Hello there, here I bring you a new chapter of my story.
On reviews;
King of Fans: Well, as I said the other time, in my fic, Kon will not have the same taste with girls who are not sexy like Orihime and Rangiku, unless they have a personality as charming as the King of Knights. So I don't think the Knight of the Rebellion will like it.
As for why everyone doesn't seem to recognize King Arthur. Well, I guess King Arthur is known worldwide especially in Japan, although I don't think everyone has heard him. For starters, Isshin is from the Soul Society (as you mentioned) and Yuzu and Karin are still starting in high school. Ichigo does not know if he will be attending the history class, and Orihime I am not very sure, but I think Uryū knows very well on the subject but I did not mention it at the moment.
Guest: Yes, ever since Ichigo mastered his powers to fight and defeat Aizen, he was certainly like a god of war. And now that he's lost it, I'm afraid we won't see our Substitute in battle again for a while.
Zero x Saber: Yes, I usually do these kinds of stories little by little at a good pace. Thank you.
King of Fans: I also think that both Artoria, Morgan and Mordred form a fairly lesbian family, but the concept is stranger since Artoria and Morgan are stepsisters (in my story Morgan is actually the daughter of Duke Gorlois) and the matter of Mordred is still weirder that would, that he's even capable of driving Ichigo and the others crazy and confused.
As for the power comparison between a Spiritual Hero and a Shinigami, well, that remains to be seen. At the moment I only made Uryu compare her reiatsu / mana with a Lieutenant, but in reality Mordred did not need to use even half of her mana to end a simple hollow. Who knows, maybe once she use her Noble Phantasm, anyone could compare her power to that of a captain (depending on the prana her Master supplies her).
Thanks for noticing how Mordred almost confused Urahara with Merlin. These 2 characters are so similar to each other, just as eccentric and comical. I'll probably make Artoria see that same resemblance in the blond Shinigami.
Let's begin.
Chapter 4: The Holy Grail War
22/07/2020
"The Holy Grail War?" Uryū asked as he recited the title of the book that Urahara was showing his guests.
"That's right." The shopkeeper responded once his guests have grasped the book's headline.
The minutes that passed inside the store room were a bit tense since they arrived here to look for specific information about the matter that was happening since that mysterious warrior named Mordred appeared and stated that Ichigo had been chosen to be her Master by some reason that he still did not know, and he hoped to find out as soon as they arrived at Urahara Shop to ask for answers and if possible, settle this so as not to be involved in this.
Unfortunately, Ichigo himself was not prepared for what he had just heard. What he had understood was that he had been chosen to participate in a ritual known as the 'War of the Holy Grail', as he had just been told, and he could not help feeling of unease settle in his gut to know what it was probable that he participated in another conflict like the one 17 months ago.
"What the hell is that?" Ichigo asked in confusion.
The shopkeeper was a little silent as he considered the question and tried to think of a way to explain it better. It was only an instant, that a way occurred to him.
"Tell me, do any of you know that it is a parallel universe?"
Of course, the 3 teenagers cringed at the question as they didn't understand where the former Shinigami captain wanted to get to, even Mordred seemed quite confused by what he said. Luckily, the Quincy was quickly smart to find out.
"Parallel universe? You mean alternate realities?" Ishida asked in reference to the dimensional blueprints.
"Bingo!" Urahara exclaimed in a cheerful voice like a marker of a question contest. "Glad to hear from someone who know something about it."
Ichigo just frowned in irritation upon hearing that. What did it have to do with those boring sci-fi stuff now?
"And what does that mean?" Ichigo asked trying to contain his patience to clarify the matter.
Urahara only let out a sigh. This could be a bit difficult.
He immediately picked up a large notebook and opened it revealing only blank pages. Then with a pen, he began to draw something that the guests could not see since the shopkeeper had the page turned towards him. When he finished, he turned it around so that his guests could see a horizontal line in the middle dividing the entire page. On each side there are 2 circular objects that presumably represent 2 planets.
"You see, there is a theory known as 'multiverse' in which the existence of numerous parallel worlds or universes is mortgaged, whether they are the same or different from ours." Urahara started out as a type of teacher who teaches his students in a comical way. His guests watched this curiously.
"Imagine that the universe itself is divided into numerous bodies that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Sometimes one of the universes that exist are identical to each other despite not being extensions." The shopkkeper pointed with the pen at the drawing of the circle on the left-hand side. "For example, this circle represents our world, the Earth which is located in our dimensional plane."
Then he moved the pen to the line in the middle. "This line represents something like the border that divides both dimensional planes, and passing to the other side, is the other universe." He said that phrase when he moved the tip of the pen to the right side of the drawing. "It may not have to do with the other, but there is also another planet Earth very similar to ours. The differences that may exist there can be enormous, based on epoch, time and events, but it can also host the same humans from our world. However, there may also be certain important elements such as the absence of the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo or ourselves that we might not exist in that universe. "
The shopkeeper paused somewhat to let the information settle among his guests. Some captured this with some interest, although for others it was not very clear.
"Well, that's how the dimensional blueprint system works." Urahara finished with a smile sounding like having finished a children's history lesson as she put the notebook down.
"What does it have to do with all this?" Ichigo asked again, still not understanding the matter.
"Well, you see, from what I've read in this book, it does not belong to our universe, and instead comes from a very different one, including her." Urahara added the last sentence, gesturing with his fan towards Mordred.
Everyone was very surprised by this and turned their heads towards the warrior who was also equally surprised and confused.
"What the hell do you mean I'm from another world? You mean the Throne of Heroes?" She asked.
"No, I mean you come from another planet Earth, but different, where the Holy Grail War is taking place." Kisuke replied with a slight gleam in his eyes.
Now the matter was even more complicated to understand. What the hell does that mean that she's coming from a different dimension where a war was taking place? What is this about the Holy Grail War? And what did Ichigo have to do with all this? There were many unanswered questions.
"Urahara-san, could you explain us more about this?" Uryū asked calmly but intrigued.
"Naturally." The shopkeeper answered with a smile. "You see, in the world where the warrior comes from..."
The shopkeeper stopped when he realized that he still didn't know the knight girl's name and couldn't always call her Heroic Spirit.
"Excuse me, can you tell me what her name is?" Kisuke asked with a nervous smile. Ichigo frowned a little before answering.
"Her name was..." Again, the orange haired boy tried to memorize the warrior's name, although the process was a bit slow.
Just as the Servant or his friends were going to correct him, Ichigo suddenly overtook them.
"Mordred." Ichigo said finally saying her name correctly. "That was what it was called."
"Wow, you finally remember my name. Look how slow you are." Mordred said with sarcasm in her voice. Of course, Ichigo didn't like that tone too much.
Ichigo grunted at the comment and looked at the knight girl, who clicked her tongue.
"Okay, okay, how about we leave the discussions for a bit?" Urahara spoke diplomatically in hopes of calming the two. Luckily, they did, and each returned to their respective posts as if nothing had happened.
"Well, where I was going? ah, yeah. You see, in the world where Mordred-san comes from, a mystical ritual known as the Holy Grail War is taking place, which consists of a competition in which seven magi will fight each other in a great duel until only one is left standing to claim the Holy Grail as a reward. According to what I read in this book, the Holy Grail is a magical artifact with an omnipotent power that is said that any mortal who possessed it, will have the right to make any wish it wants."
Those words had already been heard from Mordred when she briefly explained part of the reason for her appearance at the clinic.
"Of course, for those who know that it is the Holy Grail, I do not mean the cup where the blood of the Messiah had been spilled. It is a totally different object with a great omnipotent power capable of transcending physical space and time be it past, present and future, even reaching other dimensional planes. You see, in our universe there is no such thing as the Holy Grail, but the one from the other universe is capable of extending its influence here, and that would explain Mordred-san's presence here." Urahara explained as he again pointed his fan at the Servant.
The teenagers, plus Kon, were stumped upon hearing that, and that would explain why Mordred had appeared, though not all. Because he still had an important detail.
"You mean it was that Holy Grail who transported Mordred to our world?" Ishida asked believing that he had finally solved the riddle.
"I guess. As I said before, the Holy Grail is an almighty wish-granting artifact. In theory, it can be anything, such as fame, fortune, power, and it is even capable of resurrecting a person who has died. That's why seven talented magi they participate in this ritual to claim it and obtain the desire they so long for." Urahara explained.
"What does that have to do with Mordred? Is she one of those magi?" Ishida asked still not understanding the subject.
"Not quite." Urahara replied with some seriousness. "She is not a magus. While, it is true that war is a kind of mystical invocation ritual in which its participants; seven magi face each other until one is left standing for the Grail to manifest in front of him, but in reality, it is not necessary for magi to participate directly in battles." His eyes now rested on Mordred.
"The real protagonists are the so-called Heroic Spirits."
"What exactly are Heroic Spirits?" Ishida asked curiously, despite having heard that term in reference to Mordred, but did not know more details about it.
The shopkeeper gave a strange smile before starting. "The Heroic Spirits were once in life, people who had done great deeds and heroic acts that were recorded and immortalized in the annals of history, such as saving their people, or stopping a foreign invasion, and who after their death became object of worship and knowledge.
These individuals are legendary figures who could be for example, Oda Nobunaga the legendary warlord of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama Periods, Ushiwakamaru, the legendary general of the Minamoto clan, Amakusa Shirō Tokisada, the teenage leader of the Shimabara Rebellion, and Miyamoto Musashi, legendary warrior of feudal Japan and author of the renowned treatise on martial arts entitled 'The Book of the Five Rings. Also included are foreign heroes such as the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan, or even mythological heroes like Heracles himself from Greek mythology.
All these characters, whether mythological or real, from different times, religion, foreign places or even their social status, whether they are peasants, aristocrats or members of royalty, lived their own lives and died leaving their legacy etched forever. Oh, and I must tell you that she is a Heroic Spirit."
That left the audience surprised by the revelation of the warrior's identity as a spirit being just like the Shinigamis and Arrancars.
"By the way." Kisuke said as he turned his gaze on the Heroic Spirit with a smile. "You said your name is Mordred, right? So that means you're the bastard son of King Arthur, doesn't it?"
Mordred frowned at the other blond's stupid smile, and even more so at the fact that her identity was exposed that simply. The rest were surprised by the revelation.
"King Arthur?" Ichigo asked confused. "Who is he?"
Suddenly, the entire room went silent after those sudden words.
What exactly did he say?
Everyone had their eyes on the orange haired boy not believing what they just heard, especially Mordred. Ichigo and Kon (next to him) could only look with discommodity and confusion by their reactions as if he had grown a second head.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
It was only a moment later that Mordred herself was the first to break the silence in anger.
"You really haven't heard of the legendary King of Knights?" She asked in a scandalized and annoyed voice. She was horribly offended that this jerk did not meet such an important figure.
"Of course not. I've never heard that name in my life." Ichigo responded trying to ignore the blonde's anger.
However, this served to make matters worse when she gritted her teeth. Fortunately, Ishida intervened.
"Listen, Kurosaki." The Quincy called him to the aforementioned teenager pay attention to him. "King Arthur was a legendary King of Great Britain and a very famous one who only appeared in the local legends there but was equally famous all over the world."
Everyone absorbed the information about the supposed identity of that 'King Arthur'. Meanwhile, when Orihime heard that Mordred was the daughter of a king, it could only mean one thing.
"You mean you are a princess?" She asked looking at the blonde.
Her response was received directly when said blonde shot her a murder our look full of anger directed at the other girl. The latter froze instantly upon seeing her.
"Hey you, if you call me 'princess' again in my presence, I swear I'll pull your hair out, understood?" She threatened with a snarl full of malice. Poor Orihime was intimidated by this.
"Y-yes, I'm very sorry."
Ichigo frowned intensifying his own anger. He did not care if she was a Heroic Spirit or a princess, but neither could he allow someone so vulgar to speak or threaten one of his friends in such a brusque way, as the blonde had just done.
"Hey, I won't let you talk to Inoue like that. Apologize."
Mordred shot a quick look of disdain at her Master but said nothing before looking back at the girl he had threatened earlier, reluctantly apologizing to her.
"I'm sorry I said that." She replied, her voice sounding a bit gentle no longer harboring malice. "I actually kind of like your hairstyle."
This surprised the orange haired girl, who did not expect to hear something like this. "W-what?"
Mordred cocked her head a little to one side to prevent them from seeing the small blush growing on her cheeks.
"I say your hair color looks good on you. You look like a princess." She said in a low voice.
Now it was Orihime's turn to blush at the comment as Ichigo, Kon, and Uryū just looking stunned while Kisuke raised his open fan in front of her face to hide his smile.
A moment later, Mordred mentally groaned as she regretted saying this. The silence lasted shortly when Orihime overreacted.
"You-are you serious? Do you really like my hairstyle? Wow, thank you very much, Mordred-san." She exclaimed hastily as she scratched the back of her head unable to contain her embarrassment. "The truth is that I really like your hair too."
Then she relaxes a bit and looks solemnly at Mordred.
"Sorry for calling you princess." She said making the knight look at her a bit. "I didn't want to bother you, so forgive me." She bowed a little apologetically.
Mordred considered this for a moment.
"Fine, I accept your apology." She said with a nod. Once things had settled down and she wasn't paying attention, Kon leaned close to the orange haired teen's ear to express his opinion about her.
"I think this girl must be a tomboy as well as weird, don't you think?" Kon whispered.
"Damn right." Ichigo replied agreeing.
"Well, since everything is settled, I would like to continue with the explanation." The shopkeeper said, his cheerful expression turning a bit serious. "As I said, the Heroic Spirits were legendary figures mostly mythological who died in any circumstance leaving a strong legacy in history and their souls were transferred to the so-called Throne of Heroes."
"Throne of Heroes?" Uryū asked intrigued.
"Yes, according to what I read in the book, the Throne of Heroes is a place that is outside of any parallel world or timeline. Unlike the Soul Society which is the realm where all souls migrate after death, and for an indefinite time, they reincarnate in the world of the living, the Throne of Heroes, on the contrary, is a different realm almost inaccessible for any soul that is not recognized as a Heroic Spirit, so it is outside the cycle of transmigration of the souls and its only residents are the Heroic Spirits. Unlike the Soul Society, the Throne of Heroes is not a kingdom or simply a society where all its inhabitants coexist, but rather a kind of dimensional warehouse where the souls of Heroic Spirits are stored for an indefinite time, and they are also incapable of free travel to the world of the living as we do, unless they are invoked by magi by means of a pact."
Kisuke took a moment's breath before continuing.
"Now I will tell you one last thing. As I told you before, the Holy Grail War is a combat ritual that can only be carried out by no more than seven people, all of whom are competent magi. Therefore, the number of Heroic Spirits summoned to accompany each one is also reduced to seven, and said participating spirits call themselves Servants and are classified into seven different categories to determine their class and ability."
Kisuke opened the book, turning from page to page and after a few leafs, he stopped in the middle. Then he shows the adolescents one of the pages with 7 pictures of people dressing as warriors but having different standards that differ from one to the other.
1. A medieval knight wielding a sword.
2. A female archer holding a bow and arrow about to fire.
3. A 16th century man holding a spear.
4. A man riding on a cart holding the rails with his hand and the other a spear.
5. A sorcerer dressed in a gray robe holding a book in his right hand and a staff in his right.
6. A man with white skin, black pants, naked torso, wears a skull mask and a pair of black knives.
7. A ferocious minotaur-like creature.
"These are the seven categories that each Servant differs once invoked by the Grail." Urahara points to the knight's drawing. "This is considered the Saber class, a skilled swordsman almost in the same category as the Shinigamis."
Then he points to the archer. "This is the Archer class, an exceptional archer, in the same class as the Quincys."
Then the man with the spear. "This is considered a Lancer, a skilled spear user."
Then the man riding a chariot. "This is Rider, a warrior who is used to riding like a horseman."
Now to the witcher. "This is Caster, a Servant who specializes in magic and other tricks."
The man with knives. " Assassin, a murderous mercenary."
Finally, the minotaur. "And finally, we have Berserker, a warrior with outsized strength and ferocity in battle that is quite unbridled. If I were to compare this warrior to someone we know, I would definitely choose Kenpachi Zaraki."
"As you can see, these are the seven categories of Heroic Spirits after being summoned as Servants and each one has its own specialty and fighting style depending on the class it belongs to. Can you tell me what kind of weapon Mordred-san?"
"She uses a great sword." Ishida replied.
"A great sword, huh? That means she belongs to the Saber class, doesn't it? I heard that out of the seven categories, the Saber class is one of the best Servants that can be summoned and the strongest I guess."
At that, Mordred couldn't help but draw a big proud and arrogant smile on her face for being praised as one of the strongest warriors among Servants.
"Of course I am strong." She boasted to himself with pride. "I would not have become a Heroic Spirit had it not been for my incredible fighting skills, and it is for that very reason that I should have become king."
Her moment of arrogance ended when an unpleasant memory flashed in her mind where a single shadowed figure stood firmly staring listlessly without emotion at a raging Mordred. The very thought of that memory made her want to vomit.
'Arthur.'
Orihime was the only one who noticed Mordred's strange change in mood, and she couldn't help but be concerned as she wondered what was bothering her.
"Well, I guess up to here I can tell you about the Holy Grail War." Said Urahara said as if he was ending the conversation. But one did not agree.
"Not so fast, Urahara-san." Ichigo interrupted suddenly looking at the shopkeeper with a frown. "You still haven't explained to me how this shit got here." He exclaimed pointing to his Command Seals.
"Oh right. I almost forgot." The shopkeeper said before taking another sip of his tea. "According to what I read, to guarantee the Servant's loyalty to the magus who invoked him, magical seals called 'Command Seals' are created that represent the will of a magus to fight and absolute authority over a Servant." Urahara explained. "Those magi who actively participate in warfare and have a Servant at their disposal are called Master."
"Wait a minute, that's what Mordred called Kurosaki that way." Uryū said suddenly remembering the times when the blonde always called Ichigo 'Master', in addition to also remembering that she had said that they had made a pact for something they did not know yet. And they could only imagine what it was about.
The rest also seemed to pick up on what the Quincy was thinking, and them didn't like it either, especially Ichigo.
Now everything seemed to make sense to the orange haired teenager since all this shit had started. He still remembered everything Mordred tried to explain to him that he had been chosen to be her Master, although she had not given him any more specific details about that. He did not know for what reason and who chose him, but once they asked the shopkeeper for an explanation, he just hoped not to get involved in strange things and that everything would end well, but today, with everything that had been explained to him so far, it seemed that luck he was not on his side.
"So, you mean that Kurosaki was chosen to participate in that Holy Grail War?" Ishida asked, still confused by all this. "Why?"
The teenagers' gazes focused more on the former Shinigami captain to find out the truth. For a moment, the shopkeeper kept his eyes shaded by his hat with an expressionless air until they dazzled them and finally made his answer known.
"I'm not sure."
Unsurprisingly, this simple reply was well received as everyone uttered an "Eeeeh !?" collective.
"What do you mean, you don't know anything!?" Ichigo protested loudly believing this might be a joke. "Didn't you say you found all the information in that damn book !?"
"Relax, Kurosaki-san." Urahara calmed the flustered teenager without being bothered by his reaction. "While it is true that I have seen a lot of information in this book, but I have not finished yet." He said the last sentence while still looking at the book that still showed the pages of each Servant. "But from what I know, there are two ways for one to become a Master." Ichigo and Mordred looked at him carefully.
"The first option is that technically the user must be an experienced magus and must have received the seal from a relative. The second option would be for the seal to appear miraculously to him by the Grail himself, who can also send you a Servant without the need for you to invoke him. In other words, you were chosen by the Holy Grail itself to participate in the war alongside your Servant."
And that was the only thing Ichigo wanted right now.
"Wait, wait, wait!" The former Substitute yelled as he partially got up from his seat with the help of his hands for support and causing Kon to fall off Ichigo's shoulder to the ground. "What the hell do you mean I was chosen to participate in a war!?"
It had been 17 months since he had won the Winter War, and since then he had tried to make up his lost time with the peace and quiet that he had gained as a normal human being since he lost his Shinigami powers. He wanted to get on with his ordinary life where he had left off before meeting Rukia like going to high school with his friends, graduating, going to university and building a future for himself.
In fact, it was a quiet 17 months without incident despite the continued presence of hollows prowling the city, but he had trusted that his friends, who still preserved their spiritual powers, could take care of them without problems, so he could be calm and move on. However, to his bad luck, it seems that fate was acting like a bitch, and now it was calling him to participate in a war that he did not even know or care in the least.
"It has to be a fucking joke!"
"Well, I'm afraid this is not the case." Urahara said seriously. The seriousness in his voice, as well as the lack of his usual annoyed smile, made Ichigo take his words seriously.
"Wait a minute." The Servant said suddenly. "If what you're saying is true, why didn't the Holy Grail send this dumbass to where the war was taking place?"
Ichigo grunted as he glared at the blonde for the insult, but the latter ignored him.
"The truth is, I don't know either." Kisuke replied.
The Servant grunted in frustration and continued speaking. "Besides, why have you been given that book if you can tell? I don't think you have been chosen as Master too, right?"
"Of course not."
"But why did that Grail choose Kurosaki to participate in that war if he is not a magus?" Ishida asked, as he still didn't see the sense in which the former Substitute is going to get involved in another war like this all of a sudden.
"I'm afraid I don't have the answers to that, but it is an irrefutable fact that Kurosaki-san is going to participate."
Ichigo grunted once more. He was getting more fed up with this shit. "Fuck it! I'm not going to get into a war over a stupid cup-
He couldn't finish the last sentence when he suddenly noticed a strangely familiar burning sensation, and the teenager winced when he saw it came from his right sleeve where his Command Seals were. Ichigo looked at the seals and his eyes widened when he saw that they were now glowing fluorescently, almost like the first time it appeared. His friends were also surprised by this.
"What the hell?" Kon shouted surprised and confused.
Suddenly, as if Ichigo's hand had taken on a will of its own, it shot up into the air without the consent of Ichigo's muscle.
"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime yelled worried.
"What are you doing?" Ishida asked thinking that this move was made by Kurosaki.
"It's not me." Ichigo said almost in panic without understanding who produced this involuntary movement. He could feel something manipulating his muscles like a puppet.
Kisuke looked at this with some amazement and had a slight idea of what was going on. He couldn't think anymore when he noticed another small glow, only this time it came from one of the pages of the book. Uryū noticed this too but had focused more on Ichigo.
With curiosity, the shopkeeper skips a few pages until it reaches the source of the glow and in them, he sees a large number of luminous letters forming a text. Kisuke carefully reads the message and his eyes narrowed.
It was then that, from the center of the seals, a a thin beam resembling a Cero but in miniature shot out. The beam looked like it was going to hit the wall of the room, but suddenly stopped midway as if it had hit something invisible.
Ichigo's friends including the Servant rose from their seats watching in shock at the strange event, as Kon managed to climb onto Ichigo's shoulder immediately. Suddenly the tip of the strange beam frozen in the air condensed into a kind of glowing vortex-like mass whose size was comparable to that of the room. Everyone was horrified by this.
"W-what the hell is this!?" Uryū asked totally perplexed upon seeing the mass.
Kisuke could only observe this with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. From his point of view, it seemed that this phenomenon was a kind of dimensional portal due to the depth that it had in the center as if it were a kind of tunnel. It didn't look too much like Senkaimon, albeit a bit like a Garganta, but he knew it wasn't the latter either. Suddenly something pushed his arms forward, into the center of the storm, and he saw to his surprise that it was the book.
At the same time, Ichigo's raised arm changed direction and was now reaching towards the strange hole. Ichigo tried desperately to push him away, but as if a strange force was grabbing him, he found himself unable to change his trajectory.
"What the hell is going on!?" Ichigo exclaimed in confusion and panic. He tried to fight hard, but lost the battle and almost tripped, but continued to hold on.
Even despite not knowing what was going on, Uryū and Orihime came to their aid, each grabbing the other teenager by the side of the back and pulling him back. Just when Mordred was going to help them, she suddenly felt her own legs and body betray him and she was drawn towards the portal.
She immediately found out why.
'This is Grail's thing?'
"What happening?" Uryū asked in panic. "Urahara-san!"
The shopkeeper did not seem to react to the Quincy's scream and looked strangely calm to the confusion of Uryū and Orihime, who turned their heads to look at him.
At that moment Tessai arrives in the room and is frozen by what he was seeing. "Tenchō!" Just when he was going to help him, he was suddenly stopped by the simple gesture of the hand from the clothesline itself that said, "Stay away."
"Don't take any more steps." Kisuke warned in an oddly calm manner despite the situation. Ichigo couldn't understand his behavior.
"What the hell are you doing!?" Ichigo asked half looking at the clothesline angrily as his body continued to be slowly dragged away. "Do something, damn it!"
The shopkeeper did not say and did nothing, which further aggravated the teenager's temper. Just when he was about to yell something at him, he suddenly felt a strange force absorb his body and drag him further towards the portal. Uryū and Orihime who were still clinging to each of Ichigo's shoulder to try to hold him, were also dragged towards the portal. Mordred also tried to resist, but she too was dragged away.
It was only in less than a few moments that Ichigo's feet finally came off the ground and he was immediately blown away along with Kon (still stuck on the shoulder) Uryū and Orihime towards the portal as if they were sucked into a giant vacuum cleaner. At the same time Mordred also gave in to the pressure and allowed himself to be dragged inside. Finally, he was followed by Kisuke, who voluntarily relented and allowed himself to be dragged smoothly towards the portal.
Tessai was very concerned by what he saw, and disobeying the manager's words, he immediately came to his aid. However, it was too late when the portal absorbed Kisuke and then he disappeared without a trace, and everything returned to normal. The giant man could only contemplate with helplessness and confusion what had happened.
Inside the dimensional tunnel, Ichigo and his friends were still being forcibly dragged out of control like they were inside a huge hurricane screaming like crazy. This was completely different from what was happening inside the Senkaimon and the Garganta when they first crossed those portals on respective occasions, as there here was no ground to walk on here.
"What the heck is all this!?" Ichigo exclaimed loudly having control of his body even though he was still floating in the middle of all this chaos. It almost reminded him of when they pierced the membrane of the Seireitei with the cannonball they made from the Kukaku cannon.
"I don't know, but it seems like we're being dragged somewhere else." Uryū deduced trying to stay calm and analyze the situation.
"And what will become of us!?" Kon yelled hysterically as he tried to 'swim' back towards Ichigo's shoulder.
"Oi, Urahara-san!" Ichigo yelled seeing the shopkeeper float a few meters from where he was, and from what he was seeing, he didn't seem to be taking it too badly to the confusion and irritation of the teenager. "HEY, you know what's going on!?"
The former Shinigami captain only kept a serious expression before speaking. "Don't worry. There isn't much left for us to get there."
Those simple words were not enough to satisfy and calm the former Substitute and his friends since now they all looked at the shopkeeper in confusion without understanding shit about what he was talking about.
"To get where?" Ichigo asked with concern in his voice. It didn't take long to find out when everyone noticed a mysterious whitish glow at the end of the threshold and his image grew larger as the travelers got closer. Neither liked what they were seeing.
"What's that?" Kon asked fearfully.
Instead, Kisuke kept his expression stoic and calm knowing that this was the end of the threshold. It wasn't long before Ichigo and his friends caught up and were completely absorbed by the glow.
In the middle of the night, a large red hole opened in midair not far from the ground, and a few moments later, it vomited Ichigo and the others causing them to crash onto the ground before closing. The first to recover was Orihime who looked around to see everyone's status. Everyone found themselves in quite an awkward position when they landed. With some miracle, Mordred had found himself still standing on her feet.
Kon's stuffed body was sprawled on the ground. Ishida had face planted into the ground wich resulted in him having his butt sticking up into the air. Kisuke somehow stayed sitting on the ground, but it didn't seem to affect him falling onto his butt, rather on his head.
As for Ichigo, well, Ichigo had landed on his back in a halfway, summersault position with his legs next to his head. Ironically, the position he was in was the same when they first reached the Rukongai when they crossed the Dangai.
Kon was the next to recover and it didn't hurt at all. He should be thankful that this stuffed body had no bones.
The Quincy was next. "Damn, what a pain." Ishida complained as he tried to get up off the ground rubbing a part of his face with one hand. "This reminds me of when we first traveled to the Soul Society a long time ago."
Ichigo lifted his legs, placing them in a normal position before getting up onto his legs on the ground and then putting a hand on the back of his head to rub it. When he wanted to realize what was happening around him, his eyes widened. He was not the only one.
Uryū and Kisuke looked with seriously as did Mordred. Orihime just watched with a mixture of confusion and fear, and as for Kon just confusion. Everyone looked at the new environment around them and none could interpret what was happening.
It was supposed that a few moments ago before the incident occurred, they were inside a room of the Urahara Shop, but now, after that strange phenomenon that absorbed them and gave them a chaotic journey, they were now on outdoors and in full swing night, even though it was only a few hours until sunset.
Looking around, they were in the middle of what looked like a completely empty park being illuminated by some streetlights. They tried to identify the location in which they were including the houses and buildings that were seen in the distance, but their memories could not process the information very well.
"Where we are?" Uryū was the first to ask.
"It doesn't sound like I've been to this place." Orihime said in a low voice a little scared.
Kisuke was also in a strange state of confusion as he analyzed the environment around him. Being 100 years in exile in Karakura Town, he had given the former captain a great advantage of recognizing every part of the city as if it were the back of his hand, but now that he had his eyes focused around it, his memory couldn't do much to recognize the place.
"I don't think we're in Karakura, right?" Ishida said coming to the conclusion that it was likely that they weren't in the same place as before.
He knew he was right. The fact of being absorbed by a kind of portal similar to Senkaimon or the Garganta, which are both 2 portals that led to Soul Society and Hueco Mundo respectively, 2 opposite dimensions, it was logical to think that they were no longer in Karakura Town, or maybe in the world.
"What do you say?" Ichigo asked looking at Ishida in bewilderment. "What do you mean?"
"Ishida-san." Urahara spoke with a serious tone, drawing the attention of the teenagers who immediately turned to him. "Would you mind taking out your mobile and putting Google Maps?"
For a moment the Quincy looked at the former Shinigami captain confused without understanding why he wanted to check the map, but immediately realized that it was vital to know his exact location. Without asking questions, Ishida took his cell phone out of his pocket and checked his Google to select the 'Google Maps' mode. It was then that his eyes widened in complete perplexity.
"Ishida-kun?" Orihime asked worriedly.
"What's wrong?" He was the next Ichigo to ask when he saw his friend's shocked state.
The Quincy said nothing while his eyes were still glued to the small screen of his cell phone, staring at the map that indicated his current location. He blinks several times to check if he was reading wrong, but this was not the case. He then tried to check if there was an error on the map and found none.
"Hey, what's up now?" Mordred asked joining the group and seeing what the Quincy was worried about.
"Do you see anything that is out of place?" Urahara asked getting a little closer to the boy with glasses. Hearing that, Ishida turned to the others who still had their gazes fixed on him to know what was bothering him. He cleared his throat before answering.
"I have no idea."
"What do you mean, you have no idea!?" Ichigo repeated in total disbelief. "What does that mean?"
"I'm not sure yet." Ishida replied to a bit annoyed by Ichigo's scream. "All I know is that we are not in Karakura Town, and we are in a very different city called Fuyuki."
"Fuyuki?" Orihime asked confused.
"Yes, look." Ishida indicated how he showed everyone the screen of his mobile. They saw in the middle of the GPS map the red dot that indicated the location of Ishida's mobile. Above was a note that said "冬 木 市" (Fuyuki City) making the eyes of Ichigo, Orihime and Kon (the latter perched on Ichigo's shoulder) also blink in confusion to check if they were seeing well.
"Are you sure that your mobile has not been damaged?" Ichigo asked confusedly.
"I do not believe it." Ishida replied in return.
"And where exactly is Fuyuki?" Orihime asked to find out more about her exact location or if she was too far from Karakura.
Taking the idea, Ishida rechecked his Google Map and after a few moments, released his answer.
"It seems we are in Kyūshū."
The two of them couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Karakura was supposed to be west of Tokyo, while Fuyuki, located according to the Quincy, 887 kilometers to the south, so it would have been completely impossible to get here in an instant.
"Are you sure about that?" Ichigo asked still incredulous with all of this.
"It is so far?" Kon asked without understanding the exact location of each town. None responded because they had higher priorities.
"What does that mean exactly?" Mordred asked still not understanding. "Where the hell are we?"
"Everyone." Urahara spoke making everyone look at him again. "I think I know exactly where we are." This made Ichigo and the others pay more attention. "I don't know if you have realized it, but that vortex that absorbed us was a dimensional portal like the Senkaimon or the Garganta that took us to a different place."
"Yes, we already know that." Ichigo interrupted impatiently. "Where have they taken us?"
At that, Urahara turned her attention to Ishida again.
"Ishida-san, can you find the location of Karakura there?"
Again, Uryū blinked confused by the strange request of the former Shinigami captain, but it was not necessary to ask why when he decided to do what he asked him to have a strange feeling about this. By putting the name of his hometown in the Google Maps search bar and pressing a button to start the search, Uryū waited a few moments to see the results.
It didn't take long when her eyes flickered in obvious confusion and puzzlement accompanied by a small groan.
"What happens now?" Ichigo asked again intrigued.
"Is not here..." The Quincy answered suddenly with shock in his voice. That alerted his friends.
"Is not here what?" Ichigo asked walking over to the Quincy and looking at the results himself. Orihime joins in as well, and the 2 stand on either side of Ishida to get a better view. What they observed also left them perplexed and confused.
Above the small screen was the bar where the name of Karakura was written in kanji, however, his real attention was fixed on the bar below that said only "場所 不明" (Unknown location) and nothing else.
This was all quite strange.
"What does this mean?" Ichigo asked confused and uneasy at the same time. "Is your cell phone really broken or something?"
That was what the Quincy wanted to think. He was sure he had spelled the name of Karakura perfectly well, and there should be no mistake in recognizing the place. It is true that Karakura is not a very well known place, but it did not mean that it was such a remote or imaginary place, so it should at least appear on Google Maps without problems.
Deciding to try to find Karakura with another means, Uryū decided to put the option "Western Tokyo" where Karakura was supposed to be, and quickly began to look for it among the municipalities that were. The search ended in an instant without even finding what he was looking for.
"I don't understand. It's like it doesn't exist ..."
"What do you mean, Ishinda-kun?" Orihime asked worriedly.
"That, what doesn't exist?" Kon questioned uneasily.
"Oi, oi, can you tell me what the problem is?" Mordred asked almost angrily since she was the only one who did not understand the situation and wanted answers. None of the 3 wanted to help her as they didn't know what was going on either.
It was at that moment that Uryū looked at the shopkeeper.
"Urahara-san, please explain this to us." Ishida begged in hopes of finding an answer to this. The others also looked at the blond Shinigami in the same way.
Urahara was silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Do you remember that conversation I had before I told you about the Holy Grail War?" Unsurprisingly, some looked at him puzzled over the question, but one with such a quick mind was the first to know.
"You mean that about parallel universes?" Ishida asked remembering the previous conversation they had.
"Yes, remember that there is an infinity of alternate universes almost identical to ours except for various elementary and historical details, and the fact that Karakura does not exist here is proof of that."
It didn't take a few seconds for the first ranked among the top 20 students in Karakura to understand what the old shopkeeper was referring to when his eyes widened in shock. The fact that he had traveled through some kind of dimensional portal was already obvious enough.
"No way! You are not saying that we have traveled to another dimension, are you?" Ishida asked almost in panic. The rest took note of the Quincy's words, and they didn't seem to like where he was going either.
"I'm afraid so." Urahara turned to look directly at them with a smile on his face.
And so, a new silence was formed in the middle of the night without anyone daring to break it while their minds were still trying to collect what they had just heard about their current situation, and no one wanted to believe it. Only after 2 minutes, the former Substitute was the first to break it.
"What the hell does that mean we're in another dimension!?" Ichigo exploded altered by the situation.
"Well, it's just as you hear it. We were forcibly sent into this world just like that all of a sudden." Urahara replied simply.
"But what the hell is this about?" Mordred asked, looking annoyed at the clothesline, not happy about her new situation. "Where have I gone now?"
Kisuke just gave a tired sigh. It was clear that she was just as impatient as Kurosaki.
"Well, to your world." With those words, the Servant's raging expression diminished slightly without understanding what he was referring to.
"We are in precisely the same place where the ritual known as the Holy Grail War takes place." Kisuke continued explaining, drawing the attention of the others. "Fuyuki is the place where the Holy Grail is hidden, and it is where the battles between the Masters and their respective Servants will take place to complete its invocation."
This was met with unpleasant surprise by the teenagers, especially the former Shinigami. If traveling to another world where his hometown did not exist was the greatest of his worries, he was now in the place where that absurd fight was going to take place, and the truth is that he wanted not to participate in it.
Instead, Mordred only smiled with satisfaction when she heard that she had finally reached the right place where the long-awaited contest would take place.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Ichigo yelled again, still not accepting what was happening. "You really say we're in the worst possible place? But how?"
"Apparently, the Grail did not approve of your refusal to participate in the war, and that is why it dragged you here by force opening that dimensional vortex that absorbed us earlier." Urahara explained by reminding the teenagers of what had happened before.
Instinctively, Ichigo looked at his right sleeve to see the tattoo that put it back in this new mess opening that portal that they had been sucked in before, only to see that it no longer glowed like before, and it was just in its normal state as if nothing had happened.
"You mean they dragged us here to participate in this war?" Ishida asked in puzzlement.
"Rather, you were the ones who decided to accompany Kurosaki-san since you held onto his shoulder, and that's why you got dragged into this. The Holy Grail only wanted to attract Mordred-san and his Master, you two have nothing to see in this." Urahara replied with a tone of fact.
Immediately Uryū and Orihime understood their great mistake and bitterly regretted having approached Ichigo only to bring them here by mistake.
"Haaa!? Does that mean I had nothing to do with this either?" Shouted Kon mortified realizing his mistake.
"And why did you get carried away too. huh?" Ichigo asked annoyed by this situation towards the shopkeeper dressed in green.
"It will be because I was still holding this book." He said smiling as he indicated the book in his arms.
"Well, you should have thrown it away."
"Yeah, but it still wouldn't have changed the fact that you and Mordred-san would have ended up here, in the middle of a battlefield, and you will need my help to get out of it alive and return to our world." Urahara replied seeing the logic in his actions.
"You mean you know a way to bring us back to our world?" Ishida asked getting some hope.
The man pulled his fan out of his pocket and waved it close to his face as he considered the question for a few moments. "Sorry, but I can't do it."
"Nani!?" Ichigo yelled, not liking the answer at all. "But if you're the one who knows about this, right? Hey, you'd better not be screwing with me. I'm not in the mood for your jokes." Ichigo kept glaring daggers at the sandal wearing man, hoping to kill him on the spot.
Kisuke just sighed at his temper. "I understand your situation very well, Kurosaki-san. But I still don't know much about this. I only know what I told you before, besides I was not the one who forced you to participate in this, it was the same Grail that we are talking about. "
Ichigo couldn't help groaning in frustration. 17 months of peace interrupted by a stupid cup.
"What are you complaining about so much?" Mordred asked looking annoyed at Ichigo. "If you don't like being here so much, why don't you ask the Holy Grail to send you back to your world, huh?"
"Oh, what a good idea!" Kisuke yelled in glee, drawing the attention of the others. "You're right."
"What idea?" Ichigo asked not understanding the idea the annoying shopkeeper had now.
"Since it was the Holy Grail who sent us here, it can also make us return. After all, the Grail is capable of granting any wish to the person who finds it."
"Well, y where can we find that Grail?" Ichigo questioned, ready to do anything to find said object that led to this mess and will also be the solution to their problems.
Urahara's only response was a smile. "In order for the Holy Grail to be at your disposal, you will have to earn it by participating in the war and defeating the other Masters."
Ichigo froze at that. He certainly didn't want to come to this of participating in a war and risking his life or being forced to kill people he didn't know, but they were probably not as vile as the Arrancars. He didn't like the idea too much.
"And what are we waiting for?" They all turned to see Mordred still wearing that smug smile and unlike what Ichigo was thinking, she was excited to participate. "Come on, Master. We're going to hunt them down once."
"Hey, don't get me into this!" Ichigo replied not sharing the same idea as his Servant.
"What is it with you now?" Mordred snapped at his Master. "Didn't you say that you wanted to return to your world once we obtain the Holy Grail? This is the only chance you have to do so."
He was still undecided about wanting to do this. He had prayed that this was just a bad dream, that when he woke up, he would be in his room without any of this happening. But alas, it was not, and this was as real as the blow that occurred when they landed here.
"Is there really nothing we can do?" Ishida asked Urahara in reference to what he and Inoue will do now that they have been accidentally dragged here.
"Not much I'm afraid, but if you want to help Kurosaki-san win the war, I suppose you can participate as well, although not directly."
"What do you mean?" Ishida asked again.
"I'm not sure yet." He said with a serious tone. "There are still several unknowns that I have to solve, for example, apparently in this war there are also certain rules about how it should be carried out normally."
"And what do we do in the meantime?" Orihime asked curious to know what their next move would be.
Before Kisuke could say a word, they suddenly noticed that one of the pages of the book began to glow in the same way as when that portal that absorbed them opened. The teenagers were almost scared when they saw it and remained on their toes, while the clothesline remained calm and opened the book again. Flipping through a few pages, he found the one he was looking for and his eyes scanned what it said.
"What happens now?" Ishida asked.
"It seems that the Grail has given us a message and wants us to address a church." Kisuke replied as he continued reading the message.
"A church?" Ichigo and Mordred asked in unison, not understanding what a church had to do with all of this.
"Yes, apparently it is a neutral site whose owner is the supervisor of the war. I think it is worth visiting and asking for answers." Kisuke said as he closed the book and then turned to Ishida. "Ishida-san, would you mind telling us if there is a church nearby with the GPS?"
The Quincy nodded before turning to his cell phone that was still in 'Google Maps' mode and hitting the option "冬 木 教会" (Fuyuki Church). In less than a few seconds, the information and location appeared on the GPS.
"It's 2 blocks north from here. It'll only take about 8 minutes to pass." The Quincy replied as he analyzed the information.
"Then you have to hurry, guys." Urged Urahara with an air of as if it were a fun outing. Something that hadn't been appreciated by Ichigo. "Maybe there we find more information about this."
Reluctantly, Ichigo and company decided to obey the shopkeeper and accompany him to said church in the hope of finding something important. With nothing else to object, our protagonists began to walk for the first time in this alternative world and left the park, according to the indication in which route they should take to get to said church.
Unbeknownst to anyone, while they are leaving, none had realized that they were being watched by a mysterious shadow hidden in one of the bushes.
The former Substitute Shinigami team (minus Chad) who first went to Soul Society to rescue Rukia, now roam the streets of a city they did not know very well in the middle of the dark night, and despite the fact that the Sidewalks were lit by the glare from the streetlights, it didn't mean it was safe. They did not see any person wandering the streets apart from them as if they were the only ones awake here. Uryū acted as the group's guide as he continued to inspect his GPS and indicated the direction they should go towards their destination as they approached. Everything was very quiet in the surroundings, and that caused some concern for some.
"It's all very quiet ..." Orihime muttered in a low voice standing right behind Ichigo. "Do you think they will all be asleep?"
"Of course, today is midnight." Ichigo replied with a tone of fact.
"And what happens if a hollow appears?" Kon asked a little uneasy.
"I don't think there are hollows here." Urahara spoke in a carefree manner.
"Seriously?" Ichigo questioned a bit surprised by this.
"Well, we don't know much about this world yet, but I don't think we'll meet a hollow." The shopkeeper answered as he adjusted the hat on his head and then turned serious. "But that doesn't mean that we will most likely meet a Servant out there."
This almost alarmed Ichigo, his stuffed animal, and Orihime who became concerned at the thought of one of those Servants appearing any time before arriving at the church.
"Is it possible for one to appear now?" Orihime asked somewhat fearfully.
"I don't know, but according to what I've read in the book, at this very moment, every Master here in the city has already summoned their respective Servants and they are ready to start the battle."
Ichigo gulped internally. That was the only thing he had to hear now that they were walking through these streets that he had never seen and walking with the risk that one of those Servants would suddenly appear to attack them.
"Heh, then let them do it if they dare." Mordred said arrogantly as she clashed her fist with her open palm and squeezed it closed with a smile. "Let's see if one of them dares to face the heir to the King of Knights."
None of the 3 said or wanted to comment on it if they did not want to offend the blonde or possibly did not want to talk about it, and they continued walking.
Once the conversation was put aside, our protagonists continued walking through the streets always being alert that something suspicious was moving around them. Luckily no incident occurred until after a few minutes they reached their destination in the form of a modest-sized church on top of a hill.
"Is that?" Ichigo asked seeing the building just a few meters away.
"Yes, it seems we have arrived." Urahara indicated smiling as they had arrived safely. Orihime sighed in relief that they hadn't come across a Servant in sight, although Mordred felt disappointed that she didn't get her first fight. Also, what was the point of entering a religious site right now?
"Let's go." Ishida indicated as they crossed a road and came to the other side to enter the campus that surrounded the old building. Once inside, they noticed a man standing there by the door of the building. He was an old man with long gray hair, a well-built constitution despite being 80 years old, and he was dressed as a priest, from which Kisuke deduced that he was the owner of the monastery. The man seemed steadfast as a statue despite his age, looking outside looking like he was waiting for someone, and that could be them.
"Who is that old man?" Ichigo asked looking at the person standing at the door.
"For sure he will own the church." Ishida replied also looking strangely at the priest.
"It must be the war supervisor." Urahara indicated also looking at the man. "Let's talk to him."
Thus, Kisuke's group continued walking cautiously towards the entrance of the building with the priest still in place and did not seem to react to his presence.
"Hello, nice night, huh?" Kisuke greeted with a jovial voice and a big smile, which made Ichigo and company a bit shocked by his stupid exaggerated attitude.
The man moved his head slightly to look at the shopkeeper. "Are you the eighth Master?"
Kisuke shook his head a bit before clarifying his words.
"Oh sorry, I am not the person you are looking for." The shopkeeper answered before placing his hand on the unsuspecting orange haired teen's shoulder.
"This boy is the Master of the Saber-class Servant., Kurosaki Ichigo."
The priest looked towards the teenager for a moment to the ex-Substitute's discomfort and then gave a welcoming gesture.
"Come inside, please." The man indicated as he stepped aside showing the door open and then gestured for them to enter. The teens were a bit hesitant about the strange priest's intentions, but Kisuke was the first to regain his composure and started walking towards the entrance. He gestured toward those behind, urging them to follow, which they did.
Kisuke was the first to go inside and just when Ichigo was going to be next, the old priest stepped in front of him almost without warning.
"Excuse me, but could you tell me which one is your Servant?"
Ichigo was a bit puzzled by the question but decided to ask anyway.
"It's her." He gestured towards the blonde girl who had her arms crossed and a frown on her face. The priest looked at her for a moment.
"I see... then I'll have to ask you to stay out here without going in." That request caused an unpleasant surprise on the part of the red Servant.
"And why is that? Do I look like a dirty Saxon to you?" She asked, half offended.
"Of course not. But this is a restricted place for Servants, and that is why you are not allowed inside." The priest spoke smoothly, causing Mordred growl.
"Uh, I think you better stay here." Ichigo said towards his Servant understanding the situation and they didn't want to cause trouble now. Mordred only let out another little grunt but relented.
"Okay, I'll stay close here." Mordred said as she leaned her back against a building wall still with her arms crossed. After that, Ichigo turned to Kon.
"You too, Kon."
"Nani? Why me?" Kon questioned surprised to hear that he too was excluded from the group.
"Look, I don't know what we're going to do in there, but I don't think it would suit us to see a talking teddy lion, do you understand?" Ichigo explained making the talking stuffed animal growl.
"And I wonder who the idiot was that decided to put me in here." Kon grumbled before jumping off Ichigo's shoulder to the ground. "Ok, I'll stay here but don't take too long."
"Thanks. By the way, would you mind keeping an eye on Mordred too?" Ichigo asked as he pointed to the girl who was still leaning against the wall and her eyes suddenly widened when she heard that.
"Do you want me to keep an eye on that weird girl?" Kon asked pointing at the blonde.
"Yes, let me know if something happens." Ichigo said in response.
Kon didn't know what to say. He wouldn't mind doing this if she was a sweet, beautiful girl like Orihime, but after seeing her tomboyish attitude and cynical in reference to her gender, he didn't think he wanted to be around her. But then again, he also didn't think she would do anything to him if he didn't interact with her.
"OK I will do it."
"Let me know if something happens." Ichigo replied sounding a bit dubious, but he walked in anyway.
Instead, the red Servant snorted in annoyance. Was he going to be under surveillance for a stupid talking stuffed animal?
This was going to be a long night.
And with this, our protagonists enter a new war being located in a different parallel world (Fate/Zero) where the Fourth Holy Grail War is taking place.
And without knowledge of how to return to their world, it seems that our former Substitute will have no choice but to participate as a Master. However, that would be the least of his problems since he would have to face the other Masters who will want to take advantage of his lack of knowledge, especially an certain Magus Killer.
I wonder what he can do to get out of this. Do not miss it.
Ja ne!