Chapter 11: Analysis

I do not own Fate/Stay Night and stuffs:

o. o. o.

Sirius frowned as he scanned the magical contract in his hands for the hundredth time. First analyzing the rune sequence on the paper in order to ensure that the spell hadn't been altered to work against him in some fashion, and then to the actual deal, rules, and regulations that were written on the inside of the spell.

It had been a couple of weeks since he had been captured and while his torture sessions were not as bad as they could have been, Sirius knew that he was being pressed for time. Shirou was being targeted and Louvre's son was looking for some artifact that had the potential to give the vampire the boost he needed if the blacksmith wouldn't deliver. Should the son actually find the object, a mace if what he heard was correct, then they wouldn't need the rude Irishman anymore and dispose of him. Of course no one had actually said that per say, but the message was clear enough to those who actually pay attention to the situation. The longer the vampire had a reason to keep Sirius alive, the more of a chance he had to escape or find a way to contact the outside world…

"I see you are seriously contemplating my offer now." Louvre chuckled amusedly. "I am glad you are finally seeing what I have to offer you…"

Keep talkin ya bastard. Ah'll find a way outta here soon enough. Sirius mentally grumbled as he waved the paper in his hands. A magic contract was an absolute agreement between magi made to prevent any form of backstabbing for large deals using a magic that bound one to their promises known as geis. Should any of those who signed the agreement break it, they would instantly loose access to any and all magic they could possibly perform for the rest of their life since the punishment would be fueled by one's own magic circuits. For most magi it was a punishment worse than death. "Tis isn't ta first time ah've had ta sign a contract fer a job ya know. Yer kind isn't the only ones who tend ta bleed their own kind dry wit tese sort o tings…"

The vampire nodded. "Indeed. I have heard that the association can be a rather dangerous place from time to time even for one of their own. So what do you think of the agreement? It is rather reasonable for what I am asking, isn't it?"

"Fer ta most part yeah." Sirius shrugged. "Ah make yer weapon an notin else, sans anytin tat I make fer prototypin, not try ta escape, or contact ta outside world about where ah am or what ahm doin, and ah'll go home witout a scratch or me blood getting sucked from any o yer kin under yer control an yerself, an tat goes double fer ta lad so long as no fighting breaks out. It is betta tan what most would expect…"

"However there is a complication." Louvre raised an eyebrow curiously, already picking out what his captive was about to say next. "Do explain."

The bigger of the two tapped the section where the agreement was describing the making and purpose of the code being made in particular. "Says here tat ahm supposed ta make ta most efficient and potent anti magus mystic code ah can tink of or remember how ta build." He shook his head. "Ah can't do either. It's impossible ta do tat now."

The vampire frowned. "A code that you know how to build that you cannot build? Or is it you won't make it for me?"

Sirius shook his head, ignoring the silent threat. "Can't. Ta materials fer tose brand o weapons no longer exist and it's impossible ta fabricate or reproduce tem. Also ah don't know where ta few weapons tat are made of tis stuff are at ta moment so in short we have ta reword tis part o ta paper or else it won't even allow me ta sign it witout killin me or removing me magic on ta spot."

The vampire's face contorted slightly in dissatisfaction. "You mean to tell me you don't even know who owns these weapons that you yourself have made?"

Sirius chuckled, enjoying his captor's frustration. "One's owner is dead and ta oter never really had a wielder yet ta begin wit. Yer gonna have ta settle fer sometin less specified. Ah can still make ya a decent tool tat will make ya one hell of a threat, but ta ultimate anti magus weapon is outta ta question." He handed the vampire the contract with a smirk.

Louvre on the other hand was clearly not amused now as he learned that the most powerful tool that the mystic code crafter could possibly make for him was now out of his reach. Crisply grabbing the paper out of the man's hand, the apostle brusquely and silently walked out of Sirius's chamber to fix the agreement and get the larger man to finally work for him.

Sirius smirked as the dead man walked out of sight. The situation was very delicate right now, but he couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the way things were right now.

o. o. o.

Japan:

"A surprising number of disappearances and murders have been reported Saturday night as police officers struggle to identify…"

"Man. What the hell went on after I fell asleep during the weekend?" Taiga shook her head in wonder as she ate the meal that Shirou prepared that morning."

"Things have gotten really dangerous." Sakura shivered. "It's really scary to think this would happen so suddenly…"

"Yeah… small wonder…" Shirou muttered absently as images of the previous night flashed through his head.

"Sempai? Is something wrong?" Sakura asked worriedly as she saw the elder teen's vacant expression.

"He's probably shocked cause the murders happen on his route back from work." Taiga mumbled through her rice bowl. "3 guys eaten up like animals and another one cut to pieces. I heard that the ones still in one piece were from one of the other gangs in the area. It has a lot of grandpa's guys on edge this morning when I woke up…"

"Y-yeah, that's it. I'm just a bit shocked that something like that happened so close to me." The redhead laughed nervously.

"Don't do something stupid like think you could have done something about it Shirou." Taiga frowned. "Whatever the heck was responsible for this, leave it to the police. In the mean time don't go to work or stay out late for now. I heard that the local schools are shutting down all afterschool activities and a curfew is being set up until things calm down."

"I… I wasn't going to blame myself for this!" Shirou attempted to lie rather transparently. "I'm just still getting over the fact that it could have been me there!"

"Please don't say that sempai…" Sakura pleaded Shirou. "I don't want to think what would happen if you really were a victim!"

"Shirou! Look at what you did!" Taiga yelled at the boy. "You're making Sakura cry!"

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" The boy waved his hands wildly in defense.

Sakura's gaze relaxed and a small smile made its way onto her face. "It's ok Sempai. I know you didn't mean it. I was just worried about you that's all…"

"How the hell hasn't he seen it yet?" Taiga muttered to herself quietly before shaking her head. "Let that be a lesson to you Shirou! Never make a cute girl like this cry! Sakura's probably the best you'll ever get your hands on so don't you dare try to push her away!"

"Huh?" Shirou blinked confused, ignoring the blush that suddenly erupted on Sakura's face. "What are you talking about Fuji-nee? Why would I push Sakura away?"

"I-It's nothing!" The shy girl squeaked in a slightly higher pitch than normal as she began to rather messily and quickly clean up breakfast.

"Still." Tiaga sighed. "Just don't do anything stupid Shirou. We'd be wrecked if we found out you were bitten to kingdom come and died… and then you came back as a zombieeee!" She fell back into her immature persona and began to make groaning noises.

Shirou tiredly looked at Taiga before glancing at Sakura momentarily. "You know Fuji-nee, it could always be a dead, an undead, a vampire or a ghoul you know…" He didn't have to look to notice Sakura freeze for a split second before resuming what she was doing, only even more sloppily.

"Dead and undead?" Taiga blinked in confusion. "What's the difference? How do you even know the difference? You aren't the comic book type even though your fantasy knowledge is pretty good."

The magus scratched his chin sheepishly. "Eh, one's like a pure zombie and the other's a potential vampire in the making. I heard of it in passing once in a conversation a while back. I never really bothered to learn of the details though."

"Well I guess that makes sense. To be honest they all seem the same to me." Taiga pouted, ashamed for not knowing something like that despite loving vampire and zombie stories.

"Yeah, they seem the same to me too." Shirou laughed lightly, only once meeting eyes with Sakura in the process.

o. o. o.

"A vampire? Here?" The priest's voice asked in a rather surprised tone through Rin's telephone.

"That's what I said, isn't it priest?" Rin snapped back irritably. "I killed one of its familiars last night…"

"So the story of the body cut to pieces was your doing? I thought you had more finesse than that." Kirei's amusedly commented.

"I was shocked from the bodies and seeing the undead for the first time up close. I got a bit jumpy with my wind spell, that's all!" The girl haughtily replied. "It's not like I'm used to just walking across people getting eaten by other people you know. That's more your thing."

The man of god chuckled briefly. "Hmhm. You are most likely correct about that. I am surprised though. Given the circumstances I thought that you would most likely come to me as soon as possible after the discovery."

"Getting covered in a dead man's blood for the first time tends to cause people to lose their cool ok?" Rin shouted angrily. "Just deal with the bloodsucker already! You do your side of the city and I'll do mine! We should be able to kill it by the end of the week!"

"Rin, I hope you don't plan to try to beat the vampire by your-" Kirei's voice was cut off as Rin turned off her phone.

"Of course I don't fake priest. My help just is too much of a coward to meet with you personally." Rin grumbled as she turned away from the phone and got ready for school. It was a bit earlier than normal for her to get up, but she needed to get things done so she had set her alarm an hour early despite knowing the fact that she hated getting up early.

It took her roughly half an hour for her to get to the school grounds and due to the fact that she arrived sooner than normal she could see that the steady inflow of students she was used to coming across was much smaller than normal. However due to this she managed to point out her current slave from the crowd walking in… with… her…

Rin bit her lip in minor frustration. She didn't know how the hell those two met up or why they were so close, but she wasn't going to ask any questions about their relationship. Not yet anyways. She watched from a brief distance as the two talked amicably and brightly before the younger of the 2 walked off to the middle school. Shirou probably never noticed it, but moments after they split apart, the girl's happy smile quickly drained into a rather blank to borderline soulless expression.

Odds were likely that she was like this most of the time and only really happy when near the Emiya. The thought of that fact made the Tohsaka even more depressed.

Still, Rin was not one to let bad memories get the better of her and a few seconds after the girl was out of hearing range she made her move to Shirou. "Oi Emiya. I thought you were into older women." She spoke up behind him, causing him to freeze up much to her satisfaction.

"T-Tohsaka." The boy laughed nervously as he turned around. "Please don't make jokes like that. I'm just good friends with Sakura."

"You can say that again." The dark haired girl smirked, noting that barely anyone was paying attention to them... "So you're not going to blow me off tonight are you?" Until that moment at least.

"Eh…" The redhead paled as he looked to see people staring at them. "I think we should talk somewhere else so no one else can overhear us and misunderstand our conversation…"

"I don't know what the big deal is." The average one casually inspected her nails. "I'm just making sure you're going out with me tonight. What's so hard to understand about that?"

Other than virtually the entirety of what you just said? The Emiya mentally shouted and was fairly certain that Rin actually heard. "I don't want people to think we're a couple or something. I mean I'm just helping you out with that project that you feel that you can't do by yourself." He put on a strained smile and laughed sheepishly.

"Oh Emiya-kun you don't have to be so shy." Rin laughed lightly. "You offered to help me out after all."

"I help out everyone Tohsaka. It's nothing monumental." Shirou argued feebly as he felt the eyes of a fair number of people focused on the 2, and for good reason. Rin was the idol in the freshman grade and other than a few girls she hangs out with on occasion she doesn't really socialize much, making her a bit of an enigma. The fact that she is casually speaking to "the janitor" of all people from out of nowhere in public is something that very few people in their grade would be able to comprehend without someone repeating the fact to them just to make sure they didn't misinterpret what was said. "Why are you doing this to me?" He hissed quietly through his teeth frantically.

"But it's really something only you can do. That makes your help even more important." Rin smiled and yawned. Shirou could have sworn she muttered something about payback but he couldn't be too sure. "But regardless. I'll see you tonight Emiya-kun. Don't be late. I've heard that things are pretty dangerous in town lately. It wouldn't be polite to keep a lady waiting." She smiled sweetly and walked away, leaving a very shell shocked Shirou and many portions of the student body standing in confusion by the main entrance of the school.

Shirou would not be left alone during school for the next 2 weeks, but that is irrelevant to the story.

o. o. o.

England:

"This isn't good…" Waver grit his teeth as he went over the facts once more. "This isn't good in the slightest…"

Despite what the lord had ordered of his assistants to do several weeks prior, the two boys had hit a snag with their data acquisition. While they did manage to gather any and all data about Sirius' relationships and encounters with multiple dead apostles, the one that clearly stuck out most was the Norwegian vampire Louvre, who apparently had a thing for mystic codes and conceptual weapons. Unfortunately, any and all other data on the vampire had been restricted preventing the two boys from gathering any other information on the most likely culprit. Even more concerning was the fact that it had become classified not even 3 years ago. It took the past couple of weeks for Waver to even get permission to access the data, and right now he really wished he didn't.

Louvre was now a registered dead apostle ancestor.

This changed the game significantly. Ancestor activity was restricted for the sole reason that if any idiot was allowed to hunt down the members or follow the research that they themselves had started, there could be a number of calamities that could and would happen ranging from war to spells that run wild and expose the association to the public. The 27's data was for the most part managed by the enforcers and highest ranking lords of the association, and more often than not Lorelei Barthomeloi spearheaded the hunts.

Since the vampire had a history of hunting Sirius' products for years, had 2 known children, a boy and a girl, and was speculated to be not as powerful as his position would indicate, it wasn't difficult to assume not only that Louvre was the culprit, but also why it had happened. Louvre probably knew that his position and his power were not secure and needed something to solidify it. Sirius was out of London and was known for producing strong weapons. Louvre took the chance to kidnap the man and succeeded.

Understanding what had happened and why helped, but the problem now was that since this case was now dealing with an ancestor, he should be informing the higher ups about this which would in turn take the management of the case out of his hands, something he really didn't want to do at the moment… especially since most nobles wouldn't really put Sirius' safety into consideration and just use the kidnapping as an excuse to storm the vampires' castle, not that anyone knew exactly where it was at the moment.

Moving his limbs mechanically, Waver grabbed one of the strongest cigars he had inside his desk drawer, stuck it in his mouth, lit the other end on fire and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and leaning back as he did so. Ah how he wished Rider was here to give him some advice for times like these. The man was brash, impulsive, and absolutely clueless in terms of common sense, but despite that he had for the most part been a well of experience for both battle and adaptation, and was far, FAR more insightful than he let on when it came to negotiations and battle. Despite the fact that he had lost against Archer, the man had not once lost his composure and was indeed one of the biggest threats during the war. In hindsight, the lord could honestly say that there really was no true mistake the servant had made during the war. Even while some of his actions were a bit… stupid… at times, they weren't mistakes.

However Waver was not a king of conquers. He did not have an army, a noble phantasm or equally powerful code or conceptual weapon, he did not stand over 2 meters tall (though he did grow that extra 6 centimeters that Rider had mocked him about and then some), and he did not have any truly significant magic that made him stand out from others. He was just a very adaptable and intelligent man that was in a position that he by all mean should not be in but regardless ran head first into without thinking…

He snorted. This was just like the 4th holy grail war all over again.

Regardless, he would need some extra firepower in order to deal with the current situation. Bazett was a damned good start, but even so it was not enough to take down an ancestor… especially one with a family and had a stockpile of lord knows how many extremely dangerous mystic codes and conceptual weapons. Shirou… no. The boy was still too green. Granted if he actually laid eyes on the collection of weapons Louvre was rumored to have he'd probably jump to being a real threat to the vampire, but it was too much of a gamble to assume he would ever see the collection in the first place…

He paused for a moment as he thought of the vampire's collection and Shirou. If the monster ever got a hold of what Kiritsugu left for the boy and learned what the swords in the box could do… He shook his head in irritation. He shouldn't think like that. Sirius wouldn't sell out Shirou. He loved the kid like a grandson… or a great great grandson, or whatever he was with respect to age.

He wanted… no, he needed backup for this, but he also needed to be in a position of power during the entirety of the ordeal else things get out of hand. He already committed himself to going through with confronting Louvre at some point, but the specifics were still to be determined. Much like how Rider approached the war and the conquest that made him a legend…

Slowly, very slowly, a plan formed into his head. It was sloppy. It was brash. It would probably get him killed or arrested by the association if he did somehow survive…

And if he didn't know any better, he was fairly certain that it would make Rider laugh his head off and pat him heavily on the shoulder for taking such a glorious approach to his current problem.

… He wasn't sure if he approved of that feeling.

o. o. o.

Japan:

"Oi Emiya! What the hell is it with these rumors of you being friendly with Tohsaka all of a sudden?" Shinji yelled at a very blurry eyed Shirou, the latter of which had his head laid sideways on his desk very tiredly.

"It's a misunderstanding. I'm just helping her out with repairing some of the stuff at her house for a low price. We're only just acquaintances." The boy spoke out in a mechanical tone with empty eyes, clearly indicating that this wasn't the first time he had said these exact words over the course of the day. While the cancellation of all afterschool and club activities was a big topic of conversation for most of the school, for the freshman year the story of Emiya and Tohsaka "getting together tonight" clearly took priority.

"Misunderstanding my ass!" The blue haired boy yelled defiantly. "No one can ever get close to her, even me! And yet overnight you somehow are on her buddy list? I'm not buying it!"

"Then shop somewhere else Shinji." Shirou bluntly replied, clearly not interested in the topic of conversation that everyone wouldn't leave him alone about. "I'm telling you what I'm telling everyone else. I bumped into her yesterday, she asked for help, and I agreed. Please don't think that I'm interested in dating her."

The Matou and several people listening into the conversation blinked and stared at Shriou as if he grew another head. "Huh? You aren't interested in Tohsaka at all? She's one of the most sought after girls in the grade! Why not? Are you gay or something?"

The faker frowned and lowered the volume of his voice such that only the blue haired boy could hear him. "Shinji, I am not batting for the other team in the slightest, and if I even think you are spreading word of me being gay to other people, the teachers at the middle school will know who spray painted "S.M." on the cultural festival's "maid party" sign and what it really stands for."

Shinji Matou paled as several people blinked in confusion as to what Shirou just said to Shinji that could warrant that reaction. "O-o-ok! You win Emiya! I'll back off! Sorry for making assumptions!" He laughed nervously, getting him even more odd looks. Shinji was known to be a bit of an asshole at times when he was talking to anyone other than a cute girl, but he was also stubborn.

Shirou sighed tiredly as he put away his books and prepared to go back home. He doubted that he would manage to get his homework done with the amount of time he would leave himself with tonight, but now he was certain since he couldn't pay attention in class with everyone bugging him about Rin. "So long as you remember that Shinji." He shook his head before looking outside to see the sun still in the sky. "Hey… just a warning, you really shouldn't be outside during the night for a while."

"Eh?" The playboy raised an eyebrow. "You mean that serial killer and those disappearances. The police have that covered. Why should I worry about it?"

The faker glanced at his friend with a sharp eye before looking away. He had almost forgotten that while Sakura clearly was a magus of some sort, Shinji was just as obviously not despite the fact that his personality matched what he was told was the standard old family heir's. "… I'm just being cautious, that's all. I decided that I'm not doing my part time job until this thing blows over either."

"Are you serious?" Shinji glared at Shirou. "It honestly takes a homicidal maniac running around town to actually get you to stop working?" He clicked his teeth in irritation and looked down on Shirou. "Well if that's the case I'm starting to have second thoughts on your commitment to archery club Emiya. We can't have you skipping club events just because of work. I'm going to have to bring this up with the club president when activities resume…"

Shirou rolled his eyes as he left the room. "Whatever Shinji. Just make sure not to stay out late at night until the murders stop or something. Oh and actually learn hit the target by the time I leave if you do kick me out." He didn't bother to see what his or his classmate's reactions were as he walked out of the room, yawning as he did so. He had more important things to worry about right now…

o. o. o.

Several hours later Shirou was at home as usual with Taiga and Sakura cleaning up dinner. His meeting with Tohsaka wasn't for another 2 hours so he was in no rush to get them out, but the fact that it was already dark outside had him a bit on edge for when Sakura had to go back home.

"Ahh. That was a good meal." Taiga grinned and patted her stomach happily. "You're really getting better at this Sakura."

Said chef for the night blushed and looked down. "There's no need to thank me Fuji-san, Sempai is still much better than me."

"Not for long he isn't." The teacher in training smirked, getting Shirou to twitch an eyebrow. "You've been getting better ever since you started to learn under our resident superhero."

"Not again with the superhero stuff." Shirou sighed as he leaned against the wall and looked at the clock. "It's getting pretty late. You guys should get home soon if you don't want to try to risk needing a superhero on the way back."

The eldest's happy grin dropped into a resigned expression. "Yeah. You're probably right. I'll…"

"Actually, I think I'll walk her back tonight." Shirou interrupted, getting a surprised look from both females. "I mean, if it comes to a fight or something, I think I'm technically a better pick for a bodyguard, aren't I Fuji-nee?"

The Yakuza girl pouted. "If I had my bokken you wouldn't be saying that…" She mourned the mysterious disappearance of her favorite weapon, but there was nothing she could really do about it now. "Still… aren't you risking a bit much Shirou? I mean I can always get some of my grandfather's men to give her a quick lift…"

"I don't want to be a bother to people…" Sakura mumbled quietly from the sidelines.

"Just trust me Fuji-nee. If something happens I'll run with Sakura first and ask questions later." Shirou sighed. "If we get into a tough spot I'll make an opening for Sakura to escape…"

Whack!

"Honestly." Taiga sighed, tapping a rolled up poster in her hand and ignoring Shirou holding his head in mild pain. "You say you stopped wanting to be a superhero, but you go and say things like that. It's so hard to understand you sometimes Shirou." She shook her head. "But at least we know you stick to your word about this kind of thing. I'm probably worrying about this too much since it isn't that far to Sakura's. You can take her this time…" She put on a sly grin. "Just don't try to do anything I wouldn't do when you get there."

"It would help if I actually knew what you are and are not willing to do Fuji-nee." Shirou grunted while rubbing the back of his head, completely missing the woman's teasing.

Sakura on the other hand was blushing too much to make a reply.

A few stammers, jokes, and grumbles later, all 3 were standing outside of Shirou's home and about to leave for their destinations.

"Just be careful you two." Taiga sighed. "If you come across any trouble, run straight back for my place. Gramps' guys will back you up in an instant."

"We'll be fine Fuji-nee." Shirou sighed as he began to walk down the road to the part of town where the western buildings were build, and consequently where Tohsaka's place was. "Come on Sakura. We don't want to keep Shinji and your folks busy."

"R-right!" The girl stammered before bowing to Taiga. "I'll see you later Fuji-nee."

"Later lovebirds!" Taiga waved the two off before walking to her place, disappearing around a corner.

"Honestly." Shirou sighed, misinterpreting Sakura's shyness for embarrassment. "I wish she would stop making fun of us like that."

"She's just… trying to keep things light hearted. That's all." Sakura fidgeted. "It really is dangerous to be out at night now…" She glanced at him cautiously, hesitant to speak anymore. "Um… Shirou… about what you said about the attacks…"

"Hm?" Shirou blinked in confusion. "What did I say?"

She looked away nervously. "A-about the ghouls and dead and undead…"

Shirou's heart skipped a beat. Sakura was actually willing to risk acknowledging their status' as magi because of the situation? He… no, they both knew that while their feelings for one another wouldn't change, their relationship would forever be altered if they allowed the magic world to become a part of their bond, and it was something he doubted either one of them would be able to adapt to at this point in time. So he did the best thing Sirius told him to do whenever an uncomfortable situation like this came up. He laughed it off and played dumb. "Heh. Did you really believe what I said Sakura?" Shirou smiled lightly. "I'm sorry. I'll have to lay off the scary stuff for you from now on."

The girl looked at him concerned for a moment before she put on a small smile. "Y-yeah. I never was good with scary stories. I'm sorry for worrying you sempai…"

"There's no problem." Shirou grinned. "It was my fault to begin with. Besides, if I really wanted to scare you, I'd start telling stories about dad's and Fuji-nee's attempts at cooking."

The girl giggled. "Yeah, that does sound a lot more scary than any zombie story…"

The two stuck to the main streets, not wanting to risk getting caught in some back alley if things went south. The roads were empty for the most part… that is until they reached the bottom of the hill that went up to Sakura's home…

Shirou froze as a familiar foul stench reached his "nose". "No… not now…" He muttered as he glanced in the direction the smell was coming from, down a side road to his right. Off in the distance he could see two figures slowly converging on a third. Common sense was enough to tell which were familiars and which weren't, but the boy stood in place, rooted as he glanced to where Sakura no doubt saw the same thing and was wide eyed in fear.

"S-Sempai…" She whispered, shaking all over and no doubt knowing exactly what it was she was seeing at the moment.

Now of all times? This couldn't be happening, but it was. Should he act now he and Sakura would be forced to recognize one another as magi, but if he didn't then another person would die right in front of them…

"Help!" The innocent woman shouted in fear as the dead men converged on her. "Anyone help me please!"

As if a trigger was pulled inside the boy, the words seemed to break the faker's hesitation instantly as he slammed the hammer down in his mind and ran forward. Prana surged through his body, enabling him to run at speeds that no human would be able to run at while at the same time 2 short swords materialized in his hands.

He should have been far more concerned about the situation than he was right now, but for some reason his heart pulsed at a calm rate that matched the still nature of his mind. Sakura was watching and there was a vampire somewhere in the area right now, and someone was about to die soon if he wasn't careful, yet he was perfectly calm with the 2 swords in his hands just about to slice into his unaware prey in the shadows.

1.

2.

3 seconds was all it took for him to cross the distance between where he once stood and where the woman in danger was about to get assaulted and in turn assault the attackers themselves. While the weapons Shirou used were unremarkable in any way magically, they were still extremely well made and sharp as hell. Combined with the boy's enhanced strength the blades cut through both dead men quickly and deeply as he passed them, severing one of their arms and almost decapitating the other with a sound akin to a butcher's knife embedding itself into a thick slab of overly tender meat. It had helped that since his targets were dead their muscles and tendons were significantly less solid than compared to a normal human, but still cutting through solid bone or a spine in a single stroke took a significant amount of strength that he didn't have at the moment. The strikes were extremely fast, but they still lacked the power to cut through the bodies completely and as such only one of the familiars collapsed from the wounds. The other on the other hand paused and turned to look at Shirou who was turning around for another pass to kill the remaining zombie.

"Another one? I wonder which one of you is the one who broke my toy earlier…" A female voice clearly not belonging to the dead man's body mused darkly and curiously just before Shirou drew both blades in a sweeping motion and completely cut off the head to the zombie in a single strike. Normally something like this would cause blood to spray everywhere, but since the victim was already dead there was barely any blood coming out at all even after both parts of the body fell to the ground.

And just as quickly as it had started, it had ended.

"Wh-wh-what the hell?" The woman stammered as she tried to stumble away from Shirou who was breathing heavily despite killing the 2 familiars extremely quickly. She squeaked as the boy snapped out of his stupor upon hearing her and made eye contact.

"Sorry…" He smiled weakly as his hypnotizing spell slowly took hold on the woman if the slowly fading look in her eyes were any indication. "But I'm going to have to make you forget everything you just saw…" Sure enough a few seconds later said woman had collapsed to the ground in a deep sleep.

Sighing to himself in frustration, the savior looked around to see if there were anymore enemies to watch out for and seeing that there wasn't, he decided to, while a bit mean, dump the unconscious woman's body in a random person's backyard. He couldn't take her somewhere more secure right now, but considering how dumb the dead were, sticking her in an enclosed area would probably be enough to keep her alive until morning. Plus she reeked of booze so she'd probably assume that she got drunk the previous night and fell asleep there willingly so it all made sense to everyone in the end. As for the bodies… he just left them where they were. There was no real point in hiding them right now. Dead bodies had already been found before, these wouldn't make much difference.

"S-Sempai…" Sakura shivered, snapping Shirou out of his focus on the situation to remind him that 1, he had just used magic in front of her and 2, he had used said magic to decapitate dead people which normally meant 3, there was at least 1 vampire in the city.

The boy swallowed heavily before shaking his head and setting his priorities straight. "Sakura… we can talk about this as much as you want later… it's not safe to stay out right now." He put on a dry smile. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you don't get hurt."

The girl shakily nodded as she looked around just in case another undead was nearby as the stronger of the two made his way to her.

"I take it you don't have any real offensive spells." The stated calmly as they walked brusquely to the Matou home.

"I do… but I don't have any real experience in combat…" Sakura looked away in shame before turning to him again. "But you weren't scared at all! The way you…"

"Was that how I looked?" Shirou mumbled as he looked at his shaking hands. "Cause I can tell you I'm scared as hell right now. That wasn't the first familiar I killed… but because of that the maker of those things made sure to keep a connection to them this time and got a good look at me before I finished it off. It knows what I look like." He grew more tired by the second as he realized how much trouble he was in at the moment. "Odds are that the vampire in charge is going to try to gun for me next…"

The girl looked at him in surprise and concern. "You're going to fight against one of those things alone? You'll be killed!"

The boy laughed lightly and shook his head. "Don't worry. I already got some help with this. Besides I'm tougher than I look." He looked at his hands as if he was seeing past them. "My body is made of blades after all…"

Before Sakura could say anything in response to the boy's cryptic reflection, a third voice made itself known. "Oi Emiya! What the hell are you doing with Sakura!"

"Nii-san!" The girl gasped in surprise as she realized that she was already home.

"I walked her home Shinji. You know that it's getting dangerous outside at night so I escorted her back to make sure she was safe." Shirou sighed. "As for why I in particular am with her, we were both seeing one of the teacher in trainings and happened to pick the same one." Technically it was true. Taiga was a fairly popular assistant teacher that was shifted between the local middle and high schools frequently so it did make sense.

The elder Matou glared at Shirou. "Am I really supposed to believe that Emiya?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you supposed to believe? Do you really think that Sakura and I were doing something else in the time between now and school?" He didn't catch the accidental insinuation that his question could have been mistaken for nor the shocked look Sakura gave him.

Shinji on the other hand gaped at the redhead for a moment before regaining his composure. "Tch. No I don't. You don't seem like the type at all. You're too boring and honest to get anywhere in a relationship." He turned a sharp eye to his sister. "Sakura. Get inside right…"

Shirou's nose was filled with a sweet but foul smell moments before the source made itself known from behind the Matou. "That's quite enough Shinji…" A decrepit voice spoke out, causing all of the teens to jump in surprise and turn to the owner. Out walked a bald and aging man, depending heavily on his cane in order to move. On first impressions he looked like he would keel over within the next year or so without any help. "Don't be rude to our young friend here after he went through all this trouble to escort Sakura back. It has been very dangerous lately outside at night…" He raised an eyebrow muscle at Shirou in curiosity. "Though I do believe you need to work on your manners a bit more. It is still rude to stare the last time I checked…"

Shirou would have responded to the old man's comment, but he was having a bit of trouble holding his stomach at the moment. The second the newcomer appeared, Shirou had once more performed structural grasping more on instinct than anything else, and what he discovered was unsettling to say the least. The old man's body was not human. If he wasn't already used to seeing the vampire's familiars at this point he would have without a doubt thrown up at that moment. While on the outside it indeed appear to be a human body, albeit frail, the inside was squirming with rotting flesh and moving… things that seemed to do more work than the rest of his organs and muscles combined…

And the worst part about it was that he could tell that the living things inside the old man were EXACTLY the same as the things that occasionally writhed inside Sakura.

"G-grandfather…" Sakura stammered in a soft voice, seemingly drawing attention to herself since they arrived at the building.

"Hmmm." The old man eyed the two skeptically. "You two seem to have had quite a scare recently judging from your pale faces. Shinji, show some manners and get these two some water."

"Huh?" The only non magically attuned person there frowned. "Why me? Get Sakura to do it."

"Because your sister looks like she wouldn't be able to pour herself a glass let alone get one for another." The old man sighed. "Now go." There was a very faint commanding tone in his voice, but even Shinji managed to get the hint as he reluctantly went inside to do as his elder commanded. The moment he disappeared inside, Zouken turned his attention back to the 2 again. "What am I going to do with that useless boy?" He muttered before getting on topic again. "I assume from your disposition that you have come across whatever it is that's been causing problems in the city recently… and from the excess prana around you, I assume that it wasn't something that should be taken lightly…"

"A couple of victims of a vampire were about to kill a woman on our way back." Shirou admitted while still on guard. He didn't trust this old man in the slightest. His body. The way he smelled figuratively and literally. It all rubbed him the wrong way. Still, Shirou knew to hold his tongue as much as he could. An odd body for a magus usually meant a hard magus to kill and an even more painful death for yourself if you did something stupid. Sirius had been the first one to prove that theory to the boy.

Still, how the hell was this THING Sakura's grandfather?

Zouken on the other hand seemed to no mind of Shirou's stance and focused on the situation at hand with surprise. "A vampire? Here?" The decrepit man frowned. "That is indeed troubling news…" He looked at Shirou skeptically. "You seem to be relatively uninjured despite the encounter… and I know that my granddaughter has no aptitude for offensive thaumaturgy… you must be quite experienced…"

"Not as much as I would like to be…" The boy replied skeptically. "Is that a problem?"

The Matou head chuckled and shook his head. "Not at all. If you weren't then I fear for what would have happened to Sakura. For that I thank you… Emiya if I am correct?"

"You know of me?" Shirou asked curiously. For some reason the fact that this old man knew his name sparked more fear in his body than when he first came across the 3 dead bodies on Saturday night…

"Well of course." Zouken answered as if he was talking about the weather. "It would be strange to not know whose dwelling my granddaughter spends so much time at, much less the name my grandson speaks of fondly almost as much as he curses at the dining table."

Shirou couldn't help but snort at that. The old man pretty much just described all of his conversations with his grandson. Mostly insults with a few thinly veiled compliments if he actually felt you were useful. "Yeah that sounds like something he'd do."

"I got your water." Shinji grunted as he loudly and angrily walked outside again with 2 glasses of half full liquid and almost shoved them into Shirou's and Sakura's hands. "You two better be grateful."

"Thanks Shinji." Shirou nodded, very quickly performing structural grasping on the liquid to make sure the boy didn't do anything to his drink, and then downed it slowly. His stomach was still wound up from the earlier events and this old man in front of him, however he had managed to gradually loosen up… if just a little.

"I hope you don't mind…" Zouken spoke up. "However I think it would be best if young Sakura refrained from visiting you for a few weeks. Just enough time for this whole murderer thing to blow over." He glanced at the boy. "Do you agree with this?"

Shirou sighed, noting that Shinji had grown a small smirk on his face from the statement while Sakura's face fell. His first instinct was to decline immediately and drag Sakura as far away from the monster man as possible. That of course wouldn't end well with anyone and cause more problems in the future. He could just leave Sakura here. She lived here after all… but now that he saw this old man he just couldn't in good conscience just allow her to spend all her free time in this building. Especially since Shinji's been proving himself to be more of an ass lately than normal PLUS he still needed to talk to her in private about their own revealed positions as magi else their relationship may never be repaired. It was true that he couldn't allow Sakura over at his place if she had to go back at night, but then again… "Not really." He shook his head, surprising the entirety of the Matou family. "I mean Sakura enjoys coming over so much, it would be kind of mean to just keep her from doing it…"

"Then what do you suggest?" Zouken asked curiously. "Surely you know how dangerous it is outside at night these days."

The faker shrugged. "Nothing grand. I was just thinking she could stay over my place a few nights if she wished. My neighbor is an assistant teacher that comes over all the time and I have enough space for multiple people to sleep over. Plus it's a fairly well set up place so I doubt that anyone would be able to barge in without us knowing ahead of time…"

Sakura instantly blushed at Shirou's proposition while Shinji scowled. "Emiya! Don't play innocent with me! You just want Sakura to stay over so you can…"

"Shinji!" Zouken barked, stopping the boy from saying whatever he was going to claim, which seemed to be insulting enough to cause Sakura to look at him fearfully as well. "You have said enough for the evening. Go back inside. You still have school work to do if I remember correctly…" The withering glare from the old man was enough to cause all 3 teens to shiver, and as such it was more than enough to cause the boy to retreat inside the house, but not without giving Shirou a dark look as he did so. "My apologies." The man shook his head. "So as I was about to say before we were interrupted, while it does normally concern me that you want my innocent granddaughter to stay over your home, I think that I can trust you to make sure she stays safe."

"You can." Shirou nodded without hesitation. "I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

"But of course you will." The old man smiled harmlessly. "Because if you don't I can assure you I will get my redemption on you in ways you can't imagine…"

Oh I can believe that old man. Your body is proof enough… The boy agreed silently. "Well then… I guess I'll be going then. I'll call up the house if Sakura wants to stay over for the night."

"Please do." Zouken nodded. "It was a pleasure to meet you young Emiya. I hope to eventually have another enlightening conversation with you soon. It is very refreshing to talk to a young one who is able to speak his mind while still being able to remain polite. I'm afraid I don't get much of that with either one of my grandchildren…"

"I'll see what I can do." Shirou nodded as he walked away, making a mental note to do the opposite if possible. "I have some stuff to do, so I'll be leaving now. Later Sakura."

"Goodbye… Sempai…" Sakura watched as Shirou disappeared into the night despite wearing a blue and white t shirt.

Zouken on the other hand merely smiled. How ironic. His father took care of the Einzbern's grail the previous war, and a few years before the next one his son will serve the same task for the Makiri's… but the war will have to wait for now… He turned and slowly walked inside his home. The vampire takes priority. I will have to send some of my familiars out now in order to gather information on what foolish undead has trespassed onto land that they have no business being on… He paused as he saw his adopted granddaughter's expression once more become emotionless, something that he was more accustomed to seeing her being over the years. Although… perhaps on it would be best to take some initiative steps for the war soon… it seems as if the Emiya boy has the potential to be far more able in progressing my plans than my worthless grandson…

o. o. o.

In the industrial side of Fuyuki City:

Kirei Kotomine blinked emotionlessly as he tore through several undead in a single passing with the 6 black keys, common blessed swords that are often used by members of the church, between his hands. He didn't even need to use their ability to paralyze a target by piercing their shadow with the blades in order to manage the situation. While vampires themselves were rather challenging opponents at times depending on how old and experienced they were, their undead counterparts were unfortunately more often than not complete cannon fodder.

The man was not one to promote violence (unless it was to serve a purpose of his of course), however to spend time dealing with such underwhelming opponents was rather mundane and depressed him. Normally in these situations one of the only satisfying thoughts he had was that these weak things had gone and unleashed unimaginable torture, pain and suffering to their human victims, who were in turn even weaker than the things he was killing… however then he remembered that it would in turn just force him to kill more undead and waste more time with things that any apprentice should be able to manage…

For a moment he wondered if he should ask Gilgamesh to help him out with this chore, just to see the King of Hero's reaction… but he realized that it would most likely be to shoot him through with several dozen noble phantasms. The golden clad servant was never one that could take a joke well… then again, he wasn't much of a comedian himself. He was more of a tragic playwright… except his work was for his entertainment at the expense of others instead of the other way around.

"How mundane…" He muttered in a disinterested as he glanced back to have a look at the dead bodies that he had once again returned to being just that. There were roughly a dozen of them, but they fell in less than a minute. "I do hope that the one making these annoying dolls poses more of a challenge." He turned to the opposite direction where a shadow slowly walked out from the darkness. "I'm not a fan of wasting my time on such trivial things."

"My my…" The daughter of Louvre chuckled seductively as she walked out with a swagger. "You are quite the priest. The rumors of you being a scary executioner were no mere stretch of the truth…" She brushed a finger on her lips temptingly as she put on a thoughtful pose. "Although it shouldn't be much of a surprise. This land is surprisingly rich in mana. A strong leyline if I am not mistaken… it really is little wonder why one of your kind is actually here."

"2nd strongest in this nation, next to the Aozaki's." Kirei admitted as he seemingly let his body relax. "So you weren't drawn here by the land's resources… And you are clearly not a native or from this land in general… plus your conduct is clearly not one that your kind would employ if you desired to stay here for an extended period of time. What are you after?"

"Smart too…" The female grinned hungrily. "Plus you don't mind talking to a woman unlike the rest of your dull religion friends. I'm halfway inclined to turn you right now…"

"I would prefer if you didn't." Kirei admitted. "My faith is not one that takes kindly to being one of your kind. Now if you would so kindly answer my question. I prefer to take more peaceful routes to my goals rather than dirty my hands…" The blades in his fingers twitched as if they were claws ready to strike.

The vampiress smirked. "And what hands they must be. I've always wondered what fingers that can handle those black keys of yours could do for more… interesting activities…" She sighed. "But I will humor you for now." She glanced at him curiously. "I'm looking for someone here in this city. Even though you priests don't normally associate yourselves with magi, there may be a chance you may have heard of him regardless. Are you familiar with a boy named Shirou Emiya?"

Kirei's eyebrows momentarily widened before they returned to their normally even level… albeit there was a spark of curiosity in his eyes now. "Shirou… Emiya? No. That name in particular does not ring a bell…"

"Your expression says differently." The woman purred as she loosened her stance and reached into a pocket for something. "Are you protecting the boy?"

"On the contrary." Kirei replied as his body tensed. "I have never heard of him in my life until just now. You merely reminded me of someone that I happen to hate the most."

"Really?" The vampire tilted her head as she withdrew a pitch black whip with several barbed ends from the pocket and unraveled it in the night. "What did he do? Curse the holy father?"

The priest's normally empty gaze hardened into a frown. "He threw away everything that I dreamed of obtaining when it was right in his hands... and soon after that… he killed me…"

"Well well. You are looking to be more like my type by the minute. A shame you aren't nearly as interested as I am…" The woman purred as a sadistic smile made its way onto her face. "But then again… I'm about to do the same thing he did!" Utilizing the speed and ability that came with being a vampire, she whipped her arms around quickly and shot the other end of the weapon she wielded at the priest as if she was commanding a serpent. The black polished material it was made of barely reflected in the night as the dozen barbed ends darted at even faster speeds. Such an attack easily had enough force to decapitate, pierce through, or slash any normal person…

It might as well have been moving at a snail's pace for Kirei however as he deflected the ends of the weapon with his own at a speed that virtually paralleled his opponents despite him clearly being a human.

What he was not expecting however was the unnaturally heavy force that the tips of the whip held in them. It was only thanks to his training that he dodged the blow that plowed through his defenses fast enough to only have his left arm scratched deeply (despite the fact his robes were lined with Kevlar), instead of severed and have his chest caved in as well.

He did not have any time to dwell on the abnormality nor the pain as the whip snaked its way back to him in the darkness with the intent to take his head if the curves in the coil were any indication. The few times the metal tips touched the buildings to either side of them or the floor, deep gouges and chunks were made upon contact as if the metal was imbued with the concussive force of a sledgehammer. With the tip of the weapon sprayed out into multiple ends that covered a wide and constantly varying area, it was certainly a tool that was difficult to manage upon first encounter without prior knowledge.

Without hesitating in the slightest the priest retreated the assaulting blows, dodging whenever he could and deflecting those he couldn't with extreme care and expertise. The dull sound of metal meeting metal was matched by the hollow echo in his bones made by the impacts, quickly numbing his arms and trying his patience as he attempted to get out of the reach of the long ranged weapon.

Left. Down Left. Sidestep. Block the front. Ignore the pain and use the force to gain more ground. Right. The lethal and rapid dance continued without pause for blood nor destruction of any property nearby. Trashcans and fire escapes were slashed into bits, providing no protection at all. Dumpsters were crushed, ensuring that anything inside would be killed just as easily as if they were the dumpster itself. Kirei frowned at the unfortunate situation he found himself in and his carelessness before deciding that he had enough for the night. He was no longer in the mood for combat or vampires with so many new questions running in his mind. Seeing as he was nearing the edge of the woman's range, he made a quick backpedaling dash backwards while at the same time throwing the 3 blades in his right hand at the writhing split end of the weapon. While impossible to follow for normal human eyes, both the priest and the woman watched as 2 of the blades entangled themselves among the writhing strips of thick cloth enough to disrupt the course of where the sharp tips flew, driving them to flail up instead of straight at him, while the 3rd blade soared past the end of the whip and straight at its controller.

Just as fast as Kirei set situation, the woman adapted to hers as she twitched her arm and caused the body of her weapon to arch and deflect the black key and cause it to fall harmlessly to the ground. "Not bad at all…" She purred and flicked her wrist. The keys that were entangled in her weapon snapped in half due to the monstrous pressure they underwent a moment later. "Though I do hope you didn't actually think that I'd try to dodge it and risk either letting you escape or have your tool pierce my shadow, did you?"

"It was a valid tactic." The man responded calmly as if he didn't really expect it to work in the first place. "Whether or not it actually worked was up to you." He glanced at the whip which he was out of range of at the moment. "… I have rarely heard of a vampire who actually relies on a mystic code for battle."

"Hmm. Yes I am rather attached to this little piece my father acquired for me. It's called the mountain lion…" She stroked the grip affectionately as she walked forward. "So tell me priest. What will you do now? Will you beg? Will you attempt a last stand? Will you run? I have seen all that and more from your kin at one point or another…"

Kirei snorted as he flicked his wrists and despite his injuries threw 6 more black keys in rapid succession, prompting his opponent to dodge and deflect the projectiles in an instant with a flick of her wrist and a quick shuffle, but enabling him enough to widen the gap between them such that she could not reach him and should she chase after him their fight would be in the public, something neither one of them were too keen on at the moment. "I will do none of those things." He stated in a calm tone. "If you must know, you have piqued my interest vampire. So long as what you do is worthwhile and you do not do anything foolish, I will be satisfied with merely watching your activities for now."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? This is certainly unexpected priest. Are you not obligated to end every one of my kind that you encounter on sight?" She pouted. "And we were just about to have some fun too…"

The priest merely began to turn away. "My faith and my obligation to do my duty are 2 separate things. Rest assured I will come for your life again, however my interest in your being here is of higher priority to me… for the moment at least. Do try to keep it that way. In the mean time I will have to make do with dealing with those abominations that you are making…"

The sound of Kirei's footsteps growing fainter was one of the few things that could be heard by the woman's keen ears as she remained in the gap between 2 large buildings. "Well now…" She mused as she withdrew her weapon and walked in the opposite direction. "It seems as if this little chore for father will be more interesting than I originally thought…" She put on a small smirk. "I wonder if that boy on the other side of town who killed my toys will be just as entertaining?"

o. o. o.

Europe:

The Vampire clicked his teeth irritably as he explored the last safe castle in southern Italy. He had less than an hour left before he needed to leave for his apartment so he could get there before daybreak, and still he had nothing. If he came up with nothing here then he would have to waste weeks prodding the defenses of the castles owned by the association and the church before examining even the outer grounds…

The castle he was in right now was the smallest one so far. It was located in the middle of a thick forest and had only 1 moderately tall tower that had already collapsed halfway. The few main buildings that remained standing were rotten from the inside out, stones included. The ruins seemed to have been undiscovered or unexplored for the most part since he had found that the dungeons of the area contained corpses that still had rotting flesh, clothes, and golden teeth to complete the decor. He left them alone however as he didn't have the time to waste on such mundane trinkets and images.

He was returning from examining the top of tower and about to exit the run down building when a small irregularity on the dusty floor near the stairs caught his senses. Underneath the staircase lay several decaying barrels, however he could feel the faintest of breezes coming from their general direction. His red eyes, which were so adapted to the night that it might as well have been mid day for him, turned to the faint anomaly with curiosity and the barest hint of hope as he scanned the area. Slowly he walked over and examined the floor between the barrels with the precision of a doctor or a scientist… and there. Underneath the thick dust, just a hairline away from being truly covered was a distinct line in the floor that was perpendicular to the decayed boards that made the ground. Feeling his hands tremble in anticipation but knowing full well that this may just as well lead him to a dead end, the blood drinker quietly but quickly removed the decayed storage out of the way and lifted the hidden door to reveal a pit that delved even farther into the darkness with the remains of a ladder connected to the edge.

He didn't even think twice before he jumped down to the empty hole, having no need for light nor a safe place to fall as his superhuman reflexes all but ensured his landing was faultless.

Snorting to himself, the son of Louvre looked up at where he fell down. 10 meters. Something he could easily jump if needed. Turning to the new path he discovered, he took out his prana detection device and was thoroughly impressed to see that it was reading something rather strong. This meant that either what he was looking for was in this direction, he had accidentally come across a powerful but abandoned workshop, or he was about to encounter something that he would most likely have to fight to the death…

To be honest, any one of those three was enticing for him after spending nearly 3 weeks looking at stones and corpses like it was going out of style.

He didn't have to walk long though to find what he was looking for as he entered a wide cavern that stunk of death and worms. Obviously he had found another one of the mass tombs that littered Italy's underground from the years predating his father's birth. The walls were littered with rectangular holes that each contained the body of someone who died from some plague or war or famine or whatever. Humans haven't really changed much in the manner in which they died over the centuries in his opinion. Still this made no difference as on the far end of the room he spied not a hole in the wall, but an actual coffin adorned with rather expensive, if not severely decayed silks and riches.

The vampire felt his hands tremble with anticipation as he walked forward towards the coffin. As he did so he took out a small black fang shaped object from his pockets, a tooth of a dragon that he had used on multiple occasions to forcibly dispel any wards or charms set up by magi and members of the church alike. Much to his surprise however he did not need it until he actually reached the coffin, where a weak ward pushed him back. No doubt it was to keep away his kind as the body belonged to a holy man, but it mattered little as he removed it with ease and threw off the top of the coffin moments later.

Inside laid a large skeleton dressed in ceremonial priests' robes and resting in a bed of silk. If the materials minus the body were sold today on the market, it would probably be enough to feed an entire family in Asia for years on end… but that mattered little to the corpse nor the vampire…

No, what interested the Son of Louvre was the red gold gilded mace that rested in the hands of the cadaver that leaked of potent prana and thaumaturgy…

The mace of Odo, Bishop of Bayeux…

o. o. o.

Omake: Sirius' torture session, take 2:

"You are… pure evil…" Sirius gasped, his body convulsing erratically and his breathing haggard as he attempted to recover from what he had just experienced. Every fiber of his being was screaming in protest to what it had just been exposed to, and they screamed even louder when it registered to them that they would witness such an atrocity yet again soon enough.

"I am loosing just as much as you are." Louvre sighed aridly as he drank his alcohol in moderation. "It is quite expensive to replace those objects that are being misused. You know what you need to do in order to stop it though. If not I'm afraid we both will be loosing more of what we value soon enough."

"Ah swear Louvre… If ah get outta dis… ahm gonna turn yer body inta sometin fer a local middle school art department…" The code crafter growled in pure rage.

"Hmmm…" The vampire frowned. "I do believe that is in fact the most unsettling threat you've made on my life yet Sirius…"

"Let me out and ah'll show ya unsettling!" The bigger man roared as he struggled in his seat in an attempt to get his hands on Louvre.

Clang.

The off tune ringing of metal not only caused the raging man to stop what he was doing, but actually whimper like a small child as well. "No… not again…"

Louvre sighed as he looked onward to the forge and workshop where he would have Sirius work when he actually cooperated with his demands. He had spared no expense to get the materials and equipment needed to make state of the art codes… however at the moment such items were not being used or guided by the hands of an expert weapon maker… but in the hands of inexperienced undead who really had no idea what they were doing.

"No! Ya don't use a hammer fer shaping class 1A materials on delicate…!" The large man tried to order one of the dead workers handiling a very fragile looking material before the zombie crushed it relentlessly, causing Sirius to make a sound akin to a small woman's gasp mixed with screeching tires. "How? How could ya do such a horrible ting?" He asked with wide watery eyes as if the zombie had just worked on a baby's head instead of some nameless clump of metal. "What did tat hamma an tat lump o crystal spida eggs eva do to you?"

Louvre stood to the side with mixed feelings. On the one hand he was certain that it would not be long until the blacksmith would finally yield to his requests…

On the other hand… he just felt dirty on an extreme level for making a big man like that make the face of a puppy that you raised before crippling it and leaving it out on the street…

o. o. o.

A/N:

Done in 1 week. Damn that was fast. Also note to self: never post on a Thursday night. Your review count will suffer greatly.

Ok. So for basic stats of the mace which I believe is fairly balanced.

Mace of Odo, Bishop of Bayeux

Rank: D (B) (Certain requirements are needed for higher rank)

Power: TBD (I already came up with one, but I'm not spoiling it yet)

History:

While the tale of its owner is not well known in many a history book, the mace itself is unusually influential in modern society as it was this mace in particular that first gave the world the impression of warriors of the clergy wielded them in the battlefield in order to prevent shedding blood, as first depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. This influential effect lead to the uprising of the use of these weapons as symbols of power for future clergymen, allowing this weapon to not only eventually achieve the rank of a noble phantasm and abilities of a conceptual weapon, but develop these abilities in the original mace despite being crafted by mortal hands and buried with its owner long before any powers developed.

And before anyone complains, yes conceptual weapons can be noble phantasms. Avalon can be used as one and Rho Aias is one as well.

So onto other news. Skyrim and AC Revelations. Yeah. Just when I was finally getting down Dark Souls too. Well I can certainly kiss my free time goodbye.

And other news… meh. I got nothing. Little has changed in a week.

So Review! Worship the Log! Don't screw with the giants that heard elephants or said elephants! And Review again!