Picks and Bans (II)
I have absolutely no idea what those three words mean. I mean, it sounds like a war for a holy grail which does sound dumb but something within me reassures me that its actually possible to war over a holy grail.
Other than that, Noma is shocked. I'm sure El-Melloi II, whatever he looks like, is looking at me like that as well. So right now, I'm getting some vibes that a ten-year-old should not know what a Holy Grail War is, whatever it is.
It's not like there is something within me feeding me information. This is information that I actually know for some reason or another. It's just that the information has been… muddled – that's a good way to put it. When the right circumstances present themselves, I piece things together without knowing the specifics. For example, just now, I remembered that you could organize the memory into four systems: writing, saving, replaying, and recognizing. If one of these functions has an issue, that is what we call a "memory disorder." I think that my issue is with "replaying." While I can replay anything from when I was chased by goats up until now, I need triggers to replay anything that happened before that time. I'm slightly reassured that my memories are there; I need a bit more effort than most to retrieve them.
That was actually pretty deep, maybe I was a neuroscientist?
That wasn't a jest either.
I tried to explain what happened to me and everything I could remember to Noma and El-Melloi II – hoping they wouldn't kill me. By the end of my story it seemed they just resigned themselves to the fact that I was a mystery that this Lancer fellow could probably solve in an instant if he felt like it. But according to them, this Lancer fellow wasn't going solve me without Noma expending a Command Spell. Oh, I also learned what Command Spells actually do as well so yay me in that regard?
The Holy Grail War, they explained, was a war for a holy grail; more specifically, it referred to the wars held for the 726th Grail – that's a lot of grails. Turns out there are a lot of grails because they are all fake. Well they're not exactly fake – as what defines a Holy Grail is its wish-granting ability – but they were definitely not real, as in they did not receive the blood of Christ. I'm not too sure about the specifics because El-Melloi II went into a lot of detail about what defines something as genuine in magecraft terms and I kind of tuned out.
The 726th Grail is also commonly known as the Fuyuki Grail after the city where the ritual was held. It was there, two hundred ago, where Heroic Spirits were first summoned as Servants and did battle for the chance to make a wish upon an omnipotent vessel. Held in secret, the ritual was finally stopped on the eve of World War II. During the third Holy Grail War, Darnic Prestone Yggdramillenia, one of the Masters, stole the Greater Grail, whatever that was. To hide his trail, he was also forced to spread information around the globe on how to manufacture a Holy Grail. Thus began the age of sub-category Holy Grail Wars – of which this is one.
The original Fuyuki Grail re-surfaced almost a decade ago in a Romania town called Trifas, but El-Melloi II said that was another story. What was important was that magi continue to fight in these wars as the Holy Grail is said to grant any wish; however, these sub-category grail wars generally can't even support five Servants, not to mention how buggy they usually are. I didn't really know what he meant by "buggy," but I felt he just gave a nice brief overview of what a Holy Grail War was.
After he finishes, Noma tells me that El-Melloi II is a lecturer so that makes more sense. He's probably talked about Holy Grail Wars over and over again – in front of entire lecture halls of people. Then, Noma apologizes – she says that it's her fault that I'm in this mess. Even if she says that, I don't think she's the one who put me, naked, in front of angry giant goats.
While this Holy Grail business is interesting, I don't want anything to do with it. I know throwing away a chance at getting anything I could want is childish, but so am I, I guess. That is why I once again ask her if she could take me home.
She shoots me a sad smile and tells me there is something I should see outside.
I was about to protest that I was naked, but I saw the sleeves around my arms. I don't have much experience with clothes or I should say that I didn't have much experience with clothes, but I was could tell that what I was wearing was rather plain. Although, not to be ungrateful nor downright ew, I couldn't help noticing that I was wearing a pair of women's underwear. It makes sense considering I doubt that Noma would carry an extra pair of male underwear with her. I will admit though, while slightly embarrassed, it didn't feel that uncomfortable. Underwear manufacturers must put more effort into that type of stuff for women.
With that slightly lingering on my mind, I push off the sleeping bag and open the flap of the tent. Hopefully this time there won't be any giant goats around.
"Yes, I know he's a liability. Then again, once upon a time so were you and I. What did Gray say about this?" Noma's voice is the first thing I hear while coming out. It seems like she's talking to Al who is firmly on her shoulder.
"Gray is still in London," El-Melloi II answers shortly. "You aren't going to budge on this are you? He's not a magus but he's obviously involved in this somehow. This is different from what happened to you."
"This isn't any different. Not all stray children are Assassins who have lost their memories. He's like I was, someone caught in the middle of someone else's Holy Grail War and I'm going to help him get back to his home. Even if he wasn't involved, he's still a child for God's sake!"
A moment of silence then, "You've changed, Noma. If you are going to be that stubborn, he's your responsibility."
I decide to pipe up, "Excuse me?"
I'm going to assume that's unnecessary confirmation that I have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The air in the camp is quite different from the air in the forest. It seems to be easier to move around here; it also seems heavier in a sense. Other than the air, the "base," as Noma called it consists of zero point two five times pi r squared. Ummm, sorry about that, it's just hard to explain. Maybe it'd be easier if I said one quarter of a circle? When we reach the edge of the base Noma stops and shows me the hot springs. There are a few hot springs around Sweden, but I'm pretty sure there shouldn't be any around here; even if, I can't say that I'm entirely surprised.
The hot spring is not why she brought me here though because there are an unnatural number of trees around the hot spring. The closer we get to it, sthe more my vision starts to become distorted/s I realize there is absolutely nothing wrong at all. It almost feels as if there is sa conceptual gap in the space between the other side of those trees and where we are/s just a nice view of trees.
"No one can get in or out. Lord El-Melloi II is actually sitting in a hotel in the closest city to this forest, Valhalla," Noma says after watching me shake my head, trying to get rid of those thoughts.
I don't think I need to overstate the irony of having a Holy Grail War near a town called "Valhalla."
"If that's the case, how did you get in here?" I ask Noma.
She points to her eyes, "They're called [ruby=Glam Sight]Fairy Eyes[/ruby]. It might sound like I'm able to see through glamours, but that's not really the case. You've heard of mystic eyes?"
I nod. Again, it's one of those things. I could ask her to elaborate on it, but at this point, I don't think I want to hear another lore lecture.
"They let me see things which are 'out of place' in reality. So while I can see the presence of magecraft as well as the flow of magical energy, what these eyes are truly made for are identifying invisible phantasmal species like fairies and their mysteries. This bounded field is one so complex that it fools nature. It might as well be one of those bounded field that hides an entire alternate world. With these eyes, I'm not only able to comprehend this, but also can follow a trail of crumbs and make my way through. Actually, that's why the Clock Tower asked for my help. I guess Holy Grail Wars and I go hand in hand," she laughs nervously.
"But even with those eyes you can't get us out."
She apologizes, "It took a miracle to get in. I still have a long way to go."
"A few towns over, a Second Owner alerted the Clock Tower about suspicious activity in this region. It seemed she was conducting a large scale ritual – one that would even affect the land here – yet the leyline activity seemed completely normal," El-Melloi II finishes for Noma, having taken an interest in this conversation or maybe the lecturing mood is contagious.
I'm not sure about the specifics. I guess it's just a bad idea to hide one unnatural phenomenon with another – no matter how complex the bounded field is. While the second distortion hides the first one, it also draws attention to itself. Maybe the only way to hide a phenomenon then is to explain the phenomenon away to everyone whose attention it captures. Like say it's due to gas leaks or something.
He continues, "A few bounded field specialists were sent to the area but they couldn't find anything. At that point, I suggested that we send Noma here with my familiar."
"His name is Al," she retorted. "The entire class decided that. You should use his name; otherwise, you'll hurt his feelings."
He ignores her, "Upon finding the bounded field, I told her to wait until I arrived so we could assess the situation. But after a day of waiting, she entered the forest without me."
"I had no choice, I saw a surge of magical energy inside the bounded field. That was the trail I was talking about before."
"And when have you ever run towards danger? Aren't you a self-proclaimed coward?"
"When I came out of the forest to this base, I gained these," she ignores him in return and shows me her Command Spells, "and I knew that I would have to win or destroy the Grail to get out." She sighs, "Exactly like last time."
She motions me to follow her to a giant structure right in the middle of the base.
It's a big expanse of paved land, one could almost call it some kind of ruin. Three giant statues or should I say, giant statues of giants are holding giant crystal rune stones protected by what seems to be magecraft shields. And the treasure they're guarding is floating on top of a pedestal – a giant yellow crystal. I have no clue what it's made out of or who made it; however, from the shape, I know there's something inside of the crystal. Right, the crystal isn't the treasure, it's merely the final layer of defense. The crystal glimmers in the sun and from following those glimmers I realize we are standing on a magic circle – a summoning circle.
"You can't see it, but inside that crystal is a single spiritual core. The spiritual core is the essential part of a Servant. Once the spiritual core is damaged beyond repair, the Servant will disappear. This spiritual core wasn't always here though; it only materialized when I summoned the Servants."
So then the three giant, giant statues are the final line of defense. The moment they all fall, the spiritual core becomes vulnerable. At the same time, as long as long of the statues is still up, the core cannot be harmed.
We continue walking until we arrive at the outer edge of the base where another one of those giant, giant statues stands guard.
"There are actually three of these statues around the edge of the base. Each guards a possible path into the base as well as this," she taps the structure next to us. A large pit half covered with stone, it looks like some sort of burial mound but feels like a magical energy furnace. At the bottom of the pit is another summoning circle; however, this one looks different.
"Instead of the ward of purification, it's the exact opposite, a ward of putrefaction. Not to mention instead of the crystal ball in the middle, there's an eclipse," El-Melloi II remarks, "shouldn't be much of a surprise that those come out of it."
The magic circle starts to glow as we climb out of the structure. A few seconds pass as scores of effigies march out of the mound. While their general shapes are humanoid they don't have any joints, neither are any parts interlocking. Magical energy, rather than physical means, holds them together. Their heads are not attached to their bodies, neither are their thighs attached to the trunk of the body – the ones that even have legs, that is. Not all effigies look the same. As far as I can tell, there are five distinct types: the first type has both arms attached to a greatsword, the second has a quiver poking out of its back and a bow in hand, the third's arms are attached to a spear, the fourth doesn't have legs and floats while holding a giant mallet in one hand, and the fifth is something like a centaur and comes with an assortment of weapons.
While having no idea why this motley army is leaving the safety of the base and into what seems to be a straight road to nowhere, El-Melloi II asks me, "Have you ever heard of a MOBA?"