Bazett walked up the hill leading to the Fuyuki City Church with a stern air about her, fists clenched and eyes focused, her short hair swayed about in the breeze enhanced by the elevated terrain.. Trees stood tall on both sides but the path was paved, similar to a road most certainly because the Church was a short distance away from the wealthy district, Miyama Town, dotted with mansions belonging to the high-class denizens of the modern city.
Aston kept annoying her about his instincts telling him something was about to go wrong and Bazett would be a failure of a magus if she disregarded the words of a servant.
"So you battled the Roman invaders, what about your King?" To distract him from his constant alarm, Bazett brought up the one thing she noted the servant would no doubt latch onto.. It was also curiosity, what could really outdo genocide?
"Ah that.." Aston recognised his Master's poor attempt at distraction but entertained her regardless, "My King crushed the Saxons who oppressed the common folk, battled giants, was hailed as a Dragon given form, brought to heel the tyrant Vortigern, saved nations, won against a Dragon and propelled Britain into an era of progress and prosperity.."
It was only when Bazett knocked her hand on the metal gates to the compound the impressive Church was in that the Lancer realised he'd gone off on a tangent and coughed embarrassedly, averting his gaze.
"Yet his era ended in rebellion, with the destruction of his kingdom and he ordered countless atrocities." Bazett remarked thoughtfully, inwardly sighing at the loyalty Aston displayed for someone who had time and time again ordered him to do that which went against all he ever stood for.
Aston answered his master with complete silence, he had no way to reply to the facts, no way to deny them... He himself had destroyed their own villages so they wouldn't have to cede them to invaders upon Artoria's orders, "It's all Merlin's fault. My King was a kind, gentle and hardworking individual that grew to hate herself for all she had to do, yet still seemed to fail." The servant, for the first time since his summoning, took his spiritual form.
There was something off about the priest contacting them out of nowhere and he would get to the bottom of it.
"Wait, she?" Bazett stopped walking, looking back incredulously only to find her servant gone, "I guess he didn't like that." She muttered to herself before pushing open the wooden doors to the Church.
"Greetings, it has been a while." Tall, well-built but with an ominous aura about him and dull eyes that nullified his attractiveness, that was one way to describe Kirei Kotomine.
A Church Executioner of the highest class, incredibly competent and the overseer of the Holy Grail War about to begin in the city, ordered to ensure that all the rules of the war were properly observed and masters who'd lost their servants were granted sanctum. He had taken up residence in this city after the tragedy from ten years ago that saw a significant part of it reduced to cinders.
Bazett had worked with him several times and found him to be good company. Which was why she momentarily forgot her servant's warnings and walked down the red carpet, past the well arranged pews, "Kirei, it is good to see you in good health." She maintained her professionalism but it was easy to notice the woman was quite elated.
The moonlight coming through the tall windows and illuminating the unlit Church made for a mysterious air as Kirei walked to one of the pews, holding a book, presumably the Bible, in his left hand. His robes fluttered from the movement and a strange smile crossed his face.
"It appears all seven masters are yet to summon their servants." He used the truth to distract the woman walking past him.
"That's strange, I thought i-"
Bazett put a hand on her chin and crossed the other under her chest, a thoughtful look formed across her stoic face. Her trust for a comrade in arms was what made her put her guard down and it was what made her too slow to react when the priest jerked his right hand, raising it to the ceiling before bringing it down.
EXCEPT,
"Hu-..?!"
No sooner than he'd brought down his hand in a chopping motion did the priest find himself launched across the Church, crashing and tumbling through pews that broke under his weight and newfound momentum. Kirei only stopped when his face, along with his body, met the white coloured wall of the building he called home.
"The thing about being fast is, you don't miss much. My Master, I trust this will be a growing experience for you.. Admittedly, I did not think you so immature to fall for perhaps the oldest trick in the book."
The priest found a knight in dark armour staring down at him, possibly smiling through his helmet. He spotted no weaponry on his person but knew he was facing a servant, "H-How?" Kirei coughed out blood as he gasped for air, his chest had crumpled under the sudden strike.
Aston tilted his head to the side, "What sort of incompetence would I need to let my Master be caught by surprise?" His strongest aspect was his agility, it'd be a stain on his reputation if he let the one he served fall to a surprise attack, "Out of curiosity, is it a universal thing for priests to have children locked under their basements?"
"...What?" Bazett was still in the middle of processing what had just happened, "Why are you attacking Kirei?!"
"Huh.." Aston paused for a moment before looking at her incredulously, "Did you perhaps fail to notice he was about to chop off your arm, my Master? As I thought, I must heal your eyesight." That or she was messing with him, "Are you perhaps attempting humour? If so.." The servant cleared his throat, "Ha ha ha ha ha..." He laughed awkwardly to save his master the embarrassment.
"Kirei, why would you?" Bazett's voice openly conveyed her hurt, understandable considering Kirei had been one of the few people she thought of as friends and trusted, "Do you at least have a reason for attempting this?"
The Executioner didn't quite get the chance to respond, cut off by an armoured hand grabbing him by his jaw and raising him into the air, "Answer the question, priest." Aston wanted to cut him down for his insolence. To attack a knight's master was to ask for death, reasons mattered not in the face of loyalty or rather, that was all the reason he needed.
"I-"
"Mongrels."
Kirei was once again cut off, this time however by half a dozen blowing through the Church walls, headed straight for both Bazett and Aston.
The latter prioritised the safety of the one who sustained his continued existence and dropped the priest, drawing his spear and cutting down the few weapons headed for a shocked Bazett all within the same instant.
"HuhahahHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Arrogant laughter echoed throughout the building as Aston stood over Bazett, spear in his left hand held out to the side. He was ready to respond to any sort of attack, "I do believe it is a matter of pride to declare one's name before a battle."
"A mere dog wagging it's tail for a woman has no right to my name, mongrel." A young man walked in through the destroyed doors of the Church, a hand at his waist and an amused smile on his face, "Especially not one such as yourself, so much afforded to you yet all you have ever done is obey another. How laughable." Golden hair, scarlet eyes and a face enough to make anyone do a double take, that was how Aston perceived the servant.
"It elates me that my identity is known to even the common folk of this age." Aston's muffled voice seemed completely serious, sharply contrasting with it's usual gentle nature.
"Common folk? This age? You overreach, hound!"
A spear shot at Aston, forcing him to grab Bazett and step back to avoid getting her caught up in the explosion it would have caused had he attempted to stop it.
"I laughed because you have only ever been a dog one sics at their enemy."
"My Master, I wish to and will fight if you order me to however.." Aston whispered to Bazett in a low voice, "I suggest we not engage." A battle at this location would declare their presence to any and all masters currently present in the city and give away both their identities and abilities.. The demerits far outweighed the benefits even if he wanted to fight the unknown servant.
Aston understood that he wasn't here as a singular being, if his Master was compromised, he would be too.
"Y..Yeah.." Bazett was still in shock from the sudden betrayal and could only dumbly nod to her servant's words and follow along as he put his cloak over her and moved.
The next instant, both individuals vanished from the Church, appearing a certain distance away from the city.
"Why let them go?" Kirei cracked his neck, trying to stand up despite the damage to his body.. This was certainly an amusing turn of events.
"An attack dog will only ever achieve so much, let it be mercy and reward for amusing me with his existence." The blonde man chuckled, he was going to leave soon too. The knight had lived his entire life following orders, no matter what reasons he had for that, that was the fact of the matter.
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My laptop got fried by a sudden power outage 😭😭😭