"All alright now that those guys are knocked out all out your Servant. I know she's nearby," Cyd said, walking over the knocked out bodies of the thugs.
"No, Jack can't beat him…" thought Reika as she stepped back, fear evident in her eyes. She was facing a Servant, not even a magician, leaving her with no way to resist. The alley behind her was a dead end, offering no escape. As the man had said, her only option was to summon Jack.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not here to hurt you," Cyd said, noticing Reika's hesitation. He remained still, not wanting to provoke her further.
Reika glanced at the bruised thug lying at Cyd's feet.
"What? it's Better than being torn apart by your servant," Cyd tilted his head, his tone casual. "Still not going to call out your Servant?"
"W-What are you talking about? I appreciate your help, but I need to go home now," Reika stammered, her hands fumbling in her pockets as she quickly tried to pass by Cyd.
Cyd moved forward and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "You're being a very good actor, not giving away any visible signs of lying, but unfortunately for you, I…"
"Let go of my mom!"
Before Cyd could finish, a small figure leapt from the shadows, a glinting dagger aimed at Cyd's left hand.
"So that's your Servant?" Cyd smirked, his eyes sparkling with interest.
From the darkness, chains shot out like lightning from beneath Cyd's feet, coiling around the attacker and slamming her against the wall with a resounding thud.
"Jack!" Reika cried out, her eyes wide with desperation. She fumbled for a fruit knife in her pocket, her hands trembling. Without hesitation, she plunged it into Cyd's abdomen.
"Crack—"
Reika stared in shock at the half-destroyed knife in her hand.
"Ugh… Mom, it hurts…" Jack's voice was strained as she struggled against the tightening chains around her neck, her pleas sounding like a wounded child begging for help.
Hearing Jack's pained cries, Reika abandoned the broken knife and sank to her knees in front of Cyd, tears streaming down her face.
"Please… let my child go!"
"Hey, wasn't it you who attacked me first?" Cyd rubbed his temples, looking mildly annoyed. "Medusa, let her go."
Medusa emerged from the shadows, her enormous scythe pressing against Jack's neck.
"Well, I was just hoping for a civil discussion," Cyd said, patting Medusa on the head.
"Understood," Medusa nodded and retreated into Cyd's shadow, the chains around Jack retracting as well.
"Jack!" Reika sobbed, cradling her fallen child as she wept. Had she not stabbed Cyd without hesitation, he might have seen her as a harmless loving mother.
"I am Cyd, the Ruler of this Holy Grail War," Cyd crouched in front of Reika and Jack. "Your recent activities have stirred things up a bit, so let's talk."
Reika clutched Jack tightly, nodding through her tears.
"So this is the Black Assassin?" Jeanne tilted her head, eyeing Jack with a puzzled expression.
"Jack the Ripper," Cyd noted, examining a tear in his clothing from the fruit knife. "Her true form is a collective spirit of the countless abandoned children in London."
Atalanta frowned, clearly troubled.
"As the Assassin's Master, do you have any explanation for attacking the city's magicians?" Jeanne d'Arc asked, her posture rigid.
"Jack needs magical energy," Reika held Jack closer, her voice trembling.
As a regular young lady, Reika knew she was no match for the likes of Jeanne d'Arc and Cyd. The Maid of Orleans, and the purest hero from Greece.
"Can you stop your actions?" Jeanne d'Arc's expression was pained. "Although I don't know how an ordinary person like you obtained a Command Seal, if you continue attacking magicians, we Rulers will have to intervene."
Reika bit her lip. If she stopped attacking magicians, she couldn't sustain Jack's existence, but she couldn't bear to give Jack up.
"Well, if you don't make the corpses too horrific or destroy them completely, we might overlook it," Cyd waved his hand dismissively.
Reika's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes, exactly. As long as you don't make the corpses…" Jeanne began to nod, then abruptly realized something was off. "Wait, how is this possible? They've attacked individuals not involved in the Holy Grail War!"
"Not involved? I don't think so," Cyd tilted his head, "The magicians they attacked were all support personnel left by the Mage's Association for the Red Masters."
"Yeah…but?" Jeanne hesitated.
"Well, knowing the Holy Grail War has started and staying here is already suspicious," Cyd shrugged. "The war is supposed to be between Masters and Servants, and just as the Black faction uses homunculi for assistance, the Mage's Association sent personnel for support. If they openly intervene, they should be considered part of the war. Hence, the Assassin attacking them is not an issue."
Jeanne was momentarily at a loss for words. "But what if there are magicians who don't belong to either side?"
"The news of the Holy Grail War isn't limited to a few people. If they came here knowing about the war, they're likely hoping to pick up a lost Servant or become a Master themselves," Cyd said casually. "So they can be considered Master candidates, and eliminating them is acceptable." Reika saw a glimmer of hope in Cyd's words. What seemed like a hopeless situation with two Rulers turning in her favor now felt like a chance.
"This… is completely unreasonable!" Jeanne's voice rose in frustration.
"The Holy Grail War isn't a show. If they come here to take advantage of the situation, they must be prepared for the consequences," Cyd said, gently pushing the agitated Jeanne aside. He turned back to Reika. "But remember, you must not attack ordinary people or involve them in your conflict. That would be against the rules."
"Yes, yes, yes," Reika nodded quickly, determined to finish off the last magician and then escape.
"Perfectly resolved," Cyd clapped his hands. "Strive for your wish."
"It's not perfect at all! You're condoning attacks on innocents!" Jeanne grabbed Cyd's wrist. "Are you really the hero from the legends who gives hope to people?"
Cyd sighed. "Whether it's homunculi or magicians, no one is truly innocent. I have helped many in the past out of my own will, not because I must help everyone. A pure hero is what people wish for; I am simply me. If they want to leave, I will protect them as they go, but if they choose to stay, I won't interfere. Even if I extend my hand, they may reject it. Even if I pull them out, they may return on their own."
He saw the look in Gordes's eyes, a gaze not one of a magician viewing tools, but rather the confused expression of a parent discovering they have a child.
"I can save that homunculus from death, but only he can truly save it," Cyd thought. "Though is it better to push the homunculus down a path of no return or admit my own inability?"
Not every situation turns out perfectly, but if I can do something…
"I can't do it, so I'm asking you," he thought. "But this foolish village girl can't let go. For her, it's a torment."
"Let me handle it. It's not that you didn't try, but rather a cruel person blocked your way," Cyd said, dismissing Jeanne's increasingly stern face with a wave of his hand.
"You need to understand, Rulers are only here to maintain the secrecy of the rules. If you can't ignore the attacks on homunculi and magicians, then hand over all your Command Seals and enforce your will as you see fit. And don't forget to leave her body."