Fate/bloodlines

Walls covered in blood. The lifeless body of a full grown man lying slumped against the wall with an enormous hole in his chest. Police enter the premise after receiving a call about screams emerging from the home. They stared in horror at the gruesome sight before them. They couldn't find anyone else in the room aside from the lifeless man and the small trembling form of a little girl.

Chapter 1

It was a peaceful day in Fuyuki City. A seventeen year-old girl with ginger hair groaned as she stirred on her futon, blinking open her tired hazel eyes. The smell of food prompted her stomach to growl with hunger as she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her movements still slightly sluggish with sleep, she managed to get up and dress in her school uniform. Making her way to the living room, she was greeted with the sight of a man in his late thirties with spiky black hair and a goatee cooking up breakfast.

The man turned toward her and chuckled with a smile. "I figured the smell of food would wake you up. You're such a sleepyhead Tamiko. Your brother is already seated at the table. Go ahead and join him, I'll have breakfast finished in just a few more seconds." he stated.

Tamiko smiled out of gratefulness as she replied "Thanks, Uncle Ken."

Without another word she sat at the table next to Makoto. She tilted curiously over at the handheld game he was playing. A small giggle escaped her lips when the child noticed her and twisted his body where she couldn't watch the game he was playing. Much like Ken had promised, within seconds he walked over to the table with plates of food. She couldn't help but crack a grin as she watched the child eagerly dug into his breakfast.

"You better start eating too, Tamiko." the older man advised, pausing to eat a fork full of food before continuing, "You don't want to be late for school."

Upon hearing this, the teenager quickly began scarfing down her food. She couldn't afford to be late, especially when it was the last month of her school year.

"What's the hurry, gonna see your boyfriend?" Makoto teasingly smirked. Her lips pursed, greeting him with an annoyed glare. Pushing aside the boy's playful taunt, Tamiko quickly finished up her breakfast. She bid her family goodbye, placing on her shoes and darting out of the door. She stepped out into the chilly air of the last remaining days of winter. Shivering with each step, the student stopped in her tracks. She couldn't explain it, but she had felt a strange presence. Her brows furrowed in confusion. Slowly the girl looked over her shoulder. The sight that greeted her was an empty sidewalk. Tamiko faced forward once more; her lips pressed into a firm frown. It was almost as if she were peering into a mirror and seeing nothing. Disregarding the feeling as pre-exam jitters, she headed for school.

Tamiko continued to battle the strange jitters as she kept walking. She had no idea how long her trek lasted till she was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of students rushing past her. Blinking her eyes, the teen quickly learned she had already made it to both her school and classroom. She sat down at her desk, stunned she has been lost in her thoughts for so long. With much care, she began pulling her books out of her bag. As she reached down for the final book, someone bumped into her. The teen immediately glanced up, ready to demand an explanation, but paused at the sight she was greeted with. Before her was a seventeen year-old boy with his hair swept to the side. She didn't fail to notice the heavy bags lingering under the teen's bright blue eyes.

Tamiko heard the teenage boy grunt, his gaze meeting hers when he tilted his head.

"Sorry, trying to get to over to my seat. Just go on with your business." he muttered drowsily.

The teenage girl didn't respond, watching as he walked over to his desk. In that instant, the classroom was immediately filled with whispered rumors.

"I think that's the third time this week Saito has showed up tired for school. Makes you wonder what he's been doing." Tamiko heard one student whisper.

"You don't suppose he's doing any kind of late night activities with anyone in particular do you?" another whispered back.

"With how solitary he is, wouldn't surprise me if he's had a few dirty secrets." the first student replied.

Tamiko's nose scrunched up in disgust. If there's one thing she can't stand in life, it's baseless rumors. Wondering if Saito could hear them, she glanced back towards him. Much to her surprise, she saw him simply sigh. Her brows raised as she watched the teen retrieve his books from his bag. Tamiko thought the boy would surely be more disturbed by the whispers surrounding him. From examining him, he seemed only mildly annoyed to her. She couldn't help but find herself worried for the teen. As far as she knew, he had no friends and never made the effort to make any. While Tamiko didn't believe the rumors, the teen knew there had to be something wrong for the her classmate to show up exhausted for the third time that week.

After a few seconds of thought, she made her decision. No matter what anyone thought, she intended to get to the root of the problem. With her mind set, she directed her attention to the teacher and opened up her book.

The ringing of the bell filled Tamiko's ears, and recalling her plan she quickly gathered up her things and made her way over to Saito. As she approached, she could see the boy was sluggishly placing his books back in his bag.

"Saito-kun, is everything alright? You don't seem to be getting much sleep lately." she asked.

She noticed the blue-haired teen stiffened momentarily from the question, mixed emotions lingering in his eyes. Silence filled the air for a few seconds. Finally Saito responded with an tired groan slipping from his mouth before proceeding to hastily shove his book into his bag.

"Don't listen to those ridiculous rumors, Katou-san. What happens in my life is of no one's concern." he stated in a stern tone.

Refusing to let the issue die, Tamiko continued to press on. "But Saito-kun, despite the rumors, you're still showing up exhausted. Keep this up and it could endanger your health."

Voicing her concerns managed to earn an annoyed sigh from the teenage boy as he responded "I think I just told you that it's none of your concern. Get it through your head, I'm fine. I don't need anyone's help."

"But Saito-ku-"

"I said it's none of your concern, I'm fine!" Saito interrupted her with a raised voice, causing the few remaining students to stare in surprise.

Tamiko was taken back, her hazel eyes wide. Her mouth hung open, struggling to come up with response. With no words coming to mind, she sighed with the shake of her head. She frowned as she watched the seventeen year-old finish packing up his things and storm out of the classroom. It was clear Saito wanted to hide away the cause of his problems. But despite this, Tamiko knew it couldn't be something she could force out of him. The teen let out a small breath, leaving the classroom without another word.

Curious as to what Ken would be cooking for supper, she quickly made her way to the school gate. Her mouth was practically drooling in delight at the thought of the older man's cooking. Before she could begin the trek home, the sound of two individuals talking caught her attention. Turning quickly on her heel, her eyes widened when she saw Saito speaking a woman with red curly hair. She was baffled. Tamiko had never seen the woman before, leaving her to wonder who she was and how she knew Saito. Wishing for answers, she quickly darted toward their direction just as the two walked around the gate's wall as she reached the corner.

"Saito-kun!" she called out as she dashed around the curve.

Yet when she arrived, there was no sign of either one. "Wait, where..." she mumbled to herself, glancing back and forth in confusion.

With no leads to give her any kind of answers, she decided to go home. By the time she arrived, the sun was beginning to set and the smell of cooking reached her nose. With an eager smile, she took off her shoes and entered the house.

"Uncle Ken, I'm home!" she called out.

The dark-haired man turned from his cooking, "You arrived just in time. Go ahead and get changed. Dinner will be re-"

Tamiko paused at her guardian's silence. Turning toward him, she could see his brows were furrowed tightly, painting the clear picture of concern.

"Tamiko, did you hurt your left hand while at school?"

The ginger-haired girl was puzzled by this remark. Yet when she glanced down at her hand, her confusion only grew. A strange bruise of deep red was spread out on her skin.

"That's odd." she commented as she held her hand closer to her face, "I guess I must have hit it against something."

Thinking deeply about the possible cause, the teen couldn't recall anything that might have created the bruise. It certainly wasn't something she had that morning. The only thing Tamiko could think of was when Saito accidentally bumped into her. Deciding it was nothing to be concerned about, she headed to her room and changed into a set of casual clothes. Walking back to the living room, she managed to see Ken pulling on his jacket beside the set table.

"I'm think I'll head over to Makoto's school and join him on his walk. I shouldn't be long. Take care till then." he stated.

Tamiko nodded her head in understanding. She watched her guardian leave the house. Silence lingered in the air as she ate her supper and cleaned up after herself. The ginger-haired girl waited to hear the sound of the front door sliding open and the voices of both Ken and Makoto filling the air. Yet much to her concern, those sounds never reached her ears. Glancing out of the window, she frowned upon noticing nightfall had arrived.

"Those two are never this late. What on earth could be keeping them?" she thought.

Confusion lingered in Tamiko's mind as worry grew in her heart. But all of the sudden, her thoughts were shattered by a loud bang. The teen's heart stopped as she immediately spun to face the sound. It seemed like someone had crashed onto the patio out in the back. Acting on instincts, she quickly darted for the phone with the intent to call the police. Unfortunately when she held it up to her ear, the phone made no noise. Tamiko pressed frantically as panic overcame her. But no matter how much she tried, the phone wouldn't make a single sound.

"The phone is dead! But why is it dead?! Did whatever made that bang take out the landline? Oh god, if it did, that means I can't call anyone!" she thought to herself, "Jeez, if Uncle Ken and Makoto are still alright, I hope they don't show up now."

There was only one thing the seventeen year-old could think to do in her current situation. She ran to Makoto's room and grabbed his baseball bat. Her body trembled as she made her way out to the patio, terrified of what she would find. Swallowing her fears, her hand reached out for the sliding door and slowly began to push it open. She managed to open the door a crack, but immediately froze in shock. Out in the backyard was none other than the red-headed woman the teen had seen with Saito. Only now Tamiko noticed the woman was not dressed in casual winter clothing; instead she was in a strange dress with armored boots and gauntlets.

The mysterious woman's teeth were clenched into a deadly sneer, her blue eyes burning with rage and determination. Her sights were set on a black-haired woman before her dressed in a suit with red trimmings, accompanied by a top hat and a long cape.

"My my, keep sneering like that and your face will freeze that way. What would the suitors have to say about that?" the woman with dark hair chuckled as she casually waved around a black cane.

"You have a lot of talk for a lassie that's about to be gutted." the spearswoman snarled, her grip on her weapon tightening.

"My, quite bold as well. I must say, defeating you will be quite the thrilling experience." the top hatted woman smirked.

Instead of replying, the woman with blazing colored hair yelled in rage as she charged. Her teeth clenched with her arm pulled back, firmly gripping the spear. She didn't hesitate to thrust forward. The sharp tip speeding toward the opponent, aimed directly at the stomach. It was inches from piercing the woman's skin, yet at the last second it was knocked aside by the cane. Metal clinked together. The red-head let out a frustrated snarl as her lance scraped along the dirt. Without any warning, she turned toward her enemy with a jerk; her arm outstretched and swinging her weapon in a large arc.

The finely dressed woman reacted immediately to the attack. With arms pressed tightly against her chest, she propelled herself over the weapon. The spearhead sliced through the red cape, tearing it. She chuckled with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Swinging out a leg, the heeled boot slammed down on the spearwoman's lungs. The impact sent her flying into the wall of the house, with a smash and the sound of wood cracking. She grabbed her lance with one hand, and pushed herself off the splintered wall with the other.

Teeth clenched together, blue eyes burning in rage. A mighty battle cry erupted forth from her throat, feet pushing harshly against the ground. She dashed toward her opponent, spear thrust outward. The attack was greeted with air as the target twisted out of the way. But the red-head did not give up, immediately pulling back and repeating her action. She jabbed frantically outward in a flurry of strikes too fast for Tamiko to see. All that was clear is that every one of those strikes would be fatal. The top hatted woman dodged as best as could, her enemy's movements too quick to deflect with the cane. For every jump backwards, tilt, or even spin, another thrust awaited. The two strangers' fatal dance crossed them over the entire length of the yard, nearing one of the peach trees towering over the home.

The elegant female's lips pursed, dark brown eyes searching for an escape route. She tried to turn to allow the spear to miss once more. The tip ripped through her sleeve, grazing the skin. A sharp inhale was heard from the woman, panic clearly painted on her face.

"I have you now. Nowhere left to run." the warrior with fiery colored hair sneered.

Her opponent frantically glanced at the surroundings area. Brown eyes managed to catch a glimpse of a small tree branch. Acting fast, she jumped up, hands firmly gripping onto the tree. Swinging her legs, she gave herself enough momentum to spin. Boots harshly met a chin, knocking the woman to the ground. A frustrated growl escaped her mouth, watching the agile female release the branch, launching toward and landing on the roof. Her ringing laughter filling the air.

"Honestly deary you must do better than that if you wish to land a blow on me. Not a man nor woman alive could catch me, what makes you think wildly flailing around your lance would work?" she taunted.

The red-head did not reply. Her brows furrowed in determination. Without warning, she pulled back her arm and threw the weapon with all her might. The pike went flying through the air at high speeds, but the woman in the top hat was able to dodge it with the simple tilt of her head to the side.

"Seems you missed deary." the woman chuckled.

But much to her surprise, a dark grin formed on the spearwoman's face as she replied "Wasn't aiming for you lassie."

At that instant, a loud snap filled the air. The dark-haired woman had no time to react as a large tree branch crashed down on top of her, smashing her through the roof.
An amused chuckle slipped forth the red-head's mouth. She held out her hand, palm wide open. The spear reappeared within it with a burst of light.

Tamiko couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. She didn't know who the two women were and certainly didn't understand why they were fighting. Frightened of gaining the attention of the two, the girl took a step back. The moment she did, the floorboards beneath her creaked. Her face paled in horror, instantly realizing her action had been a poor decision. Breath hitching in fear as her eyes darted upward; her body stiffened when they made direct contact with a pair of angry blue ones. Acting on instinct alone, she began to run down the hallway. Heart pounding, the teen didn't dare look back to the crashing sound. She kept running until finally reaching the storage room of her home.

With little to no thought, the teenager slid open the door and slammed it shut behind her. Frantically she shoved her way past the dusty boxes, desperately trying to find a hiding place. Tamiko did her best not to make any terrified whimpers, choosing to quickly scamper into a small nook between a few boxes. The girl pressed her back against the wall, failing to see she had sat down next to a magic circle drawn on the floor. Her body stiffened upon hearing the sound of the door being slammed open and footsteps. They seemed deafening in her current state. The footfalls continued filling the air until finally they stopped for a few seconds.

Not daring to utter a word, Tamiko held her breath. Suddenly, the boxes shielding her from view were slammed out of the way. The seventeen year-old stared up in fear at the woman pointing a spear at her.

"Why is this happening, what is going on?" she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. "Someone... anyone! Please help me! I don't want to die!"

With the last of her thoughts, something unexpected happened. She felt her left hand begin to burn badly and noticed a bright light fill the room despite her eyes being closed. When the flash died down, out of curiosity, she slowly opened her hazel eyes. The moment she did, the teen was frozen in both awe and confusion. Standing before her was a white haired young man wearing red robe containing gold trimming, with a white shirt and black pants and sandals. In his hands he wielded a long wooden staff.

The boy turned back toward the teenage girl, revealing his purple eyes.

He cocked his head to the side slightly "May I ask, are you my Master?"

"Ma-master?!" Tamiko stuttered in disbelief, confused as to how the boy even got in her home in the first place.

But before any more words could be shared, the sound of grunting could be heard. The two turned to see the red-haired woman slowly getting up and shoving boxes off of her body.

The young man tightened his grip on his staff, prompting it to glow with energy.

"I have heard your call. You may call me Caster." he stated, readying his body into a fighting stance, "My staff shall serve as your protector from this point on. For fates our now intertwined, may our pact never be broken."

With the last of those words, he charged toward the red-head, managing to tackle her through the window with glass shattering.

Tamiko was left speechless. Sticking her head out of the window, she could see Caster was slamming his staff against the ground. The earth began to crack, creating red lines of energy. They surged forward, heading straight for the mysterious woman. The teen couldn't help but stare at the memorizing sight. She was only momentarily distracted from the fighting by the burning sensation on her left hand. Glancing down, much to her shock, the bruise was no longer there. Instead in its place was a strange red mark formed in two long curves with a circle in the center.

She had no time to ponder about the mark, the sound of a yell reaching her ears. With the lift of the head, the girl managed to see Caster slammed against the wall by the red-headed woman.
The boy sucked in a sharp breath, tilting his head back to get distance from the tip of the spear that was now dangerously close to piercing his neck.

"Mister!" Tamiko called out in worry.

Without any kind of hesitation, she climbed out of the window, stumbling to find her footing.

The teen raced toward the two. Hazel eyes widened in panic when the red-head turned toward her, the weapon now pointing at her. There was no time to run, surely the lance would impale her if she tried to do so.

Suddenly, a voice shouted in a stern tone "Lancer, I command you to stop this instant!"

The woman clenched her teeth; her body freezing with a red glow. She struggled to move, resulting in a small amount of shaking.

"Mister or Cast-whatever!" Tamiko cried out once more, kneeling down before the white-haired teen, "Please tell me you're alright."

Caster glanced up at the ginger-haired girl with a nervous look before muttering in a quiet voice "I'm... I'm alright Master."

Tamiko tilted her head curiously. Moments ago, the strange boy showed confidence and determination; yet now he seemed shy and reluctant to talk. It was such a huge contrast that she couldn't help but find herself surprised. Pushing confusion aside, she directed her attention towards Lancer. It stunned her to see the woman had still not moved a single inch. She wondered the reason for this.

At that moment, a voice commented "Of all the people to be picked as a Master. You were the last person I ever wanted involved in this mess."

Lifting up her head, an audible gasp escaped from the teen. Approaching was none other than Saito, sporting a red mark on his hand.