Heart and Bastion

by XxTerroKing23xX

Through the influence of an otherworldly enemy, a Holy Grail War is started, with one in particular being directly targeted for his incredible power and strength. It's a fight for survival in this deadly, no holds barred Holy Grail War. A parody spinoff of my story, Abandoned Memories. Will be uploading sparsely.

9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

---

After Hol Horse reported back to DIO about the escape of the candidate that was the one with the highest potential, DIO fumed.

He did not want to bother having Hol Horse try again, so he told the man to go to Japan and meet with Abraham in Fuyuki.

"Lord DIO. You appear to have such high tension on yourself. Is there something you need?"

"Hm," He then turned towards Vanilla Ice, taking a few deep breaths as he tried to control his temper. "Just... just leave me be. I'm merely thinking about what my servants have done. I am a bit displeased, to say the least. So I need some time alone."

Vanilla ice nodded, then left as he usually did with Cream's abilities.

DIO had also heard a few of his subordinates speak about his trusted ally, Abraham. These talks were not positive, and he disliked how they were viewing him as a potential traitor.

"He seems to be one of these most trusted allies I have, yet I keep hearing my underlings speak of him in a rather... strange light. I must investigate." DIO spoke his thoughts aloud.

As DIO began to sneak through his mansion, he overheard some of his minions speaking. The conversations ranged from random daily matters, to more risqué topics that DIO didn't bother to stay long for, like Enya's rant about her son being so far and being close to an enemy, yet not doing anything as they taunted fate.

'One shouldn't mess with Gravity, Enya…'

Eventually, he found the younger D'arby brother, the one who preferred video games.

His conversation was... interesting... as he was defending Abraham.

"...Hm." He could hear, from very far away, the younger D'Arby brother speak up about Abraham, and defend him of all things. DIO felt intrigued, so he began moving closer to get a better listen, and see just what he was saying in favor of Abraham.

Telence's tone was of respect and appreciation, talking about what a wonderful person Abraham was to him. It was enough to make even DIO raise an eyebrow, as he never saw his underlings say such things about other people than himself. He was now intrigued, but he wanted to hear more.

"You know, despite what the others think, I think he's pretty chill. Dude has all sorts of things he's interested in. I remember how I saw him reading some interesting stuff while I was in my office, and I didn't think much of it. But then I found out he was interested in games like Hearthstone or-or... what was the other one he said?" *finger snaps* "DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D!"

Telence T. D'Arby was a gamer and he respected a fellow man of culture. "YES! Those ones! I'm glad I remembered. The dude plays all sorts of games, and I can't get enough of our talks about those. I even got some of my favorite games recommended by him. He really knew which games were the right ones at the right time, too! Dude has some good taste in gaming, I'll say that."

DIO's mind was blown by D'Arby. Though he was surprised by his interest in gaming, he was even more surprised by how his talk about Abraham went. "*Sigh.* This might become a more interesting investigation than I thought originally."

"But how does that help with Lord DIO's expansion?" Began one of the underlings.

"It doesn't. And that's the real kicker; he's just wasting time doing that stuff! This man is just lazy and doing nothing productive all the time. There is nothing meaningful we can get out of knowing just what he's interested in. That's why he needs to go."

Telence continued defending, knowing that Abraham had told him the reason they spent time like this was because the human mind was not as capable as DIO's which was why they shouldn't always be working at 100% capacity. A good amount was 70% work, with the rest of their time on hobbies or relaxation.

Even thinking about how their work should be planned out was still work, so he wasn't technically wasting time because one was ensuring that failures can be quickly fixed immediately should something come up.

That explanation... made a lot of sense. DIO was aware that humans had limitations, and that his underlings could not work at his level of perfection; he knew this. 'Hm. The more I think about this the more I understand. He is right when he says that humans have limits. And when it comes to his productivity…'

He thought about it for a second.

'I suppose he may be right on this part.'

DIO had no more issues with their conversations, but his underlings' constant talk about the man was still confusing. There may have been something he wasn't understanding: What makes some of his underlings love him so much, yet some talk about him in such a negative light?

'I have to get to the bottom of this. I have to see what makes him tick to figure out why he is loved by some, yet detested by others.'

One of the underlings was pissed. "Still, ever since he's arrived, you've gotten worse, Telence! What the hell have you been doing lately? You spend so much time on that website! It's not even productive!"

"I mean, really! You waste time and are pretty much a degenerate now thanks to what he's done to you!" Added a second one.

"Yeah! What the hell, Telence?" The third jumped with them.

DIO was now listening to the underlings' rant with great interest. This was an interesting situation, and the two seemed to be at odds, with Telence being one of his more understanding underlings, while Underlings A, B, and C... not so much.

"Well, if being a degenerate means not working like a machine with no breaks, then yes, maybe I'm a degenerate. But that doesn't mean I'm not hardworking! As my friend Abraham has said, we need time to rest as well!"

The second underling immediately rebutted Telence. "Why won't you shut up about your friend already? That's all you've been talking about! He may not even be trustworthy! Stop talking to him and getting on this damn website! It's bad for you!"

Then he turned around to the other underlings. "I mean, really! Ever since "Abraham" introduced him to this website called "Reddit", his productivity has been down the drain! He is almost as bad as Hol Horse, by the looks of it."

"Yeah! Look at him, spending most of his time looking at video games on the Internet, talking with weirdos and other degenerates at night, and wasting his life away!" Said the third.

"Why waste time on these silly games and stupid websites, when we could be working on our master plans and such as followers of our lord DIO? He has no respect, no comprehension of how the world order is!"

Telence's underlings were really putting him down hard now, and he wasn't taking it too well. He was trying his hardest to defend himself and the man he considered his friend, Abraham; it was clear he had a lot of admiration for him. Yet he was alone in doing so, and it was obvious his underlings were against him in this argument, to a point he was starting to feel threatened if he continued to stand up for Abraham.

DIO, feeling that there needed to be something done from his perspective, decided to chime in.

What these underlings did not understand was that Abraham... was somewhat like him, although his methods were more... humane, and done in solitude. He wouldn't exactly say it, but the man was the sort that understood how the world worked, and if having this sort of ally on his side would bring him some distrust from the obsessive, fanatical subordinates, he would gladly do so.

DIO entered into the argument, and these underlings of his became startled. They couldn't believe he had actually stepped in, and their fear was obvious.

Telence immediately got in the proper greeting position. "Lord DIO! W-Why did you step in? It was just-"

"It was just a conversation between my underlings?" DIO completed.

"Y-Yes-"

"Well, it seemed very heated all of a sudden..."

DIO then decided to ask these subordinates if they have any knowledge on the recent candidate that Hol Horse had failed to get him.

If they were so ecstatic of being productive for their Lord, then perhaps they may please him with positive news.

"Ah, oh yes! We have some news about that, Lord DIO! Hol Horse failed to bring him to you, but he managed to at least track down his location." The second underling replied.

"And where is Lex Luthor?"

The first tried to cover for them. "Well, uh... we found his general location, but..."

DIO had to stop himself from pinching the space between his eyes, above the nose.

That was like stating that they found a specific rock in a quarry!

He kept his temper in check, but was struggling to deal with his impatience. The younger D'Arby brother gave some helpful information but... still, his underlings were disappointing him too much, he hated being in this situation.

All three underlings were flustered trying to answer him. "B-But, uh..."

"You found his general location...?"

DIO was holding back the urge to strangle the guy from how poorly this piece of news was given. This was the exact opposite of good news, for if they'd managed to find out Luthor's "general location" then how long would it take him to start moving into his other bases, or find a way to escape?

DIO felt a headache coming on as he tried to hold back his anger. This was truly awful news, the worst, really. Lex Luthor was a true nuisance and he was proving to be difficult to track down; just thinking about this information angered him, especially after his underlings were just bragging about being so productive in working for him.

'Perhaps I should promote those that are supportive of Abraham to discourage this failure? The behavior they show is such a plague, that it will make my empire end up collapsing before I can even get the HEAVEN plan into motion.' DIO thought.

He began to consider this. The underlings who defended Abraham were definitely the most valuable, but those who disliked him for their own personal reasons... they were hindering them from achieving their own goals, even. Perhaps his "productivity" talks were right.

With an air of authority, he began his inquiry. "Telence. What was one of the university degrees Abraham told you he had?"

"I recall him saying that he studied Industrial Engineering; but, Lord DIO, how does that correlate to achieving your goals?"

He kept himself stern. "Was that not a new sort of engineering? One focused on efficiency and quality of productivity and work?"

"Oh, actually... I do believe you are correct. Industrial Engineering is a form of engineering that emphasizes the importance of increasing productivity of manufacturing processes. It focuses on improving the efficiency of all phases of production."

DIO was pleased.

He would have Telence promoted into a position where he would have the authority to have all ranks of DIO's subordinates up to such standards.

But first... he'd have to get Telence to focus on getting the job done.

Maybe with the incentive of having a 2 week vacation. Allow the young man to travel to one of those "conventions". E3, was it?

DIO had considered this, and wanted to see if Telence could achieve such an objective first. If he managed to do that, then DIO would happily give the young man the incentive of a vacation, and let him travel to those conventions.

"Telence. You have earned my favor with your arguments and defenses in favor of Abraham; thus, I have decided to entrust you with the responsibility of managing the productivity of my subordinates. However, I must caution you, with authority comes responsibility. I want you to manage their work efficiency to the utmost, and do not let them waste so much time, while also maintaining their recovery time to the necessary levels."

"R-Right. I shall not disappoint you, Lord DIO. I shall take on this duty with much care and diligence."

"And in return, your work will have an incentive, one which I believe you will definitely not want to pass upon the opportunity to seize."

---

At the Emiya Residence

Shirou Emiya had cooked recipes in the kitchen for most of his childhood, *at least that which he could remember*, like any normal person had. He saw that the meat would have been way too much to fit on the stove, so he was preparing to have it cooked outside and brought a propane tank.

"Woah! Shirou... this isn't being cooked this way. I understand why you took the birria outside, but let me handle this."

Shirou wanted to protest, but instead, kept his tongue. He hadn't seen Abraham cook at all since his three months here, and if he did, they were simple foods.

Instead, he decided to remark on how Abraham's date went with Rin yesterday. He had returned late in the night.

Abraham had a slight blush on his face from this, as Shirou's reminder of the thing that happened the night before put him in a bit of a romantic mood. He smiled a bit as he looked over to Shirou.

"Yes, it went very well... she was extremely receptive to my ideas and desires about a relationship. I think there is a high chance that she might accept the idea of an eternal love between us..." He had then started to prepare the meat in the proper manner.

Abraham was digging a proper hole for the meat, but then he stopped when he heard Shirou talking. He felt a little embarrassed that his friend had caught onto what his plan actually was, so he awkwardly chuckled as he turned around.

"Oh, uh, I was just exaggerating, hahaha... yeah, I mean, I just hope she will accept my eternal love with her, if you know what I'm talking about... right?" He was now turning slightly red.

Abraham now noticed Polnareff arriving, so he also had a little worried look on his face, thinking "Oh no, he's gonna find out too." Abraham smiled and waved a bit.

"Hey Polnareff!" He had continued to dig in the hole, which was now almost finished for the then started to make the pit more professional by putting rocks and bricks in it in layers of rings, so the pressure of the cooking would remain constant. Abraham continued by placing charcoal and firewood in the bottom layer, and started the fire. He knew that finishing the needed preparation the metal container with the meat could then be placed in and sealed with its lid.

"We're going to make a pit barbecue and cook this for 10 hours. It's quite easy, just make sure to pick it up once it's done. You got that, mon ami?"

"Oui, Abraham, je comprends. Et ça va me faire plaisir, pour être honnête!" Polnareff was quite intrigued in this kind of cooking, as it was new for him; he found it interesting how Abraham took the time and effort to dig up a pit in the yard, and place rocks in it, as well, for such a specific cooking method.

"Compris, mon ami. As I previously mentioned, I only require you to pick up the container after the 10-hour period is over. You got that, right?"

Shirou didn't understand what exactly the Frenchman said, nor that Abraham knew another language, but he got a sense of what was being done here.

He then spoke to Shirou in a serious manner. "Remember how I was giving you those social lessons the last two weeks? We're going to see Mrs Kujo today, Shirou. So get in your best clothes for the meeting."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I remember that."

Now that they were alone, Abraham was able to get his message through.

Abraham gave a stern explanation of the plan. "Midler has built me a sensory deprivation tank. We'll need it when we have Sakura in our possession. She and Kakyoin, the kid in Tokyo who will be arriving tonight, will focus on removing that heart worm. At the same time, you and I will be eliminating that parasitic vampire, Zouken. I made sure that the boy I was in contest with, Shinji, would inform the parasite of me, so it will likely make Sakura have to leave her house because of the reaction the thing will have in hearing of me. I'm not sure if we'll be able to wait for our final member of the team, because the contest happened faster than I anticipated, so I can't let the opportunity pass by."

Shirou looked at Abraham in shock as he catched some of the words his roommate spoke and focused on, "Wait, you found a sensory deprivation tank!? And-..." He then stopped speaking as he thought of something. "Wait, did you say a boy from Tokyo would be arriving tonight!?"

Abraham almost flinched when Shirou returned much earlier than anticipated.

"Yeah... It's sort of funny actually. The noted positive effects of those tanks are said to decrease anxiety, managing pain, and helping athletes recover from difficult training. You know how much physical prowess I have, Shirou. I thought maybe it can be useful for you guys as well, but it's not ready yet. And that kid from Tokyo... he's a friend I made when I was there getting my required documents at the start of school."

"Huh...?" He stopped speaking, as he heard about the new boy coming, and how he was Abraham's 'friend'. But he didn't seem worried about it too much, as he was more concerned about the tank. "So... when do you think it will be finished?"

Abraham tried to keep himself calm. He knew that the redhead probably had the intention of using it for himself as he still planned on being a Hero of Justice. But for the sake of Sakura's life, he needed to make sure that Shirou didn't utilize it yet.

"You'd need to ask Miss Midler. She's the technician here, and I don't think she'd let anyone use it just yet. It hasn't been tested for a guaranteed safety run, my friend."

Shirou's smile faded off his face, as he didn't seem too pleased about not being able to use the tank... "Hm... but you do see the potential this can have, right? Could I use it once it's finished, though? Pretty please?"

"We'll talk about this later. Let's get going now. Mrs Kujo has a son that you need to be careful about. Quite a difficult guy to behave around, so that's the main reason I gave you the social lessons."

"Huh? Why would you think this son of hers would be a difficult individual to deal with?" He raised an eyebrow, with genuine curiosity as they started heading to the Kujo household.

---

At the Kujo household.

Shirou, to be honest, felt rather giddy being able to meet the family of the famous Joseph Joestar. He thought that it was likely that Holly Kujo would be a stern, prude woman. Instead, he was given a warm welcome alongside Abraham.

He could see that the warm welcome was genuine, and not just an act being put up. Now he was wondering if Mrs Kujo would really be like the person that Abraham described from earlier, or if he was just exaggerating again.

"So, um, I guess this difficult son of hers is not here yet..." He looked around, and his gaze was fixed on the doorway; he just had a feeling that her son would soon enter. And oh, he was gonna be correct...

Jotaro found himself caught in the kitchen grabbing some drinks, when he saw these two boys greeted by his mother. He wanted to tell them to leave, especially the one he recognized from previous weeks as he'd visit his mother from time to time, but then his mother would have an argument with him, which she normally never did unless it was about things she was passionate about.

Besides, right now he was trying out a game some of the students at school were talking about. Something about a fighting game that was rather brutal. He wanted to see what sort of thing the adults considered brutal, as they usually censored a lot of entertainment these days.

Shirou looked at the door and noticed Jotaro. He didn't know much about what Jotaro was like, save for the little that Abraham had told him, but he thought Jotaro's appearance was cool; a black coat, cap and a black outfit, as well as those intimidating blue eyes. His impression of Jotaro was that he was someone with a lot of swagger, a cool look, but most importantly, strong. But he didn't know that Jotaro would actually be somewhat aloof and moody, which would make him come off as a jerk.

Jotaro just looked at the two boys and his mom, before shaking his head and letting out a small huff of annoyance. He rolled his eyes slightly too, while he was standing in the doorway, before walking in fully. "What is it this time, mom?"

His mother smiled at him back, before responding to him, "Oh, I just wanted you to do me a small little favor. Could you please..."

Jotaro just let out another annoyed huff, rolling his eyes once more before replying. "What is it? You know I don't like this kind of crap."

Holly gave her usual warm smile. His mother smiled at him back, before responding to him, "Oh, I just wanted you to do me a small little favor. Could you please… speak with our guests while I prepare some snacks. You don't mind, do you?"

Shirou found that he liked the expression that Mrs. Kujo was giving, but he remembered the social lessons Abraham had given him.

He was certain to focus on something else instead of getting himself charmed by someone who could utilize that aspect for their benefit.

He thought of Sakura.

Jotaro just looked at the two boys and his mom, before shaking his head and letting out a small huff of annoyance.

His mother smiled back at him warmly, but her smile was slowly becoming more anxious because she was expecting him to act rude again. But she still chose not to waver." "Would you mind speaking to our guests? They're university students."

Abraham made sure to tell Shirou not to get surprised if Holly would say these sorts of things, as she had first assumed his age was more than it was.

He didn't correct it as he didn't know how he could help the mother who tried to get her son to be more polite, without further ruining their relationship.

Jotaro would let out another annoyed puff, rolling his eyes. He was clearly not a fan of what his mother was making him do. "Seriously, is this the only reason for me to speak to them? Because they're "university students"? Mother, I don't want to waste my time with kids who think they're grown-ups."

Abraham attempted to de-escalate the situation. "Legally we aren't all grown-ups, Jotaro-san."

Jotaro would just scoff at such an explanation. "I don't care about legal age, they're still kids."

"True, but there is that saying of there being a guy being a manchild. Why would there not be the opposite of the slang that has a non-adult being mature for their age?"

Shirou found it interesting how Abraham kept his cool and defended himself with that argument.

Jotaro would give him a hard glare. "That's not the same thing at all. There's a difference between being a manchild, and being "mature for one's age". Besides, even if they are mature, they're still "legally" kids, meaning they can't vote, legally consent, etc. So they're just teens who act too much like adults."

"So wisdom has to be acknowledged by legal age in your logic? But I think you said just a minute ago that you don't care about legal age."

For someone who's usually pretty chill, it seems that Jotaro was starting to get annoyed at Abraham's reasoning. He crossed his arms. "I just wanted to point that out is all. But let's get to the real issues: what do I even have in common with some university students anyway? I can't even relate to anybody my own age. Why would I relate to a couple of teenagers?"

"Because I'm not a teenager." Abraham boldly claimed in front of the two boys.

Shirou paid more attention now. He didn't know whether his roommate was telling the truth or simply trying to appeal to Jotaro. Either way... he would keep this information in mind. He secretly thought he could use this... in case he needed to save Tohsaka from her "fiance" in the future.

Jotaro raised an eyebrow in surprise as he heard Abraham say he wasn't a teenager. "You're not? How old are you, then?"

"As I've told your mother when we first spoke, I'm 21 at the moment."

Jotaro just kept staring at Abraham in surprise and confusion, with his arms still crossed. "You're 21? But you look like a teen!"

"You can blame my genes. Lots of men look younger than they should if they don't have facial hair, Jotaro-san."

Jotaro just frowned, although he still seemed surprised by this. He thought for a couple of seconds. "I see, so that means you're only a couple of years older than them. You're not some grown man trying to hang out with these kids, huh..?"

'I hope he doesn't have a Stand like Dio said the Joestars might have. Hopefully there isn't one that can read minds.'

"Well... I can certainly tell you that I don't have Jamais Vu and feel as if I'm feeling older than I am."

'Something feels pretty off about this dude... his demeanor, how he acts, and the things he says... something feels "off" about him, but I can't really figure out just what exactly…'

"Right, right, yeah, I get it. Well, then, you're not a manchild. I get it now..."

Jotaro just sighs, crossing his arms still as he looks at the duo once more. He seems to be a bit more calm now. "Now then, I guess I can go ahead and speak to our guests. But I won't be happy about it."

With Jotaro seeming to be less aggressive now in his attitude towards Abraham, Holly decided to chime in in her usually friendly and welcoming voice. "See, Jotaro? I told you they were reasonable people! Would you mind speaking with them?"

Jotaro just sighed, as he said: "Fine, fine... I'll speak to them, but I don't even know if I'll like them. Just be quick about it."

Jotaro wouldn't spend too much time away from the game he was interested in testing out, so he needed to see what it was that his mom wanted these "university students" to provide.

Jotaro's mother is just glad that he's at least talking to the duo in a less standoffish manner. She knew that he didn't have much patience for conversations with strangers, so she would need to be quick about it. Jotaro himself is also starting to get rather impatient, as he just wants to get back to his game. He wanted to see if it was actually something interesting, especially if it could keep him occupied for long periods. That's why he was asking his mother to make this conversation quick, because he didn't want to spend his time needlessly conversing.

Abraham immediately cut to the chase and gave Jotaro information a real alumni would give, as he himself had 20 PhDs in his old timeline by age 10 and couldn't just use his methods.

He made it seem as if he already had a degree thanks to junior college, so it didn't make it seem weird how knowledgeable he was when speaking with Jotaro and answering his responses which would have tripped a regular person that was not as experienced as Abraham.

Jotaro looked at Abraham a bit confused when he immediately cut to the chase and told him information about a real alumni would, despite the man being much younger than he would expect such alumni to be. He kept trying to figure out why Abraham seemed to be knowledgeable of this information, but he kept getting stumped in his logic.

"...and that's how you cut down all the years you'd spend in college to get a bachelor's degree in 3 years."

At those words, Jotaro was starting to get impressed, as he had never realized one could even do that. He thought for a bit before saying: "So, you completed college in just 3 years? Isn't that a bit too fast to do, though?"

"It's rather ambitious, considering it requires getting credits by proving you have the knowledge through the workplace. So if you ever have a career chosen, like say marine biology, then you can use your time spent working there to shorten the time waiting for classes that are only offered once a year and skip them entirely as you already covered the knowledge you would have been studying in those classes."

Jotaro was starting to get even more interested, and his curiosity regarding what his mother mentioned was starting to get answered. He was really impressed by this Abraham's knowledge and wisdom regarding what he was planning to do in life.

Jotaro asked him a question. "So, you also have a career planned as well, huh? Marine biology specifically, right?"

"I'm actually more into Anthropology. Dolphins and Octopuses are rather intelligent creatures though."

That got Jotaro's curiosity peaked. He was always fascinated by just how intelligent these types of animals were, and Abraham being interested in them as well made Jotaro feel that he may have found a great friend. So he then went on to ask. "So, you're really into Anthropology? Is there like, any specific reason, or is it just an interest of yours?"

"When I was younger my father told me humanity could do better, but our government leaders that try to do something either get killed off or have their decisions corrupted by the greedy or unreasonable in their government agencies. He apparently believes that JFK was killed because the people in the shadow government didn't want JFK to unite the countries in the North and South Americas, because then the United States would have to share their wealth. It's the same reason why Europeans exploit Africa."

Since I rather avoid bothering with politics directly, I've been interested in studying humanity to figure out if there's been a time when things were better off, or if there's been a utopian style civilization that has unfortunately fallen due to outside circumstances."

Jotaro just kept observing Abraham, trying to learn as much about him as possible. He sounded very knowledgeable, and more importantly, rational. Jotaro respected that, as he respected anyone who didn't let themselves fall into emotional outbursts during important arguments. He couldn't help but ask more questions. "So you study history and culture to see if things were ever better than they are now, and your answer is usually no?"

"Oh. Things did get better, but then our food got industrialized and that made things worse for our bodies. If the food ain't fresh, then over time you'll get sluggish."

Jotaro nodded in response, as he saw what Abraham meant by that. "Yeah, I get it. Industrialization did bring some positive effects, and it did advance humanity forward by improving technology. But it also brought its own problems, like those you described. So it's a matter of weighing the pros and cons, I guess, huh?"

"Of course, Jotaro. If you consider how science also progressed, we have managed to avoid a major issue thanks to Norman Borlaug, a man born in 1914 and was the father of the 'Green Revolution'. His visionary advancements in agriculture has save an estimated number of over a billion lives because his work helped to prevent famine, which, if you considered the Malthusian trap predicted in the 1800s due to how human population was growing faster than agriculture could have brought forth food thanks to the industrial revolution, then that man was definitely a modern hero for using the tools humanity created yet ignored once they had gotten what they needed from the industrial revolution, as many did not really care to think for others, simply themselves."

This captures Shirou's attention, specifically about Norman Borlaug saving over a billion lives, and he decides to ask Abraham later about it when they leave.

Jotaro was impressed by how informed Abraham was of world affairs and human history. He was pretty much a treasure trove of knowledge, especially in regards to important topics that should be known more by the masses, and Jotaro was not only impressed by that knowledge, but he was also surprised. Not many people know of Borlaug, as he is a prominent figure in biology and agriculture research, especially in developing nations.

The son of Holly Kujo couldn't help but keep looking a bit impressed by the sheer amount of knowledge Abraham seemed to possess, even more so when he began talking about the agricultural problem Norman Borlaug managed to solve. He wasn't expecting this random university student to have that much knowledge regarding history and politics, especially not regarding those subjects.

He was starting to grow more curious about Abraham as the conversation went on. So he went ahead and asked:* "You're telling me that you're really knowledgeable in not only politics, history, and the world in general, but also advanced biology and agriculture as well? Dude, you gotta share with me where you studied so much, this is crazy."

He started to become less standoffish and more interested in what Abraham had to say. It felt pretty weird to feel this way, though, for Jotaro rarely ever listened to others.

He also noticed how quickly Shirou's attention was grabbed by the brief explanation given by Abraham regarding Norman Borlaug. That's when his thoughts shifted towards the same interest himself. It does seem fascinating that a man can be responsible for saving over a billion lives by just improving agricultural technology and techniques. Jotaro himself began to consider asking Abraham to tell him what other topics he might know of that were this important as well at a later point…

Shirou still couldn't believe that such a massive positive change in the world started with just one man doing what he did out of the goodness of his heart. This wasn't your usual type of heroic story found in fictional stories, as the stuff Norman Borlaug did was incredible.

He wondered how he could do the same, as lately he has noticed how some of the relationships he had, specifically how Sakura needed him to be there as her friend, would end up getting ruined by his dream to be a hero of justice. He didn't need to seek justice, as that would mean wanting people to be harmed, and with Abraham teaching him a lot of different stuff... Shirou was beginning to reflect on his ideology a bit.

Abraham could sense how Shirou was now starting to think about things a lot more deeply. He noticed how the boy was thinking hard on some of the relationships he had, which made him think about how some of those same relationships could possibly be ruined in the case he was fully focused on his goal to be a hero of justice.

'Nice to see how some of my lessons are helping Shirou to self-reflect on his life choices. Since I'm changing Shirou's life path as Raiga Fujimura asked, I guess the Yakuza won't mess around with me.'

Jotaro, having asked Abraham for where he studied everything he knew, merely gave him a university that he used to know and hoped that Jotaro wouldn't ask for more personal information. He also hoped that Shirou would speak with him about all these "Lies" he was making to speak with Joseph Joestar's descendants.

"I went to Cal Poly Pomona, but the stuff that you're hearing from me is all self research. Honestly, I find information about a topic I like, and then, like going down the rabbit hole, I find myself looking up topics and subjects which makes me want to take the base classes that all students are allowed to take even if it's not your major."

---

The meeting with Holly and Shirou went smoother than Abraham feared it would. It seemed she was reeling in her tendencies now, but it could be because the mother was aware that her son was in the building.

She also informed Abraham that her father would set up a meeting when the school semester went into winter break.

Shirou was wondering about some of the stuff he overheard Abraham say. How he stated his age was higher, and that they were university students. The information about anthropology and all that.

'He's my roommate and is going to high school with me, but he's this smart. Maybe he's only lying about his age to make it easier to get the Joestars to take him seriously, but still…'

Shirou wanted to know more about who Abraham really was... because if he didn't, then it could mean that Rin Tohsaka was being lied to as well.

'Wait, no. They said they knew each other since they were 5 years of age. Rin comes from a family of high elites, so Abraham would have needed all that information in order to provide something other than just genetics to her family...'

This was all bothering Shirou that Abraham noticed his roommate was just as anticipating as a child was for their reward.

"Shirou."

The redhead boy is pulled out of his overthinking mind.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. I just... I couldn't help but wonder..." His voice then became unsure and anxious about what he was going to ask, to which Abraham could sense.

"What is it? Out with it, kid!" Abraham said, with a gentle smile on his face as he looked at Shirou's curious face.

Shirou then got his thoughts and words together when he decided to speak with Abraham, and tried to do so with a calm and composed tone. "I-I, um, I was, um..." Shirou's face then started to blush a little as he decided to go a little bit straightforward. "I want to ask about who you are... I mean, we're roomies and everything, but you never really told me much about... yourself..."

Shirou went ahead and asked if his intelligence and incredible physical feats that he could do was because he was preparing himself for Rin Tohsaka's engagement with him since he was a child.

"Engagement?" Abraham then raised a brow, seeming to understand the context of what was being said here by what Shirou was trying to imply. "So... you're asking if I trained myself to the top for the sake of Rin, is that it?"

Shirou nodded slowly in silence, his face filled with both embarrassment and uncertainty. Abraham could tell by his expression. Abraham let out a small sigh and leaned back on his seat, crossing his left arm to his stomach and his hand resting on his chin. He then looked at Shirou directly with a serious, yet calm, gaze.

"A healthy mind and body is necessary for a happy life. Doing it because I'm engaged to Rin... that isn't really the simple reasoning. She, while my family isn't economically high ranked, they were proud of their heritage, and that meant that we were to be a best as possible to do what we can. My parents are both catholic, and my dad would always tell me that I'm supposed to be a good person... and behave according to the beliefs they had.

I was a child and had a logical and analytical mind, so I questioned everything. I wanted to know why some of the stuff done by the saints make them saints, and why they aren't respected by the evangelicals. He told me that it's not what makes them saints that I should think and worry about that other Christians disregard, but because of what these people did for the betterment of the people. Saint Martin of Tours was one said Saint, and he didn't have to share his coat, but he did so out of the goodness of his heart. He was free to choose, and so if people can choose to be good, then perhaps I could set an example by doing the same.

Thus why I studied and got myself physically fit, so that I had the resources needed should I be unable to have allies at my side."

Abraham was indeed being serious with his answer, and the way he elaborated on his personal life and why he became the person he is now was genuine enough for Shirou to understand. Abraham was right, a healthy mind and body is indeed necessary for a happy life, and he seemed to live by that fact. That also explained his devotion to Rin, since he wants to be the good person of her life to support her in her endeavors while he could.

Shirou could have only listened and absorbed every word Abraham was saying, his face showing genuine interest.

"First off, Shirou: I'm a lapsed Catholic. It's unfortunate, because many do not understand why I'm like that, but it's because I don't have much time to spare, and need to maximize what I can for those that need me, or the projects that need to be done. As for my love for Rin? They are... childish, but I stand by them as I promised to keep her safe and happy a long time ago." His eyes looked like they had nostalgia in them.

Shirou didn't know if he could tell Abraham if he'd allow him to speak with Rin, since he had a bit of a crush on Rin Tohsaka. Just like any other boys at school had, Shirou had wanted to have Rin as their girlfriend, but he knew that he couldn't simply walk up to her and bother her like that. It just wasn't his style, since he thought Rin was always irritated by boys speaking to her. With Abraham, though... he could probably come up to her and ask what she feels after he tells her in a polite manner, but Shirou couldn't do that. Not when his roommate... his friend was her fiancé it wasn't something he wanted to do as it would be like he was betraying the guy.

Abraham also noticed how Shirou was a bit hesitant to talk about his feelings about Rin, to which he could see when he noticed his expression and tone shift when talking tangibly about it. "Oh... well, it's good to know you feel that way." Shirou then said, with a bit of embarrassment in his voice. Abraham could see where this was going and could already foresee what Shirou was trying to hide from him.

"Shirou… while I would prefer it not be done, I can't really stop you from asking. Rin is her own person, and you were just asking me if you could find out if she even had a preference in what sort of boys she likes. Truth be told, I'd be jealous if it turns out that she does like you. We're all flawed beings in some manner, but I understand where you are coming from to have asked me this sort of volatile thing: You don't want to have regrets in wondering 'What if's' in your life. I've had some, but what you are doing is truly a big step in maturity, being honest with me here instead of making it a scandal should you have thrown this stunt in school."

Shirou couldn't help but reveal his whole desire of what he wanted to do.

He nodded in acknowledgment of what Abraham said, his face filled with happiness and relief that his request wasn't rejected out of jealousy or anything else of the sort. This definitely lifted a big weight off his shoulder, and so he was starting to think of a way to approach this with Rin so as to not make it weird.

"Thanks, Abraham. I promise that I'll make sure to let you know what happens afterwards. I'll just ask Rin if she likes someone, without going through the specifics..."

'That would probably be the best idea on how to approach her.' Abraham thought, then said calmly, with a smile on his face, seeming a bit relieved that this potential landmine of a possible situation doesn't seem like it would go wrong. "If she does say she does like someone then... just take it slow. Don't come off too strong, otherwise you'll probably push her away. Just retreat slowly and smoothly. Just know that no matter what, I'll be here, because while you are doing this for your sake, she's still in the engagement and could find you to be one of those guys that try to force her into a relationship, like Shinji was doing over the last 3 months."

"I'll... do that, I'll be considerate and won't just go all in with asking her to be my GF or anything, since she is engaged with you." Shirou said, understanding the consequences of trying to come in too strong. Abraham was right, he did have to be careful with this as to not come off as that one creepy kid who tried to force himself onto her, especially with Rin being very popular and thus there were already a lot of those types of students who had crushes on and were desperate to get with her.

---

Later at the Emiya Residence

Once the two arrived, they were welcomed back by Polnareff.

"The food is done, just as you instructed it was supposed to cook in the pit. Also... Midler needs some help."

It was a strange and ambiguous statement, but the boy's stayed calm and asked what had happened while they were gone.

It had to do with Sakura having come over and asking for Shirou.

Shirou looked interested and curious when Polnareff made the ambiguous comment about Sakura coming over and asking for him. As Shirou was going to try and head over to the kitchen, he first turned his head to see what Abraham had to say about the situation. Abraham was just standing there silently, his usual calm and stoic expression on his face, not showing if he was curious or not about it either.

"Your friend needs you, and I can't guide you in something I don't have much knowledge about if she's only come over and asked for you."

"Got it." Shirou said, understanding Abraham's statement. Abraham knew about Sakura's and Shirou's friendship better than anybody, since he observed them while they did their usual activities and spent time with each other. Since he said he knows nothing about the situation, then it must mean that either it would be a pointless waste of time trying to help him, or Sakura just simply wanted to see him for something simple for a bit.

Now certain Shirou was out of hearing range, Abraham began. "Did Midler find out that something happened at her residence with the Matous like I predicted, Polnareff?"

"You mean the stuff that happened between Shinji and Sakura, right?" Polnareff then said with a stoic, unemotional face as he looked at Abraham. "Yeah, she found out."

Shinji most certainly yelled at Sakura as he was still venting from his humiliation from losing that physical exam contest they had. Of course the boy would be so tense up-he wanted to get Rin and had tried to show that he was superior compared to Abraham, but when he failed with the ridiculous amount of discrepancy between the two boys, Shinji would have definitely reacted badly to his adopted sister when they got home, as she was the younger sister of Rin by blood. Shinji would most definitely not want a reminder or an "inferior" prize for his attempt.

Shinji had always seen Sakura as something lesser of himself, an inferior being that he was always angry to be associated with her. And, Shinji had always gotten frustrated at his adopted sister whenever she showed off how smart she was, or anytime she tried her utmost best to be more talented than the boy. This had definitely built up some anger over time, and with the fact Shinji got his ass kicked by Abraham in the physical exam... Well, it would definitely lead to some serious emotional and physical rage.

"I know this will sound cold, but we will with my 'patient' Medea to handle Shirou and Sakura after they go to bed. Then once she places a deep sleeping spell on them, we can start the mission and kill the parasite Zouken. I know it's surprising to you guys, but these mages can call back dead heroes or famous individuals through history as familiars, and Medea is one of those. She agreed to help with our other team member, Kakyoin, who will meet us in 3 hours."

He then asked if their last team member, Hol Horse would show up for the mission.

Polnareff nodded in response to Abraham's statement. "Yeah, I talked with Hol Horse earlier, and he said he'd be here at 11:20. Also, you say Medea from the Greek Mythology will be helping with Sakura and Shirou?" He said, a bit surprised by this fact. Polnareff has certainly heard of Medea in his history classes when they talked about the Greeks, and was rather surprised that that particular mage was an actual mage who still existed in a familiar form.

"Yes, the very same, just here as a spirit with physical form, if you follow. Since I helped her out when she very much needed it, she agreed to help us with saving Sakura and removing the worm from her heart."

Polnareff was genuinely surprised by this fact and didn't really know what to think of it. "Is that even possible? If she can be like that, why isn't she doing anything about the situation with Zouken? Why would you have to step in?" *Polnareff said with a bit of confusion in his tone of voice, not fully understanding how these two were dealing with this problem.

"Zouken is a survivor. He'll sense magic, but not souls. It is rare for magi to sense souls, so he'll be unable to sense your stands. I'll also be doing this in a method that keeps people from finding out that we are doing an assassination, so just bombing the residence will bring attention, specifically that of our main target. Kirei Kotomine, the priest that Dio told you I needed to get rid of in the first place, has many resources at his disposal, and could learn of our strongest resources, thus gaining a counter for them if we're not doing this intelligently."

"Makes sense." Polnareff said once Abraham was done with his explanation. That certainly was an intelligent method to deal with the situation in the long run, as it would allow the trio to have the element of surprise on their enemies; it would also ensure that none of that would backfire on them in any way whatsoever.

Polnareff had to admit, the way Abraham was handling things was pretty smart. He was right, Kirei would most certainly have resources to counter them if they were too obvious about their attempts at this, which is why being subtle about this was necessary. This was indeed a dangerous operation that they had to handle carefully.

The duo would enter and begin setting dinner, then soon be joined by Midler.

She greeted Abraham formally, not wanting to lose her cool as she had been keeping the abused girl company. Sakura was apparently doing her best not to seem as if she was affected, but Midler could tell the effects were there.

Midler saw that Sakura was trying her best to hold in her pain and sorrow. Her face and body language was obviously affected by Shinji, and Midler could tell that Sakura was doing her best to remain calm.

Shirou remained calm and respectful to his house guest. "I'll talk to her now, Midler-san."

The woman was going to leave, but decided to keep her stand and overheard the conversation between the redhead Shirou and Sakura, as it was clear the girl wanted her friend.

Midler left as Shirou went to talk to Sakura, the latter one being in her room. Once he got to the room, he knocked to signal he wanted to enter first.

"You can come in." She said in a tired and saddened voice, her usual smile now turned into a slight frown as she knew Shirou was going to talk to her more about the situation with Shinji. She kept her head down and waited for him to say something to her as she heard him knock on the door.

"Hey, Sakura..." Shirou began to say as he entered, his mind having a moment of pause as he saw just how down and saddened she was. He walked over to her bed and sat next to her, putting on a comforting and reassuring expression; he needed to be there for her through this.

"I heard what happened with Shinji..." Shirou then said, his tone of voice being one of concern for her. "Did he...? You know?"

"No. He just... I wanted to comfort my big brother, but he was angry after speaking with grandfather. He normally ignores me when he's mad, but Shinji..."

Shinji had left the house and told Sakura that he didn't care if she stayed and faced the wrath of Zouken tonight. She took that as a hint to her getting out of the house as she did, but Sakura was still saddened because Shinji had finally had enough.

The boy had lived around the residence, constantly reminded that he was inferior and would not be the inheritors of the Matou succession, since Sakura had the qualifications and he didn't, thus the boy had ignored her when she was abused by Zouken, and Shinji's anger would flare when he felt that Sakura was behaving kindly towards him out of pity.

Of course, Sakura would not tell Shirou this part, but she did say that she was afraid for Shinji's well-being as he technically did have a fight with their grandfather, so he walked out of the house, and hadn't come back.

Shirou frowned upon hearing this, showing genuine concern and worry for Sakura's brother. "I'm sure he's okay, he's most likely just taking it out alone. Maybe he's sulking right now; he doesn't mean all that he said." Shirou said, giving a comforting smile back to Sakura.

Shinji would normally ignore her, but when he was angry, he would often go on temper tantrums from his inferiority complex and would abuse her verbally when he was around his adopted sister. This was the first occasion he had just walked out in a fit of rage, probably being so furious about the circumstances that he had to step away.

He decided not to press the topic and ask more about that; he didn't want the girl to relive any more emotional trauma than she already had endured.

"I'm sure he'll come back." Shirou reassures her about Shinji's safety and well-being. "He probably walked away to cool off."

---

Later

After finishing their dinner, Abraham took it upon himself to take care of the dishes so that Shirou and Sakura could continue having their personal time together.

It would be two hours later that the group would be informed by Medea that she placed the two friends under a spell of deep sleep, thus allowing the group to speak freely.

"Just where the hell is Hol Horse? That man is late as always again."

"He's probably going to come around at 11:20; just like what he said to me when he said he'd arrive." Polnareff said, seeming a bit irritated at the fact Hol Horse had not shown up yet.

"Calm down, I doubt he's going to miss this mission at a time like this." Abraham said back to Polnareff, keeping his usual calm and stoic tone of voice. He didn't seem to have any concerns about Hol Horse being a bit late, but it had still been half an hour. "Besides, the darker the night, the less likely we'll be seen. We still have to have Sakura inside the sensory deprivation tank, and Kakyoin will be the one in charge of the surgery. I've already got the tools ready for him, unless he can do something with his Stand."

He then spoke to Medea "It'll be as you said. You'll aid my associate in removing that parasite latched onto her heart, correct?"

Medea had sensed and confirmed for herself that Sakura was afflicted by this. Even if she had not promised, she would not allow that sweet girl to suffer something like this after the many times she had come to observe the purple haired girl come over.

She nodded her head. She wanted Sakura to be free from this torment and was perfectly willing to remove the cursed worms that were inside of the girl's body; this was definitely what she herself would do, and she had nothing but the utmost respect for Abraham and his group since he had aided her in the past.

"Everything is ready on our end." Abraham then said back to everyone, confirming that the preparations were already complete.

The knock on the door indicated Kakyoin's arrival.

"Let him in."

"Mr Ruel. I did my best to study human anatomy. Where is the patient you wanted me to work on?"

Reassuring and calm, he gave the current situation for Kakyoin. "She's currently sleeping. We're putting her inside a sensory deprivation tank, as this task will require that you do it simultaneously at the same time we kill the target. I'm unsure that our target will be able to send a signal to affect the worm and kill our patient, but when I give you the message, you will remove the parasite, allowing the rest of us to freely kill the target. This woman here is Medea, and she'll aid you, so you won't be alone."

Kakyoin looked at Medea, and greeted her respectively. Her appearance made things rather... soothing for Kakyoin's anxiety.

Medea also saw Kakyoin, and immediately felt comfortable around him. Her calm and soothing presence made this a lot easier for Kakyoin to be around.

"Hello." Medea said to him, being calm and having a nice tone of voice as she had when she first talked with Abraham. She seemed to sense Kakyoin's anxiety and she had intended to put him at ease with her presence; she would not tolerate any harm of any kind to Sakura.

Medea gave a reassuring smile to Kakyoin, telling the boy a simple sentence that should be able to calm him down. "Don't worry, I'll be taking care of our friend Sakura and make sure she is safe throughout the operation, you don't need to fear anything, young man."

Kakyoin smiled back at her, the sentence indeed working on making him more eased. "Thank you." He said to her, a bit calmer now. Kakyoin had feared what could go wrong during this operation, but Medea had certainly done a good job at relieving the boy's anxiety in regards to the operation.

At 10 past 11 pm, Abraham decided that it would be likely that they could leave now and Hol Horse would catch up with them midway or at the target's location.

He had all the instruments needed, and he'd make sure that Zouken wouldn't escape.

For a small moment, he thought he saw a small gleam of light on the reflection of the clock, but it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him as he had always wanted to make Zouken pay for harming Sakura after learning what he had done to her decades later in his other life. This time he got to do it and save the younger Tohsaka sister. It could possibly lead to the sisters reuniting as family, which brought a smile to his face thinking about it.

"It would be nice to see those two see one another as family once again." Abraham thought to himself, his expression turning solemn at the thought as he sighed. "We'll see how it goes tonight though, one can only hope we will be able to reunite the siblings after this."

He had the intent to finish this as quickly and efficiently as he could, and to not let the Matou family be alerted by any mistake that they might have made. The man was focused on the mission, but he wanted to see the two sisters reunited.

Hol Horse did turn up, coming in exactly 11 minutes later. He was out of breath after a run and gave Abraham a thumbs up, signifying he was ready for the mission.

Abraham could see the light on the clock's reflection and didn't think much about it. He had to move quickly and had a job to finish.

"So... should we start heading out now?" Hol Horse started.

Abraham smiled kindly back at Hol Horse and nodded his head to his question. "Indeed. Let us begin the drive to the location."

Abraham turned to everyone, as he wanted to explain the plan to them.

"We shall head out to the destination. Hol Horse, I do not know what your Stand is capable of, so I would like for you to elaborate to us what you can do."

Needing to know what Hol Horse's stand could do in order to maximize effectiveness, the leader of the group waited for the cowboy to present himself like he was attempting to make a sale.

Hol Horse had a simple, but powerful Stand: The Emperor. He has the ability to create invisible bullets. Hol Horse could also control his bullets' trajectory in the air.

Abraham was glad ammo limitation was not a problem. "Can non-Stand users hear when the bullets are shot?"

"Indeed. Non-Stand users can hear when my bullets are shot. However, I can guide the bullets towards my targets, avoiding obstacles that would normally make those shots miss."

Abraham had a disappointed look. "So... you have no skill as a gunslinger. Your Stand is basically Aim-assist."

Hol Horse seemed taken aback as he got insulted by his Leader. "Are you going to be a jerk right now? I could literally blow your head off right now for saying that."

Abraham remained calm and collected. "First, the immediate consequence is we will crash as I am driving. Then you will have to face Dio and explain as to why I, the ally he trusts, was does not mean I am insulting you. For there to be a good, cohesive team dynamic, we will need to have back up skills in case your Stands prove ineffective. Midler has taken my blueprints for dire equipment to make, so I was merely asking if there were limitations to your stand. You'd make a good hitman if you could see further with a sight, Hol Horse."

Hol Horse had a surprised look on his face as he slowly understood what Abraham was saying to him, before he sighed, rolling his eyes.

He couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed as his Leader just pointed out the facts in a calm and polite manner, when that was definitely the opposite of how he expected Abraham to act. Now the problem was that it was true that Hol Horse did not have any skills as a gunslinger, but even then he was still able to guide his bullets into his targets, so all is well.

"Fine, I suppose you have a point." Hol Horse admitted, a bit irritated but he was forced to concede, knowing that Abraham was indeed far cooler-headed than him.

Midler grinned a bit at the interaction. "Heheheh, this is going to be fun."

Hol Horse was quite pissed after that interaction, especially how Midler found it entertaining to laugh at his Stand potential, but after a little bit of reflection, he realized that he was being childish and that he needed to accept his limitations. He didn't have to get so pissed off over something like that, and this was something that Abraham made him realize that he could improve his effeciency.

Hol Horse pouted a little bit as he admitted to his potential need of improvement. "Fine... I guess you were right... I'm sorry for getting mad. But I wasn't really expecting you to say that... I don't just throw bullets. I can move them too, and I'm pretty accurate, too!"

"At the very least if an enemy dodges, they'll have to be aware when it returns then."

The Hispanic adolescent then added an entertaining question.

"Do you think you can use other types of bullets than your standard ballistic?"

Hol Horse was actually pretty caught off-guard by the question that Abraham asks him. "Ummm... maybe? I mean, there's always different types of bullets. I mean, what are you implying?"

The cowboy was actually pretty caught off-guard by the question that Abraham asks him.

"Ummm... maybe? I mean, there's always different types of bullets. I mean, what are you implying?"

Abraham replied in his scholarly mode. "Ammunition with the capability of inducing implosion. With that, we can collapse a target's body in of itself, and since we are going to be fighting an enemy that is more or less like Dio in terms of them being vampiric by having their body made out of worms and living off of humans to regenerate themselves, I'm certain none of you want their body to explode and have chunks fall onto you."

Hol Horse was left a bit stunned as he listened to Abraham's explanation about special types of ammunition. That would definitely be useful to have, especially when the enemy is so similar to his master in terms of their "endurance" and such. It's as Abraham said: with the right ammo, their enemy would essentially just explode into a bunch of worms and not cause a mess on the battlefield. This was truly an interesting concept.

"Wait, are you saying there actually is ammo that can do that?"

"I used them in my old world when I needed to keep a stealth mission going. Midler has been building some bullets for me, as I don't exactly have the lab to make them, especially with my role here as a foreign exchange student. I'm simply wondering if you could possibly utilize these types of bullets, since your stand already has a standard set with the more common ones people are used to seeing."

Hol Horse nodded, a little bit surprised at the wisdom that Abraham presented. "Yeah... I guess that makes sense. So you're thinking that we might go up against something like DIO?"

"No, they are more fragile than him, but if Zouken notices he's going to lose his main body, he will not hesitate to take you with him. I don't want any of you getting near the target, so make sure to take your positions and let me handle the riskier tasks inside his lair."

Hol Horse nodded, now understanding the whole plan here. He was now left with one more question, if Abraham is going to handle the most dangerous things by himself then...

"Wait, why are you even bringing us along? I mean, is this even our mission? And besides, why me?"

"I'm placing liquid nitrogen at set points of the residence. I'd like to flash freeze the bastard before he notices, but that's practically a dream when you handle these monsters. Since both Sakura, and the other boy that lives in that residence is gone, we're free to do this. Midler will be using her Stand as a surveillance system for us, and Polnareff will handle the activation when things are ready, as well as any possible attacks from his familiars. You... I would say you'd also be doing that, but if it comes down to it... use your Stand to ignite the whole place and let it explode."

Hol Horse was left stunned by that order, not even sure if he was actually hearing this correctly.

"Wait, hold up. Are... you telling me... to incinerate the whole place in case there's an escape by Zouken?"

"Would any of you want an ancient DIO-like monster to come at you and absorb your life so that they could survive?"

Everyone immediately answered in unison. "... N-No."

Abraham had them dead to rights on that question. If it ever came to such a disaster then that would mean their lives would all be at risk, not just one but the entire team that was involved in such an attempt. That was a perfectly reasonable order by Abraham, and everyone would agree upon it.

Once they arrived 10 blocks away, Abraham told them to get out as he knew that the target would notice something out of place.

"Now remember, Midler, it's important you keep communications open between me, you guys, and Kakyoin. When I give the order, Kakyoin will remove that heartworm. Then Zouken's death won't send a death signal to kill Sakura. Inside the residence is an item we'll need to smoothly defeat the main target, Kirei Kotomine, thus is why I'm taking the risk to get it while placing liquid nitrogen in there as well."

Everyone nods in unison to Abraham, all of them understanding the plan as it was laid out here. They would all play their part, and this would hopefully bring them one step close to their goal of victory.

Once he entered the residence, Abraham took notice of the serene atmosphere the place had, as well as the bounded field placed to keep sound from being heard by any neighboring residents. He was glad that Midler's stand would be able to work as a communication method, but it also meant activating the liquid nitrogen tanks couldn't be done remotely anymore. The place was a standard samurai style residence, so he was limited on how he could move from room to room whilst staying in the shadows.

There were focal points he needed to place the liquid nitrogen tanks, and fortunately he had his ability to carry items to do all of this himself. Activating them was going to take a while, as then he'd have to get them to open all at once.

'I know his magecraft particularly revolves around worms, so I need to avoid the crest worms, lust, blade wing, and blood worms. The most dangerous for me is the lust worms, as it's definitely going to destroy my blood marrow and brain. The crest and blade wing could make a regular human Zouken's puppet, but I'm highly resistant thanks to my mentor's training.'

The more he entered the residence, the more Abraham realized that the place was a lot more tranquil than what he expected. It was as if a living person had lived in this residence, though his instincts told him that this place was way too calm, and that the target was probably watching him in stealth mode. The more rooms he entered, the more he took a mental note of where the focal points were supposed to be located and which type of worms that would be dangerous in this situation.

Abraham moved stealthily as he began to slowly place the containers at key points in the house, trying to not have them accidentally activate and leave a noticeable change in the ambient temperature of the house. Even if Abraham had to move slowly, he was making sure to be careful as he looked for every little detail; he couldn't afford a single misstep here. And then he began to think to himself of how to avoid certain hazards in the house that might be detrimental to him.

He opened a room in the lower levels of the residence, immediately regretting it as the area was infested with newborn worms, which sensed the presence of a human.

He quickly pulled out a part of a dead body he collected weeks prior, feeling every bit of guilt but understanding that his mission needed to be done. The worms went after that body part, allowing him to escape.

'Just where the hell is Zouken's mystic code?'

Abraham felt his heartbeat increasing a little as the room filled with newborn worms and attempted to pursue him. The worms would have been a much smaller problem if it wasn't for the new found resistance Zouken had placed as he didn't believe Shinji would return, and Sakura was always safe from his worms as she was going to be his newest body to possess once his plans were realized. He needed to deal with this situation quickly and silently. Abraham used the body part as a way of distraction as he quickly escaped from the room.

Abraham continued to place the Liquid Nitrogen containers, though he was definitely taking slow movements due to these new hurdles in the plan. This made him worry that some of these worms might notice what he was doing.

But nonetheless, he still needed to find the items, for Zouken had a few that he particularly wanted. One was in case he needed to keep a person alive, and that was a mystic code that could separate the mind and soul of a person's body, which would then be allowed for him to transfer it to a clone body, should he be able to get a perfect copy made himself. He didn't know where this mystic code might be, or even how it might even look. So far, everything he found here was just regular household stuff.

Abraham was starting to get a little bit worried now. There was a possibility that the mystic code was not even here in the first place. He knew that Zouken usually kept most of his most useful items to himself, but he never knew to what extent that was. It was as if he really had to search every nook and cranny to make any sort of progress here.

'It's likely inside his own personal office. This is pure bullshit.'

He stopped when he heard the decaying laugh of the ancient monster as it had seen him move about like a mouse in a maze.

"Shinji told me you were a magecraft user, yet you go about as a regular human. I must admit, it's amusing that my 'grandson' lost to a non-magic user. He's so pathetic, he can't even stand up to have proven himself in the physical aspect of humans."

Abraham froze in place for a few seconds upon hearing Zouken's voice. This was quite a surprise, as he did not expect he would be detected at all, and now that he has, he was unsure as to what would happen next. The fact that Zouken referred to him as a "regular human" only added to his confusion, as if he thought that there was something "special" that differentiated Abraham from the rest of humanity.

Zouken was a bit…. intrigued. "You know, I've waited so long for a perfect vessel to possess. One with the abilities I needed, but after learning from Shinji of his frustrations of getting with the Tohsaka girl, her interests in you, and what you were capable of in that physical exam test that my pathetic grandson was rambling about, stating that you cheated with magic... I've reconsidered my plan."

As soon as Abraham heard the voice of the enemy, he immediately felt a growing pain. In his head, his stomach was starting to twist and turn and his ears began to ring with an intense headache. It was as if his body was already preparing itself for a bad situation if it were to begin.

'Fuck! I can't move right now. Just how far does this spell go?'

"Hmm... No magic circuits? Yet your body appears to be much more developed, like an Olympian. Yes, this will do. I can simply compensate for the lack of circuits with my crest worms."

Abraham was trying his best to resist this possession, but he couldn't with his nerves being blocked. Zouken's body was now beginning to seep into him as the control over his body grew larger, and in order for him to escape, he needed a moment of opportunity.

Midler quickly took the initiative and went with the contingency methods Abraham had informed her he would need.

As Zouken was taking over, he wondered why the boy had become passive.

"H-Hey... Do you think you won..."

Abraham felt growing pain and discomfort within his own body as Zouken made his presence forcefully take over. His heart was pounding heavily, and his breathing was getting more intense and rapid. This was no good! He couldn't move his body at all due to this sudden spell, and he had no idea how long it would last. He could only hope that he wouldn't have his body hijacked by this evil mage while he's completely vulnerable. He can't even move his neck to look at the man standing before him...

With as much glee that the ancient magus had, he had underestimated the hispanic adolescent of one thing. He was not alone.

Several gunshots were heard, and Zouken, despite being completely safe inside his residence and thinking he didn't have to bother with outside disputes from whatever the idiots did as gang members would fight, found himself in pain as the shots hit him.

These shots were unseen to both Abraham and Zouken, but the adolescent knew...

His calvary had his back.

"What?! What sorcery is this? You shouldn't have magic?!"

He was still frozen. He could hear gunshots outside, and he knew who they had been coming from immediately. He was in relief, but still surprised with how the shots had actually hit their target. He was now waiting to have the ability to move soon, but he wasn't sure if the spell was even going to allow it...

---

Outside

"Again, Hol Horse. He's backed off, but our leader seems immobilized."

"Keep that monster away. I'll get him out of there!"

Midler and Hol Horse were working together, making it easier for them to attack the ancient magus without getting harmed. Midler was unsure if her Stand could be harmed, but she wouldn't risk it. As such, she was giving the other two surveillance as they didn't exactly know what was happening inside.

Hol Horse kept shooting without restraint. "Yee Haw!"

The sound of the gunshots outside made Abraham's anxiety skyrocket as he wondered how long this spell would last. He really, REALLY, needed the ability to move soon because he wanted to join the fight. He was very powerless right now and he hated it...

The shots themselves surprised Zouken. He didn't expect to be harmed by some bullets coming in from the outside world for no actual reason to his knowledge at the moment. They hurt to a degree, and he was beginning to become slightly agitated from the gunshots.

"You fools think I will die from these unconventional means? I already planned for the Magus Killer years ago. This won't be much of a problem."

The man, feeling a change in air pressure as the draft of the bullets flew by, then utilized his worm magecraft to slide away. He did so, but Hol Horse had 5 bullets being controlled at the moment, and Zouken couldn't dodge them all as he didn't have clear sight of them as a non-Stand user.

It angered him how he thought a combination modern technology and magic was beating him, when in truth Stand users were blindsiding him until Abraham could be rescued by Polnareff.

The bullets hit Zouken as he was attempting to evade the first shots. He could feel the pain from them as they hit him, and he was beginning to get irritated from it... He was not about to let this "calvary" of Abraham's continue to interfere with his plans. He would have to put them in their proper place soon and return to the task at hand with the boy.

After a few moments, Abraham gained his control over himself back as the spell effects subsided. He could move yet again, although the pain and discomfort was still present from the spell he just endured. It still ached, but he knew he had to quickly join in the battle before he would be too late...

He quickly went out of the room to the place where they were fighting, seeing how the battle looked quite heated.

Zouken slid away once again as the bullets came towards him, attempting to dodge, but the Stand controlled bullets gave him no room to do so. The bullets connected with his body, piercing the worm-like skin. He started screaming loudly, the pain of the bullets penetrating his skin being excruciating. He was bleeding quite a bit from these bullets, and although it would have taken him down, Zouken was using his magecraft to call any nearby worms to regenerate the missing parts for his body to continue on.

Getting a bit desperate, Zouken controlled a few of the lust worms to go ahead and take Abraham as their target, intending to paralyze him permanently by breaking his spinal cord and eating part of his brain.

The sudden presence of the lust worms caught Abraham offguard. He immediately saw one of the small worms go near his head, and it didn't look like it was going to stop. He didn't have much time to avoid it as it was making a straight path to his brain to begin with! It seemed that the worms had targeted him, and he had to think of something to fight this attack off quickly...

"Silver Chariot!"

The worms that came after Abraham were minced by Polnareff's Stand in a mere second as it had been fast despite the armor it wore indicated. Abraham couldn't see it, but his Wild Sense allowed him to understand where it was and the general outline of it.

The Frenchman then assisted the adolescent, doing what he could to get him out of the danger.

Abraham knew that if it wasn't for Polnareff he would have been a dead man for good. He felt the presence of "Silver Chariot" slice through the lust worms as if they were nothing, completely destroying the creatures before they could reach him. He was quite lucky to have such a skilled ally by his side who was also fast enough to save him from them...

Abraham had been saved just in time thanks to Polnareff's Stand, with the worms near his brain being shredded by the blades of Silver Chariot before they had much opportunity to inflict the brain damage they were capable of doing on him. The worms near his face and head had also been quickly eviscerated before they could do any major damage to him, which was greatly comforting; he was free and he would be able to fight.

He looked over at Polnareff, thankful for freeing him from that close-to-death situation...

"Things have gotten haywire, mon ami. I better get us out of here."

"No! Not yet. He's distracted right now."

"How bold, but... Fair enough. If you think that we can do that while he's distracted, then I'll follow your lead."

"All right. That spell took a toll on me physically, but I've rested for a bit now. I think I'm ready to fight again."

Polnareff sighed, being a bit surprised at how brave the Hispanic adolescent was in his own right. He expected that he would be shaking and trembling in his boots, but he wasn't acting in that manner.

'Where is he going?'

Abraham and Polnareff were racing to the other side of the residence, where Abraham found the stove. He opened the gas, ensuring not to ignite it just yet.

He then had Polnareff follow him, wanting his backup to get Zouken in position.

Abraham pulls out two silverballers, then gets Zouken's attention by shooting the man. One bullet at where his liver would be, and another at his jaw.

"That's a good look on you, you vile worm!"

Zouken couldn't even use his magecraft while damaged like that. The shots that hit him, one directly piercing through one of the worm nodes attached to the mage's stomach, and another blasting his jaw open in order to prevent him from speaking any spells; he would be silenced. Burning rage filled his mind as he saw Abraham before him with the weapons.

Polnareff quickly noticed the action taking place was more effective than what Hol Horse's bullets were doing. This strategy prevented Zouken from doing anything, as he would have to heal himself first before being able to retaliate.

Zouken soon realized that the bullet inside of his node was preventing any magic from being used. His eyes widened in fear as he had no personal protection, other than the Giant Worms he bred inside of the pits.

'How? He's a non-magus, he shouldn't be able to defeat me.'

"Send the signal to Kakyoin. We're nearing the end of this." Abraham quickly communicated to Midler with her High Priestess hearing him. "Polnareff. Can you get out of this place fast enough?"

"If you're asking about my Stand, then I suppose I can. If you mean my own pace, though, then I don't know. I do have many stamina problems when it comes to traveling long distances, and Silver Chariot can't go too far from me." Polnareff didn't have long, and he knew it: the moment that Zouken recovers his mobility he would be in trouble. "But right now I'll do everything I can to fight and keep you alive. Stand ready..."

"I'll consider this a loss for the second objective. Get your stand ready to throw us out of here."

As he finished that, five giant, chitinous, spider-like worms came up from the ground. They were the size of a car, and Polnareff knew that they no longer had much time.

"Got it."

Polnareff realized that they were now surrounded by many Giant Worms that could do them both harm, especially with how strong they were. He knew that at this point, they had to leave. He immediately summoned up his Stand and wrapped it around both himself and Abraham.

"I'm taking us out of this place as soon as I can... Just hold on."

As the man jumped up, Abraham made sure to set off his back up plan.

Using the skills and lessons he had from his memories, he made sure to set it off by shooting a bullet at one of the liquid nitrogen tanks, which in turn bursted and launched a large chunk of the wooden support of the house. This hit Zouken, and threw him towards the kitchen, where the gas was leaking.

Then, the best result happened as Zouken attempted to use his magic once more.

It set off the basic transmutation circle he made from the liquid nitrogen tanks, allowing the center of the residence to transport the large amount of thermite Midler collected for him.

Abraham warned all of the team, "Look away from that house!"

He shot another bullet at the thermite, which set off the reaction he needed, and the ignition of the thermite was hot enough to make the leaking gas in the kitchen explode.

'No…'

The flames began to intensify all around the house with the explosion coming from the reaction Abraham had set for a direct counter. The ancient worm mage realized the reaction and the flames coming right at him, and he was beginning to feel the heat of the fire that had begun when he used his magic again after removing that lodged bullet.

The thermite explosion was massive, with the heat of the flames being too powerful for anyone close by to resist for long. Zouken was caught in the middle as he was hit by the waves of heat from the explosion. The house was beginning to catch fire and the flames were spreading quickly due to the presence of leaking gas.

'No... Not like this... Not after so much time on it... I cannot die like this...'

Nothing would survive this literal scene from hell which the hispanic boy had planned. Neither the giant worms or Zouken could save themselves.

"Get to the car, guys. NOW!"

The huge amount of UV light that was being released was making a large disturbance to the residences that were safely far enough that the fire could not spread, so it was definitive that the authorities would come to check this out.

Only the Matou residence would be destroyed, as the liquid nitrogen tanks left inside would stop the fire from spreading further outside.

This assassination mission was completed with the help of the Stand users.

The team all got to the car quickly and Polnareff accelerated and sped off as soon as possible, getting as far away from the burning house as they could. The car was far enough away that they could see the flames that engulfed the Matou residence, with some of it reaching the nearby surroundings but not much. Even then, it would be difficult for the authorities to connect the burnt residence to any specific fire.

The team had succeeded at the mission. The damage done to the Matou residence was something that no one could imagine. The UV Rays and heat had turned the building into a scene straight from an apocalyptic nightmare, nothing of it remained except a big smoldering ruin. Their plan to kill the Matou patriarch had only given them a victory and nothing else, leaving the area of the residence in chaos; fire trucks and police cars began to arrive en masse for the Matou residence, ready to see for themselves what had happened here.

The plan had gone well. They had just assassinated the last Matou and destroyed their residence. It was a successful mission indeed.

"You almost died in there had we not interfered. Do you think my Stand isn't impressive now?"

Upon hearing the cowboy's words, Midler rolled her eyes and turned to look at Hol Horse. "No. Your Stand is impressive, to say the least. In fact, you were the reason that we were able to make the mission successful. If it wasn't for your Stand and mine Abraham would have been dead, but he also had a backup to recover himself."

Abraham had given Midler a commission to make him a pseudo nervous system in case the enemy would paralyze him in some manner. He only needed to properly activate it for the emergency he was in at the right moment, and thanks to Hol Horse and Midler working in tandem to get him that extra time by distracting Zouken.

"You did well, Hol Horse. So did the rest of you. Thanks." He would not tell them that he would have annihilated Zouken single handedly, but he didn't want to use any of his powers in the fight, as the consequences could have alarmed Kirei to what he was capable of. Killing Zouken in this manner just made it like a well executed assassination that any well trained church Executor squad could have done.

"It is only my duty to aid you, even if it was not the original plan. I do not seek glory or fame, but this was truly a good result."

Hol Horse would continue to give his praises to the team for their work on their successful assassination. The Cowboy was a person that rarely praised others, but when he did so, it meant something. He knew how dangerous even the youngest opponents were, which is why he always chose to be number 2, the supporter of a team whenever he could as it would allow him to survive. Seeing what the Hispanic boy was capable of... it just made him realize that he'd rather be on his good side so he had to ensure that he did not have any grudges or regrets. He'd likely need to tolerate any insults and belittling in the future as well.

'I am thankful that it didn't have to become a fight I would have to handle by myself. That was close. Too close for comfort, if anything. I'm really thankful that Hol Horse and Midler showed up at the last moment to buy me the extra time.'

Abraham, in all honesty, did not require his team's assistance in killing Zouken. He had an effective strategy of his own and would have been able to defeat him without help, but he limited himself to keep Dio from going into full out paranoia. However, he did acknowledge what his teammates had done as they did create a lot of opportunities for him to finish off the old man. It had been a team effort, even if he could have killed Zouken by himself.

The team would head back to the Emiya residence, and once they confirmed everything was completed on both parts of the mission, Hol Horse and Kakyoin left, understanding that they couldn't stay, else they'd make Abraham have to explain why these two were here to Shirou. The effects of the burning house had started to die out, but it was going to be the talk of the town for a few days.

Once both Hol Horse and Kakyoin left, the group was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

'All of this hiding stuff is too much of a hassle. I'd rather just be open about everything, but that's not our mission.' Midler thought. She would like to get this over with, but thinking about how it had gone, she felt it was better under supervision of someone like Abraham, as he was a barrier between her and DIO's punishments, even if she had to reign in her sadistic side. "So, that was done. What happens now?"

"Let us just hope and pray that no trouble comes on us with the aftermath."

---

The basement underneath his establishment was always closed off as he kept it. Tonight, he kept it so as his eyes observed the blazing residence of a foul existence of the being the Holy Church had not chosen to eliminate.

"So it's as J. Geil explained it..."

This ex-Executor, now head priest, had gotten curiouser and curiouser from the information his late teacher's daughter had brought him. It just surprised him how good the target in question was able to keep himself in control out in the public, making him a Silent Assassin whilst behaving like a foreign exchange student.

'Perhaps Rin should be removed from being around him…'

He laughed, finding it a stupid decision. As Rin Tohsaka's legal guardian, it was important that she would be ready. So her handling the potentiality of dying was something she would need to be away from.

After all, like Tokiomi said to him, "To be a magus is to walk by the side of death." This meant that Rin was going to deal with the boy herself if she wanted to be a great Magus.

And it also kept that interesting boy busy instead of hunting him down next. Abraham was certainly more concerned with spending time with Rin... than it seemed he was in doing his mission's. Of that, he was thankful J. Geil had come to him to betray that ally of his own master.

Kirei grinned as he took notice of the 5th HGW Servants having begun summoning a few weeks ago. 'This chaos will be entertaining.'

He would not inform Rin of this. Not when he found that she would be better being what calmed Abraham.

And the thought of killing this person she found herself opening up to would be all the more satisfying once Rin was at the peak of her hope.

Kirei's thoughts made plenty of sense. It was quite convenient that Rin had fallen in love with the boy for him, too. He would have to be the one that killed the boy himself. And while Rin seemed to be having fun in her relationship, Kirei also noticed how concerned Abraham was for her and how much time he spent alone with her.

He just had to wait for the peak of her hope, and then crush it without mercy.

"Additionally, Rin seems to make him more... docile, in a sense." The priest spoke to himself.

"Do not underestimate that, Kirei."

"You have a point, Gilgamesh. I shall not underestimate the power of "love". I should take care when I'm going to break her spirit."

Yet as Kirei spoke as if he had a chance at doing so, Gilgamesh had seen what this "boy" was like. It was months ago when he had felt two spikes of energy enter his "garden", yet it was far away that he did not wish to leave Fuyuki without a source of mana to fill him with power. The powers that he felt were almost as if heaven from his era had dropped another of their creations.

It sickened him that he felt this sort of power. Power which was near Enkidu...

But he let it be, and was only watching as that foreign boy was hiding in plain sight.

"Hah, you speak as if you think you have the means to break his spirit. I have known many like him, and I know your tricks and schemes wouldn't even come close to breaking him as opposed to other people."

This boy, Gilgamesh could tell, was one of a kind.