Everything about the man felt… wrong.
Tohsaka Rin couldn't tell what was wrong or how she sensed it. She just knew something was… off. Hiding behind a mask didn't help her relax either.
"—and that covers the general rules that have been set and applied in the previous Grail Wars. Are there any questions about them or clarifications needed?"
The 'arbiter', and she used that term loosely as she didn't think for a second the outsider was completely neutral, fell into a momentary quiet. When none offered their inquiries, he then nodded along, satisfied with their understanding. Naturally, Rin, didn't need elaboration. She knew the rules by heart after having gone sifting through what of her father's notes Luvia and herself could procure from the former Tohsaka estate.
Seven Masters; Seven Servants. One Grail; One wish. One winner; seven… Not necessarily losers, she'd gladly take the win of living past this, thank you very much… But it still stands to reason she'd fight tooth and nail when it comes down to it.
'Even if…' sparing a quick glance at who she could guess was Sakura's adopted sibling. 'Even if I have to fight him… and her…'
She hope she could.
Sharply exhaling, Rin immediately cut off the sigh of hesitation. This was what she signed up for. There was no backtracking. Not when she'd resolved herself.
'This is for mom… and for Sakura as well! What am I doubting for? I can take this! I know the war's rules like the back of my hand. Worst comes to worst, I suck it up to that gorilla's dad for a few more years and then align ourselves under the gorilla herself. As bad as she is, normally, at least she won't treat mom as disposable. All we need to do then is take Sakura and leave. And as long as nothing else unforeseen happens, then we're right as rain—!'
"Now then. Onto some… addendums we need to discuss. Uniquely for this war."
"Apologies for springing this surprise on you, honored guests." The short CEO girl chimed in merrily, not at all playing along with the arbiter's mysterious flair for dramatics. "You see, Master Zero wishes to convey the necessity of some new rules and the like. Now more than ever as—"
"What do you mean by 'new rules' ?" Rin wasn't the only one confused given the one sat next to her shifted slightly before she even voiced the question. Though the adult had her arms crossed so callously, the older woman seemed just as on edge as Rin, if not more. Not wanting to be caught giving a side glance, she pressed the pair. "For what reason would you impose such a change, if I may ask?"
"You may, and it is not as drastic a shift as you suspect. Just as previous rules had been instated due to… let's call it 'issues' of previous wars, I have deemed it proper that a couple more be added to avert any major damage that would befall this city." The man waited with a pregnant pause before continuing. "Most of you are aware about the Second War, one which ended inconclusive with a massacre of all the Masters and their supporters, resulted in the rule to allow a Master who had lost their Servant the right to protection at the condition of forfeiting their Command Seals and their right to fight on. It was for the sake of reducing the risk of exposure to the general public, mitigating the damage to the common citizens caught in the crossfire, and finally to actually assure there would be a winner."
No one argued that point. Rin had heard about the extent of the damage before she and her mother had been taken out of the country as well as read the news of the aftermath. She'd tried to find clues as to her sister's whereabouts as well, during and after the war. She'd only been able to breathe a sigh of relief when one of those under the Edelfelt's employ were ordered by Luvia herself to find her sister.
Though she was only permitted the knowledge but not the right to contact her, that much was enough.
"The presence of the Church had been instated then to also serve as the neutral party to oversee coverup and to enforce the rules. As with then, so it will be now. However…" Zero paused. "In light of the disaster that befell the city of Fuyuki in the previous war as well, as the incidental destruction of the Church in the city, we have deemed it necessary to step things up a notch. From henceforth, all fights with your competitors will now be limited to zones owned and managed by Sumeragi Industries."
The man took out a remote from under his desk and clicked it. Behind him, a digital screen lowered just above his head before turning on. Though Rin would never admit to being befuddled by new-fangled technology, she could at least recognize the depiction of a map.
"As you can see here, marked in the red are registered sectors from residential to commercial zones not yet under the company's hold. We would like to discourage any conflict be brought to them. As for the areas we do hold—" another press of a button and huge tracts of squares and zones flicked green. "—you are all free to face-off in these areas. Worry not about using magecraft or Servants as the residents and/or businesses previously located in these zones have either been relocated or has long since abandoned their property. Furthermore, such abandoned lots and certain areas of the industrial sector are… more prone to accidents, especially during the off hours of evening to early mornings. As such, any incidents that may or may not happen in these places would pose little to no issue when wrangling the public eye."
'Easier to be swept under the rug', he was being very clear in that regard. As a magus, Rin knew that such callousness for him to just write off such areas was expected. Wars were costly, but at least these people went out of their way to reduce the cost to just property value without impacting the city's daily life much.
She did think it prude he didn't at all acknowledge the potential living casualties. Those areas were not at all unpopulated, given that night shift workers and guards could still be present if not the homeless or just the late-night wanderer. But… perhaps the expression 'such is war' would fit here…
Her father certainly would say so.
"And what if our… encounters happen to be a little too destructive?" one of the boys, because even she could tell they weren't that much older than her, asked. "Is there any guarantee we wouldn't be penalized for going… overboard?"
The girl behind Zero chimed in again.
"Worry not. Most of these tracts of land are either under construction or scheduled to have demolitions in the coming weeks. It would be of little to no concern if any such conflict were to occur within them even if you go so far as to blow up an entire high-rise."
That… was that meant to be a joke? By the CEO girl's unwavering smile, it certainly sounded like one.
"Are… is this for real?" the other boy, the one closest to Rin, sounded aghast through his mask's magical obfuscation.
"So long as the fight is limited to inside the zones, of course. The excuse of a gas leak can only be used so often before people start getting suspicious. And none would pay much heed to a demolition gone wrong given a big enough scapegoat."
To that, some relief was spared. But also, some apprehension. The arbiter and the company backing him hadn't yet given her cause to be overly hostile, but to go this far suggests they had as much if not a better grasp than the Church in wars past. Luvia's research on the conglomerate had her pegging them as would-be altruists to the public. Though she heard some deals were a bit heavy handed when it came to acquiring various locations all over the city, the generous company made sure to compensate handsomely. So much so that even Luvia was licking her lips at the potential secrets hidden behind their suspicious wealth. Ever the hyena, Rin supposed.
But with the safety of the citizens as a priority, she could at least believe they meant well on the surface when it came to this. Looking over it, Rin could see that, not only was there room to maneuver all over the map, some areas weren't lit up green but shaded in green stripes. Among them were familiar locations like her old neighborhood, the Tohsaka residence, a sizable chunk of the residential district around it as well as the school.
"What of green-striped locations like Homurahara Academy?" Rin said. "Are you saying we are permitted to fight in areas shaded like it?"
"You already have, no?" Zero seemed to chuckle. "Indeed, you may. Within reason especially for those areas. The Sumeragi conglomerate can offer the barest of minimum support for those areas as they are indirectly indebted to us one way or another, you see. The school, for example, has recently received a sizable donation under the table. And given that the board of directors themselves have pocketed it, we have come to a tacit agreement that, should it be necessary, they can dismiss class." The Arbiter continued before shrugging. "While we essentially cover for the damages caused by the war's participants out of the goodness of our hearts, we will not strictly impose you base yourselves in areas our company controls nor interfere in your everyday lives and actions in the war to the point of redlining everything you do. We respect that you will honor the sanctity of life of those uninvolved."
"Sounds too good to be true." The girl to the right of Rin that she definitely suspected to be an Einzbern chuckled to her teacup, seemingly unbothered. "I had my apprehensions that a company, a non-magi-affiliated one of all things, would attempt to adjudicate a long-standing ritual. And yet you say you do not wish for much in exchange?"
"The lives of those in the city are worth going this far."
"Trite reasoning, sorely mundane. And even more… what's the word… unimpressive as an excuse, don't you think?" the Einzbern's teacup clattered empty on the table.
The girl held a pinky up as she downed her tea, not at all concerned by the looks everyone in the room gave her.
"Feel free to see it as such. But would you rather we took it upon ourselves to hold the ritual hostage entirely?"
The air suddenly grew heavy. Neither the man in the mask nor the child standing next to him seemed fazed they were facing magi with ridiculously powerful familiars just in the adjacent room. Nor did Zero flinch when confronted with one of the Three Families that wanted to win no matter what.
"And you believe a mere man like yourself capable of such?"
"Of course. Plans within plans have been made to ensure the stability of this city. And, with your compliance to concede this much, I see no harm in letting you all have your damnable ritual for a so-called omnipotent wish."
"Interesting…" The Einzbern leaned back in her seat, the haughty attitude plus the crown of her rook-themed mask seemingly giving her the air of a queen. "So long as you stay out of my way, I won't have a problem with you and yours."
The confrontation seemed to have come to a head. In the next second, all tension faded as Zero nodded, sounding more and more like an indifferent referee than a showman.
"I and mine will strive to keep our interference to a minimum. As the neutral party of non-magi, we have no power to prevent your ritual. But we will not stand idly should you dare repeat the disaster that befell the city like the previous war."
"Big words from a mere man."
"Our role is to merely recommend which parts of the city you should avoid. Feel free to fight as intensely as you wish. Feel free to murder one another for whatever reason. Sumeragi Industries will not care who reigns as the victor. So long as they keep to themselves." The man then leaned back in his seat, quite relaxed despite facing a child who likely could eviscerate him limb from limb with but a word to the giant waiting outside the room. "But if you take away the sole reason we act as an arbiter, then be prepared to find not just yourself but your entire family in ruin, Master of Berserker. I did not take over a company with a powerful global reach to cower from mere threats."
That was… fair, Rin supposed. If he was a resident and he had been present for the disaster that claimed her father's life… Then she supposed he had resolve standing up against them, the would-be harbingers of another disaster. And the Einzbern girl seemed inclined to agree.
"Hm. Vindictive and unwavering. You would make for a perfect magus, Sir Zero."
The man seemed to huff as he took the compliment. "And you'd pass for a haughty child despite your homunculi nature, Master of Berserker."
The girl stilled before composing herself. Snarling, she took a sip of her teacup with a vicious grin.
"Oh, I am quite the selfish one. That, I will not deny."
Rin rolled her eyes at the grandstanding before returning her gaze to the map. Huge chunks of the striped areas covered external boundaries of the city as well. The forest Luvia and herself suspected to be owned by the Einzberns was also part of that. Even the site of the old Church…
Some part of her wanted to believe they didn't really plan on interfering, but her honed instincts told her not to entertain the idea. A large non-magi-related company had assumed control of a majority of the city and were now arbitrating for a ritual. Without mages of their own in the running? If it was due to the previous war, then it was a great cover story for their participation like this. But they did it in preparation for the next one without an actual horse in the race?
The threat of retaliation should the city come to harm was not unbelievable. Yet Rin doubted that was the whole story.
Had they been openly led or masterminded by a known magi clan, it would be blatant proof enough. Luvia herself would have asserted this was a power grab for the city's rich leylines from under her father's nose. But as it stood, nothing of the aforementioned resource had been tampered with. As far as the Edelfelt's people could tell anyway.
"And we are to believe that you don't plan on interfering with our war whatsoever?" The woman next to Rin spoke up.
"You need not be concerned. Unlike the previous war, we as the new neutral party in charge of keeping the war in check do not wish to interfere at all. Like the Church, there is nothing for us to gain in a ritual we know not the deeper intricacies of. But unlike the Church, we actually seek to protect the lives of those under our charge."
That… that sounded like a loaded threat if Rin ever heard one. Her eyes narrowed under the mask as she took note of the nod Zero was sending to her, to the woman now nodding back. It was like they were having a stare-down without eye contact. 'Was he implying…—?'
"Respectfully, I find that hard to believe." She, the older woman, replied. "An omnipotent wish-granting device and you as an all-powerful 8th party have no wish to claim it as your own?"
The challenge caused everyone in the room to stiffen again. Suddenly, trying to blend in the background became more and more difficult now that the woman sat to her left gained the sharp stare of the Arbiter himself. Or rather, the bubbly attention of the young CEO of the company backing him.
"Is something to your dissatisfaction, Lady Master of Lancer?" Sumeragi Kaguya giggled.
"Indeed, I do." The woman confidently admitted.
"You do not yet trust my word," Zero drew a finger before Kaguya, seemingly cutting off the girl's response veiled by an innocent-looking smile. "Despite my fairly laid out restrictions."
"Correct."
"That is understandable. While this ritual has been entrusted to the Church for generations, we came in out of nowhere. But fear not. Or rather, fear not us, but what we are trying to combat the corruption the Church and Mage's Association had wrought through bringing my own version of order to this battle royale."
"What did you say—?"
"Do not play me for a fool, Master of Lancer." His hand slapped the desk. "You see, I did not simply bring you all together due to taking over the role of a referee. I was there ten years ago when the last Grail War ended in disaster. It is within my knowledge that even besting other Servants and their Masters might not be enough to ensure a quiet victory. Especially when the referee's support then was rigged in the favor of one Master."
That brought a quiet to the room. It was one thing to accuse previous Masters of reckless endangerment. But it was quite egregious to point out the previous rules had been rigged.
That wasn't to say it wasn't rigged against them now, but the tone of his voice, even behind the mask, felt genuine.
"For the sake of not repeating the tragedy, of keeping this city free from the fires that turned half of Fuyuki to ash, I am here. The true mechanisms of this ritual are known only to a few individuals, of whom only four are still alive and breathing. I, a survivor of the incident, am one of them. Not only that, I am also the most willing to lend what manpower and resources I can to avert disaster. Of course, I would've tried to prevent the war entirely, but circumstances deem that… impossible. All of this is for the sake of ensuring innocents won't suffer the same fate as those who fell victim to the previous war. That is… unless you wish to usurp me and mine and take it for yourself? In which case, I have to warn you."
Zero tilted his head, lowered tone unsettling them all.
"Do you wish to know what happened the last time someone tried to dislodge the Grail from this city?"