Chapter 1: Idle Days End
My name is Hakuno Kishinami, a 2nd-year male student at Tsukimihara Academy. At least, that's who I thought I was.
My day started the same way as it always did, with the same dream of a broken and burned landscape. It had pretty much become routine for me at this point. The images of collapsed buildings and fires burning in the distance haunted my dreams. The same speech over and over again, every time
I drifted off to sleep. I spoke with Sakura Matou, the little sister of my friend Shinji, who worked in the Nurse's Office, but she wasn't able to help all that much.
I suddenly realized that I was standing outside of school. I didn't even remember leaving my house that morning. Outside the front gate was Issei Ryuudou, the Student Council President, dressed in the special black uniform worn by student council members.
"Ah, Hakuno, good to see you. I've been tasked with performing inspections to ensure that all students comply with school rules. This will only take a moment."
A wave of nausea bombarded my brain. It felt like my skull was about to burst. I mumbled out an apology to Issei before running past him. I didn't know if it was the splitting headache, but it sounded like Issei was still talking. I ignored him and made my way inside the school. I barely stepped inside before I found Sakura by the shoe lockers acting strangely. She was lying on the ground, mumbling something that I couldn't quite hear. I looked around at all of the others standing nearby and noticed everyone was ignoring her. I knelt beside her and held her in my arms, checking her over for any injuries.
"Are you all right?"
"Ah, Kishinami-senpai… you can see me? Even when everyone else, including the student council members, are ignoring me, you can see me?"
She paused and looked up at me with a confused look on her face. Her face flashed between confused and happy as I held her in my arms and supported her weight. I used all the strength I had and helped her get back on her feet. I placed her arms over my shoulders and carried her on my back toward the Nurse's Office and put her down on one of the beds.
"If you aren't feeling well then you should go home Sakura. I would hate to see you collapse from exhaustion."
Being Shinji's sister must be hard on her and while I considered him as a friend, he could be unnecessarily harsh to Sakura sometimes.
"No! I want to be here. Thank you for worrying about me Senpai. How may I help you?"
When she asked me that, I remembered why I had come here originally. I told her that I had experienced sharp pain and nausea while coming to school. Before she could say anything, the morning bell rang, which meant that I had to go to class now. As I went to leave, Sakura stopped me.
"Senpai, if you can, please come to the Nurse's Office later today if you feel sick again. I will always be waiting here for you."
"Thank you, Sakura."
I stepped out into the hallway and quickly made my way to class on the second floor. I got to class barely as our teacher, Taiga Fujimura, walked in shortly after me. She was dressed strangely because she wore a nun's habit, but her beautiful looks and gentle disposition were welcomed by the students. From there, the day was pretty normal. My headache from this morning had dialed back a little, but I still felt a bit sick.
After class, I went back downstairs to the Nurse's Office and spoke with Sakura again. There wasn't much she could do for me other than to give me some medicine and let me lay down on one of the soft beds.
"Senpai, if you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?"
Sakura asked me this out of the blue. Wish, like what do I want? I wasn't sure how to answer her question. There wasn't anything that I wanted.
"I don't know. What would you wish for?"
A look of sadness flashed across her face before she answered.
"If I could, I wish I could spend more just time talking with Senpai."
"We're talking right now, aren't we? It's not like I'm going away anywhere. I'm here if you need me, Sakura. We still have one more year together in this school, after all."
After that, we talked about various things like our favorite color, favorite food, and many other things. It felt like this was the first time we had talked for a long time. I was worried that I was boring Sakura, but she seemed to be taking in everything that I was saying, so I guess it was okay.
The noon bell rang which meant that I had to leave again. I promised Sakura that I would come back and talk to her in the evening when school got out. She smiled and waved, but I noticed the smile didn't seem to reach her eyes as I left again.
The noon class was absolute hell. The new teacher, Souichirou Kuzuki, seemed hellbent on making his students suffer. I had met him a few days ago when he came out of the Faculty Office. I still remember the dead look in his eyes as he looked at me as if determining my value as a human being. His dark hair, dark eyes, and black coat all helped to give off a feeling of unease. The only one who he seemed to have any lenience to was Leo, maybe because he was a new student. I somehow managed to make it through class and went upstairs to clear my head on the school's rooftop.
Before I could head up the stairs, I was stopped by one of the 3rd year student council members who asked me to help find the substitute teacher, Jinako Carigiri. I sighed and went back downstairs to where I knew she was. Back on the first floor, the janitor's closet was in a secluded corner at the end of the hallway. I knocked on the door.
"Ms. Jinako, are you in there?"
Nothing. Not even the slightest sound.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the key that I had been given by Issei earlier in the week. I unlocked the door and went inside the janitor's closet. Just as I expected, there she was sleeping on a makeshift bed with a pile of junk food and wrappers nearby as monitors flashed on a nearby table. Looking over I could see the words "Congratulations" and "Thanks for Playing". Her long, brown hair was splayed out and her clothing was disheveled, showing some of her pale skin and parts of her undergarments.
I knelt beside the makeshift bed and nudged Jinako until she woke up. She yawned and stretched a little before realizing that I was here.
"Kishinami! What are you doing here? Don't you know it's blasphemy to enter the sanctity of a girl's room."
"Ms. Jinako, this is the janitor's closet and I'm here to tell you that you have to go to class and teach."
"W-what? Please don't tell me you're serious. Do you think that a shut-in like myself can go out and teach fresh, young minds? Please don't make me go, Kishinami!"
I found it hard to believe that this 29-year-old woman, 25 if you asked her, could honestly beg one of her students like this. But, still feeling sick and also feeling sorry for her, I told her that I would come up with an excuse for her.
"Thanks, Kishinami, you're a good person! Here, take these snacks as payment and feel free to come and hang out with me if you ever feel like lazing around!"
She handed me a couple of bags of chips before pushing me out of the room, despite her small frame. Snacks in hand, I went back upstairs and told the 3rd year student that they had a free period because Ms. Jinako wasn't feeling well. She looked at me briefly before nodding and going back to tell the rest of her class.
Finally reaching my original goal I sat down against the fence that enclosed the rooftop. I opened one of the bags of chips that Jinako had given me and began eating them. I must've drifted off a bit because I noticed the sound of someone coughing and turned to see someone sitting next to me.
"Geez, you need to start paying attention. If this wasn't the prelims, you'd probably be dead already."
Sitting beside me, in a bright red sweater and black skirt, was Rin Tohsaka, one of the two beauties of Tsukimihara Academy. She consistent got top grades in school and was popular as well. She and another girl, Rani, were called the "Two Beauties of Tsukimihara", a title that I and many others felt was appropriate when describing the two. I choke a little bit on my chips and coughed.
"W-what are you doing?"
"I was enjoying my afternoon, but somebody decided to come and ruin my quiet solitude with his loud chewing."
She was talking about me. Awkward.
"Sorry, I'll be leaving now."
"Ah, wait…"
Before she could say anything else, I bolted back downstairs. I could feel my face grow hot, whether it was from embarrassment or something else, I wasn't sure. Thankfully, the evening bell rang which meant that class would start, giving me an escape. That was before I realized that Jinako was supposed to teach in the afternoon and after waiting for fifteen minutes everyone decided that it was okay to leave.
Remembering my promise to Sakura, I made my way down to the first floor. The light from the windows bathed the hallway in an orange glow. I turned to go see Sakura until I noticed Leo and another student walking down the opposite way toward the janitor's closet. The same wave of nausea hit me again, but this time it was accompanied by a loud static sound buzzing in my ears. Part of me wanted to hurry and go to the Nurse's Office, but another part of me told me to go and follow those two.
Against my better judgment, I followed the two down the hallway and stood back as Leo spoke.
"To be honest, I quite enjoyed my time as a student at this school. It was an experience that I had never encountered up until now. But alas, the time for such pleasantries is over. I did not come here to play "school". I hope to see you again soon."
He glanced toward me as he finished talking before walking into the wall where the door to the janitor's closet was. The other student didn't seem to notice me before he too went into the wall. I followed soon after placing my hand against the wall and falling through to a room that I didn't recognize. Standing before a hole in the wall in front of me was a strange effigy that was covered in glowing red lines. The effigy was vaguely humanoid but lacked any facial features and resembled a doll. It suddenly stood at attention and bowed to me. The hole in the wall almost seemed like it was calling to me and I walked forward to pass through it, the effigy falling in line behind me.
I found myself in an endless void, the only light coming from the square panels on the floor. I walked forward faster and as I did, the void seemed to be filling in more and more with detail as I found myself standing in a strange place. The first thing that came to mind was "dungeon". It looked like something from one of Jinako's games. The whole place felt wrong like something could jump out at me at any moment. Looking passed the glowing blue walls, I could see what appeared to be bones and other skeletal structures floating in a deep, dark ocean.
I made my way through the "dungeon" as I had called it. I was attacked multiple times by floating orbs, but my effigy protected me against them, quickly dispatching them with punches and kicks. At the end of the "dungeon" was a large swirling dome of blue light, and with nowhere else to go, I walked into it. I found myself standing on a large, ornate, circular pillar in the distance was a single stained-glass window that was several times larger than myself.
I looked to my side and noticed the student who had followed Leo in before me.
"Hey, are you alright? Say something!"
He didn't respond and when I went to shake him awake, he felt stone cold. Dead, that was the first thing that popped into my mind. I didn't have time to think before the effigy that knelt by his body stood up and made its way toward me. It attacked without warning and as my effigy fought it, I could tell that it was a lost cause. My effigy was quickly dispatched and since I was now defenseless, the remaining effigy struck me with a powerful blow that sent me sprawling to the ground.
As I lay there dying, I now noticed the many other bodies that littered the ground. How many had died in this place?
"I suppose that's it then. With your defeat, I will close the preliminary round now. I pray that you find peace with your demise."
A voice that I didn't recognize spoke. Demise? Does that mean I'm going to die? Hell no! I summoned all of the strength that was left in my body and tried to get back up. Nothing, not a single muscle moved. I had nothing left in me.
Even so, I refuse to give up and die!
"Umu! Indeed! You must embrace your fear of death and fight on regardless of what fate may await you. Well spoke nameless traveler. Even if the world will never hear of your desire, know that I admire and respect it! Close your hands into fists and raise your head! Your end has yet to come! Your destiny begins now!"
A woman's voice reached my ears, followed by the sound of shattering glass. In the center of the room was a single ray of light shining down from above. Standing in the light was a young woman clad in a crimson dress, blond hair tied in a bun. She walked toward me and stood dignified as she looked at me. The aura that she gave off was strong and warm to me, like a flame. I could feel my body becoming filled with that same warmth as I sat up and looked back at the crimson dressed woman. Even though we both looked human, there was a clear difference between me and her.
"Now then, I shall ask you once more. Answer me. Are you my Master?"
"Yes."
Even though I was confused at the appearance of this otherworldly being before me, I was in no position to refuse another person's help right now.
"Your words are few but beautiful. I like that. I won't ask you how privileged you feel for summoning me. All right, I give my blessing! I will bestow upon you the honor of being my Master."
She grabs my hand and helps me up onto my feet. A sharp, burning pain erupts in my hand the moment she lets go of it. I look to see a crimson symbol tattooed to the back of my left hand. I don't even have time to say anything before I hearing a loud creaking sound behind me. The effigy that had powered down after my "death" stood back up and turned to face me. I flinched, remembering how it had nearly killed me just a few minutes ago. The woman walks in front of me.
"What an excitable Master I have. Why are you so flustered? While I am by your side, you need not have fears that you may lose your way. Remember that victory is all that matters. My blade is the ultimate instrument! Even the muses themselves would bow before the sound it makes. Master, strike with my sword. Show me the extent of your abilities in this battle!"
The woman, much smaller than myself, summons a crimson blade and gracefully flourishing it in her hands. The effigy charges toward us and somehow, I know what moves it will make before it does. Something inside me was telling me how to defeat this murderous doll.
"It's going to strike first, so block it!"
The effigy moved as predicted as the woman blocked its arm with her sword and countered it by thrusting her blade into the effigy's body. Before it could do anything else, she slashed at it again and got another hit in before I gave her another command.
"It's going to try and block next!"
The woman responded by spinning around and using all of her might to break through the effigy's defenses. Noticing an opening, the woman jumped into the air and slammed her sword down into the effigy.
"Finish it off now!"
The woman's sword carved through the body of the effigy and it fell to its knees in defeat. The broken doll stopped moving, too damaged to do anything else. The woman makes a face before speaking.
"That wasn't entertaining at all. Considering how long I've waited for such a moment; I am truly unsatisfied."
The voice from before cuts in soon after.
"That mark on your hand is your Command Seal. It is proof that you are the Master of a Servant. You may use your Command Seal to issue three orders that must be obeyed. It is proof of your participation in the Holy Grail War. If you lose it for any reason, you will die. I know that you are confused but congratulations on making it here. Now that you have passed the preliminaries, you may rest. While it was just barely, you still managed to become a Master. Please continue to entertain as you struggle through the rest of your trials."
And now I hate this voice. It sounds like it belongs to some smug thirty-something man. The voice continues to speak, but the only thing that catches my attention is this "Holy Grail" that it keeps talking about. To obtain it, I must kill the other magi that stand in my way. Processing all of this information, I glance at the woman, my Servant, before I lose consciousness. But before I am completely gone, I hear one more thing.
"No matter the era, deciding who is worthy through battle is the divine providence of man. Magi who have been invited here by the Moon; show me your true strength."
A/N:
So, there you go, Chapter 1 is done. This is my first story so if there is anything wrong, please be constructive. Once again, this is a retelling/novelization (I guess?) of Extella/Zero, the events that take place leading into Fate/Extella and Link. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a reworked Fate/Extra story that follows the Nero route while also including other elements that exist within the Extra-verse. Since I've only played Extra and Extella the story won't include events from CCC unless I decide to add that in later. The characters from CCC that are mentioned in this chapter are cameos since that game and the summary of Extella/Zero both state that the events of CCC take place after the fifth round. I apologize if the characters are a bit OOC because as I said, this is my first story. Also, this story focuses on male Hakuno because ninety percent of the fanfiction for this series is female Hakuno, but don't worry, she will appear later on in the story
Thanks for reading, see you next time.