Again, I do not own anything related to Typemoon. If I did, I would have them make a new story about the Dead Apostle Ancestors. All credit for the characters and source material goes to Kinoko Nasu, Takeuchi and Urobochi, as well as the other writers that came after.
I Can't Believe It's Not a Game!
- Chapter I: Who's on my Support List?-
While most traditional magi were reluctant to use modern technology for their affairs beyond transportation, he had been raised by a magus who was very pragmatic and practical. Sure, he was not up to date with most developments, but Shirou was competent enough in how to use a computer, a cellphone and even the tablet that had been gifted to him by his self-proclaimed "older sister".
Now he was looking at the game he had downloaded just half an hour ago, seated inside his shed/workshop. To be precise, he was looking once more at the image that he was shown by one of the men working for Raiga-san.
It was a picture designed for one of the elements of a new mobile game, portraying a slightly older version of him. That on its own was an anomaly, since he had never agreed to have art based on him for a game, but the significance of the image was strengthened by the text accompanying it.
Projection Magecraft.
It was one of the only three spells that he had been able to learn from his father, although he tended to focus more on practicing Reinforcement.
And his link with that spell was supposed to be a secret only known to his father and him, for the sake of preserving the secrecy of Magecraft. This could only mean one thing.
Somebody knew that Emiya Shirou was a magus.
For what purpose would that somebody made this knowledge public, he didn't' know. As ignorant as he was of the affairs of the Moonlit World, Shirou had no way to predict how could this affect him in the future, or the power to do something about it.
The only way to learn more, was to access his only mean of information.
"Might as well see what this is about for myself", - he said to himself after releasing a sigh.
After starting the game, he was allowed a free "10 roll summoning".
"Alright, let's see what we get…"
Moments later, a golden Saber Card shined on the screen.
"Rin I got another CE with your face. What did you get in with your ticket?"
The person in question only stared annoyed at her cellphone, looking at the result of spending one of the tickets given as gifts for logging up daily.
"…Another False Attendant's Writings…"
She got a pat on her shoulder from her friend, with a look that offered a sense of understanding that only those playing the game could get.
Grand Order was free to play, promoted cooperation and gave special rewards to motivate both new and older players, and anyone could actually make progress in the story even if they didn't roll the strongest of Servants. And yet, the game managed to tempt people into trying the higher rate ups in hopes of getting those golden Heroic Spirits.
Except Siegfried.
Because almost nobody liked him, even going as far as creating the nickname "Sumanai-kun" for the disappointing Saber.
Seriously, if she summoned a Saber in the Grail War and she got that kind of output, she was going directly to Kotomine to kick him in the nuts, because she was sure that fake priest would be to blame somehow.
Damn those black keys and that wakame hair that tried to get into her rolls!
…
In any case, most players had experienced at one point or another the frustration of saving up the game currency only to get nothing from the gacha, she and Ayako included.
The good news was that her life after the end of the last Grail War had taught her to be stingy in spending her money, especially since Kotomine managed to lose her father's properties and wealth somehow. Having learned restraint in real life, Rin would not spend even a single yen in buying quartz, no matter the offers made by Delight Works.
Even if she had yet to get a golden Saber that was not Artoria Lily.
Cute and all, she lacked enough firepower for those bosses, while the most sought Artoria Alter boasted the strongest Anti-Army Noble Phantasm.
Well, she had managed with her Caesar until now.
"What else did you get?", -Rin asked her friend.
"My last copy of Atalanta, finally", -was Ayako's reply.
Apparently, her friend was very fond of the archer from the Argonauts, even if she was a Servant with many weaknesses. Still, in this game one could afford going the hard route for advancing in the story, since the goal was enjoying it before completing it.
And besides, Ayako now had her favorite Servant at the highest level of her Noble Phantasm, so one of the weaknesses had been covered somewhat.
…. Now that she thought about it, how had she ended up in this kind of activity?
When she had first seen the story and the elements of the gameplay, Rin had been inwardly alarmed, since nobody outside of the Moonlit World should have any piece of knowledge from the Summoning System, even less of things like her Gandr, the Azoth dagger or her ownership of the memento from her father.
Since Ayako had been in there, she had considered the idea of trying erasing her memories but quickly discarded that course of action. Not only was she uncomfortable doing that to her best friend, but it would be a pointless action if more people had already seen that information.
Instead, Rin had decided to just go along with Ayako's ideas for the time being, hoping to find an explanation different from a stalker.
It was a challenge giving half-answers, mainly because Ayako had had decided to begin a guessing game between them.
After returning home that very same day, Rin had called the fake priest to inform him of her discovery, asking for advise even when she didn't want to be indebted to him. Since she had no experience or resources of her own to deal with this kind of situation, her only choice was consulting with Kotomine.
While a poor administrator of her household finances, Kotomine Kirei could be trusted with upholding his role as Supervisor, and this also included assisting in case of a possible leak of the secrecy of Magecraft.
The man had agreed with her observation regarding how widespread the information could be even from the first day, but pointed out that most people would simply believe this to be fantasy related to the videogame. However, he added that they would have to prepare for contacting people from the Mage's Association or even the Church if they didn't' opt for disappearing from the public eye.
His suggestion was to continue the game to learn more about it, and keep their guards up for any changes or unexpected guests in the city. As they were now, their best chance could be to await while wielding the home advantage.
And so, Rin continued learning more of the game on her own to see how much vital information it contained, especially if more secrets of her family were leaked, all while thinking what she could do about her situation.
By the end of the first month since release, Rin had begun enjoying the experience of playing, since it became tiresome just waiting for something to happen.
By the time of the release of the "Septem Singularity", Tohsaka Rin had officially become a fan of Grand Order.
…
Huh, so it just happened.
Though she supposed it helped taking part in the forums related the game, where she could make her doubts known and even get some useful ideas for improving her gameplay.
In fact, in a strange way, the game had captured her attention as a simulator of sorts for the Grail War. Thinking of the possibilities for when her time came for acting as a Master for real, Rin had created the perfect excuse for herself.
Like this, a second magus in the Moonlit World had officially turned into a gamer, because the first one had been a fan of games and Japanese merchandise years before Grand Order had been released.
"Would you like another cup of tea Waver-kun?"
"Thanks grandma, but I'm satisfied with the one you offered me before", -Waver Velvet answered with a genuine smile to the old housewife.
Very few knew El-Melloi as close acquaintances, and even less had been able to get an honest, content smile from him nowadays. And Martha Mackenzie certainly knew how to prepare a nice tea, one with a feeling of welcoming and warmth.
For him, visiting the couple was the closest he ever had to some vacations, even if he only did it rarely. Still, Waver maintained this relationship since the Grail War, for their sake as well as his.
"But to think that you would become so popular that way. Why didn't you tell us that you were working for the game industry Waver", -this time it was Glenn Mackenzie who spoke.
"…. I have been busy these last months with both my work as a professor as well as my contributions to the game, and only know did I get time for myself. I apologize for not telling you before grandpa".
"That's ok, it's not like I'm interested in videogames anyway. We found out about your involvement because of the grandkids of our neighbors, since one of those characters looked exactly like you when you stayed here", -Glenn said with humor.
When the Mackenzie had brought up the topic of his appearance in Grand Order, he had told them that a friend from his times of school was part of the developers and was interested in including him as part of the characters for the final product. Waver had apparently accepted the offer since it looked like an interesting idea from his old friend, but was later surprised with how successful the game had become.
It was a good façade to offer to the Mackenzie, and could also serve if he played his cards right in order to mitigate the damage that the leak could cause.
And speaking of leaks, the first singularity of the game had picked his curiosity in more ways than his appearance as a Servant.
While not completely faithful to the workings of the Grail War that he participated in, there were enough parallels to guess that the developers were familiar with the ritual. This was reinforced by other facts, like names and spells related to the Three Founding Families being included in the game, or that some of the Servants that could be summoned had been in HIS Grail War.
Now he knew the name of the Black Berserker that had caused so many troubles to Saber and gotten the spite of the King of Heroes.
While it could be assumed WHO was the most plausible person behind this mess, Waver Velvet was still concerned about this coincidences, so he decided to ask his grandparents about the current state of their home.
"Tell me, how has the city been since, you know…"
"Ah, yes. The city has recovered a great deal since the Great Fire and most have continued forward with their lives. But for such a tragedy to happen… so many good people lost their lives that night, even some of our friends"- Glenn replied with a somber tone that made Waver feel uncomfortable.
The night when they have all watched the news of the disaster that would be known as the Great Fuyuki Fire, Waver had the feeling that it had to do with the last battles of the Holy Grail War. After going through the new game and its details regarding a future outcome of the one to come, he was concerned of the possible repeat of the disaster, one of the reasons behind his visit that he did not reveal to Reines.
None of the members of the Archibald would condone making a sudden trip for personal affairs, especially with his current situation due to his inclusion in the leaks of information.
Martha decided to add more to their reminiscence, interrupting his inner monologue.
"And we still have reminders of it. Like the Central Park in Shinto, where the City Hall and many houses were located. Now, nobody approaches it unless necessary, as everyone gets such a bad feeling from it."
That caught his interest.
"A bad feeling?", -Waver asked her to go on.
"Yes, a very bad feeling, - Martha continued – "On one Sunday, we decided to take a walk through the Shinto District to see how much it had changed since the fire. At one point we decided to take a look by ourselves at the park and as we got close… there was this very unpleasant feeling in my gut. Not even a minuted passed after we stepped into the park, and I actually begged Glenn to go back home, which he immediately agreed to. That place felt so wrong, so full of sadness and misery… we felt that if we stayed any longer we would never be able to return", - she finished.
In the meantime, Waver was thinking on what she was saying with a more critical outlook.
A place that made people feel uncomfortable to a severe degree, located in the area that suffered the most from the fire.
A place that carried negative feelings even after almost ten years have passed.
And if he remembered the game correctly, that was the location of the Ground Zero, where the singularity of 2004 that destroyed all Fuyuki had started from.
It was then that Waver Velvet came to a realization.
Possibly the creation of somebody with knowledge of the events of the Grail War, his initial conclusion had been that the game built its own story borrowing information from real events. The only real risk it represented was that if the leak of information became vital for the interests of an important family people would be pointing fingers at him, even without proof, just because he appeared in the game.
A situation that was far from grave, but that could potentially escalate into something more troublesome should he just leave it be.
But Martha's tale was hinting on the existence of something akin to a Bounded Field in the middle of Shinto.
While varying in effects, the basis behind a Bounded Field was to impose a particular set of rules in a determined area, with the strongest ones being able to temporarily replace the "Real World" with that created from the casters inner perception, a Reality Marble.
Now, Bounded Fields were usually used for one reason: to conceal something or someone.
The connection was weak, probably an exaggeration from his part. But…
If there was truly a Bounded Field in Shinto…
If there was something hidden in there with the potential to create a disaster on a greater scale than the Fuyuki Great Fire...
For someone bearing the title of Lord El-Melloi II, this should not concern him. Magi were not heroes, far from it. He should let the Second Owner take care of whatever was going on and, after making a little suggestion and checking on the name "Emiya", he would return to the Clock Tower.
Unfortunately, he was Waver Velvet before he had been given the title of Lord.
No matter how cold he could behave in front of others, no matter how many strangers he could ignore… Waver Velvet had been Waver Mackenzie at one point of his life.
Even now, he had been drinking tea and talking about the happenings of his life and those of the Mackenzie family without pretending to enjoy the company. Because he liked them.
Because he cared.
So even if it ended up being a waste of time-
"And to think that Shirou-kun was at one point in that place during the disaster", -Waver was pulled once again from his mind by the voice of his "grandma", who had just mentioned a name that ringed a bell.
"Shirou-kun?"
"Emiya Shirou, a very nice teen from the traditional part of Miyama Town,"- Glenn added - "He was very helpful at a time we needed some help with repairs for the house, even offering to do all the work for free. We met the boy indirectly, through an old friend of mine who currently owns a liquor shop and pub called Copenhagen. To go to the point, there was a time during his visits in which we talked about his life, particularly about his family. We learned that Shirou was rescued by his foster father after he was found in the middle of the ruins of the Central Park. God knows what the poor kid witnessed at the time of the fire."
'So Emiya is related to a kid who survived the Fuyuki Fire?'
"And then his foster father died about two years ago, leaving him in the care of the Fujimura. However, he started to work just a year later to become more independent and not burden them. I have seen few teenagers with such a sense of responsibility for themselves, and so willing to help others", -the older man finished.
"Yes, in spite of the bad experiences of his life, Shirou-kun is a kind and hardworking young man. I think you would like him", -Martha was looking at Waver as she said this with a smile once more adorning her face.
For his part, the Lord Magus was pondering on these revelations, finding more interesting than before the existence of the name Emiya in the game. But before acting on his intuition he needed to finish his visit.
"I'll think about it grandma, I'm staying in Fuyuki for a couple more of days, perhaps a week if nothing sudden happens at work. For now, I must leave to deal with the more professional affairs that brought me here".
"Just like before, you only stay for a short time before going around the city. Really, what a busy man you are Waver-kun", -Martha said with false annoyance - "be sure to visit again if it's not too much to ask, alright?"
Waver was getting up already but still replied honestly.
"I may not be your true grandson, but I still consider both you and your husband as family. It will never be a bother to find time for another talk, so long as I am here."
As the happy couple bid him goodbye, Lord El-Melloi reviewed his current priorities.
Making a visit to the Central Park in order to confirm the existence of a Bounded Field.
Confirm with both the Supervisor and the Second Owner their knowledge of this magecraft should it exist in there.
Find out more about the fate of Emiya Kiritsugu and the boy related to him.
Compare his result with what he has learned from the game.
... and gather enough quartz for a 10 roll in hopes of getting another copy of his younger liege.
…
So sue him, it was a good game!
While a Lord from the Clock Tower, a self-proclaimed third rate magus and an Average One/Second Owner were trying to deal with the changes brought in their lives by the mysterious yet fascinating game, others outside of Fuyuki had been involved as well.
For starters, the heiress of a family who had a bone to pick with the Tohsaka.
While a family with a long history behind them, The Edelfelt were nowhere near as stagnant as many of the other families, included the ones behind the founding of the Heavens' Feel Ritual. Many of their members preferred to work as enforcers and mercenaries and, even if their modus operandi were not that of the Magus Killer, the Edelfelt had no qualms with using modern technology both in their work as well as in helping with their daily lives.
As a result, it was not strange for the Edelfelt to have interests in the novelties from the non-magical side of the world, be it for making profit trough investments or simply to keep themselves up to date.
Of course, this included using the internet.
Which was how the current head, Luviagelita Edelfelt, found out about a game of all things talking about the Grail War.
It had been an unexpected result, with Luvia being curious about the current state of affairs in Fuyuki City.
Since their defeat in the Third Holy Grail War, the Edelfelt had been waiting for a chance to get back at the Tohsaka for both their loss and the stealing of their Gem Magecraft-Antumbra. None of their members had been chosen by the time of the Fourth Grail War and there was no guarantee that it would be different in the next one, but they were nonetheless preparing themselves just in case. For only the foolish would jump at the first chance without making sure they were up to the challenge.
The fate of the previous Lord El-Melloi was proof enough.
Therefore, Luvia had been preparing herself, gathering information and looking from time to time for information on both the Tohsaka as well as the city in which she would bet everything.
Just for curiosity, she had decided to search through the internet.
Now, two months and a half after the release of Fate Grand Order, Luvia was walking through the halls of the house that had been property of her ancestors and their base of operations during their time in the Grail War. Two things had changed since her fateful discovery.
Primarily, the Edelfelt Head had decided to establish herself in Fuyuki decades before the supposed date of the next Holy Grail War.
Secondly, said head had become a fan of the game, much to her butler's dismay.
At the same time, an Enforcer who had claimed independence from her family was sleeping in the woods.
Why she didn't sleep in a comfortable bed in a hotel room was the result of her current financial status.
She had been given an interesting message by an old acquaintance of hers, and she had ended up glued to a game which had been inspired in the Holy Grail War.
Reason being, the game had among its characters the famous Cu Chulain.
For anyone familiar with the luck-based rolls of the game, the rarity of this Lancer Class Servant made it possible to eventually acquire all necessary copies for his Noble Phantasm, even if the player stuck with Friend Points.
However, the enforcer in question had been blessed with a strange luck.
When it came to planning and direct combat, she managed to play her cards right to achieve victory or escape with her life to try a next time.
But outside of battle, and especially in handling her money, she was blessed with suck.
In particular, none were aware that she had been the only player in the game who had yet to roll any version of Cu Chulain. Aside from the reward Caster from the prologue, she had none.
And yet… she really, REALLY, wanted to get all of them, fully ascended and with their Noble Phantams and skills at their maximum.
And so, she rolled.
And rolled.
When she had no more quartz or tickets, she payed….and kept rolling.
Months later, she had used most of her savings to pay her debts. Adding the inexplicable lack of employers interested in hiring her during the next days, the enforcer had ended up doing odd jobs that eventually got her into Fuyuki.
When she had discovered that she lacked enough money to pay a room for the night, she had tried hypnotizing the manager, only to find that the man was resistant to the spell and didn't like people playing the fool.
She was kicked out and left to her own devices.
Which lead to her current situation.
Hopefully, the enforcer thought, she could find a job the next day.
At least she had bound her account.
Outside of Fuyuki, somewhere in the European Continent, two of the most powerful characters in the Moonlit World had brought strange changes to their organizations.
Within the headquarters of the Burial Agency, both young and old Executors wondered what was wrong with their fearsome leader these last couple of months. Even the top numbers, those who directly interacted with her, seemed to be clueless.
With the exception of Crown.
That priest just kept looking smug and even released some snorts every time something happened.
Like that time when their leader had banned carrying Black Keys in her presence unless it was deemed extremely necessary. She actually threatened to demote anyone without justification to cleaning duties.
Or that time she had openly cursed the name of one of her former agents, and for some reason "seaweeds".
And sometimes, one could hear her laughing like a maniac, as if she had found a way to completely humiliate and kill both the Queen of the Clock Tower and the Black Princess.
Somewhere in the Netherlands, a black knight was just as confused.
He was one of the oldest of his kind (as well as one of the strongest), so there were little challenges he was unprepared for.
Be it politics, gathering wealth and influence, or crushing anyone that was deemed a threat, The Black Knight would find a way to fulfill his duties.
All for the sake of the Princess.
Even if her commands were strange.
"My most loyal sword. I have a mission of great importance that only you can be entrusted to complete. Go to the city of Fuyuki and find the people whose names I just mentioned to you".
"Understood, my Lady", -he answered with his voice not betraying any emotion. He had always been known as a very stoic character, speaking only when and as much as necessary.
But before allowing him to depart, it seemed she wanted one more thing.
"Oh, and don't forget to press that priest in regards of his annoying habit. If he is being a pest on purpose…. make sure he knows of my displeasure for being denied what I want"- she finished viciously.
"As you wish, my Lady".
And so, he went to make ready for departing, making sure to arrive to his destination by the next morning.
Strange reasons behind her commands or not, The Black Knight would fulfill his duties with utmost devotion and success.
All for the sake of his Princess.
Morning had come to Fuyuki City.
For most, it was just another day for work and school, or perhaps to take care of their homes and families.
For many of the younger generation, it was another day to enjoy themselves, especially with the game that had recently become the hype.
For Emiya Shirou, this was a morning filled with many questions which he could not answer on his own. Still, the game had left an impression on him and he decided that he needed some time for himself after school.
He knew exactly where.
And without his knowledge, he had chosen a common destination.
A/N: The wait has ended, friends. To celebrate that i pulled Waver and two Jackies in NA with a 10 roll, I give you the next chapter.
I'm happy so many people liked the prologue, and welcome the comments regarding ideas as well as proofreading. For the later, I'm not sure if this chpater is better but I will try more for the next one.
By the way, don't whale as Ziss did on his last video, that was just insanity.
Review, enjoy, comment. See you all soon.