Words Count: 4531
A/N: There's a Reader who said the girls are retarded because I made Sakura leave the Castle, but I mean… Shirou, Rin and Sakura went to school during the War. That's how they were caught in Blood Fort Andromeda to begin with. Some might call it weird, but being held captive and abcxyz as a child would affect how she acts, and she's basically being confined in an oversized box. Hope that explain it.
Anyway, here's my usual spiel:
You can start reading up to Episode 54 of the Sequel – Fate: False Sovereignty in advanced. The Tier starts from as low as 1USD! You can support me and read as soon as I release an Episode, check it out:
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"Ms. Tohsaka–"
"Please, just call me Sakura. I understand you're Leo-senpai's servant, but there is no need for the formality. Not with me."
"Then, Sa- Sakura-san… Do you want a dango stick?" Seeing the younger woman's eyes trained on the stall just a mere four- five feet away, Illaoi tapped her on the back and asked uneasily. Despite knowing the abuses heaped upon her would never occur again, not while she's under his Lordship, the poor maid was- sadly- still haunted by nightmares of her now deceased, former Master- the then Lord Malcolm.
Once, such disrespect- to call someone close to or was a business-partner of her Lord using their name without any honorifics and proper formality- would have earned her a night in the cellar- a place where your hopes and dreams go to die,
Where the ground and walls themselves were stained dark crimson with the bloods of all the poor sods unfortunate enough to have received her Lord- Nay, Malcolm's attention. "I'd love to have one, Illaoi-nee-san. But, only if you'll have one with me?"
While she had tried to say it with confidence, Sakura's voice faltered and failed when she saw the maid turn to her worriedly. "I- I don't think I should. I doubt his Lordship will be upset at me for spending funds on you, but–"
"– But nothing." The younger Tohsaka said vehemently. "Illaoi-nee-san, is Leo-senpai- is he treating you… Unfairly?"
Avoiding more sensitive terms, Sakura questioned, her face schooled in an angry grimace at the mere thoughts of this kind, gentle woman being mistreated by someone she respected. Sure, she might not like Leonis for his… Womanizing way, but she had thought him above that after getting to witness first-hand how he treated her sister and senpai. If all that was naught but a façade, she must warn the two of them of his- likely- impure intentions.
Practically seeing the rabbit hole Sakura's mind was concocting, Illaoi hurried to deny. "No, no! His Lordship treats me really well! He is even paying me, which doesn't happen often for third-class citizens like myself in the Tower. Without him, I wouldn't know what to do!"
"Then why're you afraid to buy a dango for yourself?" With suspicion and narrowed eyes, the younger Tohsaka asked / interrogated and the maid hastily made to respond.
"I- It's just- It's hard to adapt to a new environment after… After getting beaten up and sexually abused for the smallest slights and mistakes. And- Well, to be completely honest, I am sort of afraid of his Lordship- like the majority of the Tower are. He can be quite intense against those who have wronged or harmed him or his. And I haven't exchange my money to the Japanese Yen…"
Realizing how odd that sounded, Illaoi hurried to add. "Though I'm most fearful one day he'd have no need of me anymore so I don't want to overstep more than I should, you know? I have saved up a decent amount working under his Lordship, but if he ever decides I'm not worth the troubles, what would I even do? My family has forsaken me, my friends are dead. He and his Court are all I have left."
"I see…" Muttering beneath her breaths, Sakura smiled. She couldn't very well force the maid to go along with her, but she could do something else. The stocks given to her sister by Leonis seven years ago had ensured the Tohsaka's livelihood for centuries to come, as long as they didn't waste money on useless and unimportant accessories.
Drawing out her wallet- thick with stacks of banknotes- the younger Tohsaka pulled Illaoi by the hand. "Get yourself one, Illaoi-nee-san. It's on me."
"I- I shouldn't." The maid made to reject the offer, though her traitorous stomach chose that exact moment to make its hunger known. "I insist. If you feel that bad about it, you can pay me back in the future or buy me a meal later on. It's really no issue, Illaoi-nee. Just consider this a friendly gesture- a celebration of our newfound friendship. C'mon, not to brag about our traditional cuisines, but dangos taste really, really good."
Like the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve, Sakura drawled smoothly in her ears,
She smiled victoriously when she saw the maid's will beginning to waver, and when she said 'yes', a sudden burst of pure happiness seemed to overflow in Sakura's chest- it's as though she had accomplished something big- like the slaying of demons, which in all fairness was an apt description.
These monsters might be unseen threats, but they're threats nonetheless- threats who would plague the minds of those vulnerable and more susceptible mental risks- those who had been hurt and abused over and over again… Similar to the two of them. "We- Well, I suppose there is no harm in trying one out."
"Yes…" Sakura hissed ominously as a curtain of darkness fell over her, a cold, gleeful smirk dancing across her lips- though the girl herself did not seem to realize this at all, even after the maid sent her a disturbed look. "There is no harm, right?"
"Sakura-chan… Are you getting me to try dangos or cocaine?" The words snapped the younger Tohsaka out of the daze she was in. Flustered, Sakura coughed, raising her hand to hide the prominent blush flaking her cheeks. "'Cause if it's the latter, I'll say this right now, I'm not interested. I don't think I ever will be. The only kind of drugs I'll consider taking is weed and I've clean for years."
"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Embarrassed beyond beliefs, the younger of the two half-screamed, half-whispered. With a teasing, faux skeptical look still plastered on her face, the maid waved her hands in a gesture of trust. "Alright, alright. I believe you, just calm down Sakura-san. If you haven't realized, we are being gawked at like zoo animals. His Lordship won't be happy with us gathering attention like this–"
"It's a bit too late for that, right?" A third party rudely interrupted their conversation all of a sudden- a voice utterly foreign to Sakura, yet infinitely familiar to the maid, having served by Leonis' side for the past seven years and been a close confidential and trusted advisor of his for just as long, Illaoi practically had the faces of every enemies her Lord had made carved into her psyche.
Sure, there were a few exceptions- those who had constantly attacked her Lord and his growing Faction from the shadows, but for the most part, she had memorized them all, and this voice was not a friendly one. Illaoi's jaws immediately clenched, her muscles tensing in the process- a nigh instinctual reaction to a potential threat- as she shouted for Sakura. "Sakura, ru-"
The words never even made it out of her mouth, caught by the tip of a sword resting against her back. "You'd better come with us, or I'll have my Servant paint this pavement red with your guts. And please don't make a fuss, I'm not in the mood for a massacre today, but I will cause one if forced."
"YOU–!" Illaoi growled through gritted teeth, eyes burning red with hatred, though hidden right beneath them was a flash of intelligence and surprising calmness. She wasn't afraid of death, hadn't been for a long time… As long as she could get Sakura out of this situation, Illaoi would die happy, knowing she had served her Lord faithfully 'til the last minute- that she had not failed him.
"Me." The woman swooned tauntingly, like how a parent would their children as she spread her arms.
The disrespect was always hard to swallow, now made even harder by the fact this woman- this wench had slaughtered literally hundreds of their agents all across the World- some of whom Illaoi had once considered friends. But she couldn't lose her temper. Not now at least, not while she could still see the dagger inches away from piercing the Tohsaka's spine. "Why are you here?"
"Now isn't that a dumb question? I'm here for Leonis obviously." Throwing an arm over the maid's shoulders, Swan smiled- it's a friendly thing, something one would expect when old friends who hadn't seen each other for months, if not years would wear once reunited, but Illaoi wasn't nearly gullible enough to misconstrue it as anything other than a gesture of hostility. "I mean sure. There's the Grail War, but it's just a plus. C'mon, I've told my servants to prepare us a wonderful meal–"
Her hand crept on Sakura's next, a smirk blooming on her lips when she felt the younger Tohsaka stiffen. "– Let's hurry before they get all cold and disgusting to chew. It is not good to waste foods."
Seeing no way out of this, the two girls could only comply, silently following the woman while a Servant's blades still rested against both of their backs- an unspoken threat should either decide to get smart and scream for help,
Not that the normies around could anyway. Their sole purpose would be to lose their lives trying, and while Sakura and Illaoi had been subjected to horrors incomprehensible to their pitiful minds, neither wished such a thing upon others- being the inherently kind people they were.
Still, even though they had yet to ask for help, that didn't stop from some good Samaritans from attempting to intervene, seeing the dark and haunted looks on the two's faces. "Excuse me, but do you girls need help?"
Schooling her expression in an awkward smile, Illaoi replied calmly, though she sadly could not control her own body's reactions to the sudden adrenaline rush as droplets of sweat began to stream down her forehead like a waterfall. "We are fine, thank you for asking sir."
Hurrying to shoo the blond busybody away before his life was forfeited, Illaoi pushed past the young man, yet that merely caused his crimson eyes to narrow as he made to stop the small group. "Yeah… No… I can recognize someone in distress when I see them, and you two clearly are being threatened by this nobody."
"Kacchan, let's just go. I- I don't think we're wanted here." Flinging the hand on his back off, the young man- Kacchan- scowled at his green-haired friend. "Shut up, Deku! We are Martial Artists- not all of us are cowards like you! It is our responsibility and duty to protect those weaker than us! Doubly so from irritating foreigners who thinks we exist to be treated however they want."
"… Well, this foreigner is very close to losing her patience, so why don't you skedaddle and mind your own business before she lops off your head, damned savages?" Undeterred, the Martial Artist walked forth, his crimson gaze narrowing. "Or what? The Hell you gonna do?!"
"Ka- Kacchan! Please, back off! What if this is just a misunderstanding?" Meekly, the seemingly younger of the two boys pleaded. "Is it?"
His glance darted over to the maid and Sakura, asking.
Neither answered, caught off-guard, though their complexion hadn't improved much. "See? They don't want to go with her, Deku."
"Haaaa… Fine." Letting loose a sigh, Swan cracked her knuckles ominously. "You asked for this." The gentle, graceful smile never even left her lips when Swan abruptly spun on her heel, leg lashing at the Bakugou's chin in an impressive show of power- a roundhouse kick which would have decapitated him in one clean strike, had it not been for the smaller pair of hands- not his- shielding Bakugou.
Despite their smoothness and youthful appearance, these hands were bulging with veins and muscles, enough to make a grown man cry. The force from the collision she unleashed made everyone in the vicinity clutch their ears in agony as their eardrums popped due to the sudden rise in pressure, caused by the shockwave that just swept past. Only Illaoi, the moss-haired boy and Bakugou were able to remain standing, while the rest- including Sakura- were forced on their knees.
"Wha- What?!"
Bakugou wasn't the sole person to echo the sentiment, the others were confused as well.
"Not here, Magus… I hear you Magi are very big on the whole secrecy, so unless you want our faces on the front page tomorrow, we can not fight… Not with all these people around." Deku muttered, expression unusually calm as his biceps tensed. "How'd you do that? How'd you stop my kick? A mere Martial Artist could not possibly have blocked that."
Voice still calm- though tinged with a hint of confusion- the Magus questioned, genuinely curious about the feat.
"Not. Here…" Deku repeated vehemently. Seeing the boy who didn't appear to have any signs he might budge, Swan smiled brilliantly, that coupled with the golden locks streaming past her shoulders and her inherent grace- a product of her upbringing and the animal she embodied, she was the picture-perfect angel, drawing the attention of both men and women alike. Humming, she crossed her arms. "Very well, since I find you interesting, I'll oblige just this once in order to satiate my curiosity–"
Sight jumping to the two silent girls, Swan continued. "– But they are coming with us."
Her smirk widened when she saw Deku's jaws clench just a bit tighter, though unlike Bakugou, his confidence clearly had not wavered as the boy gestured.
"Lead the way, miss…"
.
.
.
Silently, Illya and her maids stalked the growing group. She had witnessed everything from start to finish, though she knew not why they had come into conflict, having stayed a distance away to keep Berserker's presence hidden from observing eyes, but she had seen how it played out. To be fair, it's not hard to guess. Tohsaka Sakura- formerly Matou and that maid had been seen around Leonis for a few weeks since the Grail War began,
They're under him, and the unfamiliar woman was clearly an enemy Master, it's not hard to put two-and-two together and realized she was trying to kidnap them- likely for ransom– Or worse: Vengeance. If it's the first, even if those two women were captured, chances were they might still be spared, but if it's the second... It's not going to bode well for them.
Illya could simply ignore them- Nay, scratch that, she should. She had nothing to do with this, and yet… She couldn't. She had seen that haunted and despairing look on herself once too many times, and having heard parts of their conversation, Illya couldn't help but sympathize with the two girls. Against her rationality, the half-homunculus tailed them, always staying just barely out of sight until now. "Lady Illya, what do we do? Should we–"
"We're following them." She cut Sella off, her answer curt and resolute. "If they're in danger, I want to help."
"But they're with Magnum and Emiya, they're our enemies, Milady." Leysritt added with a frown across her face. The more expressive of the two homunculi maids were smart, but she indeed lacked tack, though Illya recognized her well-intentions. The maid was not looking to undermine Illya's position, she's just showing her concern…
Which was why the half-homunculus couldn't fault her. Instead, she replied calmly. "No, no they're not. They're just people- girls who have suffered unfairly, so we're helping them."
""Understood."" Once they had heard Illya's intention clearly, both maids echoed in unison. Thankfully, they had had the foresight to wear disguises on this trip, thus few were able to get a glimpse of their odd appearances- the white of their hairs and crimson of their eyes.
"Detective Leysritt, reporting for duty!"
Excited at the prospect of a new Mission, the more expressive of the two homunculi maids jumped with enthusiasm.
Sneakily, or as sneaky as three inhumanly beautiful women could be, they stuck to the group like shadows. In but half an hour, they went from the Entertainment District to an empty and seemingly abandoned park. The air itself seemed choked with maliciousness here, stained by evils and resentments.
For the three homunculi who were particularly sensitive to all things unnatural, they were practically immobilized for minutes until they're woken up by the sound of foot meeting palm and gathered their senses. "They have started to fight, Lady Illyasviel. What do we do now?"
"We wait and observe. There's no need to intervene if those two guys can handle her." The instance she said that, Deku- the shyer of the two guys was knocked back, his forehead matted green hair and crimson droplets. As for the woman, she looked every bit as fine as she was when she made her appearance, only she was covered in a layer of royal blue hard-lights shaped into an anthropomorphic swan. "Deku!"
"You're quite interesting… But do be careful, I haven't met anyone of your kind capable of surviving five minutes against me and I am just desperate for a decent opponent." As though she couldn't see how the moss-haired boy fell back, stumbling- hurt and slightly injured- the Magus spun, her summer-dress fluttering in the winds with near unmatched grace. "What did he–"
Her finger pointed at Bakugou. "– Call you again? Deku, was it?"
Swan's lips arched up in a menacing smile. "Brace yourself, Deku."
"Wha-"
The word hadn't even made it far from Deku's mouth when a talon-shaped hand shot towards his neck, dangling him by the throat. "Gurghk- D- Delaware…!"
"Delaware?" Swan repeated curiously.
"DELAWARE SMASH!" A powerful gust rushed towards Swan at point-blank range, allowing her no chance to retaliate as Bakugou- his fists blazing with molten Ki- too decided to give a hand and join in.
Wind and fire, a terrifying combination which combusted into a raging inferno- a storm of fire (Heated Ki) that scorched the earth charcoal black. Unfortunately, as Deku was still within range when the inferno formed, he was directly hit by the full-blast, while the nature of the Ki itself limited the amount of damages the moss-haired boy could take, it's not completely fool-proofed, hence leaving his hair slightly singed and his skin red from the heat.
Of course, he had it plenty good compared to the real victim- Swan. Illya had reckoned she was dead- reduced to piles of ashes- unable to raise her defense up in time, but she's wrong. Inside came Swan who did not seem affected at all beyond her ruffled clothes.
Tilting her head, the Magus chuckled, visibly amused as wisps of flames playfully whisked at her blonde strands. Sakura and Illaoi stood still on the side, threatened by the Servant lurking behind them. "Moo… It's not looking good for them, is it?"
Leysritt commented lightheartedly and Illya could not help agreeing. It's a well-known fact of the two Human Factions: Magi and Martial Artists, the latter were always on the weaker side of the conflict. It's not hard to understand why, Martial Artists vs. Magi was like humans vs. Nature, it's not going to turn out well for the first most of the times.
Another loud noise resounded, throwing up dirt and dusts all around them as Swan's toned leg swept both the crimson-eyed boy and his friend four, five feet away,
Followed by a barrage of kicks and punches that left the two's bodies broken and bruised. "Milady, if we do not intervene now, I'm afraid-"
Sella trailed off, the meaning of her words clear for all to see. "Let's beat this bully up!"
Illya shouted, no longer bothering to hide their presences as she screamed, "Berserker!"
The Giant of a Demigod grunted in affirmation. "Smash!"
That was the only command her Servant needed as the dark-skinned Giant roared to announce his existence to the group- Nay, to the World itself. Six pairs of eyes snapped over to them- some in horror, others merely in curiosity at the newcomers, though one thing was clear: Everyone was surprised at their sudden arrival. Leaping forth, the dark-skinned Servant covered the half a mile distance in one swift move, "Oh…? What is–?!"
Swan never got a chance to finish her sentence when a hand pushed her out of the way. "CONTRACTOR!"
Her Servant wore a gaudy golden robe embroiled with a coiling, snarling five-clawed Dragon. On his head was a bandana of the same color as his robe. There was not a trace of surprise or anger or even annoyance in his gaze. In fact, his was clear as the Sky above, his sword- carved with the two Chinese words: Heaven's Will- flashed brightly. The contrast's truly mesmerizing, a barbarian Demigod who feared no onevs. a Ruler who stood steadfast against adversities.
Jagged, ugly-looking sword-axe met the graceful, sharpened edge of Heaven's Will and a burst of sparks lit up the area, grinding one another… Sadly, though he might have been a powerful warrior in life, the Emperor was visibly on the losing end of the clash, skidding back as his gigantic opponent gained more and more grounds. "Foul beast–!"
The Emperor cursed loudly,
"SELLA! RESCUE THOSE GIRLS!" Without 'Saber' to keep them nailed in place, Illaoi and Sakura were free to run, something which they wasted no time taking advantage of. Faces paling even further at the scream, both girls tried to struggle in desperation until they heard the gentle, if somewhat haughty words flowed in their ears. "Calm thyselves, mortals. We art here to offer aid, unless- of course- you want to stay kidnapped?"
Neither looked convinced, though what could they possibly do against a Servant?
Left with no other option, they could only obediently stay still and let themselves be taken back to Illya. "Well done, Sella! Retreat!"
Once the two girls were safely secured, put down next to Illya, Sella too joined the battle. Against the likes of Berserker, her blows might as well be considered the bites of an ant, but this Servant did not seem all that tough, maybe she would well facing him. With the thought in mind, Sella/Ishtar took the leap of faith, pelting Mana-filled jewelries at both Berserker and the unknown Servant, knowing full-well the dark-skinned Giant could withstand them.
Turned out, she was wrong.
Her normal attacks didn't even faze the Servant as he swung Heaven's Will to slice open the shots with ease. "I am the Heaven's Chosen! [HEAVEN'S WILL]!"
Ganged up upon, the unknown Servant of Asian Descent whispered to his sword in order to partially call upon the power of his Noble Phantasm. Immediately, he grew in both width and height to match even Berserker, his stoic and judgmental gaze staring coldly at the dark-skinned Servant who appeared to shrink- Nay, it's not that Berserker had shrunken, but it was instead him who had grown taller thanks to his Noble Phantasm. "Foul creature–"
In appropriation with his increase in size, the Servant also gained a sort of echo to his voice, his already commanding presence becoming something of a menace on the battlefield. "– I shall strike you down on behalf of the Heaven, and cleanse the Earth of your existence!"
The twelve feet tall Servant brought up his gigantic sword as flashes of lightning scorched the Heaven and the Sky darkened, the once clear blue giving way to ominous clouds. Then, the swing came… Cleaving away all that dared stand in its destructive path, obliterating trees and boulders and even a small hill just behind them. If not for Sella/Ishtar's quick reaction to summon the Bull of Heaven,
Blocking most of the damages from sweeping Illya's growing group, they'd have died. Hell, they might still, seeing as lightning was raining on them like the Heaven's Wrath. That's when they decided to show up- ugly, vile creatures lined with bulging eyes which seemed ready to fall out of their sockets- insects whose mere appearances could put people in the hospital out of fright- demons whose presences stained the very Space in which they traversed.
"LEONISSS–!" A wrathful shout escaped Swan's lips as the demonic insects shot forth, trying to slam themselves against her Servant, yet just when they were near, their slimy bodies puffed up- twisted and morphed beyond imagination and exploded in an inferno of tainted Mana. "SWaN~!"
From the few that hadn't gone for the kamikaze attack, a disturbing and distorted voice echoed- one distinctively familiar to Illaoi and Sakura.
"YOu lIvE oNly beCAuse I oWe Sven a DeBT… Or hAve yOu forGottEn how I–" From a cyan portal, out came Leonis in his training attire, hands resting behind his back- a show of power most certainly."– How I spared your pathetic life?"
Then, his eyes darted towards the struggling Servant. For once, Herakles did not tower over others, instead being looked down upon like a small insect. Thankfully, they were far from the more populated parts of Fuyuki, and thus were not required to do mental-alterations en masse. ""Milord!/Leo-senpai!""
Both girls called out in unison, though the boy paid them no mind, instead turning to the other two young men. "Bakugou, Deku… Did I not tell you Fuyuki's currently a battlefield? Why're you here? Or rather, why has Sasaki sent you into the City?"
Breathing heavily, the impulsive blonde shrugged. "Who knows? He said he wanted to further our bond or some shits. I neither care, nor need to know. I just want to have a good fight and save people, that's all."
Scratching his chin, the dark-haired teenager smirked. "Fair enough… And you, Deku? Last I heard you were taken in by some bigshot Master?"
"Magnum-san! I- Well- I heard about the oddness of this City from my Toshinori-sensei and when Kacchan said he'd come, I couldn't resi– WATCH OUT!" The unknown Servant slashed at the teenager's throat- Heaven's Will shinning brightly as though to prophesize his death, only what everyone thought would take place didn't. Followed closely by blue lightning, the Servant charged forth then stopped- called by his Master telepathically. "BUT–!"
Unfortunately, unlike the Servant, the lightning had no qualms with disobeying order and going through with the attack.
With a wave of his hand, Leonis summoned a portal that absorbed the lightning-strike and reflected it right back at the gigantic Servant with a second portal. He thought that's the end of it,
He was wrong. As though possessing sentience, the lightning curved to avoid the Heaven's Chosen and shot at him. Thus, Leonis conjured another portal to deflect it, this time opening the second one much closer to the Servant than previously, but again, the lightning missed- Nay, it dispersed to avoid striking the Emperor, engulfing the land in its destructiveness. By the time it ended, both the Servant and Swan were gone,
Having used the opportunity to flee. "… Damned cowards!"
A prominent scowl marring his face, Leonis dropped from the Sky and looked at the beaten group. "Let's go… My demons have sensed four more Mana signatures rapidly approaching us."
"Wait, weEE–!" Leaving no room for argument, he twisted his hand and opened up a huge portal, enough to cover the rather large group- even Illya and hers- as they disappeared from sight with naught but a startled yelp.