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Phantom Thief of Hearts- I have some pretty notable plans for Shiro in this story. As for Zelretch, I'm going the same route Fate/Strange Fake did, with a Fate timeline that incorporates elements from Tsukihime. I don't know if F/SF confirms Zelretch as a vampire, but in this story, that's what I decided to go with.
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Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or any Fate works, and they are the properties of their respective creators.
False Prologue III: Six-Hearted Revolver
Matou Estate, Fuyuki City
One Day Ago…
Shinji Matou would not be what one would consider a "good person", but perhaps that was to be expected. He had been raised to have all the pride of a high-ranking Magus, yet was born into a fallen clan whose magical power had withered. He had wanted to be the Matou's successor, yet he had been born a failure without a single magic circuit to his name.
For years, he grappled with this volatile mix of arrogance and inferiority, which caused him to be led astray. He abused Sakura, tried to kill his classmates with Medusa's Blood Fort Andromeda, and when Rider was slain, became an unwitting puppet of Kirei Kotomine— all for his own selfish desires. In the end, he almost lost his life to Gilgamesh's genocidal schemes, with only Rin Tohsaka's selflessness to thank for his survival. The Holy Grail War ultimately humbled Shinji. While he was still far from a good person, he had at least become somewhat tolerable. He had let go of his hostility with Shiro, and Sakura had come to forgive him for the years of abuse he had subjected her.
Now, Shinji lived the life of an ordinary person. After graduating from Homurahara, he started working at an Italian Restaurant not far from Fuyuki Station. Today though, Shinji once again had to dance to the tune of Magus life. For the first time in forever, the Matou family had a visitor. Although he was not a good judge of character, Shinji would confidently describe the man who sat across from his grandfather as unsettling.
The stranger was tall and pale, with long silver-blonde hair that was immaculately smooth. His attire was just as sharp– a solid gray suit and tie. At Zouken's demand, Shinji was hanging the man's matching trenchcoat and fedora on a nearby coat rack. What unsettled him most was the man's flat expression. It was emotionless to the point of being almost not human, even his voice had been dry and empty.
As Sakura served tea for Zouken and his guest, Jester Karture, Shinji settled for listening in on their conversation.
"So… Mr. Karture, was it? Why have you come to me today? I do not care for unnecessary pleasantries."
Taking a sip of his tea, Jester looked at the elderly head of the Matou family.
"I will not hide my intentions from you, Lord Zouken. I wish for the Matou's assistance in infiltrating a Grail War."
The words from Jester's mouth caused the entire atmosphere in the room to shift. As Zouken regarded the stranger with even more suspicion, Shinji and Sakura were shaken by his mentioning of the Holy Grail War. They had thought that cursed conflict had closed five years ago… what was there to infiltrate?
"The Grail War? I am afraid if you want my endorsement to represent the Matou, you are half a century early, Mr. Karture. The leylines will require at least fifty more years to accrue the necessary mana."
Jester put his cup down, unphased by Zouken's words, "I am aware of that, Lord Zouken. However, I do not speak of the Fuyuki Grail War."
Zouken paused and leaned slightly forward, "Elaborate."
"It would seem a woman by the name of Francesca Prelati successfully replicated the Grail War in a distant land. I wish to partake in it."
Zouken recognized the name, "Prelati… it would seem my attempts to ward her off in prior wars were not as successful as I had believed. However, if you know she has replicated the war, why come to me? Should you not be off participating?"
"I have reason to believe all seven sets of Command Spells have been assigned."
He finally began to piece together Jester's real objective, "So… you wish for my assistance in establishing yourself as an eighth master in Prelati's War? I do possess the necessary knowledge of the Grail Systems, but I will not divulge it as mere a favor. What can you offer me, Mr. Karture, that is worthy of such secrets?"
Without a shred of emotion, Jester presented his terms, "How does an artifact of the Second Magic sound?"
Zouken froze, "The Second Magic…? So, you are a thief, are you?"
Sitting back up, Jester looked at the elderly magus with a form of empty puzzlement, "What is the matter, Lord Zouken?"
Standing up, Zouken slammed his wooden cane against the ground. Instantly, two colossal hornet-like familiars formed on either side of him.
"Do you believe me a fool, Mr. Karture? Zelretch would not give an artifact of the Second Magic to a nobody such as yourself, even to satiate his humor. Therefore, you are nothing but a dirty thief."
Jester, emotionless up until now, burst into a fit of grating laughter, "AHAHAHAHAHA! So a shred of loyalty still lies in your insectoid body, Zolgen Makiri? How utterly fascinating!"
Gripping his face with one of his hands, Jester leaned back as he continued to cackle, "I was enjoying this masquerade, I truly was! But it seems I have to get to the killing right away."
Zouken's eyes narrowed, and with a tap of his cane, two hornets turned into four. With a wave of his hand, the familiars flew at Jester, their stingers poised to pierce his flesh. In response, the silver-haired man conjured a wheel of blue flame. The wheel unraveled into blazing tendrils, incinerating each of the hornets in an instant.
As Zouken launched more familiars at Jester, Sakura fled to the kitchen, hiding behind the counter. Shinji, who had no place to hide, backed into the corner to try and make himself inconspicuous. For the first time in their lives, the two prayed that Zouken would save them.
But their hopes would not be so easily reached. After a third volley of familiars was incinerated effortlessly, Zouken was starting to worry. Even when he tried to alter his bugs to resist the blue flames, they only continued to be decimated. He had no intention of losing, but Zouken was a cautious Magus. Partitioning a portion of himself into one of his countless bugs, the entomancer manipulated the singular bug to flee the estate. In the case of Jester's victor, he would have a means of survival. However, when the small flying bug reached the bounded field surrounding the home, it disintegrated on contact. Now, the wizened Magus was truly beginning to panic.
'The bounded field! When did he take control of it?'
Jester smirked like he had read Zouken's mind, "Ah, it seems you've noticed what I did to your Bounded Field, Zolgen Makiri. I'm quite proud of that, you know. A hijacking so intricate you didn't even notice the difference. Most Dead Apostles can't achieve magecraft of that intricacy."
"Dead Apostle? Impossible! Your presence should have given you away!"
Jester smiled as he reached into his suit, "I suppose it is difficult to notice my true nature while I am in this form. Shall I give you a taste of reality?"
Seeing Jester's lowered guard, Zouken sent another wave of bugs to attack, but they never reached their mark. As Jester's chest faintly glowed with the light of six red circles, his form began to change. His flesh crumbled and stretched as it settled on the form of a young man. The moment the transformation concluded, the room was flooded with heavy gravity, crushing the familiars approaching the now short-haired man. The pressure forced everyone but Jester to the ground. Zouken, who was particularly vulnerable, only avoided crumbling to dust through a quick application of reinforcement magecraft to every single portion of himself.
Having revealed his true form, Jester would not allow this farce of a battle to continue. Before the centuries-old magus could escape his grasp, a swirling helix of flaming wind consumed Zouken's body, reducing the bugs that made it up Zouken Matou to smoldering chitin.
Zouken wasn't dead yet, for his core had not been incinerated by Jester's attack. However, the vampire's slaughter wasn't over. Ignoring Shinji, Jester stalked towards the kitchen. As he made his way over, the Dead Apostle noticed the familiars still buzzing around him. As expected, destroying the main body wasn't enough to do the entomancer in.
Jester paid the pests little heed. The vampire's shadow transitioned to an opaque dark red. Manipulated by the Dead Apostle's power, the shadow slithered over to where Sakura was hiding. Arcing over the counter, the tendrils of shadow dragged out the struggling young woman.
"I know that you are not dead, entomancer. You are a cautious little worm, after all. But I have you all figured out."
Sending a thin shadow strand into Sakura's chest, the Crest Worm that contained the soul of Zouken Matou was pierced in two. With Zouken truly destroyed, Sakura felt the squirming worms in her body slowly stop moving. For the first time in fifteen years, she no longer felt the pain and lust produced by her adoptive grandfather's Crest Worms. But she had no time to be relieved, being still trapped in the binds of Jester's shadows.
"Ah, little Matou girl. You are my real target, I shall have you know. It is a difficult thing to break through the wall between worlds. Truly, Zelretch has few equals. But in your heart lies the key. A Lesser Grail, even blackened, will let me tear open the way."
Before Sakura could respond, Jester plunged his hand into her chest. In a geyser of blood and worms, the Dead Apostle ripped the girl's heart straight from her chest. As she fell to the floor in a heap, Jester marveled at the cancerous-looking organ. It was certainly a human heart, but it was bulbous and misshapen, covered with pustules filled with Grail Mud.
As the mortally wounded Sakura lay prone on the floor, she felt a sense of sadness wash over her. She felt herself tear up as her life flashed before her eyes.
Memories of better days, when her uncle Kariya pushed her ever-higher on a swing set. When her mother, Aoi, watched her and Rin build a sand castle in the park. Memories of her chats with Rider before the beginning of the Fifth War. Memories of her first and only love, Shiro; she had never told him how she felt about him, and, in the end, Rin had won his love.
Even as she lay dying, Sakura felt a profound sense of disappointment. If only she had been braver… if only… if only… she could live on.
Sensing the pulse of mana behind him, Jester turned back towards Sakura's body as her heart sank into the palm of his hand. To the Dead Apostle's surprise, the girl, despite lacking a heart, had stood up. From the wound sprouted black-red mud, coating Sakura's body like a dress. Her hair began to whiten and her irises glowed red.
"So, this is the power of the mud of the Grail? Has death led you to embrace the World's Evils?"
"Die."
Before Jester could move, he was struck by dozens of shadowy ribbons. Although he wasn't wounded, he couldn't help but marvel at the sight before him.
"AHAHAHA! That's it, that's what I wanted to see! Struggle, little Matou! Struggle in your dying moments against inevitability! Oh, this is such a tease, a premonition!"
Shinji, who was doing his best to shrivel in the corner, was not sure what he was watching. Although Jester was a literal vampire, somehow Sakura was just as terrifying to him. It was the same gut-plunging feeling he had experienced when Gilgamesh fused him with the Grail.
The two monsters ignored him. Jester cackled as he launched a blast of burning wind at Sakura. Raising a wall of shadow ribbons, she blocked the attack.
"Die. Die. Die."
Sakura sent another set of shadow ribbons at Jester, this time, amassing them into a sort of claw. The vampire laughed as the attack struck him directly, seemingly disintegrating on contact.
"It's useless, little Matou. The Evils of Man will not bring down a Dead Apostle! I have rejected my humanity, and you'll need to do better than that to destroy me!"
"You are my enemy. You will die."
Jester sighed, "Seems you've lost yourself to Angra Mainyu, little Matou. It was about time I wrapped this up."
As another set of shadows rushed toward him, this time in the form of Medusa's chains, Jester drew one of the Kaleidosticks.
"I hear this one is called Kaleidostick Ruby. It's going to get wrecked when I pass through the worlds, so I might as well give it a time to shine."
Swinging the cartoonish red wand, a burst of incandescent light blasted through Sakura's attack. Striking her dead on, the power of Prism Trace spread through her. When the light faded, Sakura's form had been dispelled. Gone was the blackened dress and the white hair. All that remained was a young girl, devoid of her heart. Collapsing to the ground, Sakura's body succumbed to the fatal wound in her chest. This time she would not rise again. As her consciousness faded, Sakura Matou whimpered, a final plea for someone to save her.
"Shi…ro…"
Twirling Kaleidostick Ruby in his hand, Jester at last set his eyes on Shinji.
"If this was a story, that would have been quite the dramatic ending to a chapter. But unfortunately, I still have one more bug to squash."
Shinji closed his eyes as Jester lifted him into the air by his hair.
"I am a bit peckish after all that action, so I guess I'll have a little snack."
Piercing Shinji's neck, Jester drained the young man of all his blood before groaning, "Not even the slightest drop of mana… the Matou line really has stagnated."
Dropping the withered body of Shinji, Jester began to mutter.
"Hmmm… perhaps I went a little overboard here, but I did need the lesser grail. It's a shame I couldn't get a manufactured Command Spell, so hopefully there's a foolhardy master or two."
'I do wonder what my patron has thought of me as of late. My abilities haven't degraded yet, but it's only a matter of time before old Valery decides to cut me loose.'
Jester, whom the Fourteenth Dead Apostle Ancestor had accepted into his lineage, would surely see this attack against a Magus family as an unforgivable sin. It would be unhelpful for him to lose his connection to an Ancestor's lineage, but it was something he anticipated.
Jester wasn't a weak vampire by any means. He was not anywhere as strong as the True Ancestors, but in the other world, that wouldn't likely be a problem. Although a Heroic Spirit could potentially defeat him, once Jester acquired a Servant of his own, he could counter that disadvantage.
Ceasing his ponderings, Jester waved his hand, setting the bodies of Sakura and Shinji aflame. It was not necessary to destroy the scene, but the presence of mortal authorities might slightly delay magical investigations. He still had to get to Ryuudou Temple after all, and he wasn't certain he hadn't been tracked during his journey from London to Fuyuki. Leaving his coat and fedora to burn, Jester left the Matou estate. Moving quickly in the direction of Mt. Enzou, he continued on towards the next step in his plans.
Miyama Town, Fuyuki City
Present Day
'Why… why would someone do this?'
Staring at the burnt ruins of the Matou Manor, Shiro Emiya wanted to scream. At the sight of the charred rubble, the red-haired young man felt old memories resurface. His memories of walking amongst the burning rubble, unable to save anyone. Of his father, Kiritsugu, grasping his hand as he accepted despair. Even after fifteen years, memories of that tragic night still haunted him. The sight of the burnt manor had brought them all back to the forefront of his mind.
Although the fallen wards had worried Shiro, he hadn't been prepared for this. Sakura, one of his most precious friends, was dead. The news had only reported two bodies, but Rin previously explained Zouken's true nature to Shiro. The entomancer would not have had a body for authorities to find. There were only two bodies and only two people those bodies could have been. It was a cruel and terrible realization that Shiro could not escape.
While Shiro's mind was caught in turmoil, his partner, Rin Tohsaka, struggled to contain her own emotions. Although they had never been as close as they once were, even after the Holy Grail War, Sakura was her sister. To be a magus was to walk with death, but even so, Sakura did not deserve this cruel fate.
As the two Magi grappled to control their emotions, one of the detectives working the scene decided to approach them.
"Excuse me, you two. Might I assume you knew the victims?"
Rin nodded, trying to prevent herself from crying. "Yes, Sakura and Shinji both attended Homurahara at the same time as we did."
"I see. My condolences. Now, I'm afraid I can't tell you anything more than what has already been revealed to the public. We do have confidentiality to consider. But if you have any information that could aid in the investigation, please contact the Fuyuki Police."
Rin nodded with an empty smile, "We will, detective, thank you."
As the detective walked away, Rin tore her gaze away from her sister's charcoal grave, "Shiro, let's go."
Receiving no response, she repeated herself, "Shiro. Let's go."
Shaking his head, the redhead turned towards his girlfriend, "Sorry, Rin. I just…"
In an unusual display of affection, Rin hugged Shiro tightly. "Shiro, I know what you're feeling. I'm struggling with this just as much as you. But standing here isn't gonna help us find Sakura's killer. We need to investigate the recording jewel so we can get some answers."
Rin was correct. If they wanted to get any leads, they needed to leave the crime scene. Their whole reason for rushing back to Fuyuki, in addition to their worries, involved this particular jewel. A fascinating piece of magecraft, this antique mystic code of the Tohsaka Clan functioned similarly to a black box. Keyed into several magically relevant locations in Fuyuki, the mystic code activated its encoding processes as soon as a change in the Matou wards had occurred. However, if not decoded swiftly, the data might become corrupted because of Gaia's effects on the underlying enchantments. Thus, it was imperative that the data be processed before too much time passed. But since the jewel was too heavy to transport, the decryption process would need to be done at its present location, the Tohsaka Manor.
Tearing his eyes away from Sakura's ashen grave, Shiro followed Rin through the streets of Miyama Town's western-style district. But before they could reach the Tohsaka residence, the pair came across a man. Although he seemed to be standing normally, on closer inspection, Rin noticed something suspicious. The man was not standing but subtly levitating.
The man appeared to be foreign, with bronzed skin, blond hair, and blood-red eyes. He was clad in a luxurious white suit paired with a light blue tie, complete with a matching white top hat.
The moment the man appeared in their view, his presence caused both magi to pause. It was an amiable aura, but it also possessed the same intimidation of a respected ruler. Lifting a gloved hand to prevent his hat from shifting, the man smirked.
"Greetings, Signora Tohsaka, Signor Emiya."
The man's accent seemed Italian, but something about it wasn't quite right. There was a distinct undertone that Rin struggled to place, perhaps Middle Eastern or Egyptian. Whatever his accent's origin, it carried with it an air of timelessness and ambiguity.
Rin had never met the newcomer, but Shiro recognized him instantly. He had suspected from appearance alone, but his voice was the clincher.
"You're Van-Fem, aren't you?"
Shiro's comment made Rin whirl her head in surprise. The individual before them was none other than the Fourteenth Dead Apostle Ancestor, Valery Fernand Vandelstam. Known as "Van-Fem of the Demonic Castle" and "The Demon Lord of Finance", he was a leading figure in the Pro-Humanity faction of Dead Apostles. A vampire who had existed since the Age of Gods and one of the strongest of his kind.
Rin knew Shiro had encountered Van-Fem before. Roughly two years ago, Shiro had visited Van-Fem's famed casino, L'Empire du Jeu, as a favor for Luvia. By some miracle, he ended up in a gambling match against Van-Fem during the casino's weekly gambling event and by some stroke of luck had won, being the first person in over a century to do so.
As a reward, the Dead Apostle Ancestor offered Shiro a wish, but Rin's boyfriend made the moronic decision to decline. Van-Fem had of course taken offense to this and used his resources to track down Shiro. However, in the time it took for them to find him, the young man had somehow been roped into an incident involving the Italian Mafia and Rin's own teacher, Lord El-Melloi II.
The mess had been eventually sorted out, but Rin had always worried Van-Fem might decide to track down Shiro to get the young man's wish granted. Seeing Rin's concerned expression, Van-Fem gave an unreadable smile, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"You need not worry yourself, Signora Tohsaka. I am not here to deliver Signor Emiya's winnings. Today I am here to answer your many questions, as a favor to Numero Tre."
Rin tried to keep her face neutral as her mind swirled with questions, 'Van-Fem knows what happened to Sakura? And Zelretch is involved too? What is going on?'
Shiro, however, was unable to keep his cool and spoke to Van-Fem with desperation in his voice.
"You know who killed Sakura and Shinji?"
"Indeed I do. However, the middle of the street is not the place to discuss such matters. You have a house do you not, Mr. Emiya?"
Rin was the one to respond to the vampire's suggestion, "Yes, he does. But there's something we need to analyz-"
Her words were interrupted by the sound of snapping fingers.
In an instant, a woman with a side-swept black and white bob cut appeared at Van-Fem's side. She was dressed in the clothes of a casino dealer and wore a scarf resembling shards of black glass.
Van-Fem didn't glance at the new arrival as he spoke, "Chiaroscuro. Retrieve the recording jewel from the Tohsaka Estate please."
"As you command, Father."
Before Rin could protest, the woman vanished, and Van-Fem looked the magus in the eyes. "Fear not, little Tohsaka, my daughter will not destroy your home. Although, if you are going to suggest that your manor's defenses would do her in, I suggest you stay quiet."
Rin knew he was correct. If that woman, Chiaroscuro, was one of the seven "Demonic Castles" Van-Fem had crafted with his puppetry, then it was unlikely the passive defenses of the Tohsaka manor could stop her.
Turning to Shiro, Van-Fem restated his previous inquiry.
"Now, I never received your answer, Signor Emiya. Will you welcome this gambler into your home?"
Yaoyorozu Estate, Aichi Prefecture
Day 1, Night
The moment Assassin started to chant, Saber's battle instincts roared.
He suspected Assassin was trying to find a moment to escape, but he admittedly did not expect a Noble Phantasm to be used. He briefly considered using one of his own Noble Phantasms but quickly discarded the notion. To show his hand this early would be unwise.
'Fine, Assassin. I'll play your game.'
Leaping to the other side of the pond, Saber placed his hand upon the water as Assassin unleashed his Noble Phantasm. 'Although it seems he's not unleashing it fully, I shouldn't take that head-on.'
The water rippled for a moment before surging up into a facsimile of a wall. Infused with Saber's Divinity, the makeshift barrier absorbed the magical energy of Assassin's attack. When the sound of the Noble Phantasm finally ceased, Saber removed his hand from the pond.
As the water was released from his control, Saber surveyed the area. As expected, Assassin was gone. It was possible he was just hiding with Presence Concealment, but Saber knew that was unlikely. Given Assassin's desperate play, the Servant would not have risked a second battle here. Saber turned to continue patrolling the mansion but stopped when he heard the nearby sounds of police sirens.
'Did one of the neighbors file a noise complaint? Or did someone from the mansion see us? Either way, it seems I'll also need to withdraw. It would be unwise to let myself get branded as a villain.'
Just before leaving, Saber noticed something new he hadn't seen previously. At the corner of his vision was a small thread, moving almost imperceptibly.
'Likely the surveillance of another master or servant. I should remove it.'
Slicing the mysterious thread in two, Saber sheathed his sword. With one last glance at the Yaoyorozu Manor, he dematerialized, leaving only a broken garden for authorities to discover.
Much farther away, a woman stood alone on a rooftop. Holding out her hand, the halves of the thread Saber severed coiled into her palm before vanishing. The woman's identity was Caster, another servant of the False Holy Grail War. Caster was beautiful, with emerald green eyes and wavy brown hair that reached her navel. She wore a chiton of white and orange cloth, along with a green sash embroidered with black meanders. She wore only two pieces of jewelry, a simple silver armlet and a small crescent moon pendant.
'So, that was Saber and Assassin… they may be troublesome opponents. Assassin's Noble Phantasm was able to disrupt my strings, while Saber was perceptive enough to notice them. Surveillance may be more difficult for me in the future. It did not seem like Saber ascertained my true location, but it would not be prudent to linger.'
Gazing out at the growing police scene, Caster sent a mental probe to her Master, 'A servant was summoned within the manor, so it seems the Yaoyorozu Family has acquired the seventh. Should I depart, Master?'
Receiving a confirmation, Caster dematerialized, leaving behind only the distant wailing of police sirens in the quiet night.
Shie Hassaikai Main Compound, Osaka
Day 1, Night
To the people of Osaka, the building seemed like an ordinary office complex, or perhaps, a repurposed school building. To the Shie Hassaikai, however, it was a major base of operations. Beneath the innocent facade lay a labyrinth of underground passageways the infamous Yakuza group chose to call home.
The group could dare to have such an accessible hideout due to the unusual societal precipice they lived upon. Despite being a criminal organization, the Shie Hassaikai's presence brought order to the tumult of Japan's underworld. Because of their importance, both police and heroes often turned a blind eye to their illegal actions, as long as they did not go too far.
At the head of this organization was a man named Ryumatsu Nagamasa, or as most knew him, "The Boss". Once part of an older iteration of the Shie Hassaikai, Ryumatsu had transformed the wild bunch of gangsters into a streamlined organization. What had once been a fledgling group suffocated by the Hero-focused society had become a well-oiled criminal organization. But Ryumatsu's age was slowly bringing his status as a pillar amongst Yakuza into question. After a disagreement with his lieutenant, Kai Chisaki, Ryumatsu's organization was beginning to split into two factions.
Unfortunately, Ryumatsu was not able to purely focus on Chisaki. Roped into Francesca's False Holy Grail War, the Yakuza boss's troubles were only growing. Much of the time he would have dedicated to quashing the potential rebellion was now being spent planning for the Holy Grail War. Now was one such moment.
"So… a mercenary attacked the Yaoyorozu mansion? Normally I would call it a coincidence, but right now we are at war. Perhaps Kenzo Yaoyorozu was one of its participants."
Sitting at his ornate wooden desk, Ryumatsu spoke to one of his underlings, a former office worker named Shin Nemoto.
Shin did his best to focus on his boss, but the elderly Yakuza could see the bespeckled man's eyes being repeatedly drawn to the man at Ryumatsu's right— the Servant Archer.
Archer was an extremely tall and muscular man, with bronze-colored skin that was visible due to his lack of a shirt. He was like a Grecian statue brought to life, and his wild mane of black hair made him more imposing.
He was Heracles, the greatest of all Grecian Heroes, the mighty son of Zeus, and the conqueror of the Twelve Labors.
Ryumatsu had used no catalyst and let the Grail decide his summoned servant. It seemed fortune had been on his side, for he summoned a Heroic Spirit of the highest caliber.
"Shin. Has Eri been moved successfully?"
The Boss of the Shie Hassaikai knew the War would create a dangerous week for him and his family. As such, he aimed to move his granddaughter, Eri, to a more secluded location in Hosu for the next few days.
Turning his gaze back to his boss, Shin's distraction was broken by Ryumatsu's question. The man nodded as he answered, "Yes, Chisaki oversaw her transport today."
Ryumatsu paused. "I see. Remember, I want constant surveillance on her. I do not trust Chisaki alone with her after that proposal he made."
When Eri's Quirk activated, it had tragically taken the lives of Ryumatsu's daughter and her husband. Although he had been content to let his daughter live disconnected from the Yakuza life, he decided against sending his granddaughter to foster care when her parents died.
Because of the similarities between Eri's and his lieutenant's Quirks, Ryumatsu had assigned Kai Chisaki to watch over the girl. Unfortunately, Ryumatsu had misread his lieutenant's nature. After he had the audacity to suggest Eri be used as a weapon, Nagamasa demoted him.
However, Nagamasa had miscalculated the situation with Chisaki. Despite his demotion, the loyalties of Kai's underlings remained unchanged. Even after being demoted, his ambitions were dangerous.
But as Chisaki built up his plan to overthrow Ryumatsu, a new hindrance entered the fray. As a result of summoning Archer, the Boss of the Shie Hassaikai had a powerful deterrent against the forming coup. Thus, Chisaki was forced to wait, but Ryumatsu's decision gave him an opportunity.
Leaving the office, Shin pulled out his phone.
"Overhaul. It's me. Boss said he'll want surveillance on the girl."
On the other side of the line, Kai Chisaki clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Annoying, but expected. I'll ensure we get a guard loyal to our faction."
"We'll need to be careful, sir. He'll likely send Archer to assess her condition from time to time."
"Then we'll wait before we start the experiments. Hopefully, Archer will die in this so-called 'Holy Grail War' and we'll gain the opportunity we need."
"Understood, sir."
Back in the office, Ryumatsu began to converse with his Servant.
"Archer… do you think I am making a mistake by sending Eri away?"
Archer was silent for a long time. With a deep breath, he answered.
"I do not know, Master. Leave those you care about too far and they can fall prey to the whims of others. Leave them too close and you may not even notice the deceptions in front of you. I suppose it comes down to the loyalty of your subordinates. However, I swear to protect your granddaughter until my dying breath."
"Archer… I did not compel you to do that with a Command Spell. Is there a reason for such conviction?"
Archer's face softened.
"We Heroic Spirits are summoned from a place outside of time. When we return, our memories do not return with us. Yet, when I saw Eri, I felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Despite the Throne's effects, a memory of one of my former Masters has managed to persist in my Saint Graph."
"And she was like Eri?"
"My memory is nothing but a faint echo. I know not if it is Eri's appearance or temperament that reminds me of that former Master, but my desire to protect her is genuine."
"Whether it is Chisaki or one of the six other Masters, I suspect Eri will not go untargeted in this War. But with you watching over her, my granddaughter will be safe. Thank you, Archer."
"Of course, my Master."
FALSE ARCHER: HERACLES
Okazaki Central Police Station, Okazaki
Day 1, Night
Momo Yaoyorozu sat silently in the room the police had provided. Although she wasn't a criminal, having to stay overnight at the police station was a strange feeling. Nevertheless, it was not as if she could sleep in her normal bed. Not long after summoning Rider, the police stormed the mansion grounds due to a neighbor's report. Officers found Momo unconscious not far outside the library. Soon after, the police found Kilter tied up in the library and detained him properly. After regaining consciousness, Momo was taken by authorities back to the station. Out of concern for Momo's wellbeing, it was decided she would stay at the police station overnight. She didn't know where she'd be going afterward, but anything would be better than her current lodging.
Before she had been moved to this room, the officers had asked some cursory questions regarding what happened. They had also asked about the strange tattoo on her hand, but she had no explanation for its appearance. She was asked about how she was saved, but Momo could only tell them little about that "Rider" she had encountered. Eventually, she had been allowed to go and sleep, although there would probably be more questions in the morning.
As she lay in her bare lodging, what troubled her the most was the apathy she felt. Her parents had been murdered, but she found herself far less troubled than she thought she should be. Her parents had treated her like a stranger, but, even so, she felt guilty. Curling up into a ball, Momo felt more lost than ever.
"What do I do now?"
What Momo did not expect was a response.
"Good question, Master!"
Materializing next to her on the bed, Rider smiled and waved as Momo held back a scream. The police officers might not have installed surveillance in the room, but a scream would undoubtedly alert them.
"You're the one who saved me! How did you get in here?"
Astolfo smiled. "Astral Form! All Servants can do it!"
She was dumbfounded, "Astral Form? Servant?"
Rider laughed, "Oh, guess you really don't know after all! Well you see, it's all about this thing called the Holy Grail War."
"Grail War?"
Rider jumped off the bed and struck a pose.
"Don't worry about your ignorance, my Master! Leave it to Astolfo to tell you all there is to know about the Holy Grail War!"
Listening with a mixture of curiosity and confusion, Momo felt her world get flipped. As Rider began to spin a baffling tale of magic, heroes, and wishes, the Yaoyorozu heiress began to understand. She had become part of something completely foreign to this world of Quirks... she was a Master of the Holy Grail War.
Deika City, Aichi Prefecture
Day 2, Morning
The streets were quiet, the stillness befitting the early morning hours. The sun had not yet risen, and the citizens remained asleep in their homes.
Walking alone in this silent neighborhood of Deika City was a woman with striking blue skin and lilac hair.
Her name was Chitose Kizuki, an executive director at Shoowaysha Publishing, a famous news outlet.
But she was much more than your ordinary company executive. Acting under the codename "Curious", Chitose was a leading member of the Meta Liberation Army, a group desiring liberation from Quirk laws.
Given that MLA's leadership all had their own public occupations, it was not unusual for the gathering of executives to be at non-conventional times. It was for that reason Chitose was returning home at such an undesirable hour.
But the desire to sleep did not diminish her excitement as she marveled at the Command Spells on her hand.
Despite possessing Command Spells, Chitose was not the summoner of the MLA's servant, Berserker. The true holder of the spells was their leader, Rikiya Yotsubashi. However, as part of their agreement with Francesca Prelati, Rikiya's Command Spells had been "branched". Instead of a single Master, the MLA shared their Servant with several Masters. The MLA still only possessed three Commands, but any of the Masters could utilize them.
'With these red seals, I can compel a hero of legend to follow my whims. Such exciting power is at my fingertips.'
With her attention solely on her Command Spells, Chitose didn't see the little boy playing on the sidewalk.
"Ooof!"
Tumbling onto the concrete, Chitose massaged her lower body, having hit the ground rather sloppily.
"Ah! Are you ok, old lady?"
Chitose grinded her teeth, 'Little brat. Calling me an old lady…'
The boy stared at her hand, and she panicked, remembering her Command Spells were not meant to be displayed publicly.
"Did you bruise yourself, lady? Your hand's got red all over it."
Pushing herself up, Chitose patted the child on the head. In her tired state, she never questioned what a child was doing out alone at such an hour.
"Don't worry, I'll bandage it up when I get home. Thanks for worrying about me, little guy."
'I'll need to procure gloves for these seals. I'm lucky it was only a harmless child who saw them.'
It was there that Chitose had made a misunderstanding. What she had encountered was neither harmless nor a child.
As she walked away, the seemingly innocent child behind her reached into his hoodie. His face adopted a bloodthirsty grin as his form began to warp and grow rapidly.
Turning at the disgusting sound of shifting flesh, Chitose no longer saw a little boy behind her, but a well-dressed man with gray hair.
Jester Karture smiled, "Well, 'lady', mind giving me those Command Spells of yours?"
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
Day 2, Morning
In another part of her workshop, Francesca laughed as she lay on her couch.
"Such an exciting first day! It's even better than I could have hoped! Little Momo summoned Rider, and I got to see Assassin and Saber in action!"
Kicking her feet in the air, Francesca grabbed a fistful of popcorn from the bowl in her hand and tossed it into her mouth.
"I didn't expect to see the Phantom of the Opera, but he's certainly more intriguing than a plain old Hassan. Still, it sucks that Sigma didn't get those spells…"
As she chewed, Francesca continued her monologue.
"From Saber's actions at the end there, I'd wager that Caster was watching too. Seems like the rest all stayed with their Masters, but it was only the first night after all."
She glanced across the room absentmindedly. In her sight was a small wooden table that had a single item resting upon it.
It was a Mystic Code called "Oversight Sever". Created from the mummified arm of the Einzbern Homunculus of the Second Holy Grail War, it was used by Faldeus Dioland's ancestor during the Third Holy Grail War. Emblazoned on the limb were seven glowing symbols, one for each of the Grail War's Servant classes. When a Servant was summoned, a corresponding symbol would glow until their death. Having keyed the Mystic Code to the False War, Francesca used Oversight Sever to track the summoning of the various Servants. Below the seven main symbols was an unlit eighth one. This symbol was for the Avenger class, but it had been deactivated since the end of the Third Holy Grail War… at least it should have been.
Francesca looked with surprise as the eighth symbol began to pulse with light.
It should not have been possible. In designing the False War, Faldeus and Francesca hadn't included the extra classes to begin with. Yet, it seemed fate had different plans. In defiance of the systems, there had been an eighth summoning. A second rogue element had managed to intrude upon this already desecrated war.
One which had the power of an Avenger-class servant on their side.
To be continued in Chapter 4: The Eighth Servant
Servant Profiles: False Rider
Bio:
Class: Rider
Master: Momo Yaoyorozu
True Name: Astolfo
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Stats:
Strength: D
Endurance: D
Agility: B
Mana: C
Luck: A+
Noble Phantasm: C
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance: D (A)
Riding: A+
Independent Action: B
Personal Skills:
Evaporation of Reason: D
Monstrous Strength: C-
Noble Phantasms:
La Black Luna
Magic Flute That Calls Panic
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Army
Casseur de Logistelle
Destruction Declaration
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Trap of Argalia
Down With a Touch
Rank: D
Type: Anti-Unit
Hippogryph
Otherworldly Phantom Horse
Rank: B+
Type: Anti-Army
