Chapter 1 : Binary Heaven
Week ? Days Remaining : 0
Where is the belfry? In that moment, gentle days end
Morning
Hakuno Kishinami always wakes up very abruptly. The girl doesn't think she ever dreams. Even so, like every single day, she finds herself walking to the school. Her headache is getting worse day by day, until it finally buzzes in her head like an alarm clock.
Still on that day. In potent numbness, she wakes up twice as normal.
She walked to the schoolyard. The day was clear and cloudless. But she could not tell what season it was. When the girl tries to recall the time of year, she starts to get so dizzy to the point of passing out. She may wind up back in bed if she let go and-
However, for some time, she's been embracing a rush of useless information. The normal stuff anyone sees at school, like the hustle and bustle of her classmates by the entrance. It hasn't changed.
Nothing has changed.
When she pushes the thought, her field of vision fizzles. Like every single day, today there was a crowd of students milling in front of the school gate, and more being directed that way. As to what is going on, there's a boy in black uniform in front of the school gate.
He is her friend as she recalls.
He is Issei Ryuudo as she recalls.
Hakuno remembered this from the first time. When Issei notices her looking at him, he pushes through the crowd. "Good morning! Lovely weather we're having, don't you think?"
"Hmm? Why do you look so surprised?" Issei wonders. She didn't reply.
"We announced at last week's assembly that this month the student council would strictly enforce school rules." He runs through his spiel, as if this was the first time he'd ever disclosed the information.
She already knows this. She knows it.
She already knows what happened. It happened more than once.
Hakuno was then seized by a headache. The girl was so dizzy that it feels like she's being forcibly logged out of her consciousness.
"First, let me check your student ID. I shouldn't need to remind you, but it should be on you at all times." Her login ID is being checked. It's so obvious now, the answer to the question that usually makes her go dizzy.
"Great. There's no telling when an emergency might occur, and it will be a great help if you have your ID."
She feels nauseous. And it has nothing to do with what she ate for breakfast this morning. It was because of the world around her. It's repeating itself over and over again, and that's making her sick.
"Now for the uniform inspection. Collar, check! Pant hems, check! And your socks, check!"
Hakuno wants him to get out of her way. She wants this repetition to stop. The girl pushed him aside and went forward. And she was not nice about it, either. "Next is the contents of your bag."
"Notebooks, textbooks, pencil box! not even a whiff of contraband. Your nails are evenly cut, and your haircut is sensible. Indeed, quite remarkable. You're a model Tsukimihara Academy student."
Issei keeps talking loudly, even though he's facing no one.
This headache she's feeling. It's making her shiver. Even so, she knows one thing. This is wrong, this is not the school she knows! It cannot be! She has to go in posthaste and wake herself up. Or else it will be too late.
But who is she awakening for?
Week ? Days Remaining : 0
Where is the belfry? In that moment, gentle days end
Afternoon
Hakuno's anxiety and headaches are only getting worse. Afternoon arrives while she is desperately trying to find a way to escape this bizarre situation. As is now the norm, her vision is overlaid with some kind of unnatural distortion.
Uneasiness.
Futility.
Emptiness.
She wants someone to explain the true nature behind all of these feelings. There must be a key somewhere. Something that will have the answers to all of her questions.
Leaving the classroom in haste. The moment she steps foot on the first floor, her feelings of unease intensify. There is a student wearing a red uniform, she remembers the transfer student's name is Leo. The instant she lay eyes on him, she immediately felt intimidated and humiliated.
There is also someone trailing behind him. It seems to be one of her classmates. The more she thinks, the more Hakuno realizes that Leo isn't the only anomaly she'd come across while on campus. There are other things that seem off as well.
It's becoming clearer now. There are people who shouldn't exist. Students that mysteriously vanish. The fabric of reality is unraveling.
What is the truth?
What defines the world to you?
Don't run away.
There is a reason why you're here.
Come. Do not allow yourself to close your eyes to the truth.
Hakuno trusts her resolve and follows the two on the end of the hallway. Leo and one of the guys from her classroom are talking. "The attention to detail is quite impressive. Even the surrounding air is surprisingly substantial. If that is the case, this world is in some ways more real than the real world it represents."
"How about you guys? What are your thoughts on this?" For a moment, it feels as if she was included in his comment. However, Leo begins speaking to her classmate, seemingly oblivious to her presence.
"Greetings. I believe this is the first time we've had an actual conversation." Leo gives them a smile with no hostility. However, she has suspicion that there is something malicious behind his smile.
"Attending school wasn't half-bad. I've never had the opportunity to go to one before now. In that respect, this has been quite an interesting experience. However, the time for fun has come to an end. I did not come here to play as a student."
It was quick, but Leo glanced at her. "No matter how enjoyable the detour, eventually one must return to their appointed path. And for me, the time to do so has arrived." He said.
With those final words. Leo turned his back on them. "Farewell. No, that's not quite right. I don't think farewell would be accurate in this situation."
"For reasons I cannot explain, I have the distinct feeling that we will see each other again. So I guess I should use the more congenial. "See you later". Well it's time for me to move on. I wish you best of luck."
Leo said as much, even going so far as to look in her direction. For some inexplicable reason, she's not surprised that Leo knew she was spying on him. While trying to get things straightened out in her mind. Leo suddenly disappears. The student who is following him also disappears after touching the same spot on the wall.
At the same moment he vanishes, her vision distorts and the shock threatens to overwhelm her. What is going on here? She wonders if this place is the source of her unease.
Like him, she placed her hand on the wall, expecting to be drawn in. She sees now that the way to the truth, to why she has these feelings, begins right here. "I want to know." Whispering those words. The atmosphere changes.
There's a doorway, an entrance, where the concrete wall used to be. It's not something from this world. There is no doubt this door leads to someplace unfathomable.
She bids farewell to the false world, and takes her first step forward to the truth.
Week ? Days Remaining : 0
Where is the belfry? In that moment, gentle days end
Number of Combatants : 999
An entrance to another world. Beyond this door, the previous statement perfectly describes the view before her. Walking beside her is a strange, silent attendant. It is to be her sword and shield for what lies ahead. A disembodied voice suddenly confirmed her thoughts.
Although she has yet to learn anything, she needs to do something besides standing here. At the very least, there might be clues to this bizarre experience up ahead. She has no choice but to head into the darkness with only this strange doll as her protection.
Week ? Days Remaining : 0
Where is the belfry? In that moment, gentle days end
No longer a typical school campus, the floors and walls, the air, even the aura are slightly off. It wouldn't surprise her to see a monster pop out from the shadows. It's very much like a dungeon here.
"Welcome, potential Master."
With a shocking suddenness, a voice began speaking. It sounds like it's coming from the empty sky above. "If you are looking for answers. Then you must reach the goal. Now, please step forward."
Doing what she was told too. Hakuno soon met a floating object blocking the path. "Before you is an Enemy program. It is programmed to attack on sight. Touching it will initiate a battle."
"But you won't actually fight as you are too fragile. The effigy given to you will fight in your stead." Glancing behind her. The strange doll stood quietly while waiting for her orders.
"If your effigy is ever destroyed in battle, you will no longer be shielded from harm. To put it bluntly, you will die. So be very careful in battle." The unknown voice chuckled softly. "But there is no need to be afraid for now. Just do what I say and you'll be perfectly safe for the time being. So do tell me, are you ready?"
Nodding her head. She followed every instruction from the unknown voice. Though it was hard to follow. Giving orders to someone or something was new to her. Even so, Hakuno and her effigy fought every single attack program standing in their way. Until they eventually reach the end.
"Good now, please proceed to the final room."
At the end of a very long road, after going through the door that suddenly appeared on the wall. The oppressive air of this place where spirits of the dead still lingers. She made it to the goal. Or so what she thought.
Further in, it appears as if someone had collapsed. When Hakuno looked into his face. It's the student who was following Leo just now! She calls him out, but gets no reply, she shakes him in an attempt to wake him up when she notices. He is stone cold.
She goes as pale as the corpse before her. She can no longer think coherently. All she can do is stare in bewilderment. And it's that moment when the fallen effigy lying next to the male student comes to its feet with a clatter. After having to fight several enemy programs to get here, it's obvious that this thing is an enemy as well.
Without warning, it suddenly twists around and comes right at her.
Her own effigy stands before her. Protecting the girl from the fallen effigy. Hakuno gives her command of the doll. It charges and was able to land a hit against the enemy. And when she notices its retaliation, the girl commands the doll to guard up against the attack.
It was a success, her effigy managed to counter, landing another hit from the enemy's body. Hakuno can feel her confidence building up, if this continues then she can win against the enemy. However, there is one thing that she forgot, it's the fact that the flow of battle can change at any moment, a single mistake may lead to defeat.
And due to being inexperienced in such situations. Her confidence quickly shattered. The enemy kept the pressure on her effigy until it broke and fell dead to the ground. Now without the doll to protect her, the enemy effigy dashed toward her and-
"Hmph. It seems you are lacking as well."
As she's lying on the floor in agony. She can hear a voice from a distance. "The time has come. With your inevitable loss, I will consider this round of preliminaries to be over. Farewell, I pray you'll find peace in your annihilation."
That is the voice's final words to her. Hakuno does not have the power to protest. All she can do is stare at the floor. "I think I'm going to die here…" She weakly whispers under her breath.
Suddenly, at the edge of her now hazy vision, a number of brown colored lumps seem to rise from the ground. Actually, it might be that she just noticed them now. They may have been there from the beginning for all she knew. Those lumps are the bodies of an untold number of fallen Tsukumihara Academy students.
The guy before her wasn't the only one to fall. All of the others made it here and died, unable to do anything. In a very short while, she will become one of them.
Maybe she should just close her eyes now. The girl did all she could, so maybe it'd be better for it to end now. "I refuse to give up…" Hakuno murmured. She summoned all of her strength in an attempt to get back on her feet. However, as she tries to move, an unbearably intense pain shoots through her entire body.
If that's how it's going to be…
No, if this is…
"I still refuse to give up…!"
She doesn't want it to end like this. She cannot ignore the intense pain coursing through her body. Hakuno reached the point where she no longer sees stars as her eyes feel like they're on fire. She feels like all five of her senses are being ripped from her body.
She's afraid.
She's afraid of the pain.
She's afraid of losing her senses.
She's afraid of becoming a corpse.
And the most terrifying thing: Disappearing without a trace for any reason at all. It's not right that she disappeared here. Her consciousness, shot through with a wave of distortion, screams out against the injustice of it all.
What was the purpose of suffering through those headaches just to fade away here and now? What were they all for if she just faded away here and now?
She has to stand up.
It's okay if she's scared.
It's okay if she's in pain.
She has to rise above all of that.
Because she has yet to fight of her own volition and her own terms!
"This is truly an unjust game. Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you and you still have that resolve within you. There may be yet possibilities open to you."
"Let your resolve speak to you. Tell me, what do you desire?"
"I want to live…! I need to see the truth…!" Hakuno shouted as loud as she could.
"Very well. Then you shall be the treasure that I will protect."
The sound of breaking glass is accompanied by a light cutting through the gloom. She manages to move her weary body and aching head to see what's happening. The girl didn't notice it before, but something was slowly rising up from the floor in the middle of the room.
That form-
It's appearance isn't much different from a human being, but something was different. Clearly so. The power emanating from it transcended that of any human, or of any enemy she faced in getting here. An awesome power that seems as if it'd vaporize anyone it touched swirl within her body almost against her will.
"I heard your resolve. But let me ask again, are you my master?" She doesn't know what it means. Hakuno simply let her conviction speak for her.
"Yes." Despite her weakened state. The girl answered firmly and with determination.
"Then I will hold onto my words." Underneath the domino mask he's wearing, there was a genuine smile on his face. Hakuno noticed his gentle gaze toward her. "Showing will power is difficult regardless of one's age. Let us form the contract."
He takes a hold on her hand and helps the girl to get to her feet. From the hand he had grabbed comes a sudden warmth. And then a sharp pain, like she was cut by a knife. On the back of her hand, as though tattooed, is a strange symbol that looks like some kind of crest.
Totally confused, she alternates between staring at the mark on her hand and the person standing before her. And then a noise behind her brings the girl back to her senses. Turning around, Hakuno sees that the effigy from before is still there, now in a fighting stance.
She winces uncontrollably, recalling her previous defeat at its hands. Hakuno then felt a hand grab hers. She was then pulled behind the mysterious man. "My Master, stay behind me. I won't let you get hurt." He told her before summoning a dagger on his hand.
Hakuno was about to voice her concern to him. But when he turned his head and sent her a wink. There was something else burning up aside from her hand. She shouldn't be acting like this, especially in this dire situation, but she could not think to wonder whether or not he's a protagonist who maxed out his charm.
The effigy dashes but he simply dodge. Though the effigy is faceless but judging from its movement, it's getting frustrated against the man who has a smirk on his face and not taking it seriously. "Don't feel bad. I'm just better than you." He said with confidence and cockiness.
Using the dagger, he slashed its left limb before taking the other, the effigy lost its balance and crashed to the floor. In just a matter of seconds, the man put his enemy in checkmate with ease. "Game's over." He said before pointing the gun on its head and pulled the trigger.
The destroyed effigy stops moving. There's no way it'll still function after being effectively torn apart. "You didn't get hurt during that fight, did you?" He asks after coming to her side.
Hakuno wanted to make a reply. But the sound of his voice doesn't quite reach her ears. The heat coming from the mark on her hand grew in intensity during the fight and the resulting pain has become unbearable and burned through her consciousness.
"That mark imprinted on your hand is your command seal. It is proof that you hold dominion over a Servant. You can use it to give them three orders that must be obeyed. Think of them as disposable strengthening spells. It is also proof of your participation in the Holy Grail War. If you lose it for some reason, you will die."
Once again, Hakuno heard that voice. She somehow manages to ignore the pain and listen to what it has to say. "I can understand your confusion. But before I forget, congratulations. You have endured much to make it here. Now rest for a while; you've achieved your first goal."
"It was an incredibly clumsy effort to say the least, but that's what made it all the more entertaining. I've had this duty for a long time, but this is the first time I've seen a Master as helpless as you. Nevertheless, be proud of your achievement. Your quick thinking came as a result of nerves and rashness."
Thinking about it, the voice sounds like that of a thirty year old man. And it's really irritatingly smug. For some reason, she can see the owner of the voice as a priest, dressed in a somber cassock.
"Are you curious about my identity? I am honored, but I am insignificant. I am merely a part of the system. I am just a guide, tasked with giving a standard message and given the personality of a prior participant. I am no more than words, no more than the mountain you just conquered, no more than a record of the past."
A record? So if she raises any objections to this voice, does it mean she won't receive any answers in return?
"Exactly. Well this is unexpected. But you have received a commendation. Something about you 'having a light'."
Hakuno has no clue who would say such a thing about her. But that short phrase struck her heart because, for some reason, she knew the words were sincere. And as for "I expect good things from you." It seems more like a command than encouragement.
"Now, let us commence your baptism. You have proven yourself worthy of the honor. For most, the monotony of everyday life continues on without end. Your decision to look beyond the accepted and progress means you have earned the right to exist. However, you have but taken the first step. Be jubilant, young knight, for the Holy Grail War begins now."
The girl still has no idea what he's talking about. The Holy Grail War? The right to exist?
"That is correct. An object of great power once existed in the world. One that would grant any desire. People called it the "Holy Grail" and fought endlessly in an attempt to gain sole possession of it. This war- The system you find yourself in now is an evolution of those struggles."
"You stand at the entrance of a deadly struggle where many magi will perish in pursuit of the Holy Grail. Listen, magi. Had I not bestowed upon the Earth desire, you'd be merely saints capable of committing sin."
"Now, fight to the death. The fiery throne of heaven will only receive those with the strongest of desires!"
The voice reverberates throughout this hidden chapel, as if it were the voice of a god.
Kill? Magi? Holy Grail that grant wishes?
These questions, and more, swirl inside her head and almost seem to carve themselves into her flesh. "In war, a weapon is needed. That is your Servant. They're the spear that pierces, the shield that protects. A Legendary Soul whose purpose is to clear your way to the Grail. That is the one who stands beside you."
Hakuno glanced over at the young man in black standing next to her, who was looking up into the sky. He is my servant.
"It seems you decided, and with that decision as payment, I now open the gates to the Holy Grail War."
The mark on her hand, the command seals, once again begin to become excruciatingly painful. It's over, she cannot take it anymore. Hakuno reaches the limit of her endurance and her mind starts to shut down.
As she loses consciousness. She can vaguely hear the voice's final words.
"Now, let the Holy Grail War begin."
"No matter the era, deciding who is worthy through battle is the divine providence of man. Magi who has been invited here by the Moon; show me your true strength."