Chapter 3: Fear and Worry

"So your saying we can't get an accurate read due to that leyline surge that happened during the summoning?" Ayumi said in an annoyed fashion. going around as her left arm was entirely covered in bandages for some reason.

"Yes. We think an eighth servant may have been summoned, but we cant identify where, who, or how. Furthermore, even our active sensors are going haywire. It sometimes tells us there are nine or even ten Servants at one point".

"What the hell. These damn bugs dare to interfere with my desires and goals?"

It cant be that such an insignificant, talentless brat who had no real skill with our family's magic is participating right? Likely not, but I should have Archer find and kill him all the same.

In the eyes of Ayumi, Kuro was just a dumb, idiotic nuissance, yet she obsessed over him quite a bit sometimes, with feelings of hatred and rage and disgust.

That inferior...and yet my parents had considered passing along the Crest to him? Such a disgusting thing shouldn't be allowed to exist!

As she said that, she used one hand to assemble a new device in her workshop, a new core of sorts. The magic of the Kurogami line had been widely dismissed as weak and unimportant. Their magic was based upon electricity and lightning after all, about electric currents. They had also gained some level of electromagnetism, as well as metal manipulation, but compared to others it was considered too specific and weak.

However, with the rise of computers and electronics, the capabilities of their magic rose and rose. Their magic allowed them to suddenly make insane amounts of wealth easily, and the more the world progressed into the digital age, the more power, influence, and money they were able to acquire. They were easily on their way to becoming even stronger then the three families who began the Grail Wars.

Usurping their system and taking control of it had been Ayumi's plan to provide a clear show of dominance. And yet, someone stole that plan from her. She would not be surprised if someone in the Clocktower had been behind it secretly, although she doubted it was the whole Clocktower. Otherwise they would have chosen a city they had a strong presence in. But perhaps a singular person working in secret. After all, the Clocktower wasn't exactly happy a mage line they had looked down on and thought of as inferior for so long had suddenly grown into a major power. The old bloods were furious, even though Ayumi's family had been mages for generations.

Their greatest creations were also the ones that made up her elite security teams, hit squads, strike forces, and more. Automatons. It was similar to Golemancy, except it used machines and electronics. They were harder to hack into and steal control away from, capable of more independent thinking and action, were completely loyal, and were even far stronger and more durable then golems. They were harder to make as well, but since her family controlled a worldwide corporation now with factories and material acquisition specialists all over, that did not pose an issue anymore.

Of course, she still employed plenty of human resources as well, since she still didn't have enough to fill anywhere close to every position, and also because she got enjoyment out of lording over and taking advantage of her human subordinates. Especially her brother. If she didn't feel him being an ever growing annoyance and threat deep down, she might have simply imprisoned him to be her toy. Humiliating him and making him suffer like she used to.

"So, that battle. How is it that we couldn't wipe out a single one of those enemy servants, despite me having summoned the strongest, someone who might just be worthy of me?"

"Well, we managed to analyze the footage from the familiars, and we discovered something strange. Castor's face was entirely unrecognizable".

"Well he is as old as dust. Of course we wont know the faces of every single..."

"No, thats not what I mean" he said, showing her the screen. She looked, and saw what the butler meant. The face was distorted on the screen. "We had familiars and agents there try to draw it as well, but they couldn't figure it out or remember it either. It always comes out distorted".

"Why does a Castor have such an ability?"

"Its possible that he performed some sort of magic or magecraft to do so".

"That would make him an unusually flexible Castor, potentially a strong one".

"We know for sure he is great at illusions, manipulations, and possibly even teleportation, as well as attack magic. But its all so random, so we cant figure out who he is from that either. However, in truth, he isn't even the one that is the biggest concern. Not with who Rider and Lancer are".

He then showed them their images and profiles next.

"Astolfo. The last time this servant was summoned, his master and him won the Great Holy Grail War, so their skill and abilities are beyond doubt. And then there is Lancer, who we have confirmed as Lucious Longinus, the wielder of the Holy Lance. That weapon is Excalibur grade, and he is prossibly the strongest Lancer that can ever be summoned. At least one of them".

"So in order words, everyone managed to summon top tier servants then?"

"Yes. We also have word on Berserker's Master now. Mila Yevensky. She is linked to a secret criminal organization run by her family, and noticably, that group was used to import a number of objects from Fuyuki recently. Its possible she might be connected with those who began this Grail War".

"And what of Assassin?"

"Both their master and their true identity is unknown. Mila began looking into him as well, but as of right now, not a single thing is known about Assassin. We have some information on people who procured Catalysts, but not a single one would match an Assassin Class Servant. Although...Waver Velvet appears to have not managed to summon the Servant he wanted, so its possible there might be something strange about this one".

"I see. Well, is security on the tower still at full?"

"Yes, ma'am".

"Keep it that way, and if anything even remotely suspicious is noticed, sound the alarms immediately".

If my brother got Assassin, he might try to rub me out.

"Sounds like you are quite worried there. For someone who views him as inferior trash, you seem to be scared of your brother".

Gilgamesh made such a comment, and Ayumi glared at him as she continued in her workshop.

"Even a mongrel can get lucky once in his life".

"A true leader would never allow themselves to be brought down by mere luck however".

"I am the one who will be King" she growled, when she heard something clang behind her. She turned around, but saw no one. "What was that?"

"Oh look, my master is so filled with fear, she is hearing things" Gilgamesh muttered teasingly.

"Shut up. I definently heard something, you need to get your ears cleaned" she muttered, as the lights suddenly turned off. "What the hell?"

"You really do get bothered over nothings".

She tried to command the lights to turn on again, but they didn't. She felt a certain level of dread and fear as well, something primal swelling up inside of her. And then, as she picked up a metal plate, she saw a boy, wearing blue shorts, a black windbreaker jacket with a hood, a blue shirt, and black boots behind her. His saphire blue eyes felt as if they stared right into her soul.

She turned around quickly, but there was nothing there. Her despair only grew deeper.

You really are inferior to him, aren't you?

You think you can survive from your brother's revenge?

Did you think you were safe, inside this workshop?

Something was placed on her neck, by something that was behind her. She turned around but nothing was there. She tried to look over her shoulder, but still nothing.

"Looks like you lost it already. The stress of the Grail War isn't for everyone master. I suppose I will have to kill you and try again, maybe with your younger brother?"

"No, I haven'tt lost it! Something is here!" she shouted as she ran out the door, and towards the balcony. Anywhere that would be light, where she could see all around her. But the moment she reached the door, Gilgamesh pulled her back.

"It appears you aren't as foolish as I had thought. You on the other hand, have quite the gall to touch my subject...my master" Gilgamesh said, as he drew a sword and held it towards the door. He swung it, and suddenly the door to the balcony shifted and changed, appearing now as an open window. Had she gone further, she would have tripped and fallen to her death.

"What the hell is this?"

"Did the illusion disappeear for you? It appears the mongrel that has snuck in here is capable of messing with one's very mind and heart. Everything you have been seeing and hearing, he has been manipulating it. It almost worked, I migght not have stopped you if I didn't notice the darkness being artifically planted within your heart. It appears that, even had you survived, you would have turned into some sort of monster".

"...the hell?"

"Its quite nasty. Who knows what would have happened if that was allowed" Gilgamesh muttered. Ayumi looked around, and then saw something shift in the corner of her eye.

"There!"

Gilgamesh fired a sword in that location, and although it had missed, it had just made enough contact to dispel the disguise used by Assassin. He appeared to be a young boy wearing dark colors. He was holding something, but it was hidden behind his cloak.

"Fine then. I suppose that's it for today. But women who are scum like you, deserve to get what is coming for you" he muttered, disappearing in front of them.

"Looks like he escaped...if he was even here to begin with" Gilgamesh said. "Still, to think Assassin would come after us first. And it seems he has quite the grudge against you, Master".

"Still...a child Assassin? I would like to say it will make him easier to identify, but...honestly, with that one it will be hard to know for certain. But if I had to make a guess...Jack the Ripper".

"Huh. We shall have to see".

"He will have to pay for his insolence though. In both targeting me, and also the words he said to me, claiming my brother was superior? For that, he must die".

Once he was outside and in a safe place, Assassin touched the choker.

"Apologies master. I was unable to finish her off, but I did plant a seed of darkness in her".

"Unfortunate, but a minor victory I suppose" the automated voice said. "What were her true feelings about her brother? Will we be able to use him against her?"

"Yes. She harbors such hatred and disgust, but underneath that is fear and an inferiority complex. He will make for fantastic bait to draw her out, or to get her to send her servant out and leave her defenseless for me".

"Good. And congrats. I was worried you might let your personal feelings get in the way and die before you retreated, but you pulled back brilliantly".

"Thank you master" the boy said, clearly happy to receive praise, but also a bit flustered. Like he was not used to it.

And then, he faded back into the shadows, as the the first day of the Grail War continued forward.

"Mmmmmhhmmmmm. Food in this era is so good".

"Don't talk with your mouth full! Also, wipe your face!"

"Hey, who are these two? The young boy/girl combo?"

"A magical girl and magical boy from a highly popular anime. Swallow before talking though! But don't choke!"

Kuro scolded Shiro, as the two boys were eating breakfast.

At the same time, two other people came in to have breakfast.

"Flat, make sure you remember..."

"Yes yes, I know" Flat said to his teacher/master, Waver Velvet/El Melloi II. After having to had retreat before, the two were now eating breakfast at this place as they didn't really have time to get groceries or prepare anything. Flat as a Servant technically shouldn't need food, but somehow he claimed to be hungry anyways.

The two ended up taking a table nearby after getting their own breakfast. Flat briefly glanced at the two boys, but just smiled and decided to enjoy breakfast.

"What was that smile for?"

"Just remembering, should eat breakfast before doing anything else today".

"...maybe I should make sure you never eat breakfast then for everyone's sake".

"Ehhh, that's mean!" Flat said, when he took a bite of waffles. "So, who should we go after first".

"Fool. First, we need to set up a home and build up. Do you not remember anything?"

"Ahahaha, right!"

"Id rather not lose so spectacularly that I would be disgraced to face him again after all" Velvet muttered so low that no one could hear him.

"But still, who should be our first target?"

"Archer is someone who absolutely must be eliminated...however, we must be wary of Saber as well. Especially since we dont know who she is".

"Hmm? You said we dont know who it is, but you called Saber a she?"

"...past memories is all. Especially considering who Saber was for the 4th and 5th Fuyuki Grail Wars, as well as the Greater Grail War on the red side".

"I see. So lots of Sabers have been girls then".

"Essentially yes. But it is true we should not make assumptions. You never know who Saber might be".

As they discussed these things, Kuro and Shiro had their own talk.

"At some point though, a clash with my sister and Archer is inevitable" Kuro mentioned.

"Yeah, but id rather not fight Archer if I can help it. Not yet anyways, we need to make some preparations first. Like with those security robots you mentioned".

"Yeah. Because without a doubt, while Archer is dealing with you, my sister will come after me. And with her forces will include security automatons as well, so I will be outnumbered. And you wont be able to focus on anyone but Archer".

"Yeah. He is an enemy that will require my full attention".

Kuro couldn't help but notice the look on Shiro's face.

"You sure you are okay?"

"Sorry, its the leylines. I can still feel a disruption in them".

"You dont think I caused it did you?"

"Maybe, maybe its the other guys that were messing with it. Either way, something about them is off. Its possible that someone else might have also interfered".

"Perhaps that is why no one has any information on Assassin? He might be outside of the normal Grail System".

"The requirements for the Throne of Heroes are surprisingly forgiving. If at least one perspective shared by many exists to where he is a hero, he can qualify really. Even if that viewpoint was shared by people who are now dead".

"I see. We have had a number of villains appear recently in Grail Wars, so that would make sense. Some people say its because of accidental contamination though".

"Yes, but this Grail War might bypass the corruption, but also might not be so strongly bound to the Throne of Heroes. Especially depending on the medium used, not to mention the leylines now in the present".

"It appears a thorough investigation will be needed. Still, I think we should be seeing Saber soon. After all, Berserker wont stay silent for long".

The two finished their meal and got up, as they passed Waver and Flat, the two passing with any incident. Both masters blissfully unaware of the truth.

"...besides, I dont think we should go after anyone specifically until Saber and Berserker are out. The fact that those two, who normally appear in any opening battle, are silent is strange. Saber is a fairly straightforward class, they don't gain anything usually by holding back, yet Saber didn't join the fight last night. Its concerning, to say the least. It confirms that Saber is in the hands of those who have the most influence and authority in this city also, which isn't a good thing".

"So, we want Berserker and Saber to reveal themselves, preferably against each other, before we make a major move?"

"Yeah. For now, lets establish a territory and expand it. I trust you will be able to do that?"

Flat giggled a bit. "Easily!"

"Director Hashiyama! We have located Berserker's lair!" a person at the desk said.

"Understood. Saber, it is time to go out and have our own first bout".

"Heh. About damn time!" Asi proclaimed, as the duo set out accompanied by various others with swords on their belts.

"You understand that we will need to go with the plan right?"

"Yes yes, you know I will follow orders. After all, you prepared me just for this after all. An immortal warrior, a Servant who is more durable, essentially indestructible, after all. Thats why you summoned me like that".

"Just wanted to make sure".

She should be based on the last Saber of the Fuyuki Grail War, Arturia, but this personality is more like what we have on file for Mordred. Perhaps the leylines mixed it up with the one from the Greater Grail War.

They still were not sure what caused the leylines to go awry. It seems one person tapped into the leylines, and one person tapped directly into the Grail Framework itself. Unfortunately, considering what they had just done, they could not ask the Clocktower family that had the most knowledge on the subject, as they would never dare help them with the system they stole.

To think that Astolfo would be summoned here too. It should be a different one, we have reports of Rider of Black elsewhere like in New York right now. I guess someone wanted to make sure they would get a top tier servant, and one that won the Greater Grail War of all things would certainly qualify as top tier.

As they got into a vehicle and began driving to the site, Saber caught a glimpse of something from a rooftop.

"The mages in the city are thorough. We are already being tracked and watched".

"This close...then lets make this quick before that woman catches on".

At the same time, Astolfo and her Master, Elle Puc, were walking down the street casually, seeing the sights and enjoying things.

"Are we sure we should be wandering around like this?"

"Yeah, its fine! Don't worry about a thing! We..."

Astolfo stopped mid sentence as a police van passed them, turning a corner and heading away.

"Looks like another battle will happen soon".