The gamblers groaned and moaned as the tin can was lifted and the pair of dices was revealed. In this hot room of stale sweat, bad breath, cigarettes and beer, I and four others were supposed to keep watch and serve drinks as the three underbosses kept the game going. This work kept me busy from eleven to sixteen. By then, I had showered at a bathhouse, ate at a ramen stand and prepared myself for the coming battles.
I went to the streets and caught a taxi to the outskirt of the city with two pistols and a short sword hid underneath my coat. The driver dropped me off at the edge of the outskirt I paid my fare and made the rest of the trip on foot.
Deep and comfortable in the dark expanse of the forest, I dry-fired my temple, summoning Juno.
She was this tall woman of two-and-a-half meters in red, her hair was turquoise, her face was white and blank except the two red eyes at each cheeks and one seated vertically in her forehead. From her back sprouted a pair of metallic peacock-feather-shaped ornaments, three eyes each. And her lower body was a protective crystal-clear sphere.
Juno was a scanner Persona, she belonged to Yamagishi Fuuka, I originally hadn't access to her until my second wind in Fuyuki City. As the name of her type suggests, she specializes in detection and analysis, not combat.
My summoning of her was to detect any familiars the Masters might have following me. It wasn't that I couldn't detect anything without her, but I doubt that my sense in magic detection was sharp enough to notice any small energy emissions or distortions in the air.
Juno, with back arched, eyes in the stars and arms spread wide, began her work. A detection field of twenty-five meters radius or so blossomed from her position. Her readings came, in our vicinity were: insects, squirrels, birds and three very faint concentration of magical energy formed things that were vaguely humanoid.
When Tohsaka had explained to me on what constitutes a 'familiar', I hadn't expected this. Regular people don't give any kinds of magical energy emission; even if they do they wouldn't glow as bright as these spies of mine. Their positioning on tall trees was weird but it got most unusual when they jumped from one branch to the next, one tree to the other like rabbits. They were something humanoid, but not human. Only thing came to my mind are Servants. Such limited deduction dissatisfied me.
Juno made an attempt to analyze one of them, the shape stopped moving. It knew it was seen. It and its friends retreat outside the detection field.
Juno and I stood wait. Nothing like those shapes ever came up in our range. Juno didn't see anything new. And her senses were sharpest of my Personas. If she doesn't see anything in a given range, then they weren't there. Our spies have figured the limit of our senses, and they were staying out of it.
Ten more minutes or so of this, and I decided that they weren't worth my time. Either these stalkers were too scared, or their objective was to only spy on me. Whatever it was, I hadn't the time to spare for them.
A thumbing of the hammer and the trigger reset. I dry-fired my ear, manifesting the Egyptian god of the desert, chaos and evil: Seth.
If the spies weren't going to make their move against me, then I won't either. Juno dematerialized. I mounted Seth's neck, and we took flight out of the forest and head for the sky above Shinto.
Any heat on me was cooled off the moment we took flight. The winter wind went through me with a fervent bloodlust in them, their howls sang like banshee.
Seth and I started from the edge of the city then made our way inward. The distance between us and ground would leave Seth perfectly camouflaged against the night sky, unless he blocked a star or two. Despite this distance between us and below, Seth's eyes were sharp enough to see the people below with perfect clarity. If a Master and Servant pair was to walk around Shinto, then we'd notice.
Five minutes of flight yielded us nothing. We intended to go all the way to Miyama and then circle back to Shinto, but Seth had caught something on the roof of the Centre Building - the tallest building in Fuyuki City.
Two figures, one was emitting more magical energy than the other. One was a man who had his hair long and swept back on a handsome face dotted with a mole under his right eye, his hands wielded a red spear, he dressed in a skin tight teal outfit and fitted a pauldron on his left shoulder. The other was a short haired, red head woman in a white blouse. Master and Servant Lancer.
The pair locked eyes with Seth; we circled around the roof and settled for one corner diagonally opposite theirs.
I dismounted, hands flat at my sides, sword gripped loosely, I approached them. Seth stood still, body rose high, vigilant.
Lancer, with left foot back, right foot forward, presenting as little of him as possible, advanced with red spear tip forward.
We were at somewhere in the middle. I stopped, Lancer stopped. I was dictating the tempo.
"Take it easy," I reassured. "Why don't we see if we can resolve our differences with words first before we start clanging our melees?"
"That's not a Servant, I'm assuming?" He flicked his head at Seth.
From left to right and left, I moved my head slowly.
"Then what words must we exchange? Are you a representative of somebody? Why is a non-Master and Servant in this fight?"
I gave a no on his second question. For his first and third, I elaborated about the Corrupted Grail theory for why we should talk and why I was in the fight.
"And the others... do they know?"
"I've told them."
"We heard nothing of this from the overseer!" The Master shouted, she was angry and unconvinced. "You're just an outsider interfering with the Heaven's Feel; you should be dealt with by now!"
"Perhaps I'm just too troublesome to be dealt with," I said. Seth growled to emphasise my point.
"This thing of the Corrupted Grail," Lancer said, "you believe it?"
"No. I'm fifty-fifty on it. Angra Mainyu was confirmed to be summoned on the third war, Class: Avenger. You know what that name means, right? Zoroastrianism's spirit of evil."
"That can't mean that the Holy Grail is corrupted! It's a-" he got that far before I tuned out. I wasn't interested in hearing it again.
"If you're unwilling to be convinced that the Grail is not worth it, then would you be willing to be convinced that this war is not worth it? Tell me of your wish, this wish of yours that you're willing to kill heroes or villains from the past or their Master from the present."
"I'm not so dishonorable as to fight dirty like that," Lancer's eyes narrowed.
"Tell me either way. Perhaps I can help. If I can't, well..."
"Lancer..." His Master stepped forward, concerned.
"It's okay," to his master, "despite the vicious black dragon he commands, I feel that somehow we can trust this man."
Lancer turned to me. "All right, if you want to know, then I'll tell you: At first, my Master and I have no wish for this Heaven's Feel, we just participated as a display of strength and honor. After a confrontation between us, Saber, Rider, their Master, Berserker and Archer at the docks, we retreated to the Fuyuki Hyatt. Couple of hours after, the Fuyuki Hyatt was sundered, from top to bottom the building crumbled, it was the work of Saber's Master."
"The Homunculus?"
"No, the Magus Killer," Lancer corrected me. "Seeking retribution, my Master and I raided the Einzbern's castle, I have my second fight with Saber. But it was interrupted again. I felt my Master's alarming state of being, and I abandoned my duel with Saber to save him. It was most disgraceful of me, but I felt that it was the only way for her and I to have an honorable end to our duel. But that wasn't the end of our trouble; my Master is right now without the function of his body and magic circuit - caused by that loathsome Magus Killer. So we're fighting the war to restore his wellbeing. Unless you have the power to restore him back to his entirety, then I don't see how we can end this without bloodshed."
"Hmm..." I pursed my lips. "So that woman..." and let Lancer continue.
"My substitute Master," was all he cared to elaborate.
Before I can make my say, the substitute Master spoke: "Even if you can restore workings to his arms and legs and his bodily senses, you won't be able to fix him his magic circuit. No healing spell in the world can do it."
"Maybe I can't fix his magic circuits"- whatever they are -"but perhaps I can rejuvenate him somewhat. My healing spells are very effective."
"It won't be enough," the woman said.
I raised my right hand as a gesture to say "easy", and went through my coat pocket to produce a switchblade. I unbuttoned my coat and my shirt, then extended the blade. From beneath my sternum, I traced a cut down along my left ribs. The wound bled red black blood. I closed the blade and pocketed it. I dug through myself, prodding around in the moist, warm, slimy insides. I found the beating core, and with tight fingers around it, I yanked it out as hard as I could. Simultaneously, Diarahan enveloped me in its healing light. A new heart, younger and more vigorous, replaced the one beating in my fingers. All the mess I made in myself returned to where it belonged, and the gape beneath my sternum along my ribs closed.
"I offer you my heart," I said, "as proof of my abilities." And then threw the still beating thing at Lancer's feet.
I made myself to be properly dressed.
The substitute Master sharply gasped, both hands went up to cover her mouth. Lancer's shock recovered a lot more easily and was less expressive, he had only went wide-eyed at the trick. He said: "Most impressive," and picked up my old beating heart of twenty-one, examining it, "but the most severe damages done to him are to his soul, his magic circuit. If you can show me proof of that as well..."
"What do you want me to do, hurt a ghost?"
"So you can't?"
"Your Master has a chance to walk and operate his arms. No magecrafts, maybe. But that's better than being crippled."
"For a magus," the woman said, recovered from her shock, "unable to perform magecraft is just as well as being crippled. We dedicate generations, lives, to perfect our craft. You are a magus most skilled, but I doubt your abilities will be enough."
"Do you like to take your chances with them?" I nodded to the city, they got what I meant. "What if you fail? What then?"
"It's better than to take our chances with you. We know you less than we know them. We don't even know your name, yet we-"
"Well, I'm Yuki Makoto, how are you this fine evening madam?"
"I-" she bit her bottom lip, furious. "The point stands that we can't trust you! We know of you so little. And even if we do trust you, your abilities wouldn't be enough. So we still have to participate in the Heaven's Feel."
The air was still. We've made our stand.
"That's it huh?"
"I guess so," Lancer materialized a shorter golden spear in his left hand.
I put my sword through my belt, placed my left thumb on its guard and pushed it out, my right forefinger and thumb between the white grip, dragged the sword out of the white scabbard. Seth dematerialized.
"The dragon," Lancer said. "You're not fighting with him?"
"I don't like the image of a charred woman to be on my conscience."
"I applaud that. But it leaves you standing little chances against me. I'm a Servant, you're a magus."
"You don't like to win?"
"Not if it's cheap. I'll make it quick for you."
I grinned at him. My left hand cross drew my Browning Hi-power at my right hip. Muzzle at jaw, I dry-fired, summoning Juno at the corner Seth occupied.
"What the-" Lancer let out.
Tarukaja and Sukukaja ignited on a quick succession. The essence of Susano-o flowed through my beings, occupied my instinct. On my feet, I punched myself forward and went at Lancer with a diagonal slash from right downward left.
The red spear met my slash; I followed through with my motion, twisting my shoulder at an uncomfortable angle to get the sword through. Then, diagonally, from lower left to top right, another slash from me to him. Our weapon met in a bright flash, we jumped back. I cocked and holstered my black automatic.
My left foot back, right foot forward, white steel straight, offhand opened and ready.
Lancer did the same feet position, both his spear tips were downward. A quick flash of his eyes went to Juno, he felt himself being scrutinized under those five red eyes. A quick look-see at his on-field Master - his Master gave a reassuring nod - and then back to me.
Lancer grinned, his handsome feature turned to something full of joyful youthfulness. His expression was filled with a sense of adventure. Our battle here was like a carnival play to him, but taken much more seriously.
"You work that sword well," he said. "And that woman of yours... I don't suppose you'd tell me if I ask nicely?"
"I won't."
"I guessed so."
We went for each other, he got to me first. The red spear was flung at me and caught at the bottom of its shaft, its range increased; I swiped at it with my steel. The golden spear next, its tip got close to my face before I parried. I closed in our distance, the red spear raised, aimed for my midsection. I let it did its business and went to do mine. My slash caught him at his collarbone; his spear went upward, shattered both of my lower ribs and went out of me. I strike for his head with my left, open-palmed, it caught him between his cheekbone and jaw.
We separated. And I wondered how the red spear can pierce through me. Susano-o was supposed to nullifies such attacks. Well, I'll know when Juno finished.
Little by little, my wound began to fix itself. I readied myself in the same stance. Lancer's collarbone was healed, the work of his Master.
We gave each other a stare down and when we both had enough of it, we went at each other again. Lancer was like lighting with both spears, he stabbed for my heart, my head, my stomach, my legs, my arms. Each was faster than last, but that hadn't slowed me down. I had the sense to apply Rakukaja, and reapply the other enhancements. He stabbed, I parried, for three quick seconds he had stabbed at me twelve times, and ten times I had successfully parried. His golden spear went through but it hadn't done anything to me, not even a scratch, while his red spear carved a channel nicely on my left forearm.
An opening present itself for me, I made for a cut, caught him at his right chest, shallowly. He had dodge and back stepped. The Master was watching us with anxious shakes, healed the cut on Lancer. I closed the blood channel on my forearm.
It was another stare down when Juno's reading came:
His name was Diarmuid Ua Duibhne - Diarmuid of the Love Spot. Red spear Gáe Dearg, golden spear Gáe Buidhe. The red spear strikes through mana, so no magical protection is possible to absorb it, while the golden spear would leave un-healable injuries on your body. I wonder if that Love Spot affected Juno... probably not much. She's cold to many but me.
But his Master there, I wonder...
Diarmuid rushed like a bullet, pinpoint accurate with his red spear, I went to meet his rush with my own. Gáe Dearg cut my cheek, while Gáe Buidhe was thrust from below, it did damage to my coat and shirt, but none of it went through me. I grabbed the spear, and pulled it back, Diarmuid was up one foot in the air. I raised my sword for a cut; he planted his foot down, red spear point up, thrust. I hadn't caught him deep enough in his shoulder given our distance from each other, my blade then only scratched his collarbone. His spear went between my ribs, flesh, lung, then pushing them, breaking, and puncturing them.
I let go of the golden spear to draw my Browning. Lancer roughly pulled Gáe Dearg out of the gape; he brought his spear back for slash at my temple. But the pistol's muzzle met my jaw first, and with a dry-fire, Susano-o, this giant dark skinned deity in nothing but a black loin cloth, a cape, and a crown of horns brought his sword down on Diarmuid.
Diarmuid interrupted his own move, blocked the god's blade with his golden spear. For a moment there, spear locked in sword, sword pushing down on spear: A clear opening, I went at him. Diarmuid thrust his red spear, the awkward position he was in, made him inaccurate. I let him have a slash on his abdomen and broke through both his shins with my blade. Diarmuid went down; his spear escaped the lock of Susano-o's sword.
"Diarmuid!" The Master cried. "No!"
Susano-o stabbed his sword down, onto Diarmuid's chest per my order. I didn't want to ruin the face of a knight.
Coughing blood and shuddering, he said: "Here?"
"As fine as it can be," I said.
"It's a shame... I at least wanted to..." a short pause, "... have a final... with..."
Diarmuid couldn't say anything anymore. All of him had begun dissolving into particles of colors. My wound healed, but the red head Master's pain was still fresh.
Tears were in her eyes, she had run over to us, uncaring for previous hostilities. She got by her Servant's side, crying his name as many times as she can, as many times as it must take for him to stay. Her tears were plenty, plenty enough to redden her eyes and nose. It was a woman in love; it was a woman in grief.
Then when all of him had gone, she went to take her grief onto me.
"Damn you!" She screamed, her hands gripped my collar, knuckles-white tight. "Damn Kayneth! Damn this war!" She hung her head down, her grip loosen, before she could fall, I caught her.
I held her up on both shoulders and made her look at me.
"You don't love him," I said. "Whatever you felt for him, it is not love. He's Diarmuid of the Love Spot, you were charmed, cursed. Your feelings were a lie, a delusion. Snap out of it, this grief of yours amounts to nothing. It means nothing to you and it means nothing to Diarmuid. Your accomplice, Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, where is he? Shouldn't you care for him? Isn't he the reason you're still fighting? I can still at least help him with whatever I can. Where is he? Or is all of that hokey too?"
She didn't reply, her sorrowful expression had turned blank. She had registered my words, and came back with depression.
"You can't," first she croaked out. "You can't help him. The damages are severe... You ruined his chance for..." Her tears started again, and I dropped her shoulders.
The winter wind had satisfied its thirst.
Author's note: I think the question of whether Makoto has access to other S.E.E.S. members' Persona should be answered with this chapter. But don't get too high of a hope to read about the rest of them in the story, because I had only planned for Juno to appear. Then again who knows, I also planned a lot of things for this story that didn't get implemented. Like Chi You and Rider appearing in this chapter.
I hope that the fight with Lancer doesn't feel mechanical, because after writing it, I realized that long fights are my weakness. I think I began to repeat a lot of words somewhere half-way in. I also hope the fight is clear to picture, if not, then you can at least understand what's going on. I only have experience in writing short combustion of violence in the past, never did something like this, so give me your thoughts on that, and I'll see what I can do.