Sorry for being late guys, I was at the hospital for these last couple days.
-
Though the Sun had long set, the rain utterly refused to stop. It didn't pick up, nor slow down, just retained the same steady pace throughout the day. I was reminded of Atrum's rain-making ritual from the Iselma Towers, but that thought was gone as quick as it came.
I was easily able to tell he had no part in this even without my eyes. He was exactly the type to do this sort of over-the-top thing, but not here, not now. It'd be inconvenient, and ultimately give him away to any magus capable of basic dousing.
Besides, the ritual was too mana-intensive to maintain this long.
Of course, much to my displeasure, the city grew terribly cold for all the water. The wind bit even more. I was forced to wear a thick trench coat over my navy suit. Caren even shoved an umbrella on me when I left home. Nobunaga refused hers.
She paid for that dearly when the rain completely drenched her one street down. Then, she all but begged me to share. I refused. Some lessons needed to be learnt the hard way.
"So where are we headed? That creepy mansion from before?" She asked, doing her absolute best to look like she wasn't bothered by the freezing water. "I have to express some reluctance."
I stared at her blandly, then tilted my umbrella, so all the water from my end also fell on her.
"Hey! What was that for?!" She held her gaudy hat with both hands.
Ignoring her complaint, I answered her earlier question. "There's only one other prominent family living in this city. We've encountered the Tohsaka, and checked out the Emiya Residence from the list. So, by elimination, that creepy place should belong to the Matou family."
"Ugh. Do we have to?"
Magecraft left a distinct impression on its surroundings, the sort that went beyond just an eerie feeling. That residence tasted foul on the lips, smelled wrong. Such was true the other way around as well, a lot of magecraft had magi 'taint' the area beforehand, to give them the proper environment for birth and flourishing.
At least, that was what my Professor forcibly taught me even when such factors were irrelevant to my brand of magick.
I stared at the creeped-out girl walking beside me.
"Luckily for you, no."
She let out a relieved sigh.
"On my way back, I noticed a Bounded Field pop up over yonder…" I nodded to a distant mountain, so far it may as well have been across the city. Though, even from this distance, I was easily able to make out even the minute details the moment I lowered my aviators.
"How did you even-"
I held up a finger. "I was standing in the sky in the morning. I say pop-up, but I'm pretty sure that Bounded Field's been there for a decent bit already. No, from the moment you fought Heracles and almost broke the most sacred rule of our world."
"Someone prepares for my arrival pre-emptively?" Nobunaga's eyes shimmered crimson. "I enjoy that. I admire it. I desire to throw myself against these defenses."
She picked up the pace, no longer bothered by the rain.
I kept mine leisurely.
"So she didn't accept my invite. That's fine too."
There was much to be gained through diplomacy. But, myself, I preferred the brute-force approach more. A clash of ideals was beautiful. Beyond that, far more useful for me personally. The more I pushed, the more the other person was forced to push back.
The stronger they pushed, the stronger I got.
I breathed out a plume of hot air, and stared at the clouded night sky.
Tonight was going to be exciting.
-
Eventually, we arrived at the foot of a paved path into the mountains. A deep forest with swaying trees covered either side, hiding the base of the tall mountains to either side. There were no lights, or none were on, but I had no need for light anyway. Aged Torii gates marked the way ahead.
I could hear the rainwater funnel into the drainage, but the cement was still slick.
Nobunaga ran ahead.
"Careful, you might-", she slipped, flew and fell on her back. "-slip."
Chuckling, I stepped past. She grumbled some sort of protest but her words fell on deaf ears. I was too busy enjoying the uniquely enjoyable scent of wet earth. Throughout the way up, I heard not a single critter or bird. Days like these were probably tough on them.
The Bounded Field coming into view was what finally interrupted my gait. A modern one, not the sort I'd expect from a hero of legend. Actually-
"Isn't this… my work?" My eyes widened as the truth set in.
It was.
That was the same Bounded Field I'd erected to avert unwanted gazes yesterday. There was no defense built into it. In the truest sense, it was a mere curtain. But… there was only one difference. The code was mine, but even more efficient.
"Awesome." I made no effort to hide my grin.
Nobunaga tilted her head, confusedly. "Why are you excited already, my master?"
"Don't you understand? Someone improved MY code. That shouldn't even be possible!" I shook her by the shoulders, "Two hours every day. I review every single spell I have thousands of times, mix-and-match every alphabet from every Thaumaturgical System I've learnt, no one should be capable of refining my programs."
No, even understanding them should have been impossible. My 'way' was entirely alien. This was like someone had learnt a non-native language with a wholly different script with no prior knowledge or preparation day one.
That someone was only me.
At least, that was supposed to be the case.
Nobunaga cleaned her ear disinterestedly, "Sounds nerdy."
I had to physically restrain myself from socking her. With pursed lips, I stepped back, putting distance between us.
She laughed loud, "I'm just messing with you. Our passions might not be exactly the same but they are parallel. I understand your excitement. Why, because you have been so accommodating, I will even sit this out… unless you ask for my aid."
"Thanks."
Grinning, I passed through the Bounded Field to make my way up two sets of stairs.
Unexpectedly, there was no trap lying in wait, the gate to the compound was open. Nothing happened. For a moment, I simply studied the impressive structure before me. A grand two-story temple. A Buddhist one, from the looks of it, built like a fort tucked within the mountains, away from the modern world. A place for those monks. It felt as though I'd walked into a martial arts scene from some eastern movie I'd watched as a child, gable roof and all.
Abruptly, the wind halted. The air grew terribly still.
I reached for my aviators.
Nobunaga stood beside me, arms crossed, "Looks like one of the temples I burnt. Hey, Master, can I burn this one too-"
Before she could finish the words, she froze too. That was what it looked like with my aviators. A quick glance without them revealed that the very world around her had bent to bind her to the space she occupied. An incredible mystery, and, more importantly, a product of magecraft.
A kind of magecraft that what I called magecraft thus far simply could not compare to. No, it was wrong and shameful to call modern magecraft 'magecraft' faced with this. This was code that bent the very world. Words that forced the fabric of reality into action when employed.
"I was wondering when I would come across you."
Caster emerged from the paved ground. Nothing at all had changed from the last time I'd seen her. She was wrapped in her dark cloak, and her hood was pulled low, revealing only her purplish lips. Though, there was an amused tone to her words.
"Atrum?" I questioned.
"Dead. He was… annoying. A problem?"
I shrugged. "Nah, I agree. Guy thought way too highly of himself."
She tilted her head slightly, "You're not the same?"
"No, I think even higher of myself." I smiled calmly, holding a thumb to my chest, "The difference is, I'm right. He isn-… well, wasn't. I thought we were going to be friends."
An amused smile crossed her lips, "I couldn't find you in time. Now, we are enemies?"
"Depends."
"We need not be. I desire a way to take down Berserker. Your servant," she nodded at the frozen and indignant Demon King flexing every muscle in her little frame to free herself. "can deal with him. Give her to me. If not, we can ally ourselves. A magus from this age should know that he can't trifle with a Caster servant. This is ideal."
"I'm going to rip you to shreds, burn your corpse, and spread the ashes over all that you love." Nobunaga forced out with undisguised ferocity. "A command seal will not hold me, for there are none to give. Kill me now, if you can."
That was as expected. Nobunaga being 'forced' was an entirely foreign concept. She was a warlord of the very nation whose soil we waged war upon. The greatest warlord of the land. Though, for a moment, I entertained the thought that it was our rapport that made her so adamant to resist such a thing.
Caster responded to the threat with a giggle. Then,
"I might not be able to kill you-" She held a hand towards me, "-but I can kill your little Master."
Nobunaga's expression froze. Caster likely thought her threat had worked. That was until her lips split into a mad grin.
"GAHAHAHAHAHA…!"
The self-acclaimed Demon King bellowed, laughing louder than ever before. She laughed as though she had heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.
"You… You speak of my Master?" She struggled to speak.
Caster nodded, her face twisting in confusion.
If that was even possible, Nobunaga laughed harder, still frozen in place by Caster's possible.
"What's wrong with her?"
I didn't deign to answer her question with words. Instead, I slowly took off my aviators, and stuffed them in my coat. My eyes shimmered in the dark. The very next moment, every mystery before me was made bare.
Caster stepped back.
Her next words came in foreign language that I did not hear but 'saw'.
"Ατλας."
Atlas.
The ancient mystery emanating from her being riled, and shot out like a wild hound.
T'was the same spell that held Nobunaga. Ah, much like the Titan Atlas who was punished by the Olympians for defiance by being forced to carry the weight upon his shoulders for all time. A most-fitting name for what the spell did.
However, no weight fell upon my shoulders then.
I held a hand to my chin.
"Thanks, Medea."
-
Hope you enjoyed.
Please, do comment so I can know how well I did.
This has to be one of the best chapters I've written, in my opinion. I certainly hope at least some of you agree.