Ahriman

Fuyuki, Japan,

Shinto District,

"I still can't help but be awed by their prowesses..."

Waver Velvet couldn't help sharing his thoughts, his mouth was slightly agape and his pupils moved about abruptly... It was difficult for even him, a magus, to track the sheer intensity of the clash happening before him.... How could he?

Golden Lightning arched across the air, crashing into an equally or perhaps more powerful blue lightning..... The War God of Echigo was engaged in battle with the King of Conquerors.. Certainly a battle none could truly hope to see in their lifetimes...

Waver... was also given a harsh reality check however, that no matter how much they advanced, no matter how much they studied... Even Magi would never even come close to Heroic Spirits... Everything, from their strength to their agility, was so beyond the realms of what was humanly possible that it wasn't even funny.

What could reinforcement do against beings that could tear the very earth asunder with a casual flick that had no effort behind it?

....At the same time, his observations allowed him to understand that under normal circumstances, Iskander may as well have trampled over Kagetora, both possessed Divinity yes but their prowess was too different.... The homefield advantage wasn't to be underestimated it seemed... Roman had broken the rules of the Grail War...

Waver sighed, crossing his arms with a doubtful gaze, then there was the matter that Roman altering the summoning ritual to give a perfect vessel to his servants was a game changing factor.. Iskander still had the flawed one staple for the Grail War.... Calling the man a cripple or a 'shame' was an incredibly stupid idea... How many could do what he'd done?

Waver's gaze fell on a momentary lapse in the servants' high paced fight and he very well saw Kagetora holding up her lance with both hands to block a sword crashing down on her... With Rider's strength, it wouldn't be a joke to assume that the hit would have split the Japanese servant in half.

That brought him to another matter, no matter who won in this conflict, Waver wouldn't let it affect his relationship with the Trambelio.. Why? Well it just didn't make sense for him to resent a man that had supported him for years without asking for anything in return over the death of people who were strangers to them until two weeks ago did it?

As a Magus, he understood that caring for temporary servants that would part with them once the Grail War ended was incredibly counterproductive... Shaking his head, the young magus brought himself out of his idle musing, instead staring at the unusually silent Roman....

The Magician only stood there, a hand on his cane, his eyes seemed dull and his smile seemed less brighter than before..

"Hey, oi... Roman!"

Waver waved a hand in front of Roman's face only to learn that it prompted no reaction from the man... The young magus looked at his friend in worry.

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Undisclosed Location,

"Hmm...the fuck is this?"

Roman Trambelio walked around, the tapping of his cane music to his ears. A survey of his surroundings revealed that, "Oh.... Well played..." The Magician slightly grinned, staring at what was his mansion... Not the one in this war no and not the one before that... No, this was the one he'd grown up in....

The Magician shuffled about, his gaze a bit scornful, "Didn't I have this place demolished?" As much as he told himself it didn't matter, he was still human..... The dark interior of this place, the oversized windows, the whispers of the servants, the distaste of his late mother.... He could remember it as if it was yesterday...., "Well played indeed... What? Your parents never loved you so you wanna see mine?" He spoke aloud, his gaze shifting from the main stairs to the corridors.

"..Hmmm~... I thought it would provoke some reaction at least? Do you just not care, Magus...no, Magician?"

Narrowing his gaze in slight confusion, Roman turned to the source of the voice and instantly realised where he was..

"Well well well.... What took you so long?"

"Nothing really~. A pleasure to meet you though."

"I'm sure it is." The Magician put both hands on his cane, a shit eating grin on his face as he eyed his 'enemy'... A woman shorter than him with long pale hair reaching her feet, deep scarlet eyes and an incredibly revealing dress that didn't leave much to the imagination. The feature that stood out most was the woman's striking resemblance to Irisviel, enough resemblance that even Roman hesitated for a bit before returning to his usual self.

"I've been keeping an eye on you."

"Join the club. Is it my overwhelming charm? It is, isn't it?"

"...."

Evidently, the Magician seemed to be fairly amused by this entirely random occurrence. Roman was however, a bit annoyed that someone could so easily breach his mind with all the defences he'd painstakingly set up.

"Don't beat yourself up over it much, I am a Deity after all." The woman spoke in a melodious voice, circling Roman with a curious gaze... There was indeed reason for waiting this long, a reason not that hard to grasp.

"...Sure you are." Roman followed her with his eyes, that was bullshit. This was no deity, not yet at least, "So, Ahriman, Angra Mainyu, what brings you to the cripple?" He humoured the public image of him, a small smile on his face... A few scans of his own had very clearly revealed the nature of the 'Deity' before him.... It inhabited the Grail for now and until a wish was used to birth it, it no, he, was stuck in an indefinite incubation stage.

Instead of an answer, the Magician felt two soft mounds of flesh press up against his back making scrunch up his face in barely concealed disgust. Roman shoved the Deity away, "I don't swing that way. Fuck off, I'm sure you can easily find those interested." It didn't matter if the male MALE God was appearing in a female body.

"Worth a try I suppose." Angra Mainyu relented, shrugging as if he wasn't much bothered by Roman's reaction, "Well, I've waited so long because like you, I don't much favour leaving things up to chance, not after waiting so long." The Evil Deity's tone seemed truthful, even past the sheer disgust he naturally oozed.

"A good trait to have." Roman answered, barely bothered by what would make a normal man puke.. The Magician relaxed, sitting on the bottom steps of the mansion's main stairway and eyed his 'companion' curiously, already having surmised what he wanted.

"As things are, I don't believe any can be victors other than yourself... The second Caster got caught up in the blast from earlier.. A shame truly.." Angra Mainyu's smile widened to insane proportions, "The poor woman was just trying to protect her Master.."

"Hmmm... my bad I guess." Roman sighed,... but then again, they were enemies in a war. Compassion for the death of something already dead and unrelated to himself didn't quite make sense...

"And Lancer, is dead too. His Master too is dead."

"Pft-" Roman laughed, averting his gaze with a hand over his mouth, "The Lancer luck got to him." The Magician sneered, he didn't much like the cucking son of a bitch and the way he'd died was fitting, a true Lancer's death... "And that cheating woman, I guess she couldn't handle something truly massive.."

"The man did die in an ambush from a boar." Angra Mainyu agreed, a hand on his chin, his luck was so bad that reality itself bent over to fuck him up.

"So then, what do you want?"

"Not a single wish has been made over 3 Grail Wars... All that energy is within the Grail but it lies corrupt." Angra Mainyu clasped his hands together, putting on a concerned expression, "Inhabited by an evil being, as I'm sure you know..."

"That would be you, ja? Imagine being cursed and hated by the world."

"Shush.... Mhm, if you are to win, use but a fraction of that energy to birth me here. With the corruption gone, you will be free to make any wish you desire.... I shall employ my Divinity as All The World's Evil to ensure that." The Evil God assured Roman, smiling politely with pleading eyes, a flawless act...., "I'm certain you know I deserved none of what occurred and you are kind, help me and I help you."

"....." Roman momentarily deadpanned at the sheer stupidity of the offer made to him but then gave a thumbs up, "Sure, consider it done." The resurrection of Zoroastrianism's God of Evil had been a part of his plans from the very start. Just that it would be going very differently from what many presumed...

"....Just like that?!" The Evil God physically recoiled, mildly shocked by just easily how the Magician agreed... But then, he figured Magicians were already insane, it sort of checked out.... A perfect vessel was here for him as well. Angra Mainyu licked his lips, staring at Roman.....

Deities couldn't truly manifest on the Earth any longer due to the Age of Gods being long over but it was a different matter entirely if a compatible vessel was involved.

Tying them to the Age, then they could make full use of their Divine Authorities.

....Wait, this sounded too good to be true..

Angra Mainyu suspiciously narrowed his gaze… If he'd learnt anything from his observations, it was that Roman Trambelio was one shrewd asshat.

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Share thoughts mfs.

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This arc is officially over at patreon, only 6 or 7 chapters left till we get to the next here. The next should be good, at least it is in my head. It's the one where he gets to give the metaphorical and literal foot up where the sun don't shine to Magus society.

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You can find up to 7 chapters ahead at patre0n.com/stoned_face among other benefits I guess?