Preview Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity 41

Okay this chapter is going to be ready by monday. Most of it is a single fight but there are going to be some important developments here and if anything the first part is just to show Shirou's mental state and how proficient he can be when he puts his mind into it.

Fate/Bonds Beyond Humanity

…..

41- The King’s Sword: True Self

…..

Detective Kazuma Shinsuke took a deep breath as he studied the crime scene before him. ‘I have no idea how we are going to cover this up.’ The aging detective had a frown on his face as he looked around the art gallery and saw the bodies thrown around, blood turning most of the white floor red. “Gods, what a mess.” Despite him saying that the man knew that no god was involved in the confusion.

It was the work of devils or those associated with them. Like the detective himself.

He still remembered the day that an elegant man approached him with an offer of help when the detective was in one of the darkest periods of his life, he had just been diagnosed with lung cancer at an advanced stage and given only a few months of life.

For years his wife had warned him to stop smoking but ever since he was a young adult that was a habit that Shinsuke never learned to let go. He made sure to at least only smoke only at work to not botter his children but that only delayed the inevitable. Years of the habit while sitting down behind a desk finally caught up with him and there was nothing he could do.

His doctor explained as gently as he could that there was nothing that could be done but offered the detective, the lead detective of Fuyuki’s police force, a small piece of paper with a strange circle in it and said “Ask and they may be able to help you.”

At that point it sounded like religious nonsense but Shinsuke was desperate, he didn’t want to die as his children needed him. So he locked himself in the office and studied the circle for over an hour trying to figure out if there was a number of some kind for him to call.

He was surprised when it suddenly let out a glow and a redhead man with the most crystal blue eyes he had ever seen had stepped off a bigger one that showed up on his floor. “You must be someone important and in need of help.”

That was when Shinsuke made his pact with a devil and had his cancer cured. The devil explained that Fuyuki was his city for a few months at that point and that he had received a magic circle from one of his clients, a special one reserved for those in positions of importance.

The devil, Zeoticus, offered to get rid of the lung cancer in return for loyalty and information. The detective asked some questions to make sure he wouldn’t have to do anything bad before accepting the deal but his instincts told him the devil wasn’t lying when he said he wanted the best for Fuyuki.

At least as much as a normal detective like him could read from a devil. He still tried out of stubborness and personal pride but the handsome face made it hard to catch any lies.

Fortunately for the detective, his kind of disease was one the devils knew how to heal but the treatment was expensive and would last hours. Zeoticus offered to pay all the expenses after he signed a contract.

The detective jokingly asked if should sign with blood. “Not for this one.” He then understood the devil wasn’t kidding nor lying.

‘Painful’ didn’t describe the process properly as it was a type of magical surgery that literally involved cleaning his lungs. He had been asleep throughout the whole thing but when he woke up he could feel a phantom pain for days and breathing was harder than ever for a month.

For a whole month he felt that pain coming and going but once it was gone Kazuma felt like a young man again and immediately got back to work. Just in time to help cover up some gang war happening in Fuyuki while making sure one of the sides won.

Truly he had sold his soul to a devil and he had already come to collect in the name of his own children.

It has been ten years since then and after the birth of his first grandchild the old man couldn’t say he regretted his decision. ‘Wonder who my replacement is going to be? Were they already brought into the fold?’ The aging detective wondered as his age was catching up to him. ‘Even with the spell to keep me going Zeoticus’ daughter warned me that I need to retire soon anyway.’

Shinsuke already knew that the mess in the gallery would probably be his last case, and cover up, for the devils. In his sixties and with no real magic power of his own the man just kept working anymore without giving up his humanity but that wasn’t offered. The reality was that he was mostly a normal human that was useful because of his profession, nothing else.

Which was a job he didn’t mind doing as he studied the area carefully and took the bodies into account, both the living and the dead. Medical crews and firefighters were still running around to try and save those who could be saved, which were a considerable number much to the detective’s surprise.

There were still plenty that were going to the morgue and the way they died could raise anyone’s suspicion. If Shinsuke didn’t know about magic and hadn’t received a warning from his superiors about magic swords he wondered what he would deduct from the scene he walked in.

Some people turned to give him looks that the detective recognized very well; those were the looks of men who knew the secret and that knew things were more than they seemed. Not everyone in the gallery had that look but Kazuma recognized enough of them as they all were in the same boat and worked together more than once.

‘But never to the scale of tonight.’ Shinsuke thought with a chuckle as he stepped up close to a young officer in the center of the gallery. “What do you have to report, officer?”

“Sir.” The salute and clean uniform told the detective this young man was recently out of the academy. His bright eyes showed a curiosity that was somewhat shaken but some of the gruesome sights inside the art gallery. “So far we have accounted for forty armored and armed men inside the premises. Some of them confirmed that they invaded the place but nothing else.”

The frown from the officer was something that the detective noticed. “What do you mean by ‘nothing else’?” The younger man looked nervous and the older one paid close attention to any reactions. “Speak your mind, officer. We are all friends here.”

With permission from his superior the man relaxed a bit. “They refused to tell us anything else but protested when some of my colleagues called them thieves or invaders. Not only that but their armor… even if I never saw European armor before I can recognize quality and those ones aren’t just props.“ He looked to the sides, obviously feeling nervous but the aging detective said nothing. “Some of my colleagues agree with me but when we brought it to the captain he told me to drop it.”

‘Of course he did. This is supposed to be something simple, forgettable, and a conspiracy of any kind will attract anyone curious enough.’ Which meant those people would disappear and that may include the young officer before him. Since he showed some potential, the detective knew exactly how to distract the young man. “Say, would you like to make a couple of rounds with me?”

“Sir?” The young officer sounded shocked by the offer.

“You have a sharp mind and good eyes. I fear that at my age I may miss something and you could help catch them.” He could see the eagerness of youth and to prove himself. “So you come with me and we do some rounds, see what we can find while the first responders work and before the crime scene is closed off. Never know what can happen with that many people running around.”

The officer knew the aging detective was right as there were many needing medical attention and it would take a while for them all to be taken to a hospital. “Yes sir!”

The young man blushed at how loud his voice got but the man shook his head and smiled. “Lets go around… what is your name, officer?”

“Raito, sir. Yagami Raito."  The name surprised the detective and the young man noticed. “Yes, my father is Yagami Soichiro.”

“What the- Why is the son of the Chief of police of all Japan doing around Fuyuki? As just an officer nonetheless.”

“It was partially on my insistence and part because my father wanted me to ‘cut my teeth’ while going up into the ranks.” Raito replied with a casual smile.

For a second the detective was about to ask more questions before remembering something. “You helped Tokyo’s police with a case, right? Did an interview or something as well saying you wanted to be a detective.”

It was Raito’s turn to be surprised. “I am surprised you remember that, sir. It was years ago.”

“Just five and I am not that old to forget when a highschooler outsmarts us in the force.” Still Shinsuke remembered that the article spoke of how brilliant young Raito was. “Why a detective though? With your smarts you could be making a fortune in other areas.”

Suddenly his smile gained melancholy that the man found even more surprising. “Because that would be boring and there are many mysteries that I want to investigate.” The way he looked around the gallery, studying it with clear interest, showed the old man that Raito was very invested in this case already.

“‘Mysteries’, huh?” Shinsuke wondered if he should say something else but just began to walk. “Then you better focus on this one. Come on now and… I hope your stomach is ready or that you didn’t have dinner.”

They did find some gruesome sights while exploring the art gallery, the older man asking the younger for his opinions; they saw bodies burned to a crisp, body parts without their owners and people imprinted on the floor by a lot of force.

Most of those were focused in a single area and the detective already knew one type of person capable of doing that much damage by themselves.

The officer on the other hand deduced that it was a number of people working together or the result of an all out brawl. It was a fair assumption to make as breaking concrete wasn’t easy for a normal person.

But what fascinated the younger man the most was the fact so many of the people around were still alive. “What do you think, sir? They were spared for some kind of statement?” He asked as they watched some people being carried off in stretchers. “Most of them seemed to have been tased by a high voltage weapon. Like someone brought a gun to a sword fight.”

Shinsuke knew Raito deduced that because of some twitching from the victims presented but it was easy to debunk. “A modified weapon is a possibility but while the armors will need to be examined there are no taser marks from what I can see.”

The young man nodded as the detective pointed to someone moaning from pain. “At least they are alive to tell us what happened.”

“Hmm.” The detective pretended to agree but knew it wasn’t going to happen that easily. Screams of pain cut the conversation a little and he noticed how Raito’s face remained calm despite his age and the suffering around them. “Do you need a break?”

Raito scoffed at the notion before smiling. “No offense sir but I wouldn't stop even if you ordered me.” He kept watching over the living soldiers with interest, almost as if he was trying to piece what happened from their pain alone.

‘This world is mad. Wonderful and mad.’ The detective thought to himself as he watched the officer keep a mostly impartial face and take note of every detail with cold detachment. “Come on boy. We have a few more places to explore.”

“The second floor?” Raito asked. Shaking his head, Shinsuke stepped forward to the back of the gallery where there was a hole to the outside. “Wasn’t this an entry point?”

“The entry points were the places with tire marks. This was an exit.” The detective stepped out and both saw a group of paramedics working into taking off a single man’s armor. Shinsuke noticed a familiar face and called “Considering this is the outside I thought you would already have finished, Takenouchi.”

A woman with long strawberry white hair in a ponytail turned to glare at the detective. “Kazuma, you old bastard.” There was a smile on her face that had the detective smiling too.

“You are as old as I am.” The two policemen stopped at a safe distance as the woman gave some orders to her people to take off as much armor as they could before moving away from the body.

“No, you are two years older than me.” She turned to Raito with a frown. “Training your replacement already?”

The old man shrugged. “Getting to the age, yeah. Say hello to Takenouchi, Raito. Mother of my daughter in law.”

“Ma’am.” The officer offered his hand respectfully and the paramedic took off a blooded glove before shaking it. “Are you helping move the bodies?”

“No dead here, kiddo. That one is still alive.” The three turned to look as a team of four paramedics made an effort to remove all the man’s armor as slowly as they could.

“I didn’t think anyone alive could bend their arms like that.” Raito commented, for the first time feeling unnerved by the state of one of the perpetrators of the night’s events. He gulped loudly before speaking again. “How isn’t there more blood? Some of the armor looks to be sunken in and should have pierced the skin.”

Both elders look at each other, the lead paramedic with her eyebrows raised. The detective shook his head away from Raito’s field of vision and she knew that she needed an excuse.

“Whoever did this wasn’t trying to kill him.” Takenouchi ended up saying out loud. It was the truth anyway but one that surprised Raito. “I know, right? Most people with their arms and legs bent that way may even die from shock but the guy there was awake when we got here.”

“He was?!” Raito couldn’t hold back his voice and even the detective looked impressed.

“Yeah, we had to knock him out with some medicine and only after we assured him that we wouldn’t take off his cape first.” A meaningful glance was trade between the two professionals.

Both of them were aware about the moonlit world and the potential that a piece of clothing may have. “We will sort that into evidence after you make sure he won’t die.” Shinsuke made it sound like he was doing her a favor but it wasn’t the case. “I will file it myself.” It was both their jobs to make sure no one would look too deep.

Obviously the cape would be cataloged then replaced by a normal one if necessary once the real power of the town took a look.

“Still, I may have to amend my previous deduction. That was too systematic.” Raito commented in deep thought.

Takenouchi gave him a look before turning to Shinsuke. “What do you mean, Raito?”

“Taking into account what Takenouchi-san said it is clear that the person responsible for all that wanted his victims to suffer as much as possible.” A look of contempt crossed Raito’s face for just a moment. “The way most of them are alive and in pain indicates a truly evil person that showed he could kill everyone to then start torturing them until he grew bored and left.”

“Or finished the job after a show of force.” Shinsuke interrupted the young man who looked at the detective in shock as the elder shook his head. “You are letting your biases color the world, kid. Never do that, especially in our line of work.” He pointed back to the gallery. “From the tire marks and the leftovers of a car we can deduce that at least two people got in separately from different directions. That speaks more about two groups crashing the party of a third one. You agree with that?”

“Or a group in two cars.” The officer still nodded in agreement. “And the only ones we found were people in armor. That reinforces the idea that the invading group got their wounded in the second car and left.”

Shinsuke could have agreed with that if he wasn’t as experienced as he was. “Two distincts methodologies.” Raito's eyes grew wide. “One group was ruthless, they cut heads and blew off people without hesitation. They were fighting to kill.” He raised a hand to count to two. “The other group was more direct on their methods; neutralize at all costs and those ‘knights’ barely saw them coming.” The detective chuckled. “There is no indication they got a single blow in.”

“It still leaves two groups that are allies.” Amending his deductions again, Raito revealed his thoughts. “One brutal that weakened the knights and the other methodical that came for the finishing blow.” He looked at the broken man before him with pity. “Or just as brutal but of a different kind. I doubt this man can ever walk again.”

“Actually he just might, after some therapy.” The paramedic commented, surprising them both as the detective didn’t expect any admission of recovery from what he deduced were impossible wounds. Yet the woman spoke in front of the officer which indicated that it had nothing to do with the moonlit world.. “Both of you are right, his bones were broken methodically, perfectly even.”

“How do you break a bone perfectly?” Shinsuke was shocked.

The paramedic wasn’t surprised, she didn’t know that was possible until that day either. “By holding them down and hitting precisely where they needed to break the strongest bones evenly.” She turned to the man without armor now being lifted into a stretcher. “Also no damage to the spine or cranium, just arms and legs. The guy can recover with time and therapy but the point is that he will recover.”

“That…” Raito didn’t know what to say.

But Takenouchi understood regardless. “I know.” She was avoiding telling them how the body would be a bloody mess anyway because of the method but the man had no wounds besides his bones.

She didn’t need to, the detective got the message as his friend kept looking at him. “Then the third group had someone extremely skilled. Potentially bigger than the victim considering that brute force was required.”

After a second, Raito asked “What kind of man could do something like that?”

“Be-” A soft whisper escaped the blond man’s lips and the paramedics called their superior for permission to administer more drugs. The policemen followed and as the woman was about to give the order the man spoke again. “Beee…” All came closer to hear what the man was saying and the one once known as Sir Gawain finally spoke clearly. “Beast…”

None of the present could understand what he was really saying as Gawain lost his consciousness due to the drugs and pain.

His last thought was about the redhead who broke him completely, both in body and spirit.