"Nggh..."

I don't know how long I was fainted after that battle, but now, I found myself lying in a medical room, I guess.

"Where...am I?"

"Ah, you awake?"

A girl that wears school uniform as same as me standing in front of me, a purple long haired girl. She also have a red ribbon attached on her right head. The white coat that she wears...seems like she's the one who in charge here.

"My name is Matou Sakura, nice to meet you. I glad you're safe, that was close"

"Huh? What did just happen?"

"Um, that's-"

Before she can answer my question, a door sound stopped her mouth and make us turned our head to the door. A black priest, walking toward me while hiding his hand behind his back.

"Takamiya Kawano, I apologize about what happened to you back then. Due to sudden data change, an unexpected bug occured after you passed. I will make it sure the similiar circumstance will not happen in the future"

He speak politely. After taking a breath, he continue his speech "Sorry, I haven't introduce myself, am I? My name is Kotomine Kirei. Congratulations, now you're now a combatant of the Holy Grail War. Your objective in this war is to kill your opponent with your servant, survive until there's no one left and get the Holy Grail"

"What...I don't want to kill anyone!"

"Then you have to do it now, or you will die"

I will...die?

...

Damn...indeed, we must kill each other to win the Holy Grail War. Is there nothing that I can do?

Wait...If I'm not mistaken, you can kill either the master servant or the master to win the battle. Yeah...I can win it without kill anyone, thank, god. Then...I guess I have no choice but to say...

"Fine"

A little smile formed on that black priest.

"I know you'll say that. Pardon me if I bother you, I'll take my leave, now"

Before he could reach the exit, he stopped for a moment.

"Oh, I almost forgot"

He walk toward me and give me something. It's some sort of...device, maybe?

"What's this?"

"It's your portable terminal. From now on, I will send important info to that device, it prevails to all combatants. You also can check your servant with your portable terminal. Is there anything that you want to ask?"

"For now? I guess not, thanks"

"Very well then, have a nice day"

He left. Then Sakura began to spoke.

"Um...he already told you, so I don't have to tell you anymore, right?

"Uh...yeah"

Sakura smiled, then she turned away and continue her work.

Crap...I'm in the Holy Grail War. I'm really can't do anything but deal with it.

If I have passed the preliminaries, I should have a servant, right?

...but...where is it?

As I'm thinking about it, a figure popped out before me. Surprised, my eyes became wide open as I jumped behind.

"Whoa!"

"Ah, sorry. Did I scare you?"

She has brown-black hair though she always wears a large red ribbon at the back of her head, and red tubes on her sidelocks. She wears miko uniform", but it bears little in common with the standard uniform beyond the red-and-white colour scheme. Her uniform consists of a red skirt, a sleeveless red top with a white collar, tied with a yellow ribbon, and a pair of white detached sleeves which expose her armpits and sarashi.

"No, it's okay. By the way...are you...my Servant?"

What did I say? It's already obvious, isn't it?

"Sigh...you're really forgot about what happened, aren't you?"

I shook my head, then she scratched her head as if she confused about me.

"Yeah, I'm your servant. From now on, I will be your sword and your shield"

She smiled gently and gave her hand to me.

"Nice to meet you, master"

"Y-Yeah...nice to meet you"

"Oh yeah. By the way, my class is Archer"

"Archer...huh?"

Archer...if I remembered correctly, it's one of the top three servant classes among all seven servant classes. Servants placed within this class are usually proficient with projectiles. More so than any other class, their true strength, and the qualifying condition to place in the class is determined not by their attributes; but the possession of powerful projectile weapons or special abilities related to projectile weapons.

Archer...just like it's name, it uses bow to attack its opponent, but wait a minute...something is not right, does a shrine maiden have a bow?

"So...you're Archer?"

She nodded.

"Do you have a bow?"

"No"

Well...as I expected from a shrine maiden.

"Or a ranged weapon, maybe?"

"Well...I have my amulet and my persuasion needle"

"What else do you have?"

"Well...I have my hand...and this"

A light flashed on her right hand, then a gohei appeared.

You gotte be kidding me...bare hand, paper, needle, and a gohei!? What kind of Archer is she!?

I checked my terminal. Okay...ah, the option at the top left, there's the status.

Let's see...what the!? All of her status are D except her magic and agility which is B and A!?

"What's with that annoying look, master?"

She became irritated somewhat with my surprised expression.

"Uh...sorry, I think I summoned a wrong servant"

"I HAVE saved you from your death, and this is how you repay my kindnesses!?"

Well...sort of.

"Geez...even my strength and defense is really weak, it's not like that I can kill my opponent, you know. Alright, then, I'll make you regret to misjudge me, and I won't ever forgive you when you do that"

She seemed confident about her skills, should I trust her?

"Then make me regret, Archer"

She smiled.

"Fu fu fu...Don't worry, I never fail to make anyone regret"

Phew...she finally on her happy mood again.

"So...Master, I just want to confirm it. You know about the Holy Grail War, right?"

Of course, dammit. How I shouldn't know?

"Yeah"

"Oh, good then. I don't have to-"

*BEEP! BEEP!*

"The chiper key have been generated on the first floor"

"*sigh* What a pain...we have to collect those Cipher Key before the time runs out"

"Cipher Key?"

"I forgot about the details, but it's really inportant. Why you don't ask Kotomine-san about that stuff?"

I wonder if she really don't know or she's too lazy to explain it.

Like I care...I decided to get up and get out from school medical room.

There's a lot of masters along the hall. Despite enemy, some of them still talking to each other, as if they're friends. Well...I don't have any friends here, so I think I can go looking for Kotomine without bother.

Luckily, I found Kotomine in front of the second floor stairs, giving important information to the master, or something like that.

"Uh...Kotomine-san"

He turned toward me and looking me with his cold eyes.

"What is it?"

"It's about the cipher keys..."

"Ah? That keys? They're an important codes that all masters should give to me on the day of elimination battle. Without them, you'll be automatically disqualified"

"Elimination battle?"

"At the seventh day, masters have to fight each other one by one. Of course there's only one winner. The winner survives, and the loser dies. There's two cipher keys that you must obtain, you can find them at the Arena"

"Arena?"

"The place where all master train their servant. Where you can find it? You can find it at the janitor room, the place where you attend the preliminaries. There's only one cipher key on each floor, so you don't need to rush to get them all "

"I-I see..."

"Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"..."

Hmm...He mentioned that all master have to fight each other one against one. Then, who I will fight against with?

"Who is my first opponent?"

"Ah, my apologize. I haven't tell you yet, have I? Let's see"

Kotomine checked his portable terminal. However, his annoyed expression seems told me that he doesn't have any good info.

"I apologize, seems like an error occurred once again. I'll let you know immediately once it's fixed"

"Uh...okay"

"You can find your first cipher key in the arena first floor now. Good luck, young master"

I gave my thanks and decided to leave Kotomine. Since he was busy, I better to figure the rest by myself.

"So...do you understand what he said?"

Archer popped out and asked me.

"Uh...yeah"

"My... it's really good to have a quick learner master"

Archer became happy somewhat.

"So... what're you going to do next?"

"Let's find the first cipher key"

Archer gave me a disappointed look, but she quickly changed it with sigh and a smile.

"You really want to finish your job quickly, huh, Master? Fine. If that's your wish, I don't have right to complain"

"That's good to hear"

Archer nodded.

"You don't have to say that, I'm your servant, after all. Alright, shall we get going?"

We decided to walk to the Arena together.

As I entered the arena, I felt my feet tickled by something.

"No way..."

The Arena...it's similar to the room in a cybergame that I ever played. It has blue transparent wall and floors, which makes this place a little beautiful. There's number and words flying in the sky, reminded me to algorithm codes. I can't say much, but the Arena is amazing.

"What's wrong, master?"

"N-Nothing"

"Well...to be honest, due to previous bug that Kotomine-san mentioned, I only have half of my full power now. I'm sorry to say this, but don't expect me to fight a powerful enemy today"

What? I can't believe what she just said, but judging from her eyes, I don't think she's lying.

"Then how you can make me regret?"

Archer shurgged while showing a...damn smile. Looks like she's infuriated, but also amused in the same time.

"Okay, my annoying master. How about a little demonstration with an enemy in front of us?"

"Huh?"

I'm looking forward, then I saw a snake-like monster floating fifty meter in front of us.

"What's that?"

"It's an enigma, a program that we, servants uses to train. As long we're far away from it, it won't attack us"

I see...looks like Archer only want to fight it for today.

"Now I'm waiting for your command, master"

*sigh* It cant be helped, if today isn't her prime condition, I can't force her.

"Alright, show me your power, Archer"

She smiled as she pulled out her amulets from her sleeve.

"Leave it to me"

She began to rush toward that enigma.

"GRAAARR!"

The enigma noticed her presence and began to attack her with its tail.

"Too slow!"

Archer could dodge it easily, however...

"GRAAARR!"

"UKH!"

That enigma quickly perform a headbutt attack on Archer before she can attack it, made her fell to the ground.

"Ouch! Man...I'm missed"

It's not like that you missed, it's just you who forgot to block because you want to finish it quickly, idiot.

"Are you okay?"

Archer hop from the ground and stand as if nothing happened to her.

"This is nothing, I can still fight"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Geez! Just shut up and watch me, master!"

Archer rushed toward that enigma again.

"Hiaaah!"

This time, she summoned her gohei and hit the enigma with it.

"Hiah!"

She hit it twice, then the enigma disappeared.

"Hm?"

This feeling...I think someone's watching us...an intent to kill, make me scared, but from where?

"*pant, pant* How was that?"

I decided to look around. However, that feeling is gone as fast as I began to turn my head. Then, a loud voice coming my way. Then...

"Master!"

*TAK!*

"Ouch!"

A sturdy thing just hit my head. I think Archer just hit me with her gohei.

"Oi, Archer! What was that for!?"

"Are you watching!?"

"Of course!"

Archer grumbled as she placing her left hand on her waist.

"Of course what?"

"Of course...not"

"You..."

Archer become angry and grasped her gohei tighter as if she want to hit me again with it.

Shoot! I'm just kidding!

"A-A-A-A-A-Alright, alright! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"..."

Dammit...looks like she doesn't want to forgive me.

"Ufu...ufu fu fu fu...aha ha ha ha ha!"

After she saw my miserable face, Archer burst out her laugh. Was I trapped in her game or something?

"Your face is pathetic, master! Aha ha ha ha ha!"

"Just shut up already"

Archer tried to stop her laugh. Fortunately...she could do it.

"By the way, do you already get used with those enigmas?"

"I don't know...I think I need practice a little more. W-Well...are you want to go back to the campus now? I don't mind. It's up to you, anyway"

"..."

With Archer's current condition, finding a cipher key is impossible today. Besides...we haven't know how strong all enigmas in this place, so I better not go too far and let her do some practice around here.

"Let's find some enigmas and go home"

Archer became enthusiastic. Seems like she totally agree with me.

"You really know what I'm talking about"

We decided to return Archer's fighting senses. After defeat...5-7 enigmas, we go back to the campus.

We finally home. Everything became darker than usual.

I didn't expect there's night, even in this cyber world. No one left in here, everyone must be already go home.

"Everyone have already gone home, haven't they?"

"Home? What are you talking about?"

"Huh?"

"Everyone already went to their private room and sleep"

"Private room?"

"*sigh* Follow me"

I shut my mouth and followed Archer to upstairs.

Then...she took me to my class, 2-1.

Here? So...I have to sleep with all masters in this room? Are you kidding!?

"I don't want to go there"

"Huh?"

"I don't want to die squeezed"

Archer scratched her head in confusion.

"Geez...don't worry, everyone have their private access to their room, so you won't sleep with them. In private room, we're alone"

Alone? So...there'll be only Archer and me in this room?

When I stared at Archer, her face became red all sudden.

"D-Don't give me that look, pervert! Even you're my master, it doesn't mean you can do anything to me!"

"H-Hey! What's wrong with you?"

Archer became apologetic after I asked her.

"Ah...sorry, I'm thinking too much"

I won't do that to someone who protect me, anyway.

"It's okay. So...how to enter my private room?"

"Just place your hand to that door"

I do what her said, then my vision became white, then...I'm already in another room.

"Phew, finally, now I want to refresh myself!"

Archer go to the bathroom at the right corner of this place and take a bath.

Well...this room have a lot of space. Not ony that, there's a sofa and a lot of table, which I don't know what they are for. Sleep on the sofa...I guess it won't hurt, but I wonder where Archer will sleep?

"Are you tired, master?"

She asked me from the bathroom.

"Yeah...sort of. Uh...about your place to sleep-"

"Don't worry, I can handle it by myself"

"You sure? I can help you if you want"

"No, but thanks for your offer. By the way...I haven't know your name"

"Is that important?"

Archer laughed wryly.

"I still can't fully thrust you. If you want someone to thrust you, you have to tell your name, right?"

You got me, Archer.

"Takamiya Kawano"

"Kawano...huh?"

"Okay, now what's your name?"

"..."

Archer fell silent all sudden. After a few second, she began to spoke.

"Just call me Archer"

What the hell? She's the one who talking about 'to thrust someone, you have to tell your name'. Is she trying to piss me off!?

"Don't tell me you don't have a name"

"Of course I do have a name, but...I better not to tell you just now"

"Why?"

"Because...it's a secret. If I tell you, it won't be a secret anymore, right?"

...

Fine, I don't mind if she doesn't want to tell her name, at least we already know how to address each other. Sooner or later, I'll know her name...eventually.

"Well...okay. I'm going to sleep now"

"Okay, master. Good night"

After I said 'Good night', I closed my eyes and sleep.