Conception/Zero (Fate/Zero x Shin Megami Tensei Crossover)

[Ergast]

I already played this game, you don't need to tell me about this. I was just asking what Grant had issues with. I had absolutely no issues with the game. Eridanus, while annoying, isn't completely frustrating. I was more annoyed with having to chase the Hare of Inaba across Fornax with all those holes with a time limit.

Wait, was there a time limit? I caught it pretty easily...

[Shinogu]

If so, bit early. This war's barely started. Let's let Shinogu write it first.

I don't know what kind of attention disorder it is, but I really can't stop myself from visualizing plans for stories after this one. I really do need to finish this gigantic project before even considering the other stuff that I've also mentioned here. >_>

I'm almost done with the first of 5 parts for this chapter. I'll ballpark the post date for late next week at the latest, optimistically-speaking.

[Shinogu]

Boy, that was REALLY optimistically-speaking of me.

Note to self, perfectionism is a thing that most definitely shouldn't hamstring fanfic-writing.

It's been almost 5 months since the last part was done, so I think it'll be a long time before I get whole chapters out at once. Sticking to part-by-part updates, I suppose:

~~~

“So… this is Kiritsugu’s idea of a new stronghold?”

As soon as the car came to a stop, Saber got out of her passenger seat to survey the distinctly Japanese, not-at-all-fortress-like home. It didn’t look as lavish as what Kiritsugu’s files on the Tohsaka or Matou homes described, and it was a far cry from the Einzbern Castle. Then again, the defenses that a home possessed always came down to the mind behind them, and Kiritsugu was a man tempered by all forms of war, not merely a magical one.

Irisviel hummed pleasantly to herself as she followed behind Saber. “It’s quite nice, isn’t it Saber? I didn’t expect us to be staying at a traditional Japanese home. I wonder if Kiritsugu feels at-home… Do you think he’ll make Japanese food for us, like Sushi?”

Something buzzed in the back of Saber’s mind, the mere thought of exotic food-! But she shook her head and had a sad smile on her face as she replied, “I highly doubt it, Irisviel. We are all to be combatants in the Holy Grail War, and there’s no telling what Cypher’s forces are planning as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kiritsugu’s dietary schedule will consist solely of combat rations.”

With a “Hmph” revealing his presence, Saber and Irisviel turned to Kiritsugu Emiya who was standing at the main entrance. “Not until the last days of the War, I reckon. Rest assured, I may not be cooking, but I’ll see what specialties Fuyuki has to offer for us.”

Kiritsugu walked towards Irisviel, but he didn’t get farther than a few steps as she dashed forward and glomped him with all her might. He returned the hug in kind and kissed her on the cheek, “Everything all right on the journey here?”

Irisviel thought for a bit, and the twinkle in her eye told Saber exactly where she was about to go when she answered, “Well, there was that one moment when Saber threw herself upon me during the flight?” Saber looked at Irisviel wearily, but Kiritsugu’s expression wasn’t so much accusatory as it was deeply inquisitive.

As personal as the dream was to her, the matter seemed like something that a Servant should not keep from their Master. Saber walked forward and told them, “I had a vision of some sort on the flight over. I might have overreacted, but I believe it has something to do with what we’re going to be up against.”

Kiritsugu turned back to their new dwelling, “Let’s continue this talk indoors. I’ve got the perimeter defenses set up, so we’ll be safe from enemies listening in.”

Walking through the halls, Saber didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Still, she couldn’t shake a feeling that there was something unusual about the general atmosphere of the new base of operations.

“Do you sense it, Saber?” Kiritsugu looked back at her as they entered the living room. “The perimeter defense is up but I’m still working on the interior wards. It’s not fully set up yet but when it’s done, any Master who comes here expecting to find a simple Japanese home will find the complete opposite: A labyrinth of death. Of course, to us it will still be the same humble abode that it is now.”

Kiritsugu and Irisviel walked to one side of the table and started to sit down when a young woman came in through another hallway. Saber stood ready but Kiritsugu held his hand up to stop her from taking aggressive action. “Right. Maiya, did you finish things up?”

The young woman had short black hair and was dressed in black clothing. She didn’t seem to emote much, if at all, and her voice betrayed nothing of whatever she kept in her thoughts. “The automated turrets are in place. Any Masters or Servants within range will have to endure your brand of gunfire. As for the other combatants…”

“That’s enough for now, let me introduce you.” Irisviel got up from her seat and Saber walked over as Kiritsugu beckoned the young woman over to them. “Iri, Saber, this is Maiya Hisau. She’s an associate of mine from my days in the field and she’ll be my back-up in this war.”

Irisviel was all smiles as she held out her hand, “Please feel free to call me Iri, Maiya. I hope we can work together to win this war.” Maiya shook Irisviel’s hand and simply replied, “Madam.” Seeing that Kiritsugu and Irisviel occupied one side of the table, Maiya walked over to Saber’s side and stood by her.

“Just Saber is fine,” Saber finally said after a brief moment. Maiya nodded and sat down in the Japanese seiza style. Saber was the last to take her seat, hoping that this unusual seating formation wouldn’t make it more difficult to recollect.

…

It was interesting, seeing how the others reacted to her retelling of the vision. Maiya was emotionless, Irisviel had her hands to her mouth, and Kiritsugu was deep in thought as he tented his hands and rested his elbows on the table. He was the first to speak up.

“I’m familiar with psychological warfare, but I never heard of anything like this. Of course, it was only a matter of time for Cypher to start making his move after he sent the Matador after us.”

For whatever reason, Irisviel raised her hand before saying, “But it might not be Cypher, right? The Messian General Thorman came to our home after what happened last year and was pretty shifty as well. Maybe it’s the other side of this War that’s trying to butt in?”

Kiritsugu shook his head. “I’ve had my own dealings with the Messian Order before this War. They’re far more grandiose with their methods… and loud in general, really. Subtlety and subterfuge aren’t their way.”

Saber took the moment of silence as an opening. “I did not encounter any members of the Messian Order in the previous War. The only party that my Master and I had to deal with were the Fiends under the employ of Cypher, though I see nothing of them in the figure that visited me in the vision….”

Irisviel raised her hand again, and everybody turned to her before she spoke up again. (Saber couldn’t help but wonder if she was doing this for the heck of it, or to try to bring some levity to the conversation). “What if it’s somebody from your legend?”

That… didn’t help matters in Saber’s mind. The cloaked figure spoke as if to challenge her very concept of her wish to save her Kingdom and the world. Could it have possibly been Mordred? Would Mordred have even wanted the throne, if they knew what it really meant to stand there for all your people and your country? But the hand was only bone, and the cloaked figure was permeated in the demonic ichor that only festered within Fiends…

Kiritsugu left out a sigh. “Forget it, we’re wasting time dwelling on this. Distractions like this are the last thing that we should be focusing our attention on. Let’s get some food and rest, tomorrow we begin scouting the city for our enemies.”

~~~

Kiritsugu's sigh is my own, because by GOD I could not end this part of the chapter to my satisfaction. In the end I decided that what I had in my head for how this will end will go better strengthening a later part of this chapter.

AUGH, back to writing again. Sorry for keeping you waiting.

[Xamusel]

Huh... congrats on getting back to the rhythm of things, man, even if it took so long to do so.

[Shinogu]

Kirei Kotomine wasn’t one to turn on the television.

Far from being a technophobe like most people would perceive Magi to be, he just didn’t think that the frivolous goings-on of the world really mattered. Still, that explosion last night might have had to do with the War. And so, Kirei turned on the television while eating his breakfast and was met with a news report about the obliteration of the Tohsaka home.

According to the report, the Tohsaka home was over a faulty gas line that exploded. Tokiomi was away from the home on business and his wife and child were at a relative’s home, so they were unharmed. Reports that a magnified voice shouted “The War has begun” were lost on Tokiomi, though in his statement he did not rule out the possibility of a terrorist act against the Messian Order from the radical Cult of Gaea.

Kirei turned off the television at that point. Tokiomi was safe, and judging by how his message went out to the public, he was well protected by the Messian Order. They would have to keep a closer eye on the Cult of Gaea now, particularly if the mastermind behind the explosion was a member with a grudge for Tokiomi and his family. However, there was a more pressing issue at hand for Kirei’s role in this war.

Tokiomi’s original plan of sacrificing one Assassin for the rest to become a shadow network watching over the rest of the war for his victory had been derailed by the past night’s events. Any updates to the scenario weren’t going to be coming from a public news forum that would endanger the secrecy of the world of Magi. How was Kirei going to touch base with Tokiomi if he couldn’t get to him?

Kirei pondered going to his father for advice, but making contact with the church at this juncture would be too unusual a move. He couldn’t be visiting under the guise of seeking asylum now, and after all, the Church was an impartial party (as far as anyone knew) in this conflict.

The answer came to him, almost verbatim to the old metaphor of descending from the Heavens. Part of the apartment ceiling warped into a Heavenly plane, and a dark gray-skinned angel with black wings, clothed in white garments, floated down into the humble apartment. Kirei recognized this angel from the summoning ceremony for the Servant Archer. “You are the Angel Mastema, correct?”

Mastema grinned and bowed as he replied, “Indeed. I am honored that you still remember me from my short attendance of that sacred ceremony. I come bearing a message from First Lieutenant Tohsaka.” The angel opened up his hand to reveal a single crystal. As it was finally exposed to light, something in the crystal seemed to shift, and Tokiomi’s voice emanated from it:

Kirei-kun, this is Tokiomi Tohsaka. I am well, thanks to Archer and the Messian Order. I have already reassured Aoi and Rin, as well as your father Risei.

The one responsible for the destruction of my home is one of the opposing Masters, but he is wielding forces that he cannot hope to control. I will see to his swift destruction, if he does not destroy himself first.

It is needless to say that the plan has changed. There is still a use for your Assassins, but the sacrifice of one of them may yet have to wait. I believe that we may have a better use for their skills in espionage.

It has come to our attention that the Fallen One, Cypher, has entered this War by his own twisted means. His Fiends are certain to follow, and so I am asking that you send out all of your Assassins throughout the city for a prolonged reconnaissance mission.

Once we find these Fiends, we will destroy them. It will surely be more than enough to bring Cypher out into the open, and we shall have our decisive victory.

The light from the crystal faded, and Tokiomi’s voice stopped echoing in the apartment. Kirei had his eyes closed as he processed this new information. To think that the Holy Grail would have chosen an unstable Magus as one of the Masters for this War… But then it also drew in the Magus Killer Kiritsugu without designating him as a Master. As for the rest…

“Mastema, these Fiends… are they the same ones that decimated the combatants of the last Holy Grail War?”

The angel seemed to shudder at the question, but it answered nonetheless, “Indeed, they are. I was not personally particularly active in the previous War, but the Messian Order has had our fair share of battles with the Fallen One and his band of vile mercenaries. Have you any objections to First Lieutenant Tohsaka’s new orders?”

Kirei opened his eyes. The agents of that enigmatic figure that they kept calling The Fallen One, as if he was the being who was cast out of the Thousand-Year Kingdom… And the Fiends, avatars of Chaos and Death itself, and he was being ordered to track down these wicked creatures…

“No. No objections at all. I will disperse my Assassins throughout Fuyuki posthaste. Send Tokiomi my regards, Mastema.”

The angel bowed, and it rose up into that bizarre warp in the ceiling. The spatial rend closed up and the apartment was once again lit by the light seeping in from behind the window curtain and the lone candelabrum on the table-

YOU FEEL THE PRESENCE OF A TERRIFYING DEMON

WILL Y>>>

The three Black Keys ripped through the stillness of the room, Kirei felt only the slightest sense of instinct flare up as he threw his Executor weapons at the malevolent presence that, somehow beyond even common reason, had eluded his trained senses and infiltrated his living space and planted itself close to him!

It was a slight shock, and it only grew when the Black Keys sliced through the distance between Kirei and the candelabrum, only to be frozen in front of the ornament by some unseen force.

Kotomine… Kirei

The voice came to Kirei, not like Tokiomi’s voice had emanated from the crystal, but as if someone was whispering into both of his ears at the same time.

Why do you fight in this War?

Kirei almost brought his hands up to cover his ears, as if it would stop the voices from entering his head, but his hands were already gripping more Black Keys, which he kept at the ready as he turned around and around, trying to find the source.

You crave nothing, you desire nothing…

Something drove him to do it, he didn’t know what, but he threw Black Keys after Black Keys at the candelabrum, and every time they were frozen before they could strike the ornament off the table.

No… that’s not true. You do desire something… Don’t you?

GRAB IT. It was a completely alien thought, yet it was also the sole mote of logic that shone in Kirei’s mind as he was inundated by the ceaseless voice of that Presence. He jumped with all his might at the table and reached out-

What could it be?

-and grabbed nothing but air.

The Black Keys all clattered onto the table and fell to the floor, the blades vanishing and leaving the harmless handles to fall. Kirei was left to look at his empty hand, opening it and closing it as if the candelabrum might suddenly appear.

We will meet again…

Kirei finally noticed that his heart had been pounding in his chest this whole time.

[Xamusel]

Dude... you. Are. Awesome.

Please, keep up the good work, Shinogu.

[FlameStrike]

lol I wonder just how big this will get, with so many extra major factions in the mix. I highly doubt they'll be able to keep this a covert war like in canon. Not with angels and fiends galore haha. Kotomine has me curious too. Will Cypher be able to turn him?

[Shinogu]

“Okay… how am I gonna crack this Demon Summoning Program?”

Waver Velvet was poring over textbook after programming textbook, trying his best to comprehend what commands and jargon to type into the program and make the family computer spit demons out to serve him.

The textbook that he was reading at the moment was called “Make Your Own Space Paranoids! Kevin Flynn Teaches PASCAL!!” He was getting a bit desperate.

*CRUNCH*

The sounds of eating rice crackers coming from his Servant’s direction were not helping either.

Who would have thought that Iskander, the world-renowned Alexander the Great, King of Conquerors himself, was such a messy food slob?! Waver tried to keep himself from going off too hard, but this was worse than his worst roommates back at the Clock Tower! “Geez, Rider! I’m trying to get some work done here!! Could you at least try to keep it down a bit with the masticating?”

The Servant Rider, red-haired fortress of muscle and pinnacle of human masculinity that he was, swallowed his mouthful of rice cracker, turned from the TV to his young Master… and flicked Waver right in the forehead.

As Waver reeled from the pain, Rider said, “Trying to get some work done? Looks to me more like you’re trying to become a garage game maker! We’re in a War here, Boy! We should be charging forth to battle, to victory!! Instead you have the two of us sequestered in this small room while your familiars drip-feed us intel!!”

Waver rubbed his forehead and let out a sigh. “We can’t go out into the streets shouting about Conquest now, especially not after what happened last night! Anybody making a stink about Wars is gonna be carted off by the cops under suspicion of that home bombing. And I’m not playing games with this demon summoning, Rider.”

Waver tried keying in another string of commands, and was met with another error message. “Winning this War for me isn’t just about defeating our enemies. I’m going to win on a different path, with a different methodology than the other Masters are using. Summoning Demons to help won’t just secure our victory. It’ll be a wake-up call to the world of Magi, that the old ways aren’t the only way to succeed in that world.”

“If I could just figure out how to get this program to work…” Waver shut the textbook on his lap and set it aside, reaching for the next one… when he heard Rider start to laugh. “Oh come on, like you could help!”

Rider only had the biggest grin on his face as he replied, “Boy, I am the King of Conquerors! Do you honestly think that I did not encounter and subjugate demons in my time?”

The slack-jawed expression on his Master’s face was enough of an answer for Rider, so he continued on. “Sure, none of it was documented, but a contract with a Demon is very fickle. Demons have their own realm and their own rules. They’re not just ghosts with magic powers, well, not most of them. They have hearts and minds, some truly vile, but that’s no different from our world, is it?”

Waver finally took a breath and seemed on the verge of ripping his hair out in frustration. “Y-Y-Y-YOU KNEW ABOUT ALL THIS? ABOUT DEMONS AND SUMMONING AND CONTRACTS WITH THEM AND EVERYTHING? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!?!”

Rider simply answered, “You never asked.”

Waver fell off his computer chair and almost bludgeoned himself to death with his textbooks at that. But then… Didn’t that mean his Servant and he were after the same goal after all? To conquer the world through new frontiers? Sure, Rider wasn’t a total fit to his personality, but it’s not like he really hated the guy.

Waver sat back up on the chair and tentatively asked, “So then, how does Demon Negotiation work? I’ve tried everything in this program but nothing’s working.”

Another flick to the forehead, and Waver was right off the chair again. Rider crossed his arms and closed his eyes, “The answer is already before you. Think on what you just said and what I said about Demons. If you really are the brilliant Magus you say you are, it’ll come to you.”

Waver massaged his forehead as he sat back up and pondered their conversation. Nothing was working with the demon program, but maybe that was because he was going at this the wrong way. He was looking for the right command to make the program work, but…

“I should be treating the Demon… as I would another person, huh? Trying to start a dialogue, not just barking random commands at it?”

Rider gave Waver a massive backslap of approval for that. “PRECISELY, BOY!! Meeting and greeting the opposite party as your equal in any situation is an essential part of the Road to Conquest! Who would give the opposite party even a moment of thought if they kept talking to oneself as an inferior being?”

Waver rubbed his sore back and took to sitting on the floor this time so he wouldn’t keep falling off the chair. “Yeah, that makes so much sense! But this isn’t just a dialogue. It’s a Negotiation, so I have to offer something up, don’t I? I mean, Demons won’t just join up with you if you ask, right?”

Rider gave it some thought before replying, “Some will, but Demons generally acknowledge the power of the negotiating party. Whether it be physical strength, the strength of the mind, or even the strength of your money bags! Demons are very peculiar about human currency, if you can believe that! HAHAHAHA!!”

“Wha- I have to give Demons MONEY now?! Oh great…” Waver wished that he had his own money to work with. Sure he could have asked the Mackenzies, but manipulating them to use their living space was already a lot to do, and now Rider was staying here too…

“Come on now, Boy! Money isn’t the solution to all problems, and Demon Negotiation is no different. You can even seal the deal by giving them some of your own blood!” Rider laughed as he watched Waver go pale at that remark. “And sometimes, it’s as simple as answering a question correctly.”

Blink. “Wait, answering a question?” Now Waver was really confused, and he waited with rapt attention for Rider’s explanation.

“A Demon can’t stay in this world. Just like with Servants, they are a being that requires great power and a great will to anchor them in this realm. A blood pact might sate them, and money can dazzle them for a moment, but to be at one in mind and soul? A Demon will brave all of the light of Creation and the darkest Ends of Days with their True Companions.” Rider took a deep breath and had a content look on his face as he finished. Waver wondered if Rider truly had some Demons in his armies when he heard a ping from the computer.

Waver jumped up from the floor and wheeled the computer chair over as he looked at the monitor. HOLY CRAP it was something trying to communicate through the program!!

>>PASCAL HERE

“A demon called Pascal? I never heard of anything called this in legends,” Waver whispered to himself. He typed out his name in reply.

>>HELLO WAVER VELVET, I AM PASCAL

“I know that, Pascal, thank you,” Waver muttered, but he didn’t dare type that out. He didn’t mean any disrespect, but he was very nervous as well. He asked, “Will you fight for me?”

>>... ANSWER ME THIS

Oh boy, here comes the question. Waver was too wrapped up in waiting for the next line to notice or care that Rider was silent behind him.

>>I ASK OF YOU, ARE YOU MY MASTER?

“What’s your answer, Boy?”

Waver jumped up and had to catch himself on the wall to keep from falling. He never noticed Rider hovering behind him and staring at the monitor. Waver sat back down and pondered how to answer.

“Are you my Master?” What did the Demon want from him? A leader to answer to? That couldn’t be it. Pascal could have asked anyone in that case. Something compelled it to seek out Waver.

He looked up at Rider, who only looked back at him. No help from this end, but then again, Pascal wasn’t asking Rider this question. It was asking him, a runaway fugitive Magus, if he was to be the Demon’s Master.

The image of the Lord El-Melloi flashed in Waver’s mind, and then he knew what his answer was.

>>No, I am your friend.

The moment he pressed the Enter key, something changed in the room. The space above the bed started to shimmer, and then crackle with black electricity!! Waver fell off his chair, but Rider caught him with his left arm before he crumpled to the floor, his right arm holding his sword.

The black antimatter gathered and gathered around the black lightning, and then the whole world inverted for a split second-! With a silent shock, the demon burst into the world of the living, and landed on the bed. Waver and Rider were both speechless.

It was a dog.

“Wha…” Waver slowly walked over to the bed. The dog was blue and white, with three green eyes in its head, and very sharp claws, but it was still a dog. Waver knelt down by the bed, his right arm out at the dog as he looked at Rider with a “WHAT IS THIS” expression on his face.

The dog placed its right paw on Waver’s hand, and a voice spoke to his mind. “And with this handshake, the contract is complete. I am Pascal. I look forward to fighting at your side, Waver Velvet.”

Waver fainted. Rider laughed.

~

And I accidentally found myself making Team Waver the exposition device. It's not far removed from how he was in the original story, but I didn't expect to have this become enough content to be a standalone update!

[Xamusel]

Dude, you have a new awesome update going on, and I enjoy it immensely!

When's the next update to be released, so to speak?

[UnlimitedBladeWorks]

You're updating really quick these days.

[Meh]

It's good to see this updating. And Waver got Pascal, yay.

On the other hand, the TRON reference confused me. WHy is that there?

[Shinogu]

The TRON reference is because I like TRON. There won't be any payoff to that reference. Not in this fic, anyway.

I'd like to gun for the next update to be up by tomorrow or Saturday night. I just picked up a shift on Sunday and I'm going to both days of Mikufest, so it'd be afternoon times.

[Xamusel]

Thanks for giving us an estimate of when you'll update next. I hope you follow through on it.

[Shinogu]

“One Yellowtail sushi platter for you, madam, and for your super-cute bodyguard, one Salmon Teriyaki.”

Irisviel and Saber thanked their waiter for bringing their lunch. Never, in all her years of life and kingship, did Saber ever fathom that one could grill fish and serve it glazed with soy sauce, mirin and sugar! Irisviel’s sushi looked very appetizing too, but it wouldn’t be proper to ask for a taste from her Master’s wife’s plate, no that couldn’t possibly be allowed by any circumstances at-

“Saber, please help yourself,” Irisviel said with a knowing smile.

With a lightning fast mutter of “Itadakimasu,” Saber snapped her chopsticks apart and tried one of the yellowtail sushi and oh Heavens was it Heavenly. Her haste to get the exotic food in her belly was counteracted by a sensation like time was intentionally slowing down so she could take her time to savor this new dish. She could practically feel her taste buds exploding by the second.

Maybe it was a side effect of being a Servant? Was there some overcompensation in the magic that brought them into the realm of the living so all senses, even those pertaining to the simple pleasures of devouring food, were heightened to the peaks of human potential? Saber took a bite (Not a gigantic, monstrous bite. Just a modest one. Saber was a King of Knights, not a savage.) of her Salmon Teriyaki and Oooooooooooo boy was it wonderful to be alive.

Irisviel helped herself to her sushi while she watched Saber eating in ecstasy. “I must say, Saber, I don’t recall seeing you this happy while we were dining back home in Germany. Japanese cuisine really strikes a chord with you, doesn’t it?”

Saber almost tried to reply but remembered that she had a mouthful of food. (NOT. A SAVAGE.) She endured Irisviel’s adorable giggling as she swallowed and caught her breath before replying, “You must understand this, Irisviel. We had NOTHING like this food in the days of my kingdom. This is far, far, far, far, FAR better than anything my chefs could make. Those were dark days, indeed...”

Irisviel nodded, “I’m very glad that you’re enjoying yourself. We won’t have many chances to fill our days with distractions like these, with what’s to come.” She ate the last of her sushi before noticing that Saber was staring down at her empty plate with a glum look. “Would you like another order, Saber? By all means, don’t hold back. We have a bottomless wallet, after all!”

Saber snapped out of her funk and shook her head. “Oh no, Irisviel. I mean, well yes, I wouldn’t mind another plate, but it’s nothing to do with any hunger. It’s just… Something that Kiritsugu said last night keeps coming back to me.”

“He called it a distraction, the mystery of who it was that visited me in my dream.” Saber looked back down at the warm cup of tea in her hands. “All the world knows the Legend of King Arthur, and yet I cannot decipher who it was that gave me that dream of ill omen. It is not a hopeless distraction to me, not if it means that I can make peace with even one of the people who I failed to save in my time…”

Saber felt Irisviel’s hands close around hers and they locked eyes. “Saber, I can’t begin to understand the feelings in your heart, but you can’t regret the things that you can’t take back anymore. It’s not healthy, even if this War is a chance to change things for the better.”

“And I don’t claim to completely understand what goes on in my husband’s head, but I don’t think Kiritsugu meant to offend with the way he described what you went through, Saber.” Irisviel took a sip of her own tea before she continued, “Kiritsugu has a legendary bluntness when it comes to the way he does his work. In fact, I’m pleased that he asks for your input when it comes to our operations during this War. I think it’s a sign. Maybe he’s changing, little by little.”

It was a little true, Saber thought. Kiritsugu did at least start to mention her by name and give her a look or two during their meetings. Of course, this all started after the Matador incident, and saving your Master and his family would count for a lot, even with a stone-faced man like Kiritsugu.

A phone started to ring, and Irisviel pulled it out of her bag and stared at it, completely puzzled. “Uh, Saber?”

Saber accepted the phone and intuitively answered it, putting it to her ear. Kiritsugu was on the other line.

“Found one. Fuyuki Hyatt. Stand by.”

~

Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, last hope for the continuation of the Sophia-Ri family line of Magi, was at war with her strongest, most deadliest opponent in the Holy Grail War yet.

Boredom.

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald was outside in the hotel halls and upper floors doing Lord-Knows-What for the sake of their defenses. Renting out the top half of the hotel with the deep pockets of the Archibald family was helping out in that regard, but Kayneth demanded utter silence and solitude while he was at work. And so Sola-Ui was left to entertain herself in their expensive suite, and she sank back in the most comfortable chair in the room, bored out of her mind.

There was absolutely nothing to watch on TV (She did NOT want to watch Gaeans try to explain themselves like religious wackos), she didn’t want to trawl through the hotel computer’s BBS for more weird rumors of demons walking Fuyuki City, and there was nobody to talk to besides herself, the hotel staff, and nobody back home even used a conventional phone.

… Wait. There was somebody who she could talk with.

“Lancer?”

With a prismatic pillar of light, the Servant Lancer walked into the hotel suite as if he teleported from another realm. “What troubles you, Miss Sophia-Ri? Are we to go to battle?”

Sola-Ui laughed at the notion of stepping out into the battlefield, inexperienced at combat as she was. “Do you see the Master with the Command Seals here? He’s busy creating pit traps, elemental barriers, portals to poison pits and who knows what else to defend this high-class stronghold that we have here. No, Lancer,” she sat up on her chair, “I just needed somebody to talk to.”

Sola-Ui was fully expecting Lancer to be offended by the notion of being summoned just to, as they call it, “Shoot the shit.” What she was not prepared for was to see Lancer knock the end of his staff on the ground, summon an ornate throne, and fall back and slouch right into it with a grin and a nod. She just about lost it at that.

“So, Miss Sophia-Ri, what shall we talk about?” Lancer asked as she calmed down her laughter. “There must be a great deal that you are curious about with regards to me, or my capabilities in combat.”

“Please, call me Sola-Ui, and the last thing I want to talk about is how you’ll be fighting in this War,” she replied. “Actually, I do want to know what your thoughts are on your Master, The Lord El-Melloi.”

Lancer closed his eyes as he turned the question over in his head. “As one who fought his fair share of wars as a King, I must say his logic is sound, at first brush. After all, a wise king does not seek out battle, but he must always be ready for it.” The Servant then looked up at Sola-Ui as he continued, “But if we follow that to the logical conclusion, Master El-Melloi is hardly doing all the work required here.”

“A Kingdom is not merely a King and his castle. We need an army, and what Master El-Melloi has now amounts to a dungeon filled with ghouls, and we three stand in the open at the throne room, waiting to be picked off.” Lancer got up from his throne and paced around for a bit before turning to Sola-Ui. “Is there an army at Master El-Melloi’s call?”

Sola-Ui gave another laugh at that question before replying, “No, there isn’t. Kayneth thinks of himself as a One-Man Army with weapons like his Mystic Code. Besides, he actually expects the other Masters to fight like him, Magus to Magus, Servant to Servant. I don’t think he’s even considered the possibility that those rumors regarding Demons and that Magus Cypher are actually true.”

Lancer took that answer in and nodded every so often, resuming his pacing around the room. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his face and he asked, “Then perhaps it is up to you?”

Utter shock erased what traces of boredom were left in Sola-Ui’s system. “Wh- Me? Me?! What do you mean, what can I do? I’m not skilled in any combat magecraft at all, and I didn’t enter this war by choice! Kayneth dragged me here, thinking this would be the same as a pleasure cruise before our wedding!”

Lancer placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. “You see, I did not rule my kingdom alone. My wife was a master of Illusioncraft, and she had a deft hand with the warrior’s blade as well. She could stand up to the greatest enemies of our armies, precisely because she was a master in aspects that I fell short. I believe that you can do the same in this conflict for Master El-Melloi, even if it requires some unconventional means.”

She didn’t know what it was. Either it was the kind words that Lancer said, being compared to a Queen in a long-lost kingdom, or the notion that she might actually be doing something of merit in this Holy Grail War, but Sola-Ui was starting to get… excited. “What do you think I can do?”

Lancer smiled back. “Have you considered… Demon Summoning?”

~~~

I foresee two more parts before the end of this chapter. Waver's part last update was meant to be a chunk like one of these two, but I felt it was wordy enough compared to these.

I bet you can tell, some of what Saber and Iri talk about here was meant to be in the end of the first part of Chapter 6. I felt like it worked better here.

Things are starting to shake off-rails... Moreso...

[Xamusel]

*reads*

Uh-huh...

*reads some more*

...

*finishes reading*

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! You, Shinogu, are amazing!

[The Green Flame]

*Demon Summoner Sola*Yes, please.

[Grant]

Darn, didn't realize this was updated. Well, I'll have a chance to read later today. In the meantime glad to see it.

[Shinogu]

Civilians were gathered in various clusters around the parking lot near the Fuyuki Hyatt hotel. Families on vacation, students taking a break from their studies, elderly spouses making the most of their last years, all inconvenienced by a bomb threat that had been received in the evening.

Kirei Kotomine was reading a passage from the good book straight from memory to ease the worries of the particularly religious lot. However, he was here on assignment, not for charity.

The instant that the news waves got word of this bomb threat, Tokiomi and Thorman suspected that the Gaeans were aiming to continue their reign of terror. Kirei was dispatched, along with his Assassins, to scout the area, investigate the veracity of the threat, and eliminate the culprit as soon as possible.

“Keep an eye out for Fiends as well, Kirei-kun,” Tokiomi reminded him. “The Cult of Gaea may have struck an alliance with Cypher, and we can’t be too cautious with either party at this point.”

As Kirei wrapped up his reading of Ezekiel 25:17 (which for some odd reason got a round of applause), his thoughts went back to that… encounter, if you could call it that, back at his apartment. Was that presence a Fiend? It was the first time that he had ever been faced with a power that threatened to unbalance the world around him. Nothing he faced in his time as an Executor had been at this level.

“Mr. Archibald?” One of the hotel staff was calling roll and looking around, and his eyes met Kirei’s for a moment. Kirei shook his head, but the hotel staff walked over regardless. “Sir, if you aren’t Mr. Archibald or one of our clients, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. We’re taking this bomb threat very seriously.”

Kirei bowed, “I understand, sir. I am merely a priest who came here to ease the troubled hearts of your clientele. I will be away shortly.” The staff member nodded and left him, which seemed a good moment for Kirei to contact his resource. “Do you see anybody milling about who shouldn’t be, Assassin?”

The female Assassin’s head hovered before him, invisible to the innocents around the area. “There is one person here of particular interest, given that you are both Masters of the Holy Grail War.”

“Who?”

...

Crossing ‘Kayneth Archibald’ and ‘Sola-Ui Sophia-Ri’ from his list, the Fuyuki Hyatt staffer called out to his superior, “All present and accounted for!” As the other security detail for the hotel started to guide the civilians farther away from the area, one man in a black coat lingered in the parking lot. He seemed particularly preoccupied with his cell phone.

“I’m ready. What’s your status, Maiya?”

Kiritsugu Emiya had it all planned out. He lined the lower support levels of the hotel with plastic explosive and called in the bomb threat. Maiya was scouting from high ground at a building nearby to see where the Lord El-Melloi and his Servant would be escaping, and she would relay that information to Saber and Irisviel, who were stationed elsewhere, to catch them off-guard and eliminate them.

Of course, that was contingent on the targets in the building attempting to leave. If they didn’t… Well, he did have the building laced with C4. What could possibly survive staying in a bombed building? Either way, one Master down, five more to go.

“Still no sign of the targets. Otherwise, we’re all set here. Ready when you are.”

Taking one more drag from his cigarette, Kiritsugu hung up the call and dialed in the detonation code. He was about to hit the Send button when-

“Emiya Kiritsugu.”

He had never met the man face-to-face before in his life, but there was no denying it. The last man that Kiritsugu wanted to confront in the Holy Grail War, especially this early in the conflict, was standing right behind him. “Kotomine… Kirei.”

Neither of them spoke for the next few moments, then Kirei asked, “What are you doing here?”

Kiritsugu didn’t turn around, but that didn’t stop him from being able to talk. “I am here, fighting on behalf of the Einzbern family for the Holy Grail War. Does that satisfy you?”

“No,” Kirei said almost immediately after hearing that. “No, I… That’s not what I was asking.”

Hearing the discontent in the other man’s voice, Kiritsugu turned around to look at Kirei. He saw a man with a blank expression on his face, impenetrable to all who looked. Except for him.

He saw through the facade. It was like someone placed a mirror before him that started to shift like a funhouse mirror before it cracked to reveal what lay behind. There was uncertainty, an unnatural stillness, and… an insatiable curiosity. No, not curiosity. An unchecked thirst… For what, he was too afraid to fathom.

“Emiya Kiritsugu. For years, you fought across countless battlefields, engaged in petty conflicts, turned the tides between warring countries. Now you stand before me, in this Holy Grail War. Why?”

Was this really happening? Kirei Kotomine, the man he most feared engaging in combat, was asking him what his Wish was for fighting in the Holy Grail War? And on top of that, he expected an answer?!

“OH MY GOD, SOMEBODY’S HURT BACK AT THE HOTEL!!”

The two men suddenly forgot why the both of them were here as they turned to the entranceway of the building. Civilians were starting to run back to the building, as if to try to help the staff who were already there. An old man in yellow robes was slumped over on the ground. “Sir, can you stand? Do you need help?”

THERE IS NO HELP COMING.

The voice rang out, as if it was blasted by a unidirectional loudspeaker, reaching everyone in the vicinity.

MAN IS DESTINED TO DIE, THE WORLD TO END… YET STILL YOU STRUGGLE AGAINST THE COILS OF FATE.

Kirei started. It was that voice. The one that called out to him in his apartment.

DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE TRUTH… YOUR STRUGGLE AGAINST DEATH IS FUTILE.

The figure slowly sat up, and Kiritsugu was the first to see it. There was no face, only a white skull, and the hand that reached into the robes was mere bone.

IT IS MY DUTY TO SAVE ALL OF YOU, WHO HAVE GONE ASTRAY… LET ME BE YOUR GUIDE.

“GET AWAY!! ALL OF YOU, GET AWAY!! RUN!!” Kiritsugu ran towards the Fiend, his Calico submachine gun pointed ahead and ready to fire. People started to scatter and run, screaming more at the sight of the firearm than beginning to fathom what lay before them.

RECEIVE MY SALVATION…

Kiritsugu held down the trigger, and all the bullets that reached the Fiend impacted to no effect, as it raised the bell in its right hand to the air-

ACCEPT YOUR DEATH!

-and rang it.

The hotel staff felt it first, being closest to the Fiend. They watched in silent horror as their hands wrinkled before their eyes, before they lost their sight, before their vocal chords dried up as they tried in vain to scream, and they ultimately disintegrated into ash and dust.

The hotel guests who tried to run found that their bodies refused to respond, their legs crumpled underneath them as they aged rapidly, also succumbing to the curse. Adults screamed to their last, children sobbed and babbled without comprehension. Death claimed life after innocent life, until the only ones left alive were the two men who were not meant to be there.

“No...”

It was Kirei’s turn to be surprised. The man he desired answers from, the infamous Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya was trembling with rage and-!

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this! It was only meant to be him!! IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE HIM!!!”

The Fiend cackled in response, and it warped the space around itself, dragging itself into the hotel.

With a furious cry, Kiritsugu ran for the hotel entrance, but Kirei held him back. For what purpose, he didn’t know, but rushing in without thinking was guaranteed to be suicidal. He didn’t notice Kiritsugu reaching into his pocket for his phone until it was too late.

“DON’T-!”

*pi---------------------------ip*

Kiritsugu immediately read that something went wrong. The entire building, not merely the supports, erupted with fire and glass, and suddenly it all froze. Then, the entire thing seemed to rewind, the fire retreating back into the building and the glass resetting, before the building folded into itself and contorted into an ever-spiralling obelisk of metal and concrete. The two men were shook back from their awe and disbelief by that voice.

EMIYA KIRITSUGU. KOTOMINE KIREI. THERE IS ONE MORE LESSON I MUST TEACH YOU, AND SO I MARK THE TWO OF YOU TO ENTER THIS SACRED GROUND AND ACCEPT YOUR DEATH AT THE HANDS OF I, THE FIEND DAISOUJOU.

~

Aaaaaaand the train officially gets kicked off the rails by yours truly.

[Meh]

The fiends are here and it's our favorite self-mummifying budhist.

Yay

[Grant]

There's mention of the Gaeans and Messians, exactly how well are they known to the public?