Things had happened rather quickly in the El-Melloi hotel suite.
The tiny worm-man had told Matou Kariya something about someone being kidnapped – Sola-Ui didn't really bother to listen to the details – and this had made both Kariya and his Servant very angry indeed.
Archer had dissolved into a rush of green motes moving at speed towards the window. Kariya, meanwhile, had scooped up the mass of maggots and reabsorbed them… somehow. Sola-Ui hadn't seen it happen, and was pretty sure she didn't want to know how it was done, because the only thing she could think of that would be worse than having to swallow the maggots would be to have them find their own way in.
Matou seemed to have recovered now, and was preparing to leave.
"Are you sure?" asked Kayneth. "With your home unusable, you will need a secure place to work from. Now that we are allies, even only temporarily, my atelier is yours if you require."
Oh, it was, was it? Nice of Kayneth to ask her. She glared at him.
"…although I request you defer to Sola-Ui in domestic matters during your stay here. As I do, haha."
She was going to punch him. She would be Saber's first kill in this War, and it would be Kayneth's fault for provoking her. Her fist clenched so hard it was physically painful, and it took every ounce of self-restraint to keep from yelling.
Matou, at least, seemed to pick up on her hostility.
"Uh, no. I'm good. I really should head out." He picked himself up, moving like a man twice his age.
Kayneth nodded, and motioned to Saber, who got the door. "I understand. You want to support your Servant in battle, as any magus would."
That earned him a strange look from Matou. "No? Archer can operate just fine without me there. You know, as if she can act in some kind of independent fashion. But someone's gotta be there to take care of Sakura once Archer rescues her. Archer is great with kids, but…" he smiled nastily, "She's going to be a little busy hunting down Assassin and nailing her to a tree."
"Very well. If you change your mind, or need somewhere to accommodate your niece, you know where to find me. Saber will guide you out of the labyrinth."
Kariya limped off down the haunted halls.
Once he was gone, Kayneth turned to Sola-Ui. "Prepare yourself, dear. I'll also head out, I think."
Sola-Ui sighed. "Why? This child has nothing to do with us. I'm sure it's very sad she's been kidnapped, but I hope you're not moving to rescue her out of some misplaced sentiment."
"Hardly." Kayneth chuckled. "Partly, I admit, it would be nice to be the hero for once. But no – I think Archer has that well covered. Instead, it occurs that it would be hard to find a better moment to assault the Einzberns than when their Servant is busy trying not to get, well, hunted down and nailed to a tree."
Sola-Ui paused, and considered. That was… actually a decent point. Even a stopped clock, and all that. She argued, more out of habit than because she really felt the need, "It's still not necessary for you to go. Everyone else will have had that same idea."
"Then I'll have plenty of help." Kayneth's eyes hardened. "The Magus Killer threatened you, Sola-Ui. I'm not letting that go."
"If you think I'm going to swoon and fall into your arms, Kayneth, you've got another thing coming."
"Nice as that would be, I know you better than that." Kayneth smiled as though he hadn't just said something utterly ludicrous, while Sola-Ui worked out what on Earth her reaction should be to something like that. "It would be nice if you wished me luck, though."
Sola-Ui folded her arms and turned her head. This much, at least, she could grit her teeth and do. "… good luck. As if you need it. I'm sure Saber won't let anything happen to you."
"Just so!" said Saber, having reappeared in the doorway. "Master, are you ready? Have you said your goodbyes?"
"Almost." Kayneth leaned across and kissed Sola-Ui on the cheek, which she accepted dutifully. "Now we are done. Come, Saber. Emiya Kiritsugu dies tonight."
And off they went, leaving Sola-Ui alone in the hotel suite. Again.
With a puddle of greasy worm juice on the carpet.
Gritting her teeth, she dialled hotel services and prepared to make the arrangements for a maid to enter through the many, many layers of defences. Security was one thing, but there was no way she was touching that.
Martha wasn't restless. She was a purehearted woman of the cloth, which meant that she couldn't possibly be restless, even though tonight was the first night Servants would fight each other without Lancer coming down on them like a tonne of bricks made from Age of the Gods clay. If something was going to happen, it would be tonight, when the other Servants had had three days to plan. Caster worried her, and Assassin worried her, and frankly she wasn't too sure about Archer or Saber either. Getting out and actually fighting the good fight would calm her down, because at least then things would be simple.
Tokiomi was far too passive, in her opinion – not that anyone had asked for it, and not that she intended to offer it unless specifically asked. It wasn't her place, and she would freely admit that she knew very little of war. But she did know a thing or two about evil, and right now there was evil in the city running unchecked. Staying turtled up had done no good against Berserker, and it wasn't going to do any good now.
But she wasn't restless.
She was quite content to simply stay in this lovely room her Master had prepared for her, pray, and worry herself sick.
There was a knock at the door, and she was across the room and opening it before the third knock came. Kotomine Kirei was behind it, looking vaguely surprised before he schooled his expression.
"Rider," he said. "Lancer has some information. Please come with me. I am just about to brief Tokiomi." Then he walked off, leaving Martha to hurry behind.
(Obviously, hurrying was something of an exaggeration. Like any Servant, Martha could have done three laps of the house and grounds by the time Kirei's leisurely walk made it to Tokiomi's living room. But there was such a thing as decorum, and besides Kirei's legs were longer than hers.)
The living room door was open, but Kirei knocked on it anyway. Probably a habit he'd picked up as an Executor, Martha reflected – Kirei's footsteps were very quiet, and he didn't want to startle people. Tokiomi looked up.
"Kirei," his eyes flicked to Martha, and widened, "and Rider? What is it?"
Kirei didn't hesitate. "Lancer has detected Matou Sakura being abducted from the Matou mansion."
Martha winced. That bluntness was something Martha saw sometimes in Risei. Hopefully, he would grow into a certain measure of tact.
Then what he said caught up with her.
"Abducted?" she said. "By whom? Are you sure?" What on Earth had Archer been doing, to let such a thing happen? Martha wasn't the best at reading people, but even she could tell that Atalante reacted furiously to the very idea of involving her Master's niece in the War.
"Quite sure. Unless Matou Sakura has suddenly gained the ability to leap across rooftops, we assess a Servant is responsible." Martha studied Kirei's face for any sign that he was joking, but either he was perfectly serious or his poker face was better than she thought. "Lancer cannot detect any Servant near her, so Assassin is the likely culprit."
"Emiya Kiritsugu… making good on his threats to use hostages, I see." Tokiomi looked as thunderous as Martha had ever seen him. Understandably. "Kirei, can Lancer monitor Rin from where she is?"
"Yes."
"Have them do so. I want to know immediately if Rin is in danger. Aoi also."
"Of course."
"Good." Tokiomi exhaled, looking slightly calmer. "As for this – I think the Magus Killer has made it clear he does not intend to abide by the unspoken rules. Involving children is too far. Rider, with me. I think the Moderator needs to know about this…"
Martha trailed after her Master – there was some magical communication device in the workshop, which Martha wasn't going to pretend to understand, which was how Tokiomi preferred to keep in touch with Risei. Personally, she preferred to use what the Grail told her was called a 'telephone' to call her friend, but then she wasn't a magus.
She hoped the Matou girl would be alright. At least her Master's daughter was safe. It was good to know he at least cared about the innocent.
Serenity hadn't exactly abducted Matou Sakura as part of a plan, and thus, she didn't really have much of a plan as to what to do with her.
Fortunately, part of proper preparation was to have measures and resources in place even for things that you didn't plan for – so, after some hasty discussion with Kiritsugu, Maiya stood ready to pick up Sakura and take her away by motorbike (cars being almost useless on Fuyuki's ruined streets). Take her somewhere other than the Einzbern castle, obviously, since that was the first place anyone would look for her, and while it was well-defended, the point was to take Sakura away from the warzone.
This plan, ideally, would involve Sakura being spirited away before anyone (apart from Zouken, naturally) realised she was gone. Thus, Serenity was in spirit form, her presence concealed, materialising only to whisper directions to Sakura as she wandered through the ruined streets – and, occasionally, when there were no witnesses, to lift her over a particularly awkward obstacle, or to leap from rooftop to rooftop as a shortcut.
It was something of a strange sight, this little girl in her neat little purple dress and matching boots wandering through the rubble, abandoned cars and debris that made up Fuyuki. If anyone noticed, no-one came – either to help or because they saw an easy target. Serenity wasn't too worried about that kind of thing, though. From Kiritsugu's research, the local Yakuza took a very dim view of that sort of thing.
Now, of course, everyone had bigger problems.
Serenity's problem came in the form of a clinical message from her Master.
Assassin. Prepare to engage. Archer seems to have a lock on your position.
Out went Serenity's spiritual senses, out came Serenity's knives, even as she stepped away from Sakura into a shadow and instinctively concealed her presence as much as she was able. Yes, there it was – a powerful Spirit Origin, closing rapidly.
Very rapidly.
Actually, really very rapidly indeed. Serenity should probably be doing something about this.
Any information on how she's tracking us? she asked.
None. Lancer may be passing her information, though I doubt it. She may have a lock on Matou Sakura. Worst case, she's just that good a hunter that your Presence Concealment is of limited use. I suspect a combination of the second and third options.
Serenity thought furiously. She had been careful to leave no trace, out of unbreakable habit if nothing else – Sakura was making no such effort. Archer knew that they'd started off at the Matou mansion, and if she was any hunter at all she'd have guess as to Sakura's average walking speed. That gave a pretty limited circle in which to search.
Small enough that Archer would be able to catch Sakura's scent once she got near? Maybe.
Plans whirled through Serenity's head. She had bait. She maybe had the element of surprise. Archer might by now know about Serenity's poison, but not her other skills. Most importantly, this wasn't a fight Serenity had to take. She could just fade away and run for it.
And let Archer take Serenity back to the worm pit.
… she gripped her knives tighter.
All of a sudden, Archer was there, materialising in a swirl of green motes in the middle of the ruined street. She knelt next to Sakura, and took her shoulders in a surprisingly gentle grip.
"Sakura! Are you okay? Did Assassin hurt you? I should have never left you alone, going in person to meet the Master of Saber was stupid but Kariya insisted… you're really alright? You must be so frightened…"
Sakura reached up, dull expression still firmly in place, and scratched Archer between her cat ears.
"I'm okay, Archer. Assassin was scary, but not bad… I think…"
"Is she still here?"
Sakura just tilted her head at that. Archer concentrated, taking in a deep breath and pricking up her ears. On this street, there were no fires, and few cars – just scattered rubble from a collapsed house strewn across the road. With the streetlights broken, the only light came from the moon and stars, half-hidden by the haze of smoke over Fuyuki. The shadows were deep, the street silent.
Serenity didn't have to breathe as a spirit, but held her breath anyway.
After an agonising moment, Archer nodded. "Fled, then. Cowardly, as expected. Come on, Sakura, let's-"
And that was when Serenity struck.
Three knives whipped towards Archer like bullets – silent, deadly poisonous bullets. Serenity could throw knives through plate armour, and all three were aimed at vital points… but the damage the blade would do was just a bonus. The real aim was to introduce Delusional Poison Body into Archer's bloodstream.
One was aimed directly for Archer's eyes to present the smallest profile, and this was still the most obvious threat. One was aimed low, at Archer's ankle, hard to see, and if she planted her feet to duck out of the way of the first knife, it would hit. The third and last was aimed centre mass – and, more importantly, aimed so that if dodged it would hit Sakura.
A surprise attack with silent knives, each one deadly with only a scratch, and positioned so that even if the target somehow knew about them they would be hard-pressed to avoid all three. Serenity took no pride in her killing ability, but she was the head of the Order for a reason.
Unfortunately, Atalante was an Argonaut for a reason as well.
When the first knife was halfway towards Archer, her ear twitched. Then, she blurred into motion – her great black bow appearing in a whirl to bat aside the first and last knife, so fast Serenity couldn't even follow it. Archer skipped back, foot neatly raising above the low knife to step back into a firing stance-
Ah.
Serenity dove to one side as a green arrow demolished the building behind where she'd been standing, and kept moving. For a moment she was visible only as a shadow moving among shadows – then, as she ducked behind a car, not visible at all. As a spirit, she doubled back, moved through a house for good measure, and emerged on a rooftop behind Archer, heart hammering.
This might be trickier than she'd hoped.
"Assassin," snarled Archer, looking around. "Involving children? I hoped your Master was only bluffing, like Caster said, but it seems there is nothing you won't sink to."
Serenity wanted, very badly, to ask whether Archer knew about what happened to Sakura in the pit. If Archer was less angry, she might have. Now, all it would do was give her a target.
On the off-chance Archer wouldn't expect another direct attack, Serenity flung more knives from her perch. Again the twitch of an ear picking up an almost-silent projectile, again the whirl of motion knocking everything aside – and again Serenity was forced to dodge as a punishing volley of arrows to match an artillery strike destroyed the rooftop she was standing on.
"Do I have to wreck this entire street to force you out of your hiding place, Assassin?" said Archer. "Because I will."
Serenity cursed inwardly. Archer was right, she couldn't keep this up forever. Her throwing knives were clearly not working. Time for a change of approach.
Dematerialised, she crept round Archer – not behind, but to one side, appearing again in the shadow of a partially-collapsed wall. She picked up a rock, and lobbed it over Archer's head. Then, she moved.
The clatter the rock made was barely audible, but Archer had launched five arrows in its direction before the echoes had even died down. The house unfortunate enough to be in the way fairly exploded from the assault, arrows punching clear through the building to impact the street on the other side.
By that time, Serenity was already three quarters of the way towards Archer, knife pulled back and aimed squarely between Archer's shoulder blades, where it would be most awkward to block-
Archer's backward kick hit her square in the sternum. Serenity's breath left her in a rush, but that was nothing compared to her ribs breaking, followed by her spine as Archer's heel drove straight through her body at very nearly the speed of sound.
She flew backwards, rolled once, then hit a wall. She was light enough that she didn't blow straight through it, but was left half-embedded in broken brick. She had just enough presence of mind to dematerialise and throw herself to the ground before an arrow passed through where her head would have been. She darted aside, back behind cover. In spirit form, she felt herself heal, agonisingly slowly.
Noted. Serenity would not be taking on Archer in close combat.
Her throwing knives were obviously out as well – Archer was too sensitive and too quick to be hit without some truly exceptional manoeuvring on Serenity's part. Serenity did still have other means of delivering her poison, but none that wouldn't also hit Sakura.
… which left her with very few options. This was exactly why Assassin Servants didn't take on any of the others directly if they could help it.
Master, do we know where the Master of Archer is? she sent.
Unfortunately not, came the reply immediately. The familiars are searching.
A shame. Matou clearly wasn't with Archer – or in other words, Archer wasn't currently protecting her Master. From her assessment, even Maiya would have little trouble killing Matou if he were by himself.
Well. That was one idea…
When her chest had repaired itself enough to talk, Serenity materialised once more out of sight, and called, "Thank you, Archer."
That earned another volley of arrows, but Serenity had already moved on.
Archer stood protectively over Sakura. "For what?"
"Taking the bait so well. My Master would have a much harder time killing yours if you were there."
There was a pause as Archer considered this. "Liar. My Master is alive and well, and no-one is nearby."
Serenity laughed, in a manner Iri had said was very disturbing when it came from a grinning skull somewhere in the shadows. "Yes, modern weaponry is quite something. Believe me, or don't. You'll know the truth soon enough. Tell me, what happens to Sakura once both her protectors are dead?"
Archer's tail twitched. Then she knelt down and turned Sakura to face her. "Sakura. I'm going to check on your uncle. I can't go as fast as I need carrying you. Stay here. No matter what Assassin tells you. She's a liar, understand? Stay here." She straightened up, looking around in vain for Assassin. "If you harm a hair on her head…" She left the threat unfinished. With a snarl, she crouched – and then was gone, leaving only an afterimage.
After a moment, Serenity appeared next to Sakura. If the girl was confused as to what had just happened, she didn't show it.
"I'm not supposed to listen to you," she said, staring up at Serenity with incurious eyes.
Serenity considered, then decided on an approach. "You don't have to. I'm not going to tell you anything. All I will do is ask questions. You don't even have to answer, I'm just going to stand here and ask. That's fine, isn't it?" Sakura was a small child, and Serenity had mastered social engineering and manipulation like she had every other art of infiltration. It was almost unfair.
Sakura nodded.
"Just tell me… will Archer take you back to the worm pit, if you go with her?"
Sakura hesitated, then shook her head.
"Not directly. But you'll be at your house, and you'll end up there anyway, right?"
Sakura nodded.
"Is that where you want to go?"
Sakura blinked, and looked down. After a moment, she shook her head.
Serenity crouched down, eye-to-eye with Sakura, and took off her mask. She held Sakura's gaze – the girl seemed unable to look away. "You actually hate it there, right?" she asked softly.
The expression of guilt and fear on Sakura's face would have twisted the heart of anyone who had one. How fortunate for Serenity that she'd killed hers long ago.
"I… shouldn't say," Sakura said, hands twisting in her dress. "Grandfather will be angry."
"You don't have to say," Serenity said. "I can already tell. Sakura, is there anywhere you would rather go? You don't have to go back. We can just take you away."
"Archer said to stay here…"
Serenity didn't say anything. Instead, she watched while a little girl's desire to do what her guardian said warred with her evident sheer terror at having to go back to her house. Sakura wrung her hands, and shuffled her feet. Serenity let her get to her answer in her own time – aware that with each second, Archer was getting closer to finding her Master, and seeing that he was in no danger at all.
Trembling, Sakura looked up at Serenity, and answered.
Martha was sat ready in Tokiomi's living room when she heard the knock on the door.
That shouldn't happen. The Tohsaka house was under a fairly advanced Bounded Field, that repelled anyone without the magic to resist. Magi were fine; the regular people of Fuyuki were not. Anyone who would be able to get up to the front door would therefore either be an ally – and have the decency to call ahead and let Tokiomi know they were coming – or were at war with the Tohsakas, in which case they would be knocking slightly louder.
So this was curious.
Martha took her staff in hand, and marched into the lobby. If there was danger, it was her job as first line of defence to deal with it. She opened the door – and nearly dropped her staff. (She didn't, because it was a gift from the Lord, literally the holiest thing in the entire city. But nearly.)
A small, purple-haired girl in what looked like borrowed clothes looked up at her.
"Hello," she said. "I know I'm not supposed to be here.
"… is Daddy home?"
Serenity heard Archer's howl of rage at being tricked from across the city.
When Archer came into view – scant seconds later, as little more than a streak of green, flashing over the rooftops – she picked up her bag.
Her bag, containing Sakura's clothes, still covered in Sakura's scent.
Then she fled into the Einzbern forest.
