Chapter One: Berserker?

A silver haired woman in a black suit and veil stood before a lone casket. The church had cleared itself of all friends and loved ones of the casket's new owner. The only exception being the aforementioned woman and a lone priest. The Casket remained open, the face of the occupant still seemed to have as much life in death as she had in life. Which was to say, very little. Her face was gaunt and unmistakably eastern, yet carried the stern nobility that had been expected of her even in death. She wore a traditional kimono, dressed in the patterns of her house, making her stand in stark contrast to the church, priest and young woman standing beside her.

Mino Nikuyo was no stranger to strange and abnormal events, her family's success as mages while seeming cursed everywhere else attesting to that. But she now finds herself in what can only be described as truly disturbing.

Her mother had died and the Seals of Command had jumped from her to Mino, a sign of whatever ritual the priest had conducted had ended. The sudden promotion to Family Matriarch was something she hadn't thought would happen in at least another decade or so. But that didn't mean she didn't think it possible or something to not be prepared for. Since their success in the Grail War, the Nikuyo house has known little glory outside of the Mage's Association. While seemingly lauded with praise and prominent roles in local covens and guilds, they have found themselves the victims of the people of the land.

While their true power as mages has been kept secret, rumors of their hand in The Massacre of Graveshire has circulated unendingly. It is unknown why or how, but it has caused no small amount of heartache and headaches. Mino's father being the first victim that comes to mind. His body (or what was left of it) was sent home to Japan for it's burial. Her mother had been far luckier, dying seemingly of some unknown ailment, likely poison. The Guilds and Covens of America have offered great protection for something that was far rarer than a kind soul. Genuine Success. Which was likely the only reason she still breathed the outside air.

Graveshire's locals knew she and her family were powerful. Which was why nothing as overt as what happened to the consort that was her father never happened again, after the guilds experiments were 'lost to some local home before being recovered'.

Mino smiled at the memory of the report to the Association. Her mother was given a copy and she had been lucky enough to read it before it was stored into an info stone (one of but many of her family's newest tricks). But it did not detract from the tragedy and cruel fate before her now. She was a master of a war she had no plan to take part in, but would for the sake of saving her family from this curse.

Mino lifted her hand to inspect the symbols on her hand. An elegant yet odd design, it appeared similar to a crown with a blade pointed towards her fingers. The young priest spoke, breaking her from her observations and brooding.

"It is done, you are to be the Master of both your house and Grail". "Rather preemptive to announce me victorious to a war that has yet to start, my old fling?" The priest remained stone faced as her barb hit. "You really shouldn't ruin these moments for me babe, I've literally gone through hell to get this position as a priest. Announcing things like some dramatic narrator to an actual myth in the making is something I've been wanting to do since The Cardinal brought me in on the secret." his face dropped as he explained his grievances. 'Ah yes The Cardinal of colorado, a rather elusive figure of the church, adoptive father of No-Last-Name Jericho. And the one to end our relationship' the thought ran through her head as she watched Jericho bring out his bible as to give one final blessing. He closed his eyes before sighing and putting the book onto the podium that sat only two feet from the casket. "Just stay safe, you hear? I don't want to bury another Nikuyo in the same decade- no scratch that, while I manage this priory. Ya get that?" Mino shakes her head in minor annoyance "You say that like I have a death wish while I pursue my family's birthright." Then Jericho's demeanor quickly changed once more, as his face scrunched up in a manner as if to suggest regret. "Just because your family won the first, doesn't mean you will win the next. I… still care, and just want to quit this after it's all said and done." He looks up before saying, "I want to give it another go."

Mino's eyes widened, "I think you may want to tell The Cardinal first. I don't want to have your brother executioners being added onto the list of enemies if worse comes to worse." Jericho's face loosens back up before it returns to a flat emotionless mask that every execution, both current and former are masters of "I just wanted to get it off my chest before we return to business. You will need to summon a servant and tell me who you summoned, not their name, just the class. I would talk more, but I have my duties and studies to attend to. Lest I deal with a missed sermon's consequences." He moves for the door whilst muttering 'damned zealot locals' beneath a breath, were the room occupied by anyone other than the two of them it would have been too quiet to hear.

But he was correct and Mino knew it. She had to summon her own servant at some point. Today may be the best time to. She turned and left the church. Preparations to have her mother sent to Japan for a proper burial already underway. She drove home in black car. The family long ago forgoing the use of servants from home and far too paranoid to hire any local, no matter how true their oaths of loyalty.

As she arrived at the fortress of her home she can't help but look to the mirror that lay opened above her. Short silver hair hung to the side, proof of her family's victory. The wish making her family Homunculus like in appearance as if to say that this was the natural look of one empowered so by mage craft. She entered her empty home, it's cleared halls bearing the memories of family who have sought the refuge of the Association's favor. They stayed only for the funeral before going to find Guilds and Covens willing to make use of their knowledge in exchange for protection. An understandable desire, she had originally planned to be the one to take part in the war but her mother was the one to be granted the seals instead. She had no idea why her mother was so eager to take part when all other households would be sending their own heirs. But that didn't matter.

As she stood at the summoning circle made by her mother, she stared at a veiled artifact meant to be used for the ritual of summoning, a helmet of some sort painted black stylized with a lion's head. The promised day of the War isn't meant to arrive for another 3 months, but she could tell that her mother wanted to summon whoever this artifact is connected to on this night. A supermoon hung over the house, and midnight was fast approaching. She began the ritual by pulling out a bone needle. Made from the crystalized bone of a saint, it had been far easier to attain than most would have thought. But her family's blood has been the interest of many in the Moonlit World, so some bartering for a pint of blood was but a small price to pay for guaranteed salvation of the family.

The blood hits the circle as she begins her chant, she had but an hour to memorize it. Still confident she could do it without missing the prime opportunity offered by the lunar event.

Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation

Let my great Master Nikuyo be the ancestor

Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall

Let the four cardinal gates close.

Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.

I hereby declare.

Your body shall serve under me.

My fate shall be your sword.

Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail

If you will submit to this will and this reason…Then answer!

An oath shall be sworn here!

I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.

I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!

But as the ritual soons meets it's climax, a stumble from a mix up of words.

Yet, though serves with thine eyes clouded in hatred

Thou, bound in the cage of vengeance.

I am he who command these tyrants

A red light rises from the circle, as energy soon begins to take shape, the form being shaped and growing larger with each syllable uttered. But the mistaken words poison the form, turning it black. As the dark energy chokes out the red Mino continues undaunted if slowed. Hoping this doesn't kill her and that she does not become consumed by the curse that lingers on her house she has only just been given to protect.

From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three greet words of power,

Come forth from the ring of restraints,

Protector of the Holy Balance!

The darkness ceased to swirl, as whatever lies within awoke. Red eyes pierce through the cloud as confirmation of success is made known through a deep and… staticy voice?

"Are you my master?"

The darkness begins to fall and Mino is granted a far better look at the being she summoned. He was taller than any man she has ever met. He wore armour of pitch black, trimmed in dark silver. His right pauldron bore a symbol of a Knight's helmet black like the rest of his armour, and noticeable only due to his pauldron being colored red to mercifully compliment the black. The armour itself was reminiscent of plate, but calling them plate seemed like an insult to the sheer bulkiness of it, and was likely the real reason he towered over her. But atop the armour laid a clock of white cloth to contrast against the black, with hood draped over the dark helm of the servant. The armour was truly otherworldly in that respect, invoking the image of European Knights while being so unlike them. It's hard to believe he came from the past.

His weapon fared little better under similar scrutiny. A blade that had lodged itself into the floor in front of him, even sunk into the ground, the hilt was eye level with the giant. The blade gleamed with a dark silver, the hilt had wires connecting it to the blade. A helmet design in the center of the hilt.

Mino had never felt smaller in her life, even in her childhood memories did the scale of such a thing make even those that once dwarfed her look tiny in comparison. Dread and awe rolled down her back in goosebumps, she felt like an eternity would pass before she could speak again. But thankfully for her, the servant simply spoke again.

"I had hoped this wouldn't follow me into this realm, but none can seem to escape the dread me and my brothers impose upon the unprepared." He stepped forward, sidestepping his blade, until but a foot away from Mino. Then he kneels before her. "I swear on the oaths I've sworn to the order and my mentor, this Grail shall be yours." He raised his head, his eyes obscured by the hood with joy unmissable in his next comment "And they said quests were supposed to be hard. I'm Depheros the Master of the Black Knights, your summoned servant."

With his 'humble' introduction shaking her out of her stupor, Mino, in all her preparedness and knowledge could only ask one thing. "You're rather cognizant for a berserker…"