Chapter 44 : Conspiracies (part 5)

« You did a good job. By killing Bradley Jenkins, you proved to be a great killer. »

The modified voice complimented Murakawa Tetsuya, who was standing in front of a car with dark glass that had just stopped in front of him. Tetsuya was in a hurry to end the call:
« Of course, of course, but I'm not interested in your compliments. I want the money. »
« Obviously. »

A briefcase was thrown out of the vehicle. Tetsuya opened the suitcase and when he saw the money he grimaced and left with the payment, closing the call. 

At that moment the cell phone rang again, Tetsuya looked over his shoulder, confused, he didn't know the reason for that call and the car was still stationary so probably his mysterious client wanted something else. Tetsuya replied and in a annoyed voice: 

« What now? I did my job, what else do you want from me? »

« There is a problem, dear Tetsuya. »

« Is there really a problem? Are you sure? You should not play with me, otherwise you will get hurt. »

« Bradley Jenkins is not the only one who had to die. »

« And who else must die now? »

The call ended. The car started to accelerate towards Tetsuya, the latter immediately used his magic and broke the hood of the vehicle using a kick, from the vehicle immediately came out a being made entirely of ink that was killed by Lancer, who instantly intervened to save her Master.

Lancer recognized the ink creature:

« This is the power of Caster. »

« So is the German behind all this? »

Other ink beings appeared around the two and suddenly both Caster and Clovis Wolff arrived. Tetsuya, seeing Clovis, enthusiastically stated:

« Finally you showed your ass face, you bastard! Did you have fun making me do your dirty work? »
« Don't be a victim with me, Tetsuya. We both know you're just good at killing people. It's your nature, that's why you agreed to kill Bradley Jenkins. True, though, my purpose was just to use you. »Clovis answered.
« Did you want to use me? Do you have any problems with the Mage's Association? »
« None of your business. »
« But I don't understand: why kill me? »
« Two reasons: the money is not yours and it isn't even mine, it was just an incentive to get you doing your job; the second reason is that you no longer serve me. You are useless. >

« Okay, so let's finish this comedy. »

« Caster … »

Caster created magical territory around the battlefield, the humanoid creatures merged and formed a giant dragon that began to attack Lancer and Tetsuya. The girl used the spear to block the jaws of the monster and screamed at Tetsuya:

« Run! »

« No, I kill that asshole! » Tetsuya screamed, running towards Colvis with tight fists.

Clovis threw magic bullets, Tetsuya dodged them and with a jump reached his opponent and hit him with a kick that made him fly to the ground.

Lancer turned away from the beast. Caster, smiling, commented:

« You can't stop me, Lancer. My magic is superior to your fighting style. »

« Don't bet, Caster! » She answered.

Lancer jumped and tried to attack the dragon on the head, but the beast struck the girl with a claw. Lancer fell to the ground but immediately recovered and, smiling, said:

« Can't you do better, Caster? »

The dragon was on the verge of striking the warrior again, but the latter dodged the attack with incredible speed, and dashed forward with her spear firmly in her hands, and with a brutal force pierced the dragon at its side; the beast, suffering, tried to respond to the attack but Lancer dodged another blow and counterattacked by piercing the beast's stomach.

Caster, unnerved by the skill of his adversary, opened his book and with the goose he generated two spheres of ink in the air that took the form of two swords and threw them at Lancer; the Amazon warrior noticed the danger and jumped, the dragon used that moment to open her mouth and devour it in a single bite Lancer. 

Caster had a moment of relief, he thought he had won, but Lancer pierced the skull of the monster and came out of its head; with a battle cry she ran on the back of the dragon, jumped and prepared the mortal blow to Caster but the latter, though scared, had the intuition to move quickly to dodge the blow.

Caster saw his dragon dissolve and screamed at his enemy:

« You're a wild beast! You muddy my creations, you destroy what I tell! You don't deserve to live in this world! »

« Shut up, Caster. » She replied, with a victorious grin: « In this war there is no room for the weak like you. I would have preferred to fight Saber or Archer, but you are not worthy of this war. You hide behind fake beings just because you're afraid of dying, that's why you'll never have my respect. »

« I don't need the respect of a savage. »

« No ... you don't need my respect, but you definitely need a nice dose of kicks in the butt. »

Chapter 43 : Conspiracies (part 4)

Alessandro Serpi woke up on his bed and noticed that on his right there was no Saber, initially he worried about hurting her feelings, the day before, to the point of having forced her to flee but then he saw her come out of the bathroom out of the corner of his eye.

Saber entered the room wearing only a towel and pointed to her Master:
« You should stand up, it's not good to laze in excess. »
« You're right. » Alessandro got up and asked Saber: « Have you seen Elisa? »
« She's sleeping on the couch. I don't know when she came in, maybe we were both in bed. »
« Thank you, now I'm going to talk to her. »
« Okay. »
Saber was strangely quiet and Alessandro began to feel guilty for the way he had treated her the night before. He felt like a dog and he didn't want to make her feel bad and so, before leaving the room, he turned to Saber and apologized:
« I'm sorry for how I behaved. I did not want to hurt you. »

She was slightly surprised by those excuses and reacted instinctively by saying:

« Be calm, Master, you don't need … »

« You have to understand me, though, I don't want to fool you. I'd rather be honest with you than hurt you by lying to you. I will do everything in my power to fulfill your desire and to make you stay with your loved one, this is my only wish at the moment and that is why I refused to cooperate with Yukiko. I care about you, I just want you to know it. »

« Master … »

Saber was speechless, completely lost by what Alessandro told her. She could not believe that a boy like him, who seemed cold and detached until a few hours ago, was capable of having such a big heart.

Alessandro was about to leave the room but she followed him, passed him and stood in front of him. She closed the bedroom door. Alessandro was slightly confused by that reaction and asked the Servant: 

« Did I say something wrong? »

« No ... it's the opposite, stupid. » The girl was crying.
« Saber? What happen? »
« You're bad, Master, you're very bad with me. You continue to contradict yourself: sometimes you are cold as ice and at other times you are hot as fire. You confuse me and I don't know whether to love or hate you, it's all so difficult for me, Master. I don't know what I should do, answer me: what should I do? Should I kiss you or should I just raise a smile? »
« Saber, calm down … »
« Don't tell me to calm down! » She screamed: « Emotions cannot be silenced on command! They are what give me the strength to go on and nurture my ambition! Every victory and every defeat of mine is crowned with the most beautiful and the ugliest of emotions and this is what makes life worth living! I want an answer, Master! I want an answer, Alessandro ... do you love me? »

« Why do you want me to do this? Do you really want me to hurt you? »

« Be sincere! » Screamed Saber, desperate.

Alessandro bit his lower lip as if to hold back the words and walked away, raised his right hand and said:

« If you don't move, I'll use one of these. »He referred to the Command Seals.

« Are you really so afraid of being really sincere that you want to force me to move? »

« I've already been honest with you. »

« You're wrong, you've been vague. You simply said what I wanted to hear, but that's not what I want to hear. You care about me, okay, but that's not what I want to hear. I want to know if you love me. Tell me. »

« Saber … »

« Don't you want to delude me? Be honest with me then! »

« Why do you act like a masochist? »

Alessandro was on the point of resigning himself, lowered his hand and raised a desperate look. 

« Because this is life. It's not just joy and tranquility. You, who seek peace, are still too immature to understand that in life you must also suffer if you want to move forward. You must fall, you must hurt yourself, you must lose, you must fail, you must suffer ... otherwise it makes no sense to live. »Saber answered, in tears.

« YOU'RE WRONG! » Alessandro screamed, furious: « I'm tired of this shit about how important it is to suffer! I spent my life suffering and repenting and I am still haunted by my ghosts. I only ask for the possibility of having a life without anyone to control me, to lie to me and hurt me. I ask for tranquility not because I am immature but because I am TIRED of suffering! You do not know anything about me! Stop pretending to know me! »
At that moment Elisa knocked on the door and asked, worried:

« Is everything okay? »

« Yes, everything is fine. Now I'm going out, we need to talk. » Alessandro replied.

Saber walked away from the door, keeping a low and embarrassed look, Alessandro left the room and asked Elisa to follow him into the living room.

The two stopped in the room and Elisa, with a confused look, glanced at Alessandro, who folded his arms and asked her:

« Where were you last night? »

« What? » She asked, pretending not to have understood the question.

« Where were you last night? You didn't come home, I was worried about you. »

Alessandro was lying, but Elisa had not understood him and, hearing those words, she blushed but did her best to avoid answering the question:

« Why do you ask me? I don't have to tell you everything I do … »

« You're right, mine is just a curiosity. Do you mind so much answering me? »

« That's not the point, but … »

« But ...? »

« Listen, I just wanted to go for a walk outside, that's all. »

« Ok, I believe you. »

« Really? » Elisa was amazed.

« Yes, you don't have to worry. I trust you. »

Alessandro feigned a smile and headed for the exit, turning his back to the girl. Elisa felt relieved to have finished the conversation and saw Alessandro leave the apartment.

Lore : The Coven in Florence

The relationship between the Coven and Florence has always been very strange and it still is today. The Grand Master Arturo Leoni III was a dear friend of the Duke of Milan Gian Galeazzo Visconti and for this reason the Coven, for a certain period of time, served as a sort of Milanese secret service. The Grand Master and the Duke of Milan had already prepared a project to succeed in creating a great Milanese state that would host the new headquarters of the Coven.

The fate, however, played a bad joke to both of them who died in 1402. With the death of Arturo Leoni III, the Coven distanced itself from Milan and the new Grand Master Giulio Croce I decided to break his relations with the new Duke of Milan Giovanni Maria Visconti. 

The Coven, under a new guide, undertook to connect with Florence because the Grand Master was convinced that Cosimo de’Medici would be able to found a “new Rome”, that is, a new cultural, economic and military center. The Coven supported the banker even after the death of the Grand Master but only until 1421 because in that year Marco Paolino II abandoned Florence, considering it a "lost case", and allied again with Milan. 

The Duke of Milan Filippo Maria Visconti and Marco Paolino II made agreements and revived the dream of Gian Galeazzo Visconti. In 1424 the Coven helped the Visconti to win the war against Florence. The alliance with Milan broke up again in 1447 by order of Marco Paolino III, two months before the death of the Duke of Milan.

The Coven restored a state of total closure, the Grand Master feared the attrition of the organization also because he knew that the new Duke of Milan Francesco Sforza had the intention of forcing the Coven to move from Rome to Milan thus abandoning the direct protection of the pope .

 In 1471 Giulio Croce II, the new Grand Master of the Coven, presented himself at the Florence court with the aim of forming an alliance with Lorenzo de 'Medici, also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. The powerful lord of Florence accepted the support of the Coven in exchange for their teachings. 

The alliance between the Coven and the Medici suffered a severe blow in 1494 when Piero de 'Medici was ousted. The Grand Master Marco Pacifico III appealed to Pope Alexander VI and wanted to persuade him to give the Coven the opportunity to restore the order in Florence and bring the Medici back to power but it was too late. 

Girolamo Savonarola, a Dominican friar and a political figure, publicly condemned both the Medici and the Coven, accusing the latter of being heretics. The Grand Master did not accept such accusations and wanted the public execution of that friar who dared to defame the Coven.

Marco Pacifico III finally succeeded in convincing the Pope to excommunicate Girolamo Savonarola who was then hanged and burned at the stake in 1497. But the Pope also ordered the Coven to return to Rome and to abandon Florence which had now fallen into chaos.

Lore : The researches at Orlov

In the winter of 1997 the Rote Mäntel sent a small research team to Russia, more precisely in the Kirov oblast. The team had the task of doing research in the city of Orlov where, according to some anonymous sources, there was a clash between armed men of the army of the then Soviet Union and men with magical powers. The clash occurred around 1956 and according to sources the Soviet soldiers had the task of protecting a very precious golden coffer, probably they were transporting it to a secret base. 

The research team found evidence of a clash in the town and at the bottom of the Vyatka river they found an amulet depicting a tree surrounded by nine circles, a clear reference to the tree of Norse mythology: Yggdrasil.

The Rote Mäntel tried to convince the Russian government to give up the Golden coffer but it was all in vain. According to some members of the organization it is possible that the Russians no longer have the coffer and therefore this is in the hands of someone else.

Julius Caesar has a face! Yeeeeeh!

I can't believe that someone actually made a drawing of Julius Caesar. I'm very happy!😁😁 The author of the design is BikoWolf1 and I leave the link to his Deviantart page here!

I am almost touched to see my character in a drawing! A warm thank you to BikoWolf1!😁😁😁

Lore : Laufen Incident

In September 1984, in the city of Laufen in Bavaria, there was a clash, during the night, between the magi of the Coven and those of the Rote Mäntel. It seems that the magi involved were at least 200 in total and the number of victims was quite high:
. 39 dead magi belonging to the Coven
. 43 dead magi belonging to the Rote Mäntel
The reason for the clash between the two factions is still a mystery today. There are those who think that the Coven was planning to take revenge against the Rote Mäntel, instead there are those who hypothesize that the Rote Mäntel had chosen to strike the Coven spies.

Lore : The Congress of Aargau

A historic meeting in 1987 between the Mage's Association, the Rote Mäntel and the Coven. The reasons behind the congress must be dated to 1984, when there was the Laufen Incident during which a total of 82 magi belonging to the Coven and Rote Mäntel died. The Mage's Association wanted to avoid other conflicts between magi and wanted to bring the two organizations together in order to prevent any possible battle. 

The idea of bringing the two historical enemies together was in itself a great risk, the possibility of a clash was certainly high but nevertheless the Mage's Association was ready to take the risk to avoid tarnishing the already shaky reputation of the Magecraft practitioners. To complicate matters further was the call to arms of Grand Master Arturo Leoni VI, in November 1985 the Coven prepared for an imminent conflict with the Rote Mäntel on the Italian Alps. Fortunately, the Mage's Association avoided fighting with the use of diplomacy and persuaded both organizations to meet to sign alliance treaties. 

For the signing of the agreements Switzerland was chosen, more specifically the Aargau. The three powerful organizations met in Habsburg Castle, located in the Habsburg municipality in January 1987.

The Congress of Aargau did not, however, bring the desired results. The egocentrism of the leaders of the two organizations hindered the drafting of a real truce, however the Mage's Association succeeded in convincing the Rote Mäntel to pay the Coven for the damages inflicted during the Second World War and made the Coven withdraw all its spies from Hamburg. 

However a few months later it turned out that the Rote Mäntel had paid only half of what had been agreed and that the Coven had not at all removed its spies.

The Congress of Aargau is considered by many as just a failure but for some it was the springboard for subsequent negotiations that sanctioned a truce between the two organizations.

Lore : Otto von Bismarck and the Rote Mäntel

With the decline of the Hanseatic League Hamburg strengthened its relations with Berlin, the most important economic center in northern Germany. The Rote Mäntel became more and more popular in Hamburg, despite the heavy defeat suffered by the Coven in 1864. The citizens welcomed the representatives of the organization including the famous Schneider von Bergedorf, a rich and powerful magus that had the opportunity to tighten friendship with the Iron Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck has always agreed with the methods with which the Rote Mäntel began to fight against those who threatened the sovereignty of William I. 

According to some sources, Schneider made a sensational discovery in January 1877, in fact it seems that he managed to find a ancient relic dating back to the Celtic period. It was a small gold coffer with very particular decorations and it seems that inside there was a fragment of dried skin of a very large snake, surely bigger than a human being. Schneider wrote about it: 

"It looks like the skin of a giant snake and according to our estimates it must have belonged to a creature capable of swallowing a ship without even having to chew it. One of our scholars has gone mad trying to unravel the secret behind the dark power it emanates. "

The coffer was confiscated by the Nazis probably in 1938 and then taken by the Soviets. Where is the treasure chest now is a real mystery but the Rote Mäntel crave to be able to get it back.

Chapter 42 : Conspiracies (part 3)

It was late at night and Bradley Jenkins had just finished discussing with Alessandro Serpi. After leaving the Clock Tower he decided to head towards his home. He walked along the streets of London which were practically deserted since the citizens were all in bed at that time.

He headed for a bus stop and waited patiently for its arrival. Bradley had no idea that he was in the sights of a sniper, Murakawa Tetsuya, positioned inside a long-deserted house. 

Tetsuya had his finger on the trigger and was ready to kill Jenkins. The rifle had a silencer and the viewfind was one of the best on the market, it was a sure shot.

At that moment he saw a red-haired girl arrive, Elisa Mancini, who approached Bradley Jenkins. Tetsuya did not know the girl but recognized the toga, identical to the one of Saber's Master. 

The young girl started talking to the man, the two seemed to know each other.

Elisa was in front of the viewfinder and Tetsuya could not properly take aim but then, after a few minutes, the two moved away and finally Tetsuya could shoot. 

Bradley Jenkins died in an instant.

Meanwhile, in Alessandro Serpi's hotel room, the boy sat on the floor with the lights out in front of three candles. Saber saw her Master with his eyes closed and the first thing she did was turn on the lights and exclaim:

« Wake up! »

Alessandro opened his eyes and quickly cast a reproachful glance at the girl and said:
« You didn't have to do it, now I'll have to start all over again. »
« What are you talking about? »

« I was meditating. In the Coven meditation is used by a magus to restore the magical energy used in battle. » 

« Why do you use three candles? »

« They represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. But it's all useless now. 

I'll start again later. »

Alessandro got up from the ground and blew out the candles. Saber looked around for a moment and asked the boy:
« Where is your friend? »
« Elisa? I don't know. She said she had to go out but I don't know anything else. »
« Don't you care what she does? »
« No. » Alessandro replied as he put the candles back on the dining table.
« Word has come to me that she feel something for you. Did you know that? »
« I don't care. »

« Are you sure? »

« Since when are you dealing with these things, Saber? Shouldn't you think about the next battle? Leave the matters of the Coven to me, you have nothing to do with them. »

« I like talking about love, Master. »Asserted Saber, with a sly smile.

« I feel nothing for her, I feel nothing for any girl. I've never been in love and never will be. I hope I have explained things to you as they are, so we will no longer have to make such speeches. 

Now I go to bed. »

Saber put herself in front of Alessandro, preventing him from proceeding, and asked him, curious and slightly regretful:
« Are you really saying that? Have you ever been in love? »
« I'm serious, I never thought of such things. »
« So what happened between us? »
« What are you talking about? »

« About the time we were about to kiss. » 

« Did it mean something to you? » Asked Alessandro, interested.

« And for you? »
« No. » He replied coldly.
« No? » Saber was visibly upset and tried to stop the sadness in her heart.
« It didn't mean anything, Saber, but you knew that too. You caught me in a moment of weakness, that's all. »
« Of course, I understand. Now everything is clearer, thanks. »
Saber stepped aside, her head bowed, and Alessandro headed for the bedroom. The girl was upset by that revelation, for her that moment with her Master meant a lot but apparently it was not reciprocated at all.
Saber's vision clouded over and she realized that she was on the verge of tears and then quickly wiped her eyes and remained in a regretful silence.

Chapter 41 : Conspiracies (part 2)

Viktor Stirgold left the hospital after visiting the young Fukano Harumi. He had tried to convince her to work with him but he had failed. Outside the hospital, the man crossed a member of the Coven recognizable by the black robe and the typical emblem of the lion holding a snake in its jaws.

The member of the Coven gave a silent greeting and headed towards the inside of the hospital but Viktor, sensing that he had been sent to do something to Harumi, went on his way and asked him, kindly:
« The Coven sent you to do some dirty work? »
« Are you afraid that I can kill the girl being held in the hospital? »
« I didn't say that. »
« Good. >

The man tries to get around Viktor but the latter stood in front of him again and asked him: 

« What are you doing here? »

« It's none of your business. »
« If the Coven wants to continue to be an ally of the Mage's Association  there must be greater transparency, you know it. So talk. »
« Do you think you understand everything? »
« What are you talking about? »
« Ask my Grand Master … »
At that moment a black van accelerated towards the two men, jumping on the pavement and investing innocent passers-by. The vehicle was aimed at both men and when Viktor noticed it he took the member of the Coven and threw himself to the ground to avoid the van, which then collided with a light pole.
Men in black came out of the car, armed and headed for the hospital. Viktor immediately got up and without hesitation exclaimed:

« Feuerschrei! »

He cast a spell of fire that burned five of the ten men; the five remaining alive managed to enter the hospital and did not care at all about patients and doctors: they had only one goal. Viktor immediately understood that they wanted to kill Fukano Harumi and so he chased them inside the structure.

« You won't go any further, damn bastards! » Screamed Viktor and then exclaimed, placing a hand on the wall: « Eisenwand des Schmerzes! »

At that moment in front of the men appeared a magic wall that became iron. Their road had been blocked. The men turned to Viktor and aimed their firearms, they were ready to fire.

Viktor immediately hid behind a wall when the men started shooting; he saw the fifth floor window break: there was Archer who was holding Harumi. The two escaped from the hospital and the men in black had no idea.
Viktor noticed that the magus of the Coven was running away and did not intervene to stop him, he would not need to have the help of a coward. As soon as the men stopped firing, Viktor heard the sound of police sirens: he had to leave; but then he noticed that an eleventh man had gotten out of the van and headed for the hospital. Viktor was about to stop him but his cell phone rang. He answered the call:
« Hello? What happens? What? … A moment! Explain yourself better! ... Bradley Jenkins is dead ?! ... What do you mean they attacked us ?! Who did it?! Who the fuck was he? … WHAT IS GOING ON?! »
It was then that a huge explosion broke out behind Viktor. The man fell to the ground, wounded and dazed.

He got up only a few minutes later, he had just regained consciousness and was dizzy. It was smeared with dust and felt a strange smell of burning coming from behind him. The people around him were in a panic, ambulance sirens, firemen and policemen could be heard. When Viktor turned around he saw the flames that were devouring the hospital entirely. 

He wasn't able to accept that scene, it just seemed like a nightmare. Who would have been so sadistic and mentally ill to orchestrate a terrorist attack of that size in a place like that?

Viktor began to cry in front of those immense flames. He knelt on the ground and muttered, shocked and frightened at the same time:
« This is not war ... this is a genocide. »
At that moment he laid his gaze on the corpse of one of the men he had killed and immediately noticed that he was an homunculus. The attack was orchestrated by a magus.

Chapter 40 : Conspiracies (part 1)

« It didn't have to go like this … »

Fukano Harumi was on the hospital bed. In her room, completely alone, she saw a sun rise accompanied by storm clouds. She had been in the hospital all night, had rested but still felt tired and stunned by the battle against Kumahira Yukiko.
« I've got it all wrong … »
Harumi looked sad, she was about to cry:
« I couldn't kill the Master of Rider and I was defeated, humiliated like a magus beginner. It didn't have to go like this. »
« I'm sorry, princess. » Archer said, appearing in the room.
« You don't have to apologize, Archer, it's not your fault. It is my fault alone ... only mine ... I was hoping to have the victory in hand but instead I was put on the corner, I was defeated, I was humiliated only because of my presumption. I … »

« Princess, you must not blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. It was just bad luck. » 

« No ... it's not bad luck ... it's me, I'm incapable. »

« No! No it is not true! » Archer exclaimed in a vain attempt to reason with his Master.
« Archer ... I'm a failure. »
« No, you are not. You simply did something wrong, it happens to everyone. You must not let yourself be destroyed by your mistakes! You must react! »
« How? My best friend is still hospitalized, I'm not able to face the Masters in this war and to make matters worse I suck in planning. I feel like an imbecile. »
« You're not! You're not at all, believe me! »
« You have no idea how bad I fell, Archer. You don't know my sufferings, how can I trust your words? »
« You can't. » An unknown voice answered.
Archer and Harumi turned and saw a man who had just entered the room closing the door behind him. This man had a very elegant suit, a jacket and black trousers. His clothing was decorated with fine golden and silver lines. The man had a face as young as that of thirty but he had the right eye of glass and his face had scars scattered on his nose and cheeks.
The elegant man wore a top hat that he took off his head for education and introduced himself:
« Viktor Augustav Stirgold. »
Harumi immediately noticed that the man's left hand was the only one that was covered by a black glove, the first thing the girl thought was that the man in front of them was a Master. Viktor, realizing the suspicious gaze of the girl, said to her, smiling:
« I do not participate in the Holy Grail War. This hand is just a metal prosthesis. You see? »

Viktor began tapping the wall with the finger of his left hand and a metallic sound started. The girl became convinced and asked Viktor, without words: 

« What do you want? »

« I work for the Mage's Association, Miss Fukano Harumi, and I'm here to talk to you, I don't want anything else. »
« Give me the "you", I'm not an old woman. »
« As you wish … » Viktor said with a slight smile.
« What do you want, then? »

« This war is not like the others, the Mage's Association is realizing it. There is something abnormal, something that is not in the right place. Rarely does a Holy Grail War involve civilians and when such a misfortune occurs there is always talk of a few victims, a war has never been seen to cause thousands of deaths, including those of Ibaraki. A colleague of mine wishes to destroy the Holy Grail, a wise but vain choice. The Holy Grail of this war is not like the others: it comes from the sacrifice of a deity. It is a unique Grail of its kind and cannot be destroyed, of that I am certain. »

« You're not answering my question, though. » Noticed Harumi acutely.

« You noticed, then. »
« I'm not that stupid. »

« Your friend ... is in danger. Everyone in this hospital is in danger. All of London is in danger. The Holy Grail has the potential to destroy us all but we can react, we can prevent the 

end of everything. »

« I barely know you and already you expect me to do something for you? I want to win the Holy Grail War, I don't want to help your group. Leave me alone. > Harumi muttered, nervous.
« I'm not your enemy, I want to help you. »
« Ask someone else. »
« Harumi … »
« ENOUGH! » The girl screamed.
Viktor resigned himself and without insisting further he opened the door and left the room, replacing his hat. He murmured before leaving
« I'm sorry. »

Chapter 39 : Intervention

Saber and Berserker were face to face. Alessandro Serpi was extremely worried about the battle, he had never seen a heroic spirit as tenacious as Berserker. Saber was already in position to hit her opponent once more when, without warning, a spell was cast between the two Servants that raised a curtain of smoke.

Berserker took advantage of the situation to escape. Alessandro prepared to fight but saw a man  dressed in a very elegant way, he was the magus who launched the spell: Bradley Jenkins. 

Together with him there were six other magi and all of them were part of the Mage's Association.

Bradley, in a severe tone, thundered:
« You and your war have destroyed our city and involved civilians! You will have to answer for your actions! »
Alessandro, suspicious, asked:
« Since when does the Mage's Association care about civilian casualties? »
« You have no right to speak, magus of the Coven. Now you and your Servant will follow us without making a fuss or you will die here! »
Alessandro had enough magic energy to be able to fight against his enemies but he knew perfectly well that it would be stupid to do this. The Coven was trying to gain the trust of the Mage's Association and disobeying the authority of them would have involved changes in the relations between the two organizations.

Alessandro Serpi surrendered. 

That same night, Alessandro, was led by Bradley Jenkins for a corridor that was located in the Clock Tower. The boy had his hands tied by a spell. The two went up the stairs and came to a door. Bradley opened it and told Alessandro to enter. It was a fairly small office, filled with books and maps; there was a shrine in which there were ancient artifacts and there were also small wooden caskets placed on the bookcase. Bradley sat behind the desk and said, in a slightly more calm voice:

« Sit down. »
Alessandro sat on a chair in front of his desk. The boy was visibly worried about what was going to happen. Bradley said:
« You can tell your Servant to appear. »
« Saber. »
Saber appeared behind Alessandro, the girl was nervous and seemed to be about to attack the man. Bradley, seeing her gaze, reassured her:

« I'm not going to hurt you, but you must answer for your actions. You have involved civilians in your war and this is a problem for us. Our organization does not like to give in the eye and we do not like staining the image of the magus to the public, we are magicians but we are not a world power. If nations were to consider us terrorists, it would be a problem for the Mage's Association. » 

« I understand your fears but … »

« I am not afraid, I know human nature. For many it is difficult to accept the existence of magic and these same people would not think twice about starting a crusade against us. It's not a question of fear, but of pure and simple realism. »
« I didn't want this. It was Rider who involved civilians. She had used her Noble Phantasm which acted on people's minds and so we found ourselves fighting against very common Londoners. It was not a choice. »
« We can't erase the traces of a hundred dead people, do you realize it? One hundred people. Print this number on your head, boy: HUNDRED. A hundred people died because of the Holy Grail War, what should I do in your opinion? Let it pass? Act as if nothing has happened? The nation will want to have answers, the nation will want justice. What can we do, in your opinion? »

« Nothing. » 

« Excuse me? I don't think I understood correctly. »

« You won't do anything. This is a fault that falls on the Coven, not on the Mage's Association. You are not obliged to act. The Coven will punish me. »

« That's not how it works! » Shouted Bradley slamming his hands on the desk, then added: «You and your Servant have killed innocent people and you have to pay for what you did! Because of you our organization will be targeted by the nation, they will start chasing all the magi and start a real crusade against us! You have to pay for 

your crimes! »

Alessandro was calm. He got up from his chair and said to the man, looking down at him:

« I am bound, unable to fight and to be a risk to you. I let myself be caught because I was hoping for your understanding. I'm not your enemy, I can give you Kumahira Yukiko, the Master of Rider. She is the only one responsible, not me. » 

« What do you propose, boy? »

« I will kill Yukiko to do justice but I need you to do me a favor: I would like you to help me to do a research about Marco Serpi, a former member of the Coven. »
Bradley was doubtful. He didn't trust the boy's plan and asked him:
« What do we do with those one hundred people? »
« We remain silent. The public does not know that there is a magus involved, why say it? Our goal is to capture Yukiko, not to justify what happened. We know nothing. We weren't there. It could have been a paranormal event, a sign of the apocalypse or what they want. I don't care, I don't have time for these things. I want the head of Kumahira Yukiko. »
Bradley Jenkins stood up and held out his hand to Alessandro. The two shook hands. The man said to the boy:
« I trust you for now. Don't betray us, it's not convenient. »
« I know. »

Chapter 38 : The great battle (part 3)

Yukiko was shocked. Her Servant had clearly let herself been killed. Only Saber and Archer remained on the battlefield; the latter remained in a silence of respect but then, turning to Saber, he said:
« So you are Gaius Julius Caesar, huh? I admit your Noble Phantasm is truly spectacular. You have summoned an entire legion, your legion, only to defeat Rider. Don't you think it was a waste to use all that magical energy just for her? »
« Not at all, Archer. Indeed, now that you make me think about it, maybe I could use it again. After all, my Master has enough magical energy. »
« This explains many things. Only Caesar can have so many skills. »
« So did you notice it? »

« I'm a military man like you, I understand certain things right away. You have an abnormal number of abilities, as if you were a special Servant. » 

« Do you underestimate me, Archer? It's obvious that I am a special Heroic Spirit, I am stronger than you and those other third-rate Servants! I am unique and nobody is like me! »

« Ah, ah, ah! Be careful not to brag too much, Caesar, you risk getting really hurt. »
« Do you think you are so good that you can even kill me? Then come on, let's see what you can do. »
« Good. »
Archer shot two arrows but Saber avoided them both and with a quick run she approached her rival; Saber hit Archer with a slash that he parried using the bow; Archer tried to kick the girl but Saber shifted sideways and hit Archer with a shoulder that knocked him to the ground.
Archer immediately got up and shot, jumping, two more arrows; Saber destroyed them both and with a jump reached Archer.

While the two Servants were fighting, Alessandro Serpi took the opportunity to try to heal some of his injuries.
The boy snapped his fingers and said:
« Sana. »
The wounds healed and the boy was able to return to fight. Alessandro realized that Yukiko and Harumi were still in the hotel, they were fighting, fortunately he had managed to escape. Now he could think of a way to counter his rival.
At that moment Alessandro heard police sirens, turned around, and saw the cars of the police arrive. The risk of fighting a Holy Grail War in the middle of the city was precisely that of always finding the police behind, however Alessandro could not allow police officers to stop the battle that was taking place.
Before the cars could stop he snapped his fingers and said:

« Terra Vitae. »

Suddenly from the asphalt of the road rose immense thorns of earth that split the machines and destroyed them completely, killing the policemen inside them. Alessandro saw those explosions and remained motionless, with a cold expression on his face. He didn't care what he had just done. For him, he only wanted to win the Holy Grail War.

Alessandro decided to enter the hotel again to face Yukiko. Once he reached the floor he saw that practically all the walls had been smashed and that there were only rubble and jets of water coming out of split pipes. Harumi was leaning against a wall, badly injured in her right shoulder and left leg; the girl was panting painfully; Alessandro approached her and said:

« You shouldn't have participated in this war. »

« Maybe ... you are right ... but I do not regret this decision ... I will continue to fight and I will not run away like you did … »

« I'm just smarter than you. » 

At that moment Yukiko arrived and, after a run, made a jump and hit Alessandro with a double flying kick that sent him flying into the elevator. The girl came in with him, pressed the button and the elevator started to go down.

Yukiko stood over Alessandro and said:
« You have many things you need to tell me about your Servant, dear brother. »
« Fuck you, bitch … »
« That wasn't what I wanted to hear, big brother. But don't worry, now I'll make you spit out everything I want to know. »
The elevator stopped. Yukiko got up and took Alessandro by the leg, dragged him to the lobby and then threw him against the reception table. Alessandro tried to recover but the girl was faster than him: she grabbed him by the head and started to slam him several times against the wood and with a kick she threw him on the floor. The boy was starting to bleed from his head and he could no longer stand up.
Yukiko, seeing Alessandro in difficulty, hit him with another kick that made him overturn. The girl was clearly enjoying herself and exclaimed enthusiastically:

« We can go on like this all night! »

« What ... what do you want ... from me? » Alessandro asked in a suffering voice.
« I want Saber. »
« Why? »
« Because your Servant is very powerful and I want to use her to get what I want. Give her to me otherwise I'll have to take her by force. »

« Never! »

« Okay, big brother, you leave me no choice but to use my magic. >

Alessandro snapped his fingers and murmured:

« Dis. »

Nothing happened to Yukiko. Alessandro, shocked, had no idea how this was possible. He tried to escape but the girl had already reached him. Yukiko grabbed Alessandro's hand and prepared to use the spell to steal the Servant from him forever.

Alessandro, agitated, shouted:
« Caesar, help me! »
A Command Seal disappeared and at that moment Saber came and hit Yukiko with a slash that cut off her arm. Yukiko screamed in pain and tried to stop the terrible bleeding. Saber helped Alessandro to get up and asked him, worried:
« Are you okay, Master? »
« Yes ... I thank you for coming. If it weren't for you, you would be in Yukiko's hands by now. >

« So we're really lucky. » She said, smiling. 

Yukiko was afraid to go on fighting and, with a frightened look that had never been seen on her face, she ran away to avoid being attacked. Saber asked:

« What do we do? »
« Take her. Like hell I'm gonna let her escape as if nothing had happened. »
« I like you, Master. »
Saber started the attack but was blocked by the unexpected intervention of another Servant who broke the wall. Alessandro had never seen that Servant. She had a female body covered with a charcoal black armor and a battle skirt, similar to that of a princess. The warrior had a helmet that resembled the head of a dragon and the whole armor was full of scales.
Alessandro murmured, shocked:
« Berserker. »
Saber, who had heard what the boy had said, exclaimed, smiling:

« So you are Berserker? Really interesting. Are you here to fight me? » 

Berserker had a sheathed sword that she did not unsheath, but she closed her two fists and suddenly two flames of a vermilion red color that tended to black were lit. The flames wrapped her fists. Berserker advanced with incredible speed and hit Saber in the face then beat her with stomach knocks and tried to end her with a punch to the head, but Saber immediately counterattacked with a blow that did not cut Berserker's armor but was effective enough to make her retreat a little.

Saber, smiling, said:
« English. Britannia. I still haven't figured out exactly who you are, but your homeland was pretty easy to understand. Not to mention those flames … »

« They have something strange. » Alessandro added. 

« Tell me, Berserker, are you some kind of demon ... or ... a dragon? »

Berserker gave a heart-rending scream and hit Saber with a fist that sent her flying out of the hotel. The girl regained her balance but at that moment an arrow hit her calf: it was Archer who hit her. The man was wounded but he was ready to inflict the coup de grace on the girl, however he was overwhelmed by a column launched by Berserker.

Saber tore the arrow from her calf and, smiling, said:

« What an interesting situation, don't you think, Master? I never expected to face the only Breton with the blood of a dragon. You're a beast, Berserker, and I'm sorry to have to face a Heroic Spirit of your caliber right in this state. But the games end now! »

Saber jumped forward and collided with Berserker. The two exchanged several shots but in the end Berserker was able to get the better of it and hit the rival with such force that she flew against another building.

Saber got up immediately and with a leap she reached Berserker again to attack her. The two continued to duel, destroying everything in their path. 

Meanwhile Archer got back on his feet and decided to head from his Master to check her condition. When he saw that she was seriously injured, he said, worried:

« Princess, we have to leave. You can't fight any further. »
« Archer ... I can win … »
« Not in this state. We have to leave. Let's retreat as long as we can, at the moment Saber and Berserker are fighting each other. They are two monsters. »
« This war ... is full of monsters … » commented Harumi.
Archer picked up his Master and fled with her.