Later that night, the Batman was seen standing atop one of Fuyuki's taller skyscrapers, the silhouette formed by the blinking red light behind him being the only indication that he was there. He then took a small phone from his utility belt and looked at the time.

[11:48 PM]

His seemingly glowing white eyes then narrowed.

It was almost time.

He then pulled out his grappling gun and fired it into a building before falling down and swinging away to the targeted house. As he landed atop the neighboring house, his eyes then widened in panic after hearing struggling inside the home.

Was he too late?!

Batman wasted no time as he jumped down from his roost and then rolled before running towards to the front of the house. He then listened in and heard the muffled sound of crying and begging.

"Please... Just take the money and our belongings. Please, just leave us be!" a red-haired woman inside said as she as she clutched her equally terrified son protectively. While that happened, a man with similar red hair was splayed on the floor, no doubt the woman's brother.

In front of them stood an orange-haired teenager with a sweet smile who merely laughed at her plea. After his laughter died down, he then said "Man, you're funny lady. But sadly, I just can't do that. You see. This book I found in my grandma's house states that to summon a demon, I need at least two blood sacrifices and a live child. I've tried a buncha times already but sadly I just can't seem to get it right.". He then frowned before saying "Welp! You know what they say! If at first you don't succeed, then try and try and try again! Maybe the fifteenth times a charm?".

The woman's face paled after hearing what he said. She then muttered out "You're the serial killer... The one who was responsible for those blood sigil things...".

The man then held up his hands saying "Hold up. Don't label me as just some serial killer. I have you know I see myself more as a connoisseur of death. After all it's such a beautiful thing. You see, I hold this belief that humans feel that utmost peak of all emotions only during their final moments! As such, I took it upon myself to observe it! Each and every single time!".

The little boy then got out of his mother's grip and stared the killer down with rage in his amber eyes. The orange-haired teen raised an eyebrow as he said "Oh? You wanna play hero kid?".

The little boy then growled as he balled his fists up, saying "I... I... I WILL be a hero! I won't let you hurt my mommy like you hurt uncle!" before being pulled back desperately by his mother.

The orange-haired teen then chuckled before escalating to full on cackling as he said "Oh this is just rich!". He then gave the boy a fake, sweet smile, saying "Well then. Don't worry... I just need some of your mother's blood so I can summon the big bad then!".

He then took a machete from behind him and readied to strike the mother and son. He may need the son alive for the ritual, but no one said anything about how alive.

He then swung down, ecstatically awaiting the delicious sound of blood splattering, organs rupturing and agonizing screaming.

*CLANG!!*

The teenager then looked in confusion as something metal parried his strike. Shortly after, he then saw something akin to a tall black shadow with white glowing eyes, rush him before feeling, not only the air in his lungs get kicked out, but also his consciousness rapidly draining as a chop made its way to his carotid artery. The last thoughts in his mind before passing out were "I summoned the grim reaper himself?! So this is how it feels to die! It's so exhilarating! Yet so serene... I imagined death it feels more like a memory, this is where it kills me, on my feet, on my feet, on my...". As to how it was possible for him to think all that in the few sparse moments before falling unconscious well... let's not think too hard.

Anyways, Batman then kneeled atop the unconscious teen before promptly taking a handcuff and cuffing the teen to the floor. He then looked up at the mother and son and said "Call the cops. He'll be out for a few hours, a few minutes at worst.".

He then stood up with a grunt and then said "And I suggest you make it quick. That man over there won't last any longer if that bleeding forehead is any indication.".

The woman then nodded shakily before taking the house phone and dialing 119(Japan's 911), to call about the incident. Meanwhile, the Batman began taking photos of all the pages found in the book.".

Batman then tells the woman "If you can, give the cops these evidences and say the Batman gave it to you. That should help prosecute this murderer." with disgust. After all, the man he just knocked out reminded him of a certain knife-wielding madman named Viktor Zsasz.

Batman then walked over to the med-kit found on their wall and began bandaging the man. As he did, the red-headed boy began inching towards him after seeing him start giving first-aid to his injured uncle.

"Y-your the v-vigilante the news kept talking about. The K-kuroki(translation according to Google Translate: Black Demon)!".

The man in a bat said nothing, unwilling to lose focus lest he harm the person he was applying the tourniquet on. However, after he did, he merely stood up and, just as the police arrived, walked out the backdoor saying "No, I'm the Batman." before firing off his grappling hook and taking off with his cape spreading out as if it were the shape of a bat. The woman then hugged her child who was currently unresponsive. However, unlike earlier, this time, instead of dread in his eyes, there was wonder. The Batman, a mysterious enigma who beats up bad guys and saves people... a hero...

To confirm his suspicion, the boy then asked "Are... are you a hero?" in a hushed yet scared voice, still honestly unnerved by the outfit of his saviour.

The man merely gave him a neutral stare, saying "...Debatable." as he aimed his grappling gun towards the closest building. As Batman was ready to retract the hook to launch him forward, he heard the boy whisper out "You're my hero...".

The Caped Crusader then tugged on the contraption, sending him forward. As he did, a small, near imperceptible smile appeared on his face before it turned into a frown as he silently prayed that the boy's admiration of him is merely that of gratitude and not as a model for being a person. He does not want the boy or anyone for that matter to lead such a fate. Such is, after all, the path of a hero, one of pain, sacrifice and contempt. Plus... a former billionaire from a different universe with mountains of mental issues isn't exactly something one can and should consider a role model.

From atop a ledge somewhere, he then watched as the man, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, began trying to get out of the policemen's grip as he tried pleading to no avail.

____________________

Thirty minutes or so later, the Batman was back in the bat cave, analyzing the various photos he took of the crazed murderer's book. Luckily, the book seemed to mostly contain words of English and Japanese. As he scoured through, he realized, due to the amount of blood-soaked fingerprints on a few particular pages that really, only the pages that had anything to do with summoning had any real attention on, and as such, meant that most likely, Ryuunosuke only ever read that page, thinking it would summon his "demon".

Now in most cases, someone logical, like he, would dismiss such notions to be the texts of a nutjob. However, considering the fact that he is in a different dimension, and the fact that metahumans like what that Waver kid most likely could be, he had to at the very least consider what the book itself said.

As he flipped through the pages, he read about something called a grail war which, while the book glosses over lots of facts, still told of something known as the Holy Grail war. It was said to be a grand competition between noble families here in Fuyuki, Japan, wherein seven mages would compete for a powerful artifact called a Holy Grail. Each participant is recognized by a mark that appears on their right hand which allow them the right to enter which is presented to them by the grail itself... Somehow.

Unfortunately, aside from the fact that the grail was supposedly some sort of wish granting, end all be all type of prize, nothing much else could be read from it, as it would take at least a few days to translate the blood stain covered bits that littered the photo of the old, leather-bound book's rough pages even with his robot maid, Friede's, help.

However, something else he found though was the fact that apparently, the priest was supposed to be the presiding supervisors for these wars due to the Church's impartial stance towards the contestants.

While reading the book, the metallic humanoid in a maid's outfit then walked up behind him and merely stared at the screen.

Bruce removed his helmet then said "Friede, I have finished for now. Please continue decoding and clearing up the image." before walking to the tray that she had left and pouring himself some Yorkshire Gold. However, as he did, he looked at his hand and, where there was supposed to be a cut, he suddenly saw the Bat-like symbol from his dreams manifest on his arm.

She then looked at her master and then back at the screen and then said "If it were up to me alone, I would've said that this book is full of hogwash and said that you should find something better to do than investigating a lunatic's diary." in a slightly disapproving tone before relenting with a mechanical sigh.

It then said "But seeing as how you're a full grown man wearing what can only be described as a Halloween costume for a war vet, I guess I can humor it master Bruce." reluctantly before continuing on with "I shall endeavour to do my very best, if but to even hope to live up to a modicum of sir Pennyworth's legacy!" with a hint of pride in it.

Bruce rolled his eyes before thinking to himself "Waynetech's techhead team really outdid themselves with her AI if they could program artificial emotion like that. At least I know Wayne tech is safe in the care of my employees when I eventually leave".

Bruce then said "If you cooked any food today, please just pack it up for now. I still have one last person to visit tonight.".

The robot turned her head back to her Master and nodded, saying "As you command, master Bruce. The robot named Friede then tilted it's head before adjusting its optics. It then asked "And if I may ask, who is it that you wish interrogate this time?" with a hint of concerned suspicion in her voice.

Bruce then once more dons the Batman's helmet and grappling hooks off to the target to his next visit.

The Church

____________________

A few minutes later, Batman arrives at the living quarters of the priests and church staff wherein he started sneaking around the place. As he walked around, he also took notice of various church staff congregating around a firing range holding strange miniature swords which they fired at a straw dummy.

He didn't find anything too suspicious in the activity, assuming this universe's church just had fighters like these for... Whatever reason.

However, he then went and momentarily stopped when he saw how one man freeze completely in place after his fellow fledgling Executor jokingly drew a handle of one, somehow conjured out a blade from the handle and threw it into his(the man's) shadow somehow paralyzing him in place. As batman continued to observe the man whine about not finding the presence of the magic, sword-like projectile anywhere near amusing, he then realized that a few of them were near him, likely due to random ricochets. He then took 4 before leaving them to their business.

After successfully navigating the church, Batman finds the priest in his room, who had just said goodbye to a certain Kotomine Kirei and was presumably readying to sleep already. While the priest went to the bathroom, he then snuck in through the window and stood there waiting.

After five minutes, the man returned only to look in shock as Batman said his name slowly with his deep voice. "Kotomine Risei.".

The man then made to pull out black keys from his pockets only for Batman to knock it off his hand with his a batarang.

Batman then said "Don't bother. I'm just here to ask some questions. Tell me about the oncoming war.".

The old priest then looked at him in confusion, saying "What are you..." before being cut off as the Batman took off his glove and showed a bright red command seal. After realizing that the Batman wasn't a demon like how the news depicted him to be, but rather just some vigilante in a bat-themed costume, he then sighed in relief. The priest then said "I see...".

The priest, Kotomine Risei, then asked "Before I tell you what I know, tell me, are you a magus?".

However, silence was all he got in response to his query. This meant MANY things. It could mean the man was one but dared not divulge in fear of being found, the man WASN'T one and didn't want to be in a position of disadvantage or a plethora of other things.

The masked man snapped the priest out of his pondering saying "Just talk.".

The priest then nodded before stopping. He then looked at the masked man with a curious gaze and asked "But before anything else, what is your wish upon the grail?". Instead of answering, Batman uses the moment to try and get more information by asking a simple question. "...What do you gain fron asking that?".

The priest then breathed in to calm himself. It would not do if the supervisor was intimidated by a competitor after all. He then began walking trying to encircle the man in a bat costume as he did when he and the Tohsaka family head when they began trying to convince Kirei, however, said Batman narrowed his gaze, most likely suspicious of the what he did. Risei then decided to settle for pacing back and forth with his eyes closed in a relax manner, that is fine as well.

He then said "But of course. It is my duty as supervisor after all." with as casual a tone as he could muster amidst the presence of the menacing individual. However, he did not live this long without reigning in his emotions before, therefore he was able to set up a believable facade.

Batman then lets out a quiet sigh before saying "I'm just here to keep the city safe." with an even tone as if it was a matter of a fact. After hearing that, the grail war supervisor stopped mid-pacing before raising an eye to the dark knight. He then continued his pacing, saying "I see... so it's like that then.".

With how long-drawn that last word was, Batman began to suspect things, suspicions he had no trouble bringing up.

"What do you mean?"

Kotomine Risei then blinked an eye as he said "Oh nothing. It's just that, it merely confirms my suspicions. You're not a mage.". The man then continued walking back and forth as he said "A magus would have used a familiar to contact me, a mage would've already known much about the operations of the grail war, a magus wouldn't give a damn about Fuyuki ci-" only to be cut off by the cloaked vigilante who said "Then get on with it.".

If the elder Kotomine was perturbed in any way by his disruption, he didn't show it. Instead, he started to humor the masked vigilante's request and started to explain. "Ver well then. The Holy Grail War is a sacred ritual which selects seven mages to compete for a wish granting artifact, known as the Holy Grail.". He then looked to his listener who urges him to continue.

"While it may need a master such as yourself to make the wish, it needs a servant to obtain it. As such, should a master candidate accept the call of the grail, they are to summon a servant and officially present themselves to the grail war.".

"Anything else?" said Batman with the same menacing neutral tone he has spoken in since earlier, keeping everything behind both a literal and metaphoric mask.

The old priest could only shake his head and say "I apologize since anything more would make me impartial to the rest of the competitors.".

Batman narrowed his eyes before turning away before wordlessly jumping off the window as the distant sound of a grappling hook fired off in the distance. Batman knew the look in those eyes. A veteran of war who wouldn't budge a single inch even under threat.

After making sure the man had left, Risei took a deep breathe to calm himself as he said "I really am getting too old to handle these kinds of people.". He then calmly walked off out of the room.

Batman began jumping from roof top to roof top, towards the where he was going to. Suspecting an off chance that maybe someone spyed over the conversation, he activated the radar function built into the ears of his suit, giving him a 360° view of his surrounding.

*Thwip*

And just in time too, as the view of something tiny travelling at the speed of a crossbow bolt began zooming towards him. He only had barely enough time to throw a batarang when said batarang clashed and batted away what seemed to be a jagged knife.

After turning the radar vision off, Batman could just about see a lone black figure crouching atop the roof tops as he did, even sporting a similar sillhouette as he did, save for the lack of horns on his helmet.

He then stood up as well as both sides began staring each other down from opposite sides atop rooftops. On one side was a man in a black outfit covered under a black cowl, with the only part differing in color being that of the luminescent white glow of lense in front of his eyes and the little bit of skin shown on the mouth area of the mask. He sported two horn-like structures on his helmet, as well as an array of items that were found barely peeking out of the cape. Of course I'm talking about Batman.

However, the man on the other side was slightly different. For he was completely naked apart from the ragged, baggy pants and white bone-like mask on his face. He was bald, sported a lean build found in many athletes and skin akin to that of hard coal both in color and sheen.

The stare down continued until suddenly, Batman slammed a smoke bomb on the floor and jumped down and used his cape to glide before firing his grappling hook off to the peak of a random building to swing. As that happened, the mystery man took off and began jumping from building to building in order to chase down Batman.

As he swung about, Batman couldn't help but notice that the mystery pursuer speed was something inhuman. Of course, his experience fighting beings of similar feats meant he could see the man, but nonetheless, the speed of the pursuer was nonetheless still quite worrisome.

Could this be a servant?

With a thud, Batman rolled over the roof before resuming his run. As he did, he then saw the silhouette against the moon behind him blast upwards. Seeing as how said object's shadow seemed to be getting larger, he quickly deduced that it could only mean one thing or rather... one person.

And like hell will he get hit by one of his own take downs.

With a quick side step, he narrowly dodges an axe kick by the mysterious pursuant. Both combatants then stood in place with each using their own combat stances. Both of them then began to eye each other intently, looking for openings, possible strike trajectories and other common things to look for in an opponent. However Batman was looking for something else as well.

The man then suddenly began speaking.

"You are a curious possible master aren't you? Most masters wouldn't dare to think to challenge a servant of all things in a fight, much less in close quarters."

If the man, now confirmed a servant was trying to get a rise out of Batman, he wouldn't get it.

"What is it that you're looking for in me opponent master? You know it's quite rude to stare at someone for that long." continued the servant, not once taking his masked gaze off of the vigilante.

Batman then turned on his voice changer as he said "Oh don't worry. I just wanted to know what class I'm dealing with. I wouldn't want to get beaten by bow now, Assassin." returned with a smirk.

The Assassin merely gave a dry, humorless chuckle before sarcastically saying "Your reputation as not only a vigilante but also a detective precedes you opponent master. What made you see that conclusion? Perhaps my mostly shrouded body? Maybe my use of a dagger maybe? However, I do wish to know, how DID you see through my Presence Conce-" only to be cut off by Batman, saying "And here I thought assassins were supposed to be silent?".

The Assassin raised its daggered hand, saying "I take it you wish to fight me then?" to which Batman then raised a pair of batarangs as if they were knuckle, saying "Oh don't worry. This won't take too long." in a confident, smug voice.

However, as convincing as his voice and his body language was, the Assassin was a spiritual being. As such, he could sense small disturbances in the soul. One such disturbance was fear. With a mirthful chuckle, the Assassin servant readied his knife saying "Indeed.".

Both then crouched and then charged at each other before clashing their blades.

To be continued...

A.N. So anyways, I apologize guys for delaying this for a substantial amount of time. School became more and more hectic and due to that, I was unable to really write anything. Not only that, but due to the sudden difficulty jump due to college, I was forced to allocate most of my brain power to school so I couldn't really write this as much. However, since it is the holidays, I can now write as much as I want so I'll return to my weekly schedule. Merry Christmas and I'll see you guys later.