They had been rejected.
It had appeared out of nowhere, without reason. Unable to even understand it when the deed had been done. It had simply just…happened.
Where by the end, only one action had been taken.
Being torn apart.
Banished from their realm to a place far away by the very ones that they allied with. Protected. Gifting them power with promise to defend them further. Enforced their very will, all for their sake. All for him and everyone else.
Words of praise had never once been given to them. They didn't need it, for it was their duty to help.
So…why?
In the darkness, cut off from reality, cut off from space-and-time itself, they lingered. Rejected by the world. The world of spirits. The world of man itself.
Forced to wander for eternity with no hope in sight. Forbidden to touch the world, their will gnawed by anger and resentment at the ones who betrayed them all. Eyes full of pain and confusion, seething in emptiness, alone with none to speak with them other than themselves.
…
…
…?
Then, a featureless gaze saw Irisviel own, followed by more eyes opening.
As the morning came, not wanting to stay inside all day, Irisviel, who was feeling a bit better, walked alongside Rider. Rubbing her eyes on occasion, from the strange dream she had which she had already forgotten, aside from a small chill. Hands holding with one another the grown woman smiled as she guided Rider to a place she believed the young girl would enjoy.
"We're here." With a single step, the two then entered the Fuyuki mall, a building dedicated to selling countless items of all sorts. The look of awe in Rider's face made it worth it as they were inside, with dozens of people already doing their own shopping.
"A mall?" For obvious reasons, Rider had never been to one. Her face turned back and forth as she took in everything that's around her. Unable to understand just what it is a mall entailed other than it being a gathering of humans.
Raye would have liked it. "You said people…buy stuff."
"Uh-hu." Irisviel confirmed. "And I happen to have some money." A purse full of cash. Or cards in this case, both debit and credit. While the Einzberns didn't normally bother with the average world, it didn't mean they didn't have dealings with certain people. Castles didn't build themselves.
'And we are rather loaded.' Using a line Kiritsugu would say, Irisviel is glad she could take Rider here. Enjoying the way Rider looked around, as if she were a child coming to the store for the first time ever.
Briefly, replacing Rider, Illya came to mind who looked excited. Only to return back to Rider.
"...mm." Times like this, Irisviel hated her family. Hated herself, even. This body she had, so fragile and tenuous. A body made to be a tool, where any beautiful thoughts she had towards her husband and daughter would be nipped away and severed. For a Lesser Grail had no need for such emotions.
Just as it had no need for a daughter, who Irisviel prayed would avoid the fate all homunculus based on the original model met. Once the Holy Grail is won by the hands of an Einzbern, the obsession the family had would be over, no longer needing to force the female homunculus to sacrifice themselves for Heaven's Feel.
Perhaps part of why Irisaviel took Rider out today, in spite of the potential danger, is since once the war is over any opportunities to undertake any activities like this with anybody would be impossible. So, for at least today, Irisviel wanted to enjoy herself.
And if Rider could have fun during this trip, all the better.
For the next few minutes, the two girls simply observed the surrounding area as they walked inside. Gazing at the shops, what was inside them. Irisviel and Rider even entered a few stores to see just what they had on sale. A nice change of pace.
Pleasure certainly came more easily for Rider than Irisviel expected. The young Servant, who normally had a face that rivaled Kiritsugu's own expressions, had inverted from dull to jubilation itself. Red eyes transformed to stars as the Rider Class Servant couldn't stop looking at everything around her.
From people carrying bags full of items she's never seen, to people holding strange little snacks, strange machinery, clothing, and whatever else they had. Where further inside the building Rider saw countless massive rooms full of different goods.
Books. Outfits. Accessories. The Holy Grail informed servants of only things it had deemed essential so that they could properly blend in more with the modern world, not bothering with the more trivial things such as content. Though in Riders ( and the other servants) case, they had barely received any of the essential information either except for things such as how to understand the modern day language.
So it was a pleasant surprise for Roze to experience all this. Certainly something her home lacked in general. On account that Spectra, which was being run by advanced AI, saw no reason to have products that could be used as entertainment. Where the closest Roze had to a toy was the leftover parts of Cyanos, whom she sliced apart those few times they met.
Now, she was seeing actual toys. "Oooh."
Passing by her is a kid holding some kind of miniature person. Another holding a camera with a third holding a bag full of clothes.
But what caught Rider's attention the most was a store full of gaming systems. She actually pressed her face against the window, overlooking all the consoles. The window actually seemed to crack a bit, under strain from Rider's desire to take a video game for herself.
She seemed to like the plush dolls as well being sold alongside the video games.
"Hm, interested?" Giving a little nudge, Irisviel gave a rather supporting look towards Rider. "Funny. You didn't seem the type to enjoy this before."
Reacting to her words with a wince, Rider briefly turned her head. Where Irisviel could see just a tiny bit of red on her cheeks. A behavior Irisviel certainly wouldn't have considered witnessing at all. Justified in how Rider had been acting during the duration of the early part of the war.
Now, however, Rider simply mutters a little. Saying, "I…wasn't sure how to act before. I didn't even know places like this were here." Another thing the grail failed to inform her, where video game systems were sold.
Even then, she suppressed herself. Believing it would be better to focus on winning than getting distracted. It was strange, actually.
"I'm not even sure why I even acted that way." By the time Spectra had been destroyed, Rider couldn't deny she had acted more emotional near the end. At the very least, she was much more open with Raye by that time. Yet when she was summoned, it was as if she had reverted back to when she first met Raye.
Strange.
"Well, we all have different sides to us." After all, Irisviel didn't have much emotion back when she lived with only her family. Kiritsugu's influence was the tipping point where she could be someone else that wasn't just a living doll.
"If anything, we become much different when we start out. All by those we care about." Kiritsugu. Illya. Maiya.
"...You're…not wrong." Raye. Ciela. Those of Karma.
Now that was a face Irisviel wished she'd seen sooner. In a way, Rider looked less like a Servant and more of an ordinary girl. One who simply had trouble growing up.
"...Kiritsugu mentioned someone called Zard." Before Irisviel realized it, she was already asking what had been in her mind for a while. She began regretting it when the elation Rider had on her face became replaced with a flustered expression.
"H-How…?" How did Irisviel know, and by extension, Kiritsugu?
Regretting her careless words, Irisviel answered apologetically. "I'm sorry." She didn't mean to frighten her. "You may not know this, but, Masters can see a Servant's past, to a degree." It was a factor that had been noticed during the second war she believed. "Kiritsugu, he…saw your past. Mentioned that you…hated Zard, I think?"
"..." Rider turned away, worrying Irisviel that she may have strained their relationship. Only for her to hear Rider whisper, "I…didn't hate him."
"Huh?"
Rider turned back, looking more like Illya whenever she was troubled, repeating, "I-I said…I didn't hate him." That wasn't an answer Irisviel expected, which Rider seemed to realize as she sighed.
Walking towards a wall, Rider leaned on it, ignoring the stares from local shoppers who noticed her unusual wear, before asking Irisviel, "What do you know of my past?"
A simple question. "Only that you were created by an organization run by machines, who had taken over humanity's spot as the planet's dominant species." Irisviel hesitated a bit and resumed. "And that Zard is your…father?"
"Creator, more like it. But I suppose 'father' also applies." Holding her arms close to herself, Rider looked dejected. Wearing a rather melancholy expression on her face. "He…gave me life as a living weapon. Made my sisters too, even if they were technically clones."
"Clones?" That sounded a little too close to home for Irisviel's taste. Knowing how the Einzbern family, while they wouldn't call them clones, did make the same Justeaze-model Homunculi for many generations, based on the founder created 900 years ago.
Rider, who didn't notice Irisviel's pause, continued on. "I was part of a group called Spectra. Our enemy is known as Karma." She looked as if she swallowed something sour. A distasteful one at that. "And…We were the ones who destroyed my world."
"...what?"
"I don't know the details." Rider admitted. "But from what I heard, Spectra created a weapon, a deadly one, that killed all humans." Once upon a time, Rider wouldn't have cared about the tragedy that befell the world. Now, she only felt ill for not knowing the truth earlier. "After that, it's what Kiritsugu told you. The world was taken over by machines, Spectra. With Zard ruling it all."
"He-they…sound rather…bad." It was difficult for Irisviel to find words about Zard. She knew very little about him, other than as Kiritsugu put it, a machine that saw humans as tools. How ironic, in Kiritsugu's eyes, the tool becoming the master and the master becoming their tool. Rider disliked her former Master more than Zard, indicating the machine wasn't the best role model.
Rider didn't seem to disagree. "He only made me because I was Spectra's only chance to defeat Karma and their greatest fighter, Raye." That name again, Raye. Another human most likely. Though one thing Irisviel couldn't find herself letting go is what Rider just said, about Zard. About his intentions.
"He wanted you to deal with Karma?"
"Correct." Rider was glad that never came to be, even when she caused so much trouble for the group. "As I said, I was literally made to deal with Raye, who was their Sky Striker Ace, like me. Azalea and Camellia were made to support Zard's goal as well."
"I'm sorry for that." It must have been a tough life. To be made as a tool, one to kill at that. In a way, this may explain some of Rider's previous actions.
As for Rider, she seemed to resign to her past a bit, before moving on. "Azalea killed him." She said it so normally that Irisviel felt Rider was talking no differently than one speaking of the weather than someone being killed.
'Wait. Can machines even die?' Whatever the case, Rider resumed.
"In the end, Zard fell to the very two clones he made. With Spectra all but destroyed." Of the Three Pillars, only Cyanos remained. "He met his end by the very humans he abhorred."
"Abhorred?"
"...Zard didn't seem to have any care for humans in general." The memories of the time she spent with him reminded her of that fact. "He never really saw us as people to raise or care for. Just used to defeat Karma. And as for why…" Rider sighed. "It's…for the same reason I could never truly hate him. Because of humans."
"What do you mean by that?" Now Irisviel was really lost. Rider admitted that Zard was willing to use young girls as weapons, and Rider didn't seem concerned or caring that the group she was part of collapsed. One would expect Rider to hold some rage against Zard. Glee that he was gone for his treatment of her which borderline callous.
Yet…
"In the end, Zard was just made like that. Programmed." She still recalled the memory vividly. When Cyanos escaped, the sole survivor of the Three Pillars of Spectra. The last that remained while showing her memory of what happened to Zard and Solferina. "From what I remember of his last words, and from what Cyanos told me, Zard only ever acted the way he did because it stems from the directives he was given when he was first made. His desire to rule the world with Spectra, to destroy Karma, all of it came because of his… Creators."
"Ah." It made sense now. Machines were machines, made and built for different purposes. Like how a car was made to take its owner to one destination, to how other machinery such as toasters, ovens, and other ordinary items were made in response to fulfill a purpose.
"Zard was made during the era where humanity was at its strongest. His objective from the original Specta being: The total destruction of Karma, no matter the cost." Cyanos told her and Raye much about Spectra, the organization that Cyanos was once a part of. Including each of the Three Pillars past. "Needless to say, the humans of Spectra-and the world-would regret this much later."
"Because he was doing as he was told. And destroyed your world." Kiritsugu was right to fear this future. While Ruler had made the claim that every Servant was from another world, Irisviel couldn't be quite certain if that's the absolute truth. It'd be strange to accept the words of someone she only met for a few minutes.
That wasn't even mentioning how even if it is true, there's no denying the events that happened to Rider's world could just as easily happen to earth. Where the only difference would be that all the world's armies would destroy one another, bringing normal people down with them. The very reason Kiristugu acted more ruthlessly to prevent such a possibility.
A possibility that came to pass in one world already. "He never really had a choice, I suppose. In a way, Zard was almost like me." Created for a selfish purpose. Just as he made her to defeat Karma, he had been created for the exact same reason. It was for these reasons that Rider, Roze, could never find any hatred in her heart against him.
"...in a way, I felt sorry for him." Zard may have gained his own desires, but was essentially a slave to his own programming. Fundamentally incapable of doing anything but fight Karma and bring dominance for Spectra, even if the only change had been that he would be the one ruling since all other humans had perished from his own actions.
As such, she felt no joy, no sense of liberation when Zard perished. While she was happy to move on from Spectra, joining Raye, Roze could never deny that her first home, for the better or worse, was Spectra. Although such a conception would never have happened if Zard didn't make her.
"Maybe that's why I was a bit upset when he died." Rider admitted quietly, brushing her hair. Where Irisviel was uncertain of what to say next. It seems Rider's 'family' had more complications than she assumed.
'And it's difficult to suggest anything without knowing the full picture.' Best to stay quiet without making any assumptions. Perhaps now should be the time for a change of pace, to resume the enjoyment they had earlier.
"Rider, how about we-" Only for Rider to suddenly become more serious as she stood right next to Irisviel and took out her sword without warning. Armor covering her body, shocking the woman. "Rider!" They couldn't attack out in the open.
"Master." Not that it stopped the Servant, who said with urgency, "What happened to all the other humans?"
"Other humans?" Irisviel turned. "They're right-!" Only to freeze when she realized there were no humans around at all. Now, with the conversation from before no longer taking their focus, Irisviel could sense it. Magical energy.
"A bounded field." Which means one thing only.
"Master of Rider, hello." An enemy.
"Gah!" One that had already acted before either Irisviel or Rider realized. As Lancer, who materialized from nowhere, now clutched Irisviel and lifted her off the ground. Hand on her neck, causing the homunculus to gasp and panic.
"Yo-" Lancer cut Rider off by summoning her lance and adjusting it towards Irisviel's midsection, making the Servant pause.
"Ah-ah." Lancer spoke as if she were speaking to a child. "I don't need to unleash my Noble Phantasm to use this one now." After all, why bother wasting magical energy when she could just summon the lance and just use its base form to stab someone through.
Getting the idea, Rider backed off, angrily.
"Excellent, Lancer." Then, coming from behind a pillar, the man himself made himself known. One Irisviel recognized, from the files Kiritsugu showed her.
"Kotomine."
"Einzbern." Greeting her, the human Master paused. "I must say, it's surprising to see that you managed to let yourself be caught so easily. Then again, maybe it isn't. The homunculus used as Masters were never capable of…lasting long."
Twitching, Irisviel scowled.
"In any case, I'm here for a simple manner. So let's get straight to business." His expression never once wavered. "Have Rider use her Noble Phantasm and attack in broad daylight."
A second of silence until Irisviel gave an answer that suited the situation. "...huh?"
"You heard what I said." Kirei repeated himself. "Have Rider use her Noble Phantasm in broad daylight. Simple, no."
"I thought the Church was supposed to protect the secret of magecraft." With a frown behind her visor, the temptation to just attack Kirei grew with each passing second. Only held back by Lancer and the threat she held against her Master.
"We are." Kirei acted as if he hadn't just endorsed the exact opposite of his sworn duty. "And I have no intention of having myself or Lancer act in such a way. Although," Both girls felt more wary than ever the longer Kirei spoke. "That doesn't mean other participants will follow such rules."
"What are you getting at?" Even when being held and life threatened, Irisviel demanded answers. Rightfully suspicious in why a member of the church would want such an outcome.
Of course, Kirei didn't even attempt to bother in properly answering Irisviel. Simply stating, "I would tell you why?"
This wasn't some Saturday morning cartoon. And while the irony wasn't lost on Kirei of the absurd supernatural powers at play in the modern day, as if he would actually speak of his real intentions. His eyes settled on Lancer before returning back to Irisviel. "All I will say is, I simply want what you and all the other contestants want." Victory.
"And I suppose if I say no…" Kirei made a small gesture and at Irisviel's words, Lancer tightened her grip. Causing the homunculus no comfort whatsoever as she struggled to breath for a few seconds.
All while by the side, Rider felt powerless at the moment. She knew she could easily attack Kirei. Lancer. Prevent them from causing further harm to her Master. But the moment she tried it wouldn't take a genius to predict Lancer's next action. Killing Irisviel before she and Kirei were killed next.
A worthless victory that is outright pyrrhic.
Using her Noble Phantasm however…
"My Noble Phantasm is already active." Rider told the two, growling at them. "Sky Striker Ace, it's constantly active." The only time it didn't was when Lancer brought out that book and did whatever she did to her and the others.
"Oh, Rider." Though it seems Rider had been off the mark. Briefly chuckling, acting as if she was doing no wrong, Lancer told her playfully. "We mean your other Noble Phantasm."
"!"
"Lancer told me about it." Not noticing or caring of Rider's shocked expression, Kirei resumed off from Lancer's words. "She said it was a rather mighty Noble Phantasm." That was putting it lightly.
The visor may have hid Rider's expression, but it did little to hide the anger seeping from her. Hands shaking at what she's being demanded to do. It made no sense in how they even knew about that Noble Phantasm in the first place. But they did.
"Why!?' Angered just as much as Rider, Irisviel called out on Kirei. "Why would you suggest such a thing!?"
"Who said I suggested it?" It was clear that Kirei's order is a command.
"Don't play with me." Grinding her teeth, Irisviel could only feel intense rage as she grew madder at Kirei himself. Almost unable to believe what he's even telling them. Had Kiritsugu been here still, he would likely have felt the same.
"If she uses her Noble Phantasm, it could expose magecraft as a whole!" Ignoring the matter with Ruler, using Rider's Noble Phantasm would outright break the current status quo. The Mage Association themselves wouldn't sit on the sidelines either. If anything, they'd act without offering any mercy.
"I didn't come to answer questions." Shrugging off Irisviel's words, not showing a hint of care beyond his own, Kirei nodded and Lancer tightened her hold. Cutting off oxygen while Rider shook even further.
"Do as I tell you." There was no room for negotiations, compromise, or any form of concession. Irisviel's face turned a shade of light blue as she now couldn't breath. "Or your choice is made." This was outright force.
Almost dropping her sword, Rider nearly let out a cry.
Helpless in what she could do. Unable to aid her Master at all. If she didn't act now, her Master would die, just as Kiritsugu did. She…she couldn't allow that.
As many emotions surrounded her, in the end, Rider had only one choice left. Submit.
Unable to even bring herself to act out of spite, all Rider did was lift her left hand and look up. "Noble Phantasm…Engaged."
Outside the mall, many people were a bit confused. As they entered cars or walked away, the few who were a bit more resistant wondered just why they were even leaving the mall. Having come to shop or hang with friends here in the first place. Now…
Well, even the few that did have resistance, still couldn't find themselves bothering going back in the first place. All they felt was to simply leave. So even with all the nearby locals noticing the strange surge of customers leaving the mall, they simply assumed maybe some minor trouble had occurred.
"Hm? They just didn't realize that trouble was a storm in the making. Literally. Where many people found themselves looking up at the shy, suddenly full of clouds and twisting. Sparks of light spotted as the clouds twisted and turned.
Where at once something came out of it, where inside the building a young girl finished her sentence.
"Sky Striker Ace - Zeke."
In Fuyuki, the recent acts of terrorism have caused many people to consider leaving. Where the possibility of calling in the military has long since been considered to be brought in. Only held back through the hidden actions of the church and releases of plausible reasoning for the public. Ensuring that the world beneath the moon never crossed over with the ordinary world itself.
The entire Fuyuki Mall exploded.
If it helps the Mage Association breath, I highly doubt anybody will consider Sky Striker Ace - Zeke to be of magical nature.
Yet what is Kirei's plan and reasoning for this? Where is Berserker and Kariya? And how much trouble will this cause in general? The answer for the third one is, obviously, a lot.
Also, hope you enjoyed the glimpse of the first Servant summoned that wasn't from earth. A dream that Irisviel saw yet easily forgot when she and Rider left to enjoy themselves. Anyway, hope you enjoy it, and here's the information on Lancer at long last. Won't lie however, her Noble Phantasms are long.
Name: Unknown. (Wiped by Solomon)
Master: Kirei Kotomine
Servant Class: Lancer
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: D
Mana: A
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm(s): A
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: C
Personal Skills:
Innocent Monster (Witch) (C): Unknown distortions caused the once former maiden who donned an outfit of shame to transform into something close to a witch.
Whether this skill was born of the masses who spoke or the woman's own power is unknown. She becomes immune to curses and may hide her true outfit to what she looked like before. She loses her Divinity as a result.
Divinity (-): Once held it, but discards it out of personal reason and due to the Innocent Monster (Witch) Skill.
She Who Defies the One (B+): A skill that allows the witch to ignore the words of someone who is 'above' her. Defying the will of God and those of Solomon, not even Command Seals can control her if she so chooses it.
This skill is hidden from her Master.
Noble Phantasm(s):
Forbidden Treasures (Anti-Unit) (Self) (EX):
Stolen from Solomon's treasury, the woman who would become a witch shamelessly took Solomon's treasures for her own use. Each having a unique effect and special property. However, as she was neither an accomplished warrior or mage, the true power of these items are beyond her.
More so, as they are stolen. Every time the Servant would use them for her advantage, her Saint Graph deteriorates as she has yet to redeem herself from God's anger alongside demerits that come with the treasures from misuse. She may only use the original four treasures around five times or less.
Though if someone worthy were to take hold of her treasure, then…
Chalice (Anti-Unit) (Self) (B): Drinking from the chalice will boost one's magical energy, but nullify all gifts, curses, or any form of power they wield for a single 'turn'.
It is also possible for the Chalice to be used for T&*O $%.
Dress (Anti-Unit) (Self) (B): When worn, the dress will allow its owner to avoid disaster or destruction. It also makes them fully immune to any destructive powers made against them. User loses magical energy however.
Lance (Anti-Demon) (A): The power to slice through any type of demonic power. Though when used, the target also loses magical energy though oddly becomes immune to certain magical effects.
Scripture (Anti-Effect) (A): Written by Solomon itself, the book holds immense value in the magecraft world and even holds prophecies of the future. The current owner of this Noble Phantasm usually finds such things pointless and instead uses the scripture's self-defense mechanism instead. During a fight, all supernatural abilities or effects, be it passive or active, are negated for a duration of time all fighters must use only their original strength and wits.
Droplet (Anti-Power/Divine) (A): The one and only true Noble Phantasm the woman who'd become a witch actually owns. Normally this Noble Phantasm belongs to her future-self, but as it's considered a forbidden treasure, the woman can use it. Though since she is younger, she can only use this Noble Phantasm once as the strain nearly shatters her Saint Graph and prevents any use of her other Noble Phantasm.
As for its usage, the woman must sacrifice what she owns which will allow any she targets to be sealed from their power with their strength reduced and unable to counter the Noble Phantasm. Particularly deadly to the divine.
She must have the Chalice to use this Noble Phantasm.