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Fate/True Bizarre (JJBA x Fate/Zero) [COMPLETE]
- Thread starter JBukharin
- Start date
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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The sequel of this story.
Stephen the barbarian
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
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this showed up on the sb thread, (post 182)
and really want to reply with
[better safe than sorry]
and really want to reply with
however i suspect that it would be just a bit over the line there
[better safe than sorry]
Interlude 2: When the God Calls
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Interlude 2: When God Calls
He could still remember the first time he pondered about miracles.
Enrico Pucci was a religious man. One that was born in a family that had strong ties with the Church, and that taught him the essential basis of humanity that the Bible and its God teaches to all children of the Heavens.
A priest. A devoted man of God. And when God calls to him, his heart can only swell in joy and admiration. In awe and dutifulness.
When his life was turned upside down, and the light of revelation struck him with tragedy and resolve, only faith saved him from utter despair. But his faith wasn't aimed at the God he had grown to love and accept as his Father and Lord. No, he aimed his true loyalty to the one that embodied everything a true divine being should aspire to.
Dio Brando. His mind almost shivered in joy at thinking of the man that showed him the truth. The one that gave him a way out of his misery. That gave him a purpose that was as important as essential for the sake of true justice.
The Heavens. He could still remember how he foolishly believed that those were none other than a lie to gain his trust for nothing. That it was something so ethereal and beautiful, that it had to be a falsity of grand magnitude
He was wrong. And Enrico could only love being proven wrong in that regard.
The idea of something so mighty and absolute, something so just and unquestionable- it reopened in him a thirst to the faith of a real God. But not one that was only known through old books, or one that was mentioned by a prophet.
No. Pucci met God himself and… he was so beautiful. So complex, so realistically perfect. Devoid of human flaws, and filled by a sense of duty that exceeded the one proposed by the finicky sense of morality that ruled the decisions of many.
Still, despite that clear understanding of faith, it would've been a lie to say that he had expected that after so many years after he achieved clarity of mind and soul that he would've been blessed with a particular call from someone he thought lost in the world of reality.
Enrico was busy handing out some of the leftover stew meant for homeless people. The phone rang the usual tune, but the hour which this happened was unusual. Something was afoot, his perception of destiny almost screamed at him to be tense as he finished with his task and walked towards the small device.
Ever since the increase of aggression from the organization known as Passione in the area where his Church was currently located, things had stopped being as easy as they used to be. The classic mafia was easy to divert because of their common fear for divine punishment. But this new group led by the mysterious 'Diavolo' was nothing to scoff at.
Stand Users- he was almost disgusted by the fact someone usurped Dio's Arrows and used those to create a human vision of evil. Terrible, disgusting! Pucci would've almost jumped at the opportunity to destroy the foolish fiend behind such a troublesome development, but he was far too cautious to take that kind of risk.
The Boss of Passione was an unknown individual. His identity was known to anyone, even his closest confidants. The idea he was fighting someone that was rumored to have a powerful stand, one capable of 'ruling over Italy', was enough to make the priest adopt a passive behavior regarding the man.
Passione was still small and the government was actively fighting it whenever it was possible. It was a losing battle for the current administration, and one that Pucci knew that, once it started to turn too violent, would force him to leave the peninsula as his stay in the region would've been compromised.
But for now, like the devoted man of God that he was, he waited for a sign to do or act beyond the small task conceded to him by his closest of friends. Tension peaked the moment the device approached his ears, and his heart went still as something told him this wasn't something to be calm about.
"Hello?" He managed to ask, curbing any interest in stuttering at this unknown fear of his.
"Good morning… Pucci."
The voice. His body almost dropped to the ground at hearing that familiar voice. His heart started to rock painfully, jubilant and yet confused and concerned at this kind of miracle… or terrible attempt to trick him.
"L-Lord Dio?"
"I've heard of what happened to your siblings, Enrico," The vampire on the other side spoke with the degree of determination only a man without doubts and restraints could. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"There is nothing to apologize, Lord Dio," The priest jumped with a tense voice. "You- You're not to be troubled with my plights-"
"You're my friend, Enrico. I will find the trouble of your plight important for me to ponder and react to," Dio interrupted smoothly. "And I can tell that, despite this, you're still devoted to my vision."
"O-Of course," Enrico could feel his lungs hurt at the joy he was going through. This- this was the real Dio. He could recognize him and the mere idea that he was somehow returned to this world made him rejoice with august desire and interest. "But… I have to ask now that you've called. How- who returned you to this world?"
A long sigh followed his question, and that made the priest frown in confusion at the sudden switch of mood. Was he too pushy? Could he have phrased that question better? For a moment he felt legitimately concerned about having overstepped his boundaries.
"I've to confess that I don't believe my current stay will be a permanent one, my good friend," The blond admitted with a somber tone. "With my current situation, I may not be able to stand beyond a month. Which is why I've called you today."
There were many things that Pucci wanted to ask about this. What was he meaning with 'his current stay' being temporary? Why couldn't he linger more than a month? What happened to have him brought back?
There was so much that could be asked about, but Enrico settled with a calm tone and a simple sentence.
"I'm listening to any requests, Lord Dio."
"I'm glad to hear this, Enrico. Right now, I need someone that is trustworthy and can bring forth my will in this peculiar circumstance," Dio explained with a calm voice. "Right now I'm currently in Japan. Fuyuki City is where I'm currently working on a project that will bring additions to our plans. A project that you might know with the name 'Tohsaka Rin'."
That name was… a female one. While he wasn't that much experienced about Japan, one thing he had learned from studying Jotaro Kujoh was the way names were formed and which were the signs to follow to determine what kind of names those were. Rin was feminine, and Pucci wondered if this individual was another mother of one of the many children DIO had fathered during his stay in Italy.
"Tohsaka Rin. Is she… someone that I need to keep track of?"
"Not yet, my good friend," The vampire replied with a quiet sigh. "I wish for you to wait two months. Then, as the time passes, you shall come to this city I'm currently staying in. You shall then find her and try to approach her while she is alone."
"What is my main duty about this… project?"
"A document. It will be the first of many tasks I'm saddened to burden you with, most of which will all be related to the individual holding the paper."
"Is she… a breeder?"
"No."
Enrico almost trembled at the cold tone that sharply declined this guess. Something about it made him ponder if it was anger to speak, or something close to hatred. Both chances left the priest to quiver in uneasiness for having failed to pick up this kind of attitude.
Rin Tohsaka wasn't a woman that held another child, and now he knew of this through that mistake.
"Her role will be secondary for the time being. The document will contain further tasks to accomplish and… some of which will test your devotion. I myself doubt you will be keen to accept those-"
"I know you will not exceed my capacities with your demands. I'm ready to take on this assignment, Lord Dio."
…
"Ah, it's… refreshing to speak with someone that I can believe in," The Vampire admitted with some glee exuding from his voice. "I wish to apologize if my presence in this world will not be any longer than a month, I understand your concern through this device, Enrico."
"A-As you said, Dio. You're my friend… and I shall take the burden of your plight."
"Yes… I will call you once more in a week from now. And don't worry too much, I don't plan to leave anytime soon..."
A nod, then the call ended and… the priest realized that he had unconsciously walked up to the altar. Looking up at the crucified statue of Jesus Christ, Enrico imagined another martyr upon his gaze. Someone that was once more trifling with danger all for the sake of offering the Heavens to the world as a whole.
Pucci nodded, feeling his devotion increase after getting this call. Now he knew that there was a chance and… that Dio had somehow returned. Part of him wanted to wait for the man to call him again to ask how he was brought back… but his curiosity overwhelmed his patience. A couple of calls ensued and now a batch of brokers loyal to Dio had been dispatched to check the current situation in the city.
With time now becoming the only obstacle, the priest returned to his duties without spending a word on the matter with anyone else for the next few days. Many of the people that would visit his Church for the functions would be baffled by the jovial mood of the usually stoic man.
If only they knew that this man of God received word from his deity… the poor disbelievers.
-----------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d--------
AN
Dropping a little teaser on Dio's plans. The reason why he lost certainty in his plan to keep longer will be explained in the next chapter… with a battle.
I'm sorry if I'm delaying the big chapter, but today I had written a big chapter for another story already and… I went through 6k+ words of Lemons. I really need to unwind my brain after that and I don't wish to taint the chapter with my current headache.
Still… Pucci and Rin. One can wonder if it will end like it had with Canon Kotomine or actually better for… one of the two. The sequel sure is going to be shaped to be a bombshell for the timeline.
He could still remember the first time he pondered about miracles.
Enrico Pucci was a religious man. One that was born in a family that had strong ties with the Church, and that taught him the essential basis of humanity that the Bible and its God teaches to all children of the Heavens.
A priest. A devoted man of God. And when God calls to him, his heart can only swell in joy and admiration. In awe and dutifulness.
When his life was turned upside down, and the light of revelation struck him with tragedy and resolve, only faith saved him from utter despair. But his faith wasn't aimed at the God he had grown to love and accept as his Father and Lord. No, he aimed his true loyalty to the one that embodied everything a true divine being should aspire to.
Dio Brando. His mind almost shivered in joy at thinking of the man that showed him the truth. The one that gave him a way out of his misery. That gave him a purpose that was as important as essential for the sake of true justice.
The Heavens. He could still remember how he foolishly believed that those were none other than a lie to gain his trust for nothing. That it was something so ethereal and beautiful, that it had to be a falsity of grand magnitude
He was wrong. And Enrico could only love being proven wrong in that regard.
The idea of something so mighty and absolute, something so just and unquestionable- it reopened in him a thirst to the faith of a real God. But not one that was only known through old books, or one that was mentioned by a prophet.
No. Pucci met God himself and… he was so beautiful. So complex, so realistically perfect. Devoid of human flaws, and filled by a sense of duty that exceeded the one proposed by the finicky sense of morality that ruled the decisions of many.
Still, despite that clear understanding of faith, it would've been a lie to say that he had expected that after so many years after he achieved clarity of mind and soul that he would've been blessed with a particular call from someone he thought lost in the world of reality.
Enrico was busy handing out some of the leftover stew meant for homeless people. The phone rang the usual tune, but the hour which this happened was unusual. Something was afoot, his perception of destiny almost screamed at him to be tense as he finished with his task and walked towards the small device.
Ever since the increase of aggression from the organization known as Passione in the area where his Church was currently located, things had stopped being as easy as they used to be. The classic mafia was easy to divert because of their common fear for divine punishment. But this new group led by the mysterious 'Diavolo' was nothing to scoff at.
Stand Users- he was almost disgusted by the fact someone usurped Dio's Arrows and used those to create a human vision of evil. Terrible, disgusting! Pucci would've almost jumped at the opportunity to destroy the foolish fiend behind such a troublesome development, but he was far too cautious to take that kind of risk.
The Boss of Passione was an unknown individual. His identity was known to anyone, even his closest confidants. The idea he was fighting someone that was rumored to have a powerful stand, one capable of 'ruling over Italy', was enough to make the priest adopt a passive behavior regarding the man.
Passione was still small and the government was actively fighting it whenever it was possible. It was a losing battle for the current administration, and one that Pucci knew that, once it started to turn too violent, would force him to leave the peninsula as his stay in the region would've been compromised.
But for now, like the devoted man of God that he was, he waited for a sign to do or act beyond the small task conceded to him by his closest of friends. Tension peaked the moment the device approached his ears, and his heart went still as something told him this wasn't something to be calm about.
"Hello?" He managed to ask, curbing any interest in stuttering at this unknown fear of his.
"Good morning… Pucci."
The voice. His body almost dropped to the ground at hearing that familiar voice. His heart started to rock painfully, jubilant and yet confused and concerned at this kind of miracle… or terrible attempt to trick him.
"L-Lord Dio?"
"I've heard of what happened to your siblings, Enrico," The vampire on the other side spoke with the degree of determination only a man without doubts and restraints could. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"There is nothing to apologize, Lord Dio," The priest jumped with a tense voice. "You- You're not to be troubled with my plights-"
"You're my friend, Enrico. I will find the trouble of your plight important for me to ponder and react to," Dio interrupted smoothly. "And I can tell that, despite this, you're still devoted to my vision."
"O-Of course," Enrico could feel his lungs hurt at the joy he was going through. This- this was the real Dio. He could recognize him and the mere idea that he was somehow returned to this world made him rejoice with august desire and interest. "But… I have to ask now that you've called. How- who returned you to this world?"
A long sigh followed his question, and that made the priest frown in confusion at the sudden switch of mood. Was he too pushy? Could he have phrased that question better? For a moment he felt legitimately concerned about having overstepped his boundaries.
"I've to confess that I don't believe my current stay will be a permanent one, my good friend," The blond admitted with a somber tone. "With my current situation, I may not be able to stand beyond a month. Which is why I've called you today."
There were many things that Pucci wanted to ask about this. What was he meaning with 'his current stay' being temporary? Why couldn't he linger more than a month? What happened to have him brought back?
There was so much that could be asked about, but Enrico settled with a calm tone and a simple sentence.
"I'm listening to any requests, Lord Dio."
"I'm glad to hear this, Enrico. Right now, I need someone that is trustworthy and can bring forth my will in this peculiar circumstance," Dio explained with a calm voice. "Right now I'm currently in Japan. Fuyuki City is where I'm currently working on a project that will bring additions to our plans. A project that you might know with the name 'Tohsaka Rin'."
That name was… a female one. While he wasn't that much experienced about Japan, one thing he had learned from studying Jotaro Kujoh was the way names were formed and which were the signs to follow to determine what kind of names those were. Rin was feminine, and Pucci wondered if this individual was another mother of one of the many children DIO had fathered during his stay in Italy.
"Tohsaka Rin. Is she… someone that I need to keep track of?"
"Not yet, my good friend," The vampire replied with a quiet sigh. "I wish for you to wait two months. Then, as the time passes, you shall come to this city I'm currently staying in. You shall then find her and try to approach her while she is alone."
"What is my main duty about this… project?"
"A document. It will be the first of many tasks I'm saddened to burden you with, most of which will all be related to the individual holding the paper."
"Is she… a breeder?"
"No."
Enrico almost trembled at the cold tone that sharply declined this guess. Something about it made him ponder if it was anger to speak, or something close to hatred. Both chances left the priest to quiver in uneasiness for having failed to pick up this kind of attitude.
Rin Tohsaka wasn't a woman that held another child, and now he knew of this through that mistake.
"Her role will be secondary for the time being. The document will contain further tasks to accomplish and… some of which will test your devotion. I myself doubt you will be keen to accept those-"
"I know you will not exceed my capacities with your demands. I'm ready to take on this assignment, Lord Dio."
…
"Ah, it's… refreshing to speak with someone that I can believe in," The Vampire admitted with some glee exuding from his voice. "I wish to apologize if my presence in this world will not be any longer than a month, I understand your concern through this device, Enrico."
"A-As you said, Dio. You're my friend… and I shall take the burden of your plight."
"Yes… I will call you once more in a week from now. And don't worry too much, I don't plan to leave anytime soon..."
A nod, then the call ended and… the priest realized that he had unconsciously walked up to the altar. Looking up at the crucified statue of Jesus Christ, Enrico imagined another martyr upon his gaze. Someone that was once more trifling with danger all for the sake of offering the Heavens to the world as a whole.
Pucci nodded, feeling his devotion increase after getting this call. Now he knew that there was a chance and… that Dio had somehow returned. Part of him wanted to wait for the man to call him again to ask how he was brought back… but his curiosity overwhelmed his patience. A couple of calls ensued and now a batch of brokers loyal to Dio had been dispatched to check the current situation in the city.
With time now becoming the only obstacle, the priest returned to his duties without spending a word on the matter with anyone else for the next few days. Many of the people that would visit his Church for the functions would be baffled by the jovial mood of the usually stoic man.
If only they knew that this man of God received word from his deity… the poor disbelievers.
-----------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d--------
AN
Dropping a little teaser on Dio's plans. The reason why he lost certainty in his plan to keep longer will be explained in the next chapter… with a battle.
I'm sorry if I'm delaying the big chapter, but today I had written a big chapter for another story already and… I went through 6k+ words of Lemons. I really need to unwind my brain after that and I don't wish to taint the chapter with my current headache.
Still… Pucci and Rin. One can wonder if it will end like it had with Canon Kotomine or actually better for… one of the two. The sequel sure is going to be shaped to be a bombshell for the timeline.
Tenth Mantra! Words prior Assault!
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Chapter 12: Tenth Mantra! Words prior Assault!
"Is that the castle, boy?"
Waver almost jumped in fright at the stern voice coming from his side.
"Y-Yes," He replied nervously, glad that there was no continuation to the question.
He was still not accustomed to Jotaro's steely voice, and, considering how terrifying the forest was so late in the night, there was no way he could just shrug off the uneasiness behind the sudden invitation from the Einzbern Master.
Something about this summon just felt wrong in the young Magus' mind since it came from someone that was tied to the Magus Killer. The fact that it was almost close to midnight and that it was an invitation meant only for Masters and their Servants just screamed of trap.
Even though the Supervisor, accompanied by his son, was also there to take part at that reunion to draw solutions over the recent problems born from an intruder's summoning a Servant, there was no way for the young man to find relief in the extra company. While the Church Representative didn't seem much of a problem, his son was just… unnerving. It was something Waver couldn't exactly explain to himself, as even glancing at the individual as he moved, discussed and looked over where his Servant could've been hiding during their walk, the young Magus knew the man was no good person.
And when Rider muttered to stay close to him, the Master knew that there was some legitimate reasoning behind his sudden worry. His only saving grace was the presence of both Jotaro and Caster, with both elements proving to be somewhat relieving since he knew they weren't twisted in their minds.
The marine biologist in particular held a strange combo of seriousness and inner warmth that made him somewhat stand out as a good ally to have around. Caster was similar, but also the opposite to her Master. Where the female monk was cheerful and quite friendly with others, there was just a hint of sadness that only a few could feel from her action.
It wasn't something as evident as many would like to, especially since it felt like a silent cry for help. But what was the help she was seeking for? And why was she crying? The questions were mostly lost in Waver as he could tell the woman had so many pleasant tales to offer, so many friends that she only mentioned as existences in her past life… but maybe this was the truth behind her suffering.
Could it be that the monk couldn't find peace by being without companions? It seemed to be the case, especially with how 'relieved' she was when Jotaro was around and interacted with her. Not in a romantic or love-related fashion, but as a person that she could offer an opinion and it could either be considered and rebuffed, or even ignored and used to spark banter between the two.
This, the young Magus, couldn't truly understand. How could one enjoy the struggle of a discussion? Even if Jotaro was a good person, it didn't mean that he was the only one that she could behave like this with, especially when there were so many other individuals that could potentially enjoy her bubbly personality.
Not Waver. There were instances where that personality might sound endearing, but it would be a lie to say he would accept a friend with that kind of cheerfulness to themselves. It was a miracle that Rider was just teasing and nowhere as pushy as he used to when he first summoned him but… maybe it wasn't that bad to have a friend that wasn't his perfect match.
Lost in his thoughts, the student noticed a little late that they had finally arrived at the castle's entrance. No traps, and nothing that could suggest an ambush. Everything seemed to be fine as a young-looking maid stepped outside the building and approached the group.
Wearing a curious uniform that reminded Waver of a mix between a nun and a nurse, the red-eyed lady with pale skin stopped and bowed to them.
"Masters of the Holy Grail War, the Einzbern family accepts you as honorable guests of their humble home."
'Humble?' A shiver almost went down the boy's spine as he realized how big the castle was and… wondering how 'expensive' had to mean to the old family. How rich were they? That was one of the few mysteries Waver sadly knew he was never going to be answered about.
Instead, he focused on the fact that they soon were taken inside the main building and led around the entire fortress. The maid remained silent during the walk through the castle, leaving enough to everyone's imagination about how the indoors were made and how old some of the portraits around had to be. It was far from any fortification Waver had the chance to visit, but he knew most of the Magus Families back in Clocktower would've killed puppies just to get to stay in a place like this for just a year or two.
The heat within the halls was well-regulated, same-looking maids were spotted wandering around in groups cleaning up the various corridors, and finally they could all see that there were multiple dining rooms and living rooms left and right.
It was kind of infuriating for someone like Waver. Having grown a simple life, mostly because of how poor his family was, and how expensive textbooks were to get even as used copies, the young man's real issue belied the fact that the oddly long tour eventually took them to a place close to the entrance a little later than expected. Almost as if the family was trying to flaunt their riches or something like that.
Despite this minor issue, the door was finally open and… the young man felt the need to run when he saw that the one that opened it was none other than the Magus Killer himself. Rider's hand over his shoulder squeezed a little more in an effort to keep him in place, and it managed just fine to remind him that this wasn't going to be the day he died. There was no way he just accepted this, and he knew that from the way everyone else looked fine, this was the proper thought to be focusing on.
"Welcome," Kiritsugu Emiya greeted blankly.
"Master of Saber, I wish to humbly thank you for taking the responsibility of hosting this meeting between Masters," Risei replied with a gleeful tone, hiding away the few sliver of uneasiness the elder had over the stoic killer. "I suppose the rules you've mentioned in the message are to be implemented now."
The professional mercenary merely nodded and… Waver frowned. Rules? What rules?
Before he could actually ask, his eyes widened at the sight of most of the Servants vanishing in their Astral forms and… wandering off. There was a tense confusion that escalated even more when Rider let out a sigh and patted his head.
"I suppose I should get going myself, Master," Iskandar commented calmly. "Worry not, I bet Jotaro will protect you from any trouble."
"Wai-" Before the young Master had the chance of stopping his Servant, he found himself pushed onto the marine biologist, with the towering man silently grabbing him by his arm and helping him walk inside.
Holding his breath at the terrifying escalation, Waver now had multiple reasons to panic at the current state of things. Sure, Jotaro was strong enough to hold back any strange attacks during the reunion but… he couldn't just stop being nervous.
Instead he took a seat beside his ally and he found himself looking at the individual sitting in front of him. While he had the chance of seeing the Einzbern woman back at the docks, now that they were this close he couldn't help but stare at how beautiful she was.
The problem? A giggle was enough to warrant an extra layer of panic as the noise alerted the man that was associated with the gorgeous lady, and soon Waver was struck with a blank glare that got him shivering.
Some of the Masters joined the staring, but none actually spoke as this awkward parenthesis came to end the same way it started. Suddenly and without logical reasons beyond being as such.
Why do things have to be this difficult?
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Jotaro was tempted to whack the back of the boy's head for being such a nervous wreck. While it was true that the room was packed with people that could easily kill the kid considering he was the weakest element among Masters, the Stand User knew this wasn't going to escalate beyond shouting.
Not because he didn't expect one of those at the table to actually snap and pick some fights, but because he knew he would've been able to defuse anything that could've made things disruptive for this constructive meeting. They had a common enemy that could easily shred on Masters with ease if attacking them individually, but now that they were making a united front to handle the return of DIO, what was left to do was confirm this commitment.
The real problem lied on the fact their Servants were meant to be staying at the same enclosed space and be beyond the range of reprimands in case they behaved wrongly. Caster had made a serious promise about keeping herself away from causing trouble, but she mentioned that she would've jumped in a fight if things were turning too violent and problematic. A fair point that he respected, but he doubted his own Servant planned to just disable her possible opponents.
Risei stood up from his chair, looking at the other occupants of the table before offering a tired sigh.
"This unique occasion isn't one I would've expected to be forced to call upon, especially with how deadly the Holy Grail War's rules are regarding any chances of Masters allying with each other. The Master of Archer couldn't come because of familiar issues. His daughter had gone missing and he had left my son, Kirei, as his representative for this rare predicament" The old priest began talking, glancing and nodding at the younger priest. "Still, this very competition has just recently been tainted by a horrible individual that broke numerous regulations all for the sake of gaining a serious advantage in their effort to gain the Holy Grail and use the only wish to scar the world."
"If I may, Kotomine-san," Kiritsugu interceded politely, getting a nod from the elder before continuing. "I have to add that we've confirmed that what kind of Servant was summoned by this intruder, its power was… undeniably dangerous. The scene I found while checking on Lancer and his Masters were incredibly concerning as the damage in which they were left in was inflicted upon them in less than ten minutes."
"You were there," Kirei said with a calm tone. It wasn't a question, rather an affirmation. One that got a nod out of the Magus Killer.
"Yes. I had plans to take Lancer's Master out early on, but I soon found out that I was preceded by someone else. Someone that I believe was the new Servant," The man added with a nod. "My assistant has managed to take a couple of photos of this individual as it retreated away from the Hyatt Hotel, but we couldn't discern his identity since his frame was cloaked."
The pictures were pretty much the same, with the sole figure retreating slowly getting away from the one taking the photos. But as Jotaro peered over the one that had the closest perspective to the Servant, a chilling jolt went down his spine as he recognized a few elements he couldn't just forget.
The curled shoes, the yellow baggy pants and… the green hearts by the kneecaps.
"After what happened 100 years ago, I swore I would show no mercy to any descendants of the Joestars. All of you must die, quickly, utterly. ｢The World｣'s true power will finish you off!"
He is back. And with him… the memories of those that died to stop him back in Egypt.
"Jotaro-san, I believe you've recognized who this Servant could be, right?"
A blink, and the Marine biologist was back to handle the present. The question was met with a blank nod as he decided to be honest about it.
"There is no doubt in my mind. This… This is DIO."
His breath almost fell short as the memories weren't just going away. He could still remember back when he returned to Japan, once it was made sure that his mother was fine and all… how he had been the one to contact Kakyoin's family.
Meeting his parents was… difficult. Both thought that their son had just gone missing and, when Jotaro tried to explain to them what happened in Cairo, they… they were quick to get angry. Not because they were shifting the blame on him. No, they believed that Jotaro was just lying to them to hide the true reason behind their son's death.
He never spoke up with anyone of that experience. His grandfather only knew it happened and that he wasn't attacked in any sort of way, while his mother was blissfully unaware he had decided to go through with this.
"No regrets. About anything that has happened on this journey or will happen from this point on. I will regret nothing."
"Are you referring to Dio Brando?" Kiritsugu finally asked. "You mean he was summoned as a Servant?"
"That is indeed correct and, considering the circumstances, I have the strong belief that the individual behind his summoning has to be somewhat tied to him," Risei resumed with a nod. "The Church has reported a curious increase of… activities perpetrated by individuals that had in the past sworn allegiance to DIO and we suspect one of his followers might be behind his return."
"B-But shouldn't a Servant like this be easy to handle?" Waver inquired nervously. "I mean n-no disrespect, but I thought the power of Servants was mostly determined by the impact they left on history and how many still 'had faith' in them."
"It's more 'how many followers' they have to call forth. And I think I understand your confusion, Master of Rider, I don't think you've ever heard of this individual until now."
The young man shook his head and the priest sighed.
"Dio Brando was a vampire that was active at two specific times. In the late nineteenth century, and in 1987. Despite the lengthy dormancy, the man managed to amass a cult behind his name that believed in the established of a new world order under his control in a short amount of time." The elder explained. "Both times he was vanquished by the Joestar family. The one which Jotaro-san here is the youngest active member of."
"So- So he still has followers believing in him."
"Yes. And there are enough unknown elements of this cult that unconsciously offer strength to their lord by merely believing in his actions as those worthy of following."
"Since he is a vampire, it shouldn't be difficult setting up a trap to kill him," The Magus Killer offered, only for the younger Kotomine to shake his head.
"While this line of action would be the most logical, there is a flaw I believe exists from what we know of those that tried and failed to contain Dio," Kirei mentioned with a serious tone. "Many Executors tried to employ all tactics they could to deal with vampires, even relying on expensive UV equipment to put an end to the time he was wandering in Italy. Nothing worked on him, all because of some mysterious ability the Church never managed to understand:"
"So the usual means for vampires wouldn't work… are there other options?" The Einzbern woman stated, looking perplexed and uneasy at the fact that beyond the standard means to kill vampires, there were just a few things that could've seriously worked on their common enemy.
"The easiest solution would be to aid Jotaro-san in fighting individually DIO, but we have yet to determine if the Master could be ignored since a Servant of this might would require a Magus with excellent Circuits to supply enough mana for Dio to work at maximum strength."
"Do we have any hints about this Master's identity?" Kiritsugu inquired. "They weren't present in the proximity of Hyatt Hotel, and while the news about the Servant's name is going to help, I think discovering who his Master is would be more beneficial."
"We're already working to try and identify who could've been behind this ordeal," Risei assured with a sure tone. "It will take a while, but the truth will be revealed to the rest of the Masters the very moment we find it."
Just as the old man finished to say this, the conversation was expected to turn back about finalizing their efforts to combine their forces to fight off the dangerous anomaly that had already claimed one of the Masters' lives. Much to Jotaro's frustration, the discussion was interrupted as the door was suddenly opened as the familiar body of the maid that had taken them to the room was shoved inside. The woman didn't move, her body slumped in a deadly manner as her mangled form laid on the ground.
"What a pest..."
A shiver, Jotaro was the first one to stand up as he felt the pressure building up around himself as the figure responsible for that atrocity stepped inside in an arrogant strut. He was there- and didn't change much from what the marine biologist remembered him to be.
DIO smiled, his frame tensing as he adopted a fighting stance as he looked at the Masters with a mirthful look.
"Oh Oh, it would seem like I stumbled in the rats' nest. Such a shame that I would've to find you in a room like this one, JoJo."
A furious scowl settled on Jotaro's face, and soon he felt as livid as he had been back then when he started to fight the smug-looking blond. Hands tightening in fists, he felt his Stand materializing beside him and, like back then, ｢The World｣ and ｢Star Platinum｣ stared at each other, their expressions resembling the ones owned by their users.
"Dio."
There was no approaching this time, and, as the distant and muffled noises of explosions erupting from various sections of the castle echoed all around, the former Stardust Crusader bolted against his opponent, once again ready to put an end to him.
With that first visit, the siege of the Einzbern Castle began.
------------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d--------
Caster was happy. Or rather, she was having fun trying to learn and understand her fellow Servants as they spent some time away from their Masters.
It was the same giddiness a child would feel after being let out of their house to play with their friends after days spent at home due to a punishment. It was pleasant, and it sparked curiosity over what kind of individuals made up what was left of the war itself.
After spending so much time away from the real aspects of the Holy Grail War, now she was given an opportunity not many Servants could exactly say to have enjoyed. The chance of talking with each other without being forced to fight to their second deaths. And the brunette wasn't planning to let it go to waste since they were going to be stuck in that courtyard for some time, so she swiftly started a conversation with Saber.
The blonde was… surprisingly cordial. Not enough to drop formalities, but still enough to make any conversation somewhat interesting even if the topic wasn't that much intense or personal like the fellow woman's backstory or anything awkward about her past.
Rider was keen to quip once in a while for the sake of teasing the knight, while Assassin would merely keep quiet as she admired the entire scene from afar. Caster tried to get the slim individual to join their conversation too, but she was refused without hesitation.
Despite this limited chances of speaking with others, Xuanzang appreciated the sharp morals that made the determination of Caster. Her intellect, her drive to help others, and her devotion to her wish made her a curious individual to entertain a conversation with. Also, it was a good way to hone her skills in a logical dialogue about her own faith as she tried to point out a couple of flaws within her newest friend's wish.
"But your wish could still be wrong. Not because I say so, but because you are so unsure about it."
"Sometimes people need to make decisions that aren't easy to make," The blonde remarked calmly, only for the monk to hum in agreement at her words.
"And sometimes these very people need to learn to live by their regrets and work them through."
"I don't regret anything," Saber rebuked stiffly. "I gave my everything to my people, and I learned from my past life that it wasn't enough to spare them from destruction."
"And how does their destruction compound to your failure, Saber?" Rider asked with a serious voice. "You weren't around when it happened, and while you may try to assume the end of your life determined their end, this still doesn't make you their martyr."
"I suffered for them. Every day I took that mask that… that was mine to wear as the rightful king."
"What kind of king wears a mask, when masks are made about them?" The redhead shot back, his tone turning fierce. "You seem so self-centered about your penance, that you seem to have forgotten how people follow their kings' example, not how they arrived at that kind of model."
"I'm- I'm not self-centered! I fought battles to spare my men from certain death, I turned inhuman to not allow those that saw me as a king to not turn their lives into empty husks!"
…
"Then maybe that's where you're wrong," Caster answered quietly. "You built your own image from a picture nobody but yourself could follow. You detach yourself from your people in the efforts of protecting them… eventually becoming a symbol of good, but also something incomprehensible and impossible to truly cherish."
"What? I… what do you mean?"
"Becoming an example to someone isn't comparable to being a sacrifice to them," Xuanzang replied. "You may try to accomplish the same as a role model is capable of impressing on people, but in the end the one that takes all the burdens and decides against being honest about their own plights is none other than someone that failed to catch on with their own people."
"That would be the case if she was actually a King," A new voice interrupted. Jumping down from a section of the roof on the edge of the courtyard, a familiar golden-armored figure decided to invite himself to this curious situation.
"She would never accept anything less than complete subjugation- even though she is the one that should know her place as I rule everything," The King of Heroes continued as he started approaching. "But your words are indeed interesting to listen to, Monk. I wonder if this is the result of experience speaking."
"Mostly so. I've read of rulers believing in doing the right thing, but failing to look down at the damage they were doing to themselves and those they called their subjects," The brunette replied with a nod, stopping as to check something in her purse. "Still, I wasn't expecting for you to join us, King of Heroes. May I offer you some quickly-made tea?"
"Gahahaha- is that the way to greet the only King here?" The Archer questioned with a mixture of irritation and interest after a brief laugh. "To present him with something so mediocre and easy to find around?"
"If I had something better to offer, I would have. But I believe it wouldn't be proper if right now I tried to besiege you with something still inferior to your tastes," Xuanzang flatly pointed out. "Plus, I can tell you're sated, your highness. And it would be uncouth of me if I offered you anything less than a refreshing beverage."
…
"I guess a tea would suffice. I find myself rather thirsty after recent dishes that were bestowed to me."
The two sat down by the grass, with Caster settling a small handkerchief as she silently started to prepare some tea before the Golden monarch. Red eyes scanned over the tiny controlled flame used to heat up the water and the herbs that were used to prepare the drink.
He stared at the cup that resulted after a couple of minutes spent making the liquid, and soon he was intrigued by the flavor within the beverage. A sip, it soon turned in him gulping down the entire thing in a single move. The extreme heat was ignored, and the flavor just reminded him of something he… hadn't tried for a very long time.
But where… and when? Why was Sha Naqba Imuru failing to bring forth the memory correlated to this emotion?
A few moments later, the memory did come up to him. And just like that, he remembered why he had tried to keep it from ever coming up again to his mind. It was from a time before he was ruling proper, from a time where a kind woman would offer him food, drinks, advice, and… care.
The reason why alcohol became a must for him to consume wasn't just tied to his pleasure regarding wines and other delicious treats. No, the original truth lingered from the time where tea was a delightful replacement to the stronger beverages… and when it was served by a single individual that he knew and trusted.
How could a child accept allowing a stranger to serve him something only their mother was known to offer?
Despite his irritation at this detail, the familiar aroma and pleasant taste were enough to have him pause and enjoy the drink without sparing any comment. The brunette didn't interrupt him, merely looking as she felt relieved at the calm expression now lingering on the king's face.
And just as Gilgamesh started to genuinely feel pleased with modern society for having left this delicacy from the past untouched, his hopes went crashing down when a loud explosion erupting nearby created enough vibrations to have his hands drop the cup and spill the content.
…
…
"An attack? Finally something fun to make with you friends of mine!" Rider exclaimed as he turned at the massive gap created on one of the side of the courtyards, one that was quickly used by a massive horde of undead and other monsters to swarm and invade the castle. Caster stood up and joined the rest of the Servants to prepare for the approaching fight… but the first wave of creatures was torn apart by numerous blades descending upon them.
Gilgamesh stood up slowly, anger bubbling as he glared at the intruders. Not only was he deprived of this delicious tea, but now he had to deal with someone trying to barge in unannounced.
Whoever was behind this was sure going to be punished and made an example for other mongrels to not aggravate him in this manner!
---------d-d-d-d------
AN
'Gilgamesh knows your location.'
Francesca: *Sweats nervously while giggling* I'm in danger.
"Is that the castle, boy?"
Waver almost jumped in fright at the stern voice coming from his side.
"Y-Yes," He replied nervously, glad that there was no continuation to the question.
He was still not accustomed to Jotaro's steely voice, and, considering how terrifying the forest was so late in the night, there was no way he could just shrug off the uneasiness behind the sudden invitation from the Einzbern Master.
Something about this summon just felt wrong in the young Magus' mind since it came from someone that was tied to the Magus Killer. The fact that it was almost close to midnight and that it was an invitation meant only for Masters and their Servants just screamed of trap.
Even though the Supervisor, accompanied by his son, was also there to take part at that reunion to draw solutions over the recent problems born from an intruder's summoning a Servant, there was no way for the young man to find relief in the extra company. While the Church Representative didn't seem much of a problem, his son was just… unnerving. It was something Waver couldn't exactly explain to himself, as even glancing at the individual as he moved, discussed and looked over where his Servant could've been hiding during their walk, the young Magus knew the man was no good person.
And when Rider muttered to stay close to him, the Master knew that there was some legitimate reasoning behind his sudden worry. His only saving grace was the presence of both Jotaro and Caster, with both elements proving to be somewhat relieving since he knew they weren't twisted in their minds.
The marine biologist in particular held a strange combo of seriousness and inner warmth that made him somewhat stand out as a good ally to have around. Caster was similar, but also the opposite to her Master. Where the female monk was cheerful and quite friendly with others, there was just a hint of sadness that only a few could feel from her action.
It wasn't something as evident as many would like to, especially since it felt like a silent cry for help. But what was the help she was seeking for? And why was she crying? The questions were mostly lost in Waver as he could tell the woman had so many pleasant tales to offer, so many friends that she only mentioned as existences in her past life… but maybe this was the truth behind her suffering.
Could it be that the monk couldn't find peace by being without companions? It seemed to be the case, especially with how 'relieved' she was when Jotaro was around and interacted with her. Not in a romantic or love-related fashion, but as a person that she could offer an opinion and it could either be considered and rebuffed, or even ignored and used to spark banter between the two.
This, the young Magus, couldn't truly understand. How could one enjoy the struggle of a discussion? Even if Jotaro was a good person, it didn't mean that he was the only one that she could behave like this with, especially when there were so many other individuals that could potentially enjoy her bubbly personality.
Not Waver. There were instances where that personality might sound endearing, but it would be a lie to say he would accept a friend with that kind of cheerfulness to themselves. It was a miracle that Rider was just teasing and nowhere as pushy as he used to when he first summoned him but… maybe it wasn't that bad to have a friend that wasn't his perfect match.
Lost in his thoughts, the student noticed a little late that they had finally arrived at the castle's entrance. No traps, and nothing that could suggest an ambush. Everything seemed to be fine as a young-looking maid stepped outside the building and approached the group.
Wearing a curious uniform that reminded Waver of a mix between a nun and a nurse, the red-eyed lady with pale skin stopped and bowed to them.
"Masters of the Holy Grail War, the Einzbern family accepts you as honorable guests of their humble home."
'Humble?' A shiver almost went down the boy's spine as he realized how big the castle was and… wondering how 'expensive' had to mean to the old family. How rich were they? That was one of the few mysteries Waver sadly knew he was never going to be answered about.
Instead, he focused on the fact that they soon were taken inside the main building and led around the entire fortress. The maid remained silent during the walk through the castle, leaving enough to everyone's imagination about how the indoors were made and how old some of the portraits around had to be. It was far from any fortification Waver had the chance to visit, but he knew most of the Magus Families back in Clocktower would've killed puppies just to get to stay in a place like this for just a year or two.
The heat within the halls was well-regulated, same-looking maids were spotted wandering around in groups cleaning up the various corridors, and finally they could all see that there were multiple dining rooms and living rooms left and right.
It was kind of infuriating for someone like Waver. Having grown a simple life, mostly because of how poor his family was, and how expensive textbooks were to get even as used copies, the young man's real issue belied the fact that the oddly long tour eventually took them to a place close to the entrance a little later than expected. Almost as if the family was trying to flaunt their riches or something like that.
Despite this minor issue, the door was finally open and… the young man felt the need to run when he saw that the one that opened it was none other than the Magus Killer himself. Rider's hand over his shoulder squeezed a little more in an effort to keep him in place, and it managed just fine to remind him that this wasn't going to be the day he died. There was no way he just accepted this, and he knew that from the way everyone else looked fine, this was the proper thought to be focusing on.
"Welcome," Kiritsugu Emiya greeted blankly.
"Master of Saber, I wish to humbly thank you for taking the responsibility of hosting this meeting between Masters," Risei replied with a gleeful tone, hiding away the few sliver of uneasiness the elder had over the stoic killer. "I suppose the rules you've mentioned in the message are to be implemented now."
The professional mercenary merely nodded and… Waver frowned. Rules? What rules?
Before he could actually ask, his eyes widened at the sight of most of the Servants vanishing in their Astral forms and… wandering off. There was a tense confusion that escalated even more when Rider let out a sigh and patted his head.
"I suppose I should get going myself, Master," Iskandar commented calmly. "Worry not, I bet Jotaro will protect you from any trouble."
"Wai-" Before the young Master had the chance of stopping his Servant, he found himself pushed onto the marine biologist, with the towering man silently grabbing him by his arm and helping him walk inside.
Holding his breath at the terrifying escalation, Waver now had multiple reasons to panic at the current state of things. Sure, Jotaro was strong enough to hold back any strange attacks during the reunion but… he couldn't just stop being nervous.
Instead he took a seat beside his ally and he found himself looking at the individual sitting in front of him. While he had the chance of seeing the Einzbern woman back at the docks, now that they were this close he couldn't help but stare at how beautiful she was.
The problem? A giggle was enough to warrant an extra layer of panic as the noise alerted the man that was associated with the gorgeous lady, and soon Waver was struck with a blank glare that got him shivering.
Some of the Masters joined the staring, but none actually spoke as this awkward parenthesis came to end the same way it started. Suddenly and without logical reasons beyond being as such.
Why do things have to be this difficult?
---------d-d-d-d-----------d-d-dd-------------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d--------
Jotaro was tempted to whack the back of the boy's head for being such a nervous wreck. While it was true that the room was packed with people that could easily kill the kid considering he was the weakest element among Masters, the Stand User knew this wasn't going to escalate beyond shouting.
Not because he didn't expect one of those at the table to actually snap and pick some fights, but because he knew he would've been able to defuse anything that could've made things disruptive for this constructive meeting. They had a common enemy that could easily shred on Masters with ease if attacking them individually, but now that they were making a united front to handle the return of DIO, what was left to do was confirm this commitment.
The real problem lied on the fact their Servants were meant to be staying at the same enclosed space and be beyond the range of reprimands in case they behaved wrongly. Caster had made a serious promise about keeping herself away from causing trouble, but she mentioned that she would've jumped in a fight if things were turning too violent and problematic. A fair point that he respected, but he doubted his own Servant planned to just disable her possible opponents.
Risei stood up from his chair, looking at the other occupants of the table before offering a tired sigh.
"This unique occasion isn't one I would've expected to be forced to call upon, especially with how deadly the Holy Grail War's rules are regarding any chances of Masters allying with each other. The Master of Archer couldn't come because of familiar issues. His daughter had gone missing and he had left my son, Kirei, as his representative for this rare predicament" The old priest began talking, glancing and nodding at the younger priest. "Still, this very competition has just recently been tainted by a horrible individual that broke numerous regulations all for the sake of gaining a serious advantage in their effort to gain the Holy Grail and use the only wish to scar the world."
"If I may, Kotomine-san," Kiritsugu interceded politely, getting a nod from the elder before continuing. "I have to add that we've confirmed that what kind of Servant was summoned by this intruder, its power was… undeniably dangerous. The scene I found while checking on Lancer and his Masters were incredibly concerning as the damage in which they were left in was inflicted upon them in less than ten minutes."
"You were there," Kirei said with a calm tone. It wasn't a question, rather an affirmation. One that got a nod out of the Magus Killer.
"Yes. I had plans to take Lancer's Master out early on, but I soon found out that I was preceded by someone else. Someone that I believe was the new Servant," The man added with a nod. "My assistant has managed to take a couple of photos of this individual as it retreated away from the Hyatt Hotel, but we couldn't discern his identity since his frame was cloaked."
The pictures were pretty much the same, with the sole figure retreating slowly getting away from the one taking the photos. But as Jotaro peered over the one that had the closest perspective to the Servant, a chilling jolt went down his spine as he recognized a few elements he couldn't just forget.
The curled shoes, the yellow baggy pants and… the green hearts by the kneecaps.
"After what happened 100 years ago, I swore I would show no mercy to any descendants of the Joestars. All of you must die, quickly, utterly. ｢The World｣'s true power will finish you off!"
He is back. And with him… the memories of those that died to stop him back in Egypt.
"Jotaro-san, I believe you've recognized who this Servant could be, right?"
A blink, and the Marine biologist was back to handle the present. The question was met with a blank nod as he decided to be honest about it.
"There is no doubt in my mind. This… This is DIO."
His breath almost fell short as the memories weren't just going away. He could still remember back when he returned to Japan, once it was made sure that his mother was fine and all… how he had been the one to contact Kakyoin's family.
Meeting his parents was… difficult. Both thought that their son had just gone missing and, when Jotaro tried to explain to them what happened in Cairo, they… they were quick to get angry. Not because they were shifting the blame on him. No, they believed that Jotaro was just lying to them to hide the true reason behind their son's death.
He never spoke up with anyone of that experience. His grandfather only knew it happened and that he wasn't attacked in any sort of way, while his mother was blissfully unaware he had decided to go through with this.
"No regrets. About anything that has happened on this journey or will happen from this point on. I will regret nothing."
"Are you referring to Dio Brando?" Kiritsugu finally asked. "You mean he was summoned as a Servant?"
"That is indeed correct and, considering the circumstances, I have the strong belief that the individual behind his summoning has to be somewhat tied to him," Risei resumed with a nod. "The Church has reported a curious increase of… activities perpetrated by individuals that had in the past sworn allegiance to DIO and we suspect one of his followers might be behind his return."
"B-But shouldn't a Servant like this be easy to handle?" Waver inquired nervously. "I mean n-no disrespect, but I thought the power of Servants was mostly determined by the impact they left on history and how many still 'had faith' in them."
"It's more 'how many followers' they have to call forth. And I think I understand your confusion, Master of Rider, I don't think you've ever heard of this individual until now."
The young man shook his head and the priest sighed.
"Dio Brando was a vampire that was active at two specific times. In the late nineteenth century, and in 1987. Despite the lengthy dormancy, the man managed to amass a cult behind his name that believed in the established of a new world order under his control in a short amount of time." The elder explained. "Both times he was vanquished by the Joestar family. The one which Jotaro-san here is the youngest active member of."
"So- So he still has followers believing in him."
"Yes. And there are enough unknown elements of this cult that unconsciously offer strength to their lord by merely believing in his actions as those worthy of following."
"Since he is a vampire, it shouldn't be difficult setting up a trap to kill him," The Magus Killer offered, only for the younger Kotomine to shake his head.
"While this line of action would be the most logical, there is a flaw I believe exists from what we know of those that tried and failed to contain Dio," Kirei mentioned with a serious tone. "Many Executors tried to employ all tactics they could to deal with vampires, even relying on expensive UV equipment to put an end to the time he was wandering in Italy. Nothing worked on him, all because of some mysterious ability the Church never managed to understand:"
"So the usual means for vampires wouldn't work… are there other options?" The Einzbern woman stated, looking perplexed and uneasy at the fact that beyond the standard means to kill vampires, there were just a few things that could've seriously worked on their common enemy.
"The easiest solution would be to aid Jotaro-san in fighting individually DIO, but we have yet to determine if the Master could be ignored since a Servant of this might would require a Magus with excellent Circuits to supply enough mana for Dio to work at maximum strength."
"Do we have any hints about this Master's identity?" Kiritsugu inquired. "They weren't present in the proximity of Hyatt Hotel, and while the news about the Servant's name is going to help, I think discovering who his Master is would be more beneficial."
"We're already working to try and identify who could've been behind this ordeal," Risei assured with a sure tone. "It will take a while, but the truth will be revealed to the rest of the Masters the very moment we find it."
Just as the old man finished to say this, the conversation was expected to turn back about finalizing their efforts to combine their forces to fight off the dangerous anomaly that had already claimed one of the Masters' lives. Much to Jotaro's frustration, the discussion was interrupted as the door was suddenly opened as the familiar body of the maid that had taken them to the room was shoved inside. The woman didn't move, her body slumped in a deadly manner as her mangled form laid on the ground.
"What a pest..."
A shiver, Jotaro was the first one to stand up as he felt the pressure building up around himself as the figure responsible for that atrocity stepped inside in an arrogant strut. He was there- and didn't change much from what the marine biologist remembered him to be.
DIO smiled, his frame tensing as he adopted a fighting stance as he looked at the Masters with a mirthful look.
"Oh Oh, it would seem like I stumbled in the rats' nest. Such a shame that I would've to find you in a room like this one, JoJo."
A furious scowl settled on Jotaro's face, and soon he felt as livid as he had been back then when he started to fight the smug-looking blond. Hands tightening in fists, he felt his Stand materializing beside him and, like back then, ｢The World｣ and ｢Star Platinum｣ stared at each other, their expressions resembling the ones owned by their users.
"Dio."
There was no approaching this time, and, as the distant and muffled noises of explosions erupting from various sections of the castle echoed all around, the former Stardust Crusader bolted against his opponent, once again ready to put an end to him.
With that first visit, the siege of the Einzbern Castle began.
------------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d--------
Caster was happy. Or rather, she was having fun trying to learn and understand her fellow Servants as they spent some time away from their Masters.
It was the same giddiness a child would feel after being let out of their house to play with their friends after days spent at home due to a punishment. It was pleasant, and it sparked curiosity over what kind of individuals made up what was left of the war itself.
After spending so much time away from the real aspects of the Holy Grail War, now she was given an opportunity not many Servants could exactly say to have enjoyed. The chance of talking with each other without being forced to fight to their second deaths. And the brunette wasn't planning to let it go to waste since they were going to be stuck in that courtyard for some time, so she swiftly started a conversation with Saber.
The blonde was… surprisingly cordial. Not enough to drop formalities, but still enough to make any conversation somewhat interesting even if the topic wasn't that much intense or personal like the fellow woman's backstory or anything awkward about her past.
Rider was keen to quip once in a while for the sake of teasing the knight, while Assassin would merely keep quiet as she admired the entire scene from afar. Caster tried to get the slim individual to join their conversation too, but she was refused without hesitation.
Despite this limited chances of speaking with others, Xuanzang appreciated the sharp morals that made the determination of Caster. Her intellect, her drive to help others, and her devotion to her wish made her a curious individual to entertain a conversation with. Also, it was a good way to hone her skills in a logical dialogue about her own faith as she tried to point out a couple of flaws within her newest friend's wish.
"But your wish could still be wrong. Not because I say so, but because you are so unsure about it."
"Sometimes people need to make decisions that aren't easy to make," The blonde remarked calmly, only for the monk to hum in agreement at her words.
"And sometimes these very people need to learn to live by their regrets and work them through."
"I don't regret anything," Saber rebuked stiffly. "I gave my everything to my people, and I learned from my past life that it wasn't enough to spare them from destruction."
"And how does their destruction compound to your failure, Saber?" Rider asked with a serious voice. "You weren't around when it happened, and while you may try to assume the end of your life determined their end, this still doesn't make you their martyr."
"I suffered for them. Every day I took that mask that… that was mine to wear as the rightful king."
"What kind of king wears a mask, when masks are made about them?" The redhead shot back, his tone turning fierce. "You seem so self-centered about your penance, that you seem to have forgotten how people follow their kings' example, not how they arrived at that kind of model."
"I'm- I'm not self-centered! I fought battles to spare my men from certain death, I turned inhuman to not allow those that saw me as a king to not turn their lives into empty husks!"
…
"Then maybe that's where you're wrong," Caster answered quietly. "You built your own image from a picture nobody but yourself could follow. You detach yourself from your people in the efforts of protecting them… eventually becoming a symbol of good, but also something incomprehensible and impossible to truly cherish."
"What? I… what do you mean?"
"Becoming an example to someone isn't comparable to being a sacrifice to them," Xuanzang replied. "You may try to accomplish the same as a role model is capable of impressing on people, but in the end the one that takes all the burdens and decides against being honest about their own plights is none other than someone that failed to catch on with their own people."
"That would be the case if she was actually a King," A new voice interrupted. Jumping down from a section of the roof on the edge of the courtyard, a familiar golden-armored figure decided to invite himself to this curious situation.
"She would never accept anything less than complete subjugation- even though she is the one that should know her place as I rule everything," The King of Heroes continued as he started approaching. "But your words are indeed interesting to listen to, Monk. I wonder if this is the result of experience speaking."
"Mostly so. I've read of rulers believing in doing the right thing, but failing to look down at the damage they were doing to themselves and those they called their subjects," The brunette replied with a nod, stopping as to check something in her purse. "Still, I wasn't expecting for you to join us, King of Heroes. May I offer you some quickly-made tea?"
"Gahahaha- is that the way to greet the only King here?" The Archer questioned with a mixture of irritation and interest after a brief laugh. "To present him with something so mediocre and easy to find around?"
"If I had something better to offer, I would have. But I believe it wouldn't be proper if right now I tried to besiege you with something still inferior to your tastes," Xuanzang flatly pointed out. "Plus, I can tell you're sated, your highness. And it would be uncouth of me if I offered you anything less than a refreshing beverage."
…
"I guess a tea would suffice. I find myself rather thirsty after recent dishes that were bestowed to me."
The two sat down by the grass, with Caster settling a small handkerchief as she silently started to prepare some tea before the Golden monarch. Red eyes scanned over the tiny controlled flame used to heat up the water and the herbs that were used to prepare the drink.
He stared at the cup that resulted after a couple of minutes spent making the liquid, and soon he was intrigued by the flavor within the beverage. A sip, it soon turned in him gulping down the entire thing in a single move. The extreme heat was ignored, and the flavor just reminded him of something he… hadn't tried for a very long time.
But where… and when? Why was Sha Naqba Imuru failing to bring forth the memory correlated to this emotion?
A few moments later, the memory did come up to him. And just like that, he remembered why he had tried to keep it from ever coming up again to his mind. It was from a time before he was ruling proper, from a time where a kind woman would offer him food, drinks, advice, and… care.
The reason why alcohol became a must for him to consume wasn't just tied to his pleasure regarding wines and other delicious treats. No, the original truth lingered from the time where tea was a delightful replacement to the stronger beverages… and when it was served by a single individual that he knew and trusted.
How could a child accept allowing a stranger to serve him something only their mother was known to offer?
Despite his irritation at this detail, the familiar aroma and pleasant taste were enough to have him pause and enjoy the drink without sparing any comment. The brunette didn't interrupt him, merely looking as she felt relieved at the calm expression now lingering on the king's face.
And just as Gilgamesh started to genuinely feel pleased with modern society for having left this delicacy from the past untouched, his hopes went crashing down when a loud explosion erupting nearby created enough vibrations to have his hands drop the cup and spill the content.
…
…
"An attack? Finally something fun to make with you friends of mine!" Rider exclaimed as he turned at the massive gap created on one of the side of the courtyards, one that was quickly used by a massive horde of undead and other monsters to swarm and invade the castle. Caster stood up and joined the rest of the Servants to prepare for the approaching fight… but the first wave of creatures was torn apart by numerous blades descending upon them.
Gilgamesh stood up slowly, anger bubbling as he glared at the intruders. Not only was he deprived of this delicious tea, but now he had to deal with someone trying to barge in unannounced.
Whoever was behind this was sure going to be punished and made an example for other mongrels to not aggravate him in this manner!
---------d-d-d-d------
AN
'Gilgamesh knows your location.'
Francesca: *Sweats nervously while giggling* I'm in danger.
Eleventh Mantra! Broken Stars, Shrouded World!
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Chapter 12: Eleventh Mantra! Broken Stars, Shrouded World!
"Jotaro… you have not changed at all," Dio slowly commented, his lips twitching in a smile as his Stand fully manifested in front of him, ready to clash once again with ｢Star Platinum｣ as the escalation was inevitable.
It was similar to back then, but many things were still different. The closeness, the lack of an open setting where to freely move around and retreat when the situation was going to get tough on one of the two sides…
Jotaro knew that despite his current conditions, he was still rustier than when he was seventeen. Back at that time, facing Dio had been possible only because he had grown accustomed to using ｢Star Platinum｣ this frequently, and his instincts were sharpened by numerous battles having unfolded mere hours earlier than the final battle.
But right now, the marine biologist couldn't count on these advantages, and he knew that the man in front of him was way more dangerous than he had been years ago. Still… he couldn't allow himself to lose against him. Even if it meant going all out with the Time-Stop Ability and draining his life force too much in the process.
"T-That's Dio," Risei commented, eyes wide open as he addressed the foul monster that had just intruded that private meeting. "He is… a foul being!"
Jotaro gritted his teeth furiously at the priest's words. While the rest of the occupants were nervous of the smug bastard that was studying the entire situation, the marine biologist felt his anger bubble at the sight of the blond vampire, the man behind the deaths of people like Kakiyoin, Avdol, and Iggy... He was there, in front of him.
Only now the dreadful grip of what his return entails struck the human. Not just because of the thought of how many other lives he was already ruining, but because the threat to his family was now evident and clear. He imagined what the dangerous villain was going to do if allowed to live beyond today and… he had to call Lena. He had to have her moved to a safer house. Joseph would surely help through the Speedwagon Foundation. It was the only way.
"It's been so long since-!!"
"ORA!"
Before the fellow Stand User could finish that sentence, he found himself forced to brace as ｢Star Platinum｣ struck ｢The World｣'s face with a powerful punch, breaking his jaw and forcing the vampire to back away from the relative closeness. Hands swiftly adjusting the damage, golden eyes narrowed irked at that sudden attack.
He had to attack. At this point, he had things he could lose now. Back then, it was only anger driving his punches- a sense of vengeance. But now, Jotaro knew that he couldn't allow any chances to waste as the stakes were just too high. He couldn't afford it, not if he wanted to keep his wife and Jolyne out of this madness.
"Always the impudent brat, Jotaro. Even now, after years since I faced you, you still believe you can have the upper hand like this, with these cheap tricks," The Servant scoffed. "Once again, I have to remind you that things are indeed different from last time… especially when your attacks are weaker than back then!"
With that exclamation, the occupants finally moved away from their chairs as part of the room started to become too difficult to stay near too. The pressure heightened to an absurd point, and before their eyes something absurd unfolded. While Jotaro and Dio were both standing one against the other, numerous 'impacts' started to materialize between them. Up, down, left and right, the sound of punches meeting and matching flawlessly filled the silent scene.
This felt familiar, but still a far cry of what the researcher could remember. It wasn't in his muscle memory- and it's been way too long since he had a challenge this frustrating. Not only he was fighting a Stand with higher stats than ｢Star Platinum｣, but from what he knew through Risei, the vampire could have gained control over his ancestor's body and… regained his vampiric powers.
Despite the fact how insane the entire sight was, both Kirei and Kiritsugu prepared their respective weapons to provide assistance. Right now it was impossible to act considering that both were too close to one another, and from what they knew about Dio, the man seemed to act best when under pressure… especially when he can just move away and send any attacks up to Jotaro in retaliation.
The Magus Killer instead reached for a radio, one that was connected to another one that was currently manned by Maya, the young woman having been assigned to keep an eye out for any need to snipe any rogue Masters. It had been an extra precaution, a contingency that was created for the sake of avoiding any dangerous elements to be spared beyond this reunion. Now that Dio was there, the priority was to actually provide a distraction. Bullets weren't going to do much against Servants, but those were more than enough to provide cover and allow the direct opposing force of the aggressor to get an advantage out of it.
"Aim for the head," He quietly whispered through the device, a hum replying him as a bullet soon cracked one of the windows' glass and slammed onto the back of the blond's head. The vampire blinked, surprise briefly interesting his expression as he realized what had just happened. But by pausing for this unimportant matter, Dio was not open for another strike from Jotaro, this time the attack being decisively stronger than the first one.
"ORA!!"
｢Star Platinum｣'s fist pierced through the intruder's chest, ripping through his rib cage and sending the surprised opponent flying out of the already broken window. It was ironic how this was similar to when he first learned he could move in Dio's Time-Stop, but the marine biologist didn't stop because of his thoughts as he moved swiftly to give chase, stopping only as he was called from Risei.
"Jotaro-san, I believe you should accept the aid from both my son and Emiya-san for this situation," The elder muttered with a serious tone. "Dio is a Servant now, and I can say for certain he will be stronger than the time you first fought him."
Not a wrong assumption. The early comment that the foul monster had provided could've been truer than he wanted it to be. If it was the case, then ｢Star Platinum｣ wasn't going to be enough to match ｢The World｣ in a fair fight. And he wasn't going to refuse the help offered by the two decent fighters now that he needed it the most. So the young man nodded, turning his stare back at the two allies and following the vampire with them in tow up to the rooftop of the building.
"W-What about us?" Waver asked in complete panic.
"We get back to the Servants," The old priest calmly replied, turning to the other remaining occupant in the room. "Lady Irisviel, I suppose you can lead us to where they might be."
The woman nodded, starting to make her way towards the broken door and lead the rest of the group out of the room. Waver was nervous of how many bad things were happening at once and he knew perfectly enough that he couldn't waste time whining about the attacks. His priority was to get back to Rider, get to cover, and allow the eager big guy to destroy any threats with a confident smile.
His capacity to defend himself and the others were limited, with hypnotism being the magecraft he was the most accustomed in and that he could make use of in that very moment. And he knew that despite his celebrity, Risei Kotomine wasn't that strong and capable in a combat situation.
He wasn't sure the same could be said about the owner of this fortress, the kind-looking woman having nothing on herself and her posture that suggested she was prepared in facing such a threat if the need roused.
But as they turned the first corner to try and find the location where the Servants had been taken to, they paused as they heard a loud crunching noise coming from behind them. Nervousness grasped them as they felt forced to stop, their bodies paralyzed for some time by a sense of… despair.
Numerous homunculi had been shredded to pieces, some still being devoured by monsters with tentacles and giant maws. The maids had taken down some of the creatures from the looks of it, numerous torn monsters littering the floor together with the corpses of the castle's servants.
A giggle soon echoed through the hallways as, further away from these creatures, they noticed a young woman starting to make her way towards them. Twirling an umbrella above her head, this individual was exuding an unpleasant aura as something within her mirthfulness was just beyond human. The fact that the monsters didn't seem to mind her presence also was telling on who she really was.
"W-We need to go, now!" Risei pressed, understanding that despite the innocent appearance, this intruder was far more dangerous than she looked to be. His voice seemed to shake Irisviel from her surprised self. The woman started to run, followed by the two other individuals as Francesca continued to give chase slowly but happily.
With a giddy smile plastered on her face, she stared up at the roof with a sultry look. A hidden pleasure finally manifesting as her wish was coming to fruition right in that very moment. Her bond with Dio, the one common between Master and Servant, was picking up that her 'Servant' was close to engaging in a serious battle.
And she was wasting time like this… for nothing. Sure, the thrills of stalking a puppet, a decrepit God-believer and a wimp sounded fascinating and lovely when she coupled it with the chances of making some red paint of this possibility.
"Oh~ I can tell they are already fighting… I should move then. Wouldn't want to miss the scene for nothing in this world..." The Demonic worshipper hummed, her eyes still scanning around as she admired the impressive structure of the castle. Really, there was no shame in her mind to admit German architecture looked 'tougher' and 'scarier' than the French one. "But first… let's end these pests. Wouldn't want for them to be too troublesome later on for all of us~."
And thus, the eager Master hunted down her three preys, disregarding that her window of opportunity was thinning faster than expected as a certain King was moving to find the culprit behind this attack.
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Caster huffed as she cracked two zombies' skulls by slamming them together. Extreme violence was necessary to handle the undead threats, and she wasn't any less inclined to use it to put these poor souls back to rest. It was a new element to remember as part of her new journey, but it wasn't by any means something she was mostly displeased for.
What she really was angry about was that the responsible was still on the loose, and perhaps trying to harm her Master and the rest of the people that were together with him. Sure, Jotaro is strong and she shouldn't be worried about this…
But it was in her nature to be concerned by others, no matter how strong they were. There were several instances in her past trips that would see her rush to aid those friends she made during her voyage- people that while divine in nature were still deserving of support, of friendship… and of a face to trust in the battlefield.
Assassin quietly manifested numerous copies of masked men and women, providing enough numbers to avoid the rest of the group to be overwhelmed by the horde of monsters. Rider and Saber were cleaving around with their swords, tearing through large groups of walking carcasses with ease as a large portion of the courtyard exploded in gold, Archer proving to be particularly vicious after being denied a proper and complete tea-drinking session.
There was a hint of brutality that seemed to stem beyond the mere action, but Xuanzang decided against inquiring about it, preferring to focus on the problem at hand. Kill the zombies, find Master, kill the rest of the attackers and foil the assault in its entirety.
Simple lines that developed in other more complex details that she was currently dealing with. Like killing some mutated zombies that were either faster or stronger than the average creatures. Their numbers were incredible, but the quality was lacking, allowing for the defenders to gain the advantage relatively easy and quickly. Attacking left and right, eventually the monk managed to get a way cleared for the closest entrance to the main building while aided by the other three Servants.
Turning around, the pink-eyed woman regarded how there was a noticeable group still remaining despite their best efforts and that this group wasn't bound to last for long from the way the King of Heroes was glaring at those.
Before marching inside, Gilgamesh scowled and unleashed a massive barrage of his weapons over the remaining monsters, shredding them to nothingness in mere instants. He took the lead, the ferocious monarch sparing no words to his 'companions' as they all started to clean up the halls from other undeads and new monsters. Sea-like creatures that were tainted by demonic energies, for a Servant of her caliber, Caster could tell the mastermind behind those creations was someone she needed to be extremely wary of.
This hard work seemed to have been done flawlessly, as if the creator had enough experience to accomplish this much in very little time and attention. And this magecraft was nothing to scoff at, especially from the levels she had picked from other Magi in this era.
Her mind was quickly bringing back the path her and her fellow Servants had taken when they were led to the courtyard, and she was surprised when Archer seemed to know it too himself. Saber was surprised herself, eyeing the red-eyed king with a wary look, while Iskandar seemed to not mind the little discovery. Actually embracing it as he completely ignored it.
Left and right, they continued to find monsters and signs of struggles having been long resolved between the defensive force of the castle and the attackers, with way too many Homunculi dead than zombies for them to have perished at the enemies they were currently facing. Caster's instincts were almost screaming at the fact that what was lurking around was also tied to the monsters themselves.
And she was proven correct when they were blessed by three individuals running towards them. Xuanzang's eyes widened as she recognized them, with the sword-wielder blonde a little behind her taking the opportunity to call out the woman leading that small group.
"Irisviel!"
The Einzbern nodded, finally arriving close enough to the Servants and… moved behind them. The behavior looked wrong, but then the reason appeared as a malicious threat turned the corner and skipped eagerly towards them. That is until the giggling woman's eyes landed on the furious glare Gilgamesh was throwing back at her.
Then the hatred became evident when a blade rushed out one of the open portals, cutting off the girl's right arm in a swift hit. Before other weapons could've been thrown at her, the young woman summoned other familiars of her, using those as shield from the attacks.
"Oh, come on, King of Heroes. I really needed that arm especially with how important today is!" The summoner lamented. "You know, I need to be up to shape to admire to its fullest the little fight happening above our heads!"
"You're one of the foolish scums that decided to assault my proximity. You should be grateful I didn't aim lower and took your legs away from you."
"Don't lie~! You want to break me piece by piece for scorning you, so why would you go for the most painful hits first? You need to make your victim bleed a little before you play with them," The girl accused. "One would think someone of your status would've been more sincere with their emotions. I bet you poured your heart out when your clay boy got broken by uncles and aunties."
More monsters appeared, only for the first few lines to collapse after a vicious barrage of blades.
"I shall make your death slow and painful, as befitting of a mongrel of your ridiculousness!"
"You could. You really could. You see, I'm really shaking right now. Frightened in my boots and all but-" An explosion echoed from behind the monsters. "But I really have to go. Growing an arm back is going to be such a bitch. I guess I got my fun spoiled by a cranky momma's boy. See ya, nerds~!"
Gilgamesh proceeded to shatter all remaining monsters, revealing that the summoner had run away from their sight.
"She is long gone now," The old priest pointed out. "Right now the priority is- K-King of Heroes?"
Instead of lingering on the spot, Gilgamesh resumed his march through the fortress. After taking the first round of stairs that led to the third floor, the next stop was the rooftop and… Caster instantly realized why the golden man was going through that route.
'A little fight happening above our heads'. The woman had said something like this before leaving, enticing the idea that the rest of the Masters was fighting another important figure of the assault, and that it could've been a possible dangerous element both her Master and Joseph had discussed in detail. Could this have been 'Dio'? The concept felt surprisingly unpleasant since Jotaro had said that he had come so close to actually die when he first fought the vampire.
While her Master had grown much from his youthful self, the changes weren't only for the positive. A lack of serious action had also lessened his prowess in using his Stand. ｢Star Platinum｣ hadn't lost his power from the words of the man, since Stands couldn't exactly grow rusty with their skills after time… but the same wasn't for the user, which could be less prepared in handling the heat of the fight.
Especially when the fight was as fast-paced as Joseph had told her to be. While he wasn't there to see it, the old man was keen to narrate this from the words of a mutual friend to both him and his grandson, someone called 'Polnareff'. Dio and Jotaro brawled fiercely all over Cairo, crashing on buildings, ruining a few roads and even causing the destruction of a heavy Road Roller.
Caster was doing her best to hold every worry she had over this matter within herself, to keep them from actually tainting her clear mind from committing any mistakes in this intense circumstance. They had an advantage through numbers, but if Dio was capable of stopping Time like her Master, then she was the only one beside Jotaro that could oppose the vampire from abusing this ability.
Sadly for her, she knew well enough that if ｢Star Platinum｣ was slightly stronger than her, then she doubted she held much of a chance to fight evenly against Dio's Stand. Hopefully her Noble Phantasm was going to be enough to deter any attacks if things come to that dire situation.
They finally reached the rooftop and they found out that the entire area had been devastated with what appeared to be a dreadful fight. An unconscious Kirei was holding his broken right arm close to his chest, sitting and leaning on a column by the edge of the railing. Kiritsugu was a little far from him, laying down on the ground as he tried to reach for his gun, only for him to be unable to move as his left leg had been bent in a horrible manner.
With Saber and Irisviel going to check on the Magus Killer, and Risei helping his son together with Assassin, Xuanzang was left with only Rider and Waver as she advanced towards Dio… as the vampire stared in shock at his current opponent. Seeing that, the pink-eyed woman felt relief but this was cut short as she glanced at Jotaro.
The man was standing with a fierce look plastered on his face. Despite the defiant glare he was throwing at his enemy, his body was in the worst shape possible. Knuckles broken, his left hand clutching firmly on his upper right section of the chest as a gaping hole had been created, and finally a large bit of his left side was gone. Blood pouring down in a large pool forming beneath his feet, the marine biologist made a miracle by making a step forward without falling apart.
The vampire, seeing this, actually backed away. Dio looked as dangerous as he had been described, but his threatening frame was countered by the pure shock his face was displaying. It was easy to see that the horror didn't come from personal pain or damage, but rather by the sheer will that was keeping together the human.
Xuanzang panicked at the sight, and before she knew it, she was already pulling her Master away from the powerful Servant. Jotaro seemed surprised as she rushed so suddenly and so swiftly, but didn't push away from being grasped tightly by Caster. His pulse was weak, and she was doubtful he was going to get back to shape anytime soon if she lingered around for too long.
"Y-You- You think you will be spared from my wrath, Jojo? You think that I will ever forgive you for defying my will on multiple occasions? DEATH SHALL BE YOUR DESTINY-!!"
As he the vampire lifted his hands up to strike at the duo, his arms were cleaved off by a barrage of swords and lances. He backed away again, this time turning to the origin of this attack, minor surprise adorning his face as he realized he had forgotten about a detail. A detail that was pissed and aiming all his anger right back at him.
"Mongrel, you dare ruin my good mood!?"
Meanwhile Jotaro tried to recollect his thoughts, his mind growing tired the more blood he kept losing.
-----------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d------------d-d-d-d-----------
"Let's see if you are still capable of backing the foolish yapping I know you for, Jojo!" Dio exclaimed with a fierce tone, standing a fair distance from his three opponents.
Kirei readied his Black Keys, knowing that a direct assault would be suicidal considering how ruthless the vampire was. Jotaro had barely managed to get through his defenses, and the two previous times were only because he had a distraction to count on. But right now? The only way they were going to be was to allow the researcher to directly take on that fight, while both Kiritsugu and the priest aimed to strike when possible.
It wasn't something Kirei was particularly happy about since it meant taking a bet he wasn't truly sure of, but there wasn't much of a choice to make when it came to handling someone of Dio's caliber. He could still remember the reports, he could still remember the warnings from his father. He just couldn't think of any other solutions.
So when Jotaro bolted to resume the close quarters with Dio, sparks ensued at the semi-invisible clash. For some reason, now that the battle was happening at a higher pace, both Magi could see some figures between two, the ones behind the attacking rushes they were witnessing.
Kiritsugu was surprised, but he didn't show anything about it as he took out his Calico M950, the submachine gun spraying an entire cartridge of bullets in a mere seconds, forcing Dio to back away and throw a knife back at him. The Magus Killer cursed under his breath as he realized that the vampire had something that could aid him in the long range, thus forcing him to use his magecraft to dodge the high-velocity daggers.
Much to his grimace, Dio seemed to notice this detail, and he pointed this out after getting distant enough from Jotaro.
"Your entire body is now accelerated. I believe this is a degree of time-manipulation… like a bubble that surrounds your body and increases your overall pace, both physically and mentally," The vampire deduced quietly. "A very impressive element of magecraft. I learn something more about this mysterious world beyond the light of the crimson moon every day."
The mercenary ignored the 'compliment', focused on offering some more support by allowing Kirei to dispatch a couple of Black Keys on Dio's exposed back. Much like Jotaro predicted, the blades were repelled by ｢The Words｣, finally offering him the chance to retaliate with four well placed punches.
｢Star Platinum｣ slammed his fists by the vampire's sternum, then double-punching the side of the blond's head, squishing and cracking his skull just a little bit before being pushed back by ｢The World｣.
"Your interference is starting to grow infuriating."
"You're going back to hell, you bastard!" The descendant of Jonathan Joestar proclaimed furiously, his cold glare and words backed by the continuation of another exchange of hits. While he was easily losing those, he still offered the chance to his allies to harass his opponent.
But like any good strategy that is used for too long, this idea was quickly countered and used against them. Kiritsugu threw a grenade meant to blast the vampire back to Jotaro's range of punches, only for the explosive device to be thrown back at the researcher himself. The grenade detonated, tearing a good part of Jotaro's left flank and forcing him to recoil in agony at the explosion, and allowing Dio to take on the other two Magi.
The Magus Killer tried to elude the sudden rush through his Time-related magecraft, but it hardly mattered when it came to ｢The World｣'s unique speed. A single low-power punch to his leg sent the man rolling on the ground and losing hold of his Calico.
"｢The World｣!"
Kirei felt panic as he saw the vampire in a different position than the one he was before he blinked, his right arm moving to block the sudden punch aimed at his chest. The bone groaned and then broke as the damage was just beyond his imagination. The priest was sent flying, rolling on the floor before slamming on a column in there.
Jotaro stood up, trying to resume the fight, trying to keep up like he did back in Cairo but… something absurd happened as he got close enough to land a hit on Dio's smug face. He stopped, his body paralyzed as he felt something sharp hitting through his chest.
｢The World｣'s index finger had stretched the same way ｢Star Platinum｣'s Star Finger tended to do, perfectly emulating a technique that Jotaro had thought to be unique to his Stand. Staring down in pure shock at the damage suffered, with the finger now piercing deep close to his heart. He pulled out, almost expecting for the marine biologist to fall at the push, only for the man to keep standing.
"You should have given up now that you could," Dio pointed out with a renewed conviction. "There is no reason to keep fighting when your body is so horribly damaged. You are only a bug and-"
He stopped the moment Jotaro took a step towards him. Instead of confidence, there was fear. So much fear that for a very moment the researcher thought he was just imagining things. He still advanced, deciding that in that moment of unsureness he was still going to land a punch and… hope it was going to be enough to end him. Doubtful, no- impossible. There was no single chance this was going to end like that battle in Cairo. Dio's face wasn't his own weakness, and dreaming isn't enough for it to actually be the case.
Just as he was close enough to strike one last time before collapsing, he felt his body pushed and then pulled away from the blond. Familiar brunette, worried pink eyes- Caster. Safe hands, he felt his throat tightening as the rest of the group had appeared to the rooftop. Now there was a minor chance if… if Dio didn't use his time-stop. Idle thinking, the man looked ready to do so before Archer unleashed some of his blades and shredded the vampire's arms off.
"Mongrel, you dare ruin my good mood!?"
Dio smiled smugly the moment he noticed that Gilgamesh was frowning furiously at him. Gone was the fright, only eagerness remained as the vampire, despite his lack of arms, kept on acting superior and in an advantageous position. Rider was on standby to strike, and if Caster left him for a moment, she would've been able to provide more support and bring an end to the foul monster.
"Gilgamesh, King of Uruk- King of Heroes and… the greatest fool to ever exist," The blond regarded the golden Servant, drawing a deeper scowl out of the Archer. "I'm really flattered by your wrath, it makes me believe that I can finally admit that I truly have ascended as the greatest threat to people like you."
…
"What are you talking about?"
Despite the question, everyone could sense that something had changed in the powerful Archer's voice. Gone was the absolute anger… now replaced by confusion and irritation. While this might not sound as a novelty for those that have known Gilgamesh for so little, Kirei and Assassin knew something was actually bothering the King of Heroes to drop the previous emotions.
"I'm sure you actually know what I'm saying right now, Gilgamesh. Francesca told me that you can see some hints of the future that you know what will happen in the next few minutes. And I can assure you that it's all real,"
"You see, King of 'Heroes', I believe you failed to realize that bonds like family or lovers… are nothing more but flaws that severely weaken people like you," The vampire started to explain. "In your case, you were cursed by having to handle a flaw that is indirectly tied to you. In specific… it's your Master."
These words didn't make any sense at first, but then Dio looked up to… a bird that was flying above their heads. The small avian's eyes were glowing a light blue, showing that it was being used as a familiar and, from the words used by the vampire, it was the Master of Archer behind it.
"While the man was so happy to ditch his second daughter for the sake of removing a debt, he is fairly… unwilling to allow his eldest to be hurt in any way, shape or form. Which is why I saw it fit to tell him that his daughter is currently under my custody," The blond continued. "That she will be treated as a guest until… he is willing to comply with some requests of mine."
Realization seemed to form in Gilgamesh's face, but before he could do anything about what Dio had planned against him, his entire body tensed up. His furious look remained as numerous trails of blood started to flow out of the king's lips. Moments later, a soft thud announced Archer's lifeless body falling on the ground.
Everyone was shocked by the sight, knowing that the Servant had been too powerful to be killed at ease. Unless…
"Tokiomi, what have you done..." Risei muttered in horror.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha! MUDA~!!" Dio exclaimed fiercely. "Here is the proof, Jojo. This War, that has for so long been fought through pure strength and force matters little against my brilliance! DIO RULES THIS WORLD!"
"You're still surrounded," Rider reminded loudly, advancing towards the fellow Servant. "And I will not allow you to leave this place without a battle."
"Why would I care for your wishes, you foolish oaf?" Dio replied calmly. "I will take my leave now."
"｢The World｣!"
It was a loud shout, one that saw Caster stare in pure shock as Dio easily froze time and… retreated from the castle, managing to somehow glide over the forest and back to the city. Still, her surprise was momentary as her worries easily overwhelmed this emotion, the need of having her Master brought back to safety.
The meeting was concluded by Risei's words, and it was indicted a proper halt to the Fourth Holy Grail War for the time being. There were so many developments unfolding and… so much that Xuanzang had to explain once she managed to get Jotaro back to the Speedwagon Foundation's headquarters.
Sakura was quick to keep by his adoptive father's bedside, while Joseph requested a full report of the situation. From the grim look he held for the remainder of the night, Caster could tell that the situation was as bad as it could be. Jotaro was going to recover thanks to her assistance and the workers of the foundation, but for a full day he would be completely vulnerable if anyone decided to attack him now.
Despite the old man's words, the monk was sure her Master wasn't going to incur any threats for the duration of the next day. Not because she believed Dio was going to allow them any reprieve, but now the Servant was fervently convinced that… It was time to act serious on this matter. She allowed herself to be overwhelmed by the surprise, something that almost cost her Master's life in the process. Only because she hesitated to move and strike at the vampire.
…
Her mind was assaulted by old memories until it was morning time, an old question coming from a wise man torturing her to keep awake and vigilant.
"Would you drop Nirvana if it was to save your friends?"
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AN
Here it is. Now some explanations:
1) Dio didn't fight fair against Gilgamesh: It's coherent with his usual pattern. Starting from Part 1 up to Part 3, Dio's fighting style stemmed in two categories A) Arrogantly accepting fights with people he deems inferior or weaker than himself or B) Using cheap tricks to kill opponents way stronger than him. The best example is when he took on Jonathan to undermine his sanity early in Part 1 and went to poison George since he could never hope to win in a direct confrontation;
2) Dio's fear of Jotaro: While Dio respects Jonathan as someone that made him change his mind about him, Jotaro left an unpleasant impression in Dio's mind. Not only was he a descendant of his arch-enemy, but he is also known to make use of cheap tricks like him to fight stronger opponents. Jonathan was a gentleman that would give up only if he is allowed to by the fact his friends are safe from any successive threats, Jotaro instead represents someone that can't give up and thus can't be beaten. In Dio's eyes, Jotaro is his worst opponent ever.
"Jotaro… you have not changed at all," Dio slowly commented, his lips twitching in a smile as his Stand fully manifested in front of him, ready to clash once again with ｢Star Platinum｣ as the escalation was inevitable.
It was similar to back then, but many things were still different. The closeness, the lack of an open setting where to freely move around and retreat when the situation was going to get tough on one of the two sides…
Jotaro knew that despite his current conditions, he was still rustier than when he was seventeen. Back at that time, facing Dio had been possible only because he had grown accustomed to using ｢Star Platinum｣ this frequently, and his instincts were sharpened by numerous battles having unfolded mere hours earlier than the final battle.
But right now, the marine biologist couldn't count on these advantages, and he knew that the man in front of him was way more dangerous than he had been years ago. Still… he couldn't allow himself to lose against him. Even if it meant going all out with the Time-Stop Ability and draining his life force too much in the process.
"T-That's Dio," Risei commented, eyes wide open as he addressed the foul monster that had just intruded that private meeting. "He is… a foul being!"
Jotaro gritted his teeth furiously at the priest's words. While the rest of the occupants were nervous of the smug bastard that was studying the entire situation, the marine biologist felt his anger bubble at the sight of the blond vampire, the man behind the deaths of people like Kakiyoin, Avdol, and Iggy... He was there, in front of him.
Only now the dreadful grip of what his return entails struck the human. Not just because of the thought of how many other lives he was already ruining, but because the threat to his family was now evident and clear. He imagined what the dangerous villain was going to do if allowed to live beyond today and… he had to call Lena. He had to have her moved to a safer house. Joseph would surely help through the Speedwagon Foundation. It was the only way.
"It's been so long since-!!"
"ORA!"
Before the fellow Stand User could finish that sentence, he found himself forced to brace as ｢Star Platinum｣ struck ｢The World｣'s face with a powerful punch, breaking his jaw and forcing the vampire to back away from the relative closeness. Hands swiftly adjusting the damage, golden eyes narrowed irked at that sudden attack.
He had to attack. At this point, he had things he could lose now. Back then, it was only anger driving his punches- a sense of vengeance. But now, Jotaro knew that he couldn't allow any chances to waste as the stakes were just too high. He couldn't afford it, not if he wanted to keep his wife and Jolyne out of this madness.
"Always the impudent brat, Jotaro. Even now, after years since I faced you, you still believe you can have the upper hand like this, with these cheap tricks," The Servant scoffed. "Once again, I have to remind you that things are indeed different from last time… especially when your attacks are weaker than back then!"
With that exclamation, the occupants finally moved away from their chairs as part of the room started to become too difficult to stay near too. The pressure heightened to an absurd point, and before their eyes something absurd unfolded. While Jotaro and Dio were both standing one against the other, numerous 'impacts' started to materialize between them. Up, down, left and right, the sound of punches meeting and matching flawlessly filled the silent scene.
This felt familiar, but still a far cry of what the researcher could remember. It wasn't in his muscle memory- and it's been way too long since he had a challenge this frustrating. Not only he was fighting a Stand with higher stats than ｢Star Platinum｣, but from what he knew through Risei, the vampire could have gained control over his ancestor's body and… regained his vampiric powers.
Despite the fact how insane the entire sight was, both Kirei and Kiritsugu prepared their respective weapons to provide assistance. Right now it was impossible to act considering that both were too close to one another, and from what they knew about Dio, the man seemed to act best when under pressure… especially when he can just move away and send any attacks up to Jotaro in retaliation.
The Magus Killer instead reached for a radio, one that was connected to another one that was currently manned by Maya, the young woman having been assigned to keep an eye out for any need to snipe any rogue Masters. It had been an extra precaution, a contingency that was created for the sake of avoiding any dangerous elements to be spared beyond this reunion. Now that Dio was there, the priority was to actually provide a distraction. Bullets weren't going to do much against Servants, but those were more than enough to provide cover and allow the direct opposing force of the aggressor to get an advantage out of it.
"Aim for the head," He quietly whispered through the device, a hum replying him as a bullet soon cracked one of the windows' glass and slammed onto the back of the blond's head. The vampire blinked, surprise briefly interesting his expression as he realized what had just happened. But by pausing for this unimportant matter, Dio was not open for another strike from Jotaro, this time the attack being decisively stronger than the first one.
"ORA!!"
｢Star Platinum｣'s fist pierced through the intruder's chest, ripping through his rib cage and sending the surprised opponent flying out of the already broken window. It was ironic how this was similar to when he first learned he could move in Dio's Time-Stop, but the marine biologist didn't stop because of his thoughts as he moved swiftly to give chase, stopping only as he was called from Risei.
"Jotaro-san, I believe you should accept the aid from both my son and Emiya-san for this situation," The elder muttered with a serious tone. "Dio is a Servant now, and I can say for certain he will be stronger than the time you first fought him."
Not a wrong assumption. The early comment that the foul monster had provided could've been truer than he wanted it to be. If it was the case, then ｢Star Platinum｣ wasn't going to be enough to match ｢The World｣ in a fair fight. And he wasn't going to refuse the help offered by the two decent fighters now that he needed it the most. So the young man nodded, turning his stare back at the two allies and following the vampire with them in tow up to the rooftop of the building.
"W-What about us?" Waver asked in complete panic.
"We get back to the Servants," The old priest calmly replied, turning to the other remaining occupant in the room. "Lady Irisviel, I suppose you can lead us to where they might be."
The woman nodded, starting to make her way towards the broken door and lead the rest of the group out of the room. Waver was nervous of how many bad things were happening at once and he knew perfectly enough that he couldn't waste time whining about the attacks. His priority was to get back to Rider, get to cover, and allow the eager big guy to destroy any threats with a confident smile.
His capacity to defend himself and the others were limited, with hypnotism being the magecraft he was the most accustomed in and that he could make use of in that very moment. And he knew that despite his celebrity, Risei Kotomine wasn't that strong and capable in a combat situation.
He wasn't sure the same could be said about the owner of this fortress, the kind-looking woman having nothing on herself and her posture that suggested she was prepared in facing such a threat if the need roused.
But as they turned the first corner to try and find the location where the Servants had been taken to, they paused as they heard a loud crunching noise coming from behind them. Nervousness grasped them as they felt forced to stop, their bodies paralyzed for some time by a sense of… despair.
Numerous homunculi had been shredded to pieces, some still being devoured by monsters with tentacles and giant maws. The maids had taken down some of the creatures from the looks of it, numerous torn monsters littering the floor together with the corpses of the castle's servants.
A giggle soon echoed through the hallways as, further away from these creatures, they noticed a young woman starting to make her way towards them. Twirling an umbrella above her head, this individual was exuding an unpleasant aura as something within her mirthfulness was just beyond human. The fact that the monsters didn't seem to mind her presence also was telling on who she really was.
"W-We need to go, now!" Risei pressed, understanding that despite the innocent appearance, this intruder was far more dangerous than she looked to be. His voice seemed to shake Irisviel from her surprised self. The woman started to run, followed by the two other individuals as Francesca continued to give chase slowly but happily.
With a giddy smile plastered on her face, she stared up at the roof with a sultry look. A hidden pleasure finally manifesting as her wish was coming to fruition right in that very moment. Her bond with Dio, the one common between Master and Servant, was picking up that her 'Servant' was close to engaging in a serious battle.
And she was wasting time like this… for nothing. Sure, the thrills of stalking a puppet, a decrepit God-believer and a wimp sounded fascinating and lovely when she coupled it with the chances of making some red paint of this possibility.
"Oh~ I can tell they are already fighting… I should move then. Wouldn't want to miss the scene for nothing in this world..." The Demonic worshipper hummed, her eyes still scanning around as she admired the impressive structure of the castle. Really, there was no shame in her mind to admit German architecture looked 'tougher' and 'scarier' than the French one. "But first… let's end these pests. Wouldn't want for them to be too troublesome later on for all of us~."
And thus, the eager Master hunted down her three preys, disregarding that her window of opportunity was thinning faster than expected as a certain King was moving to find the culprit behind this attack.
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Caster huffed as she cracked two zombies' skulls by slamming them together. Extreme violence was necessary to handle the undead threats, and she wasn't any less inclined to use it to put these poor souls back to rest. It was a new element to remember as part of her new journey, but it wasn't by any means something she was mostly displeased for.
What she really was angry about was that the responsible was still on the loose, and perhaps trying to harm her Master and the rest of the people that were together with him. Sure, Jotaro is strong and she shouldn't be worried about this…
But it was in her nature to be concerned by others, no matter how strong they were. There were several instances in her past trips that would see her rush to aid those friends she made during her voyage- people that while divine in nature were still deserving of support, of friendship… and of a face to trust in the battlefield.
Assassin quietly manifested numerous copies of masked men and women, providing enough numbers to avoid the rest of the group to be overwhelmed by the horde of monsters. Rider and Saber were cleaving around with their swords, tearing through large groups of walking carcasses with ease as a large portion of the courtyard exploded in gold, Archer proving to be particularly vicious after being denied a proper and complete tea-drinking session.
There was a hint of brutality that seemed to stem beyond the mere action, but Xuanzang decided against inquiring about it, preferring to focus on the problem at hand. Kill the zombies, find Master, kill the rest of the attackers and foil the assault in its entirety.
Simple lines that developed in other more complex details that she was currently dealing with. Like killing some mutated zombies that were either faster or stronger than the average creatures. Their numbers were incredible, but the quality was lacking, allowing for the defenders to gain the advantage relatively easy and quickly. Attacking left and right, eventually the monk managed to get a way cleared for the closest entrance to the main building while aided by the other three Servants.
Turning around, the pink-eyed woman regarded how there was a noticeable group still remaining despite their best efforts and that this group wasn't bound to last for long from the way the King of Heroes was glaring at those.
Before marching inside, Gilgamesh scowled and unleashed a massive barrage of his weapons over the remaining monsters, shredding them to nothingness in mere instants. He took the lead, the ferocious monarch sparing no words to his 'companions' as they all started to clean up the halls from other undeads and new monsters. Sea-like creatures that were tainted by demonic energies, for a Servant of her caliber, Caster could tell the mastermind behind those creations was someone she needed to be extremely wary of.
This hard work seemed to have been done flawlessly, as if the creator had enough experience to accomplish this much in very little time and attention. And this magecraft was nothing to scoff at, especially from the levels she had picked from other Magi in this era.
Her mind was quickly bringing back the path her and her fellow Servants had taken when they were led to the courtyard, and she was surprised when Archer seemed to know it too himself. Saber was surprised herself, eyeing the red-eyed king with a wary look, while Iskandar seemed to not mind the little discovery. Actually embracing it as he completely ignored it.
Left and right, they continued to find monsters and signs of struggles having been long resolved between the defensive force of the castle and the attackers, with way too many Homunculi dead than zombies for them to have perished at the enemies they were currently facing. Caster's instincts were almost screaming at the fact that what was lurking around was also tied to the monsters themselves.
And she was proven correct when they were blessed by three individuals running towards them. Xuanzang's eyes widened as she recognized them, with the sword-wielder blonde a little behind her taking the opportunity to call out the woman leading that small group.
"Irisviel!"
The Einzbern nodded, finally arriving close enough to the Servants and… moved behind them. The behavior looked wrong, but then the reason appeared as a malicious threat turned the corner and skipped eagerly towards them. That is until the giggling woman's eyes landed on the furious glare Gilgamesh was throwing back at her.
Then the hatred became evident when a blade rushed out one of the open portals, cutting off the girl's right arm in a swift hit. Before other weapons could've been thrown at her, the young woman summoned other familiars of her, using those as shield from the attacks.
"Oh, come on, King of Heroes. I really needed that arm especially with how important today is!" The summoner lamented. "You know, I need to be up to shape to admire to its fullest the little fight happening above our heads!"
"You're one of the foolish scums that decided to assault my proximity. You should be grateful I didn't aim lower and took your legs away from you."
"Don't lie~! You want to break me piece by piece for scorning you, so why would you go for the most painful hits first? You need to make your victim bleed a little before you play with them," The girl accused. "One would think someone of your status would've been more sincere with their emotions. I bet you poured your heart out when your clay boy got broken by uncles and aunties."
More monsters appeared, only for the first few lines to collapse after a vicious barrage of blades.
"I shall make your death slow and painful, as befitting of a mongrel of your ridiculousness!"
"You could. You really could. You see, I'm really shaking right now. Frightened in my boots and all but-" An explosion echoed from behind the monsters. "But I really have to go. Growing an arm back is going to be such a bitch. I guess I got my fun spoiled by a cranky momma's boy. See ya, nerds~!"
Gilgamesh proceeded to shatter all remaining monsters, revealing that the summoner had run away from their sight.
"She is long gone now," The old priest pointed out. "Right now the priority is- K-King of Heroes?"
Instead of lingering on the spot, Gilgamesh resumed his march through the fortress. After taking the first round of stairs that led to the third floor, the next stop was the rooftop and… Caster instantly realized why the golden man was going through that route.
'A little fight happening above our heads'. The woman had said something like this before leaving, enticing the idea that the rest of the Masters was fighting another important figure of the assault, and that it could've been a possible dangerous element both her Master and Joseph had discussed in detail. Could this have been 'Dio'? The concept felt surprisingly unpleasant since Jotaro had said that he had come so close to actually die when he first fought the vampire.
While her Master had grown much from his youthful self, the changes weren't only for the positive. A lack of serious action had also lessened his prowess in using his Stand. ｢Star Platinum｣ hadn't lost his power from the words of the man, since Stands couldn't exactly grow rusty with their skills after time… but the same wasn't for the user, which could be less prepared in handling the heat of the fight.
Especially when the fight was as fast-paced as Joseph had told her to be. While he wasn't there to see it, the old man was keen to narrate this from the words of a mutual friend to both him and his grandson, someone called 'Polnareff'. Dio and Jotaro brawled fiercely all over Cairo, crashing on buildings, ruining a few roads and even causing the destruction of a heavy Road Roller.
Caster was doing her best to hold every worry she had over this matter within herself, to keep them from actually tainting her clear mind from committing any mistakes in this intense circumstance. They had an advantage through numbers, but if Dio was capable of stopping Time like her Master, then she was the only one beside Jotaro that could oppose the vampire from abusing this ability.
Sadly for her, she knew well enough that if ｢Star Platinum｣ was slightly stronger than her, then she doubted she held much of a chance to fight evenly against Dio's Stand. Hopefully her Noble Phantasm was going to be enough to deter any attacks if things come to that dire situation.
They finally reached the rooftop and they found out that the entire area had been devastated with what appeared to be a dreadful fight. An unconscious Kirei was holding his broken right arm close to his chest, sitting and leaning on a column by the edge of the railing. Kiritsugu was a little far from him, laying down on the ground as he tried to reach for his gun, only for him to be unable to move as his left leg had been bent in a horrible manner.
With Saber and Irisviel going to check on the Magus Killer, and Risei helping his son together with Assassin, Xuanzang was left with only Rider and Waver as she advanced towards Dio… as the vampire stared in shock at his current opponent. Seeing that, the pink-eyed woman felt relief but this was cut short as she glanced at Jotaro.
The man was standing with a fierce look plastered on his face. Despite the defiant glare he was throwing at his enemy, his body was in the worst shape possible. Knuckles broken, his left hand clutching firmly on his upper right section of the chest as a gaping hole had been created, and finally a large bit of his left side was gone. Blood pouring down in a large pool forming beneath his feet, the marine biologist made a miracle by making a step forward without falling apart.
The vampire, seeing this, actually backed away. Dio looked as dangerous as he had been described, but his threatening frame was countered by the pure shock his face was displaying. It was easy to see that the horror didn't come from personal pain or damage, but rather by the sheer will that was keeping together the human.
Xuanzang panicked at the sight, and before she knew it, she was already pulling her Master away from the powerful Servant. Jotaro seemed surprised as she rushed so suddenly and so swiftly, but didn't push away from being grasped tightly by Caster. His pulse was weak, and she was doubtful he was going to get back to shape anytime soon if she lingered around for too long.
"Y-You- You think you will be spared from my wrath, Jojo? You think that I will ever forgive you for defying my will on multiple occasions? DEATH SHALL BE YOUR DESTINY-!!"
As he the vampire lifted his hands up to strike at the duo, his arms were cleaved off by a barrage of swords and lances. He backed away again, this time turning to the origin of this attack, minor surprise adorning his face as he realized he had forgotten about a detail. A detail that was pissed and aiming all his anger right back at him.
"Mongrel, you dare ruin my good mood!?"
Meanwhile Jotaro tried to recollect his thoughts, his mind growing tired the more blood he kept losing.
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"Let's see if you are still capable of backing the foolish yapping I know you for, Jojo!" Dio exclaimed with a fierce tone, standing a fair distance from his three opponents.
Kirei readied his Black Keys, knowing that a direct assault would be suicidal considering how ruthless the vampire was. Jotaro had barely managed to get through his defenses, and the two previous times were only because he had a distraction to count on. But right now? The only way they were going to be was to allow the researcher to directly take on that fight, while both Kiritsugu and the priest aimed to strike when possible.
It wasn't something Kirei was particularly happy about since it meant taking a bet he wasn't truly sure of, but there wasn't much of a choice to make when it came to handling someone of Dio's caliber. He could still remember the reports, he could still remember the warnings from his father. He just couldn't think of any other solutions.
So when Jotaro bolted to resume the close quarters with Dio, sparks ensued at the semi-invisible clash. For some reason, now that the battle was happening at a higher pace, both Magi could see some figures between two, the ones behind the attacking rushes they were witnessing.
Kiritsugu was surprised, but he didn't show anything about it as he took out his Calico M950, the submachine gun spraying an entire cartridge of bullets in a mere seconds, forcing Dio to back away and throw a knife back at him. The Magus Killer cursed under his breath as he realized that the vampire had something that could aid him in the long range, thus forcing him to use his magecraft to dodge the high-velocity daggers.
Much to his grimace, Dio seemed to notice this detail, and he pointed this out after getting distant enough from Jotaro.
"Your entire body is now accelerated. I believe this is a degree of time-manipulation… like a bubble that surrounds your body and increases your overall pace, both physically and mentally," The vampire deduced quietly. "A very impressive element of magecraft. I learn something more about this mysterious world beyond the light of the crimson moon every day."
The mercenary ignored the 'compliment', focused on offering some more support by allowing Kirei to dispatch a couple of Black Keys on Dio's exposed back. Much like Jotaro predicted, the blades were repelled by ｢The Words｣, finally offering him the chance to retaliate with four well placed punches.
｢Star Platinum｣ slammed his fists by the vampire's sternum, then double-punching the side of the blond's head, squishing and cracking his skull just a little bit before being pushed back by ｢The World｣.
"Your interference is starting to grow infuriating."
"You're going back to hell, you bastard!" The descendant of Jonathan Joestar proclaimed furiously, his cold glare and words backed by the continuation of another exchange of hits. While he was easily losing those, he still offered the chance to his allies to harass his opponent.
But like any good strategy that is used for too long, this idea was quickly countered and used against them. Kiritsugu threw a grenade meant to blast the vampire back to Jotaro's range of punches, only for the explosive device to be thrown back at the researcher himself. The grenade detonated, tearing a good part of Jotaro's left flank and forcing him to recoil in agony at the explosion, and allowing Dio to take on the other two Magi.
The Magus Killer tried to elude the sudden rush through his Time-related magecraft, but it hardly mattered when it came to ｢The World｣'s unique speed. A single low-power punch to his leg sent the man rolling on the ground and losing hold of his Calico.
"｢The World｣!"
Kirei felt panic as he saw the vampire in a different position than the one he was before he blinked, his right arm moving to block the sudden punch aimed at his chest. The bone groaned and then broke as the damage was just beyond his imagination. The priest was sent flying, rolling on the floor before slamming on a column in there.
Jotaro stood up, trying to resume the fight, trying to keep up like he did back in Cairo but… something absurd happened as he got close enough to land a hit on Dio's smug face. He stopped, his body paralyzed as he felt something sharp hitting through his chest.
｢The World｣'s index finger had stretched the same way ｢Star Platinum｣'s Star Finger tended to do, perfectly emulating a technique that Jotaro had thought to be unique to his Stand. Staring down in pure shock at the damage suffered, with the finger now piercing deep close to his heart. He pulled out, almost expecting for the marine biologist to fall at the push, only for the man to keep standing.
"You should have given up now that you could," Dio pointed out with a renewed conviction. "There is no reason to keep fighting when your body is so horribly damaged. You are only a bug and-"
He stopped the moment Jotaro took a step towards him. Instead of confidence, there was fear. So much fear that for a very moment the researcher thought he was just imagining things. He still advanced, deciding that in that moment of unsureness he was still going to land a punch and… hope it was going to be enough to end him. Doubtful, no- impossible. There was no single chance this was going to end like that battle in Cairo. Dio's face wasn't his own weakness, and dreaming isn't enough for it to actually be the case.
Just as he was close enough to strike one last time before collapsing, he felt his body pushed and then pulled away from the blond. Familiar brunette, worried pink eyes- Caster. Safe hands, he felt his throat tightening as the rest of the group had appeared to the rooftop. Now there was a minor chance if… if Dio didn't use his time-stop. Idle thinking, the man looked ready to do so before Archer unleashed some of his blades and shredded the vampire's arms off.
"Mongrel, you dare ruin my good mood!?"
Dio smiled smugly the moment he noticed that Gilgamesh was frowning furiously at him. Gone was the fright, only eagerness remained as the vampire, despite his lack of arms, kept on acting superior and in an advantageous position. Rider was on standby to strike, and if Caster left him for a moment, she would've been able to provide more support and bring an end to the foul monster.
"Gilgamesh, King of Uruk- King of Heroes and… the greatest fool to ever exist," The blond regarded the golden Servant, drawing a deeper scowl out of the Archer. "I'm really flattered by your wrath, it makes me believe that I can finally admit that I truly have ascended as the greatest threat to people like you."
…
"What are you talking about?"
Despite the question, everyone could sense that something had changed in the powerful Archer's voice. Gone was the absolute anger… now replaced by confusion and irritation. While this might not sound as a novelty for those that have known Gilgamesh for so little, Kirei and Assassin knew something was actually bothering the King of Heroes to drop the previous emotions.
"I'm sure you actually know what I'm saying right now, Gilgamesh. Francesca told me that you can see some hints of the future that you know what will happen in the next few minutes. And I can assure you that it's all real,"
"You see, King of 'Heroes', I believe you failed to realize that bonds like family or lovers… are nothing more but flaws that severely weaken people like you," The vampire started to explain. "In your case, you were cursed by having to handle a flaw that is indirectly tied to you. In specific… it's your Master."
These words didn't make any sense at first, but then Dio looked up to… a bird that was flying above their heads. The small avian's eyes were glowing a light blue, showing that it was being used as a familiar and, from the words used by the vampire, it was the Master of Archer behind it.
"While the man was so happy to ditch his second daughter for the sake of removing a debt, he is fairly… unwilling to allow his eldest to be hurt in any way, shape or form. Which is why I saw it fit to tell him that his daughter is currently under my custody," The blond continued. "That she will be treated as a guest until… he is willing to comply with some requests of mine."
Realization seemed to form in Gilgamesh's face, but before he could do anything about what Dio had planned against him, his entire body tensed up. His furious look remained as numerous trails of blood started to flow out of the king's lips. Moments later, a soft thud announced Archer's lifeless body falling on the ground.
Everyone was shocked by the sight, knowing that the Servant had been too powerful to be killed at ease. Unless…
"Tokiomi, what have you done..." Risei muttered in horror.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha! MUDA~!!" Dio exclaimed fiercely. "Here is the proof, Jojo. This War, that has for so long been fought through pure strength and force matters little against my brilliance! DIO RULES THIS WORLD!"
"You're still surrounded," Rider reminded loudly, advancing towards the fellow Servant. "And I will not allow you to leave this place without a battle."
"Why would I care for your wishes, you foolish oaf?" Dio replied calmly. "I will take my leave now."
"｢The World｣!"
It was a loud shout, one that saw Caster stare in pure shock as Dio easily froze time and… retreated from the castle, managing to somehow glide over the forest and back to the city. Still, her surprise was momentary as her worries easily overwhelmed this emotion, the need of having her Master brought back to safety.
The meeting was concluded by Risei's words, and it was indicted a proper halt to the Fourth Holy Grail War for the time being. There were so many developments unfolding and… so much that Xuanzang had to explain once she managed to get Jotaro back to the Speedwagon Foundation's headquarters.
Sakura was quick to keep by his adoptive father's bedside, while Joseph requested a full report of the situation. From the grim look he held for the remainder of the night, Caster could tell that the situation was as bad as it could be. Jotaro was going to recover thanks to her assistance and the workers of the foundation, but for a full day he would be completely vulnerable if anyone decided to attack him now.
Despite the old man's words, the monk was sure her Master wasn't going to incur any threats for the duration of the next day. Not because she believed Dio was going to allow them any reprieve, but now the Servant was fervently convinced that… It was time to act serious on this matter. She allowed herself to be overwhelmed by the surprise, something that almost cost her Master's life in the process. Only because she hesitated to move and strike at the vampire.
…
Her mind was assaulted by old memories until it was morning time, an old question coming from a wise man torturing her to keep awake and vigilant.
"Would you drop Nirvana if it was to save your friends?"
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AN
Here it is. Now some explanations:
1) Dio didn't fight fair against Gilgamesh: It's coherent with his usual pattern. Starting from Part 1 up to Part 3, Dio's fighting style stemmed in two categories A) Arrogantly accepting fights with people he deems inferior or weaker than himself or B) Using cheap tricks to kill opponents way stronger than him. The best example is when he took on Jonathan to undermine his sanity early in Part 1 and went to poison George since he could never hope to win in a direct confrontation;
2) Dio's fear of Jotaro: While Dio respects Jonathan as someone that made him change his mind about him, Jotaro left an unpleasant impression in Dio's mind. Not only was he a descendant of his arch-enemy, but he is also known to make use of cheap tricks like him to fight stronger opponents. Jonathan was a gentleman that would give up only if he is allowed to by the fact his friends are safe from any successive threats, Jotaro instead represents someone that can't give up and thus can't be beaten. In Dio's eyes, Jotaro is his worst opponent ever.
Twelfth Mantra! Fate, Luck, Vision!
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Chapter 13: Twelfth Mantra! Fate, Luck, Vision!
Dio hummed quietly as he calmly tried to get his arm's sensibility back by flipping another page of the tome he was studying from. The book depicting some aspects of the less-known Einzbern magecraft not only allowed him to train his limbs to be back to normal shape after the brutal fate he had suffered just a few hours earlier, but also aided him understanding why he felt so terrified when the approach of a weakened Jotaro managed to get him this frightened.
There was no doubt in his mind that what he felt was fear. Sure, he might have learned to not be at ease around the pesky delinquent, the man having changed none of his hideous traits that hardly befitted someone from the Joestar family, but his body's reaction felt unnatural. It felt so forced and… so frustrating.
He expected the text to provide him with clarity, and yet the papers hardly mentioned something that could rationalize what he felt back then. The sight of the bloodied and limping Stand User, eyes glaring at him with incredible ferocity and unwillingness to stop.
It… It all reminded him of what happened in Cairo. He could still remember when, at the peak of his might, he still failed to kill Jotaro Kujo. The young man stood proud, uncaring of the fact his ribs had suffered extreme damage, that his capacity to move through the time-stop was mostly nullified when Dio drank Joseph's blood and heightened the compatability with Jonathan's body.
His defeat was all caused by a gamble, and an erroneous interpretation of how Jotaro managed to steal His World from him. It took him some time, but then he realized that the reason why he died wasn't tied to the confusing element of the 'Same-Stand' logic. No, the issue was deeper and caused by something he could only blame himself for.
He got himself too careless. He imagined Jotaro to be less than Jonathan because of how the youth behaved against him. His archenemy had represented a degree of chivalry he wouldn't have expected a shy noble boy to turn into, and it was easy to learn of his tenacity and incapacity to give him.
That element had manifested in Jotaro, but the fellow Stand User hadn't done anything in his eyes to render it visible for him to study and counter. The last time-stop, the one that he considered the point he was really beaten, had given the young man the chance to gamble and abuse Dio's naivety at that moment. With his mind burning in glee at the fact he had finally put an end to the much hated family, he hadn't imagined for this gamble to even exist. And, because of this, he faced defeat at another Joestar member.
Sighing quietly, his lack of progress slowly but gradually had his attention shift to another element in his room that was growing to be amusing in nature. Two blue gems stared in cold fury at him from one of the room's corners, a child hiding behind a foolish bunker of pillows that was meant to protect her from his restrained malicious desires. The little kitty that preferred to roar rather than strike failed to stand to be the ferocious panther that she was hoping to show him being.
Bravery was just ten seconds of courage in a sea of fear after all. And Dio didn't mind the attention since it gave him the chance to finally test the young Tohsaka's determination once again. The stunt with her father had been a little fail safe in case the golden danger materialized during the raid. Gilgamesh was an arrogant and pompous bastard that was born in the gold, shaped by it, rendered numb by it as he accepted his God Complex, one that was more imposed by his creators than legitimized by his independent actions.
But now the blond vampire had something else to say and ponder as he allowed a single question to leave his lips, breaking the silence that had existed for a couple of hours now. One that he knew was going to cement his interest in young Rin or make her lose any chance of living beyond today.
"Rin, do you know what's the difference between luck and fate?"
The girl didn't answer at first, and while it was clear that it was a mix of uncertainty and unwillingness to answer that simple query, Dio decided to speak once again, bringing up an example that should easily help someone that was meant to surprise him.
"There was a time where my coffin was being used as a boat by the loved ones of one of my enemies," He mentioned with a distracted tone, remembering with annoyance the time he spent trying and failing to bond with Jonathan's body. It was an unpleasant first step in his survival after what happened in the ship, but it was less worrying than being buried under the sea for almost a full century. "A woman and a newborn were using it to safely make it back on land, ignoring the fact that I, Dio, was hidden away in a secret lower compartment. They managed to make it to safety, failing to notice where I was hiding during the trip."
"What has this… to do with that other question?" Curiosity overwhelmed anger in a moment of brief confusion, gaining a quick smirk out of the Avenger as he enjoyed how easy it was to gain a reaction out of the child.
"The woman could have found the compartment, leading to the death of her and the child she was clutching so motherly, yet she didn't. Do you believe it was luck that saved their lives? Or was it Fate?"
Anger finally faltered as more confusion engaged Rin into that complicated question. Many children her age would have reported headaches at the mere thought of understanding the example, yet the girl seemed to be putting impressive effort in it. The thoughtful look, the eased posture- the child was pondering maturely and impressing the vampire even more as hints of realization dawned over her.
"It's… fate?"
…
He held himself from frowning at that response, surprised by that quick reaction time. Instead of showing any clues that she might be close to the truth, Dio decided to stare blankly at her and speak up again.
"How is it Fate?"
Young students, from elementary to high school, would have a tough time trying to keep by their resolve when a teacher kept a simple composure that betrayed no emotions about the answer they had just provided. It makes one double-think
"W-Well, it's… because she is not lucky."
That was a fascinating take, one he hadn't exactly expected having imagined something a little more complicated out of it. Maybe he was pushing too hard on a boundary only a couple of prodigious kids were known to reach in terms of intelligence. Still, it was an unorthodox but partly-correct approach.
"How so?"
"If the woman had… tried to check for the secret compartment and then decided against that, then she… would have been lucky. But she didn't know it existed, so she would have never checked."
"But what if she noticed that something was out of the ordinary?" The vampire asked. "What if she was curious to see if everything was alright and there was nothing to worry about?"
"Did she?"
…
"What?"
"Was she curious even once about it?"
He allowed a tiny smile. "No."
"Then- Then that silly," Rin rebuked. "She just didn't check because it was fate. I think."
"It's correct," The blond confirmed with a nod. "But that brings up another example before I offer you that question once again."
"B-Bring it."
Cheeky, but she is going to regret putting fret on me about it.
"There are two children. Both siblings, with one being older than the other. Both are part of a noble family that can only accept a single child as the heir to their family," Dio started to say. "The oldest child is chosen to remain, while the younger is sent off to another family. For the sake of 'good'. Now, do you think it was luck or-"
"L-Luck."
…
The Avenger was ready to chuckle at the delightful fright that was in full display on the girl's now pale face. Stubborn and fierce she might be, but her family was her biggest weakness. But not because of how close she was to it, but rather because she didn't know how to handle it. Losing a sibling for the sake of the Clan, it all felt so stale and wrong to the mind of many. For a child to lose a younger sibling felt more like a personal failure. To Rin, the praise of her father was the only worthwhile return to that horrible exchange. Did she ask for it? No, but… there was 'no other choice'.
A foolish thought from a submitted mind.
"Do you want to know why you weren't lucky, Tohsaka Rin?"
…
"Because you were born with potential, and your sister was cursed for a time for something beyond her control. It wasn't luck that drove her out of your household, but fate. She was fated to suffer, and you were fated to be the Tohsaka Heiress-"
"S-Shut up!"
"No. I will not," He flatly scoffed. "Why would I need to cease with this? You should be happy. You weren't sent away to suffer, to be used as a bargaining chip for the 'good of the clan'-"
"Y-you are lying. Th-There was no other choice?"
"Are you saying or are you asking? The truth is that being a Magus, a traditional one at that, is not a good thing. The process to gain a Magical Crest isn't anything to scoff at. The pain akin to a difficult organ transplant, one that kills even when you are the most compatible to," Dio revealed with a sigh. "Your father might appear a good person, but if he was given the chance to grasp the origin of Magecraft, to attain the knowledge behind the Root in exchange for his family… do you think he would hesitate?"
"You- You're lying," The girl screamed back, fat and hot tears flowing down in a pitiful display of emotional pain. "M-My Papa would never hurt me or-"
"Sakura? Oh right, you meant your mother. But of course, let's ignore that he already sold one of his children, his youngest at that, to a man that he knew was going to abuse her."
…
…
Dio… sighed. "When I was younger, I thought my own father, a dishonest drunkard with the darkest of heart, could have changed for good if I had tried my best. My mother was so hopeful that pride in someone else would have shaken him off by the inferiority complex he was so keen to show with his rage and punches," He started to explain. "I learned through the death of my mother… when he decided to sell her wedding dress, one of her most precious items, that my hopes for this were misplaced. I killed him with poison, a method that didn't allow him to fight against anyone as he died from something burning from within."
…
…
"Your father is ambitious. You better learn to be wary around him if he somehow manages to live through the Grail War. He will push you to become his avatar, to do horrible things all for the furthering of the 'shining path of success for the Tohsaka Clan'. You will be his pawn, and his tool to feel proud of himself and nobody else."
…
"I… I hate you."
He finally chuckled, his amusement finally perking to the top at that frail response.
"Oh, young Rin. I wouldn't hope for anything else. You want to know why it's easier to hate than love?" He inquired rhetorically. "Because you can lie about love, but hate… it takes part of you that normally you can't hide away from others. And right now, your hate isn't aimed at me."
…
…
Biting down a sigh, Dio had to admit that he might have gone for a tougher approach than needed. Rin was his toy, but that didn't mean he was supposed to break her like this. Not when her potential showed that she could easily become more of a toy. More of a pawn. He just… needed to put her to accept his mindset now. So she rewarded her just for once for failing to answer his question.
"The difference between luck and fate is that luck is subjective. Pretty much everything can be lucky, but in reality only a couple of things can be considered lucky," The blond explained calmly. "Fate is absolute. You can try to deny it, you can try to hide it, but fate aids many people, sometimes for both 'good and bad' reasons. I was aided in becoming a vampire through it, but then I was killed for extending myself beyond what I could achieve. It was personal failure that stuck me against an unfair state of fate. Not a foolish Joestar."
But the girl didn't give attention to his words, he learned. The child was shivering, hands covering her eyes as sobs filled the room. It would have been a melodious noise to be subjected to in the past, but… for some reason it just felt wrong. Really wrong. His eyes started to play tricks on him as Rin was briefly replaced by a younger Dio, one that was being comforted by a woman that was no longer there.
…
Before he knew it, his arms were stressing more than before as he quietly picked up the trembling child. A pat, then two by her upper back. It took so little for the young Tohsaka to… fall asleep. The snoring and the heartbeat dropping to a quieter tune had him perplexed. But not because of how easily the child was put to rest, knowing that she was already exerting herself by having remained awake the entire night out of paranoia. The stress of the conversation eroded any determination to keep awake any longer.
Dio frowned at this unpleasant sensation that he was feeling. It all felt familiar, but also not- as if he had felt about this… a long time ago, but now he shouldn't. A pause, then he paused by his heartbeat and he noticed that the usual pattern had changed, all to adapt at that emotion.
It was unpleasant, it was weakening- and then, he remembered.
Dio, a vampire that had rejected humanity a century ago, was feeling empathy. And… that shouldn't be possible, at least by natural means. Except… the cause was actually evident. His body was now his to control, but the side effect behind his vampirism, the rejection of humanity… had faltered?
Confusion riddled Dio's thoughts as he considered if this was a good thing since he could now see his surroundings in two different perspectives, or feel frustrated at this being more of a weakness than he could have asked it to be. He couldn't afford his partial humanity to cripple his cruel nature, to put a wrench in his plans. He needed to be coherent to his creed if he wanted to succeed and… the only way was to put an end to this Holy Grail War and return back to the grave so Pucci could do his tasks…
And Rin was certainly going to become a new key to the ritual. A stronger version of it from what his studies could afford. Yes, it wasn't sentimentality to drive him to be this 'affectionate', but worry of exaggerating with the indoctrination.
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Sakura was having trouble sleeping.
The bed was… nice. It was cozy, it was pleasant and… Xuanzang was good company.
But there was something that was missing. Something that was making the experience frustrating and thus impossible to complete since she needed this to feel safe. She needed good news about her new father's conditions. Jotaro was out of critical conditions, but it would be a lie to say the man was completely out of danger.
He was strong, but mortal and so still killable. And that made the child particularly upset at the chances of her new parent dying because he decided to put himself to danger. She felt angry at him- no, it wasn't his fault. The girl decided she was angry at the competition behind it all, the Holy Grail War.
A silly game that was hurting so many people. Some were nice, but others were easily deserving of the demises they were suffering for. She was confused as to why that was important for so many to be hurt. It was just so stupid. So senseless. And… it made her… annoyed?
No, it was something else. She couldn't remember what was the name of that emotion, but it was there, inside her chest, bubbling and painfully gnawing at her to be set free. Why? Why would she do that? For what purpose would she need to let something so hurtful out?
Confusion increased, but so did that nameless sensation that wanted to be freed from its restraints. There was a sense of quiet, for a moment as Sakura stared at the ceiling in a moment of hopeless distraction from the turmoil unveiling deep within her mind. She turned on her pillow, staring at the soft white surface as it innocently laid there for her to rest her head onto. But right now she wasn't planning to sleep… and she felt the instinct to hit it.
Punch. Punch. Punch. Punch.
At first it was a soft pat, then a stronger blow, finally she was punching the pillow a lot. Yet the girl was confused when the soft surface started to display other imprints of knuckles that weren't hers. At first she thought this was just a mistaken observation, but the more she punched, the more she could feel something punching alongside her.
She didn't mind. She liked doing this to the pillow since it wasn't someone that could be really hurt and, for some reason, it felt so good. To punch something, to feel the fist slam and squish forward something soft. There was a degree of morbid curiosity playing inside her head about replacing the image she had of the pillow with Zouken's head.
Initially, it was a terrifying concept. She remembered how scary her grandfather had been with his soulless eyes and his frightening grin when something gained his attention. But then Sakura remembered the hurt. The kind of hurt that was surprisingly less than what she was feeling right now.
The pain was atrocious in both cases, but while she knew that the first example of pain was expected to happen after it had existed for so long, the pain she felt at seeing Jotaro unconscious and bandaged in most of his body was so sudden and unexpected. It wasn't a 'more' for intensity- no, it was about the pain being unplanned and unwanted. She didn't want to see her Papa in pain.
So she punched, and she blamed Zouken, she blamed Tokiomi, she blamed everyone that had scorned her in the past for making all of this so unpleasant- so upsetting and then… she cracked again, sobbing for the third time that early morning. The abused cushion was used to drown her unhappiness, with the girl somewhat hoping to fall asleep. Footsteps drew by the doorstep, and the door creaked open.
Sakura looked at who had decided to check on her. It was Xuanzang, the young woman greeting her with a sympathetic and kind smile, while her pink eyes betrayed the same degree of concern the child felt over her father's conditions.
"Hey. Is… everything alright?"
No.
Yet she didn't say that. She just didn't feel like saying that.
"I'm… tired. I just want to sleep."
"Hmm, having some trouble with that?"
Sakura finally nodded, and the woman approached her bedside before sitting on the mattress.
"It's alright."
…
"It's not," The girl quietly refused. "How… is he?"
"He will wake up in a couple of hours."
Maybe. Or maybe even later than that. She could see that it was the case from how uncertain the woman's tone was. People tend to lie when they are unsure and worried about something. And… Sakura couldn't exactly blame her.
"Now, do you want me to read you something? Do you want to cuddle up?"
Yes to both, but also no. Her mind just wasn't being cooperative today about what she really wanted to do at that very moment. It was a stressful situation that she had never experienced until now. Not even back when she was still a Tohsaka she remembered feeling worried about her former father and mother.
"X-Xuan-nee?" Shinji's voice called from the corridor, the boy eventually arriving by the doorstep. "Joseph-jiji said that Jotaro-san is awake and-!!"
Sakura didn't need to hear anything more. Before both Servant and boy could do anything about it, the girl bolted down the bed and through the hallway. Barefooted and still sleepy, it was quite an interesting sight to see how quick the child was running so quickly. Her tiny legs were burning at the sudden strain, but she didn't care.
Eventually she stopped, only because she had reached her destination. The door was half-open, offering her the way to see what was happening inside.
"You should know better than me that tackling Dio like this was reckless. Even with the aid of someone like Kiritsugu-san and Kirei-san, a Servant is supposedly stronger than their in-life versions."
There was silence from Jotaro's part for a while, but then a word reached out and got the girl to tense up.
"Sakura."
...Did he know she was there? That was her first thought but then Joseph hummed.
"What about the kid?"
"Is she… alright?"
The elder huffed.
"Jotaro, this isn't something that you can ask so easily. She was particularly upset that you got hurt so badly, so don't tell me that you at least don't feel guilt for worrying the poor girl."
…
…
"I am."
"Good, then you-"
"Is she alright?"
Joseph huffed. "She is just worried. Like everyone else is right now for what happened."
…
"Bah, you couldn't have exactly done much to push the vampire back. You did your best, but now we need to make plans to counter him. I had our scientists employ UV lights all over the building, and I got in contact with the Mayor of Fuyuki Town to have special permission to check if we can find where he might be hiding. Now that we know how his Master looks thanks to Waver, I believe we can find her by the camera footage and check where she is usually hanging around in the city."
Hearing footsteps finally catching up to her, Sakura sighed and… stepped inside. Jotaro was the one that noticed her first, his blue eyes locking onto her tired violet ones.
"Sakura."
Hearing that name repeated, Joseph this time turned to the door and noticed that the child had indeed entered the room. But before he could say anything, the child slowly walked up to the bed and, after pulling part of the covers up, she snuck inside and quietly settled to rest by her adoptive father's side.
Jotaro didn't say anything, but he felt particularly pissed at the amused look Joseph was now sporting as he looked at the scene with fondness. There was a brief mention of some old situations that had happened to him when 'Holly was a sweet little child' and she used to miss the old man a lot when he was on long business trips around the USA.
Eventually Xuanzang and Shinji arrived at the room with the boy managing to pull the tired geezer out of Jotaro's sight and leave the man to speak with his Servant. The pink-eyed brunette was rather restrained with her comments, just voicing that she was glad he was recovering quite quickly. He nodded, sparing just a few words to return the fact he was glad she was fine too.
Their conversation was brief, but he could tell that the servant hadn't taken that well the fact he had gotten hurt during the battle against Dio. Making a mental note of checking on her by the time he could start moving around once again, the marine biologist was blessed by the fact everyone else left the room and left him to sleep with his… daughter. And while Sakura happily snored on his side, Jotaro's sleep was delayed by a particularly odd sight happening above their heads.
｢Star Platinum｣ was hugging what looked to be a black blanket with red details. At least, that was what he thought it being in that drained state of mind he was in…
But then he realized that his Stand was hugging another one. One that had the same short height and tiny frame as Sakura...
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AN
Tokiomi knew it all: It was Dio that said that… so it could be true and… it could be wrong. But he was still right about Tokiomi ditching his family to their deaths if it means being granted a path to the Root.
Rin's role: Right now, she is the captive. Her personality might remain mostly unchanged, but this experience will haunt her in an objective way more different than reaching the Root or fulfilling Tokiomi's dream.
Dio and losing part of his 'I reject my Humanity' Gig: He is still the same bastard, but not outright inhuman to the point he was in late Phantom Blood and in Stardust Crusaders. He is just a little more empathetic… and a tad bit smarter because of it.
Sakura's Stand: A few glimpses about it. While it was punching the pillow, it isn't a close-ranged type. And yes, the design is similar to Dark Sakura with an upper 'Shadow-like' body.
Also, I left a minor hint about the name of Sakura's Stand.
Dio hummed quietly as he calmly tried to get his arm's sensibility back by flipping another page of the tome he was studying from. The book depicting some aspects of the less-known Einzbern magecraft not only allowed him to train his limbs to be back to normal shape after the brutal fate he had suffered just a few hours earlier, but also aided him understanding why he felt so terrified when the approach of a weakened Jotaro managed to get him this frightened.
There was no doubt in his mind that what he felt was fear. Sure, he might have learned to not be at ease around the pesky delinquent, the man having changed none of his hideous traits that hardly befitted someone from the Joestar family, but his body's reaction felt unnatural. It felt so forced and… so frustrating.
He expected the text to provide him with clarity, and yet the papers hardly mentioned something that could rationalize what he felt back then. The sight of the bloodied and limping Stand User, eyes glaring at him with incredible ferocity and unwillingness to stop.
It… It all reminded him of what happened in Cairo. He could still remember when, at the peak of his might, he still failed to kill Jotaro Kujo. The young man stood proud, uncaring of the fact his ribs had suffered extreme damage, that his capacity to move through the time-stop was mostly nullified when Dio drank Joseph's blood and heightened the compatability with Jonathan's body.
His defeat was all caused by a gamble, and an erroneous interpretation of how Jotaro managed to steal His World from him. It took him some time, but then he realized that the reason why he died wasn't tied to the confusing element of the 'Same-Stand' logic. No, the issue was deeper and caused by something he could only blame himself for.
He got himself too careless. He imagined Jotaro to be less than Jonathan because of how the youth behaved against him. His archenemy had represented a degree of chivalry he wouldn't have expected a shy noble boy to turn into, and it was easy to learn of his tenacity and incapacity to give him.
That element had manifested in Jotaro, but the fellow Stand User hadn't done anything in his eyes to render it visible for him to study and counter. The last time-stop, the one that he considered the point he was really beaten, had given the young man the chance to gamble and abuse Dio's naivety at that moment. With his mind burning in glee at the fact he had finally put an end to the much hated family, he hadn't imagined for this gamble to even exist. And, because of this, he faced defeat at another Joestar member.
Sighing quietly, his lack of progress slowly but gradually had his attention shift to another element in his room that was growing to be amusing in nature. Two blue gems stared in cold fury at him from one of the room's corners, a child hiding behind a foolish bunker of pillows that was meant to protect her from his restrained malicious desires. The little kitty that preferred to roar rather than strike failed to stand to be the ferocious panther that she was hoping to show him being.
Bravery was just ten seconds of courage in a sea of fear after all. And Dio didn't mind the attention since it gave him the chance to finally test the young Tohsaka's determination once again. The stunt with her father had been a little fail safe in case the golden danger materialized during the raid. Gilgamesh was an arrogant and pompous bastard that was born in the gold, shaped by it, rendered numb by it as he accepted his God Complex, one that was more imposed by his creators than legitimized by his independent actions.
But now the blond vampire had something else to say and ponder as he allowed a single question to leave his lips, breaking the silence that had existed for a couple of hours now. One that he knew was going to cement his interest in young Rin or make her lose any chance of living beyond today.
"Rin, do you know what's the difference between luck and fate?"
The girl didn't answer at first, and while it was clear that it was a mix of uncertainty and unwillingness to answer that simple query, Dio decided to speak once again, bringing up an example that should easily help someone that was meant to surprise him.
"There was a time where my coffin was being used as a boat by the loved ones of one of my enemies," He mentioned with a distracted tone, remembering with annoyance the time he spent trying and failing to bond with Jonathan's body. It was an unpleasant first step in his survival after what happened in the ship, but it was less worrying than being buried under the sea for almost a full century. "A woman and a newborn were using it to safely make it back on land, ignoring the fact that I, Dio, was hidden away in a secret lower compartment. They managed to make it to safety, failing to notice where I was hiding during the trip."
"What has this… to do with that other question?" Curiosity overwhelmed anger in a moment of brief confusion, gaining a quick smirk out of the Avenger as he enjoyed how easy it was to gain a reaction out of the child.
"The woman could have found the compartment, leading to the death of her and the child she was clutching so motherly, yet she didn't. Do you believe it was luck that saved their lives? Or was it Fate?"
Anger finally faltered as more confusion engaged Rin into that complicated question. Many children her age would have reported headaches at the mere thought of understanding the example, yet the girl seemed to be putting impressive effort in it. The thoughtful look, the eased posture- the child was pondering maturely and impressing the vampire even more as hints of realization dawned over her.
"It's… fate?"
…
He held himself from frowning at that response, surprised by that quick reaction time. Instead of showing any clues that she might be close to the truth, Dio decided to stare blankly at her and speak up again.
"How is it Fate?"
Young students, from elementary to high school, would have a tough time trying to keep by their resolve when a teacher kept a simple composure that betrayed no emotions about the answer they had just provided. It makes one double-think
"W-Well, it's… because she is not lucky."
That was a fascinating take, one he hadn't exactly expected having imagined something a little more complicated out of it. Maybe he was pushing too hard on a boundary only a couple of prodigious kids were known to reach in terms of intelligence. Still, it was an unorthodox but partly-correct approach.
"How so?"
"If the woman had… tried to check for the secret compartment and then decided against that, then she… would have been lucky. But she didn't know it existed, so she would have never checked."
"But what if she noticed that something was out of the ordinary?" The vampire asked. "What if she was curious to see if everything was alright and there was nothing to worry about?"
"Did she?"
…
"What?"
"Was she curious even once about it?"
He allowed a tiny smile. "No."
"Then- Then that silly," Rin rebuked. "She just didn't check because it was fate. I think."
"It's correct," The blond confirmed with a nod. "But that brings up another example before I offer you that question once again."
"B-Bring it."
Cheeky, but she is going to regret putting fret on me about it.
"There are two children. Both siblings, with one being older than the other. Both are part of a noble family that can only accept a single child as the heir to their family," Dio started to say. "The oldest child is chosen to remain, while the younger is sent off to another family. For the sake of 'good'. Now, do you think it was luck or-"
"L-Luck."
…
The Avenger was ready to chuckle at the delightful fright that was in full display on the girl's now pale face. Stubborn and fierce she might be, but her family was her biggest weakness. But not because of how close she was to it, but rather because she didn't know how to handle it. Losing a sibling for the sake of the Clan, it all felt so stale and wrong to the mind of many. For a child to lose a younger sibling felt more like a personal failure. To Rin, the praise of her father was the only worthwhile return to that horrible exchange. Did she ask for it? No, but… there was 'no other choice'.
A foolish thought from a submitted mind.
"Do you want to know why you weren't lucky, Tohsaka Rin?"
…
"Because you were born with potential, and your sister was cursed for a time for something beyond her control. It wasn't luck that drove her out of your household, but fate. She was fated to suffer, and you were fated to be the Tohsaka Heiress-"
"S-Shut up!"
"No. I will not," He flatly scoffed. "Why would I need to cease with this? You should be happy. You weren't sent away to suffer, to be used as a bargaining chip for the 'good of the clan'-"
"Y-you are lying. Th-There was no other choice?"
"Are you saying or are you asking? The truth is that being a Magus, a traditional one at that, is not a good thing. The process to gain a Magical Crest isn't anything to scoff at. The pain akin to a difficult organ transplant, one that kills even when you are the most compatible to," Dio revealed with a sigh. "Your father might appear a good person, but if he was given the chance to grasp the origin of Magecraft, to attain the knowledge behind the Root in exchange for his family… do you think he would hesitate?"
"You- You're lying," The girl screamed back, fat and hot tears flowing down in a pitiful display of emotional pain. "M-My Papa would never hurt me or-"
"Sakura? Oh right, you meant your mother. But of course, let's ignore that he already sold one of his children, his youngest at that, to a man that he knew was going to abuse her."
…
…
Dio… sighed. "When I was younger, I thought my own father, a dishonest drunkard with the darkest of heart, could have changed for good if I had tried my best. My mother was so hopeful that pride in someone else would have shaken him off by the inferiority complex he was so keen to show with his rage and punches," He started to explain. "I learned through the death of my mother… when he decided to sell her wedding dress, one of her most precious items, that my hopes for this were misplaced. I killed him with poison, a method that didn't allow him to fight against anyone as he died from something burning from within."
…
…
"Your father is ambitious. You better learn to be wary around him if he somehow manages to live through the Grail War. He will push you to become his avatar, to do horrible things all for the furthering of the 'shining path of success for the Tohsaka Clan'. You will be his pawn, and his tool to feel proud of himself and nobody else."
…
"I… I hate you."
He finally chuckled, his amusement finally perking to the top at that frail response.
"Oh, young Rin. I wouldn't hope for anything else. You want to know why it's easier to hate than love?" He inquired rhetorically. "Because you can lie about love, but hate… it takes part of you that normally you can't hide away from others. And right now, your hate isn't aimed at me."
…
…
Biting down a sigh, Dio had to admit that he might have gone for a tougher approach than needed. Rin was his toy, but that didn't mean he was supposed to break her like this. Not when her potential showed that she could easily become more of a toy. More of a pawn. He just… needed to put her to accept his mindset now. So she rewarded her just for once for failing to answer his question.
"The difference between luck and fate is that luck is subjective. Pretty much everything can be lucky, but in reality only a couple of things can be considered lucky," The blond explained calmly. "Fate is absolute. You can try to deny it, you can try to hide it, but fate aids many people, sometimes for both 'good and bad' reasons. I was aided in becoming a vampire through it, but then I was killed for extending myself beyond what I could achieve. It was personal failure that stuck me against an unfair state of fate. Not a foolish Joestar."
But the girl didn't give attention to his words, he learned. The child was shivering, hands covering her eyes as sobs filled the room. It would have been a melodious noise to be subjected to in the past, but… for some reason it just felt wrong. Really wrong. His eyes started to play tricks on him as Rin was briefly replaced by a younger Dio, one that was being comforted by a woman that was no longer there.
…
Before he knew it, his arms were stressing more than before as he quietly picked up the trembling child. A pat, then two by her upper back. It took so little for the young Tohsaka to… fall asleep. The snoring and the heartbeat dropping to a quieter tune had him perplexed. But not because of how easily the child was put to rest, knowing that she was already exerting herself by having remained awake the entire night out of paranoia. The stress of the conversation eroded any determination to keep awake any longer.
Dio frowned at this unpleasant sensation that he was feeling. It all felt familiar, but also not- as if he had felt about this… a long time ago, but now he shouldn't. A pause, then he paused by his heartbeat and he noticed that the usual pattern had changed, all to adapt at that emotion.
It was unpleasant, it was weakening- and then, he remembered.
Dio, a vampire that had rejected humanity a century ago, was feeling empathy. And… that shouldn't be possible, at least by natural means. Except… the cause was actually evident. His body was now his to control, but the side effect behind his vampirism, the rejection of humanity… had faltered?
Confusion riddled Dio's thoughts as he considered if this was a good thing since he could now see his surroundings in two different perspectives, or feel frustrated at this being more of a weakness than he could have asked it to be. He couldn't afford his partial humanity to cripple his cruel nature, to put a wrench in his plans. He needed to be coherent to his creed if he wanted to succeed and… the only way was to put an end to this Holy Grail War and return back to the grave so Pucci could do his tasks…
And Rin was certainly going to become a new key to the ritual. A stronger version of it from what his studies could afford. Yes, it wasn't sentimentality to drive him to be this 'affectionate', but worry of exaggerating with the indoctrination.
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Sakura was having trouble sleeping.
The bed was… nice. It was cozy, it was pleasant and… Xuanzang was good company.
But there was something that was missing. Something that was making the experience frustrating and thus impossible to complete since she needed this to feel safe. She needed good news about her new father's conditions. Jotaro was out of critical conditions, but it would be a lie to say the man was completely out of danger.
He was strong, but mortal and so still killable. And that made the child particularly upset at the chances of her new parent dying because he decided to put himself to danger. She felt angry at him- no, it wasn't his fault. The girl decided she was angry at the competition behind it all, the Holy Grail War.
A silly game that was hurting so many people. Some were nice, but others were easily deserving of the demises they were suffering for. She was confused as to why that was important for so many to be hurt. It was just so stupid. So senseless. And… it made her… annoyed?
No, it was something else. She couldn't remember what was the name of that emotion, but it was there, inside her chest, bubbling and painfully gnawing at her to be set free. Why? Why would she do that? For what purpose would she need to let something so hurtful out?
Confusion increased, but so did that nameless sensation that wanted to be freed from its restraints. There was a sense of quiet, for a moment as Sakura stared at the ceiling in a moment of hopeless distraction from the turmoil unveiling deep within her mind. She turned on her pillow, staring at the soft white surface as it innocently laid there for her to rest her head onto. But right now she wasn't planning to sleep… and she felt the instinct to hit it.
Punch. Punch. Punch. Punch.
At first it was a soft pat, then a stronger blow, finally she was punching the pillow a lot. Yet the girl was confused when the soft surface started to display other imprints of knuckles that weren't hers. At first she thought this was just a mistaken observation, but the more she punched, the more she could feel something punching alongside her.
She didn't mind. She liked doing this to the pillow since it wasn't someone that could be really hurt and, for some reason, it felt so good. To punch something, to feel the fist slam and squish forward something soft. There was a degree of morbid curiosity playing inside her head about replacing the image she had of the pillow with Zouken's head.
Initially, it was a terrifying concept. She remembered how scary her grandfather had been with his soulless eyes and his frightening grin when something gained his attention. But then Sakura remembered the hurt. The kind of hurt that was surprisingly less than what she was feeling right now.
The pain was atrocious in both cases, but while she knew that the first example of pain was expected to happen after it had existed for so long, the pain she felt at seeing Jotaro unconscious and bandaged in most of his body was so sudden and unexpected. It wasn't a 'more' for intensity- no, it was about the pain being unplanned and unwanted. She didn't want to see her Papa in pain.
So she punched, and she blamed Zouken, she blamed Tokiomi, she blamed everyone that had scorned her in the past for making all of this so unpleasant- so upsetting and then… she cracked again, sobbing for the third time that early morning. The abused cushion was used to drown her unhappiness, with the girl somewhat hoping to fall asleep. Footsteps drew by the doorstep, and the door creaked open.
Sakura looked at who had decided to check on her. It was Xuanzang, the young woman greeting her with a sympathetic and kind smile, while her pink eyes betrayed the same degree of concern the child felt over her father's conditions.
"Hey. Is… everything alright?"
No.
Yet she didn't say that. She just didn't feel like saying that.
"I'm… tired. I just want to sleep."
"Hmm, having some trouble with that?"
Sakura finally nodded, and the woman approached her bedside before sitting on the mattress.
"It's alright."
…
"It's not," The girl quietly refused. "How… is he?"
"He will wake up in a couple of hours."
Maybe. Or maybe even later than that. She could see that it was the case from how uncertain the woman's tone was. People tend to lie when they are unsure and worried about something. And… Sakura couldn't exactly blame her.
"Now, do you want me to read you something? Do you want to cuddle up?"
Yes to both, but also no. Her mind just wasn't being cooperative today about what she really wanted to do at that very moment. It was a stressful situation that she had never experienced until now. Not even back when she was still a Tohsaka she remembered feeling worried about her former father and mother.
"X-Xuan-nee?" Shinji's voice called from the corridor, the boy eventually arriving by the doorstep. "Joseph-jiji said that Jotaro-san is awake and-!!"
Sakura didn't need to hear anything more. Before both Servant and boy could do anything about it, the girl bolted down the bed and through the hallway. Barefooted and still sleepy, it was quite an interesting sight to see how quick the child was running so quickly. Her tiny legs were burning at the sudden strain, but she didn't care.
Eventually she stopped, only because she had reached her destination. The door was half-open, offering her the way to see what was happening inside.
"You should know better than me that tackling Dio like this was reckless. Even with the aid of someone like Kiritsugu-san and Kirei-san, a Servant is supposedly stronger than their in-life versions."
There was silence from Jotaro's part for a while, but then a word reached out and got the girl to tense up.
"Sakura."
...Did he know she was there? That was her first thought but then Joseph hummed.
"What about the kid?"
"Is she… alright?"
The elder huffed.
"Jotaro, this isn't something that you can ask so easily. She was particularly upset that you got hurt so badly, so don't tell me that you at least don't feel guilt for worrying the poor girl."
…
…
"I am."
"Good, then you-"
"Is she alright?"
Joseph huffed. "She is just worried. Like everyone else is right now for what happened."
…
"Bah, you couldn't have exactly done much to push the vampire back. You did your best, but now we need to make plans to counter him. I had our scientists employ UV lights all over the building, and I got in contact with the Mayor of Fuyuki Town to have special permission to check if we can find where he might be hiding. Now that we know how his Master looks thanks to Waver, I believe we can find her by the camera footage and check where she is usually hanging around in the city."
Hearing footsteps finally catching up to her, Sakura sighed and… stepped inside. Jotaro was the one that noticed her first, his blue eyes locking onto her tired violet ones.
"Sakura."
Hearing that name repeated, Joseph this time turned to the door and noticed that the child had indeed entered the room. But before he could say anything, the child slowly walked up to the bed and, after pulling part of the covers up, she snuck inside and quietly settled to rest by her adoptive father's side.
Jotaro didn't say anything, but he felt particularly pissed at the amused look Joseph was now sporting as he looked at the scene with fondness. There was a brief mention of some old situations that had happened to him when 'Holly was a sweet little child' and she used to miss the old man a lot when he was on long business trips around the USA.
Eventually Xuanzang and Shinji arrived at the room with the boy managing to pull the tired geezer out of Jotaro's sight and leave the man to speak with his Servant. The pink-eyed brunette was rather restrained with her comments, just voicing that she was glad he was recovering quite quickly. He nodded, sparing just a few words to return the fact he was glad she was fine too.
Their conversation was brief, but he could tell that the servant hadn't taken that well the fact he had gotten hurt during the battle against Dio. Making a mental note of checking on her by the time he could start moving around once again, the marine biologist was blessed by the fact everyone else left the room and left him to sleep with his… daughter. And while Sakura happily snored on his side, Jotaro's sleep was delayed by a particularly odd sight happening above their heads.
｢Star Platinum｣ was hugging what looked to be a black blanket with red details. At least, that was what he thought it being in that drained state of mind he was in…
But then he realized that his Stand was hugging another one. One that had the same short height and tiny frame as Sakura...
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AN
Tokiomi knew it all: It was Dio that said that… so it could be true and… it could be wrong. But he was still right about Tokiomi ditching his family to their deaths if it means being granted a path to the Root.
Rin's role: Right now, she is the captive. Her personality might remain mostly unchanged, but this experience will haunt her in an objective way more different than reaching the Root or fulfilling Tokiomi's dream.
Dio and losing part of his 'I reject my Humanity' Gig: He is still the same bastard, but not outright inhuman to the point he was in late Phantom Blood and in Stardust Crusaders. He is just a little more empathetic… and a tad bit smarter because of it.
Sakura's Stand: A few glimpses about it. While it was punching the pillow, it isn't a close-ranged type. And yes, the design is similar to Dark Sakura with an upper 'Shadow-like' body.
Also, I left a minor hint about the name of Sakura's Stand.
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Thirteenth Mantra! The Powder Keg of Fuyuki Town!
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Chapter 14: Thirteenth Mantra! The Powder Keg of Fuyuki Town!
Joseph Joestar was a man with a mission.
With his grandson recovering from the ordeal caused by Dio, the old Hamon User knew that right now it was crucial to get as much information as they could about the vampire's latest associate. The Foundation had already been mobilized to recover as much info as possible over Fuyuki's layout to find their enemy's possible whereabouts, the chances of this yielding some significant results quite higher compared to before. But while this solved the 'where' issue, there was another problem that had to be addressed as quickly as possible.
Caster had mentioned something about a woman, Dio's 'Master', having made an intervention during the attack at the Castle in the forest. Silver hair, slightly tan skin, this individual wasn't normal by all definitions. Capable of creating demonic monsters that were akin to sea-based animals made her traits fairly unique and easy to discern if they had any list to work on about possible suspects.
The Foundation's knowledge on magecraft was still limited by the fact this situation had now broadened the mere myth that was magic, so there wasn't anything to work on as of yet about known magi. And while this would have deterred many in trying to find the truth about this matter, Joseph knew that there was a place where he could try to get some truth out from. Especially when they were more tied to this situation that they would have wanted to.
Entering in contact with the Tohsaka Clan proved to be more difficult, mostly because the only one capable of doing so was Risei Kotomine. The old priest proved to be busy as he was trying to keep his son alive after what happened with Dio, but he seemed to grow more receptive to requests when provided with doctors to aid his only child's recovery.
He had also reached out for the Einzbern camp, and he was met with open doors as some doctors were sent to help the situation within the castle itself. He hadn't been there to see the size of the mess after the siege, but Caster had been fairly descriptive of the size of the invasion. The fact Dio had managed to create so many zombies with ease meant that he had finally gained control of Jonathan's body, which meant that his vampiric abilities were returning to him.
The last thing I want to deal, is one of those 'laser eye thingy' like when I fought Straiz-oaf or the ice-like ability Lisa Lisa said Dio was known to have mastered back in his first existence as a vampire.
The fellow elder had to pull a couple of strings to get Tokiomi to listen, the man too distracted by his own efforts to try and find where Dio was hiding, unwilling to cooperate with anyone without a good reason. But while the patriarch of the Tohsaka Family was reluctant to take part in this, his wife, Aoi, seemed more open about this. The woman agreed to a meeting, at least to listen to what kind of proposal he had in mind to forward to her family.
Their point of reunion was a simple ice cream parlor nearby the city's park, a small place where to share a calm discussion without having to worry about a vampire coming by and attacking them. Such a place was also easy to approach as it was near to the headquarters, making it easy to make a hasty retreat if things turned sour one way or another.
"Joestar-san," The young woman addressed, sparing a calm nod before sitting down by the chair in front of him.
"Tohsaka-san."
Things were already starting to get awkward despite just a few words being exchanged. Despite that, Aoi decided to start that conversation already.
"From the way Risei worded your interest for a meeting, you are seeking for someone we currently consider our family's enemy."
The old man nodded. "We are currently working on finding Dio. But while we are busy with that task, we are also trying to dig some information about his Master. We have a picture."
He placed down the small folder containing a few photos taken by the security cameras all over the city. While it was difficult to understand who this individual was, she did little to cover her tracks while on nightly strolls around the city.
The green-haired woman silently pulled the dossier closer, carefully peeking inside to the files and frowning over the giddy face within some of the pictures.
"And… you are sure this is her?" Aoi inquired quietly. "The Master of Avenger?"
"We are fairly certain of this. I suppose you are aware of what happened last night."
"In part, yes. Risei told me about these events, and that gave us a reason why Avenger would have wanted Archer dead in such a way, to ultimately aid him in case he was cornered by him," The woman confirmed nodding as she placed down the pictures. "She was there, wasn't she?"
"Yes."
"And I may take these with me if I accept to provide aid?"
"I believe it would be best for you to have those regardless of your interest in taking part of this united front or not. I… I know how unpleasant it is to be worried for your own child since I… I had been put in a similar situation," Joseph admitted. "Nonetheless, I'm quite sure we are still sharing a common goal regarding what happened to… your daughter."
The Tohsaka nodded, her eyes narrowing over the closed folder once again as she pondered about what to say next. It was easy, yet so difficult to muster up the proper terms to address such a delicate issue. Joseph knew that being a parent was a struggle, but while he could reach out and sympathize with the distressed mother, at the same time he couldn't help but feel contemptuous towards her. To forsake a child, out of some 'greater good' bullshit just left him shocked and mortified. He could still remember when his grandmother, Erina, was asked and pressured by many to remarry, all for the sake of at least providing him with a father figure.
Sure, Speedwagon was around as much as he could, but with a business that steadily grew into taking most of his time away, Joseph could be around him only by the little free time the old founder of the Speedwagon Foundation could provide himself to have without damaging his organization.
The proud wife of Jonathan Joestar would always refuse all attempts to see her married off to rich businessmen in the states. Most saw this as an act of selfish nature, one that was tied to the fact the blonde didn't want to part ways with the memory of her deceased husband. The truth was that the woman had long made peace with that unpleasant situation, having grown out of that kind of pain as she tried to uphold a duty as a doting mother and grandmother to both George II and Joseph.
In fact, the reason that got her to refuse and decline any arranged marriages was tied to Joseph himself when, in a state of childish stubbornness when he was still a hopeless youth, he refused to accept the idea of having other grandfathers beyond Jonathan and the surrogate one that was Robert Speedwagon. The list of candidates further deepened the hatred the young Joestar felt towards that eventuality, seeing it more as a way for the family to remain… 'hurt'. And his reaction was the catalyst of that mindset, but also the main reason that drove Erina to ignore any efforts in that very direction.
Even now, he wasn't sure if that had been the best choice for his grandmother, but he was completely certain that he grew up to be one of the most brilliant members of the family. At least that was what both Lisa Lisa and Suzy Q would say about him once in a while.
Ignoring a couple of dumb decisions I made a few years ago. Maybe I should… check on Tomoko before going to visit Holly.
So when he regarded Aoi and what she had done in the last few years, he felt pulled to judge not only as a fellow parent, but as someone that knew of similar situations and had been almost subjected to a lesser situation than that left the Joestar in a state of uneasiness while handling this individual.
At least I'm not facing the father. I doubt I would have been able to hold back a punch at that bastard.
"I… understand that Sakura is currently under your custody," Aoi finally pointed out. "I assume she is… well."
"She is," Joseph conceded curtly. "She will not return to the Tohsaka Clan."
The woman nodded, the dullness in her eyes barely gracing the sorrow unraveling within her core.
"Yes. I… I knew that would be the case. I didn't… I didn't expect her to return. Not after what happened to her because of the Matou."
…
"Do you… have anything you wish for her to know?" The elder asked with a nervous tone. "I can't give you any great hope, but I will relay any message you wish to give her."
…
"I don't have anything to offer. But I wish for you to guarantee me one thing," Aoi muttered dully, looking at him with a glint of hope. "Don't… let them be hurt once more. I know I no longer have a right to call her my daughter, just like I doubt she will ever think of me as her mother after what just happened… but deep down, within the mess I made by allowing Tokiomi this much freedom in this decision, I wish for her to be happy."
"I will make sure of that. Jotaro isn't the kind of person that would allow a child to be hurt, she will be in good hands with him," Joseph replied with a nod. "And… Rin will be found. She… will be safe and sound. I will promise you this."
The green-haired woman merely nodded at this, standing up from her chair and walking away from the parlor. She stopped for a moment, looking at Joseph with a sad look.
"I shall try to see if Tokiomi can aid you with this research. I can try to soften him up to accept the request but… don't expect any other favors from the Tohsaka Clan."
The Joestar nodded, gaining a flash of a calm smile off from Aoi. The old man could only stare as the woman retreated, feeling a degree of upset at the fact he could tell the decision of letting go Sakura hadn't been conceived by her. Yet, at the same time, he blamed her for having remained quiet about this, for having allowed for her husband to decide for something so heinous and barbaric.
Magi might have a different understanding than normal people when it came to inheritances, but that didn't mean they were allowed to stick by these horrible traditions.
And now, let's see how things are going for Waver and Rider.
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"You should have taken some more time to rest, Kirei," Risei muttered calmly. "Your body might have stabilized, but you shouldn't stress yourself just yet."
The young priest could only sigh as he turned to address his father. The old man approached him, with Assassin still using her copies to rally all the books necessary to solve the current plight of his after waking up by the lone table in the room. Something he really felt in need to deal with as soon as possible.
Despite the slight aching at his right hand, he was still trying to make use of it to hold a couple of the tomes being moved around.
"I was… in a reading mood. I believe I have a couple of questions I know can be answered through some of these texts."
"Truly? And does this thirst of knowledge somehow aim to aid your recovery?"
"It would heal my doubts," Kirei replied flatly. "Some of which might prevent wounds or even death if best applied."
Risei nodded, sparing some silence as his son settled by his chair and started to check on the first book that was close to his reach. He scanned the cover, perusing the first pages, but eventually growing dissatisfied by the fact it wasn't what he was seeking. It was somewhere in there, the book being particularly important and something that he knew his father had brought from Italy here in Fuyuki.
"You… are awfully tenser than usual," The old priest commented, a hint of worry painted in his voice. "Are you sure you don't require some-"
"I'm fine," The young man admitted fiercely, the soreness bringing out an unflattering take on his usual neutrality. "I just require solutions."
"To what?"
…
"A curiosity of mine regarding our current problem. When I fought Dio… I think I saw something interesting. Something important."
"And it's so important to neglect the doctors' orders to remain by bed until you can safely remove your bandages?"
"Yes."
...
"What do you seek?"
"Years ago, I remember you took a book about old legends from North Africa," The young man replied with a nod. "The ones that came right from the ancient Roman collections of those tales."
…
Risei sighed. "It should be 'De Historiae Numidae'."
The guess had the Servant's copies scrambling to find the book with that cover. It didn't take long for it to be placed in front of the bandaged young man, but before he could open up the first pages and check on the specific myth he was looking for, Risei spoke up once more.
"And now, how about we discuss how you are feeling about that fight? I believe you need release about this."
...
"Death is unpleasant. At least, being brought close to it," Kirei pointed out while checking on the pages of the book. "In all my career, I never came this close to being killed. Not this easily- not this suddenly."
"And it left you with an odd impression?"
Odd barely fit with that kind of upset. No, his mind didn't and couldn't find it something odd. It was unpleasant, horrifying, shocking and… eye-opening. This was the first time he tasted being subjected to a deadly attempt. He had been so close to walk over that doorstep he hadn't given much thought about, and it had all happened so suddenly. So unpredictably. It was almost a sign, a divine one from the looks of it, but he doubted God was commanding him to do something in particular about this.
It was a revelation that… perhaps he was taking things too easily. That he was expecting himself to be able to pull through everything this War had stacked against all competitors. Avenger might have been an anomaly, but it was still an enemy despite the reason he was within the fight. An enemy that he had fought with little preparation and clear understanding of his abilities… until now.
Kirei couldn't afford to be left clueless about this monster if he planned to fight him again. And he knew that there was something in the fight that he recognized from an old read, a book he had found while he was still studying to become an Executor.
"I would say it left me mostly displeased with my current degree of awareness about Avenger. While I can forgive myself for having failed to find any information on my own about him, the fact I dared to directly brawl a Servant is unbelievable. Especially if the servant is powerful when it comes to close encounters."
"You were certain that Jotaro-san would have managed to handle Dio the best and actually win against him. But you all forgot that Dio is a Servant, and that our good friend is nowhere near as strong as he was back when he first fought that vampire."
"That is true but… I also believe the issue is elsewhere," The young man brought up. "Something about this just strikes me as familiar since I've read of a familiar effect to what both Jotaro-san and Dio can use in battle. Something that was ruled out by the Holy See as a Magecraft-related circumstance."
"Oh? And that is?"
"The Romans once documented a bizarre predicament happening within the region between modern Tunisia and Libya. Something about… powerful beings fighting each other for some weapons of power," Kirei explained calmly. "While this might be chalked out as the result of old Magi fighting over old tools of magic, I believe one paragraphs mentioned about… fighting spirits."
"Fighting spirits?"
"Creatures that manifest akin to humans. But intangible most of the time," The former Executor answered. "Assassin could see it in action, both with Jotaro-san and Dio. I believe Servants could see those because their existence is akin to these figures, but less dependent on a single individual."
"And you think this might help?" Risei pressed on, sounding uncertain on the matter. "How would this help you defeat Dio?"
"It's something that goes a little beyond this War. It's actually… tied to the fact that, if this is indeed true, then Dio used one of these tools to unleash his unknown ability," Kirei replied, this time adopting a more concerned look. "And if he got one of those… then there is a genuine chance that others, either loyalists or those that found these weapons, have gained these very abilities. It could be anyone tied to any digging process unfolding in the region."
"It's truly a shocking possibility, I will not lie about it. But perhaps we should wait until we have some better clues on the matter instead of calling for a full-fledged investigation on the matter," The old priest commented. "Especially when we are expecting an agent from the Burial Agency."
"The Burial Agency has been called to aid us?"
That opened up an entirely new can of worms to be facing about. The organization was known to host groups of unstable individuals that would make the entire situation more chaotic than it needed too. There was also the matter that such a move was going to warrant a great upheaval from Clocktower, the Magus Association surely demanding the BA to stand down.
But since the target is so problematic and because we need to keep this news quiet… could it be that-
"Who has been sent? What's their codename?"
"Dio has given many headaches back when he was alive in the 80s. We can't allow him to wander off once more and cause any issues," Risei started to say with a nervous tone, surprised by that sudden amount of queries coming so quickly from his son. "Which is why the group has decided to employ Bow's service for this task. I believe you have mentioned her once a long time ago."
And now things were indeed taking a very complicated and awkward turn. Bow was someone he had met on two different occasions. The first one was during one of her first missions, and another was when she got accustomed to the line of work they both were part of for a time. But while Kotomine's rise to Executor was through experience and a flawless list of operations successfully handled, hers was created through a curious case of anomaly. A powerful anomaly at that.
The fact she was the one that had been sent for the situation lessened most of Kirei's worries about having to handle people like Narbareck, knowing well enough how much of a dangerous woman that twisted psychopath was. Of all options, Bow was perhaps the best he could work on… but it was still something he wasn't happy about.
If someone was to bring up what was going on about their alliance with the Tohsaka Clan, things would definitely take a turn for the worst with the Church authorities. They needed to be as discreet as possible and, expecting her arrival to happen in a little less than two days from now, they needed to make contingencies in case she came close to discover the truth.
"I assume you have already told Tokiomi-san about this situation, father."
"Yes. I wouldn't want him to be given reason to behave irrationally against us. He might be angry at this development, but he knows better to not move too much against the Holy See. He promised to be cautious about this topic," The old man confirmed while nodding. "Still, I can't help but wonder about this 'Bow'. I've heard she is fairly efficient, and I assume you know her from the way you recognized her."
"She is one of the youngest. But I believe it would be a lie to say she will be easy to manipulate if she starts to investigate in the wrong places," Kirei explained with a hint of nervousness. "The best way to handle this is to have her focus on our common goal, try to defeat Dio as quickly as possible and… try to coax her to leave the moment this work is done."
"All without appearing rude to her. Wouldn't want to make a wrong first impression with young Bow," The old priest commented with a sigh, turning to stare at the towers of books accumulated by the table.
"You should also consider taking this opportunity to write. A letter might suffice," Risei pointed out with a sigh. "The Ortensia family has finally accepted an exchange. They will allow you to send letters to your daughter, but they have adamantly demanded that you avoid mentioning the fact you are her father."
…
"Why?"
"Caren is still quite young. She has never heard much of her father, and this might prove detrimental if you wish to safely enter her life," The old man answered readily. "As a young child, she is quicker in picking up simple details, and sometimes those details can cause people to react… badly."
"You think she is going to hate me for delaying this for so long?"
"Indeed. She needs time to grow accustomed to your presence. You should begin by creating a bond and understand the kind of person she is," The elder added. "It might take a while to properly prepare the girl for the revelation, but I can assure you that she will not act on wrong impulses at that point. Anger, yes, but not enough to break any bond you might have with her."
…
"Now, that's the first time I see you this upset."
Kirei narrowed his eyes at that comment.
"What?"
"I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm trying to tease you, my son. Only that I found this concern of yours promising. It's the proof I need to see every time we discuss your daughter," Risei admitted with a smile. "For a time I might have… doubted your interest in forming a bond back with little Caren, but now I can see how much it matters to you. How important it is for this to work."
"You doubted?" Kirei inquired, but the young priest couldn't tell if it was for feeling deceived or not about this discovery.
"Only for a time. And not without reason," The elder rebuked. "You are an enigma I'm still trying to understand the more you discover yourself in this event. I'm happy that I'm seeing more of what you have held back, and I wish to apologize if this revelation hurts you."
…
"It doesn't. It's… just a brief surprise."
"Now, lying isn't something fitting for a former Executor, Kirei-kun."
The young man sighed, shaking his head at that mirthful response.
"I suppose it stung for a moment. It felt uncalled for."
"At times, the most horrible things happen without notice."
Like death.
The thought had him upset once again about those circumstances, and, once more, he was digging deeper about anything that could actually help against Dio. Any bits of the story that could have been used to depict a weakness, or a way to properly see Dio's spirit.
With a tired sigh, and a humming Risei keeping him company, Kirei continued with his research, blissfully unaware of his Servant's concerned look the more he strained his arm by lifting books over books.
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AN
Next time, some real action. Could it be Caster's time to shine!?
Also, did y'all hear about the Tsukihime remake? And yes, it's a VN for PS4… with some new routes.
...No, Bow is not EMIYA.
Joseph Joestar was a man with a mission.
With his grandson recovering from the ordeal caused by Dio, the old Hamon User knew that right now it was crucial to get as much information as they could about the vampire's latest associate. The Foundation had already been mobilized to recover as much info as possible over Fuyuki's layout to find their enemy's possible whereabouts, the chances of this yielding some significant results quite higher compared to before. But while this solved the 'where' issue, there was another problem that had to be addressed as quickly as possible.
Caster had mentioned something about a woman, Dio's 'Master', having made an intervention during the attack at the Castle in the forest. Silver hair, slightly tan skin, this individual wasn't normal by all definitions. Capable of creating demonic monsters that were akin to sea-based animals made her traits fairly unique and easy to discern if they had any list to work on about possible suspects.
The Foundation's knowledge on magecraft was still limited by the fact this situation had now broadened the mere myth that was magic, so there wasn't anything to work on as of yet about known magi. And while this would have deterred many in trying to find the truth about this matter, Joseph knew that there was a place where he could try to get some truth out from. Especially when they were more tied to this situation that they would have wanted to.
Entering in contact with the Tohsaka Clan proved to be more difficult, mostly because the only one capable of doing so was Risei Kotomine. The old priest proved to be busy as he was trying to keep his son alive after what happened with Dio, but he seemed to grow more receptive to requests when provided with doctors to aid his only child's recovery.
He had also reached out for the Einzbern camp, and he was met with open doors as some doctors were sent to help the situation within the castle itself. He hadn't been there to see the size of the mess after the siege, but Caster had been fairly descriptive of the size of the invasion. The fact Dio had managed to create so many zombies with ease meant that he had finally gained control of Jonathan's body, which meant that his vampiric abilities were returning to him.
The last thing I want to deal, is one of those 'laser eye thingy' like when I fought Straiz-oaf or the ice-like ability Lisa Lisa said Dio was known to have mastered back in his first existence as a vampire.
The fellow elder had to pull a couple of strings to get Tokiomi to listen, the man too distracted by his own efforts to try and find where Dio was hiding, unwilling to cooperate with anyone without a good reason. But while the patriarch of the Tohsaka Family was reluctant to take part in this, his wife, Aoi, seemed more open about this. The woman agreed to a meeting, at least to listen to what kind of proposal he had in mind to forward to her family.
Their point of reunion was a simple ice cream parlor nearby the city's park, a small place where to share a calm discussion without having to worry about a vampire coming by and attacking them. Such a place was also easy to approach as it was near to the headquarters, making it easy to make a hasty retreat if things turned sour one way or another.
"Joestar-san," The young woman addressed, sparing a calm nod before sitting down by the chair in front of him.
"Tohsaka-san."
Things were already starting to get awkward despite just a few words being exchanged. Despite that, Aoi decided to start that conversation already.
"From the way Risei worded your interest for a meeting, you are seeking for someone we currently consider our family's enemy."
The old man nodded. "We are currently working on finding Dio. But while we are busy with that task, we are also trying to dig some information about his Master. We have a picture."
He placed down the small folder containing a few photos taken by the security cameras all over the city. While it was difficult to understand who this individual was, she did little to cover her tracks while on nightly strolls around the city.
The green-haired woman silently pulled the dossier closer, carefully peeking inside to the files and frowning over the giddy face within some of the pictures.
"And… you are sure this is her?" Aoi inquired quietly. "The Master of Avenger?"
"We are fairly certain of this. I suppose you are aware of what happened last night."
"In part, yes. Risei told me about these events, and that gave us a reason why Avenger would have wanted Archer dead in such a way, to ultimately aid him in case he was cornered by him," The woman confirmed nodding as she placed down the pictures. "She was there, wasn't she?"
"Yes."
"And I may take these with me if I accept to provide aid?"
"I believe it would be best for you to have those regardless of your interest in taking part of this united front or not. I… I know how unpleasant it is to be worried for your own child since I… I had been put in a similar situation," Joseph admitted. "Nonetheless, I'm quite sure we are still sharing a common goal regarding what happened to… your daughter."
The Tohsaka nodded, her eyes narrowing over the closed folder once again as she pondered about what to say next. It was easy, yet so difficult to muster up the proper terms to address such a delicate issue. Joseph knew that being a parent was a struggle, but while he could reach out and sympathize with the distressed mother, at the same time he couldn't help but feel contemptuous towards her. To forsake a child, out of some 'greater good' bullshit just left him shocked and mortified. He could still remember when his grandmother, Erina, was asked and pressured by many to remarry, all for the sake of at least providing him with a father figure.
Sure, Speedwagon was around as much as he could, but with a business that steadily grew into taking most of his time away, Joseph could be around him only by the little free time the old founder of the Speedwagon Foundation could provide himself to have without damaging his organization.
The proud wife of Jonathan Joestar would always refuse all attempts to see her married off to rich businessmen in the states. Most saw this as an act of selfish nature, one that was tied to the fact the blonde didn't want to part ways with the memory of her deceased husband. The truth was that the woman had long made peace with that unpleasant situation, having grown out of that kind of pain as she tried to uphold a duty as a doting mother and grandmother to both George II and Joseph.
In fact, the reason that got her to refuse and decline any arranged marriages was tied to Joseph himself when, in a state of childish stubbornness when he was still a hopeless youth, he refused to accept the idea of having other grandfathers beyond Jonathan and the surrogate one that was Robert Speedwagon. The list of candidates further deepened the hatred the young Joestar felt towards that eventuality, seeing it more as a way for the family to remain… 'hurt'. And his reaction was the catalyst of that mindset, but also the main reason that drove Erina to ignore any efforts in that very direction.
Even now, he wasn't sure if that had been the best choice for his grandmother, but he was completely certain that he grew up to be one of the most brilliant members of the family. At least that was what both Lisa Lisa and Suzy Q would say about him once in a while.
Ignoring a couple of dumb decisions I made a few years ago. Maybe I should… check on Tomoko before going to visit Holly.
So when he regarded Aoi and what she had done in the last few years, he felt pulled to judge not only as a fellow parent, but as someone that knew of similar situations and had been almost subjected to a lesser situation than that left the Joestar in a state of uneasiness while handling this individual.
At least I'm not facing the father. I doubt I would have been able to hold back a punch at that bastard.
"I… understand that Sakura is currently under your custody," Aoi finally pointed out. "I assume she is… well."
"She is," Joseph conceded curtly. "She will not return to the Tohsaka Clan."
The woman nodded, the dullness in her eyes barely gracing the sorrow unraveling within her core.
"Yes. I… I knew that would be the case. I didn't… I didn't expect her to return. Not after what happened to her because of the Matou."
…
"Do you… have anything you wish for her to know?" The elder asked with a nervous tone. "I can't give you any great hope, but I will relay any message you wish to give her."
…
"I don't have anything to offer. But I wish for you to guarantee me one thing," Aoi muttered dully, looking at him with a glint of hope. "Don't… let them be hurt once more. I know I no longer have a right to call her my daughter, just like I doubt she will ever think of me as her mother after what just happened… but deep down, within the mess I made by allowing Tokiomi this much freedom in this decision, I wish for her to be happy."
"I will make sure of that. Jotaro isn't the kind of person that would allow a child to be hurt, she will be in good hands with him," Joseph replied with a nod. "And… Rin will be found. She… will be safe and sound. I will promise you this."
The green-haired woman merely nodded at this, standing up from her chair and walking away from the parlor. She stopped for a moment, looking at Joseph with a sad look.
"I shall try to see if Tokiomi can aid you with this research. I can try to soften him up to accept the request but… don't expect any other favors from the Tohsaka Clan."
The Joestar nodded, gaining a flash of a calm smile off from Aoi. The old man could only stare as the woman retreated, feeling a degree of upset at the fact he could tell the decision of letting go Sakura hadn't been conceived by her. Yet, at the same time, he blamed her for having remained quiet about this, for having allowed for her husband to decide for something so heinous and barbaric.
Magi might have a different understanding than normal people when it came to inheritances, but that didn't mean they were allowed to stick by these horrible traditions.
And now, let's see how things are going for Waver and Rider.
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"You should have taken some more time to rest, Kirei," Risei muttered calmly. "Your body might have stabilized, but you shouldn't stress yourself just yet."
The young priest could only sigh as he turned to address his father. The old man approached him, with Assassin still using her copies to rally all the books necessary to solve the current plight of his after waking up by the lone table in the room. Something he really felt in need to deal with as soon as possible.
Despite the slight aching at his right hand, he was still trying to make use of it to hold a couple of the tomes being moved around.
"I was… in a reading mood. I believe I have a couple of questions I know can be answered through some of these texts."
"Truly? And does this thirst of knowledge somehow aim to aid your recovery?"
"It would heal my doubts," Kirei replied flatly. "Some of which might prevent wounds or even death if best applied."
Risei nodded, sparing some silence as his son settled by his chair and started to check on the first book that was close to his reach. He scanned the cover, perusing the first pages, but eventually growing dissatisfied by the fact it wasn't what he was seeking. It was somewhere in there, the book being particularly important and something that he knew his father had brought from Italy here in Fuyuki.
"You… are awfully tenser than usual," The old priest commented, a hint of worry painted in his voice. "Are you sure you don't require some-"
"I'm fine," The young man admitted fiercely, the soreness bringing out an unflattering take on his usual neutrality. "I just require solutions."
"To what?"
…
"A curiosity of mine regarding our current problem. When I fought Dio… I think I saw something interesting. Something important."
"And it's so important to neglect the doctors' orders to remain by bed until you can safely remove your bandages?"
"Yes."
...
"What do you seek?"
"Years ago, I remember you took a book about old legends from North Africa," The young man replied with a nod. "The ones that came right from the ancient Roman collections of those tales."
…
Risei sighed. "It should be 'De Historiae Numidae'."
The guess had the Servant's copies scrambling to find the book with that cover. It didn't take long for it to be placed in front of the bandaged young man, but before he could open up the first pages and check on the specific myth he was looking for, Risei spoke up once more.
"And now, how about we discuss how you are feeling about that fight? I believe you need release about this."
...
"Death is unpleasant. At least, being brought close to it," Kirei pointed out while checking on the pages of the book. "In all my career, I never came this close to being killed. Not this easily- not this suddenly."
"And it left you with an odd impression?"
Odd barely fit with that kind of upset. No, his mind didn't and couldn't find it something odd. It was unpleasant, horrifying, shocking and… eye-opening. This was the first time he tasted being subjected to a deadly attempt. He had been so close to walk over that doorstep he hadn't given much thought about, and it had all happened so suddenly. So unpredictably. It was almost a sign, a divine one from the looks of it, but he doubted God was commanding him to do something in particular about this.
It was a revelation that… perhaps he was taking things too easily. That he was expecting himself to be able to pull through everything this War had stacked against all competitors. Avenger might have been an anomaly, but it was still an enemy despite the reason he was within the fight. An enemy that he had fought with little preparation and clear understanding of his abilities… until now.
Kirei couldn't afford to be left clueless about this monster if he planned to fight him again. And he knew that there was something in the fight that he recognized from an old read, a book he had found while he was still studying to become an Executor.
"I would say it left me mostly displeased with my current degree of awareness about Avenger. While I can forgive myself for having failed to find any information on my own about him, the fact I dared to directly brawl a Servant is unbelievable. Especially if the servant is powerful when it comes to close encounters."
"You were certain that Jotaro-san would have managed to handle Dio the best and actually win against him. But you all forgot that Dio is a Servant, and that our good friend is nowhere near as strong as he was back when he first fought that vampire."
"That is true but… I also believe the issue is elsewhere," The young man brought up. "Something about this just strikes me as familiar since I've read of a familiar effect to what both Jotaro-san and Dio can use in battle. Something that was ruled out by the Holy See as a Magecraft-related circumstance."
"Oh? And that is?"
"The Romans once documented a bizarre predicament happening within the region between modern Tunisia and Libya. Something about… powerful beings fighting each other for some weapons of power," Kirei explained calmly. "While this might be chalked out as the result of old Magi fighting over old tools of magic, I believe one paragraphs mentioned about… fighting spirits."
"Fighting spirits?"
"Creatures that manifest akin to humans. But intangible most of the time," The former Executor answered. "Assassin could see it in action, both with Jotaro-san and Dio. I believe Servants could see those because their existence is akin to these figures, but less dependent on a single individual."
"And you think this might help?" Risei pressed on, sounding uncertain on the matter. "How would this help you defeat Dio?"
"It's something that goes a little beyond this War. It's actually… tied to the fact that, if this is indeed true, then Dio used one of these tools to unleash his unknown ability," Kirei replied, this time adopting a more concerned look. "And if he got one of those… then there is a genuine chance that others, either loyalists or those that found these weapons, have gained these very abilities. It could be anyone tied to any digging process unfolding in the region."
"It's truly a shocking possibility, I will not lie about it. But perhaps we should wait until we have some better clues on the matter instead of calling for a full-fledged investigation on the matter," The old priest commented. "Especially when we are expecting an agent from the Burial Agency."
"The Burial Agency has been called to aid us?"
That opened up an entirely new can of worms to be facing about. The organization was known to host groups of unstable individuals that would make the entire situation more chaotic than it needed too. There was also the matter that such a move was going to warrant a great upheaval from Clocktower, the Magus Association surely demanding the BA to stand down.
But since the target is so problematic and because we need to keep this news quiet… could it be that-
"Who has been sent? What's their codename?"
"Dio has given many headaches back when he was alive in the 80s. We can't allow him to wander off once more and cause any issues," Risei started to say with a nervous tone, surprised by that sudden amount of queries coming so quickly from his son. "Which is why the group has decided to employ Bow's service for this task. I believe you have mentioned her once a long time ago."
And now things were indeed taking a very complicated and awkward turn. Bow was someone he had met on two different occasions. The first one was during one of her first missions, and another was when she got accustomed to the line of work they both were part of for a time. But while Kotomine's rise to Executor was through experience and a flawless list of operations successfully handled, hers was created through a curious case of anomaly. A powerful anomaly at that.
The fact she was the one that had been sent for the situation lessened most of Kirei's worries about having to handle people like Narbareck, knowing well enough how much of a dangerous woman that twisted psychopath was. Of all options, Bow was perhaps the best he could work on… but it was still something he wasn't happy about.
If someone was to bring up what was going on about their alliance with the Tohsaka Clan, things would definitely take a turn for the worst with the Church authorities. They needed to be as discreet as possible and, expecting her arrival to happen in a little less than two days from now, they needed to make contingencies in case she came close to discover the truth.
"I assume you have already told Tokiomi-san about this situation, father."
"Yes. I wouldn't want him to be given reason to behave irrationally against us. He might be angry at this development, but he knows better to not move too much against the Holy See. He promised to be cautious about this topic," The old man confirmed while nodding. "Still, I can't help but wonder about this 'Bow'. I've heard she is fairly efficient, and I assume you know her from the way you recognized her."
"She is one of the youngest. But I believe it would be a lie to say she will be easy to manipulate if she starts to investigate in the wrong places," Kirei explained with a hint of nervousness. "The best way to handle this is to have her focus on our common goal, try to defeat Dio as quickly as possible and… try to coax her to leave the moment this work is done."
"All without appearing rude to her. Wouldn't want to make a wrong first impression with young Bow," The old priest commented with a sigh, turning to stare at the towers of books accumulated by the table.
"You should also consider taking this opportunity to write. A letter might suffice," Risei pointed out with a sigh. "The Ortensia family has finally accepted an exchange. They will allow you to send letters to your daughter, but they have adamantly demanded that you avoid mentioning the fact you are her father."
…
"Why?"
"Caren is still quite young. She has never heard much of her father, and this might prove detrimental if you wish to safely enter her life," The old man answered readily. "As a young child, she is quicker in picking up simple details, and sometimes those details can cause people to react… badly."
"You think she is going to hate me for delaying this for so long?"
"Indeed. She needs time to grow accustomed to your presence. You should begin by creating a bond and understand the kind of person she is," The elder added. "It might take a while to properly prepare the girl for the revelation, but I can assure you that she will not act on wrong impulses at that point. Anger, yes, but not enough to break any bond you might have with her."
…
"Now, that's the first time I see you this upset."
Kirei narrowed his eyes at that comment.
"What?"
"I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm trying to tease you, my son. Only that I found this concern of yours promising. It's the proof I need to see every time we discuss your daughter," Risei admitted with a smile. "For a time I might have… doubted your interest in forming a bond back with little Caren, but now I can see how much it matters to you. How important it is for this to work."
"You doubted?" Kirei inquired, but the young priest couldn't tell if it was for feeling deceived or not about this discovery.
"Only for a time. And not without reason," The elder rebuked. "You are an enigma I'm still trying to understand the more you discover yourself in this event. I'm happy that I'm seeing more of what you have held back, and I wish to apologize if this revelation hurts you."
…
"It doesn't. It's… just a brief surprise."
"Now, lying isn't something fitting for a former Executor, Kirei-kun."
The young man sighed, shaking his head at that mirthful response.
"I suppose it stung for a moment. It felt uncalled for."
"At times, the most horrible things happen without notice."
Like death.
The thought had him upset once again about those circumstances, and, once more, he was digging deeper about anything that could actually help against Dio. Any bits of the story that could have been used to depict a weakness, or a way to properly see Dio's spirit.
With a tired sigh, and a humming Risei keeping him company, Kirei continued with his research, blissfully unaware of his Servant's concerned look the more he strained his arm by lifting books over books.
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AN
Next time, some real action. Could it be Caster's time to shine!?
Also, did y'all hear about the Tsukihime remake? And yes, it's a VN for PS4… with some new routes.
...No, Bow is not EMIYA.
Interlude 3: Red Lock Unraveled
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Interlude 3: Red Lock Unraveled
These few days had been fairly unpleasant for one Sola-Ui.
After being spared from the atrocious death the blond monster had bestowed to both Lancer and his Master, the red-haired woman had kept low and away from any major events unfolding in Fuyuki. She had still looked for anything interesting on the matter and she was impressed by the way this mysterious Servant was disrupting most of the balance that had existed until Kayneth's horrifying execution.
Nonetheless, the sight had given her a mix of emotions that had kept her from going for anything too bold or too dangerous, her brain geared to get through the task that the terrible bastard had bestowed to her to get through today. Reach the location provided by the temporary sea-monster familiar that had found her by one of the alleys in the city and… get done with that simple task that was going to free her from any obligations over the war.
Without anyone holding her tied to this unpleasant city, the best decision would be to return back to Clock Tower and face some unflattering developments that her lone return would definitely bring to the stability of its society. The news of the death of a leader of a family that didn't have a sure heir to continue the main line was going to severely hamper the dominance of the Aristocratic Faction, while also opening up a distasteful front for the Archibald family against those that were easily going to tear through their vulnerable positions now that there was no major obstacle holding them at bay.
The scenario was ugly, but not as ugly as what might happen to Sola-Ui the moment her brother, the current heir of the Nuada-Re family, decided to cut her off from receiving any support from them. It was a strong possibility since she could have easily been accused of sabotaging the efforts of her late fiance, and, at this very point, it had been clear that Bram wasn't going to grant her any grace and spare her from being banished.
The stakes were high, and there was no major reward beyond living after that very day. She just couldn't believe how unfair things were for her. Sure, she wasn't the best among people, and even with her pedigree, she knew that her enemies weren't just going to spare her because of her last name. No, the redhead was mostly angry at the fact that, despite her group having enjoyed a good position where to strike, her fiance had to keep from making any significant attempts during the competition. After the battle at the docks, which had been particularly disappointing on her side's circumstances, things had been so stale and so disappointing.
There had been numerous chances to attack and actually win against the people they were once competing against. It would have made so much sense and left her in less than a foul mood. But no, she had to live with the fact that Kayneth had to play things slow and get himself stuck in a position where he was capable of handling just a good part of the possible attackers coming at him.
Defense might be the best way to begin a successful offensive, but to arrogantly assuming that he was ready to face everything just felt… stupid. Despite her belief that normal Magi would have seriously lost against her dead fiance's plans, that didn't mean that she was completely trusting of it with every possible eventuality.
Sola-Ui expected Lancer to make up for this very issue since the Servant had proved to be a capable warrior. What she hadn't expected was for their foe to have an ability that made him nigh-impossible to beat. It was preposterous to even imagine what kind of magic was in play, and yet she was certain the range of possibilities lied over three options: space-related magecraft, time-related magecraft, or even something tied to the Second Magic.
Despite this, the circumstances were way too clear for her to just ignore. The woman had to comply with the demands imposed by the bastard and then, maybe, she would be granted the chance of being spared of a sudden death. Beyond the current fear of losing most of her privileges the moment she was back in London, she doubted that things were going to go any worse than that.
Still, the redhead didn't have much of a choice over her current task. She knew that the malicious Servant knew how to track her down, just like one of his familiars had managed to find where she had been hiding this whole time. Not the brightest section of the city, but hypnosis on a young man living alone in the city and making him believe that she was his cousin from Ireland seemed to be enough to give her proper shelter until that very point.
Now it was the time for her to get going and… face some of the worst days in her entire existence. The location she eventually found her gaze gracing ended up being an old warehouse near the southern section of the city's outskirts. Not too distant from the center, but still a little far from the local docks.
The young woman was standing in front of the main entrance when she noticed an old man chatting quite animatedly by the doorstep with a younger fellow, this one wearing a full-body uniform. Instead of lingering around like a complete moron, Sola-Ui decided to approach the two and see if she could get done with this.
"Excuse me, I don't wish to intrude but… I require some assistance."
The elder's attention was quickly aimed at her, and so was the younger man's.
"Sure thing, young lady. How may we help you?"
The red-haired woman sighed. "I was told that Jotaro Kujo is currently in this place. I have urgent news I need to provide him at once."
…
"Truly?" The old man hummed. "Is it something about the… War?"
Oh, so this man was also aware of the situation unfolding in the city? Then again, he was bearing a certain resemblance with the Master of Caster.
"That would be correct, yes," She replied with a nod. "And it's imperative I privately speak with him about this."
"Well, it might take a while since something… unpleasant happened. But I believe he can receive you after a while. I hope you are not working on small time here."
The redhead wanted to say yes, but, then again, it was best to not rush things out of her own interests to bail from Fuyuki at once.
"None at all."
She was led inside the warehouse, and showed a small part of the place through the main hallway that saw her reach the main, mostly unused area of the massive building. In there, what looked to be something close to a living room with some machines around and… two individuals
His red hair was a little darker in shade than hers, and his frame was at least twice hers. Yep, Rider was a behemoth despite how she had imagined him being just a little taller and bulkier. Now that he was in his proximity, she could tell that he was much more than just this. Then her gaze moved to the less threatening but definitely the most dangerous element of the duo considering the potential granted by his Command Seals.
Waver Velvet looked particularly weary as he studied her with a distrusting glance. Not that he was without reason to keep away from her range and to use his own Servants as a protection token against her. She could still not believe her own luck in finding him in this place. Or lack of, depending how things were at the moment with the individual she ended up finding. One of the students (or rather former students) to her now deceased fiance, and the one that particularly gained the hatred of his former teacher, Waver was far from stupid.
The young woman remembered the rants granted by Kayneth about the 'thief' and 'pest', and how those were quick to grate her nerves with how annoying and unimportant those felt to the overall situation of the Holy Grail War.
She could also remember seeing Kayneth grading some of the youth's work with instantaneous negative connotations, when she herself had to genuinely praise some of the logic used by the young man. Sure, Waver's perspective on Magic and its inheritance process was wrong and built on simple mistakes, but it was also true that she couldn't recall herself making this kind of advanced studies until she turned seventeen.
There was no doubt in her mind that, if Kayneth had been less fierce on denigrating the student for his upbringing, many things would have gone differently for them. With Waver not needing to prove a point to his now-dead teacher, Rider would have been Kayneth's Servant, and, without any single doubt.
But now that she looked closer at Waver, the young man trying his best to appear tough, but failing with how adorable he looked with his slender frame and his unblemished face. Her face was graced with a tiny blush as she felt the prolonged staring somewhat embarrassing. She had just lost her fiance, and now her gaze was mesmerized by the youthful and kind of cute boy that was trying his best to not crack under her gaze. Despite that silent reunion, her attention was mostly taken away to another individual, this one arriving slowly from another room while being helped by his serious-looking Servant.
Jotaro Kujo looked tired, his posture, once imposing and particularly threatening from this close, felt slightly weakened by what looked to have been a direct attack against him. The young woman's eyes paused over the barely visible bandages that she could see on beyond his coat and shirt. Sola-Ui was no doctor, but she had a fair understanding that the one behind the physically-inflicted wounds was none other than the man that had given her this simple task to accomplish.
And now, she was one step close to true freedom. Or at least that's what she hoped for this to be the case. The young woman waited for the marine biologist to be set on the seat in front of hers, to give him the chance of being relaxed on the matter they were now going to thread about.
"The old man said that you had something to say," Jotaro spoke neutrally, yet a degree of aggressiveness manifested with each word. "And I can tell that it's not anything to be happy about. Speak."
The voice, the determination, was still there despite the injuries the man had sustained quite recently. Now it was her turn to speak and offer the reason behind her current visit, hoping that it wasn't going to see her hurt or even killed because of it.
"Dio said that… he wishes to talk to you," Sola-Ui began with a nervous tone. "To offer you a conversation devoid of aggression to address some 'common concerns' regarding this War and mentioning that there shall be no trickery until a grave issue he has found is solved properly.
…
"WHAT?!" Joseph Joestar asked, his shock evident in his voice and expression as he manifested a thought that was shared by the rest of the room.
Dio wanted a… truce?!?
------------d-d-d-d-----------d-d-d-d---------
AN
I know, I know- I promised a big chapter this time and I can tell some are going to be annoyed at the curve ball that is this interlude but… I have two big reasons to pull this sudden move:
1) (The 'Within My hands' reason) I had to place a small section to explain what happens next without taking too much time out of the next chapter. As I said, lots of action;
2) (The 'Out of my hands' reason) Today my town was hit by a blackout that started from 9 and ended at 16. While this might not seem much, it does since I usually start writing at 13, just after I'm done with Lunch. Now, with just four hours to get something out (at best) and since I usually take a little more than six hour to get a proper chapter out, you can see that I had a tough call to make: A) Skip the update today and wait two more weeks (making it close to a month since last update), or I uploaded this interlude and get things prepared for some crazy stuff to come.
I don't like making brick walls in AN since I know many individuals just don't like to have this stuff there but… I had to bring up why things are as they are, and I hope you all understand that I didn't have much of a choice beyond deciding how much I had to disappoint with this update. Next time I will make things up with some serious fighting- Caster is getting her big scene!
These few days had been fairly unpleasant for one Sola-Ui.
After being spared from the atrocious death the blond monster had bestowed to both Lancer and his Master, the red-haired woman had kept low and away from any major events unfolding in Fuyuki. She had still looked for anything interesting on the matter and she was impressed by the way this mysterious Servant was disrupting most of the balance that had existed until Kayneth's horrifying execution.
Nonetheless, the sight had given her a mix of emotions that had kept her from going for anything too bold or too dangerous, her brain geared to get through the task that the terrible bastard had bestowed to her to get through today. Reach the location provided by the temporary sea-monster familiar that had found her by one of the alleys in the city and… get done with that simple task that was going to free her from any obligations over the war.
Without anyone holding her tied to this unpleasant city, the best decision would be to return back to Clock Tower and face some unflattering developments that her lone return would definitely bring to the stability of its society. The news of the death of a leader of a family that didn't have a sure heir to continue the main line was going to severely hamper the dominance of the Aristocratic Faction, while also opening up a distasteful front for the Archibald family against those that were easily going to tear through their vulnerable positions now that there was no major obstacle holding them at bay.
The scenario was ugly, but not as ugly as what might happen to Sola-Ui the moment her brother, the current heir of the Nuada-Re family, decided to cut her off from receiving any support from them. It was a strong possibility since she could have easily been accused of sabotaging the efforts of her late fiance, and, at this very point, it had been clear that Bram wasn't going to grant her any grace and spare her from being banished.
The stakes were high, and there was no major reward beyond living after that very day. She just couldn't believe how unfair things were for her. Sure, she wasn't the best among people, and even with her pedigree, she knew that her enemies weren't just going to spare her because of her last name. No, the redhead was mostly angry at the fact that, despite her group having enjoyed a good position where to strike, her fiance had to keep from making any significant attempts during the competition. After the battle at the docks, which had been particularly disappointing on her side's circumstances, things had been so stale and so disappointing.
There had been numerous chances to attack and actually win against the people they were once competing against. It would have made so much sense and left her in less than a foul mood. But no, she had to live with the fact that Kayneth had to play things slow and get himself stuck in a position where he was capable of handling just a good part of the possible attackers coming at him.
Defense might be the best way to begin a successful offensive, but to arrogantly assuming that he was ready to face everything just felt… stupid. Despite her belief that normal Magi would have seriously lost against her dead fiance's plans, that didn't mean that she was completely trusting of it with every possible eventuality.
Sola-Ui expected Lancer to make up for this very issue since the Servant had proved to be a capable warrior. What she hadn't expected was for their foe to have an ability that made him nigh-impossible to beat. It was preposterous to even imagine what kind of magic was in play, and yet she was certain the range of possibilities lied over three options: space-related magecraft, time-related magecraft, or even something tied to the Second Magic.
Despite this, the circumstances were way too clear for her to just ignore. The woman had to comply with the demands imposed by the bastard and then, maybe, she would be granted the chance of being spared of a sudden death. Beyond the current fear of losing most of her privileges the moment she was back in London, she doubted that things were going to go any worse than that.
Still, the redhead didn't have much of a choice over her current task. She knew that the malicious Servant knew how to track her down, just like one of his familiars had managed to find where she had been hiding this whole time. Not the brightest section of the city, but hypnosis on a young man living alone in the city and making him believe that she was his cousin from Ireland seemed to be enough to give her proper shelter until that very point.
Now it was the time for her to get going and… face some of the worst days in her entire existence. The location she eventually found her gaze gracing ended up being an old warehouse near the southern section of the city's outskirts. Not too distant from the center, but still a little far from the local docks.
The young woman was standing in front of the main entrance when she noticed an old man chatting quite animatedly by the doorstep with a younger fellow, this one wearing a full-body uniform. Instead of lingering around like a complete moron, Sola-Ui decided to approach the two and see if she could get done with this.
"Excuse me, I don't wish to intrude but… I require some assistance."
The elder's attention was quickly aimed at her, and so was the younger man's.
"Sure thing, young lady. How may we help you?"
The red-haired woman sighed. "I was told that Jotaro Kujo is currently in this place. I have urgent news I need to provide him at once."
…
"Truly?" The old man hummed. "Is it something about the… War?"
Oh, so this man was also aware of the situation unfolding in the city? Then again, he was bearing a certain resemblance with the Master of Caster.
"That would be correct, yes," She replied with a nod. "And it's imperative I privately speak with him about this."
"Well, it might take a while since something… unpleasant happened. But I believe he can receive you after a while. I hope you are not working on small time here."
The redhead wanted to say yes, but, then again, it was best to not rush things out of her own interests to bail from Fuyuki at once.
"None at all."
She was led inside the warehouse, and showed a small part of the place through the main hallway that saw her reach the main, mostly unused area of the massive building. In there, what looked to be something close to a living room with some machines around and… two individuals
His red hair was a little darker in shade than hers, and his frame was at least twice hers. Yep, Rider was a behemoth despite how she had imagined him being just a little taller and bulkier. Now that he was in his proximity, she could tell that he was much more than just this. Then her gaze moved to the less threatening but definitely the most dangerous element of the duo considering the potential granted by his Command Seals.
Waver Velvet looked particularly weary as he studied her with a distrusting glance. Not that he was without reason to keep away from her range and to use his own Servants as a protection token against her. She could still not believe her own luck in finding him in this place. Or lack of, depending how things were at the moment with the individual she ended up finding. One of the students (or rather former students) to her now deceased fiance, and the one that particularly gained the hatred of his former teacher, Waver was far from stupid.
The young woman remembered the rants granted by Kayneth about the 'thief' and 'pest', and how those were quick to grate her nerves with how annoying and unimportant those felt to the overall situation of the Holy Grail War.
She could also remember seeing Kayneth grading some of the youth's work with instantaneous negative connotations, when she herself had to genuinely praise some of the logic used by the young man. Sure, Waver's perspective on Magic and its inheritance process was wrong and built on simple mistakes, but it was also true that she couldn't recall herself making this kind of advanced studies until she turned seventeen.
There was no doubt in her mind that, if Kayneth had been less fierce on denigrating the student for his upbringing, many things would have gone differently for them. With Waver not needing to prove a point to his now-dead teacher, Rider would have been Kayneth's Servant, and, without any single doubt.
But now that she looked closer at Waver, the young man trying his best to appear tough, but failing with how adorable he looked with his slender frame and his unblemished face. Her face was graced with a tiny blush as she felt the prolonged staring somewhat embarrassing. She had just lost her fiance, and now her gaze was mesmerized by the youthful and kind of cute boy that was trying his best to not crack under her gaze. Despite that silent reunion, her attention was mostly taken away to another individual, this one arriving slowly from another room while being helped by his serious-looking Servant.
Jotaro Kujo looked tired, his posture, once imposing and particularly threatening from this close, felt slightly weakened by what looked to have been a direct attack against him. The young woman's eyes paused over the barely visible bandages that she could see on beyond his coat and shirt. Sola-Ui was no doctor, but she had a fair understanding that the one behind the physically-inflicted wounds was none other than the man that had given her this simple task to accomplish.
And now, she was one step close to true freedom. Or at least that's what she hoped for this to be the case. The young woman waited for the marine biologist to be set on the seat in front of hers, to give him the chance of being relaxed on the matter they were now going to thread about.
"The old man said that you had something to say," Jotaro spoke neutrally, yet a degree of aggressiveness manifested with each word. "And I can tell that it's not anything to be happy about. Speak."
The voice, the determination, was still there despite the injuries the man had sustained quite recently. Now it was her turn to speak and offer the reason behind her current visit, hoping that it wasn't going to see her hurt or even killed because of it.
"Dio said that… he wishes to talk to you," Sola-Ui began with a nervous tone. "To offer you a conversation devoid of aggression to address some 'common concerns' regarding this War and mentioning that there shall be no trickery until a grave issue he has found is solved properly.
…
"WHAT?!" Joseph Joestar asked, his shock evident in his voice and expression as he manifested a thought that was shared by the rest of the room.
Dio wanted a… truce?!?
------------d-d-d-d-----------d-d-d-d---------
AN
I know, I know- I promised a big chapter this time and I can tell some are going to be annoyed at the curve ball that is this interlude but… I have two big reasons to pull this sudden move:
1) (The 'Within My hands' reason) I had to place a small section to explain what happens next without taking too much time out of the next chapter. As I said, lots of action;
2) (The 'Out of my hands' reason) Today my town was hit by a blackout that started from 9 and ended at 16. While this might not seem much, it does since I usually start writing at 13, just after I'm done with Lunch. Now, with just four hours to get something out (at best) and since I usually take a little more than six hour to get a proper chapter out, you can see that I had a tough call to make: A) Skip the update today and wait two more weeks (making it close to a month since last update), or I uploaded this interlude and get things prepared for some crazy stuff to come.
I don't like making brick walls in AN since I know many individuals just don't like to have this stuff there but… I had to bring up why things are as they are, and I hope you all understand that I didn't have much of a choice beyond deciding how much I had to disappoint with this update. Next time I will make things up with some serious fighting- Caster is getting her big scene!
Art - Jotaro and Lil' Sakura
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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I just discovered that someone commissioned the drawing of a scene from this story between Jotaro and little Sakura! Kudos to Alex-kellar and the commissioner, SPRTN. I hope they see this, if not I will mention them next chapter in FFN.
Kishou the Badger
Stronger than LOVE
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How does this story not have riveting discussion after every chapter?! It's such a departure from other Zero fics because how things spiral so fast (even if the Servants dying so far are kinda anti-climaxes). Maybe there's not enough JoJo style smart game battle think in the series but it has a lot of character and humor. Just the comeback grudge match between Jotaro and Dio, as well as the Moonlit World's reaction to how much impact those two had, is very well done crossover writing that feels organic.
Can't wait for more!
Can't wait for more!
nick012000
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Honestly, I don't think that Gilgamesh would have died like that. If Tokiomi had used a Command Seal to order him to kill himself, I legitimately think that Gilgamesh is strong enough to refuse to go along with it. He refused to die when immersed in all the evils of mankind, after all, so whatever mental influence a Command Seal might cause would likely be within his ability to resist if he chose to do so. This might possibly involve severing the Master/Servant bond with Tokiomi in the process, but Gilgamesh is an Archer and he has Independent Action, so he'd have the better part of a day to kill Dio and then go off and kill Tokiomi for the offense of ordering him to kill himself.
Kreuzritter
Not too sore, are you?
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A command seal, maybe, but I could buy it taking all three seals to do the deed
nick012000
Gone for Good
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Hasn't Tokiomi already used one to order him to retreat from a fight?
Kishou the Badger
Stronger than LOVE
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Two's still greater than one. And as we've seen with Rin's first command on Archer in the sequel Fate/Stay Night, a strong enough conviction can empower a command seal even further. For once, Tokiomi acted like a proper father caring about the well being of his children, even though he still acted like an idiot about it.
Cherry Lover
Well worn.
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Rin's command didn't work because of conviction, it worked because Rin is a ridiculously powerful magus.
Fourteenth Mantra! Cocky, Brash, Mistake!
JBukharin
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Chapter 15: Fourteenth Mantra! Cocky, Brash, Mistake!
Jotaro was… tired. Maybe he should have slept a little more instead of staying awake to plan out this meeting.
There were many variables to keep into account when planning out how to predict what kind of intentions Dio had regarding this 'truce'. It felt so sudden, and yet… he couldn't help but feel like there was something off beyond the absurdity of that request. Dio was a trickster, but not one that could create something so unnaturally complicated not only for his enemies but also himself.
As many factors were to be evaluated for them to worry about, there was a fair share of issues that would have been detrimental for Dio himself. And that was the possibility of getting attacked by both Jotato, Caster, Rider, and Joseph without a chance of retreating. It was confusing, and yet there was also a strange note within his message that was… even odder than the others.
He wanted for Sakura to be there… so she could play with her sister.
The mere sentence, albeit innocent in nature, took a completely new degree of concerns as it was clear that Dio hadn't killed his hostage. It wasn't clear if he had spared her from any of the devious body-twisting operations that his grandfather had mentioned the monster being endeared with when it came to torturing his preys. The tension was pretty high, yet they still went through with this. Not because they were confident of winning, but rather expecting to at least recover Rin if they went there.
This wasn't an easy fight. Dio was still a threat and Jotaro hadn't recovered enough to be able to handle multiple time-stops at once. He estimated that he could have held for about three to four stops before his body was too strained by the stress exerted by the ability.
He could still fight with his Stand for a prolonged amount of time, but the marine biologist wasn't confident of beating Dio this soon. His body was far from prepared for this, and he wasn't foolish enough to try his luck in these conditions.
The setting for their meeting was the park. Midnight. It wasn't going to be a fun experience to be lured in, but at least he knew that they weren't going to die. Not when they were all prepared in case Dio got too close. Joseph had managed to retrieve a few UV Flashbangs for the occasion. All those that were part of the event were holding at least one of those. Even Sakura was granted one, and she was told how to use it in case the vampire got too close to her. The child was surprisingly attentive, nodding seriously at each point as she understood how to activate that bomb that was harmless against humans.
Sola-ui was told to remain in the headquarters. Members of the Speedwagon Foundation that were specialized in handling bizarre situations were assigned to keep an eye out for anything she did and any dangerous hidden intent she might be holding on them. The redhead was fine with this, under the conditions that she was treated well and that she was granted food when she needed it.
Dark clouds up in the sky limited the moonlight to shed clearness over the shadows between the trees and the bushes. The park at this time of the day looked particularly spectral, and the sight quickly reminded Jotaro of how chilling Dio's manor in Cairo was. Silent, desolate… yet full of dangers from all kinds of corners.
He expected to see some of the sea monsters that he had heard the vampire's Master could conjure. Not because he wanted to see how they really looked! Still, there was no sign of those creatures being around. The place was as deserted as it could get for a park at midnight.
The stroll beyond the gates continued silently and filled with minor concerns. Waver and Rider had taken the back, with Joseph between the two and a little in front as he kept a 'central' position together with his grandson. The young Magus was as nervous as usual, not a surprise considering how much he learned from having the young man around. He was a simple teen that had a couple of personal issues with his school and society. His Servant was more than happy to regal him with jovial comments and pep-talks, but those were actually well-spread and never repeated with the same purpose. Each had a reason to be part of a conversation.
The old Joestar would pipe in himself, offering his own memories of the past to try and shrug Waver away from general reluctance to do things in this War. There was an inner strength within him, a flame that was so close to break free and make him a good strong man. It was all a matter of time now, with the process having begun the moment he decided to join this competition against his 'common sense'.
Finally, it was the turn of Jotaro's own annoyance. Caster was surprisingly closer to him than she would usually be. While there were times she would be quite pushy and clingy with her nature, it wasn't ever this prominent. Her frame was moments away from unconsciously slamming into him with how close she was standing, yet the blue eyes of her Master easily picked up a degree of tension that was unlike anything he had seen from her until now. Her posture was forced to be on alert, her expression was set on a neutral and somewhat unnatural expression of serious calm...
Defensive was the best adjective he could come up with at the moment, yet, if he had been younger, he would have said that her clinging was more annoying than anything else.
A younger me would have also had a better time against Dio. Jotaro calmly silenced his own frustration.
Sure, he didn't like the fact he was relying on someone to protect him, but that didn't mean he was going to mess things up for that silly personal problem and now that he needed to be wary of other issues in his close premises. Especially when he had to stay aware for not only his sake, but also Sakura's. The little girl was just barely awake. It was no surprise that the child wasn't exactly capable of keeping fully aware at this time of the day, and she was quietly enjoying resting her left cheek on his shoulder.
Jotaro felt uneasiness at having accepted this demand, really hoping that with Sakura around, Rin would have been easier to retrieve if she saw a familiar face. It was all dependent on the chances of the older girl being safe and well, without being influenced or controlled by a flesh bud or worse than that.
Their journey came to an end as they finally spotted the hint that Dio had mentioned. A red flower within the green. The twin-tailed brunette that was sitting by the cool grass spared them a quick look as she heard their approach. A pair of sapphires tore easily through the dark and alerted them that it was indeed the child they were trying to rescue. She looked fine beyond a hint of annoyance within her face. No wounds, no injuries, she looked… fine from that far. Sakura adjusted herself in Jotaro's arms, her eyes widening a fraction as she looked at what the others were staring at.
"Rin?" Her soft voice filled with brief surprise and confusion at the sight, and… surprisingly enough, that was actually noticed by the sister. Rin stood up, and started to run towards them. It felt so easy that their target was advancing towards them without being stopped. Too easy, and the first thing that Jotaro thought about was about the girl being a dangerous trap created by Dio, something that exploded or worse.
Yet his mind reassessed the situation when a shadow bolted off from one of the trees' branches nearby and landed right between Rin and them. The being stood up, his attention aimed at the child as the girl fell back at the sudden obstacle appearing in front of her. A menacing aura exuded from the intruder, with Jotaro's eyes narrowing in recognition of the bastard himself.
Dio hummed, almost amused by the glare the child in front of him was throwing at him.
"Rin. I thought I had said to wait for me before running so abruptly towards them."
"Sakura-"
"Is here as I had promised," Dio interrupted. "While I have given you the freedom to decide on your reaction, I recall mentioning how you shouldn't put yourself in a dangerous situation. After all… you are my Master."
It was a planned revelation, one that was heightened as Dio turned around to give a clearer sight over Rin and allowed them all to spot red signs that were visible on Rin's right hand. Command Seals.
"W-What?!" Joseph exclaimed in shock. "Dio, what have you done!"
The vampire smiled, clearly entertained by their shocked reactions. "This is the reason why I find myself inquiring about a possible truce for the time being."
What happened to his previous Master? That woman was surely still around and sowing chaos as far as Jotaro could predict. Yet this didn't explain Dio's sudden interest in changing his allegiance to someone that was coherently his enemy. An opposing force of sort. It was clear that Rin wasn't mind-controlled as her actions seemed more fluid and he couldn't see any flesh bud on her. There was just too much freedom of expressions within her body-language, and that was telling that she was no minion of his.
"What did you do?" Jotaro demanded calmly, his voice still being received by Dio like a punch slamming on his face.
"It would be more about what I couldn't do to prevent quite the devious ordeal from happening. Someone trying to destroy what is rightfully mine to rule," The blond started to explain calmly. "You see, Jotaro, my former Master decided that it was only for her best amusement and interest to use this opportunity offered by the Holy Grail War to try and reach a place beyond space and time… at the expenses of reality itself."
…
"W-What?" Waver conceptualized the thoughts of the group with that short question.
"I'm not completely aware of what she is really seeking, yet I can easily tell that the methods she is following are far from acceptable. Not when those hinder my own plans in such an unruly manner," Dio replied flatly. "Master she might be, that hideous woman will never receive forgiveness for having demanded such a troublesome price by trying to destroy the world that is mine to control and own."
"What are you saying, Dio?" Jotaro pressed and the vampire sighed.
"My former Master is trying to gain access to the Holy Grail. While studying the local Leylines, she discovered a flaw within the construct that would allow her to take over the process and force the wish-granting function to activate without requiring the Lesser Grail and the Seven Heroic Spirits' souls," The blond finally elaborated. "It would drain the Leylines here in Fuyuki for good, but it would override the requirements needed for the procedure to happen."
"B-But that shouldn't be possible," Waver interrupted. "Sure, I-I think everyone here knows that the War isn't how it's told it actually is but-"
"There are some elements that are willfully left unattended by records. Mostly because one of the main families seems to have a… problem with their habit of cheating in this competition," Dio lamented tiredly. "The Einzbern had long thought that they would have been the sole winners of the Grail, and then used it to regain control over the Third Magic. Sadly, that isn't something doable considering how rigged this War really is. And even cheating isn't a safe solution to this problem".
"Cheating. You've been repeating that for a while now," Jotaro commented and the vampire hummed.
"Oh Jotaro, I would have thought it was evident now that the reason why the appearance of a new Servant, 'Avenger', didn't cause much of an upheaval is because it's not the first time it happened in this century," The Servant continued. "While Joseph Joestar was busy handling the trouble that were the creators of the Stone Masks, here in Fuyuki, the Third Holy Grail War ended in a horrible aftermath where most of the Masters, the Lesser Grail herself too, being shredded by a powerful explosion resulted by the last but most explosive brawls between Servants. Among the first victims of that conflict, instead of the Berserker Servant that is usually deployed in these Wars, the Einzbern broke the rules by summoning a new Class of Servants. Avenger."
"The one you have been summoned as," Rider commented and the vampire nodded.
"Indeed. I was surprised to learn I wasn't the first to be pulled back in the world of the living with this Class, yet I realized the irony when I learned that the true Identity of this Hero was 'the Persian Manifestation of all Evils'. Angra Mainyu."
"Why does this matter?" Jotar pressed once again.
Dio smiled. "Where all heroes would return to the Throne once they are killed in the War, this Servant wasn't a Servant to begin with. It didn't even exist until the moment it was summoned. So when it died, it didn't go to the Throne… no, it remained in the Grail."
"A-And it corrupted it. The- The wish-granting process-"
"Is blundered beyond relief," The blond interrupted with a massive grin as he glanced at the shocked Waver. "This game… it's all a farce. One that whenever one wins or loses, they still experience defeat. It all depends on the kind of defeat one really wishes by the end of it."
"So you want a truce to just avoid this to happen," Joseph inquired with some suspicions in his voice. "Why? Can't you just kill that woman?"
"Oh, trust me Joseph Joestar… I tried. And I was annoyed when I found out that I couldn't kill her. At least, not with natural ways," Dio admitted with a genuine note of dismay in his voice. "Even my Stand couldn't put an end to her. Her capacity to rebuild her body is impressive and somehow better than a normal vampire's."
"If so, how did you break from her hold?" Joseph asked with more interest. "If she can't be beaten by you-"
"Oh no, you failed to understand the point. Just because I couldn't kill her, that didn't mean I couldn't just overwhelm her," The Servant interjected. "After studying Magecraft for a while, I learned how to 'modify' specific contracts to fit my whims. In this case, I made sure to alter the contract I have to exist in this world so the true Master would be Rin and… the energy dispenser would be the foolish harlot that tried to control me, Dio. The pathetic wench got what she best deserved."
"That means… you turned her in a mana battery," Waver reiterated in other words. "Which also means that she needs to get her hands on Rin to alter the contract back to a satisfactory state."
"That's right!" A cheerful voice agreed from beyond a couple of bushes on the side. The sudden intrusion was greeted with dread as everyone could feel a degree of maliciousness now coming from that very direction. Soft footsteps… accompanied by louder ones.
The woman, Dio's former Master, was now here and… grinning as if nothing bad had really happened. By her sides, two large columns of Sea Fiends had formed and were now moving to encircle the two small groups in a limited area of action. Everyone tensed up and prepared for the clear battle to begin.
"Diooooo! You lied to me- and then you hurt me! You meanie~~!!"
Dio could only scowl at that exclamation, but before he could say anything the woman moved her sight to see Jotaro.
"Jo-ta-ro!! You are here. That means you and Dio-baka can have a proper fight- No wait, you are still injured. Shuck, and here I thought that this was going to be really easy," The tan-skinned woman rebuked. "Pity, pity… anyway. Dio-chama, I will get you back if you let me have the brat. I promise I will feed you better-"
"I believe I will not come back to a shallow woman like you," The blond interjected in complete annoyance. "Rin is, for now, a ward of mine."
"Awww… I guess I have to show you how wrong you are myself. Don't whine when I'm sure that you will never leave my side after… I've dealt with your fake new friends!"
As the woman said that, the large number of monsters rushed to assault them. Jotaro scowled as he allowed ｢Star Platinum｣ to manifest. Dio smiled at the situation, ｢The World｣ already standing beside him as they braced for the attack. The rest of the group prepared for the approaching brawl.
Francesca Prelati cackled in delight at the most amusing sight she was bestowed out of this War. How fun it was going to be when she revealed how many fiends she had created for the occasion.
----------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d---------
Caster snapped in action the moment the first monster advanced towards them. Instead of taking a lax approach against those, she swiftly moved to kill them through the weaknesses she had spotted the first time she fought those fiends. Right by the origin of their mouths, a sudden impulse of purification spells seemed to easily destroy these creatures.
No mercy, she thought within her mind as she crushed her share of enemies, giving her best as the others joined the fight with everything they got. Rider started to cleave around and kick anything that got too close to either him or his Master. Joseph used ｢Hermit Purple｣ coupled with his Hamon to purge the demonic-like entities, further helping with the eradication of the large army of monsters within the park.
Jotaro, still clutching Sakura close to him in a protective manner, unleashed ｢Star Platinum｣ against anything that got too close for their comfort. Dio was grinning eye to eye as he was the one that did most of the work. Not only ｢The World｣ was facing a great number of creatures, but he personally intervened by executing with his bare hands anything that was to his reach. His vampiric strength and speed offered him the chance to give twice the efforts as humanly possible.
Rin stared as 'her' Servant tore through the lines of the dangerous creatures she had been seeing a lot in the past few days. Dio wasn't sparing himself with his brutality despite the youthful spectators, actually looking more enticed to be vicious at the idea that his ward was watching him take care of these fools.
It was a pure carnage where the attacking force was barely getting any close to the two groups, the combined effort from the defenders pushing off any attempts to actually get in range to hurt anyone. Yet, the more they fought, the more they realized that the issue wasn't the strength of the enemies… It was the size of the army. There was no relief and she knew that the only way they were going to win through this without actually getting overwhelmed by those unpleasant numbers was to deal with the creator of these monsters.
The former Master kept on giggling despite the initial disadvantageous position, but she seemed to switch tune the moment Xuanzang began to stop being on the defensive and take an initiative to handle the source of the problem. Her efforts, albeit mostly going unnoticed by the other defenders, were recognized by her prey.
Francesca giggled. "My, oh my~! Caster-chan, could it be that you are a little bit angry? Is that time of the month?"
Xuanzang felt herself gritting her teeth in complete irritation. If before she had a small hint of peace within her core, now she was seething and exerting as much rage her body could contain at the moment. While this meant that her precision had lessened, the power behind each blow increased as she didn't spare much attention on keeping things balanced. She was on a full offensive, clearing a quick path to her current target.
"Oh no~! What am I gonna do? I need some heroes!"
The insulting manner her attempt was being regarded warranted even more fury out of the usually calm and cheerful Servant. The last few days had left her to think, meditate and realize that she couldn't keep up being peaceful if that meant leaving her Master and others in danger. It was just like back when she had her own doubts during her Journey to the West.
The many troubles she had to go through, the challenges, the perils- all for the sake of proving a point that was never accepted. A great monk she became, but not one recognized as the right one by her own teacher. It hurt at the time, it was hurting her now that she tried to disconnect her past from the present.
The stress, the memories- it was all melding in a dangerous cocktail that had her mind left in a volatile state. She rushed, coming so close to actually claw instead of using her martial arts. She relied more on her staff, growing unsure that her attacks were genuinely going to keep precise as they were meant to.
Moments passed, she could feel her own chi kept getting unbalanced and… and then Caster was there. The former Master was smiling eye-to-eye at the sight she was bestowed. Her staff was already arching to rise up and descend onto her target with the intent of cracking her skull open and disrupt the witch's concentration for a single moment, her efforts were rendered null as she felt something holding her back.
Pain finally helped her notice that, in that fit of rage, Xuanzang had jumped on a trap. One of the sea fiends that had remained close to its master was just waiting for her to get close enough to strike. Two of its many tendrils slithered rapidly and stabbed through her. One pierced her shoulder, another her leg.
"I got you!"
Xuanzang howled in pain, the tendril wriggling and stretching her two injuries at once.
And her cries of pain weren't left unnoticed.
Sakura's attention snapped away from the sight of Jotaro's Stands cleaning up their proximity, her eyes turning to see the sudden familiar noise coming from afar. She saw something horrible unfold as a tendril had pierced through Caster's left shoulder, and blood was now falling off from the injury. A cackle, it was the bad woman that had been behind the attack. The girl's mind was completely taken by the scene as… she felt something from within ache at it.
It was… familiar. Pain and the laugh.
Pain and then… laugh.
The pit and… Zouken.
It was… happening again? To Xuanzang?
Sakura's body tensed up at that idea, her eyes wide open as she felt anger boiling at the mere concept. No, she couldn't accept this. The girl didn't want this to happen. She couldn't just allow it to happen.
She knew that Jotaro wouldn't have been fast enough to react to this. Caster was quite far and she knew that ｢Star Platinum｣ didn't have much range to get there and help the nice lady. Something had to happen and… for some reason, she felt like she was somehow tied to it. It had to come from her.
A cold breath left her lungs as she felt something squirming within her chest and… then manifest. A dark blur that left her body, that rushed and soared well above a couple of the Sea Fiends and reached for where the cackling woman was. Without a proper contract with Dio, Francesca was unable to see the small figure that had zeroed the distance between her and Sakura. The tiny Stand cocked its tendril-like fist and… slammed it through her chest.
While it wasn't ｢Star Platinum｣ to have struck the witch, the attack was heightened by the momentum behind the neck-breaking rush. It gained intensity, it gained power- and it was driven with enough determination to handle some real damage.
The blow sent the witch soaring. Three trees were cracked and because of the might behind the strike, with the wicked woman's pained grunts and yelps filling the area. The hit did much more than just disrupt the problematic situation in which Xuanzang had ended into. The sharp interruption of focus from the creator made the hivemind leading the rest of the sea fiends collapse, promptly ending the fight.
Sakura blinked, surprise building up at what had just happened as she clearly felt something sting at her knuckles. She glanced down at her right hand and she saw those slightly bruised as if… she had struck something really hard. It didn't hurt… but it was quite surprising to see this closely.
"We need to go," Jotaro muttered, unsure of what had just happened. Joseph nodded, the two sharing a brief look as they saw Dio and Rin were no longer there in their proximity. The marine biologist rushed to his Servant's side, with Caster coughing and shivering as she couldn't stand up from her crouched position.
The little girl didn't hesitate hopping off his hold and accepting the old Joestar's silent offer to get in his arms while her adoptive parent helped the nice lady. Xuanzang protested weakly at the sudden lift up, but she was silenced by a serious stare from Jotaro and soon the group left the area with little words spared about it.
Dio might have left without saying anything, but now it was clear that he wasn't planning to break this truce. It felt real that someone of the caliber as his former Master was more than capable of going through this devious and dangerous plan. It was time to alert the other Masters.
The Holy Grail War was finally coming to an end. Either with all its participants dying, or with the world being saved. It was all up to Fate to decide…
------------d-d-d-d----------d-d-d-d--------
AN
Before anyone asks- Yes, Sakura just unleashed her Stand without realizing. The reason why Jotaro didn't notice anything or stopped to think about it was more tied to the circumstances. In a moment of tension, he wasn't paying attention to anything beyond defending himself and those close to him.
He knew Xuanzang was a capable fighter and that she could be fine on her own, but he didn't expect her to be this reckless on this occasion. And that is going to be a reason for some serious discussions in the next chapter. Now, the reason why he didn't pause to reflect on what had happened is tied to the fact they weren't completely safe and, the moment Francesca was up, things would have been even tougher to handle without Dio around.
Finally… Sakura's Stand? It made a quick appearance and it will have more screen time by… next two-three chapters (can't say 100% sure tho). Despite being a range-type Stand, it still packs a punch if it has a running start and it's power… is terribly dangerous depending on the Stand she fights.
Also, good news: someone (SPRTN in DA) commissioned for the fanart of a scene from this story (the one where Jotaro shows the book about marine biology to Sakura). I wish to humbly thank Alex-kellar for the brilliant work! You may find it with the name 'Platinum Heart' in his Deviantart Page.
Jotaro was… tired. Maybe he should have slept a little more instead of staying awake to plan out this meeting.
There were many variables to keep into account when planning out how to predict what kind of intentions Dio had regarding this 'truce'. It felt so sudden, and yet… he couldn't help but feel like there was something off beyond the absurdity of that request. Dio was a trickster, but not one that could create something so unnaturally complicated not only for his enemies but also himself.
As many factors were to be evaluated for them to worry about, there was a fair share of issues that would have been detrimental for Dio himself. And that was the possibility of getting attacked by both Jotato, Caster, Rider, and Joseph without a chance of retreating. It was confusing, and yet there was also a strange note within his message that was… even odder than the others.
He wanted for Sakura to be there… so she could play with her sister.
The mere sentence, albeit innocent in nature, took a completely new degree of concerns as it was clear that Dio hadn't killed his hostage. It wasn't clear if he had spared her from any of the devious body-twisting operations that his grandfather had mentioned the monster being endeared with when it came to torturing his preys. The tension was pretty high, yet they still went through with this. Not because they were confident of winning, but rather expecting to at least recover Rin if they went there.
This wasn't an easy fight. Dio was still a threat and Jotaro hadn't recovered enough to be able to handle multiple time-stops at once. He estimated that he could have held for about three to four stops before his body was too strained by the stress exerted by the ability.
He could still fight with his Stand for a prolonged amount of time, but the marine biologist wasn't confident of beating Dio this soon. His body was far from prepared for this, and he wasn't foolish enough to try his luck in these conditions.
The setting for their meeting was the park. Midnight. It wasn't going to be a fun experience to be lured in, but at least he knew that they weren't going to die. Not when they were all prepared in case Dio got too close. Joseph had managed to retrieve a few UV Flashbangs for the occasion. All those that were part of the event were holding at least one of those. Even Sakura was granted one, and she was told how to use it in case the vampire got too close to her. The child was surprisingly attentive, nodding seriously at each point as she understood how to activate that bomb that was harmless against humans.
Sola-ui was told to remain in the headquarters. Members of the Speedwagon Foundation that were specialized in handling bizarre situations were assigned to keep an eye out for anything she did and any dangerous hidden intent she might be holding on them. The redhead was fine with this, under the conditions that she was treated well and that she was granted food when she needed it.
Dark clouds up in the sky limited the moonlight to shed clearness over the shadows between the trees and the bushes. The park at this time of the day looked particularly spectral, and the sight quickly reminded Jotaro of how chilling Dio's manor in Cairo was. Silent, desolate… yet full of dangers from all kinds of corners.
He expected to see some of the sea monsters that he had heard the vampire's Master could conjure. Not because he wanted to see how they really looked! Still, there was no sign of those creatures being around. The place was as deserted as it could get for a park at midnight.
The stroll beyond the gates continued silently and filled with minor concerns. Waver and Rider had taken the back, with Joseph between the two and a little in front as he kept a 'central' position together with his grandson. The young Magus was as nervous as usual, not a surprise considering how much he learned from having the young man around. He was a simple teen that had a couple of personal issues with his school and society. His Servant was more than happy to regal him with jovial comments and pep-talks, but those were actually well-spread and never repeated with the same purpose. Each had a reason to be part of a conversation.
The old Joestar would pipe in himself, offering his own memories of the past to try and shrug Waver away from general reluctance to do things in this War. There was an inner strength within him, a flame that was so close to break free and make him a good strong man. It was all a matter of time now, with the process having begun the moment he decided to join this competition against his 'common sense'.
Finally, it was the turn of Jotaro's own annoyance. Caster was surprisingly closer to him than she would usually be. While there were times she would be quite pushy and clingy with her nature, it wasn't ever this prominent. Her frame was moments away from unconsciously slamming into him with how close she was standing, yet the blue eyes of her Master easily picked up a degree of tension that was unlike anything he had seen from her until now. Her posture was forced to be on alert, her expression was set on a neutral and somewhat unnatural expression of serious calm...
Defensive was the best adjective he could come up with at the moment, yet, if he had been younger, he would have said that her clinging was more annoying than anything else.
A younger me would have also had a better time against Dio. Jotaro calmly silenced his own frustration.
Sure, he didn't like the fact he was relying on someone to protect him, but that didn't mean he was going to mess things up for that silly personal problem and now that he needed to be wary of other issues in his close premises. Especially when he had to stay aware for not only his sake, but also Sakura's. The little girl was just barely awake. It was no surprise that the child wasn't exactly capable of keeping fully aware at this time of the day, and she was quietly enjoying resting her left cheek on his shoulder.
Jotaro felt uneasiness at having accepted this demand, really hoping that with Sakura around, Rin would have been easier to retrieve if she saw a familiar face. It was all dependent on the chances of the older girl being safe and well, without being influenced or controlled by a flesh bud or worse than that.
Their journey came to an end as they finally spotted the hint that Dio had mentioned. A red flower within the green. The twin-tailed brunette that was sitting by the cool grass spared them a quick look as she heard their approach. A pair of sapphires tore easily through the dark and alerted them that it was indeed the child they were trying to rescue. She looked fine beyond a hint of annoyance within her face. No wounds, no injuries, she looked… fine from that far. Sakura adjusted herself in Jotaro's arms, her eyes widening a fraction as she looked at what the others were staring at.
"Rin?" Her soft voice filled with brief surprise and confusion at the sight, and… surprisingly enough, that was actually noticed by the sister. Rin stood up, and started to run towards them. It felt so easy that their target was advancing towards them without being stopped. Too easy, and the first thing that Jotaro thought about was about the girl being a dangerous trap created by Dio, something that exploded or worse.
Yet his mind reassessed the situation when a shadow bolted off from one of the trees' branches nearby and landed right between Rin and them. The being stood up, his attention aimed at the child as the girl fell back at the sudden obstacle appearing in front of her. A menacing aura exuded from the intruder, with Jotaro's eyes narrowing in recognition of the bastard himself.
Dio hummed, almost amused by the glare the child in front of him was throwing at him.
"Rin. I thought I had said to wait for me before running so abruptly towards them."
"Sakura-"
"Is here as I had promised," Dio interrupted. "While I have given you the freedom to decide on your reaction, I recall mentioning how you shouldn't put yourself in a dangerous situation. After all… you are my Master."
It was a planned revelation, one that was heightened as Dio turned around to give a clearer sight over Rin and allowed them all to spot red signs that were visible on Rin's right hand. Command Seals.
"W-What?!" Joseph exclaimed in shock. "Dio, what have you done!"
The vampire smiled, clearly entertained by their shocked reactions. "This is the reason why I find myself inquiring about a possible truce for the time being."
What happened to his previous Master? That woman was surely still around and sowing chaos as far as Jotaro could predict. Yet this didn't explain Dio's sudden interest in changing his allegiance to someone that was coherently his enemy. An opposing force of sort. It was clear that Rin wasn't mind-controlled as her actions seemed more fluid and he couldn't see any flesh bud on her. There was just too much freedom of expressions within her body-language, and that was telling that she was no minion of his.
"What did you do?" Jotaro demanded calmly, his voice still being received by Dio like a punch slamming on his face.
"It would be more about what I couldn't do to prevent quite the devious ordeal from happening. Someone trying to destroy what is rightfully mine to rule," The blond started to explain calmly. "You see, Jotaro, my former Master decided that it was only for her best amusement and interest to use this opportunity offered by the Holy Grail War to try and reach a place beyond space and time… at the expenses of reality itself."
…
"W-What?" Waver conceptualized the thoughts of the group with that short question.
"I'm not completely aware of what she is really seeking, yet I can easily tell that the methods she is following are far from acceptable. Not when those hinder my own plans in such an unruly manner," Dio replied flatly. "Master she might be, that hideous woman will never receive forgiveness for having demanded such a troublesome price by trying to destroy the world that is mine to control and own."
"What are you saying, Dio?" Jotaro pressed and the vampire sighed.
"My former Master is trying to gain access to the Holy Grail. While studying the local Leylines, she discovered a flaw within the construct that would allow her to take over the process and force the wish-granting function to activate without requiring the Lesser Grail and the Seven Heroic Spirits' souls," The blond finally elaborated. "It would drain the Leylines here in Fuyuki for good, but it would override the requirements needed for the procedure to happen."
"B-But that shouldn't be possible," Waver interrupted. "Sure, I-I think everyone here knows that the War isn't how it's told it actually is but-"
"There are some elements that are willfully left unattended by records. Mostly because one of the main families seems to have a… problem with their habit of cheating in this competition," Dio lamented tiredly. "The Einzbern had long thought that they would have been the sole winners of the Grail, and then used it to regain control over the Third Magic. Sadly, that isn't something doable considering how rigged this War really is. And even cheating isn't a safe solution to this problem".
"Cheating. You've been repeating that for a while now," Jotaro commented and the vampire hummed.
"Oh Jotaro, I would have thought it was evident now that the reason why the appearance of a new Servant, 'Avenger', didn't cause much of an upheaval is because it's not the first time it happened in this century," The Servant continued. "While Joseph Joestar was busy handling the trouble that were the creators of the Stone Masks, here in Fuyuki, the Third Holy Grail War ended in a horrible aftermath where most of the Masters, the Lesser Grail herself too, being shredded by a powerful explosion resulted by the last but most explosive brawls between Servants. Among the first victims of that conflict, instead of the Berserker Servant that is usually deployed in these Wars, the Einzbern broke the rules by summoning a new Class of Servants. Avenger."
"The one you have been summoned as," Rider commented and the vampire nodded.
"Indeed. I was surprised to learn I wasn't the first to be pulled back in the world of the living with this Class, yet I realized the irony when I learned that the true Identity of this Hero was 'the Persian Manifestation of all Evils'. Angra Mainyu."
"Why does this matter?" Jotar pressed once again.
Dio smiled. "Where all heroes would return to the Throne once they are killed in the War, this Servant wasn't a Servant to begin with. It didn't even exist until the moment it was summoned. So when it died, it didn't go to the Throne… no, it remained in the Grail."
"A-And it corrupted it. The- The wish-granting process-"
"Is blundered beyond relief," The blond interrupted with a massive grin as he glanced at the shocked Waver. "This game… it's all a farce. One that whenever one wins or loses, they still experience defeat. It all depends on the kind of defeat one really wishes by the end of it."
"So you want a truce to just avoid this to happen," Joseph inquired with some suspicions in his voice. "Why? Can't you just kill that woman?"
"Oh, trust me Joseph Joestar… I tried. And I was annoyed when I found out that I couldn't kill her. At least, not with natural ways," Dio admitted with a genuine note of dismay in his voice. "Even my Stand couldn't put an end to her. Her capacity to rebuild her body is impressive and somehow better than a normal vampire's."
"If so, how did you break from her hold?" Joseph asked with more interest. "If she can't be beaten by you-"
"Oh no, you failed to understand the point. Just because I couldn't kill her, that didn't mean I couldn't just overwhelm her," The Servant interjected. "After studying Magecraft for a while, I learned how to 'modify' specific contracts to fit my whims. In this case, I made sure to alter the contract I have to exist in this world so the true Master would be Rin and… the energy dispenser would be the foolish harlot that tried to control me, Dio. The pathetic wench got what she best deserved."
"That means… you turned her in a mana battery," Waver reiterated in other words. "Which also means that she needs to get her hands on Rin to alter the contract back to a satisfactory state."
"That's right!" A cheerful voice agreed from beyond a couple of bushes on the side. The sudden intrusion was greeted with dread as everyone could feel a degree of maliciousness now coming from that very direction. Soft footsteps… accompanied by louder ones.
The woman, Dio's former Master, was now here and… grinning as if nothing bad had really happened. By her sides, two large columns of Sea Fiends had formed and were now moving to encircle the two small groups in a limited area of action. Everyone tensed up and prepared for the clear battle to begin.
"Diooooo! You lied to me- and then you hurt me! You meanie~~!!"
Dio could only scowl at that exclamation, but before he could say anything the woman moved her sight to see Jotaro.
"Jo-ta-ro!! You are here. That means you and Dio-baka can have a proper fight- No wait, you are still injured. Shuck, and here I thought that this was going to be really easy," The tan-skinned woman rebuked. "Pity, pity… anyway. Dio-chama, I will get you back if you let me have the brat. I promise I will feed you better-"
"I believe I will not come back to a shallow woman like you," The blond interjected in complete annoyance. "Rin is, for now, a ward of mine."
"Awww… I guess I have to show you how wrong you are myself. Don't whine when I'm sure that you will never leave my side after… I've dealt with your fake new friends!"
As the woman said that, the large number of monsters rushed to assault them. Jotaro scowled as he allowed ｢Star Platinum｣ to manifest. Dio smiled at the situation, ｢The World｣ already standing beside him as they braced for the attack. The rest of the group prepared for the approaching brawl.
Francesca Prelati cackled in delight at the most amusing sight she was bestowed out of this War. How fun it was going to be when she revealed how many fiends she had created for the occasion.
----------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d---------
Caster snapped in action the moment the first monster advanced towards them. Instead of taking a lax approach against those, she swiftly moved to kill them through the weaknesses she had spotted the first time she fought those fiends. Right by the origin of their mouths, a sudden impulse of purification spells seemed to easily destroy these creatures.
No mercy, she thought within her mind as she crushed her share of enemies, giving her best as the others joined the fight with everything they got. Rider started to cleave around and kick anything that got too close to either him or his Master. Joseph used ｢Hermit Purple｣ coupled with his Hamon to purge the demonic-like entities, further helping with the eradication of the large army of monsters within the park.
Jotaro, still clutching Sakura close to him in a protective manner, unleashed ｢Star Platinum｣ against anything that got too close for their comfort. Dio was grinning eye to eye as he was the one that did most of the work. Not only ｢The World｣ was facing a great number of creatures, but he personally intervened by executing with his bare hands anything that was to his reach. His vampiric strength and speed offered him the chance to give twice the efforts as humanly possible.
Rin stared as 'her' Servant tore through the lines of the dangerous creatures she had been seeing a lot in the past few days. Dio wasn't sparing himself with his brutality despite the youthful spectators, actually looking more enticed to be vicious at the idea that his ward was watching him take care of these fools.
It was a pure carnage where the attacking force was barely getting any close to the two groups, the combined effort from the defenders pushing off any attempts to actually get in range to hurt anyone. Yet, the more they fought, the more they realized that the issue wasn't the strength of the enemies… It was the size of the army. There was no relief and she knew that the only way they were going to win through this without actually getting overwhelmed by those unpleasant numbers was to deal with the creator of these monsters.
The former Master kept on giggling despite the initial disadvantageous position, but she seemed to switch tune the moment Xuanzang began to stop being on the defensive and take an initiative to handle the source of the problem. Her efforts, albeit mostly going unnoticed by the other defenders, were recognized by her prey.
Francesca giggled. "My, oh my~! Caster-chan, could it be that you are a little bit angry? Is that time of the month?"
Xuanzang felt herself gritting her teeth in complete irritation. If before she had a small hint of peace within her core, now she was seething and exerting as much rage her body could contain at the moment. While this meant that her precision had lessened, the power behind each blow increased as she didn't spare much attention on keeping things balanced. She was on a full offensive, clearing a quick path to her current target.
"Oh no~! What am I gonna do? I need some heroes!"
The insulting manner her attempt was being regarded warranted even more fury out of the usually calm and cheerful Servant. The last few days had left her to think, meditate and realize that she couldn't keep up being peaceful if that meant leaving her Master and others in danger. It was just like back when she had her own doubts during her Journey to the West.
The many troubles she had to go through, the challenges, the perils- all for the sake of proving a point that was never accepted. A great monk she became, but not one recognized as the right one by her own teacher. It hurt at the time, it was hurting her now that she tried to disconnect her past from the present.
The stress, the memories- it was all melding in a dangerous cocktail that had her mind left in a volatile state. She rushed, coming so close to actually claw instead of using her martial arts. She relied more on her staff, growing unsure that her attacks were genuinely going to keep precise as they were meant to.
Moments passed, she could feel her own chi kept getting unbalanced and… and then Caster was there. The former Master was smiling eye-to-eye at the sight she was bestowed. Her staff was already arching to rise up and descend onto her target with the intent of cracking her skull open and disrupt the witch's concentration for a single moment, her efforts were rendered null as she felt something holding her back.
Pain finally helped her notice that, in that fit of rage, Xuanzang had jumped on a trap. One of the sea fiends that had remained close to its master was just waiting for her to get close enough to strike. Two of its many tendrils slithered rapidly and stabbed through her. One pierced her shoulder, another her leg.
"I got you!"
Xuanzang howled in pain, the tendril wriggling and stretching her two injuries at once.
And her cries of pain weren't left unnoticed.
Sakura's attention snapped away from the sight of Jotaro's Stands cleaning up their proximity, her eyes turning to see the sudden familiar noise coming from afar. She saw something horrible unfold as a tendril had pierced through Caster's left shoulder, and blood was now falling off from the injury. A cackle, it was the bad woman that had been behind the attack. The girl's mind was completely taken by the scene as… she felt something from within ache at it.
It was… familiar. Pain and the laugh.
Pain and then… laugh.
The pit and… Zouken.
It was… happening again? To Xuanzang?
Sakura's body tensed up at that idea, her eyes wide open as she felt anger boiling at the mere concept. No, she couldn't accept this. The girl didn't want this to happen. She couldn't just allow it to happen.
She knew that Jotaro wouldn't have been fast enough to react to this. Caster was quite far and she knew that ｢Star Platinum｣ didn't have much range to get there and help the nice lady. Something had to happen and… for some reason, she felt like she was somehow tied to it. It had to come from her.
A cold breath left her lungs as she felt something squirming within her chest and… then manifest. A dark blur that left her body, that rushed and soared well above a couple of the Sea Fiends and reached for where the cackling woman was. Without a proper contract with Dio, Francesca was unable to see the small figure that had zeroed the distance between her and Sakura. The tiny Stand cocked its tendril-like fist and… slammed it through her chest.
While it wasn't ｢Star Platinum｣ to have struck the witch, the attack was heightened by the momentum behind the neck-breaking rush. It gained intensity, it gained power- and it was driven with enough determination to handle some real damage.
The blow sent the witch soaring. Three trees were cracked and because of the might behind the strike, with the wicked woman's pained grunts and yelps filling the area. The hit did much more than just disrupt the problematic situation in which Xuanzang had ended into. The sharp interruption of focus from the creator made the hivemind leading the rest of the sea fiends collapse, promptly ending the fight.
Sakura blinked, surprise building up at what had just happened as she clearly felt something sting at her knuckles. She glanced down at her right hand and she saw those slightly bruised as if… she had struck something really hard. It didn't hurt… but it was quite surprising to see this closely.
"We need to go," Jotaro muttered, unsure of what had just happened. Joseph nodded, the two sharing a brief look as they saw Dio and Rin were no longer there in their proximity. The marine biologist rushed to his Servant's side, with Caster coughing and shivering as she couldn't stand up from her crouched position.
The little girl didn't hesitate hopping off his hold and accepting the old Joestar's silent offer to get in his arms while her adoptive parent helped the nice lady. Xuanzang protested weakly at the sudden lift up, but she was silenced by a serious stare from Jotaro and soon the group left the area with little words spared about it.
Dio might have left without saying anything, but now it was clear that he wasn't planning to break this truce. It felt real that someone of the caliber as his former Master was more than capable of going through this devious and dangerous plan. It was time to alert the other Masters.
The Holy Grail War was finally coming to an end. Either with all its participants dying, or with the world being saved. It was all up to Fate to decide…
------------d-d-d-d----------d-d-d-d--------
AN
Before anyone asks- Yes, Sakura just unleashed her Stand without realizing. The reason why Jotaro didn't notice anything or stopped to think about it was more tied to the circumstances. In a moment of tension, he wasn't paying attention to anything beyond defending himself and those close to him.
He knew Xuanzang was a capable fighter and that she could be fine on her own, but he didn't expect her to be this reckless on this occasion. And that is going to be a reason for some serious discussions in the next chapter. Now, the reason why he didn't pause to reflect on what had happened is tied to the fact they weren't completely safe and, the moment Francesca was up, things would have been even tougher to handle without Dio around.
Finally… Sakura's Stand? It made a quick appearance and it will have more screen time by… next two-three chapters (can't say 100% sure tho). Despite being a range-type Stand, it still packs a punch if it has a running start and it's power… is terribly dangerous depending on the Stand she fights.
Also, good news: someone (SPRTN in DA) commissioned for the fanart of a scene from this story (the one where Jotaro shows the book about marine biology to Sakura). I wish to humbly thank Alex-kellar for the brilliant work! You may find it with the name 'Platinum Heart' in his Deviantart Page.
CodeZerone
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
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Oh yeah, ｢Star Platinum｣ and ｢The World｣ fighting side by side is glorious! And Sakura's Stand to the rescue!
Also, DIO turning mini-Rin into his new 'Master' is pretty interesting. I wonder what this connection to DIO will do for her in the future.
Also, DIO turning mini-Rin into his new 'Master' is pretty interesting. I wonder what this connection to DIO will do for her in the future.
Kishou the Badger
Stronger than LOVE
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You know shit's real when Dio pulls an Enemy Mine card.
Can't wait to see more fanart of this.
Also, I spotted a spelling error here:
Can't wait to see more fanart of this.
Also, I spotted a spelling error here:
Kreuzritter
Not too sore, are you?
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Well, he's already arranged for Pucci to be her spiritual mentor, but man, even for DIO, this new turn is what in Bird culture, would be called a "Dick Move".
Fifteenth Mantra! Judgment and Arrival!
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Chapter 16: Fifteenth Mantra! Judgment and Arrival!
Kiritsugu stared blankly at the phone. The device which he had just finished using just in that moment felt still active and providing him with a bleak realization that truly left him upset with how things were turning into.
It was all a lie. He didn't want to believe this at first, but the old man was keen to give weight to the words he had heard uttered by Risei Kotomine. The Magus Killer should have expected for the angered Priest to be genuine with his explanation, but it just felt so absurd- so infuriating. The confirmation of this problem completely erased any chance of him actually attaining peace through the Grail.
He was angry, really furious. Yet he wasn't shaking. He just couldn't bother because of how horrible of a situation he was in. No, his wife was in. His breath was caught in his lungs, itching unpleasantly as he tried to formulate the pure insanity that messed up their chances to actually win that competition. Acht had cheated during the Third War. He should have suspected something big to have happened to the Einzberns in particular to drive them to hire an independent Master to work for them, but Kiritsugu had misunderstood that reasoning to mere irritation at the brutality of the last war.
But now he knew the truth and… he felt disgusted. Not only against them, against the bastard leading them, but at himself for having failed to catch on the hints earlier on. He blamed the fact he got too rusty, and that he had severely underestimated the extent this family was willing to go to attain true Magic. The fact that now he was still supposed to win against all chances and odds was absurd. But what really sold him to plan a way out for himself and those he cared about was when Acht brought up the fact that Illya was a property of the Einzbern's family. That was more than enough to make the Magus Killer dabble in rebellious thoughts.
It was simple to plan a break out for his daughter, but first he needed to wrap up his involvement in this faux Holy Grail War. And this was where the troublesome details began to make it difficult to get out of the mess. Starting with the fact that Irisviel had to be properly secured so that she couldn't be used as a lesser grail was a priority. The maids of the Castle were available to assist to this particular instance, which was a surprise considering it went against the prerogatives highlighted by the regent-leader of the Einzberns. The truth came in one of the few mistakes Acht had committed along the way. The Einzberns might own the castle, but it was the Lesser Grail which had higher authority to the leader of the family, regardless of the fact the 'heiresses' were still owning the function of Lesser Grail or not.
This was good news among many disgusting ones, and even now that he was plotting against his former 'boss', Kiritsugu's main priority was to wait and see if Irisviel was capable of withstanding the painful procedure. In theory, Avalon was supposed to be more than enough to allow the woman to withstand the dreadful ritual to dismiss her role of Lesser Grail and proceed to the liberation of the souls of the Heroic Spirits she ended up recovering.
By all means, the Noble Phantasm should also be enough to allow other rituals meant to stabilize her lifespan and allow for her body to be finally 'humanized' after so long.
Yet the Magus Killer had to stop even just for a moment. This idea had come out way before the call had started, way before he had been given confirmation of these troublesome news. It didn't take long for him to realize that he had felt his instincts calling for it to be true way earlier than his logic did.
After losing so many people at terrible discoveries, his soul had learned to recognize the hints of something sinister around the corner. It was an impulse, an involuntary move of his to avoid a repeat of what happened to both Shirley and Natalia. He knew pain was coming his way, so he swiftly moved to fix that problem before it became too much and he was rendered unable to do anything about it.
His quick-thinking was well-repaid. Because, as he was done with the call and he was pondering miserably over the bad decisions that had taken him to this very point, he heard the soft noise of footsteps enter the room.
He glanced to the side, looking behind and stopping at the quiet form that was Maiya.
"Lady Irisviel is stable. The rituals were successful, but she will require a couple of days before she is able to move out of the bed."
Kiritsugu nodded, taking a moment to let the news sink in. Eyes closed and endless thoughts driving him crazy, only one seemed to prevail among others. Mostly because it was one he could handle at the moment, now that Maiya was in the same room as him so they could discuss what happened after this last mission was over.
"Maiya, I wish to speak with you in private. Can you please close the door?"
A single click confirmed the woman had followed his order, and that mere gesture reminded him of the fact that it would be incorrect through a logical and inhuman reason to define her a proper human being. It's his fault she was like this because it was his decision to nurture a tool instead of a proper living being. Maiya started similarly to him. Someone that didn't have a purpose, that didn't have something or someone to tie herself to, that didn't have a reason to be.
He took her in, just like Natalia did the same with him when his former home burned brightly after his father's madness backfired. But while the long-deceased mercenary gave him the chance to be something more than just a minion or a tool that just followed orders and nothing more, he deprived Maiya of the chance of ever being able to become a real human being.
Like a malicious Geppetto, he decided to leave Pinocchio a lifeless puppet for him to use at his own leisure. He could still remember the brief plans he had concocted to try and break his reluctance in putting his own wife in peril, the affair he had wanted to conceive to break the bond he had with his lover. It didn't go through due to the events that completely ruined any early plan about the War. Kiritsugu paused for a moment, feeling a cold sense of dread as he thought about that very plan and found a crime within the mere thought that made him worse of a monster than he wanted to die.
If he had ordered Maiya to share the bed with him, to consummate a night with him and… ruin the relationship he had with Irisviel, he would have also abused the relationship he had with the young woman herself. What made the point even worse than he wanted to believe was the way he found Maiya.
A child of war, one that was used as breeding stock for the creation of soldiers. She was saved, but how many died because of it. And… who survived? He could still remember when he learned through Maiya when they first reconvened after his eight years retirement about her own research about her past.
She had a son. The product of rape that was brainwashed to become an asset of some shadow unit, a special corp filled with Magus Mercenaries. An initiative that copied his own working, he had realized at the time and… this bit coupled with his plan made many horrible things stand out. He was no better than the monsters that had hurt her to the point where her self-worth was nothing more than trash.
"Kiritsugu, what do you wish to talk about?" Her voice cut sharply into the silence, his attention back at her so he could deal with this situation at once.
"I… I wish for you to be honest about this. I want you to tell me what you think of me as a human being."
…
"You are a formidable soldier. You have fought countless conflicts, won all the time, secured success with all your missions and flawlessly handled most situations many men would have died against," She calmly listed out, almost sounding more machine than not.
…
"I asked you about judging me as a human being, not a killer," Kiritsugu pointed out. "Can you please answer the question properly, Maiya?"
She blinked. "Why do you seek my opinion about it?"
"I only wished to know your unbiased opinion about it. If I asked Irisviel, she would sugarcoat it and defeat the purpose of having an objective judgment. Same for Saber considering how little she cares about me and the poor understanding she has over my actions."
…
"I can't give you an answer to that without sounding too… biased.
"Why?"
The young woman actually struggled. Or at least seemed to be struggling. It was a small unusual detail regarding her reaction, her stare moving away as she seemed to be putting utter attention on that curt query.
"It wouldn't be correct for me to define the man that gave me purpose as anything less than good. Your action might be deplorable for many, horrible for more, but nonetheless you didn't act with maliciousness as your main goal," Maiya finally replied. "I'm still a tool-"
"For the moment, yes. But… the War will soon come to an end," Kiritsugu rebuked flatly. "And it's futile to deny the fact that I, your savior, took an unsavory approach in giving you reason to be."
…
"Do you regret taking me in, Kiritsugu?"
"No," He replied without hesitation, doing his best to ignore the fact she went through that route without thinking too much about it. "I believe it's the opposite. I didn't offer you a true reason to be."
A blink, he could spot a sense of confusion coming out of her posture as she regarded the man with a perplexed look. "I don't understand."
"Are you familiar with Natalia Kaminski?"
"The legendary mercenary that took you in?" She quickly presented, nodding as he gave her a confirming look. "She was the woman that took you in and turned you in the Magus Killer."
"No."
…
"What?"
"She wasn't the one that turned me into what I am today. She allowed me to do what I wished, which in turn allowed me to become… this."
"I don't understand."
"I was found an orphan of war, just like you were, Maiya. You were abandoned, left to suffer, and then you found salvation through me. When Natalia found me, I was hopeless just like you were, and yet, despite my willingness to become a tool to her, she refused," Kiritsugu explained without a pause, then he asked her the big question. "Do you know why?"
"...No."
"She said to me that 'A gun is a tool, a knife is a tool. Men and women are judges by holding these tools of life and death. You will never be truly alive until you concede to this truth'," He replied to his own question. "It was a memento that lived with me for long and that I had forgotten when she left this world. Right now, by looking at you, I can't help but feel like I dishonored her idea of truth. By allowing you to become a tool and not a judge of life, I disgraced her legacy."
…
"What do you command me to do, Kiritsugu?"
"I want you to think. I want you to come up with something beyond this mission that you wish to ask me. Anything matters at this point and I will no longer chain you to a dysfunctional relationship. I want you to tell me the truth, Maiya."
She looked down at her feet, then back up at me. "Does this mean I will have to leave once this war is over?"
"Do you want to?" Kiritsugu counter-asked and she blinked.
"No."
"Then please, don't feel forced to leave. I don't seek to abandon you, I hope you understand this," The Magus Killer explained. "I just want to give you the chance to have your own life, something I should have from the very moment I found you."
…
"Kiritsugu… do you think I'm worthy of being alive?"
He blinked, holding back a grimace at the fact that she was actually cracking at this subject and he knew he needed to act fast to avoid unpleasant developments.
"You are worthy of being alive. You are worthy of being more than a tool, Maiya."
…
"Thank you. I… I needed to hear this."
He merely nodded. She took a leave shortly after. He didn't need to follow her to know that she was going to cry the moment she was certain she was alone. Kiritsugu sighed, looking back at the phone and thinking about what he could do next..
Should he try to make a pact with Joseph Joestar and the Speedwagon Foundation to save Illya?
He could try and perhaps manage to beat the fortress' defenses, but what were the chances of being then hunted down by the Einzberns once he was done with this. He thought about the chances of this going smoother if he had back up and, from what he knew about Joseph Joestar and the dirt he had about him, there was a strong chance he was going to help him.
For Illya, for Iris… for himself.
--------d-d-d-d-d----------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d--
Kirei was kneeling down in front of the crucified statue, praying to find answers. Answers tied to the many questions born from the recent developments.
DIO was an ally, but also not. A neutral element within the madness that the Holy Grail War had turned into. He wanted to be disgusted about the fact he was supposed to be calm about not hunting the bastard himself, but his worries lied about the new threat the Joestar Family had brought up.
An anomalous Servant had existed in the previous Holy Grail War? Risei was quick to remember something like this being registered by the Einzbern family. The elder pointed out how unusual it had been at the time, but he didn't have much weight considering the lack of serious damages caused by the Servant himself. To learn that its mere existence was behind the current state of corruption that the Holy Grail was currently in, made the entire inaction against this rule-breaking fairly frustrating for the old man.
Wine managed to soothe most of the anger, but he still raved and ranted about it together with his son. Kirei didn't mind the loud voice used by his father. He knew that he wasn't the subject of that tirade, but rather the witness of a self-accusatory speech which Risei was reserving to himself. A mistake not many would take as theirs, mostly because the issue wasn't entirely tied to him.
Sure, he had been the representative of the Church in the last competition, but at that point of his life he didn't have the same arbitrary power he currently had. Kirei eventually reminded this to his father, and the elder had to concede to that fair point after spending most of his energies in that ravenous rant of his. After dealing with the anger, it was time to apply new resolutions. It was clear that the agent sent to handle DIO was now meant to be employed against this new threat.
The Master of Assassin was well aware that, beyond the fact that he was going to ask an Agent of the Burial Agency to not pursue a vampire, he was still aiming someone like Bow to face a problem far bigger than that. Did he doubt that she was prepared for it? No. He had worked long enough to know that the young woman was going to jump at the opportunity to kill the bigger evil.
Born Elesia, Bow was initially one of those children with Magus-related ancestry that was sheltered away from the politics of Clocktower. A simple girl, nothing special about her beyond the impressive set of Magical Circuits she was born with. Sadly for her, that very gift at birth was the catalyst for a series of unfortunate events for her.
Michael Roa Valdamjong was a monster that was killed in the early decades of the nineteenth century by Edmond Dantes, a creature that came so close to be as threatening as Zelretch himself without the Kaleidoscope. A vile vampire that, even in death, continued to have a fair influence over a cult he had created around his image. His demise only immortalized his figure among his believers, and this created a set of situations that culminated with Elesia being targeted as a possible host to Roa's soul.
The climax of that dreadful circumstance was when Roa's resurrection was interrupted and permanently stopped by the Burial Agency's own working. Kirei remembered being part of that last mission for them and he had the chance of meeting the girl that, surviving that fate, became an essential bit of the group.
Bow was a loyal member. Someone that pledged her existence to the cause proposed by the Holy See regarding monsters created by the darkness of the soul. A loyal but still reckless individual. Someone he trusted to be around, but not to keep her mouth shut when needed.
So, when he heard quiet footsteps that were not as heavy as Risei's and not as silent as Assassin's, Kirei could only sigh as he was blessed with quite the reunion. He stood up, turning around and greeting the young blue-haired woman. Elesia, Bow, or even in normal civilian outfit, Ciel, greeted him with a chirpy nod and a childish approach.
"Father Kotomine," She spoke with utmost respect.
"Bow," He replied with a polite voice. "I see that you have found no issues in finding your way here in this church."
"It was one of the two only religious sites in this city. It wasn't that difficult finding it," She rebuked with a brief hint of annoyance. "Still, I suppose the supervisor is elsewhere at the moment."
"He is wandering around to find his inner peace due to recent events."
That's a way to say he was out to buy groceries. While the act might seem normal and fairly silly considering the stakes put in their situation, the need to find relief in such a small task was due to be ready and face Tokiomi regarding this development. The moment the former Master of Archer learned about the treachery perpetrated by the Einzbern Clan was going to see the modestly furious Magus in a higher state of irritation. And that wasn't going to bode well with their need to be cautious about this confusing situation.
"I would have thought he would have stayed around to greet me," Bow admitted, the girl fixing her glasses. "I have to receive all the information before storming the target's position."
"I'm afraid the situation is a little more complicated than that," The man admitted. "If you may take a seat, since this will be a fairly long explanation."
She complied, sitting down on the same bench as Kirei. The priest explained as much as he could without pushing the young woman to investigate the current instance regarding the Joestar Family. While the Church praised them highly, it wouldn't be unflattering if it was revealed that a greater organization such as the Speedwagon Foundation was now growing aware of the Moonlit World.
The girl listened, and asked her questions when needed. Ciel was incredibly fascinated about the Joestars themselves, mentioning how she had heard about the tale behind Jonathan Joestar. She didn't explain to him why, and so what he could draw were baseless theories. Regardless of that, the Agent was more than agreeing that DIO wasn't as troublesome as this new menace. The fact that something was trying to abuse the Wishcraft-driven device to successfully extend malicious wishes was more than enough trouble to face than just the powerful vampire. What truly sold it to her was that she was told that DIO himself had offered the truce to see this problem solved at once.
If a monster of his caliber would be willing to concede this much to his enemies, despite how much hateful he was of them, she could see why this wasn't something to scoff at. The two also spared more time talking about the time passed since Kirei had left his role as Executor.
"You know, I just can't understand why you would want to leave that job? You were doing just fine."
He calmly blinked. "I found the work… too troublesome and deadly."
"You… chickened out?"
"I reckon that while I might no longer be your direct superior, Bow, I can and will exert my duty as the vice-supervisor to exact punishment upon you for behaving this recklessly," Kirei half-threatened. "I thought you would have been more tempered by the wisdom of the Agency when you were given tougher missions."
"Nothing really frightens me much, teacher," She replied with a snort, ignoring the ultimatum and using the old title she bestowed to the one that taught her so much about Black Keys. "But you can say I was fairly motivated to beat your record from when you were an active agent."
"And?"
Her jaws dropped at that, an outraged look appearing on her face. "And I beat you. I killed more freaks than you ever did in your years in the Agency."
…
"And?"
"Gah! Is there even something that fazes you, teacher?!"
He allowed himself a smile. "Perhaps you should stop trying to give chase to me and behave like a proper Agent for once. Perhaps you would also develop more if you acted more serious with others and yourself regarding your diet."
… "Teacher, did you just smile while calling me fat?"
"I don't recall using that term."
"Teacher!" She exclaimed, clearly aggravated by that mirthful exchange, and for once Kirei felt amusement through that trickery. It wasn't really malicious, but a form of teasing that was fitting for a former superior regarding their old students. But it was also true that the girl needed to put more training in her usual schedule. She was far from achieving peak performance if she didn't burn her carbs properly.
The exchange didn't extend for long as the Master had much left to do. There was still so much for Kirei to do for today beyond praying and staying idle. Part of it was tied to the little situation he had with the Hortensia family, with the pressure to write a more than convincing letter to begin entertaining a proper conversation with Caren. Just a child, but nonetheless fairly gifted with her vocabulary from the way she packed her letter with so many different questions about him. Some which he could answer while others he couldn't without risking his real identity to her.
The things I have to do to mend my mistakes...
"I will take my leave now," The man commented, nodding at where Assassin had been watching their conversation. "I hope this is fine for you, Bow."
"I don't mind," She quickly replied, glancing at the statue of their Lord. "Alas, may I take this moment for a prayer? I doubt Father Risei is going to be back soon, and I would like to spare some time alone with my prayers."
Kirei nodded, sitting up and starting to walk away so he could leave the young woman to find peace within the house of God. What he didn't really ignore was a single element within her upper left shoulder that he couldn't just ignore. An element that was there from the beginning, but that Kirei hadn't known of its meaning until that very War had started. He almost tripped on himself over the sight, but he managed to make his hasty retreat away so he could study the phenomenon on his own.
A pink star-shaped birth-mark was mostly hidden away by the uniform worn by Ciel, and it was only after seeing this very symbol within the same spot in both Jotaro and Joseph that the young priest could only draw a single conclusion.
Bow was a Joestar. But... how was it possible?
----------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d--------
AN
How is Ciel a Joestar? Let's just say that George I wasn't an only child. More will become available by the Sequel. I just wanted to drop this off to give you all an idea of what I will put inside 'Part 5'. This wind sure is going to be more gold than before, trust me on that.
Still, a fairly short chapter. I would normally drop more words in but… let's just say that the next chapter is going to see plenty of feels being brought up. Some questioned why Xuanzang acted this snappily despite the fact this being brought up that she had a 'problem' with her emotions back during her training. And that problem is manifesting again due to how close and tight she feels about her Master and those around her.
Kiritsugu stared blankly at the phone. The device which he had just finished using just in that moment felt still active and providing him with a bleak realization that truly left him upset with how things were turning into.
It was all a lie. He didn't want to believe this at first, but the old man was keen to give weight to the words he had heard uttered by Risei Kotomine. The Magus Killer should have expected for the angered Priest to be genuine with his explanation, but it just felt so absurd- so infuriating. The confirmation of this problem completely erased any chance of him actually attaining peace through the Grail.
He was angry, really furious. Yet he wasn't shaking. He just couldn't bother because of how horrible of a situation he was in. No, his wife was in. His breath was caught in his lungs, itching unpleasantly as he tried to formulate the pure insanity that messed up their chances to actually win that competition. Acht had cheated during the Third War. He should have suspected something big to have happened to the Einzberns in particular to drive them to hire an independent Master to work for them, but Kiritsugu had misunderstood that reasoning to mere irritation at the brutality of the last war.
But now he knew the truth and… he felt disgusted. Not only against them, against the bastard leading them, but at himself for having failed to catch on the hints earlier on. He blamed the fact he got too rusty, and that he had severely underestimated the extent this family was willing to go to attain true Magic. The fact that now he was still supposed to win against all chances and odds was absurd. But what really sold him to plan a way out for himself and those he cared about was when Acht brought up the fact that Illya was a property of the Einzbern's family. That was more than enough to make the Magus Killer dabble in rebellious thoughts.
It was simple to plan a break out for his daughter, but first he needed to wrap up his involvement in this faux Holy Grail War. And this was where the troublesome details began to make it difficult to get out of the mess. Starting with the fact that Irisviel had to be properly secured so that she couldn't be used as a lesser grail was a priority. The maids of the Castle were available to assist to this particular instance, which was a surprise considering it went against the prerogatives highlighted by the regent-leader of the Einzberns. The truth came in one of the few mistakes Acht had committed along the way. The Einzberns might own the castle, but it was the Lesser Grail which had higher authority to the leader of the family, regardless of the fact the 'heiresses' were still owning the function of Lesser Grail or not.
This was good news among many disgusting ones, and even now that he was plotting against his former 'boss', Kiritsugu's main priority was to wait and see if Irisviel was capable of withstanding the painful procedure. In theory, Avalon was supposed to be more than enough to allow the woman to withstand the dreadful ritual to dismiss her role of Lesser Grail and proceed to the liberation of the souls of the Heroic Spirits she ended up recovering.
By all means, the Noble Phantasm should also be enough to allow other rituals meant to stabilize her lifespan and allow for her body to be finally 'humanized' after so long.
Yet the Magus Killer had to stop even just for a moment. This idea had come out way before the call had started, way before he had been given confirmation of these troublesome news. It didn't take long for him to realize that he had felt his instincts calling for it to be true way earlier than his logic did.
After losing so many people at terrible discoveries, his soul had learned to recognize the hints of something sinister around the corner. It was an impulse, an involuntary move of his to avoid a repeat of what happened to both Shirley and Natalia. He knew pain was coming his way, so he swiftly moved to fix that problem before it became too much and he was rendered unable to do anything about it.
His quick-thinking was well-repaid. Because, as he was done with the call and he was pondering miserably over the bad decisions that had taken him to this very point, he heard the soft noise of footsteps enter the room.
He glanced to the side, looking behind and stopping at the quiet form that was Maiya.
"Lady Irisviel is stable. The rituals were successful, but she will require a couple of days before she is able to move out of the bed."
Kiritsugu nodded, taking a moment to let the news sink in. Eyes closed and endless thoughts driving him crazy, only one seemed to prevail among others. Mostly because it was one he could handle at the moment, now that Maiya was in the same room as him so they could discuss what happened after this last mission was over.
"Maiya, I wish to speak with you in private. Can you please close the door?"
A single click confirmed the woman had followed his order, and that mere gesture reminded him of the fact that it would be incorrect through a logical and inhuman reason to define her a proper human being. It's his fault she was like this because it was his decision to nurture a tool instead of a proper living being. Maiya started similarly to him. Someone that didn't have a purpose, that didn't have something or someone to tie herself to, that didn't have a reason to be.
He took her in, just like Natalia did the same with him when his former home burned brightly after his father's madness backfired. But while the long-deceased mercenary gave him the chance to be something more than just a minion or a tool that just followed orders and nothing more, he deprived Maiya of the chance of ever being able to become a real human being.
Like a malicious Geppetto, he decided to leave Pinocchio a lifeless puppet for him to use at his own leisure. He could still remember the brief plans he had concocted to try and break his reluctance in putting his own wife in peril, the affair he had wanted to conceive to break the bond he had with his lover. It didn't go through due to the events that completely ruined any early plan about the War. Kiritsugu paused for a moment, feeling a cold sense of dread as he thought about that very plan and found a crime within the mere thought that made him worse of a monster than he wanted to die.
If he had ordered Maiya to share the bed with him, to consummate a night with him and… ruin the relationship he had with Irisviel, he would have also abused the relationship he had with the young woman herself. What made the point even worse than he wanted to believe was the way he found Maiya.
A child of war, one that was used as breeding stock for the creation of soldiers. She was saved, but how many died because of it. And… who survived? He could still remember when he learned through Maiya when they first reconvened after his eight years retirement about her own research about her past.
She had a son. The product of rape that was brainwashed to become an asset of some shadow unit, a special corp filled with Magus Mercenaries. An initiative that copied his own working, he had realized at the time and… this bit coupled with his plan made many horrible things stand out. He was no better than the monsters that had hurt her to the point where her self-worth was nothing more than trash.
"Kiritsugu, what do you wish to talk about?" Her voice cut sharply into the silence, his attention back at her so he could deal with this situation at once.
"I… I wish for you to be honest about this. I want you to tell me what you think of me as a human being."
…
"You are a formidable soldier. You have fought countless conflicts, won all the time, secured success with all your missions and flawlessly handled most situations many men would have died against," She calmly listed out, almost sounding more machine than not.
…
"I asked you about judging me as a human being, not a killer," Kiritsugu pointed out. "Can you please answer the question properly, Maiya?"
She blinked. "Why do you seek my opinion about it?"
"I only wished to know your unbiased opinion about it. If I asked Irisviel, she would sugarcoat it and defeat the purpose of having an objective judgment. Same for Saber considering how little she cares about me and the poor understanding she has over my actions."
…
"I can't give you an answer to that without sounding too… biased.
"Why?"
The young woman actually struggled. Or at least seemed to be struggling. It was a small unusual detail regarding her reaction, her stare moving away as she seemed to be putting utter attention on that curt query.
"It wouldn't be correct for me to define the man that gave me purpose as anything less than good. Your action might be deplorable for many, horrible for more, but nonetheless you didn't act with maliciousness as your main goal," Maiya finally replied. "I'm still a tool-"
"For the moment, yes. But… the War will soon come to an end," Kiritsugu rebuked flatly. "And it's futile to deny the fact that I, your savior, took an unsavory approach in giving you reason to be."
…
"Do you regret taking me in, Kiritsugu?"
"No," He replied without hesitation, doing his best to ignore the fact she went through that route without thinking too much about it. "I believe it's the opposite. I didn't offer you a true reason to be."
A blink, he could spot a sense of confusion coming out of her posture as she regarded the man with a perplexed look. "I don't understand."
"Are you familiar with Natalia Kaminski?"
"The legendary mercenary that took you in?" She quickly presented, nodding as he gave her a confirming look. "She was the woman that took you in and turned you in the Magus Killer."
"No."
…
"What?"
"She wasn't the one that turned me into what I am today. She allowed me to do what I wished, which in turn allowed me to become… this."
"I don't understand."
"I was found an orphan of war, just like you were, Maiya. You were abandoned, left to suffer, and then you found salvation through me. When Natalia found me, I was hopeless just like you were, and yet, despite my willingness to become a tool to her, she refused," Kiritsugu explained without a pause, then he asked her the big question. "Do you know why?"
"...No."
"She said to me that 'A gun is a tool, a knife is a tool. Men and women are judges by holding these tools of life and death. You will never be truly alive until you concede to this truth'," He replied to his own question. "It was a memento that lived with me for long and that I had forgotten when she left this world. Right now, by looking at you, I can't help but feel like I dishonored her idea of truth. By allowing you to become a tool and not a judge of life, I disgraced her legacy."
…
"What do you command me to do, Kiritsugu?"
"I want you to think. I want you to come up with something beyond this mission that you wish to ask me. Anything matters at this point and I will no longer chain you to a dysfunctional relationship. I want you to tell me the truth, Maiya."
She looked down at her feet, then back up at me. "Does this mean I will have to leave once this war is over?"
"Do you want to?" Kiritsugu counter-asked and she blinked.
"No."
"Then please, don't feel forced to leave. I don't seek to abandon you, I hope you understand this," The Magus Killer explained. "I just want to give you the chance to have your own life, something I should have from the very moment I found you."
…
"Kiritsugu… do you think I'm worthy of being alive?"
He blinked, holding back a grimace at the fact that she was actually cracking at this subject and he knew he needed to act fast to avoid unpleasant developments.
"You are worthy of being alive. You are worthy of being more than a tool, Maiya."
…
"Thank you. I… I needed to hear this."
He merely nodded. She took a leave shortly after. He didn't need to follow her to know that she was going to cry the moment she was certain she was alone. Kiritsugu sighed, looking back at the phone and thinking about what he could do next..
Should he try to make a pact with Joseph Joestar and the Speedwagon Foundation to save Illya?
He could try and perhaps manage to beat the fortress' defenses, but what were the chances of being then hunted down by the Einzberns once he was done with this. He thought about the chances of this going smoother if he had back up and, from what he knew about Joseph Joestar and the dirt he had about him, there was a strong chance he was going to help him.
For Illya, for Iris… for himself.
--------d-d-d-d-d----------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d--
Kirei was kneeling down in front of the crucified statue, praying to find answers. Answers tied to the many questions born from the recent developments.
DIO was an ally, but also not. A neutral element within the madness that the Holy Grail War had turned into. He wanted to be disgusted about the fact he was supposed to be calm about not hunting the bastard himself, but his worries lied about the new threat the Joestar Family had brought up.
An anomalous Servant had existed in the previous Holy Grail War? Risei was quick to remember something like this being registered by the Einzbern family. The elder pointed out how unusual it had been at the time, but he didn't have much weight considering the lack of serious damages caused by the Servant himself. To learn that its mere existence was behind the current state of corruption that the Holy Grail was currently in, made the entire inaction against this rule-breaking fairly frustrating for the old man.
Wine managed to soothe most of the anger, but he still raved and ranted about it together with his son. Kirei didn't mind the loud voice used by his father. He knew that he wasn't the subject of that tirade, but rather the witness of a self-accusatory speech which Risei was reserving to himself. A mistake not many would take as theirs, mostly because the issue wasn't entirely tied to him.
Sure, he had been the representative of the Church in the last competition, but at that point of his life he didn't have the same arbitrary power he currently had. Kirei eventually reminded this to his father, and the elder had to concede to that fair point after spending most of his energies in that ravenous rant of his. After dealing with the anger, it was time to apply new resolutions. It was clear that the agent sent to handle DIO was now meant to be employed against this new threat.
The Master of Assassin was well aware that, beyond the fact that he was going to ask an Agent of the Burial Agency to not pursue a vampire, he was still aiming someone like Bow to face a problem far bigger than that. Did he doubt that she was prepared for it? No. He had worked long enough to know that the young woman was going to jump at the opportunity to kill the bigger evil.
Born Elesia, Bow was initially one of those children with Magus-related ancestry that was sheltered away from the politics of Clocktower. A simple girl, nothing special about her beyond the impressive set of Magical Circuits she was born with. Sadly for her, that very gift at birth was the catalyst for a series of unfortunate events for her.
Michael Roa Valdamjong was a monster that was killed in the early decades of the nineteenth century by Edmond Dantes, a creature that came so close to be as threatening as Zelretch himself without the Kaleidoscope. A vile vampire that, even in death, continued to have a fair influence over a cult he had created around his image. His demise only immortalized his figure among his believers, and this created a set of situations that culminated with Elesia being targeted as a possible host to Roa's soul.
The climax of that dreadful circumstance was when Roa's resurrection was interrupted and permanently stopped by the Burial Agency's own working. Kirei remembered being part of that last mission for them and he had the chance of meeting the girl that, surviving that fate, became an essential bit of the group.
Bow was a loyal member. Someone that pledged her existence to the cause proposed by the Holy See regarding monsters created by the darkness of the soul. A loyal but still reckless individual. Someone he trusted to be around, but not to keep her mouth shut when needed.
So, when he heard quiet footsteps that were not as heavy as Risei's and not as silent as Assassin's, Kirei could only sigh as he was blessed with quite the reunion. He stood up, turning around and greeting the young blue-haired woman. Elesia, Bow, or even in normal civilian outfit, Ciel, greeted him with a chirpy nod and a childish approach.
"Father Kotomine," She spoke with utmost respect.
"Bow," He replied with a polite voice. "I see that you have found no issues in finding your way here in this church."
"It was one of the two only religious sites in this city. It wasn't that difficult finding it," She rebuked with a brief hint of annoyance. "Still, I suppose the supervisor is elsewhere at the moment."
"He is wandering around to find his inner peace due to recent events."
That's a way to say he was out to buy groceries. While the act might seem normal and fairly silly considering the stakes put in their situation, the need to find relief in such a small task was due to be ready and face Tokiomi regarding this development. The moment the former Master of Archer learned about the treachery perpetrated by the Einzbern Clan was going to see the modestly furious Magus in a higher state of irritation. And that wasn't going to bode well with their need to be cautious about this confusing situation.
"I would have thought he would have stayed around to greet me," Bow admitted, the girl fixing her glasses. "I have to receive all the information before storming the target's position."
"I'm afraid the situation is a little more complicated than that," The man admitted. "If you may take a seat, since this will be a fairly long explanation."
She complied, sitting down on the same bench as Kirei. The priest explained as much as he could without pushing the young woman to investigate the current instance regarding the Joestar Family. While the Church praised them highly, it wouldn't be unflattering if it was revealed that a greater organization such as the Speedwagon Foundation was now growing aware of the Moonlit World.
The girl listened, and asked her questions when needed. Ciel was incredibly fascinated about the Joestars themselves, mentioning how she had heard about the tale behind Jonathan Joestar. She didn't explain to him why, and so what he could draw were baseless theories. Regardless of that, the Agent was more than agreeing that DIO wasn't as troublesome as this new menace. The fact that something was trying to abuse the Wishcraft-driven device to successfully extend malicious wishes was more than enough trouble to face than just the powerful vampire. What truly sold it to her was that she was told that DIO himself had offered the truce to see this problem solved at once.
If a monster of his caliber would be willing to concede this much to his enemies, despite how much hateful he was of them, she could see why this wasn't something to scoff at. The two also spared more time talking about the time passed since Kirei had left his role as Executor.
"You know, I just can't understand why you would want to leave that job? You were doing just fine."
He calmly blinked. "I found the work… too troublesome and deadly."
"You… chickened out?"
"I reckon that while I might no longer be your direct superior, Bow, I can and will exert my duty as the vice-supervisor to exact punishment upon you for behaving this recklessly," Kirei half-threatened. "I thought you would have been more tempered by the wisdom of the Agency when you were given tougher missions."
"Nothing really frightens me much, teacher," She replied with a snort, ignoring the ultimatum and using the old title she bestowed to the one that taught her so much about Black Keys. "But you can say I was fairly motivated to beat your record from when you were an active agent."
"And?"
Her jaws dropped at that, an outraged look appearing on her face. "And I beat you. I killed more freaks than you ever did in your years in the Agency."
…
"And?"
"Gah! Is there even something that fazes you, teacher?!"
He allowed himself a smile. "Perhaps you should stop trying to give chase to me and behave like a proper Agent for once. Perhaps you would also develop more if you acted more serious with others and yourself regarding your diet."
… "Teacher, did you just smile while calling me fat?"
"I don't recall using that term."
"Teacher!" She exclaimed, clearly aggravated by that mirthful exchange, and for once Kirei felt amusement through that trickery. It wasn't really malicious, but a form of teasing that was fitting for a former superior regarding their old students. But it was also true that the girl needed to put more training in her usual schedule. She was far from achieving peak performance if she didn't burn her carbs properly.
The exchange didn't extend for long as the Master had much left to do. There was still so much for Kirei to do for today beyond praying and staying idle. Part of it was tied to the little situation he had with the Hortensia family, with the pressure to write a more than convincing letter to begin entertaining a proper conversation with Caren. Just a child, but nonetheless fairly gifted with her vocabulary from the way she packed her letter with so many different questions about him. Some which he could answer while others he couldn't without risking his real identity to her.
The things I have to do to mend my mistakes...
"I will take my leave now," The man commented, nodding at where Assassin had been watching their conversation. "I hope this is fine for you, Bow."
"I don't mind," She quickly replied, glancing at the statue of their Lord. "Alas, may I take this moment for a prayer? I doubt Father Risei is going to be back soon, and I would like to spare some time alone with my prayers."
Kirei nodded, sitting up and starting to walk away so he could leave the young woman to find peace within the house of God. What he didn't really ignore was a single element within her upper left shoulder that he couldn't just ignore. An element that was there from the beginning, but that Kirei hadn't known of its meaning until that very War had started. He almost tripped on himself over the sight, but he managed to make his hasty retreat away so he could study the phenomenon on his own.
A pink star-shaped birth-mark was mostly hidden away by the uniform worn by Ciel, and it was only after seeing this very symbol within the same spot in both Jotaro and Joseph that the young priest could only draw a single conclusion.
Bow was a Joestar. But... how was it possible?
----------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d--------
AN
How is Ciel a Joestar? Let's just say that George I wasn't an only child. More will become available by the Sequel. I just wanted to drop this off to give you all an idea of what I will put inside 'Part 5'. This wind sure is going to be more gold than before, trust me on that.
Still, a fairly short chapter. I would normally drop more words in but… let's just say that the next chapter is going to see plenty of feels being brought up. Some questioned why Xuanzang acted this snappily despite the fact this being brought up that she had a 'problem' with her emotions back during her training. And that problem is manifesting again due to how close and tight she feels about her Master and those around her.
Sixteenth Mantra! Speak and Listen!
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Chapter 17: Sixteenth Mantra! Speak and Listen!
There was a sense of… uneasiness within her mind.
Xuanzang has long experienced frustrated glances from people, but this was the first in a long while since she also saw genuine concern and annoyance regarding something she did that was fairly unnatural by her usual self. To be fair, the Servant was confused by her own actions too. Sure, she did have some temper issues when friends were in trouble but… where did that streak of frustration come from?
Her blood had boiled, her sight turned red and from a balanced fighter the woman turned in a mindless moron. It wasn't truly a first in her memories, and yet what she could think of was tied to when she first started training as a monk. Xuanzang used to have that very temper, but that fiery personality of hers had long been sharpened by meditation and understanding her own plights. Sure, there were plenty of times where she still 'fell back' into what she used to be, but those were then completely solved when she learned to achieve true peace of soul and mind during her long journey. She experienced pain, she experienced suffering, and then she experienced despair.
Xuanzang's emotions were tempered, modestly molded into a humble believer of peace within Earth through the Heavens. Yet there was something else that just… didn't make things right to her. Caster was still someone that believed in bonds. Friendship was the strongest pedestal she could ever hope to fill the most with those deserving of being called as such and that in return deem her a loyal friend of theirs. It was something that existed back during the journey to the west, and that never left her despite the advice of her master to drop it all.
Right now, the Servant could sense the issue about it now that her only friends were put in a constant state of danger. Even now that she should rest and allow her energy to recover after what happened in the park, her mind was on getting back on track and trying to get her through meditation as calmly as possible. The issue? Jotaro was standing by the doorstep of the room, giving her the look that just screamed of 'what are you even doing?'.
There was nothing wrong in meditating to clear her mind. Even though she was trying to do so with a hurting body and lots of thoughts that made the entire process painful and fairly difficult to achieve. One pink eye kept open from time to time to see if her Master would do something other than stare down at her like a father would with his child. It was upsetting how effective that was being on her mind and it just rendered any effort to clear up her mind impossible.
Finally, Xuanzang conceded that he wanted to talk and that he wouldn't move until she spoke to him.
"What do you need, Master?"
He hummed. "Get back on the bed and rest."
Simple, given in a stern tone, straight to the point. Yep, Caster decided to just ignore it, expecting for her Master to just keep on staring at that quiet refusal. Her mistake was soon highlighted when she first heard the man move closer to her, crouch down a little bit and… suddenly pull her by her ears. It wasn't even a soft kind of pull, he was putting some serious strength behind it. And it actually hurt.
"W-Wait- Stop it, I'm not a child and-"
"Go back in bed, I will not ask nicely again," Jotaro interrupted her with a flat tone.
There was nothing nice in that. Her ears were burning at the pulling and she was positively miffed by what she was just subjected to. Regardless of her cracking pride and her sense of soreness finally urging her to stop meditating, Xuanzang proceeded to return to her bed. Annoyance was running at an all-high and she had her arms crossed near to her chest as she sat down on the bed.
"I'm not a child."
"Yet you're behaving like one," Jotaro remarked calmly sitting by the edge of the bed. "Do you need anything? Food, water-"
"I-I'm fine."
"You are not."
That response actually had her pausing, a confused look spreading on her face as she didn't expect this much resistance from someone like him. Sure, he was the kind of individual that would behave childishly when wounded and in need of time to recover, but he was the one that urged her to be respectful of these unnecessary limitations. And… that actually was another common point between the two of them if she had to be honest.
"What do you mean? I'll be back in good shape by tomorrow morning."
"But that doesn't extend to your current body and your state of mind," The Stand User pressed, clearly spotting some cracks on her excuses. Despite her best efforts, Xuanzang just couldn't hide away the fact that she had her own inner issues to handle and she had thought meditating over those would've been more than enough to find clarity over her doubts.
"It was just a minuscule mistake, a little slip from my part."
"..." He didn't say anything as he just stared at her with a serious look. It was as if he could see within her eyes the truth and he was just waiting for her to tell it to him. In a way, it reminded her of what her father used to do when he was alive.
Having been orphaned by her father at the age of 9, Xuanzang was really unfamiliar in being treated like a little girl. It reminded her of the time when she was just a child wanting to know more about what the world was all about. She could remember when she was first given a Confucian instruction, and then told about the hardships of Buddhism. She remembered one of her older brothers bringing this up during one of their visits back home and that interest stuck to her long enough to become a life mission.
And here she was, with her philosophy failing her due to how in pain she really was. While she could hold back a lot due to her endurance, the prolonged sitting on the cold floor sure did a couple of unpleasant tricks to her poor butt and back. Aching up to her shoulders, Caster was mustering a good amount of strength just to appear stable before her Master, yet… it wasn't working?
"Why are you making such a fuss if I got hurt? Servants are meant to suffer damage from time to time-"
"As if this is really a ground you can stand on," Jotaro interjected with an annoyed tone. "You know, I've been treating you long enough as a normal person that it makes me pissed you're trying to hide behind that excuse."
He wasn't wrong. As much as she wanted to say that he was worrying for nothing since her presence here was temporary, it would be foolish of her to call his words incorrect. He had been treating her so nicely and so friendly despite the tough exterior of his. Jotaro was easy for her to understand after so long, but, at the same time, she had to concede that he hadn't been really that uncaring of her. For him to spot on as quickly as he did that she wasn't fine, he had to have realized when she wasn't being honest. Still, the young woman wasn't going to allow him to just breach into her defenses like this. Not when she wasn't ready to speak up about what was happening inside her head to anyone right now.
"What if I don't want to talk about it?" Xuanzang asked, a little tense because of how much pressure was on her. "What if I just want to be alone and meditate about things?"
"Then you can do that once you're done recovering from that fight in the park," Jotaro mentioned calmly. "You seem to forget that your body is in no shape to actually do anything but rest right now."
Her leg decided to feel even more pain from her injury just as he said that, and this time her irked face showed him a degree of suffering due to it. He didn't say anything at first, allowing her to force the pain away, but it didn't do much from stopping her Master to once more ask.
"Do you need something to help with the wounds? Something for the pain?"
"N-No."
I don't need to stutter right now.
But there wasn't much for her to order from her body as the pain was already spiking up once more and becoming intolerable for her to hold herself from showing. It wasn't working and as she bit her lower lip in a mix of agony and anger, she felt her mind clear up as Jotaro leaned forward to pull her in a half-hug. He just wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, making sure that he didn't unconsciously press on her upper wound.
That entire action caught her off-guard. She was stunned stiff as she tried to elaborate what was going on and then he felt him tighten the hold a little more, squeezing her close.
"Good grief, you're a pest," He said calmly. "But that doesn't mean you should hurt yourself like a moron. You can talk about it instead of going through something that right now you can't do."
"And what should I talk about?" She admitted sternly. "I lost my temper, and I allowed myself to get hurt to this degree. Am I happy? No. Am I calm? The pain is annoying and- and-"
W-Wait, what am I saying? Sure, I'm quite angry but… but that should be this loud and- am I actually holding this much in?
The outburst was fairly surprising, so much that Jotaro dropped the embrace out of sudden panic, and now he was looking at her with a perplexed look as he waited for her to speak about it.
"W-Well, I'm particularly stressed."
"So let it out," The Stand User pushed her for more. "I've been pissed before so I know when someone is just being aggravated for losing against that crazy woman. Just don't expect me to do this with you ever again. I thought you said you're not a brat, yet you need to be pushed around just to speak part of what you're holding in."
And that was humiliating.
Not like she had much to disagree on the fact she was holding back a lot now that she needed to let out the frustration caused by the last fight. After taking a brief
"O-Okay, I guess I'm just furious that I had that woman in my reach, that I could have killed her and put an end to this all. Without her the war would have been over and then you and the others would have been out of this stupid competition."
"So you just want to end all of this as quickly as possible? That's all?"
"The more this goes on, the more you and Sakura will be put through dangerous situations," Xuanzang elaborated with a huff. "Sure, it's stupid to rush this kind of thing since we're facing a powerful threat but, I don't want anyone to be hurt or… or die."
The mere idea of anyone dying now just felt so horrible. Caster had knowledge of the previous Holy Grail Wars due to the knowledge dispensed by the Grail itself, and she was well aware of the high death rate among competitors. It was a miracle the deaths in this fourth competition were this little, since the alternative would have been a higher pile of bodies to keep track of.
"You're a fool to think I would just die here because of some crazy witch and that stupid vampire," Jotaro rebuked flatly. "As if I would accept going down here that I've so much to do and many people that depend on me."
Some would have called that arrogance, but since Xuanzang knew Jotaro was strong and that his Stand was slowly recovering from the years of inactivity both had gone after their last clash with Dio, the brunette merely saw it as a display of confidence. One that was cynical and born from the cold logic of having something as powerful as a Stand.
"But what if you fail?" The monk asked quietly. "What if a mistake happens, one that I unconsciously caused because I allow you to have too much exposure to the action. What am I going to do if I fail you there?"
"You bash your head and stop nagging me about being at fault," The marine biologist answered with a sigh. "That I think would help my mind a lot if that stupid scenario actually happened."
A pout appeared on her face. "I-I'm trying to do what you asked me. At least accept the fact that I can be worried regardless of you having a Stand or not."
Something within his eyes changed, and Caster quickly recognized it as a brief flash of understanding at what she was saying. It was surprising how easily she was getting him now, and it made it even more entertaining since she had to work her mind to understand what he was saying or thinking through his limited gestures.
"Then keep talking. I can tell it's not all."
She smiled, nodding as she thought up about what she could say right now to not sound too awkward.
"Well, there is also that I feel rather attached to you guys. You, Sakura, Joseph and Shinji. I could go on but the truth is that you're all my friends and… and I wouldn't forgive myself if I allowed something bad to happen to all of you," Xuanzang continued to speak, her voice cracking during the last bit. "I- I know that it sounds dumb, but I don't want to see people die. Not again."
…
"I lost many friends in Cairo," Jotaro pointed out, his voice becoming odd due to the topic and soon Caster's pink eyes were on him. "And I too would be angry if someone tried to kill you. But… that doesn't mean you have to take stupid steps just because of a worry. Stupid steps kill people more than inaction, so don't you dare be a dumbass or I will punch you back alive if you died because of it."
…
"Really?"
"Of course, idiot. Good grief, did you even listen to me or what?"
Despite the rougher turn of this conversation, Xuanzang giggled and nodded. "Sorry for doubting that, Jotaro."
After that discussion came to an end, Caster was left alone once more in her room and… she actually took this opportunity to sleep her worries away. She felt incredibly tired and she knew that her body needed her to do nothing that would waste her own energies now that she needed to heal up properly. But as she closed her eyes, and she lost her consciousness to achieve proper sleep, a treacherous thought entered her mind as she dreamed about this.
What if, just, what if she lived beyond the War? What would happen to her then? Would she live with Jotaro and the others? Would she be around to keep watch over them? The more she thought about it, the more Xuanzang, once a monk with ideals that transcended the physical, began to once more entertain the temptation of breaking from her full monk self. Life seemed nicer now more than it was back then and… she was so tired of bowing down to the divine when there was so much here that had yet to be discovered, even in the spiritual.
Perhaps she could put aside her hope of becoming a Buddha, and… take another journey, this time to see a bigger world than the one she thought existed in her previous life.
---------------d-d-d-d--------
Rin wasn't sure why she wasn't angry at her current captor.
She thought back at everything that happened to her after being 'freed' from that scary woman's proximity. Dio's guardianship had felt much safer than what the frightening witch had going, and Rin was certain that her decision hadn't been wrong considering what she learned through her time out of the previous hideout.
The visit at the park had sounded sudden, and yet she managed to get a look at Sakura. Her hair was now a dark-plum, with her eyes of similar shade and… it made her angry that it was actually something caused by the Matou Family. She initially wanted to blame the current guardian of hers for it, and yet she couldn't just because of how much he looked like dad. Dad without his facial hair and with a younger face. And one with a taller and bulkier body. Rin was really surprised that someone could be this tall and- that wasn't important. Not at all. It wasn't like she thought him really handsome like a knight in shining armor.
Then the sea monsters attacked and she was pulled away from danger's way by the infuriating vampire as the two retreated to a safer place where to stay. It was so incredibly annoying and yet the little girl was unable to truly hate him. Despite him being what her father defined a 'mindless monster', this being was one of intelligence and philosophy that matched or even overwhelmed what her father was keen to show in his usual charm.
Maybe it was her fear of being hurt now that the situation was escalating this much, or maybe she was just tired and she needed to fall asleep. A yawn left her lips just as she thought about this, the bed she was resting on being far too comfy for her to just ignore. The little manor that Dio had managed to gain control of by hypnotizing the owners away in a sudden trip away from Fuyuki was a tiny bit smaller than her own house. It had a garden, a small swimming pool, and several rooms for them to use.
Yet Dio decided, by his right as the 'highest being in the entire world', that one of the bedrooms in the top floor would suffice. The location chosen was fairly ample, enough to house a bed, several shelves filled with books, a desk, a couple of chairs, some furniture by the bedside and two couches. And here Rin was, lying on a small section of the king-sized bed while staring intensely at the ceiling as she tried to come up with an idea to escape the kidnapper that had been so absurd and yet so kind until now.
One thing was him being merciful, another was him being kind. Dio was neither, yet his actions were due to the results and context of those, and that was enough for her to label him as kind. That and because it seemed to irritate him a lot whenever she said that to him. There was just something within his mind that made him despise anyone that gave him praises that would normally be well-received by common people. At first she called it arrogance, but she couldn't help but notice that it wasn't the case. Dio basked in praises regarding the frightening aspects of his being, but he didn't like it when people seemed to… pity him.
A very odd element to pick up after spending so much time with him, but that actually made her curious and fairly interested in digging more about him. Until that point it was always him picking up things about her life, her parents and her mind. Shouldn't it be fair on her part, at least to a good degree, to know more about her warden? Maybe not. But… Rin was bored, and she couldn't sleep.
So common sense, what was available of it within a child her age and her mindset, was currently unavailable to tell her how much of a terrible idea that actually sounded.
"Dio," She called out quietly, glancing to the side where the vampire had found a place of rest. The couch looked soft enough to provide the maximum comfort, and the blond was quietly reading a book to pass the time as quickly as he could. He glanced away from the piece of literature, his swiftness in doing so giving Rin a reason to believe it wasn't even something that he was interested in.
"Yes, little Rin?"
Ignoring the irritation at being called 'little', even though she was a little girl, the child hummed.
"Did you have a mom and a dad?"
…
"What?"
"I think you said that you weren't always a vampire. Does that mean you had a mother and a father?"
He let out a long sigh. "Yes, Rin. I believe everyone had parents at one point, but I assume you just misinterpreted my origin as something beyond normal."
"I just found it odd that you would have parents. You are not a nice person, so they were horrible, right?"
For some reason, if Dio had withheld much of his interest about this topic, now he was giving it more attention than before. A chill went down Rin's spine, but she still remained strong before the fascinating topic. She just couldn't imagine what kind of individuals would be behind someone as horrible and confusing as Dio and… it morbidly attracted her to find out what the answer to these questions really were.
"In most parts," The blond replied with a strange voice. It wasn't the usual pompous one as there was something that 'rooted' it to the ground. It sounded very sober, and very upsetting for some reason. "My father was a drunk thief, while my mother foolishly fell in love and ended up conceiving me."
A… A drunk thief? Dio was born a commoner, that she didn't have any reason to doubt since he had been pretty clear about it. But to hear him speak up of his parentage was as surprising as unpleasant, especially when it came to imagine his father. An ugly bad man that didn't care much about his family and anything else beyond himself.
"My mother was the one that gave me hope, the idea of becoming greater than I was born. My name, in fact, means God in Italian, for she imagined that I was going to become great enough to make the heavens bow to me," He narrated. "She was a lovely woman, one that gave care and affection when she herself was a creature that starved of both. A slave to her own mistakes, but one that still found a reason to teach me the value of life and the brightness of destiny as this was the path I had to take."
"She… told you to become a vampire?"
"Of course not. The decision to become a vampire came much after… her unfortunate passing," He replied with a sigh. "My mother would have probably kept me from seeking the power that I now have, not because she wouldn't have believed it my right, but because she would have lost the only human being she could truly love."
…
"Dio?"
"Yes, little Rin?"
A pout settled on her face. "What do you think your mother would think of what you are now?"
He gave her the most malicious smile as he listened to that question.
"What do you think your mother would you think if you didn't want to follow the Toshaka Clan's rules?"
"W-Well, she would be angry? I think she said that it was important for us all to put more on the clan than ourselves" The girl answered, still unsure where he was planning to go with this.
"My mother would be angry because, in my thirst of becoming what I'm meant to be, she would think I abandoned what others would find appealing. By being selfish to gain power, I rejected the one thing that makes a human being relatable… and that is my own humanity."
"So… by being selfish, you gained this much power?"
"Yes."
…
"That's… kind of stupid."
A confused frown instantly appeared on his face at her comment. "What?"
"I mean, isn't the main purpose of you becoming the… 'greatest' the fact you want to show how you, someone born as a commoner, became a being of incredible power and might?"
He nodded. "Yes, which is what happened."
"Nuh-huh."
His frown deepened. "Elaborate."
"You're no longer human. You become something that was stronger by principle and then you harnessed that power to then become even greater," Rin explained with as much as she could think about. "So, does that mean you kind of… failed since you became a vampire?"
…
There was a lengthy pause after that answer. Dio seemed distracted, his silence connected to his thoughtful expression as he pondered over her words. In a moment of pure quiet, he took an endless amount of time to just come up with a weak response to it and, as he prepared to deliver what he came up with, his attention was aimed intensely at the light snore coming from the bed. Due to how long he wasted in coming up with this idea, he completely forgot that the child was still sleepy and ready to fall asleep when she engaged in that conversation.
Despite having something to argue her position, he was stumped by the fact he couldn't just because she was asleep and…
…
He smiled.
Yes, this is the child that I, Dio, will turn in the Avatar of the Heavens. And her mind, her brilliant mind, shall expand with her growth. Pucci will make sure of it.
----------d-d-d-d---------------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d----------
AN
A heartfelt talk between Jotaro and Xuanzang, while Rin cheekily outsmart Dio through sleep mode. The moves, the galore and… yeah, the end is about to come soon. In fact, I don't believe there will be the time for another Interlude as I will wrap this up in a few updates.
Quick Reminder: Dio is a Servant, which is why he is this much nerfed. The 'boost/weakening' that some Servants have with their body ability is tied to their Legend and their following. Dio might have followers but his cult isn't as expanded as other Heroes.
P.S. Rin has a little crush. This detail will become interesting in the sequel of the sequel. No… wait, I shouldn't have said that. Ehr… whoops?
There was a sense of… uneasiness within her mind.
Xuanzang has long experienced frustrated glances from people, but this was the first in a long while since she also saw genuine concern and annoyance regarding something she did that was fairly unnatural by her usual self. To be fair, the Servant was confused by her own actions too. Sure, she did have some temper issues when friends were in trouble but… where did that streak of frustration come from?
Her blood had boiled, her sight turned red and from a balanced fighter the woman turned in a mindless moron. It wasn't truly a first in her memories, and yet what she could think of was tied to when she first started training as a monk. Xuanzang used to have that very temper, but that fiery personality of hers had long been sharpened by meditation and understanding her own plights. Sure, there were plenty of times where she still 'fell back' into what she used to be, but those were then completely solved when she learned to achieve true peace of soul and mind during her long journey. She experienced pain, she experienced suffering, and then she experienced despair.
Xuanzang's emotions were tempered, modestly molded into a humble believer of peace within Earth through the Heavens. Yet there was something else that just… didn't make things right to her. Caster was still someone that believed in bonds. Friendship was the strongest pedestal she could ever hope to fill the most with those deserving of being called as such and that in return deem her a loyal friend of theirs. It was something that existed back during the journey to the west, and that never left her despite the advice of her master to drop it all.
Right now, the Servant could sense the issue about it now that her only friends were put in a constant state of danger. Even now that she should rest and allow her energy to recover after what happened in the park, her mind was on getting back on track and trying to get her through meditation as calmly as possible. The issue? Jotaro was standing by the doorstep of the room, giving her the look that just screamed of 'what are you even doing?'.
There was nothing wrong in meditating to clear her mind. Even though she was trying to do so with a hurting body and lots of thoughts that made the entire process painful and fairly difficult to achieve. One pink eye kept open from time to time to see if her Master would do something other than stare down at her like a father would with his child. It was upsetting how effective that was being on her mind and it just rendered any effort to clear up her mind impossible.
Finally, Xuanzang conceded that he wanted to talk and that he wouldn't move until she spoke to him.
"What do you need, Master?"
He hummed. "Get back on the bed and rest."
Simple, given in a stern tone, straight to the point. Yep, Caster decided to just ignore it, expecting for her Master to just keep on staring at that quiet refusal. Her mistake was soon highlighted when she first heard the man move closer to her, crouch down a little bit and… suddenly pull her by her ears. It wasn't even a soft kind of pull, he was putting some serious strength behind it. And it actually hurt.
"W-Wait- Stop it, I'm not a child and-"
"Go back in bed, I will not ask nicely again," Jotaro interrupted her with a flat tone.
There was nothing nice in that. Her ears were burning at the pulling and she was positively miffed by what she was just subjected to. Regardless of her cracking pride and her sense of soreness finally urging her to stop meditating, Xuanzang proceeded to return to her bed. Annoyance was running at an all-high and she had her arms crossed near to her chest as she sat down on the bed.
"I'm not a child."
"Yet you're behaving like one," Jotaro remarked calmly sitting by the edge of the bed. "Do you need anything? Food, water-"
"I-I'm fine."
"You are not."
That response actually had her pausing, a confused look spreading on her face as she didn't expect this much resistance from someone like him. Sure, he was the kind of individual that would behave childishly when wounded and in need of time to recover, but he was the one that urged her to be respectful of these unnecessary limitations. And… that actually was another common point between the two of them if she had to be honest.
"What do you mean? I'll be back in good shape by tomorrow morning."
"But that doesn't extend to your current body and your state of mind," The Stand User pressed, clearly spotting some cracks on her excuses. Despite her best efforts, Xuanzang just couldn't hide away the fact that she had her own inner issues to handle and she had thought meditating over those would've been more than enough to find clarity over her doubts.
"It was just a minuscule mistake, a little slip from my part."
"..." He didn't say anything as he just stared at her with a serious look. It was as if he could see within her eyes the truth and he was just waiting for her to tell it to him. In a way, it reminded her of what her father used to do when he was alive.
Having been orphaned by her father at the age of 9, Xuanzang was really unfamiliar in being treated like a little girl. It reminded her of the time when she was just a child wanting to know more about what the world was all about. She could remember when she was first given a Confucian instruction, and then told about the hardships of Buddhism. She remembered one of her older brothers bringing this up during one of their visits back home and that interest stuck to her long enough to become a life mission.
And here she was, with her philosophy failing her due to how in pain she really was. While she could hold back a lot due to her endurance, the prolonged sitting on the cold floor sure did a couple of unpleasant tricks to her poor butt and back. Aching up to her shoulders, Caster was mustering a good amount of strength just to appear stable before her Master, yet… it wasn't working?
"Why are you making such a fuss if I got hurt? Servants are meant to suffer damage from time to time-"
"As if this is really a ground you can stand on," Jotaro interjected with an annoyed tone. "You know, I've been treating you long enough as a normal person that it makes me pissed you're trying to hide behind that excuse."
He wasn't wrong. As much as she wanted to say that he was worrying for nothing since her presence here was temporary, it would be foolish of her to call his words incorrect. He had been treating her so nicely and so friendly despite the tough exterior of his. Jotaro was easy for her to understand after so long, but, at the same time, she had to concede that he hadn't been really that uncaring of her. For him to spot on as quickly as he did that she wasn't fine, he had to have realized when she wasn't being honest. Still, the young woman wasn't going to allow him to just breach into her defenses like this. Not when she wasn't ready to speak up about what was happening inside her head to anyone right now.
"What if I don't want to talk about it?" Xuanzang asked, a little tense because of how much pressure was on her. "What if I just want to be alone and meditate about things?"
"Then you can do that once you're done recovering from that fight in the park," Jotaro mentioned calmly. "You seem to forget that your body is in no shape to actually do anything but rest right now."
Her leg decided to feel even more pain from her injury just as he said that, and this time her irked face showed him a degree of suffering due to it. He didn't say anything at first, allowing her to force the pain away, but it didn't do much from stopping her Master to once more ask.
"Do you need something to help with the wounds? Something for the pain?"
"N-No."
I don't need to stutter right now.
But there wasn't much for her to order from her body as the pain was already spiking up once more and becoming intolerable for her to hold herself from showing. It wasn't working and as she bit her lower lip in a mix of agony and anger, she felt her mind clear up as Jotaro leaned forward to pull her in a half-hug. He just wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, making sure that he didn't unconsciously press on her upper wound.
That entire action caught her off-guard. She was stunned stiff as she tried to elaborate what was going on and then he felt him tighten the hold a little more, squeezing her close.
"Good grief, you're a pest," He said calmly. "But that doesn't mean you should hurt yourself like a moron. You can talk about it instead of going through something that right now you can't do."
"And what should I talk about?" She admitted sternly. "I lost my temper, and I allowed myself to get hurt to this degree. Am I happy? No. Am I calm? The pain is annoying and- and-"
W-Wait, what am I saying? Sure, I'm quite angry but… but that should be this loud and- am I actually holding this much in?
The outburst was fairly surprising, so much that Jotaro dropped the embrace out of sudden panic, and now he was looking at her with a perplexed look as he waited for her to speak about it.
"W-Well, I'm particularly stressed."
"So let it out," The Stand User pushed her for more. "I've been pissed before so I know when someone is just being aggravated for losing against that crazy woman. Just don't expect me to do this with you ever again. I thought you said you're not a brat, yet you need to be pushed around just to speak part of what you're holding in."
And that was humiliating.
Not like she had much to disagree on the fact she was holding back a lot now that she needed to let out the frustration caused by the last fight. After taking a brief
"O-Okay, I guess I'm just furious that I had that woman in my reach, that I could have killed her and put an end to this all. Without her the war would have been over and then you and the others would have been out of this stupid competition."
"So you just want to end all of this as quickly as possible? That's all?"
"The more this goes on, the more you and Sakura will be put through dangerous situations," Xuanzang elaborated with a huff. "Sure, it's stupid to rush this kind of thing since we're facing a powerful threat but, I don't want anyone to be hurt or… or die."
The mere idea of anyone dying now just felt so horrible. Caster had knowledge of the previous Holy Grail Wars due to the knowledge dispensed by the Grail itself, and she was well aware of the high death rate among competitors. It was a miracle the deaths in this fourth competition were this little, since the alternative would have been a higher pile of bodies to keep track of.
"You're a fool to think I would just die here because of some crazy witch and that stupid vampire," Jotaro rebuked flatly. "As if I would accept going down here that I've so much to do and many people that depend on me."
Some would have called that arrogance, but since Xuanzang knew Jotaro was strong and that his Stand was slowly recovering from the years of inactivity both had gone after their last clash with Dio, the brunette merely saw it as a display of confidence. One that was cynical and born from the cold logic of having something as powerful as a Stand.
"But what if you fail?" The monk asked quietly. "What if a mistake happens, one that I unconsciously caused because I allow you to have too much exposure to the action. What am I going to do if I fail you there?"
"You bash your head and stop nagging me about being at fault," The marine biologist answered with a sigh. "That I think would help my mind a lot if that stupid scenario actually happened."
A pout appeared on her face. "I-I'm trying to do what you asked me. At least accept the fact that I can be worried regardless of you having a Stand or not."
Something within his eyes changed, and Caster quickly recognized it as a brief flash of understanding at what she was saying. It was surprising how easily she was getting him now, and it made it even more entertaining since she had to work her mind to understand what he was saying or thinking through his limited gestures.
"Then keep talking. I can tell it's not all."
She smiled, nodding as she thought up about what she could say right now to not sound too awkward.
"Well, there is also that I feel rather attached to you guys. You, Sakura, Joseph and Shinji. I could go on but the truth is that you're all my friends and… and I wouldn't forgive myself if I allowed something bad to happen to all of you," Xuanzang continued to speak, her voice cracking during the last bit. "I- I know that it sounds dumb, but I don't want to see people die. Not again."
…
"I lost many friends in Cairo," Jotaro pointed out, his voice becoming odd due to the topic and soon Caster's pink eyes were on him. "And I too would be angry if someone tried to kill you. But… that doesn't mean you have to take stupid steps just because of a worry. Stupid steps kill people more than inaction, so don't you dare be a dumbass or I will punch you back alive if you died because of it."
…
"Really?"
"Of course, idiot. Good grief, did you even listen to me or what?"
Despite the rougher turn of this conversation, Xuanzang giggled and nodded. "Sorry for doubting that, Jotaro."
After that discussion came to an end, Caster was left alone once more in her room and… she actually took this opportunity to sleep her worries away. She felt incredibly tired and she knew that her body needed her to do nothing that would waste her own energies now that she needed to heal up properly. But as she closed her eyes, and she lost her consciousness to achieve proper sleep, a treacherous thought entered her mind as she dreamed about this.
What if, just, what if she lived beyond the War? What would happen to her then? Would she live with Jotaro and the others? Would she be around to keep watch over them? The more she thought about it, the more Xuanzang, once a monk with ideals that transcended the physical, began to once more entertain the temptation of breaking from her full monk self. Life seemed nicer now more than it was back then and… she was so tired of bowing down to the divine when there was so much here that had yet to be discovered, even in the spiritual.
Perhaps she could put aside her hope of becoming a Buddha, and… take another journey, this time to see a bigger world than the one she thought existed in her previous life.
---------------d-d-d-d--------
Rin wasn't sure why she wasn't angry at her current captor.
She thought back at everything that happened to her after being 'freed' from that scary woman's proximity. Dio's guardianship had felt much safer than what the frightening witch had going, and Rin was certain that her decision hadn't been wrong considering what she learned through her time out of the previous hideout.
The visit at the park had sounded sudden, and yet she managed to get a look at Sakura. Her hair was now a dark-plum, with her eyes of similar shade and… it made her angry that it was actually something caused by the Matou Family. She initially wanted to blame the current guardian of hers for it, and yet she couldn't just because of how much he looked like dad. Dad without his facial hair and with a younger face. And one with a taller and bulkier body. Rin was really surprised that someone could be this tall and- that wasn't important. Not at all. It wasn't like she thought him really handsome like a knight in shining armor.
Then the sea monsters attacked and she was pulled away from danger's way by the infuriating vampire as the two retreated to a safer place where to stay. It was so incredibly annoying and yet the little girl was unable to truly hate him. Despite him being what her father defined a 'mindless monster', this being was one of intelligence and philosophy that matched or even overwhelmed what her father was keen to show in his usual charm.
Maybe it was her fear of being hurt now that the situation was escalating this much, or maybe she was just tired and she needed to fall asleep. A yawn left her lips just as she thought about this, the bed she was resting on being far too comfy for her to just ignore. The little manor that Dio had managed to gain control of by hypnotizing the owners away in a sudden trip away from Fuyuki was a tiny bit smaller than her own house. It had a garden, a small swimming pool, and several rooms for them to use.
Yet Dio decided, by his right as the 'highest being in the entire world', that one of the bedrooms in the top floor would suffice. The location chosen was fairly ample, enough to house a bed, several shelves filled with books, a desk, a couple of chairs, some furniture by the bedside and two couches. And here Rin was, lying on a small section of the king-sized bed while staring intensely at the ceiling as she tried to come up with an idea to escape the kidnapper that had been so absurd and yet so kind until now.
One thing was him being merciful, another was him being kind. Dio was neither, yet his actions were due to the results and context of those, and that was enough for her to label him as kind. That and because it seemed to irritate him a lot whenever she said that to him. There was just something within his mind that made him despise anyone that gave him praises that would normally be well-received by common people. At first she called it arrogance, but she couldn't help but notice that it wasn't the case. Dio basked in praises regarding the frightening aspects of his being, but he didn't like it when people seemed to… pity him.
A very odd element to pick up after spending so much time with him, but that actually made her curious and fairly interested in digging more about him. Until that point it was always him picking up things about her life, her parents and her mind. Shouldn't it be fair on her part, at least to a good degree, to know more about her warden? Maybe not. But… Rin was bored, and she couldn't sleep.
So common sense, what was available of it within a child her age and her mindset, was currently unavailable to tell her how much of a terrible idea that actually sounded.
"Dio," She called out quietly, glancing to the side where the vampire had found a place of rest. The couch looked soft enough to provide the maximum comfort, and the blond was quietly reading a book to pass the time as quickly as he could. He glanced away from the piece of literature, his swiftness in doing so giving Rin a reason to believe it wasn't even something that he was interested in.
"Yes, little Rin?"
Ignoring the irritation at being called 'little', even though she was a little girl, the child hummed.
"Did you have a mom and a dad?"
…
"What?"
"I think you said that you weren't always a vampire. Does that mean you had a mother and a father?"
He let out a long sigh. "Yes, Rin. I believe everyone had parents at one point, but I assume you just misinterpreted my origin as something beyond normal."
"I just found it odd that you would have parents. You are not a nice person, so they were horrible, right?"
For some reason, if Dio had withheld much of his interest about this topic, now he was giving it more attention than before. A chill went down Rin's spine, but she still remained strong before the fascinating topic. She just couldn't imagine what kind of individuals would be behind someone as horrible and confusing as Dio and… it morbidly attracted her to find out what the answer to these questions really were.
"In most parts," The blond replied with a strange voice. It wasn't the usual pompous one as there was something that 'rooted' it to the ground. It sounded very sober, and very upsetting for some reason. "My father was a drunk thief, while my mother foolishly fell in love and ended up conceiving me."
A… A drunk thief? Dio was born a commoner, that she didn't have any reason to doubt since he had been pretty clear about it. But to hear him speak up of his parentage was as surprising as unpleasant, especially when it came to imagine his father. An ugly bad man that didn't care much about his family and anything else beyond himself.
"My mother was the one that gave me hope, the idea of becoming greater than I was born. My name, in fact, means God in Italian, for she imagined that I was going to become great enough to make the heavens bow to me," He narrated. "She was a lovely woman, one that gave care and affection when she herself was a creature that starved of both. A slave to her own mistakes, but one that still found a reason to teach me the value of life and the brightness of destiny as this was the path I had to take."
"She… told you to become a vampire?"
"Of course not. The decision to become a vampire came much after… her unfortunate passing," He replied with a sigh. "My mother would have probably kept me from seeking the power that I now have, not because she wouldn't have believed it my right, but because she would have lost the only human being she could truly love."
…
"Dio?"
"Yes, little Rin?"
A pout settled on her face. "What do you think your mother would think of what you are now?"
He gave her the most malicious smile as he listened to that question.
"What do you think your mother would you think if you didn't want to follow the Toshaka Clan's rules?"
"W-Well, she would be angry? I think she said that it was important for us all to put more on the clan than ourselves" The girl answered, still unsure where he was planning to go with this.
"My mother would be angry because, in my thirst of becoming what I'm meant to be, she would think I abandoned what others would find appealing. By being selfish to gain power, I rejected the one thing that makes a human being relatable… and that is my own humanity."
"So… by being selfish, you gained this much power?"
"Yes."
…
"That's… kind of stupid."
A confused frown instantly appeared on his face at her comment. "What?"
"I mean, isn't the main purpose of you becoming the… 'greatest' the fact you want to show how you, someone born as a commoner, became a being of incredible power and might?"
He nodded. "Yes, which is what happened."
"Nuh-huh."
His frown deepened. "Elaborate."
"You're no longer human. You become something that was stronger by principle and then you harnessed that power to then become even greater," Rin explained with as much as she could think about. "So, does that mean you kind of… failed since you became a vampire?"
…
There was a lengthy pause after that answer. Dio seemed distracted, his silence connected to his thoughtful expression as he pondered over her words. In a moment of pure quiet, he took an endless amount of time to just come up with a weak response to it and, as he prepared to deliver what he came up with, his attention was aimed intensely at the light snore coming from the bed. Due to how long he wasted in coming up with this idea, he completely forgot that the child was still sleepy and ready to fall asleep when she engaged in that conversation.
Despite having something to argue her position, he was stumped by the fact he couldn't just because she was asleep and…
…
He smiled.
Yes, this is the child that I, Dio, will turn in the Avatar of the Heavens. And her mind, her brilliant mind, shall expand with her growth. Pucci will make sure of it.
----------d-d-d-d---------------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d-------------d-d-d-d----------
AN
A heartfelt talk between Jotaro and Xuanzang, while Rin cheekily outsmart Dio through sleep mode. The moves, the galore and… yeah, the end is about to come soon. In fact, I don't believe there will be the time for another Interlude as I will wrap this up in a few updates.
Quick Reminder: Dio is a Servant, which is why he is this much nerfed. The 'boost/weakening' that some Servants have with their body ability is tied to their Legend and their following. Dio might have followers but his cult isn't as expanded as other Heroes.
P.S. Rin has a little crush. This detail will become interesting in the sequel of the sequel. No… wait, I shouldn't have said that. Ehr… whoops?
Umbra99
Good Civilization
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2019
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The interactions between Rin and Dio are one of my favorite things about this fic. Also:
Evil Overlord List Point 12: One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.
Evil Overlord List Point 12: One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.
MountainBookSage25
The Sage in a Mountain of Books
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So, for xuanzhang, waifu route or daughter route?
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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??? Route. Let's just say that she is going to be close but not romantically/sexually so. I've brilliant plans. Plans for [DA HEAVENS]!!!
Kreuzritter
Not too sore, are you?
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Rin raises a very good point, that Dio only donned the Stone Mask in desperation, after Jonathan went out and unraveled his plan to poison George, and learning his Plan B of using the mask on Jojo would only result in "very angry vampire Jojo"
Surya
Also Sprach Zarathustra
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There's also the fact that age in the Nasuverse is a power of it's own and the older something is the stronger is it's Mystery so since Dio is one of the newest Heroic Spirits to ascend to the Throne his Mystery is weaker than literally any other servant
Seventeenth Mantra! Meet your worst fears!
JBukharin
Signer of the Totalist Charter
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Chapter 18: Seventeenth Mantra! Meet your worst fears!
Kirei didn't feel confident. Of all the times he could have felt nervous, this was really the worst time to start perceiving that kind of inner emotion.
He had to admit that it wasn't like he could blame his body to already grow disgusted with the miasma exuding from the perimeter of the Ryuudou Temple, the set of buildings that was the closest to the real location of the Holy Grail. It was there where the final battle was going to unfold and where things were going to settle down in Fuyuki. His silent musing was briefly interrupted as he noticed that his Servant had finally concluded her task, taking a moment to appear beside him.
"Was the path cleared?"
"Yes Master," The violet-haired woman replied calmly, nodding to further confirm that development. "All the monsters that had been set up to delay the rest of the group's arrival have been dealt with. But I doubt these are the only things we need to worry about."
He nodded, having noticed that there was something too 'lazy' about these distractions. Francesca Prelati, or Francesco Prelati as he was remembered in the old archives of the Church, was somebody that was known to put through an incredible amount of attention to his plans. So much that he managed to avoid detection from the Holy See for years before being caught up by a couple of specialized experts in handling pests like him. A creature that seemed to come from Hell due to its malicious personality and erratic mindset that tended to drive… them into this kind of madness that they considered 'a game'.
But right now there was nothing that would have quantified that possibility. In fact, the young priest could tell that something was incredibly wrong at the lack of major threats within the defenses that were supposed to cover Francesca's attempt to manipulate the Holy Grail. It raised the chance of her having something that they couldn't predict, something that was definitely going to matter if there wasn't anything of concern protecting whatever was happening within the Grail's secret location.
Kirei had arrived earlier than the others by just an hour. A little precautionary step to get all trouble early on solved through the use of his Servant. As much as he wouldn't have extended himself so much and put himself the closest to the beast's lair this soon, he couldn't help but realize that it was only for the best that the rest of the main fighters weren't slowed down by what once lurked within the forests surrounding them. It was only fair for him to optimize the fighting force to a point where he could calmly say that they were ready for this. But as he concluded with this thought, something happened before their eyes. The ground started to shake and the mountain near the Temple started to tremble as soft lines of red started to coat it in a massive flow of prana. This… this was not a good situation.
It would take roughly twenty minutes for the rest of the group to finally arrive and… and yet the situation was spreading too fast. He didn't need to look behind him to know that whatever was unraveling in front of them was reaching the city through the leylines. This was something shocking and… and it almost made him not notice that something was glinting from beyond the dark shadows offered by the nearby bushes.
A dark figure rushed from beyond his sight, a black blur that was too fast for him to dodge on the spot. Assassin didn't hesitate in tackling him down and allowed them both to dodge the ferocious assault of what he could only describe as a monstrous being. With the shadows dispelled by the soft moonlight, the figure slowly turned to regard them both as they stood up from the ground.
A tall humanoid whose main outfit consisted of a thick black helmet with a skull shaped visor carved from real bones, with two empty red pupils glowing through the eye holes of the mask. He was wearing a bulky purple and black armor which had a skull on its center, his plackart also had the similarity of a skeleton. On his back there was an ancient cloak, with a cape that gave off a hint of worn. He was holding a broadsword and a half-body shield.
There was no maliciousness in its form and his stare, only… a duty. Assassin was tense, it didn't take long for Kirei, the one that had the chance of witnessing the woman's behavior in many circumstances, to realize that something about this figure was more wrong that he was feeling. This was way worse than anticipated… another Servant? That could explain the semi-divine nature of the creature before them.
"F-Founder?" A gobsmacked Assassin asked with a weak voice, her stance suggested a flighty approach in front of such an enemy and… Kirei had plenty of reasons to believe it to be the best solution to this problem. By the title bestowed by the woman, he knew this was the first Hassan, the one that created the infamous Assassin Order from the Middle East. And considering the legend surrounding his name… this was going to be a fearsome Servant to face.
Still, they couldn't remain there.
"Assassin."
One word, just one word to get her to snap out of her panic-induced freeze. It seemed to work and the Servant looked at him as she noticed that he was ready to leave the area. Fighting wasn't an option in their conditions and available equipment and abilities. They both knew that. There was no hesitation nor shame in beating a hasty retreat before this threat, but the antagonistic Servant didn't mind the chase.
With a single claim, he rushed at them as they swiftly tried to leave the area.
"Bring thy heads!"
A great demand, one that was given with a powerful voice that refused any reason or any mercy in its action and moves. A ferocious monster that craved to kill anything that his Master wanted it to kill. A terrible fiend with plenty of might to exert this wish and make it true with ease. And yet he didn't claim their lives as quickly as their combined fears screamed was going to happen. No, it was… a thrilling situation. One where they managed to dodge the second rush by pure luck.
Some tree branches of the ground were more than enough to force Kirei to trip forward and dodge the attack, while Assassin was just out of range and capable of avoiding the strike with ease. The issue was the next steps to take. Before the massive Servant could strike again, his attention was diverted to two personalities of the weaker Hassan that were trying to stop him and capitalize on his current openness. It proved to be a partially foolish hope.
The personalities stood no chance, getting struck down with ease… but allowing for more to rush in and actually distracting the First Hassan from keeping pursuit over the Master-Servant duo. Assassin spared a look at Kirei, and the man merely nodded as they resumed their escape. Even if the tall being was overrun by personalities, none of the weapons within the Personalities' disposal was going to be able to pierce through its armor and inflict serious damage.
For now it was best to retreat to a safer spot. It was a solid plan, sadly they mistook the determination of the Servant trying to kill them both. Assassin had to tackle her Master away once more as she saw the familiar glint of the dangerous killer's sword zeroing the distance between him and Kirei's neck. A push was all the priest needed to be out of danger. The man was sent rolling down the hill, just beside where the stairway to the temple had been and… soon he found his rolling stopped by some thick bushes. Moving in to protect her Master, Assassin allowed herself to be exposed for a vicious kick from her former leader. The attack sent her flying and left her hurting. She stood up, feeling just a sliver of relief at noticing that he was coming after her and not pursuing her Master despite his state of defense.
Just a sliver, as she knew the battle had just begun from the looks of it and she was incredibly worried about what she was supposed to do to win in these horrible odds. Things sure were going bleak for the stealth-specialized Servant. But as she struggled with an enemy, Kirei struggled to get up and try to reach her so they could both leave. While part of him wanted to believe his Servant was going to find a way to leave the range of attack of their common enemy, he knew way too well that it wasn't the case and that he needed to be there to coordinate a safe retreat for both.
But as he wandered through the woods, picking up speed and pace to reach his current destination, Kirei felt someone was watching him from too close. Someone was running at the same pace as him, keeping a safe distance so their identity wasn't revealed. A gust of wind, or what he would soon learn being a sudden increase of speed led him to pause as something, or rather someone, had decided to stop in front of him.
The young woman had long white hair and blood red eyes that dully stared at him. She was wearing a circular red hat, her red dress was so beautiful and her mini-skirt gave way to black pantyhose with stockings underneath those. A lengthy mantle stretched onto her left arm, showing the beautiful golden decorations on it. She was staring at him with a mix of pity and interest, like a scientist that studied the dying mouse before her eyes.
It was an expression he was familiar with, having seen it with a mirror all the time he looked at himself. His mind was reluctantly trying to connect dots over her identities, so many clues just screaming at him a single name while his heart ached at the proof that, within the Servant before him, was the possible uncertain future that awaited him. His heart was hurting, the word 'sorry' banging badly onto his thoughts as he couldn't voice his own emotions in that surreal situation. She was there, the hopeless and the unconsciously disowned. The price of a failure he was the main cause of… for himself.
He stared up at the so much familiar face that just recognized him in return, unaware that tears were currently flowing from both his face… and unconsciously from hers. The tension was so upsetting for both, and yet they didn't speak. Was it the suffering? Or maybe it was expectations for the other to speak before them, so that they could be preserved from failing such a simple thing as introducing themselves before the planned fight?
Kirei gulped nervously, but he didn't let go of his current feelings as he knew this was going to be the battle that would either prove his will to change, or his reluctance to suffer for the sake of finding happiness through other means.
"Hello… daddy."
The greeting was filled with regret, the hold over her soul so clear and so horrible to endure as he prepared to do something about it, his hands reaching for his Black Keys. There was no restraint on her side too as he knew this was going to be a battle. One they just couldn't ignore or delay for too long. He felt his throat burn as he finally spoke, the moment of truth at hand as they prepared to strike at each other.
"Hello Caren."
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Waver yelped in a mixture of brief pain and panic. One moment he was walking the streets of the city with Rider, the Master-Servant duo and the redhead were ready to reach the rendezvous with the other Masters and begin the assault on the position where the Grail was supposed to be. It was going to be a big skirmish, one that he knew was going to leave him with something to be proud of.
Entering a deadly competition? Horrible. Killing his teacher? Terrifying. But battling a great threat with others to save the world itself? That… just made him stand up. He might be someone that was easy to fright, but he wasn't going to allow innocents to pay for the greed of a few, may those be Magus or not. In fact, his confidence to put an end to the Holy Grail War as a whole was there to make the difference and… then that vanished when they were attacked and chased around by two individuals.
An earthquake ensued, one that seemed to be tied to the leylines as he could feel the sudden increase of energy from the natural sources within the land, and yet he was caught off-guard when two attackers came at them with ill intentions. Rider roared with a laugh as he engaged in a skirmish with a being he wasn't familiar with. The bald humanoid had its upper body exposed and showing his pitch-black skin that contrasted with the soft-white marks all over his torso and his arms, and the golden accessories he was wearing. He was tall, at least a little more than just 2 meters and roaring back at Iskandar as the two started to fight without hesitation. They were at it for a while until Waver and Sola-Ui's peaceful and quiet spectating was interrupted by another figure, this one approaching them.
Wearing a formal and delicate black tuxedo, with a dark shirt underneath and a red tie to match, the young man that decided to attack him was… annoyed. At him. He could tell from the presence of a scowl in his face, something that was accentuated by the presence of a cigarette pending by his lips. His attacks were vicious, but lacking the power he could tell the man was holding back on him. The long black hair and the pale red eyes were indeed unsettling, but not because of how intense those were to him. No something about those were… familiar. Waver tried to make sense of this emotion, but he just couldn't think much about it.
Sola-Ui scowled as she helped as much as she could, failing to get any advantage against their common enemy. In fact, the Servant didn't seem to mind the attempts, blatantly ignoring the redhead as he focused his attention mostly on Waver, it was clear that there was something that made the aggressor particularly intrigued by him. It was another clue that the attacker knew him somehow and… and that was bad. But he couldn't just pause to think about it. Instead he kept on dodging all the slow-paced beams of light trying to burn him alive. That was a task he was giving utmost priority about to not die because of it, and for the moment he was holding back quite well. Things took a strange turn when the taller Servant was suddenly thrown into the young man's attacker, the magic user pausing to back away and dodge the large body of his partner.
"Boy, woman, we're leaving."
Sudden, confusing, but incredibly serious.
There was no way Rider would just drop a fight without a good enough reason, and there was no hesitation on the three to finally start to run away from the two troublesome elements. Most of the locals were already sleeping, and yet he could tell the disaster was going to be difficult to cover up. Yet they weren't exactly worried about that issue. They had pressing problems for them to be concerned about instead of that very one. While the growling bald Servant was temporarily disabled, the beast roared as he rushed towards them, followed by the still annoyed 'Caster' as he had started to call it as.
The chase was long, but they managed to avoid getting intercepted by the ferocious Berserker-like monster running at them by taking sharp turns. Iskandar's chariot was fast enough to outpace the beast and give them the time to at least reach a place where it could be safer to fight them. And while they were running, Sola-Ui started to question Rider's decision to just run.
"I thought you were enjoying that fight. What changed, Rider?"
He had an irked look on his face, but he answered the query pretty readily. "That was Darius, I can recognize his size and his ferocity by a simple glance but… but he wasn't going at his fullest."
"So you just stopped because… he wasn't fighting you at peak performance?!" Waver exclaimed in a mix of brief anger and shock. "You mean we could have won and-"
"It's not like that," Rider muttered, flinching at the loud lecture.
"I believe it's just like that!" Sola-Ui snapped with a snort. "You just had us running away in this mad chase around the city, all because you wanted to understand why your historical enemy wasn't able to fight you at his highest performance?"
"As I said, woman, it's not like that," Iskandar repeated, his tone getting incredibly frustrated as he was not up to endure that kind of annoyance. "There is something wrong with both Servants. Something that makes me think they are under some sort of influence that they are trying to break from."
"A-And that means?" The youngest Magus inquired, utterly confused by what he was listening to.
The young woman scowled at the logic, realizing where the Servant was trying to go with that topic. "You want to try and break them free and… then what? These two Servants are not going to become our allies just because of that."
"Or maybe… they are," Waver suggested, nodding as he thought about it. "if they are being manipulated like this, then it means they aren't willing to take part in what they had been sent for. If it was that woman, Prelati, then that means-2
"They have refused to accept her plans to destroy the world," Sola-Ui concluded herself, her eyes widening in realization at that possibility. "S-Still, that Servant you were fighting, Darius, he doesn't seem to… mean well anyway-"
"He was my enemy back when I was alive. Some antagonism is fine but… I know he wouldn't want his legacy destroyed like this. Not because of a magic user," Rider confirmed with a sigh. "I believe all they need is time, the control isn't absolute and it's cracking the more they have the focus to break it."
"Which was a truly distasteful affair to get through since I had to also give off the illusion of fighting for the spell to not force me to act like a complete baboon," A new voice muttered and the two Magus turned to see the Caster now sitting in the front section of the chariot, his feet resting on the inner bit of the vehicle.
"W-What?"
"You were distracted, he jumped-"
"About a few seconds ago. Jumping is such a fancy word to just say 'slip inside the rushing small tank without tripping and dying by getting run over by the horses," The man commented flatly, lighting another cigarette. "Still, the giant redhead is right. The crazy bitch that summoned us got most of us influenced and mind-controlled. Nothing a Servant like me can't solve, but I believe a few of my… friends will need more than just an hour or two to recover."
"Truly?" Iskandar inquired, feeling fascinated by this very detail, only to stop and look behind as Darius III was once more on the chase, slamming around as he failed to keep up with the four of them.
"A long while for sure," The Caster confirmed tiredly at the sight.
"Are you going to tell us your name?" Sola-Ui demanded. "You know, it's rude to join in without even introducing yourself."
He groaned, clearly irked by her tone and her manners. "I suppose I can spare you that. Only because I know it will keep you quiet for a while."
Waver nodded silently, curious himself about his identity and why he felt this much familiar to him and why his appearance… reminded him of someone he knew about. But as he wished to know, the quiet desire to 'not' know started to get fairly strong for some reason. And that reason became evident when he introduced himself.
"I'm a Pseudo-Servant, a living being from the present being used as a template for an heroic spirit to inhabit and control. The spirit and my name for many is Zhuge Liang," The Caster started to explain, drawing a brief pause after offering that first name. "But my human template, the one which inherited most of the memories and social skills is Lord El-Melloi II, I'm the regent of the family for Reines El-Melloi Archisorte in my timeline after the death of Kayneth El-Melloi."
…
"W-WHAT?!" Waver exclaimed with a shocked look, unable to process what he just learned through this, but failing to learn that the one he was speaking to was none other than his future grumpier self.
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Their safe route to the Ryuudou Temple was ambushed.
For a brief moment, a certain Magus Killer was glad that he had refused his wife's intention to join his endeavor over this fight against the corrupted Grail and Francesca Prelati. The level of destruction wasn't acceptable for any bystander to be around and hinder his attention. Kiritsugu held a sigh as he reloaded the MG42 he was currently using, his attention aimed at the culprit of that sudden trap. It took him a glance to the side of the now halved vehicle, the car he had borrowed for this occasion, to confirm the threat they were facing was nothing conventional firepower was going to work on. It was a monster of impressive magical abilities.
Short-sized, incredibly angry and granted an impressive amount of energy to unleash an incredible number of energy-fueled attacks. Some of which were deadly enough to force Saber to not engage in close encounters just yet. The blonde snarled as she tried to unleash a Wind Hammer on her mysterious opponent, the attack shredded by a beam of purple-red light coming from the enemy.
Gritting his teeth, he knew the attacker was not someone willing to allow anything unturned, with one of the blasts finally rushing towards his cover and forcing him to dive into the nearby bushes. He reached within the bag with explosives he had brought with himself. Three canister-like bombs were brought up, the devices thrown toward the distracted Servant as it was forced to block a rush from another Wind Hammer. It was the distraction needed as the bombs exploded loudly, blinding lights emitted at the detonation and partly disrupting the sword-wielding foe's focus as Saber rushed for first blood.
Either tension or the lack of major illumination were quick to limit the effects of the attack, with Excalibur being swung upward and striking at the fellow blonde's mask rather than her exposed neck. With that object off from their sight, the true identity of the dangerous Servant was revealed to them. Artoria looked shocked, her stance easing unconsciously at the scene as she tried to make sense of this development.
"Y-You are-"
"Surprised?" The dark version of the King of Knight mused with a brief note of cruel mirthfulness, her next action being attacking her counterpart and finally starting the duel that had been delayed for so long. Like before, there was a distinct difference in power between them, with the corrupted Servant having an easier time beating around her opponent and forcing Saber to fight even harsher than before. Artoria angrily slammed Excalibur onto the sword that resembled much hers, the clash generating a strong gust of wind that tore through a couple of trees around them.
Seeing his Servant in trouble, the Magus Killer prepared more bombs, but decided against actually risking his position just yet. While it was clear that Saber wasn't able to keep up with the attacks and wasn't finding the chances to return violence with more violence, he needed to gauge his intervention well enough to not hurt his own Servant in the process. He picked up one of the grenades he had with himself, throwing one that rolled down and arrived right at the feet of the Servant. While an explosion of this kind wasn't going to kill someone of her caliber, it was going to remove her footing and offer Saber a chance to strike. Despite the unfair advantage this intervention offered, there wasn't much for Artoria to hope in this circumstance. This dark version of herself defined herself a knight, and yet her mannerism and her style was too vicious, too unruly to make her stand out as one. Regardless of her reluctance to work together with someone that was using tricks of this kind against her foe, the King of Knight struck fort and landed a hit on the now exposed shoulder bit of her opponent.
The Alter version snarled fiercely, irked by the combo she had been subjected to and swiftly trying to kill Kiritsugu with a power beam, one that gave Artoria another opening to strike through. A yelp of pain left the dark Servant's lips as she felt agony at the sudden attack that shredded at her torso armor. Some of the inner plaques held the ferocious blow, but it wasn't enough to preserve the painful experience to actually cause her to bleed at that attack. Hurt and humiliated, the irritated corrupted Servant struck back at her main opponent, forcing Saber to back away at the sudden violent assault she was subjected to. The darkened blade against her started to chip at some pieces of her armor, showing to her how easily the damage she was inflicting at her enemy could be returned to her with the same or higher intensity.
Dodging the beam but losing the bag with the bombs in the process, Kiritsugu managed to make his way to one of the boxes that he didn't have the chance to use until that very moment. The crate opened with ease, and he felt relieved to see that everything in there was still intact. Without wasting too much time checking its content, the man fished out a long rifle that he had brought a few years before retiring. It was a relic of the last World War, but something that should still be able to make the difference in this circumstance. Not enough difference as it wasn't meant to pierce a Servant's armor or even skin, but it was going to make a good distraction to their enemy.
Loading the upward cartridge and pulling the mechanism to allow the first 14mm bullet inside, the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle was aimed right at the back of the head of the dangerous foe. The loud noise of the discharge and the sudden bounce of the bullet against her head forced the corrupted Saber to look away, right to where Kiritsugu was aiming at her from. She was ready to blast him away for good, but this proved to be her last mistake as Saber's blade cut at her stomach area, leaving a deep gash into her opponent.
Spitting blood, Saber Alter's sight went a little blurry for a while… but it was a temporary state of weakness. Pushing some of the mana surging from her connection to the leylines, her healing factor began healing all injuries twice as fast as they would normally do.
She backed away before her enemy could have won that skirmish, taking a moment to recover before striking back.
"You're not going to win. Both of you. I can heal from this kind of injury and nothing shorter than Excalibur's release will defeat me," Artoria Alter proclaimed, raising Excalibur Morgan and aiming it at her enemy. "You would do better to surrender, pathetic version of mine… W-What?!"
As her sight regained focus and she stared at her good counterpart, the corrupted woman finally noticed an issue with that plan of hers. The wounds she had left on her enemy? Gone. Her skin was unblemished and mostly untouched by what had been an intense clash between the two. And yet the blood was there… it was proof that the wounds had been there before… before the King of Knights healed even faster than she could.
"Y-you have Avalon?!"
A smirk appeared on her opponent. "Yes. Surprised?"
Saber Alter scowled in anger, the comeback stinging more since she didn't have the leverage to press her current advantage. There was no advantage to begin with since the healing factor she currently had wasn't on par with the Noble Phantasm's impressive healing effects. She tightened the hold of her hilt as her purer version rushed towards her, easily tearing into her defenses and bringing an end to her efforts.
Anger and humiliation mixed harmoniously as the Tyrant was slain by someone that she once represented and endured… but that now despised and rejected. A superior force beaten with such an ease… impossible!
And yet there wasn't much to do as the dark mist took her away, whisking her soul back to the Throne of Heroes as both Kiritsugu and Artoria approached each other.
"The enemy is death, Master."
The Magus Killer nodded, studying the state of the battlefield. "It would be best to resume our path to the Grail. The more we wait..."
"The higher the chances of this being the first of many issues," Saber agreed while nodding. "Let's proceed then, Master."
Kiritsugu was relieved that he wasn't having any trouble discussing these short-termed plans with his Servant, but he could tell that things were only going to get tougher from now on. Nonetheless, it was a long walk and… he sure didn't like walking around in the woods after getting accustomed so much to have vehicles to take him around.
Maybe this was a little curse that he got after allowing Iri to have him driven around instead of walking on his own…
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AN
The Endgame is soon to begin. Also, I would like to say that the story will not end precisely at the end of the Grail War. There are a couple of chapters meant to 'put a closure' to some characters' stories.
Reminder: I didn't forget about Ciel. She just wasn't with Kirei at the time.
Also yes, that Caren is Amour (Ruler) from FGO JP. The difference from normal Caren? This one has been confirmed to not be from Fate Hollow Ataraxia but Fate/Tiger Colosseum.
Alternative names being: Caren Cupid Hortensia, God Caren, Devil Caren, Super Baby Caren.
Kirei didn't feel confident. Of all the times he could have felt nervous, this was really the worst time to start perceiving that kind of inner emotion.
He had to admit that it wasn't like he could blame his body to already grow disgusted with the miasma exuding from the perimeter of the Ryuudou Temple, the set of buildings that was the closest to the real location of the Holy Grail. It was there where the final battle was going to unfold and where things were going to settle down in Fuyuki. His silent musing was briefly interrupted as he noticed that his Servant had finally concluded her task, taking a moment to appear beside him.
"Was the path cleared?"
"Yes Master," The violet-haired woman replied calmly, nodding to further confirm that development. "All the monsters that had been set up to delay the rest of the group's arrival have been dealt with. But I doubt these are the only things we need to worry about."
He nodded, having noticed that there was something too 'lazy' about these distractions. Francesca Prelati, or Francesco Prelati as he was remembered in the old archives of the Church, was somebody that was known to put through an incredible amount of attention to his plans. So much that he managed to avoid detection from the Holy See for years before being caught up by a couple of specialized experts in handling pests like him. A creature that seemed to come from Hell due to its malicious personality and erratic mindset that tended to drive… them into this kind of madness that they considered 'a game'.
But right now there was nothing that would have quantified that possibility. In fact, the young priest could tell that something was incredibly wrong at the lack of major threats within the defenses that were supposed to cover Francesca's attempt to manipulate the Holy Grail. It raised the chance of her having something that they couldn't predict, something that was definitely going to matter if there wasn't anything of concern protecting whatever was happening within the Grail's secret location.
Kirei had arrived earlier than the others by just an hour. A little precautionary step to get all trouble early on solved through the use of his Servant. As much as he wouldn't have extended himself so much and put himself the closest to the beast's lair this soon, he couldn't help but realize that it was only for the best that the rest of the main fighters weren't slowed down by what once lurked within the forests surrounding them. It was only fair for him to optimize the fighting force to a point where he could calmly say that they were ready for this. But as he concluded with this thought, something happened before their eyes. The ground started to shake and the mountain near the Temple started to tremble as soft lines of red started to coat it in a massive flow of prana. This… this was not a good situation.
It would take roughly twenty minutes for the rest of the group to finally arrive and… and yet the situation was spreading too fast. He didn't need to look behind him to know that whatever was unraveling in front of them was reaching the city through the leylines. This was something shocking and… and it almost made him not notice that something was glinting from beyond the dark shadows offered by the nearby bushes.
A dark figure rushed from beyond his sight, a black blur that was too fast for him to dodge on the spot. Assassin didn't hesitate in tackling him down and allowed them both to dodge the ferocious assault of what he could only describe as a monstrous being. With the shadows dispelled by the soft moonlight, the figure slowly turned to regard them both as they stood up from the ground.
A tall humanoid whose main outfit consisted of a thick black helmet with a skull shaped visor carved from real bones, with two empty red pupils glowing through the eye holes of the mask. He was wearing a bulky purple and black armor which had a skull on its center, his plackart also had the similarity of a skeleton. On his back there was an ancient cloak, with a cape that gave off a hint of worn. He was holding a broadsword and a half-body shield.
There was no maliciousness in its form and his stare, only… a duty. Assassin was tense, it didn't take long for Kirei, the one that had the chance of witnessing the woman's behavior in many circumstances, to realize that something about this figure was more wrong that he was feeling. This was way worse than anticipated… another Servant? That could explain the semi-divine nature of the creature before them.
"F-Founder?" A gobsmacked Assassin asked with a weak voice, her stance suggested a flighty approach in front of such an enemy and… Kirei had plenty of reasons to believe it to be the best solution to this problem. By the title bestowed by the woman, he knew this was the first Hassan, the one that created the infamous Assassin Order from the Middle East. And considering the legend surrounding his name… this was going to be a fearsome Servant to face.
Still, they couldn't remain there.
"Assassin."
One word, just one word to get her to snap out of her panic-induced freeze. It seemed to work and the Servant looked at him as she noticed that he was ready to leave the area. Fighting wasn't an option in their conditions and available equipment and abilities. They both knew that. There was no hesitation nor shame in beating a hasty retreat before this threat, but the antagonistic Servant didn't mind the chase.
With a single claim, he rushed at them as they swiftly tried to leave the area.
"Bring thy heads!"
A great demand, one that was given with a powerful voice that refused any reason or any mercy in its action and moves. A ferocious monster that craved to kill anything that his Master wanted it to kill. A terrible fiend with plenty of might to exert this wish and make it true with ease. And yet he didn't claim their lives as quickly as their combined fears screamed was going to happen. No, it was… a thrilling situation. One where they managed to dodge the second rush by pure luck.
Some tree branches of the ground were more than enough to force Kirei to trip forward and dodge the attack, while Assassin was just out of range and capable of avoiding the strike with ease. The issue was the next steps to take. Before the massive Servant could strike again, his attention was diverted to two personalities of the weaker Hassan that were trying to stop him and capitalize on his current openness. It proved to be a partially foolish hope.
The personalities stood no chance, getting struck down with ease… but allowing for more to rush in and actually distracting the First Hassan from keeping pursuit over the Master-Servant duo. Assassin spared a look at Kirei, and the man merely nodded as they resumed their escape. Even if the tall being was overrun by personalities, none of the weapons within the Personalities' disposal was going to be able to pierce through its armor and inflict serious damage.
For now it was best to retreat to a safer spot. It was a solid plan, sadly they mistook the determination of the Servant trying to kill them both. Assassin had to tackle her Master away once more as she saw the familiar glint of the dangerous killer's sword zeroing the distance between him and Kirei's neck. A push was all the priest needed to be out of danger. The man was sent rolling down the hill, just beside where the stairway to the temple had been and… soon he found his rolling stopped by some thick bushes. Moving in to protect her Master, Assassin allowed herself to be exposed for a vicious kick from her former leader. The attack sent her flying and left her hurting. She stood up, feeling just a sliver of relief at noticing that he was coming after her and not pursuing her Master despite his state of defense.
Just a sliver, as she knew the battle had just begun from the looks of it and she was incredibly worried about what she was supposed to do to win in these horrible odds. Things sure were going bleak for the stealth-specialized Servant. But as she struggled with an enemy, Kirei struggled to get up and try to reach her so they could both leave. While part of him wanted to believe his Servant was going to find a way to leave the range of attack of their common enemy, he knew way too well that it wasn't the case and that he needed to be there to coordinate a safe retreat for both.
But as he wandered through the woods, picking up speed and pace to reach his current destination, Kirei felt someone was watching him from too close. Someone was running at the same pace as him, keeping a safe distance so their identity wasn't revealed. A gust of wind, or what he would soon learn being a sudden increase of speed led him to pause as something, or rather someone, had decided to stop in front of him.
The young woman had long white hair and blood red eyes that dully stared at him. She was wearing a circular red hat, her red dress was so beautiful and her mini-skirt gave way to black pantyhose with stockings underneath those. A lengthy mantle stretched onto her left arm, showing the beautiful golden decorations on it. She was staring at him with a mix of pity and interest, like a scientist that studied the dying mouse before her eyes.
It was an expression he was familiar with, having seen it with a mirror all the time he looked at himself. His mind was reluctantly trying to connect dots over her identities, so many clues just screaming at him a single name while his heart ached at the proof that, within the Servant before him, was the possible uncertain future that awaited him. His heart was hurting, the word 'sorry' banging badly onto his thoughts as he couldn't voice his own emotions in that surreal situation. She was there, the hopeless and the unconsciously disowned. The price of a failure he was the main cause of… for himself.
He stared up at the so much familiar face that just recognized him in return, unaware that tears were currently flowing from both his face… and unconsciously from hers. The tension was so upsetting for both, and yet they didn't speak. Was it the suffering? Or maybe it was expectations for the other to speak before them, so that they could be preserved from failing such a simple thing as introducing themselves before the planned fight?
Kirei gulped nervously, but he didn't let go of his current feelings as he knew this was going to be the battle that would either prove his will to change, or his reluctance to suffer for the sake of finding happiness through other means.
"Hello… daddy."
The greeting was filled with regret, the hold over her soul so clear and so horrible to endure as he prepared to do something about it, his hands reaching for his Black Keys. There was no restraint on her side too as he knew this was going to be a battle. One they just couldn't ignore or delay for too long. He felt his throat burn as he finally spoke, the moment of truth at hand as they prepared to strike at each other.
"Hello Caren."
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Waver yelped in a mixture of brief pain and panic. One moment he was walking the streets of the city with Rider, the Master-Servant duo and the redhead were ready to reach the rendezvous with the other Masters and begin the assault on the position where the Grail was supposed to be. It was going to be a big skirmish, one that he knew was going to leave him with something to be proud of.
Entering a deadly competition? Horrible. Killing his teacher? Terrifying. But battling a great threat with others to save the world itself? That… just made him stand up. He might be someone that was easy to fright, but he wasn't going to allow innocents to pay for the greed of a few, may those be Magus or not. In fact, his confidence to put an end to the Holy Grail War as a whole was there to make the difference and… then that vanished when they were attacked and chased around by two individuals.
An earthquake ensued, one that seemed to be tied to the leylines as he could feel the sudden increase of energy from the natural sources within the land, and yet he was caught off-guard when two attackers came at them with ill intentions. Rider roared with a laugh as he engaged in a skirmish with a being he wasn't familiar with. The bald humanoid had its upper body exposed and showing his pitch-black skin that contrasted with the soft-white marks all over his torso and his arms, and the golden accessories he was wearing. He was tall, at least a little more than just 2 meters and roaring back at Iskandar as the two started to fight without hesitation. They were at it for a while until Waver and Sola-Ui's peaceful and quiet spectating was interrupted by another figure, this one approaching them.
Wearing a formal and delicate black tuxedo, with a dark shirt underneath and a red tie to match, the young man that decided to attack him was… annoyed. At him. He could tell from the presence of a scowl in his face, something that was accentuated by the presence of a cigarette pending by his lips. His attacks were vicious, but lacking the power he could tell the man was holding back on him. The long black hair and the pale red eyes were indeed unsettling, but not because of how intense those were to him. No something about those were… familiar. Waver tried to make sense of this emotion, but he just couldn't think much about it.
Sola-Ui scowled as she helped as much as she could, failing to get any advantage against their common enemy. In fact, the Servant didn't seem to mind the attempts, blatantly ignoring the redhead as he focused his attention mostly on Waver, it was clear that there was something that made the aggressor particularly intrigued by him. It was another clue that the attacker knew him somehow and… and that was bad. But he couldn't just pause to think about it. Instead he kept on dodging all the slow-paced beams of light trying to burn him alive. That was a task he was giving utmost priority about to not die because of it, and for the moment he was holding back quite well. Things took a strange turn when the taller Servant was suddenly thrown into the young man's attacker, the magic user pausing to back away and dodge the large body of his partner.
"Boy, woman, we're leaving."
Sudden, confusing, but incredibly serious.
There was no way Rider would just drop a fight without a good enough reason, and there was no hesitation on the three to finally start to run away from the two troublesome elements. Most of the locals were already sleeping, and yet he could tell the disaster was going to be difficult to cover up. Yet they weren't exactly worried about that issue. They had pressing problems for them to be concerned about instead of that very one. While the growling bald Servant was temporarily disabled, the beast roared as he rushed towards them, followed by the still annoyed 'Caster' as he had started to call it as.
The chase was long, but they managed to avoid getting intercepted by the ferocious Berserker-like monster running at them by taking sharp turns. Iskandar's chariot was fast enough to outpace the beast and give them the time to at least reach a place where it could be safer to fight them. And while they were running, Sola-Ui started to question Rider's decision to just run.
"I thought you were enjoying that fight. What changed, Rider?"
He had an irked look on his face, but he answered the query pretty readily. "That was Darius, I can recognize his size and his ferocity by a simple glance but… but he wasn't going at his fullest."
"So you just stopped because… he wasn't fighting you at peak performance?!" Waver exclaimed in a mix of brief anger and shock. "You mean we could have won and-"
"It's not like that," Rider muttered, flinching at the loud lecture.
"I believe it's just like that!" Sola-Ui snapped with a snort. "You just had us running away in this mad chase around the city, all because you wanted to understand why your historical enemy wasn't able to fight you at his highest performance?"
"As I said, woman, it's not like that," Iskandar repeated, his tone getting incredibly frustrated as he was not up to endure that kind of annoyance. "There is something wrong with both Servants. Something that makes me think they are under some sort of influence that they are trying to break from."
"A-And that means?" The youngest Magus inquired, utterly confused by what he was listening to.
The young woman scowled at the logic, realizing where the Servant was trying to go with that topic. "You want to try and break them free and… then what? These two Servants are not going to become our allies just because of that."
"Or maybe… they are," Waver suggested, nodding as he thought about it. "if they are being manipulated like this, then it means they aren't willing to take part in what they had been sent for. If it was that woman, Prelati, then that means-2
"They have refused to accept her plans to destroy the world," Sola-Ui concluded herself, her eyes widening in realization at that possibility. "S-Still, that Servant you were fighting, Darius, he doesn't seem to… mean well anyway-"
"He was my enemy back when I was alive. Some antagonism is fine but… I know he wouldn't want his legacy destroyed like this. Not because of a magic user," Rider confirmed with a sigh. "I believe all they need is time, the control isn't absolute and it's cracking the more they have the focus to break it."
"Which was a truly distasteful affair to get through since I had to also give off the illusion of fighting for the spell to not force me to act like a complete baboon," A new voice muttered and the two Magus turned to see the Caster now sitting in the front section of the chariot, his feet resting on the inner bit of the vehicle.
"W-What?"
"You were distracted, he jumped-"
"About a few seconds ago. Jumping is such a fancy word to just say 'slip inside the rushing small tank without tripping and dying by getting run over by the horses," The man commented flatly, lighting another cigarette. "Still, the giant redhead is right. The crazy bitch that summoned us got most of us influenced and mind-controlled. Nothing a Servant like me can't solve, but I believe a few of my… friends will need more than just an hour or two to recover."
"Truly?" Iskandar inquired, feeling fascinated by this very detail, only to stop and look behind as Darius III was once more on the chase, slamming around as he failed to keep up with the four of them.
"A long while for sure," The Caster confirmed tiredly at the sight.
"Are you going to tell us your name?" Sola-Ui demanded. "You know, it's rude to join in without even introducing yourself."
He groaned, clearly irked by her tone and her manners. "I suppose I can spare you that. Only because I know it will keep you quiet for a while."
Waver nodded silently, curious himself about his identity and why he felt this much familiar to him and why his appearance… reminded him of someone he knew about. But as he wished to know, the quiet desire to 'not' know started to get fairly strong for some reason. And that reason became evident when he introduced himself.
"I'm a Pseudo-Servant, a living being from the present being used as a template for an heroic spirit to inhabit and control. The spirit and my name for many is Zhuge Liang," The Caster started to explain, drawing a brief pause after offering that first name. "But my human template, the one which inherited most of the memories and social skills is Lord El-Melloi II, I'm the regent of the family for Reines El-Melloi Archisorte in my timeline after the death of Kayneth El-Melloi."
…
"W-WHAT?!" Waver exclaimed with a shocked look, unable to process what he just learned through this, but failing to learn that the one he was speaking to was none other than his future grumpier self.
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Their safe route to the Ryuudou Temple was ambushed.
For a brief moment, a certain Magus Killer was glad that he had refused his wife's intention to join his endeavor over this fight against the corrupted Grail and Francesca Prelati. The level of destruction wasn't acceptable for any bystander to be around and hinder his attention. Kiritsugu held a sigh as he reloaded the MG42 he was currently using, his attention aimed at the culprit of that sudden trap. It took him a glance to the side of the now halved vehicle, the car he had borrowed for this occasion, to confirm the threat they were facing was nothing conventional firepower was going to work on. It was a monster of impressive magical abilities.
Short-sized, incredibly angry and granted an impressive amount of energy to unleash an incredible number of energy-fueled attacks. Some of which were deadly enough to force Saber to not engage in close encounters just yet. The blonde snarled as she tried to unleash a Wind Hammer on her mysterious opponent, the attack shredded by a beam of purple-red light coming from the enemy.
Gritting his teeth, he knew the attacker was not someone willing to allow anything unturned, with one of the blasts finally rushing towards his cover and forcing him to dive into the nearby bushes. He reached within the bag with explosives he had brought with himself. Three canister-like bombs were brought up, the devices thrown toward the distracted Servant as it was forced to block a rush from another Wind Hammer. It was the distraction needed as the bombs exploded loudly, blinding lights emitted at the detonation and partly disrupting the sword-wielding foe's focus as Saber rushed for first blood.
Either tension or the lack of major illumination were quick to limit the effects of the attack, with Excalibur being swung upward and striking at the fellow blonde's mask rather than her exposed neck. With that object off from their sight, the true identity of the dangerous Servant was revealed to them. Artoria looked shocked, her stance easing unconsciously at the scene as she tried to make sense of this development.
"Y-You are-"
"Surprised?" The dark version of the King of Knight mused with a brief note of cruel mirthfulness, her next action being attacking her counterpart and finally starting the duel that had been delayed for so long. Like before, there was a distinct difference in power between them, with the corrupted Servant having an easier time beating around her opponent and forcing Saber to fight even harsher than before. Artoria angrily slammed Excalibur onto the sword that resembled much hers, the clash generating a strong gust of wind that tore through a couple of trees around them.
Seeing his Servant in trouble, the Magus Killer prepared more bombs, but decided against actually risking his position just yet. While it was clear that Saber wasn't able to keep up with the attacks and wasn't finding the chances to return violence with more violence, he needed to gauge his intervention well enough to not hurt his own Servant in the process. He picked up one of the grenades he had with himself, throwing one that rolled down and arrived right at the feet of the Servant. While an explosion of this kind wasn't going to kill someone of her caliber, it was going to remove her footing and offer Saber a chance to strike. Despite the unfair advantage this intervention offered, there wasn't much for Artoria to hope in this circumstance. This dark version of herself defined herself a knight, and yet her mannerism and her style was too vicious, too unruly to make her stand out as one. Regardless of her reluctance to work together with someone that was using tricks of this kind against her foe, the King of Knight struck fort and landed a hit on the now exposed shoulder bit of her opponent.
The Alter version snarled fiercely, irked by the combo she had been subjected to and swiftly trying to kill Kiritsugu with a power beam, one that gave Artoria another opening to strike through. A yelp of pain left the dark Servant's lips as she felt agony at the sudden attack that shredded at her torso armor. Some of the inner plaques held the ferocious blow, but it wasn't enough to preserve the painful experience to actually cause her to bleed at that attack. Hurt and humiliated, the irritated corrupted Servant struck back at her main opponent, forcing Saber to back away at the sudden violent assault she was subjected to. The darkened blade against her started to chip at some pieces of her armor, showing to her how easily the damage she was inflicting at her enemy could be returned to her with the same or higher intensity.
Dodging the beam but losing the bag with the bombs in the process, Kiritsugu managed to make his way to one of the boxes that he didn't have the chance to use until that very moment. The crate opened with ease, and he felt relieved to see that everything in there was still intact. Without wasting too much time checking its content, the man fished out a long rifle that he had brought a few years before retiring. It was a relic of the last World War, but something that should still be able to make the difference in this circumstance. Not enough difference as it wasn't meant to pierce a Servant's armor or even skin, but it was going to make a good distraction to their enemy.
Loading the upward cartridge and pulling the mechanism to allow the first 14mm bullet inside, the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle was aimed right at the back of the head of the dangerous foe. The loud noise of the discharge and the sudden bounce of the bullet against her head forced the corrupted Saber to look away, right to where Kiritsugu was aiming at her from. She was ready to blast him away for good, but this proved to be her last mistake as Saber's blade cut at her stomach area, leaving a deep gash into her opponent.
Spitting blood, Saber Alter's sight went a little blurry for a while… but it was a temporary state of weakness. Pushing some of the mana surging from her connection to the leylines, her healing factor began healing all injuries twice as fast as they would normally do.
She backed away before her enemy could have won that skirmish, taking a moment to recover before striking back.
"You're not going to win. Both of you. I can heal from this kind of injury and nothing shorter than Excalibur's release will defeat me," Artoria Alter proclaimed, raising Excalibur Morgan and aiming it at her enemy. "You would do better to surrender, pathetic version of mine… W-What?!"
As her sight regained focus and she stared at her good counterpart, the corrupted woman finally noticed an issue with that plan of hers. The wounds she had left on her enemy? Gone. Her skin was unblemished and mostly untouched by what had been an intense clash between the two. And yet the blood was there… it was proof that the wounds had been there before… before the King of Knights healed even faster than she could.
"Y-you have Avalon?!"
A smirk appeared on her opponent. "Yes. Surprised?"
Saber Alter scowled in anger, the comeback stinging more since she didn't have the leverage to press her current advantage. There was no advantage to begin with since the healing factor she currently had wasn't on par with the Noble Phantasm's impressive healing effects. She tightened the hold of her hilt as her purer version rushed towards her, easily tearing into her defenses and bringing an end to her efforts.
Anger and humiliation mixed harmoniously as the Tyrant was slain by someone that she once represented and endured… but that now despised and rejected. A superior force beaten with such an ease… impossible!
And yet there wasn't much to do as the dark mist took her away, whisking her soul back to the Throne of Heroes as both Kiritsugu and Artoria approached each other.
"The enemy is death, Master."
The Magus Killer nodded, studying the state of the battlefield. "It would be best to resume our path to the Grail. The more we wait..."
"The higher the chances of this being the first of many issues," Saber agreed while nodding. "Let's proceed then, Master."
Kiritsugu was relieved that he wasn't having any trouble discussing these short-termed plans with his Servant, but he could tell that things were only going to get tougher from now on. Nonetheless, it was a long walk and… he sure didn't like walking around in the woods after getting accustomed so much to have vehicles to take him around.
Maybe this was a little curse that he got after allowing Iri to have him driven around instead of walking on his own…
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AN
The Endgame is soon to begin. Also, I would like to say that the story will not end precisely at the end of the Grail War. There are a couple of chapters meant to 'put a closure' to some characters' stories.
Reminder: I didn't forget about Ciel. She just wasn't with Kirei at the time.
Also yes, that Caren is Amour (Ruler) from FGO JP. The difference from normal Caren? This one has been confirmed to not be from Fate Hollow Ataraxia but Fate/Tiger Colosseum.
Alternative names being: Caren Cupid Hortensia, God Caren, Devil Caren, Super Baby Caren.