Interlude
Backstage at a Third-Rate Comedy
Go back to when Sigma's group met.
When Sigma revealed that he was another Master participating in the Holy Grail War, the Asian woman who called herself Ayaka had looked a little wary. Saber, however, had displayed no particular concern.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to introduce your Heroic Spirit as well?" He had asked in a clear, resonant voice.
"…I can't afford to show my hand."
Sigma shook his head.
"He shouted 'Chaplin,'" Assassin, who was observing him from the sidelines, cut in.
Sigma fell silent. Ayaka's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, I've definitely heard that name…"
"One of that actor's works was among the films at the club yesterday!"
Saber's eyes began to shine conspicuously again.
"…"
Sigma's emotions were too weak for him to break out in a cold sweat. He did, however, feel that things had become difficult.
What would happen if he explained that he had made a contract with — or been possessed by — a Servant called "Watcher"? If they believed him, he might be able to survive. Assuming that he played his cards right.
Considering the advice that the "shadows" had given him during his earlier escape from Assassin, his ability to extract information could certainly be considered powerful. If he could pass himself off as a resource, then surely anyone would consider that it would be more beneficial to use him than to kill him.
Such doubts passed through his mind, but they were not enough to change it. He had already decided to fight, not as Soldier A, but as Sigma. It was not a life-changing resolution — the "shadows" had pushed him into it. It was an uncertain objective, but at least he had no reason to stay "Soldier A" out of duty to his employer, Francesca.
Sigma wondered if simply not wanting to die was a good reason to settle on a lifestyle. Still, carelessly antagonizing the Heroic Spirits in front of him would shorten his life. He decided to keep the conversation friendly while concealing his own Heroic Spirit's abilities for the present.
"Won't you introduce him now? We know his name, and I wish to pay my respects to an actor."
"…He says that actors show themselves in film. He won't appear in front of people as himself."
Sigma had come up with a suitable excuse to deflect Saber's request. Still, he thought, it was not a very convincing one.
"I see," Saber nodded emphatically, ignoring him. "I can understand."
"You would…"
Ayaka glared reproachfully at Saber, but made no other effort to press the matter.
Having secured a quasi-armistice, Sigma returned to his room and heaved a sigh of relief.
They had decided on the utmost mutual secrecy. He would not intrude on Ayaka's affairs, so they would not question his position and allegiance. He had made the proposal, and Saber had, surprisingly, given it the OK without difficulty.
Was it possible that Saber always prioritized his own instincts and feelings and, as a general rule, did not think about anything? Sigma followed that sudden thought with a more frightening idea: The fact that Saber had left his mark on the world as a hero, despite putting his emotions first, meant that he was hiding enough power to make up for it.
At that point, a "shadow" in the form of a knight, who Sigma had not noticed beside him, spoke.
"You have a good instinct. That is indeed the sort of king he is — a passionate man who puts his emotions of the moment first. His true name is Richard. The Lionheart… although I doubt you would know that name. Do you even know the story of King Arthur's Grail Quest?"
"Even I know that much. It's a Monty Python comedy."
"…"
The knight fell silent for some reason and then vanished. The Captain continued in his place.
"Well, in any case, that Richard boy lords over the emotional battlefield like it's his own front garden. He's a lion in a man's skin, but the people still loved him. He might have some secret trick for manipulating the human heart. Keep a wary eye on him."
In other words, "Don't let your guard down."
It was certainly possible that trusting people so easily was a bluff. Sigma thought that he would have to take care to avoid a knife in the back. On the other hand, he also wanted to see how far he could take the armistice.
Making it through the night is all well and good, but how should I handle myself from now on?
His first objective was to survive. He felt that even more strongly after his confrontation with Assassin.
The shadow of death weighed far heavier on him than it did on any ordinary mission. He was in urban America, but it felt almost the childhood he had spent in "that" country. Sigma was beginning to feel nostalgic when a sudden thought struck him:
Would an ordinary human be more frightened or panicked? He had an idea that the people he had encountered on missions, at least, would have lived more desperately in similar circumstances.
A lot's been done to my head. Is just trying to compare myself to other people crazy?
He let out a little sigh and realized that, after all, a sound sleep and steady meals were sufficient life goals for the time being. They were things that, in this country, in a normal home, he could enjoy without effort. But Sigma knew countries where that was not the case — his homeland, for example — and therefore recognized that sound sleep and food were indeed valuable.
In that sense, my safest bet would be to join Faldeus, who has the backing of the state… but I doubt relying on that will be enough to survive this Grail War. That's the feeling I get.
Sigma continued to deliberate until dawn, when he received a communication from Faldeus himself.
"…Cattle calling Famine. Any movements?"
"…A woman who appears to be Assassin appeared in the mansion and I came under attack."
"Oh, the one who attacked the police station… I'm impressed you survived. Or was the Servant you summoned superior…? What became of Assassin?"
Faldeus' tone conveyed faint surprise. He had a low opinion of Sigma as a mage and had probably not expected him to survive his first battle of the Grail War.
"Saber and his Master arrived after that and offered a ceasefire. I accepted."
"…What?"
Faldeus feel into a series of thoughtful silences as Sigma proceeded with his report. He issued Sigma only the bare minimum in the way of instructions. They were to propose an alliance against the King of Heroes and the equally powerful Lancer while attempting to glean information.
Sigma thought that that might prove difficult. After all, no sooner had he received that order than the "shadow" with the mechanical wings appeared to say:
"Oh, they've already made an alliance with Enkidu — the Lancer who rivals the King of Heroes. Saber's group, I mean."
Sigma was wondering whether he ought to report that to Faldeus when Faldeus cut in with a question of his own.
"By the way, have you determined the identity of the Heroic Spirit you summoned?"
"Yes. My Heroic Spirit is…"
Should he at least report to Faldeus truthfully?
"Watch out," the Captain smirked from behind him, "Assassin's got her eye on you."
"…"
Sigma glanced at the mirror on the dressing table. He had a feeling that the shadows in one corner of the room were blacker than usual. Besides, while the "shadows" were not above deliberately withholding important information, they had never lied.
Thinking that he should eliminate as many hostile factors as possible, Sigma pretended not to notice and answered matter-of-factly.
"…Chaplin. Lancer Charlie Chaplin. That's the Heroic Spirit I summoned."
"…Sorry, could you repeat that?"
"Lancer Charlie Chaplin. I will ascertain his Noble Phantasm and skills before long. I've determined that using a Command Seal to force him to talk is not a good strategy. Excuse me."
Sigma switched off the earphone-shaped magical communicator and sighed.
"…Was that an ally you put trust in?"
"…You were here, Assassin?"
"I do not fully trust you. Answer the question."
Assassin glared daggers through the gap in her hood.
"I don't trust anyone," Sigma answered. "Not my employer, or even myself. I don't believe in gods, or demons, or even the magecraft I use."
After a pause, Assassin spoke again. She sounded confused.
"Do you not pray to any god?"
"No? I… don't know what they call 'God's grace' yet."
Assassin then asked Sigma why he did not believe in god. Sigma was still considering how to express it so that people would understand as he started to answer.
"…I don't see enough meaning in living to call just being born God's grace. I've seen children from my village who died as soon as they were born, before they even had time to open their eyes. The people who raised us would tear fetuses that hadn't even been born yet out of their mother's bellies to use in magical experiments. They raised us to make us mystic weapons."
It seemed like a serious past to begin with, but Sigma went on relating it to Assassin dispassionately, as a list of facts.
"The people who raised me said that… the people who ran the country were gods. But that country was destroyed. By a group that called themselves mages. So, I don't really even know what "God" is. I think that believing in them without understanding them might just be a nuisance to them."
What am I saying? I won't communicate anything like this. I accidentally ended up answering honestly, but how is anyone supposed to trust me when I don't trust anyone in the first place?
Sigma decided that he had gotten his answer fundamentally wrong and deeply regretted it. However…
"…I see. I'm sorry. I've reminded you of something that must have been painful."
There was something kind in Assassin's voice as she answered. The hostility that had remained in it until a moment before had completely disappeared.
"Don't let it bother you; it's a common story. Compared to the mercenaries from my village who are still in warzones, I'm sure I'm blessed. Although I can't appreciate it very well."
Sigma had spent the better part of the year battling demonic beasts and stray mages while he was in Francesca's employ. Still, when he came to an urban area like this and saw scenes of warzones on TV, he could not help thinking that he should, by all rights, have died a dog's death out there while he was still a child. Even so, he could not bring himself to think of his present circumstances as "God's grace."
Assassin gave a little shake of her head at him.
"Those covered in sorrow and suffering are everywhere. In the human world, suffering and sorrow are as common as joy and pleasure. But even so, one must not laugh them off as ordinary."
Assassin narrowed her eyes and watched Sigma as she spoke.
"You aren't like the mages I've faced before. You truly believe in nothing… That's what your eyes say. But you don't deny all creation; you just haven't found anything sufficient to earn your faith."
Sigma felt like he had been seen through. He tried to look away, but he could not move his gaze. It was like Assassin's deep eyes were sucking him in.
"I am now sullied by a demon's magical energy in addition to being immature. Ordinarily, I ought to speak to you about faith, but I've lost that right."
After rebuking herself, she addressed Sigma again.
"Still, I wish that when a thing worthy of your belief is finally born, that it will at least be a good thing."
When she was done "wishing" — not praying — Assassin put the room behind her.
"…"
Sigma stood dumbfounded for a little while, until a voice called out to him from behind.
"What's the matter? Don't tell me it's love at first sight? Hey!"
It was a large, muscular "shadow." Sigma quietly shook his head.
"No… Just, it's the first time anyone's really wished for something from me. Apart from Francesca's 'pleading.'"
Sigma thought for a moment, then asked the shadow:
"Hey, are food and a good night's sleep a good thing?"
"Nah. I mean, to start with, a good night's sleep isn't something you believe in."
X X
A few hours later, the Captain's voice woke Sigma from a doze in a chair.
"Hey, boy. You awake?"
Sigma, who had deliberately kept his sleep shallow in case of emergency, responded immediately.
"What is it?"
"We don't answer unless we're asked, except when it's dangerous. Some of your friends — a team called 'Thorn,' or something like that — are spread out around us."
"!"
"Thorn" was the codename given to one of Faldeus' operation teams. Similarly, Faldeus was "Cattle" and Sigma was "Famine." "Thorn," however, was a particularly heavily armed anti-mage assault team. Sigma had seen them shoot the body of a puppeteer called Rohngall into pieces through the eyes of a familiar.
"Looks as though you aren't trusted, boy," the Captain chuckled. "Fellow called Faldeus gave them orders to observe you. Watcher can't see into minds, though, so I don't know how Faldeus plans to serve you up in the end."
To be frank, Sigma's ability was not up to taking on the entire unit. If they had been ordered to dispose of him, he would not be able to put up a fight as unless his Servant provided actual fighting power. It would be one thing if he was up against a local gang, but he did not have the firepower to break through an anti-mage team in tactical formation, even if Watcher's ability allowed him to grasp the movements of all of its members.
I see. It makes sense that, if I don't trust, they won't either.
…I don't think it's likely, but it's also possible that Chaplin's been exposed as a lie.
The "shadow," having gathered that Sigma had seriously believed that he would be able to deceive Faldeus, seemed to want to say something, but Sigma walked off before he could begin. In order to obtain firepower, he was considering putting someone in his debt and getting them to repay him at the same time.
He pretended to be making a communication, then gave a warning — starting with Assassin, who he met on his way.
"…I just got word from my real employer. They say that this house is surrounded by a US special forces unit."
Even as he used his real employer — Francesca — as a pretext, Sigma continued to think. He was pondering what path he should walk — not following orders, as he had done until now, but of his own will, and purely for his own survival.
All the while wishing to himself, and to "Watcher," for the power to light his way, even just one step ahead.
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Originally Posted by OtherSideofSky
