Chapter 25: What Do You Want?
Fuyuki, Japan,
Hyatt Hotel,
Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald sat at a table with a hand over his mouth, his expression was a thoughtful one. The Sun shone brightly outside and considering he'd rented out an entire floor of the hotel, it was only par for the course that he sat in the most luxurious place possible. To his right was a massive glass pane in place of the wall, and the natural light it let in fell upon his fair skin, highlighting his already attractive appearance.
The Holy Grail War had become a rather worrisome matter. Specifically because of Roman Trambelio, why? Well, the cripple was still a member of the Trambelio Family and while originally, a Master getting 'caught up' in the crossfire and dying would be nothing more than an unfortunate accident, with him here, Kayneth's reputation would be severely harmed and that was a very real threat considering the third rate magus' unruly personality.
Not to mention that the other servants summoned in this war far outclassed his own, it wasn't even amusing at this point. The Magus felt that he really had drawn the short stick and clenched his fist in frustration, "Waver...." If that inept backwater idiot hadn't stolen his catalyst, he wouldn't have to worry about such things!
It was at this moment that the door to his room opened and in walked a maroon haired woman, tall and elegant. Sola-Ui was as she mostly was, dressed in an old fashion befitting her background as a high class magus noble, her expression was a cold and judgemental one. Sharply contrasting with Kayneth's now smiling face, seeing the woman he loved did always brighten his day.
"How ca-"
"Where is Lancer?"
Kayneth's heart sank at Sola-Ui's words, as if the Grail War wasn't enough, there was also the matter of this woman being infatuated with the summoned servant. He tried to tell himself it wasn't so but... it was getting rather difficult to assure himself of that with each passing day.
However, it appeared that he wouldn't have to see her act like...ugh, the alarm type bounded field he'd set up around his place of residence (which also functioned as his base of operations) went off making him stand up with slightly wide eyes, curious about who it was.
"....Roman? What does he want?" Confusion flashed through his eyes as Lancer manifested nearby, holding spears in either hand, "What of my guards?" Kayneth found himself more confused. He had ten or something evil spirits guarding the entrance to his residence, the connection with them wasn't there anymore... On top of that, this was a literal fortress. It had a 24 layer bounded field around it! Supplied energy by literal batteries of prana, coming here was foolish..... Wait....
"I see." Kayneth's posture once again returned to a dignified one, the magus hadn't come here bearing any ill will, that was the only plausible explanation, "It appears we have a guest." With a hand behind his back, the magus made his way towards the main elevator.
He didn't bear much ill will towards Roman, if anything, he could benefit from a positive association with the Trambelio. A Grail War was to be fought between servants, not Masters, Kayneth understood that and so did Roman. Talking wouldn't be much of a problem so long as it remained that.
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"Those spirits from earlier~, they were too weak."
Roman placed a hand on his chin, resting his other on his cane, and smiled, "I'm sure they were. You're a brute."
"....Master. I don't think girls would really like hearing that."
The one eyed magician chuckled, wondering if the melodious tone of Raikou's voice was intentional or natural... Well, it was nice to hear so it didn't matter much either way, "I like how you think someone was supposed to like hearing it."
"....." The formless Berserker went silent, intrigued by this peculiar Master. She was certain she hadn't met such a person before in her life.. It made sense though, Roman's looks were one of a foreigner, she'd only ever stayed in Japan in her life, "My.. Don't worry. I'll never get angry at you." Raikou giggled, her voice echoing in Roman's head.
Such pointless conversation continued for a bit up until a ping resounded in the elevator and the steel doors parted to reveal a spear pointed at Roman's head.
Manifesting instantly, Raikou put one hand around Roman, pulling his head back protectively while using the other two place her katana right beside the lance itself, her brows slightly furrowed in mild annoyance which came off as a rather cute pout, "What kind of behaviour is this~? Do you want to fight my master?"
Now a bit of background info, Raikou, or Minamoto no Raikou had lived much of her life ostracised due to being part human and part demonic in nature, unaccepted she had grown up a lonely person who hadn't experienced much of the love a normal person would receive. Her own father had only accepted her for her prowess in combat.
To someone like that, a Master (which was in this case Roman) was salvation because if they summoned her knowing her background and then contracted her then, they accepted her. For such a Master, Minamoto no Raikou would be overprotective and extremely possessive.
Now then, when someone pointed a spear at such a Master. Her reaction was less than passive and introverted, grabbing the spear, she jerked it along with the one who held it, lifted him into the sky and smashed him into the ground, cracking the floor underneath which soon enough broke and the two servants fell through it.
"AHAH....!" Roaring madly, the Berserker Class servant ignored her surroundings and grabbed Diarmuid by the neck, shooting towards the walls the next moment, smashing right through them straight to the outsides.
"Ugh.." Diarmuid, unable to even react under the servant's insane physical prowess could only lament holding up his lance the wrong way as she smashed him into the building adjacent to the hotel then threw him to the sky.
"HAHA!!" Laughing with a fervent look in her eyes, Raikou drew her long bow, taking multiple arrows from her quiver. She WAS in fact, a berserker after all, such rage was to be expected. Even among Berserkers however, Raikou's rage was on an entirely different level for when it came out, so did some semblance her Demonic Side, Ushi-Gozen, a vile, twisted and rageful existence.
Back in the hotel itself, the exchange between the servants had happened so fast, both Masters barely had time to react and protect themselves from the sonic booms.... Roman facepalmed, Berserkers and their rage were quite the handful..
"What is the meaning of this?" Kayneth spoke calmly, eying the hole in the ground, wasn't Roman the Master of Caster? The roars and booms suggested otherwise.... Wasn't Berserker already dead?
"Haah..." Roman raised his hand, seeing no real other way to reason with Raikou in her current state, and ordered solemnly, "By my command seals, I order you. Berserker, calm down and return to my side."
Sola-Ui couldn't help but think that Roman's way of using his command seals was too free, it wasn't like they could get more was it?
Not a moment had passed before Berserker quite literally appeared out of thin air, right beside Roman who was strangely not smiling at all. Raikou looked around, confusion written across her face, then looked at the hole in the ground and her Master's disapproving gaze and remembered what had happened..
"M-Master..." Her lips quivered as she raised a hand, trying to come up with an explanation but falling short of things to say. There was nothing to actually say other than she'd lost her temper. Raikou's shoulders slumped and she lowered her gaze, "I'm sorry."
Ignoring the tall servant, Roman turned his gaze to the silent Kayneth instead, "Kayneth."
"Lord Roman." Kayneth slightly bowed, in the class, he was in a higher position but anywhere else, he was far outranked by Roman, "I trust you will be paying for... this." The blonde magus gestured to the hole in the ground before moving towards the windows, he had to heal Lancer too.
Seeing that Roman had outright ignored her, Minamoto no Raikou became depressed, not knowing how to appease her Master after messing things up for him because of her temper. She understood that they weren't here to fight.
"You and I will talk later." Roman mused thoughtfully, watching Kayneth heal the injured Diarmuid. The Lancer had a broken arm and blood seeping from his head, his back was injured too.
"B-But..." Raikou reached for her Master with a trembling hand, was she going to be scolded?... Wait, would that be the end? Messing up negotiations... Was she going to be abandoned?! The Berserker felt angry at the idiot who had pointed a weapon at her Master in the first place..... She felt like she was going to cry if he kept ignoring her.
"Kayneth, you came here for the usual stuck up shit goal right? Glory and all that? Maybe the Root?" Roman asked with a smile, if that was so, negotiating with the man would be an easy task. He wasn't really angry at Raikou, she'd essentially just made a power move and shown how a fight would proceed were it to actually break out.
"Correct." Kayneth nodded calmly, knowing full well that the female servant could massacre him at a moment's notice, getting angry would be counterproductive. He also didn't have much of a liking for the Lancer at the moment.
"Why are you two talking so calmly after this?" Sola-Ui half shouted, angry with how hurt Lancer was.
"It was my own fault, my lady. Please calm....yourself." Diarmuid spoke with difficulty, ever the knight..
"Cucking son of a bitch." Roman snickered seeing the interaction between the woman and the servant, was he seeing someone get ntr'd in front of his own eyes right now?
"Anyway, I'll give you more than whatever you could hope to achieve from this bloody war. The Trambelio will vouch for your succession to the head of the department of spiritual evocation." Roman smiled widely as even Sola-Ui turned around with wide, shocked eyes, not to mention Kayneth himself who forgot all about healing his servant.
The backing of a Great House... He'd be able to be the head of such a major department? A Major Department of the Clock Tower? The HQ of the Mage's Association? The literal leaders of their world?
Such an offer did appeal to the Greed of the Prodigal Magus. It would be a position befitting one such as himself.
"....What do you want?"
Kayneth knew Roman wouldn't make such an offer if he couldn't back it up, he'd found the Trambelio was rather eccentric when it came to keeping his word… The gravity of his proposal was enough for Kayneth to ignore why Roman now had a different servant than before.
"Yooyooyoo..." Raikou wailed in a corner, drawing circles on the ground, depressed about how her Master had ignored her completely now.... Tears formed on the corner of her eyes, "I was just trying to help..."
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