"Master… we have arrived."
Arriving at the front of the dilapidated Church, atop the hill that overlooked all of Kuoh, two women stood before the gate. The first was a mature woman with long white hair, tied back into a single braid that reached down to her hips. Her golden eyes stared at the Church with an unreadable expression glowing through them, while dressed in the typical attire of a nun or priestess: a dark blue gown with a white robe underneath, and a white cape draped over the shoulders. Below were black boots held in place by a few straps.
Next to her was a young woman somewhere in her late teens to early twenties, bearing dark purple hair done in pigtails and wide, light purple eyes. She wore a white dress that split open at the right side, just below the hip. Most of the dress seemed to flow down to the left side, as it reached to her ankle. At the top of the dress were black frills with a bouquet rose pinned to the right side, where the strap and the dress connected. She also wore silvery armlets, matching the many circlets around her wrists, which had designs running across the back of her hands, connecting to the rings around her fingers. At the legs, similar jewelry could be found as well, attached to the small sandals she wore.
"So, this is the Kuoh Church," the white-haired woman hummed. She pressed a hand against the corroded wood of the gate, and immediately felt something pulse against her. It was as if something was trying to deny her entry. "Hm… it appears that the Fallen have placed a boundary field here." She turned to the girl next to her. "Archer… if you would be so kind."
Archer grinned. "It would be my pleasure."
The female placed her hand on the ground, murmuring a series of words. After a few seconds, the bounded field around the church fluctuated before dispersing. With the field gone, the white-haired woman was able to enter without problems. She pushed the gate open, stepping inside. Like the exterior, the inside of the church was utter garbage. Rows of benches were found shattered into pieces, some even stacked into piles, and many of the stained glass windows situated on the walls were left as broken. The statue of a priest was also found broken, many of its pieces found on the ground and left as chunks of marble.
And it was not vacant.
No sooner had the woman entered did a spear go straight past her, blowing her clothes somewhat, and impaling itself into the ground.
"My word," the woman remarked, unfazed by the action while she looked at the many figures floating above in the air, all bearing feathery black wings. "Is that any way to treat a nun? I would have believed that the emissaries of God, even if having fallen to sin, would show leniency."
"And just what is a mere human doing here?"
The one addressing her was the sole male of the group, wearing a trench coat with a fedora and a gruff expression on his face. At his side were two females—one a young girl with blonde hair, dressed in a gothic lolita style while the other, more mature, wore a tight-fitting business jacket that exposed a fair amount of cleavage and a black skirt that went down to her thighs. All three were readying a light spear, recognizing the human as a potential threat.
"I am Caren Hortensia," the white-haired woman introduced herself without fear. "Master of Archer, and Overseer of the Sixth Holy Grail War."
"The Holy Grail War...?!" The male Fallen questioned, his face displaying a mix of shock and intrigue. Instantly, the spears were dispelled, and they descended down to the ground. The man bowed his head. "My apologies, Sister Hortensia. The only Masters we've encountered are—"
"Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory, as well as other members of her peerage," Caren cut him off, her tone even. "I am aware."
Normally, the identity of other Masters were considered to be a secret… but Caren Hortensia is an exception. As Overseer, she was given the privilege of knowing the identities of all Masters, courtesy of intelligence gathering by both the Church, the Clock Tower, and the Mage's Association. Though she was a Master herself, she considered her role to be insignificant, and would willingly cast aside her Command Seals once a winner was coming close to appearing. However, that said, she doubted a winner would be made, given the rather… unique nature of this War.
Despite the man showing no hostility, recognizing her role, the lolita Fallen remained cautious, leveling a glare at her. "And how can we believe what you say?" she said with a snarl. "You just said that you're a Master!"
"And an Overseer of the Church," Caren stated once again. "My role is impartial to the War. I have no wish for the Grail, and neither does Archer. Hence why I was chosen to watch over the proceeding events that will come to pass."
"Che!"
"One other thing… according to the information by the Church, you have been targeting a young man named Haru Hyoudou, is that correct?"
The more mature female Fallen quirked an eyebrow, but nodded. "Yes… we are under orders to eliminate him, if he proves a threat."
Caren nodded. "I see… I apologize, but I must ask you not to assault him any further."
"What?!" the lolita gawked before her face became livid. "You bitch! Who the hell do you think you are?! Our orders are from Azazel! We're not taking orders from a—"
"Haru Hyoudou has become the Master of Saber, and therefore, has become untouchable by any of the three Factions," Caren interrupted, causing their eyes to widen. "Should any Angel, Fallen or Devil who is not a Master attempt to do him harm, then the Church and Clock Tower shall have no choice but to intervene. Your comrade, Raynare, has already broken this rule, and was slain by Saber." Her eyes narrowed, almost tauntingly, as a small smile formed on her face. "Do you wish to suffer the same fate?"
The Three Fallen looked at one another, uncertainty laced their features. This was quite a conundrum. Their orders were to target and kill Haru Hyoudou, but the fact that he became a Master changes all of this. He is protected in this war, and any attack on him will bring forth retribution from not only his Servant, but the Church and Clock Tower as well. That was the rule set in place for all of the Holy Grail Wars, and Raynare broke it. Now it explained why she failed to return.
It was the iron-clad rule established by all faction when the First Grail War, and the wars proceeding it, occurred. All individuals, be them human or otherwise, would be protected by this law. If the chosen Master was a Devil, Angel, Fallen, or any other being, they would also be protected by this law. Any who dared to break it would be eliminated. The enforcers were typically executioners from the Church, even that of Holy Sword wielders, however the enforcers were even Devils under the command of the Great Devil King and the leader of Heaven himself.
"... we understand," the man said after a period of silence. "We shall inform Azazel-sama of this."
"Very well," Caren nodded. A second later, an unknown emotion ran through her eyes as Archer smiled dangerously. "Now then, onto another matter..."