"Her magical circuits have already settled."
"Already?"
"She already had slight natural abilities."
"I would call bullshit, but, after what we've seen this path month…"
Why can't I move? My body feels so heavy. Who's talking out there? I don't recognize those voices. Who are they?
"Move her to the recovery room. When will she be awake?"
"An hour. Maybe less."
I'm awake now. I just…can't open my eyes. Why can't I open my eyes?
"Good. Is everything set up for when she wakes up?
"Yes."
"Alright. Take her away."
My body jolted slightly, then began to glide who-knows-where. I must have been on some kind of cart to begin with, because my body wasn't lifted until the very end of my journey. There was another sudden jolt, and two sets of hands lifted me carefully before my body was placed on something soft. A bed?
The whole time, I was panicking, struggling to move my body or open my eyes. Nothing worked. I listened as footsteps carried themselves far away from me. There was a soft click not too long afterwards. A door?
I laid there, motionless, for what felt like hours. Why did that interview lead to this? Where was I? What was going on?
So much fear was bubbling inside of me, I wanted nothing more than to scream from the top of my lungs.
"Please don't be scared, Senpai," a sweet voice spoke. It was…oddly familiar.
Slowly, I felt my body lighten. My eyes finally managed to open, but I winced and quickly shut them as a bright light permeated the area I was in. Blinking a few times, I struggled to adjust to the new scenery before me.
"How are you feeling?" the same voice wondered, now closer than before.
I slowly turned my head to see a familiar looking girl with short, purplish hair and purple eyes hidden behind black glasses. She stared at me with quiet worry, but also curiosity. Dressed in a navy blue dress, red tie, and gray and white hoodie, she was a figure I knew all too well.
"Mash…Kyrielight?" I whispered, my voice hoarse as I struggled to sit up. I winced, a sharp pain shooting through my body.
"C-Careful, Senpai. You are still recovering," Mash gasped.
"Recovering from what?" I groaned, staring at my hands that glowed with marks I also recognized. It was then I realized the red symbol on the back of my right hand.
"What the hell is going on?" I whispered, too terrified to raise my voice higher.
"That is why I am here to explain, Senpai."
I sat in silent panic, my breathing uneven as I struggled to wrap my head around what was happening to me.
"S-Senpai?"
"What's happening?" I repeated.
"You have been chosen for the first ever Holy Grail War."
"The Holy Grail doesn't exist," I mumbled, my hands trembling as they laid limp on my lap. I glanced at Mash, still unsure as to how she was standing before me.
"It does…just…not in the form many assumed. Your world talks of the grail as a cup or bowl, or even a jewel. But, that isn't what appeared over a month ago." Mash turned away, glancing towards the only door in the room, and the only thing that wasn't a stark white color. Waving her hand, a holographic screen appeared suddenly, along with an image.
The golden statue of a woman stood in the middle of the ocean; helicopters and boats surrounding her. She was posed almost identical to Bouguereau's Birth of Venus painting, except that her hands were holding a strange, glowing orb rather than her own hair. Her face was stoic, eyes closed and features tranquil and beautiful.
"Why hasn't this appeared on the news?" I wondered, still unsure about what was truly real.
"Governments all over the world have made sure it hasn't reached the public eye."
"And this is the Holy Grail?"
Mash nodded. "Beautiful…isn't it?"
I had to agree. "So…um…how do I start this?" I pointed at the screen. "Holy Grail." I pointed to myself. "Contestant? Like…fighting for the Grail?"
"Yes."
"Who else is fighting for it?"
"Every nation in the world. Each nation has chosen a group of people they deemed worthy, and will put them into battle."
"To the death," I assumed, my heartbeat quickening.
Mash frowned, seeming uncomfortable as she glanced away from me and at the screen. "Unfortunately…you are right, Senpai."
"O-Oh…" Before I could panic entirely, I asked another question: "So, if there are groups, do I have teammates?"
"No. You are on your own, Senpai. The groups are simply a way for each nation to feel they have a better chance at winning. More fighters means a better chance at the Grail. I suppose that is their way of thinking."
"You said things changed about a month ago. Is that when the grail appeared?"
"Yes."
"Why? And from where?"
"No one knows where it comes from, but it did give its purpose."
"So it speaks?" I whispered, cocking an eyebrow.
"Very little, but yes. It says…it is bored."
"Bored?" I blinked. "The Holy Grail, item full of magical power…is bored?! You must be kidding me! This battle is being started because it's bored!"
Mash grew uncomfortable again. I apologized for raising my voice, and went on to my next question.
"Okay. So I understand the world is fighting for the Grail. I'm guessing she grants a wish to the winner"—Mash nodded—"and I understand there are teams, but not teams. But…how do you come into this? Last I checked, you were a character from a fictional game I played. These marks on my body; the magical circuits, and the command seals on my hand…all this is supposed to be fake. So why is it real now? Don't tell me the games were real all along and the creators were preparing us or something."
"No," Mash giggled softly. It was the first time she smiled. "That is not it. The Grail, as I've said, is bored. And…I suppose it's found the game an interesting way to waste time"
"So, it's decided to replicate the game to satisfy its boredom."
Mash nodded.
"So I'm a master now."
Another nod.
"One servant?"
She shook her head, reaching into the pocket of her hoodie to pull out a leather-bound deck of cards. Handing them to me, Mash's lilac orbs watched intently as I pulled the cards out. Upon seeing their images, I gasped, and couldn't fight the small grin appearing on my lips.
"These are my servants. All of them. From the game." I flipped through the deck, looking at my Sabers, Riders, Lancers, and so on. The cards were beautiful. More elegant than I could have ever imagined. There were no stats at the bottom of the cards, and no stars at the top, but it still had the same decorative frame from the game, and the servant's class and name. Anything that was gold or silver actually shimmered and felt much smoother than the rest of the cards. The images of the servants were so vibrant and realistic, I could practically see them move in my hands.
"Senpai, hold one up and call their name," Mash instructed softly.
I nodded, rising from my bed, the soreness in my muscles now gone. I held up my first golden saber. "Altria Pendragon. Alter," I spoke, raising the card in front of my face.
The card glowed, then, vanished from my hands at the same moment a white light appeared before me, taking the shape of the woman I had called. In a few seconds, the light faded, and Altria Pendragon Alter stood before me.
She was shorter than I had expected, but carried an aura that made me feel much, much smaller than her. She stood proudly, chin up and sword held out before her with both her hands on the hilt. She wore the dress of her last ascension stage, but I assumed she would change into her armor in battle.
"So. You are my master?" Alter wondered, eyeing me up and down.
"This…is really happening," I mumbled, completely dumbfounded.
"Your servants will fight alongside you in battle. You can summon as many you like, however, the more you summon, the more magical energy is drained from you, Senpai," Mash explained. "So please be careful."
"Are you a servant, Mash?" I questioned.
She shook her head, appearing more down than ever before. "Since all masters achieve me at the start of the fictional game, the Grail thought it would be boring if they were all given me as a servant. So, instead, I was made into the informant for all masters."
"Ah," I nodded, a little bummed out by that knowledge. "I see…"
"Are you prepared for battle, Master?" Alter questioned, slowly and steadily walking around me. Her cold demeanor chilled me to the bone, but I knew she would not harm me.
"Honestly, I don't want to fight," I admitted, knowing all too well that my servant would hate my words. "I'm no fighter. I've never fought a day in my life, not even as a child with my siblings. But, I guess I have no choice?"
"I'm afraid not, Senpai. The magical circuits have already been put into place."
"Are you deciding to be a coward, Master? Then you can die where you stand!" Alter growled, pointing her tainted sword at my throat.
"S-Saber!" Mash gasped.
"I'm not quitting, Saber," I sighed, feeling emotionally drained already. "I can't. It's either fight…or die…and I refuse to die."
Slowly pulling away her sword, Alter nodded, seeming proud and fulfilled by my words. "Very well. I shall work alongside you until your very end, Master."
"Thank you, Altria." I looked at the golden woman on the screen. "Emma Lafayette…Master in the very first Holy Grail war…Who thought a job interview could lead to all this?"
