But the biggest headache was Lancer. He was a damn good fighter, he had a brain, he was easy on the- Oh, cut it out! you're not a fucking hormone-crazy teenager like her!
Back on track. How could Lancer just kneel there and take those insults? Why didn't he stand up for himself? For crying out loud, that knight honor bullshit just makes him a whipping boy. I should just cut him loose and get as far away from those lovebirds as I can.
So why didn't she? Why was it that for all her fury right now, she knew that she was going to head back up to that damn penthouse and subject herself to more of El-Mellow's jabbering and Sophie-whatever's shrieking…
If it meant that she could talk with him again?
A shrill noise sounded through the hall, cutting through her thoughts, and for a brief instant, it was the most blissful sound in the world to the Freelancer.
Then her mind caught up with what the noise meant. Localized sound, people beginning to step out of their rooms in a hurry, though none of them noticed the hidden Servant: fire alarm.
'Archer X,' Lancer's voice suddenly echoed in her head, 'our lord has been informed that a fire has broken out on the lower floors.'
And in this hotel, where a Master of the Holy Grail War resided, that narrowed down the possibilities. 'Either a bunch of kids are playing a stupid prank,' Archer X replied to her partner even as she began to head for the stairs, 'or someone's here to pick a fight.'
No involving civilians in the Grail War's proceedings. That was an iron rule enforced by the church. Forcing the other tenants out of the building with a fire was unexpected, but it was technically still okay, she supposed. Although…
'Indeed. Our lord has just ordered me to head down so I can meet Saber's challenge. It has to be her, she'd want to release herself of her injury as quickly as possible. Our lord also expects you to redeem yourself in this next battle. His words, not mine,' he quickly added.
'Right.' Ignoring the burst of irritation, Archer X considered the battle conditions while travelling down the stairs. The fire didn't make sense. Fighting in a building instead of open ground increased the possibility of sneak attacks, particularly those of the ones familiar with the terrain. This hotel was home field for her side, especially with all those magical goodies Archibald had set up through most of the building. A headlong approach in these conditions was tactically the dumbest thing someone could do. Then again, I got to meet plenty of dumbasses in this War tonight.
But it still didn't feel right. Saber's Master, that weird albino woman, had the foresight to set up snipers and her second Servant, that sunnuvabitch Assassin, in the docks. Decent tactics, even Agent Texas could acknowledge that. So why would she have her top fighter march headlong into enemy territory now? The smarter move would be to- Oh, shit.
Checking to make sure nobody was around on the twentieth floor with her, Archer X solidified and activated the special features inside her helmet. She swept her scanning mode across everywhere she could see, even through the walls and floors. There! And -dammit- there, too! She broke out in a run for her target.
If she had given a damn about religion in life, Agent Texas would've prayed she'd make it in time.
Outside, nearly all of the other customers had gathered a safe distance from the Hyatt. Some adults merely sat around, others tended to their children. There was a certain anxiety among the people, though, confusion as to why a fire had broken out, worry that whatever stuff they'd left behind was at risk. Mostly, though, they just waited for when they'd get to go back in.
Meanwhile, hotel staff worked in a coordinated manner. Nearly all of their guests had been accounted for, but they couldn't relax yet. "Mr. Archibald!" One employee called out, rechecking the name on his clipboard's list. "Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald!" He searched the crowd for the owner of that name; he'd never seen the man personally, but he was apparently a very generous customer. "Are you present?"
"Yes." The staff member turned around to see a European man in luxurious blue garb and white gloves standing behind him. The man looked unflinchingly at him with his green eyes while he said, "I'm quite alright, and so is my wife, Sola-Ui."
The bellhop breathed a sigh in relief; something about those eyes relaxed him, and as he checked the list, he saw that the name was the last one. "Thank you, sir, and apologies for the inconvenience." He quickly crossed out the name like the rest and walked towards his colleagues. "Everyone's evacuated," he reported.
Another nodded. "Good." The employees spread out to coordinate the situation, while their guests continued to wait in anticipation for their return to a peaceful night. Thus, no one noticed as "Kayneth" calmly walked to the parking lot.
Nor did they notice when the man's appearance suddenly changed to that of a dark-suited man of Japanese heritage and empty dark eyes. An extra precaution alongside hypnotic suggestion. Kiritsugu Emiya pulled out a cellphone from his pocket and called a listed number. "All set," he said. "And you?"
High above in a half-constructed building opposite from the Hyatt, Maiya Hisau crouched by the edge, Steyr trained on the hotel. "Nothing irregular. I'm ready." She reported back.
The woman had been picked up (literally, to her minor chagrin) and brought to the Hyatt by a Shadow Clone of Assassin X as part of the next step. Two of those curious(ly adorable) dogs, Shiba and Ūhei, had confirmed her intel that El-Melloi was residing at that place, so with the clone's help, she infiltrated the building and placed C-4 explosives in target spots where no one would notice. That done, she had fallen back to her current position and let the clone disperse himself to notify the original. A useful ally indeed,she allowed herself to think of the unexpected Servant before focusing again on the penthouse.
Back in the parking lot, Kiritsugu took a drag from a fresh cigarette as Assassin X appeared next to him, leaning on a car. "Perimeter's clear for now," his Servant confirmed. "No sign of any others." He pushed up his headband and took a glance with his Sharingan at the Hyatt before whistling. "Quite the setup. Twenty-four out of thirty-two floors saturated in magecraft. Fighting in there would be a nasty experience, perhaps even for a Servant."
"Which is why it's best to level the playing field," Kiritsugu replied before dialing a new number into his phone. Assassin X replaced his headband and looked over to the civilians nearby. They ought to be out of range for the blast, and he was inwardly relieved that his Master had chosen to start the fire before to get them all out. It had surprised the Servant that he hadn't needed to argue for the civilians' safety in the first place; Kiritsugu had chosen this preparation by himself.
Then again, he had seemed rather disappointed with himself at the time. Probably thinking he's not ruthless enough for this, Kakashi mused but said nothing. This was still a pretty drastic method to get results, even if no innocents were involved. He's a little too comfortable with drastic measures, isn't he?
Regardless, it was too late to stop this now. Assassin X was culpable in this act of terrorism by way of his clone, no use trying to take the moral high ground. Kiritsugu hit the send button, and they waited…
and waited…
and waited…
and waited.
Kiritsugu tossed away his spent cigarette and frowned; it had been a full minute since he'd called the trigger for the bombs. Yet the Hyatt stood as before. He checked the number he'd dialed and pressed the send button again; nothing. A third press yielded the same result, or lack of: no sudden explosions, no eruption of smoke, no 150-meter-tall building collapsing on itself.
Kiritsugu checked again, but he knew this was the correct number. Could Maiya and Assassin X's clone have made an error in setting up the explosives? No. They're both too smart and too thorough for mistakes like this. So, why-
"The charges that were set…" he turned to Assassin X, gazing with both eyes up at the still-intact hotel, "…they were at sub-level and the sixteenth floor, right?"
Kiritsugu noted the resignation in his words and grew apprehensive. "…Yes. Those are the most optimal detonation points based on what I found on the blueprints. …Why?"
Assassin X sighed. "Because even with all the mana swirling around, I can see Archer X moving about on the sixteenth floor." He tried to put on a lighter tone, but it fell flat. "What do you suppose the odds are-"
"She figured out where the charges are and how to disarm them?" Kiritsugu finished with a grimace. "Since we're not looking at a pile of rubble, I'd say 'high.' Damn." He should've expected this. The black-armored female had displayed high proficiency with weaponry similar to modern firearms, understanding of guerilla tactics and calculating ruthlessness. It wouldn't hard for her to think like him. And just his luck, she was the partner of the Servant who'd hampered Saber's abilities.
Assassin X shared his thoughts, though was slightly perplexed about one detail. How did she manage to disable all of the bombs? They were carefully hidden among two separate floors, with a difference of sixteen floors high between them. Some kind of jamming field? Or did Lancer help? But bomb disposal isn't common knowledge, not for a knight of medieval times. And the Grail only provides basic knowledge of the world and time period, not something that complex. So how…?
He sighed again. Archer X likely had some tricks up her sleeve, just like every Servant in the War, but it was next to impossible to discern what hers were from this distance and with El-Melloi's overcharged Bounded Field. He reluctantly offered, "It would tax my reserves, but I do know one or two jutsu that could pulverize the entire building."
"No. I'm guessing that your methods, while immediate, wouldn't be covert. Lancer would come running for you in a heartbeat." A glance to his Master's disappointed face told him he'd come to the same conclusion: Like it or not, the Hyatt wasn't going down tonight.
Kiritsugu wasn't happy that two of his initial plans had failed in one night, but it couldn't be helped. He had to look forward. Redialing Maiya's number, he spoke after it connected. "Maiya, the plan failed. Withdraw for now."
All he received as an answer was gunfire. He turned with widened eyes, but Assassin X was already gone.
Archer X eyed the packet of C-4 in her hand. It looked small, but with all the others she had collected, it would've blown a small building into rubble. And in the spots they were placed, she considered with grudging respect, this stuff would've brought the entire hotel down.
Load-bearing walls and support structures both here and at the lowest part of the complex… Precision blasting was a delicate art, but very effective for demolition if done right. Whoever set this up was a pro. Hell, the fact they managed to slip into the hotel and set all of this up in the first place, right under her damn nose, put her on edge. If it hadn't been for the fire, she wouldn't have noticed in time. Even then, Archer had to use that to get to the charges below.
There is no way a mage like Archie or his soon-to-be trophy wife could pull off this kind of maneuver, they barely know how to work a phone. And whoever came up with all this, they know war. Real war, not this Holy Grail bullshit. Archer X thought back to that woman, Einzbern, that Saber and Assassin X had protected. She hadn't seemed like the type to come up with something this destructive. But maybe she's working with somebody who knows this kind of stuff. With… or for.
While she considered the possibilities, the nominative Servant of the Bow set down the explosive as carefully as possible next to the others she'd collected. Sure, they couldn't kill her, but it never hurt to have a little extra C-4. Precision blasting… not a bad idea, now that I think about it.
Not that she was going to tell her "team" about it. The lovebirds would probably sneer at something this un-magiclike and promptly blow themselves up with it, and funny though that would be to watch, she needed them to stay around. Independent Action would only keep Archer X in this world for two days tops, less that if she overdid it in a fight. So, keep the boom-boom away from the brats with silver spoons up their asses.
Lancer, though, maybe she should tell him… No, wouldn't do any good. Lancer's the kind of guy that prefers simple duels, not this kind of covert tactics. He'd be useless. Although, he's kind of smart. Maybe he could help m- No, No, I don't need his damn help, I'm still pissed at him, for fuck's sake! He's just a ho-stupid spear chucker, he wouldn't know what to do-
Once again, Archer X was grateful for an outside distraction from her thoughts. This one came in the form of something sharp piercing a window and hurtling for her helmet. The Servant caught it easily while materializing a handgun in her free hand and bolted for the broken window. Smashing it with one hit, she leaned out gun first. A shadow flitted upwards but too fast for her to get a proper bead on. A quick glance around confirmed no other targets.
Archer X slowly pulled herself back inside, keeping an eye out for any more trouble. No other Servants, no unknown magi or armed humans. The floor was empty save for her.
She glanced down at the projectile she'd caught and found it was a small black knife. Not a kunai like Assassin X used, but slightly cruder, more jagged at the blade. Old Middle Eastern, if she had to guess. Hold up, didn't Archie say that the other Assassin got killed at the Tohsaka estate a while ago? Archer X began to consider the possibilities before she noticed the grip on the handle felt off. Curious, she took a closer look to realize that there was a scrap of paper tied around it. Removing it revealed a single word:
ROOFTOP
Maiya fired two rounds from her handgun, then ducked behind a steel beam. A drop of sweat trickled down her cheek, but she fought to keep her cool. One moment she'd been at her position, about to contact the others to ask why they hadn't set off the charges, the next someone had tried to kill her. I hate it when that happens. It had only been thanks to Kiritsugu's training that she'd managed to avoid the initial strike, and her attacker was not one to be taken lightly. Kiritsugu and Assassin X had both explicitly stressed that to her.
"Attempting to blow up an entire building to kill one Master…" the man in a black frock took a moment to look at the unscathed Hyatt across from his current location. "Not exactly how a magus would do things." His dull eyes drifted to the Black Key pinning the sniper rifle to the concrete floor. "Then again, I suppose that's precisely how he's able to dispatch magi so effectively. But it looks like something went wrong."
An alarm sounded in Maiya's head at the words; he knew Kiritsugu's modus operandi. His being here wasn't coincidence. "Kirei Kotomine…" she muttered before stopping herself.
Unfortunately, he picked up on the mistake. "Oh, have we met before?" Kirei asked in curiosity. A little smile played along his lips. "Interesting that you would know my name. Could it be we share something?"
Maiya said nothing. This man was supposed to be at the church, a Master without Servants. Yet he came here out in the open, somehow knowing what Kiritsugu's plan would be. That could only mean that she wasn't his real target.
"It's rude to let me do all of the talking, miss," Kirei continued, pulling something from his pocket. "Why don't you tell me where the man is that was supposed to be here in your place?" He tossed over something fuzzy that landed close enough that Maiya could what it was: a dead bat she'd used as a familiar, complete with CCD camera. The one I'd sent to monitor the church, she realized. Damn.
She jumped out from her cover to fire, but the priest evaded the shots with honed reflexes and unbelievable judgement; he'd figured where the bullets were aimed and moved accordingly. Something glinted in the light, and Maiya's Glock was sliced in half. She rolled away from the Black Key and hid panting behind a different beam, clutching her bleeding hand.
Kirei began to close the distance. "You're quick on your feet. Sharp, too." Three Black Keys slid in between each of his hands' fingers. "You must've had a good teacher."
Maiya tried to catch her breath, but she knew that the situation was not in her favor. Those Keys were custom weapons of the Church's Executors. Deadly, yet difficult to wield efficiently. If he could be so skillful with so many of them at once, then he was far from an ordinary opponent. In this situation, without her guns, Maiya was a sitting duck.
Kirei knew it as well, just as he had known that Kiritsugu Emiya's first target would be Lancer's Master. The Servant that had inflicted an unhealable wound on Saber would have to be eliminated first, that was only common sense. And the quickest way to get rid of a Servant was to kill their Master. It appeared that his initial attempt had failed. Perhaps due to El-Melloi's other Servant? No matter, Emiya was close by, Kirei knew it. This woman was of no interest to him, she was but an obstacle. One that would lead him to…
Behind! His instincts shouted.
Kirei spun around, slashing with his left arm, but a hand grabbed it by the wrist and halted his entire movement effortlessly. The priest barely managed to recognize Assassin X's veiled face before he was backhanded hard enough to almost snap his neck. Spitting out blood, he tried to step away, but the Servant hadn't let go of his arm. His leg was kicked out, an elbow came down hard enough that it didn't merely dislocate but broke his Reinforced shoulder. A moan of pain escaped Kirei's bloody lips, a rarity for him, as his back slammed against the ground.
Maiya heard the sound, too. Wary it may be a trap, she cautiously peeked out from behind her hiding spot and watched in near awe. Kotomine lay sprawled on the floor, Assassin X kneeling behind him with his left hand still tightly gripping the priest's. His single eye narrowed at the hand in his grasp before travelling for a moment to Maiya, who could only blink in shock. She knew a Servant could trounce a human with ease, but to find that he would be here, saving her life; Why isn't he with Kiritsugu?
Through the haze of pain, Kirei's eyes opened to see Assassin X swiftly drawing a kunai with his right hand, twirling it into a reverse grip, and then bringing it down towards his chest. Unfamiliar things flared inside him; this was not how he would die, executed by some familiar! Not before he faced-
Assassin X halted his thrust, bringing up his blade to parry the one that slashed for him. Three shadows gathered around him, knives at the ready. The Servant released the priest's arm with some reluctance as he somersaulted away from their attacks. He landed in front of Maiya's hiding place to see not one, but three Assassins standing guard around Kotomine. "So," Assassin X noted in a cool manner, "you really didn't lose your Servants after all. Naughty boy, misleading the Church like that."
Kirei glared at the interloper in slight confusion. Servants? Then his eyebrows rose minutely as he looked down to his disabled arm- Dammit! There Rider X's Command Seals were, in plain sight. He let himself be pulled up by one of the Hassans before shrugging them loose. His right hand reclaimed four Black Keys. "Kill the woman and the Servant. Now!"
Two Assassins lunged forward, one shrouded in robes towards their competitor, the other bare-chested with wavy hair for Maiya. She gritted her teeth and prepared to run, not taking her eyes off of the moving priest, but she needn't have worried.
Assassin X darted forward, one hand grabbing his attacker's robes to reel him in for a knee to the gut. The Hassan barely had a chance to grunt before a kunai went through his back of his head and shattered his skull mask. The shinobi then picked up the whole body to hurl it into the third trying to rush him from his right, then tackled the one aiming for his comrade. His kunai sank into a steel beam next to Kirei's head, forcing him to a stop to just barely dodge it.
Then a small cylinder clattered in between them. Smoke billowed from one end as it spiraled in a circle, obscuring the view of one side, but not the other. Maiya knew exactly what this meant. She broke into a sprint for the elevator and jumped without hesitation. Assassin X quickly twisted the neck of his opponent by 180 degrees and followed her a second later.
Down the shaft, he turned his fall into a straight dive to accelerate himself and wrapped his arms around the woman before planting both feet charged with od against the metal wall. They skidded down a ways before promptly stopping. Assassin X looked up the path they'd taken, but no sign of pursuit. Nodding to himself, he slipped silently down the shaft, keeping watch. Still, he asked quietly, "Are you hurt?"
Maiya inspected her bleeding hand. "Only a graze," she whispered back. "A touch of healing and I'll be fine." Her green eyes shifted up again. "What about the Hyatt?"
"Archer X saw through the plan and got to the bombs. We'll have to come up with something new."
A pang of frustration went through her, but she said nothing. At least Kiritsugu was safe, that mattered more than all else to her. Her body relaxed again, though whether it was because she was moving further away from that man or because she was being carried by an ally of hers… she couldn't say. She peered up in curiosity towards the masked face. "Why come for me?"
Assassin X only shrugged slightly, careful not to upset his safe grip on her. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked back. "We're on the same team."
Maiya stared at him while he continued to move through the building silent as a drifting leaf, pondering over his answer. Then her earphone crackled. "Maiya, are you alright?"
Kiritsugu's voice soothed her nerves. She tapped her device to reply. "I'm fine. Assassin X is with me."
"Good. Both of you rendezvous at fallback C. I'll meet you there."
"Right." Maiya quickly relayed the instructions to Assassin X who in turn adjusted his direction towards west. The Servant then sent his own message to his Master while running:
'Kirei Kotomine was the one who attacked her. And he seemed to be expecting you.'
'I had a hunch…' Kiritsugu mumbled in his mind. 'Did you kill him?'
'Tried to, but he had backup. My kind of backup. We can fill you in on the details when we're at the mansion.' They were out of the construction site now, hopping from rooftop to rooftop.
'Right. Till then, stay out of sight, and stay on guard.'
'Same to you.' Assassin X's sandal pushed off of a water tank's roof, sending them high into the air, where no one could see them. The wind played with Maiya's short hair, pushing it past her ears while she watched for enemy activity.
Another woman would've enjoyed this exhilarating experience, leaping among the rooftops with only a man, the stars and the slowly setting moon as company. But Maiya Hisau had lost any normality long ago at the hands of war and "soldiers." Her primary thoughts now were towards devising a surefire strategy to ending Kirei Kotomine's life the next time they met.
And yet… a part of her found the company of the foreign Servant… calming. Curious.
Back on the impromptu battlefield, Kirei and the sole remaining Assassin burst out of the smoke, blades flashing, but their quarry was no longer there. Sarad the Wary turned to his Master. "I could follow them."
Kirei stowed away his Black Keys and waved off his offer. "A waste of time. Assassin X is at least as fast as you, and even if you managed to catch up, you're no match for him in an open fight." He glanced at the two corpses fading away. That was the drawback of Zabaniya: dividing Assassin into his separate personalities meant dividing his already mediocre physical abilities among them as well. In a group, with the element of surprise, the Hassans might have been able to defeat a Servant, but alone? Even a human could pose a threat to them.
Kirei probed his left shoulder with a wince. Precise blow, nasty break, but nothing his healing skills couldn't remedy. He tapped an upper part of his nose and found blood; seems he hadn't been quite as quick in dodging Assassin X's kunai as he'd hoped. A very troublesome enemy, that Servant. Kirei bent down to retrieve the smoke grenade. One befitting his Master, from the looks of it. Neither the Servant nor the woman threw this. He walked towards the shaft and looked down in the darkness. Regardless, the fact a Servant went through the trouble of saving her is enough information for tonight. His smile returned.
Kirei considered these implications and the previous events before he remembered something. Turning to the Assassin, he asked, "What are you doing here? As I recall, your specific task was to watch the Saber and the Einzbern woman."
"My apologies," the Hassan with a mohawk bowed before him, "but we have discovered something you need to know. It's about Caster." Kirei beckoned for him to continue.
Rider X watched his partner (technically, one of them) converse with his Master from atop the Hyatt's roof. It was a fair distance, too far for him to listen, but he had still witnessed quite a number of interesting developments. Not to mention it was outside the Bounded Field that surrounded most of the building. Meaning its creator couldn't know he was there.
Like his Master, the Servant of the Mount had discerned that this Mage Killer's next target would be Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. He had not come here because Kirei ordered him to, but because he had been curious to see how this hunter of magi would act. And from what he could guess, Rider X had not been disappointed. Levelling an entire building to eliminate one primary target? How ruthless. He chuckled while peering over the side at the many confused little humans down below. Though not as much as I'd have expected. Has his time with the Einzberns softened him, perhaps? A bit disappointing.
A light click behind the warlord made him laugh again. "I see you received my invitation." He turned around to see Archer X aiming an assault rifle at his head.
The black Servant stepped warily closer, muzzle trained in between those red eyes. "Do you usually send invitations with a knife and a stooge?"
"Oh, of course not." Rider X hefted his fusion cannon. "This has also yielded fine results."
"I bet. So, mind telling me why I don't use your shiny metal ass for target practice? It's not every night an enemy gives me the chance."
"Chances are precisely why I arranged this little meeting." Rider X calmly began to walk to the right, Archer X trailing him. "In this case, I am offering you the chance… of an alliance."
If she were in a better mood, Archer X would've laughed in his face. But she was still pretty pissed off. The assault rifle disappeared to be replaced by a heavy rocket launcher. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow you head off for wasting my time with this crap."
"Because you know it wouldn't be enough for your Master to acknowledge your abilities." Megatron smiled fearlessly at the heavy muzzle pointed his way. He had faced every sort of enemy two worlds had thrown his way and never wavered once. He certainly wouldn't cower from this female thug and her gun collection. "You were quite vocal about your frustration with Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald in the shipyards, remember? There's obviously no love or respect between you two. Can you truly claim that serving him was a preferable fate to standing with me?"
A part of Archer X said no, but it wasn't her tongue. Instead, she asked, "So what, I should just cut ties with my Master and go solo like you? Was your Master that much of a pain in the ass?"
Rider X feigned a grimace. "Oh, he does have potential, but let's just say I do not approve of the company he keeps." Technically the truth, even if he omitted the fact he was still contracted to Kirei. "Which is why I extend this offer to you and… other like-minded Servants. You are not the only one displeased with their current arrangements, Archer X. And together, we may be a force that can crush all opposition in this War." More half-truths. His time in politics had served him well.
"How stupid do you think I am?" Archer X asked the titan. "Only two Servants max can make a wish of the Grail. Meaning there's a pretty big chance I'll get stabbed in the back."
"Of course, there is," Rider X agreed without hesitation. "But don't forget, besides you and me, there are plenty of other Servants in this War. And so far, Archer X, you have little success to show for yourself currently in fighting them alone." He idly inspected his fingertips and continued before she could retort. "We both may have retreated from the battlefield tonight, but I was at least able to leave under my own power."
That almost made her empty every last firearm she had in his smug face, but dammit all, the metal bastard was right, and Archer X knew it. Assassin X, both Sabers, she couldn't have relaxed for a second against any one of them. And those were the ones she'd actually fought. That blowhard Rider and his tin-can cousin here, the gold-humping Archer, those Berserker freaks, the Caster geezer… this whole War was stuffed chock-full of overpowered monsters. Hell, if Lancer hadn't been there, she wouldn't have left the docks alive.
The fact rankled her. Back home, Tex had been the best of the best. #1 on the Freelancer boards, taking down anyone who picked a fight with her, racing ahead of everyone else…
Only to trip up just before reaching the finish line.
And here in this stupid world, Archer X wasn't even close to beyond the other Servants. Every last one, be it this world or another's, were in some way on her level at least. Including this hulking robot in front of her. Welcome to the Holy Grail War, huh?
Accepting this state, though, wasn't something she was about to do. Not without a fight.
Sensing her inner turmoil, Rider X decided to give another little nudge. "The one that would've erased your base of operations," she perked up at the implication, "his name is Kiritsugu Emiya. He seems to be a bit infamous among the magic community of this world." He pulled out a roll of a copied paper he'd swiped from Kirei a while ago and tossed it over. "Consider this a gift."
Archer X caught it easily with her left hand and uncurled it so that she could both read it and keep an eye on the other Servant. A quick scan of the paper told her a lot about this guy; "the Mage Killer," they called him. A freelance mercenary that specialized in taking down magi with methods that would make terrorists sit down and take notes. Public bombings, poison gas, shooting down planes…
Archer X was a little impressed. This is definitely the kind of guy who'd be smart enough to set up the demolition of this hotel. Smart enough and cold-blooded enough. While I'm stuck with some aristocratic bookworm with magic tricks, there's a man who'd have been one of the best in black ops back home as my enemy. Typical.
She didn't let any of this show, helped by her armor. Instead, she rolled it back up and stowed it in a side pocket. The launcher remained trained on Rider X. "Thanks for the clue," the soldier said, "but I'm not joining anything just yet. I'll be thinking about your offer."
"Naturally, though don't take too long." Rider X replied smoothly. "This is a Grail War, after all. Either one of us could be gone before we know it." He faded away amidst silver particles.
Archer X stood atop the building, considering everything she'd just learned. Naturally, there were a couple of things that bastard had said that were likely horseshit, but it was hard to tell which was which. 'Archer X,' she instinctively perked up at Lancer's voice, 'Where are you? Have you engaged a Servant?'
'No sign of any visitors,' Archer X said without hesitation. 'Guess they got cold feet or someone else attacked them. Could've been anything.'
'I suppose… Then I shall return to report to our lord.'
'Go ahead, I'll stay up a little longer, keep an eye out just in case.'
'Very well. Don't exhaust yourself, though. If you need assistance, I'll gladly come.'
'Yeah, yeah, my hero,' Archer X snarked mentally, trying to ignore a flutter in her stomach at his words. That honorable dope wouldn't approve of her meeting just now. Best she kept it to herself, for both their sakes. He can play Mister Chivalry all he wants. I'll be the one making sure we actually get that Grail. With or without a different Master.
Further away, Rider X rematerialized atop a shorter building with a pleased look. Archer X had been as willful as he'd anticipated, but a little more persuasion on his side, a bit more frustration with her Master, and she'd be another tool in his arsenal for this War.
"Come on out," he called behind him. "I do hope you lot are better at stealth than this."
"You could be a little more grateful, considering I sent Archer X that note." An Assassin silently stepped behind him, a little bigger than a child with a shaved head and two bronze rings in his left ear. "Maybe we should tell Master Kirei that you're consorting with enemy Servants."
"By all means." The Hassan flinched away from the leer the far larger Servant gave him. "Tell him. I make no big secret of it." Rider X grinned in a vicious manner. "This is all to ensure we acquire the Grail, after all."
Then some stake-like fingers drummed onto his shoulder, the cold touch making him flinch. "Oh, don't worry, Assassin. We are partners in this endeavor. And while you're here, you can deliver another message for me."
-144:09:25
Night was drawing to a close and day nearly here, but the War's presence remained.
"Assassin conducted a thorough investigation of Caster's trail," Kirei reported into the gramophone. His wounds fully healed, he was now back in Fuyuki church with his father, the latter seemingly unaware of his little adventure. This emergency meeting was of top priority. "While he couldn't find the magus' 'workshop' itself, we've narrowed down whereabouts to a certain area. The main difficulty is Caster's activities."
"Elaborate." Tokiomi replied from the other side.
"Caster and his Master seem to have been kidnapping sleeping children from Miyama Town and its neighbors. Fifteen were made off with before dawn broke." He paused briefly, knowing what the reaction of the next bit would be. "In one case, the abduction didn't go as smoothly; the family of three woke up and attempted to resist. They were all killed by the pair."
As expected, Risei frowned in heavy disgust while a wave of silent fury seemed to ripple from the device in front of him. Most likely both Tokiomi and Lancer X. Unfazed himself, Kirei continued. "Coupled with the knowledge that Caster's Master is the one behind the killings, it stands to reason that he is upping his game with the Servant's help. They use magic in a reckless manner, and carelessly as well. It is only the Church's efforts that keep the authorities from discovering magic was involved. I doubt they're even considering the Holy Grail War at this point."
"Based on what Assassin overhead," Lancer X spoke up, "this Gilles de Rais believes Saber to be the Jeanne d'Arc of the story you told me, Master. Taking his utter insanity in account, he may think that with having already 'won' the War, he has other tasks to complete. But what those are or how they involve the children, I have no interest in considering."
"…" Tokiomi seemed to mull over this before saying, "An unhinged, uncontrollable Servant and a Master that won't even try to leash him… I suppose it's a blessing that violent monster is no longer affiliated with them, or else they would've sundered the entire town by now." A sigh echoed through the gramophone. "How could the Holy Grail War be filled with such filth?"
Kirei chose not to point out that the magus would be more comfortable with these kidnappings and murders if it were for fueling a Servant or the like as Lancer X countered, "One way or another, their actions can't be tolerated."
Risei moved next to his son. "She's right, Tokiomi, sir. Coupled with other reports that we've gone over, there might even be at least thirty kidnapping victims. These crimes blatantly violate the rules."
"Agreed. As the one who guards the secrets of magecraft within this city, it is my duty to stop this."
"Both Caster and his Master must be eliminated." Risei declared.
Kirei saw a problem, though. "But only a Servant can defeat a Servant. We can't send my Assassin and having Rider X perform the task may risk exposing our plans as well. Subtlety is not his forte."
Risei bowed his head in thought, then an idea came to his mind. He turned to his son and the communicator. "As the overseer, I have the authority to slightly change the rules. I can tell the other Masters to put the main conflict over the Grail to the side and have them focus on tracking down Caster."
"Would they be willing to do that, father?"
Risei scratched his solid jaw. "Offering an incentive ought to convince them."
After some debate, the details for the plan were finalized. His part done, Kirei made to excuse himself for the evening when Risei spoke up again. "Oh, before I forget, Kirei, did you happen to leave the church earlier?" It would've been a simple question of concern, were it not for the fact that Kirei needed to stay put to maintain the deception of their plan.
But he had anticipated this. "I did, my apologies," he answered smoothly. "I thought that there may have a breach in security, so I went to investigate it. But it was nothing of concern." The lie came easy, easier than he would've thought of himself.
"A breach in security? Why didn't you send Assassin or Rider X to investigate?" Tokiomi asked in a strict manner; he likely didn't want people to realize the truth before the endgame.
Too late for that, Kirei mused. Kiritsugu Emiya was a cunning man with a clever Servant at his side. If he hadn't been suspicious of their plans, he was now with what Kirei had done. But instead of voicing such thoughts, the priest simply lied, "I had both on standby, but it was such a trivial matter, I was sure I could handle it myself."
"…You've been a fine student, Kirei, and your record as an Executor speaks for itself. But you shouldn't let overconfidence cloud your judgement."
"Of course, sir," Kirei replied with just the right mixture of wounded pride and deference he knew would be enough. "I shall strive to be more cautious." Technically true; he would continue to seek out Kiritsugu Emiya, but next time, he'd make sure that Assassin X wouldn't interfere.
Trading a nod of reassurance with his father, Kirei left the secret chamber and made for his study without another word. Curious that they accept my words so easily… Oh well. His thoughts drifted to the Hyatt incident; cornering that woman itself had brought him no excitement; he was positive now that she was a mere pawn in this game. Assassin X's intervention had been… humbling. All of his training, and he wasn't able to keep up with a cavalry class Servant. If it hadn't been for his own Assassin, he'd would've died right there on the spot. Tokiomi was right about one thing: he had to be careful.
But the prospect of meeting Kiritsugu Emiya, of conversing with him, discovering what drove him, what the truth was… it stirred a strange excitement inside Kirei's heart. A smile nearly crept along his face before he caught himself. Perhaps I've been spending too much time with Rider X. He seems to have infected me with this… this... what is it?
Kirei opened the door to his study room, stepped inside, and immediately felt something off before he closed it. A shift in the atmosphere. The reason why presented itself as… "Archer?"
The King of Heroes lay on the couch, swirling a glass of red wine in his hand. He appeared to be the very picture of leisure right now: in place of his majestic golden armor was a white V-neck shirt with long sleeves, leather pants and a golden necklace. Even his hair, once spiked upwards like some crown, was combed down for a relaxed look.
Kirei took another glance around to find wine bottles (some empty, no less) scattered all over his room. Gilgamesh merely took a sip from his glass and said, "Though your collection is smaller in quantity than Tokiomi's, it is far more impressive. Aren't you a pretentious apprentice."
Kirei was by no means an alcoholic. In truth, he hadn't even really sampled the wines himself. It was merely a hobby of his. If he heard that a particular vintage was in store, he made to quickly purchase a bottle but never drank from it or offered it to friends. Partially because he had no friends. Either way, Kirei didn't care much about his collection, but he didn't appreciate a Servant traipsing around and drinking it dry. "What do you want?"
One red eye peered towards the priest as he walked towards the desk. A question asked that blunt was not something most would dare in the presence of the first Hero in this world. Still, Archer remained amused. "I'm apparently not the only one with time to spare."
"Spare?" Kirei repeated before understanding. So, Archer was also aware of when he'd left for the Hyatt.
Sure enough, Archer asked in a teasing manner, "Why else would a Master protected by the Church wander about to fight Servants? Tired of following Tokiomi's orders?"
"Yes, how curious indeed." A familiar presence made itself known. Rider X shimmered into being in the middle of the room. "And how brazen. Truly a delight."
Archer quirked an eyebrow towards the metallic intruder. "So, I assume you had something to do with dear Kirei's sudden proactive nature?"
"Why, King of Heroes," Rider X tapped his chest in exaggerated innocence, "you wound me. I merely asked my Master how he wished to proceed in light of recent developments. His actions were completely of his own volition."
Archer released a haughty laugh. "Were they now? I would have a better time believing you if you hadn't been so liberal with your tongue in our previous encounters."
"Merely playing my part." He spread his massive arms wide. "I am to be the wild card in this little game, and should I extend special courtesies to you merely because you sparkle a little more than the rest?"
Archer's eyes sharpened at the foreigner, and for a moment, Kirei briefly wondered if he'd need to expend another Command Seal just to keep his study intact. Then the ancient hero laughed again. "What a quandary you are, mongrel! Half of me wants to reduce you to slag, yet the other half wishes to see if there is more than boasting behind that twisted face." He gave a fierce, challenging smile. "Try not to disappoint me."
Rider X returned the expression. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Archer gestured lazily towards a bottle of wine on the table. "That one is of a particularly fine vintage." As Rider X moved to accept the indirect offer, the eyebrow quirked again. "Though would a metal creature know how to appreciate such delights?"
The Cybertronian picked up the bottle and an empty glass to pour himself a little, all of which happened with surprising dexterity for such large and sharp digits. "The members of my species sustain themselves in ways other than stuffing their mouths with edibles and liquids like humans would." He lifted the wine glass to inspect the liquid within, murmuring, "But seeing as I am a Heroic Spirit…" Rider X brought the glass to his lips and took a light sip, his eyes widening slightly when he removed it. "Well now. It seems in my current state, I can taste other forms of nourishment than usual." He chuckled. "And this is indeed a delectable sample."
"Delectable compared to other concoctions of this era." Archer scoffed while the mongrel finished his glass and set it and the bottle back down, noting how neither had gained a single crack from within his grip. "But then the dogs roaming the streets out there would lose themselves to glasses worth far less."
Kirei looked between the pair in mild confusion. This entire time, he'd been expecting the King of Heroes to rage and punish the Decepticon (another oddity, that name) conqueror for his consistent impudence. Yet here they were, trading banter in a somewhat friendly manner. Somewhat. I'd suspected that Rider X wasn't just antagonizing everyone for the sport of it, the Master considered, but Archer being capable of showing restraint is… unexpected.
Kirei let out a quiet sigh. A part of him wondered why he was putting in so much effort to analyze these two, especially when he had plenty of other duties to consider, but at this point, he was tired. It had been a long night.
"But back to the previous topic," an amused Archer began, "what have you been up to, Kirei?"
"Why are you here, Gilgamesh?" Kirei deflected the inquiry with a question of his own as he began to place the bottles back into the shelves. "Rider X comes and goes as he pleases, but he's my Servant. You are not. Have you grown dissatisfied with your Master all of a sudden?"
More blatant disrespect, but Gilgamesh simply snorted before having another sip. "Tokiomi summoned me to this world and maintains my presence. He showed proper deference to me upon my arrival," he cast a pointed eye, "more so than certain other individuals." Megatron only sneered back. "So, I had to give him respect befitting a Servant." His gaze turned disappointed. "But to think he'd turn out to be such a boring man."
"Are you that unhappy with his orders?"
Rider X barked a laugh. "How could he not be unhappy? The dullard has such one-dimensional tactics, such weak ambitions." Kirei glared at him, but he waved it off. "Oh, don't feign outrage on his account, Master. Tokiomi Tohsaka is not an interesting person."
Archer raised his glass in approval. "You may have the manners of a dog, Rider X, but you speak the truth here. That jade cur that calls herself my partner has little more than a sharp tongue to offer for entertainment, and Tokiomi is always so quick to grovel before me for peace and quiet lest he fear I wipe them both off the face of this world." Another scoff. "To think all he wants with his wish is to achieve Akasha. What a waste of the Holy Grail."
Kirei considered his reply carefully. "To reach the Swirl of the Root, or achieve Akasha, is something every magus strives for. It's not something outsiders have a right to judge."
"Ah, but aren't you an outsider, Kirei?" Rider X cut in, looming over him with a grin.
Archer smirked. "Good point. Didn't you, Kirei, belong to an organization that tends to oppose the magi?"
Kirei's eyes narrowed in thought. Both of these Servants were cleverer than they seemed at first glance. "The path to the Root can be said to lead beyond this world," he explained to them the basic thought process of a usual magus. "Those like the Church tend to focus on the inside, or this world itself, which does not correlate with the outside. Thus, outsiders not interested in looking beyond the world would dismiss it as pointless."
Archer inspected the glass in his wine, admiring how the crimson liquid gathered within and reflected the outer light. "Curious. I admit that I am satisfied with simply admiring my garden, this world and its universe in their entirety. Other realms beyond my border do not catch my interest in the slightest." He spoke with his usual arrogance, his own simple truth.
"How quaint, Archer." Rider X, though, walked about a bit, drawing the others' attention. "Though I confess that reaching other worlds is an intriguing concept," he waved his fingers in dismissal, "how Tohsaka and the magi go about it is pitiful. Their dreams are merely handed down from their ancestors who failed in their own lifetimes to accomplish the task. Then when they in turn fail, their spawns are tasked with scrambling about for any chance of finding this Root."
He stopped by the couch, giving a disappointed look to the others. "And is merely reaching it the final step? Should they not try to explore the rest of the multiverse? Try to grasp hold of more? But no, reaching it is the final goal for a magus. Such small wishes for such small creatures, and they are not even their own wishes. No originality. No driveto truly call their own in this world." Rider X's smile had evaporated. "Pathetic."
Kirei watched with some curiosity to see Archer gaze upon the outlander with new intrigue. "How passionate, mongrel. I gather your distaste stems from personal reasons?" He taunted.
Megatron picked up a nearly empty bottle and moved it this way and that. "I originate from a world that let its time of glory pass and grew stagnant in its wake. And I and others paid the price for it." Hairline cracks grew along the glass, but it kept its form. "Had I not decided to act, my world would've perished, suffocated by its own stasis." The bottle finally shattered, fragments and droplets trickling through his mighty fingers. "To accept stagnation is to invite death, Archer."
"Only imperfect beings fear stagnation." Archer replied, drawing the other familiar's focus. The two Heroic Spirits stared wordlessly at one another for a period of time, as though to gauge each other's inner self.
"The Holy Grail wasn't originally crafted to seek the Root." They then turned with new interest towards the priest, he in turn having grown thoughtful over what he had heard. Stagnation… imperfection… drive… these words circled about in his mind while he spoke. "It is omnipotent in every sense of the word. Any wish can be granted through the sheer power of this device, including changing this world completely, and maybe even others. Naturally, other Masters have had other desires over the years. That is exactly how the Holy Church has been so invested in ensuring the Grail does not fall in the wrong hands."
"Ah, so the other Masters have desires other than those of Tokiomi's in mind?" Gilgamesh inquired.
"Tokiomi is the typical archetype of our world's classic magus and extremely right-winged. Not many seek true magic for the sake of it as he does. Everyone else usually go after the usual luxuries of life. Prestige, desires, power, anything fulfillable in this world."
"Fine with me," Archer stated, "all of these I love quite well."
"As do I," Rider X laughed.
"You are a vulgar tyrant, Megatron," Kotomine stated bluntly, "and you, Gilgamesh, are the king of such vulgarity."
The Heroic Spirits shared an amused laugh over this, the one of this world finishing his wine. He then asked, "And what about you, Kirei?"
"Yes, Master," the other joined in, "what wish would youmake upon the Grail?"
"Me?" Kirei finally hesitated. He fingered the Seals on both of his hands. "I don't have a wish."
Two eyes of crimson watched him now attentively, the other two drifted to the ceiling. "Are we to believe that, Kirei?" Gilgamesh remained casual as ever. "Doesn't the Grail only ever summon those who wish for it?"
"It should. But… I don't understand it myself. I don't have any desires or ideals, so why would the Holy Grail call upon me? Why was I chosen?"
"No ideas, no desires. Why don't you simply wish for pleasure, then?"
The flippant words struck a nerve inside him. "How dare you! Me, a scholar of God, seek pleasure?! You would expect me to seek something sinful and condemning as that?"
Rider X tiled his head in amused curiosity. "Sinful? Condemning? Such harsh words." Yet it fit with his Master's earlier behavior. Back during the docks, he'd sounded truly affronted when the Servant had told him to enjoy himself. Is that what pleasure is to you, human?
He gave a sly glance to the lounging King and received it back. "Your logic eludes me as well, Kirei. Why would you associate pleasure with sin?"
Kirei started, "Because…" but couldn't think of anything. He hadn't expected to be put on the spot like this.
Sensing his inner turmoil, Archer shot a little look to Rider X, a wordless message: Care to join me in a little fun?Receiving a sharp grin as his answer, he decided to probe further. "Gaining pleasure through evil acts can be considered a sin, yes. But humans have derived pleasure from committing good deeds as well. So why would pleasure itself be a sin?"
"Or rather," Rider X joined in the fun, "is sin simply how youperceive pleasure?"
"…Pleasure is something I don't have," Kirei finally confessed. "I seek it, but it continues to elude me." He didn't know how it had come to this. How he could lay so bare before them.
The King of Heroes peered over at him. "Rider X was right about you, Kirei Kotomine. You are quite an interesting fellow."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said." Archer shifted from a lying position to a sitting one before gesturing to the chair on his right. "Have a seat."
Kirei glanced tentatively at the furniture, then he felt something grip both of his shoulders and steer him towards it. A turn of the head revealed Rider X pushing him along. "You said it yourself, Master. Despite your own efforts, you have failed to find pleasure. Therefore, it may be time for you to accept," Kirei was pushed softly down into the chair, "a different perspective."
Archer nodded briefly to the larger Servant, then began to educate the lost soul before him. "In a way, pleasure is a reflection of the soul. It's not a matter of whether or not it exists, but whether or not you know it." He peered into those hollow eyes. "Kirei, you simply don't know yet in which way your soul is truly inclined. You don't lack pleasure, you don't understand what pleasure is to you."
"The wisdom of a Servant. How empowering."
"Watch yourself, mongrel." Kirei noted Archer's warning had none of its usual bite to it. "This wisdom was learned by a king that has sampled all of the luxuries and pleasures this world has to offer. Pay attention." And Kirei found he was. This conversation with these two characters sparked something in him. What it was, he did not know, but he couldn't turn away.
Rider X then took over the lecture. "Master, you have searched inside yourself all your life for your true self, haven't you?" He tapped his armored chest. "The search for pleasure is the search for understanding yourself, as it is for all." He then swept his arm wide. "But merely looking inside yourself is not enough.
The one-time gladiator turned tyrant loomed over his Master. "Widen your gaze, Kirei. In order to learn about pleasure, first you must learn how others perceive pleasure. From there, you will discover your own truth."
My own… truth? As Kirei mulled over these words, Archer had retrieved an unused glass as well as the ones he and Rider X had drank from and begun to fill them with the wine from before. "You can start by taking part in our entertainment," he said.
"I already have enough on my plate that I can't waste time with you Servants' little games."
"Oh, don't be like that, Master," Rider X chided him with a wag of his finger. "You already acted in your own interests tonight." His Master glared at him but said nothing. "I'm not chiding you for that, on the contrary. By following Tohsaka's instructions, you can surely do what other humans refer as 'mixing business with pleasure.' After all, he wants you to monitor the other Masters, no?"
"…Well, yes."
"Then don't stop with merely their actions and intentions," Archer took over while placing glasses in front of his companions. "Investigate their motivations. Learn what their stake in this struggle is and tell us about it."
"One Master seems to have already caught your eye." Even the indirect mention of Kiritsugu Emiya forced a tiny crack in Kirei's stoic façade. Watching the minute shifting of his body's muscles in conflict, Rider X added, "Tokiomi Tohsaka's only concern is achieving his precious Akasha, as you said. You were taken in as his disciple solely so he could have more assets for his little game. You have to yet receive any aid from him in your little quest, only orders that benefit him. Why not take these matters of pleasure and soul into your own hands?"
Kirei frowned in consideration. This sort of undertaking without Tokiomi's knowledge or consent could have severe consequences for everyone in the room. And he wasn't sure himself whether these two actually wanted to help him or were merely playing their own games with him. No… he knew they were playing their own games with him, neither made any attempt to deny it. They saw him as a pawn, a thing for amusement.
But he still said, "…I suppose I could task the Assassins to have a more thorough look." His eyes drifted up to the metal being. "But just why are you so invested in helping me discover myself?"
Rider X's demeanor turned serious as he stared down at the empty man. "Because I refuse to accept a hollow puppet as my Master. And I respect an effort to learn one's nature." He reached down to pick up his wine and lifted it towards Kirei. "Find out who you truly are, Kirei Kotomine. Learn what wish is buried within you that the Holy Grail would deem you worthy of fighting for it."
The empty man stared back at his Servant before finally turning to the room's final occupant. "…And you, Archer?" he asked softly. "You are not contracted or obligated to me in any way. What do you gain out of all this?"
Gilgamesh, first Hero of this world, merely smiled. "Like I said, watching how human beings act entertains me. One or two among those that fight for the Holy Grail ought to be interesting." He retrieved his own glass. "Or at least less boring than Tokiomi."
"Hear, hear." Rider X's smile returned as his glass hovered near Archer's. "To an interesting War."
Archer laughed. "To one with a worthy end." A light chime emanated from the clink of the glasses. The sound echoed throughout the small room and inside Kirei's ear. As he watched both Servants knock back their drinks, he wondered if he had just borne witness to the birth of an alliance… or the issue of a challenge.
Though he regained his neutral demeanor, the priest was inwardly playing through all of the words and thoughts he had encountered tonight. Curiosity had grown, but consideration towards his tasks and distrust towards these beings fought against it. He had no obligation to go along with their plans, perhaps he could find his true nature on his own.
Then the memory of a certain man appeared, and he knew what his answer would be. "All right, Archer. Rider X." They both turned to him. "I accept. But it will take some time."
"Not a problem," Archer dismissed in a cheery mood. "I have patience when it's worth it." He began to disperse into spirit form. "I will continue to sample your exquisite wine collection while I wait." A flicker of gold in the wind, and he was gone.
Rider X followed suit a second later, disappearing with a bow that seemed a trace more respectful than usual. "Master." Silver flickered, and no more Rider X.
Finally alone, Kirei sighed quietly and leaned back in his chair. "My wish for the Grail? I gave those two the wrong impression." He frowned slightly. "There's no way it could be pleasure." No, no matter what form his soul took, that couldn't be the answer he sought. He looked down at the third glass still filled with wine, sitting before him. If I discover more about him… will that help me learn my… own truth?
One thing had become clear to Kirei Kotomine tonight: he would seek his answers by facing Kiritsugu Emiya.
He was so caught up in his own thoughts, though, that he didn't realize he wasn't alone just yet. Yes, Megatron looked with approval upon his Master one more time before letting his incorporeal form drift away, such potential for an insect. This, his teeth shifted into a grin that would've instilled terror in anyone that saw it, will be quite the show.
Caster X started at a sudden sound. He looked up from his work to see a collection of black birds flapping about in the upper parts of the alley. Ravens, cawing to one another, agitated by something. A warm draft, perhaps. Or a human appearance startling one that in turn set off the rest.
Or, the wizard thought as he glanced back down to his weary Master slumbering away through a sleep spell he had cast to facilitate treating his injuries, something else.He looked out the alley. Dawn was here, and the sun had begun to rise.
Yet Caster X couldn't help but frown at the small dark clouds gathering in front of its light.
What, you guys didn't think Iskandar was the only smooth talker in this War, didja?
Sorry for the wait, there's a fair bit of work I had to do since our last meeting, and I'll be pretty busy in the days to come, too. But I do promise to continue my little story, come rain or snow or sleet or lack of interest from my readers.
(As with Assassin X, I give special thanks to Lord Mist, author of "Infinite Paths," for allowing me to borrow a slightly altered version of his Servant. Oh, and I am well aware that Gandalf's real name is Olorin, but this is the Servant, Gandalf the Gray. The wandering wizard Man, Elf, Dwarf and a Hobbit or two spoke of in stories across Middle-Earth. Most I believe had no clue to his true origins, they simply knew him as a nomadic meddler with magic. So, that is who he is in the Throne of Heroes.)
Caster X-
Class: Caster
Master: Kariya Matou
True Name: Gandalf the Gray
Titles: Gray Wizard, Mithrandir, Stormcrow
Sex: Male
Source: Lord of The Rings
Region: Middle-Earth
Alignment: Lawful Good
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: D
Mana: A+
Luck: B
NP: A
Class Skills-
Independent Action: The ability to remain independent even when rejecting the mana supply from the Master.
A: A rather rare skill for the Caster class, Caster X does not truly wield the usual skills, Item Construction or Territory Creation, that Casters do. Instead, he was more of a wandering wise man, a guide who descended where he saw fit and changed things, than one who stood in one place and did his work. He can stay in the world for a week without an established contract with the world due to his strong mana reserves.
Riding: The capacity to ride vehicles and animals.
C: Another rare Skill for a Caster, he was perhaps the only one who could truly ride the King of Horses in his world. This allows him to ride any mortal mount or land vehicle, and a few magical ones as well.
Personal Skills-
Animal Dialogue: A communication with animals that don't speak a language of words.
C: Caster X not only had a unique and deep bond with the King of Horses, he could also communicate with the King of the Eagles and his kin. He can speak to most animals telepathically.
Discernment of the Wise: The ability to see into the hearts and souls of men and objects and identify evil if it lurks within.
A: Caster X could see through the troubles people faced, identifying and rectifying them. He could also identify evil where it lurked, be it in a person's heart or in an object.
High-Speed Divine Words: The power to activate Thaumaturgy without the use of Magic Circuits. The language of the Age of Gods, back when words played a heavy role in spellcasting. As such, it is power long lost by modern magi.
A: Caster X is one of the most powerful wizards, capable of summoning blinding light, flames, thunder as well as counter-spells to weaken an enemy's casting as the situation demands without use of magic circuits.
Noble Phantasms-
Glamdring: "Foehammer, Bright as Daylight": C (Anti-Unit): Aside from a classical wizard's staff, Caster X wields a magical hand-and-a-half sword for battle. Forged by elvish smiths from ancient times, it shows no rust or wear despite its age, and the blade emits a blue glow in the presence of evil souls. Glamdring can also channel Caster X's spells as his staff can. Caster X wields Glamdring with expert skill despite his elderly body and can choose to fight sword in one hand and staff in the other or with only one weapon.