02:11PM — UndeUnderground Jazz Bar
"Haaa, back to good old home sweet home, right Slac-ahem Lancer?" Coming back with a refreshing spring in her steps Yvette exclaimed as she went inside the old bar, now cleaned up with no more tables and chairs around apart from the ones on the counter and the sofas she left around.
"Yes…I really missed this place a lot." Hector dropped the multitude of bags from their shopping( and theft ) trip and heaved a sigh of relief. "Also, isn't it a bit too mean to continuously call me that?"
"Hm? Call you what?" Yvette tilted her head as if asking what he meant with those words.
"You know what I'm talking about." He grumbled a reply under his breath.
"Nop, not a clue~" She sheepishly said while sticking her tongue out.
'I hate teenagers…' Hector's expression fell as scratched his head at her shameless reply.
"So, are you going to tell me who that guy at the shopping center was, now that we are alone?" Deciding to change the subject, as it was starting to weigh on his self esteem a bit too much, Hector asked about something he had been curious about since their previous encounter with that person.
"Oh, him?" Seemingly failing for the bait, Yvette and started thinking on where to start for her explanation.
"Well, I guess I should start with this. His name is Matou Zouken, he's the head of the Matou family, one of the three founding families that created the holy grail war ritual. He's the one that extended an invitation to me to participate in this war, though he changed the location this time."
"Why would he change the location of the war? Did something happen or is it normal? There was no information about it from the ones that I was granted from the grail." Hector, while no expert in magecraft, was still a man who ruled a political landscape back in an era where magecraft was still Magic with a capital M.
So he was particularly aware of the fact that in the current age a ritual that summoned seven Servants to battle in a war was not an easy ritual to pull off.
Especially due to the condition of both the world's natural resources and mystery, a holy grail war might need decades, or maybe even close to a century, of magical energy stocking from the lands before being pulled off.
So they either had a single location they always used that was relatively rich in resources inside their leylines or they had a set of few locations interconnected between their leylines to switch from from time to time.
"The previous five wars were all held in a city called Fuyuki here in Japan. The location was changed due to this being more of an...underground Holy Grail War? Well, whatever it is. After the last war, the Fifth Holy Grail War, which ended around two months ago an upheaval hit the Clock Tower due to its conclusion."
"What happened?"
"One of the participating Masters and also another member of the three founding families, Rin Tohsaka, the current head of her household, apparently closed a gate that led straight to the swirl of the root."
"What?" Hector tilted his head.
"Yes, actually as of today she's still under process from the Lords of the Clock Tower under the scrutiny of Director Brishisan. She is most likely to receive a sealing designation by the end of the month." Yvette sighed somewhat pitying her situation.
"I see, so the main association you are part of is now in a political struggle where everyone must be trying to get a piece of the Tohsaka girl and this war was started during the distraction brought by the event?"
"Yup, pretty much."
"You said there were three founding families, what happened to the third, do they also have a part in this?"
"Mmm the third family came from Germany, they are the Einzbern family but I am not really sure, Zouken said they would be uninvolved but I have no way of confirming it."
"Wait, did you accept a proposal based on information you couldn't even confirm for yourself?" Hector brows twitch heavily as he already had half an idea on what her answer would be.
"I mean yes, this seemed so fun and with the ruckus at the Clock Tower after the 5th War ended this looked extremely exciting." Yvette nodded enthusiastically.
RING RING
"Mh? What is that sound?" Hector asked as something started making noise from Yvette's pocket.
"It's just my cell phone, don't worry." Taking out a flip phone from her pockets Yvetter looked at the name of the caller and screamed. "Kya, it's my professor! Did he really miss me that much? I'm so embarrassed now."
"..." Seeing her act like this Hector just sighed and slapped himself in the face.
"Hello professor, it's your favorite soon to be concubine here~." Yvette happily answered the call with a cute tone that nearly made Hector feel embarrassed despite just being a spectator. "Did you miss me so much that you felt the need to call me? I'm so sorry~, I will make it up to you at night as soon as I come back."
"..."
There was a silence after that as even the person on the other line of the call didn't answer her right away.
'Who the hell starts a conversation like that?'
[Who the hell starts a conversation like that?]
Both Hector and the professor on the phone seemed to share the same sentiment though only one of them said it out loud.
[I have enough troubles here already between the process and Henry disappearing somewhere with Flat. Don't increase my headaches already, where the hell are you?] Hector with his hearing could pick up the other man's words even from where he was. And he could already feel a sense of empathy for the man.
"Mhh? I'm just at home doing a few things, don't worry, Teach~. Also Hal is a good guy, he wouldn't do anything too bad even if Flat is around…maybe." Yvette just cheerfully lied through her teeth of course.
[Do you think I am dumb? I'm literally making an international call, it's obvious you are not even in England anymore. I'm already short on money as it is right now, so don't drain what little I have with this phone call. WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU NOW?] Her professor snarled from the other end of the line and raised his voice authoritatively.
"W-well…"
[You are in Japan, right?]
"...yes."
[...Of course you are.] A long and tired sigh came filled with anguish.
[What the hell is happening there? The Clock Tower discovered that a grand magecraft ritual is happening there right now? And what part do you even have in this, Yvette?]
"Well…I-mmmmmm, I might have…" She mumbled in a low voice as she continued fidgeting with her hairs, struggling to make the words come out of her mouth.
'Why is she blushing at being yelled at?' Looking at her Hector couldn't understand her reaction, not that he even understood her thought process.
"...I am participating in a Holy Grail War, tehee~."
[...Please, tell me this is just another one of your sick jokes.]
"I'm never joking here."
[Why would you even…actually nevermind that, how is a grail war even happening right now? The fifth one just ended.]
"Yeah, well, somehow it happened."
[Somehow? Don't tell me you don't even know how they are hosting the rituals?]
"I do know a bit, but I got nothing on how they set it up. "
[Wait, did you accept a proposal based on only partial information despite what just happened in the last war?]
"Yup." Yvette happily chirped but she immediately tilted her head feeling a sense of deja vu. 'I feel like I just had this conversation.'
On the side, seated on his sofa, Hector was nodding repeatedly at her professor's words but he was being ignored by Yvette.
'I feel you man.' Hector sent a silent and mental cheer to wish good luck to his 'colleague' as he must be feeling what he felt a few seconds prior.
[Tell me everything you know, I'll try to see if I can guess something from the information you know at least.] The professor's attitude shifted as his words cut through the air with seriousness.
"Oww, are you worried about your beautiful student, professor? Mmm~ I'm so happy I would kiss you if I could."
[...]
'I cannot believe she just said that.' Hector facepalmed himself from the second hand embarrassment at hearing his master speak on the phone.
***
In the city of London, in the United Kingdom, a man with long dark black hair sat in his messy office as he rubbed his forehead to try lessen the pain of his ever increasing headaches.
He was the man on the other line of the call with Yvette.
His name was Waver Motherfucking El-Melloi II
And yes you read that right.
'I cannot believe she just said that.' And he was feeling pretty much the same second hand embarrassment Lancer was feeling.
'No, this might even be quite mellow for this psycho. Of course, she would do something crazy like joining a grail war in this chaotic moment just to have fun while spouting nonsense.'
"...Just tell me what you know about the war and keep the nonsense for later Yvette." Still even if she was a crazy psycho he had no intention to let one his student in danger without trying to help.
Especially if said danger was a holy grail war. An out of proportion conflict of magi where even the strongest magus is just cannon fodder…
And he knew first hand how dangerous a war like that was.
At night he still remembered the blonde knight who held a sword that shined like the stars in her hands and moved like an unstoppable war machine of pure destruction.
A scene that became indelible in his mind.
[Mmm, where should I start?]
"How about you start telling me how you even got involved with this in the first place?"
[Oh that was about a month ago, you see…]
***
It was early March, in the Clock Tower the people were in chaos.
Crucial information regarding the 5th holy grail war held in the city of Fuyuki reached the Mage Association and created a big controversy among all the magi, regardless of their factions.
And the center of all this action was a 17 years old girl who did the unthinkable for any magus.
She had the path to the root just before herself but decided to close it.
The news, of course, also shocked Yvette. It was during this period that she received the request for a closed door meeting with a magus from the same city this whole mess started.
She initially wanted to refuse but together with the request letter the man also sent a very expensive jewel as a gesture of goodwill.
A jewel she needed for her research at that exact moment, of the exact weight and cut as well…it was a roundabout way of saying she had to meet him if she didn't want others to find out what else he might have known.
Well, not that it bothered her that much beyond being slightly annoyed, small tactics like this were pretty common in the Clock Tower.
"So, what did an old grandpa like you want to talk about with a pretty lady like me? I will have you now I'm already taken so keep any offers of marriage to an heir of yours to yourself."
"Hohoho." The hunched old man who introduced himself as Matou Zouken gave a hearty laugh at her attitude. "What a fierce young lady, as expected of a competent magus studying in the Clock Tower."
"Yes, of course, after all I'm still young, beautiful and full of energy. I wouldn't want to tire an elder like yourself too much before your afternoon nap so maybe it would be better to get things done as quickly as possible, right?"
"Indeed. Also, about the marriage you just mentioned, I fear it is a lost endeavor as my only grandson recently passed away." Zouken's eyes slightly narrowed at her last sentence but other than that he acted like it didn't bother him at all. "Regardless, I have come all the way here to make you an offer of the likes you will never again receive in your life. So think carefully on what I am about to say."
"Fine, let's hear it grandpa."
"I take it for granted you must have heard of Rin Tohsaka and the matters concerning her."
"Who wouldn't…" Yvette tried to scoff at his words but was interrupted before she had a chance to finish.
"That's the offer I have for you, Yvette L. Lehrman."
"What do you mean?" Yvette tilted her head at the way the old man worded his proposal.
"I will grant you a chance to receive what that girl threw away due to her foolishness."
"Wha…How would that even be possible? Are you crazy? Did you go senile old man? Pathways to the root don't grow on trees."
"No." Tapping the floor with his cane Zoukem eyes stared intently at Yvette. "It was done once, so it can be done twice. I'm organizing a new Holy Grail War. This time however neither those mad Einzberns nor the foolish Tohsakas will have a chance to mess things up."
"...You do realize that not even a full month since the end of the last one, how would you even start one now?" Not really buying his proposal Yvette pointed out bluntly.
"Well, that's more of a trade secret, but do not worry young lady." Zouken gave an almost gentle smile at the girl and then-
SNAP
As he snapped his fingers three red marks appeared on the back of her hand. "The grail has already deemed you a worthy Master. Now, I would not give up such a chance if I were your shoes. Even if you were to somehow be uninterested in the root, the grail can still grant any of your wishes."
Yvette could just sit dumbfounded while staring at the marks on her hand. She immediately activated all her magic circuits to analyze her entire body and the three red symbols.
Zouken didn't even raise an eyebrow and waited for her to be done with her work.
After several checks ran in the span of a few seconds, Yvette was fairly sure that at least her body did not receive any tampering.
The marks on her hand possessed a mystery somewhat reminiscent of a geas but incredibly more powerful. However it wasn't connected to anything, it looked like the ones she briefly saw when she researched grail wars a bit too make a good impression on her teacher. The reason it's not connected to anything is probably due to the lack of the intended familiar for the spells, in other words a Servant.
But there was one thing Yvette was certainly not quite sure about. "The grail chose me, however the command spells appeared after you snapped your fingers. Do you think I'm that stupid grandpa~?" Yvette kept a smile on her face but her eye were anything but smiling at him.
"I have no clue what you might be talking about young lady." Zouken smiled with an almost clueless expression. "Perhaps the grail just decided that my gesture was enough to officially regard you as an official participant."
'Official participant my ass, you damn old fucker, you obviously just passed them down to me somehow.' Yvette cursed Zouken in her mind but didn't let any of it show on her face…or at least not too much.
"But why would I accept, for all I know something might just steal my command spells back, right?"
"Hmhmhm" Zouken hummed a laugh in response. "What an unusual case you bring up, but this world is indeed full of strange wonders I guess. Well, if that is the case there is nothing I can do.
I came here to make sure you were aware of this opportunity. However, if both your pride and ability as a magus are too lacking to take the risk, then there is not much else that I can do."
"..." Yvette didn't answer his words but was biting her check from inside her mouth trying to stay calm.
"So what would your decision be? You have a chance to obtain something that could grant your wishes and its power was more than proven in the last war. Or will you give up?"
'I hate this guy's guts however…this certainly looks incredibly interesting and I'm not sure what this guy might do if I refuse.' Yvette thought as despite the obvious danger the situation was certainly exciting enough to rouse her interest.
"I guess I would be a fool to turn down such a kind offer then, old grandpa."
"I knew you were a smart young'un. Now, would you be so kind as to sign this." Zouken passed her a geas scroll.
On it were the following clauses.
[*Yvette L. Lehrman will swear that she wouldn't reveal about the upcoming holy grail war before the month of April started under any circumstance.
Else a quarter of her magic circuits would be destroyed.
*On his part Matou Zouke would swear on his magic crest that there will be a holy grail war held in the city of Tokyo during early April of this year.
*On top of that, after the signing of the document Matou Zouken wouldn't reveal Yvette L. Lehrman status as a master in the upcoming holy grail war or even her involvement in it. This clause will become null seven days after the war officially started, meaning that all servants have been summoned.]
"Fine, this looks reasonable enough." After reading through it Yvette noted that there weren't any overly dangerous loopholes, the only one she could point was that if Zouken had some subordinates they would know her identity prior to the signing so they wouldn't be bound to keep her secrecy.
However, that still didn't look too bad, so she decided to let it pass.
"Wise choice young lady, truly a wise choice." After confirming that she signed the contract Zouken also signed on it. "Oh and before I forget about it, there has been a slight change to the rules of the war."
"WHAT?" Yvette raised her voice to question him.
"I'm truly sorry young lady." Zouken bowed his head slightly with a smile on his face. "My memory is not what it used to be anymore."
"Tch, you senile old man…" Yvette scoffed under her breath in a low tone but still high enough for Zouken to hear. "So? What is this slight change you mentioned?"
"Simply speaking we removed the ban on the summoning of Servants native to the land where the ritual will be held. Just that."
"Mh? Why change that? From what I heard native Servants receive a boost in their stats, so why would you even allow such a thing? Wouldn't everyone just summon them then?" When she heard about a change in the rules this was certainly among the last kind of changes she would have ever expected.
"There is no need to worry about that sort of unfair advantage."
"I'm pretty sure I do need to worry about that old man." Yvette retorted back rhetorically.
"But of course you should, what I meant was that native Servants summoned in this war wouldn't receive an increment in their parameters." Zouken just brushed off her comment with a smile and explained.
"That was possible?" Yvette asked dumbfoundedly.
"From now on it is, I was capable of modifying the ritual enough to prevent such instances. If you don't trust my word I could always sign another geas to prove it to you." Zouken clarified with a smug look on his face.
"In that case…"
***
[After that he signed a self geas scroll to prove that summoned japanese servants wouldn't receive any advantage.] Yvette concluded her recount of the events that led her up there.
"Did he specifically mention the word japanese or native in the contract?" Waver asked mulling over her word choice.
[Mmm, I think he used the word japanese in the contract. We are in Tokyo after all, professor.]
"...Yes, that's right." Waver nodded at her affirmation but couldn't help shaking the feeling that something was wrong with it. 'It's a minor word choice but why didn't he use the proper term of native but specified the country instead? Somehow it feels fishy, was there some sort of fool play?'
"Either way, this whole ordeal is just too strange."
[Yeah, I also couldn't believe that another war would be held so soon.] Yvette agreed with a gossipy tone.
"That's not what I'm talking about."
[Hm?]
"At first I was also surprised about the war but from your explanation there is something I find even more unbelievable. That is the fact about the absence of an increment of power of native heroic spirits, it's such pure nonsense that I can't even start making sense of how that could ever be possible." Waver rubbed his forehead trying to think of all possibilities for this strange phenomenon but he couldn't find a reasonable explanation for it.
[...I mean I was also surprised but was it such a big deal?]
"Of course it is…" Gathering his thoughts, Waver prepared to give Yvette a lecture on the spot about the situation. "You see, the legends that form a heroic spirit are a sort of thaumaturgical foundation in a sense, at least their working is incredibly similar. So just like using a magecraft spell from a certain thaumaturgy in its land of origin will increase the spell's mystery and in turn its effectiveness, the same would apply to servants."
[Wait, then how did he…] Yvette munched on the rest of her words from the other line of the call.
"That's why I said it's incredible nonsense. The closest thing I could think of would be summoning those servants in an already weakened state so that the boost in performance from the land would just level them back to normal conditions, but that theory has such big holes in logic I wouldn't be surprised if the servant died before the summoning was even completed."
[...]
Silence momentarily settled between the two of them. Waver didn't continue his explanation as she obviously must have realized all the implications already, he instead left her a moment to digest everything.
In the silence he looked at the pendulum clock on the wall and checked the time, unfortunately it was time to end the lecture early, after all he would be very busy soon.
"I have to go now, be careful Yvette. I don't know what you might have seen until now in the past days but holy grail wars are far beyond the scope of what magi can really control." Waver gave her one last warning before preparing to cut the line.
[Wait! I didn't even tell what servant I summoned, don't cut me off like this professor.] Yvette's scream echoed from the phone in his hand.
Waver momentarily stopped and looked at the box he had on his desk, he caressed it with a gentle smile as he asked her a question. "Is he a strong servant?"
[Strong?...Yup, he is super annoying though, nothing nearly as charming as you professor, but he's really strong. He totally humbled another servant just two days ago, it was incredible.]
"Is that so?" He always found her rumblings extremely annoying, however in this moment it seemed to remind of something from the past and his smile softened farther. "Then it's enough, Goodbye."
[NO! Wait! I DIDN'T EVEN TELL—]
Waver didn't wait for her to finish talking and ended the call. He was interested in the identity of her servant but he was already running a bit late.
"Time for the next hearing." He picked up a stack of papers and hand written notes. On one of the papers was a paper clip with various pictures attached. Totaling seven people in total.
Two of them particularly stood out.
One was the picture of a black haired asian teenage girl with twintails and blue eyes.
On the other was an asian boy with short red hair…
....on his paper the word DEAD was printed in red.
***
"He ended the call…" Closing her phone Yvette started trembling.
Hector looked at her trembling figure and started feeling sorry for her, especially after she praised him like that to this professor she seemed to admire so much.
"Come on Maste–"
"Kyaaa, did you hear that Lancer? He was so worried about me. He called me despite being so busy." Yvette screamed, nearly scaring Hector.
"EH? Mmm, sure?" Taken aback by her sudden change in mood he just accidentally nodded along.
"And his voice from the phone was so manly~. And the way he cut me off…I don't dislike this level of neglect."
"..." Hector could only look at her in horror. 'She is as crazy as the gods from my land…'
***
Elsewhere in a park surrounded by peach trees
"Huff…Huff huff."
THUD
A boy fell to the ground panting heavily.
"..." Under the shade cast by one of the peach trees Gilgamesh was sipping a drink from a straw as he sat comfortably on a bench. "Did I push him too hard?"
***
Hello there.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Yes Waver caught a stray glaze.
Yes Yuta is a bum.
Yes I made a reff to fate/world
Yes the next chapter is gonna be disgustingly short cause I wrote it while prepping an exam.
Pls leave power stones and reviews.