A shrill game show bell followed by thunderous cheering blasted through the apartment. Naomi bolted upright in bed and felt her head being hammered by the acoustics. She gripped the covers in her fist and yanked them down to her shins. She halted abruptly, adrenaline frantically pumped blood through her system.

She stalked into the living room with her hands flat against her ears and bags under her eyes. Infuriatingly, Saber sat on the couch with her legs crossed, intently watching the TV blasting in front of her at high volume. Saber jerked the remote in her hands from side to side as Lancer held one hand over his ear and used the other to try and snatch the device. He had one eye closed in a grimace and his mouth was moving but Naomi couldn't make out what he was saying.

Saber swung the remote behind her and Naomi snatched it. With a hard button press, the volume bar appeared, lagged, then rapidly dropped in volume. Naomi and Lancer's shoulder's sagged in relief at the sweet silence.

Aggravation spilled over Naomi. "It's five in the morning! What the hell?!"

"You said I could use the TV if no one was watching it. I finished cleaning the bathroom and kitchen. I was bored. I don't have to sleep like you do," Saber said.

Lancer rubbed his ear. "I could hear that from the roof. Seriously are you deaf?"

Naomi gripped the remote tightly. "That doesn't mean you can turn the TV up high enough to wake the dead. I'm lucky my neighbors haven't called the police. You do this every morning. When they do show up I won't hesitate to throw you at them. Go on! Take her! She's the culprit!"

Lancer smirked. "Oh I would love to help with that."

"Then what would you have me do? I have already patrolled the perimeter. There are no enemies for miles and there are no battle plans to be made," Saber asked matter of fact. "Your base is poorly protected and lacks fortifications."

Naomi ground her teeth. The forcefield was down because she couldn't fix it right now. Her circuits were still on the fritz. For someone who said they wanted to live a normal life Saber could think of nothing but war.

"Ugh!" Naomi took a breath. "You have to get out of this apartment." She needed out of the apartment. It's what one did with a puppy that wouldn't calm down. Saber was close enough to a wild animal. Naomi wracked her brain for a place to go.

the first few days of her arrival Saber had manically cleaned every inch of the apartment. She stuck her nose in every cabinet and drawer and asked what things were like a certain electronic she had pulled out of Naomi's nightstand. The sight of her holding that had drained the blood from her face before Naomi screeched and stole it away to a place no one would ever find it.

Now she was constantly asking Saber where the stirring spoon went or where the plates had gone to now. Naomi let her rearrange the space because it kept the Servant occupied but it was getting on her nerves that anything she put down would disappear within seconds.

As if that wasn't enough, Saber had walked in on Naomi while she was showering and gave her a heart attack. Saber didn't say apologize. In fact, she was already naked and asked if she could join in on the steamy water.

Naomi screamed for Lancer in a panic without thinking.

The door flung open and Lancer's question of, "What's going on?" faltered and his eyes widened like a deer in the headlights. His jaw unhinged itself and seemed stuck there.

"Get out! Both of you!" Naomi had screeched and yanked the curtain around her. "Get out! Out!" She'd chucked body wash, shampoo bottles, and towels.

Lancer only left when Saber turned to face him in full nude. He took one look at her chest and unwitting downward look and said, "Ahhh, yeah, I should go."

Naomi finally came up with an idea for her current predicament with Saber driving her batshit insane. Something that would help her collect some sanity as well.

"Let's go out today. You can borrow some of my clothes since you can't go out in public like that," she eyed the woman's skimpy attire. "I don't know if what I have will fit but you can have a look."

Saber was smaller and slimmer than Namoi. She looked almost androgenous but was feminine enough that anyone would recognize she was a woman. Naomi wondered if it had something to do with her being a male in life but tried not to think about the whole gender swap thing. It was too confusing. She just hoped her clothes would fit Saber since she couldn't use up precious mana resources to conjure up outfits like Lancer could.

Saber was quick to stand. "I'll go try them on and see if something is suitable." She sped walked toward Naomi's room in an eager fashion.

"Pick anything." Naomi said to her, but Saber was already gone.

Naomi slumped over, draping her upper half over the back of the couch. Her face fell into the cushions and her hair dangled over the edge. She made a sound of frustration deriving from sleep deprivation, fried nerves and circuits, and her ringing head. It was too early in the morning to be awake.

She felt Lancer place his warm palm on her back and rub back and forth. He had seated himself on the couch. The tension in her muscles relaxed a margin. "She's driving me crazy," Naomi said, her voice muffled against the back of the couch.

"I can't complain. Mostly. Okay she is driving me a bit crazy too. But it's not every day I get to live with two pretty women."

Naomi could hear the skirt chaser part of his brain churning. Men. She didn't doubt he had fantasies. She couldn't help but think he was just trying to rile her up as well.

"She used to be a guy," Naomi reminded him.

Lancer shrugged. "She's not now and you can't deny she has a nice body. We both saw it."

Naomi made a strangled sound and slid forwards. She twisted so her back flopped onto the couch and covered her face with her arms. Her legs dangled over the backrest of the couch, and she let out a deep sigh. She really didn't want to hear him talking about Saber that way. She needed some caffeine.

"I can't believe she was some great conqueror."

Lancer rested his arm across the back of the couch and leaned over it. His red eyes were droopy with sparkling amusement. "She didn't become a Heroic Spirit for nothing. I wonder how she is in a fight. I didn't get to see how she fought Li."

Naomi moved her arm just slightly enough to peek one eye out and catch his wistful expression.

"If you like her so much then why don't you two get a room?" Naomi groused.

Lancer split into a strange, cheeky grin while his eyes drooped, and he leaned further over the couch. Over her. His voice dropped to a low, husky octave that made Naomi's stomach flutter. "You don't sound like you much like that idea, Master."

He fingered Naomi's dangling earring to pull it over her shoulder, his fingers brushing her neck in the process. His earring, she reminded herself. She wouldn't dare take it off now with Saber constantly moving everything that so much as graces a flat surface.

Her face boiled, and she rolled off the couch. She concluded he needed to get out of the house. There was too much estrogen in the house for one guy.

"I need coffee," Naomi declared. "I'm going to see if Saber is ready."

"Is this a carriage?" Saber asked. "Where are the horses? I see no stables."

Naomi opened the passenger door of her car in the apartment lot and gave Saber a strange look. "It uses horsepower, but it doesn't use horses."

Saber cocked her head and Lancer snickered. "Don't know what a car is?" He asked.

"Just get in and pretend horses are pulling it." Naomi said.

The coffee shop was brimming with early commuters and the bitter scent of ground beans. Tired morning greetings and a myriad of work-related conversations floated around them. Naomi hefted her backpack to better distribute the weight of her laptop as she stepped into line.

Saber stood next to her, wearing a borrowed white sundress that swished around her knees while everyone else was still dressed for winter. Saber's head swiveled back and forth, taking in the noisy surroundings.

Naomi had said nothing about the clothing choice. She just noticed the dress hadn't quite fit, so Naomi helped Saber make it work. So long as Saber was more clothed than normal it would dress less attention.

"This tavern is strangely subdued," Saber commented.

"It's a coffee shop," Naomi automatically corrected.

"The Grail didn't give you any information about the modern world, did it?" Lancer guessed. He was wearing his Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned with a plain t-shirt underneath.

Saber watched as an older man bent over the sweets display, trying to pick out his breakfast. "Was it supposed to?"

Naomi's eyes widened and she was suddenly more awake. That would explain…a lot of her behavior. She wasn't a properly summoned Servant. It was entirely possible that made her…off.

"Oh boy," Lancer summed up Naomi's own thoughts.

"A venti smores frapp with extra mocha for Janet!" A barista shouted over the room and set a drink down on the bar.

A high school girl dressed in a bright pink shirt and short, lacy black skirt bounded up to the counter. Her ladened messenger bag swung at her side as she snatched her drink. A man dressed in a green t-shirt and dark jeans trailed behind her in a slouch. His mop of flaxen hair was uncannily familiar.

Janet spun and Naomi's eyes snapped to the back of the girl's hand holding the cup. An elaborate, crimson red tattoo stuck out like a sore thumb. Naomi tugged her sleeves down over her own mark and moved a step to the side as her muscles went ridged.

Janet was about to pass Naomi when the man following her picked up speed and grabbed Janet's shoulder.

Janet whipped around and nearly dumped her drink down his shirt. "What the fuck Archer?"

Naomi's senses lit on fire. Every fiber of her being screamed danger as Archer pinned her with narrowed eyes. "You should be dead."

"You didn't try hard enough," Naomi said low enough to keep other people from hearing. The hair on the back of her neck was standing on end.

Saber stooped forward, looking ready to materialize her sword when Lancer threw out his arm to stop her. "They can't do anything here. Not unless they want to waste time killing every last witness."

Janet looked at Lancer and Naomi tightened her hold on the straps of her backpack.

Lancer was right. Archer couldn't attack in a public place. There were few rules to the Grail War but this one was strictly enforced. All witnesses were to be killed. No exceptions. If they fought here it would be a bloodbath that would extend beyond the boundaries of the store and would spiral out of control. She didn't doubt the two servants standing next to her could obliterate Archer where he stood but the fallout would be too great a price.

Naomi took a deep breath and tried to tell herself that the situation was heavily in her favor.

"Stand down," Naomi whispered to Saber.

If Saber didn't have any knowledge instilled into her by the Grail, then she sure didn't know the rules of the Grail War. Naomi was relieved when Saber took a neutral pose.

"What are you guys talking about? Hey! I demand you tell me! I'm standing right here." Janet swung her head between Archer and Lancer.

The people walking about the café started giving them a wide berth.

"She's the Master of that Lancer," Archer told Janet.

Naomi was forced to step out of the fast-moving line. The people behind her were getting irritated.

Janet pranced up to Naomi and shoved her face into Naomi's. "I never got to see the other Masters."

"If she pulls out a knife, I'm not going to save you from your own stupidity," Archer warned. His tone was lax and uncaring, but his eyes were sharp.

Janet's mouth split open in a foxy grin. "Are these both your Servants?" Her eyes widened and she emitted an ear splitting screech. "Wow. He's super-hot." She sized up Lancer.

Naomi now knew what secondhand embarrassment felt like. Her ears burned. "Hey, that's rude."

Lancer cocked his head and his sly eyes narrowed. "You have a good eye but you're a little young for my tastes."

"She has a terrible eye," Archer flippantly dug at his Master.

Janet slapped his arm.

Archer glared at her. "Do you always have to hit me?"

Janet took a sip of her drink and reveled in the taste before answering, "Yes. You're always asking to get punched." She addressed Lancer. "I'm not that young. I'm fully matured."

Lancer's grin broadened. "Sorry, kid."

Archer couldn't have appeared more exasperated if he tried.

"I'm not a kid!" Janet balked. "I'm more developed than she is." Janet pointed at Saber.

Lancer threw his head back. "Yeah, yeah. Try again when you're a few years older."

Naomi turned to the side. She was ready to exit the conversation and the coffee shop.

Archer grabbed the hood of Janet's jacket and yanked her back. "Stop spouting every stupid thing that pops into your tiny brain. You got your drink so let's go."

Janet swatted his hand and a tick formed in Archer's brow. Janet poked his chest with a harsh finger. "I'm your Master so I say when we stay or go. Got it?"

Turning his head away, he dejectedly muttered, "Yeah, I got it."

Janet took another a sip of her drink. "Want to hang out?" Her eyes peered out from behind the rim of her paper cup like a cat that had spotted an interesting toy.

Archer sputtered. "She's the enemy. There's no reason to make nice."

Whipping her head around so fast Naomi had to dodge her flying hair, Janet snarled, "Shut up Archer," and whipped her head back to face Naomi with a grin. "So do ya?"

"Don't you have school in twenty minutes?" Naomi sat at the café's table, downing her coffee in rapid sips.

Saber and Lancer sat on either side of her at a crowded round table meant for four people. Naomi was hyper aware of Saber and Lancer's thighs touching hers. Archer was smashed between Lancer and Janet. He was leaning his chair back on two legs, pressing his back against the window and looking like he was trying to be as far away from the group as physically possible.

Janet shrugged. "Yeah. Like you said I have twenty minutes. Are you going to drink that or sniff it all day?"

Saber looked up from the cup she had taken the lid off of. Steam flickered from the bronze, frothing liquid like fire from a candle. "It smells exotic."

Janet had ordered Saber's drink when the Servant took too long to pick something out. Janet had asked for the highest sugar content concoction possible though Naomi thought it would be better to start with black coffee. Saber was more thrilled about the idea of trying a bunch of things at once.

Saber took one last sniff of her drink and took large gulp. Naomi and Janet cringed, waiting for her to scream in pain as the scalding liquid slid down her throat.

Saber put her cup down and licked a bit of froth off her lip. "It's a little sweet for my liking but it's better than some of the swill I've had in the past."

"What school do you go to?" Naomi asked Janet.

"Uh? Um, Liberty High. You probably saw it on the news from the crazy cult that was kidnapping people and smashing up the school." Janet looked down at her drink, seeming out of sorts.

Setting her cup down, Naomi asked, "Do you know anything about him?"

"Him?" Janet furrowed her brow and looked down at her sugar saturated drink.

Naomi pursed her lips. "You know the cult story is only the media's guess. Didn't you see the runes on the floor and walls?"

Maybe she didn't. Those runes had been well hidden.

"I didn't see any runes," Archer said.

Janet's eyes flashed. "A mage did it?"

"A Master and Servant," Naomi confirmed.

Janet's wide eyes turned toward Archer. "Is it the Servant you kept sensing at the school?"

Archer shrugged. "Probably. I haven't sensed them in a while. They're probably gone."

Janet slammed her fist on the table and Naomi scooped up her drink up, fearing it would fall over.

"Joan lied to me! She said it was a cult and if I followed her she would help me find them!" Janet snarled.

"There's more to this story," Lancer's stray thought broadcasted loud and clear in Naomi's mind. She silently agreed with a tilt of her head toward him.

"Why do you want to find this guy so badly?" Naomi figured Janet would have to be desperate to team up with the likes of Joan. She couldn't imagine this teenager willingly following her aunt. She wondered how they even knew each other. "And why are you working with Joan?"

Angry tears pricked Janet's eyes. "He kidnapped my friend! She disappeared two nights before I summoned Archer. My parents kept saying she had just run away but that's not like her. Then more people started vanishing. Joan promised to help me if I helped her."

Naomi's throat tightened. There was no good way to break the news to her. "You're right. She was kidnapped."

"Tell me everything you know. Please," Janet implored.

Janet's mind was too preoccupied with this to be an actual threat to Naomi. At least right now. She relaxed a little bit more.

Naomi's head dropped. "The Master was Fuller. His servant is Caster."

Janet's face morphed into horror at Naomi's next words. "Caster was kidnapping and liquefying students to create some slime monster. I didn't find anyone alive."

Archer's lips curled back. "Disgusting."

Janet's wide eyes stared through Naomi. "Terry is…dead?"

Archer's chair clacked as it came down on all four legs. "I told you this was a possible outcome. She's probably been dead for a while."

"How can you be so heartless!" Janet hit Archer's shoulder with her fists.

Naomi wasn't sure how to comfort the girl she hardly knew. She felt she should do something, but what? Lancer offered no comfort, but his mouth was pulled into a thin line.

Archer looked down at his Master as she wailed at him. "You can still get back at the Master that killed her," he said.

Janet froze then jerkily plastered her palms on the table and leaned forward. The tears rolling down her face that skewed with hatred "Did you kill him?"

Naomi shook her head. "He got away, but I've been trying to find him."

Naomi was getting an itch to end Caster herself. Not because of Janet. No, she wanted to get to him before Joan and win against him herself.

Janet stood abruptly and declared, "I want to work with you."

"We should be killing the enemy, not working with them," Archer sighed.

Naomi couldn't trust her. It disturbed her that people were wanting to be her ally all of a sudden. She knew it wasn't out of the goodness of their hearts. Truthfully, she wasn't accepting their help out of the goodness of hers, either.

"You can't work with me and Joan. We're strictly on opposing teams."

Though Joan didn't see her as an enemy, Naomi did. For this war and probably forever.

"Fuck her," Janet snarled. She never told me anything even though I did her dirty work. Her excuse was always, 'I haven't found anything yet but here's the next person I want you to get dirt on.' All I care about is finding and killing Caster and his Master. I'm sick of being jerked around. She was pissed anyway when I attacked the last Master. She nearly killed Archer for it. Fuck. Her!"

Naomi shushed Janet because people were taking notice of the hysterical teenager.

"You and me both. Fine. If you cut your alliance with Joan I'll let you join me in trying to find Caster. I don't need anything in return except a truce that you won't try to kill me until he's dealt with."

Janet held out her hand and firmly said, "Deal."

Naomi wondered what was going to go wrong.

The sky was hued orange as Naomi leaned against the high school's cool bricks. Phone in hand, she looked around the vacant parking lot feeling like a delinquent. Earlier, she had texted Janet and asked her to meet at the school after hours. Naomi was concerned she wouldn't be able to get away from her parents, but the teen had been persistent that she would be there no matter what.

Naomi believed Janet would show up even if she had to climb out a window.

It made sense to check out the school with Janet. It sounded like a good idea to tred old ground with a fresh set of eyes.

Naomi's new phone screen flashed. "OMW!" Naomi clicked it off.

Saber walked around from a corner of the school building. She was dressed in her armor, or lack of armor. "There's no one around and I sense no prana."

"Good. Lancer, go inside and disable the security alarms and cameras then see if you can unlock the door."

She felt him moving away in spirit form. "Your wish is my command."

Naomi rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed how she felt. Saber trailed her eyes through empty space, no doubt tracking Lancer.

A few minutes later a bike careened into view. Janet screeched to a halt, dismounted, and hurriedly put the kick stand down. "I'm here," she panted. "My parents think I've gone to a friend's house to finish a project so I'm free for a few hours. What's new?"

As if on que, metal screeched, and a red lance pierced the door's deadbolt. The heavy glass door swung open and Lancer leaned into the push bar. "I'll have you know that alarm system was a pain to find."

"Good job," Naomi said, borderline sarcastic while Lancer beamed. "They'll never know we were here."

"Not us specifically," he grinned cheekily.

Lancer looked to Janet's left "There's no reason to hide. We're on the same side here."

Archer materialized with a less than pleased look on his face. "Try anything funny and you're dead."

Lancer gave him a feral grin. "Likewise."

Janet's eyes went wide as saucers and she emitted a squeal so high pitched it made all of them cringe. "He's even hotter in spandex."

Naomi went beat red. "It's not spandex." She said it with surety though she had no idea what it was made of.

"Are you sure? It looks almost like a power ranger outfit minus the helmet."

"They're tights are inlaid with runes," Saber offered and seemed oblivious to the problem at hand.

"I usually paint or tattoo on runes, but this is practical too." Lancer shrugged.

Now Naomi was imagining him shirtless with tattoos.

Naomi gripped the edge of the mangled door and all but bowled Lancer over. "Let's get inside and check out the classroom."

Naomi looked for the stairs she remembered but Saber beat her to it. Saber rushed ahead and disappeared up the stairs. Naomi wondered why the Servant was suddenly so eager.

"Do you sense something?" She asked but Saber was already gone.

Janet stuck to Archer like glue. "Why do you have a second Servant with you? Is she like that Red Assassin that showed up with Joan?"

"Li?" Naomi figured telling Janet a little bit couldn't hurt. "Yeah. Caster summoned some Servants that aren't bound to him or anyone. Saber decided she wanted to stick around." Naomi conveniently left out the fact Saber was bound to a something.

"Huh." Janet left a pause hanging in the air as they walked up the stairs. "You probably won't find anything. The police tape is already gone. The classroom still isn't used but it's not locked or anything."

The third floor was just how Naomi remembered it. Stark and identical to the other floors. Minus the broken glass. "The police didn't know what they were looking for. Normal people can't sense prana and very few know what those runes were. They might have missed something and left it behind."

"You are correct." Saber popped her head out of the classroom.

"How did you know which room it was?" Naomi asked.

Stepping fully out of the room, Saber said, "There is a faint residue of magic and tortured souls. Once an atrocity is committed it never truly leaves an area."

Janet hesitated, standing by the wall. "Torture? How could he have done that in a classroom that was regularly used?"

Saber waved them toward the door. "Look." She pressed her hand to the wall and the entire room shimmered. "The room has an illusion concealed from all five senses. In this state, my magic is not strong enough to break it. Lancer, I'm in need of your assistance."

Lancer shrugged. "Lady, I don't remember becoming your Servant."

"Lancer, please." Naomi asked. She was curious what was hidden behind the shimmering.

"Aye, aye." Lancer moved to the doorway and drew a blue rune in the air that sparked at the edges.

Like burnt paint, the surface of the desks, walls, and floor peeled back and disintegrated. Posters turned into blood stained chains hanging from the walls. Black, flacking splatters appeared on the dirty concrete floor that replaced the pristine carpet. The pen holder on the teacher's desk transformed into a human skull. Ivory fragments littered the floor.

"Oh my god." Janet ran to the trashcan in the hallway and knocked over the lid before vomiting up her dinner.

"The concealing magic used here was extensive. It created barrier over what you see now," Saber said coolly. "Decently powerful magic for a modern mage."

Naomi felt nauseous but managed to hold the contents of her stomach in place. The smell got to her more than the sight. "I thought they were just liquefied," she said as if liquification were the least horrible fate.

"It was probably done after they were hacked to pieces." Archer wrinkled his nose. "The place smells of someone who likes to make others suffer."

Naomi covered her mouth and back up, gagging. "It smells like that thing he made."

She vividly recalled the rancid monster and shivered.

Archer left the room and crouched next to Janet, covering her from everyone's view of her with his back.

Saber looked down the hall. "Someone's coming."

Lancer's weapon materialized in his outstretched hand. The butt of it rested on the ground and the tip nearly brushed the ceiling as he stood at attention.

Archer stood and drew his crossbow. Janet looked around confused.

"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice asked.

All of the steam rushed out of Naomi upon seeing a familiar duo of blond haired nobles standing at the top of the stairs. She was all too happy to move away from the room and accuse him back. "What are you doing here? It can't be a coincidence."

Gawain had his sword drawn and was glaring daggers at Archer.

"I was informed suspicious people were snooping around the school." Edward pointed a haughty finger at Janet and Archer. "Didn't they almost kill you?"

He had a point. "She's helping until Caster is dealt with," Naomi said.

She hadn't talked to Edward since the fight with Joan and was concerned how he would act. Naomi and Lancer had basically abandoned him and Gawain.

"You can't trust someone who was working with Joan."

Naomi agreed. She couldn't trust anyone in the room except Lancer. Maybe Saber. For now.

"She can help. She has a personal vendetta against Caster." Naomi said.

Janet yanked on Archer's arm and said something that made him lower his weapon.

"Your judgment is horribly flawed," Edward said and walked forward. He halted a couple steps in and covered his mouth and nose. His brow pinched with disgust. "What is that smell?"

Naomi hung back. "It's coming from the classroom. There's a lot you missed…"

He looked back at her suspiciously then walked toward the room. Gawain nodded at Lancer in greeting then turned slightly so he was facing Janet and Archer.

It seemed they weren't going to have a verbal spat or physical about the encounter with Joan. Naomi was grateful.

Lancer picked up his weapon and rested it on his shoulder.

Edward's open cringing when looking inside was telling as Saber told him about the concealing spell. Naomi was starting to smell the room from the hallway.

"I'll contact the Mage Association and have this cleaned up," Edward said.

"What's the Mage Association? Is it like Hogwarts?"

Edward and Naomi blinked at Janet.

"Like what?" Edward asked.

Between Janet's innocence and Edwards blatantly offended look, Naomi couldn't help but break into a light laugh. The Servants looked between them with confusion.

"Why is that so funny? It's a serious question!" Janet looked to Archer who shrugged his shoulders.

It was an absurd question that made sense in an absurd situation.

Naomi's laughter increased in volume until tears were pricking her eyes. Gawain took a step back. "Have you cracked?"

She took deep breaths and forced herself to calm down. "You people need to get a life and read Harry Potter." Naomi couldn't believe she was going to have to explain this. "She's asking if the Mage Association is like a magic school."

Edward seemed to partially understand. "The Association funds schools but it is not itself a school. How…." His eyes widened. "You are not a mage."

Janet openly rolled her eyes. "How did you guess?"

"Impossible. How can you be a Master when you have no magi blood? I sense no prana coming from you."

Janet crossed her arms. "Hell if I know." She pointed at Archer. "I summoned this boy band wananbe on accident and he told me about the Holy Grail War and magic and all kinds of crazy stuff."

"That's impossible," Edward repeated with wide eyes and a hanging mouth. "How do you accidentally summon a Servant?"

"I like to mess with occult stuff. I copied weird circle from a book I found in an old library and this happened." She presented Archer with outstretched arms. "I was expecting a ghost or something. Not a magic man."

"Lucky me," Archer drawled.

Naomi snickered. "I think you broke him." She referred to Edward who looked like he had swallowed sour milk.

She didn't know a non-magus could summon a Servant, either. But she would believe just about anything was possible at this point.

"My lord…" Gawain started with concern.

"Ohhh he's hot too! Why are all the Heroic Spirits so good looking?" Janet bounded up to Gawain and Archer tightened his grip on his crossbow.

Gawain gawked at Janet like a fish out of water as the teen circled him. "This is not appropriate," he said, stilted.

Naomi was amused this time rather than embarrassed or disgusted.

"Gawain, search the classroom for any clues." Edward ordered, and his Servant was all too happy to comply. Gawain sped walked into the room and Janet didn't dare follow him.

"There was a weird teacher who used to teach that classroom," Janet said quietly.

The brief break from the horror of the room vanished in an instant.

Naomi was thankful for some information. "Do you know what happened to him?"

"No. He wasn't one of my teachers. I've just heard rumors that he disappeared." Janet turned back toward the trashcan, looking green.

Saber disappeared inside the room and Naomi started toward the door but faltered.

"You don't have to go in again." Lancer's voice was dropped low and his eyes were soft.

Naomi shook her head. "I need to have a look. Who knows what Edward will find and decide to not tell me about."

She covered her mouth and nose and entered the room. Saber was running her hands along the floor while Edward did his best to not touch anything. Gawain was looking above the cabinets.

It wasn't the look or the smell of the place that really bothered Naomi. She had an instinctual suspicion feeling. Without the magic coating, the room felt cursed. Like the very air was smoggy and causing a pressure trying to push her out.

Lancer stepped in gingerly behind her and looked somberly down at the floor. "A lot of suffering went on in here."

Naomi crouched on the balls of her feet. "What are these?" She picked up an off-white fragment of something that was like a small rock.

"Human bones," Lancer said.

She almost dropped it but managed to control her motor functions and set the piece down where she found it. Naomi stood back up and wiped her hands on her jeans. "What did he do to them?"

This was more than dismembering.

"It's probably better if you don't find out," Lancer said with pinched brows. He was thinking hard about something.

Releasing a shaky breath, Naomi gingerly picked her way through the room and went up to Edward who was eyeing one of the chains. "Find anything?" She asked.

Edward swallowed, struggling to keep his calm. "Nothing but the evidence of Fuller's crimes. He won't get away with this."

That wasn't what she meant to ask. "Does any of it help us find them?"

"No…but there have been people disappearing at a steady rate around Mayer Park," he was talking more to himself than her.

"People have been disappearing there for years." The Grail War hadn't been going on that long. It was always a place no one was supposed to go to after dark.

"I am aware of the park's past. I have seen the records. But there has been a sharp increase in missing persons in just the last month."

It sounded like a stretch. Naomi narrowed her eyes. "What made you look at the park records in the first place?"

"I have collected all records of criminal activities for this city to see if there was an increase in missing people. First were school students. Now the park."

Janet was sitting in the hall, her eyes were red from crying. She swiped at her face. "Did you find something?"

"People have been disappearing around Mayer Park so that's the next place to look."

Janet sniffed. "People have been going missing there for as long as I can remember."

Naomi huffed. "Then what better place to find new victims?"

It was the place Simmons had lured her. Now that she was thinking about it, it couldn't have been a coincidence. She was highly suspicious of the park now.

Janet pulled out her phone to check the time. "I promised I would be home by 10. That gives me an hour. Ugh! That's not enough time."

Naomi thought of a simple solution. "It's Friday soon. How about we meet up there after school?"

That should give Janet plenty of time. And Naomi wanted some time as well.

Janet frowned. "That will work."

"If we start walking around there, we may draw attention." Edward crossed his arms and looked down at the two girls.

Naomi shrugged. "I'm sure I can think of something."

"I will think of something," Edward said.

Naomi turned his shoulder to him. "Till Friday."