In Fuyuki, where fear was slowly settling it for some, for others, life continued.
Work. Driving. Buying food. Studies. Nothing ever truly stopped, even with the uncertainty happening in the city that was ongoing. Many citizens didn't allow this uncertainty to dictate their actions entirely. Taking a step with caution, the humans in Fuyuki continued their ordinary lives as best they could.
Some pray. Some are ignorant. Others simply believe that the bad things happening wouldn't happen to them. Reasons were found to continue living their daily lives, even if some were foolish or entitled. But that was just the way humans were.
Although, this was attributed to normal humans in general.
Within society as a whole, there were humans who were calm before the looming catastrophes occurring, though for different reasons than most. With one of the reasons being that they knew what was going on. The humans that have delved into the secrets of the world that common man did not know.
Including the daughter of one of the instigators of the problems happening in this city.
"I hear the school might close. I hope that happens." With a giggle, childishly smiling, a young girl said to her friend, "Because it means I can play at home."
"Sounds great, Kotone." Walking next to her, Rin joined in on Kotone's joy. "School is pretty boring. I mean, I can learn more at home than there."
"Learn at home?" Kotone stuck out her tongue. "That sounds even more boring."
'If only she knew.' Maybe regular homework sucked, magecaft however was a much more worthwhile learning subject. Not that Rin could tell her fellow student and friend. As such, all she could say coyly was, "Let's just say what I learn is better than math."
"Well, you do you." Kotone sat down at a nearby bench, the two of them waiting for a bus to arrive. "For me, I'm going to play some games with my family. Maybe even go out of town."
"Out of town." That was new. Kotone explained as she dangled her legs from the bench.
"Mom and dad say things are getting a bit crazy here. You know, terrorists." Perhaps it was a good thing that Kotone couldn't fully comprehend the dangers actually happening. Her parents kept the more terrible news, the deaths, away from her ears.
"So we'll be going to grandma's and grandpa's." Kotone finished.
"Mmm. I see." It was a little sad, Rin's friend leaving. Might be for the best, however. As daddy told Rin, things in the city could get very dangerous. Especially with this Holy Grail War. "Well, I hope you come back soon. Things should get better when daddy does his job."
"Job?" That got Kotone curious. "What kind of job?"
"Oh. Uh, that." Rin knew her father was a strong magus. He also had a real job, just like how Rin went to a real school. As for his real-life job…Rin didn't know. She never actually asked, or paid attention.
"He's…uh," Rin had to think fast. She couldn't let her dad be seen as a fool. Or her a liar. "He's a worker for the city!" Thankfully, Kotone seemed to buy it and was impressed.
"Oooh." Believing the lie, Kotone nodded. "So he works for the city."
"Yep." Her dad is the Second Owner. Heck, if anything, the city worked for him. "And dad said that he's going to take care of everything wrong with this city." With magecraft. "With his smarts."
"Wow, your dad is so cool." It was awesome. "My dad only works at a store."
"Well, we all have different parents." Rin bragged a little. "And you can bet that when you come home, everything will be alright." Things were okay now, Rin living with her mom. Doing homework, reading books on normal history, magecraft history, and doing magecraft herself.
Daddy having sent her and mom away so he and that jerk Kirei could win the Holy Grail War. It sucked that her dad sent her away, she wanted to help him, but because she was a kid, he wanted her to go so she'd be safe. It was frustrating.
'But dad will be back soon.' Rin thought as she headed to the apartment while saying good-bye to Kotone. 'And he's going to win like any Tohsaka would.' With pride and dignity.
Tokiomi was far from what could be considered a dignified position.
With a grunt, the magus' eyes slowly opened followed by him flinching. His chest felt sore with his muscles crying out in pain. As he wheezed, Tokiomi could only lean forward with a wet cough escaping his lips.
A small but notable burn could be felt somewhere on his body, however, Tokiomi was more concerned with his current predicament at the moment. Ignoring the aches all across his body, Tokiomi attempted to see just where he was, having full knowledge of what happened earlier.
'At least…I think it was early.' Sniffing, with a tired glance, Tokiomi looked around him for any clues of where he was. He found himself in some empty room that was completely devoid of light. No windows, no ambient light, nothing but darkness. Chanting, Tokiomi used a minor spell that allowed him to see in the dark.
Soon, the darkness could no longer hide what was within it. Tokiomi could see his surrounding area with little trouble. Not that it did anything to prevent or avoid the trouble he's in at the moment, as what Tokomi saw wasn't any good.
Old boxes. A dusty floor. Walls that had peeled back wallpaper with spider webs here and there. Some place abandoned from the looks of it. One where both Tokiomi and Kirei were in, as across from Tokiomi is his former student and ally of this Holy Grail War, unconscious and tied up.
"K-Kirei!" He tried to shout only to get a whimper. Shutting his mouth, Tokiomi grimaced. It actually hurts to speak. Not that breathing was any better, feeling sore just from that act alone. That creature held onto him too tight. Him and its Master. Possible that his ribs had been cracked.
'Risei.' Along with the hostage Assassin held. It was still a shock to know what had happened, and just when he and Risei were about to walk free. Tokiomi felt saddened for what happened to his old friend. Caught and possessed by the enemy Servant somehow, his body used like a puppet.
Used against them.
Tokiomi could hardly imagine what Risei was feeling. Hopefully the vile Servant spoke the truth when it claimed Risei was asleep, otherwise his dear friend was no more but a mind trapped in a body that bent to another's whim. Assassin's whim that is.
'I need to act. Fast.' Struggling, Tokiomi knew that he had to escape somehow. That Servant, the monster, it had plans for them. It was the only reason it allowed them to live. Worse, it seemed to have come up with that plan when it was surfing through Risei's memories.
There was no telling just what Assassin learned from Risei's knowledge. Not helped that Risei knew many things. Not just about the church, but more worrisome, of the Holy Grail War and any plans Risei had made alongside him.
As Tokiomi struggled, a rather solemn thought came to his mind. A very sad one. 'In the worst case, Risei may…need to go.' One that he hoped he could avoid at all cost, as killing an old friend wasn't something to be proud of, let aside elegant. Considering the circumstances though, it may have to be done.
A burning sensation came which Tokiomi could no longer ignore. It came from his left hand, which had equally been crushed by that monster's grip. Looking down, Tokiomi expected to see an ugly bruise to explain the uncomfortable sensations he's been feeling.
What he saw instead was a stump covered in bandages, his left hand gone.
"...Ugh." It came out slowly. His brain at last processed just what was going on. Where the burning sensation vanished for just a few seconds. "Uaaaghhhhh!" Then returned tenfold, making Tokiomi scream.
With realization came agony.
His left hand was gone. The entire thing. The Command Seals on it were taken, leaving only phantom pain which made Tokiomi scream even more. Across from him, Kirei seemed to stir.
"My, what amusing screams. I suppose I can now understand just a bit of that idiot's reasoning for hunting people now. Hahahahaha!" Cruel laughter then joining alongside Tokiomi's scream, mocking Tokiomi's misfortune.
Closing his mouth, biting his own lips, Tokiomi shut himself up as he then turned to glare at the source of the voice. 'Risei' was standing near him, at his right side, all while wearing a cruel grin that Risei would never have worn were he normal.
"Up already."
"You." Phantom pain still gripped Tokiomi. His anger overshadowed it though, even if for a little, glaring at the monster controlling Risei's body. Doing his best not to give the Servant any more satisfaction.
"Oh. Stopping already?" 'Risei' stepped forward in the dark. The echoes of his steps reverberated in this dark room. Getting closer and closer until he was soon near Tokiomi himself. His eyes seemingly glowing.
"Is it because screaming isn't elegant?" Assassin asked as if he were ignorant. Gaining Tokiomi's ire which served to only amuse the imposter further.
"You humans. So dull. So pathetic. Honestly, how you all believe yourself the greatest when a true superior being stands before you now." Placing a hand on his chest, Assassin's smirk grew wider and wider. The level of self-esteem turned to nothing more but a bloated ego. Tokiomi very much wanted to snipe back at the imposter. Make a subtle insult.
"..." But he's at the Servant's mercy. All it would take is one word and that'd be it for Tokiomi and Kirei. The beast would be summoned and they'd be slain. And if not by the beast, then by Assassin themself.
It was…aggravating. "What," Ignoring the moans his chest gave out, Tokiomi continued on. Desiring to know this monster's plan. "Do you want?"
Assassin chuckled. Walking closer to Tokiomi, wearing Risei's face, the Servant sarcastically answered, "What all Servants want. The Grail."
Tokiomi scowled.
"Ah. What's wrong?" Assassin slapped Tokiomi across the face. "Not as smart as you believe you are." A laugh. "In the end, you humans always did act like that." The image of a certain boy came to mind. One that made his next words come out with a bit more edge than expected. "Unless you have help, you humans can do nothing on your own."
That edge didn't go unnoticed. Even so, Tokiomi kept quiet, trying to think of a way to get out of this predicament. He knew a few spells that could help his condition. Maybe not heal his injured body, but allow him to move and run to escape. With another spell that could cause fatal damage to a body.
Eyeing Assassin, Tokiomi felt a small bit of hope. He could snap out of these ropes with Reinforcement, then immediately use a Gandr. Obviously, there's a good chance that Assassin may have planned for his escape. Still, if Tokiomi killed his possessed body, it might buy Tokiomi time to escape.
Breathing in, Tokiomi also decided he would have to use Archer as well. The second he killed Risei, he could summon Archer with a Command Seal, then use another to force her to attack while sparing him. He just needed to word it right.
"Ignoring me, are you. Ryuunosuke, can you teach this man some manners?" Sadly, trying to figure out what to say exactly would not come easily.
Slish!
A knife digging into your shoulder normally ruined any concentration.
"Ah!" As a cry escaped his lips, the knife digging into his flesh, a chuckle from behind his back is heard.
"Man, that was fun." Turning to his left, in the dark, is a young man who seemed happy. Bearing an innocent smile, even with the blood splattered all over him. It didn't take long for Tokiomi to realize that this was Assassin's back-up.
The knife was then remove, leaving a hot burn with Tokiomi doing his best not to scream. The young man cleaning his knife before asking aloud, "So, am I cutting off his other hand?"
"No." Assassin replied. "We still need that hand of his, along with the other human." Even if it hurt, Tokiomi listened closely and looked at Kirei, who was still knocked out. Possibly because he was, admittingly, more dangerous than Tokiomi when it came to combat. He also still had his two hands and Command Seals.
It was easy to pierce what Assassin wanted.
"You desire…our Servants." Tokiomi spluttered the words out.
"Give the monkey a prize." Clapping his hands together in fake applause, Assassin gave a false praise. "I suppose even inferior beings such as yourselves can get things right. But yes, you are correct."
"Oh. Is this the plan you've been telling me about, Assassin." A small look of disdain could be noticed on Assassin's face, one that didn't suit Risei. It quickly left before Assassin spoke.
"Correct. The plan to give me all the power needed. Through the foolishness of all you humans." The ground shook for a bit, an inhumane noise could be heard.
Even though Tokiomi didn't have long to hear it, he recognized that sound. It was the beast.
"All you Masters, causing so much trouble." Assassin looked sad, almost as if he despaired over the trouble caused these past few days. Silently, he put his hands in a prayer, then looked up as if he were speaking to the Lord himself. "Hurting one another. Ruining the lives of so many. It brings pain to my heart to see such needless chaos."
Risei's values weren't something Tokiomi could entirely understand. It was due to how he himself is a magus, while Risei is a member of the church. Both followed different rules, different understandings. Tokiomi didn't deny that even at times the two argued here and there.
Still, he respected Risei's choice of the path he followed. His eyes narrowed at how the Servant was making a mockery of Risei's devotion to the Lord.
Assassin saw this and made a crude chuckle.
"Fear not, lost lamb," Walking to Tokiomi, Assassin eagerly told him, "for the Lord will soon quell this chaos. The great one will soon fall from the sky and ensure all is at peace." His voice turned to a sadistic joy. "When all you humans are eliminated, of course. As decreed by the Lord, me! Hahahahaaa!"
"Lord?" Tokiomi couldn't stop himself from sounding puzzled. Assassin was more than eager to share a bit of information now. Show why he was the greatest Servant of all.
"Unlike the rest of you primates, I'm different from the lot of you scum." Revealing in pride, Assassin made a showing of himself as he raised his height, as if to make himself known wide and far to all. "I am an existence that was close to having attained it all. To control the power that is Chaos itself." Oozing with ego, Assassin declared, "Had I attained all 100 Numbers, been allowed to utilize the power I had gained, I would have ruled as a God!"
Ryuunosuke clapped his hands. For a long while he was worried his demon friend didn't want anything to do with him. After their last meet-up, Ryuunosuke wondered if he had been abandoned. That he was considered dull.
"So cool!" Boy was he wrong. The demon contacted him and said that he wanted his help. His help! While Ryuunosuke had to limit himself, he was allowed to cut off that rich dude's hand while drugging the other.
Now he was listening to an awesome story. One where his demon friend was actually some super powerful dude. Wasn't that awesome!
"Phh." So it was a surprise when the rich dude, Tokiomi, scoffed.
Assassin narrowed his eyes at Tokiomi. "Have something to say, worm?"
It would be wiser to say nothing. Tokiomi knew this. Yet after having to endure all this, including such a monotonous declaration, even Tokiomi couldn't stop himself from acting out in a small bit of spite. While it wasn't elegant, in the end Tokiomi was a human.
"Nothing much." Lifting his head, a small look of defiance, Tokiomi then snorted out, "It's just, I noticed how you claimed you were becoming a God. That you were trying to attain these…Numbers." Tokiomi didn't know what these Numbers were, other than they were important, but judging by Assassins's wording, well…
With his lips turning upward, Tokiomi said, "In other words, you were beaten and prevented from attaining this so-godhood, no." Assassin's fingers twitched and his eyes narrowed angrily.
A fist smashed into Tokiomi's face. Then another. Another. Until Tokiomi was full of bruises.
"I was not beaten!" The Servant denied vigorously. "I was robbed of my victory. Prevented by lowly scum. Trash that couldn't even duel right without that nuisance Astral. Had he not been there, that annoying teenage brat wouldn't have-" Assassin then stopped talking. Too late, though, as the words had left his lips.
"Teenage…oh..Hahahaha." Tokiomi had already heard it. Where, even with a bruise forming and blood dripping down his nose, he giggled just a bit, looking at Assassin with amusement. "An adolescent managed to stop a so-called God?" Now wasn't that humiliating.
This time it was a foot smashing into his abdomen. The chair fell with Tokiomi who felt the air escape his lungs. His friend may have been old with age, but weak, not even.
All while Assassin turned red with anger. Made worse by the fact that those irritating words were all true. Horribly true.
It made his blood boil to recall that he had lost against that brat and his loathsome partner, Astral. A child who wasn't even an adult, beating him then and there. Preventing his ascension as a God. Still, that was the past. A wretched past, but the past nonetheless.
Breathing in, Assassin composed himself. "It doesn't matter. Not one bit." When it looked as if Tokiomi would say something, Assassin stomped on his stump, making the pathetic human hiss. "Because soon, all the players will come here with their Servants."
"Servants?" Ryuunosuke tilted his head. "You mean other demons?"
"..." Right, Assassin actually forgot about the human. Taking a good look at him, Assassin then focused on the fool's hands and thought things through a little. "Well," He only had him come because he didn't want to bother dragging the two Masters into this room with all the hard work in securing them. So, "Guess I don't need you anymore."
"E-" His 'Master' didn't even get a word when a hand burst through the wall. Number 96, staying in the other room inside the underground church building, gripping Ryuunosuke and squeezing tight.
The body was crushed no differently from a rat being squeezed by a human hand, only bloodier as attested from Number 96's earlier rampage in the city. However, it was done more carefully for one area of the body.
"There we are." The hand which held the Command Seals.
Grabbing them, Assassin grinned, even as he felt the anchor to his world vanish away. Not that it mattered. He had enough mana to last for over a week. Longer now that he inhabited a human body. While Risei's memory showed the overseer had no magic circuits, Assassin could still sap away at his life force before moving onto another body for consumption.
Still, that was for later. "Now then." What's happening now is the desire for his 'dear' Masters' Command Seals. With the knowledge he had, the Command Seals transferred from the dead corpse to his own body. Pushing the sleeve back, the Command Seas he had taken could be seen on his appendage. Tokiomi noted that the ones he had been given were also back to where they originally belonged.
Turning to Tokiomi, Assassin said, "Now that the bug has been dealt with, it's time for you all to play your role." Walking to Tokiomi, Assassin unnecessarily kicked at Tokiomi pettily, claiming, "It's as you likely have already figured out, that I have need of you and your partner."
None of which would be good. "With these Command Seals, I already have a massive advantage over the others. However, why bother trying to find them when instead I can make them come to me."
Tokiomi gasped.
"Ahhh. Understand, don't you." Snickering, the vile Servant couldn't help but get a kick at his own genius. "Dear Risei, I, the overseer, will call upon the other Masters to come so I can tell them to be more 'careful' with all the damage that has been happening. Then~"
'He'll ambush them. Kill the Masters when they're off guard.' It would be so simple and easy. Yet Tokiomi couldn't believe it to be true. Mainly as there was one flaw in that plan. "They won't bother." Tokiomi coughed out the words tiredly. "The Masters, t-kuh-they won't even…hah…come close to the church."
Masters had come to the church willingly before. But only as a safehouse when they lost, or needed information and felt assured they could defend themselves from others. After all, even when the overseer called for the Masters to come, none of them would show up, sending their familiars as proxy.
"They will." With confidence, Assassin was assured by his own words. "After all, they'll want the prize." Holding up his arm donned with Command Seals, Tokiomi understood. He wished he hadn't.
"Assassin's Master," Spitting on the corpse of the dead body, making it well known who this young man was, Assassin tells Tokiomi the rest of his plan. "Has been seen getting ready to attack the city again in the open. In this emergency, the overseer will give all Masters two Command Seals each." His grin matched the devils. "I'm sure the Masters will come, not out of good-will to defeat Assassin and its monstrous beast, but just to have an advantage. I'll be luring them in with their own greed for power."
He was right. Any Master would come, if not out of genuine concern, but for the Command Seals themselves. The perfect bait to have all the Masters come and slay them the second they took their first step in the church. The beast waiting beneath them in the underground area where it would kill them without giving them a chance.
"Do not fear," Leaning down, the Servant gave Tokiomi his honor in his next words. "You and your former student will be joining after them."
'That's why he didn't chop our hands off.' Risei knew many things. Knowledge of the Command Seals and how they functioned however was a bit beyond him. While Assassin could take them if he killed the two Masters, it would then be impossible to use them to command their Servants.
"Possession, is it?"
"Or I break your bones and make you comply, hehehe." Either one worked for Assassin. "In the end, there will be only one winner in this war." Lifting his foot, Assassin brought it down to knock Tokiomi out. But not before finishing his sentence. "And I will be the one who wins it all."
The actions is sadly lacking, but eh, that happens. Especially when Number 96 goes full arrogant at monologues, thinking everything is perfect.
If you've seen Zexal, we all know how this will turn out. The question is, will it turn out for the best? And poor Ryuunosuke. While I do feel bad I couldn't use him for, honestly, I couldn't see Number 96 even bother hanging with him, let aside get any use for him when his plans were shaping up nicely.