PROLOGUE
"The Morning and Night"
In an underground hall, a bright astral beacon gleamed while covered by ghastly darkness. The light penetrated the walls as if a spear and radiates like a burning furnace. Below it, a magic circle produced magnificently a crimson light that shone in tandem with the astral beacon.
"We have finally created it! We have done it!"
A bald old man dressed in a church's vestment roared in ecstasy as he raised both his arms in the sky. His eyes closed as tears flowed from it. He simply kneeled on the ground, on the peak of joy, then slowly clasped his hands for a prayer.
"Aaahh. . .this must indeed be a miracle. . ."
This time a man in his mid 20's dressed fashionably with glasses, checkered black and red uniform with silver linings, and dark jeans, while his back covered by a black cape. He held on his right hand a book with a stigmata of a magic circle engraved on its front cover.
"This would not have been possible if not for this cooperation."
A heavy voice said as claps of hands echoed across the hall. Clearly, people were standing behind the shadows of the room. And at the center of it all, these three men gathered to commemorate this success.
"Indeed. I never thought cooperating with you and the Holy Church will reach to this. . .ah, my gamble had paid off."
The man dressed fashionably glanced to the bald man kneeling on the floor before averting his gaze to the new arrival.
"It was a necessary gamble."
The man said while revealing his appearance. Enigmatically dressed of black cloak covering most of his body, only revealing his face that showed a man in his late 30's or older with long unkempt black hair and almost lifeless eyes.
"This will be the first. . .and LAST that the Church shall join hands wit hypocrites!"
The bald man fiercely declared as he composed himself after his sudden orgasmic screams from later. This statement received whispers from behind the shadows while the fashionably dressed man merely glared at him as a return.
"As do I. . ."
The enigmatic man said calmly, as if to recompose the two's temper, "Now, now. . .let's not fight here, Bishop Aldini and Lord Lancaster. This is not a time for arguments but a time for celebration."
The two that opposed each other hesitantly nodded to the suggestion while looking away in a different direction.
"To continue, as agreed upon," the enigmatic man followed, "I, Seikatsu Taizen, shall lend the lands of my forefathers to be used as the invocation for the Grand Ritual."
He swore as he raised his right hand following the oath, and placed it on his chest.
"To prove, the self-cast Geass curse had been placed."
Then, seeing as the third-participant was finished, the Bishop and the Lord both cleared their thoughts and resumed the continuation of the contract.
As per agreement, both should swear an oath as well. . .the same style as to how Seikatsu Taizen did.
However-an incident took place following after the cursed oath. . .changing the history of the Seikatsu family forever.
"Haahhh. . ."
She looked at the sky with reddish eyes. His brown pupils was almost dyed by the scarlet stain. She raised her upper body while rubbing her right eye with her left hand and vice versa. She glanced to the small circular mirror placed on a brown desk situated to her right. What she saw was another typical image of her everyday: messy black hair, red eyes, eye bags screaming hello, and rashes on her cheeks due to her pillow. Yet, one different thing happened for the hundredth time.
"That dream. . .it's getting annoying."
She murmured while sulking. That dream was a memory. But it wasn't her's nor was her father's nor was her father's father. It was a memory of an ancestor that the family chose to throw away as an insignificant existence to their history-simply because he was a failure. . .a shameful reject. Accepted or not, an ancestor was still an ancestor and he was also the clan's head at that time.
"Ever since I got the crest, this has happened every single night. . ."
She took her body out of the bed and fixed her blanket and pillows before heading to the other side of the room where her beloved shower was located. The only thing that kept her morning from falling apart every day since the first night of those dreams.
While bathing in cold water, which she felt better with relative to hot water, she thought of the words that was said to her on that day.
"By accepting the crest, you will inevitably accept the clan's memories and curses."
She remembered that she proudly thought, "HAH! Curses? I will never be bothered by them! After all I am-", and so she came to regret those proud declarations today.
Having nightmares about your clan's memories may first sound cool simply because of the beauty of time travel, but for her, who constantly sees a vision of repetitive scenario each and every night was nothing but a pain in the ass.
"Oh my great ancestors! Why you do this to me!"
She screamed while flooding her face with the cold water.
And so, her daily morning rants ended as she left the Edo period stylized mansion whom she was other than two servants were the only inhabitants. Outside the massive wall and wooden gate which was quite out of place considering the design of the house, she reads a letter hanging on the gate's dropbox.
It reads: "An invitation to the Clan of Seikatsu."
"What could this be?"
She thought as she slowly opened the letter to see its contents until suddenly someone tapped her from behind.
"Good Morning Kirara!"
It was an energetic girl dressed with a white and black uniform with a knee-length skirt. Seikatsu Kirara was also dressed on a similar way except for the fact that she wears a bonnet on her head.
"Kasumi!"
She answered back energetically and hugged her friend.
"How's Christmas break?"
She followed with a question as she quietly hid the letter to her skirt's small pocket.
"It was good! How about you?"
"Fantastic! Except for the nightly cold breeze. . .brrr!"
She answered with actions but in all honesty, the cold truly never bothered her. She just doesn't want any attention by acting tough or different.
"I know right? Especially your house doesn't have an AC! Thank god our AC was running 'kay."
"Oh! Mother Selena will scold you for that!"
"What? I didn't curse!"
"You pronounced God on a wrong way! Using thank god is against school laws and principles!"
"I did not!"
"Hahaha, I was just teasing you Kasumi. Thankfully, those SC disciplinary committee aren't around."
The two continued their lively conversation as they head to their school. And so, the morning of her story began with her forgetting all about the letter.
"DING DONG. . ." (*school bell fx)
The bell rang at 12 noon, signalling lunch time.
This school is St. Paul Academy of the Holy Cross, a Christian Academy founded on 1960 in Fukakaina City. This was formerly a sectarian school but changed to non-sectarian and had started accepting non-Christian applicants a couple of decades ago. Of course, the benefits would be far lesser.
"Kasumi! I'm heading out a bit! I need to do something."
Seikatsu Kirara waved at her friend as she went to the opposite side of the building's hallway. The academy is a massive institution with three major buildings, two minor ones, an olympic sized athletic field and many small buildings meant for club activities.
Right now, Seikatsu Kirara was headed to the rooftop of the second major building.
"The letter. . .I almost forgot about it."
She thought as she stormed her way pass the crowds of hungry students marching their way to the School Cafeteria.
Reading the letter on her room was okay. . .but the prospect of someone reading it in secret behind her back is a problem and also, Kasumi was a bother.
So, she said to herself, the rooftop was the best place to read the letter. After all, it contained some things that were very private to the people of her kind.
As she went to cut to the right corner for the stairs, she felt a large object hammering on her face and upper body, pushing her backwards.
"Ouch. . ." She whimpered as she rubbed her face.
"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
An angelic but still manly voice called out to her and stretched a hand to her face. The hand, unlike the other, was covered on thick bandages. It must be an injury he sustained while on practice. Poor man, was what Seikatsu Kirara thought.
"It's fine. No worries."
She calmly answered. "It actually hurts you dumbass!"
Was what she really wanted to say but the man in front of her was none other than-
"I'm Shinzou Kagami."
Kirara grabbed the hand as the man introduced himself. The latter pulled her up and held her shoulders so that she won't stumble.
"Oh my god! He is. . .he is holding my hand! No, my shoulders!"
"I'm Seikatsu Kirara. Nice to meet you, I mean, I know you but you don't know me but-"
"Ahahaha," gentle laughter sang on Seikatsu Kirara's ears.
Shinzou Kagami is a famous figure in this school. He is, by all means, the school prince. An outstanding person in all aspect: athletics, studies, spirituality and even personality. He was an outstanding person overall that in spite of the difference of Seikatsu Kirara's world to his', she still can't help but dream of being with this guy.
"I'm heading to the Cafeteria. Do you want to grab lunch?"
The gentle and handsome man offered.
It was an offering that no woman should, by no means, refuse.
"Yes! Yes I do! Please grab me too!"
Was what Seikatsu Kirara's heart was screaming yet lunch time lasts only but half-an hour and she needed to read the letter.
She considered to read it at home but she felt that the letter's contents were far too important for her to ignore.
What would be the choice?
Yes or No?
(AN: if this was an eroge, this would have been the first choice)
"I can't. I need to do something urgent. Sorry."
She vowed apologetically while bowing.
"Ah, no! It's okay. Haha, I was thinking of repaying you with lunch but since your busy, how about next time?"
"Oh my god! Oops, Sorry Mother Selena but Shinzou-sama is asking me to a date!"
"Sure! Why not!"
Seikatsu Kirara answered happily receiving a smile back from Shinzou Kagami.
"Oh my god! He smiled! He, I'm really sorry Mother Selena, smiled at me!"
"See ya!"
As he left, Seikatsu Kirara waved for a brief time before returning to her previous objective.
"Okay letter, it's your turn. Please be important or else!"
She was capable enough to burn the letter to ashes if it was just an unimportant notice like electric bill or something.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case. After all, there was a Magi's seal engraved on the letter's contents.
As she reads the letter, Seiktasu Kirara's eyes widened in disbelief.
"So, it's starting?"
As she leaned on the steel border of the rooftop, her eyes gazed at the afternoon sky while filled with uncertainty.
"Aahaha. . .I know this was coming but. . ."
She glanced back at the letter seeing words written in english, "You are invited to participate in the Second Fukakaina Holy Grail War."
She recalled the words that echoed during her ceremony of acceptance of the crest and responsibilities as the new head.
"All the memories and curses. . ."
She closed her eyes and silently muttered a few words.
Opening the once tearful eyes filled with doubt, she sharply straightened her vision with eyes of a lion.
She tossed the letter aside and proceeded to leave the rooftop with a new yet unknown resolve.
And slowly, the thrown letter was engulfed in flames. Turning its body and contents into ashes. . .yet a line, a sentence, was seen before disappearing.
It said, "You cannot escape. You cannot run. The Grail will choose you, it always will. You started it, you must end with it."
The day finally ended yet another night of quest for Shinzou Kagami.
As he walked the slowly darkening aisle of the suburban streets, he glances to his left as his instincts told him to.
"Hm?"
He raised an eyebrow as he saw a little boy playing with a black cat. And, as if noticing his presence, the playmates stared back at him. For some reason, Shinzou Kagami felt a strange chill as a huge gale of wind brushed over him. He hid his eyes behind his arms to avoid the wind from getting to them. After it passed, he reverted his eyes to the little boy and the black cat, to his surprise, both mysteriously disappeared.
Shrugging it off as if it was just a hallucination, Shinzou Kagami resumed his walk towards home.
Dizziness was what he suddenly felt. Everything slowly vibrated around him. He felt as if he was as light as feather and he was floating on mid air. Nausea suddenly struck him yet tried his best not to give up.
"What's going on? Don't tell me. . ."
He gritted his teeth as he dropped to the floor with his bag falling to the concrete ground as well.
Blood flowed from his mouth as he spitted them while coughing.
He raised his right hand while his left held his chest and took a small bottle from his pocket. He took out the cover with his thumb and drank the transparent liquid which was contained inside the bottle.
"You do not look well?"
A voice suddenly asked him. Startled, Shinzou Kagami turned to his back to see if someone was there. . .only to found no one.
"You do not look well? What's happening to you?"
Placing his right hand to his head, Shinzou Kagami gritted his teeth and mumbled, "So, I am finally losing my mind, huh?"
His eyes were filled with remorse.
This was the Shinzou Kagami-the real one.
While Shinzou Kagami was pure-hearted, almost perfect and excellent, the actual Shinzou Kagami was weak, incapable and useless.
It was all for that sake that he was suffering right now. All for that ambition.
He removed the bandage covering his left hand which revealed an engraved red tattoo shaped like a trio of circular featherless wings.
"All for the sake of our dream."
His eyes were filled with fire.
Shinzou Kagami, a man who was perfect outside yet imperfect in the inside. With a mysterious past yet a blazing resolve, he shall take the battlefield as the twilight of the day ends.
While looking at the large mirror inside his bedroom at 10:00 pm in the evening, Seikatsu Kirara was lost in thought.
It was not as if she was unprepared for this. As a matter of fact, she was made to prepare for this throughout her puberty life.
At age 17, she was already a capable magus to be the head of the Seikatsu Clan. Yet, a sense of insecurity filled her mind and heart.
"To fight for your clan is a magi's vow," she murmured, "to run away is abandoning one's humanity."
She clenched her teeth, straightened her face and raised her right hand which held a scissor, before swiftly cutting her long black hair into shoulder length.
This was her promise to her mother.
"The moment I will join that war is the moment I will abandon my morality. . .so before that, I will release the constraints of my mother's love."
Moments later, pain filled Seikatsu Kirara's sensations. Erasing all thoughts except excruciating pain. It was burning inside her.
As if a blade furnished by hot flames slashed her body.
A red light suddenly carved itself on Seikatsu Kirara's right hand. Blood flowed from her hand, towards her wrist, and then dropping to the floor.
The pain lasted for another 10 seconds before it departed. . .and all what's left was an engraved symbol of a curse.
"Command Seals. . ."
She whispered as she gazed at the symbolic tattoo on her right hand.
It was shaped like a tree with three branches extending from three directions while the roots were as sharp as thorns.
She placed her left hand, while closing her eyes, on it and concentrated her focus of mana.
This was her talent: the ability to delicately maneuver the flow of prana throughout her body. Although she lacks the physical and mental ability to be a superior magus, what she possess is something not even a Grand Magus could normally have. It's the absoluteness of one's ability to direct the flow of prana without being impaired.
"Bushido . . . ," she murmured as her eyes suddenly turned reddish. Abruptly, the tone of her voice changed, becoming hoarser, deeper yet somehow higher. . .it was a mix-a combination of different voices.
"My ancestors. . .I shall not fail you."
She muttered as a knock was heard from the door.
"Hime, the preparations are ready."
A voice called out from the other side which snapped Seikatsu Kirara from her other self. She slapped her cheeks with her hands and headed out to the mansion's Moon Garden.
"The Moon Garden-the prize landmark of the Seikatsu Clan, first brought to fruition by Seikatsu Danzo. Hime, this is the rightful place for your invocation."
A woman dressed in a Kimono with blue leaves and flowers design narrated as she glanced at the huge altar that seemed impossible to be in inside the mansion.
Like the name implied, the moonlight directly shone overhead.
"I have settled the catalyst over the altar as well as the Magic Circle. All we need now is the invocation. Hime, we trust the Clan's future to you."
A woman also dressed in a Kimono, however, dressed with red leaves and flowers design, who stood parallel with the former woman, addressed Seikatsu Kirara.
"Thank you for all the help, Sayaka and Ayaka."
Seikatsu Kirara entered the Moon Garden dressed on a Kimono with noble designs of flowers, trees and even light. It was some sort of a noble dress for their clan, befitting of Seikatsu Kirara's title. Her hair was now tied on a Japanese style knot.
She elegantly climbed the short but rocky stairs of the Moon Altar.
The moonlight shines over, this was the beautiful timing for her beginning.
Now facing the catalyst residing inside a wooden box that rests a top a slab which contained the history of the clan, Seikatsu Kirara raised her right hand and dictated the invocation to call for her rightful partner.
"I repeat thy saying, AGAIN. AGAIN. AGAIN. Over three times, let there be fire, let there be wind, let there be earth and let there be water! The four elements conjoined on the clearing of the road towards the Forgotten Kingdom. I speak again, to call for my Ancestor's name, my great lord, Danzo."
The burning sensation once again surged within her yet she chose to ignore this letting her concentration to not falter.
"I call for you! If thou believes in the wheel of fate, come and answer! If thou believes in the miracles of the stars, come and answer! As I oath, that for this heart wills for the good and shall honor the bold! Thou wickedness be erased, together we shall! Now I ask thee, if the Holy Grail you seek, come and speak!"
A blast of prana exploded through the air filling the entire altar with mana. Mist consumed the surrounding and both the servants awaiting below could but only kneel at the sight of the invocation. It was only Seikatsu Kirara who was standing firm without showing any fatigue.
She awaited for a voice. . .for a presence. If indeed her summoning was a success, then the partner that she would have called for must definitely had arrived. That was what she hoped.
All of a sudden, heavy laughter echoed across the night sky.
It was the first night of a banquet that decides fate.
To the south of St. Paul Academy of the Holy Cross stood a lone Church. It was hardly used as the previous priest was last seen six decades ago. Surprisingly, at this time of the year, the Church reopened just some time last week. At the yard of the old Church, a young man with red hair dressed in priest vestments was sweeping. He was too young to be the priest of the Church, around his late teens in age, so he must be a trainee or a helper.
"The snow was all gone now but the wind just kept on blasting the dust and dirt!"
The young man scowled as he pushed the broom to the floor.
"Patience. . .patience. . . to be a man of God, one must possess a virtuous patience," he reminded himself as he resumed his sweeping.
"Shiro!," an elderly voice called out to him from inside the Church, "I need you to clean the altar later after sweeping so do finish that quick."
"Yes Father Simon! I shall be done for 10 minutes!" The young man answered back in return.
Then, as if to tease him, the wind once again swept the earth gently.
"Really? Are you messing with me?"
He protested as he swept the ground once more. And then, without notice, pain filled his right hand.
Prologue END
AN: Alright. This will be my first fan fic so I hope people will like this. By the way, this is not a shoujo if that is your impression due to Kirara's inner monologues and orgasms. This is an OC HGW I created. The city is also OC as well as the families. The only canon ones will most likely be the system, organizations and most of the lore (if not all of it). And yes, the cover photo of this FIC will be the Saber of the story :)