like even.
The woman then opened her eyes and looked down to the two boys. She brushed their hair in a gentle manner like a mother would do to their sons. "Vash, Nai, time to wake up, I need to prepare dinner."
"Vash, my Servant?" Price darted to the twins. A startled look formed on his face. As far as he knew, Vash was his Servant. He was tall, lanky, and has a silly hair style. The blonde twins that he was seeing right now – he couldn't believe that one of them was Vash as a child.
If this is Vash… "I must be dreaming his childhood memory." Price thought as he followed the three towards the door that moved softly. The soldier trailed them and walked passed the door.
And then the scenery changed.
"What the-?" Price's blue eyes widened in shock as the next scene unfolded in front of him. He was now in a wide room with a large window. He stood below the window and right outside of it, as far as he could see, were countless stars. The soldier blinked several times just to make sure that what he was seeing was right, but it did not change.
"Am I on a spaceship? That could be it." The soldier chuckled in delight. Price had only seen space from his science books, so he did not know what it really looked like. Now that he was seeing it in real time, although through his Servant's dream, he could not contain his happiness.
"Come on, Nai, it's time for us to make a wish!"
"Let me guess, you're going to wish on a 'shooting star'…typical Vash."
Price glanced behind him and saw the twins again. The first ran up beside the man. His face beamed nothing but pure energetic joy, while his twin's face showed a complete contrast – a dull and unsympathetic look.
"We just celebrated our birthday. It's time for us to make a wish, Nai."
"Vash, it's just a star. They're not wish granters or anything."
So this one is Vash and that sourpuss is Nai. Price watched as Vash made a chuckle and slung his arm around his other's twin's shoulders. "Come on, brother, just make a wish with me."
"Oh, so they really were brothers." Well, they look like twins. What did I expect? So he has a family? Price thought in wonderment. He had discovered another thing about his Servant.
"Fine, I'll bite." Nai, after his brother continuously nagging him, finally bit his offer. The twins closed their eyes while a bright asteroid slowly ran across the window, its bright light illuminating the two who both giggled as they said their wishes.
"I wish the humans will live happily ever after in No Man's Land."
The brothers stated their wish in perfect unison at the passing asteroid. The scene was too sweet and gentle for the former soldier, who made a happy smile. Price felt the warm closeness of the twin brothers. The two showed their love of each other and somehow, it made Price's chest feel a very familiar sensation.
Why does this remind me of my team? Price shifted his smile into a reminiscing one. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the memories of his comrades as the scene before him slowly disappeared.
-A plane near America-
Price opened his eyes and saw the first-class ceiling cabin of the plane that he was currently riding. He was now back to reality and the dream was over. The man turned and blinked after he saw his Servant, sitting across from him.
Vash, the Foreigner-class, was sitting in a crude way while his face was sticking right on the pressurized window. The former soldier could tell that the man was extremely happy looking at the view outside.
Before they boarded, the estranged Servant was making many amazed remarks after he saw the airplane. Next his smile widened like a ten-year-old child after the former Captain served him a large burger meal in the Airport restaurant lounge. It was as if this was the first time that he had seen such cuisine. And when they are boarding, his Servant kept calling the stewardess and asking how the plane was powered or if its 'Plant' was well maintained. Whatever the term was, Price butted in and told the stewardess that he was his cousin and he had been recently been released from North Korea's prison cell after five years of serving.
The lie earned him some sympathy, so they were left alone. And now, the man could not help but think about Vash.
He's weird, too weird. It's as if he'd never seen much technology before, despite him living in a spaceship. Price looked down and turned on his tablet. Right after he summoned Vash, he took the catalyst and saw that the book, TRIGUN, wasn't actually a normal book. It was a Manga, a term for Japanese comic books, and it was about a gunman named Vash and his adventures as a gentleman cowboy. He had read most of the early volumes through his tablet, and the more he read, the more he found the weirdness of his Servant to be too much.
A gunman that does not kill…Heh, what kind of a gunman is that? It is just like a cowboy that does not tend a herd of cows. Price chuckled at the contradicting idea of Vash's profession. He was a gunman indeed, but he was not scary. He did not kill people unless he needed to. However, despite all that, it was not those things that made him super weird.
It was his unfaltering kindness.
At first, Price found it to be overbearing and annoying, but the more he progressed in the story, he began to like it. The former captain could not help but admire his Servant's attitude. Vash's Love and Peace ideal made Price's heart feel warm.
"Master?" Price looked at his Servant and saw him beaming his usual innocent, soft smile. "You seem to be deep in thought, what are you thinking?" Vash asked in a curious manner.
Price looked at him inquisitively, remembering the dream that he had seen. "I dreamt your life, by the way. I don't know how I did it, but I saw you with a woman and a twin brother."
Vash shifted his smile into a reminiscing one. He shifted in his seat and lightly exhale. "You've read the first chapters of the manga, am I right?"
"Yes. Her name was Rem, your foster mother, and your twin brother is named Nai." Price paused and added more. "And he was also the reason why your fleet of colony space ships crashed on the planet, killing many of the last of humanity."
Vash sat in silence as his blue eyes stared at his Master's interrogating face. And then after a minute, he made a heavy sigh. "You are right, Nai did kill those people, but if you continue to read my story…you'll understand as to why he did that, and why I continue to love him despite all of that."
I guess you're right. "What do I know? I have not read the part where you confront him. I should not be too quick to judge, unless it's for the sake of my survival." Price snorted softly before he threw a question again to his Servant.
"But does that involve your species, Vash? I mean, in the manga, you and Nai looked like humans…but not humans at all. You two are an alien species called 'Plants' because your DNA is very close to a plant like species."
The Servant slowly formed a calm smile again and nodded at his answer. "The Plants give pure energy that can power many things. It is a very important commodity in No Man's Land. Nai and I are different from those species. We were called 'Independent Plants' because we have consciousness. Plus, we can talk to them."
Whoa, I wonder what your true power is, Vash? Price wondered in bewilderment. The manga gave him some information regarding his Servant's powers. However, he also thought that, since he was now in the real world, would he still have those same insane abilities?
"I wonder what your abilities are, Vash. You sound powerful."
The compliments of the former Captain made Vash blush a little. He smiled like a child being praised by his parents. His smile, however, had an effect on Price, who gulped down as he felt his heart skip a beat. The man must have perfected the art of smiling. Price found Vash's smile completely perfect in its own way.
"T-thanks, Master," Vash stammered, and scratched the back of his head with his gloved hand. "Say, Master, there's something I have to tell you regarding Servants and their abilities." He suddenly said and it made Price snap to reality.
"What is that?"
"You should refrain from saying my true name, Vash the Stampede, because if another Servant knows my name, they might figure out my 'Noble Phantasm'."
Noble—what? "I'm sorry, this is my first time joining this kind of war. What are you even talking about?" Price asked with a lost look on his face, making the Servant giggled a little. Vash found his Master's reaction cute, but since he was honest, he answered him in a humble way.
"That's okay. This is also my first time and I have absolutely no experience in this war. I only have a little bit of knowledge about this Holy Grail War, which is granted by the Holy Grail itself." Price leaned on his seat, getting closer to Vash, who then began to explain. "Standard Servants usually participate in the Holy Grail War: Saber, heroes who wields swords. Archer, who wields bows; Lancer, experts in lance; Caster, masters of casting spells; Rider, great at riding animals or machines; Assassin, those who perfected concealment and taking out their targets in the dark; and lastly, Berserkers, a class of heroes that are mad and have monstrous strength…"
Vash made a side-glance at Price. The soldier was looking straight at him, but he could see the seriousness in his look, meaning he was focused on what was being said. He smiled and continued his discussion. "Now each of these heroes have Noble Phantasm, and it is their secret weapon that can make them win over other heroes. These Noble Phantasms are usually associated with the Hero's true name and identity. For example, Saber – King Arthur and Excalibur, Lancer – Poseidon and his trident, or Archer – Arash and his bow, Estella." He glanced at Price and asked him in a reminding way. "Do you get it?"
"Yeah, I did. So Noble Phantasms are basically objects or abilities that is associated with their identity."
"Correct." Vash nodded and explained more. "Noble Phantasms have pros and cons, and this is where the read of battle comes in. If King Arthur's Excalibur can make him a winner in sword battles, he can be killed by assassins, whose battle preferences are in close-quarter combat. The same can be said with Archers, who can be defeated by the mid-range attacks of Lancers. This also applies to other Standard Classes. Do you understand, Master?"
"Yeah," So I should be careful when saying his name because other Servants might know him and his weakness. Price thought and took his Servant's words to heart. "So how should I address you, Vash?"
"Just call me, Foreigner, and that will hide my true name…for a while, that is."
Bugger, I have to watch my steps from now on. Price reminded himself of the new nickname that he would call Vash from now on. If he really wanted to win this war, then he must be cautious. The last thing that he needed was their demise and continuing to live with heavy guilt in his heart.
Speaking of which, the soldier noticed something odd about the discussion.
"You keep said 'Standard Classes,' but among those Standard Classes, your class, the Foreigner-Class, isn't there. So…what kind of class is the Foreigner Class?"
Vash blinked at him before he exclaimed. "Good question, that's a very good question!" he let out a soft chuckle of amusement before he proceeded to answer him. "The Holy Grail War wasn't always held with the usual Standard Classes. Sometimes it deviates and summons other classes. And these classes are reserved for heroes who didn't fit with the Standard criteria of the war." The Servant paused as he took a sip of his water from a water bottle on his tray, before he continued.
"These heroes are called…the Unconventional Heroes."
Unconventional Heroes. "That's you, isn't it?"
Vash shook his head. "Not quite." He unwrapped a small chocolate from his tray and ate it immediately before he explained more. "There are many of them, but the famous ones are: Ruler, Avenger, MoonCancer, Pretender, Watcher, Saver, and last but not the least…Foreigner."
Oh God…There are so many. "Heh, it feels like we're playing DND and shit." Price commented in a ridiculing manner, finding the existence of the extra classes completely overbearing and overloading his brain.
"What's DND?"
"An awesome roleplaying boardgame in the past. Now it's a heaping pile of shit filled with neo-liberal, woke nonsense." The soldier answered with heavy disappointment and pointed at Foreigner. "Don't play that shit."
"Copy that, Master." Vash, now Foreigner, took note of his Master's orders as the man made another question.
"So, do you know some of the weaknesses of those Extra-Classes?"
"I'm sorry, Master, but I'm afraid I don't have information about them."
Eh? "Wait, Va- I mean, Foreigner, what do you mean you don't have information? We're basically entering this war blind. You must at least know some of those class's weaknesses." Price complained to his Servant. The plane then suddenly shook a little and the soldier felt lightness which could only mean that they were descending.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE NOW APPROACHING NEW YORK." The PA chimed in and the cabin lights turned on, waking most of the passengers up. As for Price, he suddenly felt nervous.
His Servant provided him information regarding the Holy Grail War, but it was insufficient. The former Captain had been to missions where his intel was vague, and those missions always ended in disaster. If Vash's did not know the weaknesses of the other Extra classes, how would he fight them? How would Price lead Vash to victory?
How will I win this war when I'm walking blind? The thought ran hard inside his mind and it made his heart beat faster than before. His nervousness was rising fast and he knew he was about to have an uncontrollable panic attack episode.
"Master, please." Suddenly, he felt a touch on his shoulder. Price looked to his left and was startled to see Foreigner's face inches away from him. Vash's hypnotic, tranquil blue eyes stared into the former soldier's. Price gulped down in extreme uneasiness, but soon, he fell for the man's hypnotic look, which must have had a soothing effect for he felt his heartbeat decrease.
"Master," Vash called again. His voice felt very solemn to Price, who didn't react and only listened to him. "I may not have information about the Extra classes and their weaknesses…but please, do trust me on this. I will help you get that Grail because you're my Master and I'm your Servant. Fate has led me to be bound to you. I am yours to use."
"Vash…" Price whispered, but he lost his words. He didn't know if it was one of Vash's powers that could calm anyone who looked into his eyes, but it was very effective. The Servant's promise was good and kind. It made Price regain his will to fight and move forward to the Holy Grail War.
Price felt safe with Vash's words and he wanted to be with him more.
The moment between the two was cut after the plane jolted mildly. They both snapped back to reality and moved away from each other. Price's face was calm. He regained his composure all thanks to Vash and that calm-inducive ability. Price glanced at him and saw the Foreigner-class's face, all red like a ripe tomato. His lips formed an embarrassed smile, which the former Captain found a bit hilarious.
"Say, Foreigner,"
"Yeah?" Vash slowly glanced at him, still hiding his flustered cheeks.
"Stop calling me 'Master,' will you? I don't feel ok with it. It makes you look like a lesser being than me."
"Then, what should I call you?" Vash asked in a confused manner as the former soldier cast a smile at him.
"Just John, my friends used to call me that…and you're my friend now, not a Servant." Vash smile widened into a jovial one. He didn't expect this kind of response from his Master who now wanted to be addressed by his first name. Most of all, however, he didn't expect Price to consider him a friend.
"I-uh-thanks, Ma- I mean, John." He said and stammered a little, earning a short but hearty chuckle from the former Captain.
The two then sat still in their chairs as the plane continued its descent towards the great city of New York. Both had renewed their vows as Master and Servant. Both were ready for the Holy Grail War that would soon take place.
-New York, USA-
-New York, International Airport-
Touko Aozaki silently walked along the busily packed airport, dragging her crimson traveling luggage behind her. The woman glanced behind her and saw a man trailing her closely, clothed in a dark blue muscle shirt, and black pants and boots. His hair was white and long, a complete contrast to his Caucasian skin. The man shifted and looked at her, reflecting the face of the woman with his black shades.
"You look good in human hide…Thokk."
"Walk. Faster. Puny. Human." Thokk, or Battllebeast, snarled lowly at the woman, showing his current feelings. The Master only smiled at him, despite the warning tone that he gave.
"You need not worry. You can get rid of your hide magic after we've checked in to my hotel." Touko said as she adjusted her glasses and walked along the crowd with the Servant following behind her.
-Golden Wish – Hotel-
After an hour on the road, the woman and her Servant arrived at their hotel, a five star luxury one in the heart of the city. She walked right into the lobby and told her name to the concierge. Afterwards, she was guided by the hotel's service bellboy up to top where the penthouse suite was waiting.
The room that she entered was extravagant. She walked inside and began to inspect every wall of her suite with observant eyes underneath her glasses.
"Would that be all, Ma'am?"
"Yes, thank you." Touko said as the bellboy left and as soon the door clicked shut, Battlebeast made a short, irritated roar. He removed his glasses, disabling the hide spell and revealing his humanoid lion form to the world. He plumped down on the white sofa and cast an angry glare at Touko.
"I hate that. I don't want to disguise myself with you inferior species!"
"I'm sorry, Battlebeast. You have to be patient. You might scare a lot of people." Touko calmly explained as she walked to a wall, and traced her finger on the surface. A shape zapped for a second before she walked across the room.
"What are you doing?" Battlebeast asked without removing his black eyes from his Master.
"Putting up a defensive barrier, so that this room is protected against any magecraft attacks."
"Ha! All barriers exist just to be taken down. You are wasting your time." He commented rudely as he leaned forward. "What? Are you afraid of getting killed by one of your fellow Masters in the dark of night? That would explain how pathetic you are."
Touko's right eyebrow twitch in irate. She knew that her Servant had a large and uncontrollable mouth. His rudeness was also something that she must tolerate. And the reason for that was because this was Battlebeast's attitude. In the comics, he was one of Invincible's foes, the one that he didn't truly defeat. He was an alien and the leader of a civilization that conquered planets through brute force. So him looking down at her all the time was something that the Mage expected. Not to mention he was also a very strong Servant with a unique Noble Phantasm.
"Why yes, Battlebeast. I'm afraid of getting killed and being the first one to die in this bloody Holy Grail War." She said as she cast one of her usual, uncaring smiles at her Servant before she added. "By the way, you're not going to stay here for the night. You're going to scout the city later."
Battlebeast glanced at her and his snout slowly drew a predatory grin. At last, he would experience some action. He really couldn't stay in one place for long. "So that means I get to kill a Servant tonight?"
"You may, but I doubt you'll find one." Touko said as she took out her cigarette and lit one of her sticks up before she added. "Because as far as I know, the Servants aren't complete yet."
Battlebeast clicked his tongue and stood up from his seat. He walked towards the window and looked down to the ground below. His eyes looked and watched every movement of the people below with a belittling and uncaring look on his face. "Heh, I can't wait for the Holy Grail to start tomorrow, Touko." He spread both of his hands as if he was presenting himself to the world. "I can't wait to kill every heroic spirit out there and come out on top. I care not for the Grail. I only care about the amount of blood I will spill, and the honor of being the last one standing in this battle royale."
"Do you promise that, Thokk?" Touko said as she walked beside the lion man and stood still as she blew smoke from her mouth, her voice becoming serious. "Do you swear that you'll fight with all of your might and strength?"
"There's no need for me to swear to the things that I will obviously do." Battlebeast said and walk away from her, but then he stopped and half-turned towards the woman, asking with a grave tone in his voice. "Will you be a hindrance to my glory, Touko?"
"No. As a matter of fact, I want to make sure that you'll be on the top," Touko flicked her cigarette and then slowly turn her head towards her Servant, casting a new look at him, "Because the person that I want to meet, the one behind this Grail war, is currently the one sitting at the top. I want to see him…so I can finally kill him."
Battlebeast lightly reacted by making a short gasp as he saw his master's face change. Touko was displaying a dark and foreboding frown, one that he never expected his Master would show him. However, despite all that, he only made a crooked smirk. He liked her reaction.
"Heh, sure. You can walk on the bloody trail I'll create. Make sure you kill him though." Battlebeast let out a dark chuckle and walked towards the kitchen to fetch a can of beer.
-New York City-
-Old City Hall Subway station-
The Old City Hall subway station was once the grandest subway station in New York. It served as the personal subway station for the Manhattan City Hall on the surface grounds. It was said that its primary customers were the Hall's employees and even the mayor of the city. However, as time progressed, technology evolved to have trains that were wide and could cater to more passengers, making the station's railway outdated.
And because of that, the station was abandoned and left to rot. The tiles, that were once shining in brown and gold, were now dirty and blackened by the soot and dust that had accumulated over a hundred years. Right now, its current patrons were rats that enjoyed the decaying structure, but other than that, there was no soul in sight.
*BRRR*
Suddenly, the ground began to shook, spooking the rats into action. The rodents all scrammed as the station rattled, cracks snaking around the crumbling wall. After a couple of seconds, the walls bounced due to the deafening sound of a roaring train.
The train blew its whistle after it blasted through the abandoned station's entrance tunnel. The lights coming from its window illuminated the place as it began to slow down. Once it released its last hiss, the engine let out another roar, announcing that it had completely stopped.
The doors on the side of the train suddenly popped open and a person walked out to the platform. The person was a tall woman clothed in a black satin coat over a black blazer skirt and cropped up white shirt. A conductor's cap was on her head, which she sightly fixed before she made a loud booming announcement.
"MANHATTAN, OLD CITY HALL! MANHATTAN, OLD CITY HALL! WE'VE ARRIVED AT OLD MANHATTAN, CITY HALL STATION. IS ANYONE GOING DOWN!?"
"Right here!" The woman smirked as she moved away from the door. Just then, a Japanese man walked out of the train. He was tall with jet-black hair, wearing a green trench coat and jeans. His aqua eyes looked around the abandoned station and frowned as he grimaced at the dilapidated state of the place.
"This isn't my ideal train station." He commented in a hushed tone and turned around. "Are you coming down?"
Just as he called, another person walked out of the train. It was another man, but he was larger, taller and more muscular than the other. He possessed a clean-cut haircut, black hair and a thick mustache to match it. The man was clothed in an all-white trench coat and pants that poorly hid his well-toned muscles. His black eyes looked around, drawing the same reaction as the previous one, before he looked at the other man.
"Master, it seems we've…arrived."
"Indeed." The other man said with a hint of disappointment before he turned to the lady conductor. "Thank you, CHALDEA will personally send you the payment."
"That is no problem, Mister Ritsuka Fujimaru. The Rail Zeppelin already received the payment." The conductor tipped her hat before she added. "And good luck to you and to your Ruler-Class Servant. May you both win in this strange Holy Grail War." She climbed up and closed the door on the two men. Seconds later, the train let out an explosive roar before the station was filled with the sounds of its tugging engine as it began to leave.
-Great Apple Hotel-
-Manhattan, New York City-
After getting out of the crude station and riding a taxi, Ritsuka and his Servant arrived at their hotel. They walked into the lobby and to the concierge. While they walked, the Master's eyes glanced everywhere in a cautious manner, checking if there was already an enemy trailing behind them.
"Good afternoon, sir."
"Good afternoon, I have a reservation in this hotel. It's under Fujimaru."
The concierge man looked below and saw the name that the man had said to him. "Welcome to Great Apple Hotel, Mr. Ritsuka Fujimaru… and Mr. Thragg Argyle Grayson." Shirou smiled as the man handed him the keys of his suite. Ritsuka took it and walked away with his Servant trailing closely behind him.
Ritsuka opened the door of his suite and immediately walked around. His Servant was the one who closed the door behind him and just as the locks set in, he quickly looked at his hand and removed the ring on his ring finger, deactivating his camouflage magic.
The servant's clothes changed into a futuristic latex suite of white and red. A strange symbol of three lines enclosed on a circle adorned his chest together with a front and back skirt cape on his waist. He calmly breathed and looked at his Master.
"So far, there's no enemy nearby, Master."
"I know, but Viltrumites do not have a sixth sense, only heightened ones. A servant could already be pointing his or her weapon at us and you wouldn't know it immediately unless you saw their movement first." The man deducted as he walked over to a curtain and pulled it apart. A wide bay window overlooking New York Bay greeted the two. The scene was supposed to be calming, but it has no effect on the two.
The Servant frowned in disappointment and agreed with his Master's deduction. "Well, if that is so, I should keep my sight sharp all the time then." He suggested.
Ritsuka smiled at him. "That's great, Thragg. Let's contact CHALDEA first. We should tell them we've arrived safely."
"Agreed, Master."
After a couple of minutes of settling down in their suite, the two were sitting in the living room. They were leaning forward and focused on a strange contraption that was standing in the middle of the coffee table. The strange contraption was that of a gramophone with a crystal on the center, instead of a disc player. A long line of paper trailed from the gramophone and onto the floor. On its surface was the written report made by Ritsuka.
"The reply is here." Ritsuka said as the machine whirled to life, the crystal began to hover and words started to appear on the parchment.
"Alright, here's our order." The Master ripped the parchment and began to read the message. "Unknown signatures were detected. Cannot be verified. Suggested course of action: keep low profile, watch for other Servants to fight, engage only in battle when cornered. That's all – Goredolf Musik."
The Master ended the message with a thoughtful look. The order was very simple and effective. They did not know the Servants that were participating in this war after all.
"What now, Master?" Ritsuka glanced to his left and saw Thragg with an attentive look.
"Seven days ago, four relics were stolen from Animusphere Library of Artifacts on Isla Sorna. The one who stole them was Souren Araya, a Mage from the Clocktower. And not only that, he also stole the Einzbern Codex, which contains blueprints of the Holy Grail War Summoning System and the construction of the Holy Grail itself." Ritsuka stood up and walked to the window, looking down to the city below. The Servant also followed him and stood beside him. "Three days ago, CHALDEA's supercomputer, the Lens of Sheba, detected a massive quantity of Mana being redirected in New York City." The man paused and glanced at Thragg before he said. "It was concluded that it was the Holy Grail functioning. And since it's working, it's possible that Souren has already summoned a couple heroic spirits, starting the war."
The larger man made a bothered side-glance to his left, not knowing what to ask his Master next, so he went with the same question again. "What now, Master?"
"You'll do nothing but survey for tonight, Thragg. Let's not engage in a battle with a Servant. We are walking blind here."
"I will do so, Master. But…I am a Ruler Class and our class tends to stick out. My purpose was to oversee the Holy Grail War." Ritsuka smiled kindly to his Servant's honest assumption about his own class.
"I know, but who wants to fight you. Only a fool would fight a Viltumite, Thragg." The man remarked in a reminding way. It earned him, however, a saddened frown from his Servant.
"Master, regarding the method of my fighting stance…may I request something from you?"
"What?"
"Can I not use my Noble Phantasm?"
Ritsuka blinked, surprised by the request of his Servant. A Servant's Noble Phantasm was his or her trump card. If he or she didn't want to use it, then the Servant would find difficulty winning the battle, and would most likely die. "Why is that?"
Thragg shifted his frown into a solemn one as he unearthed a dark memory form within him. "You do know why, Master. I hated my history – my character, to be exact. I was made as a conqueror and I have many sins." The man paused and looked at his own reflection in the window. "I realized I was wrong and that I acted foolishly – in the comic book, I mean. I do not want to be a villain anymore. I do not want to go back to that dreadful past, Master. Therefore, I will not use my Noble Phantasm at all."
Ritsuka stared at him for a moment with a thoughtful gaze. He was thinking of Thragg's resolute words. He knew what his Servant was pertaining to. The man was the main Villain from the infamous comic book, 'Invincible'. And in there, he committed many dreadful deeds.
Thragg was a conqueror and subjugator in the story. He ruled with nothing but power and he expressed it through violence and brutality. The regime of the Viltrumites, after all, was based on might makes right and his Servant was the personification of that notion.
"When did you realize you were wrong, Thragg?" Ritsuka asked as he walked towards the kitchen and opened the mini fridge. He took out two small chocolate milk cartons.
"It was back when I was summoned in CHALDEA, thirteen years ago. Back then, I was so shocked. I rebelled and tried to escape, but I was always stopped by that purple-haired Servant." He made a reminiscing, sad smirk as he remembered the scene very well. "She told me to stay put and try to rethink my life. And you know what, I did, which leads me to you, Master."
Ritsuka made an understanding hum. He opened his drink before he asked his Servant another question. "So, you want to be forgiven?"
Thragg blinked at him, confused by his question. "Master, I think I am beyond forgiveness. All I want is to atone for my sin by living in the shadows, and not minding anyone's business."
The Master slurped his drink, his eyes contemplative as he absorbed his Servant's words. "You're right. You are unforgivable to many." Thragg lowered his head as his frown shifted into a shameful one. "But you don't need forgiveness to live, Thragg. You only need your determination to have a better life." The Servant made a soft gasp. He did not expect his Master would respond to him in this kind of way. "It is all right that you feel ashamed with what you have done and I am glad that you feel this way, but if you really want to atone for your sin, then you should live a life where you are happy and not a brooding sourpuss. Surround yourself with friends that love you and accept you for being who you are." Ritsuka paused as he handed him the extra carton. "Do you understand, Thragg?"
Thragg could not help but make a soft smile. This was the first time that someone said something nice to him. "No one has ever told me that, Master."
Thragg took the drink and opened it. Ritsuka smiled and added. "Thragg, from now on, call me Ritsuka, not Master. CHALDEA is now your home…and I am your friend."
The former Regent silently drank his chocolate milk, but deep inside he was gladdened that he had gained a friend in this new world he was living in now.
After his heartwarming talk with his Servant, Ritsuka had decided to take a rest. The battle would occur tomorrow, so if he wanted to prepare himself, he must at least catch some sleep. He opened the door to his room and closed it immediately.
"Thanks for your loyalty, Thragg." The man said in a gladdened manner as he stood by the mirror and unfolded his right sleeve. He held his right hand up, looking at his Command Spell in the mirror. The Ruler Class's Command Spell was that of a weighing scale. It glowed red as the man felt the mana flowing inside of it.
"Don't worry Thragg, I promise to you that I won't command you to use your Noble Phantasm." He paused as he deepened his smile. "However, I doubt you can fulfill your side of your promise. Who knows what will happen in this war? You might use it in the end." He lowered his right hand and sleeves.
And then he raised his left hand, revealing another Command Spell. It was in the shape of an eye and it glowed crimson red as Ritsuka activated it, shading the colors of his aqua eyes with crimson red.
'Watcher Class, are you in there?' The man spoke in his mind. After a second, he received a telepathic response. 'My order to you is simple: continue watching from above,' Ritsuka commanded and walked towards his window, looking outside. The sky was already deep in afternoon and it would soon be night. His brown eyes looked around and then he stopped after he noticed something. There was another star beside Venus, the first star that always appeared in the afternoon sky, and the man knew that it wasn't a heavenly body.
It was the second Servant that he contracted with.
'Watcher Class, this is my second command to you. If me and Thragg are in a pinch, I want you to unleash your Noble Phantasm, whether you like it or not, even if we are still in the line of fire.' He paused as his smile disappeared and in its place was a foreboding frown as he declared to his Second Servant.
'I have a feeling that this war…might endanger the whole world.'
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Invincible, Trigun, COD and Fate/Grand Order. Names, places and events are purely fictional if one exist tin real life then its purely coincidental.
Special thanks to Pure Red Crane for beta-reading.
Alright! The Masters and Servants are now finally gathered and what's next? HOLY GRAIL WAR! WAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ehem* now it looks we have new servants. Thragg, Battle Beast and an unknown servant in the sky? All of them look so strong and powerful. All of them could certainly kill. Now, how would Captain Price and Vash will fair in this war? Who knows, only I could tell the story...BECAUSE I'M THE WRITER OF THIS FANFIC! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
For those who like and leaved reviews to my fanfic, I would like to say thank you and have a nice day, you guys are the best. For those who haven't, what are you waiting, for? Read now and enjoy my story.
See you later everyone, stay tune for more! Thinker out.