Chapter 5: Investigation

"This isn't good" Shiro said, as he looked at the dead body, examining it hands on. Kuro was behind a dumpster, clearly not used to corpses but not running away or throwing up either.

"What isn't good?"

"Their heart has been totally removed. Probably consumed for magical energy".

"Why would something do that?"

"To sustain themselves. Clearly whatever was summoned, was not of this world".

"Like a Servant?"

"Yes, but a Servant would only do this if they had no Master, or their master lacked the means to give them mana. While its only been a day since everyone was summoned, for it to happen now. And from what we learned, the authorities found three others right?"

"Yeah..."

"It means that whatever came, it came recently. With an appetite like this, bodies would have been dropping at the very start. No, given the rate, it might be multiple entities".

Kuro came out, a serious look on his face.

"When you say entities, do you mean..."

"Monsters. Mythical beings. Perhaps even masterless servants. It means not only will there be servants going after the Grail as well as Masters, but even worse and more revolting things. Which means, Archer wont stay quiet about this. It could also reveal Mystery to the world".

"Then we need to hurry. We need to deal with this before it becomes an issue".

"Yeah. Plus if we deal with them, we will earn some points if we run into Ruler, might even get them on our side".

Waver Velvet meanwhile, was doing the exact same thing with Flat. His deductions had been exactly the same, although perhaps even a bit quicker.

As he was examining the scene, he got a call from the Clocktower.

"Is it true?"

"Yes" he confirmed over the phone, holding his cellphone to his head as he examined the scene. "The Grail War has already produced creatures. What of reinforcements?"

"About that, Church Executioners and our own people cant seem to approach the island. Anytime we try, we get turned around or turned away, and a few tthat tried to force their way through ended up sinking to the bottom of the ocean".

"Are you saying the island is totally cut off?"

"No, that's the thing. Its only for us, who are aware of the mysteries of the world, that cant get through. So long as not a single one of our members is on a ship or airplane, it can make it through the Bounded Field perfectly fine".

"So, the bounded field has only cut us off from the Magic world then, normal people will easily be able to go about their days without issues".

"Perhaps we should consider that a blessing, it will make covering this up a lot easier".

"Especially since I think a Ruler has been summoned. That should help a great deal".

Waver got up, and then looked towards the hooded figure watching them.

"Isn't that right, Ruler".

"Waver Velvet, and Flat Escardos. A pleasure to meet you" the figure said, their voice distorted and their face hidden.

"You are hiding your face?"

"Unfortunately, I have a history with one of the servants summoned. I cannot risk my identity leaking out".

"If you are here to reprimand me for summoning Flat, I never intended to in the first place".

"No, you did not break any rules even if you had summoned him on purpose. Although this Grail War's summoning restrictions seem to have been overwritten to some degree, or weakened, summoning a servant from the future is fine. Even if his present self is still alive and well, that is still fine. There are precedents".

This has happened before? Strange. Perhaps thee Fifth Fuyuki Grail War then? Almost all the Masters were children, and we got almost no useful information out of any of them.

"Then are you here to request assistance in dealing with the rogue servant?"

"It is true that is a goal of mine, however everything is so strange and warped it is hard to make heads or tails of anything right now. For instance, despite my skill of True Name Discernment, when I looked at Saber earlier, I was unable to discern her true name. However, this may be due to the fluctuations in thte leylines. Its possible my skills are not all functioning properly. To use a modern saying, everything is in a funk right now".

"So you need time to settle then? Surprised you would approach a master, and not make your own place. I thought you were impartial".

"I am, but unfortunately, my lack of usual means to gain information such as tthrough revelations thanks to the fluctuations means I must inquire from someone who has the highest ability of understanding what could be at stake, and giving me information without attempting to manipulate me".

"I see. First, I need to ask you something. What elements of the Holy Grail War are out of balance?"

"Aside from not all of my skills functioning correctly, I have yet to identify any themes of familiarity within this Grail War".

"Themes?"

"The Grail often prefers to summon those who would, how shall we say, make the story more interesting. It will often lead into servants of that nature being summoned. For example, summoning Achilles and Chiron as Rider of Red and Archer of Black to have them face off, or having Mordred be summoned as a Servant of Red, in a sense of being iconic as that Saber technically betrayed both sides, it went against the Red Faction, but it also planned to steal it from the Black Faction during the ambush on the Hanging Gardens. It also summoned multiple knights of the round table, as well as multiple kings, during the fourth grail war, and during the fiftth grail war, every master ended up having some connection to each other, from relatives to going to the same school, all in some way connected to the fourth. It even reserved the Saber Position for the previous war's saber, ensuring no one but her master would get that spot. These things are not coincidences, but orchestrated to make things interesting and provide entertainment. Not to mention Gilgamesh and Enkidu in Snowfield. So rest assured, the same is true here as well. No doubt, your summoning of Castor and not Rider was the will of the Grail as well to some degree".

"How obnoxious".

"Certainly".

"I suppose this is just proof that the Grail really is all knowing, or rather, a know it all".

"I cannot deny those words. Still, those details often play a great deal into the workings of the Grail War, and can give some clues on how it will end. And yet, I have yet to determine this. Possibly because Saber's True Name is being hidden, as well as Assassin's".

"You got a glimpse of them?"

"I cant give you information about them, that would still be cheating, but it is true that I know they keep lurking about. And that they are probably one of the more dangerous people in this Grail War. It might be less a cheat, and more based on Assassin's inate skills with mine being weakened".

"I see...so you wantt me to investigate all the Servants, and see how some might be connected? Its possible one of the servants we have yet seen, especially summoned by that surge, might play a part as well. But if I had to take a guess...I think Lancer is going to play a major role".

"Oh?"

"You don't just summon the wielder of the Holy Lance by accident. Also, being able to summon Gilgamesh again is odd in its own right. Can a servant truly be summoned so easily?"

"So you think the threads will end up with those two servants in a leading role? And what of your own? The last time a Servant got summoned from the future, they ended up being one of the most important of all".

"Yes, well...he is a fool".

"Does that not only support my case?"

Waver sighed. Ruler had a point.

"Besides, there is one you have forgotten".

"Oh, and who is that?"

"The Eighth Servant. The Intruder who has broken the Rule of Seven. He and his master will also be embroiled in events, surely. However, technically speaking, it should not normally be possible. Often, a grail war would need to be started on top of another. And yet, he managed to interfere with it".

"...what are you getting at? If you are speaking about this, do you see them as outside of the Grail War?"

"I speak of this only because I believe it to be absolutely necessary for the preservation of the Grail War, and the World Itself. Although I will admit a mage would take a personal interest in his case. After all, how close to the Root does someone have to be...to be capable of hacking into the Third Magic? You should know exactly how much talent one has to have to do that. The one you would use as an example is currently thinking of is standing right next to you after all".

"...I cant tell if your trying to decieve me, annoy me, or tell the truth right now. After all, its clear that its not the 8th Servant, but Saber's Master, who originally broke into the Grail's System. Then someone piggybacked on them to summon an 8th, outside of their plans".

"Fair enough. I suppose I am being too vague and mazelike for one asking for help, even if its necessary to maintain integreity. Then let me say this. Make no mistake, in this Holy Grail War, anything can go. However, if you truly want answers, I suppose I can give you a tiny tip. Every single Servant and Master in this Grail War is a piece of the puzzle, a piece of the mystery. I do not know the full story yet, but I know this much. To find the answers we both seek, you will need to confront every Master of this Grail War, and get them to reveal the secrets they hold".

"Tsk. You talk like I am some main character of some detective manga".

"If you so wish, I could give you the body of a child with the mind of an adult".

"...the fact you know that reference is shocking in its own".

"Well, make no mistake. I wont say you are the only one, but in this Grail War, you are certtainly one of the main characters. Your actions here will shape the future of the world".

Before Velvet could ask anything more, Ruler disapeared suddenly.

"Woah, see master! I told you as much!"

"Shut it, Fool. Do you realize how difficult it is to meet masters in a Grail War? We dont even have a lead about Assassin's Master, or the Master of 8th".

"Eh, yes we do".

"What?!"

Velvet turned towards Flat.

"Wait, you didn't realize it? At breakfast, we were sitting a few meters away. He had his arm covered in bandages to hide his command seals, but without a doubt, we were sitting incredibly close to a Master and Servant. They both looked like young boys, and the Servant hid himself well, but I could sense it. I did some research, and one of them came with a hit. Kuro Kurogami, listed as missing. The only son of the Kurogami line, and younger brother to Ayumi Kurogami, Master of Archer. I did some asking around, and apparently she may have ordered her people to kill her younger brother. He has been on the run for awhile now".

Waver grabbed Flat's face and held him in the air, iron clawing his skull.

"And why did you not mention this to me earlier?"

"Sorry! I thought you noticed!"

He released Flat and sighed.

"And you are sure, given you said he was hiding it?"

"Yeah. I eavesdropped a bit. They had a bounded field up, but it was no problem! Seems like he got cornered in this city by his sister, so he summoned a servant out of desperation. Seems he knew she would summon Gilgamesh".

He knew? How? What could she have that would make him so certain? And how has their personalities not clashed yet? Also he set up a bounded field in a restaurant that easily?

"He joined the Grail War to survive? How unfortunate for him. Those are some terrible options. Then again, with Gilgamesh as a servant, and with the power his sister could have from winning, it sounds like choice was something he didn't have".

"The Grail War still let him join though, so doesn't that mean he has a wish?"

"To be exact, the Grail War lets those with the most need join. Its generally considered a need for the Grail, but...perhaps it also considers a need to join the war itself".

Shirou Emiya was the same in that aspect.

"Castor, we are going back to the workshop. We need to prepare tools to hunt down these monsters, before things get out of hand".

"Alright!"

"What do you mean, we have no leads on that Assassin or their master?!"

Ayumi Kurogami threw a glass at the wall next to the man who told her some news she did not want to hear.

"We used every means of information gathering, watched over and listened to all conversations. We made use of Kaleidoscope, and even hacked into the archives of the Mage's Association, the US Mage Group, and even had some infiltrators go and check their paper documents. However, not a single report existed. We have not even determined from the list of objects that could be used as a catalyst, which one was used, if it was even on the list at all".

"What the hell was he, a phantom? No, those looks, perhaps even a she? Uhg, even I cant properly remember them anymore!"

Gilgamesh chuckled.

"The ability to affect your heart and infiltrate with ease. Sounds more like some superhero or a Magical Girl".

"Superheroes can't be summoned by the Grail, let alone by as Assassin. The latter is even more ridiculous, especially given he was a boy. I am certain. Probably".

"In that case, its most likely whatever legend he was in, the legends probably just got his age wrong. Arthur was actually a girl after all, so perhaps he is the true form of someone everyone thought was an adult".

"That only means we have even less we can rule out".

She was furious that Assassin had nearly killed her, and this was not helping. So far, it seems barely anyone knew anything about Assassin. The first move he had made was to try and take her life, and after that, nothing. There was a tiny bit of chatter of seeing a child on a roof, watching people, but that was it. So it appeared he was just doing intelligence gathering.

"Then why did he come after me!?"

She couldn't fathom why he didn't make a move against any other Master. Why he seemed to be quite irritated at her specifically.

It was annoying and maddening, and she hated it. She hated the fact someone had made her look like a fool.

"There is one thing. We couldn't act because the area was too public, and there were only two of us, but our operatives did spot your other priority target, Kuro Kurogami. We couldn't get any photos, it appears a bounded field is around him and a boy with him to prevent being found, recorded, or identified, but we did confirm that it was him. And...one of his arms was covered in bandages".

That seemed to make her snap.

"So that bastard runt did summon a servant! Archer, go and kill them right now!"

"Ma'am, their phones wouldn't work until we got far enough away from them, and even then some time had to pass first before they could call us. They are likely gone from that area".

"You think Archer cant find them? If necessary, I will just crush the entire city block! Or several!"

The attack on her had really made her blow a fuse. That said, after some breathing, she calmed down a bit and let out a sigh.

"All these disappointments lately are making me lose it. I suppose I cant just have my Servant openly destroy half a city after all. It would be such a bother to deal with all the annoyances that would happen afterwards".

She reflected upon her younger brother, who was only about half her current age. After she had been born, her parents had been there sometimes, but they were often busy, getting their business off the ground. It was only later that they then ended up giving birth to another child, and since their business was more developed and stable, they had been around more. Showering them both with love.

And yet even if they did get it equally, she found it was unfair. Why did they only start now, not when she had been that age? So she was determined to be better then that fool. Because her brother was certainly a fool. She could easily steal his food, his toys, locked him outside naked, and he would always just look at her warmly. However, what really ended up breaking her and turning her hostile was when her parents began to teach him magecraft, at an earlier age then her. She was the eldest, incredibly talented and had way more time. And a Mage Family could only have one person inheriting the crest. So why, why did they start so early with her brother? Why did they teach him at all? Why did he get such preferential treatment?

It was at that point that she decided that she would make sure to become the inheritor no matter what. And once that was done, and she could get her parents out of the way, she would crush him like the insect he was. After all, she had all that talent, and he had nothing. He was an inferior, and she was a superior.

And so she managed to do it, if maybe a bit forcefully, she obtained the Crest, and then took complete control. And yet, the one thing she wanted the most, to make her brother suffer and crush him completely, was out of reach.

It was bad enough that during the transfer of power, something had been stolen from a workshop before she could learn what it was. Their parents had many special projects, and she hadn't even accounted for half of them, but that one was apparently extra special. It had some of the best information gathering and processing abilities, and although most would be incapable of realizing its true value, it would allow them to create even better automatons.

"Scour the area, work in teams and groups, and set up emergency signals that will be able to bypass those wards. And when you find my brother, you all go in and put a bullet in his head" she commanded, as she looked over at the city. "Archer, we should go on the offensive soon. We need to regain the initiative".

Gilgamesh simply smiled with that sinister smile of his.

Authors Note: Curious on how everyone liked the action scenes and backstory so far. And also does anyone have any theories on who Assassin and the other unknown players are, as well as the Servants and Masters in general. Who is everyone's favorite Servant? Favorite Master? Favorite Servant/Master combination? The master they hate the most? The servant they hate the most? The Master they want to know more of and see more of? And of course, who right now does everyone think will win the Holy Grail War?