Propositions
Chapter 6: Propositions
"You wish to...save her..." Gilgamesh's eyebrow raised a slight increment higher. Such a gesture conveyed the same weight an expression of gaping astonishment would on a lesser man. "Why?"
"Every human born into this world," began Kirie, looking up at the ceiling, "Comes burdened with the weight of Original Sin. From the moment of their birth, no human is truly or wholly innocent.
"But Caster...she was not born of humanity. She does not bear the weight of their sins. She is a pure existence, a being of true and absolute innocence. She should be protected from being sullied by this world."
"Hmm..." mused Gilgamesh, idly toying with an empty glass, "Why should she be protected?"
"I..." Kirei hesitated for a moment, "It is my duty to preserve such purity."
"Is that so?" Gilgamesh's smile widened slightly. Then he began to chuckle. Then he began to laugh. As Kotomine Kirei watched, speechless, Gilgamesh threw himself back against the couch, cackling with amusement.
"Oh Kirei!" exclaimed the radiant Servant as he began to calm down, "I knew you were interesting to me. But this is beyond compare. To think that a jester could wear such a serious face."
"You mock me." Kirei's hands clenched tightly into fists.
His mirth fully subsiding, Giglamesh returned his crimson gaze to the priest, a condescending smirk on his face. "You emphasized Caster's purity and innocence, speaking of how it set her apart from humanity. In other words, you focused immediately upon the fact that she was not human...not sullied as you would say. Your fixating upon that indicates that you see being her salvation as a hope for yourself, perhaps to find that which you lack in this world."
Kirei's grip on the arms of his chair relaxed slightly. He could hear the truth in Gilgamesh's words. Perhaps he had been onto something after all.
"What struck me as so hilarious was the question that, since you see hope for yourself in Caster's salvation, what of those who you have already saved?"
Kirei froze, his entire body going tense.
Gilgamesh's smirk widened slightly and he continued. "By implying that protecting Caster's purity and innocence could bring about the fulfillment you lack, you are laying the blame for your hollow existence at the feet of those you saved before. You remain empty because those you saved in the past were neither pure nor innocent enough to provide what you need."
Kirei slumped in his seat as comprehension of Gilgamesh's words descended upon him like a pile of masonry. In the end, he was merely pushing his emptiness onto others, blaming them for his failings. Am I truly such a despicable creature?
Then, before his eyes, Gilgamesh's look of condescension melted away into a genuinely warm and companionable smile, one that Kirei believed he would never see on the face of one such as the King of Heroes. "However, in this, I see the key."
"What do you mean?"
"When you spoke of Caster, you described her purity, her innocence. You mentioned her being sullied by this world. In truth, I think this is because your interest is not in her salvation, but rather something akin to mine." Gilgamesh selected yet another bottle and began to pour a glass.
Kirei's eyes narrowed. He knew, from the way Gilgamesh had been questioning him, that the King of Heroes also held an interest in Caster. He had analyzed the reasoning behind Tohsaka Tokiomi's fury, discovered the holes in Kirei's logic, all of that by focusing the conversation on Caster. Yes, Gilgamesh too was fascinated by the strange creature in another world.
"And what is your interest?" asked Kirei.
"As you pointed out, she is pure," said Gilgamesh as he swirled the wine in the glass, staring intently at it, "Rather like an empty canvas; beautiful in the purity of its own emptiness, but at the same time, I cannot help but want to paint it with my colors." He looked over at Kirei. "You too, are fascinated by that blank slate before you. You wish to leave your mark upon it in your own way. And the nature of that mark may finally teach you what you yourself lack."
Kirei's jaw clenched. "What use would the King of Heroes have for a single creature from another world?"
"Exactly that," replied Gilgamesh, "A single creature, not of the world. Her existence here is truly singular, unique. Even if either of us lived a thousand lifetimes, we will probably not see her like again." He paused to sip his wine. "That makes her a peerless treasure in this world. And that a treasure exists is proof enough that it belongs to me."
"She is not something from your vault," Kirei pointed out.
"Do not fixate upon that, Kirei," admonished Gilgamesh, his expression hardening, "The notion of treasure cannot be constrained to the baubles and trinkets you have seen me wield before. This world is my garden, which means that all that I deem to have value is a treasure and therefore belongs to me, whether it be sword, spear, a creature from another world, or this Holy Grail that our rabble of enemies is clamoring for."
He set the glass down. "But a truly great king is gracious to the worthy. In my generosity, I bequeath this priceless treasure to you because I too desire to see the mark that you will make upon her. So here is my advice to you. Use Assassin. Investigate Caster thoroughly. Find out all that you can about her and then speak to me of what strikes you. In addition, monitor the other Servants and their Masters. See how they respond to Caster and consider how you will respond to them. All of these things will lead you along the path to your conclusion."
Slowly, Gilgamesh's form began to dissolve into motes of golden light, his mocking voice resonating in the air around the executor. "Show me the light of your truth, that I might be entertained. This is an order from your king."
With that, the sense of opulence that Archer's presence had infused into the room faded away. No longer did Kirei have the sense of sitting before the throne in a mighty palace. Instead, he was back in his room, in the church, the scattered remnants of Gilgamesh's wine tasting on the table before him; empty and alone.
The doors to the Mato family mansion swung open to admit Zoken, his shuffling step taking him to the entryway, where a bent and bowed figure awaited.
The plain clothes did very little to hide the gaunt figure who struggled simply to remain standing. His sunken cheeks were accentuated by the stretching of his lips into a silent snarl at the sight of the family progenitor. The unruly mop of dirty white hair did nothing to conceal the malice of the man as he glared at Zoken through his single functioning eye, the other blank and useless. He smelled of garbage, which did nothing to hide the stink of rot, as though the man was a walking corpse, already wasting away even though he had not truly died yet.
"Such impertinence," croaked Zoken, brushing away his descendent's anger with all the concern that one might show a entangling cobweb, "Is that how you show your appreciation for an old man who came out of retirement to represent you amongst all those distinguished magi."
"I did not ask you for that," growled Mato Kariya, Master of Berserker, the Mato Family's representative in the Holy Grail War, "Why did you call me back? Why did you confine me to the manor while you went to meet with Tokiomi?"
Zoken's lips curled in a sneer as he tottered past the wasted shell of a man. "If you had gone, you would have had nothing useful to contribute. Furthermore, if you had gone, would you have been able to restrain yourself from attacking with your hated adversary before your eyes?"
"I could have crushed him!" raged Kariya, bloody spittle flying from his lips, "There, in front of all the Masters, I could have given Tokiomi the humiliation he deserves!"
A wheezing laugh escaped from Zoken's desiccated form, his entire body quaking with unrestrained mirth. "In attacking Tokiomi upon neutral ground, you would have brought an end to your participation in the Grail War. No one would be able to stand such a blatant violation." He turned and grinned at Kariya. "So you would put your desire to humiliate your enemy above your desire to save Sakura? Perhaps I was mistaken. You may yet have the makings of a true magus."
The anger vanished like the morning mist from Kariya's expression as Zoken's words hit home. The old man's approval filled him, not with pride, but with disgust and loathing. At that moment, his hatred for Zoken redoubled. Not only had the family head's remarks cut him deeply, but Kariya now realized that Zoken had saved him from being disqualified from the Grail War. Zoken had kept him from foolishly squandering his chance to save Sakura from the horrors of the Mato household. It was sickening.
Zoken let out another hacking chortle. "Now that you understand your position Kariya, I have an offer to make, one which you might find appealing."
"Out with it old man," snarled Kariya, his right hand clenching hard, the shape of his veins standing out in stark relief on his pale skin. Except that veins did not normally writhe and squirm as his grip tightened.
"As you have not doubt learned by monitoring our meeting with your familiar," began Zoken, "Caster has revealed herself to be a magus from another world, one that appears to operate on different thaumaturgical laws than ours. The spell that she conceived, the one that brought her to this world, even went so far as to bring her within reach of the Root."
"Is that it old man?" asked Kariya, unimpressed, "You think that Caster can devise a means of reaching the Root so that you no longer have to seek the Grail? I thought you planned to wish for immortality."
"There is time for that later," said Zoken dismissively, "What interests me is a different matter. Caster created her spell for the purpose of being used in her world by other magi of her kind. In other words, she intended for knowledge of her magecraft to be disseminated amongst the masses. More importantly, from her words, this is not an uncommon occurrence."
"So what?"
Zoken huffed irritably. "I sometimes forget that, as a makeshift magus, you're an idiot when it comes to the particulars of magecraft. In Caster's world, disseminating ones magecraft does not diminish its potency. If she could be studied, we might find the secret to that quality of her world. It might even be possible for the very course of magecraft in this world to be reversed."
Even Mato Kariya, who had forsaken his heritage and his responsibilities as the heir to the Mato family understood the implications of this. Human magecraft had degraded since the Age of the Gods. Human advancement in science and technology transformed the world, taking root where the arts of the magi once dwelled. Words, once holding a power in and of themselves lost their strength. Magical lines like the Matos themselves slowly dwindled in number and strength. Even Magic, the performing of true miracles, had dwindled to a mere five practitioners.
If Zoken was right, then Caster might carry a secret that would rock the world to its very foundations. And yet...
"How very unlike you grandfather," taunted Kariya, "Since when have you concerned yourself with such things?"
Zoken didn't rise to his taunts. Instead, the old man showed Kariya a mocking grin. "What should concern you is this, Kariya. If I am able to uncover that capability, even reversing the thinning of our own bloodline would not be outside the realm of possibility. I could potentially use the secrets within Caster to restore our line to its former strength. And if that is true, then I would no longer have any reason to keep Sakura here."
Kariya froze. Beneath his skin, something slithered and undulated, betraying his excitement and interest. Zoken's grin widened. "Think about it Kariya. For a impromptu magus such as yourself, obtaining victory in this War has always been a near impossibility, even with a Servant as powerful as the one you command. By capturing a single Servant and bringing her to me, you could secure Sakura's release. What do you think? A much easier task than trying to defeat every one of the other Servants and their Masters no?"
Blood trickled down from Kariya's mouth as he bit his lip. Zoken turned away and began to climb the stairs leading to the second floor from entryway. "Or you could always go back to pursuing your vendetta against Tokiomi," he taunted, "If that is what you value more than Sakura's freedom."
Kariya simply stood there as Zoken's malevolent chuckling faded into the darkness above.
The ancient magus closed the door behind him, turning to the sitting room where he had met Kariya when the young man had returned to demand Sakura's freedom. Zoken had left Kariya in the entryway below. But that did not mean that he was alone yet.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked his guest, the first he had entertained in many decades.
"Quite. I admit, I am grateful that you would extend your hospitality to us after all that happened."
Zoken's chuckle had a wheezing, grandfatherly quality to it this time, quite unlike the mocking one he used with Kariya. "Even though you say that, I can understand if your pride is injured by an offer of charity, especially after all you have lost."
"No. Even though I lost a great deal in that disaster, it is still an honor to be granted asylum by one of the Three Families. There is one thing that concerns me though."
"And what is that?" inquired Zoken.
"Why would you take us in when your grandson is a participant in the War himself?"
"Ha!" croaked the old magus, "You needn't worry about that. Kariya is a fool, a deserter who abandoned his heritage as a magus only to come crawling back to me now for a chance to fight in this War. From the very beginning, I have set none of my aspirations on him. Instead, I have plans in motion for the next War, so the outcome of this one is irrelevant. I merely permitted his participation for the sake of my amusement, so that I can watch him squirm and suffer."
He flashed a toothy grin at his guest. "So feel free to make full use of Kariya and his Servant as you see fit. He will be the perfect tool to keep the other Servants busy while you seize the Grail for yourself."
"And what of when he learns that you betrayed him."
"Kariya will not turn his sword against me," scoffed Zoken, "If he should turn against you, simply draw the battle out. Berserker's prana consumption is enormous and an ad-hoc magus like Kariya will not be able to hold out for long."
Zoken took a step deeper into the room and smiled up at his guest. "So, do we have an accord, Lord El-Melloi?"
Reclining in the sofa that was a far cry from the luxury of his suite in the Fuyuki Hyatt, Kayneth Archibald favored Zoken with a thin-lipped smile.
The keys on the laptop clicked as Kiritsugu's fingers typed furiously. It had taken several hours since the meeting at the church had concluded, but one of his agents within the Association had finally managed to acquire the files he requested. Printing out the information, he distributed it to the others.
"This is the data that I was able to obtain on Caster's Master." Before him on the table was a complete dossier of the magus known to the Association as the Witness.
Saber glanced at the information, barely acknowledging it, while Irisviel picked up the file and scanned it, her expression impassive, but her eyes betrayed her concern. In spite of her words, she couldn't help but feel worried for Caster's sake. "Divination, specialized in remote viewing, wind element alignment..." She looked up at her husband. "You seem rather concerned about this Master. Is he dangerous?"
Kiritsugu shook his head slowly. "He is not a direct threat. However, he might prove troublesome. His specialization is in viewing events from a safe distance. He is one of the top magi in the Association in terms of developing divination magecraft. It would not surprise me if he were even able to spy through the castle's bounded field without detection."
Irisviel pulled the papers against her chest and looked around suspiciously. Emiya Kiritsugu seemed unfazed by the notion though. "I doubt he is watching now. Even if he could penetrate the barrier, Saber's Instinct would still be able to detect him.
He tapped the screen of his laptop before settling back and mulling over it. "The problem arises from the fact that he is well aware that his skills make him a dangerous element in the eyes of other magi. I would go so far as to expect that, had I not been brought into the Einzberns when I was, he would have eventually found his way onto the list of individuals the Association would want me to deal with.
"The difficulty comes from his skills at evasion. Because he is fully aware that he is one who has seen what others do not want to be seen, he has developed exceptional skills at evading detection and avoiding confrontation. With him directing Caster's movements, the two of them are likely to be extremely difficult to corner and eliminate. To make matters worse, he has probably already familiarized himself with my methods and could even predict my actions to a certain extent. The information from the Association also indicates that he is not adverse to learning about modern technology, which cuts down the number of ways we can monitor him."
Saber nodded. "From what I have seen with my own eyes, along with Caster's own description of her capabilities, her magecraft can be counted as equivalent to high thaumaturgy in the human world. However, she is both naive and inexperienced in the ways of battle. If we can eliminate or counter her teleportation, then bringing her down will be a simple matter."
Irisviel's already pale skin seemed to grow slightly whiter still as she listened to Saber's words. Kiritsugu saw this and noted it. In spite of her words, he suspected that his wife was not yet able to put her heart behind Caster's destruction. It was a position with which he could identify.
"So how do we deal with Aaron Styx?" asked Irisviel, "If he is so difficult to pin down, how do we find him?"
"I think I have a way," replied Kiritsugu, smiling slightly, "For all that Aaron Styx may be cautious, he is still a magpie at heart. Even though the chances of getting caught in the crossfire were high, he still came to observe the Grail War. If we arrange for a sufficient spectacle to catch his interest, he will come out to observe, regardless of the risk. From there, it is a matter of anticipating where he will be observing from and then intercepting him."
The door to the room opened, admitting a slender woman, dressed in black, with short black hair. Her sharp eyes swept the room before turning her gaze to Kiritsugu. "I have a report," she said.
"What is it Maiya?" asked Kiritsugu.
"One of the familiars we had stationed at the church observed the departure of Caster and her Master. They were approached by Rider and his Master and departed together."
"I see..." Kiritsugu stroked his chin in thought. "From that, we can determine that some form of alliance has been struck between Rider, Caster, and their respective Masters."
"But why?" asked Irisviel.
"It's difficult to say," admitted Kiritsugu, "We still know very little of Rider's Master, save he was apprenticed to Lord El-Melloi. The most recent information we have was that he may have stolen the original relic Kayneth was planning on using to summon his Servant. From what we heard on the battlefield the other night, I believe we can safely assume that information is valid. Considering that, Rider's Master is probably nothing more than an apprentice-level magus. It's clear that he has little to no control of his Servant's actions."
"Then we don't have anything to worry about, do we?" asked Irisviel.
"No," interjected Saber, "If anything, this concerns me even more than the situation with Lancer." Unconsciously, her right hand reached out to touch her left wrist. Irisviel's spell had stemmed the bleeding, but the wound was still there. "The master of the sword fears not the second-greatest master of the sword, but the inexperienced novice, for that is the person most likely to produce an unexpected result.
"And this seeming alliance between Rider and Caster's camps is a perfect example of this. Most would never expect two such disparate parties to form any kind of alliance, especially when you consider Caster's extremely cautious approach to the War and contrast it with Rider's exceedingly reckless one."
Kiritsugu said nothing, not even glancing in Saber's direction as he spoke. After a moment, he looked up at Irisviel. "We will need to watch the other Masters carefully," he said, "They may very well decide to take advantage of this situation, now that Caster has revealed how weak her position is. If they do, we will move to take their backs."
"How dishonorable," Saber scoffed, angrily looking away.
"I-Is that really necessary?" asked Irisviel.
"It's the best way to deal with the other Masters and their Servants," answered Kititsugu, "And that may well have been Aaron Styx's intention from the very beginning."
Kiritsugu had been observing the meeting at the church with his familiar. He knew that the other Masters were aware of his presence. Of all of them, Aaron exhibited the best understanding of how Kiritsugu operated. It was ironic, but by exposing the vulnerability of himself and his Servant, Aaron had turned Emiya Kiritsugu, the Mage Slayer, into the strongest shield. The other Masters might well be hesitant to act if they knew that Kiritsugu would move to flank them should they try to attack Caster or her Master. A frown crossed Kiritsugu's face. Yes, Aaron was not particularly dangerous as a magus, but he would prove to be a troublesome adversary all the same.
The park was deserted, which wasn't really a surprise at that hour. This made it the perfect scene for a meeting between the parties of the Grail War. Putting up a barrier would help keep their conversation private, but it might also advertise their presence. And with Assassin lurking about, it would not be a good idea to attract attention.
"Should we tell them about that?" asked Twilight quietly, her voice barely a whisper to Aaron.
"Not yet," replied her Master, "The fewer people we tell right now, the better. It might help them to know that Assassin is still a factor, but it might also give away to Assassin that we know, which would be dangerous." He smiled down at her. "Don't worry, I have a plan to seal Assassin."
Twilight gulped nervously, wondering just what it was her Master was planning. However, her plans to ask were cut off by Waver and Rider returning with drinks they had gotten from a vending machine.
"I told you not to just go and smash things!" protested Waver irritably.
"Hm, but it is foolish to leave stockpiles of food sitting unattended in the middle of the night," replied Rider with casual ease, "If they are unguarded, it is only natural to go and take them for yourself. If you'd allowed me to do things my way, then we wouldn't have to worry about you spending your money."
"You don't need to worry about my money!" exclaimed Waver, his voice shrill.
"Huh? But that's not what you were saying earlier. Why were you so upset about me using that mail-order thingy?"
Twilight couldn't help it. A light giggle escaped her at the look of consternation on Waver's face. Waver's face flushed bright red and he pointedly avoided Twilight's gaze for a moment, distractedly handing her a can of juice. She gave him a grateful smile as she took the can in her hands and opening it. Gulping it down, Twilight was surprised by the flavor. It was a little sweet for her tastes, but acceptable all the same.
"So, now that we have drinks, we should conduct negotiations," declared Rider, settling himself on the brick pathway without any difficulty. Aaron smirked, choosing to lean casually against a nearby tree while Twilight and Waver sat next to each other on the bench, both self-consciously perching on either end.
"I think this arrangement will do for now," said Aaron, "We should continue to meet in places like this to avoid giving away our bases of operation. That way, if one of us is found out, then it is less likely that the others' base will be discovered."
"Hmph," snorted Rider, "Such caution borders on cowardice. Allies should not be afraid of one another. How are we to march into battle together if know nothing of each others' whereabouts?"
"I think he's right," said Twilight, "If we don't know where everyone is, then it'll be difficult to coordinate our actions. Any signals or signs we try to work out to set up these meetings could be intercepted."
Aaron mulled this over for a moment. "True enough. Even if we resorted to using phones, that wouldn't be foolproof. Most other magi probably wouldn't think of it, but such a thing would not be overlooked by Emiya Kiritsugu."
"I'd heard a few things about him back at the Association," said Waver softly, "And at the meeting, all the Masters seemed wary of him. Is he really so dangerous?"
"More than you think," said Aaron, "He used bombs to drop your teacher's own atelier onto his head. He's the kind of man who will resort to any tactic in order to achieve victory."
Waver shivered, clearly feeling out of his depth. "Perhaps," he suggested, "We should decide which Servants to focus our efforts on."
"Hmm, Saber and Lancer are out," said Rider, "It does not feel right to try and fight them before they settle their own duel."
"That leaves Archer and Berserker," Aaron pointed out, "Both of which are absurdly dangerous foes, Archer in particular."
Rider directed a curious glance at Aaron. "Have you deduced his identity then?"
Aaron nodded. "Yes. Did you want to know?"
A wide grin spread across Rider's face. "Not yet. Half the fun of this battle lies in learning the secret behind your opponents' identities for yourself. Besides, I already have an idea as to who Archer may be."
Waver let out a strained groan at his Servant's cavalier approach to the battle. "You could stand to take things more seriously Rider."
"Ha!" scoffed the towering man, "Against a foe like Archer, even knowing his identity does not guarantee our victory." He grinned, crossing his arms. "Fortunately, I have confidence in my strength. Fear not my friends, we shall claim victory yet."
"And Berserker?" asked Waver, turning back to Aaron.
"We know that Berserker's Master is Mato Kariya," replied Aaron, "Berserker himself is a formidable opponent. That skill of his enables him to utilize virtually anything that can even be conceptualized as a weapon. Even stranger, despite his class and his Mad Enhancement, he's still somehow able to fight with such finesse and skill..."
"Do you have any idea as to his identity?"
Aaron shook his head slowly. "I'm still drawing a blank on that. The skill of being able to wield almost any object as a lethal weapon is something you're more likely to find amongst the legendary martial artists from the legends here in the East. And yet, Berserker's armor clearly indicates that he is a knight from somewhere in the West. To make matters more confusing, that black mist surrounding him completely obscures his parameters, which makes it impossible to get a read on what he's capable of.
"While his ability is impressive, what worries me is that his Master might attempt to arm him with modern weapons. In Berserker's hands, such weapons could be used to much more devastating effect than a mere lamppost."
"Hmm, yes," agreed Rider, "But I think we have little to worry about. From what I've learned about this country, such armaments are extremely difficult to maintain."
"Perhaps," agreed Aaron, "But we shouldn't underestimate the resources available to a venerable family like the Matos."
"I don't think so," said Waver, "If the Matos are like most magus families, then they have nothing but disdain for modern technologies. They would not sully their hands with such weapons."
Aaron shook his head. "I would agree with you normally, but Mato Kariya is not a traditional magus. He initially spurned his heritage and left the family. I would not put it past him to turn to unconventional methods in order to succeed."
"Wait," interrupted Twilight, "If Mato Kariya abandoned the idea of becoming a magus, how did he manage to become a Master."
"Of that, I'm not certain," admitted Aaron, "Since he hasn't put any effort into developing them, Mato Kariya's magical circuits are probably severely degraded in quality. Normally, someone like him wouldn't be able to sustain the prana output needed to manifest a regular Servant, much less one from the Berserker class. I'd assume that it's some secret of the Mato Family magecraft that enabled him to become a Master. After all, in spite of the fact that the sorcerous potential of the line has withered away almost to nothing, the Matos have managed to maintain their prestige over the years."
"What do you think they did?" asked Twilight.
Aaron shrugged. "I have no idea. Very little is known about the Mato Family magecraft. The only information that I've been able to uncover is that they are insect users. If Kariya himself is capable of offensive magecraft, it may take that form. But it's an incredibly long shot on his part."
Twilight opened her mouth to speak again, only to find herself yawning widely instead. Waver's own eyes were drooping. Aaron and Rider exchanged glances. "We should probably adjourn for now," suggested Aaron, "Caster and I have one more thing to take care of."
"Very well," agreed Rider, "How should we arrange our next meeting?"
"How about dinner?" suggested Aaron, a smirk spreading across his face that made Twilight shiver, "I know this nice place in Miyama that serves good Chinese food..."
"Farewell!" Rider shouted with a boisterous wave as he guided his chariot into the sky, Waver clinging to the rim for dear life. Twilight couldn't suppress a giggle as she watched them leave.
"You seem to have cheered up," Aaron observed sardonically.
Twilight wiped her eyes. "I'm a little relieved that not everyone in this whole thing is some sort of double-dealing liar with a hidden agenda."
This raised an eyebrow. "That hurts," Aaron lied, not even trying to hide his amusement, "But keep this in mind. According to the information on his background, Waver Velvet stole the relic he used to summon Rider from his teacher, who is currently Lancer's Master. Since that little bit of larceny is responsible for him being in the War in the first place, I wouldn't put my trust in him completely."
Twilight stiffened, looking angrily at her Master, who merely smirked and shrugged. "From what I've seen of this boy, I suspect that it was an impulsive move born more of spite than premeditation. He and Kayneth don't seem to have been on the best of terms, even before they ended up as enemies. Perhaps you should ask him about that next time."
Twilight frowned and then sighed. He just has to ruin everything doesn't he.
Aaron reached out and lightly rapped her forehead with a finger. "Hey now. Chin up. Not everything is bad news or bad news disguised as good news. Remember what I told you earlier?"
"You mean about something to seal Assassin?"
"That's right," agreed Aaron nodding, "You will want to assume your true form. We will need to travel fast, which means making use of your teleportation."
A flare of light enveloped Twilight as she returned to her natural form. "Where are we going?"
She trembled as Aaron showed her a grin not unlike the one Rider had been flashing around so freely a little while ago. "Back to the church."
Kirei stared up at the ceiling from his bed. Thanks to the amenities of the church, which allowed even the rooms meant for defeated Masters like him to be kept a constant comfortable temperature, he needed neither sheets nor blanket. Sleep was elusive for the former Executor, not because he dreaded what lay behind his eyelids when they closed, but because there was little difference from the world he left behind. Kotomine Kirei's sleep was untroubled by dreams. Even though he had heard that Masters often experienced dreams that showed them aspects of their Servants' original life, he had experienced no such dreams from Assassin. Of course, that was most likely because, for Kirei, his dreams were a void. His time asleep was as empty and meaningless as his time awake.
Something else kept him from letting his eyelids drift shut. Gilgamesh's words had struck a chord within him. Does Caster truly hold the key to understanding myself? If she does, what will I discover? For some reason, he dreaded the answer. All his life, he had walked the path of the faithful and the righteous. But that had brought him nothing. If acts of kindness or gallantry held no meaning to him, then what did?
Perhaps I have known the answer all along, he thought, Am I merely afraid to confirm it as truth?
Slowly, his eyes closed and his lips began to twitch...upwards, the barest beginnings of a smile starting to form. Perhaps, if Gilgamesh's words troubled him so, then perhaps he sleep would be troubled as well. That seemed like a welcome change.
"Okay..." panted Twilight, gasping for breath and sweating profusely as she and Aaron watched the church from the nearby forest, "...Now what?"
Aaron shot her a confused look. "Are your reserves holding out."
"Yes. But teleporting so many times in succession, not to mention taking two people at once..." Twilight took a deep breath to steady herself. "It's making my horn hurt to use so much magic at once."
"So it's not unlike a human's magical circuits," mused Aaron, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "Regardless of your resources, using too much prana at once or casting too many spells in sequence can cause them to break down. This could be troubling. If this doesn't work, we'll need to make a swift escape."
Twilight glared at him. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you had me bring us here."
"Relax," said Aaron, waving his hands placatingly, "If worse comes to worse, we can always use one of these..." He flipped over his hand to show her the Command Seals.
Twilight's eyes narrowed dangerously and Aaron went back to trying to calm her down. "Right right...We wouldn't want to squander your second-best chance of getting back to your world on a failed scheme. So what then? Do you need to rest before we begin?"
"Just a little," replied Twilight, "I've already set up a chain using my previous teleports as waypoints. I think I can take us all the way back to the house if necessary, but I need to let my horn cool down first."
"We can't take too long," said Aaron, "The area close to the church is bound to be monitored. While Kotomine Kirei might be using Assassin to keep tabs on the other Servants and their Masters, there is also the chance that he could be having Assassin watching the church grounds while he rests."
"Then keep an eye out," growled Twilight, "Aren't you supposed to be an expert in watching?"
Aaron chuckled and shrugged. "I can try. But the Assassin class's specialty is Presence Concealment, up to the point of complete invisibility. Seriously, it's nothing short of a miracle that we were able to spot him at the last battle. I can at least make preparations though. I've already laid the groundwork."
Reaching into his coat, Aaron produced a tube. Removing the cap off the end, Twilight was surprised to see him draw out a large, blank sheet of paper, which he unrolled and spread on the ground in front of them. Reaching back into his coat, he next produced a vial of a dark substance, ink most likely. Uncapping the vial, he poured the contents in a steady stream onto the paper.
Normally the ink would have soaked into the paper and turned into a shapeless blot on the otherwise pristine sheet. But, before Twilight's eyes, the ink began to run, forming lines and shapes, spreading out across the paper to create a drawing...no...a diagram, an extremely detailed diagram. As more details came into focus, the unicorn's eyes widened as she realized it was a perfect diagram of the building nearby...the church.
"But how?" she asked, staring aghast at Aaron, who grinned at her.
"I told you I already laid the groundwork for this," he explained, "I think you even noticed it at the time, back when we were waiting inside."
Twilight's memories drifted back to the time when they had first entered into the building and were waiting for Kotomine Risei to make contact with the other Masters. She remembered the faint stirring of breeze from around his body. "So that's what it was!" she exclaimed, "A magecraft to map the church!"
"And more besides," replied Aaron, pulling out a small number of ball bearings. With a casual motion, he tossed them onto the map. Most of the bearings rolled aimlessly about until they fell off the paper entirely. But two of them animated and rolled with surprising speed to specific points on the diagram, one to a room on the church's ground level, and the other to a room below ground-level.
"Now then," said Aaron, "There's a very real possibility that, if Assassin is in the church, my magecraft can't break through his Presence Concealment. Or it simply can't pick up Servants in spirit form, which is a possibility since I don't have quite enough data to compensate for that. But this..." he pointed to the bearing on the upper level, "...is most likely Risei. Those are probably the priest's quarters. And if I were a betting man, then I would bet that these..." he pointed to the line of identical rooms on the lower level, one of which was occupied by another ball bearing, "...are the quarters for the defeated Masters, which makes this..." he pointed to the second bearing.
"Kotomine Kirei," Twilight Sparkle breathed, both impressed and frightened. In one visit, Aaron had obtained a comprehensive knowledge of every nook and cranny in the church and the capacity to monitor the position of the people within it. Had he been in control of a more combat-oriented Servant, this kind of knowledge could be used to devastating effect.
She glanced uncertainly at Aaron. "What are we going to do now?"
"It's simple really," explained Aaron, "We are going to make use of your teleportation skills to make a delivery. The church is protected by a barrier, but penetrating it should not be difficult. Furthermore, once the delivery is complete, stealth will not be an issue. However, we should make a swift withdrawal, just to be on the safe side."
"And what am I supposed to be delivering?" asked Twilight as Aaron produced yet another item from his coat.
"This." It was a knife. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it; just a simple carving knife you might find in any hardware or woodworking store.
"Where do you get all of this?" asked Twilight.
"I picked it up while I was out shopping for you yesterday," replied Aaron simply, "I've had this idea in mind ever since we found out that Assassin was still active.
"The task is simple. Your job is to teleport this knife into the church, to this precise point..." He lowered the knife to let its tip come to rest right next to the ball bearing that presumably represented Kotomine Kirei.
Twilight gulped. "I hope you realize," she said, "That I can't kill him with that. Even if I wanted to, my teleportation spell is designed to avoid solid objects and living entities."
"That's fine," replied Aaron, "A lethal strike wasn't on my mind in any case. This is just a message."
"A threat?" asked Twilight, "But he's going to wonder about that. Even if I do drop of the knife right next to his head, he's obviously going to wonder why we bothered with a mere threat, which reveals my capabilities, unless I couldn't follow through for some reason."
"Not a threat," said Aaron, "A message. In this case, the "threat" is a different matter entirely. I can explain in more detail once we get back to the house, but we should focus on making sure that your accuracy is perfect." His grin returned. "After all, I don't want anything to get lost in translation."
"Master!"
Kirei's eyes had already snapped open. Even he had sensed the intrusion through the church's barrier. More importantly, he realized that he had been the target. Flicking his eyes to the entryway, he saw that Assassin, or one of them anyway, had materialized there, her face unreadable behind that white skull mask. Glancing around the room without moving his head, he took note that there were no intruders. It would have to be magecraft then.
His eyes caught the glint of metal next to his head. Turning to look, he saw a knife, embedded tip first right next to his head in the pillow. Sitting up, he turned and stared at the knife. There were only the faintest traces of lingering prana around it, an indicator that it had arrived there via magecraft. It must have been Caster then. But why would she do this? This method seems to underhanded for one as innocent as her. Her Master must have put her up to this then. But still, it's odd. Aaron Styx is too much of a pragmatist to miss the opportunity for a decisive strike and waste it on a mere threat.
While Kirei had been mulling over the questions this presented, he was surprised to see Assassin move on her own initiative, walking over to the bed and leaning over to pick up the knife. She inspected it closely before lowering it.
"I see," she said softly, "Caster was behind this."
Kirei nodded. "Her magecraft was indeed used. However, I suspect her Master was the one who put her up to this."
"He is clever then," said Assassin, "He sent his message in our language."
Kirei blinked. "And what is the message."
"In my era, the message of a knife placed like so was 'you are in our power.' However, that is not important in and of itself."
"Then what is?"
Assassin turned her expressionless mask towards Kirei. "The significance is that he chose to send his message in a language that he knew I would be able to understand."
"In other words, he sent that message knowing that you would be here to translate it," remarked Kirei. The implications were clear. Aaron Styx and Caster were clearly saying that they knew that Assassin was present and that his death at the Tohsaka mansion had been false, in a sense.
More important than that, was the other unspoken implication. They knew that the church had given sanctuary to a Master who had not actually been defeated. Even if they had no concrete proof that the observer had knowingly violated his role as a neutral party in the war, the fact that Kotomine Risei was Kirei's father would be more than enough to cast suspicion upon him. Eventually, even Tokiomi's role might be considered, given his strong ties to the church.
If the Mages Association was given reason to believe that the Church had violated its neutrality in the Holy Grail War, the consequences could reach far beyond the War itself. It would be an indicator that the Church was taking advantage of its perceived neutrality to meddle in Association affairs, which would be considered a violation of the non-aggression pact. One wrong move, and the Church and the Association would rekindle the flames of open conflict.
Kirei took the knife from Assassin and held it before his own eyes. "'You are in our power' indeed." It was amazing that such a small thing could convey such a profound message.
A dark shadow swirled through the air before manifesting itself into another masked figure. "I have investigated the surrounding area. Caster and her Master have fled," reported the other Assassin.
"I see," said Kirei, "All Assassins pursuing Caster and her Master are to withdraw at once."
"Hmm? What are you up to?" Alexander, also known as Iskander or the Servant Rider bent down to look over his Master's shoulder as Waver worked. The night passed into morning and then into the afternoon, with Waver sleeping through most of the day. It was a necessity, given that the Grail War was carried out mostly during the night.
After having woken up, Waver had gathered his alchemy kit from the belongings he had brought with him to Japan. Setting it up on the room's small table, he was now mixing a strange concoction formed from a variety of chemicals. With a small eyedropper, he added a tiny portion of one chemical to a larger vial, the color of its contents turning a sickly green.
Normally, Waver's response to his Servant's intrusion would have been a startled outburst. However, this time he barely even flinched as Alexander's voice sounded from overhead.
"I consulted some of my textbooks about magecraft," said Waver, picking up the vial and carefully swirling its contents, "While we don't know the specific details of the Mato magecraft, Caster's Master did say it was supposed to be insect based. I don't know how effective this will actually be, but it's the only countermeasure I could come up with to deal with an insect user."
"So that is meant to be a weapon against Berserker's Master," mused Alexander as he stood back upright, "It is nice to see that you are taking some initiative. What brought about this change?"
Waver did not answer. Rather, he set the vial back on the rack and pushed his chair back from the table, focusing his eyes on a blank spot on the wall. "Hey Rider..."
"Hmm?"
"Remember back when you asked me what I wanted to wish for?"
Settling back on the room's bed, Alexander stared pensively up at the ceiling for a moment before his face broke into a grin. "Aha! I see! So you've finally decided to take my advice and wish to be made taller."
"That's not it at all!" snapped Waver, whipping his head around to glare at his Servant. Alexander's grin faded to a much gentler smile. Waver sighed irritably before turning back to the wall. "I think...I would like to use my wish for Caster."
"To grant her wish then," said Alexander softly, stroking his beard.
"Are you upset that I would want to waste my wish on someone else?"
Alexander stood up, his massive form looming over Waver, his face now expressionless. Slowly, he raised his right hand. Without warning, the hand descended, slamming into Waver's back with a massive slap that knocked him from his chair.
"OF COURSE NOT!" boomed the boisterous giant, "No matter what the age, a man should always act to protect his woman!"
Waver's cheeks flushed bright red. "I-It's not like that you idiot!"
Alexander only offered a deep chuckle in response. "I've heard that in this day and age, it's more common for men to not be so overt in their affections. But really, you shouldn't waste time on hesitation. At the very least, you should let your feelings be known before this War's end. If you and Caster have your way, then she will likely return to her own world and never see you again."
"I keep telling you i-it's not like that!" Waver forced himself back into his chair. "Besides, she's not actually a human. Th-there's no way anything like that would be possible."
"Ha!" scoffed Alexander, "That is no barrier! Why, during my later years in Persia, I even officiated marriages between my officers and Persian women!"
"That's not even remotely close to the same thing!" exclaimed Waver.
"Such things are no barrier to affection," replied Alexander with a dismissive wave of his hand, "Did not Zeus make love to Leda in the guise of a Swan or seduce Europa in the shape of a bull?"
"I'm not quite sure those are good examples," muttered Waver petulantly, knowing that Alexander was going to ignore him anyway.
"As a man, you must stride forward upon the path of your own choosing, following where your passion leads you, even if others detract," continued Alexander, "To push forward and obtain your goal, to look beyond your own limitations and the limitations others impose upon you is not just what it means to be a man..." He looked down on Waver with that warm smile on his face. "...It is what it means to be a conqueror too."
For a long moment, Waver didn't react, staring silently ahead as he pondered Alexander's words. He still wasn't sure what it was that had driven him to offer aid to Caster. However, after watching her interaction with the Einzbern Master, seeing her crying inconsolably in the wake of their conversation, Waver felt the first stirrings of a desire to protect Caster, to see her smile, and to never have to watch her shed those tears again. He didn't quite believe Alexander's assertions, but perhaps there was more truth to Rider's words than he would have liked to admit.
With a sigh, he turned back to his rack of vials and carefully lifted them off their stands, depositing them into a bag not unlike the book-bags carried by local school students. Hefting the bag's strap over his shoulder, Waver stood with a grunt. "Come Rider," he said, "We need to go meet with Caster and her Master now."
Alexander's face split into that eager grin again. "Of course," he agreed, "Let us go cement our partnership with our new allies."
Three hours later, Waver's confidence was weaker than ever, though not for the same reasons.
"Ahh!" Rider threw back his head, letting out a satisfied gasp, "Now that was a fine meal!" The massive muscles of his body stretched tight the outlandish t-shirt he wore.
"I told you it was excellent food," said Aaron, his usual smirk in place, "It's a shame you never made it this far in your conquests. The food of the orient is truly spectacular."
"I can't agree more," said Rider, grinning from ear to ear, "To think that the act of eating could be a battle against one's own meal and that to consume it is a conquest in and of itself!"
"Ugh," groaned Waver as he and Twilight trailed behind their Servant and Master respectively, "How can they be fine after eating that?" Though his tongue no longer felt as though it was going to turn to ashes in his mouth, the residual effects of consuming such spicy food made it almost completely numb.
The Chinese Restaurant that Aaron had chosen apparently specialized in extremely spicy dishes. While Aaron Styx and Rider had apparently both enjoyed their food, seeming to revel in its heat, Waver had tried his hardest to find something milder...with little success. Twilight, adhering to her vegetarian diet, even in human form, had met with some success, the vegetable stir-fry she'd ordered having been a good bit more mild the the mixed dish of pork and tofu that Aaron had ordered. She was feeling a good bit better than Waver did.
Now, they were making their way through the streets of the market. For some strange reason, it was Rider who was leading the way. "By the way," asked Waver, "Where are we going?"
"I was thinking that this was a wonderful evening," said Rider, relaxing a great deal, "After a fine meal, it is customary to enjoy an evening of drinking cement our bonds of fellowship."
Waver ground to a halt. "W-wait a minute Rider!" he protested, "We're supposed to be making plans to decide the fate of the Holy Grail War! This isn't the time to go around bar crawling!"
Rider paused for a moment. "Hmm," he mused before his eyes widened, he expression snapping into one of epiphany, "You're right! Simply visiting the local taverns isn't sufficient for an occasion such as this!"
"Uh oh." Waver slumped, already feeling a sense of impending disaster, realizing that he had somehow goaded Rider into doing something even more foolhardy.
"An occasion such as this calls for a banquet!" thundered the massive Servant, "And such a banquet must itself be a spectacle worthy of the Holy Grail War!"
"Now this sounds interesting," said Aaron, his smile widening, "It would fun to see what spectacle the King of Conquerors could come up with."
Now Twilight slumped as well. She and Waver exchanged deadpan expressions.
"Can we stop them?"
"Nope."
"We're doomed."
"A banquet?" The group froze. Twilight and Waver felt a chill run up their spines at the familiar voice, a voice that filled them with dread and apprehension. The two spun about, eyes wide with fear. Behind them stood a familiar man, handsome in appearance with an unruly mop of blonde hair and shimmering crimson eyes.
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2584693 You'll see...
Hmmm I must say I enjoy this story. The fate asspects are really in character. I cant wait for more
Another amazing chapter.
ITS ALIVE!!!!!!!
Really glad to see you back.
You know i'm kind of surprised no one in the war has stopped to think of the consequences that might happen if they do kill Twilight. I mean Twilight is the student of Celestia. The ruler of Equestria and a goddess who think's of Twilight like a daughter. As much as Celestia want's peace everyone has their limit's. If they kill her Equestria might very well declare war on earth or at the very least the magus society.
How will this banquet turn out? Will Aaron have any dream's about Twilight's life? Will Waver and Twilight end up falling for each other? Will this story have a sequel that goes into Fate Stay Night?
I know one thing for sure. Whatever happen's is sure to be good.
Long time coming or not, this was another astounding chapter. i loved it just as much as all the others and I'm glad you finished and posted it.
AAAAAAAAAAANNNNNDDDDD you're back! Great chapter, nice to see the story continuing right where it left off all those months ago. great chapter, keep goin and stay golden^^
Hmm... me thinks I know where the next chapter will go. At least I think. Anyways, great ta see that this is back.
2586007 Fate/Daybreak. The war would have gone very differently though, but hey, if it went differently, then the chance to spare it the fate of fate/stay night (I think one reviewer of Fate/Zero dubbed it the 'retarded little brother')
As a secondary set of notes, I'd like to point out that Twilight's Servant Stats seem... less complete than I can remember. As a caster, she would be required to have their reality marble skill yes? The caster of Fate/Stay Night could materialize her entire home City, and the caster that Twilight replaced could warp forests into things out of Call of Cthulhu as I recall. How would that apply to Twilight, being a caster? Granted she's an abnormal case, but still...
2600316 You mean the Caster class's Territory Creation skill, which is not the same thing as a Reality Marble. Yes, I'm aware that there are gaps in Caster's Servant Stats. I left them blank to avoid giving way plot information and am filling in bits and pieces as I go.
A banquet? This sounds relevant to Gilgamesh's interests.
And Wavr has a crush on Twiley...looks like Shining Armor's gonna have to bust out the 'Impressive' Armor.
Did you mean to say magi? Because now I'm picturing Kiritsugu drawing Aaron into a trap by scattering bread crumbs and shiny things on the ground.
Also you misspelled Kirtitsugu in the line
This entire chapter is heresy
3.bp.blogspot.com/--FKHk_Q1vaU/UwmHIByeMSI/AAAAAAAABlU/vvSiawyPcCk/s1600/burgernapkin.gif
This is the decree from twiggy piggy
i don't believe i find a fate novel where i liked zoken, until now.
finding and tapping unknown phone number in real time needed huge amounts of manpower. a freelance loner like emiya kiritsugu definitely doesn't have this capability.
does author sexually attracted to archer gil? we always get descriptions about how fuckable he is when he shows up.