1stknight | PSL (closed)

[It was a good defense, and Dazai's awareness of the trick didn't diminish its effectiveness. It's not like he had anything other than a handful of bamboo skewers to defend himself from that.

Not that they'd come to blows if he could help it. Words were still his best weapon, and he knew Kouyou was more interested in why he was here. In this situation, Bedivere's likely intervention if things got messy was but a bonus, for all that it was a premature show of his hand.]

It's not too terrible of a change, is it? I doubt you miss any of my phone calls. [She had plenty of good reasons to distrust him while he was with the mafia. If anything, his change of allegiances made things peaceful. As far as Dazai knew, she didn't miss him and the mess that was his head.] More to the point: yes, we did receive a report about an incident that occurred here. Should I tell Kyouka-chan she has a new adoptive sibling?

[Let's pretend for now this was related to a new Ability user. How much would Kouyou confirm or deny this claim?]

The Agency has been busy, I see.

[Her voice was calm and delicate, as it often was. But the polite words hid an edge to them. Not one directed at Dazai specifically, interestingly enough. Her ire fell elsewhere. But his talk had brought up an annoyance that he very well might feel the stab of, if Kouyou decided to get physical about it.

His answer gave away so much, too. Only someone who knew about those strange magic rituals would know of the beings it created. Which meant that the Agency had already found at least one other Master, or they themselves were involved in this war. Kouyou had heard of the summoning circle found last night with a dead master next to it, but a dead master didn't mean an unsummoned servant.

Really, Dazai's only saving grace at that moment was a misconception on Kouyou's part: since Dazai was a nullifier, clearly he couldn't be a Master too, or so she thought. Nullifying magic blocked the magic needed to complete the ritual in her mind. If she had known that he was a Master, she may have lashed out at that moment.

(For her part, her hands were clear of any Command Seals. She was not the Master of the Servant summoned in Port Mafia territory.)]

Kyouka-chan has no need to get involved here. In fact, the entire Agency would be wise to not get involved in this mess. Take those children of yours and run to the countryside for the next month.

[She knew that wouldn't get anyone to actually leave the city. But that was her one good deed, spurned on by a desire to protect Kyouka at the very least: this fight was going to be bloody, and the Agency better keep an eye on its employees if it wanted to avoid casualties.

The fact that Kouyou was telling Dazai about this, of all people, was another important hint: whatever had happened here, she didn't agree with it. And she had to go beyond Mori to even throw a vague warning out.]

[So she knew the details personally, as well as the scope of the possible fallout. And here Dazai was, in the middle of coming up with details of a made-up case.

He tapped the side of his jaw with the bamboo skewer as if in idle thought and not the signal that it actually was. The two tails that followed him were far away enough for them to not overhear this conversation, but it wouldn't do for Mori to get the wrong impression if Kouyou stayed for too long.]

Alright. They're overdue for a vacation, anyway.

I'll be in touch later, hmm? There's a way to keep their relaxation time uninterrupted. [Here, he gave her a meaningful smile - he had a plan to minimize this mess, so do give him a little more to work with.] If there's anyone who knows Kyouka-chan's preferred selection of countryside inns, it's you.

You're right, I know her better than anyone. And the next time I speak to her, she should be out in the countryside.

[Dazai knew how to contact her, so when it was time he would call. She had no doubts about that. She would have to figure out how to lie about the situation to him, though. Her warning only went as far as to keep them all away. She wasn't about to betray who the Master in the Port Mafia was, or who their servant was.

Not yet, at least. Once the Grail War was over, all bets were off. Mori really had made the wrong choice this time.

So Kouyou turned away from Dazai, the umbrella covering her from view. She hesitated a moment there, though.]

Now is a good time for you to scamper home to your Agency, Dazai-kun. The next time you trespass in Mafia territory, the punishment will be severe.

['the punishment', not 'I will punish you.' Because it wasn't her that he had to be afraid of.

But with that said, she started to walk away. Now was the time for Dazai to leave, if he wanted to get out unscathed.]

[He studied her expression as as she spoke, well aware that she wouldn't just spill the beans. Still, misdirection was also information, if not a little more tedious to work with.

That warning about punishment, though? He cocked his head in thought. Been a while since he was threatened like that. Kouyou wasn't one to play messenger for Mori in the days when Dazai directly reported to the boss, which meant -

Ah. So this went beyond merely being aware of the circumstances.

His smile sharpened. Just a teensy bit. The stakes were just about right to incentivize Mori in going down the deep end again.]

An unpleasant circumstance I'm sure we'd all rather avoid.

[He nodded at her before heading off. Ordinarily, he'd correct the implication that he was still under Mori's thumb and therefore still tied to the mafia, but Kouyou wasn't the actual person he was irritated at.

So yeah. Time to go before he overstayed his welcome. Bedivere, he knew, would follow, though Dazai waited until they were alone in a narrow alley next to a vending machine, closer to the Agency and well away from the docks and anyone who might've stalked them. If Saber was in his spirit form, now would be a better moment to reveal himself. Whatever the case, he'd first ask:]

Find anything?

[Wait until Dazai found out what Mori's wish was. Because make no mistake, regardless of which member of the Mafia had a Servant, that wish was going to be Mori's.

Bedivere had not gone into spirit form, instead choosing to stay visible in case he needed to jump in to save Dazai. Such efforts were unneeded, though, and soon the two of them were walking away from the Port Mafia territory.]

There was indeed a summoning circle in there. Someone made an effort to destroy it, but pieces of it remained. I also believe I found the catalyst for the summoning, but it is best if I show you that in private.

Whoever tried to cover up the scene, they didn't know what they were doing. A mage would have known how to erase their summoning circle. So it was an untrained magic-user, possibly following a guidebook instead of being taught how to summon.

[His thoughts flashed back to that red-haired woman. Maybe her?]

The woman I passed, who you talked to. Could it be her? She didn't have the signature of a Servant, but she could have been a Master.

[That Mori would move to have his wish granted was already a given. Now it was a matter of who he picked to make it a reality, and from that alone he could strike off Kouyou and Hirotsu from the list. Perhaps Chuuya, too - that hothead preferred to fight his own battles, and he wasn't expendable. Motojiro Kajii wasn't moldable, and there was the likelihood he'd use the Grail for himself to grant his own feverish science dreams.

That left Akutagawa and Q. Newcomers to the party were automatically disqualified by virtue of not being trusted as far as Mori could even trust someone. Akutagawa was too willful, and a stubborn determinator wasn't what Mori needed when it was time to collect the prize.

It had to be Q, and that kid was both starved for attention and eager to play.

Fuck.

A familiar yet unwelcome chill had settled into his bones as he listened to Bedivere narrate the results of his investigation. This was probably the first time Saber would see him without a trace of cheer, his smile sharp and grim.]

They must've ambushed a candidate.

It's not her. I know who it is. [Here, he gestured down the alley.] I would've wanted to look at the other site, but it's important that we return to the Agency and look into which Servant they got.

This new Master...

[There was more he wanted to add, because Q? Bedivere would likely not want to harm a child, and Dazai was inclined to agree. There was a reason why he let Q off when he and Chuuya found the kid trapped in a basement. However, this was best explained once they were back at the Agency, where he'd have access to records of the mass hysteria Q's ability caused. Shaking his head, he began to lead the way.]

It won't be pleasant to fight him.

[Ah. So it was bad, huh? That look was enough for Bedivere to get how serious the situation was. Whoever the Master was, they were bad news. Bedivere would have to question Dazai to see if he wanted to avoid conflict entirely, or face them head-on.

(Dazai was right to assume Bedivere wouldn't want to kill a child, though. Even a child as crazy as Q.)]

Let's take the train, then. It's the middle of the day, our travels should be safe.

[Or so he assumed, at least. What he didn't know was that a certain Assassin was already trailing after them, presence concealed, gathering information on them. Assassin wouldn't strike for a couple days yet, but their secret involvement in the Grail War was no longer a secret.

Bedivere did like the train rides, though. Modern technology was still mystifying to him, and instead of getting absorbed in a phone or something he busied himself by watching the scenes of the city from the train window. This city really was beautiful. It was worth saving.

Once they reached their stop, they would see a crowd of people at the exit to the station itself. It looked like there was some kind of hold up ahead? But even if he was standing on his tippy-toes Bedivere couldn't quite see what it was.]

The path must be blocked, is there another way out of the station?

[(Presence Concealment was a menace.)

Given that Q didn't have control over his own Ability, there was always the possibility they'd have to face him. Dogra Magra might latch on to another Servant for the same reason that No Longer Human interfered with Bedivere's arm, and the resulting fallout might parallel the chaos he caused when the Guild dropped by.

Behold: Mori and his gambles.]

There should be another route from the tunnel.

[Y'know, the ones off-limits to passengers. At least Bedivere might not question why Dazai knew where those were located.

But first things first: to find out why people were being kept in. The usual cause of delay stemmed from trains breaking down, not whatever this was. Dazai led Bedivere around in search for a security guard or someone from maintenance - hi, hello, did something happen outside?

If they didn't know, someone else in this crowd was bound to check twitter for news.]

[Another route through the tunnel, and yet Dazai waited to see what was causing the holdup. A contradiction, but it was one Bedivere could understand. If it was a Servant causing trouble, then they had no choice but to respond.

There was indeed word about what was happening outside, luckily. It seemed like there had been a murder in the street at the entrance to the train station. It was just one victim, but they had been run through by a large bladed weapon, and the woman who had been wielding it had disappeared into the crowd. Stories of her beauty, of her silvery hair and lanky body, they persisted. The beautiful killer who offed a man and had somehow disappeared.

Bedivere gave Dazai a curious look before whispering to him.]

Should we track whoever it was? Or go back to the Agency first?

[Whoever it was, they were likely a Servant. And if they were a Servant who killed normal people so recklessly, then stopping them was important. But going into the situation blind was a risk too. They had no information on her, besides the fact that she was a woman and used a long bladed weapon.]

[Welp. Good luck to whoever Ango sent to check on this mess. And Dazai was confident the Special Abilities Department was going to get involved, because this was a very public killing]

There may be more casualties if they figure us out.

[That, he murmured in reply before guiding Bedivere to a barrier clearly marked 'No Entry' that led down the tunnel. If the woman was a Servant, it was in their best interest to assume that she and her master might be in the vicinity and watching the commotion from someplace else. As much as he itched to investigate the scene, he'd rather not risk civilians.

That didn't mean he was out of options, however, and he texted Atsushi to check the news. Kunikida would figure it out from there.

Once they were in the tunnel, he'd ask while looking for the other exit:] What are the chances a Servant would act without or defy their Master's orders?

[Welp, time to go down the no entry hole- okay I can't make that joke yet.

Bedivere followed after Dazai though, staying close and keeping an eye out for anyone who might have looked in their direction. Dazai was right, if they got involved then civilians could have died. But he was curious as to what caused that mess. It did sound like a servant, most people didn't use bladed weapons in this day and age. But who was it? And what class?

Bedivere ran through the possibilities in his mind. It wasn't a Saber, as he was Saber. Assassins carried blades, but they would have gone unnoticed. Berserkers also had blades, but there would have been more deaths if it was a Berserker. Archer and Caster didn't fit, and Rider probably wouldn't fit. That left Lancer.

he had to think for a while to figure out what female Lancers there were. But as he tried to think, Dazai's question distracted him.]

It depends on the servant's temperament. I am a Knight, and it would take a lot for me to disobey an order. But a famous pirate, or a rather strong-willed person? They would act without permission, yes. Even if we are Servants, we still have some free will.

[SoonTM]

I see. Then, we're looking at two main possibilities if a Servant's the culprit: either they thought the person they killed caused offense, or their Master ordered it to see who'd come looking.

[They found the exit soon enough, usually used by the maintenance workers. The ladder rungs were easy enough to climb out of even in the dim lamp light]

Mind going into spirit form for a while? This leads to a street near the train station.

[What he wasn't about to say was that incoming traffic's probably stopped because of the incident, and he'd have an easier time coming up with excuses on why, exactly, he chose to pop up in the middle of the road.

Assuming traffic did stop and he got out with little problems, he'd make a show of being disappointed with yet another failed suicide attempt and maybe flirt with a visibly offended driver if they were cute before heading back to the sidewalk.

Now, for an important question: was there anyone watching as began his trek to the Agency?]

Of course, Master.

[Bedivere, the fool he was, didn't think Dazai meant it would lead literally to the street. So he went into spirit form, and he fought very hard to stay in spirit form as he watched Dazai poke up out of the street from a hole in the ground. The car in front of him had to slam on its brakes to not hit him, and the flustered driver only got more flustered when Dazai flirted with her.

It was hard to tell if someone was watching him, because that 'someone' was being careful about it. But if he was paying attention, he would notice a blonde-haired woman outside, a fair distance from the train station but still within sight of it. She didn't move to get Dazai's attention, but her eyes did follow him, and it was a safe bet that her feet would follow him too.

Would Dazai lead her back to the Agency? Or would he take a different path?]

[Whoops. Sorry driver lady. Did complimenting her on her heart-stopping beauty make up for the distress?

But no, he couldn't linger too long - there were too many people around, which also made it difficult to tell if he was being followed.

If his stalker made herself obvious by, say, being caught on those mirrors hanging above several crossroads as the crowd thinned out, Dazai would make a detour to a shopping district to lose her. Doubly so if her clothes stood out or if Bedivere noticed someone following them and gave some sort of signal, should that be possible in his spirit form. If Dazai had the misfortune of not seeing her, he'd be back at Agency and have Bedivere materialize at the stairwell.]

[It flustered her more, but she was sure the compliments were an apology of sorts. She would just go about her day after that with an interesting story to tell.

The woman following Dazai wasn't trying to be obvious, but she really, really stuck out in Yokohama. Bright blonde hair, a height a few inches taller than most women (thanks both to her European genetics and her high heels), and she was dressed in pinks and reds. It was hard not to notice her, even if she wasn't trying to be noticed. So yes, Dazai would see her in those mirrors.

To the shopping district, then? Bedivere hadn't noticed anything unusual yet, but a tall blonde woman wasn't quite as strange to him as it would be in Japan.]

[Shopping district it was!

Dazai wove between people, picking crowded spots when he could. Setting the possibility that she was another Master aside, her overall appearance and the fact that she wasn't hiding indicated confidence. Being discovered might not bother her, for all that she looked like a non-combatant, and the latter was questionable when Abilities were involved.

Humming in thought, Dazai slipped into a discount store, and hopefully her line of sight was blocked by the crowd he just squeezed through. He grabbed an olive green coat and a cap on the way to the back of the store, hiding behind the tall shelves and shrugging into the coat as he walked.

Would she follow him here? If so, he'd have to make his way to the employee exit.]

[She did indeed follow him into the store, but the coat and cap were a good idea. The quick change in looks was enough for her to not catch sight of Dazai, and she assumed he had ducked out through an employee exit or something. If Dazai didn't immediately duck out the back, she would go right past him instead of catching him. Safety! For now, at least.]

[He waited, leaving a few bills near the register for the owner to find. Going out the back as soon as she entered was too conspicuous. Heck, he also thought she'd check the dressing rooms first, but if she was busy heading in the opposite direction as him, Dazai would smoothly leave the store and trace his steps back to the Agency.]

Saber. [A murmur, barley audible in the crowd once he was out of the shopping district. He only stopped for him to materialize in a narrow alley a few blocks away, just before he could cross the street to enter the Agency building. He spared a glance at the Uzumaki's window seats - any newcomers there?] That woman. Was she with anyone?

[Good call, because Bedivere was absolutely materializing immediately once called. He was nothing if not loyal and obedient.]

Not that I saw. But I could sense magic on her, she is likely another Master. Though she likely isn't a mage, given how she missed you entirely instead of just tracking your magic signature.

Speaking of which, we need to figure out what to do about that. Your magical signature is very unique, and once the mages figure out you're a Master it will be very easy for them to find you.

[Well, first time he's heard that!

The temptation to make a tease out of it was there, but Dazai could refrain from making Bedivere blush too badly until they got the necessary updates out of the way.]

Describe it to me: how is my energy different from theirs? For that matter, is every magical signature unique, and if so are there ways of hiding it?

[Thankfully, the elevator was otherwise empty when they reached it. Dazai pressed the appropriate floor button.]

I'm aware you aren't a mage, but if you've come across something in your travels, that would be helpful.

[Luckily, with nobody watching from the cafe, the trip up to the Agency was a safe one. And while they were in the elevator, Bedivere elaborated on what he had said before.]

It might be best to think of magic as similar to a fighting style. If you train under a master swordsman, your style will be like his. Likewise, your magic reflects what you do with it.

But with you, it's like there is a negative space around you where magic doesn't exist. But that area is very small and localized, so it's easy to tell that you're the one at the center of it.

[Emptiness, in other words. Dazai couldn't say he was surprised.]

I'm afraid we're out of luck, unless we find something that sticks like these. [He waved his bandaged hand before slipping it back in his pocket once the elevator doors opened to the third floor.] Perhaps there are artefacts out there that will grant me a similar effect so we can play pretend, but I don't think we have that much time to go on an extra goose chase.

[With a raised eyebrow, he glanced at Bedivere once they reached the Agency, a hand on the latch. Ready?]

Well, we can try something that might work.

[He held up his left hand, offering it out to Dazai.]

Normally mana goes from the Master to the Servant, but I might be able to send some of the mana back to you, albeit changed from being within me. That might cancel out the void effect of your presence?

It's easier to exchange mana through touch, so take my hand for a moment. We can test it.

[What Bedivere didn't know was that Kunikida was not far from the door, and would be opening it within the next ten seconds. He was about to go out for lunch, actually. The timing was just perfect that Kunikida would be able to see the hand-holding, if Dazai did take Bedivere's hand.]

Sure.

[Working out the mechanics of that was distracting enough for Dazai to focus on feeling out Bedivere's palm on his once their fingers met. Should he expect a jolt of energy? Absolutely nothing? How was Bedivere's metal arm even going to look?

Whatever did end up happening, of course, was something he might have to put off until later, because Kunikida just opened the door and. Whoops?]

Kunikida-kun! [Here, a million watt smile. Two people blocking the doorway with what might've looked like the beginning of a serious handholding session? Absolutely normal.] You can't pass until you guess the password.

[This was a slight improvement: he would've joked about playing London Bridge if Bedivere's prosthetic was still functional.]

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