"Oh, what a fortune!" The rough voice echoed from all directions. "Early Guests!"
With a loud clatter, the distorted garden of slime and spikes parted. A tall man with a loose, greasy, and matted robe emerged. His white skin and hunched posture were only partially veiled by the black-purple robe where only the head reached out. Two hands clapped in front of Lando's mouth, and he had to swallow hard as his eyes fell on the left claw of the monstrosity that couldn't possibly be a human. Fingers clutched an old book wrapped in brown-red demon skin while the nails cut deeply into the leather. Lando had never seen such a being; even the evil that terrorized his dreams didn't look as terrifying.
'How can this critter also possess a book? But this one looks older. Soon it will be mine.'
"Ohh, Ryuunosuke, let's give the lost souls in our dwellings a true farewell. A farewell that they finally are redeemed from this cruel world."
"You're just awesome, buddy! What do you want to show me this time? "
Behind Caster, another figure stepped into the ramp light. His orange hair was highlighted in the yellow light beaming from Luna's eyes. He wore a purple jacket covered in splashes of red. Next to Caster, however, he looked tiny, reaching just to the shoulder joint.
Ryuunosuke's gaze fell on the encircled people. The silver glitter surrounding Luna sparkled only faintly in the musty water, emitting a stench to which Lando had only now become accustomed. However, his swollen eyes would still be visible if Luna weren't the only light source, provided the bloodstained eyes all over the corners and walls of the room were left out.
"Tell me, buddy, why is that woman glittering like a disco ball?"
"Haha, what a unique find we have made. Fate, let them stumble into our artistic workshop! Do you know what this means, Ryuunosuke?"
"I, I don't know, but my fingertips are already tingling."
"Today, we will turn this woman's untainted soul into a work of art that no one has ever seen!"
"Really?!"
At his outcry, Ryuunosuke spread both arms, and Caster pressed the book closer to his coat as if it were an important memento.
Lando took a glance behind him. The hissing, clacking, and slimy bodies that regularly pressed against the walls prevented his joints from staying still. 'Damn! I fell right into the trap. Luna should have known better. I shouldn't have trusted an inhuman being.'
Suddenly, Luna cleared her throat and interrupted Ryuunosuke, who was dancing around Caster.
"Under normal circumstances, my programming forbids interrupting conversations, but I must make it clear that I do not possess a soul that can be made into anything." She got the feeling that the misshapen figure was up to no good and shivered slightly. However, she could not explain the emotion that washed over her. It felt like a completely new experience.
'Flee! Or the Demonic hoard will devour us.'
A twitch shook Luna's body, and she took a step to the side. Black lines formed in front of her vision. Something in her wanted to leave this place. Her skin tingled, sweat formed, and was absorbed by the fabric. 'No bugs found,' replied a monotone voice inside. Even after a few vital examinations, the results made no sense. Luna could feel the discomfort immediately—so close yet invisible.
"Bullshit! Every living thing made of flesh and blood has a soul. It's the basic building block of life and magic."
"Negative; I am not a living being made of organic matter."
Puzzled, Caster looked into the luminous eyes of the Servant. A living being without a soul should be an impossibility. He had studied the dark arts like no one else. As was the price to pay. His body formed into an unrecognizable figure. The skin became lifeless as he grew to inhuman size. The question of what Jeanne d'Arc would think of him did not even occur to him. 'She will understand my devotion.
And yet he couldn't see any lies in Luna's words. A depressing aura spread through him.
''You poor thing. You seem to believe the deception this world has put on you. But without a soul, I would not perceive the smell of fear. A pure doll could never feel these emotions, let alone show them."
A deep grumble broke out in Caster. He shook his head and shoved his hands in front of his face.
"Another being robbed of all memory like my beloved. What a cruel world this reality has become! Why do people still follow the path of sin and defile purity?"
Uncertainly, Luna looked at her hands, shimmering in the yellow light. 'I... I cannot have a soul. As an inorganic being, it's impossible. Unless my...' The Magic Core hummed in agreement, sending a slight tingle up the circuits in her stomach to her thoughts.
As Luna regained consciousness and slowly raised her head, she tried to push the thoughts away. The shabby figure stared at her. Eyes open and mouth wide, like a cut-open smile. A rattling hum whistled from the book as if it were alive while Caster stroked the bloody skin like a pet.
"Your soul is still as young and pure as that of my great love. Unstained by the deeds of this world. It would be a shame not to show you the truth of life and our art." Slowly, Caster turned his body. "Ryuunosuke, how would it be if we shared our art with one more person? Wouldn't it be a shame if the woman doesn't get to know the colorful spectacle of her innermost desires?"
"Teaching someone? Oh, I think I like the idea. Too few know what it means to give free rein to one's joy. It is not horror; it is liberation; it is a miracle that too few have been allowed to understand."
"Then it is decided. You get the unique chance to behold art with your eyes!"
Excitedly, Caster flapped his robe and turned towards the tunnel entrance from whom he had originally come. There was still much to do. Since the war had just begun, all Masters would gather information. What better time than now to lay the foundation stones for his miracle? How else would Caster show that it was possible to rebel against the heavens?
"Ehm, buddy, what are we going to do about that kid over there? He's pretty close to our new student."
With his naked finger, Ryuunosuke pointed at Lando, who was still silently hiding behind Luna. The overwhelming murderousness of Caster disappeared into the rows of demons and seemingly endless tunnels, in which only the green, flowing water could be seen.
Caster's tall figure turned again; he slowly walked towards the center.
Doom, Doom, Doom.
Each step shook Lando's heart as the man slowly approached him.
"And what's a brat like you doing here?" The deep voice broke in like darkness. Lando's breath caught. Only now did he realize what he had gotten himself into. He was nothing more than a crawling creature that could be crushed at any moment.
"I ... I am Lando. Ehm and I have summoned this thing to... to aid me in the Grail War."
"You volunteered to go to this shameful war? To win God's Grail? The Golden Object that the sinners of the church still worship. What a pathetic life you lead, believing to gain God's help. God is nothing but a fairy tale. How can you not understand this? No matter how cruel your deeds are or how much you sacrifice yourself for others, God will never help you. Humans are the ones who condemn you and place the burden of suffering on your back so that others can laugh. You are as cruel as the church aristocrats.
With the increasing fury, Caster's creatures scattered, and the room began to bleed in the murderous light. But it wasn't torched; it was the demons that attracted their prey like sensory lights to devour them in the dark.
Lando had no idea what Caster went through—that the mere mention of God would fuel his rage so that the entire sewers trembled with fear. But he was not willing to find out the reason. 'How dare this deformed rate vaguely mock me?' Barely two meters in front of them, Caster paused. His stature now erect, he glared down at them. What exactly he wanted, Lando didn't know, but the fire never raged angrier within him as he felt the heat in his veins.
"I don't need a god!" But his voice faded under Caster's spiritual pressure. "I will win the war and take his place. It will be my story that determines the future of this world!"
The last words were quiet and barely audible amidst the chatter of the summoned demons. And yet Lando could see a hint of surprise in the strangers' faces.
"This guy is completely nuts. How can anyone be as loopy as he is?" Ryuunosuke shook his head. "But I like him. Can we keep him?"
"Like blank madness, your dreams are admirable. However, I'm curious to know how far you're willing to go for it and whether God will be there for you if you succeed.
Caster clapped his hands, and a moment later, a book appeared in his hand again. Full of admiration, Lando stared at Caster, who made the myriad demons and other monster-like creatures that could swamp entire cities disappear.
"What is your goal? You don't look like warriors to me."
However, the question went unanswered.
"Follow me!" Caster shouted and disappeared into the dark corridor. A few last monsters rattled their teeth and spikes before they, too, changed posts and silently disappeared into corridors or jumped into the water.
Even as the shabby figure in the depths of the sewer eluded Lando's view, Luna could make out the strands of prana radiating from the Servant and its book. The book, in particular, glowed red. 'Have I always been able to see the fuel of magic? It looks beautiful.' She wanted to get an answer, but the voice inside stayed silent. No program answered; even a scan told her that nothing new had happened to the body. Only something black bubbled inside and made her feel guilty.
'Is it alright to follow?'
But before she could ask her Master for instructions, Lando also started to move and jumped over the channel. The green water splashed against the stone walls. Speechless, Luna was left behind. Her yellow eyes followed the figure as it disappeared into the darkness.
'Protocol has not been updated.
Top priority: protect Master.
Notice: Master left protection radius.
E̵̝̓r̴͇̔r̵̜͋ỏ̵͖ř̵̖.̸̢̄ ̴̲̔E̷̜͛r̵͎̕ř̵̘o̸̪͗r̶͕̉.̶̧̀ ̵̝̔E̸̥̔r̸̳͘r̷͖͌õ̸͙ŕ̷̺.̶̞̚ ̸̦̕Ḙ̵̓r̶̝̉ŕ̴̮ŏ̸͇r̵̠̽
̷̓ͅ
̵͉͑I̷̦̔n̴̻̈́d̸̺̈́i̸̡̿v̵̲̌i̸̘͆d̵̟͝u̴̖̓a̶̟̒l̸̠̓ ̸̭́Ľ̴͈u̶̗͘n̵̖̓ă̴͜ ̵̠͘d̵̜͗î̶̞s̷͍̾ỏ̶͜b̸̮̔e̴͙̓ẙ̷͔s̵͔̃ ̸̠̓a̵̗͒ṅ̶̯ ̵̬͐o̵̖̔ṙ̴ͅd̵̒͜ḛ̸̓r̴̠̋.̸̇ͅ'̷͙̓'
The echo of metallic footsteps could be heard last as Luna disappeared into the dark chambers, and the distorted messages vanished.
