Going against the wishes of someone who is highly unstable, immature, and holding the reins of Hercules himself is generally not the best of ideas, so after some objections Ala Alba had stripped down to their underwear and joined Illya and Sayoko in the pool.
Chisame tried to tell herself that this was not that different from bathing in swimsuits in Evangeline's resort, and Negi apparently felt more or less the sound, since he looked more at ease now, after his earlier embarrassment. Ayaka, though, seemed hypnotized by Negi's bared chest, and simply sat there with unblinking fixed eyes, a small red stain on her nose.
"We have reasons to believe that the Caster might be Medea, the Greek sorceress of myth, the disciple of Circe," Negi was telling Illya. "However, the man we thought might be her Master hasn't given any signs of being involved with the Grail War, and we have kept tabs on him for nearly two weeks now."
"Oh, yes?" Illya asked. "And how did you come to suspect of that man, and about Medea being the Servant you are looking for?"
"I... I'm not sure you will believe me..." Negi said.
"You have to tell me regardless," the albino replied.
He breathed deeply. "It was told to us by a dimensional traveler we met in Kyoto, one who was the sister to your counterpart in a parallel world."
Illya frowned. "Well!" she said indignantly. "I suppose that I brought this answer upon myself!"
"I swear I'm not trying to make-"
Illya raised a hand to impose silence. "I understand! You have your sources, and we have ours! As long as your data is reliable I couldn't care any less about the origins. Medea, huh... A formidable mage like her would secure a proper power source before doing anything else, so your first destination should've been obvious."
"We thought of the World Tree as well," Negi said, "but I have circled it several times and I couldn't feel any disturbance in its magical pulses."
"You're so naive!" his sister said. "A mage from the Age of Gods like Medea could mask her presence from modern magicians easily. If she doesn't want to be detected, she won't show her hand unless another Servant approaches her. You should send Saber there and see if that provokes Caster into acting; Sabers and Casters are sort of natural enemies so it might move the witch into action."
"Why don't you send Berserker there yourself?" Matoi asked.
"Because I'm not interested, you're the ones who want to find Caster so that's on you," Illya sneered. "We don't have an interest on fighting Servants who won't have the galls to come out and fight heads on."
"You aren't going to win the War thinking like that," Tsunetsuki warned. "In a war, there's no such thing as a small enemy."
"Shut up!" Illya said. "The vermin will take care of each other, why should I bother?"
"He... He isn't here right now, is he?" Chisame asked. "Berserker, I mean..."
Illya smirked. "No, he is guarding the perimeter. But I can call him if you want me to!"
"I'll pass, thanks," Chisame grimaced.
"Ah, yes, you're into smaller and younger men, aren't you?" Illya pondered idly. "What about Assassin? Aren't you worried about Assassin?"
"We have reasons to think that we'll find Assassin as soon as we find Caster," Negi informed her.
"Oh, an unholy alliance?" Illya said. "That makes sense, the weaker Servants might need to work together to stand a chance. How about Archer then?"
"Archer... We aren't sure how to find Archer," Negi confessed. "Actually, our sources told us that Tohsaka Rin-san should be the Master of Archer, but... obviously, that is not so."
"Search for all the recent entries in Mahora, any outsiders who may have moved in recently," Illya suggested. "That's your best bet out of waiting and hoping."
"We're doing that, but it's taking time," Negi sighed. "The recent Honnouji exodus is pouring a lot of new arrivals into the Mahora area. That school is growing too unrestiful and conflictful, but we haven't had the time to look into it yet, what with everything else going on."
"Illya," Asuna spoke at last, "if the Grail isn't cursed after all and you happened to win the War, what will you wish for?"
Illya blinked. "Oh? What brought this sudden interest on me?"
"You're Sensei's sister after all," Chisame said dryly. "We aren't that inhuman! We pretty much have to care!"
Illya absorbed these words in wide eyed silence for a moment, before closing her eyes and making a small smile. She shook her head. "You really don't get how the Heaven's Feel works yet, do you? The Grail isn't just going to magically appear out of nowhere when all Servants but one are dead. I mean, yes, it will do that... but it also needs a vessel to manifest itself."
"What kind of vessel?" Negi asked. "Saber and Rider haven't mentioned that..."
"Well, I imagine that it would be a touchy issue for Saber," Illya said. "The vessel needs to be a living entity, a human, or better yet, an improved take on human life. Such as my mother was in the Fourth War. We, the elite Einzbern homunculi, have been created with such a purpose in mind."
Negi and the girls pulled back in stark realization, freezing in shock. Even Ayaka had been snapped from her fascination with Negi's youthful flesh.
Illya laughed weakly and patted the water with a hand. "That's fine. It's what I want, too. Reaching the Root, the Source of all magic, is what any true practicioner should wish for. Personal wants are meaningless, and once I achieve mine by killing you and Shirou, well... after all... that's what I'm meant to do..."
"No," Negi said, standing up, his hands tightening into fists. "NO!"
Illya frowned again. "You won't tell me what to do with my life..."
"NO!" he insisted. "You aren't going to throw your life away! As your brother, I forbid you to!"
"You are the little brother, you do as I say and not the other way around! And besides, this is the opposite of throwing one's life away! It's the best and brightest any magus could ever hope for...!"
He threw himself against her and hugged her tightly. "I haven't even gotten to know you yet! I'm not going to lose you like I lost our father!"
Illya blushed and shivered against him. "L-Let me go! What are you saying, you idiot?! I don't have a choice anyway, as the Servants die, I'll be transforming into the Grail regardless!"
"Then no Servant will die," Negi promised, holding her close. "So you don't have to, either. I don't know how I will do it, but I'll keep you safe, no matter what anyone might say, even you. This, I swear..."
Elsewhere, the Judge patrolled the perimeter of the Mary Magdalene church, cackling to himself. Soon, all sinners and criminals would pay. He could feel it in his bones.
There had been growing reports of more fights between Servants happening across the campus, and it wouldn't be long before they started turning to lethal skirmishes. Dark blood for the cup of Death, which would overflow and wipe all life off. That would be so glorious, so...
He felt a presence approaching the church. "Gilgamesssssh?" he asked, raising his guns.
"No," a mocking voice came from the darkness. "Not exactly, Bro. Sorry! Do I dissssssapoint?"
"Who are you? Sssssshow yourssssself!" the cadaveric monster demanded. Surely that golden idiot was out again, enjoying himself with frivolities. It didn't matter. He'd have this killing all to himself.
Someone stepped into sight, wearing bright yellow, and staring at Judge with bugging, bloodshot eyes. His face was a just as primaru and stark green, with a huge demented grin twisting it upwards.
"Bersssssserker?" Judge asked.
"Ssssssorry, missssed again!" the other Servant cackled, still mocking his accent. "Try Trickssssster! The landlord ssssent me ssssince you're long overdue your rent!"
Judge opened fire madly on the incoming Trickster, who charged at him while laughing loudly. "Trickssssster!? Never heard of you! Doesssssn't matter! Sssssoon you won't be anything but a-!"
The insane intruder, pumped full of holes but never slowing down, grabbed Judge by the helmet and crushed it in his hand. "The veredict issss reached!" he laughed. "Guilty as sssssssin, you heard it here firssssst, ladiessss an' germsssss! And moi? Why, moi, like alwaysssss, issss just plain-"
There was a bloodcurling scream, drowned down by the echoes of that deranged laugh.
"Ssssssmokin'!"
