A Poisoned Chalice (Fate/Zero, Fate/Grand Order)

[Neruz]

Wow. That went right to shit at supersonic speeds.

See, this is the problem with playing mind games with Heroic Spirits: Heroic Spirits are bullshit.

 

[Not Alcor]

The Banana will be out for vengeance and Da Vinci is entering the stage.

 

[Always Late]

... I did not expect Da Vinci to be so ruthless and controlling. Brainwashing the Oni and controlling the master? Sounds like she's pulling from Medea and Amakusa's playbook. But maybe that's a side of her as a Magus FGO never really touches on. That said, Da Vinci's accomplished most of her goals. Kiritsugu's methods have been turned on him, and he's now considered an active threat. The Kotomine-Tosaka alliance has been partially exposed. The only loss was that Serenity exposed her golem of Berserker's Master, so most of the other Masters will figure out that Caster's double-dealing if they sit down and think about it.

Waver's going to be a real terror when he grows up.

 

[Finalarcana]

Whoops. Sorry Leo, looks like things haven't gone as you had hoped they would.

 

[Mattman324]

Oh shit, Da Vinci fucked up. She must have missed the effects of Disengage - and now not only is Berserker out on the loose and willing to fight only her, she still only dragged out one of the two mystery servants - and the other one is sure to hear from Risei directly.

See, Waver, if you wanted to summon a once-a-century genius for a Caster who does the robot army thing well and was in the Case Files event, it should have been Babbage! He wouldn't have pulled this shit!

 

[Paradox scholar]

Is it just me, or does it seem that da Vinci isn't taking this seriously just so she can have more opportunities to flex her intelligence while slowly but surely forming a group of people who want her re-deadified?

 

[Parks_98]

Ya know I'm not even shocked that Leo did this. I mean for fucks sake she had time to do whatever she wanted to Ibaraki.

I'm more shocked that Da Vinci didn't turn that Golem into a suicide bomber to blow up the entire church and everyone in it.

 

[neogoki]

has Da Vinci messed up or is this within her margins?
The Golem had pretty much her signature over it.

 

[Tzaphquiel]

It seemed to be within Da Vinci's margin of error. It did not seem to be the revelation of the golem that caused her to grimace in frustration. In fact, Waver had to stop her from going into further depth about the golem. Unless, of course, it had been another act for which the two had prepared beforehand.

Well, it certainly did not deceive Chevalier d'Éon. They were scrutinizing the clockwork gears rather closely, and given how much experience they already had in facing Da Vinci's creations, of course they immediately recognized the golem as Da Vinci's work, something which they told Kayneth. Even without it, one should bear in mind that Chevalier d'Éon is well-versed in espionage and intrigue.

I am not certain if Da Vinci accounted for the possibility of Ibaraki using her Disengage skill to break free of the control, but it seems unlikely that Da Vinci has not already set contingencies in place for such an eventuality. As expected, Ibaraki was used as a catspaw to achieve multiple aims at once, most of which were fulfilled. There were setbacks, certainly, though knowing Da Vinci, it may not be too hard to rectify them.

It will be interesting to see what Ibaraki decides to do next and how Da Vinci adjusts and accounts for it.

I do wonder what Kayneth and Chevalier d'Éon will do in the aftermath of this immediate situation. Kayneth is now aware, at least to some extent, of the collusion between Tohsaka and Kotomine. Furthermore, thanks to Chevalier d'Éon, Kayneth is also aware of Da Vinci's own machinations and role in this matter. This incident in the church may also mean that Kayneth will be taking care to prepare more precautions regarding Assassin and Emiya. Regardless, Kayneth and Chevalier d'Éon will need to sit and process everything before deciding how best to proceed.

 

[ndh]

Caster fucked up as the ploy failed to bring out Lancer. Given who we strongly suspect Lancer to be that is a very bad thing for her. Granted Caster probably is thinking Lancer is a servant with low stats and a circumstantial NP that is of no concern.

 

[Krika]

I do wonder what Kayneth and Chevalier d'Éon will do in the aftermath of this immediate situation. Kayneth is now aware, at least to some extent, of the collusion between Tohsaka and Kotomine. Furthermore, thanks to Chevalier d'Éon, Kayneth is also aware of Da Vinci's own machinations and role in this matter. This incident in the church may also mean that Kayneth will be taking care to prepare more precautions regarding Assassin and Emiya. Regardless, Kayneth and Chevalier d'Éon will need to sit and process everything before deciding how best to proceed.

Click to shrink...

I'm curious to find out if we're going to get a Saber/Berserker ceasefire for the purpose of trying to fuck up Caster's day.

That being said, the longer it takes for things to stop being chaotic, the better of a position Caster is going to be in - the class itself works well when it has time to prepare, and Da Vinci especially can maximize the effectiveness of her prep time. Given enough, and she could probably take on all 6 other Servants in the war simultaneously....though that'd be a failure of getting them to kill each other first. Which she is.

Shifting my bets from "Lancer reveals themselves by killing Berserker" to "Lancer reveals themselves by killing Caster", although I bet there's an outside chance of revealing themselves to team up with Saber and/or Berserker - though the latter might be challenging given that Berserker has currently kidnapped their Master's father.

 

[Wing]

I think that Caster at the moment might be the most dangerous servant other then Lancer. Caster has seen all the masters and the servants other then Lancer so she probably has already come up with plans to deal with all of them and ways to get around their abilities. She is particularly dangerous to Kiritsugu who often relies on outsmarting his opponents and Caster has already seen through him.

As for Lancer's identity my first though was Karna but i am not sure he would be as good match for Kirei. For all Karna's incredible power (the guy could probably force Gil to use Ea to avoid losing) he has absurd prana consumption that would put strain on even mages with first class magic circuits. Someone like Kirei would not be able to support him in combat for even 2 minutes.

I think Enkidu is more likely but Enkidu could take on every servant summoned as a team and still easily win. He did fight Gilgamesh evenly and I dont think poison would have any effect on him.

 

[Rob Rimsill]

Chapter 18 - Delivery​

It was the most uncomfortable kidnapping Risei had ever had the displeasure of experiencing.

He was not as young as he used to be, and Berserker was not being gentle with him. She grabbed him, dragged him, hustled him, and at many points just outright threw him – all in her strange determination to have him along for her escape.

Risei could barely process it. He'd never been able to stand roller coasters, and this was worse, because at least a roller coaster didn't moan at you for being too slow every ten seconds.

"Hurry up, priest!" snarled Berserker, yanking Risei's arm so that he stumbled round a corner about half a second before a flight of arrows destroyed the pavement the pair had been standing on.

"I'm tryi-" started Risei, before Berserker snapped her head up, and lunged forward straight into him, carrying him clear across the street in an instant. Risei's breath left him in a rush, and his vision swam – but he did see a silvery-blue figure flash into existence in front of him, sword raised.

Risei was jolted sideways as Berserker corrected her course – and then flung upwards as she leapt. He had a brief moment of clarity, saw Berserker bat away a punishing volley of arrows, then landed, hard, in an alleyway.

"Try harder," said Berserker. "It's difficult enough trying to protect myself! Be grateful, human!"

He opened his mouth to protest – she was the only reason he was in danger in the first place, dammit! – but before he could say anything a white blur streaked into his vision from the side and he felt Berserker's claw close round his neck-

The world disjointed, again.

Risei lost all sense of where he was – up, down, fast or slow, he had no idea what was happening to him. After finding out just how long an instant could last, he blinked and found himself skidding to a halt next to Berserker on a rooftop.

His knowledge of Fuyuki rooftops wasn't the best, but he guessed they'd travelled only about half a mile that time.

It wasn't the first time Berserker had done this – it was the same escape skill that had allowed her to vanish from the church, under the noses of five other Servants. That time, they'd travelled a lot further… but if Risei was any judge, it wasn't the kind of skill meant to be used in quick succession. Berserker was as energetic as ever, but her gritted teeth showed the strain she was under.

"Are you alright?" he asked. He couldn't help it.

"Of course!" snapped Berserker. "It will take more than this to lay low the mightiest oni of Mt Ooe."

"If you say so…"

"I do say so!" Berserker stomped her bare feet, then broke off, fidgeting and casting her gaze around. She looked nervous, but Risei didn't want to start another argument – or have his cheek branded again – so he said nothing. "Enough chat. We will clearly not get a moment to talk – priest, understand that abducting you was not my intention. I have been controlled – by Caster."

Risei's head was already pounding, and the abrupt change from running to talking wasn't making things any easier. "By Caster?"

"Yes, by Caster! We have no time for you to repeat everything I say, so just shut up and listen. The other Servants will be on top of us any moment." Berserker visibly restrained herself, and went on. "Caster has made some manner of potion, that can place even Servants under her control. She can do a lot more than that, but as the Moderator this is what should most concern you."

Risei breathed out heavily. This was… a lot to take in. "So your actions against the town of Fuyuki were actually done by the will of Caster? It seems I owe you an apology."

"Certainly not!" said Berserker, seeming honestly offended. Risei flinched, his cheek burning with phantom pain. "Caster has no claim to the wonderful chaos this pathetic settlement finds itself in! That was done by my hand, and mine alone. It is not the first city I have brought to its knees in such a way." She relaxed, and Risei did as well. "An apology is owed, however. Why did you turn the War against me? Caster wished to analyse your motives, but I am curious nonetheless."

That was the question Risei had been asking himself all day. He didn't like the answer he'd come up with any better than Berserker would, but there was no point lying to her and less point lying to himself.

"I… trusted Tohsaka Tokiomi, I suppose." He held up a hand, to forestall the scathing objection he saw on Berserker's face. "I know, the responsibility is mine, and I take all of it. It is given to me to oversee the War, and I take that role seriously. However, the fact of the matter is that he is my friend, a man whom I have seen grow into who he is today, and I have to believe that a War run to his instructions is better than the alternative."

"And how is that working out for you?" asked Berserker.

Risei winced. "Your point is noted. For whatever it is worth, I do believe I mis-stepped in provoking you. I will have no part in your sins, but for that… if an apology is what you want, then an apology you shall have. I am sorry, Berserker."

"Hmph." Berserker tossed her head. "It is pointless to try and curry favour with me now. You condemned me to die, whatever your reasons for it. I should be angry with you, I suppose… but to be quite honest, I can't find it in me. Both of us are the puppets of more ruthless masters, it seems."

"I don't think that's quite how I would describe my relationship with Tokiomi," Risei protested.

Berserker fixed him with a glare. "I could be angrier with you, if you'd like."

"Are you sure you have time?" Risei asked with a smile.

"True." Berserker frowned. "Actually, the other Servants should have found us by now. Why are we not under attack?"

A voice answered from behind them. "Oh, Berserker, dear, you do give the most marvellous straight lines!"

Risei whirled. Perched on an arial on the edge of the rooftop was a large bronze and blue bird – a peacock of some kind, if he was any judge. It fluttered its wings and cocked its head in their direction with a soft whirring. Only that, and the brief glimpse of gears Risei had caught as it moved, let him realise it was mechanical. Its motion was a perfect imitation of real avian behaviour.

As he watched, it opened its beak and emitted a bright blue light, which formed into a hazy blue-tinged image of Caster in mid-air, beaming and winking at Berserker.

"To answer your question, obviously I'm interfering with the magical energy you give off to make it less noticeable," said Caster. "How else did you imagine you surprised everyone back at the church? When I cancel that spell, the other Servants will be all over you like white on rice, so do listen well, darling."

"You." The hate in Berserker's voice was palpable, but for all that she was maintaining an impressive level of self-control.

Caster giggled. "It's me! Oh, don't be like that. There's no point getting angry, dear."

A low snarl tore its way out from between Berserker's tusks. "No? I think destroying your toys could be quite satisfying, even if you're not here."

"Then why haven't you?" Caster asked. Berserker was silent. "I meant there's no point in getting angry, because I'm deliberately suppressing your anger. You just can't hold onto the emotion right now. It's a lovely colour on you and you're just so adorable when you're in a tantrum, but I do rather need the Moderator in one piece and I was afraid you might take it into your pretty little head to do something… irreversible."

Risei thought he had better intervene. Two Servants had met, and not immediately started trying to kill each other, which meant his role was to moderate. It was still the middle of the day – well, late afternoon – and even if the city had ripped half to pieces there was no point in escalating things. "I am well," he said. "Battered, bruised, and confused, but well. I do not believe we have met, Caster."

"Technically, we're not meeting now."

"Nevertheless, I am pleased to do so." Risei tried to look stern. "Berserker has been making some disturbing accusations."

Caster – or at least the image of her – beamed with pride. "The accusations that I've been manipulating the War by using her via mind control to sow dissent and get rid of the other Servants without exposing myself to danger? Yes, they're all true."

There was silence on the rooftop, broken only by the distant sounds of a city in chaos.

Risei struggled for something to say. "That was… a little more than she had gotten round to accusing you of, in fact."

"Oh? What on Earth were you doing all this time, then? No, don't worry about it. In any case, it's also true that I was the one directing her actions at the church, and who made the decision to bring you along on this little trip."

Berserker snorted. "You really are shameless, aren't you?"

"If I am, it's because I haven't done anything to be ashamed of." Caster grinned. "I'm quite sure that controlling other Servants isn't against the rules, because guess what?" She threw her hands up. "There aren't any! Really! I checked! It's not like the Grail checks how you won it, once you get your hands on it. Anything you do that helps you get there is A-OK as far as its concerned. The only one who might object is the Moderator."

"And you think torturing this person for information is likely to earn you flexibility in the rules?" Berserker said. Risei hadn't been about to put it that way, but she was right. He wasn't exactly in a charitable mood.

"I think this person is hardly in a position to throw stones," said Caster. "Well done on not admitting your alliance with Tohsaka in front of everyone, but, I mean, that hardly makes you less guilty."

Risei opened his mouth, then closed it, feeling very tired. It was hard to argue with someone when they were only voicing the arguments you'd been having with yourself inside your own head.

"Not to worry!" Caster continued. "It's not as if that were my only plan. And, honestly, even if you, as Moderator of the Grail War, were to make it an issue… look, I don't like to toot my own trumpet, but I'm reasonably certain I can win the War by myself even if everyone else is against me. But that sounds like a lot of work, and frankly I have better things to be doing."

"Better things than obtaining a wish?" Berserker sounded sceptical, and Risei didn't blame her.

"Of course! I have a cute student to train up, don't I?" Caster giggled. "He's got a long way to go, but I really do think he'll be one to watch… once he ditches his fuddy-duddy sourpuss attitude, at least."

"So, why are you here?" Risei asked. "If this was supposed to be a rescue, it's a peculiar one."

"A rescue?" Caster put a finger to her lips in thought. "Well, I suppose. You're not in any real danger from Berserker, she has no intention to harm you. I only had her take you for… incentive. And she even managed to pry that confession out of you! Good job, Berserker. You really are exceeding my expectations, you know."

Berserker gripped her sword and bared her tusks at the image of Caster, but apparently didn't trust herself to speak.

If Caster noticed Berserker's animosity, she didn't seem to notice, still smiling sunnily at the pair on the rooftop.

"So what happens now?" asked Risei. "You've clearly got something in mind. It's been a long day already – I would appreciate it if you would stop dancing around the issue and said what you were after."

Caster pouted. "Oh, you're no fun. Everyone in this War is so stuffy. It only looks cute on our adorable Servant of Tantrums, and that's mainly because of the gap moe… anyway! Yes, here's what's going to happen. Berserker, dear, you're going to lead the other Servants on a merry chase until I deem the time and the place to be right, at which point you will elegantly and beautifully crush them like bugs.

"Now, this does mean you will need to do our best at keeping them off you, but not do so well that they actually lose track of you. So, remember that little spell for keeping your magical energy suppressed I mentioned? Once our little tête-a-tête is finished, I will unfortunately not only be removing it, but sort of putting it back on inside out. Oh, it's more technical than that, but essentially, there's no chance of the other Servants losing your track through that wonderful Disengage skill you have. And don't go thinking you can remove the effect through Disengaging either! It's trivial to get round that once you know how, but you'll never guess what I've done – so don't you worry your head about it. From the look of you I'm guessing you're running into the limits of what that skill can do for you anyway – just keep on running and you'll be fine."

Risei risked a look sideways at Berserker, whose jaw was hanging open in a mix of incredulity and outrage.

"Why should I?" she said. "Why do anything you want me to do? I am the leader of the Mt Ooe oni, and no human commands me. You want me to jump through all these hoops for you like a trained puppy? You missed the part where I shook off your leash. How about I keep the Moderator with me, and we have our Servant conference again – only this time, it's about you. No, I can't see a single reason to do what you say."

Caster beamed. "I can!" She held out her arms to the side with a flourish, and the image shifted.

Berserker went very still and quiet.

Lying on some kind of gurney or table was… well, the image was done in shades of blue, but Risei recognised the redheaded man whom Caster had used as the model for her golem. He seemed to be asleep, and unharmed – but any Master in the power of another's Servant couldn't be expected to stay there long.

"Now, I would never be so gauche as to directly threaten your Master should you fail to do what I ask… oh, except I guess I just did," continued Caster, when her image had faded back into view. "Ehehe… Still, you do get the point, don't you, dear?"

"Where is he?" said Berserker. She didn't snarl, didn't rage or scream. Her gaze was fixed on Caster, and her face was a flat mask of calm.

Caster noticed. "Hm? I seem to have struck a nerve… and, of course, your Master is where you left him."

"You're at the temple," Berserker said. "Good. Wash your neck and wait. I will be there shortly."

"Okay!" Caster didn't seem particularly worried. "Now, is there anything else you ought to know… oh, yes. I know I'm being terribly unfair by putting this on you, so I'll help you out a little. I do want you to survive this, after all. First, some advice!

"Now, Assassin is annoyingly slippery, so I lost track of them, but you are being pursued by Saber, Archer and Rider. You might expect Rider to be there first, but it looks like she's gone to cut you off by the river. Do watch out for her pet when you make it there, but I'm sure you'll be fine once you make it past them.

"Archer will probably find you first when I cancel the spell. You know who she is, right? Oh, good. Yes, she really is the last person you want to have hunting you down, but it can't be helped. Saber isn't quite so fast, but I think you had a run-in with them before… it would probably be a bad idea to let them catch you. Their Master has certainly been a busy little beaver…"

Berserker didn't rise to the bait, if bait it was. "Fine. Your advice is noted. Anything else, or can I come and kill you now?"

"Of course! Stand back, duckies." Caster pointed, and started moving her left hand in a circular gesture.

Risei wasn't sure if he preferred being swept up in Caster's flow compared to Berserker's… but at least he was moving under his own power. He stepped back – just before a sparking orange-edged portal appeared in front of him. On the other side was the real Caster, who waved cheerfully. She seemed to be in the courtyard of Ryuudou Temple. Obviously, Risei hadn't spent a lot of time there, but he was at least familiar with the layout.

"I thought I'd take the Moderator off your hands. Protecting him as well as yourself can't have been easy, and as I said, I do need him undamaged – so I'll just give him a shortcut and get him here a little early. In you come, dear."

Risei shot one last look at Berserker, then wondered why he had. Was he feeling attached to his original kidnapper just because the new one was so disorienting? Ridiculous. He was the Moderator – it was high time he got hold of himself. He squared his shoulders and stepped through the portal.

Caster offered him a hand, which he waved off. He was old, not an invalid.

He was taken aback when Caster seized it anyway, and was about to start fighting, Servant or not, when she pulled him clear of the portal just ahead of a blast of heat, and a growl of frustration from Berserker.

Turning, he saw the cause – a translucent golden barrier blocked her passage through, expanding in intricate fractal shapes wherever she pounded on it.

"Oh, come on, now," said Caster. "You really thought I'd have opened a portal to my actual person and made it permeable to Servants? I wasn't born yesterday, you know. Now, in the interest of fairness, I should probably mention I already cancelled your stealth spell, so any moment now – oh, there we are! Toodles, and good luck!"

Through the portal, Risei saw the sky light up with green streaks. It looked like Caster had been right on about Archer finding her target first.

"Caster-!" started Berserker, but she was cut off as the portal suddenly winked out of existence.

"Well, that's that," said Caster. She exhaled, and seemed to both relax and sober up. "I do apologise, Moderator, but one must keep up one's game face, you know… can I offer you tea? Coffee? I've not exactly settled in to the place, but the kitchen is quite serviceable."

Risei held up a hand. "None, for me. Thank you. Caster…"

"I know," said the Servant. "I've been terribly naughty, haven't I? I understand this isn't exactly the done thing, but really, what did you people expect when you made one of the Servant Classes specialise in magic? Of course we were going to bend the rules into new and interesting shapes – and I can hardly go up against someone like Berserker with my bare hands."

Risei grunted. "The Caster class has always been a problem. I could tell you stories about the Third War…"

"That would be very helpful, actually," came a voice from the half-demolished temple. Stepping out into the courtyard was Caster's Master, young Waver Velvet. "Any information is good information, and I do honestly feel bad about what we had Berserker do to you. We just needed to know what was going on with you and the Tohsakas, that's all."

Was that all? His cheek throbbed. "If you had concerns about the way the War was going, you could have simply asked. But, in light of the circumstances…" he waved his hand at the sky, where the ash cloud spreading from Fuyuki was still visible, "I can, as they say, turn the other cheek. However, if you do wish to make it up to me, I have a request."

"If it's something we can do and not give up our advantage in the Grail War, then yes, of course," said Waver. "What do you want?"

Risei glanced at Caster, who nodded. Probably she already knew what he was after. Too insightful by half, that one.

"You have Berserker's Master held captive, yes?"

"That's right. He's in a magically-induced sleep right now, thanks to Caster, but he's fine. Why?"

"Because I want to speak to him," Risei said. "Alone."

 

[buli-buli]

Okay. Things have been cleared up and/or clarified. Though now I'm wondering about what Waver and Risei want out of this.

 

[Finalarcana]

"If you had concerns about the way the War was going, you could have simply asked.

Click to shrink...

Oh yes. Because you would have totally told the truth if they did it that way.

 

[Mattman324]

Okay. Things have been cleared up and/or clarified. Though now I'm wondering about what Waver and Risei want out of this.

Click to shrink...

What Waver wants is unfortunately irrelevant, he's being swept up by Caster the same way he was swept up by Rider. If Caster decides to care about what he wants it will be at her discretion.

There is a very real chance that what Risei wants is to stay in one place near Caster long enough to find out where she is so they can send Lancer after her.

 

[Rob Rimsill]

There is a very real chance that what Risei wants is to stay in one place near Caster long enough to find out where she is so they can send Lancer after her.

Click to shrink...

Not saying you're right or wrong, but he does recognise where he is as Ryuudou Temple - he even muses that, as a Christian priest, he doesn't spend much time there.

 

[Wing]

Damm Caster is clearly 5 steps ahead of everyone else. The only thing she isnt aware of is the mysterious Lancer who I expect will be her downfall. Both Kiritsugu and Tokiomi will make getting rid of Caster a priority though I imagine Kiritsugu will soon have serious problems as he will have Kariya, and Kayneth after him after that bluff he pulled at the Church (though Kariya and Archer may want to get rid of Tokiomi first)

Speaking of Archer i am honestly surprised that she didnt try and put an Arrow in Tokiomi's head back in the Church since a Father abandoning his daughter would really set her off even without the worms. Can we hear from her and Kariya soon because those two will get along wonderfully plus she isnt a particularly prana consuming servant so he can handle her better?

 

[Tzaphquiel]

Da Vinci has thought ahead quite meticulously. At this rate, I am not sure if Ibaraki will be able to end this Grail War as anything other than Da Vinci's pawn. However, there is that saying about cornered animals being the most dangerous.

Hm, it is an interesting question regarding how Kayneth and Chevalier d'Éon are going to prioritize. There was the bluff by Kiritsugu that has drawn Kayneth's attention, along with the current problem of Ibaraki, the revelation of the collusion between Risei and Tokiomi, and finally Da Vinci's own machinations, pulling so many strings in the background.

 

[EVA-Saiyajin]

Fantastic characterization of these individuals when put together.

 

[Paradox scholar]

Honestly I'm of the opinion that da Vinci's house of cards is going to collapse because 1: saber knows that caster uses clockwork automata and 2: she forgot to clean up her mess...

 

[Mizu]

I'm betting Assassin has been following Berserker from a distance ever since she fled, and thus saw the interactions with Caster. Kinda.

 

[Rob Rimsill]

Chapter 19 - Intoxicated
​

Ryuunosuke dreamt of a city in flames.

Not Fuyuki, as it happened. It would have been understandable if he had, but no. The buildings were shorter, older, made of wood and stone rather than steel and glass. The streets were narrow, designed for horse and cart rather than cars, and the people that rushed through them bearing weapons and buckets of water wore peculiar archaic clothes rather than the suits Ryuunosuke was used to seeing.

Japanese history hadn't exactly been his best subject, and he'd never exactly taken an interest in it. Still, even he recognised the temples and pagodas of Kyoto when he saw it. Had he taken a school trip there at some point? Who even knew.

Still, he saw it, clear as day. Too clear. This had the clarity of memory, with none of the symbolism and strange double-existence that objects in dreams had. The sounds of roaring fire and shouting men were distinct and detailed in the way that sounds in dreams weren't; the smell of smoke and burning flesh, even more so. Ryuunosuke would have sworn he was awake… except he had no body, no control over what he was seeing. All he could do was watch.

Ryuunosuke would have been the first to admit he wasn't the brightest bulb in the drawer, but he wasn't stupid. Now, he didn't know the first thing about ancient Kyoto. In fact, he could think of only one connection – his Servant. His Ibaraki was from there, wasn't she? And this dream was clearly magical in some way, which meant that this whole thing was, somehow, to do with her.

At the thought, he relaxed. If it was Ibaraki, he had nothing to worry about. He sat back and enjoyed the spectacle, waiting for her to make her appearance.

He didn't have to wait long. His view focused on a narrow street, packed wall to wall with guardsmen in armour carrying spears. They pressed forward, shouting and thrusting – and were scattered like ninepins. Ibaraki emerged, swinging that great bone blade with reckless delight, an enormous smile on her face. Something was off, though. What was it?

"Wahaha! Fear me, men of Kyoto! The great Ibaraki-douji comes once more to burn your town and steal your treasures!" She brandished her sword, accidentally blowing a hole in the stone wall next to her and causing the building on the other side to shudder. Ibaraki looked at the damage she'd caused, seeming surprised, but rallied quickly. "Er… see how puny your human dwellings are before the might of the Mt Ooe oni! Ahahaha!"

The sword was really too large to use in these tiny streets, Ryuunosuke thought – perfect in open battle, but it only got in the way in close quarters. Still, he wouldn't want to be the one standing in front of it.

The soldiers before Ibaraki quailed, but their captain held firm. "Hold out, men! Buy time for the onmyouji to arrive! They'll seal these demons. For now, steel your courage, and protect the Shogun and the princesses!"

Ibaraki laughed again. "Yes, yes! Give your all, fight and die under an oni's blade, that's how it should be! When your onmyouji come, I'll flatten them as well! Come!"

Ryuunosuke watched the exchange, amused, but still something seemed odd to him. Then he realised. Ibaraki was having fun. Even as she set about the soldiers, scattering them every which way and sending them flying with great sweeping blows of her sword, she laughed with glee and excitement. Even as the captain duelled her with skill beyond any of his men, scoring lines of blood on Ibaraki's shoulders and wrists that flowed down her body to meld with her tattoos, she never lost the joyful enthusiasm of battle.

It was a side of her he'd never seen. In the Holy Grail War, Servant Berserker had fought hard, and with intensity, but she'd always had an undercurrent of grimness to it all. She hadn't enjoyed wrecking Ryuudouji temple like this, or feeding on the patrons of the Copenhagen. When she'd set out to bring Fuyuki to its knees, she'd done it methodically and with great efficiency.

If he had to name an emotion to associate with his Servant Berserker, he wouldn't have said enjoyment, no. What drove his Servant, from the moment she'd been summoned, through her battles against Saber and Caster, that made her act so differently than the laughing demon he saw in ancient Kyoto?

Even in the middle of her duel with the captain, she was forced to defend herself from the soldiers pouring in – and though each lightning-fast swing of her sword held the power of an avalanche and crushed men in armour like bugs beneath a boot there was no end to them. A spear found her side, slicing a tear in her banana-yellow kimono. She incinerated the lucky soldier with an offhand gesture, but the motion let the captain hammer his sword through her guard, sending Ibaraki skidding sideways before she regained her balance and set the street shaking with another titanic blow to create distance. Still she smiled.

"Is this all you have, warriors of the capital? Why, even the children on Mt Ooe put up more of a fight when we send them to bed!"

The soldiers quaked, but held fast. The captain held his sword up in a guard position. "You'll be sleeping in the ground soon enough, demon. While I am here, no oni will ever set foot in the Imperial Palace!"

"Oh?" a voice answered from behind him, and Ryuunosuke's mind froze. "Then where did I find this princess?"

The voice was like honey, smooth, sweet and sultry. It dripped into his ears, and his brain melted at the sound of it. His vision – so clear before – went hazy. Details blurred, colours became hyper-saturated, and he felt his point of view spin slowly. With the voice came a gentle smell of fruit.

With the smell of fruit came madness.

The captain and his soldiers collapsed. Some convulsed. Some screamed. Some clawed at their own faces until blood dripped down their chins. Some simply stared blankly, eyes filled with the horror inside their heads.

All Ryuunosuke could focus on was the monster, stalking out of a side street.

It was tiny, shorter even than Ibaraki. It looked at first glance like a beautiful woman, with slender pale limbs and short dark hair pierced by a pair of horns flowing naturally from its forehead. It was barely-dressed, a too-short purple kimono vaguely tied with a sash around the waist. Where Ibaraki had tusks, the monster had fangs, which it bared in a sickly-sweet smile as it emerged from the shadows.

In one delicate hand, it held a young girl by the hair, dragging her along the street. She was still alive, but if Ryuunosuke was any judge, that wasn't out of any sense of mercy. The girl's face was a mask of terror, and she huffed out shallow breaths at irregular intervals. After a moment, Ryuunosuke realised she was trying to scream with a voice that had long since howled itself hoarse.

Ryuunosuke had never been so frightened. Ryuunosuke had never been so fascinated.

"Oh, Ibaraki, you have been busy," the monster purred, looking at the carnage. "You work too hard, you know…"

Once again, the voice oozed like sweet poison into his mind, and melted everything before it. Ryuunosuke told himself this was only a dream – only a memory, of long ago and far away, and that it couldn't hurt him. He wasn't sure he believed himself.

Ibaraki blushed, and rubbed the back of her head. "Stop it, Shuten… this is all for your sake, you know."

The monster – Shuten – shrugged, one pale bare shoulder rising and falling. "I'm sure I never asked you to come along… all I said was that I was going for a trip. You turned it into a full-on raid by the Mt Ooe oni all by yourself. You really should try to cut loose a little more, Ibaraki. Being so serious all the time can't be good for you…"

"You should be a little more serious sometimes, Shuten! If you keep on running around doing whatever you want like this, that stupid onmyouji will find out it's you and send that cow and her Four Whatsits after us." Despite her scolding, Ryuunosuke couldn't help but notice the dopey smile on Ibaraki's face. Was this the reason she'd been fighting? "Honestly, I don't know what would happen if I didn't keep on covering for you like this."

"Oh, it would all work out. They're only humans, Ibaraki."

Ibaraki fidgeted. "Well, yes, of course. Nothing can stand before the might of the oni, that's obvious… but even so…"

Shuten stalked past her, patting her on the shoulder. "You worry too much. If anyone makes trouble, we'll just kill them… hm? Ibaraki, I might be imagining things, but have you found a toy for yourself?"

"Huh?" Ibaraki cocked her head. "I… no? What do you mean?"

The monster Shuten-douji looked directly into Ryuunosuke's eyes – and he was caught. His world narrowed to a pair of violet eyes, while everything else became nothing but a blur. His heart hammered in his chest, and seemed to distort everything in mad ripples. He fell, deep into those pitiless eyes…

… and woke up in a cold sweat.

He looked around frantically, and found himself in the room he'd been staying at in the temple. It was pretty spartan, even by the standards of, you know, monks – just a little cell, with four bunks and nothing much else. On the other hand, he didn't have a whole lot of possessions, so hey, maybe he was cut out for the monastic life after all. He breathed deeply, trying to shake the smell of fruit from his mind.

What was that?

The door opened, and a beautiful dark-haired woman entered, bearing a tray of tea and toast.

"Morning, sleepyhead!" she said. "Well, calling you 'sleepyhead' is a bit cheeky of me, since I was the one keeping you under… and it isn't actually morning, either… um, let me try again! Good afternoon, Master of Berserker! Pleasant dreams?"

He shuddered, violet eyes flashing inside his head. He grabbed a mug of tea and sipped it, grateful for the distraction.

"Not so much, hm? Not to worry, dear, dreams are just that most of the time. Unless you got really unlucky there should be no lasting side effects. Now, what's the last thing you remember, my love?"

The last thing he remembered? At the moment he was having trouble remembering anything but the monster from his dreams… but slowly it began to come back to him. Berserker was ripping up the town, she got in touch to make him use his Command Spells to get him out of a sticky situation, and then…

"She knocked me out!" he blurted. "I thought Servants couldn't do that!"

"Oh, no, we can," said the woman. "There's not a lot of situations where we'd want to, but the only thing that really stops a betrayal is the Command Spells, and unless you're expecting something most Masters aren't quick enough on the draw to stop us… oh, where are my manners? I'm Servant Caster, dear, and I'm the one that controlled your Berserker to get you out of the picture for a while."

The woman smiled genially, and Ryuunosuke felt his stomach drop. He looked with panic at the tea.

"Oh, don't be silly, I don't need to feed you anything to bend you to my will," said Caster with a fond smile. "The tea is just tea, I promise."

Berserker! Called Ryuunosuke inside his mind, with rising panic. A little help! This crazy bitch has me captured!

There was no reply.

"Yes, I'm afraid I've sent Berserker on a little errand," said Caster. "Now, we don't want her getting distracted, so I've cut off the connection between you two. Yes, Command Spells too," she added, as Ryuunosuke looked at his hand.

When he eyed the door of his cell, trying to work out if he could risk making a break for it, Caster sighed. "Oh, relax. Honestly, if I wanted to hurt you, you wouldn't have woken up. Oh dear, that sounded like a threat, didn't it? It really wasn't meant to be…"

Ryuunosuke eyed her warily. "So… you said you were keeping me asleep? Does that mean you woke me up? Why?"

"Ooh, you are a sharp one. Actually, I'd thought you were dumber than that … well, maybe it's just long-term planning you're not very good at…"

There was no point in strangling her, Ryuunosuke reminded himself. It was never good to just murder someone out of passion without any planning or forethought, and besides he'd probably turn into a newt before he finished the job.

"But, yes. There's someone here to see you! So, drink up and make yourself presentable, there's a dear."

Ryuunosuke swung himself out of bed and rubbed his eyes. No point in arguing. He didn't want to find out what Caster did to stubborn Masters. But there was no reason he had to like it. "You can't just fairy-godmother me into a pretty dress? Sheesh, what kind of witch are you?"

He was rewarded with a genuine laugh, Caster apparently taken by surprise. "Would you like that?"

"Hey, I'm not just talking any dress here. Full-on Disney Princess, or nothing."

"Well, I can certainly manage one of those…" Caster said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Despite himself, despite the fact that he was a prisoner, despite how his Servant was God-knew where, Ryuunosuke felt the tension he'd been feeling lift. Was it just another magic thing? He hadn't seen Caster do anything…

Out of nowhere, a question occurred to him.

"Hey, Caster…"

"Mm?"

"How does someone become a wizard?"

Caster stilled, and peered at him. "Now that's a question. Why do you ask?"

It was the obvious response, but it still threw him. He took a moment to arrange his thoughts.

"Look, before all this, I was just kind of coasting through life. I had my interests, but no purpose, you know? Then, I tried a demon-summoning ritual, just for fun, and suddenly there's this whole world out there, that I never knew about. Magic, wizards…" A pair of violet eyes rose up in his memory, and his vision swam. He shook his head, and violet turned to yellow. He smiled. "…monsters. It's goddamn terrifying, but I gotta know more. No way I can just forget all this exists."

Caster looked thoughtful. "Mm… there are worse reasons for getting into this world. Unfortunately, I can't help you."

"That's OK. No worries. Just thought I'd ask, cause, you know, you're probably the best spellcaster around."

"Top three in the world right now, actually… oh, this is so frustrating. It's not often you see someone come along with a motivation like yours, and I'd like to see what you could make of yourself. But I can't. Really, I'm tempted to take you under my wing, but I'm already busy with one student already, and, well, Berserker would probably get all jealous if I took you away from her…"

She put her knuckles to her head in thought, seeming to genuinely struggle. Ryuunosuke couldn't help but smile.

"Hey. Like I said, no worries. I'll figure something out."

"Hmm, yes, but I'd like to have helped at least a little… well, I'll have a think and see what I can do for you. It's such a shame, but you'll probably be dead by the end of the war, anyway."

That brought Ryuunosuke up short. "Huh?"

"Oh, yes, you and Berserker haven't made a lot of friends, you know? I understand everything, of course, but off the top of my head, Saber and Rider are especially angry at you. Well, mostly Berserker, but she's a tough cookie, and it's always easier just to go for the Master. I'm afraid you don't stand a chance against either of their Masters, so all they have to do to get rid of Berserker is stall her long enough for their own Master to find you. And, well, you've rather made that their priority with your gamble today. Now, you would be safe, because no-one knows who you are, but… ehehe…" Caster fidgeted, and poked her fingers together sheepishly.

Ryuunosuke didn't like where this was going. "What did you do?"

"Um, you know what, we're wasting time here, and this is all really something you should bring up with the Moderator, he's the guy that's waiting to see you, by the way… out you go, young man, chop chop!" Caster chivvied Ryuunosuke out of the room, and he let it happen – apart from anything else, the Servant was vastly stronger than he was.

He'd gotten used to the explosive force Ibaraki's twig-thin arms could generate, but then she was always supposed to be a front-line fighter. He'd had an image of Casters as the nerdy bookworm Servants, but it looked like even they were beyond even most human weightlifters.

A smile worked its way onto his lips without his input. There was no other word for it. This world was so cool.

---​

There was something melancholic about Ryuudouji Temple, Risei mused. He wasn't about to tell anyone else how to run their religious sites, but seeing it all dead and empty was sad. It ought to be, if not full of life, then at least tranquil.

The only signs of life were Caster and her Master, working in the open space of the courtyard. What they were doing, Risei couldn't say.

The place was half-destroyed. The temple property was encircled by a high stone wall. This was still intact, but the torii gate had been left where it was, hurled across the courtyard to lie embedded in the public-facing shrine. The temple complex had once stood as a handful of ancient buildings made of stone and wood, surrounding the temple itself. This now sported a hole large enough to drive a truck through, the stone of the walls blasted through to wreak havoc on the interior.

The beams and posts that had supported the buildings had been strewn around the courtyard, nothing more than splinters. Risei picked his way through it, avoiding sharp spars of wood, and the dark stains on them. Wind whistled through the macabre forest, and through holes in the structure, and Risei pulled his priest's robes tighter around himself. It really did look like some natural disaster had hit the temple.

But no. Berserker had wrecked this place, just as she would go on to wreck all of Fuyuki. If Risei had paid more attention, if he'd kept a better eye on things, would he have been able to see Berserker's rampage coming? Could he have reacted better to it? There was no way to know. Risei said a prayer for the monks, and made his way to the kitchen – one of the only parts of the temple left intact.

Caster had woken Berserker's Master and left him there to get his bearings before fetching Risei. For his safety, or so she said. Risei wasn't entirely sure how much he trusted Caster. She was entirely too happy to admit to casual mind control, and seemed to have a penchant for deception and trickery. Not to mention, if she was to be believed, she was the one that had forced Berserker to hurt him, back in the church.

Risei rubbed the burn on his cheek absently. It would leave a horrid scar, if he ever made it through this mess. With one final look back at Caster and Waver Velvet as they picked over the wreckage of the shrine, he opened the kitchen door and went in to meet the Master of Berserker.

 

[Parks_98]

Ah so Ryuunosuke got to see a small glimpse into Ibaraki's past. It's so weird that you can have someone be cute, hilarious and terrifying at the exact same time.

Then Shuten (best oni ever fight me!) gives us a quick cameo and even as a dream she makes everyone go weak at the knees.

Honestly I'm impressed with Ryuunosuke, guy basically pulled a Harry Dresden where he's at the complete mercy to a far more powerful being yet he isn't really acting like it. Him wanting Da Vinci to dress up as a Disney princes was pretty funny.

Sheesh why the hell is the child killing serial killer the most entertaining to watch? He's probably been the most entertaining character in this entire story- well him and ibaraki but you know what I mean

 

[neogoki]

Shuten saw Ryuunisuke?
given how broken some servants are, could she use that to drop in for a visit?