Chapter 6:

"So, what did you learn?"

Tatsuya spoke to an empty room, only half expecting a response from the woman he knew was listening. His Servant proved to be disrespectful, and free-spirited, so he understood that getting information pertaining to a topic such as a battle she retreated from would be difficult. Lancer would likely only give him information that was so important that it'd be considered a liability to not give to her Master, so the man braced himself for such an abrasive answer.

"How it feels to be everyone else around me."

That was more surprising than a lack of information. Tilting his head, Tatsuya watched with confused eyes as the Servant appeared before him out of thin air.

"Tediousness. Annoyance. A roadblock. That kind of thing is what I am to others. I'm an interference, if you will. And someone interfered with me dining on my prey."

Lancer looked extremely angered, however her anger was different to what Tatsuya expected. Given her previous outbursts and sporadic nature. Tatsuya assumed that Lancer would be the type to express her anger with destruction, not silent fury. This face seemed cold, and filled with nothing but disgust and hatred.

"So? While alliances are untrustworthy due to the Holy Grail War's nature as a blood sport, it's not unheard of or impossible. Maybe 2 Masters are cooperating with each other."

"Use your head for once, human. You can see my ability, correct? The fact alone that anyone could interfere with me is an issue. That shouldn't be possible."

Tatsuya's eyes widened. That's correct - he can see his Servant's battle statistics. She was a Servant of unparalleled proportion. Even her aura exuded that of an extremely powerful spirit. So for someone to be able to interrupt her battle so confidently - and not only that, but force her to retreat -

"Are you saying that whoever joined your match is comparable to you in power?"

The Servant rolled her eyes and turned around, and began to pace back and forth in the empty dining room.

"If you ever imply anything like that again, I'll rip your teeth out one by one. I didn't sustain any injuries, so I don't think they're strong. But…"

Lancer's face lowered, but shortly thereafter she burst into laughter. Her Master stared at her in disbelief, wondering whether or not she would be in any way possible to tame. He gave her autonomy, but it seemed like she would be so rowdy that she would try to take it even if he didn't permit it.

"Kikikiki… She was able to make me feel pain! Now I have something to look forward to. I'll be sure to inflict what pain I felt back a hundredfold. Then and only then will I stuff the light from her soul."

Lancer paused, then turned back to her Master.

"Oh yeah… About the Master. That boy… he was weird."

"Weird?"

Lancer stopped, and waved her hand dismissively, as if to tell the silver-haired man to forget about what he just heard. She disappeared into mist, leaving Tatsuya alone. The man could only think about what the Servant meant, as he began to walk back into the warzone that was his kitchen. Silently cursing the devil woman of a Servant for tearing apart his kitchen, he began to clean up the room to get ready to make something to eat.

Lancer, Berserker. A Servant with an unknown class capable of harming Lancer. A strange boy…

Tatsuya stopped in his tracks, then turned towards the door. He quickly rushed towards it, grabbing a coat along with 3 hilts to the Black Keys he owned, and stuffed them in his jacket.

"Lancer. Follow me."

"And why exactly would I-"

"Just do it!"

Lancer went silent, but Tatsuya could tell that his Servant was following him in Spirit Form. Whatever it was that Tatsuya wanted, it was clear that he might need the protection of his Servant in order to do it. The man began walking down the road, towards the Fuyuki Bridge.

"At least tell me where we're going."

It was almost morning, so it was unlikely that the two of them would be attacked, and the Holy Grail War just began, so it was unlikely that anyone knew he was a Master. However, Tatsuya was still a magus - regardless of whether or not he practiced magecraft. He knew that magi were as inhuman as the Servants they summoned, and he could take no chances.

"We're going to the Church. There might be a Master lurking around there, so I need you with me."

Lancer's voice didn't say anything back, so Tatsuya took it just as a sign of acceptance. After about an hour, the church on the hill was within eyesight. Tatsuya couldn't feel the presence of any other Masters nearby, but he kept his guard up as he began scaling the hill. The air felt heavier and heavier the closer the man got to a place he despised so much, yet related to so well. It was the house of God, after all. But yet, it seemed so drenched in curses.

Once Tatsuya reached the entrance to the Church, he stopped. This was the one place his grandfather never permitted him to set foot in. And here he was, willingly deciding to enter it of his own accord. It felt wrong, almost heinous. Like he was committing a crime. And yet, his hand pushed open the door, and as if he couldn't control himself, he stepped inside.

The inside of the church was well lit, but it was empty, save for one man standing alone. He was completely silent, almost lifeless it seemed. His eyes were as empty as the room they stood in, but yet, it seemed he was evaluating Tatsuya - as if this was a test of sorts. However, before Lancer's Master could say anything, another man - much older than the one at the altar, walked into the room from a back door, presumably to the courtyard.

"What brings you here, my son? Do you seek counsel?"

"What did Suzume Himedichi have to do with the Holy Grail War?"

Not wasting any time getting straight to the point, Tatsuya furiously approached the two men, staring them dead in the eyes. The younger man didn't react, and only continued his beady gaze upon his guest. The older of the two seemed surprised, and scratched at his head, only to fold his arms behind his back and walk back towards the altar to join his colleague.

"Why, nothing, my son. I assume you are in close relation with the late Mr. Suzume?"

Tatsuya placed a firm grip on one of the church benches he stood next to. His grasp was so tight, his hand began to redden and it seemed like he could snap the bench in two.

"Bullshit! He knew I would become a Master one day. How else would he have left me a clear instruction towards how to summon a Servant? He had something to do with it. Was he a previous overseer? I know you have the answer and I won't leave until you give me it!"

The anger of the young man filled the room. However, the two priests didn't waver in their calm demeanors. The older man just sighed, and turned towards the other priest in the room.

"This is my son, Kirei. He was Mr. Suzume's colleague. They purge the world of heresies, and collect -"

"I know who the Executors are, Priest. Tell me what I want to know."

The older man sighed.

"My son is preparing to become an overseer of the Holy Grail War. I am not long for this world, and after my passing, I will need a replacement. Mr. Suzume was one such candidate as a replacement. However, as he was much closer to my age than my son's, even if I weren't to have outlived him, there wouldn't be much time for him to be an overseer either. Unfortunately, he is gone now. That is all."

Tatsuya's face still showed excess amounts of disbelief. He didn't think the priest in front of him was lying, but he also didn't believe he was telling the entire truth.

"Then why would he prepare me to become a Master?"

"He and I were friends. He told me of his having adopted a young child, a magus at that. He must have sensed that you would have a wish upon the Grail. If you have such a wish, the Grail would naturally choose you to be a Master. Himedichi had nothing to do with that."

Tatsuya went silent. Something was wrong, and yet he couldn't tell what. The man in front of him seemed almost too sincere, as though these were questions he was prepared for - almost rehearsed. However, he couldn't dwell on it, and turned around. What he found was the man - Kirei, the son of the overseer, standing there waiting for him.

"Wha- how did you!?"

Tatsuya must have been too focused on Kirei's father, that he didn't notice the man walking behind him. And yet, he could feel a strange energy coming from this man. It wasn't the feeling of an imminent threat, but rather it was one of a ticking time bomb. A looming threat that made Tatsuya want to vomit.

"So, you're Himedichi's pet magus."

This was all that the priest said, and he slowly walked past his guest. Tatsuya could only feel that he should, no that he needed to stab this man right in the back. It felt as though he'd be doing the world a favor. And yet, he remained speechless, and only walked back towards the entrance to the church.

I thought that would never end…

The silver haired man jumped at the sound of his Servant's voice in his head. Dawn was breaking, and he needed to get back home. Rest came before any great mission, and so he started his slow trek.

I'm hungry. Prepare some food when we return.

"You had no problem ripping my kitchen to shreds earlier. Find yourself something."

Maybe I'll just take a bite out of you, then! Humans always taste the best when they think they're safe!

"You and I both know that you can't do that."

You aren't fun, you know that? Why aren't you, y'know… more scared of me?

"Wouldn't you want a Master who's not scared of you? That sounds pretty counterintuitive."

I just want to have fun, human! And you're not making this interesting!

"You're acting like a child."

I will kill you one day, human.

[x]

I'm going to die. This is the end for me! I-I can't die like this. I need to get back to-

"Ah-!"

The young woman fell down into the mud beneath her. She didn't trip, however. It definitely felt like something grabbed her ankle. With nothing in sight, she merely shook her head and kicked herself back up to her feet. Magical energy surged into her legs, and light emitted from her limbs. She wasn't experienced in magic, but the girl definitely knew the basics. Reinforcement magic would be an easy way to escape!

I must… escape…

Looking behind her, checking if safety was within reach, adrenaline flowed through her just as the magical energy did. Each step sounded a hundred times louder to her than it would to anyone else. It was as though the steps going through the mud were a drum that beat a rhythm that determined her survival.

I must get back to them…

Falling once again, the girl looked at the muddy ground. There she saw two holes that sank back down into the earth. Holes? Did something come out of the ground? That thought didn't have enough time to sink into her head as a shadow loomed over her.

"P-Please! Spare me! I'm sorry that I'm such a failure of a magus, but please don't kill me!"

The shadow paused. Opening her eyes, the grounded Isabel looked up at the being standing before her - or rather, a better descriptor would be floating before her, since the shadow was suspended in the air.

"What on Earth are you talking about!?"

A woman's voice came from the shadow, the confusion in the voice having more energy than the fear in Isabel's.

"Stand up. If you are to be my Master, act like one! Present yourself properly before me!"

Just as quickly as Isabel fell, she rose. Getting up only far enough to be standing, while the rest of her body remained parallel to the ground, bowing before her Servant. The Servant lowered herself to the woman and put a finger to Isabel's lowered forehead. Slowly pushing up, she forced the girl to look her eye to eye.

"I appreciate you treating me with the respect that I am due as royalty, but you should treat yourself with a degree of respect as well! You have summoned a child of the gods, one who will bring you victory in this bout."

Isabel stammered, not knowing what to say to the beautiful woman standing before her.

"I-I uh… Um… Well, thanks? I just, uh… Wasn't expecting to succeed… In summoning, this well. I just got a strange feeling… That I was about to die. Or I guess… that death had just surrounded me."

The Servant gave the pout of a mother who was disappointed in her child. She put her fingers to her temple, and shook her head.

"The underworld is closely connected with me. If we are going to win this Holy Grail War, you must get used to that feeling. Now then…"

The Servant tapped her staff onto the ground, and the ground began to shake. Isabel could only watch in awe as the dead were raised. In a scene straight out of a horror movie, zombies and what looked like mummies began to trounce about and… grab debris from the surroundings? They appeared as though they were gathering supplies to begin building a house. Wood, gravestones, were all being compiled together near a mausoleum.

"I am surprised that a tomb such as that is here in the East. It's designed like those in the West-"

"Wait! What are you doing!?"

"I am the Servant Caster. I must have a workshop. A graveyard is rather perfect for someone with my type of magecraft. In fact, there's nowhere else that would be more fitting. That tomb will be where I make my temple."

Isabel looked baffled at how nonchalant the Servant spoke of such blatant disregard for the dead. Sure, the graveyard was indeed a grave for foreigners who came to Fuyuki long ago, and most probably wouldn't have any family here to visit, but it was still disrespectful to the dead!

"I can't have you doing that! You can't just desecrate the graves of the deceased!"

The Servant turned and glared at her Master.

"You stand before Pharaoh Nitocris. I respect you as an ally, and as my Master, but you are not going to speak to a Pharaoh this way."

Isabel immediately began to prostrate herself, freaking out at the idea of being killed by her own Servant. Caster sighed, and lightly tapped the staff in her hand on the back of Isabel's head. Making a quick "hmph" sound, she turned around and watched as the undead brought more materials into the tomb that she would soon call her Temple.

"Rest, Master. You're going to need it. We'll have a busy day tomorrow. Don't worry, there's nothing to fear. My servants have all cleared out any cobwebs and they've made a rather calming bed for you."

Isabel looked with surprise.

"Y-You want me to sleep… next to a dead body? In a graveyard? With the dead around me?"

The look on Caster's face said that she was serious. It even seemed genuinely warm, as though the Pharaoh had good intentions. Isabel couldn't say no, so she just slowly walked towards the mausoleum, and looked inside. There, a few zombies continued moving bricks and bones into a pile, presumably for Caster to use later. What shocked Isabel more than the desecration of the gravesite was the fact that there was indeed a bed in the corner. Or rather, not a bed in the traditional sense, but rather a bed of leaves and various bits of soft debris, covered in a lavish indigo cloth. Sitting atop the bed was a black cat, who looked up at the two of them and just mewled.

"Cats were sacred to us when I was alive, but from my understanding of this era they are supposedly… cute pets? The Holy Grail gives me limited knowledge on this time, so please correct me if I'm wrong. But as felines are closely attached to the gods of my culture, it's only natural that I can bring them about. It should comfort you to sleep, right?"

Caster gestured for her Master to go to sleep, as the zombies continued their work. Isabel couldn't imagine sleeping in a place like this, especially after all that's happened earlier in the day. However her body was overcome with fatigue, and the presence of the feline did indeed calm her nerves. Once she lay on the bed, it wasn't long before nature took its course and she fell asleep.

Caster slowly walked out of her soon to be Temple. Sighing, she could only think about the events that would come, and what troubles the pair of them would face.

Her aptitude as a Master is very low. I will need to invest as much time as possible into building my Temple, then use that as a basis for my power. As it is right now, I won't be able to defeat even a single enemy.

[x]