[Archive] Fate/Moon White (RP)

[Hyarion]

Servant Lancer
Location:hotel room
(7:15am) - (1/4)
Day 1

I was sitting down in my usual pose of meditation. My eyes were closed, one of my hands rested across my lap, and my spear sat next to me, with the other hand resting on top of it. This was not surprising. It is only natural that the summon would bring me as I usually am. But yet, I wonder. In my last moments of life, I was standing, shouldn’t I be standing now? And in those last moments, I had put aside the spear. I had forsaken the final Question. Now, knowing what I did, I wondered if it would even respond to me at all.

I hefted the spear lightly, felt it with my mind, and was instantly assured, it had known me better than I had, it seemed. This war, was a sign of my devotion, and the sacrifice I was willing to make the price. The spear would serve me still. That was good, I would need it for this war.

At that, I felt a frown curve my features. This war, that I knew everything about, what blasphemy! Knowledge that I had but had never worked for, had never earned! The shock of it caused my eyes to flair open in disgust. A small girl sat in front of me, naturally I would need to deal with her, but she could wait a moment. There were words I was supposed to say, but they to, could wait a moment. First off, I needed to explore this knowledge further. I looked around the room, and my mind was filled with confusing thoughts, the names of things I should not know, and the language had changed drastically while I was gone, why?

No answer came, and that, I found, was strangely reassuring. Though this evil ritual had brought me forward from oneness with the world, and had forced all this information into me, it was disjointed. This method of learning showed its flaws. It could give me the tools I needed, the “whats” of any question, but could not answer the hows and whys, the old ways were superior. This was proper.

This knowledge in hand, I now was ready to do my duty. A servants role had to be established, that was how things were, I was a servant, it was my duty to fight, and win, or bleed and die, and this girl, was my master. The pact had to be fulfilled.

Calmly, I stood up; I wondered what was going through my master’s mind as she looked at me silently. I imagine I cut an imposing figure.

My head was uncovered, and I mean that literally, my scalp was completely bare, though a large, thick, black beard hung down from my chin, almost completely hiding my mouth. My eyes were blue, and watery. I had been told that my large forehead jutted out, and together with my thick, bushy eyebrows gave me a perpetual surly, brutish look. I had a burly, misshapen physique, my muscles bulged and strained, and I had many scars.

I was clothed in my combat gear. Not armor, no, it was a simple sleeveless red gi and pants, tailored specifically for me, good clothes, they would not impede my movements in the slightest. I imagined the color would be useful, the blood wouldn’t show as much. I wondered if it would be mine or my opponents that would cover it. Either way, i longed for the day. My arms, as I said, were bare, except for two thick bronze bracers which firmly covered each forearm. And finally, my spear, it must have looked rather puny, clutched in one over large fist. It was a simple thing, made of wood and obviously built specifically to be very light, and at the shaft, it had clearly had more than a foot of its handle hacked off, making it quite small, comparatively. Resting on the ground it barely came up to the neck of my 6 foot stature, but still, before the war was over, I expected many would come to fear its power.

It was time.

“I……AM the knight of the lance.”

My voice, I knew, was not pleasing to the ears. What might have been a bass timber became an unseemly growl, because I unconsciously chewed every word as it came out.

“I ask of you……are you my master?”

The girl seemed momentarily at a loss for words. I wondered that such a person had entered this war. It did not matter; she had chosen well, with the lance at her side, there was nothing to fear. I was perfect, I always had been. Regrettably.

“The contract is forged, our fates are now entwined, from this day forward, the power of this spear, and the strength of my hands, will clear your path, and shall guard you from harm."

The monk at the wall lived again, Servant Lancer had entered the war.

[Hyarion]

Genessa Satellizer/Lightning
Location: Tengetsu International Airport
Time: (6:30) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

Touchdown~

Yeah, I know this is not American Football but the Steelbird had landed safely. That was rather easy...I was worried I had to "seal" someone who would've try something stupid like blowing up the plane hoping to reduce the number of participants of grail war before the grail war even started.

I stretches a bit, trying to loosen my sore muscle after the long trip within the plane. Tengetsu...long before, in preparation for a sealing mission within the land of Rising Sun I've taken courses in Japanese language.... So, I'm confident with my communication skill...unless you're a yakuza, whose way of speaking will definitely make me glare at you. Yeah that's what I mean. Not gape. Glare.

I bought myself the daily newspaper in the airport before browsing for anything of interest. I just hope that all the course I taken didn't just rob me of my money. Luckily for me, my skill holds rather steadily. Let' see... so according to the news all transportation to and from this island will get cut off starting tomorrow. That means, not only I can't expect to escape from the island itself, I also can't expect reinforcement from the Brigade. A real one-woman army. Not that I care.

If there's a person in this world who can pull it off and survive it will be you Gen.

The words of Barthomeloi Lorelei herself, echoes in my mind as I finally reached the lobby. Damn right... The Command Seals that had formed on my arm will be one of the tools I needed to achieve the miracle I seek. The other tool, the catalyst that would soon bring me the heroic spirit befitting of me is inside my luggage I'm currently carrying.

And then there's another mildly interesting news....the Holy Church are planning to build a church on this island. This is worth jotting down...it might make a good cover story later. After exiting the airport, I manage to hail a cab before I get inside. I barked the command to the driver to drop me off as close to the shrine as possible. During the journey, I make a quick check on all of my belongings. Firstly, inside the suitcase... Battery powered Pocket heater...a small custom-made radio... a small, hardcover notebook with some of the prepared journalist story inside...a camera and cellphone which the electronic inside are rigged so that it doesn't turn into useless piece of brick even when I'm casting spell. Finally....I manage to found my wallet and open it to look at my ID.

Where my name should be, were printed Sakuya Izayoi.

Hm? Oh did you just ask why is my name not on the ID? Obviously it's a fake one. However, this fake ID will let me pass any law enforcers inspection, a privilege given only to the members of Brigade. Why? This is because this fake ID will help us perform our sealing operation much easily and there won't be any comeback that can be traced straight to the Association. That is how much power the Queen of the Association holds.

But seriously....Izayoi Sakuya....I mean...yeah sure, I'll get the highest grade if I cosplay as her without even trying but this is a tad bit ridiculous, don't ya think? It's a joke even among my colleagues in Brigade. Ah well...those moron will surely keep it down when I'm back from this mission.

Genessa Satellizer/Lightning/Izayoi Sakuya.
Passing by Tengetsu Royal Hotel in Cab
Time: (7:25) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

Magic Circle.

As a magi, a magic circle is one of the must know stuff, for one to be a fully-fledged magi. Whether it's a transmutation circle or summoning circle, whenever it is used, it will certainly leak out vast amount of prana. And being my life as a sealer,I was trained, to sharpen my instinct to sense this buildup of mana. Even for those who does it with silent or instant casting, they can probably hide the nature of the spell but they cannot hide the scale of the spell they were going to conduct within the next moment. Therefore I was completely surprised when the cab passed through a hotel, when I sense the buildup of mana which was quite staggering.

Whether it was a support spell, attacking spell or a magic circle... there's definitely a magi within that building....

It could even be a Master.

If so, then he or she is a foolish one.

I hailed the taxi immediately, paying him the money up to the point we stopped. The camera that was inside my suitcase, are now hanging on my neck, bouncing off my chest and also pocketing the note inside my jacket. I took the rest of my belonging out before hopping off the taxi. Like some fired-up journalist who just found a lead to a hot and juicy story, I went to find a place where I can perform a stakeout on the entrance of the Tengetsu Royal Hotel without being notice immediately.

Camera, Good operating condition.

Magic Circuit, powered down. Good, this shouldn't tip me off as a magi either.

Pen, ready to jot down anything of interest.

I took out my note and scanned through the points I made as a journalist albeit a fake one. I also made some note on the mildly interesting news earlier.

The trip to the supervisor can wait.

Commencing Operation. Staking out for a possible Master/ Law breaking magus.

[Hyarion]

Alan McCarthy
Location: Tengetsu Royal Hotel (Room 1113)
Time: (7:31) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

I had been able to erase all physical evidence of the summoning from the hotel room within a few minutes - good. That extra time to set up may have cost me the chance to get Saber, but I'm not going to let it cost me my cover.

Taking one last look around, I walked to the door. Can you hear me, Rider? I asked, testing the bond between us.

I felt, rather than heard, her reply. Yeah.

I'll make this quick. Like I said before, I was never planning on staying here. Operating out of a hotel is one thing, but summoning here is just idiotic - I just triggered magic beyond human limits. This place is going to be lit up like Las Vegas. Feeling Rider's slight confusion, I added, Look, just follow my lead here. I'll explain as soon as I can. You ready?

I opened the door and stretched as I took a look around. There was a single man in front of the elevator, down the hall. Satisfied, Alan started to approach him. "Hey. How long've you been waiting for the elevator?"

As I grew nearer, I was able to get a better look at him - the man was massive. He easily topped six feet, and his bodybuilder physique and blazing red hair only contributed to the aura of incredible strength that he seemed to be radiating. I could tell that even Rider was feeling a bit worried about this man, who seemed ready to snap someone in half.

His scowl only increased at my question. "Bloody ages. It's stopping on every. damn. floor."

"Stairs?"

He nodded towards the nearby door. "You take 'em. I'm not waiting this long for nothing."

Nodding back, I walked past him, brushing close enough to drop 1113's keycard in one of his enormous coat pockets. As I opened the stairwell door, I took one last look back - he was watching me go, his scowl replaced by a grim smile.

Inside, the door swung shut with a clang. I still don't have time to explain, but stay close - I can't affect who this works on. If you lose track of me, meet me at the door at the bottom of these stairs. Front's too obvious.

I could feel Rider following my order, but there was still a mix of confusion and curiosity running along our bond. What--

"Rķastrad," I muttered.

--And disappeared.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rķastrad, the most prized spell in the McCarthy Magic Crest. Alan uses it quite differently from his predecessors, for various reasons. When used like this, activating it causes him to essentially become beneath notice. Basically, Vitrification. It only works when Alan has no wish to fight - thus, unlike Presence Concealment, it cannot be used for ambushes and the like.

Detecting Alan is possible, but requires extraordinary circumstances - a rank B in Clairvoyance, a rank in Mental Pollution, etc - as well as a good reason why Alan stands out. Remember, Rķastrad does not change Alan's appearance. Simply being able to see through it will not make you notice him, or help you spot him in a crowd, for example.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--- From the notebook of A.M. ---

Rider - unknown factor. Personality not what I'm used to dealing to, but not unbearable. Physical statistics known, but skills and true identity still unknown. Would prefer to find a private place before asking about capabilities - I doubt that many Servants are roaming about yet, so I should be able to spare an hour, max. If dealing with Rider takes too long, I'll have to put my plan on hold. Not a good thing when I already have so much to finish today.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alan McCarthy
Location: City Streets
Time: (7:45) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

I had been walking around Tengetsu pretty aimlessly for the last fifteen minutes. The streets seemed fairly bustling for this time of morning - I don't blame them, though. Despite the light snow, it's a nice day out. The clouds are still thin enough to see the sun, and the brisk walk I've been keeping up has kept me from noticing the freezing cold.

Rider didn't mind the cold, of course, but every time we would pass a cafe or restaurant I would get an odd feeling from her - I'm pretty sure that she was staring longingly at each one. I could just imagine her trying to drag me all over the city if I hadn't had Rķastrad activated... At any rate, I had been trying to keep her occupied by bringing her up to speed on the situation.

--So, yeah. That's what my younger brother was doing here. I needed a place where I could summon right away, he got me one. I never saw anyone on my way in or out, so he should be the only one associated with that room. ...That's a little dangerous, but he insisted on it. At least I talked him into taking a plane out today, and he's been using the name Ryan Staunton so he can't be easily traced to me. So, what I was planning on next... Hm?

We had stopped in front of what seemed to be a department store. I could tell that Rider had finally stopped trailing behind me. Hey! Hey, Alan. This looks like a good place to buy some clothes.

...Works for me. I'll turn off Rķastrad so you can wander. Just let me know when you've found something, I thought, heading inside.

[Hyarion]

Iroaseru Asa
Location: Cemetery
(8:10) - (1/4)
Day 1

We had already arrived when I opened my eyes; the cold steel greys surrounded me on all sides. I looked again at the scribbled noted in crumpled in my hand, a last memento from my mother before I had left on this fool’s errand.

“Tch”

I stood in the cold as the taxi drove away, I don’t really have words left to say now. I was just here to pay my respects to the dead. The dead deserve respect after all, even if it was a foolish death. Dying is easy; living is the hard part, so I respect him for living as long as he did.

My mother’s father, he lived and died the way he always had, it is just sad that he finally passed away alone. The fool was always alone, still, I loved him. It’s sad, because I am probably the only one who is going to cry. I dig though the snow covering the cold stone grave, there, tied to a metal stake was a set of keys. Inheritance from an old man who gave nothing and asked for nothing, fitting that she knew all along it would be here.

There, one last thing to do...

----

"Ye first, O silver, O iron O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract
Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg
Let the descending winds be as a wall
Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve.
Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.
Five perfections for each repetition.
And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!
Set.
Let thy body rest under my dominion; let my fate rest in thy blade.
If thou submittest to the call of the Holy Grail and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.
I make my oath here.
I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heavens.
I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades.
Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,
come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance"

----

These are not my words, these are just the repetition of words spoken by someone that once had meaning, in the cold cemetery the light is blinding white. Fool’s errand is right, who the hell has the right to summon on the dead...-

[Hyarion]

The lions sing and the hills take flight.
The moon by day and the sun by night.
Blind woman, deaf man, jackdaw fool.
Let the Lord of Chaos rule.


Servant Caster
Location - Cemetery
Time - (8:25) - (1/4)
Day - Day 1 of the War

For Caster, the first sensation was never physical. Even after ages in the Abyss of the Throne, this had not changed. Whereas others saw light of life, Caster could only feel death surrounding him at the moment. He had felt this sensation far too often in his life. He never truly liked it.

Whe..!?

It seemed that the second step of his rebirth was knowledge. It was as if someone had hammered the knowledge into his skull - no sense of finesse or delicacy. Only the markings of someone who had far too much power and far too little knowledge. Nevertheless, it was effective and a sense of excitement and amusement, stemming from the new knowledge, filled Caster.

The Grail War, huh?

As the area surrounding the circle was bathed in a golden light, Caster slowly arose from the magical construct. Rich gold and purest white flapped in the prana-infused winds that twisted around him as if alive. The only thing visible from under the cover of the elegant hood was a smirk filled with confidence and superiority. At the precise second Caster had emerged from the Circle, the circle died out, and the light vanished without a trace.

Paying no attention to it, Caster stepped forward towards to what he assumed was his summoner. Pushing back his hood, he revealed his face. His jet-black hair fell on his shoulders and his gray eyes held a glint of mischievousness, which seemed more suitable on a young boy, rather then on a middle aged man.

He looked into the eyes of the girl in front of him.

"A cemetery? While I appreciate the hidden irony, aren't you being a bit too morbid? But where are my manners..." Caster bowed deeply. "I am servant Caster and I have a simple question. Are you my Master?"

His tone was filled with amusement, but there was a slight undertone of mocking, as if chiding the mage in front of him. How could he not? He had a feeling that the girl in front of him would be easy to irritate. Women always were. And after all... he could only think of a few things more amusing then infuriating others.

Taking her barely conceivable nod as confirmation, he went on without giving the girl even a second to talk.

"Then our contract is complete. I shall be your unfading beacon of victory and you shall be my guiding hand."

He extended his hand towards the girl.

"Will you allow me to guide you into this world of wonders?"

[Hyarion]

Officer Nakahara Shou
Location: In Transit to Tengetsu Police Department
Time: (6:40) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

"Well, I'd most certainly recommend the Fuyutsuki-hotel, which can be found quite close to the airport and our Great Wall. It is a 3-star hotel, so you have nothing to worry about, and the prices are reasonable. Even more, they rent cars in the same location, so it is perfect for tourists who have come to see the whole island of Tengetsu", Officer Nakahara answered as he turned the wheel, making the car turn another street. This, even more so than the streets before, looked very neat, as if it had been left untouched by the bored youth with spray cans.

"Ah.....here we are finally. The Tengetsu Police Station."

The building slowly came into the view. Strangely enough, the building was far bigger than what you would have expected from a police station of a small island with only one city. But Tengetsu's history spoke for itself, and the police force was one of the most able in the country.

Officer Nakahara took the car around the back, where a ramp led down, inside the building. When they came to a gate, Officer flashed his ID to the patrolman in charge of security, and so the journey continued, deeper underground. The undergound parking lot itself was fairly large, and many vehicles just like that which Officer himself drove were parked in there, along with more normal ones, armored vehicles, snowmobiles and even one very suspiciously Hummer-looking car, though modified for police usage. Officer Nakahara spent good five minutes to get his car straight into the line with the others, showing his need for order, once again. Once he was satisfied, he nodded to Dan.

"Let's go. The Superintendent is waiting for you."

They took Dan's luggage and headed for elevator, which arrived in about ten seconds. Inside, Officer Nakahara pressed a button that would take them to third, the upmost floor, and so the sliding doors shut down. A moment of silence passed as the two waited for elevator to reach it's destination, and the relief came when the doors opened once again.

Officer Nakahara took Dan through a white corridor, with doors on neat distances from each other, and with large windows between them. Through them one could see lot of people, most typing away at their computers, some heatedly discussing about something, and even few who had fallen asleep on their work. As they walked through the corridor, Officer Nakahara continued to explain and introduce the place, pointing out the corridor that would have led to the crime lab, one of the many meeting rooms, the lounge, all that kind of stuff that one could expect to find in a place like this.

And the last of them was....

"This is Superintendent's room. I'll inform him that you've arrived, then you can introduce yourself, and get down to the business."

Officer opened the door with swift move, as if he was an army grunt ready to meet his superior. Behind the door was an office with pleasant odor hanging around it. All in all, it was the most stereotypical superior's office there could be, complete with aquarium.

"Good morning, Superintendent Karamorita! I've brought the representative of Aegis Defense Services, Dan York Morgan, with me!"

Behind the desk sat a man who..........well, to be honest, looked pretty much like pirate from the old Ryukyu-islands. He had a scruffy beard, rough face and eyes so sharp he must have been a hawk in his previous life. But when he saw Dan, a slight smile rose upon his face. If that smile was bad or good thing.........was left up to debate.

"I see, I see. The man from the continent, eh? Welcome to Tengetsu. I hope Officer Nakahara did not cause you too much trouble with his perfectionism-like tendencies", Superintendent Karamorita said. And what was scary, was that the supposed joke was told with almost no emotion whatsoever. "Hopefully there haven't been any problems one the short time that you've been he-"

"Good mornin' Kara-jii! I've brought the representative of Keeping You Awake Services, coffee-kun, with me!"

The bright and cheery, so radiant it was close to radioactive, voice rang out and destroyed the official mood immediately. What.....or who......had entered the room and now stood behind Dan and Officer Nakahara, was a young woman in female officer's uniform. She had a red hair and amber-colored eyes, and was grinning from ear to ear.

"Officer Enya...........they didn't manage to restrain you before we could get this poor man out of the building safely, didn't they?" Officer Nakahara muttered under his breath.

"Ah, good timing. Give me some coffee, Enya-kun", Superintendent said, apparently completely unfaced by the appearance of this girl.

It was if the atmosphere of the room was begging for tsukkomi.

[Hyarion]

Genessa Satellizer/Lightning/Izayoi Sakuya.
Sidewalk opposite of Royal Tengetsu Hotel.
Time: (7:30) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

Operation Staking out for a possible Master /Law Breaking Magus.

One thing which I found out by experience when staking out is that, if you are in a foreign land it's best not to be too committed to the stakeout too much. There's always snags here and there, even more so if the opponent is a magus and familiar with the terrain. Besides, tipping off the said magus of your presence because of your impatience is a VERY SILLY mistake. This is a battle of wits, not a game of tag.

So, here I am, in the cold, looking out for the entrants of the hotel with my belongings, messing with my cell after nothing odd happen in the first five minutes.

I've jotted down the name of the hotel on the notebook and am currently looking at the GPS within my cellphone. Normally I use a map, but since it's so neatly folded in the suitcase with a lot of other stuff, I check for the GPS signal here. Really now....maybe I should have taken the map....oh wait. There we go.

The GPS program had me already tagged and I'm currently navigating using it. Looks like I'm several klicks away from the airport and there would be a few more klicks which I have to cover to reach the shrine. With that, I turn off the GPS and continue watching at the entrants. Seconds later, again I felt the flare of the mana buildup but at lower scale this time.

Really now....in daylight on top of that.

Whoever this person is, he or she haven't found me yet. So I continue to look at the entrance.

And no, I am NOT looking for oddly dressed people or odd sticks carelessly jutting out off his or her pocket.

Genessa Satellizer Lightning/ Izayoi Sakuya.
Sidewalk opposite of Royal Tengetsu Hotel.
Time: (7:55) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

25 minutes of my stakeout.... Normally, I don't expect anyone but...right now...inside the lobby there's a magus inside drinking his coffee.How do I know? Well... magus tends to leak mana around them. My job requires me to be able to pick up those. So wouldn't that be good? You just had to go straight towards him and initiate a conversation right? WRONG. It's highly possible that whoever activate the magic circle planted him there on purpose. If I go straight to him and ask for something, my face will probably be tagged. So I'm going to play it safe....for now.

Maybe I should have use my camera to keep a look out for the entrance...no.. bad idea. That's the same as putting neon lights on me saying I'm suspicious. Hm? What good does MY camera do? Patience grasshopper, I'll save that for later.

I let out an exaggerated sigh, complaining about a false lead before I picking up my stuff.

Time to find myself another taxi before shooting straight for the shrine this time. And what do you know? One of the cab driver noticed me carrying my stuff all by myself before stopping next to me. With a shy smile, I told him I had my business on the shrine. After I put away all my stuff in the back, I hopped inside the taxi and headed for the shrine once again. But this time, I won't be stopping anywhere short of the shrine.

[Hyarion]

Servant Rider
Location: Tengetsu Royal Hotel (Room 1113)
Time: (7:31) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

I watched as my partner cleaned up the room that we're in, as he cleaned I went through all the new information in my head. So many things have changed; the language was very different from the language in my time.

All the information was fascinating, cars, bikes, airplanes, guns, the food, electricity. It was amazing, and all of it was so new to me, yet it had felt like I have known all this stuff my entire life....it was kind of creepy.

Rider can you hear me Alan's voice brought me out of my thoughts. I had felt him, not heard him. Yeah. I replied to him; receiving the message was weird and sending my reply was even weirder.

I'll make this quick. Like I said before, I was never planning on staying here. Operating out of a hotel is one thing, but summoning here is just idiotic - I just triggered magic beyond human limits. This place is going to be lit up like Las Vegas........Wait what? was all I could think to myself before Alan finished Look, just follow my lead here. I'll explain as soon as I can. You ready? I nodded though I don't know why, he couldn't see me.....I think.

Alan opened the door, and stopped to look around, then continued down the hall toward an elevator. A single man stood in front of it, and he was huge. He was tall and build for fighting, he could probably break Alan in half if he wanted to. But there was something else about him that made me stand on my toes.....but I couldn't place it.

"Hey. How long've you been waiting for the elevator?" Alan asked the man who was clearly pissed off. The man scowled, at the question, "Bloody ages. It's stopping on every. damn. floor."......Why doesn't he take the stairs?

"Stairs?"....now there's a chance my partner might be a mind reader. The man nods his head toward a door, "You take 'em. I'm not waiting this long for nothing." Alan merely nods and walks toward the door, but not before drop something in the man's pocket....it looked like a keycard. A grim smile come across the man's face.

The door shuts on me, luckily spirit form can go through walls. I still don't have time to explain, but stay close - I can't affect who this works on. If you lose track of me, meet me at the door at the
bottom of these stairs. Front's too obvious.

I understood the order, why was beyond me, What- before I could ask Alan muttered something and disappeared I could feel him through the bond but......THE F-

Servant Rider
Location: City Streets
Time: (7:45) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

It had been fifteen minutes of aimlessly walking, but it was a great fifteen minutes of aimlessly walking. It was the first time I had gotten to see the sun in well....forever. I could tell by the way everyone was dressed that it was cold out, but being in spirit form the weather didn't bother me. The weather was good for now.

There were many cafe's that we walked by, all of them had caught my attention. There were different varieties, when this war is over and if we're both still here I'm making him take me to every single on of these place. I noticed that Alan began to move on, and I followed him. I could only keep track of him through the bond.

He had been telling me about himself and what he has done, I was impressed.

--So, yeah. That's what my younger brother was doing here. I needed a place where I could summon right away, he got me one. I never saw anyone on my way in or out, so he should be the only one associated with that room. ...That's a little dangerous, but he insisted on it. At least I talked him into taking a plane out today, and he's been using the name Ryan Staunton so he can't be easily traced to me. As for where we'll set up next... Hm?

He must of noticed that we stopped in front of a store. I could see that inside had clothes what were they called......a department store? Anyway I was excited, Hey! Hey, Alan. This looks like a good place to buy some clothes.

...Works for me. I'll turn off Rķastrad so you can wander in. Just let me know when you've found something, He say reappearing like he was always there.

Servant Rider
Location: City Streets
Time: (8:05) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

That was the most fun I have ever had, so many clothes. I had gotten a plain red sweater, a pair of plain jeans that hugged my legs, some steel colored steel toed shoes, and a thick blue jacket.

All was right with the world....then I walked outside, "Okay, now I'm cold," I tired to zip up the jacket, now the weather sucked.

[Hyarion]

Tikhon Belanov
Location: Yuki-Sakura Hotel
Time: 7:19
Day: (1st)

The light had blinded me, and my eyes were still adjusting. They were taking far too long, and the first thing I heard was the voice.

“---------I ask of you. Are you my Master?”

Rough. It sounded like two rocks were scraping together. I guess it wasn't to surprising, considering who I had summoned. Finally, my eyes began to adjust and her form became vis-

What.

Gold and bronze armor, cape, a battle dress. A woman.

What?

This wasn't right. I knew the tale behind this heroic spirit well. I had read so many stories before deciding on a catalyst. It had been quite specific about the hero's gender, and it was quite certain that he- no she had been a man.

What?!

Something must have gone wrong in the translation. That, or there had been a story hidden behind the story. Either way, I no longer knew everything about my servant. Wait...

Hadn't the Fuyuki Grail War had a similar occurrence? Perhaps there was something special about the Saber Class that...

No, I'm getting off topic. Win the war first, then worry about picking apart the whims of the Holy Grail. (Note: I would later come to realize that I should probably be doing this while winning the war...)

“I, Servant Saber, have come forth in response to your summons.”

She grins, and despite myself, I feel myself grinning back. I think I'll enjoy working with her. Although, that voice is quite odd to hear coming out of a woman's mouth... even though she's even larger than me, by about 2 inches.

“From this time forth, my sword shall be with you and your fate shall be mine. ---------Now, our contract is complete.”

“Take my hand, boy, and this Queen of War shall lead you to victory in this Holy Grail War.” She finishes, offering me her hand. I take it, and the contract is truly established. Now I'm certain. I can feel it through he link. Even though it seems a few details about her legend were wrong, she was, and still is, a great person.

"Da. I trust you." I responded. There wasn't much else I could say. I'm not fond of the long speech. Simple was best.

Besides, coming from me, those words carry a lot of weight.

"We should probably get started. I still need to see the supervisor. But first, food." I continued, tossing a bag of crackers at her, opening one for myself. I popped a few into my mouth. They weren't too bad. But they weren't all that great either. It was something simple, a snack really.

[Hyarion]

Servant Saber
Location: Yuki-Sakura Hotel
Time: 7:20
Day: (1st)

"Food? Gwahahaha, boy, you sure know how to please a woman!" I happily took the bag of crackes that my Master had thrown me, and tore it open. Then, without further thinking, stuffed a handful of them into my mouth and begun munching away.

...

...

".......Boy. This is plain. No, no, this won't do. If you want to impress a girl, you gotta give her meat!" I offered my advice and slammed him on the back, though maybe with little too much force, as he seemed to grimace and stumble a little from the whack.

Damn. The people of this era have really grown rather soft, haven't they? Back in the day, a whack like that was nothing sort of a greeting. I wonder, how the hell am I going to act around these people, who might shatter if I give them a playful nudge? The worries of a Servant are never over, it seems. I wonder if all my "brethren" have same kind of problems right now? I can tell that my Master is not the most fragile sort, and if even he grimaced from that.............well, use of less force is required, nonetheless.

------------ But as I look at these crackers on my palm......

"Supervisor? Let's save that for later, boy. If there's something I know, then it is that a person who tries to tell other people how to act has too much time in their hands, so they can wait us. Now, there's something far more important for us to do next", I said and then caught my Master under my arm and pulled him closer, giving him a "suggesting" grin. I've noticed that whenever I grin, men usually do what I want. I guess that is what they mean with womenly charm. But the way we were now......

Would this have made us look like two masterminds plotting an ultimate heist?

"Food, boy. Meat. Something with substance. And ale, most preferably. Well, mead is also fine, though I never got quite used to that stuff while I was alive. Well, I guess now is as good time as ever! Gwahahaha, it's like a second life and all that, right? If you'll get me both meat and ale, I'll let you touch my muscles as a reward."

Now, what good would a second life be if I didn't have a chance to enjoy everything I enjoyed back then? Nothing, that's what! And judging by my Master's appearance, he'd most likely enjoy something better than just these plain and tasteless crackers.

Hmm........I wonder what currency they use in this country? Or do I just have conquer someone's storage, like in the old days?

Well, in any case, this hotel room is too cramped. I'm not sure why they have made it so small, but it must have been some flaw in the architecture. Whatever the case, I felt like catching some fresh air, getting to know my enviroment and, of course, eating. So I headed to the door and opened it.

With little too much power, it seems. I think I just saw the hinges to crack in a dangerous way.

------------- Well, it's not as if it really concerns me. As I said, failure in architecture.

.....

Oh yeah, there was one thing I was about to forget.........

"Oh yeah. Boy..........." I turned to face my Master who hadn't really moven an inch from the place I had left him. I let the grin drop from my face, and looked him seriously.

"I want to know it. Your wish. What would you do if you were to get your hands on Holy Grail?" I asked from him. I had been playing nice till now, but I felt that I should also show this boy the other side of Heroic Spirits. So he wouldn't froze up later on when he would see them.

"I can tell you right now that you've picked up, most likely, the strongest card in this War.............and that is why I want to know your wish. Because I have no intention to help those who have low ambitions. Great power is only for those with great goals. Weaklings compensate their lack of power with pathetic dreams they can easily fulfill, and feel content about it. But only those who can dream big deserve to use the greatest of powers. And right now, boy, you've got yourself linked with a "Great Power". Do you have an ambition to match it?" I asked him. And my voice was the voice I had used to test men and decide their fate with.

I wanted to see just how far would this man's ambition take him. And if I would walk that path alongside him.

[Hyarion]

Aileen Blackthorn
Location: The Temple
Time: 8:15
Day: (1st)

After tooling my way through part of this town I just decided to reread the letter I got right after the marks appeared on my left wrist. The Command Seal reminded me of a Medicine Wheel, which was fitting considering everything. It was a mostly complete circle with a line from top to bottom and another from side to side, converging in the center, but not quite touching. Just like a medicine wheel. It had itched a little when it first appeared and then it freaked me out.

I'm no stranger to body ink. I have a tattoo of the moon on my left shoulder and my ceremonial knife that takes up a good majority of my back. The one my shoulder didn't hurt that bad, but the one on the back hurt like a bear. FYI- While other Indian tribes worship the bear, the Apache are afraid of them. They're bad luck, so are coyotes, snakes and owls. Now, owls being a bad omen is sort of universal, except for the Shawnee, but they're kinda odd.

But I reread the letter and found out that the supervisor of this Grail War could give me keys to a safe house. I'm not wanting to expose myself at a hotel anyway. So, I figure I'd be better going with a Safehouse right now. Even though I'm going to wait until nightfall to properly summon my Servant. I'm a woman, I work best under the light of the moon. (Even though my blades need sunlight to properly charge, go figure.)

Even though right now I'm not painting a pretty picture, but at least I can still show this priestess respect. After all, I am a holy person as well, or at least in training. That's what Shaman means, it means student no matter what tribe you're in. Cherokee, Shawnee, Navajo, Iroquois, and so on and so forth, shaman simply means student, generally in a Medicine Person context.

And . . . I want to keep my Servant as secret as possible until the time came to kick some ass, and supervisor or not, I was keeping the reveal to myself.

I park my bike in front of the temple and simply stare up in awe. It's beautiful, but the energy feels off here. I'm not sure if its because its not of my faith or if something's going down here. However, I am going to be careful. I have a tomahawk tucked on me, hidden by my ridiculously large coat.

Also, it is fucking COLD here. Jesus, I'm from Oklahoma. It doesn't get this cold there. I swear, I'm freezing my ass off and I'm cold natured. I thrive in Winter, but this is ridiculous.

I make my way up to the temple, carefully balancing my luggage knowing I probably looked like some war torn orphan or something. It doesn't help that I'm short, I'm only 5'3 with my biker boots on. Still, I'm tiny, but fierce. I open up the temple door and my stomach tightens and my muscles tense in response.

I look around and call out, "Ahayo?"

[Hyarion]

Dan Rong Zheng/York Morgan
Location:Tengetsu Police Department
Time: (6:55) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

...It's been a full minute of silence after the Chief got his coffee. Zach, was I supposed to say something? Oh, wait. I think I recognize the situation. It was in one of those Japanese travel brochures. But I don't have a paper fan and I've never done something like this! Guess the ol' two-fingers will suffice. From an outsider's perspective, it'll look like the stereotypical ninja hand pose, but in truth, it's an invaluable disciplinary tool used by wise men like Jackie Chan's uncle. Wait, I obviously can't hit total strangers, especially the clients. I'll just put on my best Osakan accent and give the lightest touch possible.

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Enough o' that, please. It's business time!" [Nan-de ya nen. Ii kagen ni suru. Oshigoto da!] *Tap*

Ah crap, I got both Enya and Nakahara. I was only supposed to tap one on the head! Which one was the bokke? Shouldn't've used Osakan. Now I just look amateur. Awww man, the Chief's eyes look dangerous! Did I piss him off?! Quick, gotta recover.

"*Ahem* My apologies, Officer Enya, Officer Nakahara, Superintendent Karamorita. Had to break the tension somehow. I assure you it won't happen again."

I'll get the badge out, and give the greeting.

"Aegis Security Agent, Daniel York Morgan. Please, just call me Dan. That's what everyone calls me. It's an honor to do business with the Tengetsu Police Force."

Stow the badge, and bow. Gotta salvage the situation. Don't forget the handshake. Let's hope he accepts.

"Did you get the shipment alright, Sir? When should we start?"

[Hyarion]

Rauna Aikio
Location: Tengetsu International Airport
Time: (6:42) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

I was almost the last passenger who stepped out of the plane. When I finally managed to get to the baggage claim, I saw my big backpack already at the other end of the conveyor belt. I rushed to reach it, and I got it at the last second. Then I had to breathe a moment before I lifted the backpack on my back and headed to the customs and then to find a taxi.

Location: The shrine (yard)
Time: (7:42) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

When I found a taxi, I asked the driver to take me straight to the shrine. He looked lightly surprised and asked, if I wanted to find a nice hotel first. I said that I am in no hurry to find accommodation since it is still early morning. I wish to see the famous shrine first.

He drove me as close to the shrine as he could. After I had paid I stepped out of the taxi and the driver gave me my backpack. When taxi drove away, I stood for a while and looked over the graveyard. Everything looked so peaceful in the silence of morning.

Then I took a deep breath and started to walk along the path to the shrine. The path ran through the cemetery towards the shrine. Walking through the snowy landscape made me feel a bit homesick, it reminded so much hiking on the fells in Lapland. If only there were reindeers...

And here I am now, in the yard of the shrine. It is high on the mountain and around it opens the dazzling whiteness. When I stand watching the scenery, I see someone coming towards me...

[Hyarion]

Officer Nakahara Shou
Location:Tengetsu Police Department
Time: (6:55) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

Superintendent Karamorita returned the handshake firmly, with enough power to make it clear that even though he was in old age, there was more than enough power left in his body. He then leaned back in his chair and sipped from his coffee, before taking time to answer Dan's question.

"Yes, we got that shipment alright. Interesting things your company sent you. Very different from the days when I was young, and all problems were solved with a simple handgun", he once again launched a joke with a completely straight face.

"And about the starting time.......how about we'll start tomorrow? You've just arrived today to Tengetsu, and must be tired. And right now, most of our officers are on their duty, so I think tomorrow is the best option."

"And by "duty" he means: "lazing off somewhere", right?" Officer Enya said with a impish giggle, which caused Nakahara to frown.

"I do not understand why you haven't been kicked out of this police force yet...." he muttered, to which Officer Enya answered with a wink.

"It's because I make so damn good coffee, dear Nakahara-chan."

Location: Yamaichi Shrine
Time: (7:42) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

The whole area of the shrine was covered by snow. It was like from a postcard, a scenery undisturbed by any footsteps, other than those of local animals. The path, guarded by stone lanterns on both sides, led up to the large shrine building itself. It was far bigger than you'd usually see, and most likely it housed several monks. However, the shamuso and kagura-den had so much snow on top of them, it seemed they had not been in use for quite some time. The yard of the shrine seemed almost unearthly peaceful, and only the song of some unknown bird from slight distance away broke the silence.

Well, that and the sound of snow crunching under the feet of the person approaching Rauna.

"..............Welcome, the first Master."

The voice was hard to hear, even in the absolute silence. It was said with tenderness like that of falling snow from the sky, and with force of a single flake. Almost like a whisper, yet not.

And the owner of this voice was as timid and fragile-looking as her voice. After all, the owner was a girl, who looked to be only close to 12 years of age. She wore a white, plain kimono with red obi. A large shimenawa was tied around her waist, continuing then over both of her shoulders from the front, and ending behind her back. Short, gray her framed her face which was like that of a small porcelaine doll. And the eyes...........yes, over her eyes, there was a black blindfold, with ofuda inscribed with the kanji of "Kami" put between her eyes. There was no doubt that she was one of the shrine maidens working here.

"......Come. I shall guide to meet the Supervisor", she said with her almost-silent voice, and then, without waiting for Rauna, turned slowly around and begun to make her way back towards the large shrine that had acted as background for her introduction.

------ But it was no surprise she did not wait. After all, with that blindfold, how could have she seen if Rauna was coming?

The silent, blind girl led Rauna inside the shrine, where the fires that burnt gave the large place a warmth of a normal house. She closed the doors between them, after confirming by the sound that Rauna had stepped inside the shrine. Girl then took the lead again, guiding Rauna deeper into the main building through the corridor. It was not hard to keep up with the girl, because her small legs did not allow a fast pace.

Eventually, the two arrived to a pair of doors, which the girl pushed open. It revealed a room which was as dimly lit as the rest of the shrine, with the only light coming from the candles and from the windows to outside. But this room..........it had sense of holiness. Although this was not the room where the god of this shrine was enshrined, it acted as a "barricade", being the last room before the most holy. It was a plain room, with simple altar in the middle, and nothing else. Shimenawa encloed the room from all sides, and the candles, which were not inside lanterns as they had been in the rest of the shrine, dotted the room on their candelabrums, which looked more like thin spears than real candelabrums.

And in this room.......was a single woman.

She was tall and elegant looking, like a character from an ancient painting. Her hair, which was of black color, flowed down her back. It was incredibly long, almost touching the ground at her feet. Woman herself was clad in clothes of a shrine maiden, with red hakama. She did not turn to face them as the pair entered the room, only closed her eyes and spoke.

"Good work, Izumi. Now, take your place."

It was a deep and slow voice, almost hypnotising one. Calm and tranquil, something which you could get lost for forever and never find your way out. As the aura around the woman, it was mysterious. Not an aura of danger, but one that made the air around her seem heavy, and people think of all the sins they had committed.

Fwup!

Woman opened a fan that had been folded in her right hand, and covered her face with it, so that everything under her eyes were hidden. Then she turned those eyes, like two black pearls, towards Rauna. And with those eyes, came an unpleasant feeling. In those eyes was an overwhelming feeling of superiority. And not the arrogant kind. No, in those eyes was knowledge: Knowledge that whatever happened, this woman would prevail. She knew that whatever the world threw against her, she would conquer it. And that was exactly why she was the kind of person you never wanted to look in the eyes.

A small smile crept on her lips, but it was invisible behind her fan. The fan itself was strange. In it were nine pictures, all separate from each other by a wall. And under each of those pictures was a name, each of them unique.

Archer. Lancer. Saber. Rider. Berserker. Marauder. Defender. Caster. Assassin.

Whap!

Woman snapped the fan close again, and now turned to face Rauna who was still at the door. The blind girl, Izumi, had took paper from somewhere, and now sat japanese-style in the corner of the room, as if she was going to write everything that would be soon said.

"Welcome, first Master. I am the priestess of this shrine and the supervisor of this Holy Grail War: Soujuurou Tsukuyomi. I welcome you to the Yamaichi Shrine. Now........", the smile that lacked any warmth widened on supervisor's face. "How may I help you?"

[Hyarion]

Maebana Misune
Location:hotel room
(7:25am) - (1/4)
Day 1

As I see my Servant materialize in front of me, I cannot help but look at him. His body physique even by the looks seem very durable, and strong as well. Standing up, I look up to face him eye to eye.

“I……AM the knight of the lance.”

So Lancer will be my servant for this war, I thought as he introduced himself to me.

“I ask of you……are you my master?”

"Ha- Hai, I am your Master, Lancer" I stutter a bit as I acknowledge that I am indeed. I cannot help but shiver at his size towering over me. Though many years have passed since that accident, I still haven't got used to being around men. But this might be a good way to get over my fright.

"Then with your skills, and myself, we shall win this war together" I tell him firmly, gripping my pendant strongly feeling the cool stone on my palm.

"But.. please refrain me from calling me.. Master. Misune is fine..." I shyly tell him, as I try my hardest to not show him any sign fear. "Is.. there anything that you would like... to do before we go meet the supervisor... Lancer?"

(putting Lancer's Post on my reply)

Servant Lancer
Location:hotel room
(7:25am) - (1/4)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -"Is.. there anything that you would like... to do before we go meet the supervisor... Lancer?"

I couldn’t help but feel a bit curious at this response. Most magi would....be more upbeat, more proud, I thought. Her miracle was at hand, her servant was formed, she had, with her own hand, claimed a mighty hero of the war. Perhaps not Saber, but woe to he who did not fear the powers of a knight! And yet.... she seemed.....almost crest-fallen, and far too unsure of herself. A master of a heroic spirit should bear her burden proudly.

I supposed that most servants would be insulted at this lukewarm response, but I was more curious then anything. What hidden strength lurked beneath the surface of this young mage, that she had been chosen for this war? The grail itself recognized her potential, and had awarded her the powers of the command spell, and provided the power source for the contract. It was puzzling and fascinating as well. I knew the strength that ran through her, her prana flowed constantly into me, giving me strength. I could feel her power. This was someone I did not understand. A girl with hidden depths, the final Question teased me still. In my hand, the Price of Devotion seemed to warm at the thought.

“Want….? No, no little one, I have no needs that need to be met. If there is such a thing, look to yourself, first. If you are tired from your journey, then sleep. If you need to refresh yourself, then get food. A lesson I learned in life, young Master, is that your body is your greatest and last weapon. Polish it like a sword, nurture it as you would a bow, and it will serve you better then arms or armor ever can.”

The monk took a moment to consider his thoughts, and the girl who had brought him forth to be her weapon.

“You, are my Master. That is more than a title. I will fight with everything I have, to win your battles, to kill all who oppose you, and to protect your life. That is my role as your servant. As a master, it will be you who will chart our course, plan our battles, and command our destiny. So, be prepared. As for what we do next, there are many paths of fate you may take. We can visit this supervisor, though in truth, I do not trust this person, and along the way, we shall discuss my powers so that you may best plan to use them. Or, if you wish, we may explore this island and prepare for battle. It is also within my abilities to provide training, for your body, so that you may learn to react to the power of a servant. Mistake me not, my master, felling one of my kind will forever be outside your abilities, and should not be attempted. But with my help, perhaps you will find the strength to endure for what will assuredly be a few precious moments till I can come to your aid. Or, once again, you may choose to rest here, for now, if you require it. If you do so, I will take the time to meditate. It would be good to center myself with the world once more.”

[Hyarion]

Dan Rong Zheng/York Morgan
Location: Abandoned Warehouse between Airport & Industrial District
Time: (7:46) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

Phew, everything's finally in place. Between the police business, shopping, and the hotel check-in, that sure was a rush. Good thing those guys in the PD were nice enough to give me a map of the island. Sure, the GPS pretty much has that covered, but contingencies are always welcome, isn't that right Zach? And that market district, so many stores, so much variety. Amazing! All those clothing, hardware, sports, and camping survival stores... I love my bank accounts!

Let's see. Bought some variable sight optics, night monocular, digital camera, cheap mobile phones, compass, metal wiring, rope, glue, canned air, dew rag, EDC light, flare pen, flare cartridges carabiner loops, maglight, and a brand-spankin' new hybrid racing bike. Wanna cover as many bases as I can. Of course, I'm not gonna be luggin' all that stuff around all the time. Left 'em in the surprisingly spacious suite at the Fuyutsuki hotel. For now, I just got the "essentials" on me.

Speakin' of which, let's scan the area one more time...Yep, circle's good, rune sigils in place, debris cleared, structural integrity solid, and nobody around for miles. 'Made extra sure for that last part. Don't want anybody to notice our l'il show here. Nobody tailed me either. As long as my circuits are inactive, no other magus is gonna find me. No mana leakage either. There's nothing that goes on in my body that escapes my notice. 'Felt some strange fluctuations when I passed the Tengetsu Royal Hotel, though. I should look out for that place later on.

Hopefully this rune barrier can mask the summoning. I got a knack for prana control, but this schtick's gonna light up like a Dutch brothel as Director Lambert would say. I don't wanna know where he got that from. Wait, I'll need the shades. Rituals like these tend to be rather flashy. Now let's get this show on the road!

"Ye first, O silver, O iron
O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract
Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg.
Let the descending winds be as a wall
Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve.
Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.
Five perfections for each repetition.
And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!
Set.
Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade.
If thou submittest to the call of the Holy Grail and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.
I make my oath here.
I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heaven.
I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades.
Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,
come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance!"

And with that, I'm engulfed in a mass of light. Why's it always gotta be light?

[Hyarion]

Servant Archer
Location: Abandoned Warehouse between Airport & Industrial District
Time: (7:52) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

"Ye first, O silver, O iron
O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract
Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg.

I am alive.

That's all I know, more or less. I can clearly hear the voice, feel the strings each of those words are pulling into my spirit, the chains that shall bid me to the container designated for the purpose of living.

]Let the descending winds be as a wall
Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve.
Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut.
Five perfections for each repetition.
And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!

Knowledge is poured into me. Knowledge about the countless fallen kingdoms and the civilizations that arose during the time I wasn't there. Knowledge about the War on which I am about to take part in.

Set.
Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade.
If thou submittest to the call of the Holy Grail and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond.
I make my oath here.
I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heaven.
I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades.
Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,
come past thy restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance!"

My body finally takes shape. The real myself is combined with the "me" who has been passed down in the legends. Merged both of us as one, I slowly advance towards the guiding light of the words. Following their lead...

My senses awaken. Like a thrust of lightning, light penetrates into my eyes, allowing me to see the circle and runes that had been used for directing me there.

I feel how the wind breezes through my long beard and moustache, and the acid, metallic taste of dried blood in my mouth. My gown, which had been colourful and magnificient, was now covered by dust and black reddish stains. Only my brownish short hair, my ungodly clear eyes and by bow and arm leather protector could give a slight clue of who I was.

I finally realize that I appeared exactly just like I was a second before dying. Usually, heroic spirits tend to appear when they were both in their peak of skills and physique. However, in my case, although I aged and my mental state wasn't as good as when I was young, my skills and physical capabilities remained the same until my very death.

Because of that, I needed to state who I was.

-"I am the Servant of the Bow, Archer. I have come answering your summonings. From this time forth, this arrow shall be your sword of victory and these eyes shall be yours and our fate rests in our hands."

Then I took a look at my Master. I had seen so many powerful beings during my life, and although the humanity's almightiness has decreased a lot during the years I wasn't there, I knew this guy wasn't anyone to laugh at. Under his childish face and boned structure there was the same strength of spirit and simple, yet powerful determination the heroes that fought alongside and aganist me had. He was staring at me doubtfully. After all, what could be expected of a man who was shorter than him, almost spitting blood of his mouth, and to further disgrace the weakest of the three Knight classes? Just at the sight of his slight scars and burns, I felt inmediately ashamed of myself. I was not an Heroic Spirit. I did not deserve such a Master.

When I tried to turn my face, the sunlight that came past the small hole that was supposed to be a window warmed my cold, brown skin. The same sunlight than-

----Back then.

I remembered why I was an Heroic Spirit. Suddenly, my chest filled with pride. Yes, I had been a bastard. Yes, I had failed everybody in the end. But right before that, I...

-"Well, don't worry, kiddo! I may not have a spear, I may not wield a sword, but I will show you the mightiness of my bow and my eyesight anytime! Come on, I am not getting any younger, we've got other eight Servants to take down!"

[Hyarion]

Rauna Aikio
Location: Yamaichi Shrine
Time: (7:42) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

The person who comes closer to me is a girl with grey hair and white kimono. Her eyes is covered with a black blindfold. I wonder how she can walk right towards me, if she can't see. Yet, she is coming.

When she is close enough, I hear her to say: "Welcome, the first Master." Her voice sounds very silent, almost fragile. She continues softly: "Come. I shall guide to meet the Supervisor."

She turns around and begins to lead me ahead. I follow her inside the shrine.

Inside is quite warm, I take my mittens and hat off, and open my coat. We walk along the corridor and finally arrive to a pair of doors. Behind the doors is shadowy room that is lit with candles. Only thing in this room is an altar in the middle.

In the room I see a woman. She is tall and noble looking, and her hair is black and very long, almost to the ground. When she speaks, her voice is deep, calming and very impressive: "Good work, Izumi. Now, take your place."

Then she opens her fan, covers her face with it leaving only eyes visible, and turns them to me. And those eyes... They are dark and powerful, they seem to look deep into my soul.

She closes her fan, turns to face me and says:

"Welcome, first Master. I am the priestess of this shrine and the supervisor of this Holy Grail War: Soujuurou Tsukuyomi. I welcome you to the Yamaichi Shrine. Now.... How may I help you?"

I pull myself together at the door, lift my head up and walk closer to her. I'm not exactly sure how I should speak to her, but I think I'm like an emissary of Sįmi people, and I'm not going to grovel in front of her. I bow courteously and say with a steady voice:

"I greet you in the name of my ancestors, honorable priestess. I am Niilį Mįhte Rįvdnį from Sįpmi. I have come here to take up the challenge and join the Holy Grail War. As I have understand you have the keys to the safehouses. I cherish my own space and wish not to stay in a hotel, so I've come here to request a key to a safehouse. I've also ready to hear whatever rules, regulations and information you wish to tell me, supervisor."

Then I nod lightly and wait what she will answer.

[Hyarion]

Dan Rong Zheng/York Morgan & Servant Archer
Location: Abandoned Warehouse between Airport & Industrial District
Time: (7:55) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

"Well, I'm not worried at all. I just think it's kinda fitting that a guy like me summons an Archer. I'll be relying on that sharp eye o' yours. By the way..."

Get the badge out and-

"Aegis Security Agent, Daniel York Morgan. At least, that's what all the normal people know me as. I'll have to trust you if I'm gonna have a chance at surviving this mess. In truth, my real name's Dan Rong Zheng. Refer to me as Zheng when we're on official business. For everything else, please, just call me Dan. That's what everyone calls me. Do you have another name, or should I just call you Archer?"

-"A name you say?"-Cried out loud Archer- "Yes, I have one but... I believe it's for the best not to say it aloud. However, I think you've heard about the God of Archery, haven't you?"

- After finishing that sentence, Archer lowered his head for a few seconds and took a deep breathe. Seemingly, he had lost some of his good form last time he saw himself in the mirror.

-"Listen up, Zheng. That Aegis stuff sounds very important. In fact, I think there is an entry in my "granted knowledge" about your agency. But I was wondering something else. As you can guess, I can't go around with bloody clothes, because people would mistake me for something else. Basically, what I want are some good clothes before going around hunting. And also, I heard you humans invented something known as 'Shaving Razor'. I'd love getting one of those too".

"Yes, I was about to get to that. I have some spares, but they're in the hotel room. We can shop for more if they're not to you're liking. And I had a shaver, but it was...well let's just say it's something different, yet more useful now. I'll buy you one as soon as possible."

God of Archery, eh? A few names come to mind, but that's a few too many. This warehouse doesn't look too ramshackled from the summoning. That'll make cleaning up easier. But we can't stay here too long. The barrier could't've completely masked the ritual.

"For now, we gotta clean this place up and clear out. Someone's bound to investigate sooner or later. I hear Servants have a Spirit form. I'm sorry, but that'll have to suffice until we get back to the room. Look on the bright side, there's gonna be plenty of food waiting for us."

-"Hooh, I see then. Hmmm. Yes, I think I'll be capable of doing that."-Replied Archer while looking down as if he were thinking of something else-

- The Servant stood there for a few seconds, like a person who rides a bike after years of not having ever seen one. Then, as soon as his eyes shone with a new light, his hands and feet were covered by a mist. In a matter of instants, he vanished.

-"Well, I guess this is kinda of comfortable after all. It's not like I wanted people to see me like this, ya know. Whatever, let's just get out of here and begin our fight!"

"Patience, my friend..."

It took less than 5 minutes, but I managed to scrub down the place with more speed and efficiency than your average combat butler.

"There. Just as it was before, and not a spot outta place. Now let's get rollin'."

*****************************
Location: Fuyutsuki Hotel Lounge
Time: (8:30) – (1/4)
Day: (1st)

Ah, the luxury of indoor convenience stores & restaurants. Now for breakfast: some flavors of onigiri, teriyaki, takoyaki, gyoza, katsudon, kushikatsu, korokke, and several liters of assorted drinks. I think I packed enough sweets to cover desert. Just hope this guy's hungry, 'cause I sure am. Bought both an electric shaver and a fine razor with cream in case he prefers one. And for clothes, I packed quite a few spares, but let's just see how he likes them.

----

- While we were eating, I was tempted to appear all of a sudden in front of everybody and take a taste to it. However, I somehow managed to refrain myself and launched a spiritual grin full of hatred to my Master. Geez, how long is he going to make me suff... Is that a electric shaver? Yes, this is great.

- When we made our way to the hotel room and I was able to materialize again, I was already eager to take off my clothes and see what this fellow countryman had reserved for me. However, instead I took the shaver and the cream out of his hands and went to that place called "bathroom". And then I suddenly remembered.

- I had never shaved myself.

***

- Whatever. This is not as bad as I thought. Only a few reopened scars, but feh, I guess my Master won't care at all. I slam the door of the bathroom and take a look at what is right in front of me.

- Food and clothes.

-"Zheng, you know how to please your Servant. Itadakimasu, or whatever they say here." -I said while already taking off my clothes, running towards the combination of boxers, jeans, and a t-shirt.

"Uh-huh. I apologize if I was restraining you from something earlier. 'Felt some anxiety and...ire, around your general area."

It's probably bad manners to snack and talk at the same time, but this bag o' cookies is just addicting! Aside from that, there's gonna be a lot to explain, and a lot to plan.

"You might wonder why I could feel something like anger or uneasiness. It's a l'il quirk I gained from my Origin. I'm receptive to emotions because of that, strong ones especially. But that's just a side effect. The primary trait, well, you'll see once the opportunity comes. As a consequence, I have a nagging desire to understand the people around me, and even identify with them if I can. You don't have to reveal anything too personal, but perhaps you could tell me more about yourself?"

-"About myself? In wuufff senfe?"

- Oh, god knows what the hell may have happened to humanity but... They surely know how to enoy their lives to the fullest. These cookies, these snacks are more delicious than the best stuff those petty governors used to give me time to time. I literally stuffed my mouth with it. Because I wanted to enjoy this happiness to the fullest right before beggining with my history.

-"Open your ears, kiddo. It's not like I feel guilty of anything. In fact, it wasn't my fault, at least partially, that I ended up turning into an old son of a bastard. However, I think that it'd be better that you hear me from my own ears.

- I miss those old times of glory. I miss the times when although I had to sleep on the floor, when I had to consume oni's meat to survive, and all that stuff, I miss the smile people used to give me wherever I did my job. That was enough for me.

- "I wanna be a hero once again." -Finished Archer, while sipping down a can of refreshments.- "Be at ease, young one. You will understand my identity as soon as we begin our fight against the other eight, so now it's your turn to be patient for a while."

"I see. Then I'll respect your privacy."

So we have a genuine hero who fell from grace in the eyes of those he sought to protect, yet desires nothing more than a return to his glory days. Understandable enough. Well I think I've gorged plenty. Let's get the gear ready. Select Carry Pack set, rapid-deployment pouch set, element jacket set, shades set, urban survival gear squared away, and munitions all assembled and ready to go. Now to explain the situation.

"Let's get down to business. We're in a Holy Grail War to fight for the prize of a single wish, but I have a lot of suspicions about this war in particular. You see, it's been a few years since the last Grail War which took place in Fuyuki city. The war that preceded was roughly a decade further back, but in the same city. My foster parents in the Mages Association have heard some...unsavory rumors, rumors which suggest that there's much more to this War than meets the eye. Does your granted knowledge have anything regarding the previous two wars?"

-"Huh? Previous wars? No idea about what you are talking about, Zheng. I know a bit about the classes of this war and some bits of what are my functions, but nothing else."

- I said that without even thinking. However, those "unsavory rumors" left me at unease. What if I had been summoned, for example, to conquer the world or to awaken something that should never be awaken? Now this is serious. Call it superstition or whatever you feel it calling, but this gave me a bad vibe...

-"Well, Zheng, think about it from my point of view. If someone wanted to do something bad using us, would you think they'd give us data about whatever happened in the previous wars? So please tell me."

"I guess they wouldn't give you any overt information. There's a chance that you could be a sleeper agent who'll instantly change at the mention of a Trigger Word or Phrase. Some modern agencies use that tactic, but there's little we can do about that at this point."

I'd rather not try to test out whether or not my Servant would skewer me at the mere mention of some stupid random phrase like Rhubarb or something. Heh, Rhubarb, that was one of the few redeeming qualities in that godawful spinoff show, right Zach? Ah, focus damnit!

"I do have a few disturbing clues as to the true nature of this War. Officer Nakahara, the the cop who greeted me at the airport, reported a suspicious foreigner reciting a very unsettling poem. It was enough to give him that supernaturally spooked feeling, as though he was placed under a spell. From what he could remember, that poem included something about Masters and 'Then There Were None.' That was the title of a classic novel I had to read when I was a kid. It was about ten people coming to an island and...uhhh...I guess they're killed one after another 'till none are left. I'll be honest, I don't remember it all that well, but if I focus enough, I'll definitely recall it. Or failing that, I'll just look it up on the 'net or something. My theory? Whoever's pulling the strings behind this war does not intend to have anybody winning. That means that nine magi, myself included, have gone into a death trap. I know you're wondering why I would willingly come here if I knew that, but this War could have potentially dangerous repercussions on the rest of the world. And as a Security Agent, I simply can't allow that."

He must be thinking I'm some cocky kid who thinks he can play Hero, what with this l'il smirk on my face. But I'd rather face Death with a smile than a frown.

-"I see then."

- That was all I could say. I was rather shocked by that revelation. I was supposed to have come down here just to enjoy a few fights but now... This was getting serious.

- Then again, I am reminded of the myself of back then. I didn't become who I was because of glory. Back then, I did not give a damn about glory, in fact I had plenty, but all I wanted was saving the people surrounding me. What happened to that man? I guess the years of digesting heavy meals and being gifted every single time I went into the streets are the answer to that.

- By the way, I had already changed. Hopefully this Master of mine had some smaller clothes in reserve, so the fit me fine. My previous garments, except for the leather protector and the longbow were already making their way down the spiritual world transformed into pure prana.

- Anyways, that was not the thing worrying me.

-"Before you say anything, kiddo, I want you to listen to me for a while. I previously stated I came here for glorifying myself, but now you come and tell me there are lives in danger. Come with me for a second."

- I made my way slowly towards the window. Without any sort of refinement or pity, I opened it, letting the morning's air and the sunlight bathe once again my spiritual face.

-"See these people here? Fine. I can not only see them, but also see people far away from here. Inside this crowd there are murderers, but there are also innocent, pure children playing together with their mothers. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different people. No matter where you go, and no matter the time you live in, this fact remains the same. I love people, you know. Sounds dumb, and non fitting for a guy like me probably, but I have no intention of letting them die.

- Ten Servants, huh. By what I know, we ourselves are nothing but part of an energy accumulation crafted to "summon" something. The Gods know what the hell might this thing summon.

- "Also, there is something bothering me. Could you please tell me more about the previous wars rumours?"

"They're nothing too substantial and some are inconsistent, but they're enough cause for caution. From what I could glean, something disastrous happened towards the end of the last two wars, but the rumors are too murky as to indicate what specifically happened. Whatever it was, it was enough to imply that the Holy Grail might not be what everyone thought it was. And the mediators from the Church, Ko-....Koto...ah, whoever it was, they supposedly garnered a rather dark reputation from what little was mentioned of them. In short, the Grail might be something far worse than what we expect, and the Supervisor should be treated with discretion. Somebody's likely using this war as a front for their own agenda."

Brrrr. Did he have to open the window? I understand what he means, but still. I'm glad I'm still wearing all these layers. Come to think of it, Archer's not exactly my size. We'll have to shop for more fitting attire. And despite my reservations, I still have to meet with the Supervisor.

"Anyways, those clothes look a little loose on you. We should go to the market district and get a better fitting outfit, and maybe we'll find a 'net cafe on the way there. Also, we'll have to decide on a time to meet the War's mediator. I know we should stay on guard, but we can't afford to be disqualified."

-"Well, whatever. My change of clothes can wait. I think it's better to meet the Supervisor before other Servants are summoned and get our asses safe." -Said Archer, and without even looking at Dan- "Huh? What's wrong? Are you feeling cold, perhaps?"

"Just a l'il chilled, that's all. Nothing an element jacket can't fix. I assume you'll need a coat yourself. There should be a few extra lying around here along with some scarves. Make sure to stay hooded and try to conceal your face as naturally as possible. 'Don't want any potential enemies knowing what we look like."

Having said that, I suit up and take quick glance in the room's mirror. With my jacket hood and shades on, my face should be concealed enough. Even with the added clothing bulk, my Carry Pack still conforms well to my body. And these thermal-lined cargo pants are really coming into their own. I'd never wear any other pants if they didn't have enough pockets. Cold weather or not.

"Let's get going then. The Supervisor's shrine is practically on the other side of the island."

-"So trust nobody huh? Fine, I guess you are right, Dan."-Replied Archer while covering his face with a scarf.

[Hyarion]

Genessa Satellizer/Lightning/Izayoi Sakuya.
Location - Passing the business district
Time - (8:12) - (1/4)
Day - Day 1 of the War

According to the travel brochure I got from the travel agent, it was said that this area shows the fastest growth in Tengetsu and I can see why.

Restaurants, office building and malls littered everywhere around us and I start to make mental notes of certain places, my eyes searching for places recommended by the travel brochure.

Fast food restaurant...check~

Malls....check~

Stores...Check~

For a tourist these place are where they'll have fun.

And for a Master, a place to blend in during the hunt.

Genessa Satellizer/Lightning/Izayoi Sakuya.
Location - Cemetery
Time - (8:23) - (1/4)
Day - Day 1 of the War

The taxi driver had told me in advance about how the Mountain can be dangerous, especially when the temperature can drop very suddenly.

Not exactly something new for me but I thank him nevertheless.

So, right now, above my jacket, there's a heavy jacket and there's even an electric pocket heater. Yeah those things are a bit rare but it works more or less like Iron. It's powered by battery, just switch it on and you have your pocket warmed up slowly.

I was going to put my scarf on when two things attract the driver and my attention.

The unearthly glow of light that captures the drivers attention.

The surge of mana spreading through the cemetery that captures mine.

The driver even slows down the car, perhaps out of curiosity.

There's no doubt about it....as I traced the drivers line of sight, the source of mana is definitely from where the uncommon light show is. I captured the sight with my camera... not that I thought I can get the picture of the summoner when I was rushing it slightly. But hey...better to have some information than none right? Especially when there's nobody between the magus in question and myself.

Hm? Why didn't I grab picture of the magus in the hotel earlier? I was in a crowded spot. That particular magus may have been put there to bait me while someone else may be watching me if I took a picture of him and thus tagging me. Besides, I already memorized his face.

I quickly told the driver to hurry drop me off by the shrine.

To try to investigate or stop the summoning would be foolish.

A trap is probably set up somewhere in the cemetery.

The summoning may be done when I arrived.

And even if I manage to disrupt the summoning. a battle between magi will bound to attract bystanders. Especially in the morning.

All in all, there's a lot of risk not worth to gambled with. Especially not in the daylight.

But..

Those foolish fools won't live long.

The only salvation they will find is to be squashed like insects under my boots.

======

Genessa Satellizer/Lightning/Izayoi Sakuya.
Location - Nearing the shrine.
Time - (8:32) - (1/4)
Day - Day 1 of the War

Looks like I manage to reach the shrine unscathed. With my scarves and my heavy jacket covering me, there shouldn't be any way for everyone to identify me, for my eyes are the only part that are visible. I take a look around, carving the landscape and the shrine in my memory.