Einzberns are going to be freaking the fuck out, yeah. They have NO IDEA who this nameless Archer is - and he isn't telling.Originally Posted by forumghost
Einzberns are going to be freaking the fuck out, yeah. They have NO IDEA who this nameless Archer is - and he isn't telling.
I have my own plans concerning Tokiomi. You'll see what they are very, very soon.
Mm, this is up to a promising start. I'll have to keep an eye on this.
https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Jennifer...language=en_US
Forest is a vampire who's a bit too good for her own good and doesn't know when to leave things alone. Armed with a ridiculously large hand gun, martial arts skills, a bitching pony car, and a love for pop culture she fights the forces of evil. Urban Fantasy 80's Style.
It looks like Tokiomi won't be a Master... maybe there won't be a Gilgamesh. But the fact that Enkidu is around says otherwise.
Also excellent Kotomine scenes.
He never sleeps. He never dies.
Battle doesn't need a purpose; the battle is its own purpose. You don't ask why a plague spreads or a field burns. Don't ask why I fight.
Cute Caren is cute.
Sigue! Sigue!
Is Gilgamesh like Proto-Archer? That would be awesome! EMIYA can actually be the biggest troll if Gil don't have his Gates of Babylon. Are Waver and Kariya going to ally with another? Will EMIYA be manipulating the war behind Kiritsugu's back? Is Rin the Tohsaka master? I can't wait to find out.
This story, I shall be watching it.
How do you guys get Waver summoning Gilgamesh, the fic states the figure has teal hair, Gilgamesh has golden hair.
Words to live by: Fate is a B****, Destiny is a whore, while Karma is just doing her job.
Violence solves all problems. If its not working then you are not using enough.
Even though I am male after taking a 'Which Fate/stay night Character are you?' quiz I am...
Tohsaka Rin You are Rin. Cool and collected, you think logically about most situations. You strive for self-perfection, and rely on others only for your benefit. You may be cold toward most people, but you can be friendly when you try. Indeed, it could be said you enjoy helping others that you care for. Whatever the case, you tend to think logically and don't let emotions cloud your judgement.
Waver's servant is very obviously Enkidu.
Of course we already know how Kayneth getting Rider would go thanks to Crazy Clover Club.
Quick question:
Would Diarmund's love spot effect Enkidu, as he she it is a shapeshifter/trap?
Wouldn't Endkidu have resistance because of belonging to Gilgamesh?
Is Diarmund even going to appear After all he was a replacement for Rider
And Enkidu has already taken the Lancer Class
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Ch. 2: The Fourth War
-Two nights ago-
“My prince~! My prince~!”
Noburu Sajyou smiled as he listened to his daughter sing happily to herself while he drew the summoning circle on the floor. It was almost complete. He could hardly believe they were here, in Fuyuki, taking part in an event as epic as the Holy Grail War.
Before his oldest daughter was born, he never would’ve even entertained the idea.
The Sajyou were not a family with a high pedigree, barely five generations, but were known for their talents in Formalcraft, a thaumaturgy that was seen as inefficient and rather useless by Mage’s Association. Noburu scoffed to himself as he thought of that. Despite what some may say, it was a wonderful magecraft that allowed even lesser families like his to accomplish feats that normally impossible for the weak like them. All that was needed was a connection, knowledge, and plenty of prana.
All of which his daughter had been blessed with and then some.
Manaka Sajyou was a blessing born upon his family, and now at fourteen years old, had already far surpassed him in their family’s magecraft even when she had been a toddler. Their Formalcraft magic had expanded beyond what Noburu had dreamed for his generation, and he could feel it… through his daughter, he was getting closer to the Root…
“Tou-san! Is it ready yet?”
Noburu was brought out of his musings when he heard his daughter’s excited voice. He smiled at the small girl who was dancing around their workshop.
“Almost, Manaka-chan. I just have a few more seals to place and we should be ready to go.”
“Hurry, hurry!” Manaka squealed, clutching her favorite book to her chest. “The Holy Grail War… it sounds like so much fun! And to command a Servant? A Heroic Spirit? My Prince… I’ll be able to meet him in person!”
Noburu chuckled good-naturedly as he stood up. He patted his exuberant daughter’s head.
“Now, now. Don’t get your hopes up. There’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to summon King Arthur…”
“No! I can’t summon any Servant but him!” Manaka proclaimed fiercely, a strange glint in her eye. “Only my Prince. Only mine.”
Noburu sighed and went back to drawing seals on the summoning circle. After hearing about the war from a family friend, he researched alone merely out of curiosity until Manaka had found out about it. After learning about the Holy Grail War, She decided that she wanted to take part in the contest. He had humored her at first, knowing that entering the Holy Grail War was just a petty desire if one didn’t have the Command Seals to summon a Servant.
The Seals had appeared on his daughter’s right hand only a few hours after proclaiming she wanted to take part. The Grail hadn’t denied her wishes, so why should he?
While Noburu had been hesitant, he agreed to let her enter after seeing the benefits. Plus, it was rare that he would deny his daughter anything she wanted. Even still, he was worried about entering his daughter in the War. What father wouldn’t be, sending a child off to fight a battle where the Masters were most likely to die? But Manaka was a talented child, almost too talented, mastering one magecraft after another at a startling rate. He would be there to protect and guide her, but between the Servant she planned on summoning and her own skills he doubted he’d have to do much protecting. His daughter also had some kind of unique connection with magic… a certain feel for it that others didn’t have, you could say. It was that talent, that connection, which would lead them through the war and to the Holy Grail.
His daughter would grant them the Grail’s wish and a gateway to Akasha.
“Tou-san…”
Noburu blinked when he heard a quiet voice come from behind him. He turned and gave a defeated sigh when he saw his second daughter peeking in through the doorway in her pajamas.
“Ayaka-chan… you’re supposed to be in bed…”
The seven year old frowned and played with the hem of her pajama top nervously. Manaka noticed her little sister and paused in her dance to skip over to her and pull her into the room.
“Ayaka, I’m going to summon him!”
“S-Summon who, Onee-san…?” Ayaka stuttered. Her sister was normally a composed, mature person, but when she got excited over something it really tended to show and gave way to a more exuberant, childish side she possessed.
It was almost a little scary to Ayaka, how her sister could seem like two different people at one time.
“My Prince, of course!” Manaka beamed, holding up her King Arthur storybook she had been holding all this time. “Arthur!”
The little girl’s eyes widened.
“Y-You’re really taking part in the War…?” Ayaka asked softly.
“Of course! I said I would, so I am.” Manaka huffed. She smiled as she stared down at the book. “The stories Tou-san read to me as a child, the books I read on his deeds and exploits, the stories I read to you… to summon him for myself…”
The stories she read of the King of Knights were the only things she never got tired of.
Ayaka, for her part, shivered at her sister’s proclamation. She was going to be fighting against other Magus. The Masters of the Grail War and their Servants.
Killing…
“Ayaka-chan, please go back to bed.” Her father said, looking at her with a soft smile. “This isn’t something you need to worry about. This is just Daddy and your Onee-san’s little project…”
It was rare for magus families to have more than one child, but Noburu loved his daughters, though after Ayaka had been born he was worried that the sisters would end up competing for rights to the family crest, but as it turned out, Ayaka didn’t seem that interested in the world of magecraft. He was fine with that. Manaka was happy being a magus and Ayaka was content with normalcy.
They seemed to get along well enough, in any case…
And Noburu wouldn’t even consider sending Ayaka away for adoption. Just because a magus family couldn’t have two heirs didn’t mean he had to get rid of his daughter. He loved Ayaka. Plus, the Edelfelt family had two daughters, sisters like his own, and they dealt with it just fine!
“…Good night.” Ayaka mumbled quietly as she retreated back through the door and closed it behind her. Manaka gave a defeated shrug of her shoulders at the thought of her sister before returning her attention to her father, who had gone back to working on the summoning circle.
“Is it ready yet?”
He didn’t answer at first, focusing all his attention on the final seal before stepping away and wiping the blood off his fingers. Noburu checked over the magic circle a few times before giving a satisfied smile.
“Finished.”
“So this will summon King Arthur as my Servant?” Manaka asked excitedly.
“I won’t promise you that, but I’ve done everything I can to tip the odds in our favor.” Noburu smiled.
For a summoning like this it actually paid to specialize in rituals and other magic circles. They had many weeks to prepare for this moment and it was all about to pay off. Noburu had taken the time to add a few extra variables to their summoning circle. It wasn’t enough to make the summoning fail or malfunction, but inscribing smaller seals with specific arias and mantras taken from ancient texts that described the king’s legend would serve as a sort of substitute for a catalyst. One couldn’t say for certain whether it would be effective or not, but…
Noburu Sajyou honestly couldn’t see his daughter failing in summoning what she wanted.
“Okay, here I go…” Manaka smiled, stepping forward and extending her hand to start the ritual.
She began the incantation, starting slow and soft before her voice rose and the excitement Manaka felt started to leak into her words. A vicious wind picked up, knocking over furniture and sending papers flying. Noburu fought to keep his balance in the gale, but Manaka stood firm, seeing the summoning through. The magic circle crackled and sparked with energy until finally, Manaka spoke the words that would complete the ritual.
“I ask thou who wouldst serve me, come forth!”
The winds seemed to congest in the center of the circle before the energies were released in a burst of electricity and smoke. As it cleared away, a regal figure was shown to be standing in the middle of the circle.
A regal knight in glowing silver armor, who shined with the same brilliance Manaka had always dreamed off.
The King of Knights, Arthur Pendragon of the legends and Saber of the Fourth Holy Grail War, opened his eyes and gazed upon the girl standing in front of him.
“I ask of you, are you my Master?”
And unnoticed by all three, Ayaka peeked through the door that was slightly ajar, gazing upon the radiant figure with wide eyes. And standing there hidden in silence, she heard her older sister whisper lovingly…
“…My Prince…”
--------------------
-Yesterday Morning-
“Hello, Rin.”
The girl frowned when she saw Kirei on the staircase and her brows knitted together when she saw the white-haired girl standing next to him.
“Oh, it’s you two.” Rin muttered as the two descended the steps.
“How rude…” Caren said as she looked at Rin with what seemed to be pity. “What kind of greeting is that? To think Tokiomi-kun raised such a disrespectful daughter…”
“Nobody asked you!” Rin snapped at the girl angrily. “And you’re one to talk! Referring to my father like that!”
“Grandfather refers to him the same way. Why can’t I?”
“T-That’s different!”
“How?”
“Rin, that suitcase looks heavy.” Kirei cut in before the girl had a chance to retort. His daughter had quite the talent for winding up the Tohsaka girl, and because Caren was often bored and left without a playmate when he was training with Tokiomi, and with Rin usually being the only one around often enough…
Well, he wouldn’t deny that there was some strange amusement to be found there somehow…
“Yeah. Mom and I are leaving to go live with her family for a while.” Rin replied, still glaring at Caren, who raised her eyebrows at Rin’s words.
“You’re really leaving?” Caren asked in surprise. “And here I thought it was a joke. The Lord answered my prayers after all…”
“Shut up!”
“…It seems I’ll have to continue my prayers in hopes for you to improve your manners.”
“You… you…!” Rin’s face was red as she seethed for a few moments before she calmed down. Tearing her eyes away from Caren, she eyed Kirei. “Kirei, you’re going to fight in the War, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Your father has trained me in preparation for this day.” Kirei replied. “It’s why Caren and I came to Japan in the first place.”
“Don’t remind me…” Rin muttered under her breath before continuing. “You’re strong, right?”
“What a strange question after being tutored by your father for three years. Have you no confidence in your father’s teaching abilities?” Caren asked, tilting her head questioningly.
“Wha…?! That’s…! I’m not talking to you!” Rin shouted, flustered.
“It was only a question…” Caren frowned.
“Hmph! Well, Kirei?” Rin asked.
“I have confidence in my skills and your father’s ability to teach me.” Kirei answered with a small smirk. Rin bristled for a moment before her posture slackened.
“Then… then why does he have to stay here?” Rin muttered. “He’s not even a…”
“It is his choice to stay here, Rin.” Kirei said as the girl trailed off. “He still has a part to play in this War, and I have already agreed to follow him. As he is my teacher, I can only support the decisions he makes.”
Rin was silent for a few moments before she spoke again. Her expression was one of apprehension.
“Then can you promise to keep him safe until his part in the War is done?” Rin asked quietly.
“I can’t make a promise like that lightly.” Kotomine said in a sincere tone. “Such things can’t be guaranteed in a conflict like this. If I were able to make such a promise, you and your mother would not have to be sent away.”
“Then what about her?” Rin frowned, pointing at his daughter. “Why is she staying here if you know it’s dangerous?”
“Your father believes you and your mother are safer in a place far away from here. I believe Caren is safest where I can keep an eye on her.” Kirei replied without missing a beat. “And even though I will keep her close, I will not be bringing her into battle. For as long as I’m a Master, she will stay in the church with her grandfather. As the neutral zone of this War, there can be no place safer.”
“Then why can’t I stay there if she can?” Rin demanded angrily.
“Are you angry that your father is staying or angrier that you can’t stay with him?” Caren asked suddenly.
Rin stared at Caren, nonplussed for a moment before she stamped her foot on the ground angrily and opened her mouth to scream.
“I HATE YO-!”
“Rin, why are you yelling in the house?”
“Guh… Kaa-san…” Rin muttered, looking like she had been caught committing a crime.
Aoi stepped into the room, giving Kirei and Caren a soft smile before glancing at her daughter. The girl blushed under the scrutiny, embarrassed that she had almost shouted like that. Such behavior was unbecoming of a Tohsaka.
“I apologize, Aoi-san.” Kirei said suddenly. “My daughter seems to have upset Rin a little.”
“Have I upset her?” Caren asked her father.
Rin’s fists shook. She actually sounded like she was surprised!
“She would not have reacted that way if you had not.”
“I see…”
“You should apologize.”
“Yes father…” Caren sighed, downcast.
Rin smiled at that, puffing her chest out when Kirei told the annoying brat that she had to apologize. She waited for the girl’s apology.
Rin blinked when Caren clasped her hands together out in front of her and closed her eyes.
“Lord, I ask that you forgive me for voicing my observations when they could upset those who could hear them. I will be more sensitive of other people’s feelings in the future.” Caren spoke softly. “I also pray that you may quell her anger, and perhaps help her find ways to improve her manners so she may not accidentally offend others like I have done today…”
She had gone from speaking generally to directly referring to the person she was supposed to be apologizing to, but somehow wasn’t.
“Very good, Caren.” Kirei said. He nodded approvingly as his daughter finished her prayer.
And that stupid priest was accepting such an indirect, backhanded apology!
Rin let out a short, frustrated scream before grabbing the briefcase she had been trying to carry before, and with her anger as her strength, dragged it out the door so she could get away from the irritating man and his insufferable daughter.
“Oh my…” Aoi murmured softly as Rin rushed out of the house. She turned towards the two Kotomines with a worried expression on her face. “Maybe I interrupted something…?”
“Not at all, Aoi-san.” Kirei replied. “Rin was just giving me a pep talk before she left and wanted to say goodbye to Caren.”
“I see.” Aoi smiled, nodding towards the white haired girl. “Thank you for keeping Rin company during your stay here, Caren-chan.”
“Of course. I understand that Rin gets lonely rather easily, but that may be due to her problems with her temper-”
“I HEARD THAT!”
“…But I appreciate your hospitality and I’m sure my father does as well.” Caren finished with a small smile.
“Aoi-san, will you be needing help with your luggage?” Kirei asked.
“No, that’s fine. Rin was actually carrying our last bag.” Aoi smiled. Her expression turned downcast for a moment before she readdressed Kirei with the same soft expression she always wore. “Please, Kirei-kun, watch over my husband for as long as he remains in the War.”
“I will do everything I can to help him.” Kirei replied. “Of that you can be assured.”
“I’m glad.” Aoi gave him a genuine smile before turning to look at Caren. “…And Caren-chan will be staying here with you as well?”
“Yes.”
“You know, I wouldn’t mind taking her with us. The Zenjou family won’t mind a friend of the family staying with us, and we can easily accommodate another child…”
“I’m staying with father.” Caren said suddenly, interrupting Aoi.
“But, Caren-chan, what your Tou-san’s doing is dangerous so it would be best if-”
“I want to stay with my father.” Caren repeated, this time more fiercely.
Kirei glanced down at his daughter. An odd expression unnoticed by both Aoi and Caren crossed over his features. His expression returned to normal as he faced Aoi.
“Caren will stay here. My father and I are more than capable of watching over her, even in the midst of this War.” Kirei said. He felt Caren’s hand seek out his own. His daughter’s hand squeezed onto the hand that bore his Command Seals. “I am more comfortable with this choice as well.”
“…Well, if Caren-chan ever feels like visiting…”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Aoi bowed to the two of them and said her goodbyes before walking out the door. Kirei stood silently for a moment before walking back up the staircase with Caren in tow, walking down the long hallway that led to Tokiomi Tohsaka’s study. Kirei gently knocked on the door twice before letting himself in.
“Excuse me.”
“Ah, Kirei and Caren-chan. Is there something I can do for you two?”
“No. I just thought I’d tell you that Aoi-san and Rin have left.” Kirei said as Caren took a seat on one of the couches.
“I see. Then I can rest easy knowing that they will be safe for as long as the Fourth Holy Grail War lasts.” Tokiomi smiled as he looked over a few documents on his desk. “Has there been any word on the other Masters and their Servants yet?”
As if answering to Tokiomi’s question, a shadow rose up next to Kirei. Skin black as the shadows themselves with a face covered by a chalky white mask, the shadow took the form of a man who almost had the appearance of a black skeleton.
He was Kirei’s Servant, Assassin.
“Risei-san has just informed us that the third Servant has been summoned.” The Servant reported in a deep, gravelly voice. “It appears to have been Saber…”
“So that just leaves Lancer, Archer, Caster, and Berserker left…” Tokiomi muttered thoughtfully, glancing towards the chest that lay on the side of his desk.
Kirei hadn’t flinched at his Servant’s sudden appearance. Instead, he focused on the man who had prepared him for this war. He noticed that the Tohsaka head kept glancing from the chest on his desk to his hands.
“…Forgive me for saying so, but is there really any point to you remaining here?” Kirei asked. “Three Servants, including my Assassin, have been summoned now. The war has already started. If the Command Seals haven’t appeared to you even now, then your participation in this war isn’t…”
“I have already accepted that I haven’t been chosen.” Tokiomi interrupted his student. His expression was calm and relaxed. “However, that doesn’t mean I won’t act. As a descendant of one who created the Holy Grail War, I have a duty to see this through to the end, never mind the fact that I am a Master or not. Also, as the head of the Tohsaka family, and the one in charge of this land, I must make sure that the Grail does not fall into the wrong hands.”
Again, Tokiomi’s eyes rested on the chest.
“Indeed, it is a shame though. You had already summoned your Servant before it arrived. Perhaps if we had waited you could have used it as a catalyst…”
Kirei was silent at that. He had no catalyst to summon his Servant, but had been succeeded in summoning one a week ago. His position in the Grail War was set, while Tokiomi had not been chosen…
“But that’s why I’m grateful for you and Risei-san. You two will help me make sure that this does not happen.” Tokiomi went on with a smile. “And just because I was not chosen to become a Master, does not mean I cannot become one.”
That caught Kirei’s interest.
“What do you mean?”
“It is possible to steal someone’s Command Seals.” Tokiomi said, surprising Kirei. “It’s a simple but delicate procedure of transferring the seals from one hand to another. Of course, Masters will obviously not give up their Command Seals just because I ask…”
“It is necessary to incapacitate the Master who’s Command Seals you’re stealing and to make sure that their Servant cannot help them during the transfer.” Kirei deduced.
“Exactly.”
“And what of the Servant? Would they not object to having to serve a new Master?”
“The relationship between Master and Servant is nothing more than a partnership borne of mutual interests. The Master provides the prana to keep the Servant in this world, while the Servant lends its strength to the Master in return. It’s just two individuals agreeing to work together in order to obtain the Holy Grail. It rarely goes deeper than that.” Tokiomi said with a dismissive tone. “If there are any problems in getting the Servant to obey its new Master, simply use a Command Seal to take away its free will and make them obey.”
Kirei glanced at Assassin who stood silently by his side. The expressionless mask didn’t give anything away as the Servant listened in on the conversation. Was this something that should be said while Assassin was still here? Tokiomi didn’t seem to think it was a problem, but…
A new thought suddenly occurred to Kirei.
“If stealing Command Seals is indeed possible, then why not take mine?”
Assassin was unmoving while Tokiomi just gave an amused smile in response to Kirei’s question. The man took a small drink from the wine glass he had been holding before answering Kirei’s question.
“Stealing from my own student? What kind of man do you take me for, Kirei?” Tokiomi chuckled as he circled the desk. “I can see why you asked the question, but that’s not something I would ever do. And though you may not understand why yourself, the Grail chose you for a reason. It is my wish as your teacher to help you find this reason, and the only way I can see you finding that answer is by participating in this war as the Master of Assassin.”
Kirei looked down. It’s true, even now he failed to understand why he had been chosen as a participant in this war and wished to find out why for himself. And perhaps, if he did reach the Grail, it would answer the question that had plagued him since he was born…
“…Thank you.” Kirei said.
“Of course.” Tokiomi smiled. “There will be six other Masters in this war, each with their own set of Command Seals. The skills granted to the Assassin class will be useful in taking out other Masters and acquiring my own seals. Until that time comes I will direct your actions in a way that will help us win this war.”
“Why not ask for a few Command Seals from grandfather?” Caren asked from where she sat, curiosity in her tone. “He has seals from the past three wars, right?”
“There are rules of the war that must be followed, Caren-chan.” Tokiomi said, chuckling softly. “Risei-san cannot simply give me some of his Command Seals.”
“Aren’t you already breaking the rules by working with my father and grandfather?”
“I’ll admit that is bending the rules quite a bit as is planning to steal Command Seals when the Grail has already chosen its Masters,” Tokiomi confessed. “But Risei-san cannot give me any Command Seals without directly violating the rules of his position of judge in this War and we wouldn’t be able to hide that. However our circumstances are acceptable for now, as we cannot allow the Grail to be possessed by those with evil intent. Risei-san agrees with me, and only the Tohsaka are truly fit to possess the Grail. Our desires are completely without ill intent. We cannot say the same about the other Masters. For this reason we can bend the rules, but not break them.”
Caren seemed to accept that for now, as she fell silent after that. Tokiomi nodded to himself and took a seat at his desk, reviewing the documents that had recorded information on what Kirei’s Servant had gathered on the other Masters and Servants.
“Continue to watch and wait, Kirei. Our time to plan and prepare is almost up. Soon, the rest of the Servants will be summoned and that is when we must be ready to act…”
“Of course.” Kirei nodded. He moved towards the door as he gestured to his daughter. “Come along, Caren.”
“Yes, Father.” Caren responded as she moved off her seat. Kirei held the door open for her as they walked out of the study.
Out in the hallway, Kirei was surprised to find that Assassin had not gone into spiritual form like he had expected. Instead, the Servant had followed them out of the room, his steps silent and his presence no more noticeable than a shadow, figuratively and literally.
“Is there something you needed, Assassin?” Kirei asked his Servant.
“We were simply curious. How does our Master feel about us? How do you feel about the relationship Tohsaka described to you just now?”
The question was quite interesting coming from a Servant. Assassin’s tone gave no indication how he truly felt about the matter, but Kirei felt no need to hide his true feelings to his own Servant.
Besides, lying not something he could do as a man of the cloth.
“I agree with most of what he said. At the same time I can’t help but think that perhaps some Servants, even you, would prefer to work without a Master. But without a Master, you cannot exist in this world.” Kirei answered. “And Masters cannot obtain the Grail without a Servant. I have no doubt that you could kill me whenever you wished, as a Servant has strength far beyond a normal human even when divided…”
Assassin remained silent.
“But you desire the Grail. You would not have answered my call if you didn’t. And I…” Kirei paused. Did he desire the Grail? Certainly it may hold the answers he was seeking, but could that statement be considered the truth? Well, regardless of want or not, it was something he was interested in. “…Want to witness the Grail’s power for myself. We have entered a contract and work together towards a mutual goal. Anything more to this partnership would be due to our own feelings. Though I can’t imagine you would care who you serve so long as you acquired the Grail in the end.”
That earned a chuckle from the Servant.
“You are correct. We don’t care who our Master is, so long as we get the Grail in the end.”
Kirei nodded. As he expected, his Servant was a pragmatic one.
“But…”
Kirei raised his eyebrows. Did his Servant have more to say?
“We do prefer you as our Master over Tohsaka.” Assassin said, the proclamation coming as a surprise to Kirei. “We believe that there is a reason you were chosen as our Master instead of him. Tohsaka is dull and complacent. Were he our enemy, he would be too easy a target without a strong defense. You are not. You are interesting. Mysterious. The shadows will gladly follow the one who attracted them.”
“…Is that so?”
“It is so.” The Servant affirmed, placing a hand over his breast and bowing to his Master. “For as long as our goals remain the same and for as long as we live, may our partnership be everlasting, Master.”
And with that, the shadow disappeared.
Kirei stared at where his Servant once stood, quietly contemplating the words they exchanged. The Servant wasn’t bothered by the terms and feelings surrounding their contract, if anything he seemed amused, even happy by them. And to say he was interested in him, to share Tohsaka’s opinion that there was a specific reason Kirei had been chosen as a Master by the Grail…
When Kirei had first summoned Assassin, he had already known his Servant’s identity. Hassan-I-Sabbah was presumably the only Heroic Spirit that could be summoned into the Assassin class, as it had been the identity of all Assassins in the previous three wars. The only difference was that each Assassin would have different abilities. Kirei had expected a silent, dull personality to go with his Servant, and so far that was all he had gotten. Until just now.
Now he could honestly say that he thought his Servant was interesting.
“I think he likes you.”
Kirei smiled slightly when he heard Caren say this. Perhaps the Grail War would have something interesting to offer him after all…
--------------------
-Yesterday Night-
Waver Velvet had been surprised by the Servant he summoned. He… she… er, it, hadn’t been what he’d expected from a Heroic Spirit. The Servant was barely taller than he was, and had been summoned without a weapon. Waver briefly thought that the Servant was a physical fighter that utilized its fists, but with a slight frame and small appearance he found that very hard to believe. There was so much more he wanted to ask and confirm with his Servant, such as its identity, class, abilities, and other details that would be vital if he was to prepare a strategy for the War.
But as soon as Waver had confirmed he was indeed a Master, his Servant had wandered off into the forest.
The young magus wasn’t sure how he had lost the Servant so quickly. He pushed through the foliage, growing increasingly more annoyed and impatient when he failed to catch sight of his Servant. For a moment Waver had considered using his Command Seal to call his Servant back, but that foolish thought was quashed sooner than he even considered it. Really, to even think about such a wasteful way to use a Command Seal… he only had three to use to force his Servant’s obedience, and if his Servant’s disobedience stretched farther than this, he’d need to use them sparingly.
“Geez, how did it end up like this?” Waver complained as he stepped over another bush.
He perked up when he heard a voice close by. Moving quickly, Waver headed towards the sound of the melody that was drifting through the woods.
Waver eventually came across a small stream that ran through the forest. Sitting on the rocks next to river he found a figure with long, teal colored hair. Normally, Waver would have angrily told off his Servant for abandoning him in the forest like it had done, but Waver’s anger was shelved for the moment.
When he found that the Servant had been the one singing, Waver couldn’t help but stop and listen to the beautiful melody being the Servant sang. A soft, gentle song flowed through the area, almost like a spell. It was captivating and Waver just couldn’t bring himself to interrupt.
Eventually the Servant stopped and turned towards Waver. A serene smiled bloomed on the Servant’s face.
“Ah, Master…”
It seemed so at peace, Waver momentarily forgot what he was going to say. Remembering his annoying trek through the forest in his search for his Servant, Waver frowned at the Servant.
“Hey, what’s the idea? Why’d you go wandering off like that?!” Waver demanded as he quickly stepped over to his Servant.
“I heard the song of the river not too far away, so I thought I would join in with my own song.” The Servant replied calmly with an expression that looked natural and strange at the same time. “Even if the world is covered in cities like this, I’m glad that nature still has the freedom to sing happily like this…”
“Song of the river…?” Waver muttered in bewilderment. The concept sounded so strange and ridiculous he found himself lost again. It didn’t take long for him to find words to complain with again, however. “A-Anyway, you can’t just walk off whenever you feel like it! I’m your Master!”
“Yes, yes you are.” The Servant agreed. It pointed to the Command Seals on Waver’s hand. “That’s obvious, or did you want to make sure?”
“I-I know that I am! I just wanted to make sure you knew!”
“I know you’re my Master.”
“Then why did you walk away the moment I told you I was?!”
Waver stopped in his ranting when the Servant’s expression morphed. It was a simple change, but the way his expression changed felt very unnatural to Waver for some reason.
The boy shrunk back when he registered that his Servant was glaring at him and that his face could clearly be described as “annoyed”, but with a harsher sense applied to it.
“Don’t yell at me. I just wanted to take a look at my surroundings after being summoned in this era. Nature’s beauty should not be ignored or overlooked. I want to take time to appreciate it.”
Waver was silent at that. Perhaps he was being a little rude. He still didn’t like the way his Servant was looking at him…
“W-Well… I suppose that’s fine.” Waver muttered quietly.
He was relieved when that annoyed look returned to a more serene one. Seeing as his Servant was content to just sit and smile, Waver cleared his throat, deciding it was okay to start asking questions.
“Alright, poor first impressions aside, there are a few things I want to ask you. First off, what class are you?”
“Lancer.”
Waver did a double take. He had assumed the response would be Assassin or Caster given the Servant’s build, but Lancer? The most agile of Servant classes? The Lancer in front of him didn’t look very fast, and shouldn’t he be carrying… well… a lance?
“Do… do you have a weapon?”
That seemed like the obvious follow up question after thinking that.
“Yes.”
Waver waited for his Servant to elaborate, but the silence ensued. The boy sighed and decided to find out more about his Servant’s abilities later when he had the time.
“What is your true name?”
Every Servant had one, the identity that revealed who they were in their life and what legends corresponded with them. He couldn’t gauge Lancer’s abilities based on its appearance, so maybe its name would give Waver some clues as to what his Servant was capable of.
Lancer was silent, its expression thoughtful as if debating whether or not to tell Waver of its true name. The Servant smiled after a moment, a positive reaction Waver was happy to note.
“Enkidu.”
Enkidu…?
Waver frowned and crossed his arms, trying to think of the legend Lancer was from. Enkidu wasn’t a name he knew. Was there ever a legendary hero named Enkidu? Again, Waver found himself doubting his Servant’s strength due to its appearance. This Lancer certainly had this unique air about it, but to go so far as to call it a hero…
Well, without knowing its legend Waver couldn’t judge. He’d have to go to the library and find a book on Enkidu’s legend when he had the chance.
Waver sighed miserably to himself. He hadn’t expected the War to be easy, but he thought his conflicts would lie with the other Masters and their Servants, not his own! Could he really win with a Servant like this…?
“Well, this will do for now…” Waver sighed. “Let’s just go home…”
“Home? Are we not staying here?”
“Eh? Why would we stay here?”
“Is this not your home, Master?”
“W-Wha…!? Why would you think this is my home?!”
“You summoned me here, so I assumed…”
“Stupid! The only reason I was here was so I could summon a Servant without anyone seeing! I can’t live in a forest!”
“Don’t yell at me. And why can’t you live in a forest?”
Waver was nearly tearing his hair out at how difficult his Servant was being. Oh, why didn’t he take his professor’s catalyst when he had the chance? Surely whatever Servant that artifact would have summoned would have been more obedient than this…!
--------------------
-Present Day-
Archer.
That was his class in this war. It was the name he would go by and what he would be referred to by his Master. What had shocked him most though was who his Master had ended up being…
To think his Master would be him of all people…
…The man whose dream he had borrowed long ago.
Well, this is what he had wanted. Seeing as the world loved to toy with him for its own amusement, he had his doubts that he would ever get this chance. The red knight had dreamed of going back, to abolish the contract he had foolishly made who knows how long ago. It was his only option for an escape. That is, to go back in time to create a paradox that would free him from the desires of the world. It was possible now, but…
He hadn’t expected to be dropped off at this particular point in time.
He wondered if it was possible for Alaya to possess a sense of humor.
Archer sighed to himself as he stared out the window of the Einzbern manor. The forest had a blanket of snow covering it, but the early morning weather allowed him to see the landscape in perfect clarity. The brightness of the white snow had a way of making the scenery pop out.
His eyes scanned over two figures playing in the snow. Well, one was playing while the other followed the smaller figure around.
“What are you looking at, Archer?”
The man turned to the woman who addressed him. He remembered his Master, Kiritsugu, which is part of what made the situation so incredible. He remembered the Grail War, but only some the details and feelings that went with it. Specific events escaped him, as well as numerous other things that he wished hadn’t been forgotten. But he couldn’t have forgotten about this silver-haired woman, because he had never known about her before.
Irisviel von Einzbern was a new face to him and apparently the wife of the man who had changed his life.
“Just enjoying the view.” The man replied with a hint of a smile. “I’m glad he isn’t angry enough to not play with his daughter.”
“Angry?” Irisviel wondered as she finished placing a tea set on the table. “What makes you say that?”
“I know you two were expecting a different Servant.” Archer sighed. “I could tell from his reaction after he summoned me.”
--------------------
The red knight kept the shock from showing on his face when he recognized the man standing in front of him. The only indication of his surprise was his raised eyebrows. Another word, Archer, registered in his mind. The class the Grail had summoned him in. Without a thought, the words formed on his lips.
“…Are you my Master?”
Kiritsugu stood silently for a moment, his expression showing confusion for a moment before becoming stoic once again. Beside him, Irisviel’s face continued to express her surprise and puzzlement.
“Is this… the King of Knights?” She muttered questioningly. Kiritsugu shook his head lightly in response.
No, of course it wasn’t. In no way could this be King Arthur.
Slowly, Kiritsugu opened his mouth.
“Who are you…?”
Archer immediately answered, almost as if answering that question was a sort of reflex.
“I am Archer of the Holy Grail War. I was the one who answered your call.”
“Archer…” Kiritsugu sighed.
So not only had they not summoned King Arthur, but they hadn’t even gotten Saber? Old man Acht would not be happy about this…
But how was this possible? They had used Avalon as their catalyst so there could have been no one else that could have been summoned. While the legend was rather vague, there shouldn’t have been an issue. Perhaps this man in front of them was related to Avalon somehow, or maybe he had existed during King Arthur’s time. The red coat, black leather armor, steel toed shoes the Servant wore didn’t seem to fit the era though. In addition to that, white hair and tanned, bronze colored skin seemed far too exotic.
“What’s wrong? Expecting someone else?” The Servant smirked. Now that introductions were out of the way and he had reorganized his frenzied thoughts, he could speak again.
And he didn’t need an answer to that question. He already knew the answer.
Kiritsugu frowned as his Servant spoke. Yep, clearly not the King of Knights. Who then, had been summoned in his place?
“What is your name?”
“Archer.”
“I am well aware of your class.” Kiritsugu said curtly. “I meant your true name.”
The man smirked and opened his mouth to speak before slowly closing it. An odd expression crossed over the man’s features and he appeared to me deep in thought for a moment. Finally, with that same odd look on his face, Archer answered.
“I… can’t remember.”
Kiritsugu sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose as annoyance leaked into his voice.
“Perfect…”
--------------------
After that short exchange, Kiritsugu had abruptly left without another word to him. After being left alone to explore the castle for the night and the morning that followed, Irisviel had found and led him to the room they currently occupied and began preparing tea as a way to welcome him.
Kiritsugu had always been a man of few words when Archer had known him, but he had never been cold in his opinion. A small part of him had felt anger at how quickly he had been dismissed by the man who had been such a large factor in his life, but that emotion was quickly brushed aside. After all, this was a time before the Fuyuki fire. It was a time before Kiritsugu had saved him and became his adoptive father. A time before he had been cursed with impossible ideals…
It was a time where he could escape the burden he had carried into his eternal afterlife…
“Kiritsugu wasn’t mad.” Irisviel assured him with a smile as she prepared some tea. “I’ll admit, we were expecting someone different and your appearance surprised us, but I’m sure my husband was more worried by the fact he would have to report the results of the summoning to my father. He had a certain Servant for us in mind, and had provided what he thought was an appropriate catalyst, so I’m sure hearing that we summoned something different caused my father undue stress. He probably took it out on Kiritsugu over the phone.”
Irisviel wasn’t lying. Kiritsugu had spent at least two hours on the phone with her father and it was obvious that harsh words that had been exchanged if the look on Kiritsugu’s face when he went to bed last night was anything to go by. At least things seemed to have been cleared up after he listened to her father’s complaints…
“Ha. Well, then I suppose I’m sorry for that.” Archer chuckled.
“It wouldn’t be the first time my father has had harsh words with my husband.” Irisviel said as she watched the Servant. She had so many questions about the man. “…Can you really not remember your past? You can’t remember who you are?”
Archer stared down at Kiritsugu and his daughter, watching the small girl go into a fit for some reason or another before giving a short reply.
“No, I can’t.”
“I see…”
In all honestly, Archer was only telling a half-truth. He remembered all too well who he was. But what surprised and frustrated him was that he couldn’t remember his past, or rather, his future. There were a few things that he remembered though. He remembered the Holy Grail and that he had been a part of one before he became a Heroic Spirit, but he couldn’t remember the events or even the people that went with it. Furthermore regarding the War itself, he could only remember what would be considered common knowledge, how he felt about it and little else. He remembered the ideals he had borrowed and how time had warped and changed his feelings about them, but only the feelings had stayed and he couldn’t remember the horrible deeds he committed, he only knew that he had done them. He remembered his goal his objective how he would accomplish it… but everything else escaped him.
No, the only things he could remember with perfect clarity were his name, his objective, the Fuyuki City fire, that he had experienced a Grail War once before, and who his Master was along with the ideals that had been passed down to him. Anything else couldn’t be recalled.
“Well, I’m sure your memories will come to you in time.” Irisviel said comfortingly. She walked over to the Servant and held out a cup of tea. “Here.”
“Ah, thank you…” Archer muttered as he took the cup.
“Were you upset by our reactions when we summoned you?” Irisviel asked softly.
“Is that what the tea is for? Is it your way of saying sorry?” Archer smirked.
“Well… if you’re not a tea person it may not be the best apology.” Irisviel teased back.
Archer closed his eyes and shook his head as he smiled. He took a small sip of the drink, savoring the taste before replying.
“It’s fine. I know what it’s like to have something you want and not get what you expected.” Archer said. “Your reactions didn’t bother me. They were expected.”
And there was more to that phrase than he made it sound.
“Well, if Kiritsugu offended you in any way I apologize.”
“I said its fine.” Archer said. “Even if he was mad at me I wouldn’t blame him. It must be troublesome to have a Servant who can’t even remember who he was.”
“Ah, he might be a little angry at that.” Irisviel admitted quietly. “But I think that relates to his worry that he may not be able to understand you if you yourself don’t know who are.”
That almost made Archer laugh. If any man was to understand him, it would be Kiritsugu…
“You don’t have to worry about that. My Master seems like a smart man so I’m willing to do what he says.” Archer smirked. “I do wonder who he planned on summoning before…”
“Hm… I don’t suppose it would hurt to tell you.” Irisviel said. “Our catalyst, Avalon, was going to be used to summon King Arthur. My father thought he would make the strongest Servant.”
“Avalon and King Arthur, huh…” Archer murmured as recognition washed over him.
Avalon… he remembered that, and why he had been summoned instead if that was the catalyst used.
He was careful not to let this revelation show on his face.
Instead, he felt a smirk come onto his face.
“Well, I’m no king, but I am the Servant your husband summoned, right?”
“Eh…? Well, yes, that’s true.” Irisviel nodded, not knowing where this question was leading to.
“So naturally, that makes me the strongest Servant there is.” Archer smirked confidently. “You couldn’t have summoned anyone better.”
Irisviel stared at him in surprise for a few moments before breaking out in a fit of giggles. She laughed mirthfully at Archer’s words and suddenly felt extreme happiness and relief that this was the Servant she and Kiritsugu had summoned.
“Y-Yes, truly…” Irisviel giggled as she struggled to contain herself. “We could not have summoned a better Servant…”
Archer smiled at the woman’s reaction to his words. So this was the woman Kiritsugu had fallen in love with? Such an interesting detail had never even been mentioned in all the years Kiritsugu had been with him.
What else would he learn about his Master during the course of this war?
Archer found himself staring out the window down at Kiritsugu and his daughter again. His eyes followed the girl with the same pretty silver hair as Irisviel who was now perched on her father’s shoulders.
“…Hey, what’s your daughter’s name?”
Archer hadn’t even realized he had asked the question out loud until after he said it.
“Our daughter? Her name is Ilyasviel.” Irisviel smiled as she joined him in watching the two. “Why do you ask?”
“…No reason. It’s just…” Archer paused for a moment.
The haze in his mind was thick, but this feeling he had as he stared at the girl…
Ilyasviel…
“…She reminds me of someone I think I knew.”
That was what the Heroic Spirit EMIYA quietly thought to himself.
--------------------
Assassin, Rider, Saber, Lancer, Berserker, and Archer… all had been summoned, more or less in that order. That meant only one class remained. Caster.
That summoning was taking place right now.
Now, listen to this reminder for a brief moment and remember the details that were discussed before and the frequently asked questions that were mentioned along with them. Think back to the questions about how the Grail chooses Masters and Servants. Now, before answering those questions, keep this little detail in mind:
The Holy Grail is tainted.
It was briefly mentioned before, but that fact is especially important now.
There is no time for detailed elaboration, but the Grail was tainted by an eighth Servant, Avenger, in the Third Holy Grail War. The class itself was a type of loophole the Einzbern family exploited, replacing the Berserker class during the third war.
This Servant, after being absorbed and trapped inside the Grail, corrupted the artifact from within with its wish. The taint it brought with it caused a change in the Grail itself, in regards to the Servants that could be summoned in future wars. Normally, only “good” Heroic Spirits could be summoned by the Grail, but the taint allowed more evil, “anti-heroes” to be summoned as Servants in future wars.
There is much more that goes into this, but that will not be discussed. Go research for yourself if you’re curious.
But here’s another thought, if the tainting of the Holy Grail affects what Servants could be summoned, why not what Masters were chosen as well?
Perhaps a tainted Holy Grail is the reason a person like Kirei, who feels pleasure in another’s suffering, can become a Master. A tainted Grail may have also had something to do with why Archer could not remember most of his life. Maybe it could be that a talented magus like Tokiomi Tohsaka did not become a Master this time because the Grail hadn’t seen the need due to corruption influencing its choices. Other than Tohsaka, the Edelfelts would have also been prospective Masters as well…
A corrupted Grail might be the reason more fitting individuals were overlooked in favor of a killer like Uryuu Ryuunosuke, who became the Master of Caster in the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Said killer was currently dancing on the floor in delight, his bare feet making wet, smacking noises from the spilled blood that covered the floor. The Command Seals were shining on his right hand as he went on and on about how cool and awesome the slaughter of one unfortunate, innocent child had been. Courtesy of Caster.
“COOOOOOOL! COOL! COOL! THE WAY YOU KILLED THAT KID…! SO COOOOOOL!”
Yes, someone like him might only be a Master due to a corrupted Grail.
Loopholes make way for other loopholes. Ryuunosuke had drawn magic seals from a book from his ancestors he had found using his victims’ blood, half in curiosity and half as joke, to see if a demon could really be summoned. Unbeknownst to him, it had actually been the summoning circle for a Servant.
And because he had no knowledge of magus or magic in general, the magic circle had been drawn in a careless, sloppy manner.
It’s why Gilles De Rais was able to be summoned as a Caster for the War, with a grotesque appearance and an even uglier mental state to boot.
Yes, if the Einzberns could exploit an uncorrupted Grail to summon an irregular Servant, than a corrupted Grail could certainly use a similar loophole to allow an irregular Master and Servant pair.
The spirit of Avenger, the personification of All the World’s Evils, felt such a thing was most amusing, after all.
“More, more! I want you to show me more!” Ryuunosuke gushed as he clasped the hands of the coolest guy he’d ever met. “I don’t know about this Holy Grail crap or whatever, but I’m with you, man!”
Caster was silent, staring at his Master with bulbous eyes full of wonderment.
“C’mon, let’s paint the town red! I’ll follow you wherever you go just so long as you show me more of your awesome killing style!”
Caster smiled wide.
“Ryuunosuke, was it?” Caster began, his warped mind feeling excitement at being blessed with such a Master. “Together with you, I believe my wish will finally be granted…”
Truly, only with circumstances like these, could these two men have ever met each other.
And now, with all Servants summoned, the Fourth Holy Grail War could finally begin.
Last edited by Kiiam; September 28th, 2012 at 12:55 AM.
*Slow clap*
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Wow, really wow, this war is gonna be insane isn't it.
I will do my best to make it so.
Congratulations Noburu, you are a better father than Tokiomi. Try to keep it up.
So, no Mastervision?
Mastervision?
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