Starless Black: From the Lunaire Archives

[NailsInYourFeet]

Author's Note: Running as a Quest on Sufficient Velocity, cross-archived here


These were the last days of Sakura Tohsaka.

Okay, that’s not completely true. The real Sakura Tohsaka would’ve been dead for hundreds, thousands even, of years at that point. These were more the last days of the one who’d taken the avatar designated ‘Sakura Tohsaka’.

<<Intro Theme>>

Those last days were spent at the Aquarius Manor Hotel, which I suppose was a pretty nice place to spend that time, I suppose. Could even be called a Castle Hotel, honestly. Anyway, she walked with who’d become the other Masters past all its gardens and up to its towering front doors, looking like they’d been carved from sacred oak. Their sheer size made Sakura bite her lip.

The meek, black-haired even jumped back a bit when a blue light shone out of the eyes of a doorman. He quickly scanned her, before those eyes then flashed to green. “Confirmed: Player ID Tohsaka Sakura. Welcome, potential Master, to the STAR-CELL Holy Grail War v2!” his computerised voice rang out.

“T-thank you. I- I may not look it, but I’m in this war to win!” Sakura said, her sudden display of confidence largely lost on those who walked by her, just getting the glitch check over with. She knew, everyone knew, that this was all but the next stage in virtual reality… but being reminded of that was soemthing else.

One crimson blush later, Sakura promptly scurried in, only for the inside of the Aquarius to leave her as speechless as the outside. The whole lobby shimmered with a pinkish-gold glow, marble floor crisscrossed by black serpentine patterns, and the stairs, balconies, and glass windows above making her feel just as small as the outside did. She could’ve just said to herself that none of this was real, physical anyway, but that would ruin the game, the experience of everything, after all.

And it wasn’t just the building alone that made her feel all scrunched up. She saw most other players had spared no expense in customising their avatars, looking more like they were here attend some fancy ball than, well, a tournament. Gents clad in suits, blond and raven-haired women in azure and scarlet gowns, valet and maid NPCs spawned by VR to show them to their rooms. Then amid all this was schoolgirl-ish Sakura, in her red blouse and white skirt. You can, well, see why she’d have felt insecure, most of us would’ve.

She took a deep breath first, but strode over to the front desk anyway, then said with a bow, “Hello, I’m Tohsaka Sakura. Er, one of the players here, so I’d like to have a room please.”

A hologram of Sakura’s profile popped up before her, as the clerk inputted some sort of code onto a dark green tablet hidden just under the counter. This code called in, quite suddenly too, a maid with bellhop-style alterations to her dress, who curtseyed and said, “Greetings, Mistress, my designation is Coral, tasked with addressing all your minor duties to minimal for a Servant. We can head to your room right now if you wish, you’ll find your selected inventory all materialised there.”

“Wow, that’s great,” Sakura said, “I- I don’t ever think I’ve been treated so nicely, well, ever. One question though,” she then asked, “…How exactly am I supposed to summon a Servant? I mean, I’m guessing there’s a tutorial on that later, right?”

Coral replied immediately. “You’ll find more detailed instructions on summoning in your room, but in short, as part of this preliminary round we’ve wiped your memories of the outside world,” she said, though tried to lighten that with a smile, “Don’t worry, this is something you and all other players agreed to beforehand. All you need to do is remember what the world outside this virtual reality is like, and you will be granted full Servant summoning access.”

Sakura may have nodded along with all that, but it would’ve been a lot to take in all at once. It was for me. Anyway, you would’ve expected Sakura head immediately to her room-

[ ] -and so she did. Chance to unwind, more detailed instructions, all her stuff, why not?

[ ] -but instead, she did want to try socialising with other players, potential Masters, first. See what they knew, who she might be up against.

[x] -yet she was aware there was a ‘Church Overseer’ acting as a grand referee of sorts. Sounded like someone she should meet with sooner than later.

[ ] -but instead, she decided to explore Aquarius Manor itself. Get familiar with the layout, look for clues, and it wasn’t like there was any major rush to get to her room.



“Hold on, there’s supposed to someone called a ‘Church Overseer’, right?” Sakura asked.

“Well…” Coral began, “It’s not as if any Church itself oversees the war. I mean, we’re told that’s they used to do, way back when. But really Mistress, the Star-Cell simply uploaded the data of a Church priestess as that’s what’s expected for a Grail War.”

With Coral rambling on a little, Sakura said, “Er, what I was trying to say was, could we meet the Overseer first, regardless of whether they’re a Church person? They really do sound like someone I should get to know right away.”

“As you wish, Mistress,” Coral smiled and nodded, “You’ll find their chapel in the gardens, but up in the hill this time, instead of downhill to the gates.”

Sakura breathed out and said, “Hey, thanks,” given that info was all she would’ve wanted to know from the start. Though it was funny how she now had to go right back out of the big oaken door she’d been hesitant to enter.

The sheer size of the gardens, like the size of everything around the Hotel Aquarius, meant it was still quite some distance to walk, which left Sakura huffing and puffing by the time she actually made it out to said chapel, a dusty place of reddish brick and angular roofs. “Whew, I’m really not used to this much exercise. I mean, makes me worried I’m kind of too scrawny to be a Master,” Sakura said.

“Since this is a virtual world, anything to keep your legs from atrophying,” Coral said, giving yet another reminder of what this world was.

<<Chapel Theme>>

“Trust me, you’ll get used to this little hike of ours before you know it,” said a third voice, which came from a woman standing right by the chapel’s entrance arch. This woman was unsurprisingly dressed in a nun’s robe, but also sported dark blue hair cut boyishly short.

“Ah, so you’d be the Overseer, right?” Sakura asked.

The nun smirked. “Well, it’s not like there’s anyone else here they could be. Yes, this Star-Cell dredged me up to make sure all you players didn’t cause any more havoc, oh, than you probably already will anyway,” she said, before she more properly introduced herself, “My name is Ciel… or no, not really. That was a name of another woman entirely, from ages ago. I’m just a program wearing her face and having sort of the same job, really, since the Star-Cell needed me to look like someone in its databanks.”

While Sakura was normally calm if a bit nervous, soemthing about what Ciel said made her twitch. “Okay, okay, why do all of you keep going on about how this is all just VR? Like, do you just want to wreck immersion right away?”

“Tohsaka Sakura,” Ciel now made direct eye contact with the potential Master, “I, and it seems the other AIs, do not wish to pretend we’re anyone we’re not. Furthermore, need I remind you you’re doing the same thing I am, wearing the guise of a long-ago woman?” The Overseer sighed, then tried to soften her voice, “Immersion’s one thing, but the Star-Cell has a responsibility to make sure you don’t lose sight of who you are. I mean, look at us, we already took your memories.”

That admission of guilt at least made Sakura ease up back to her usual self, before she asked, “Er, okay then, so then could you tell me a little about the outside world? Yeah yeah, I know you can’t just give me the answer, but if you’re concerned about my identity, some clue could really help me out.”

Ciel then smiled. “Why, I already have given you a hint. Inadvertently yes, but still. All my talk about how long ago our original ‘selves’ ought to let you know that, as far in the future as you think this is, think even further,” she said, before she leaned in closer to Sakura, “Alright, since you’ve actually been one of the more reasonable players I’ve met, your little tantrum aside, I’ll give you another. Think about why the hotel may’ve chosen the name ‘Aquarius’, beyond just its connection with cups.”

“Ah, th-thank you,” Sakura said, then gulped and looked down, “But really, me, one of the ‘better’ players? No, that can’t be, I… got all angry with you just then.”

“Oh I meant it, you were quite polite compared to some of the others I’ve deal with today,” Ciel said, then leaned in and conspiratorially whispered, “I can’t say much, my programming wouldn’t even allow it, but some of the potential Masters I’ve met today, much as we even have days anymore, have been a real headache. One tried to bribe me with tithes, one complained non-stop about magi not being allowed to run their own affairs, much as ‘mages’ even exist anymore, and one thought his anti-Christianity made him some sort of genius.”

“Wow, that does sound bad,” Sakura said the first response that came to mind.

“I am Overseer, so don’t worry. Those types are my burden, no need to shoulder yourself with their like,” Ciel grinned, but then added, “Unless they’re assigned as your opponent for a Round, they’d be your burden then I guess. And it hasn’t been all bad for me, I did meet two quite nice players. One was a blue-haired kid, hair a lighter shade than mine, didn’t get their name sadly. The other, well, he probably needs no introduction, no less than Felix de Carvalho.”

“Felix de Carvalho?” Sakura asked in an instant, showing he did in fact need an introduction.

“The winner of the previous Grail War,” it was Coral who then spoke up, “You may have this war be called ‘v2’, he was victorious in v1.”

“Coral, you just spoke?” Sakura had to ask, given how Coral had stayed quiet this whole time.

“It wasn’t really my place to speak otherwise, Mistress,” Coral said.

“I confess, I don’t do well with maids,” Ciel suddenly said, “No idea what it is, something in my coding just has me side-eyeing them. Anyway, as for Jesse Carvalho, for a moment I dreaded all the fame had gone to his head, but he actually seemed quite nice. Hasn’t told anyone what he wished for last time, but I do suppose that’s his prerogative.”

“Really? I thought a Grail Wish would’ve been really noticeable…” Sakura muttered.

As Sakura thanked Ciel and turned to leave, the maid Coral then brought up, “I naturally suppose you’ll be heading back to your room, Mistress. However, if there’s still wanderlust in your veins, you may also like to check out our Museum or Library, where all our relics and documents of Heroic Spirits reside.”

[ ] Sakura told the maid that yeah, she should be getting to her room already.

[x] Sakura was interested in the Museum, she did want to start thinking of what sort of Heroic Spirit to summon.

[ ] The Library sounded like a good idea, ought to study up before the War heated up.


“Guess the Museum makes the most sense, see what’s on offer” Sakura said, but hesitated for a second, “It’s a lot to think about though, what Servant I’ll summon. I mean, they’re supposed to be the greatest people who ever lived, I just… don’t want to disappoint them.”

“The Star-Cell is programmed to assign fitting Servants to fitting Masters, but still, it can’t hurt to have an idea of what sort of Heroic Spirit you’d like to summon,” Coral said, before she admitted, “And to be honest, a maid like me was worried about the same thing.”

“The same thing? But, you’re not a potential Master?” Sakura asked, a brow twitching.

“Oh, not with a Servant. More with, well, what sort of player I’d be assigned to for the prelims,” Coral said, “The Star-Cell’s less meticulous with our assignments than with Servants, expectedly. Fortunately, it looks like I got a quite reasonable mistress”.

“Really, you think that?” Sakura had to blush, before she slowly said, “That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s said about me. Well, by default. I get told I’m a disappointment a lot.”

“Really, whatever for?” Coral stepped back.

“For, well, they say they expect some grand, mysterious heiress or something, only to get some mousy recluse. Sounds silly, but I got picked on a lot for that back in school,” Sakura said and shrunk back as she did.

Coral neither laughed nor moved in to comfort her mistress, but instead cocked her head. “Mistress Tohsaka… you’re sure those are your memories, right? Forgive me, it’s not my intent to be rude, it’s just… players getting their memories mixed up with their avatars was an issue in the Grail War prior.”

Sakura did not how to respond to that. Easy to see, I’d have been even more stumped for what to say. But eventually respond she did with, “I guess that… even if those memories did or didn’t happen, it still kinda hurts to think about them. So, they are real, in one sense at last.”

Coral smiled, “A most informed insight, mistress.” Sakura now couldn’t tell though if she meant that or was just required to compliment her being her maid. This was before Coral added, “And I suppose if I did end up assigned someone awful, I could always get in contact with Jeeves to fix matters.”

“Jeeves?” Sakura asked.

“Oh, how to explain,” Coral began, “On top of Master-summoned Servants, there are also Servants the Star-Cell has called forth on its own to handle administrative duties. The Assassin-class Jeeves is the one tasked with overseeing all us maids and valets.”

“Assassin?” Sakura had to flinch, but then asked, “So, you mean the guy from the, er, Wodehouse stories, right?”

“…Yes and no,” Coral muttered, “While more than enough literature has been uploaded into the Star-cell that manifesting wholly fictitious Servants is now possible, Jeeves is… not that one Jeeves exactly. He’s more a concept than anything, what everyone thinks of when they hear the word ‘butler’.”

Sakura nodded along with that, though the idea of someone who was now more concept than anything else was, well, hard to process. Literally, given VR.

<<Museum Theme>>

Coral then showed Sakura back inside and into the Aquarius’ Museum, only separated from the foyer by a side-door. Sakura tensed a little on stepping in, she had expected more than a few relics, but nowhere near the cavalcade that was in front of her, all connected by a long and winding walkway.

“Quite a lot to take in, huh?” Coral eased her in, “As it should be, really. Before it was decided to run the Grail War again, the Star-Cell created this place to be a safeguard of all of humanity’s artifacts. Same with our Library and its records.”

Not like that helped Sakura being completely spoiled for choice. She did have to notice that, for being a ‘safeguard for humanity’s artifacts’, all the description plates had been blurred out, probably since doing so would wreck everything by revealing all the potential Servants right away. Still, that sort of thing can come off as rude.

There were four artifacts that did stick in her mind in the end. One was sheet listing a long series of calculations for a rocket orbit, Sakura being something of a mathematician herself and, with Ciel telling her to pay attention to the word ‘Aquarius’. Space was on her mind.

The second was a lottery ticket, which she couldn’t help but find amusing since it would’ve felt like she was in a lottery already. I imagine so, it’s a common feeling for us Masters. A surprisingly ornate lottery ticket too, much more than you’d get at a newsagents, if those were even still around.

The third was a… certainly striking painting. It mostly depicted a bleak, barren hillside, but with a group of people all scrunched in at the bottom-right corner, which for sure drew the eye. The last was a copy of a hefty tome with its title, of course, blurred out, though she could tell it was written in Chinese and was opened to Chapter 90.

However, it wasn’t just relics she found in the museum. Turning around, she suddenly bumped into a black-haired boy who immediately glared at her, though it looked like his face was just naturally in a glare the whole time. He was dressed largely in black and red, having donned a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and a series of chains.

“I’m sorry, I really should’ve been watching-" Sakura began, but got cut off.

“How feeble,” he said, “Unlike you casuals, I don’t apologise for nothing. You could never understand me anyway, what it’s like to have your heart tainted black. Like my soul.” Much as that last sentence made sense.

I would’ve just backed off myself, but Sakura then glared right back and spoke out, “W-what? You, you jerk! I’ve got just as much right to be here as you!”

That made this other player groan and back off, simply saying goodbye with a “Whatever”. Sakura noticed he didn’t have a valet anywhere around, though it was easy to imagine this guy going ‘Valet? Pfft, only weaklings need valets’.

As this guy walked out, Sakura’s eyes widened she noticed something about him she really should’ve before, but had been overshadowed by his attitude. The guy seriously had wolf ears and a tail poking out of him.

“An A-Ray, most likely,” Coral remarked, “While it’s generalising to say they consist entirely of beast-human hybrids, that is how they’re typically thought of.”

For some reason, hearing the word ‘A-Ray’ also triggered the word ‘Liner’ in Sakura’s head, though she couldn’t tell why. Felt like those two words just fit together, for some strange reason…

Right, at this point she really ought to be getting to her room. But from this trip to the museum, Sakura would say the relic that made the most of an impression on her was:

[ ] Those rocket orbit calculations.

[x] That fancy lottery ticket.

[ ] The dark and unusual painting.

[ ] That Chinese doorstopper tome.

[ ] Oh yeah, she remembered another one. Dust and sand from a Syrian cave, odd choice for a museum.


“That lottery ticket?” Coral asked.

“Yeah, guess I thought it was, well, too fitting,” Sakura said, “Not knowing which figure of legend I’ll call upon in this tournament, feels like a lottery already.”

Coral let out a slight chuckle, “I see where you’re coming from. Just… be careful about leaving everything to luck or seeing luck as in charge of all, wouldn’t want to neglect skill and strategy.”

Sakura had to blush a bit. “I know, I know, I was just saying that’s how I feel right now, that’s all. Not my whole game plan or anything,” she said.

Museum trip done with, Coral showed Sakura back to her room, something Sakura was thankful for since, given the winding corridors the Aquarius had, she doubted she would’ve been able to find the way on her own. Naturally thy passed a few people, players and service on the way there, but two that stood out to Sakura were that blonde, schoolteacher-like woman she’d seen in the lobby before, and… a black-haired, red-dressed woman that almost, almost bore a family resemblance to her. Well, so Sakura thought, but this woman like the blonde just brushed right past her.

“Your room, Mistress,” Coral said and indicated the door behind her. From this plain white door emerged a bright blue light, which scanned Sakura over, still making her twitch even though the doorman had already done the same to her, and then flashed green as the door opened.

She entered a low-light room with a tiled floor, stone walls, and a wood-panelled ceiling, or identical virtual imitations of such anyway. Dark burgundy curtains hung across the window, a white cupboard stood across from a fireplace, something she couldn’t remember ever actually seeing in her life. Lastly, there was a large bed whose pillows and covers were a rich bronze in colour.

Sakura’s instinct was to crash on this bed right away. True, the only physically exhausting thing she’d done today had been that climb up and down from the chapel, but mentally I’d say she felt like she’d been through much more than that. However, even now she couldn’t get any rest or relaxation, as some pre-recorded message suddenly flared right on up. That ‘note in your room’ she’d been told about.

Greetings, potential Master, a computerised chime rang out, before a hologram of the Aquarius itself sprung up in her room, and welcome to the Star-Cell’s Holy Grail War v2. Through the course of a preliminary and seven rounds, you shall summon a Servant, a legendary hero of humanity, and face off against another Master and Servant each round, if you keep making it through that is. A Library is provided by the Aquarius for researching other Servants, as is a Museum displaying the relics used in summoning Servants-

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief; this was all stuff she knew and had already figured out. “Er, so they honestly didn’t expect players would check out the hotel before entering their rooms?” she had to ask Coral.

Her maid shrugged. “It depends, but the massage doesn’t hurt to have just in case,” she said.

-If you can remember the world outside the virtual by the end of the preliminaries, you shall qualify to summon a Servant, the message kept recapping, before it left off with, Till then, good luck!

That left Sakura with half of her wanting to just get some rest already, and the other half thinking about what this ‘truth of the outside world’ even could be. Any time spent resting could be more time spent not figuring that out, so many Masters would think, but if you were dead tried, would you really be able to figure anything out?

“Hey, Coral, I er don’t know if you’re allowed to say, but you wouldn’t have any ideas about the ‘outside’ world?” Sakura asked, “Um, besides the hotel’s name, apparently.”

“I’m afraid I only know as much as you do,” Coral said. I guess she felt she should at least help somehow, maid’s duty and all, so she added, “Aquarius would have connections to fate, water and its holding, the mythologies, and the stars. Once you’re rested, perhaps we’ll find something in the library? Or another contestant might share their theories?”

Sakura nodded, sounded like the most sensible idea. Well, it’d make more sense for the other contestants to not reveal anything, narrow the competition. But there had to be at least one willing to help their fellow players out this early in the game...