His dull silver eyes witnessed the scene clearly as the vapor vanished into the air. A feeling that had long ago been lost in the abyss of his heart rumbled. Toru felt the thrill of seeing a being that was believed to be a simple myth materialize in front of him. Wearing golden shining armor with royal blue details, the man whose hair was the color of the sun raised like a burning flame looked at Tokiomi with his blood red eyes and a smug expression on his perfect face.
"Are you the disgusting dog who dared to summon me under this most pitiful kind? Are you, a worm that crawls on the earth, the one who has the honor of being my Master?"
Tokiomi bowed very respectfully despite the gratuitous insults the Shining Armor Spirit gave her.
"That's right, King of Kings"
Toru raised his eyebrows in confusion. It is true that, as he remembered, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, was someone arrogant, and to some extent an imbecile, but this believed personality was not so exaggerated, or at least that was the Gilgamesh of the books that Toru knew.
"Hm..."
Gilgamesh, Archer class, looked at the surroundings with an annoyed expression.
"This place is deplorable. It looks like a stray dog's lair. To imagine that I would be summoned in such a place..."
Archer looked at Tokiomi and frowned. He was upset that he had not been invoked in a place that he himself considers worthy of his greatness. He took a step forward and narrowed his eyes when he saw someone hiding in the shadows. Toru realized that Archer was watching him so he came out of hiding. Even so, Archer only saw Toru's existence the same as that of an ant, that is, even though he was in front of him, he didn't even take it into account.
"Your name, you scoundrel"
Archer said. Tosaka nodded before replying with his name. With this, the pact is sealed, making it clear that now Kirei is definitely the Master of the legendary Gilgamesh. However, the arrogant Gilgamesh was not going to follow anyone's orders, that was obvious considering the attitude with which he arrived.
At the same time, Toru's mind went into conflict. This Gilgamesh was not what he expected. Only with such a disgusting attitude did Toru couldn't even take him seriously. Even so, the appearance of this being was something that had him in doubt. He looked nothing like how humanity portrayed him in carved sculptures. Although in the end that's the least of it. Toru wanted to know if the story of this Gilgamesh was similar to the one he knows.
'Anyway. I don't like dealing with people like that. It's better than not getting involved at the moment'
With this thought, Toru dematerialized disappearing from Kirei's sight, who said absolutely nothing so as not to ruin the situation he is already in.
***
Disappointment... there was no other way to explain what Toru felt when he saw Gilgamesh. However, it's not like he can just say it out loud either. To do so would only be to show himself as the biggest hypocrite in the history of the Shinobi World and any other version of planet earth. He thought about the time he was running away from the shinobi of his village, when he was undoubtedly an arrogant one due to the confused feelings he felt after leaving the place where he lived for twelve years.
'Were my expectations too high?'
It was normal to think about that. Right now, looking out the window with a glass of wine, Toru let out a melancholy sigh. To win this war he will have to team up with Archer, the Servant of Tokiomi. Well... Toru was never one to fight as a team unless the situation warranted it.
'Is it even possible to work as a team with such a person?'
He didn't know it, but he could sense that it would be impossible to join forces with Archer.
'Hm... now the taste of wine is not as good as before'
With his wine ruined by the constant heavy thoughts, Toru drank what was left in the glass in one gulp. He looked at the empty cup after that. He looked at the cup carefully and narrowed his eyes.
[You're a cup that's about to be filled]
Some voice in some dark place uttered those words. There was no way for Toru to hear that voice, but he definitely felt a chill running through his entire body. He shook his head gently and set the glass aside. Right now, Archer must be talking to Tokiomi and Kirei, while this depressing Servant watches out the window in silence, thinking over and over about various things that will soon raise his stress.
-On the other side of Fuyuki-
Bam... bam... Bam! A metal door was sent down from which a burly man with reddish hair and beard came out. He had a couple of books in his hands as he left what appeared to be a library. In front of him, a scrawny young boy grabbed his hair after seeing what this barbarian did. His name is Waver Velvet.
"If you dematerialized just to get in, why not do it also to get out?"
Said the boy. The man, a Rider class Servant, shook his head at Waver's lack of analytical interest in the situation.
"If I had, I wouldn't have been able to get this out"
Rider responded by showing the books he checked out from the library. Waver, for his part, just sighed accepting all this. He grabbed the books and fled the scene as Rider vanished wrapped in a faint golden wake.
Once he was sure that no one was watching him, Waver opened one of the books wondering why Rider wanted these books. Rider reappeared behind the boy and took the book from him mentioning that books are maps of the world.
Rider intended to take over the world once more. However, he realized that the world was smaller than it seemed. At that time when he led his subjects, the world seemed to be bigger than it really was.
Everyone has their own desires. Rider wants to return to his glory days conquering territories and living the good life of a true King while Waver just wants to be recognized by the people in the Clock Tower.
Rider found Waver's wish rather stupid. No one would use an object as powerful as the Holy Grail for such stupidity! Or that's how Rider thought. In the end, they both returned to their guard, which was the hunt for a couple of kind old people.
-Tōsaka family mansion-
It had been a few hours since Archer had been summoned. Right now Toru, looking out the big window of Tokiomi's empty office, is going through one of the most difficult tests of his life.
Putting up with Archer's asshole…
"You look like an abandoned and injured dog. No, you're much less than that. An Assassin. There can be no kind of Servant more despicable than yours."
Said the King. Toru was already used to insults so there was no problem in that. A person who thinks he's the king of the world... what an annoying attitude. It bothers Toru to a certain extent, but he could take it.
"I am not capable of understanding the reasoning of a king, because I have never had that talent for leading people. Your words can be your point of view about me. I respect that. Different people's points of view will always be different. Besides, I know your story. The great Gilgamesh, son of a goddess and a priest. The world received you for what you are, a king."
Archer raised an eyebrow curiously.
'It seems that this dog does not have the reasoning of a dog...'
He found it curious and to some extent disgusting. He could see it in Assassin's eyes. There were a lot of experiences in that look. Life is made up of experiences, be they good or bad. Toru's experiences can be considered bad, yes, but in the end it is those experiences that brought him back as a Heroic Spirit.
"That's a good conclusion"
Archer admitted that.
"But..."
The edge of a sword grazed the back of Toru's neck. There is something shiny behind it.
"When did I give you permission to even speak to me?"
Toru looked at Archer with the active Shigan.
"It's normal to think that when a person speaks to you, you should follow their lead. At least that's normal."
Archer closed his eyes and turned around. The light behind Toru disappeared along with the feeling of that sharp sword.
"Those eyes. And of the highest degree. A myth for many. A treasure that I don't have. It's a shame to see that those eyes are glued to a dog's face"
He was curious. An Assassin with Mystical Eyes of the highest degree. What is the skill that those eyes possess? Archer wanted to know, but his pride forced him to wait for the dog next to him to tell him. Although he could already guess what it was about.
Still, Toru wasn't going to tell him anything.
'If he hadn't activated the Shigan... I would have died...'
Indeed. If Toru had not shown his eyes, Gilgamesh would not have seen him as something interesting and would have killed him upon witnessing his insolence before a king like him. In Archer's mind, Assassin has evolved from a Rational Dog to a Buffoon who will serve him for his entertainment.
"I'll let it pass for this time. From now on I'm interested to know what a buffoon like you will do in this war. Mind you, I will not allow you to put your ridiculous hands on my Grail. I have already claimed that treasure as mine. From now on, anything of value in this world will also be my property."
Toru nodded silently.
"I really don't understand the kings way of thinking"
Archer smiled proudly at himself.
"There's no need for you to understand. You just have to keep being a buffoon. Nothing else after that matters. That will be your place now that I have set foot in this new world."
"Hm... okay..."
Toru returned his gaze to the window. Archer, on the other hand, vanished into thin air completely disappearing after looking at Assassin over his shoulder one last time.
'He can act independently just like me'
Independent action. Some kind of Servants have that ability by default. Archer and Assassin are proof of that.
'Hm...'
Feeling the currents of mana around him, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He could perceive specific disturbances in the mana of the air, but this could be either a false alarm, or that there are people spying on them.
'Yes... they are spying on us. I have to be careful from now on. I have to stay hidden'
Toru also began to fade into thin air.
'I'm sorry, Archer. But it will be I who will take the Holy Grail in his hands. And for this, I will need to use the right means at the right time. For now I will continue to act under Kirei-sama's orders'
-Somewhere in the world-
A young girl with golden hair and emerald green eyes stared at the moonlight in silence. As she looked at the sky, she remembered her torturous past. She closed her eyes tightly. She could still hear the shouts of the knights and the different metal weapons clashing. Her breathing trembled for a moment, but then she clenched her fists and the expression on her face changed.
She wanted to fulfill her wish. She wanted to fix all the chaos she caused.
"Not long to go..."
She said. However, the sudden presence of a person interrupted her moment of reflection.
"Irisviel. Can't you sleep?"
"The truth is that I'm a little nervous. But don't worry, Saber. I'll get some water and go back to bed."
Irisviel left to Know alone. She could only see that woman whose fate is just as tragic as those gentlemen who followed her so much.
'It's frustrating...'
To be Continued…