The soft snow-laden ground crunches with every step Kirei takes. The dense snow obscures the stone pathway, hiding it from view. Fine layers of white conceal the wooden benches and the trees. Kirei casts his gaze further into the park. He sees his destination at the end of it - the Fuyuki Theater.
He stops for a moment to look around.
Silence. Darkness - save for the few lamps lighting the path.
No one in sight. No familiars either.
Assisting Tokiomi in the Holy Grail War is an unpleasant burden for Kirei. The only reason he is doing this is because Tokiomi and Father Risei asked him to. It's a good thing that he isn't actually a Master. The thought of having to deal with a Servant of his own is irritating.
But he still has to deal with a Servant, even though it's not his own. He is out in the field, pretending to be Berserker's Master while Tokiomi is cooped up in his house. Despite the fact that Berserker accompanies Kirei in spirit form for the time being, Tokiomi plans to use a Command Seal to recall him in case of an emergency.
Other than the short confrontation with Saber's Master, Kirei hasn't seen much action so far. All he has to do is gather information. Investigating the possible sites for the Holy Grail to appear is the last step of his task.
He stops in front of the entrance to the theater and sighs. What's even the point of all of this? This question has etched itself into his mind and repeated itself over and over. Years and years of searching for his purpose hasn't yielded any tangible results.
But, his faith in God gives him that small sliver of hope. He who forgives everything can surely bring him salvation at the end, despite his immoral tendencies and inability to find happiness like a normal person.
Snapping out of his reverie, Kirei steps into the entrance hall of the theater. After passing through the red-carpeted lobby and another hallway, he reaches the main hall. Hundreds of seats are neatly arranged in three blocks before the stage. More are higher up in an elevated position behind him. He presses a button on a control panel near the stage to light up the room.
This is one of the four possible sites where the Grail can be summoned. Naturally, the magical energy here is stronger, but there's something else. Kirei whips out three black keys in each hand and slowly scans his surroundings.
Berserker materializes next to him and stares down the seemingly empty space ahead. Kirei follows his gaze.
"Is there use in hiding when you have been found out?" Kirei says.
"I suppose there isn't," a feminine voice replies.
A woman with long white hair, pale gold eyes, wearing a long black and red coat appears on the stage. She has a katana around her waist in its equally colored sheath.
"A Servant?" Kirei says. "But who?"
"I am..." the woman says. "Saber."
"That is impossible," Kirei says. "The Holy Church confirmed the summoning of all seven Servants a while ago. And you were not among them."
"The Holy Church has lost its way," she says. "I am sure that a priest secretly allying with a Master doesn't conform with the rules of the war, does it?"
Kirei furrows his brows. Even though he wears gloves to conceal his hands to keep up the image of being Berserker's Master, this woman somehow sees through it. She knows too much. She has to die.
STR: B
AGL: A
LUK: C
END: C
MP: B
NP: A
More information, such as her identity would be necessary to formulate a winning strategy, but there's no time for that now. Especially if she's working together with someone else and shares her knowledge.
YOU ARE READING
Fate / Chronos
AdventureA jaded freelancer unexpectedly becomes a Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Armed with nothing but a child's wish, he heeds the Grail's call. But beware, Zayne, for something lies just beyond the edge of time - something that holds the answers th...
