Fate/Reforged

Chapter 1: Summoning

Germany, Einzbern Castle: January 28, 2024

It was snowing. Of course, it was always snowing here, this time of year. Ivo's breath created thick, white clouds of fog in the air before him. The elderly man clutched the shoulder of his younger assistant, using the youth's sturdy body to steady himself. From the edge of the forest, the pair stared across the grounds at the impressive castle standing tall above the trees blanketing the landscape surrounding it.

It normally wouldn't have been easy to get this far. The castle of the Einzberns was well protected by countless powerful bounded fields, not to mention the ferocious wildlife inhabiting the forest. Yet, thanks to the pair's third companion, getting this far had been far too easy. It was almost laughable, how easily the defenses of one of the most powerful mage families in the world fell when compared to the might of a Servant. The Servant was invisible right now, sticking primarily to spirit form in order to remain undetected, but he was there, cautiously watching over his master and his assistant. With a single word, however, Ivo von Shweiz summoned his Servant to his side, the heroic spirit manifesting in physical form once more to receive his orders.

Ivo referred to his Servant only by the name of his class, as was customary during a Holy Grail War, though the bloody ritual had not yet technically begun.

"Archer." The elderly man said hoarsely, his voice gruff from the cold air.

"Yes, master?" Archer replied, though he already knew what would come next. The old man hadn't stopped talking about this moment since he first summoned Archer the night before. He was simply waiting for his master's command.

"Do it." The man said, a malicious smirk stretching across his face as he watched numerous homunculi come bursting out of the gates of the castle, the guards at last deciding to confront the intruders. Each of them bore the same face, and the same long, white hair and red eyes. There was no doubt they were beautiful. It was a shame he had to destroy them. Ivo bore them no ill will. No, it was the masters of this castle that Ivo wanted dead. The beautiful Einzbern guards were simply collateral damage. "Do it now, Archer." He repeated, and watched as the Servant stood up straight, his golden hair shimmering in the sunlight. He flexed his shoulders for a moment, then took up a firing position with his left arm extended out in front of himself while his right arm nocked an invisible arrow onto the invisible bowstring, and pulled back.

Archer exhaled, and pointed towards the sky as a bow and arrow made of solid gold materialized in his hands. His lips moved as though he were saying something, though Ivo was unable to quite make out the words. Still, even without hearing them, the mage knew that Archer was activating his Noble Phantasm. Even as powerful as the Servant was, nothing less than a powerful Noble Phantasm would be able to shatter through the Einzberns' defenses.

As soon as Archer finished reciting the name of his Noble Phantasm, he loosed the arrow, letting it disappear into the blue of the late morning sky. Barely a moment later, a torrent of fire descended upon the Einzbern castle, stalled only briefly by the bounded fields protecting it before shattering them and incinerating the structure to the ground, along with all of its inhabitants. It barely lasted a minute, but when the column of fire died down, it left only a scorched landscape and the smell of flames. The cold air had been blasted away by the now towering inferno, and Ivo calmly extended his hands towards the fire, rubbing them together as if he were simply warming himself at a camp fire.

"Ah, now that's better." He said with a smile, his own red eyes reflecting the glow of the flames as he soaked in the warmth. "I always did much prefer warmer climates, anyway."

"Are you satisfied, master?" It was Ivo's apprentice that spoke this time, rather than Archer. He no longer supported Ivo, now they'd had a moment to rest from the long hike through the forest. He simply stood there, a few feet away, his arms folded behind his back as he stared at the fire that would soon spread through the forest.

Ivo didn't answer for a minute, but instead watched as the scorched husk of one of the homunculus guards clawed her way out of the fire, screaming in agony, sobbing for help that would not come. Instead, Ivo simply lowered himself to his knees and stared at her for a moment, only to sigh and look back at Archer.

Archer nodded to Ivo, though he rolled his eyes at the old man's sentimentality, and quickly shot an arrow through the head of the homunculus, ending her suffering.

The Diet Building, Tokyo, Japan: January 30, 2024

Councillor Akihiro Yoshida sighed as he stretched, having just come out of a prolonged meeting with some of the other Councillors regarding a bill being discussed by the Diet. He didn't get it. What was the point of discussing it? The House of Representatives could just overrule them even if they decided not to adopt the bill. So why even bother? As a member of the upper house, he had very little political power beyond what the lower house allowed him.

Yoshida rubbed his temples to fight off the migraine that had been throbbing in his head for hours now, wishing for nothing more than some kind of headache remedy in that moment.

"Councillor!" He heard the grating voice of his secretary as she rushed up to him as fast as her heels would permit. He was almost tempted to turn and walk away, and ignore her. Still, something made him stay. Something nagged at him, saying that maybe he needed to hear what she actually had to say.

"Yes, what is it, Miss Tanaka?" Yoshida asked, his steely eyes narrowed in aggravation behind his square-framed glasses. He ran a hand through his slicked-back raven-colored hair in exasperation as he waited for the woman to speak.

"Sir, I... I just received a report..." Miss Tanaka said quietly, looking around to make sure no one was within earshot. She then leaned in, cupping a hand around her mouth as she whispered to him. "A report from the Mage's Association..."

Yoshida's eyes widened ever so slightly as Tanaka's hushed words, only to narrow again in irritation. "How many times have I told you not to approach me concerning them in public!" He growled through gritted teeth. Instantly, Tanaka's face reddened, and she stepped back, her head hanging in shame.

"Y-yes s-s-sir!" She squeaked, her back hunching and her knees bending inwards slightly, as if she was trying to make herself smaller under his reproachful glare. "I'm s-sorry, sir!"

"Are you? Well, I suppose that makes it all better, then!" Yoshida snarled, his hand twitching with the urge to- no. He had to keep himself under control for now. They were too exposed out here.

Fortunately, his limo pulled up at that exact moment. Without another word, Councillor Yoshida opened the door and pointed inside, a silent command that was instantly obeyed by the secretary. He followed her into the backseat, and closed the door a little rougher than normal.

Inside the car, the windows were all tinted so that no one outside would be able to see inside, though they could still see outside. Once they were safe from outside prying eyes, Yoshida glared at Tanaka, who lowered her eyes, her cheeks and chest flush as she nodded quietly. "Drive." He said simply to the limo driver, who sighed and nodded as he quickly raised the partition, giving his boss some privacy.

Finally alone, Tanaka slowly laid herself across Yoshida's lap, surrendering to his will.

Yoshida wasted no time in pulling Tanaka's skirt down, along with her panties, resting a hand on her bare ass. "The severity of your punishment depends entirely on the importance of your message." He said simply to his secretary, who quickly rushed to answer.

"Yes, sir. I understand. It was an urgent message from your contact. He said that something happened in Germany. Something big. Some family called the "Einzberns" were exterminated two days ago." Tanaka said quickly.

Yoshida froze up at the news, his eyes wide in shock. "Is that so...?" He muttered under his breath. Then, his shocked expression faded slowly into a look of glee, and he stared down at Tanaka's bare ass, now squeezing it roughly.

Tanaka bit her lip, barely able to stifle the moans threatening to spill forth at the rough squeezing. It was clear to Yoshida that she was enjoying the treatment. But then, of course she was. She was always a willing participant in his "games". He may enjoy getting rough, but he wasn't a monster, after all.

"So the Einzberns are no more, then?" Yoshida laughed, smacking Tanaka's rear a few times, though there wasn't much bite in his smacks, just enough to add a bit of color to her pale skin. "So much for the power of their "ancient lineage"! I've always said that the length of a bloodline means nothing! And now, this just proves it! Hundreds of years, and several generations of tradition and efforts, all eliminated in a single day!"

"Then you are... pleased, sir?" Tanaka asked, her eyes clenched shut as she struggled not to moan, letting out shakey, raspy breaths.

"More than pleased, Tanaka. As a matter of fact, I think we'll forego your punishment this time. Still, next time, I won't be so lenient." Yoshida said with a smirk as he turned her around, placing her face down in the seat as he rose to his knees behind her, undoing his pants.

Fuyuki City, Japan: January 31, 2024

In the dark alleys of Fuyuki City, countless pedestrians were able to hear the screams and cries for help of a young woman, yet no one bothered to investigate and see what was happening. They all knew better than to try and help, to risk their own neck. Their hearts went out to whatever poor soul had the misfortune of catching the eye of some local thug, but no one was actually willing to step in and put a stop to whatever was happening. Besides, they all thought, it's probably just a mugging. If the woman simply gave the thug her money, it would all be over quickly, and she'd be able to just go about her life. Really, it wasn't any of their faults that she was too stubborn to give the thug her money.

Yet what was happening was far worse than some random mugging.

Jiro Goro sobbed and tried to claw herself to freedom, yet the group of young men who were pulling at her clothing had other plans. They laughed and poked at her, teasing her for her plain, unimpressive figure. Her small breasts, her flat rear end, everything was mocked. And yet, everything was merely a tool for their amusement. Her clothes were violently ripped to shreds as two of them held her down, watching three of their friends strip her of her dignity and slowly leave her bare for their eyes.

"Look at her! The little whore shaves! She probably goes around expecting to get railed in some alley!" One of the young men laughed, and she wanted to scream at them that, no, it wasn't true. But now, her mouth was covered by one of the ones pinning her down. Evidently, he was getting tired of her screaming.

"Yeah, probably!" One of the others agreed with a snort. "I mean, look at how she dresses! It's like she's asking for it!"

"How she dresses? You mean how she was dressed!" They took turns talking about her like she wasn't even there, speaking so vulgarly, and soon, Jiro began to just... surrender. After all, what was different here than any other part of her life?

Jiro came from a long line of mages. Eleven prior generations of them, in fact, making Jiro a member of the twelvth. However, she was only the second-born mage in that generation. Her elder brother, Asahi, was the first-born, and therefore, the chosen heir of the Goro lineage. As such, everything was given to him. The teachings of their bloodline, passed down through the generations. The Goro family magic crest, containing the power and knowledge amassed over the decades by their family. The wealth and recognition provided by their name. Their family's representation in the Mage's Association. Even their parents' love and affection. Their time and attention. All of it was Asahi's by birthright. What was left for Jiro?

Nothing. And she had accepted that for years. It was simply the hand fate had dealt her.

Academically speaking, Jiro wasn't the most gifted student, either. She was impressive, sure. Even managed to keep her grades in the high "A" range consistently. Yet, just as within her family, she was doomed to remain "second best". In everything academically, she was constantly beaten by that girl... Top of the class. President of the student council. Captain of the archery club. Everything Jiro did, she was there to take first place, leaving Jiro perpetually in second.

Jiro... Even her name meant "second".

And she had accepted that for years. It, just as her position in her family, was simply the hand fate had dealt her.

She'd had a crush on a boy for a couple years, and had finally gotten him to notice her. And then, just when she thought she had won his affection, He had turned around and asked another girl out, instead. Second best once again.

It was simply the hand fate had dealt her, though. Who was she to argue with fate?

Why was this any different? Even this... Even this horrible night was simply part of the hand dealt to her by fate. It was cruel, yes. But the face of fate itself, what was Jiro? How could she rightfully complain? What right did she have to argue with the universe?

Clearly, fate had decided that she was to become nothing more than a play thing for these five young men. If they decided to kill her after they were done with her, then at least she wouldn't have to live with the shame. If they decided not to end her life, then she clearly must have done something in a past life that dictated she should have to live with the memory of this night. Either way, it was out of her hands. She was nothing more than a pawn for fate.

She continued telling herself this even as the first of the five pushed into her, tearing through her maidenhead with force, and began taking her like some cheap prostitute. She lay limp there, dead inside as he had his way with her.

If only she had been the first born, if only her family had seen fit to actually teach her some of their magecraft... Maybe she could have made use of the magic circuits within her, and maybe she could have fought these boys off. Maybe she wouldn't have had to suffer this...

It was painful. She enjoyed none of it. Her back was bruised and scraped from the hard concrete under her, and she would definitely be covered in bruises from the rough treatment. Her eyes were completely dry of tears by the time the first one finished, and the second one took his place. She looked at the sky, and the walls of the buildings around her, at the graffiti on the walls, some of which was probably done by these very boys. Anywhere but at her assailants as she simply accepted the hand fate had once again dealt her.

...

But no. No, somewhere in the back of her mind, buried under the years of refusing to let herself desire anything more than what she was already given, a small voice screamed at her. Screamed for her to simply reach out and take what she knew should be hers. Screamed for her to fight back against these boys, and against her parents and brother who ignored her, against the class president who always seemed one step ahead of her. it was that voice inside her that screamed out for help, even though Jiro was refusing to acknowledge it.

And as Jiro's eyes found the circle graffitied on the wall near her, it was that voice inside her that screamed the loudest.

It was almost funny, really. These boys likely had no idea what they had painted on the wall. They'd probably seen it in some history textbook or something and painted it because it looked cool. Yet, somehow, they had managed to stumble upon the design for a legitimate summoning circle. And as that voice in Jiro screamed for help, her magic circuits, which had lay unused beneath her skin for years, finally sparked to life.

She felt a massive drain on her energy, and at first, she assumed it was simply the last of her willpower leaving her body. But the drain continued, and she could see a faint glow emanating from the wall next to her. Evidently, the boys had noticed it, too, for she felt the one currently using her body come to a complete stop.

"Whoa... what the...?" One by one, the boys all stood up, eyes fixating on the magic working in front of them.

The energy continued to drain from Jiro, though she simply lay unmoving on the ground.

The light grew in intensity, and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing on end, as if an electrical current was running through her body.

She simply stared at the red light projecting from the circle on the wall, and words came to her mind, unbidden. Maybe she'd read them somewhere before? She didn't have the faintest clue, but she couldn't resist the urge. Something compelled her to say them aloud.

"Yet... you shall serve me with your eyes clouded by chaos... For you would be one caged in madness... And I... I shall wield your chains..." Jiro said weakly, barely having the energy left to speak. "From the seventh heaven... attended to by... three great words of power..."

"What the hell? Is she doing this?!" One of the boys exclaimed, eyes wide in fear as they started to back away slowly. "She's a... she's a witch!"

"Come forth from the ring of restraint... protector of... the holy... balance..." Jiro said, slowly beginning to lose consciousness.

As soon as she finished, a large crack like thunder could be heard, and the dark alley was bathed in a blinding red light. Then, everything was dark, and quiet again. The only sounds that could be heard were the traffic in the distance, and the terrified trembling of the five boys who had been about to take turns using Jiro's body.

After a long moment, a deep, masculine voice could be heard from the shadows. Jiro couldn't see him, but she knew he was there. "I ask you this just once: Are you my master?"

"Holy shit!"

"The witch summoned a demon!" The thugs cried out in fear, and began to scamper away.

Jiro felt weak, drained. Drained by both her attack, as well as the summoning ritual. She knew it wouldn't be long now before she lost consciousness. Yet, despite what had just happened to her, despite what had been happening to her, a peaceful smile stretched across her face.

For fate had just dealt her a new hand. And for once, the cards were in her favor.

"Yes. I am your master." She said softly, groaning as she forced herself to sit up. "And you are my Servant."

"Very well. I am the Berserker-class Servant, and I have responded to your summons. Now that the contract has been sealed, what is your first order, master?"

Jiro closed her eyes for a moment. She could still hear those boys fleeing in terror, and a malicious idea came to her. Her peaceful smile became a sinister smirk as she realized that a bunch of humans had just seen magic at work. They couldn't have that, after all...

"Kill them. Kill them, Berserker. And... do it slowly." She commanded, feeling a wave of new strength washing over her, though her energy was still depleted.

"As you wish, master." Berserker said simply, as if the order itself didn't matter to him, only the fact that he followed the command. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, creating a whirlwind with his rapid movement that stirred up the torn remnants of Jiro's clothes. Yet, she didn't fight to cover herself. The damage was done. All she could do now was watch with no small sense of satisfaction as Berserker easily overtook the five rapists.

It lasted a total of five heartbeats.

Thump.

Berserker caught up with the five men and, with a sickening crunch, ripped the spine out of one of them. Jiro thought he had been one of the ones who was holding her down. His blood sprayed everywhere, covering his friends, and Berserker, and even the walls of the alley, with an odorous red paint.

Thump.

Berserker flicked his wrist, and the spine he'd just taken from his first "victim" whipped its way around the neck of the next one to fall to the "demon". Berserker grabbed both ends of the makeshift garrote and quickly snapped the neck of the man who had covered Jiro's mouth with his hand.

Thump.

Berserker's heavy metal boot accidentally crushed the head of the second man, the skull shattering and blood once more spraying everywhere as the gigantic brute turned towards the third of the group. He had been the first one to grab Jiro, the one who had initially pulled her into the alley at knifepoint. Berserker made short work of him, though he died screaming at his head was quite literally ripped from his body.

Thump.

The other two hadn't even slowed their retreat, nor halted their screams as their friends were systematically disassembled. They had managed to get a few meters down the alleyway by this point, though it was nowhere near enough to save them. Berserker materialized in front of them in a cloud of darkness, and extended a leg clad in black armor, caving in the chest of the one who had been having his way with Jiro when Berserker was summoned. He coughed up blood as his shattered ribs punctured his lungs and heart. Berserker knew he wouldn't last more than a few more minutes, anyway. There was no need to waste any more effort on him. Even if someone did call for medical attention, it would arrive far too late to save him.

Thump.

Berserker picked the last man up by his shoulders. Jiro realized with a thrill that he had been the one who had stolen her maidenhood and had dared to spill himself inside of her. Mentally, she hoped Berserker would treat him specially. And somehow, Berserker seemed to catch her intent as he glanced towards her, an eyebrow raised in question for a brief moment before he focused on the one who was most likely the ringleader of the group. Berserker held his shoulders tightly, squeezing with the minimal amount of pressure necessary. Tighter. Tighter. The air was forced out of the man's lungs, and he found himself unable to draw in another breath, or even make a sound. Berserker simply held him there, watching as, slowly, the man's face turned red, then purple, then blue as he suffocated. Finally, the man stopped even blinking, and his head rolled to the side as he died. Berserker put just a bit more pressure on him, then, and his torso exploded in a shower of blood, covering the entire front of Berserker's black armor, as well as his face and his long, platinum blonde hair.

Only moments later, Berserker returned to Jiro, his black armor now covered in the blood of the five humans who would never again treat another woman the way they had treated Jiro...

Yes, I know, I must be kinda fucked up in the head for writing this. Okay, maybe a little more than "kinda fucked up"... Still, though, this is "Fate", and that generally comes with some pretty fucked up dark shit.

I don't think I should really have to say this, because it should go without saying, but I do not condone rape. Hence the violent, bloody deaths of the rapists.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter, guys!

Drop a review and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you guys, and it takes all of, like, two seconds.

Until next time!