PSL (closed)

[1stknight]

[Honestly, being summoned was quite the surprise to Bedivere. Being a saber, he knew he was at a disadvantage. After all, there were so many more sabers even just from the Round Table who were much more famous, so surely they would have been summoned over him. In fact, he was sure it had happened countless times before. That one master he had met, the one from Chaldea, they had spoken of singularities and grail wars to span several worlds and timelines. And with so many fine Sabers to choose from, he was sure that he hadn't ever been summoned before. The short time between the 'creation of his legend' and 'now' notwithstanding.

It made him feel a touch inadequate, if he was being truthful. After all, he was a simple knight. The master who had summoned him, he deserved better than someone like him. But if he was the one who was summoned, then he would fulfill his duty to this new master. Nothing would be done in half-steps, never again.

So as his form solidified in the summoning circle, Bedivere offered his new master a warm smile. Once again, his life was sworn to someone else's. Whatever his master wished for, Bedivere would help him achieve it.]

Saber, Bedivere. I am honored to be summoned by you. From now on, I shall be your Servant.

['I am honored to be summoned at all' was the truth, but he didn't speak that.

Then he paused, and he took a survey of the situation. The summoning circle was expertly made, but this man in front of him...well. He didn't look like a mage. He looked like a normal person. Perhaps it was a disguise? Or maybe there was more to this situation than he could see immediately. He would have to wait for his new master to respond in order to find out more.]

Comments

[1stknight]

[Bedivere was still finishing up his meal as they talked, so Dazai would have time to make his phone call. As he was dialing, Bedivere hummed in agreement to his statements. Grail wars in general were never great, and a goal of 'surviving' was usually the best course of action. Don't count on wishes you might not get, or something like that.

Kunikida was indeed still at work, and he sounded irritable as he answered.]

What is it, Dazai?

[neverwashere]

[A very wise course of action.]

Yo, Kunikida-kun. Has the laptop melted yet from your Ultra Stressed Megane Beam?

[Looking like a kid that made off with a few sweets from the jar hidden on a high shelf, he held his phone away a few inches away from his ear. Juuuuuust in case.]

[1stknight]

It hasn't! And if it did, whose fault would that be? SOMEONE decided to not come back and finish his paperwork tonight, so now I have to do it!

[That's why Kunikida was so vexed by Dazai that night. If paperwork was left behind, he would stay there and make sure it got finished. He was hungry and tired but wouldn't give in until the work was done.

Dazai was wise to hold his phone away from his face, though. Kunikida was always very loud.]

[neverwashere]

[Kunikida was always so reliable, down to his reactions!

Dazai hummed without a trace of guilt as he placed the phone back to his ear, sparing a glance at Bedivere's direction (yep, this was the kind of guy you were now stuck with, good luck)]

Now, now, no need to be cranky: weren't you the one who wrote 'overtime' in your notebook?

In any case, it's best for you and the other person still there to sit tight. I heard a very interesting ghost story that really can't wait until tomorrow, and it's best shared in person.

[The mere fact that Dazai was willing to step into the office at this hour was telling.]

[1stknight]

[Kunikida's next reaction was just as reliable. For all he complained about Dazai ditching work, he was also good at understanding Dazai's double-talk. Something that 'really couldn't wait until tomorrow' was definitely of interest, and likely related to the case Dazai had been sent out on earlier. So the shouting immediately died down to an even voice, and his response treated Dazai's words carefully.]

Understood. We'll be waiting for you.

[He was constantly annoyed by Dazai, but he also trusted Dazai too. Such was the way of partners.]

[neverwashere]

[Aww Kunikida, you do like him!]

See you!

[The cheerful note he ended that call with was probably misleading given the topic at hand. Ah, well.]

Looks like I'll be introducing you to a few more people tonight.

Would you be able to bring out your blade later as a form of demonstration? I'd ask you to make a surprise entrance just to prove a point, but those two can be... twitchy.

[He wasn't insulting them at all: both Fukuzawa and Kunikida's reaction times were as impeccable as their reputations. Having Bedivere at sword point wasn't a great thing for this particular meet-and-greet.]

[1stknight]

['Like' was a strong word to use there, and better suited for someone like Atsushi.

When Dazai ended the call, though, Bedivere had a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Though he hadn't heard Kunikida's words exactly, he had heard the tone there, and that told him enough about how Dazai interacted with his co-workers.]

I could summon it in its sheathe, so that it isn't taken as a threat. Or I could change my clothing to my armor too, I can do that with the small bit of magic I have. Would either of those work?

[He was assuming Dazai's co-workers would be getting the whole story, so secrecy wasn't needed. Dazai would have to correct him on that point.]

[neverwashere]

Hmm. [He rubbed his chin. So that's why the armor disappeared earlier.] In that case, you can change into your armor without the sword.

[Bedivere's clothing didn't bear any form of insignia, and the lack of a visible weapon meant they weren't adding unnecessary tension. Moreover, no one in the Agency's regular staff was an expert in European Medieval armor design. Yes, that was a safe way of going about it - Dazai didn't plan on revealing Bedivere's True Name, and he could bet on Ranpo figuring out why keeping silent about it was the best course of action for his personal health.]

Let me do the talking unless I ask you to elaborate on something, hmm? It's best that they only know the gist of the situation and how it overlaps with our usual work.

[Y'know the part about Dazai becoming even more of a target because of the grail war? Yeah, no, he wasn't going to mention the increase of death threats about to come his way.]

[1stknight]

[Transforming just into his armor was fine by Bedivere. The fact that Dazai wasn't going to give the full truth, though? Even to his allies? That was surprising. Bedivere listened to the explanation, but he still had a raised eyebrow by the end of it.]

Are you sure that's wise? If these are your allies, then it might benefit us if they know the truth. Especially since this situation could be dangerous to them as well.

[neverwashere]

[He meaningfully placed his right hand on the table.]

My ability is absolute when it comes to countering others - something you've experienced for yourself. [In other words: receiving a physical mark of what should've been an ability-based contact was highly irregular.] They'll work out the rest for themselves. We can't be held accountable for any actions they choose to undertake independently.

[Dazai was an interloper in this situation: he wasn't the Master those other families were expecting.

Besides, Fukuzawa and Kunikida would be familiar with Dazai's terrible habit of not disclosing the full story. That much should become apparent in their later discussion.

Those two layers, of course, didn't address Dazai's reluctance in mentioning that his own death might be seen as a win condition for the other parties involved. Sure, a conflict like this was far from his preferred way to die, and a chance to revive Odasaku - his deepest, most selfish wish that outweighed everything else - was actually a good incentive for him to keep breathing.

Rather, this was simply how he'd become used to operating. The Agency's policy of operating in pairs might have helped him improve, but it was a hard pattern to shake off.]

[1stknight]

That sounds suspiciously like "someone is going to do something stupid and I don't want them to have enough information to get hurt."

[He. He knew that type of person, ok? Bedivere's comment came from a place of understanding, even if he didn't quite agree with Dazai's methods.

(Likewise, he wouldn't agree with some of Dazai's personality quirks, once he found out about them.)

Soon Bedivere's bowl was empty, and he sat it down on the table. He wouldn't ask for more, even though the food made him feel warm.]

Is it time, then?

[neverwashere]

[He burst out laughing - how delightfully blunt!]

Would its degree of stupidity matter if it all works out in the end?

[That, right there, was a mark of how Dazai had somewhat mellowed out: if his teenage self were here, that boy would be vastly irritated with such a glib response.

After settling the check - this wasn't a place he had a tab at, and today was a special occasion - Dazai stood up and gestured at the door.]

Shall we?

[Walking to the Agency wouldn't take much time. As expected, only few of the lights were turned on, and Dazai poked his head through the doorway.]

Knock knock.

[1stknight]

I don't know, you're the one deciding to withhold information. Does it matter?

[Despite turning Dazai's words back around on him, Bedivere still was smiling. That smile turned much more polite by the time they reached the Agency, however. For as much bluntness as he could give his master, he was still a gentleman, and he would behave properly when meeting new people.

Kunikida and Fukuzawa were the only two remaining in the office at that hour. Even the secretaries had gone home for the day by then. Kunikida was busy brewing some tea for everyone to drink, though he had only prepared three cups for the time being. He hadn't known Dazai would be bringing a guest.]

There you are! What's with you, taking your time to get here?

[neverwashere]

Showing him around.

[Before Kunikida could complain about Bedivere's presence, Dazai held up the packet of documents he retrieved from the mage. This, he placed on the table once they were both in the office, and gestured at Bedivere.]

Saber here was kind enough to explain why someone might be drawing complex magic circles using chicken blood in abandoned buildings. [Did someone find the body yet? Or did the other participants get to it first? If it was the former, the report was likely to be sent straight to the Agency.] Did you both know that someone's hunting for the Holy Grail right under our noses?

[He looked at Fukuzawa as he mentioned the last part. Hi Boss. Surprise?

[1stknight]

[Both men gave Dazai a confused look. They believed him, neither man thought that Dazai would lie about work like that, especially not when it involved bringing someone else in. Unless this was some massive 5-D chess move to trap his guest in something, he was probably being honest. But they both had absolutely no idea what Dazai was talking about when he said 'holy grail.'

Well. They knew OF the Holy Grail, in the sense of 'it's a story from bible times'. But other than that, they knew nothing.

Fukuzawa was quiet and listened, as he usually did. He nodded to Kunikida, who turned to Dazai to start asking questions. His notebook and pen were out and ready to go too.]

Someone is doing cult-like rituals in Yokohama in hopes of finding this 'Holy Grail'? Surely you have more information than that.

[Bedivere had all the information on that, but he stayed quiet, just as Dazai had instructed. He would trust his master here.]

[neverwashere]

[Honestly, Dazai's penchant for building up a good story could be blamed for that intro. Sure, this was actually a serious situation once he got over the sense of absurdity that came with landing himself in this situation, but they weren't yet at the point that he needed to skip the small pleasantries.]

The human participants normally consist of mages, or so I'm told. Ordinarily, we might be able to mistake their magic as an ability to summon heroic spirits from the past. Imagine my surprise when the original owner of those documents made that circle glow before dying of exhaustion and... well. See for yourself.

[He unraveled the bandages covering his right hand. Lookit - a fancy new tattoo!]

There should be six other circles in the area unless their makers erased them. All seven participating pairs are meant to fight over the Holy Grail, which can grant one a single wish.

[That last part should sound familiar to Kunikida and Fukuzawa, even if the object was different.

While he held his hand up for their inspection, he glanced at Bedivere.]

Come to think of it - are there actually any restrictions for that? Because I'd hate to think that one day, I could wake up to a world where dinosaurs existed in this day and age and be utterly unaware that things were originally different.

this is so weird to be playing them both

[1stknight]

[Yeah, that mark definitely got their attention. Kunikida even grabbed for Dazai's hand, so he could look at the mark more closely. He would have accused Dazai of getting a tattoo, but tattoos didn't glow.

Bedivere did tense up when Kunikida moved, though. He didn't have his sword to draw, but his hand twitched like it was going for a sword at his side. And in response, Fukuzawa's eyes narrowed, and he placed his own hand on his sword. Bedivere saw that movement, and he relented, relaxing his hand. He had to trust Dazai, he reminded himself. Even if he didn't know these people, Dazai trusted them.

That whole exchange took a couple seconds tops, and Kunikida definitely missed it because he was busy trying to stare at Dazai's markings.]

Ah...not as far as I know of, no. The winner of the Grail War could ask for anything. Though technically it grants two wishes, since the winning servant and master both get a wish.

[Fukuzawa was still on guard, and his eyes were on Bedivere. But after a moment, he spoke.]

Three circles have been reported in this city. One of them is likely the one you encountered, which leaves two other ones found.

v different energy

[neverwashere]

Hah. Yes, that's true.

[Dazai could guess where Bedivere had placed his hand. Even if he knew that his new companion wouldn't cut him down, it was still oddly comforting to know how Fukuzawa was prepared to strike.

...truly, he was fortunate to have found such reliable people.

Now, if Kunikida was done committing his callouses to memory, Dazai would like to take his hand back now. Had it been anyone else, Dazai would've tried to communicate with a glance that there wasn't a need to be this tense around Bedivere, but he knew that Fukuzawa would prefer to come to his own conclusions about that.]

Then four more have either yet to be summoned, or the ritual was done in private.

Whatever the case, it's conventionally disadvantageous for a spirit to betray the person they're contracted to. [This was also a reminder to himself given that enticing a valued asset to switch sides was a valid tactic during conflict. If there was any loophole to accommodate this in the grail war, he wasn't aware of it.] I should also mention that while the scale for potential collateral damage is still an unknown until we find out who we're up against, there's no accounting for desperation.

[1stknight]

[Dazai could have his hand back. Kunikida was still puzzling over the marks, though, and he drew a sketch of Dazai's hand with the marks on it to commit it to memory.]

Summoning, and strange marks...are you saying that Saber here is what was summoned?

[Upon saying that, Kunikida glanced to Bedivere. The young man certainly didn't look like anything special. But with a strange name like that, he had to be hiding something.

Bedivere, for his part, waited to let Dazai answer that question.]

[neverwashere]

Yep.

[Back the bandages went to his hand! And while that was going on, he nodded at Bedivere.]

Mind changing back to your armor?

[1stknight]

Of course.

[Look, he even left the 'master' off that time!

Though the change back to his previous armor did end up being a bit flashy. Literally. There was definitely a bright flash of light in the Agency office, which was probably extremely noticeable at night. Whoops.

But it dissipated after a few seconds, leaving Bedivere standing there in his armor, with his silver arm visible.

Kunikida had scrambled back as soon as the light show had started, but Fukuzawa stood firm, watching it all without turning away. Though once it was done, both men were left staring in wonder at Bedivere.

And then, slowly, they both turned their heads to look at Dazai. Explanation plz?]

[neverwashere]

[He clapped with the smugness of a magician who just pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Never mind that he didn't actually do any work.

Time for a few introductions!]

Fukuzawa-sachou, Kunikida-kun. He'll be going by the name 'Ellis' outside of this room.

[Smile, smile. Not the immediate explanation they were looking for, and he briefly touched Bedivere's shoulder. It felt odd given the height difference.]

No Longer Human won't make him disappear. He probably doesn't have the alternative form of a twenty-foot eldritch squid, although my ability messes with his very decorative arm.

As you may have already guessed, he's a genuine knight in shiny armor, complete with an honorable disposition that'll make him popular with the elderly, kids, and fragile egos. Given the circumstances, he'll have to accompany me until this Grail War has reached its conclusion.

[Here, he looked at Fukuzawa with a silent request for permission.]

[1stknight]

...it feels like you're teasing me...

[That was all Bedivere said in the moment, though. He could tell this was an appeal to authority, and he wasn't about to ruin Dazai's chances at whatever approval he was looking to get. But he still had to point that out, because while everything Dazai said was true, it still did feel like he was being teased.

Fukuzawa, meanwhile, took his time to consider the options. This was far, far beyond anything the Agency had ever come across before. Some magic ritual for a relic that could grant wishes? People being summoned to fight for that purpose? It all sounded like danger for the city, and Fukuzawa was inclined to think that it was a problem too large for the Agency on their own.

But who could he go to for assistance? A free, unconditional wish was a powerful motivator. Anyone he might have thought of to ask for help would be tempted to go for that wish. No, there was no help to be had, not even from the government. They would need to shut this down, and quietly.

So finally, Fukuzawa nodded to Dazai.]

Understood. We will take this case, then. Our goal will be to end this 'Grail War' as quickly as possible, with the fewest number of casualties that we can manage.

[neverwashere]

[Waiting for Fukuzawa's reply was a very convenient excuse to not answer Bedivere. If anything, Dazai looked suspiciously innocent.

They did get that approval, though, and he dipped his head in acknowledgment.]

Of course, sachou.

['Thank you,' his tone said. Minimizing the collateral damage was already a given.]

Now, do you have any questions for Saber? And, Saber - anything you'd like to add?

[1stknight]

Just that I plan to be by your side throughout all of this, and I will keep you safe. Grail Wars can be dangerous, though, so it is for the best to be discreet.

[Of course a knight would insist on protecting their Master. He was too good to not.

But the fact that he could make such declarations with a straight face said a lot about him. Fukuzawa wasn't sure if he was impressed or bemused.]

No questions for now. We're going to run this where the Grail War is primarily your duty, Dazai-kun. Call on the Agency as you need help, but until the resources are needed, we will act as if we are not involved. That way the others underestimate your capabilities, if they discover who you are.