The year is 1817 The date is 31st of January The location is the booming town of Fuyuki Japan is under the Sakoku, forbidding any foreigner from entering the country Even so, six foreigners risk their lives to sneak into the country… …In order to witness a miracle
This is where it all began
Scarred by his experiences of a war, the unwilling head of the Zolgen family embraces his heritage, for the sake of one woman. Master of Saber Makiri Zolgen “I was but a mere shell of a man. You gave me a purpose. Am I not allowed to adore you because of that simple fact?”
The weight of her destiny rests heavily on her slender shoulders, yet she pushes forward, unflinching and unyielding, till that future has arrived. Master of Archer Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern “I do not understand either of you. And never will. I am not a human; I am just the pinnacle of the wishes of our past.”
Grudgingly, he succumbs to the will of his mentor and prepares the scene of the ritual, spurred by beauty unlike he has ever seen before. Master of Lancer Nagato Tohsaka “Make no mistake! I’m not doing this because I like any of you or anything! I am just here to prove my…no, this country’s pride as magi!”
Daughter of an internationally famous magus, she vows to become just as great as her father, and reach the promised miracle. Master of Rider Euragelita Edelfelt “I hate this country. It’s rural, smells weird and the food here is meant for sparrows. If it wasn’t for the prize, I’d leave this backwater town immediately!”
The best of the best, the most perfect of them all, she cannot allow herself to remain still when a miracle is about to be reborn. Master of Caster Melusine Barthomeloi “You are weak, you are flawed, you are nothing but trouble. To leave such a grand ritual in your hands…I cannot allow it.”
Desperate to stop her great-grandfather, she places all her faith in the promised miracle, in order to find a way to end the nightmare. Master of Berserker Samaria Eltnam Astarte “I don’t care about any of that. But you made a promise to me, heir of Einzberns. And if you will not hold that promise, I will make sure…you will pay the price!”
Hungry for knowledge and power, he forsakes his morals as a human in order to achieve his own desires, spurred by pure jealousy. Master of Assassin Alexandre de Plancy “Me? Mad? No, it is you all who have gone mad. Can’t you even see it yourself? The insanity that was given birth by greed?”
---
The miracle that was never meant The revival of what was lost The future that was out of reach
They all come to together in the form of a ritual that none of them could anticipate And so, they must decide What do they hold more important?
So here it is. Fate/Genesis, the First Holy Grail War. It'll be a fic that will be running alongside my other fic, Fate/Somnium Summer Redux, but unlike that one, this is strictly a fanfic, and does not feature points where readers can vote for the actions of the main character. In other words, it will run like a normal novel. The updates will also be longer than the ones in Somnium Summer Redux, but they will appear less often.
In any event, the next post is the first part of the three-part prologue of the story. I'm reserving this post for the index, Servant stat-screens and that kind of stuff to keep this thread from being cluttered.
So, without further ado, on to the first part of the prologue~
The next part will updated tomorrow, and the third one the day after tomorrow.
Servant Status Screens
Saber
Saber
Spirit: --- Master: Makiri Zolgen Alignment: Chaotic Good Strength: A Endurance: A Agility: B Mana: B+ Luck: C Noble Phantasm: A++
Abilities:
Riding
The ability to ride beasts and vehicles. If the Servant has a Noble Phantasm which works as a steed, etc. the Riding skill’s rank has to match the rank of that Noble Phantasm for the Servant to be able to use it.
A: All creatures but those of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast-rank can be used as mounts. This rank is high enough to have aptitude for the Rider Class.
Magic Resistance
The ability to cancel or diminish the effects of magecraft used against oneself.
A: Cancel spells of A-rank or below. In practice, the Servant is untouchable to modern magi, so it would not be an exaggeration to title the Servant a 'Magus Killer'.
Details: ---
Skills:
Eye of the Mind (False) Innate talent to sense and avoid danger based on intuition, that can also be called the Sixth Sense or prescience, gained through many ordeals and adventures.
A: Resistance to modifiers from visual obstructions. A natural talent for the prediction of danger through the sixth sense.
Prana Burst (Wind) The raising of stats by soaking one's weapon or body with magic energy and immediately expelling it. A jet burst using magic energy. This variation of the skill infuses the armaments with prana that imparts a gale effect.
A: A normal weapon that is not on the level of a divine mystery can be destroyed in one blow. Raises defense several times. Due to the variation of the skill, the prana dwelling in Saber's armaments is infused with destructive power of wind.
Noble Phantasm:
Root of Royalty Title: Living Blade of the Wild King Rank: C+ Type: Anti-Unit Range: 1-3 Maximum Target: 1 person
A living sword that receives its life-force straight from the magical energy of the user. Rather than a Noble Phantasm, it could be called a spell that has been bound to a more mundane form of a weapon, but due to the legend associated with it, it has been elevated to the level of a Noble Phantasm. The true form of the weapon is a single, large seed that Saber usually embeds into his arm. After tasting the blood of the user, the weapon forms a contract with the user, and becomes part of his thoughts and imagination. As sharp and tougher than any normal weapon, it is capable of besting even the more orthodox weapons of other Servants, at least when it comes to simply testing their mettle in melee.
The true advantage in Root of Royalty is how it forms itself after the preferences and magical energy of Saber. The more magical energy is poured into it, the more it grows, toughens and sharpens. Simply by sacrificing the power he would have used otherwise, Saber is capable of momentarily boosting the power of this Noble Phantasm vastly. The shape and length of the sword can also be varied, creating a weapon that is suited for every situation. When it is combined with the power of the elemental prana burst that Saber possesses, it becomes a deadly Noble Phantasm that, while traditional, can threaten any Servant it comes across.
Last edited by Verg Avesta; March 24th, 2013 at 02:16 PM.
The tale of a man who, more than anyone else, believed in his ideals, and was driven to despair by them.
It is a tale of a man obsessed with a foolish ideal. He yearned for it, dreamt of it and gave everything he had in order to realize it. But in the end, he was only driven to the depths of hell by that very same ideal. In time, this ideal would become his greatest sin, the hellish nightmare he would plunge into.
But all that would happen much, much later.
And right now, this man had no idea of such future. No, the only thing he focused on was the scream-like burning of his Magic Circuits and the cold snow under his feet.
The blizzard was howling in his ears, just like his family had howled as the forces of the new Tsar had assaulted their mansion and burned everything down. It had been a hell of flames, one unlike anything he had ever seen. Nothing was saved from the merciless troops of the madman that had acquired power in Russia.
He was their worst nightmare. A ruler that knew about the existence of their family, and had sworn revenge.
Before his family could prepare for the attack, the Bounded Field covering the vast lands around the mansion was broken through. The Imperial troops charged in, striking down any and all that they came across. They spared no man, no woman, not even children.
The famous mansion of the Zolgen family turned into a sea of fire.
The man did not remember how he had escaped from that hell. He remembered seeing his own sister being cut down in front of him, and how his younger brother had his head crushed under the boot of a faceless soldier. He remembered fleeing in terror, into the crypts below the mansion. Perhaps he stumbled upon an ancient passageway that his ancestors had prepared. Perhaps he was able to leave through staircase leading to outside. Or perhaps it was nothing of that sort.
In any event, it was clear that he had gotten away from the mansion.
With the Tsar’s troops at his heels, he had escaped into the woods nearby. Snow was already covering the forest, and the freezing cold Russian winter wormed its way straight to his bones. Exhausted and delirious, he continued his escape into the raging blizzard, unable to even think about stopping.
The only thing he understood was that he had to survive.
He had to survive.
If he, the young head of the family, were to fall, the whole glorious history of the Zolgen family as magi would be erased from this world.
He was their hope. The one who carried their Magic Crest, the brand on his chest, containing all of their research and accomplishments as a magus. If that were to lost, the existence of the Zolgen family would have been meaningless. But…that was not all. All of those who had born after him did not attain the same amount of potential as he did.
His father told him his fear one night, before the brisk flames of the fireplace.
------ His father was afraid that the decline of the Zolgen family had begun.
And that was why this was his solemn duty. To guard the legacy of the Zolgen family, to pass the torch to a heir that would grow in power.
He wanted to prove his father wrong.
He had to prove his father wrong.
If the old, wrinkled, pessimistic man that called himself his father was right, then he himself would be the vanguard of their destruction.
And he refused to be such a thing. He never wanted to be the first of the last.
“-Gg---khu!”
He let out a small sound and bit his lip immediately.
The pain in his shoulder had sent out a sharp pulse of scorching whiteness, sign that the lead ball from the arquebus was digging deeper along with his movement.
It had been a stupid mistake.
While running, he had stumbled upon a root of an ancient tree, and lost his lead on the soldiers chasing after him.
Instead of utilizing his magecraft, he had decided to try to flee on foot. He jumped up and began running again.
But it was at that point that the projectile of one of the pishchal'niki hit him to the shoulder.
The pain had been blinding.
And worst of all, it had brought back the memories of the war and the skirmishes.
As a magus-lieutenant, under-cover, he had spent his days in Nizhny Novgorod, defending the stronghold from the attacks of the magi of the enemy.
The sieges had been gruesome, for both his body and his mind.
When he returned from the wars, he had changed completely.
His mother said that the war had turned him into a shell of a man. He no longer had anything inside him. No emotions or feelings.
Yet, he had managed to heal the wounds of his heart in the warmth of his home.
The mansion he had grown up in felt like a barrier between his scarred psyche and the horrors of the outside world.
But, that happiness was not to last for long.
For he was again on the run from the enemy forces.
Hunted like an animal.
--------- For him, it was impossible to even think about utilizing magecraft then.
Only thing he could do was to scream out his fear and run like a wild animal.
And that had brought him all the way here.
To the middle of the blizzard that had all but frozen him to death.
Wind and snow kept pummeling him from all the sides, yet he refused to fall down. He was not going to give up.
He would keep going as long as his mind would let him, no matter how dead his body might turn in the process.
It was for the sake of his family, for the sake of his legacy, for the sake of everything he had held dear and lost in the span of a single day…
He would not give up no matter what.
But there are limits to human body that no one can overcome.
With his magecraft utilized solely for healing the wound that was growing worse in his shoulder, he was unable to keep himself from running out of energy.
Feverish and out of strength, a lesser man would have already toppled over, dead.
So, even though he too finally fell to the cold embrace of the snowy ground, he was not dead.
His breathing was ragged, his heartbeat inconsistent and his thoughts were interrupted by momentary dizziness and short blanks that lasted few seconds…
But he was most definitely alive.
“A, ah—”
His voice cracked out and was drowned by the blizzard.
Roar of the wind caught any other sounds and crushed the mercilessly.
How long had he been walking?
It felt like days thought it must have been only for hours.
But who knew in the vast wastes of Russia? The nearest town could have just as well been on the other side of the earth.
He knew he was not going to reach any civilization as he had succumbed to the weakness of his flesh.
And even if he did, he knew that he would have been unable to stay there.
The new Tsar would never cease hunting him, as long as even one member of the Zolgen family would be alive.
So, what choices did he have anymore?
He had no home to return to.
No future to wait for.
Even his current time was being plighted by the white death.
Although the burning desire to not give up was scorching his chest, another voice began to speak in his mind.
It asked him to think about everything rationally.
It wanted him to consider death.
A release from the pain he was experiencing, a release from the hopeless situation he was in.
It was such a sweet voice, promising to shield him from the evils of the man that had scarred him for eternity.
He rolled over, in order to be able to breathe freely. And what he saw was the nothingness of the white forest around him.
“So…should I just die, then?”
He asked from the grey sky he barely saw.
“After all this, would it be better to just give up and accept death? No matter what…my own desires are…?”
His voice was failing him.
The cold of the winter was creeping up his throat.
But while the shadow of the winter made his voice hoarse and almost unrecognizable…
…It made the voice he heard as beautiful as a bell.
“Then, do you mean that you do not wish to die, magus?”
It was a voice that belonged to a saint.
A pair of peerless red eyes stared at him from above, shining like pearls in the middle of a tranquil pond.
He was unable to even breathe when faced with such a dazzling sight, one that was burnt into his memories for all eternity.
A face that he would be able to recall even at the moment of his death.
“—Answer me, magus. Do you not wish to die? For I am uncertain how to act, for I do not know the desires of humankind such as yourself.”
The voice of the woman asked him this again.
Even in his dreams, he had not seen such a beautiful face.
Captivated by that beauty, he forced an answer out of his lips, in order to behold that sight even for few seconds longer.
“Y-yes. I do not wish to die. Nobody wishes to die. However…I am without a choice. My life is slipping away from me.”
“Then shall I remove your plight, magus?”
Such a simple question. For any outsider, it was a question of a simple, humane wish to aid another person. But he understood. This woman was not a human from the very beginning. She was something else, something artificial. And accepting help of such a being always meant accepting something else.
But then, if he would not accept the help that was offered, he would die. Was that any better? To leap into the unknown, or die…which was eventually the worse choice?
So the question remained — what kind of decision would this man, Makiri Zolgen, make?
“— Hah. Haha…ha…ha…”
In the end, the answer was very simple. Makiri did not have to think about the consequences of his actions or what might befall on him in the future. He did not have to think about the possibility of him dying there, in the frozen forest.
He only had to see the beauty of Saint of Winter to know his decision.
“Very well, my savior. If you are able to…please. Help me. I do not wish to die here.”
“Then I shall help you. I do not know your name, magus, but I am able to sense that you hold a great power within your body. That body would be something that could aid me in my quest. No, do forgive me. In the quest of my family.”
Makiri smiled as Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern drew closer, extending her hand.
“If you are able to save it, dear lady, I will gladly surrender my body to your use.”
There, in the frozen forest, 270 years ago…
…Was where it all began.
Last edited by Verg Avesta; June 5th, 2012 at 10:56 AM.
Excellent beginning, Verg. I like the parallel you have going on between Shirou and young Zouken. The master roster is good too, I lol at Nagato's tsun.
Eek, I hadn't looked for this yet, so this made me jump when I saw it up. Glad this started early, yay!
Part of me was hoping we'd get to vote on Servants after the chain of signatures with so many of them listed (and the 'you must decide' tag), but a straight novel format is still plenty exciting. ^^ I have silly hopes for Euragelita and Samaria's though. Can't wait to see which ones were picked.
...Sympathetic Zouken backstory still makes my head tilt as much as it is able. I echo the interesting Shirou parallel too though. It ends with a protagonist who starts in fire, and starts with one who begins in snow.
A sympathetic young Zouken? Well, Zolgen, rather. If anyone can pull it off I'd say Verg is capable of it.
Parroting the voices of others here but I too enjoyed the parallels between teenage Zolgen and Shirou's initial backstories. There's also elements of Kiritsugu's life in there as well, what with the references to war and how he eventually becomes taken in in order to aid the Einzberns.
The writing is also highly evocative of the original visual novels, too, and I for one appreciate good atmosphere like that. I like the imagery you use
All in all I have no excuse not to follow this.
McJon01: We all know that the real reason Archer would lose to Rider is because the events of his own Holy Grail War left him with a particular weakness toward "older sister" types.
Part of me was hoping we'd get to vote on Servants after the chain of signatures with so many of them listed (and the 'you must decide' tag), but a straight novel format is still plenty exciting. ^^ I have silly hopes for Euragelita and Samaria's though. Can't wait to see which ones were picked.
Eh, the sigs have nothing to do with this fic - 3-
Parroting the voices of others here but I too enjoyed the parallels between teenage Zolgen and Shirou's initial backstories. There's also elements of Kiritsugu's life in there as well, what with the references to war and how he eventually becomes taken in in order to aid the Einzberns.
It was a delibirate decision, to be honest. After all, even the original Visual Novel notes that Shirou, Kiritsugu and Zouken all had basically the same wish.
The first chapter is up, and it does not disappoint! This start is pretty interesting with the parallels to Shirou and Kiritsugu, as it's been said before.
As for Zolgen... well, I look forward to seeing what you can cook up with his character and how Nagato, Justezea and Zeltrech influence him. Also of note, I can barely associate this rushing, desperate, hopeful man with the mass of spite that is Matou Zouken.
He sounds like an interesting protagonist to have, though. Very much looking forward to this Verg, yes indeed. :P
Lot is talked about parallels between Zouken and Emiyas, but I'm surprised no one has commented on how much certain parts of the conversation reflect on a certain interlude at the end of Heaven's Feel. Hohohoho~
Also of note, I can barely associate this rushing, desperate, hopeful man with the mass of spite that is Matou Zouken.
Well, as it was said...
They risked their lives for an ideal that couldn't come true.
You put me to shame here, Verg. For all my knowledge of Russian, I didn't know that pishchal' could be used for forming other words.
Well then, leaving aside useless trivia, I could only say that the first prologue was powerful and tragic. Very powerful and tragic with nice touches of history.
I can't wait to see such cast in action.
The formula to recover the legacy of the Einzbern family, the Third Magic, was finally created here, in the rural mountain area of Feldberg. In a castle hidden beneath innumerable layers of Bounded Field and wild magecraft, ruled by the Saint of Winter herself, what would have been thought impossible had finally been achieved.
It was through the work of the homunculus of gold, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, and the man who had become her personal guardian and ally, Makiri Zolgen.
In their two centuries of searching for the answer, the two had witnessed both daydreams and nightmares in order to arrive to the one answer that would recreate what had been lost so long ago. About 800 years had passed until the mystery was finally solved by Justeaze and Makiri.
A ritual magic grander in size than what had ever been witnessed in the history of the fabled Einzbern family before.
Pouring their knowledge into the ritual, the two of them eventually gave it a name.
“Heaven’s Ascension.”
In order to grasp the miracle, to grant the wish of the Einzbern family, they would have to climb the heavens themselves.
A massive and detailed magic circle was planned. Seven containers were prepared. Together, they would call forth, or rather, rip out seven Heroic Spirits from the Throne of Heroes themselves. Massive clusters of colorless energy, malleable and controllable, they would be bound to seven magi who would, in turn, feed them to the magic circle. Since the said clusters of power would need an anchor to the world, magi were needed, ones with enough ability to uphold such masses of raw energy.
After the seven clusters had been sacrificed, they would combine inside the Holy Grail, creating a singular point of power with enough energy to grant any and all miracles.
— Even if it was recreation of the Third Magic. No, that itself would be the Third Magic.
Justeaze herself was tasked with the mission to create the actual Grail. She worked for over 50 years in order to create the needed magic circle to bring forth the omnipotent vessel that would grant their wish. In other words, this magic circle was the Holy Grail itself, and vice versa.
Makiri was to create the needed system to anchor the clusters of spiritual energy known as Heroic Spirits to the magi. His answer was the “Binding Sigil” that created a pathway of prana that allowed the magi to sustain these clusters with their own magical energy. As the Grail would do the summoning, the magi in question would not be overtaxed.
—But, there remained two problems.
First was the container that would lie in the middle of the magic circle, storing the clusters of colorless energy until they could be combined and used to power up the ritual.
Second was the spiritual land abundant with enough ambient prana to start the Heaven’s Ascencion in the first place. Without it, it would be just a theory.
Unfortunately, there seemed to exist no container powerful enough for such a job, and all the spiritual lands that met the requirements were under the jurisdiction of the Holy Church.
—However…
Justeaze believed she had finally found the answers she had been looking for, just by opening a single letter delivered to her by a cat of swirling, changing colors.
The light steps of the Saint of Winter echoed on the corridors of the Winter Castle as she headed straight towards the atelier of her ally. Although emotionless and stern as always, the little sting in the air told of her excitement, something almost unheard of when it concerned Justeaze.
She had not been excited since the time when she and Makiri had, for the first time, discovered the original plans of an ancient wish-granting machine from fragmented pieces scattered all over the Gulf of Bothnia.
“Makiri. I believe I have found to the solution to the problem that has plagued us so.”
As soon as the grand double doors with intricate carvings of the local flora and fauna, Justeaze spoke these words with the piercing of an iceberg.
Her intention was to get to heart of the matter as quickly as possible. For her, there was no time to lose, now that they were so close to the end.
But, her partner, was much slower to warm to the news.
Instead of answering Justeaze, Makiri kept his hands extended while sitting in the dead-center of the jungle that had conquered the large atelier.
Sub-tropical plants, soil that radiated life and artificial light created through magecraft were just few of the things stored in this otherworldly sight. It was like a piece of the primal past of the earth had been transferred into the cold castle of Einzberns.
Justeaze disliked the humid and hot atmosphere of the atelier, and it was visible from the ghost of a frown on her face.
Makiri smiled to Justeaze as he extended his fingers.
To each finger was attached a crystal-like cocoon, creating a surreal sight of butterfly colony growing from his hands.
As Justeaze watched, the cocoons slowly begun opening, revealing the light and life that resided inside.
“Go on. It’s time for you to reveal your beauty to the world.”
Makiri spoke with a gentle tone to the creatures inside the opening cocoons.
In that instant, ten large butterflies crawled out of the cocoons and spread their vibrantly-colored wings, tasting the sweet moisture of the air in the room.
Beating of their fragile wings could be heard as an almost inaudible hum, and one-by-one they took flight, rising ever higher and higher.
Soon the ten of them disappeared into the fauna filling the room, probably in the search of nectar they could ingest.
“Good day, Justeaze. Now, what might be the reason for you to exhibit such a rare amount of emotion?”
Makiri asked this with a dry smile.
The magus, who was over two hundred years old looked just like he had on that fateful day the two had met, just like did the woman at the doorway.
For the latter, it was due to simply being a homunculus, an artificial creation devoid of humanity.
For the former, it was due to his fervent wish to remain at the side of the said woman, in a state of equilibrium.
“A letter arrived today to the castle, carried by a familiar powerful enough to ridicule all of our defenses. Inside it were words that just might be our salvation, Makiri.”
Justeaze walked over to Makiri and handed him the letter that looked as if it had been just written, instead of having to have travelled over the rough terrains of the Feldberg.
Makiri, with a frown on his face, glanced at the wax seal that had been placed on the envelope. But, as much as he tried to understand the picture in the seal, he still failed to do so.
The lines seemed to twist and turn with every time a person focused a gaze on it, becoming, in its obscurity, a seal that was one-of-a-kind in the world.
“This…it is the seal of Kaleidoscope, isn’t it?”
Makiri clicked his tongue as he realized just who had sent the letter.
He had never met the Old Man of the Jewels, but the ancestor of the Zolgen family and he had never seen eye-to-eye.
In fact, it was rumored that one of the many great-ancestors of Zolgen had actually competed with Kaleidoscope in acquiring the Second True Magic.
“—Do go on. Read the contents of the actual letter, Makiri.”
Justeaze urged him on, which was nearly unheard of.
The Saint of Winter never displayed emotions such as anxiety or impatience. For Makiri to see her in such a state...
…It made his heart jump.
However, if the fact that Justeaze showed an emotion made Makiri feel that he had not grown at all in the past 258 years, what really made him feel like a youngster was how the letter in his hands started.
He nearly wanted to crush the letter immediately only after reading the first line.
I’ll cut straight to the point, youngsters. Although you have probably thought you have been secretive about it, news about your little ritual are spreading in a ripple-like manner across the continents. Most of the magi, like the stiff fools of the Clock Tower, do not see it as anything other than a foolish dream. However, you’ve managed to convince someone about your chances of success. —No, that “someone” is not me. However, my simple-minded student seems to think that you can achieve a miracle and turn back the hands of time to the point when Cup of Heaven still walked amongst us. Thus, I made a deal with him.
He shall survive my harshest training regimen. In turn, I shall offer some of my knowledge to your use in your ritual. From what I have understood, you are missing two crucial points in your ritual system.
Both are things we can provide.
A spiritual land abundant with energy for the ritual to use is a gift from my student. He owns the vast lands in eastern part of Japan, which are mostly plains, forest, and a booming town called Fuyuki, out of the sight of Holy Church. Although it cannot compare to the lands of that damn Aozaki, at will be enough for your ritual, at least. If you install your ritual circle to the foundation point of the leylines here, you will have all the power you need.
Another thing is the knowledge I offer, in the form of an artifact created by me. I call it “Teleidos Crystal”. A crystal that reflects its sphere of boundary infinitely within itself. In other words, a perfect container to hold the energy you are going to cultivate and harvest.
With these two things, it should take about 10 years from you to set up the ritual. In 10 years, I shall finish Nagato’s training and present him to you as a partner.
That is all. —Kischur Schweinorg
“The Old Man of the Jewels and his apprentice are helping us…? Does this really sound like a good idea to you, Justeaze? You know what that man is capable of, and how he loves to meddle in most mundane affairs. This is a person that prevented the Moon Fall by himself. What could he possibly gain from helping in the recreation of the Third?”
Makiri asked with an inquisitive look. Not for a moment did he believe that Kaleidoscope’s intentions were completely benign.
“If he truly is a wielder of the Second True Magic, then I find it rather simple to understand his motivations. After all, True Magicians are ultimately a dying breed of magi. Resurrecting a True Magic that has been lost for nearly a millennia would most likely be something even the great Wizard Marshall would want to see. Or…at least that is how I perceive it.”
Justeaze explained his point of view to her ally.
Unable to ever read or understand humans on a mental level, this homunculus seemed to assume a great deal of Kaleidoscope.
“Hah. I guess it’s true. Only a being that is not a human would understand another non-human being.”
Makiri’s dry chuckle echoed in the lush indoors-greenhouse.
“…So? What do you suggest we do?”
Makiri finally stood up from the vegetation and grass that had covered the floor, facing Justeaze with weight of the question showing clearly from his eyes.
This was their great chance. Although they had acquired the schematics, they had still needed the necessary components.
Although both had long life-spans, Justeaze and Makiri had anticipated that they might not made it to see the eventual performing of the ritual.
But, right now, a short-cut neither had anticipated had opened up.
Like passing straight from the goal to finish.
—This was a race back in time, after all.
“My opinion as a self is meaningless. This is a mean to reacquire the legacy of the Einzberns. It has been presented to us, therefore I shall utilize that chance.”
Justeaze’s decision was final.
“However, what is your opinion of this, Makiri? Unlike myself, you are an actual magus.”
Makiri sighed and looked outside of the window.
“Well, they do say that women will always have the final world.”
Justeaze looked somewhat surprised, which meant for her that her eyes widened in a manner that no one who had not studied her expressions for generation would notice.
“Excuse me?”
“What I mean to say is…Sure. If you leave for the journey on your own, you’ll end up as a ware for some magi market in the Middle-East, with people thinking that you are some sort of expensive Matryoshka doll.”
Makiri walked over to Justeaze, when she still did not seem to understand what he was saying.
Like he had done many times with his younger brother, Makiri placed his hand upon Justeaze’s silky, impossibly long hair and ruffled it in a gentle manner.
Justeaze stared at him like a rabbit stares at another, completely confused by the actions of her ally.
“Snap out of it, Little Bunny. I’m going with you and that’s that. In fact, it might be better if I went first and established a clear route of travel. From what I have understood, Japan is under a law at the moment that denies all foreign access to the country. Knowing their soothsayers, it might be for the best if I establish a safe channel we can use.”
Makiri nodded to himself, his brains already working on the new prospects revealed by the letter.
“In fact, we could use that same channel to transfer the rest of the magi we need to the island. Yes, that’s probably how we’ll do it.”
Makiri stopped for moment, having been pacing around while going over the preparations they needed to take into account when transferring the ritual to the country of Japan.
Backwaters it might be, it was still, as Justeaze had understood, their best shot.
“Have you got any ideas on who we will invite to the ritual, Justeaze? We should use the pretense of the Grail producing only a miracle, a wish that is granted, instead of revealing the truth. Even if they look past the promise of a granted wish, they will just focus their attention on the fact that when we recreate the Third, a gateway to the 「 」will open.”
Justeaze descended deep into though, her red eyes gazing at a bright red flower that seemed to be the ruler of the lush vegetation in the corner of the room.
Finally, she opened her mouth to speak.
“…Heir of the Barthomeloi. We have met before, and that young child shall turn into an excellent magus in the future.”
The eyes moved to the clouds in the vast sky outside.
“We should also invite the young daughter of the magus who helped us while we hunted for the scattered relics in the Gulf of Bothania. As a show of appreciation from our side.”
And finally, she closed her eyes, resembling a marble sculpture now more than ever.
“—In addition, I believe you have mentioned an alchemist that you met on your many travels. A mere child, yet someone with great power within her. Perhaps we should also seek her in our hands.”
Makiri chuckled.
“Justeaze, that’s only three. We need one more. But, still…we’ve got 12 years to look for someone. I’m sure we’ll find a fitting friend to fool.”
Makiri flashed a short, dry smile and fixed his attire. Just then, one of the butterflies flew from the ceiling and landed on his shoulder. The vibrantly-colored insect melted into his form, becoming a part of the clearly human body that he had.
A secret of long life was never a simple one. However, Makiri had found that by utilizing certain familiars, he could prolong the inevitable.
—To stay with Justeaze.
“Well, if I am to leave for Japan, there is lot to do. I’ll have to go prepare.”
Having said those words, Makiri left the room, leaving Justeaze all alone in the miniature jungle. Justeaze stayed, froze in the spot, having been confused by her ally who had suddenly gotten as energetic as his young nature was.
※※※※※
Two pairs of red eyes saw Makiri off, although he had no idea about the existence of the other pair.
After the magus had disappeared into the long corridors of the castle, the other being in the room finally allowed her spell to wear off, revealing her figure to the naked eye.
A gallant and aristocratic figure dressed in white, tall as Feldberg itself and with hair that reminded anyone who saw it about a glacier. The dignified woman was dressed in robes of white and silver, something that told of her position in the castle.
This was Lady Sieben. The one who would lead the Einzberns until Justeaze would return victoriously with the Third Magic.
“That man carries a dark past within himself. How typical of a human. Unable to withstand the blows of time.”
Lady Sieben spoke with an unrelenting, cold tone. Justeaze paid no heed to her.
“He has been wounded in his heart. Even though he was an adult human, he had no self to speak of. Whatever transpired in the war that he took part in crippled his personality itself. Even though my maids have been treating the state of his mind, even though he has a body that is over hundreds years old, he is but a adolescent boy inside.”
Justeaze answered after a moment of brief silence. If Lady Sieben had known it impossible, she would have thought that Justeaze was defending the blue-haired magus.
“Do you truly think he will be of as much use as you proclaimed, Lady Lizrich? To me, he seems nothing but another magus who will suffer the fate of an ordinary magus. Afraid of death and coveting for fragments of any sort of power he can find.”
Justeaze turned away from Lady Sieben, showing her back to her. To not even allow Lady Sieben to speak to her face-to-face…
—It was only at this point that Lady Sieben realized her liege was showing signs of emotions.
“He is anything but. A homunculus I might be, however…I can see that his future is a one that shines brightly. Surely, he will be one to succeed in the ideal that he carries in his heart. The wish he secretly wishes for the Grail to grant.”
Lady Sieben frowned in anger.
“…Wish?”
“—Yes.”
Justeaze’s eyes were focused on the far-away clouds that travelled across the sky. In her mind, she saw them all heading to the place she would eventually arrive into.
The promised land of her ritual.
Japan.
Where her life-long quest might finally come to fruition.
“He wishes for the most simple of all facts.”
A smile that was only a sigh shorter than a second passed on Justeaze’s lips.
“For there to be no evil—“
Last edited by Verg Avesta; June 5th, 2012 at 05:04 PM.
Interesting chapter. Justeaze is already displaying moe.
quotes
Originally Posted by Mike1984
Besides, I don't see what's so terrible about looting anyway. It's only property, they're not actually harming anyone.
Originally Posted by lantzblades
when I say hero I don't mean hero in the spirit sense. I mean a morally grounded, good natured person who doesn't slaughter innocent people. No such person exists in the Nasuverse.
[00:12] <~Katie> i can't defy my origin
[00:12] <~Katie> of gay memes
[16:15] <~Katie> lesbians has always been my gimmick and i will exploit it to the fullest
[22:56] <@Sei> airen is pegging hero this time
[22:56] <@Sei> for once airen isn't the uke
[22:56] <@Kuroyuki> I thought Air was the Woman in the Relationship?
[22:56] <@Airen> Yeah I kinda thought I was the girl too!
McJon01: We all know that the real reason Archer would lose to Rider is because the events of his own Holy Grail War left him with a particular weakness toward "older sister" types.
Eh, the sigs have nothing to do with this fic - 3-
Sorry for that then! I fell for the trap of over-speculation.
Originally Posted by Verg Avesta
Having said those words, Makiri left the room, leaving Justeaze all alone in the miniature jungle. Justeaze stayed, froze in the spot, having been confused by his ally who had suddenly gotten as energetic as his young nature was.
Unless Makiri has fallen for an epic Trap, I wanted to flag this for you, lol. ^^; Also, do you mind if we say Zouken in comments because it's such a habit, or would you prefer we stick to Makiri as with the fanfic? I keep catching myself saying Zouken just out of habit.
Justeaze is very interesting so far. I was expecting her to be a lot more flat, which might make it hard to connect with her as a Master, but you're portraying her with enough bits of personality already that I still like her. The butterflies were an interesting touch as well; it's hard to imagine Makiri used to focus his magecraft in such a pretty way. He was even nice to his familiars. ;.; His wish really brings home just what kind of a person he used to be.
Zouken - err sorry, Makiri used to be made of butterflies then? Well, I guess by then he hadn't developed the Crest Worms yet.
This is basically Zouken from, err, over two hundred years ago. His abilities aren't as abnormal as they are nowadays. In other words, he isn't a "monster", but a very accomplished magus of his times. If it was known he was alive, he'd probably be well on his way for Sealing Designation. Still, if you start thinking about what butterflies are, etc. you might notice something there...~
Oh, and since I love stats:
Makiri Zolgen
Makiri Zolgen
Magic Circuit Amount: A+
Magic Circuit Quality: A-
Magic Circuit Configuration: High class, extremely complicated
System: Familiar-craft, absorbing as natural means of living
Output: Natural curses, Russian
Could and should be considered more than averagely powerful magus. It his hard to decipher an actual level of power because of the sheer complexity of the "biological magecraft" he employs. Unlike normally it is with curses, Zouken's curses are not result of something being forced into happening, but rather, something being allowed to happen. Absorbing unconditionally from the enviroment to grow stronger.
Oh, Lady Sieben calls him mockingly "Purple". A joke by someone who does not understand the classifications of Clock Tower, yet wants to ridicule someone.
Interesting chapter. Justeaze is already displaying moe.
That can't be really called moe. Justeaze is kuudere, with another kuu hidden inside the dere, and another kuu hidden inside that...
Wait, isn't that exactly like Matryoshka doll?
I can already feel the tragedy welling.
I'm preparing to QQ hard.
Already? Oh just you wait. I'll make Nier look like an episode of Barny the Dinosaur.
Unless Makiri has fallen for an epic Trap, I wanted to flag this for you, lol. ^^;
Homunculus, unhuman, no true genders, yada-yada......or perhaps a typo~
Also, do you mind if we say Zouken in comments because it's such a habit, or would you prefer we stick to Makiri as with the fanfic? I keep catching myself saying Zouken just out of habit.
Eh, whatever floats better for you. I use "Makiri" myself as a means to make clear difference between him and Zouken, as they are so different.
Justeaze is very interesting so far. I was expecting her to be a lot more flat, which might make it hard to connect with her as a Master, but you're portraying her with enough bits of personality already that I still like her.
Justeaze does not "understand" humans. Doesn't mean she doesn't want to. But to someone like her, social interactions and feelings are a "hobby" rather than something that happens naturally. She is, after all, the characterization of Einzberns' desire to reacquire the Third. Anything else comes after. After all, hobbies are put aside for the sake of living as your fate designates.
The butterflies were an interesting touch as well; it's hard to imagine Makiri used to focus his magecraft in such a pretty way. He was even nice to his familiars. ;.; His wish really brings home just what kind of a person he used to be.
Yeah. As VN put it: "Young, idealistic and foolish" to summarize. Heck, he apparently was a bit immature at point where he was...what, nearly 300 years old?
Oh yeah, for those interested about faceclaims, I cannot get the idea out of my head that Saber would look like this if it wasn't taken already.
And, after the last part of the three-part prologue, we'll be diving straight into the first "book", or whatever you want to call it, called: "The Dividing Miracle". That update will take longer though, but the point-of-view will be jumping around between different Masters, so it'll be a bit more comprehensive.
Last edited by Verg Avesta; June 5th, 2012 at 05:47 PM.
Already? Oh just you wait. I'll make Nier look like an episode of Barny the Dinosaur.
Oh this I want to see.
Year 1
Salt Corner
Originally Posted by hayate
He's the exception. We see him swimming in with the
gold
good
waifus.
He got his share of woes as with other players, but it has been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of different SSRs, both as F2P and P2P.
I don't even wish to stand beside him as I got 2 consecutive IRs at my work the very same month after I got Jeanne.
Originally Posted by Gabriulio
Okay:
First of all, a big FUCK YOU to everyone who got Holmes
Second of all, a DOUBLE FUCK YOU at Laith because asahkwbebnfj,hhfshfls;
Third of all, a TRIPLE FUCK YOU to people who quote Laith's gacha posts. THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING HIM IN MY IGNORE LIST IS TO PREVENT THIS
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Seika
