Theresa Octavia
Day 0 - Afternoon (Phase 2/3)
Nishi Ward - Shopping District
“… if that was a joke, I don’t find it very funny.”
Theresa wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the sudden revelation that the girl she had thought was probably her only friend had secretly been planning on murdering her if things didn’t go her way.
Surprised, because she had never pegged Lumine as the type?
Upset, since her life was at stake?
Or perhaps pleased, since it meant Lumine was taking their goal much more seriously than she had initially expected…?
After a moment’s consideration, she decided upon the last one. Lumine had the right idea. Their plan involved countless deaths- if they succeeded, then in a handful of days she and Lumine would probably become one of the greatest mass murderers in history.
If what they were after was so valuable to them even against such immeasurable sin, then it was silly to be concerned about one or two extra fatalities.
And so, setting aside the fact that Lumine had casually mentioned she was planning on killing her, Theresa decided to respond to her friend’s resolve in kind.
“But I see your point. I’ve been slow, and considering what’s at stake, I see why that’s a problem.”
If the entire conversation up until now was all probing at Theresa’s resolve, then she was honestly impressed. Lumine had her completely fooled.
“I’ll be honest. I’ve never thought promises were worth much. Speaking from personal experience, it’s easy to lie as long as you know you have something to gain from it. But I was in the wrong here, so I’ll play along.”
Putting her decision into words, she continued.
“It’s a promise, then. We’ll destroy this world together or die trying.”
---
At night, the forest is quiet.
Not silence in the literal sense, for one can strain their ears, and perhaps hear the brush of a light breeze against the trees, the gentle slush of water against stone, or the tiny hum of insects. But they are all natural in origin- for this far away from the city, there are no unnatural disturbances. The forest may not be literally silent, but it is free of noise.
For Theresa Octavia, such an environment was ideal. The atmosphere was calming, in multiple respects.
That said, she didn’t just come here for a stroll. Even if she felt more at ease, she knew enough about what was happening to know that there were risks to going too far away from civilization. That was why she had purposely stopped here, a fair distance away from any human eyes, but close enough that one could still see, between the leaves and branches, a faint light that belonged to the nightlife of Kagamihara.
As for why she was here despite those risks, it was simple. Theresa was here to make good on her end of that promise, beginning with the most crucial step-
- summoning a Servant.
Truth be told, Theresa felt quite nervous about this step.
When one imagined a Servant, they typically thought of legendary heroes- figures whose great deeds had left their mark in human history, immortalized in the form of story and legend. She had a hard time imagining that her ultimate goal would at all align with the interests of such a figure. Whereas more ordinary Masters might be able to get along with any Servant, united by their simple greed for a wish, Theresa imagined her desires were a little too much to accept.
That meant she only had two choices. Either keep her Servant in the dark about her ultimate goals, or hope that whoever she had summoned had no particular lost love for humanity- an Anti-Hero, of sorts. Neither option was particularly appealing, but such was her fate.
How things would proceed depended quite carefully on who she would summon, and unfortunately, she had only one shot at the right match.
Her catalyst, her one means of controlling this fate, was hardly of any help. A warped fragment of metal. It was impossible to tell what it was originally a part of, for it was distorted beyond recognition by immense force- but its age and durability guaranteed it was tied to some powerful legend.
And above all else, power was the one thing she required to win this war. Since there were no better options, she had gone with this.
“Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill…”
It wasn’t completely reckless, she thought as she began to chant for the summoning. The grail was said to pick those who matched with the character of the summoner. All she had to hope for then, was that such a figure existed for her.
“――――I announce.
Your being shall serve beneath me, and my fate shall rest upon your sword.”
“If you submit to this will and law, obeying the sanctum of the Holy Grail, then answer me.”
Not that she could imagine what that would be.
“I hereby give my oath."
"I shall attain all virtues of Heaven;
I shall rule over all evils of Hell.”
A burning sensation manifested on her hand, crimson marks taking shape.
“You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――!”
And, as the chant finishes…