Fate/Strange Fake

[Kotonoha]

He should have called himself Condiments or something.

[terraablaze]

But Touko= info dumps
It makes so much sense.

[TetsuoS2]

Well, I hope chapter 1 comes out.

[food]

Lancer (1/3)

The forest was deep as the abyss –
Running within it was almost like falling into a bottomless swamp.
–Sprint
–Sprint –Sprint
–Sprint –Sprint –Spint
Tearing through the wind, he dashed within the forest in the darkness of the night.
Why was he running? He did not even know himself.
Although “escape” was a simple concept that could be conveyed through one sentence, he did not have the capacity to realise this while running.
There was meaning in the act of “escape”.
In other words, it was traversing the earth beneath you with all your might, for the sole purpose of “to survive”.
It was not a product of thoughts, but instinct.
It was not the result of reason, but impulse.
He did not even know where he was running towards. He merely threw his body forward without pause.
How long had it been?
His feet shrieked with every step. The pain radiated throughout his body without remorse.
Even so, he did not stop. Neither body nor mind sought to halt this mad dash.
He must have consumed all the endorphins in his brain, as only pain assaulted his body –
---------Hisss.
It was truly a testament to his bestial instincts, as he was able to endure such pain.
The trees bowed as if to meet a gust of wind. He almost became the wind itself while traversing this forest in the darkness, but -----
The gust of wind was struck down by a bullet infused with magical energy.
“Hisssss!”
What hit him first was not pain, but the force of the bullet’s impact.
The forward momentum was not lost, so his body crashed onto the ground. As if to punish his relentless kicking and dashing just a moment ago, the ground bashed against his body like a weapon.
“~~~~~~~~~Hissssss!”
A silent cry.
The spasm assaulting his body prevented him from getting up even if he tried.
While the shrieks of pain from his body reverberated within his skull, a calm voice reached his ears.
“….. This is troublesome indeed.”
Even though the voice was that of reason, the rage hidden behind the cool tone was apparent.
The magus-looking man lowered his ornate pistol, and slowly stamped on the abdomen of the fugitive --- then he stabbed at the bullet wound on the fugitive’s foot with a still hot gun barrel.
The sound of searing and the odour of charred flesh began to spread within the forest.
The fugitive opened his mouth beyond its limit, and moist air came from the depth of his throat.
“Even you received the Command Spells…. What kind of nonsense is this!?”
The fugitive’s body convulsed with its silent scream. On his body, Command Spells seemed to emerge as a chain-like pattern.
“Think about why did I create you against all odds? Think about why did I ‘expand’ your Magic Circuits to the limit? Think about why did I let you live until now?”
The magus shook his head coldly, and kicked the head of the fugitive like a ball.
“… In order to achieve victory in the Holy Grail War, one must acquire an existence that transcends Heroes.”
He walked close to the fugitive, and gave him another kick in the face.
“If one failed to acquire a ‘God’ that transcends Heroes, then one cannot expect to defeat Heroes who were ‘Kings’.”
Another kick.
“In other words… I must summon something more ancient than the Origin of Heroes ---- an existence Egyptians called ‘God’.”
Another stamp.
“Your purpose is a Catalyst! Why deny the honour to be the Catalyst for summoning a God!? You return my kindness with spite.”
The fugitive could not even scream. His sight was stained with blood and darkness.
Still----
Even when breathing had become a torture ---
He swallowed the blood rushed up into his throat, and stood up.
Seeing the tenacity of the fugitive, the magus gasped---
He placed his foot on the fugitive’s spine, and mercilessly bore down with all his weight.
“That will do it. I have prepared other substitutes… You will die after I extract the Command Spells. You will never be free. I will toss you back into the furnace, and make new lab rats from you.”
The man’s right hand reached for the Command Spells.
However, to the fugitive, the Command Spells were meaningless.
Let alone the meaning of “Holy Grail War”, he did not even know his name.
--- Survive.
He was merely a creature that followed the instinct that boiled within him.
---Survive. ---Survive.
Furthermore, this impulse had not waned a bit, even now.
---Survive. Survive. Survive.
And he only knew this much.
--- Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive.
--- Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive. Survive.
--- Survive!
It was not “I do not want to die”.
And it was also different from “I want to live”.
It was not a wish, but something purely born out of instinct.
It was merely a desire to “survive”.
Did he even know the difference? ----
No. It was questionable that he even understood the sentence “I do not want to die”.
His dying body---
His dying body screamed for survival. The bellow was louder and stronger than any creature in this land called Snowfield.
“--------------------------------“
However, the meaning of this “scream” was not something the magus could understand ---thus, he did not sense it.
In that instant, the “Ritual” was complete.
This scream which no one else could mimic, was his magecraft and summoning spell.
The magus did not know.
Just a moment ago, the fifth Servant was summoned in the valley up north---
The False Grail wished for the materialisation of the sixth Servant, even through brutal force.
Really, from the summoning of Rider, one could see that the definition of “Summoning Rituals” in this Holy Grail War was vague at best.
Regardless, at that very instant ---
The sixth Servant finally descended in the forest of Snowfield.
Dazzling light pierced the forest, whirlwind shook the surrounding trees.
The magus was blown away by the wind for several meters, and raised his gun without a second thought. In that instant, he felt an overwhelming amount of magical energy which paralysed the magical circuits that coursed through his body.
“Wha…”
A person appeared before the magus --- wearing a plain tunic.
Such an overwhelming amount of magical energy could only mean one thing: “that” was a Heroic Spirit.
However, something was still not quite right.
This person appeared too unremarkable to be called a Heroic Spirit.
He was not equipped with any items, and his clothing did not look like anything valuable. Although a Hero’s worth was not determined by his wealth, it was still strange for one to appear completely barehanded.
The magus calmly surveyed the Heroic Spirit.
---A woman?
---No, no, a man…? Which is it….?
The face of the Servant seemed androgynous, yet it was definitely beautiful and elegant no matter which sex it belonged to.
--- Wait… hold on… is this thing even human?
Sensing the strange and uncomfortable atmosphere, the magus felt intimidated.
The face of the Servant definitely looked human, but somehow, it also appeared inhuman in a way that could not be put to words. Was it because it was too perfect? It was not immediately apparent to the eye, but the Servant evoked a similar feeling in the observer as a mannequin or --- a “puppet” constructed by a magus.
Due to the loose garment, the physique of the Servant was not visible. This further obscured the sex of the Servant, and even made it difficult to discern whether he was human at all.
The Heroic Spirit appeared to blend into the forest behind him. The lingering breeze caressed his beautiful hair---.
He approached the wounded fugitive lying before him and asked:
“Are you… the Master who summoned me?”
His tone was really soft.
Even his voice was neutral; the magus could not tell who or what this Heroic Spirit really was.
Although the fugitive was knocked down by the sudden light and wind, he was able to immediately recognise this presence before him.
--- This person was not an enemy.
The fugitive suppressed the impulse to escape and stared at his saviour.
It was a penetrating gaze that seemed to read the heart of the other person.
The Heroic Spirit returned the gaze, and calmly kneeled down to lower himself to the same level as the fugitive, who was struggling to stand up ----
“----- ---- -----“
The Heroic Spirit spoke in a language the magus could not understand.
After hearing the sentence, the fugitive quietly replied:
“------- ---------“
The Heroic Spirit then calmly reached out his hands, and held up the battered body of the fugitive.
“Thank you. The Contract is now complete.”
As if hearing the words of an old friend, the fugitive finally felt relieved.
He was allowed to live. His heart was filled with content.
The fugitive relaxed after realising he no longer had to escape.
“This is stupid… stupid! What the hell is this!”
The magus could not understand what just happened before him. He raised his gun as he shouted.
“You expect me to accept this foolishness?!”
The magus screamed as he pointed the gun barrel forward.
Before him---
A wolf held up by the Heroic Spirit, his silver fur stained by blood and dirt.
“You damnable creature! A chimera without special power can become a Master just like that!? Let’s stop this farce!”
Even though the magus kept his gun trained on the Heroic Spirit with trembling hands, the Heroic Spirit spoke serenely.
“Please lower your weapon. My Master wishes you no harm.”
“Wha…”
Although the polite manner surprised him, what was said shook him more.
“Nonsense! All nonsense…”
“I can understand their language… What you have done to my Master, I can imagine by just looking at him.”
The magus was about to mock the Servant for what was said, but the Servant continued in a serious tone---
“However, my Master holds no malice against you. …. I hope you understand this.”
With that said, the Servant turned his back against the magus and slowly walked into the depth of the forest.
“Wait, wait a moment. You too wish for the Holy Grail, right?! Don’t you think you would have a better shot at the Holy Grail teaming up with me, rather than that mongrel?”
The Heroic Spirit suddenly stopped after hearing what the magus said.
He turned his head.
And he only did that.
“Yiiiiip….”. The magus squealed and ran out of the forest in the opposite direction as the Heroic Spirit and the beast.
The eyes of the Heroic Spirit were trained on the magus --- and they were saturated with a crushing sense of “rejection”.
After making sure the magus was gone, the Heroic Spirit instantly dissolved the malice in his eyes. He walked towards the river in order to treat his Master.
There was no sound of water, nor was there any water visible ---
However, he absolutely felt the “presence” of water from that direction, how it caressed the land ----
Gently cradling the beast in his arms, the Heroic Spirit leaped amongst the trees with the speed of a falcon.

***********

[Kotonoha]

Wasn't the Lancer chapter like the last one?

You're skipping all the interesting Servants people don't know about in favour of the trap bait, you sellout :|

[food]

Lancer (2/3)

The Hero certainly had the form of a human being.
However, he was not human.
In the ancient past, he descended onto the earth as a mud puppet sculpted by the Gods. He was neither male nor female, but merely a monster made of mud that appeared in the forest.
He did not have the intelligence of man, and only played with the creatures in the forest.
However, his might was beyond human comprehension. Rumour had it that when he unleashed his wrath, he was more powerful than the Hero who ruled the nation.
The King dismissed this entirely. He considered “having a contest of strength with a beast” to be complete nonsense.
The King had absolute faith in his own might, and was certain that no one was stronger than he. Because of this, he merely laughed at the rumour.
However --- after the encounter between the divine harlot and this beast, the fate of everyone was altered.
The asexual lump of clay fell for the beauty of the woman, which transcended the bound between man and woman.
During the six days and seven nights they spent together, the mud puppet slowly allowed his form to approximate that of a human.
His form seemed to become that of the beautiful harlot, who shared his food and bed.
Finally, the puppet who acquired the form and wisdom of a human stood before the great King.
After an epic melee that shook the heaven and earth, they became friends.
The Golden King and the mud puppet. Although the views of the two could not be more different, they became inseparable friends. The duo went on innumerable adventures, and shared each other’s joy and sorrow.
Those were the golden days of the past.
It seemed fate, was about to be altered once again ---.

***********

[food]

Lancer (3/3)

The Heroic Spirit and beast reached a small river after travelling ten kilometers. After administrating minimal treatment, the Heroic Spirit allowed the silver wolf, his Master, to lay on the field of grass.
“Hmm… that’s a relief. Although the world is covered by cities like Uruk, it is still beautiful as ever.”
He spoke to his Master in “animal language” before the magnificent natural landscape.
The wolf did not reply. He seemed to be sleeping soundly.
The Heroic Spirit smiled, and quietly sat down. For now, he allowed himself to enjoy the song of the river---
Suddenly he shifted his sight to the north west.
His special ability – the highest rank of “Presence Detection” altered him of a familiar presence to the north, far away.
It was the Heroic Spirit in the golden armour, exiting the cave that was covered by a magus’ Bounded Field.
“Could it be –“
He calmly opened his eyes, could not believe this turn in fate---
“Is it really… you?”
He slowly stood up. The Heroic Spirit was certain that the presence in the north was his King.
A brief silence.
At the same time, what was this feeling rampaging in his breast?
Confusion. Frustration. And finally, overwhelming joy.
It was destiny that he and the King would battle once again in this Holy Grail War.
The tapestry woven between Enkidu and his King would not tear just because a fight or two.
No. It would remain as strong as ever, even after a thousand melees.
“Haha…”
The Heroic Spirit smiled, and silently opened his arms –
“Let us continued the duel on that plaza once again… Let us relive that joy.”
He opened his arms, as if to bear his heart to the world ---
With his soft voice, he began to sing.
The Hero Enkidu.
His song shook the earth --- the beautiful landscape resonated to his song. The entire land of Snowfield sung with him.
This was the proof that the Servants had assembled ---
It was also the signal that the War had begun.
The magi and Heroic Spirits had assembled on this false stage.
Although they knew this was a false Holy Grail War, they would continue to dance to this tune.
Authenticity mattered little in the face of earnest desires.
They were fighting not for the Holy Grail, but for their very own beliefs.
This, was their Holy Grail War.
The curtain had risen.


End of Lancer

[Sherrinford]

UPDATEEEESSSS!!!

And it's about ENKIDUUUUUU!!!

Hell yeah, Enkidu.

“… In order to achieve victory in the Holy Grail War, one must acquire an existence that transcends Heroes. If one failed to acquire a ‘God’ that transcends Heroes, then one cannot expect to defeat Heroes who were ‘Kings’. In other words… I must summon something more ancient than the Origin of Heroes ---- an existence Egyptians called ‘God’.”

N00b, you should know there's a more ancient civilisation than the Egyptian that you should fear. >:3

This being said, his course of thought is surely interesting. I wonder what kind of being he wanted to summon. Too bad he doesn't show up again, I would have liked to see his eventual second choice (kind of like El-melloi did in F/Z).

[food]

The first thing that comes to mind is "Anubis", with the wolf catalyst and all.

[Sherrinford]

Mh, probably.

But wait, Snowfield's Grail lets you summon actual gods? Either it's the most OP Grail ever, or the magus is even more n00b than what he seemed.

Or maybe, you can now summon gods because they're just elementals now, and lol loophole (just like Moon Cell has some loopholes build in it)?

[TetsuoS2]

Thanks,food!

[Vritra]

Thanks food, hope you keep at it.

[Sunny]

Yay, thank you! ^^

Part of me was hoping Narita would explain why he picked Lancer, of all classes, for him... but the Presence Detection skill is interesting and I really like how he characterized him. Especially the ironic reaction to "mongrel." For some reason I didn't realize Enkidu got his appearance from that event and I thought he re-mimicked someone he saw after he got summoned.

[food]

Caster section added. Complete.

Also added Notes.

EDIT:

The identity of Caster is unknown.
The Japanese fans deduced that Caster is Alexandre Dumas, from the dialogue between Caster and his Master.

Note how the dialogue revealed that there is rumour that Caster is good at rearranging and rewriting tales and scripts. And how he took great offense when his Master capitalises on his ability to rewrite the legends of Noble Phantasms and make them even grander than the original.

Alexandre Dumas had been accused of plagarising stories and rewriting them to his own taste during his time. Notice in the story, Caster warned his Master not to crack jokes about how his re-written version is more interesting than the original.

[Sherrinford]

Now Caster!Dumas makes a lot more of sense then just "writing objects into reality"... not to mention that now he's a full-fledged interesting character.

Thanks, food.

[Apple]

Yeah, when I first found out about Strange Fake I thought he was a ripoff of gradation air.

[partyinpurple]

Thank you so much for this!!!
Gilgamesh and Endiku ;~~~~;

[food]

+Assassin

Be surprised by how Zero slavishly followed the ideas introduced in this Act.

[Spinach]

I love you, Food.

[AMA-GI]

Thanks! This chapter was pretty interesting again.