Introduction
Day 1
Resurrection
A chilling state that leaves me paralysed, though doesn't make me feel by any means terrified, nor am I anxious of what awaits me in my future, as it is a state I am quite familiar with, it's not unusual at all.
I feel no pain, nothing that makes my body feel any kind of uncomfortable motion, but nothing pleasing either. It's as if truly, my body is rendered disabled, without any means of having to feel any kind of sense. It's very calming, my own sanctuary.
Sometimes it's different. I may experience something that is truly frightening, or something that is pleasing to the eye, yet I do have no care for them, as they are only figments of my imagination, an image created by my brain, corresponding to what I may be thinking.
Alone, in endless space; no one is looking for me, and I have no means of looking for my goal, as this is what I have been looking for- a sanctuary from my problems- to be taken away and left in solitude for all of eternity
My very own space where I may feel at peace, no emotions that may overwhelm my body and mind, knowing that if I wanted it to become a part of my seclusion, it will never happen, as I may only hope for it, but to that, at least I will feel in harmony.
This is a part of my life, or IS it a part of life, or is it some space in time that leaves us, giving us a slight chance to feel at ease, away from others who may be annoying to interact with, but me myself, this is a place where I may feel most at ease.
No one may interrupt me, I feel as if my life has been lost in a small interval of existence, providing me with what I have been truly seeking for my whole life, it's… joyous.
Humf, saying that I feel something in an environment where I may feel little to no emotion, but truly, it is possible, I do feel, as I had said, joyous.
But I have no right yet to spend my eternity in this heavenly place. I have many worries that I might as well put aside to experience this for the rest of my mind that still remains to exist, but this is only temporary, one day though, I will come to this place again, with the entrance being sealed behind me, with the key thrown away into the endless abyss where it is impossible to retrieve, that day will one day come for me, but for now…
I awake from my post-mortem state, being signalled by my one true enemy- the alarm clock.
Six days a week, I must be disturbed by this evil machine that ends my wonderful dreams. Every time I wake up, I get a sudden urge to smash it into peaces and continue my wonderful experience, which is sleep.
But alas, I have no means of being late for school, and rarely do I ever have difficulty to get out of my comfort, but hearing the ringing noise in my ear almost every day leaves me irritated.
Quickly, I grab the bellowing object and press the switch to end it's tolling, and it is finally quiet again.
At least the weather seems nice outside: the sun illuminates its rays through my bedroom window and blinds me with it's light.
So, you happen to work against me as well, my wonderful sun. I truly thought that you were on my side, and not working in the mastermind plot of relieving every living being of their rest.
But you do one thing that alarm clocks don't do, and that is not being irritating to the ear, screaming "Wake up! It's time for your daily rounds", you're very natural, and you put me in a better state in the morning by filling me up with energy to get me out of bed.
Yet, my sheets are so comfy, I am truly having a difficult time getting up and ready. Would five more minutes be enough, truly not! I would need AT LEAST another hour of sleep to finally get up, but I am very busy during the day, even in the morning.
And besides, if I don't get up, I'll end up sleeping past school, and that can't happen for me, on no conditions am I to be late for my classes.
So, trying to part myself from my warm sheets, I rise from my pillow and am greeted by another shine of light, which miraculously leaves me dazed and blinded.
I feel as if a TV has been turned on in my head and the thing that I am able to see is static, it leaves my head shooked, but it only lasts for a second.
The scene of static is erased from my mind as I land on my carpet with my feet, being met with a usual view of my bedroom wall with furniture.
The hardest part has been completed, getting out of bed is always a drag, but that is what every student experiences every morning, especially for school.
The wooden floor must be cold as usual, and I don't plan on getting cold feet, so I put on my comfy cat slippers that a friend gifted me. I've been using these every day: They're warm and comfy, with the inside being layered in a thick layer of cotton, and it is quite easy to walk around in them.
The bed wasn't very messy, as to my fortune, I hadn't moved much in my sleep, so I make the bed in only a matter of seconds.
I didn't have much trouble getting out of bed today as usual. Yesterday I had to push the alarm again and throw it across the room to motivate myself on getting up, and it was successful, but to do that I had to pull myself on the cold hard floor and get my sleep wear dusty.
Next I should take a shower, like a regular human being in the morning, or at least the people that actually do shower after waking up. Everyone should in fact be doing it, as it leaves you more energised, well, maybe some don't have much time for a quick cleansing, but I do it every morning, and if needed, find time for it if even after waking up late.
Then I set of to take my shower. I'll have plenty of time even after that before I have to leave for school.
A warm shower gives me plenty of energy to walk around in the morning and fully be awakened. I truly adore the sensation that you can feel once you have exited the showering cabinet: clean and fragrant.
It doesn't take me too long to finish cleaning myself, as I just rinse myself with warm water, apply a homemade shampoo onto my hair, lather it for about a minute so that everything is absorbed into my strands, then proceed to wash myself with shower gel and… I guess I shouldn't get too much into detail.
Just ten minutes is enough, then I feel much refreshed and better about myself. I only use special homebrewed body products that I make myself. Researching particular ingredients and actually mixing them took me a heck of a while once I had started making them, but the effort was all worth it, as my body is completely healthy with the herbs that I use and not using any synthetic chemicals and normal body products.
Same goes for toothpaste, I mix organic ingredients into the paste and add a certain amount of mint so that it is extra fresh, but not too irritating on the teeth, and these products usually last for a while, as I make them in an abundance once I have free time, and even if my stock did ran out, I could just make some more, it's truly not that big of a deal…
Strange… did I add too much acid components into the paste, or did I just brush a bit too hard onto my gums?
What I see, is that the foam from the toothpaste that I had spat out, contains a very reddish colour.
I had added no dye into the paste, I just left it bland white, but the foam is now a very reddish pink.
It's my blood.
But I don't feel as if I brushed my gums too hard and scraped them, nor do I feel any slight pain, so the blood isn't coming from my mouth.
To reassure myself on the situation, I look forward at the medium sized mirror above my basin and look at my pale face, and am truly, met with something peculiar.
Blood is coming out of the left side of my eye, exiting from behind the eyeball. I can feel no pain though, nor does my head hurt in anyway- I feel completely stable, but my eye… it continues to bleed still bleeding. Not only that, my rights is letting out a small flow of blood as well.
I repeat and wash my face again with water. The splash sends drops onto the marble tiles and the bathroom rug.
More blood mixed with water drops into the basin and washes down the drain in a clockwise manner, and I take a near towel and dry my wet facials.
And now my favourite towel has a pinkish mark on it- an added pink spot on the white cotton towel. I should be able to wash it of with hydrogen peroxide, but for now I am more worried about my bleeding socket.
Thankfully, no more blood is exiting my socket, and the only result is the pink spotted towel that I will have to clean in a later time. I don't have to take care of the stain as soon as possible, I have other same towels, so that can wait.
Doesn't seem as if the area around my eye is in any way injured, and I am positive that the area behind the eyeball is intact as well, so no injury was the cause of this bleeding, and I didn't feel any pain…
A bit of usefulness has finally been spotted. Hehehehe, I've been waiting for this moment.
My head hurts… a little, like… something is squeezing it, not too much, but as if a vice is slowly squeezing my brain, though it doesn't hurt, more like… an unpleasant feeling inside my skull.
I topple from the motion sickness, my vision becomes blurred, but I manage to become stable with another splash of water to my face.
Wet again, and my towel fell off of me. Now I am standing in front of a figure in the nude.
I feel… different.
No, not the fact that there I am standing naked in front of my mirror, gazing at my reflection as if I am met with a total stranger…
But it is.
I can't recognize my own reflection. My own flesh and blood. Myself.
My reflection and I look exactly the same in body, yet in mind, they have a…
Why are you surprised? Shouldn't there be something else that is more important then looking at our naked body, your reflexion, is the exact same thing. That is you. Besides, something is much more important than this.
I'm… the same as always. But there is something foreign, inside of me, something that has just been… implanted into the inside of my body.
A supply… of mana.
Is it truly what I think it is. Something that I've been thinking all this time, something that I have tried and tried to get all this time.
Yet, why is it there? It's somewhere inside of me. But why isn't it on my hand like it should be, typically, practically, traditionally.
But that… is not all.
I'm getting awkward just staring at myself naked, so I should wrap the towel around myself.
Another towel- the one with the red blood stain. I wrap it around myself to cover my private parts, and I pick up the one that untied itself and put it in the hamper.
My eye, it didn't feel like anything was wrong with its functions, even from the bleeding, my vision is stable and I feel fine now, and that is… the problem.
I am only able to see the world around me, as it should be for everyone, but the way I see the world in this state, it has been in a long time since then.
And I can conclude that the reason for that is for the strange object that is know interrupting my usual field of vision.
Even though, it was truly hard to deal with it for all of these years, I was going to have a high advantage in my future, even though it was the only thing that I was able to experience, not being able to control it with my will, it was always there, an unusual, maybe even otherworldly sight.
But with it did come with other benefits that had high means for me, but for now it seems that it has ceased, been deactivated for the time being… hopefully.
And even though I am not able to use it, I will have to result to other measures that are available for me, since there is no other option for me.
Yet, as I said before, I still look exactly the same. No other feature that could be visible by just looking at me has been added, I'm the same old regular me.
As I inspect my eyeball a bit more in the mirror, truly, there is nothing different about it, only a bit of blood on my eyelid, but that is it. I see no foreign matter, so it can only mean that it is now somewhere in my body.
Maybe that headache could've meant something specific, on where it is located, but how unusual…
"…"
"…"
"…"
And I am met with it. Only for a second, less, actually, I am able to see the foreign object.
My head had been momentarily dazed, and the strange matter was finally visible to me, as if it was a vision.
A red, three piece mark, made out of a triple patterned sigil- the object that is interfering with the flow of mana in my brain.
The Command Seal.
And it isn't just my imagination making it up. I can sense the new source of magical energy in my head that I have never dealt with before, so that is clear.
Truth to speak, I am not surprised, nor am I disturbed by it, as I have been aiming on obtaining them for quite some time now. Thinking that it would only be a string chance that I would actually be provided with it for my efforts, but it is now clear…
I am a part of something serious, a more sincere thing which shouldn't be thought jokingly.
The Holy Grail War.
And now, that my only trump card has been periodically deactivated, or so I hope so, my plans that would've insured my victory a hundred percent have been thrown out the window, meaning that I will have to result to other options.
It will definitely be difficult for me, but whatever does happen, I will only have the option to accept it for what has been done, if it cannot be fixed so be it, but all that I know is, is that I have been chosen as a participant in this Holy Grail War.
A battle between mages, a goal to obtain the most powerful item known to man, the grand chalice of wishes – The Holy Grail.
Indeed, the one true Holy Grail that grants the one bearing it with whatever they desire, be it for good or evil, the reason does not matter, as the only task in this battle is to obtain it.
Even if my position has been slightly adjusted differently, I will only find other means to advance, I will not give up that quickly. It's just the start, and I would put a bad reputation for myself if I had forfit that easily.
I will…
Die a meaningless death without accomplishing anything, nothing in my name that could be remembered, like an object that only had one purpose- to die, and so that happened, by finally succumbing to the statuses, realizing, that there is truly no chance in Hell that you could do anything, unless...
… Do what will be best in advancing in the Holy Grail War, as my goal, as a magus, is to obtain it like all the other mages.
But for now, I shouldn't waver because of the fact that I am now a Master. The Holy Grail War will not get in the way of my education, so for now I should focus more on getting ready to go out.
Even though I wasted about half more time in the bathroom than I usually do in the mornings, I still should have enough time to make boxed lunch and drink some tea before heading out.
One positive fact about having your Command Seals not being located on the surface of your body is that it would be near impossible for enemy Masters to distinguish an opponent from a normal individual, so I don't even have to bother about covering the mark which should be on my palm, since it is pretty much located somewhere inside my head. An enemy Master isn't just going to randomly cut open my scalp and check for a Command Spell, I would die before they even found out.
Though I'll have to manually remember how many of them are left after, IF, I use them, since I only have three. Though of course, I'll try by any means necessary to avoid using any of them, or my rights as a Master will be terminated.
Crap, they're bleeding again, I have to get a towel before…
Too late, my white shirt already is covered by droplets of blood, I'll need to change into another one. Well, I guess it would be better to use another one, even though I just started using this yesterday, but yesterday's evening efforts of ironing it have gone to waste.
My head feels a bit irritated, more then before, I need to…
What I wanted to say is that I need to lay a bit on my bed for it to clear up, as my vision is getting more static and blurry, but not only my shirt will be covered in red if I do that, and it doesn't matter anymore- I think that, as my feet lose balance and I topple, as if been hit by solar beams.
My position was right at the corner of my desk, on which I do my homework and other hobbies: perfectly angled with my head, so as I fall, the side of my skull will hit the rock hard wood corner and not only scrape, but smash my skull in, deforming my brain, maybe even damaging the sigil if it is located anywhere near that region of my brain. I'll die instantly from blunt force trauma to the head, and I doubt my damaged brain matter will have any ways of being fixed.
I'll be laying one the floor, slowly bleeding from the gash in my head. Not many people come here, so my body will not be found unless my usual absence at school will be noticed, my decaying corpse will only be found once that happens.
"I'll die without accomplishing anything- a meaningless end for me, and I didn't even do anything, dying such a pathetic death before the war has even started"- it would be better for you, a quick offing, better that getting stabbed and only dying after a couple of minutes from bleeding, you should just accept it, as you aren't capable of even standing up right from a small headache, oh how quant of you.
Is there even a point for trying to move in any way, like moving my head to the side as to not land on the hard corner, or holding my hands to the front of my face to shield it from landing?
(Bam!)
My hands worked automatically. By sensing danger, they faced up in front of me and instead of shielding myself from the impact, I grabbed onto something that was on the desk and topple to the side, avoiding my death.
I have escaped from Death's grasps this time, but now I am finding a difficult time of trying to get up from the cold floor.
I can only see red through my eyes. I'll have to go clean the blood away again. If this kind of thing happens in school, I will be in quite a predicament. I will probably be sent to the hospital for a doctor to check if I have any internal head injuries.
Blood is covering the floor, oh no, I have to act quickly. NO, my carpet!
Covering my bleeding eyes with my left hand, I swiftly run to the bathroom.
Thank goodness no blood got to the carpet, it's expensive, and cleaning out the stain would prove a rather hard challenge.
There wasn't too much, I only had to use one piece of paper towels to clean the bloody mess, and it seems that my eyes have stopped bleeding, at least for now.
With the only mess being the case which I had grabbed on while falling, with a couple of scattered books in the area.
Not too much of a mess, just pushing everything together and pilling them up should take care of the mess in a jiffy.
Seems that not only my note books had fallen out of it, looks as if my Student Identification has become a part of the turmoil.
Even though I only made it last year when I transferred, I'll need to make a new one since its expiring.
Name: Matasa Gorichi
Sex: Female
Junior
…
How have I been ignoring this?
They messed up my gender.
Am I that much feminine to be classified as a girl? They should've interviewed me more and not just going to conclusions, especially with my gender!
Well, at least they didn't get anything else wrong. My name is right, I am sixteen years of age, and to that, a junior.
I'll have to change this as soon as possible. Great, just more things added to my to do list, as if I didn't have anything else that I had to do. But I guess it is my own fault, as hadn't noticed it when I was provided with my student identification. I am quite oblivious, so that people might start making fun of me.
They would start laughing at me, calling me names, someone who can't keep up with regular information which is provided to them, an idiot, a… worthless… individual.
You're not a freak, just an incompetent human with no simple functions which a normal human would have, which lead you to being an irregular cause which shouldn't be bothered with, simply like a used piece of paper that has lost its meaning, being left on the side of a rainy road, soaking up all the water and becoming much more meaningless. Not a huge difference to say the least.
Oh, my brooch fell out from my choker, probably when I had hit the floor.
I shouldn't even think about loosing it, it's the most important thing to me at the moment- a priceless jewel that I should treasure more than anything else.
It's a family heirloom, quite old, much more older than me in times.
I put it on my choker that I keep everyday. I sort of treat it as a… charm of hope in sorts, something that is giving me a reason to do particular things.
I put it back in the holster in my choker and firmly shut the corners, so that it doesn't fall out as easy next time, while also finishing putting my papers back into the leather case.
Hope no blood was absorbed into the pages, especially any important ones, but most of them flied a bit away from the drops of blood that were on the floor, so that shouldn't be the case that is awaiting me later.
This morning was totally unpredictable in my part. Finding out that I was chosen to be a Master in the Holy Grail War and almost dying from a fall was not expected to have occurred.
And I still need to change into a different clean dress shirt, as I can't be going to school with one smeared in my blood. It's not an occasion where I can come into school with bloody clothes.
How I wished today was Sunday…
Before I had changed into a new dress shirt, a genius idea had came into my mind, well, it wasn't technically genius as to be a discovery worth a golden prize, but it was a rather great idea.
I had come up with the idea of just changing right before I was going to exit the house, because like everyday, I had other duties that were a part of my daily chores that were needed to be done, which did have a chance of resulting to me getting a bit of my clothes possibly dirty.
So to avoid smearing my changes of shirts, I had invested into accomplishing them while still wearing the bloody one.
I had to make breakfast and lunch. I was wearing an apron, but my sleeves and shoulders weren't very much protected by it.
Thankfully, I hadn't added egg or soy sauce stains to the blood droplets on my shirt, but it was still better than changing into a fresh one and risking staining it as well.
Breakfast was quite delicious if I do say so myself: a bowl of perfectly cooked rice, with a side of spiced miso soup with cooked salmon.
The exquisite taste made me want to savor it for as long as possible, but with the amount of time I had was not possible, so I had quickly finished it up and cleaned the dirty plates.
After that I still had a quarter of an hour before I had to go out to have a calm five minutes with a nice cup of tea.
A warm cup of nice green tea, made from cactus peels, mint leaves and aloe vera, it had such a wonderful taste I indulged myself in a second cup, even after that I had a quick third one as well.
I even had a slight thought of having a fourth one, but I had to save some time to go put on another dress shirt and be one my way, so I held myself from it, only relying on the though that once I had returned from school, I could have as many delightful cups as my heart pleased.
And now I'm here, applying my shoes before I head out of here, making my way to school through the streets of Fuyuki.
I hope there this is nothing that I am overlooking that I may need later… Doesn't seem like it, I have everything that is the most of importance to me.
Except my lunchboxes, oh how absent-minded of me. How could I forget such an important object? My future self would not forgive me if I had left them here to spoil and leave myself starving at school, not to mention my friend would be disappointed as well if I had not brought them their share, they would hate me.
They would…
If someone hated you just for such a simple thing like forgetting to bring a box of food to school while there would be an alternative just sounds pathetic of them. They would only want to find a reason to hate on you, then again, your freckled over-looking mind does seem to emit such a lovely sight to make fun of, so I wouldn't blame them that much.
Making fun of you would rather make their day, much to that you forgetting to bring the food would've been indeed worth it, so why don't you just forget to bring it on purpose, oh they would hate you even more if you told them that you didn't bring it because you just didn't want to, bring your own damn lunch why don't you, insult them to the brink of beating you for rising up for yourself.
It would be like those old times, you would cry, and it would hurt so much, some will be looking at you, and some will look away, not even bothering to help such a worthless shit like you, not even asking others for help, you're that worthless!
I'm glad that that came through my mind, I wouldn't want to deal with the consequences of having forgotten it, then again, I could just run back here during break and bring them, but it I will have less worries and more free time if I just take them now.
Would I be forgiven? Would I be forgiven even by myself? I don't really think… that I would for such an easy yet important thing.
I would be hated. And I would hate myself.
Now that I am finally exposed to the weather conditions, I can tell that it is much colder than it is indoors, signalling the coming of low temperatures in the near upcoming future.
A bit over zero degrees; a mix between the ending of winter and the coming of spring in the blue sky.
I say that because normally during winter the atmosphere outdoors would feel a bit monochromic and chilly, yet the current weather has been mixed with the coming of spring.
Colourful, though the roundabouts of the slow wind in the air makes the surface of my body feel a bit brisk, though it is bearable.
It's relatively quite a nice day today, a bit silent as well, as I have seen very little vehicles driving beside me on the streets, I counted at the least three, or maybe even five, well, I heard the two from the distance, so I assume that doesn't really count.
Well all I can say is that I have a very voluminous space of silence around me, only a bit of car sounds that don't give me much of an annoyance. I feel at bliss.
I guess it's obvious that to find this kind of an occasion isn't very rare, since it is the home district part of town, so very little cars can be seen here, not as much as in the city I mean.
But what drives me in a different state that usual is the obvious reason that is now- it's too empty, too quiet, too little actions.
Besides the vehicles, I have encountered exactly zero people on my way to my destination: no students, no neighbours that walk their house pets around this time of day, and behind the windows in some of the houses seem to only reflect the streets, without any figure standing on the other side enjoying their morning breakfast.
Could the driving vehicles that I have been seeing since earlier be citizens driving away from the home district as to some sort of disaster, providing a reason as to why it seems so empty here on the streets? Has some sort of incident happened that I should know about…?
My turn around the corner proves my curiosity. Indeed, something truly interesting has happened here, with most of the people being located in one area.
Police cruisers can be seen surrounding one particular modern Japanese style house. Police tape has been extended near the entrance of the building, restricting none-professionals from entering the place of the incident.
It must be something eye-catching that has happened in there, as there are ten times more people then there are police officers, trying to take a look as to what has happened.
Through the crowd I am able to spot something on wheels being pushed into the back of an ambulance- a gurney, with a dead corpse on it, being covered with a black sheet to cover up the disfigured body.
A murder, but it doesn't seem as if there was only one victim to this incident.
Another gurney can be seen coming out of the house. The arm of the victim dangles from the side, dripping blood.
This is the path I usually take to go to school. Some mornings I am greeted by the resident of this house, a woman in her late thirties. I've never known her personally, but she was rather friendly to bother greeting me every time she had the chance, but this is just one of those days that she is not.
Unfortunately, my path is blocked by the curious residents and there doesn't seem to be an opening I could take.
A short alley should take me past the house if I go back to the corner and cross some blocks, which shouldn't take me too much time.
I don't want to be involved in the police department's investigation into this horrible incident. Of course I am curious of who the culprit might be, but I don't see as to why it should be really my business. The police are going to be investigating and asking around, especially the people that are standing and surveying the murder house, so having me be a generic part of it would be trouble.
The police may find the one who was responsible for the murders, or they may not, in any way, I cannot have myself be involved in their work.
It would be better if I'm not seen by anyone until I have left the area.
Fortunately, most of the people in my area were truly shocked, yet interested in this occurrence and were either staying in their homes or where near the home of the incident, so I didn't have to encounter any people since I had gone past the curious crowd of people.
The police weren't surveying any homes as to ask if they had seen anything during the murders, probably because of the overwhelming amount of people right next to the scene of the murders.
The empty streets are dead of people, yet still a lively atmosphere around here, despite the horrible episode that had happened around here.
It will be forgotten in a couple of days though. The culprit might get apprehended and put to jail for their crimes, or they will be left unknown.
But that didn't really affect my walk to my destination. I didn't have to navigate through the large crowd to make my way to the other side, and I wasn't seen by the police and questioned.
I can already spot the residence behind the high trees, barely, but I do recognize them. I come here almost everyday when I feel like it.
The biggest building which can be distinguished from all the other ones around the district, a bit secluded as well, as if it has its own part, not being joined up with the other small houses around here.
It's a bit similar to mine- they're both pretty much mansions, but in architectural design, and in structure they differ quite a lot, but they're both tagged as western buildings, which do in fact seem quite unusual to be in a region which is mostly made out of modern Japanese style accommodations.
Though I am quite glad I had the wish to come here today. It's not always that I get to have some company while walking to school.
And I won't have to bother with looking for them during lunch break to hand them their part of lunch, as I can just give it to them once we meet in a second.
Being an older type of a Western style house, which still contains some of it's more venerable features, there isn't a doorbell located anywhere near the door, so a loud knock is needed to signal the residents of sudden guests.
Even though I couldn't imagine how a knock could be heard through these large concrete walls, that seem to be so sturdy and voluminous that it wouldn't let any sound pass through with just a mere knock, it does fortunately work, even being able to be heard on the other side of the building.
As I am now in front of the large main entrance door, I put up my hand in a fist and with a bit more strength, knock on the hard nicely designed wooden entryway.
A couple of moments pass, so I decide to repeat again, just in case.
And after that, the large door opens inwards, revealing I person I know quite well.
"Good morning Mata-chan, you're here today, as expected, a bit early then when you actually say that you would come."
Quite an unusual meeting from my Senior, and it's seems to be more of an insult then a greeting that I have been greeted with.
"I'm sorry Tohsaka-senpai. I had no idea that you were doing something important before my arrival. If needed, I will then wait here until you have completed you…"
"I'm not just going to let you stand out here, and it wasn't really that important, I was just looking for something. Anyway, come in."
"What is it that you were looking for? Maybe I could help you find it."
"Oh you don't have to bother with it. I definitely remember that I left it somewhere in the basement, and I've already searched most of the corners, so I should only find it in the one space that I hadn't looked at, so just wait here for a bit."
She runs of to the other room in search of her missing item, and I am left alone in the entrance.
Now that I can see what it's like, this place hasn't changed much since the last time I was able to come here, mostly Tohsaka-senpai was ready to go out once I had arrived at the entrance and we set out, which was four years ago I believe, when I was able to go back to living in my own house.
"Found it!"
"I'm all ready to go. Do you need to do something before we leave, like the restroom or some water?"
"No thank you. I already done everything I needed at my home before going out, so you don't need to ask, so we should…"
During the middle of my sentence, I notice that my Senpai's knot has been untied, probably from all the vagrant lookout she just did.
"Senpai, your tie is undone."
"Oh crap! Just one second."
Through efforts she tries to redo the tie she had done before, but it seems that she is more struggling then actually doing any progress.
"Here, let me help you."
"Thanks, but I don't need any assistance with it…"
Just looking at her struggling with such an easy task is truly irritating me slightly, so I result to complete the knot myself.
"You should have the knot pinned down with something like a clip, or from now result in doing a double not and clipping the double laces together to do it natural."
"I don't have any clips with me at the moment, but I can go get some from my room…"
"There's no need for that Senpai, I'm almost done, just going to pull the laces a bit more tightly, just tell me if it feels a bit tight…"
"Is it to your liking?"
"Yeah, it's fine."
"Please try not to get it caught in anything. I won't be there to retie it for you, unless you went looking for me through the school."
"Ha, you underestimate me that much, Mata-chan? Seems quite unusual coming from you, acting as if you are superior to me, as if you are the higher-classmen."
"I never try to act like that to you, it's just that I have to try in any way to help you act a bit better in things like this, I don't underestimate you at all, I'm just warning so that something like this doesn't happen again"
"And could you please stop calling me that, I don't enjoy being addressed by that nickname."
"What, you don't like me calling you Mata-chan?"
Senpai has been calling me like that ever since I met her. From a young age I didn't really give notice to that, thinking that it was only natural to be referred to like that, but every time I ask her to address to me more casually, she still results to calling me Mata-chan.
"But Mata-chan sounds extremely cuter then calling you plain Matasa-kun, it shouts out how cute you are, and saying the name Mata-chan is pretty fun."
"Would you prefer me addressing to you as Tohsaka-chan instead of Senpai then, that wouldn't much express my respect for you."
"You couldn't do that, you're younger than me, so adding –chan at the end of my name is illegal to you, and I may call you whatever I want, and besides, it's your own fault for being so adorable, MATA-CHAN."
Not even all the efforts in the world will change her mind, so I guess it's just useless and I'll just have to deal with her addressing to me like that. She is a rather difficult one to persuade.
"I actually have some special clips that you could use to hold the knot more firmly back at my home, so I can bring some to you tomorrow if you would like."
"One should just be enough if that wouldn't be a problem, and I do hope it's not something that would stand out that much like the once you usually have."
"They're just simple small clips with no interesting features. I'll try to remember and bring them the next time I come here."
"Speaking of laces, doesn't it get tight on that neck of yours with that? It does seem as if you're being choked by it."
"It cannot be adjusted. It was made to perfectly wrap around my neck. I only take this choker of when I'm showering. Believe it or not, I do in fact sleep with it. You've probably never have seen me without it, have you?"
"Then you leave me no choice but to investigate myself. I've actually hear of a story where a woman has a lace around her neck for all of her life. She does have quite a lovely and wonderful life throughout, not minding the thing around her neck and never taking it off, and on her death bed, some wonder why she has had it all this time, so she is finally able to show them why, and when she unties it, her head comes rolling of from the neck, as if the lace was holding both together."
"I've heard about that, but you don't have to worry about it, as that isn't the case with me, as I said, I take it of not to get it wet when showering or bathing."
"Well I'll have to check it for myself if you are speaking the truth, so I'd advice you to lock every bathroom in which you decide to bathe."
I know what she is intending, and I don't find it funny at all, and the worst part is, is that I don't know if she is being serious about it or not. Her grin says as if she is trying to make me paranoid.
Lucky that Tohsaka-senpai had already been ready by the time I had come here, because she doesn't very tend to be the kind of person who is always that ready, but it doesn't stop her from being late for school. Even if I wasn't with her, she would always arrive in class on time.
"It seems to be getting much colder, despite it being sunny out, don't you think?"
"I can't even think of how you can endure such cold conditions while only having stockings covering your bare legs, I'm even cold with trousers on right now."
"A girl's secret that you will never know. We've been training for this kind of reason for a long time, so it would take you a while to understand."
"It's rude to make fun of other people, especially your under-classmen."
"I wasn't making fun of you, I was just saying that I won't be telling you our secret."
"Are you implying that you never feel cold when you go out is because only you are using some kind of method known to only a little amount of females from having their legs frozen."
"You catch up too quick, with that detection skill you could become a renown detective, and stop assuming things, yes, many have some certain method, and it would be obvious that not everyone is using it."
"Then if you think that I truly have a knack for investigating, then I shouldn't ask about the secret, as I'll just result to finding it out myself. It shouldn't be too hard, should it?"
Senpai turns away from me, trying to ignore my question. I shouldn't blame her though, it could truly be something embarrassing that she wouldn't want to talk about with me.
"You'll be obligated on telling it to me once I guess what it is, won't you?"
"If you do come up with something, then why not just result on doing that instead if it's a possible method?"
"Then we couldn't be matching, couldn't we? It would be fun for me to try and find out that advantage of yours, and as a reward, use it the same way as you, then no one else would be able to use it too, wouldn't they?"
"Fine. I'm up for that, but only when you do find out what exactly I am doing, then I may as well provide you the method as well."
I already know that it will be fun, I may even find out by the end of the day if I'm lucky, or I'll even come up with an even more efficient method of keeping my calves warm during these cold times.
"Don't you think it's a bit too soon to ask me about where I might be going after I finish high school, Mata-chan?"
"I don't think it's soon at all, I am truly curious on what path you will decide to go, and yet you never tell me or just decide to change into a different subject. Is it something that you wouldn't want me to know about?"
Not too much time is taken away from us before we arrive at the intersection, from which we cross while going to school.
Still relatively calm like before, but at least I am not wandering the partly empty streets alone.
"You're just keeping it away from me so that I would get more curious about it, aren't you Senpai?"
"Yup, that is my plan for now, so you'll just have to wait until next grade when I do become a senior."
"But Senpai, I don't know if I will last that long, the curiosity will Kill me before that time comes."
"Well I think that it will be quite the opposite. If you truly are curious, then that curiosity of yours will only keep you alive until the time comes when I am ready to tell you."
"I don't really have a choice, do I?"
"Not at all, so be patient, it's not something that you should know because if you didn't something terrible would happen, would it"
"I do hope you have your reasons for not telling me. But it's so mean that every time I ask that and you decline, I become more and more curious, and I do hope it isn't something inappropriate."
"Don't you say that dummy, of course it isn't! What do you take me for?"
"A very caring and hard-working Senpai, and of course I do want to lose those doubts, as I am in fact just hoping that that is not the case. With your academic levels you should invest yourself in something that would truly make a change."
"Whatever it turns out to be, I will believe in you, Tohsaka-senpai."
"Great, now I will have to do all I can so that I don't let my under-classmen down, thank you so much Mata-chan!"
Forcing her to spill her plans would only make me put unnecessary pressure on her, as she does have quite an iron will on not telling me, so no amount of asking will make her tell me.
"Ummm why is most of the block near that house?"
We are put at a halt by Tohsaka-senpai spotting the crowd of people near a house, the house in which the residents had been brutally murdered.
"Would you really like to know what had happened?"
"Shouldn't I be the first one to be informed about these kind of things? Well if it's anything bad, then I have to know about it."
"It's a truly terrible thing that had happened. I didn't see too much, but I know from what I actually had seen is horrible."
"Just say it."
"Everyone was murdered, the bodies looked fresh so it should've happened some time in the night while everyone was sleeping, because someone would've definitely heard a commotion happening during the day."
Senpai seems flustered from me having explained the situation to her.
"We should be going or we'll be late for homeroom. I don't think we would be able to help the police with anything if we had not been outside during the time of the attack, and even just being interviewed would take unneeded time."
"Or did you actually know them…"
This would put a huge impact on someone from having acquaintances just being murdered, and we don't need that now.
"I've never spoken to the owners of that particular house before, so I don't know them personally. It's some really bad news to take, but as you said, we can't do anything to help with the investigation right now, so we shouldn't waste any time here."
After that, she resumes her walking and I accompany her, until I actually notice in which direction she is walking.
"You want to go through the crowd?"
There seems to be much less people than before, they probably already lost their interest or were asked about anything unusual, so only about twenty people are left.
"Yes, why? Do you have a reason for not wanting to go through them, it's not that big of a crowd and there is a gap to go through."
"Yes, but if we do, the police officers will intend to ask us if we had seen anything happen."
"So you want to go through a different route?"
"If we go back and take a right in the intersection, it will take us on the same path to school, and we'll arrive on time."
"If it's only for today, and it should already be cleared out for tomorrow."
"Of course, we'll just avoid unnecessary confrontations for today, and it will all be cleared out soon, so let's just hope the police catch the culprit who did this and bring them to justice."
"It's not very healthy to skip breakfast in the morning you know. That's the time you must have to get your nutrients."
For some reason, Senpai seems to be distracted by something and doesn't seem very talkative. We've been walking for a bit and to every of my sentence she answers with only one, as if she wouldn't want to be discussing about, even though they are quite simple topics to talk about.
"Senpai, is it that you perhaps you didn't want me to accompany you to school today? I don't mind leaving you on your own if you would prefer that."
Seems that that changed her composure.
"That's not it at all. Aren't you just noticing that the streets are completely empty?"
I look at my surroundings an indeed see that there are zero people walking around, only us two.
"Maybe some were intrigued to look at the incident that had occurred at the house, that would explain a bit of it."
I can't really make that an excuse, as when the both of us past, only a bit of people were still at the area.
"We're far from that district, so it wouldn't explain why there aren't people around here. Not even any cars are driving by. It's as if this whole part of town is completely empty."
"It would be quite a surprise if it turned out that everyone was excused from work today for that reason…
As I am talking, I stop into a halt, from the sensation of my brain beating in my head.
Oh no, it's the Command Seal finishing forming, my head feels as if a metal hot rod is being placed through my ear and into my brain.
Even through the pain, I try to hold my composure as to not alarm Tohsaka-senpai to much. I can't tell her the reason for my sudden pain.
"I think… I dropped… something. Could you please… wait here, I'll be quick."
Without waiting for a response from her, I run a bit back and turn the corner.
Even through the strange situation, I am relieved that there are no people around to witness me bang my head on the wall.
Seems as if you made a mistake by having company today, I'm the only company you will ever need, or even ever really have.
The pain is truly excruciating, it hurt more than this morning. The Command Seals are probably about finishing burning themselves onto my brain matter.
I try with all my strength to hold myself from continuing banging my head on the wooden wall, holding my scalp right next to the surface.
How How How How How unfortunate. It hurts It hurts It hurts It hurts more than it should. You won't die from it it. It'll only hurt for just a bit more…
Stops.
The pain has stopped, though my head feels really hot, as if it's about to burst out into pieces.
I have no means of cooling myself down, and Tohsaka-senpai will come check up on why I am taking so long. I had to lie to…
Even if I hadn't known about it, seems that in fact I wasn't lying to her, as I had dropped something while walking.
There is no doubt about it, I recognise that design, those are my tissue packets. They must've fallen out of my pocket.
Thank the Lord it's still sealed, so the only things that's a bit dirty is the outside, though I can just clean of the bit of the dirt that's on it.
I pick the packet of the ground, clean all the bit of dirt of and put it into my pant's pocket, a little further so that this doesn't happen again.
Since my head is feeling a bit better, I should get back to Senpai and not have to keep her
Waiting for more than she has to.
"What the hell are you taking so long? We're gonna be late if you keep looking for…"
"Sorry, I found them. I was just cleaning of the packet so that…"
"Are you all right? Your nose is bleeding, and you look really red."
"I'm… all right. It's just that I hit my head this morning and my nose started bleeding, so it probably reopened again."
Quickly I take one tissue paper from my packet and put it in my nose to absorb the blood that doesn't seem to be stopping.
"I think you should go back home. You don't look well at all. If you looked at the mirror, you would say the same."
"I'm fine, just the after effects of an accident this morning. I'll be fine once we get to school. Besides, I think it stopped."
I remove the paper tissue out of my nostril, and the blood has stopped running. I dispose of the used tissue at a nearby rubbish been.
"If you say so."
This day seems to have started quite unusually for me, and I doubt that it'll just be today.
The both of us feel puzzled as we finally arrive at our destination- Homurahara Academy.
I am recalled during my first days after I had transferred here from middle school, I had arrived some time early as that day I had woken up myself and didn't even bother to look at the clocks to check the time, and once I had arrived, I was met by no one, as there were not yet students coming to the school.
This feels like a recollection of that time.
"Would it make sense if everybody was already inside, I'm positive we're not late, so maybe that's the case."
"Doesn't seem like it. I can't spot anyone through the windows. The classes seem completely empty."
I take a quick look at the school and truly, it seems empty from the outside, but…
"I can see someone. Two students on the fourth floor through the window. Seems that they are talking to each other."
I point to the window in which I saw the two figures conversing with each other.
Though instead of replying to me, she marches forward onto the school grounds. I follow her from behind.
The streets seem a bit emptier than usual, but we did encounter some vehicles driving by us on our way so we can't conclude that the whole city is dead of life.
But it doesn't seem that we are the only ones here, and I don't mean on the school grounds in general.
Near the Archery dojo, me and Tohsaka-senpai simultaneously spot a figure in a white kimono, and no it's not a ghost.
The figure quickly waves to us after taking out a cold beverage from the vending machine near the wall and swiftly runs up to us.
"Good morning, Tohsaka and Gorichi-chan."
Even through these peculiar circumstances, I bow down my head in respect for Mitsuzuri-senpai, one of my pears.
"Never would I have expected to see you coming in before anyone else arrived, besides Gorichi-chan of course. Do the both of you have some work that is needed to be done before classes start?"
"Not really, and what do you mean "before anyone else arrived?"
"Look around you, do you see anyone else here besides the three of us, not taking in the people that are already in the school building?"
"I noticed that as soon as we had arrived, and that is why I'm asking…"
The almost desolated streets, the low amount of students on school grounds, not to mention, by looking at the sky, it seems really sunny out, and Mitsuzuri-san's presence in her archery outfit. You can pretty much come up to a conclusion, I'm surprised it took me this long to figure it out, and it seems that Tohsaka-senpai has already figured it out as well.
"Homeroom doesn't start for another hour, I come here every morning before classes because it's my duty to arrange everything in the dojo before Archery club activities start."
I'm baffled from her response, and not just me, Senpai seems a bit perplexed as well.
"Senpai, it doesn't seem like you to awake early, so why were you already awake before I had came?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, I woke up as usual, why would I get up when I could still…"
"Honestly, I was surprised to see you coming in this morning, I even thought that you had taken something up that would require you coming in early, and then I realised you're not the kind of person that would bother waking up earlier for something."
"It's obvious that that wouldn't be the case Ayako-san, it's just that for some strange reason, some of the clocks at the house weren't showing the correct time, and that made me falsely think that it was the correct time."
"How could more than one clocks show a different time then the current time? That does sound strange, weren't you just playing with them and mixed the times up?"
"Why would I have a reason to ruin all of the clockworks in my home to mislead me?"
"I have no idea, maybe you were actually trying to fix them and somehow misaligned them which resulted in showing the wrong time."
"If that were true, I would definitely remember, but that isn't it."
"… ."
I feel as if we shouldn't get too deep into this, or at least in Tohsaka-senpai's problem, doesn't seem as if she wants to talk about it, she's dodging questions, or maybe it's just that she doesn't know herself…
"And I wouldn't actually expect you coming in this early as well Gorichi- chan, or did you really have business before classes had started, and had just met Rin on your way here."
Could the fact that me and Tohsaka-senpai have mistaken the time be a coincidence? It's a long shot to be one, and I doubt it, when I had looked at the alarm clock this morning, I am sure that it was showing the correct time.
"Oh, I'm sorry, but I had walked with Senpai to school after coming to her house."
"Didn't the both of you feel as if it was way too early, like being a bit more exhausted than usual?"
"Not really, despite it's the middle of winter, it seems more sunny these days than usually."
"That's just the benefits of living in Japan."
"At least it's easier to get out of bed when it's bright outside than when it's dark."
"It must be hard for you having to come in almost every early morning while still sluggish, right Mitsuzuri- senpai?"
"Not really, it was a bother in the very first days I had joined, but I got used to it eventually, club activities are more important to me than sleep anyway, though of course if I could just stay in a bed the whole morning and maybe just come after lunch, that would only be awesome."
"Don't you ever think about asking the other club members on helping out or doing it for you? Wouldn't it be better to make up a schedule for everyone so that all of the duties wouldn't be piled up on you?"
"Nope, can't do that. I'm the captain, and as unfortunate as that is, I must come in first on doing all of that, though I do sometimes ask for help with maintenance and the equipment."
"At least you get a bit of assistance then."
It's respectful how much Mitsuzuri-senpai cares for the Archery club, not to mention she's a really generous and sweet captain, always being nice to the under-classmen and new club members.
But what I still can't quite comprehend is the current mystery…
Oh, I might have just been too dreary after waking up and looked at the time wrong.
Both of the needles on the clock are almost similar in length, though on both ends are dots of colours that represent what time measure it is showing.
Green for hours and blue for minutes if I remember correctly.
I must have mistaken minutes with hours.
But what about the alarm clock? How did it go off at the wrong time…?
I knew it. That piece of junk is defected to the brim. I'm disposing of it when I return home after school.
So that must be why, but I shouldn't tell them if we have already drifted off of that topic, unless they decide to go back to it, which is unlikely.
"Well, we still have a lot of time on our hands before homeroom starts, so why don't we go have some tea in the dojo and talk in a better spot than here? It's rare we ever get a chance to talk like this."
"I'm up for that, since I don't have anything better to do then just wait another half an hour in my classroom, and it would be nice to catch up."
"Great, you down for it, Gorichi- chan?"
There is nothing more I like than tea, in drinks of course, or any consumable item in fact, but I actually have something important to do since I have free time on my hands.
"Thank you very much for the proposal, but I'm afraid I'll have to reject you for today, I'd love to join the both of you, but it's just that now through the results of coming earlier than expected, I have to do something a bit more important, so I apologise."
"What could be more important to you than tea? You've never dropped it."
"Rin, don't be like that to him. If he doesn't want to it's fine."
"I wasn't trying to make him join us, he's just acting a bit unusual today, and I don't know why."
"Him not wanting to have tea is unusual…?"
"No it's not just that, I don't want to go much into detail and talk about it while he's right here, I'm not that of a cruel person."
"Gorichi-chan, now that I've noticed, you look as if you have a fever. Is that why you don't want to come with us?"
This is partly why I want to get out of here, my head feels a bit hot. I look out of place.
"If you aren't feeling all right, you should go home and skip school for today, me or Rin will tell the teachers about you if you want."
"I'm perfectly healthy, it's just that the Sun is out and it's probably from the rays that I look a bit hot, I'm actually feeling chilly out here."
"Fine. If you want to leave the two of us alone you might as well go. You don't want to get a cold out here now do you?"
"If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you are going to be doing?"
"I had left a textbook in my shoebox that has some important notes in it, and I need to memorise them."
"Is it for the upcoming exams?"
"No, they're just personal notes that I have to memorise that aren't related to school.
If you don't mind, I'll be going now, thank you for the offer, it's a shame I can't join you, but I'll definitely take it up another time."
"If you change your mind, you know where to find us."
I'll definitely keep that in mind.
"I hope you enjoy your lunch Senpai."
"Rin has been telling me how good your cooking actually is, as if its master chef level."
"I don't want to brag, I've only started increasing my cooking skill last year, and through a lot of work and effort, it has increased dramatically."
"I would love to try it someday. See if what Rin says is actually true, but I don't doubt her nor you."
"I can give you my lunchbox if you want."
I don't mind it at all, and I would love to know what Mitsuzuri- senpai thinks of my homemade food, it's rare I ever get someone's opinion. So I take it out of my case and hand it to her.
"Oh I wasn't just asking you to give me yours. I just said if there was ever a chance to try some of it, I would appreciate it…!"
"But I can give you my portion, so please take mine."
"I can't just take your food, I have my own."
Even though I'm offering my lunchbox to her, Mitsuzuri- senpai keeps trying to push the box away from herself.
"Gorichi- chan, I'm not taking your lunch, keep it!"
"Please, Senpai."
I know how people act in these kind of situations, they start of by saying that they want some of it, and then imply on refusing, but truthfully they do want to have it.
"Mata-chan, you basically put way too much in my box every time."
"But you said that you don't eat in the mornings, so I take it upon myself to add more into your bento."
Tohsaka-senpai gets in between me and Mitsuzuri-senpai and pushes the box to me.
"I never manage to finish it anyway. I can just share half of it with Ayako, so stop forcing her to take your lunch and keep it."
"I… wasn't forcing her to take it, I just thought that Mitsuzuri-senpai wanted it."
"She said she wasn't taking it, so you should've stopped, but instead you ignored her and kept forcing her in taking it."
"Kya! I'm very sorry Mitsuzuri-senpai, please forgive my rudeness, I just wanted to have your opinion on my food."
"It's all right, if Rin's fine with sharing, then I'll just try it, so don't worry about it, we're all friends here."
"I'll prepare a lunchbox for you tomorrow, what kind of food do you like."
"You don't have to go through all that, I'm practically used to my own, and the cafeteria serves really good lunch sets too. I'll be happy with what Rin shares with me."
"I don't mind giving you half of it, he puts in way too much anyway."
"Then I'll put in less if you prefer it that way, I don't really like wasting leftovers, so I partly end up putting more, but I'll just have to get used to making it with less ingredients."
"I'll be seeing you later, Mitsuzuri-senpai. Good luck to the both of you."
I bow my head down to the both of them before leaving the entrance yard and march into the school building.
I was expecting this before I had came in.
The school is practically empty, there are no students or staff members that I am able to spot in the empty halls, or at least on this floor.
Most of the people that have already arrived are probably waiting in their classes, if there are any, some teachers have probably already come in to prepare before homeroom.
Though I do feel a bit odd, it's completely silent here, usually I come in when some of the students are coming in as well or just hanging around before the start of first period, but now it's completely different, the school feels dead.
But I know it's not completely empty besides me, I'm just appreciating to have this kind of chance to be in peace from others.
I wished that I could've actually join Tohsaka and Mitsuzuri-senpai for tea, but this was so abrupt and a bit unexpected that I don't have much of a choice. I am being given this good chance to prepare myself.
I can't quite remember as to why I had left it at school, I probably just mixed it in my notes on accident and had left it here for reasons that I don't know.
It was a bit risky leaving them here, even by some small chance that someone would be interested in looking into the contents of my shoe locker, it would be trouble.
I'll read a bit of the inscriptions and summoning details while there is no one around and take it home with me after school, I'll never make the same mistake of bringing it with me here ever again.
Seems that the second floor is also empty, the students to which those silhouettes had belonged have probably already gone into their classes, I hope they aren't my classmates.
This floor seems to be isolated as well, which is only better for me I guess.
I slide the door of my classroom to the side and by fortune I am met by no one, my class is still but arriving.
I should have about half of an hour before my classmates start coming in, plenty of time to learn the…
"Oh, good morning, Gorichi-kun."
A greeting. It isn't coming from the inside of my class, since I had said that it is empty. It's close, so it was delivered right from my side.
It sounds unfamiliar, yet somehow I know who it belongs to.
I turn ninety degrees to the side to face the source.
"Good morning to you as well, Emiya-senpai."
"You're here early."
"I'm not the only one who came in early today."
"… Oh, you're talking about me. I had to help the Student Council fix some items so I had came in earlier before classes so that I didn't have to do it during lunch, or after school."
"Did Ryuudou-senpai ask you, or did you decide it on your own?"
"I guess you could say both."
"So I was fixing one of the lights yesterday in your classroom, and I had accidentally forgotten my pliers after fixing them, and I came here to get them back."
"You shouldn't be so absent-minded and forget such things, I have some classmates that tend to steal lost items and take them for themselves."
"Great, Issei will be furious at me for making that mistake and not being able to fix the air conditioning."
"Don't worry, I had spotted them just before they would've became someone else's and had put them in the teachers drawer. No one dares to take anything from there."
"You're a saint. Thank you so much. I won't have to bother looking for them or deciding on buying a new pair."
Seems that it was the right decision to do that, as I even though about just leaving them there so that their owner would come back to retrieve them, but they would've probably gone missing.
I feel a bit blushed by an upper-classmen's gratitude, especially when it's Emiya-senpai.
"Thankfully the teacher didn't decide to take them to the Lost and Found, or take them for themselves."
"Is your teacher also a bit of a kleptomaniac?"
"Not that I know of, but I don't think so, they would probably get fired if they had done that though."
"Anyway, thanks, you've totally saved me…"
"It wasn't really anything, but you're welcome, Senpai."
"Does the heating in this classroom work?"
"The heating? It should be on throughout the whole school, so it should be working here too."
I quickly leave Emiya-senpai to check if the radiators below the windows are functioning. To my touch what I feel is only cold metal on my finger tips.
"Seems that it's not working. Oh well, I'll inform our teacher about this, they'll ask someone to fix it."
"I'm here, so why bother? I can fix it up right away."
"You don't have to do it…"
Without even letting me finish, Emiya-senpai passes me and crouches down near the radiators and examines them.
"I apologize, but why wait when I can fix it right now, I'm here already and I know what to do, besides, you helped me out so I'm returning the favour. You'll get cold sitting here in this frigid classroom."
I only wanted to hand Senpai his forgotten tool and have him be off on his way, I was glad to help him, and I don't need him to help me in return when I don't mind staying here. I don't even feel cold.
"I could just go wait in the halls. The heating works fine there, I don't mind waiting there until the teacher arrives."
"Then it wouldn't be as good as sitting at your desk and doing what you were planning on doing."
"What do you mean, Senpai?"
"It's more silent in here than in the halls, even if no one is yet starting to come in. Seeing that notebook I thought you were going to do something."
Oh no. I was so focused on giving Senpai the pliers back I forgot about it. It's still being held in my left hand.
"You shouldn't mind me. I'll just regulate the temperatures and be out of your hair."
"You're not minding me at all, I'm very grateful for your generosity."
"Does it contain your class notes or something? It has a very antique design to it."
"Something like that. It was a gift from a friend, I only keep very important information on a certain topic in it."
"Oh I understand now. Was it from Tohsaka?"
"…How did you know that?"
"It was just a guess. Oh, I'm sorry if I made you feel upset! I've only seen you being with her so I thought that she had gave it to you."
I haven't really been more sociable with anyone else besides Tohsaka-senpai, as we had only met through family business occasions, through them we got to know each other more, eventually spending more time together and it resulted to us becoming the best of friends. She was like an older sister to me, more after I was left by myself.
I haven't really found any reason to make any more friends in or outside of school. I act nice with everyone I meet and help with anything I am able to, not even becoming more sociable with anyone, and through the ones that had tried themselves, I ended up brushing them off.
I guess I'm just one of those people that doesn't have a nack for being more sociable with anyone besides with Tohsaka-senpai, though I do feel as if our bond is becoming more hollow, fearing that it might eventually evaporate.
I've cherished our bond as one of the most important things, I don't know what would happen if that suddenly broke.
Your own mind and soul will cease to function.
"… I… can't really find a way to make any friends."
"I doubt that, you are the most popular junior in the whole school."
"It is because I spend most of my time with Tohsaka-senpai, and she is the school's ideal model student, my popularity depends on her. I don't mean to be popular here at all, I'm just a simple student."
"But has anyone ever talked with you, even if it was about Tohsaka?"
"Very little have, that's one of the main reasons I try to avoid others. I don't want to talk about Senpai with others behind her back."
"That's trustworthy of you, practically everyone talks about her behind her back, you're probably the only true friend she has here."
Emiya-senpai's smile makes me a bit blushed, or it may just be that he is finally finished with fixing the radiators, I hope that it's the latter.
"Thank you very much Senpai."
"It's easier to only have one friend anyway, right?"
"Yeah, I'm almost about finished just so you know, so I'll be out of your hair in just a second…"
"Senpai, please be careful…!"
I manage in time to warn Emiya-senpai to take a step back before he is splashed with the hot water from the pipes.
But he had to dodge it in less than a second or it would've landed on his trousers, so he didn't manage to get his bearings in time and slips back on the floor.
I quickly run over to him, almost slipping on the warm puddle in the process as I step onto it, wetting my slippers.
"Senpai, are you all right, are you hurt anywhere? Did you hit your head, let me help you up."
I put my right hand on his back and help him stand up, he is quite heavy. I hope he isn't hurt.
"I seem to be fine, thanks for helping me up, and also warning me."
"Are you really ok? Oh no, you burned your hand!"
Through a glimpse I am to spot a burn on Senpai's arm, some drops must have landed there as he was falling.
"It's just a slight first-degree burn, it's nothing compared to the injuries I get on a daily basis."
He laughs it off, though I still continue to worry.
"You should wash it of with cold water, maybe the nurse is in, I think we should…"
"Please, you don't have to worry about me, I said I am fine, I'm not going to die from a slight burn on the hand…"
Emiya-senpai's hand slightly pats on my head, not the burned on though, his other one. I am able to feel a bit of a mix of calmness and anxiety from his gentle pats.
"You worry about me too much. Are you the same to Tohsaka? She's really is fortunate to have a caring guy like you as a friend…"
His hand though, suddenly stops at a halt.
"Sorry about that, looks that even after all this time, I'm still used to doing that to you, you probably feel really embarrassed now?"
"Not… at all, Senpai. I haven't been treated like that since when…"
"Gorichi-kun, uhhh the water's still coming out of the pipe…"
Instead of looking at my back to check on the pipes, I automatically look at my feet, the puddle which had formed a bit ago has increased in area, and is continuing on becoming bigger.
"I'll cover the pipe!"
"I'll get the paper towels from the cupboard!"
"Senpai, you've already done too much, you don't have to help me clean this up."
"I'm the one who made it, so I should be cleaning it up instead."
After screwing back the valve onto the pipe, the only thing that was left to do was to clean up the now huge warm puddle of water from the floor.
It's difficult trying to clean it up without getting ourselves covered in radiator water, but through carefulness we've been lucky to avoid that, or at least me.
I wanted to clean it up myself, but Senpai had insisted that he should be the one to clean it all up, so instead we decided on cleaning it both up. A whole paper towel roll has already been used and we are on half of the second one, the rubbish bin seems to be also piling up.
Though I am a bit more focused on getting this cleared of water before anyone comes in and sees this quite unique spectacle.
"It' done. It'll dry in a couple of minutes anyway, I don't really want to waste any more paper towels."
"Sorry this had to happen."
"It's all right Senpai, you hadn't known this would happen, and you did end up heating the classroom."
I feel a bit overwhelmed by the heat now, from all this working and the current of warmness that is being emitted from the radiator next to us.
"Thank you very much Senpai, you're always true to your word, and I am very grateful for the time you had put into me."
"I don't mind it at all, and you're welcome. If you need anything else, just let me now.
Do you need any help with putting anything back?"
"Thank you, but I can take everything from here, you should get back to Ryuudou-senpai before he starts wondering where you went off to."
"Crap! I totally forgot about Issei, man he's going to be pissed on where I was.
Sorry Matasa, I'll see you later, good luck with classes!"
And he runs of, leaving me finally at peace in the room, hopefully he didn't forget what he came here for.
But Emiya-senpai, he called me by… my given name.
He kept calling me by my last name every time, so why had he suddenly decided on parting with my first name?
I was addressed by my first name by him before, but soon he had changed to calling me by my family name, and this one time, from one of his words that wouldn't seem to be that of importance, I feel contented.
I wouldn't mind being addressed like that again by him, I would actually be happy with it, I'd feel more close with Emiya-senpai.
I stand there, thinking about the words Emiya-senpai had said before taking his leave, hearing such a friendly title, I haven't been called like that by him for such a long time.
If I had taken his lost tool to the teacher, this moment would have probably never had happened. I feel as if I am making a friend of him.
At any case, I'll still be seeing more of him in school, but I won't want to annoy him too much.
It was just that his generosity made him want to assist me, which led to our moment together here.
Maybe it would be nice to… at the least once, walk with him after classes.
Today Tohsaka-senpai has more classes, and she told me to not bother waiting for her for her lectures to finish and for me to go on home, but Emiya-senpai is in a different class, so maybe he has the same amount as me.
Just once… I would like to talk to him, to get to know how he has been doing, and maybe becoming… friends.
But I guess it's useless to just stand around here thinking deeply of this. I had refused Tohsaka-senpai's and Mitsuzuri-senpai's offer to have tea with them, and I've spent more time than expected with Emiya-senpai, which was at all not in wane, I wonder if they're still at the dojo, the other club members must already be coming in, so Tohsaka-senpai is probably minding her own business.
And I should go study a bit before anyone else starts coming in here or it'll be too tensed to read anything. I should use this opportunity while I still have it to my advantage before that happens.
I'll have to prepare myself for the coming of this night.
Gorichi Residence. Past midnight.
I was way to demanding today.
Classes had gone past quick as usual. I Had enjoyed them, I learn something new and interesting everyday, and my curiosity has made me for the better.
Of course with interest comes boredom, like everyone else, I have some subjects that I like, and some others I dislike, but cope with them anyway, as they are beneficial to my education.
And as I had said, all classes were over before I knew it, and the only thing I was thinking was being able to go home, with someone else besides Tohsaka-senpai.
It's not that I dislike going with her, I have great times discussing on how are days were, on how we had to survive through the torturing hours, but on these days our lessons ended at different times, so we would just leave the school once our day ended and left the other one for their day to be finished.
But only this once, I would've preferred to walk with someone with whom I rarely to never get to speak to, and through certain circumstances we were finally able to talk to each other.
After my last lesson had ended, I quickly put all my books into my schoolbook case and with haste ran through the halls, changed into my outdoor shoes and ran onto the entrance field, in which I had made in less than a minute.
I waited near the gates of the school, waiting for a certain someone with whom I could've had the chance to know how their life was actually going while walking on the sidewalks to our destinations, to once again experience such liveliness that I had lost long ago.
I waited and waited until there were no more students exiting the school at the time, even after that, I waited ten minutes for even a slight chance of them exiting the front entrance, but the only thing that was there was nothing.
It had turned disappointing, and I had become a bit depressed, my little hopes that I had were shattered, but it was only that I had asked for too much.
Even if we had met near the gates, who would've proved that they would actually bother on going with me, it was just that they wanted to be nice to me when we had met again.
My thoughts had even came up with an idea to wait for Tohsaka-senpai's classes to end, but she would only scold me for waiting such a long time just for her, so I just left alone, as always.
I had high hopes throughout the day, but they were in nigh, just my selfish wishes.
I had various thoughts going all through my head, whether if I was just too late, I had to be much faster and Emiya-senpai just escaped under my nose, or if I had just waited a bit longer, his figure would've left the school building, and I would've met him near the school gates with a greeting as "So we meet again", and laugh mischievously.
To try and be as friendly as possible, to accustom with the social skills that I have, like a normal friend, to make a friend, of Emiya-senpai.
Though I could always try another day, maybe even not putting the "surprising Emiya-senpai" act in consideration, and just ask him if he would like to walk home together after school once.
Another option was to find out his timetable and memorize his schedule, but that would make me a bit of a stalker per se.
I hope I won't annoy Senpai to much by being such an insisting person, I wouldn't mind if he ended up turning me down if it was what he wanted, I was being a nuisance and stepping over my boundaries.
Who am I to say that I should be the one to experience everything good in life? I don't have that luxury, as I am just a simple irrelevant person that you may see everyday.
But during the time when I had went home today, alone, it felt different than usual. I am used to going alone after school on days like these, but today I did feel rather… dismal.
I had felt like that most of my way. My mood was mixed with my thoughts and plans that were in my head.
It was an expected change of mood, just during a time in which I had never had it happen. An unpleasant end to the day it turned out to be.
Though to be honest, I felt rather nervous when Emiya-senpai came near my classroom this morning. I tried to keep as relaxed near him as possible, but it came so sudden, and we hadn't conversed in such a long time, I was met with surprise, but had enjoyed that time with him.
In the end, it looks that either I will have to give up on my selfish thoughts, or engage on trying again, even considering on asking Senpai.
Actually, before he had ran off out of the classroom, I wanted to ask him that. I had built up courage while being with him. Even though still on a certain level of anxiety, I was ready to ask if I could accompany him home and get to know how he is.
The only options seem to be…
Give up.
It doesn't even matter anymore, he doesn't care even a little about you, it's been proven by what he had done with you. It's utterly useless to even bother thinking about it. The reason for why he was so nice to you this morning is that it was his obligation as an upper-classmen, though behind school grounds, you are nothing but a mistake to him. And besides…
Your future has already been decided.
…
It is only a waste. Senpai had proved that long ago anyway. But I still respect him, and care for him, looking past his actions.
If only things could've turned out differently for me, guess I don't deserve to be feeling happy, it's all been bad and hurtful, it's a wreck that should be cleaned up of all useless remains.
I get Emiya-senpai's generosity at school, but I don't even deserve to have that, even if it does seem fake. It felt nice, and I did feel slightly happy, even if it was an act, even if it was produced, made into his duty as an upper-classmen, to have respect on school grounds, being known as the most generous person.
The reason why I didn't even get to meet him near the gates was either because he had left beforehand, because he had read through me and wanted to avoid meeting me after school, or was waiting inside the building for me to leave, and I had made him wait.
I'm a real burden to others. I make false accusations that negatively affect others, obscured by my selfish greediness, I hate it so much.
Hate is such a powerful word, but it's the only way I can describe my foolish actions, if I could find a word more hateful than hate, I would use it in an instant.
Hated by all of humanity, even the nicest person out there would instantly find a reason to hate it, to see it as an annoying thing, even urging them to want to get rid of it instantly because it's so annoying.
I don't want my actions to negatively affect anyone, I want to be nice to everyone and make friends with them.
It's useless.
It's unnecessary, worthless, meaningless, yes.
But even if my future has been decided, I want to be the best that I could make of myself, even though I think that some hate me, I want better, I want to be helpful, at least this once, to find a light in myself.
I don't imagine Senpai as the meanest person while out of school grounds, and I could never talk bad of him, even if he had done something bad, as that is exactly how much I respect him as an upper-classmen.
And even though if it doesn't seem like it, I still consider him as… a friend, even if it doesn't seem like it.
I hope he got home safe, that wanted killer had been worrying me. Though Senpai is smart and strong, I can't think of anything or anyone that may take him out.
Even if that whole household had been murdered, such a horrible thing to happen here, these kind of occurrences have a little to no chance of happening.
Something more serious may be going on, since that family, from what I know, have no relations or past history that could result to their horrible deaths, they were the nicest of people, like everyone around here. Could a random killing have happened?
Anything could be happening with them out and about. Their way may even lead to anyone I care about.
The only thing I can hope for is them to be caught and apprehended before anything bad happens again, if it is something that the police department can find out.
I'll feel more relaxed once that is over. I'll won't have to worry that much about everyone's safety, no one must die like that, the family didn't even deserve such a brutal execution, it was a massacre.
When I was walking back, I hadn't noticed it this morning. The streets were pretty empty with people here and there, but there was so much blood on the windows. The whole stone path was covered in dry blood, it had seeped through the body bags and dripped on the stones, painting them a slight reddish colour, the inside is probably much worse than that.
I wish for everyone's safety in Fuyuki.
Dark nights are falling onto the small sea side town, something obscure may be awaiting, for everyone.
I've been waiting until night has fallen, while everyone has went to sleep, so that I have no casualties during the act. I must keep any casualties at a minimum.
And I know for sure that it is time, since my head has stopped burning. It has come to this.
There was nothing else that I had to do, so I've been sitting here for the past three hours with a cup, which is now unfortunately empty.
After making the preparations, there was still a bit of time before I had needed to commence my task, so I decided to think about my future plans while having a nice cup of a warm beverage.
First I started of with a brew of rosehip tea, which I had finished the whole teapot in an hour, which made up eight cups. Then I cleaned the wares and mixed some green tea made with kabusecha leaves.
I would've made a normal brew of dried fruit tea, but I knew that what I was going to be doing would be during midnight, I wanted to feel a bit buzzed and not fatigued before the so called "act".
My tongue feels a bit bitter at the moment to the amount of tea that I had drank through these past three hours, but I wouldn't mind to have another cup or two, maybe I should wait another half of an hour and go make a batch of green tea with some ceylon leaves that were shipped in. Oh how I love that tea as well, the aroma it emits is just splendid, and the bitterness is not too strong to the tongue!
But no, I shouldn't be distracted by the fine leaves that I have stored in my pantry, I have a much more important matter to attend to that only I must do, I can have another cup in the coming hours, after I have summoned the Heroic Spirit.
I had hoped that my choosing would happen, but didn't much expect that it would actually had happened, even if it did occur in such an unusual and indifferent way than it has too, but it did. I don't know what was seen in me, since I am but as an empty shell of a soul inside, I was found worthy to possess the set of Command Spells.
Though they were placed in a rather strange location, I had though that I was chosen falsely and these were chosen to be incrested onto a different individual, but it may only be mere defect caused by a bad culling, and I was chosen as a participant.
It will only take a matter of minutes for my participation in the Holy Grail War to finally commence. I already have the Command Spells, and all I need now is to summon the Heroic Spirit.
The summoning will take place where nothing from the outside will be seen, if any casualty happens, it will only be heard and witnessed inside the house, which's only inhabitant at the moment is me. Behind this door, is a staircase leading to the lower grounds of the estate.
I step through.
This is the perfect place to hold the summoning of the Heroic Spirit. There are windows that give out a bit of light from the outside. During a sunny day they may light up the whole floor enough to be visible in normal vision. Though the glasses are tainted on the outside layer so that no one may peek at what may be happening here.
It is currently nigh time, with only the moon slightly illuminating through the tainted windows, I can barely see my surroundings, but this will be enough.
I had been done with the preparations beforehand as to not waste any time.
I took many precautions to this one. By holding the summoning in the area that is in most seclusion and during night while everyone is already in their homes, I took casualties to a minimum.
To be fair, I am rather nervous. This will be the first time I have ever done such a complex magical act - the summoning of a Heroic Spirit.
A Heroic Spirit. A reknown character from folklore or history that had done many great deeds during their life, being taken in by the Throne of Heroes after their death, and I will need to summon one.
It's such a high level of conjuring that I have some doubts that it may even be possible- summoning a dead individual into the present world, it seems ludicrous, but it has been done before, so it is true.
Since I have been chosen to participate in the Holy Grail War, having the Command Seals prove it, I must first summon the so called Heroic Spirit.
My worthiness is little of this, but I have already been picked, and will not throw away this opportunity so soon.
I guess my choosing will only be proven if the summoned Heroic Spirit, if I do actually be able to summon it, decides to make a contract with me, I may end up looking weak against them and they decide on killing me. I've heard of results like that actually happening.
I'll put my luck up to the test then, worst case scenario I end up dead in this here basement by the spirit before the war even starts.
The item I will be using for the summoning, I hadn't actually have one prepared specifically for this as that I had no certainty that I would be participating.
Only a dagger with a rather flamboyant religious look that I had found in the knife storage in this basement. It had the largest amount of magical energy out of all of the others, and I had not come up with anything that has such a large amount of mana as it possessed anywhere inside the house that could possibly summon a Heroic Spirit. Even with a slight amount of it happening , I had decided it was sufficient.
I don't quite remember how a weapon with such a peculiar design happened to be here, though it was in the knife storage in which my father used to keep some ancient blades, but I wouldn't think that he would keep this, it seems so uncomfortable to hold…
Oh, you have to hold it in reverse with the blade going down. I had held it with the blade going up, now it feels much more comfortable in my hand.
So this dagger was primarily designed for stabbing, and the blade itself seems to be sharp like a razor, specially made for cutting through thick flesh. It could maybe even cut through bone.
The dagger might limit some of the classes the Heroic Spirit might be summoned in. I can't think of a Saber using a knife, or an Archer, or a Lancer, so all of the Knight classes seem to be out of it. Though no, they may be one of those, it would just mean that this here dagger wouldn't be their primary weapon that they would be using, but the chance of that happening is slim.
I actually had hoped to summon an Archer class Servant, but this here dagger is giving me some doubts of that happening at this point…
Well, I guess I'll just have to deal with whatever class the Heroic Spirit is summoned in, I could practically do with any, it was just that I would've had an advantage with an Archer, but I'll take whatever I get, IF I manage to summon one that is.
With an Archer class Servant I could've…
(Thunk!)
Not again. Why am so clumsy today, I almost cut my right forearm while falling. Well, at the least I didn't hit my head again, I would've broken my nose if it had hit the stone floor below me.
Seems that I had not noticed the books that had fallen from a nearby stool that I had left them on when making space for the Summoning Circle, and had tripped over the top one, falling on my right shoulder.
Instead of putting the books back onto the unbalanced stool, I put them on the counter where I had put the dagger that I am now holding. Now they should not be able to just slide on the surface and fall onto the ground again.
I'll put them back in the bookcase where all the other tomes are stored after the ritual. I had read through them not to long ago and had left them unattended for some days, while instead I should've just put them back in the bookcase with all the other magical tomes.
Though I hope that I didn't damage the dagger while falling, even through all this time, it is in pristine condition, and I wouldn't want the quality of the item being bad to interfere in the summoning. I take a thorough look at the handle, the hand-guard, and the blade, and it doesn't seem to have sustained any type of damage. It seems to be made from quite durable material as well, so that you would need special equipment to even bend it five degrees. The blade seems to be so reflective, in total perfection through all these…
I am able to spot my widened image in the blade, and the fact that a certain item is not being seen or reflected makes me check my collar.
Oh no, it dropped again!
The brooch dropped out of the collar again. It could've dropped and landed anywhere, I need it!
In disarray, I fall to my knees and begin searching for the important item that I had lost, crawling and dirtying my knees as I drag them on the stone floor.
It shouldn't have fallen too far from here, it should be somewhere on the cleared part of the floor. And I was right, it had dropped not to far from the stool on which those nasty books were sitting on.
I can't afford to lose this, and since this is such a crowded basement it would've taken me quite a bit of time to look through all of the furniture and other items, luckily my short search only took about a minute.
Hmm, now as I am holding this small clear jewel, I notice that it contains some amount of magical energy as well, maybe a bit more than the dagger. Actually, much more than the dagger.
I must've not noticed it since I had been wearing it on myself through this whole time when looking for a sufficient catalyst, the mana had mixed with the one in my own body and I was not able to sense it. I had known that it contained magical energy since it was an ancient magical treasure of my family, but just had forgotten about it.
It may be a long-shot, but this jewel may be a sufficient catalyst used in the summoning. I would have a higher chance of summoning a class that I have been wanting to, and the Heroic Spirit themselves may be my ancestor or someone related to the Gorichi family.
But if I use this as a catalyst, they would perhaps want me to give this item to them, since it had belonged to them originally. I wonder if the Servant knows what was used as their summoning catalyst. I may be able to hide it before they notice it in my hands. If that doesn't work, I'll just explain to them that this item now belongs to me, and as my Servant they will have to obey my wishes.
I apologize, wielder of this rather stunning knife, but I'll be using this since it gives me a higher chance of summoning who I want.
To not waste time, I quickly decide to get the summoning over with, by just affixing the dagger to my pants and putting it back later once I am done with the summoning. Straight of to the task then.
Stepping into the middle of the circle drawn on the stone floor, I take a couple of breaths before beginning the procedure. I've never tried any type of familiar summoning, and this is the summoning of a Heroic Spirit. I'm having slight thoughts that I may even be absorbed of magical energy and die right in the middle of this…
… I feel nervous from whatever may end up happening, anything could go wrong if I make a mistake. Even if you know how to do something by mind, anything could happen.
You can't…
Whatever. Let's begin.
Magical energy capacity at maximum. Casualty rate seems at zero.
Concentration ratio at near maximum. Casualty rates have been slightly increased.
Catalyst at hand. Catalyst's magical energy capacity at… half… no… more than maximum…? Casualty rate is back at zero.
So this jewel is more powerful than you would expect it to be, huh. I'm a bit afraid of the power that I may end up using to the summoning. I may end up drawing a card much powerful than I could control.
My mana capacity is full, since I hadn't been using any magecraft for days, it has refilled itself. If nothing goes wrong, I'll be able to summon the Servant at the end, no matter how strong they may be. My fate will only be decided from if they see me worthy of being their Master.
Please, spirit. Find something of worth in me…
I stretch out my right arm with the jewel in hand. Concentration on the catalyst is on point. It will only start when I start transferring magical energy into the jewel.
That is what's so amazing about this here gemstone. It's able to hold magical energy over its magical capacity, as if it would be an endless box that may store anything of any quantity.
The whole basement seems to be filled with my exceeded magical energy, and my concentration on the item is at its peak, no one will disturb me, I am alone, with this Servant soon to be summoned. The ritual… may begin.
Magical energy from the core of my body starts to seep through the arm and air around into the crystal, physical energy.
The air around me is becoming thicker from the dense energy around me, it's working, but… it's not finishing up. Is my magical energy not enough? No, it is more than enough, if only slightly, everything should be fine.
Do I need to push more into the jewel, is this slow ratio not performing anything? I'm putting it into the jewel, so it should be working. Fine then, more.
Still not working. How is this not enough? More, faster. It has to do more than this.
I'm feeling lightheaded, I'm doing it way too quick. I have a lot of magical energy, a mage with less than me would already be passed out by now, but I still stand, with only a bit weighty.
"Spirit, I have chosen you to be my possible ally in this war."
If just the rules of how the summoning is supposed to go is not enough, I'll have to call them out.
"I, the mage, am asking you, to form a pact with me and fight by my side."
"My life has been chosen for this, fate has decided to bestow me the righteous title and obligation of your summon."
"Fate has led me to yours, to have the both of us fight alongside in battle and achieve our one goal."
With each word it's becoming more and more dense here, I'm being pushed a bit to the ground by the overwhelming energy. It's changed from before.
The spirit has heard my calling. I need to continue.
"Lend me your sword to strike down our enemies in battle. Lend me your shield to protect against any attacks. Lend me your weapon to help us come forth in this war of ours."
"May we bond a friendship of Master and Servant. May our bond lead us to victory, and may it be worth all in the end."
"You will only listen to my rightful requests and your own intuition by my allowance, you will only listen to what may lead you to your goal."
"So come, and fight in my stead."
I'm almost at my end. This has been taking a while, I've been putting the mana transferring ratio at my maximum and am almost empty of it. I will… lose my … consciousness, if they…
"Come forth, o Guardian of Scales!"
It comes to my last bits of mana, and I crumble to the ground. This summoning was rather difficult, I had thought that I would still be able to stand and would have only ended up using half of my magical energy reserve, but I am left almost empty.
I had to leave the list bit, or I would've ended up loosing my consciousness, or better yet end up dead. Even if I did end up passing out I would not be able to wake up for days, and I would eventually had died either way.
My head hurts, I think I'm bleeding again. I put my fingers to my nose to check if I am correct.
Yup, fresh blood coming out of my nasal holes, I wouldn't be surprised if my brain got fried during the ritual. I had used up so much of my magical energy.
If I had used this much, then I should've been able to draw the most powerful Servant, if it had required such a huge amount of magical energy to be able to manifest themselves into this world.
God. My head is hurting so much, and seems that not only my nose is bleeding but also my eyes, I can see a bit of red.
I am unable to get up. The pain is forbidding me from standing up, my knees are locked onto the cobble floor and are unable to rise up. I am an easy prey now, I wouldn't be able to protect myself if I had wanted to.
If I had summoned the Heroic Spirit, they would be able to dispose if me any moment if they aren't able to spot their requirements in me. I probably would seem pathetic to them, a weak Master has summoned them and had used up most of their magical energy, and now ended up bleeding from every possible hole on the floor and trying to hold themselves together.
The dreadful pain is beginning to go away, but the bleeding is still continuing, even though I can feel that some of my nose holes are clogged up already. I think I can stand.
I try to bring myself up and almost topple, but am able to keep my posture and balance. My vision is also a bit clogged, it's dark. The headache made me bit nauseous. I need to recover.
My whole face feels dry from the blood, I would probably be horrified if I looked at the mirror. There isn't any water that I could use to wash this off here, just liquids and potions that I would rather not put on my bare face.
I use a tissue paper from a packet that I had in my pocket to brush of the dried blood off my face, but the results seem pretty much the same. I've brushed it off pretty good, but my field of vision is still a bit shady. It's become darker then before, I am barely able to see anything.
This feels a bit as if I'm in a horror movie: in a dark basement, with the chance of somebody else being here with me, that may end up leaving me dead in this dark place. But…
Shouldn't have the Spirit said something by now, like asking me something like "Are you my Master?" , or anything at all?
Even if I hadn't seem as their ideal Master, I should already be dead. Or they wanted for my last moment at least being able to see the one who takes my life.
It is dark, but I can still see a bit into the darkness. The illuminating light from the moon outside has lessened, and is covering less of the basement than before.
There is a candle on the wall that when it is lit up, all the other ones in the room light up with it and vice versa. If I can get to it I'll be able to see more clearly.
But if I walk, I may end up tripping on something, since I do tend to be a clutz and trip on everything in here.
Now I'm just standing in the middle of this room, and I don't even know if I'm alone or what. I can't hear anything here either. It feels isolated and desolate.
I still seem to have the jewel in my hand, the one that had taken such a large amount of my mana. Though I feel as if it has much more magical energy than it had before the ritual.
Huh, it's glowing. The magical energy that is stored into it is emitting light from inside the crystal. I hadn't noticed it because I had clutched my hand and didn't let the light to leave.
If only little, I can still make out what's underneath me by holding the jewel in front of me. With this I can make my way to the wall with the candle.
With tiny steps, I make my way from my side from the summoning circle, passing the antique items that have been on the floor. The jewel doesn't seem to be running out of any light.
This chair. I'm right near the wall, even though I can see it. I hadn't moved this chair when I was tidying up, and I remember that there is no candle holder near it, though there is one if I take a right.
There. Now I only need to swipe the wick and it should light up automatically across the whole basement. And that is what I do.
The whole basement is lit up, though only partly, since these candles themselves are made with magical energy, and the created flame is blue. The crystal continues to shine in my hand. It's full of magical energy that is emitting it, but its function to concentrate magical energy should kick up and it should go out in a bit.
But now that I am able to see my surroundings, I am left quite disappointed and puzzled. I am, in fact, the only one individual in this here basement.
Was the summoning not a success? How is that possible? I used up so much of my magical energy and for what? No, it should have worked, I don't know, but maybe they're hiding somewhere.
I survey every corner and gap in the basement, but am left with nothing, there is no one here but me.
All this effort… for nothing… and I had thought that I had summoned a powerful Heroic Spirit, but it was only a mere false assumption.
I must've just transferred my magical energy into the jewel during the ritual, instead of letting the Servant form a presence, I failed…
And I won't be able to redo it, because I'm almost dry of magical energy. It has most been stored into the jewel, and I could transfer it back into me, but not all of it. Once magical energy has set into the gem, it is compressed to fit its size, and it would only manage to establish a regular flow that can't be rushed. Transferring all of it back into me would take at least twenty four hours, presumably more, and I will already have run out of time by then.
… I knew that I would end up failing, it was just a mistake. I wasn't supposed to be part of this, I should have known from the moment I found out, that… it would only come to this.
The only thing that I feel now is… disappointment in myself, I… thought too much of myself, only the result becoming this.
If I had only used another catalyst, then maybe I would've just done it correctly.
I didn't even think this much through, as my status as a magus. Would I be worthy to be a participant in the Holy Grail War? Would I be able to summon a Servant? Would I be an acceptable Master to them?
But now I've lost my chance. I'll have to wait here, to be eliminated.
I wouldn't be able to fend myself against other Servants by myself, that's why I needed to summon one, so that they could fight for me, to protect me!
Now, all I can do is wait to be eliminated… I'll be dead in only a short while, might take a couple of days, but I will only end up dead before this ends.
Even if I would've transferred the magical energy from the jewel back to me, it wouldn't matter. I had to summon the Servant now, doing it later is not an option…
I guess I'll… just live out as I usual have been, I'll go to school, clean the house… until I am finally at the end of a Servant's weapon.
My end is near. The only thing I am able to do is live out the last bit of a normal lifestyle that I may have.
…The jewel is still glowing, but it's almost done, the light is becoming slightly dim, it's compressing the magical energy…
I squeeze the small stone in my hand. It's hard as a diamond. Once I die, I have no idea what will be done with this family heirloom. It may as well just end up like me, to just, disappear.
But I'll keep it on myself as always. I've been wearing it ever since I could remember, so I should die with it on me. I've promised to have it, haven't I?
I had high hopes for this, to be able to summon someone associated with this jewel, but instead it turned out to be my misconception and turned into my own failure. I… don't know if I actually deserve to wear it.
I am supposed to wear it, but I feel as if my status doesn't confirm that I have to wear it, maybe it was that. I wasn't supposed to use it, because I wasn't worth to have it.
And, I am only doing this because it was left to me, so that I may cherish it and keep it safe, it's an important family item, so it's my obligation to not have it for myself, but to protect it.
I'll keep it safe with me, until my end comes, that's the least that I am able to do.
There's no point in just standing here anymore, I'm not in the mood to clean everything up. This can wait until tomorrow, or actually, why even bother? I'm not going to be using it anymore anyway.
I'm supposed to wake up in only a few hours, to start getting ready to go to Senpai's house and to school, like any other day.
I… wasn't cut out to be a Master. Me being chosen was a mistake. The Command Seal was probably supposed to belong to another Magi, but there was a problem and ended up becoming incrested into an unusual location.
Normally one would have a Command Seal somewhere on the surface of their body, with it usually being on the back of their hand.
If they would've failed to summon a Servant like myself, they would be in the same situation as me right now, but to expel themselves from the Grail War, they could just dispose of their Command Seals.
Though for me, I would die instantly, since it is on such an important part of the body.
Nothing works for me anymore, it has just been one tragic…
Seems that I didn't notice that I still had the interesting looking dagger that I thought about using as a possible catalyst. It was attached to the loop of my pants through the whole ritual.
I would've probably had better luck if I had used this instead. It's not any kind of special magical item, just a simple dagger containing magical energy.
This dagger must've been specifically made with a request, judging from its intriguing design. And the cross shaped handle may tell that the person it belonged to was very religious, or preferred their weapons in an unusual design.
No, clearly from the shape, it was meant to be made resembling a religious cross, a bit gothic if you ask me.
So it's a one of a kind item.
I can't find any use for it anymore. I don't like the way it feels in my hands as I am holding it. It is a good weapon- it's sharp, the perfect weight, easy to hold, but it's not for me to handle. It wouldn't protect me against a Servant while in my hands anyway.
I should put it back before I go to bed. It belongs in the basement with the other knifes and daggers. I don't even think I had the right to take it in the first place.
Besides, I left the candles on in the basement, and I have to exstinguish the candles, it'll save me the mana stored in them and not having to refill them again. Also it's a possible fire hazard.
Back in the basement, where what I had expected to summon a quite powerful Servant had failed, resulting in the failure of the whole summoning process of any Servant at all.
The candles are almost out of their indigo light, only leaving out a bit of luminosity along the walls.
I put back the dagger in its rightful place as it should be, also quickly polished it with a rag before putting it back along with the lesser, more typical knifes and dirks.
Honestly, there are so many magical artefacts in this here basement that have been collected over the decades by my various ancestors, I don't know what to do with them. I mean, once I have been, so to say, eliminated.
I could try at writing a will for another mage family. They would get ownership of all these items after my departure, and these wouldn't be exposed to the normal population of people that aren't mages.
There is also an option to dispose of them entirely. I could burn them somewhere and leave no trace of them, but I would feel regretful after that.
Everything here, belongs to the Gorichi family. Just giving it away to another Magi family, it would mean leaving it to our past adversaries, and they would continue our works in their own names.
My father, my grandmother and my ancestors before that- all of them had been researching deep into the world of magic, never being able to finish some of their long-time research, and I would just have to give it away, so that it wouldn't go to waste?
Even some of their already finished work may be taken after their deaths, away from them, confiscating of their hard work, it would label us as nothing.
But burning all of it would probably lead to the same, maybe even worse, but it is how they would've wanted.
For me, I just don't even know on what to decide. It's a huge decision for me, that means my family's reputation, and I only want to help. And I have to do it as soon as possible as well.
The lights are almost out. They will slowly regenerate the lost magical energy from the environment, if not, then I will have to refill them manually with my own magical energy.
The one behind me has seem to have completely gone out, so it's only a matter of time before all the other once go out as well…
…Even though, all of them work simultaneously with each other…
No, it didn't go out.
The light that deemed onto the floor and wall in front of me, even if it was little, has just disappeared completely, leaving it only dark, with only the other candles lighting the corners.
If the reserved magical energy in them had went out, all of them would go out at the same time, but it was only that one behind me.
The edges are being lit up as usual. It isn't coming from the other candles, but from that one. A shadow is in front of me, something is blocking the light coming from the candle.
I freeze in fear. It can't just be furniture that moved somehow, because there is nothing but a space there, and the shadow is more like a figurine.
There is someone standing behind me, covering the light from the candle. All the doors in the house are locked, so it can't be some kind of burglar or intruder. If that was the case, I wouldn't even be feeling the bit of fear right now.
And know that I have actually noticed the presence, I can sense it- the high source of magical energy, too high for a person to have. They are not human.
A Servant.
Another Master has finally found out my location and has come to take care of their opponent as soon as possible, leaving their Servant to do the deed.
They already know that I have found out about them. I've stopped moving and my breathing has become compressed. They can probably hear my heartbeat a bit faster as well.
They're waiting for me to turn around, so that I can face them as they take my life right before my maker.
So soon. I wasn't even able to write the will I had to. Maybe the Master of the Servant will take it for themselves. It would be logical than to just leave these quite useful items that are free for the grabbing.
Once I turn around, I will face death. It has only been decided. I guess that it was only decided to be sooner than later. At least I won't have to worry about the paperwork.
I close my eyes in preparation for my offing. May it be quick or slow, I don't want to witness it, may it be unknown for me. My death will only be but a regular occurrence in this world. I will only become a victim, dying by a ruthless killer's hands.
I'm sorry, Emiya-senpai…
…I wished, I could've…
"So, you have finally noticed my presence, well, you have quite some detection skills for a young magus. But let me ask, are you my Master?"
I turn around. I for sure had thought that I would be a goner, but after turning one hundred and eighty degrees, nothing had happened, nothing at all, just those four surprising words.
Honestly, I had expected to instantly be killed righty there, but I was still alive and breathing, yet slowly. I was surprised to see the unusual entity before me.
It was a black figure, shrouded in the darkness, with only the light of the dim candle outlining its posture. It was leaning on the wail, as if it were waiting for something.
"I didn't expect you to be this startled, but tell me, are you the mage that summoned me into this war?"
The black figure was tall, and I could see an outline of dark black clothes that it was wearing. There was also a weird object on their head that seemed to resemble some kind of top hat I think. Hearing their voice, you can also pretty much determine that they are in fact female.
Seems that they are just as confused as me, but just slightly less. They are asking me whether I am their Master, which I have no idea of, since I had thought that the summoning I had did fail, but here they are.
"Hehe, sorry, but you probably can't see me in this darkness, can't you. Let me fix it."
The dark figure comes standing off of the wall, and flings their black cape right in front of me. My instincts tell me to jump a bit back, even though it seemed as if it wouldn't do any harm to me.
Doing that, it resulted in… nothing. Nothing happened after that.
Only the candles become more brighter, and change their colour to of a regular candle. The room seems brighter than ever now, and I am able to see the figure in front of me.
"I apologize for the dramatic entry, but it was way to dark in here to see anything with these blue flames, so I changed the lighting if you don't mind. Oh, how rude of me, I should at the least greet you properly."
And as I had guessed, I was correct.
The individual standing before me, judging from their clothing, they can't be non other than a Servant.
She bows down with elegance, taking her skirt and bending her legs down.
She is dressed like a nineteen century noble man would wear, just with a skirt. She has the, well, smaller version of a top hat, and everything.
"Well, since you are the first person I have met here, I presume you are indeed my summoner. Very pleased to meet you."
I'm still at a bit of a confusion with this woman. Was it just mistake, and I had actually succeeded in summoning a Servant, and that it only took longer for her to materialise into this world?
"Oi, don't tell me that the magus who had summoned me is mute, because I unfortunately don't know sign language."
"Are you, the one that I summoned?"
"There you go. I was summoned in this here room, so the answer to your question is yes, though there had seemed to be a bit of a delay."
She seems friendly, though she has a bit of a sarcastic undertone. I shouldn't annoy her too much.
"I'm sorry to ask you, but when exactly were you summoned, and I mean the exact time. How long have you been here for?"
"I can't tell you the exact time, since unfortunately I don't have some kind of clock on me, but I could say… about ten minutes ago, in the circle for which you had used to summon me."
That was a bit after I had left. She's been waiting here all this time?
"Took you long enough to come back here, Master. I thought you would keep me locked up here until morning, or…forever."
"The door was unlocked. And can't your body shift into a non-physical form that may let you pass through solid surfaces?"
"I… thought that I was supposed to stay here until you had returned. I only thought that was what you had wanted, but instead, you had just decided to leave me in the dark."
"Oh, I'm truthfully sorry! I had not intended to leave you in here! I just thought that I had failed in summoning a Servant, so I left. Please, accept my apology."
I feel ashamed. Summoning a Servant and then just leaving them in the dark. Even though it was on a false assumption.
"Hey, don't get anxious about it! It's partly my fault for coming in a delay, so you can say I'm the one to blame."
"But it was because of my imperfect summon that your physical transmutation into this realm was delayed!"
I had memorised every small detailed that was needed for the summoning, but it wasn't enough. It resulted into a delay of the summoning. It's probably a first for a Master. I don't think that I deserve to be this person's Master.
"No, your summoning was indeed flawless, perfect, marvellous. I said I am at fault here. You had summoned me timely. Your magical energy had already formed my spirit body. It was I who had a bit of a problem forming into a physical body…"
So, she is saying that the ritual was a success, only her body hadn't become real in this world?
A magus, after completing the Servant summoning ritual, should have transferred their magical energy to give the Servant a physical form instantly in the real world, yet being myself, I resulted in summoning her in her spirit form.
Any way you look at it, it's not as it should be. Even a novice with little magic experience wouldn't pull something I did off.
"Actually, for an even stronger magus it's difficult to summon a being in a non-physical form from the bat. Keeping in their mana requires a lot of concentration on the catalyst and their flow of magical energy."
"You were trying your best at perfectly summoning me, and you managed to keep me in spirit form. You're an amazing Magus."
"Hey, don't be upset! I told you, your summoning was flawless, and here I am! For all that's worth, you could've ended up failing summoning me, that's the most important thing, isn't it?"
Never had I thought that I would get such compliments from someone that I had just met.
"Thank you, you flattered me. Your words were very touching, even though I don't deserve such generosity…
The woman in front of me smiles from my remark. I can tell she is a nice person. I didn't expect for a Servant to be this sweet with someone like me right after bringing them into this world.
"But, do you see me as someone capable of being your Master? I want to know your honest opinion, and… I won't mind or get that upset if you say that I am not."
Through this whole time, standing right in front of here, I've only been showing my weaknesses, how I can be easily think lowly of myself. It could ruin this, but I will have to accept her response anyway.
"You're a real perfectionist, aren't you Master?"
"Making the summoning ideal, trying to put on a good impression, you're trying a lot to impress a Servant. I wouldn't expect a Master to be like that. The first thing I thought after being summoned, was that I would right off go to fighting and not even getting the chance to speak back to the one who had summoned me, yet you are trying to ensure that you are the one sufficient for me."
I wouldn't say I am a perfectionist, maybe just a bit, but I wouldn't describe myself with that particular trait.
"Please, enough with the kind words if that is all. I would like to know if I am I worthy to lead you."
"Well, I wouldn't say lead…"
"…"
"… I wouldn't much appreciate for a human to boss me that much around… Yes."
I sight in relief behind my breath. It's done. Our contract has officially been forged. This woman here is now my Servant.
"Master, since I've pretty much agreed on our pact, would you mind showing me your Command Seals?"
"They're not on my hands as they should be."
"It sometimes occurs that a Master would have their Command Seals located somewhere else on the surface of their body."
I can't directly show her where my Command Seals are. That is impossible. How will I explain this to her?
"Is it on somewhere "private", where you wouldn't want to show me? Don't fret, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."
A slight smug appears on her face… I wouldn't want to know where she might think they are. I'm for sure glad something like that didn't happen to me.
"I… can't do that, because something had happened when the Grail was choosing its Masters and a slight defect had happened in the choosing."
"I can sense that you are in possession of Command Seals, so that is good enough on establishing our contract. I was just curious where they were located."
"It… isn't anywhere on my skin."
"Had some kind of object been used for the Command Seals then…?"
"It's on my brain…
"… That is certainly… unusual. A Master having the Command Crests located on their organ, especially on such an important one. That is indeed interesting."
"Well, I wouldn't want to cut off your scalp just for that, I do believe in your words…"
Suddenly, the female Servant stops in her near end sentence. What surprised her that much to stop?
"I know it's unusual, I can't even know how they look like, or how they look like. My brain is still functioning normally, so I don't think it received any particular damage from them, though I can't say for sure what would happen if I had used them."
Using them might result in… anything actually. Either from nothing, to damaging my brain tissue, which may even lead to my own death. These will have to be used as a last resort, or until the second one where I am sure what wouldn't result from using one.
"By the way, did you use the free time that you had when I had left to charge the candles with your own magical energy? I don't come down here much, so I use blue since it saves it."
"Yes… I had actually used the magical energy that I had when you summoned me, so technically I used yours."
"Anyway, would you mind if we would go somewhere a bit more lighter than here?"
"Oh! Not at all! I should've taken you upstairs as soon as I had met you. You're probably bored of being here in this one place. It does feel like a dungeon."
"No… Yes, I would prefer to be somewhere with a more natural light source if you may."
"Light source… Umm, very well."
I decided to bring her into my parent's bedroom, which has been remodelled into a guest room. I barely set foot in here, usually to tidy it up when I am planning on having a guest over, which happens very rarely.
"Master, why did you bring me into this room? Have you planned on doing a mana transfer right after my summoning? It's a good precaution, yet…"
"NO! That's not what I had intended to do! This room just has the most comfortable sofas in the house, so I had thought you would want to talk here."
Yet instead the female Servant is sitting with her legs crossed on the bed, while I take one of the two sofas.
"I'll be providing you this room for your stay if needed, so please, make yourself however you would like…"
Now that I remember, I didn't ask her what Servant she is?
"Master, you didn't really introduce yourself when we met. How should I address to you? Calling you Master would be a bit confusing, wouldn't it?"
"That's right, where are my manners…"
Matasa Gorichi, the heir of the Gorichi family. Please address me however you would like.
"Matasa… Master Matasa… Matasa the Master… Don't you kind of think that it sounds good?"
"I… don't know. If that is how you would prefer to call me, then please go ahead."
"No, I was just joking a bit, it was just that Matasa and Master have the same first letter that is all, Matasa it is then!"
"A heir, huh? Walking through this mansion I could already tell you were wealthy."
"Umm, can you tell me what class' spirit are you?"
"Huh? Don't you already know? You did summon me, so you would only know what class I am."
"Sorry, but I don't. I summoned the Heroic Spirit in random, so I wouldn't really know that."
"Hmm…"
"I have a nice idea, if you are up for it?"
"What is it?"
"Try guessing what class I am. Three strikes and you lose."
"What happens if I lose?"
"Nothing. I just made it up, but let's see how well you can distinguish a Servant just by looking at their clothing."
The unknown Servant rises up from the bed to give me a better look at her clothing. I can't really tell from her clothing. She isn't wearing any armour, so it's unlikely she is one of the Knight classes.
The one thing I can't really look back from is that miniature top hat on her head. It's not right in the middle, a bit moved to the right. How is that even holding? It doesn't seem as if it would be held down, it's just sitting on top of there being supported by her head.
"Could you perhaps be the Caster class Servant?"
"What would make you think such a ridiculous assumption like that?"
I'm a bit hesitant at first, as I thought that if I stated my reason, she would maybe get mad at me.
"Well, you're clothing don't seem very much for fighting at close range, and that hat that you are wearing is a bit peculiar…"
"Just so you know, I didn't choose to look like this at all. The Grail made me with these clothing items when I was summoned, so I had no part in these items. And I can hold myself in melee combat, I am a Servant after all."
Shoot, I was wrong about that. I hope she doesn't think that I was slightly making fun of how she looked. She is a Servant, so she is supposed to look a bit unusual on the outside.
"Assassin."
"Correct. Yes, I am the Assassin class Servant."
"So I will have to call you Assassin?"
She nods.
So her name, well, not name, but she is The Servant of the Assassin class- Servants that are skilled in quick executions.
"So we have finally formally greeted each other, Matasa. I will be looking forward to your expertise and leading in the Holy Grail War."
"Yes, same for me as well. It's a pleasure greeting you, Assassin."
Finally being able to know about the Servant which I have summoned, I feel a bit happier than earlier.
Though this whole time, from when we were at the basement and Assassin suddenly stopped talking in her conversation… yes, I remember that, she seems a bit more, observant of me. Right as we met, she seemed pleased on meeting me, her Master, but now she seems more suspicious of me.
"Assassin, was there something specific about that you wanted to ask of me here? You may ask me whatever you like, I will be happy to answer, because I wish that our relationship may be more than a regular Master and Servant relationship."
Whatever she may ask, I will only answer, after all, she, Assassin, is my Servant.
"Master, I know this will seem as an unusual question coming from someone like myself, but how did the summoning take magical energy wise?"
That's not that unusual, though it isn't just regular.
Though is it that why she's been a bit tensed about? Is it that important for her to know? I would think she would actually already know that and I wouldn't need to answer it, but I don't want to point it out and sound rude.
"I was required to use more magical energy in your summoning than I had expected, and I ended up almost draining it completely. I don't really know if it was just a mistake on my part, or that summoning you had needed that much of magical energy."
It was worth all of my mana. Summoning a Servant was my biggest priority, and I don't regret using that much to give her form, besides, it should be recharged completely in a couple of days.
"Isn't the Assassin class one that you can summon right of the bat if you did the certain requirements for it? Assassin, I'm a bit sorry to say this again, I know I said it earlier, but your summoning was completely random. I had no idea what class Servant I was going to be summoning."
"Do you regret summoning me then? Are you not satisfied with my class?"
"No! Not at all! I didn't really care for much of the Servant's class, all I care about is that I actually accomplished in summoning you. I'm satisfied with what I got. I'm just stating that even looking past the certain "may be" mistake that I did in your summoning, I'm also looking at other unusual parts of it."
The whole ritual did go south, even though it ended up being a success: I used up most of my magical energy, summoned Assassin in her spirit form instead of physical and summoned a Servant of the Assassin class, even though certain requirements are needed if you wanted to summon a Servant of that particular class. Same can be for a Berserker class Servant, but I'm talking about Assassin here.
"Don't you see this as a bit of unusual? I know that you said that it wasn't my mistake, but I am starting to actually think otherwise, all of the details are in order, though altered."
Shouldn't she now something about it, at the least something of most importance? It's her who was summoned after all.
I know it's not that much of an important matter, but it is still in my mind, I want to know the reasons. Either it was my failure, or something a bit different.
"You should just stop blaming yourselves so much, it's isn't your fault at all. The summoning was flawless with zero abnormalities, and you had made zero mistakes in it, it was a splendid Servant summoning."
"… . If you say so, thank you, Assassin. I'm happy to have summoned you."
She slightly blushes from my reply. I don't deserve her praise, so I should at the least thank her.
"Oh, you didn't answer my question before? Why did you so suddenly wanted to leave the basement?"
"Why would the place we would be getting to know each other be a basement?" or " Well I'm kind of a guest. You should at least offer some place more inviting than this". I expected her reason to sound something like that, if she hadn't been so, how should I say, peculiar when we were conversing and she had suddenly stopped."
"I don't know if this is going to sound weird, but I'll say it. I wanted to get a bit of a better look at you, and to examine your system."
System? Does she mean the amount of magical energy in my body?
"Do you mean my magical energy that I had left after your summoning? What made you so interested in it? I told you that I almost ended up using all of it. Do you not believe me?"
"I absolutely believe in what you had said. It just caught my attention. I told you it would sound unusual, but you."
It does sound unusual. It may only be my assumption, but I think she is hiding something from me.
"Assassin, you can tell me anything, don't be shy about it. If there is something that you think is wrong, please, state it with courage."
She takes a second to gather her thoughts and deciding on her response while I wait for not too long. If there is something weird she spotted in me, I want to know immediately.
"Matasa, first of all, I would prefer if you weren't so formal with me. It's too early for your age to act like an adult, and you are my Master. I would prefer if you acted not like a God's-made gentleman."
"Are calling me immature? I only wanted to be welcoming and… polite to you, that's how I always treat my guests! I'm very sorry Assassin, how would you like me to act then?"
"Just see me as how you would see a friend. It's good that you are well educated in etiquette with guests, but we will be working together in a war."
"I… I only meant to do it for today! It's my first time meeting you… so I would only act like that. Besides, you're the one dressed like a noble here, yet you're so relaxed…"
"I didn't choose to wear this kind of clothing! I told you before! Don't assume ridiculous stuff like me wearing what a snobbish man would wear…"
I'm more embarrassed than ever now, I've put such a pathetic impression on her through my mannerism. Well, at least I'm not the only one embarrassed here, so I quickly calm down and get back to topic.
"That wasn't what I wanted to know! Assassin, please tell me if there is something wrong, or… I'll use my Command Seal!"
"And risk your life for a reason like that? There is no need for that. Very well, are you ready to hear for what I have to say?"
"I've been ready the whole time! Please, tell me."
"Are you sure that you used up all of your magical energy during the summoning?"
"I said that I used up most of it, but I guess that I could say yes."
"You're not lying to me, are you?"
"You said that you trusted me! Are you changing your mind? What I have been saying is only the truth!"
"All right, all right, I believe you. I won't doubt you Master."
"Then state your words."
"Ok, I did honestly doubt you for a bit on having used up most of your mana, but even with the left amount, it is indeed a huge amount that you have left. It is interesting how much magical energy you are able to store in your body, Matasa."
"… Is that it? All you wanted is to make sure that you knew how much magical energy I am able to store in my body?"
"That's correct. You truly must me a powerful magician with that much magical energy."
"Th… thank you very much, Assassin. Please stop being so sweet to me though."
Never in my life I thought that a Servant, or anyone in that matter, would praise me so much. I'm truly lucky to have Assassin as my Servant.
You can't really judge a book by its cover. From looking at Assassin, you would think that she would be really snobbish and, maybe strict person, but it's quite something else. She's caring, especially for someone like myself.
"I honestly don't know why you have you been so praiseful of me. I just summoned you and the only words that you are telling are compliments towards me. I didn't make that big of an expected impression anyway."
"I can see anything bad about you from appearance or behavior. That whole "formal interaction" put me in a good impression. I'm very fortunate to have been chosen by a Master like you."
"I haven't been the only one trying. Wait a second, was this your whole scheme of trying to make a good impression of yourself?"
"… Absolutely,-with a smug smile on here face,- but what I said was the truth as well."
Really, you can't judge this woman by only her appearance. It will indeed be fun and interesting in getting to know her better.
"Anyway Master, just looking at you is putting me a bit at an edge."
"What do you mean?"
"You look as if you are about to pass out. This is you residence so you may sleep on the sofa if you want, I won't stop you from doing that."
"But I'm not that tired, I can still be up for another hour or two."
"Master, it's three in the morning, and don't you try to play dumb with me. We will have plenty of time in the morning when you have rested. I won't be going nowhere from the plot of your residence. I will always be near you if needed."
"Do you really not mind though?"
I do feel a bit fatigued, but I wouldn't want to leave her just because of that and have her wait until morning, even if it's only for some hours.
"Not at all. I wouldn't want my Master to get ill or worse. I'll be outside patrolling the area around the mansion if you need me."
She rises up elegantly from the side of the bed, turning around and with that cape of hers blowing in my direction.
"Don't you need to rest too? This is your room from now after all."
"Thank you for the kind offer, but I won't be needing it that much. Have a good restful night, Master."
With that, she vanishes in mid-air completely from my field of vision. Now that I've seen it, she is definitely an Assassin. She melted right into the atmosphere and disappeared without a trace or anything, as if I had blinked and she just vanished. A specialty of the Assassin class Servants.
I'll still have this room assigned to her if she needs it for any particular reason though, so I'll leave it as it is.
Three in the morning, huh? I'll have to wake up in three hours then. I should at the least get some sort of sleep. Coming in to school half asleep would be quite embarrassing.
Seems that Assassin was right, I do feel tired, more than I had thought actually. I had a couple of moments when making the way to my bedroom where I had thought that I would pass out on the floor and make myself on the carpeting, but I was fortunate enough to have the determination of arriving successfully to my bedroom.
She knows how to read people, or I am just an easy one to be read…. hope it's the first trait.
Entering my room I immediately fall onto the bed, without the thought of changing into my sleep wear. I'm too fatigued to even stand up right now.
I haven't done much physical work today. The reason is that I had used a large unnecessary amount of magical energy that left me almost empty of energy. With some rest I should become stable.
So… The Assassin class Servant- the one I was able to summon through an unpredicted case.
These Servants are highly skilled in quick executions of both Servants and Masters, though their combat skills aren't very much to boast about. Could Assassin actually be able to take down a Servant? Would she need to stealthily assassinate a Servant, or would she be able to fight in close courters with a Servant such as Saber or Lancer?
While we were in the guestroom, I saw a glimpse of something large attached to the back of her jacket, right under her cape, what seemed to look like some kind of holster that would perhaps be for a weapon.
It may just as well be an accessory to her apparel that is only part of her Servant outfit, or something that is related to her when she was still alive…
Noooo! How idiotic of me to forget on asking her of her identity! That should have been the first thing I should've asked her.
But oh well. I have until morning 'till I can speak to her again. If she won't mind I'll ask her right away. I'm a bit curious of who she may be, well, actually a lot curious.
Another strange thing is that Assassin didn't speak up about the catalyst I had used in summoning her.
I put my fingers to my neck to check if I had not accidentally dropped my priced possession yet again… good, it's still there.
Well, maybe she just forgot or didn't really have the opportunity since I was asking her so many questions, or just mistook it for an irrelevant piece of jewelry, though that seems unlikely, she should be able to recognize an item that was related to her.
Seems that I haven't completely finished knowing about her yet. So then it's settled that I will have to interrogate her during breakfast.
She seems nice, and friendly, and I feel as if I've gotten to know about her more than I would have expected.
And I had ended up using such a huge amount of magical energy is summoning her, she can only be one of the strongest Servants in this War.
Though I can't judge her by just her personality, she is a Servant after all. I'll know how good she is once I get the chance to see her in combat…
That's right, I'll… have to kill and spill the blood of others.
The Holy Grail War is a game to the death with other magus, meaning it is a killing game- with only the survivor winning.
I was so excited about summoning a Servant that I had forgotten about the rules of the game.
And also that I have summoned a soon to be killer, with a chance of me becoming one as well.
I've never actually taken a life before, would it actually be easy?
Stab them in the heart, shoot them in the head, cut their throats, it's easy as it sounds. Killing, taking a life, ending one's existence- an obligation for a Master in order to proceed in the Death Game.
That is why Assassin is here. She's here to fight, and I am here to give her orders and provide support, but if a time comes when there is no other option- a time where my life might be in danger and I would have to protect myself, I would have to…
Spill the blood of the attacker.
Accept my fate. Accept my death. I am not here to… fight. Assassin is, that's her role in the war. Being an Assassin, she is probably experienced taking another's life, that is who Assassins are- experienced killers.
I wouldn't be able to take a life. It's not that I am not capable of doing it, I am able to defend myself against an attacker.
Also, there is the reason for what am I actually going to be fighting for.
Once all of the other six Servants and Masters have been eliminated, the Holy Grail shall appear and grant the winner the victor one wish. It way be anything they can hope to desire.
But, that isn't at all what I am actually participating in this game at all. I'm not much interested in this omnipotent chalice.
Never in the Gorichi family history have we won the Holy Grail. We are a noble family that has lived on for many centuries, as long as the Tohsakas or the Einzberns. Originally we were the most known magus family in Scotland, though eventually my ancestors had changed it's home location to Japan.
And unfortunately, I am the only known living member of the family- the youngest and the only hope for what seems to be, the Gorichi family name, whose goal of obtaining the Grail has been for many years. So as the last heir, it is my obligation to add this achievement to the book.
I must regain my family's pride as a magi bloodline and establish ourselves as at the least the winners of one Holy Grail War.
As the only current living relative, I am taking quite a huge risk in competing, which may once and for all end the Gorichi family bloodline for good, and only be remembered as an extinct family of magi.
To be exact, my goal for winning the Holy Grail is to renown the Gorichi name, and to do that, I must come victorious in the War.
That is my obligation. Through coincidence I have been chosen as part of it, and I will only proceed into it, to try and complete the goal at the end.
And If I succeed, I will have achieved my task, with something else added to it- the second reason for why I am participating.
Surely it will not be an easy game. Other Masters want to obtain the Holy Grail as much as me, actually, even more than me, so they are determined and ready to kill others, including me, without hesitation.
I'm not the one to be killing them though, Assassin is. I will have to use her assistance in my goal of obtaining the omnipotent device.
Or she may just die from another Servant, which I wouldn't want to actually happen. I like Assassin, and it would put me in a depressed mood if she had fallen, so I will have to be smart and careful to ensure that she makes it to the end with me, if possible.
She will be the only person that will be able to protect me from other participants. I will try as much as I am able to defend myself obviously, but I am not willing to take another's life, unless they are another Servant.
Servants are spirits, so they are already dead. It doesn't really matter if they die in the war, they will only go back to whence they came from, back to the afterlife once they are defeated and evicted from the War, with only their Master left.
If possible, I would like for the Master not to die as well, but if there is no other possible choice, Assassin will have to finish and eliminate the enemy. I am not able to take one's life for my own benefits.
Assassin, will have to, even if I don't really like the sound of that, will have to take care most of the dirty work.
If I am fortunate enough, I may actually make it to the end and be victorious with Assassin. I will be given one wish.
My wish is a very simple one. It isn't very meaningful or major, and it will not affect anyone else badly. It's something that I have actually been wanting to happen… for a very long time…
As I had said, it's a very simple wish, one of the most easiest to be granted. In fact, my wish could be granted even without having to obtain the Grail, I could even have it become real this instant. The only reason is that, I do not deserve to have it become true. By winning the War, I will have the right to make it come true, I will finally be able to achieve what I have… actually wanted.
It will… only affect me… no one else, but me. I want it to become true, I want to…
To die.
Yes, my wish for the Holy Grail is that. If I do manage to obtain it at the end, it is for my life to come to its end.
I already know that it is not normal wanting to die. Every person should hold they're life dearest to them. It's the best gift that life has ever given to them.
But for me…
I've never seen worth in myself. To others I may seem like a friendly and generous friend, but to me, myself, I feel as if I am not supposed to… exist.
This life that I've been living was filled with no achievements that I would be proud of, only things that have made me, happy, but they are only selfish emotions that I am able to feel, just a feeling that is there for my well-being as a person. An emotion isn't a reason I should be living for.
I am prohibited of taking my own life until I have achieved the Grail, or have died in the hands of another Servant or Master.
I'm the only one left- the only living member of the Gorichi family, and yet I don't deserve to exist.
I doubt I will be missed by anyone. No one would care if such a mistake like me would bite the dust. I would much rather if I was forgotten, just erased form everyone who has ever seen me.
There is no meaning in life for me, other than making my family known again.
And yet, my fate will stay the same.
I'll either die during the Holy Grail War by a Master, or I will win and use my one precious wish to take away my life, to sacrifice it for the Holy Grail.
And no one must know about this. A person's first instinct of hearing someone wanting to take their life is to try to stray them away from that kind of path.
So no one under any circumstances must know this. I cannot tell my Servant about it either. Assassin seems to… care for me… only as a Servant for Master.
In history, it should just be stated that the Gorichi family in their last stead managed to obtain the Grail. It should not matter who may have done it, only that it has been accomplished.
I will rise my family's name back to fame. To become renown as a family of magi yet again.
No matter the causes. No matter what I must really do.
Whatever may happen, my fate has already been decided. By the end of the war, I will be dead.
