724AN: I own nothing! This chapter is mostly a non-action centered. There are probably some mistakes here and there, but I'll fix them when I see them since I'm the type who rereads a chapter to look for mistakes or is unsatisfied with a part and then rewrite it. Please leave a review :D
Chapter 2:
Gathering in Trifas
"..."
Driving a black car down a mountain road was a man with a rough appearance. He had wild barbarian like brown hair and a goatee. He wore sunglasses over his face, of which also partially covered the view of the scar that were on it. He wore an open black leather jacket with an orange shirt underneath. He wore black pants, and also wore black leather boots that matched his jacket.
His name was Kairi Shishigou, a freelance bounty hunting necromancer that worked with the Mage's Association from time to time. Currently, he was making his towards a location in Sighisoara, Transylvania where he would be meeting a few associates.
Overall he looked like a thug, a fact that annoyed him to no end when police would suddenly question him for no reason other than looking suspicious. He had to use magic each time just to get away since he didn't had time to deal with the cops.
"..."
On the right passenger seat of his car sat a young woman with green eyes and messy shoulder length blonde hair tied into a ponytail. She wore an open red jacket over a white tube-top. For her leggings, she wore daisy-duke shorts and a pair of black boots that had a skull symbol on their back.
She also had a very annoyed expression on her face that she was directing towards the man.
"..."
"What is it Saber," Kairi spoke. "I can feel you staring. If you have something to say, then say it."
"Why is it that I have to wear this ridiculous outfit!?" Saber demanded in a calm but irritated tone. "Why couldn't I pick out the clothes I wanted to wear!?"
"Stop complaining, those were the cheapest things I could find." The man retorted in a dry tone. "Money doesn't exactly grow on trees."
Saber merely huffed in response as she crossed her arms. She thought to herself that a Knight like her should at least wear something a little more dignified than wearing something that exposes her navel. Then again, the clothes she wore underneath her armor weren't actually all that different to her modern day attire. Perhaps she just felt like wearing something that was of her own choosing rather than what someone picked out for her, which resulted in her annoyed mood.
But if she were to be honest with herself, she didn't mind it all that much. So long as she could always plant her feet firmly on the ground, which she obviously couldn't do in spirit form, she was alright with even having to walk around naked if she had to.
Kairi on the other hand still couldn't believe it. The identity of the Servant that he had summoned...
Mordred... Known by many as the Knight of Treachery. The bastard son of King Arthur and his half-sister Morgan. He who brought an end to the reign of the legendary King of Knights. His name became synonymous with betrayal as a whole.
When he first summoned her, it wasn't actually done on purpose. The relic he had used during the summoning was a splinter of the Round Table itself. That alone assured him that he would receive any one of its members as his Servant.
After she found out about this though, she quickly destroyed the piece of wood with everything she had, filled with such rage towards it that the act alone clued him in as to the identity of his Servant. There was only one person among the Knights who could react in such a way after all.
Still, he was somewhat off put by the fact that he was actually a she. And said she looked like a young teenage girl in casual clothes. But he wasn't an idiot. Whether she was a man or a woman made little difference in light of the fact that she was still a Heroic Spirit. That, and treating her like a woman pissed her greatly. So the mercenary decided to avoid veering into that topic in such a way that it wouldn't insult his Servant.
Personality wise though, she was the type of person he could get along with just fine even if she did have a temper.
"So remind me again..." Saber suddenly began, snapping Kairi out from his thoughts. "We're meeting with the other Masters from this Mage's Association, correct?"
"Right. We've been asked to team-up with each other." Kairi replied as he began explaining. "The reason behind that is because the Grail being used in this Grail War is highly suspected to be the original. Or at the very least, a very faithful replica of it unlike the other fake ones that popped up the last half-century. And if you know what magi are like, they'll jump at the first chance to obtain the so-called omnipotent wish granting device."
"From the way you speak Master, you don't seem entirely convinced of it."
"Oh no, that was just sarcasm." Kairi replied in a nonchalant manner. "I'm mostly here for the money I'm going to be paid for joining the team. But, if this thing really can grant wishes, then I have something I want granted."
"And that would be...?"
"That's a little too personal don't you think? Ask me another time." The man replied once more. "Look, we're here."
The car came to a stop at a church on top of a hill, and Saber could feel multiple presences inside said building. She then saw a long-haired man stepping out of it, looking at them as they both got out of the car.
"Ah, Shishigou, you've arrived."
"El-Melloi II, so you really were chosen as a Master." Kairi spoke as he shook hands with the younger man.
"Indeed. To be chosen a second time... I don't know whether to be honored or to be terrified to be honest." Waver nodded before turning his attention towards the young woman accompanying Kairi. One look at her and he could already tell...
She was a Servant.
"I take it that this is Saber?"
"Right on the mark." The sunglasses wearing man said as he looked at the blonde and gestured to Waver. "Saber, this is El-Melloi II. He's the Master of Rider, and one of the guys who I signed my contract with in the first place. He and I worked together a few times now."
"I see." Saber nodded in response and in acknowledgement of Waver's presence. From the little time she had spent with her master, she could at least tell that he was of respectable character despite his looks, choice of profession, and his magecraft as well.
From the way he referred to the man known as El-Melloi II, his voice was filled with respect. Meaning that the long-haired man was also one of good character. Or at least, someone they could trust for now.
"Now then, shall we meet with the others?"
Before heading into the building, Kairi told Saber to go into spirit form and be ready for anything. The blonde nodded and did as she was told though she disliked being in said form. Satisfied that she listened to him, the sunglasses wearing mercenary entered the building.
"Geez, now I get why you and Rocco wanted me along for the ride..."
Once inside the church, a table was set up in the middle of the room where masses were usually held. At the said table were a couple of teenagers if Kairi was able to guess their age right thanks to their youthful faces.
"I know. They may be young, but they're at least competent. Allow me to introduce you..."
The first was the youngest of the bunch, looking to be around 14-15 years old. She had blonde hair and green eyes, and wore a blue cap over her head that a silver ornament that resembled a rose attached to it. She wore a blue dress that matched her cap, which had silver crosses on the puffy sleeves, and wore a white blouse that resembled what nobility from Europe would wear. She a light blue ribbon tied around her neck, and wore black leggings and brown boots. Currently, she was drinking tea.
"This is Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, the current head of the Archibald family."
The blonde girl eyed the Kairi while continuing to drink her tea, and the latter could only describe her stare as something akin to that of a snake looking at its prey.
"Hmph. So this is the bounty hunter you told me about?" She spoke up as a small smirk developed on her face. "From his looks alone, he might very well be able to make the members of Yggdmillennia surrender in fear."
"Hey..." Kairi muttered in annoyance.
"Alright, that's enough of that. Reines please, do not antagonize our allies." The girl merely turned her attention elsewhere. "Moving on..."
Waver then gestured to the person seated the closest to Reines, looking to be about the same age as her but perhaps a little older. It was a young woman, she had grey hair tied into a bun and green eyes. Kairi noted with awe that she bore a striking resemblance to Saber. She wore a black jacket and a white skirt. She wore what appeared to be a black cape that had fur trimming on it.
"This is my apprentice. Her name is Gray." He said then looked towards the girl. "Gray, introduce yourself."
"Pleased to meet you." She spoke quietly and sat back down as quickly as she introduced herself. She gave off the impression that she was a quiet person at heart.
Saber on the other hand had a different impression of her.
'What is with that girl...? Why is it that we bear such a strong resemblance...?' She thought as she focused her attention on the girl. Waver once more moved on to the next subject of interest.
This person was the one that caught Kairi's attention the most. He had white hair and tan skin, his eyes were golden in color. He wore black clothes resembling that of a priests, also wore a red cape over it. He had a smile on his face as he directed his attention towards both him and Waver, it was a gaze that caused the former to stand on attention as he raised his guard even more.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kairi Shishigou. I am Shirou Kotomine, and I am a representative of the Church." He said. "I welcome you to our alliance."
"A representative from the Church? That's the first I'm hearing about this." Kairi muttered as he and Waver sat down. The way the boy from the church spoke... it just made him want to turn and walk away. There was something about him...
"The Church wants one of their own to keep on us Magi while we work. Make sure that we don't end up summoning any demon gods as they say." The long-haired man stated, the last bit somewhat sarcastically. "Speaking of which Kotomine, where are Bersinsky and Rum? I heard that they were the ones to fetch you."
"Yes, about that." Shirou began. "Unfortunately, they both decided to withdraw from the Holy Grail War."
All those present widened their eyes at that sudden piece of news.
"What!? Just when did this happen!?" Waver demanded.
"A little over a few days ago when they dropped by in Fuyuki City to pick me up." Shirou began explaining. "Accordingly, they both have family issues they need to attend to, and thus they handed over their Command Spells and Servants to me."
Seeing that they weren't entirely convinced, Shirou pulled out a folded piece of paper from one of his pockets and laid it out on the table.
Seeing this, Waver took the contract and read it over as Shirou began speaking once more.
"Well brother? What does it say?" Reines stated.
"It's the real thing, I recognize the handwriting as both theirs." Waver replied as he directed his attention towards the priest in front of him. "Though whether or not this letter was written by choice is a different matter altogether."
"I assure you this is all legitimate." Shirou said in his defense. "Though whether or not you believe me is up to you. You could always go back for a brief time and ask them for the truth. But will that be alright I wonder? Will you abandon your comrades during an event such as the Holy Grail War? Are you not the leader appointed by the Association with the task of reclaiming the Grail?"
Seeing he had a point, Waver dropped the subject for now, but not before sending one last look at the boy known as Shirou Kotomine.
"Oh? Well ain't that something little man? You've got yourself three servants to control now." Kairi commented as the boy merely shrugged his shoulders. "I have to ask though, how you're supporting three Servants and not look a little exhausted at least?"
"That's because both Caster and Berserker still have a direct spiritual link to their original Masters. I merely control them, but when it comes to supplying both with prana, Mr. Bersinsky and Rum are doing that for me. I suppose you could say that they're still providing us aid despite their withdrawal." Shirou replied with a smile.
"I see." Waver nodded in understanding, though still wary of the young man before him. "Right then. Before anything else, why don't we have our Servants materialize first?"
"Hmm? What would be the point of that?" Reines asked.
"Well for one, it allows our Servants to interact with the discussion. Second, it would be a show of trust." Waver explained. "Rider, come out."
"About time! I was starting to wonder how long you planned on having me stay that way boy!"
Suddenly, a rather large muscular man appeared standing right behind Waver. He had short but messy red hair which also formed his beard. He wore an armor reminiscent of ones worn during the time of Ancient Greece. He had a red cape with fur trimming over his ensemble.
"Greetings to you all! It's a fortuitous event that allowed all of us to gather here today as allies. I am Iskander, the King of Conquerors!" He announced. "I will make this quick. The Servants who are still in astral form, which one of you will join my army after our alliance is over?"
A moment of silence echoed throughout the room as all were stunned by the sudden proclamation. Waver on the other hand was merely sighing to himself, muttering that he should have expected such a thing. Even if they were allies at the moment due to bizarre circumstances, to so brazenly declare one's identity like that, and then to ask the remaining Servants to join him so suddenly...
"Ha... Hahaha!"
A laugh cut through the silence as gold mist appeared behind Reines. There, another Servant materialized. This time, it was a young man, someone who looked to be in his early twenties or so. He had blonde hair and red eyes, his hair was swept back aside from the single strand that dangled in front of his face. He wore golden armor that covered his shoulders, waist and legs, along with a red waist-cloth. Two swords were also attached onto his back.
"Amusing Rider!" He spoke while containing a laugh. "Our identities are of the highest level of secret that we can have, and yet you shouted yours to the heavens! And to declare yourself a King at that... Truly you are a jester!"
"Hmm? And you are? I am a King just so you know. The King of Conquerors, Iskander." Rider responded as the man continued to laugh.
"Hahaha, you fool!" The man in gold suddenly exclaimed as he smirked and crossed his arms. "There can only be one true King that reigns under the heavens, and that is I. The mere fact that you cannot even recognize who I am at first glance proves the level of ignorance that you share with the rest of those in this room."
"Oh? So you are also a King then?" Rider said as he placed a hand underneath his chin. "Why don't you indulge us with your name then? No true King would be ashamed to reveal his own name."
"Hmph. I do not plan on wasting my breath teaching those who cannot recognize me, the one true King of this world, my own name." He replied before eyeing Rider specifically. "However, since you amused me, I will tell you my class as a boon. So be grateful at the very least."
The Golden Servant spoke in such a condescending tone that not even Saber, who herself was a prideful and arrogant person, a fact that she admitted to, couldn't believe it. However, despite her distaste for him, she remained silent as the Golden Servant continued to speak.
"I am Archer. And make no mistake... once our enemies have been taken cared of, the normal battle of seven shall resume. And I will personally show you that there can only be one King in this world, King of Conquerors, and that King is none other than myself."
"Is that so? Then I'll have to look forward to it Archer!" Rider declared with a smile. He wouldn't back down from Archer's threat.
Reines merely muttered something under her breath as she directed an annoyed glare at her Servant. He really had to make enemies with one of their allies so quickly.
"Now then, come out!" Archer suddenly declared. "I think it's about time we all met face-to-face as fellow Heroes of eras now long past."
At that, three other servants appeared in the room. One of them was Saber herself. She wore heavy looking armor with red clothing underneath that covered her from head-to-toe, making it near impossible to tell if she was actually a man or a woman.
"Servant Saber. Nothing more." Saber spoke, not feeling in the mood to speak any more than what she said.
The next figure that appeared stood behind Gray. He, in contrast to Saber, wore rather ornate light armor with Greek designs with black clothing beneath it. He had green hair swept back and yellow eyes. He also had an orange sash tied around from his waist to his shoulder, the cloth flowing freely over the latter.
"Yo, call me Lancer. Let's get along shall we folks?" He said, a smile on his face that spoke of his friendliness. Whether or not it was an act remained to be seen, but for now, it did ease the somewhat tense atmosphere.
Lastly, there was a woman with long black hair and eyes, the most unusual feature about her was her elf-like ears. She a rather ornately designed black dress that did nothing to hide her impressive cleavage. Rather, it was like it was intentionally designed that way.
Kairi nearly jumped out of his seat when the latter of the trio appeared as she was sitting right next to him. Seeing his reaction, the woman could only laugh in response.
"Foul hag, are trying to mock my Master!?" Saber demanded as she pointed her blade at her.
"Oh no, Saber. Just think of it as a light joke." She giggled in response.
"Assassin, enough of that. Come over here." Shirou spoke up.
"Yes, yes, anything you say Master."
Her voice was akin to what one would expect from a woman of high status. Kairi noted that with her appearance, she may as well have been royalty. Her class would still be appropriate for her since she looked like the type who could order the deaths of many with but a movement of her wrist and none would know about it.
Saber watched her with a glare as the black-haired woman made her way to her Master. Her aura and appearance, as well as her manner of speech. it reminded her all too well of her own mother.
After Assassin stood next to her Master, Waver noticed something off.
"Kotomine, where are Caster and Berserker?" He asked.
"They're around, just somewhere farther than here." Shirou replied. "Berserker is a somewhat troublesome Servant, you should know this. Allowing him inside a room full of other Servants is just begging for trouble. So I have Caster watching over him for the time being while we discuss and plan."
"Ah, that makes sense." Waver nodded, accepting the information. It was at that moment that Saber noticed Archer had been staring at her for some time now.
"Hoh? So you are Saber?" Archer raised an eyebrow as he smirked. "Well then? As you can see, you're the only one wearing a mask. Will continue to hid your face like a coward, or will you show it to us instead?"
If Saber was affected in anyway by such comments, she didn't show it. Instead, the helmet she wore slowly began disassembling itself from her head and laid itself as pieces of her armor. Those who witnessed it couldn't help but be impressed by the function.
And to say that everyone was taken back by her appearance was an understatement. They suspected she was a woman from the moment she spoke, though it was somewhat hard to tell due to the helmet muffling what she truly sounded like, but they didn't expect it to be true and for to have been one that looked so young and beautiful. The only thing off putting about her was the mean look in her eyes, but even then that didn't change the fact that she was quite attractive.
They also noted with great surprise that Saber bore a striking resemblance to Gray, who herself was just as much as taken back as everyone else.
"Hmm... so the one summoned as the strongest Servant class is a little girl? Truly, this world holds many forms of amusement." Archer commented.
*SLASH*
Everyone quickly jumped out of the way as Saber swung her sword down upon Archer who merely responded by blocking her blow with his two blades, the impact of which blew away the table and chairs set up. Saber was glaring murderously at the Servant in gold.
"Call me a little girl again... and I will cut off your head!" She growled. Killing intent oozed from every single one of her words, and everyone but the Servants in the room were taken aback it. She held so much blood lust that it felt more appropriate to call her Berserker!
On the other hand...
"Hmph. To so brazenly attack me..." Archer muttered in response as he smirked at the other blonde, pushing her back with brute force as they stood apart from each other. "So be it. If you wish for a battle to the death Saber, I shall grant you that honor."
"Then bring it! I shall take pleasure in taking your head Archer!"
Both took on a stance, ready for battle as they stared each other down. It was at that moment that both of their Masters decided to intervene.
"Archer, enough!" Reines yelled as she stepped in front of her Servant. "Do not attack her!"
"You too Saber, stand down!" Kairi demanded as well. "You two can kick each other's ass all you want later, but only after we've dealt with our enemies alright!?"
As this went on, the others in the room could only watch on.
Lancer had an amused smile on his face and was tempted to join in, but decided against it for now. Assassin also had a similar expression on her face, as did Shirou. They both noted that such a thing was to be expected when heroes from different eras were to meet with each other.
"This is getting out of hand." Waver sighed. He knew that being the leader of a group such as this wasn't going to be easy.
"Hahaha! Such strong willed people we've gathered here today! I'm liking them already!" Rider noted with a smile.
It took a miracle, but both Masters managed to calm down their individual Servants. Fixing up the tables and chairs, the Masters sat together once more as Waver began speaking.
"Now then, I would like to get down to business." He began. "Kotomine, I assume you already know this as well?"
"Indeed." Shirou said as he looked at the other Masters, laying out a map on the table that showed the entirety of Trifas, to which he pointed to a particular spot. "We've confirmed that the Greater Grail is indeed located underneath the Yggdmillennia Clan's castle. Just like we thought, they're the ones behind this Grail War, and most likely the past Grail Wars as well."
"So the real question right now is if the thing below that fancy place is the real deal or if it's just another replica." Kairi spoke up.
"The Association has already considered such a possibility." Waver replied. "Either way, even if it is a fake, it's the closest one to the original in terms of specs. Data and knowledge left from the last grail war spoke of the possibility of being able to summon more than seven servants depending on the location where the Grail is situated in. Then there's the fact that the Command Spells we have are a set of three. During the fake grail wars, it was mostly limited to either one or two."
"And fake or not, leaving it in the territory of the Yggdmillennia Clan, who themselves have been causing trouble over the years for both the Association and the Church only spells bad news." Shirou added. "There's also one more detail..."
"Hmm? And what's that?"
"The Ruler-Class Servant." He said, catching the attention of the Servants in the room.
"Ruler-Class Servant...?" Saber muttered the words in confusion. From what knowledge the Grail provided for her, none of it mentioned such class before. She looked about and saw that the others were also as confused as her.
She also noted that Assassin was the only one who wasn't. Whether or not that meant anything, it was too soon to tell.
"Allow me to explain." The young man began. "Ruler is a Servant that is summoned by the Holy Grail itself. According to what I know, they're only summoned when Grail feels that the situation of the Holy Grail War will go out of hand due to various circumstances. Said circumstances also depend. Say, fourteen Servants have been summoned. With such an event, the Grail will most likely summon a Ruler to handle the situation."
"Is this so-called Ruler going to be a problem for us?" Lancer questioned, the class title alone was giving him bad vibes.
"I don't think so." Waver responded to the Servant of the Spear. "The Ruler-Class are required to be neutral during the Holy Grail War and must only act when circumstances demand it."
"Cannot act... I'm a little confused here, wouldn't that mean they can't fight for the Holy Grail like the rest of us?" Rider asked "What happens to their wish being granted?"
"They have none." Shirou stated much to the surprise of the Servants. "The main requirement to be summoned as a Ruler is for the Heroic Spirit being summoned has no wish they want granted in the first place."
The Servants present were taken somewhat by surprise by this, but not too much as they easily understood such a requirement. After all, one cannot be a mediator in the Holy Grail War if they desired the Grail for themselves.
"Tell me something, just what makes the Ruler class so special?" Archer suddenly asked.
"Hmm? Is something the matter Archer?" Reines inquired. "You sound somewhat tense."
"Hmph. I simply refuse to acknowledge this so called Ruler class. Being a Ruler is a privileged, not something one is given so casually or summoned into." Archer merely replied as he returned his attention towards Waver. "So tell me mage. What makes the Ruler class so special?"
"Seeing as how you want to know, I might as well say it." Waver paused for a moment before continuing. "The Ruler-class has access to special Command Spells that allow them to command any Servant that has been summoned during the Grail War. That is why they are called Ruler."
"...!" The Servant's all looked at Waver in shock and surprise.
"I see..." Archer muttered, his arms crossed and an angry frown grew on his face. "Hmph. Such insolence... if Ruler should even dare try to use one against me, there will be blood to pay."
"Mad that someone else is higher than you in rank Golden King?" Lancer quipped while smirking at the golden Archer.
"Do you wish to die a painful death Lancer?"
"Well I've already died once. Dying twice makes no difference to me." The green-haired man stated nonchalantly. It was obvious that Lancer was intentionally trying to annoy Archer with his words.
"Alright that's enough." Waver raised his voice. "As much as I want to let you two settle your differences, we have other priorities to deal with."
"Boy, do you have any idea what kind of Servants these Yggdmillennia people have?" Rider suddenly asked. "Knowing what kind of people are enemies are going to be like would prove useful for us in the future."
"Now that you mention it, we do have such information." Shirou spoke up as Assassin handed out several dossiers to each Master. "Within the shortest amount of time, I was able to gather enough intelligence about our enemies to know what we're up against."
"Well that's convenient." Kairi commented.
"I consider myself lucky. I was mostly only able to do it due having many contacts as a member of the Church." Shirou replied nonchalantly. "Also, for simplicity's sake, we've named the Masters and Servants of Yggdmillennia as the Black Faction and ourselves the Red Faction."
"So that would make me Rider of Red?" Iskander smirked. "I like it! It adds a certain flair to the name."
"Of course you would." Waver sighed.
"Anyway, here's what we've been able to gather. It's mostly information regarding their parameters though, as well as a description of what they would look like." Shirou said as the others began reviewing the information.
"What, no pictures?" The necromancer quipped.
"Forgive me if I couldn't make a composite sketch for each." Shirou replied without missing a beat. "To be blunt, none of the people who were assigned to this duty were what one would call artists."
Several minutes passed as they began reading through the dossiers. Just like what Shirou said, it was mostly centered around each Servants stats. The truly impressive ones were none other Saber, Archer and Lancer. However that was too be expected considering that each belonged the Knight Class.
"Now then, I think it's about time we discuss about the Servant who massacred the fifty magi sent by the association." The young man began. "Since unlike the others, we already have an idea of what he can do."
"Indeed." Reines nodded in agreement. "What was the method used to kill them? It could perhaps lead us to discovering the identity of the Servant in the first place."
"Stakes." Waver answered as the others looked at him. "From what the survivor of that massacre told us just before he died, he said that he and his colleagues were taken by surprise by stakes suddenly rising up from the ground beneath them. Most died during that assault, and the others that didn't were picked off one after another by a Servant who appeared before them."
"Stakes..." Kairi began thinking aloud. "Hmm... the first guy that comes to mind when I hear the word stake is-"
"Vlad III, otherwise known as Vlad the Impaler." Shirou finished for him. "Most likely, that is the identity of the Servant behind the massacre. We are in Romania after all, so it would make sense that a Hero such as him would be summoned where he would receive a boost in power. And considering his background, I would have to say that he must be Lancer-class."
"He was a ruler himself right? This could prove interesting." Rider smirked.
"What about the other Servants?" Waver asked. "Do we have any leads on their identities? As well as their Noble Phantasms and other abilities?"
"Unfortunately, no. Though I suppose it's natural considering we haven't even fought them yet. But as far as I can tell, the Saber that they summoned is quite powerful. Whoever he is, he must've been someone of renown to bolster such high stats." Shirou replied as he gestured to the paper containing Saber of Black's parameters.
Hearing this, Saber could not help but think of someone in her past matching such a description.
Someone who had refused to acknowledge her until the very end... it resulted in the two of them dueling to their deaths. It was very much possible that he was summoned as well in this war. Someone of his reputation, it was only natural to expect that someone would try to summon him as a Servant...
'Could it be... father?'
"There's also one more piece of troubling information." Shirou began.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"It concerns Ruler..."
"Hmm..."
Standing atop a balcony was a man with pale skin and platinum blonde hair and a beard. He looked to be someone in his late thirties to early forties, but that depended on where one lived to be able to make such a guess. He wore black clothing reminiscent of what a nobleman would wear, but at the same time, it had a rugged appearance that told those who would see him that he was not one to be trifled with.
He was none other than the Lancer-class Servant of the Yggdmillennia Faction, otherwise known as Lancer of Black. He was summoned by none other than the clan head, Darnic Prestone. The latter of which was sitting inside the room where the balcony was situated outside of.
"So is this information accurate?" He spoke as he read over a list Darnic had given him earlier.
"Yes. I can confirm that without a doubt that the Mage's Association have summoned all seven of their Servants." Darnic replied. "However, apparently, two of the Master's who were going to participate have suddenly retreated back to their respective domains and left their Servants to their allies."
"Hmm? Why is that?"
"I don't know, but it does mean that we now only have to worry about five Masters instead of seven."
"I suppose so." Lancer nodded in agreement. Still, he found it strange that two masters would suddenly withdraw from a competition like the Holy Grail War. He could understand that perhaps it was due to fear, but Magi were usually the types to risk it all for the sake of their goals.
"And it also seems they've started calling us, the Master's of Yggdmillennia, the Black Faction and themselves the Red Faction." Darnic revealed, and Lancer nodded at that, saying that it seemed appropriate. "My Lord, there is also something that you need to know."
"How many times must I say it Darnic? Enough with the formalities." Lancer sighed as he massaged his temple. "Right now, I am not Vlad Tepes, but Lancer of Black. A Servant fighting in the Holy Grail War."
"My apologies, it's force of habit." Darnic replied as he was reminded of what he was going to say.
"At any rate, I think it's worth mentioning that Ruler will be arriving in Trifas soon." He began. "Our familiars have spotted her arriving at the Airport in Bucharest."
"Hmm... So Ruler is a woman? And she's arriving now of all times?" Lancer crossed his arms as he began thinking. "I initially thought that she would've been summoned somewhere near Trifas. Why is it that she arrived by plane?"
"Perhaps she was summoned in a location safe from harm. With fourteen Servants about, it would only be natural that the Grail would choose somewhere safe to summon its own personal mediator for the War. That's the only logical conclusion I can think of."
"True." Lancer nodded, accepting the theory. "Do you have any idea where she came from? Perhaps it would allow us to discern her identity for now."
"Nothing concrete, but we do know is that the plane she arrived on departed from England."
"England? Isn't that the location of the Association you've spoken to me about?"
"To be precise, it's located in London." Darnic replied. "And apparently, Ruler isn't alone."
"And what exactly do you mean by that?"
"It is as I stated. She has a companion with her, and it's no magus. That much I can assure you." The blue-haired man said as Lancer widened his eyes in realization.
"Wait, you don't mean to say-!"
"Yes, she summoned a Servant of her own."
"Ah, it feels quite good to be standing on solid ground after such a long flight."
Walking through an airport terminal was a young man and woman, both of whom had blonde hair.
The first of the duo had emerald green eyes. He wore a red shirt and black pants with matching black shoes. He also wore a dark brown longcoat as part of his ensemble. His female companion on the other hand had amethyst eyes. She wore what looked like a school uniform along with carrying a backpack on her back.
They were none other than Saber and Ruler, both having just arrived in Romania.
"You seem quite relieved Master." Saber began. "Could it be that perhaps you disliked flying on an airplane?"
"No, no, it's not that." Jeanne replied. "I just like the feeling of the ground beneath me is all. Surely the same must also go for you Saber?"
"I'll admit, flying isn't exactly something I did while I was King." Saber replied as he gazed outside to look at the planes lined up along the side as passengers boarded and got off respectively. Mankind truly had advanced much within the span of 1500 years after his time.
"Still though, I did find it quite enjoyable as brief as it was." He smiled at her. "I also found your apparent fear of flying to be somewhat amusing Master."
"I-I already said I wasn't afraid...!"
"I never said you were afraid before now." Saber chuckled as Jeanne froze and pouted slightly in response.
Despite his background, she quickly found out in the short time that they were together that Saber was the type who liked to tease people when he saw an opportunity. However, it was all in good nature, and he never went farther than the occasional joke.
She also found out that he couldn't go into Spirit Form. Most likely it was due to a fault in that happened during the summoning process. She couldn't help but sulk somewhat that she failed in performing a perfect summoning, but she supposed it couldn't be helped since she wasn't an actual mage. This also led to Jeanne using Laeticia's money once more to buy him his own set of clothing so he could walk about with attracting attention.
It was at that moment that she was reminded of something she had been meaning to discuss with Saber.
"That reminds me Saber. From now on whenever it's just the two of us, please refer to me as Jeanne."
Saber blinked at the sudden request. "Is that wise? Your name alone is enough to alert our enemies to your identity and thus your weaknesses. And we never know when or where they are watching us."
"I know that. However, I feel flustered having someone of your status calling me Master. It just feels... somewhat inappropriate." She revealed, directing an embarrassed smile towards Saber. "Also, my identity will most likely become well known in the near future thanks to my status as Ruler, and I've already invoked my true name in front of Archer and Berserker. So I feel like there's no actual need to hide it anymore."
"Then why not just Laeticia? That is the name of your host after all." The other blond suggested.
"I've already involved her too much just by possessing her." Jeanne replied, a frown on her face as her mind began worrying. "It would be too selfish of me to do such a thing. And it would also start to feel like I'm trying to take away her identity as well."
"I see." Saber nodded with an understanding smile. "If that is your wish, then so shall it be. Milady Jeanne."
"M-Milady...?"
"Hmm? I was trying to be courteous. Is something the matter?"
"Ah...! N-Nothing is wrong. It's just... Oh dear, perhaps I was mistaken?" Jeanne muttered to herself. Milady was something she was used to being called by some of her old comrades as well as those who looked up to her during her life. But for some reason, it sounded much more embarrassing when called as such by Saber.
Laeticia was most likely influencing her. The girl was actually bad at handling men, and was mostly able to do so only when in the presence of friend or if it was for business like matters. Personal or otherwise, she would try to hide behind a wall first.
Saber on the other hand merely looked clueless as his Master debated on her situation.
The Red Master's looked at Shirou, momentarily shocked by the news he had just revealed to them.
"How is it that she was able to summon a Servant!?" Reines demanded, being the first to snap out of it.
"It's not that surprising when you think about it." Shirou began. "After all, she does have Command Spells of her own. That makes her an eligible enough Master in a sense. And with the fourteen Servants about, she must've begun fearing for her own life enough that she sought aid of her own."
"But it still doesn't make any sense...!" The blonde girl began only to be cut off by none other than her Servant.
"Hmph, like any of that matters." Archer spoke. "Whether she brings forth one, a dozen, or an entire army of Servants makes no difference to me. I shall take on all forms of challenge as the King of this world."
"Hoh? Then I'll be looking forward to watching you get yourself killed Archer. That will be a riot~" Lancer laughed as the Archer glared at him annoyed.
"Lancer, please stop it." Gray spoke for the first time since her introduction, her voice as quiet as ever. "Archer, I apologize for his words. Please do not fight with one another in this place."
Seeing this, Archer merely turned around with crossed arms. Lancer himself decided to comply and stopped laughing.
"If I were you girl, then I would get your Servant on a leash. After all, a dog's barking makes for tedious listening." Archer muttered.
"Anyway!" Waver spoke up, turning all attention towards him. "Why is it that you said that Ruler began fearing for her life? What happened?"
"According to reports, she was attacked by two Servants while in England." Shirou replied. "Perhaps the Yggdmillennia clan wanted to take her out of the picture before she could arrive and sent two of their own there? Honestly though, I don't really know. I'm just guessing at this point. It could also be possible that those two Servants who attacked Ruler are surviving strays from one of the past Grail Wars as well."
That immediately caught everyone's attention. If such a thing did occur, then this Grail War really did just get more complicated.
"Any ideas on Ruler's identity at least?" The necromancer asked. "And the identity of the Servant she summoned? As well as the ones who attacked them both?"
Shirou merely smiled in response to Kairi's question, and that alone sent shivers down the older man's spine. There was something about the white-haired priest that rubbed him the wrong way.
"I can answer the first question rather easily. During the attack and as she summoned her Servant, Ruler declared her name." Shirou began. "Her identity is none other than Jeanne d'Arc, the Heroine of France and Saint of Orleans."
The other Masters reacted in slight awe at this. To think that a famous Saint such as herself had been brought forth as a Servant!
"However, the identity of the Servant she summoned on the other hand remains a mystery, as well as the two they fought off. The familiars who observed them couldn't afford to linger any longer less they were detected and left by the time the other two Servants did." The young man said. "What we do know is that Ruler's Servant is a blonde male of about average height, or perhaps taller. He wears white armor, and his weapon is the biggest mystery of all."
"Hmm? What about it?" The necromancer once again asked.
"It was invisible." Shirou revealed as Saber widened her eyes. "For some reason, the weapon itself seemed like it was invisible, and it also felt like it granted him the ability to control wind to a degree."
All the while he continued speaking, Saber's mind closed out everything that didn't relate to whatever was going on inside her head.
'A blonde haired male... and a weapon that's invisible while bringing about wind... could it be?'
She didn't know how to react. There was a high chance it was him, especially since the priest stated that Ruler's Servant was summoned in Britain.
If it was him... if it really was him...! The person who rejected her to the very end!
Saber released a breath she did not know she was holding, all the while clenching both of her fists rather tightly.
'Father...!'
"You know, you're not much of a Berserker aren't you...?"
"Hmm? Did you say something Master?"
Standing outside in the garden space of the Yggdmillennia castle was none other than Caules and a young girl looking to be about his age.
She had pink hair long enough to reach her back, and it was done in a two-side up style. She wore a black dress with detached sleeves and white boots. The most unusual features about the girl was the fact she draconic like horns, fingernails, and a tail growing from out of places on her body.
She was none other than Berserker of Black, and the Servant of Caules. Currently, she was twirling about in the gardens while singing.
"I'm just mumbling to myself." Caules said. "I still can't believe that you've retained your sanity despite your class."
"Being crazy is boring, I'd rather be myself more than anything else." The girl quickly responded as she continued with her motions.
Caules sighed as he watched Berserker do her thing. If he had to be blunt, then he would have to say that she was quite terrible at singing. Rather, he admits that she had a lovely enough voice. The main problem was the fact that she had no artistic sense whatsoever. Her singing was off beat and off key.
He didn't think that Elizabeth Bathory would act so much like a spoiled modern day teenage girl. Considering her background though, his surprise was somewhat mitigated as a result though he still found it a bit surrealistic. Then again, he was a magus. Expecting surrealistic bullshit was part of the job description. Something like this, he could get by it easily.
"Caules! What is your Servant doing!?"
He stood at attention as he saw two people walking over towards him. One of them was a rather plump man and the other was a tall man covered in black clothing and grey armor. He had platinum blonde hair, and a strange light was being emitted from the center of his chest. On his back was also a rather large sword.
The former's name was Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, a relative of Caules though not in blood sense. The man beside him was his Servant, Saber of Black.
"W-What is it Uncle?"
"Would you tell your Servant to quiet down!? Her singing is quite irritating!" He demanded.
"Huh?! You have a problem with me you pruny old man?!" Berserker quickly took offense to that and ran up to look at Gordes right in the face.
"Pruny old man!? I happen to be 36 years old!" Gordes retorted before realizing something. "Wait, that's not the issue here. You're a Servant, not a singer. Act like it."
"What's wrong with me singing? It would do well for a place like this to liven up a bit, don't you agree Saber?"
Saber remained silent throughout this exchange. It was to be expected. From the moment he was summoned, Gordes ordered Saber to remain silent until he gave his permission to speak. Saber didn't seem to have a problem with this as he followed through with it.
However, Saber did smile as Berserker questioned him, nodding slightly.
"See? Even Saber agrees!" She smiled triumphant.
"Saber, you...!" Gordes gave an annoyed look towards his Servant. Though he was loyal, he was still somewhat snippy at times such as this. Saber on the other hand merely remained silent as always per his orders.
"Now, now, how about we all get along~?"
Suddenly out of nowhere a person with a rather cute appearance appeared before them. That person had long pink hair tied into a single braid, with eyes matching the color of the hair. Said person also wore black clothing and white armor, and a matching cape with fur like trimmings on the collar to go with the armor.
Said person also happened to be male despite his feminine appearance and choice of clothing. He was none other than Rider of Black.
Even now, Caules still couldn't believe Rider to be male. It completely contradicted the statements that Astolfo, Rider's true identity, was one the most handsome members of Charlemagne's Twelve Paladins. Then again, sense of beauty tends to differ depending on the era and people. And it was also natural for legends and stories to become distorted over time.
"I quite agree with Rider."
Caules quickly looked to see his sister being wheeled in by a tall man with long green hair wearing a white outfit reminiscent of clothes worn during Ancient Greece. What was most strange about him just like with Berserker but different was the fact that he had what looked like a horses tail sticking out from his rear.
He was Archer of Black, and his identity was none other than Chiron, a centaur who was famous for personally training Greek Heroes such as Heracles and Achilles. His current form was the result of Archer deeming it necessary to appear like this as his centaur form would most likely give away his identity at first glance. That said, the tail still felt like something of a giveaway to Caules.
"Hey, is something the matter sis?"
"Grandfather has a request for Gordes." Fiore replied, catching the older man's attention. "It seems he wants you and Saber to go out on a patrol tonight."
"Whatever for?"
"He says that Ruler is expected to arrive at the city by then." She revealed, and that caught the attention of everyone. "He wants you and Saber to keep an eye on her for the time being. And Saber's skills should prove enough of a match for anything that comes his way should something happen."
"Hmm... it seems like a job better suited for Archer don't you think? His class along with Assassin or perhaps Caster are better suited for such a task." Gordes questioned.
"Yes, but grandfather wants Archer on standby and act as a guard for the castle. With his eyes, he can spot anyone coming at us from a good distance away. And Caster is too busy with Roche in ensuring that our defenses will be ready for anything, and both Assassin and their Master have yet to arrive." Fiore replied.
"True." Gordes nodded. "Very well then, I shall take my leave. Saber, come. Help me prepare."
Saber nodded dutifully. With that, the man left the gardens along with his Servant. As Caules watched them go, he still couldn't help but wonder who Saber was. From what he was able to read off his stats, he was quite strong.
"Now then~" Everyone turned to Rider as he suddenly began speaking. "What should we be doing next~? There's still plenty of time before sunset, so there has to be something right~?"
Suddenly, an idea grew in his mind.
"Oh~!" He then suddenly grabbed Berserker by the hands. "Berserker, why don't we have a singing contest~? You and I can have everyone else here as an audience~! We could even invite the ones Master calls homunculi, it will be a wonderful experience don't you think~?"
"Hah! Why not? It's not like I will lose or anything." Berserker arrogantly smirked as Caules sighed.
"Then it's settled~!" Rider declared as he turned to Archer. "Come Archer, perhaps you can join in as well~!"
"Ah, I shall have to pass." Archer smiled in apology. "But I am interested in listening. How about it Master? Shall we partake in such activities for now?"
"Hmm..." Fiore began thinking before smiling. "I suppose there isn't any harm."
With that, the entire group left, leaving Caules behind in the garden to sigh once more.
"Such a lively bunch they are. It's like we're not even at war at all..."
"So this is it..."
Standing just on the outskirts of Trifas were Ruler and Saber. They made their way here by hitchhiking due to Ruler's wish to not spend any more of Laeticia's money on themselves. And both weren't also willing to steal a vehicle either.
The two may have been Heroic Spirits bound into Servant form, but that didn't mean they just go ahead and break the law.
"Trifas... the city where the Holy Grail War shall be taking place."
The first order of business for the night was to find somewhere to stay at. It was getting late, and Laeticia's body was starting to feel the effects of having traveled all day long. Though she could perhaps stave off the effects for a time given her abilities, it wouldn't last long. She would still need to carry on her life as a human despite her existence as a Servant.
"Master, do you feel that?" Saber suddenly inquired.
"Yes, I sense two Servants up ahead." She replied, and with that, Jeanne and Saber materialized their weapons and armor on themselves. The former dropped Laeticia's bag somewhere safe. It was better to leave it here rather than let it get caught in the crossfire. She would have to pick it up later though.
"What do you think? I do not believe it to be a coincidence that there's are two Servants in the direction we are going."
"Indeed, and they're not even fighting." Jeanne nodded. "I'm also getting the same feeling I did when Archer and Berserker attacked me."
Saber immediately understood this. That meant whoever was waiting for them, it was another pair of Servants that were outside of the Fourteen that were summoned to participate in the War in Trifas. That brought the count up of rogue Servants to four then...
"But this isn't what's troubling you?" Saber inquired as he noticed the disturbed look on Jeanne's face.
"I don't know, but..." She paused for a moment. "But whoever is waiting for us... one of them is dangerous beyond compare."
The Knight could only remain silent at this. If his Master believed that one of the Servants they were about to encounter was truly dangerous, then he would have to take her word for it. There was only one thing they could do in regards to this situation.
"Let us proceed with caution then."
After advancing several kilometers, they found their targets.
One of them was a young man, covered in golden armor with a red gem in the middle of his bare chest. Both his skin and hair were white as snow, his blue eyes being akin to steel. The most unusual feature about him were the cape made out of flames that was floating behind him. He didn't seem the least bothered by it.
The other was a rather attractive young woman with golden hair, her bangs fringed with green. She wore a verdant green outfit, complimented by a pair black gauntlets that were reminiscent of claws and thigh-length black boots. What was most unusual about her were the lion like ears and tail that were protruding out of her body. In her hands was a bow of intricate design.
"Servant Ruler, I take it?"
Both sat on a motorway sign before dropping down onto the ground, never taking their eyes away from the duo, specifically Jeanne herself. The male was able to identify her from one glance alone.
"So it is true... you've managed to summon a Servant of your own." The female commented as she eyed Saber.
"And what of it, Servant Lancer? Servant Archer? Or perhaps... Karna and Atalanta would be better names?" Jeanne questioned.
Karna... Known as the invincible hero of the Mahābhārata, an ancient Indian epic. Born as the son of the Sun God Surya and a human woman called Kunti, he was bestowed with a set of golden armor as confirmation of his heritage. If one were to describe his prowess as a warrior, he was simply overwhelming.
Atalanta... Known as the Chaste Huntress. Though she was born as the princess of Arcadia, Atalanta was abandoned in the mountains immediately after birth, but she survived thanks to divine protection from Artemis. She later became a fervent follower of Artemis, and during her adulthood slew the Calydonian Boar.
"For you to be able to identify us so quickly. Yes, you are indeed Ruler."
With that, a massive spear appeared in Lancer's hands. Both Saber and Jeanne were now on high alert as every fiber in their bodies told them that the spear was dangerous. It was most likely, no, most definitely a Noble Phantasm.
"Allow me to make this quick then. This is a declaration of war." He pointed the massive spear at both with one hand, causing the two to immediately raise their guard.
"Tell me Lancer, Archer," Saber began. "On whose orders do you act? Or perhaps you act of your own free will? Either way, why is it that you are trying to kill my Master, the mediator of this War?"
"We don't know." Lancer replied much to the other duo's surprise. "We've been ordered to kill her, that is all."
"And you just blindly follow through with such an order!?"
"Indeed. I gave my oath to follow my Master's commands, and so I shall." Lancer replied.
"And the same goes for me." Archer added. "Though I have my doubts, as a Servant, I shall obey my Master's commands."
Saber merely glared at both in response. Though he was angry at their blind loyalty, he also respected them for it.
"Who do you wish to take on Archer?" Lancer asked his companion without turning his attention away from the two. "Ruler's Servant seems like the more dangerous foe, but Ruler herself doesn't seem like she'll be any different."
"Any one of them would do. Our orders are to eliminate Ruler after all, her Servant will most likely try to defend her."
"I see." Lancer nodded as he took a stance. "In that case, shall I decide this battle with a singe strike?"
"I think not!"
*CLANG*
With that, a battle between begun just outside the city of Trifas. The first true battle to commence in the Holy Grail War.
END
Author's Notes:
Well now, I suppose the shit-storm (Excuse the language XD) known as the Holy Grail War has officially begun! As a reminder, I've said before that I'll be following some events of Fate/Apocrypha as they happened in the novel before really divulging the story. That's just how I work.
In case some of you guys didn't know, Reines and Gray are actual characters from Nasuverse. You guys can look up their existence on the wiki for info or try searching the net for more of it the wiki doesn't suit your tastes. And in regards to Mordred, I decided to keep her gender the same due to the fact that making her male takes away the "DON'T CALL ME A GIRL!" aspect of hers which I really like and find funny at the same time due to the irony in her statements and her choice of apparel.
As you guys no doubt have noticed by now, there have been a few changes to the Apocrypha Servant Roster, as well as the fact that there's four more Servants that exist outside of the Grail's influence. This is one of the deviations I plan for the story. I also planned on taking out Karna, but that removed the chance of seeing a possible fight between him, Proto-Saber, Proto-Archer, Saber of Black, or Lancer of Red (whose identity I think you guys can guess since the only thing I changed was his class) or all five at the same time XD.
That's it for now. Please leave a review :D