Author's Note: Long time no see! After two weeks of being unable to write due to overtime at work I've finally managed to get the next chapter posted. I also ended up editing chapter three, removing the parts I had used for an ending, and expanding them into the beginning of this chapter. I wanted to go into more detail on Shinji's time in high school here, and I also think what I have for Chapter 3 now is a better end point emotionally than what I had before. Don't worry, though, this chapter isn't all just redone events that I previously glossed over! At least 2/3 of it is actual continuation. Without further ado, please enjoy chapter five of Rejuvenation of a Bloodline: The Call of Fate!
~~~
Chapter Four – The Call of Fate
May, 2002
Blades in the darkness
A violet serpent flowing through the night, all elegant speed and untrammeled grace
Blunt force
A silver gleam
A flash of light
A burst of wind
The sound of steel, snapping like cheap plastic
Death, brutal and unavoidable, rushing forward in searing light-
Shinji woke covered in a cold sweat. It was the same dream he'd been having for years, but it terrified him no less for its familiarity. He had the feeling it was getting less clear, though. He could remember that when he'd been a child the dream had been all solid figures and specific images. Now it was all vague, hyperreal impressions, like a blurry painting that only becomes clear when you stand well back.
Shinji was sure of two things, though. First, that he was dreaming of a Grail War. The figures fighting moved too quickly to be human. Second, he was seeing a vision of real events. Shinji'd been having the dream since before he'd known about magic, so he was certain it wasn't simply the product of his imagination. He also knew it wasn't a memory of Kariya's, since he had his uncle's notes on the Fourth Holy Grail War. That meant Shinji was dreaming an ancestral memory, seeing the last moments of one of his own forefathers who'd fought in the First, Second, or Third Holy Grail War, the wars Zouken had forbidden Shinji from reading the records of. Shinji couldn't help feeling sorry for the man, and had to suppress a shudder as he thought of that terrible, all-consuming light.
As Shinji lay in bed, feeling the sweat soak into his sheets, he tried to recall all the details of the dream. If only he could unlock the secrets of his predecessor he was sure it would help him in his own Holy Grail War, far in the future when he was a true magus free of Zouken's clutches. It was no use. Try as he might, Shinji could remember no more than the powerful sensory impressions of battle.
Ah, well. Dream or no dream, Shinji couldn't lie in bed all day. Today was, after all, the entrance ceremony for his first year of high school. He couldn't show up still groggy for his first meeting with his rival since the end of school last year!
~~~
After a hearty workout and his usual breakfast with Sakura, Shinji broke from his morning routine for almost the first time since his return to Japan. He wasn't walking to school with Sakura this morning, as he was headed to Homurahara Academy alone. Without his sister by his side, Shinji couldn't help but think his mornings would be missing something important for the next year. He had no doubt she'd follow him to Homurahara in 2003, though, and then things would return to their natural order.
As he walked up the hill leading from the manor district toward Homurahara, Shinji admired the lovely spring weather and thought on how things had gone in junior high. It had certainly been a different kind of educational experience from his lonesome tutelage in Prozorovsky's forest home.
~~~
The combination of his naturally fine features and the effects of his surgery had given Shinji a truly ethereal countenance. With white hair, ice-blue eyes, and a page-white complexion, Shinji's appearance called to mind glaciers floating in an icy sea. It was hardly a wonder people at school called him "The Ice Prince".
Shinji's legend among his fellow students hadn't stopped there, though. Ever since his first confrontation with Tohsaka had shown the other students a new, passionate side of the "School Madonna", rumors about them had been constant. She was the only person to catch his interest through his icy exterior, and he was the only one who could ignite the burning emotion within her! They were tied together by fate as enemies and soulmates, like the dragon and the phoenix! That sort of thing.
Nor was fame limited to Shinji and Tohsaka. As a close friend to the supposed prince, chivalrous helper of those in need, and hot-blooded athlete, Emiya Shirou also developed a nickname. He was dubbed "The Prince's Knight," a faithful and devoted bodyguard dedicated to ensuring his frail master survived the trials of young life.
Yes, Shinji's schoolmates spun a merry mythology around him. Shinji himself didn't know all the details, as the other students usually tried to keep quiet around the objects of their fantasies, but ye'd heard enough to get a general idea. It irked him to no end that, hard as he worked to surpass Tohsaka at every turn, the rest of the school had disregarded his obvious superiority and seemed to view them as equals. In his heart, Shinji vowed that in high school he'd prove himself the undisputed victor.
One person who mysteriously escaped a role in the imaginary court of Matou Shinji was his sister. She was so unenthusiastic, distant, and silent that people simply tended to ignore her. When the students thought of her at all, it was only as "Matou's sister". That they can have failed to notice the one person who really did dominate Shinji's fate could certainly be viewed as a judgement on the worth of rumor.
~~~
As Shinji was reminiscing on the way his junior high school career had developed, he arrived at the front gates of Homurahara almost without noticing it. He quickly noticed one more thing: the grounds were almost devoid of students. Lost in his thoughts, Shinji had taken a rather leisurely pace on his way to the school, and he now discovered he would be late for the opening address from the principal if he didn't hurry.
Fortunately, Shinji was able to rush over to the gymnasium in time to crowd in with the rest of the students, having noted his class assignment on the board as he passed. He'd barely avoided besmirching his perfect record with lateness, but noted with frustration that Tohsaka was several rows ahead of him in line. She moved with serene grace, followed closely by the troop of friends and minions she'd gathered to herself, but Shinji could see the self-satisfied smirk lying underneath as she saw he'd barely made it. Shinji mentally bookmarked this as one more indignity heaped on a Matou by a Tohsaka, to be repaid in kind when the time came.
Finally all of the students made it to their seats, and the principal began his droning speech about their duty as the future of Japan. After he finished there was a noticeable stir among the students as the freshman speaker came up to the podium. He was a student with sharp features, perfectly trimmed black hair, glasses, and a stern expression on his face, radiating his disappointment at his fellow students' lack of interest in the words of their administrator. This was Ryuudou Issei, the last of the four famous students in Shinji's year.
Unlike Tohsaka and Emiya, Ryuudou's fame was quite disconnected from Shinji's legend. He had been well known even before junior high for being the heir to Ryuudou Temple, and his fame had been cemented by three consecutive terms as student council president, as well as by his consummate manifestation of both these roles. During junior high he had racked up such titles as "Iron Minister" and "Unshakable Bureaucrat," in stark contrast to the more fanciful names given to the other three. Still, there had been no one at their school who hadn't respected Ryuudou Issei, and it was assumed he'd be a shoo-in for student council president at Homurahara as well.
All his praiseworthy qualities did nothing to make Ryuudou's speeches resonate with the common student, though. He managed to inject quite a bit more youthful passion and righteousness into his words, but in content his speech was quite similar to the principal's. He spoke at length about the gratitude the freshmen felt towards previous generations of Homurahara students for welcoming then into their ranks, the duty they bore towards future generations to be upstanding students and citizens, and similar topics. Homurahara's students, new and old alike were torn between being impressed at Ryuudou's charisma and oratorical skill in delivering such a boring speech so well and boredom at the speech itself.
~~~
Shinji in particular sought any other item of interest to distract him. He didn't see a duty to anyone but Sakura and himself, after all. As he was casting his eyes around the room he caught sight of the one person totally riveted by Ryuudou's pedestrian message. It was Shinji's old friend Emiya, seeking the just path as always. He sat ramrod-straight, staring right up at Ryuudou with a clear and undisturbed gaze. It was the same gaze he would soon be giving the targets on the archery range, although Shinji wouldn't discover that for a few weeks. Even from a few seats away, it was obvious to Shinji that Emiya was carefully taking in Ryuudou's words and measuring them against his internal barometer of "justice", seeing if they matched up with his goal of becoming a hero. From the intensity of his gaze, it seemed they were at least acceptable.
Shinji mused on Emiya's strange ideals as Ryuudou continued to lecture the assembled students on the discipline and dedication necessary in academics. Shinji had been hanging out with Emiya for long enough now to know that he was serious about the pursuit of heroism, not just an overly enthusiastic kid. He actually valued the life of any random stranger on the street more than his own. Although this made him a convenient friend for the ever-selfish Shinji, he had tried at length to talk Emiya out of the ridiculous idea. Or had been like talking to a wall, and the most Shinji had been able to do was convince Emiya to focus on the immediately possible rather than the impossible. That was why Emiya had started going around helping anyone who needed it, earning his chivalrous reputation.
The impossibility of convincing Emiya to drop his absurd goal was so frustrating that Shinji had almost simply cut him off, telling him "good luck" and leaving it at that. Only the presence of Shinji's own impossible goal, saving Sakura from Zouken's machinations, changed his mind. After all, if he could help this normal person pursue his ideal, wouldn't that be kind of a good luck charm? Besides, even someone as dedicated to magecraft as Shinji needed at least one normal friend to do normal things with. So Shinji decided that he was just using Emiya as a tool to relax and take his mind off his problems. He certainly wasn't feeling anything like friendship towards such a ridiculously foolish non-magus. That would be ridiculous. For that reason, the rumor about Emiya's status as Shinji's "knight" irritated him even more than the rest. It made him so angry, in fact, that he flushed red whenever he overheard people discussing it.
Eventually the tiresome lecture from Ryuudou came to an end, followed by an even less interesting speech from the senior representative. The students were led out to their classes by their new homeroom teachers. Once they arrived, Shinji fell into despair anew. He recognized just one person sharing his class (although everyone knew him). It was Tohsaka, who looked about as irritated as he felt. Shinji had noted his class as he came into the school, of course, using it to find his place in the seating arrangement for the orientation speech. He'd also noticed that he was uncomfortably close to his enemy during the speeches. Somehow, though, his brain had clung to false hope and spared him the horrible truth until now.
To make matters worse, his seat was immediately to her left. They were next to each other. As he took his seat, Shinji felt the envious stares of his male classmates boring into him as they lamented the good fortune of the "prince". Rather than elation, though, Shinji had to suppress an involuntary shudder of revulsion at the proximity of his mortal foe.
Summoning up a smile with all the friendly cordiality of a glacier, Shinji turned to Tohsaka and said, "How lovely to see you again, Tohsaka-san. I missed you at the orientation speeches, but I'm glad to see now that you also had no trouble entering Homurahara Academy."
Homurahara had rigorous academic standards, but was by no means one of Japan's most difficult high schools to enter. At the level of study the pair maintained, this was nothing more than a veiled insult. Tohsaka returned Shinji's smile, radiating friendliness far better than he had. If not for the vein bulging in her forehead, it would have seemed like a smile of truly angelic warmth.
"Thank you, Matou-kun. I suppose you mustn't have noticed many of the other students on your way in, since you were in such a hurry to get to the orientation in time. I hope this doesn't set a new precedent for your attendance."
Expertly targeting Shinji's morning failing, Tohsaka had given him a perfect riposte. The damage of their seating had been mutual, though, and neither student could stomach further "pleasantries". Fortunately, class began in time to put an end to the conversation.
When lunch came around, Shinji quickly stood and headed for the roof. Although he'd always eaten in class before, he didn't think he could sustain an appetite if he tried to eat next to Tohsaka. Besides that, he hated the swarming crowds and unpleasant noise of the cafeteria and school store. The only place he could relax and enjoy Sakura's cooking would be the roof.
When he arrived, however, he got a terrible surprise. Somehow Tohsaka had beaten him there. A look of pure hatred passed between the two as they realized they'd followed the same train of thought. Still, both were too stubborn to give up on their chosen place to eat. To retreat before the hated foe would be an irreparable blow to one's honor.
That was how, despite their mutual distaste, Matou Shinji and Tohsaka Rin ended up eating lunch alone together on the roof, sitting across from one another.
At first, as Shinji sat down and resolved to eat, Tohsaka refused to look at him. She seemed to have decided that if she couldn't make him leave she could at least pretend he wasn't there.
Then he unwrapped his lunch. Sakura had insisted that his entrance into high school was a special occasion, and had prepared a gorgeous multi-tiered deluxe lunchbox. Shinji had no idea when she'd managed to buy the ingredients or cook it, since she'd sprung it on him that morning as a surprise, but whenever she'd managed to make it the thing was a work of art.
Tohsaka had brought a convenience-store bento, and couldn't disguise her shock as Shinji began to eat.
"Matou-kun, aren't you overdoing it a bit? For something as simple as school lunch, that seems like a bit much. Especially since you aren't in any of the sporting clubs."
Although Tohsaka had intended this to come across as condescending and disdainful, she wasn't quite able to keep the jealousy from her voice, giving Shinji his chance.
"I'm surprised, Tohsaka-san," he replied, pushing as much false concern as he could into his voice, "at the thought of this as overdoing it. If you don't eat this kind of food, could it be that your finances aren't what I thought they were? If you haven't had the chance, I suppose I could spare some for a less fortunate student."
Glaring daggers at Shinji, Tohsaka responded, "Unlike some people, the Tohsaka family has always believed in conserving our wealth, and spending it on worthy things. If you're so eager to fritter away your family fortune on daily meals, I pity your descendants."
By this time, both students had managed to strike a nerve, and they lapsed into irritable silence as they finished. With less to eat, Tohsaka completed her lunch quickly and headed down to class. Shinji, on the other hand, stayed on the roof for a while longer, admiring the view of the trees on the school grounds. Homurahara's ornamental cherries were far more impressive than those of Miyama-cho Junior High, and in the light spring breeze the petals drifted down like snow. Shinji would certainly look forward to walking through that flower-strewn path next spring, when Sakura would be by his side.
~~~
January, 2004
Shinji's first two years at Homurahara Academy had meant less in the way of change from his junior high daily life than he'd hoped. His academic rivals, Tohsaka Rin and Ryuudou Issei had both gotten into the same school, and in his second year he even shared his class with Emiya and Ryuudou! The only modest blessing in placement was that he hadn't been forced to share classes with Tohsaka and Ryuudou in the same year, but there was always the third year to wait for. More frustrating than the lack of new faces was the fact that the student body's obsession with Tohsaka and himself had only grown over the years. A number of individuals, presumably insane, had even proclaimed them to be dating! This rumor had shadowy origins, but there were a few key moments students tended to point to as evidence. First, that Tohsaka had been the first person Shinji had actively pursued conversation with at school. Second was an event in which, a week before the final round of testing for the first year, the two rivals had been the last two students to leave the school on several occasions. The fact that they spent this supposedly intimate time furiously studying at opposite ends of the school library had gone undocumented. Lastly, there was the fact that during their first year Matou Shinji and Tohsaka Rin had been frequently seen travelling separately to the roof, but eating there alone with each other. In an absurd cycle of mistakes and mistiming, each of the two had refused to eat in the classroom with one another, been confronted on the roof, decided to find some other place to eat the next day, and then returned to the roof after deciding it was safe. Their minds simply ran too closely when it came to matters of school.
This comical lunchtime habit had come to an end in Shinji's second year, when Sakura had quietly insisted that he should eat lunch in the archery club with her and Emiya, despite the fact that Shinji was not a member of the club. Shinji had introduced Emiya to his sister during his first year of high school in the hopes of diminishing her irritation when he and Emiya hung out. Sakura had never warmed to Emiya, however, apparently seeing him as something of an intruder. After entering Homurahara, Sakura had even gone so far as to enter the archery club, of which Emiya was the captain, and openly antagonized him; at least to the degree that Sakura could stand to oppose anyone, which seemed fairly low-level. Shinji couldn't decide whether to be happy that Sakura had finally developed some ability to talk to people other than himself or concerned for the future of his well-meaning friend. In any case, her proximity to Emiya as a club member enabled Sakura to keep a much closer eye on the two; there was rarely a time any more when Shinji and Emiya spent time together without Sakura present.
Of further concern to Shinji was Sakura's reaction to the rumors about him and Tohsaka. Whereas she flared up to defend her time with her brother from his interloping friend, when it came to her biological sister Sakura simply shut down. She never revealed any resentment of Tohsaka to Shinji, and once went out of her way to tell him that she wouldn't stand in his way if he wanted to be with Tohsaka. Shinji had been horrified by the idea, but more importantly he'd seen the grief she attempted to hide as she forced herself to say it. He hadn't left her side that night, and had whispered comforting words to her until he was certain she'd never put any more stock in the rumors. Even after that, though, Sakura would freeze up whenever she heard people talking about the Ice Prince and Academy Madonna in school.
All things considered, aside from the shift in the care he provided for Sakura's condition, the changes in Shinji's life since entering high school had been relatively minor, and had acted to push him away from the mindset of a magus. He'd fallen into the rhythm of a mundane life, and although he continued to further his thaumaturgical knowledge in his spare time his existence as a magus had begun to fade into the background instead of occupying the forefront of his mind at all times. After all, the greatest test of magical skill Shinji would ever face would be the Fifth Holy Grail War, and that wouldn't be happening until 2054. Even someone as dedicated as Shinji could relax with that much buffer time.
New Year's Day put an abrupt end to this relaxation, however. As Shinji was relaxing with his sigils after taking Sakura on the year's first shrine visit, he once again heard the distinctive rapping of a cane behind him. It was the first time in almost a year. Since he'd explained the shift in Sakura's condition to Shinji, Zouken had spent more and more time shut in his bedroom or workshop, sealed off completely. Shinji had wondered on occasion if Sakura had reached some kind of point in Zouken's treatment wherein her condition would progress on its own, not requiring Zouken's intervention.
He was here now, though, and the fact that he'd appeared silently in Shinji's study told the young magus the matter was important. Shinji spun to see what new horror had urged Zouken to visit him in daylight, and found the old man's face a stone mask of austerity, making a stark contrast from the usual sadistic amusement that creased his face when he had news for Shinji.
"It's time, boy. This grail war is beginning early, likely as an effect of the anomaly at the end of the ritual ten years ago. Berserker, Caster, and Lancer have already been summoned. You have two weeks to gather your knowledge and supplies and complete your own summoning for the Matou family. I know you've read enough about the past wars in our library to complete the ritual summoning without my help. I'll remind you of one more thing, boy. If you win the Holy Grail War for us you can change everything. Become the heir, free your sister, and of course you'll be bringing us the ancient goal of our family. Matou Shinji, for centuries your forefathers have tried and failed to achieve the Third Sorcery and attain true immortality. Don't join their number."
At this last line, Zouken's eyes seemed to flare like burning coals. Then, without giving Shinji time to respond, he spun on his heels and left. Once Zouken left the light of the study and entered the shadows of the corridor, Shinji didn't hear the rapping of his cane on the stairs. There was only the chittering of the insects to mark Zouken's disappearance.
For the next fourteen days, Shinji worked furiously. He combed through every page of his uncle's notes on the fourth Holy Grail War, although they were infuriatingly spotty. He would devote pages on end to describing the ridiculous shining power of Tohsaka's servant and then completely gloss over the means the Einzberns used to destroy the El-Melloi workshop! How had it happened? Kariya hadn't been around to see. The man hadn't even bothered to jot down the name of the freelance magus working as the Einzberns' master, just calling him "that gunman" or "the mercenary". Fortunately Shinji was able to get more use out of the formal writings by previous masters of Matou in the family library. These chronicled every detail of the binding of the servants and the function of their command spells, as well as having detailed instructions for the summoning ritual itself, as well as its permutations. There were also familial records of the first three Holy Grail Wars that more resembled grimoires than the beaten journal his uncle had kept, but Zouken had repeated on multiple occasions that Shinji was never to read those.
Shinji couldn't summon Berserker to compensate for his own low number of circuits, as his father had; nor could he count on a catalyst to bring him a powerful servant. Zouken had vanished after informing Shinji of the Grail War, and he hadn't seen the old man since. Without the aid of Zouken and the family finances, there was no chance of Shinji getting ahold of an archeological relic of significant enough importance to be a catalyst.
Fortunately, there was a second option when it came to summoning servants. With no catalyst dominating the ritual, it would naturally call forth a servant with a personality similar to that of the master. Shinji was confident that his personality was well-suited to be a hero of the highest caliber, and so was sure that even without a catalyst he'd be able to bring forth a servant that would be able to easily win the Holy Grail War. Hell, he might even summon Saber, agreed upon by all his predecessors to be the strongest class of servant.
~~~
The fateful night came for Shinji. January 14th; he'd pushed his two weeks of grace time to its limits, using every spare moment for preparation, but he was finally ready to conduct the summoning perfectly. He'd disdained the Worm Room as a location of summoning. Even if he hadn't hated the place already, it had borne witness to the summoning of four losing servants. Even the slightest modification of fortune could shift the will of the Grail in selecting his servant, and he wanted to be sure he avoided the energy of weakness that had collected there. Instead, Shinji would be conducting his summoning in an old gazebo in the forest on the outer boundary of the Matou estate. It was quite scenic, and more importantly seemed to have been forgotten and allowed to decay at some point in the home's long history. Whatever the reason, the gazebo was one of the few places on the Matou land that was quite free of Zouken's prana.
Since he was using his own character as a catalyst, Shinji used a solution of mercury and his own blood to paint the summoning circle. Fortunately a properly laid out circle had very thin lines, so he hadn't needed to bleed himself dry. With the circle complete, reflecting the moonlight in its own mixed crimson and silver tint, Shinji began to pour his od into the circle and chant. He chanted in Russian, the language the first master of his lineage had used in the first Holy Grail War, and as the wind began to pick up and the circle began to glow independent of the moonlight, the following words rang out into the silence of the winter evening. The incantation he chanted was not the same as those of his predecessors, however. He incorporated elements of his own affinity, as well as elements of the Prozorovsky summoning incantations. With the incantation playing such a major role in the summoning, Shinji couldn't simple leave things up to the Matou ritual. He had to perform a ritual unique to Matou Shinji, and thereby ensure a perfectly matched hero.
Заполнить. Закрывать. Заполнить. Закрывать. Заполнить. Закрывать. Заполнить. Закрывать. Заполнить. Закрывать. Заполнить. Закрывать. Заполнить. Закрывать.
(Fill. Close. Fill. Close. Fill. Close. Fill. Close. Fill. Close. Fill. Close. Fill. Close.)
Семь раз мертвые заполняют судно.
(Seven times the dead shall fill the vessel.)
В семь раз содержимое должно быть приложено моей привязкой.
(Seven times the contents shall be enclosed by my binding.)
Кислород и кровь должны быть сутью ритуала.
(Quicksilver and blood shall be the ritual's essence.)
Камень и Мистик Звезды станут основой ритуала.
(Stone and the Stars' Mystic shall be the ritual's foundation.)
Пусть великий мастер Рюрикъ, мой прародитель, станет надзирателем ритуала.
(Let the great master Hrøríkr, my progenitor, be the ritual's overseer.)
Я приказываю бушующим ветрам, чтобы они стали связующей стеной.
(I command the raging winds, that they shall become a binding wall.)
Я командую четырьмя кардинальными воротами, чтобы они были закрыты для всех, кто их пробовал.
(I command the four cardinal gates, that they shall be shut to all who try them.)
Я командую множеством маршрутов, которые они должны вести от универсальной короны.
(I command the multifarious routes, that they shall lead hence from the universal crown.)
Я приказываю троллейбусную дорогу царства, чтобы она вращалась и открывала путь отсюда.
(I command the three-forked road of the kingdom, that it shall rotate and open the way hence.)
Теперь я сделаю свое заявление. Ваше тело будет нести мою волю. Ваш клинок должен нести мою судьбу. Отвечая на призыв Святого Грааля, если вы подчиняетесь этой воле и этой причине ...
(Now I make my declaration. Your body shall bear my will. Your blade shall bear my fate. Answering the call of the Holy Grail, if you will submit to this will and this reason…)
Послушайте меня!
(Hearken to me!)
Здесь я клянусь! Я добьюсь всех добродетелей Десяти Сфер Небес. Я буду властвовать над всеми зол Девяти колец ада!
(Here I swear my oath! I shall attain all the virtues of the Ten Spheres of Heaven. I shall have dominion over all the evils of the Nine Rings of Hell!)
Из Царства Эмпирея, на котором присутствуют три великих слова власти, я призываю вас.
(From the Empyrean Realm, attended to by three great words of power, I call you forth.)
Теперь, соскользните с вашими узами и передо мной, герой прошлых лет!
(Now, slip your bonds and come before me, hero of ages past!)
The wind exploded outwards, nearly knocking Shinji back into the dirt. The light flared to a blinding white, Shinji threw his hands over his closed eyes to keep his sight. There was a deafening crack, as if of thunder. Then all faded, and in the aftermath of that terrible flash the night seemed to be pitch dark, moonless and starless.
Still blinded, Shinji heard a voice in the night. It didn't strike him as the voice of a warrior, but that of a beautiful woman. Indeed, one so refined and ephemeral that one could recognize her beauty by ear alone. Her voice carried a soft harmony and melodic tone that reminded Shinji of the final strains of a violin concerto. After the roaring wind and thunderous crack that had come a moment before, this voice washed over Shinji's ears like a soothing balm.
"Servant Rider has answered your call. Magus, please answer me this question. Are you the one who has called this blade forth across time's stormy gulf: my Master?"
Before he could regain his sight, Shinji felt the pressure to respond as if it were a blade at his throat. This was the raw power of the Grail's summoning, detectable only by those with the most perfect awareness of Ether. It was a very different contract ritual from that which the Prozorovsky magi used; there the power was wheedling, always seeking to manifest that much more, or in whatever new way it could. Neptunus seemed to be constantly seeking to escape the bonds of its contract, and it was up to the summoner to ensure that it did not. In the Grail's summoning, however, the Master was as thoroughly bound by the power of the grail as the Servant. Shinji felt that if he didn't answer in moments, the power of the grail would crush him under sheer weight of prana, like a diver under too much water pressure. Still blind, Shinji answered that beautiful voice and fulfilled the first terms of the contract he had bound himself to ten years ago.
"I am your Master," he replied, summoning up as much confidence as he could muster in his blinded and shocked state, "Servant Rider, I have called you forth to bring victory to the Matou in the upcoming Holy Grail War. Together, we will crush all those who challenge our right to the Grail without remorse."
When Rider's own reply came it seemed oddly conflicted. As she said "As you command, Master. I will follow your orders and dispatch whomever I must," her voice sounded listless and mournful. And yet, when Shinji had spoken he'd felt a blast of killing intent from her, clearly not directed at him but at the unknown foe. Observing the odd combination, Shinji wondered if he hadn't summoned something like a Berserker after all.
Then Shinji's eyesight cleared, and all thoughts of Rider's personality went out the window. Simply put, she was inhumanly beautiful. In her complexion and refinement of facial features, Rider reminded Shinji of the marble statues of feminine perfection that had been created by the ancient Romans and later Renaissance sculptors. Her eyes were limpid violet pools; almost the same shade, Shinji noticed, as Sakura's, albeit slightly darker. Her figure was a model of restraint; tall, without ungainliness; slim, without forsaking curves; feminine, without being so overly voluptuous as to mar the grace of her proportions. Shinji was again reminded of artistic production; she appeared as if some artisan of the era of Da Vinci had mathematically worked out the perfect proportions of a woman's body, and set out to prove his point in sculpture. More than her body or face, though, what really drew the eyes first was Rider's hair. Her hair had an almost celestial shine, clearly maintained by the immense quantities of od that saturated it; in color it was an odd pearlescent shade that shifted its appearance depending on the way the light caught it; here it was ice-blue, there it was opal-white, and over there it appeared a shining seafoam teal. The range of effects given by the moonlight were all on display, as it swept all the way down to her calves in a silken cascade, its shape somewhat reminiscent of wings.
The overall effect of Rider's appearance was not so much that of a hero out of half-legendary history, but rather an angel descended from heaven. This was reinforced by the prominent motif of feathers on Rider's gauntlets and thigh-high armored boots. Despite the gleaming protection covering her limbs, Rider didn't wear body armor. Instead, she wore a short black dress, steel half-corset, and seafoam ribbon. The overall effect was oddly reminiscent of a black sailor uniform, although Shinji could hardly imagine comparing this radiant creature to the girls he'd seen wearing such outfits before. The whole assembly was completed by a blue-tinted silver hair ornament wrapped around the top of her head, resembling a cross between a laurel wreath and a pair of feathery wings.
For the first time in several years, Shinji found himself completely at a loss for what to do. Free of his temporary blindness and the oppressive compulsion to complete his contract, his brain seemed to have slowed to a crawl. He felt like he could probably just stand there, drinking in the sight of his Servant, all night. If his bond with Sakura hadn't already been so deep, he would likely have fallen in love with the heroic spirit right then and there. Exacerbating the matter was the fact that Rider seemed totally content to passively wait for orders. Almost three minutes of their bizarre staring contest passed before they were interrupted by an irritated cough.
Startled, Shinji spun around to see Sakura, wearing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "So, Nii-san," she said, walking up to him, "I was wondering just what kind of ritual it could be that had you rushing off straight away after dinner. Imagine my surprise, discovering that you've summoned a Servant for the Holy Grail War. Discovering that you've hidden the start of the War from me, not confiding in your own sister about something that could send you marching off to your death. I wonder why you'd do something like that…"
"Look, Sakura, I had planned-" Shinji was silenced by the hurt, teary-eyed look Sakura suddenly sent him. :I don''t care what you had planned," she almost cried, her emotions getting the best of her, "I care that you didn't tell me. That you would keep anything from me this important isn't just hurtful. It's frightening, too. What if you go out there and die? I couldn't go on alone with Grandfather, Nii-san." By the end of this outburst, Sakura had grabbed Shinji's shirt and was crying into his chest. By now, Shinji felt he had a pretty god idea of how to comfort her. As he made to embrace her, though, Sakura suddenly pushed off him and forced a smile back to her face, as if denying the emotions of a moment before.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Aren't you going to introduce me to your Servant?"
Shinji found himself taken aback at the sudden brightness in Sakura's tone. He'd never known her to recover so quickly from tears before, and had expected to spend the rest of the night comforting her. He reasoned she must be putting on a brave front for Rider's benefit.
"Of course," he replied, still hesitant from his surprise at the shift in her manner. "Sakura, this is Rider, who I've summoned to bring us victory. With her summoning, only Assassin, Archer, and Saber remain not yet summoned. I'm sure the War will begin soon." As he ran through this introduction, Shinji regained his confident demeanor, and he held up his left hand to show Sakura his command spell. It looked a bit like a stylized rendering of a spearhead wrapped in spiraling chains, and the design left little of the original skin on his hand visible. He'd have to start wearing gloves to school, although considering his well-known frailty that would be unlikely to arouse much suspicion.
Suddenly Shinji realized one important detail that had slipped by him in the excitement of the ritual. "Rider," he called, half-turning to look at the heroic spirit. She hadn't moved from where she'd been summoned, apparently not seeing the need. "What is your true name? I'll need to have an idea of your capabilities if we're to fight effectively."
Rider levelled a calculating look at Shinji, considering whether he could keep the secret. After a few moments, she softly replied, "Very well, Master. I am Brynhildr, a Valkyrie fallen from grace. Please do not be too kind to me."
Shinji couldn't hide his shock and excitement. He'd thought she looked like something more than human, but hadn't really dared to hope. To think he'd summoned a legendary Valkyrie! With a celestial being by his side, he doubted if any human hero could compete. He didn't know the legend of Brynhildr, but made a mental note to read up on her story. Her request seemed particularly odd; he'd be sure to look into whether she'd been betrayed by a benefactor, or something along those lines.
As Shinji was running all this through his head, he neglected to respond to her introduction. Fortunately, Sakura was more conscientious. She gave a polite curtsy, and said, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Brynhildr. I am Matou Sakura, your Master's younger sister. Please forgive my brother's poor manners."
Taking the hint, Shinji fully turned to Brynhildr and gave a slight bow. "Matou Shinji, the fifth Master of Matou in the Holy Grail War. Pleased to meet you."
Before they could discuss matters further, another idea suddenly shot into Shinji's mind. Now that he'd summoned his Servant, he needed to report to the administrator appointed by the Holy Church, Kotomine Kirei. Although Zouken had given Shinji no instructions on how to proceed, Kariya's journal and the older Matou books on the Grail War had both made it clear that this should be carried out without delay.
Shinji returned his gaze to Sakura. "Before I'm done with tonight's preparations for the War, I have one more thing I need to take care of. I have to head to the Kotomine Parish Church and register there with the administrator of the Grail War, sent by the Holy Church. I'll have to head over there right now, since he probably detected it when I summoned Rider. Please wait here, and I'll be back soon." Then, turning to rider, "Fade into spirit form. We're heading through town in order to reach the parish and register there, and it'd be better not to have you attracting attention."
Although Sakura opened her mouth to protest the evening's continued disruption, Shinji's expression made it clear that this had to be taken care of. She said, "Please hurry, Nii-san. Even with the War not yet started properly things could be dangerous," and watched him stride off towards the road.
It was a long walk from the Matou house to the church in Miyama-cho, and as he walked Shinji consulted the information he'd received on Rider's abilities when he summoned her. She seemed to be a good all-around fighter, and although she specialized in agility she had no real weak points aside from her abysmal luck. Shinji wasn't sure how luck manifested in a Servant's combat abilities, but he hoped it didn't play a major role. For her part, Rider seemed content to silently follow him in spirit form, and seemed to have no interest in starting a conversation.
Shinji couldn't just leave things quiet as they walked down the empty midnight streets, though. Using the silent communication available to Masters when the Servant was in their spirit form, he asked, What is your wish for the Grail, Rider? I'd like to know whether our goals are compatible. There was a period of silence that lasted long enough for Shinji to doubt the effectiveness of the thought-based communication, before he finally heard the soft, melodic tones of Rider's reply appearing directly in his head. In life, I lost what I desired thoroughly enough to no longer desire it. All I hope for in this War is to fulfill my duty by returning great warriors to the afterlife. Shinji's suspicion that Rider had experienced some kind of tragic betrayal was confirmed. Whatever had happened to make her cast away her desires, it was clearly a touchy subject. As Shinji was trying to decide whether pursuing the matter would help or hinder his war effort, they arrived at the Kotomine Parish. The wrought-iron gate to the grounds stood open, inviting lost souls no matter the time. Yet, as Shinji entered he couldn't help but remember the way Kariya's journal condemned this same Kotomine as a vile manipulator obsessed with the Einzberns' mercenary. An oppressive feeling of ominous danger settled on Shinji as he approached the chapel and pushed open the unlocked double doors.
The church within was as silent as a crypt. It was not empty, however, but lit and occupied. Rejecting electric light, the room's decorators had placed numerous candelabra about the room. Each was filled with flickering white candles, suffusing the hall in an omnidirectional orange glow. The church's ceiling was too high for the candles' light to reach, however, and it faded away from Shinji's sight in smoky darkness. Despite the candles, long shadows dwelt also between the pews, as if their rows were filled with wraiths kneeling to pray. In the dim firelight, the church's white stone walls took on the impression of natural, rather than artificial stone, and for a moment Shinji had the impression that the place resembled perdition more than the celestial refuge it had been designed to represent. If Shinji had known that the Matou had once been parishioners of this church, until Zouken decided his long life would make for trouble in church records and renounced Christianity, his unease might have deepened still further.
The sole occupant of the church was a tall priest, bent low over his notes and standing behind the lectern, as if making a few last-minute edits before the first attendants arrived for his sermon. He had long brown hair, and at Shinji's viewing angle it fell over his face in a curtain, giving the priest an impression of being veiled. At the sound of Shinji's entrance, however, he straightened, regarded the boy coolly, and greeted him.
"How can I help you, young man? I don't recognize you from among my flock. Have you perhaps come for a sudden conversion?" Although the words Kotomine spoke were quite normal for a catholic priest greeting an unknown citizen visiting late at night, the tone of sardonic mockery underlying his baritone voice made it clear that the priest had thrown the greeting own more as a farcical gesture than an honest question.
Hearing that voice and seeing the smirk playing across the man's lips confirmed the matter of the priest's identity for Shinji. This could be no one but Kotomine Kirei. "Good evening, Father Kotomine," he said, nodding his head in a shallow bow. "I've come to formally announce myself as the representative of Matou in this Fifth Holy Grail War." When Kotomine made no move to respond, Shinji held up his left hand. "As you can see, I have been selected by the grail. I summoned a Servant this evening, and as the magus representing one of the Founding Three Families I thought it would be appropriate to see you immediately." With that he turned to leave, but was stopped by Kotomine's words.
"I had heard," Kotomine announced, "that the Matou blood had faded, and the only biological son of the Matou was born a useless thing with no magic circuits. How can it be that you, self-proclaimed Matou magus, are able to support a Servant despite your thoroughly manifest deficiencies?" As the priest heaped insults on Shinji, his smile widened from a barely perceptible curve into a truly condescending smirk. Each of his barbs had struck home, and Kotomine was plainly enjoying it.
As he was lambasted, Shinji found that anger was seething and boiling up from the pit to fill his mind. How dare this unknown priest, barely a magus himself, belittle Shinji and ignore all the work he'd done to overcome his condition at birth? How dare he make light of the constant struggle Shinji went through in order to stand on an equal playing field with his fellow magi? Shinji knew that he was playing into the man's hands, probably giving him just the reaction he was looking for, but it didn't matter. Shinji turned back to the lectern and fixed his eyes on Kirei's, ice-blue meeting ash-brown. In a low, fury-soaked voice, he said, "Clearly your sources of information are deficient. I will warn you, Kotomine, not to try to manipulate the War as you and your father did ten years ago. You speak from a position of protective neutrality now, but if you step out of it I will crush you without reserve. Take care not to be swayed by my uncle's example into underestimating the Matou. We will not go down in disgrace again." Disregarding Kotomine's unfazed smirk and trying to ignore the chuckle escaping his lips, Shinji spun on his heel and stormed out of the vile church. He had attempted to make an impression of danger on the war's administrator, but it had apparently failed. All he could do now was resolve not to return until the time came to claim the Grail.
As he walked out of the churchyard, Shinji faded into himself and began planning for the upcoming conflict. Once he knew all seven servants had been summoned, he'd begin with Tohsaka. He knew she'd be chosen as a Master, but since it was known in the magical community that the Matou line had faded he could safely bet she wouldn't suspect him until it was too late. Rider's prodigious speed meant that an ambush should be easily achievable. Before he could begin fleshing out the details of his plot, however, Rider suddenly materialized in front of him. "Master," she began, "there is an enemy quickly approaching-"
Then she was cut off by the clash of steel on steel, as she deflected a crimson lance with her own polearm. It was Shinji's first time seeing his Servant's weapon, and he marveled at the ease with which she moved the seemingly impractical thing. It had the length of a lance, but in place of a spearhead there was a massive heart-shaped blade, wide as a battle-axe and as long as an arming sword. The thing was thick, too, and had to be enormously heavy. Strangest of all was its composition, seemingly made of an unidentifiable metal. Although it had the shine of finely honed steel, the blade was a deep violet in color, again reminding Shinji of Sakura's eyes. Despite the polearm's great weight and ridiculously lopsided balance, Rider had swung it fully around herself, pivoting the haft on her center of gravity so that the blade traced an arc around her, to deflect a straight thrust coming from what should have been a blind spot on her left side, and had done so with nigh-invisible speed. She was clearly at ease with the weapon, impractical or not.
The force of the clash sent the assailant backwards, and he landed lightly on his feet about two meters away. Getting a clear look at him, Shinji realized from his weapon that they must be facing Lancer. He wore some kind of tight blue jumpsuit, possibly leather armor, plated at the shoulders and feet with gleaming steel. His hair was also blue, and if not for the brilliant crimson of his eyes and spear, he might well have faded into the darkness. The spearman plainly had no intention of doing so, however, as he fixed the pair with the hungry gaze of a hunter meeting his first quarry in a month. Bringing the point of his spear forward into a battle stance, he spoke.
"The War may not have started yet, but I don't think anybody'll mind if we have it out now, do you? I've got a real understanding master, and I just had to get a taste of your abilities. After all, you're the first Servant I've seen since being summoned, and I've never been able to hold back when it comes to women, fighting, or food!"
Lancer apparently had eyes only for Rider, as he spoke directly to her, ignoring Shinji completely. Then he lunged, the point of his lance becoming a luminous streak punching towards Rider's heart. Even reinforcing his eyes, Shinji could barely see the movement, but Rider apparently had no difficulty following it. Again, she easily spun her lopsided blade around herself in a two-handed rotation and met the oncoming spear point with massive force. Again the combination of Rider's strength and the steel's momentum knocked Lancer back towards the woods that surrounded the Church. Taking a recognizable battle stance for the first time, Rider brought the tip of her blade low to the ground, raising the haft high over her shoulder. It was almost the same stance Lancer had used to approach, save that the weapon was rotated slightly to favor slashes over thrusts. Then Rider turned her eyes back towards Shinji and asked, with no more concern than Sakura used when asking if she should pick up ingredients on the way home, "Master, shall I cut him down?"
Less than a minute, perhaps not even 30 seconds, had passed since Rider had deflected the first blow. Shinji had to take a moment to still his nerves before he could answer, and in that split-second of hesitation Lancer struck a third time at Rider's heart. This time, however, was a feint, and Rider's deflecting blow caught only air. Unbelievably, Lancer's thrusting speed redoubled, and the tip of his spear seemed to split into ten or twenty striking blades, all unerringly piercing towards Brynhildr's vital points. This was Lancer's speed utilized to its greatest extent without invoking his noble phantasm, and Shinji was almost unable to follow what happened. He pushed his eyes to their limit, however, and bit by bit the movements became clearer.
Waiting for her Master's order to attack, Brynhildr could only defend against the skilled warrior facing her. Fortunately, she had brought down many spearmen on the battlefields of Valhalla, and though he was undoubtedly a fighter worthy of the title of hero, his speed was insufficient to challenge her. She swiftly twirled her spear about herself, timing each slash to meet Lancer's thrust in a perpendicular arc and knock away his weapon. The clashes doubled and redoubled in speed until to an outside observer it would have seemed as if a torrent of crimson were being poured horizontally onto a dome of violet. Not so much as a speck of the red light from Lancer's blade could break through, however, and the difference in endurance between them was greater than the difference in speed. He began to tire, and Brynhildr could tell that she would soon be able to slip through an opening in his offense and decapitate him with a stroke. She grew excited at the thought of executing another warrior after so long, confronting this unknown hero with the inevitability of his death and sending him off to Valhalla. Her cheeks flushed, and her breathing grew heavier, not from exertion but from the anticipation. If only her Master would give the order! Although she felt a pang of guilt at the presumption of insisting, Brynhildr called out again.
"Master," Shinji heard Rider call and suddenly realized he hadn't thought to affirm her request to kill Lancer. Of all the reasons, was that why she was only defending? He'd have to be quite detailed in his commands, if this battle was any indication of the Master-Servant dynamic Rider expected. This was concerning, as he heard a tone of desperation in her voice. Clearly the fight with Lancer was wearing her down. Before she could finish reiterating her request, he called back, "Rider! That warrior is my enemy, and an enemy of the Matou. Cut him down without remorse!" He'd tried to inject a bit of ceremony into it, as Rider clearly wanted some formality in these matters. Hopefully it would be to her satisfaction, as a Servant brooding about the manner in which she was given orders was not something Shinji wanted to deal with. As he watched Rider shift subtlely to attack, however, something strange happened to Shinji. Time seemed to slow, and it was suddenly as if Rider and Lancer were moving through honey. Shinji saw an outline of himself, traced in the same ice-blue color that prana took on when he focused his eyes on seeing it, and Shinji felt irrationally that he needed to be occupying the same space as the wraith-like figure. He moved to follow it as it stepped forward and left, but he was moving at the same slowed pace as everything else. With a herculean effort, Shinji strained to get normal motion out of his trapped body.
Suddenly the wraith was gone, and everything sped back up. Shinji was hurling himself forward and left with all his muscles reinforced, and his magic circuits were burning up from the strain of reinforcing his entire body at once. In a fraction of a second he saw Lancer spin away from Rider and shoot towards him, a bolt of red lightning in the night. Lancer's spear pierced the space where Shinji's heart had been before, but sank into Shinji's right shoulder instead. Then Brynhildr was coming for him, an angel of death seeking his neck with an unerring blade. Muttering what sounded to Shinji like curses against his own Master under his breath, Lancer drew a rune in the air and the world exploded into light.
When the light cleared, Brynhildr saw that her blade had sunk into the pavement rather than the spearman's neck. Lancer had fled, using the light of his rune to cover his escape. Worse, he's succeeded in harming her Master before he'd done so. Although she was bound to him only temporarily and had vowed to bear no feelings towards the magus who summoned her, Brynhildr could feel the beginnings of camaraderie for the young man. He was brave enough to stay close by a battle between Servants without flinching, quite unlike Lancer's master, who skulked in the shadows and observed from afar. More importantly, he'd shown great skill in partially dodging the spearman's inhuman strike. It was possible, Brynhildr mused, that he might have the makings of a hero in him. She wondered if it wouldn't be kinder simply to decapitate him now and return to the Throne of Heroes, but after some consideration decided that to do so would be an act of treachery regardless of the nobility of her intentions. Instead she slung the boy over her shoulder and quickly headed back to his home, hoping his sister would be able to heal his wound.
As she leapt across the rooftops of Miyama-cho's suburban homes, Brynhildr pondered on the spearman. Although he'd been pushed to his limits, he hadn't used his Noble Phantasm, preferring flight to the revelation of his identity. Perhaps he had some well-known weakness, and feared its exploitation. Lacking a great knowledge of the heroes who had lived after her own death, she thought it best to bring the matter up with her Master after he'd recovered. Then there was the matter of the rune magic he'd used. Although it was an ordinary human rune, and couldn't hold a candle to the magic Odin had taught the Valkyries, Brynhildr had to acknowledge his skill in timing its usage. She'd never before seen such a skillfully executed retreat. Of course, being a Valkyrie Brynhildr had seen few retreats in her life. She'd borne witness to many triumphant slaughters and many heroic last stands, but very few successful retreats. There was also the matter of the rune itself. Although it had clearly been rune magic, it had been no letter of the Norse alphabet. That meant the man had to be a Celtic hero. Brynhildr tried in vain to recall a Celtic hero noted for the use of runes, but could remember only that the Celts were a hardy race of warriors noted for their use of chariots and spears, rarely raided by the servants of the Aesir. Not for the first time, Brynhildr was filled with frustration at the fact that heroic spirits were unable to observe the progress of the world from the Throne, but were summoned with memories only of their own lives, as well as some pedestrian knowledge of the modern world. If only she could have seen the turning of the ages and watched the great sagas of the heroes who had been as yet unborn when she had died! That, though, was the province of Gods, and was a privilege Brynhildr had lost when she'd left Odin's side. So Brynhildr made her way back to the place she'd been summoned, and hoped the Matou family had a private library.
Status Updated
January 15, 2004
As Shinji awoke, the first thing he noticed was the pain. There was a searing, burning pain deep in his shoulder, as if someone were trying to cut his arm off starting from the inside. He had to bite down heavily on his tongue to keep from crying out at the feel of it when he awoke. On consulting his memories, he realized that someone had in fact done almost exactly what he'd been visualizing. This prompted the question of why he was in his bed, and not lying on the gravel outside Kotomine's church, bleeding out. Brynhildr must have gotten him home after he'd passed out, he supposed, since he could feel her presence in spirit form by the window. Sitting beside the bed, holding his hand and dozing in her chair, was Sakura. He supposed she'd bandaged him and watched over him in the night. He'd have to thank her when she woke up. For now, though, he projected a small Circle of Neptunus out of silver, wedged in under his shoulder, and called on the Stars' Mystic to heal him. As he poured his od into the circle, he felt the foreign prana pouring back out to him, knitting together the crushed bone, severed muscle, and cut skin. After a few minutes, Shinji was whole again. Then he began trying to work out how he'd have his revenge on the bastard who'd nearly killed him.
~~~
Author's Note: We finally got some action! I hope you folks enjoyed reading that fight scene as much as I enjoyed writing it. I guess I don't have much else to say about the chapter other than that it was great getting back to writing. Also, don't forget to head back and read the new info in Shinji's Notes. As always, please leave your thoughts in a review, whether you liked it, hated it, or you're just plain confused!
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