For once, it was a good thing that she had a habit of sleeping in late. Slowly, groggily, the brunette girl sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes weakly as she did as the morning light streamed in through the large windows. For once, she'd actually intended to sleep longer then usual. After all, she needed a lot of energy for what tonight would hold. It wouldn't do to have a poor night's rest. Blearily, the small-framed girl climbed out of bed, blinking her eyes weakly and taking in her blurry surroundings. After a moment, she slowly reached to her bedside desk and grasped her glasses, slipping them onto her face and adjusting them slightly as she did. Her room was well-furnished, her bed… expansive, to say the least. After all… this was her family's mansion.
The small brunette adjusted her glasses again and yawned, glancing at the mirror. Looking back at her was a pale girl, quite short and with a slim, small frame, flowing brown hair hanging down loosely to her waist, golden eyes half-closed with lingering sleep. Blinking, she shook her head, trying to wake herself up more. She was wearing rather loose silken pajamas… a small part of her reminded her that these same pajamas fit her exactly the same eight whole years ago.
It was hard to ignore that, as she self-consciously stared at her small, slender frame in the mirror.
As she went about her morning routine, slowly selecting her clothing for today and setting it on her bed, the girl reflected on how it felt… somewhat surreal to be back here. She hadn't lived in the mansion for years, and yet she was back here again, for something she never expected she would ever get involved in. In fact, it was only relatively recently that the short brunette had even learned of this event, of what she was to be participating in.
The very thought of it made her heart beat faster, her hands shaking slightly as her nerves began to get to her. But… no, no, she had to remain calm. She had to focus… she had no real hopes for herself, if she was being honest, but after she'd been asked like that…
She couldn't back down no matter how scared she was.
Instead, she chose to focus on her morning routine, as best as she was able. And so she proceeded to remove her sleepwear, placing it in her laundry bin, and making her way to her shower. As soon as she'd finished cleaning up for the morning, she dried off, dressed herself, and put her glasses back on. The routine felt mundane, something that was strange given what tonight would hold. It was difficult to reconcile the mundanity of her current actions with the nature of the coming night.
So, the girl tried not to think about it.
Instead, she adjusted the yellow short-sleeved shirt she'd picked out, brushing at her blue skirt. Regarding herself in the mirror again, she let out a weak giggle./div
"Eh-heheh… I don't look like the mistress of some fancy western mansion at all…" she commented to herself, averting her eyes from her own image. "I just look… forgettable."
The only thing that distracted her from this line of thought was the scent drifting up from downstairs. It took a few moments for her mind to catch up and recall the fact that she wasn't alone in this mansion. Ah, that's right… they'd provided her with housekeepers. A pair, to keep up with her meals and other such matters while she handled… it…
The small girl hugged herself, then took a deep breath.
Matsushita Ai made her way from her room, and downstairs. It was still hard to get used to, being back in her family home again… she ran her right hand along the banister as she made her way down. The familiar feeling of the smooth wood under her fingers… that was something she hadn't forgotten, at the very least.
As the small girl made her way to the very bottom of the stairs, she paused for only a moment, before turning left and making her way towards the dining hall. At least she could easily remember where that was located. Ai had been in the family mansion for three days now, and while some things still felt unfamiliar that didn't mean that she wasn't able to navigate it.
It had been her home once, too, after all.
Indeed, the smell of cooking food was stronger now. From here, she could detect different scents… the smell of bacon, crisp and sizzling, soft and fluffy pancakes, and golden scrambled eggs… It was a western-style breakfast, and that was hardly something she was going to complain about.
Even if she'd had an objection for some unfathomable reason, she never knew what to say to those maids anyway. She knew if she'd attempted to do anything like that, the words would have become caught in her throat and died there.
"Ah, ojou-sama," one of the maids spoke, entering the dining hall from the kitchen, on the opposite end of the room. It was a long, large room, with a great dark wood table clearly designed to seat many guests. Part of Ai's mind had declared this a waste, as no-one would come to be her guest anyway. "I was just about to wake you."
Both maids were completely identical. Of course, they were taller then her… most people over the age of ten years old were. Even thinking about that fact nearly put a hole in Ai's heart, but she tried not to think about it. Each made had long, white hair, pink eyes, and slender bodies. Ai couldn't say they weren't pretty, at least, though that plain expression and neutral tone of voice was a little strange…
The maid she was looking at was named Charlotte.
It only possible to differentiate Charlotte from the other maid due to the black hair clip being on the opposite side of her hair. Ai hoped they never switched, as it would feel incredibly embarrassing to call one by the name of the other./div
"Ah… w-well, um…" the brunette hesitated for a moment, "I got up already so we don't need to…"
This time, she caught sight of a faint smile on Charlotte's lips. It seemed like both maids enjoyed their job, at least…
"Very good, ojou-sama," she commented, with a bow. "Marianne is just finishing your breakfast. I shall serve it to you in a moment."
With that, she vanished back into the kitchen.
Ai stood in silence, watching the door shut. She wasn't used to having maids. But that was one of the few good things about this situation… except the fact that she had to talk to them. What could she really say…?
As she sat down at the head of the long, dark table, she glanced at the back of her right hand.
The intricate red symbol that marked it had grown more vivid than ever./div
It was as if it knew what tonight held.
Tonight, she would be summoning her Servant.
For soon would it begin.
The Holy Grail War.
"The Holy Grail War?"
The room was brightly lit, as Ai sat quietly on the velvet seat. In front of her was a large desk, upon it sitting various trinkets associated with magecraft. A crystalline orb, various gems… she wasn't one to consider their purpose very much, even if she was a magus herself. Flanking the room were bookshelves that reached the ceiling, stocked with an immense amount of volumes. Grimoires and other texts relating to magecraft…
Across from her at the desk sat a very familiar figure.
"Er… I don't know very much about it," Ai began, "Um… why did you call me here, Tsukada-san…?"
Tsukada leaned forward, her elbows on the desk and her fingers steepled in front of her face. She was a serious woman with a stern expression, hair pulled back tightly into a bun, clad in a navy blue suit and matching skirt. She had purple eyes, with black hair, and… well, she was very pretty. Ai had known her for most of her life, at this point, and she'd never really gotten over just how pretty Tsukada Hiyori was.
Not that Ai could ever bring herself to mention such a thing in front of her.
"You've heard of it before, haven't you, Matsushita-san?" Tsukada asked, "The battle between magi for the sake of obtaining the holy grail."
"Er…" Ai hesitated for a moment, "… A little, I know it's fought through the use of familiars… and that no-one's… actually obtained the Holy Grail before, eh-heheheh…"
It wasn't something she had ever put much research into prior. Admittedly, the bulk of her research had been in terms of advancing her own magecraft. The small brunette couldn't deny that she'd been rather myopic when it came to such things. That wasn't to say she had never learned of anything outside of her relatively narrow area of focus, it was simply that her knowledge in other areas was rather shallow.
"That's correct, but it's a rather shallow understanding," responded Tsukada. Ai winced, slightly. It felt like she was being tutored again. "To begin with, while technically true, calling Servants 'familiars' fails to convey what they really are."
Ai sat silently for a few moments. She didn't understand why she was being told about all of this, but she decided not to question it, for the moment./div
"A Servant is a Heroic Spirit summoned into one of seven class containers," the black-haired woman continued, "A figure from humanity's history granted a new body composed of mana, bound by contract to one of the Masters participating in the Holy Grail War. But I'm certain you were already aware of the nature of Heroic Spirits, correct?"
The older of the two magi gave the younger a somewhat stern look.
"Y-yes!" cried Ai, before she could think. It was true! … Sort of… she knew of them! That had to count!
"Good," replied Tsukada, "Seven Heroic Spirits are summoned into seven class containers by seven Masters. Then the battle is waged to obtain the Holy Grail."
Ai fidgeted for a moment, before opening her mouth to try and ask just why she was getting a lesson on the Holy Grail War, but Tsukada cut her off when she opened her drawer and drew from it what looked like a sword-wielding chess piece.
"Saber."
She placed the piece down.
"Archer."
Next was a piece wielding a bow.
"Lancer."
A spear-wielding knight.
"Rider."
A knight gripping reigns.
"Berserker."
A mad, horned beast.
"Caster."
A hooded figure gripping a long staff.
"Assassin."
A masked figure wielding knives.
The chess pieces had been aligned, starting with Saber and ending with Assassin, on the desk in front of Tsukada.
"These are the seven Servant classes, each with its own traits, advantages, and disadvantages," the suit-clad woman continued. Ai stared blankly. Was… this some kind of lesson? But why? "For example, Saber is considered the strongest fighter, but is usually straightforward in their approach. Assassin, on the other hand, is typically much weaker, but can use a variety of skills relating to subterfuge. A Master must know how to use their Servant's capabilities to their fullest."
Tsukada gave Ai another look, as if to ensure she was listening. Frantically, the small brunette nodded. She had been, but she was scared of failing to look as if she'd been paying attention more than anything else.
"To attain victory, a Master and Servant pair must simply be the last to remain standing," added Tsukada, "By any means necessary. Eliminating all the enemy Servants is obvious, but contracts can be reforged by remaining Masters. Therefore…"
The silence hung for a moment. Ai knew what was being implied, but she didn't really like it… nor could she understand why she was being told these things.
"… Of course, such a thing isn't necessary. Merely eliminating the enemy Servants is enough," Tsukada concluded. "As long as only one Servant remains, the winning Master can claim the Holy Grail."
Fidgeting, the brunette magus finally managed to collect herself enough to ask what had been on her mind the entire time.
"Er… why are… why are you telling me this…?" Ai asked, finally, hands clasped together on her lap. "I… I don't really know what any of this has to do with me…"
For a few moments, Tsukada paused, before resuming her explanation.
"The Holy Grail is an omnipotent wish-granting device," she said, leaning back in her seat, "But more importantly, it can be used to form a path to the Root."
Akasha. The Root of All Knowledge. The Spiral of Origin. The ultimate goal of a magus was to reach Akasha, and if the Holy Grail could be used to make a hole to the Root… well, that explained why Tsukada was talking about it in the first place. But that didn't answer Ai's real question: Why was Tsukada telling her?
"Naturally, this is a prize few magi could possibly pass up. The ultimate goal of a magus is so close, one must simply claim victory to obtain it," the black-haired woman proceeded, "Naturally, I'm certain you understand why we would want it, now."
Ai nodded slowly. That much she understood, but…
"B-but… you haven't explained what it has to do with me…"
Tsukada sighed.
"The Holy Grail War occurs every fifty years, normally," she began, "But this time it's come early. We don't know exactly why, but that's beside the point. If we want to participate, we need a Master to enter the war on behalf of our group. I assume you understand now?"
"… Er… n-" Ai cut herself off. Realization dawned on her in an instant. The reason she was being educated about the Holy Grail War was because she was expected to fight in it?! "W-wait, that's… Eh?! E-eeehhh!? B-b-but… But… I'm… I'm not a fighter! I'm not even… I'm not even a good magus, I-I…"
Tsukada folded her arms under her chest.
"Are you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "While you may not be the most versatile magus, you have a large number of high quality magic circuits. Out of the members of our organization who are actually available, you have the best capacity for supplying a Servant with mana. Not only that, but you own property in the town the war is taking place in."
Ah, the Matsushita mansion… but Ai hadn't been back there in years. She'd been living at a high-class apartment close to their group's Japanese base of operation… she knew in the coming years she was expected to go to Britain, and that thought scared her.
But not as much as this did.
"… I-I haven't lived there i-in so long…" the small brunette said, averting her eyes… "A-and there's no way I could fight like th-that… A-and… being a Master to a Servant, I…"
"We'll supply you with housekeepers and bodyguards," Tsukada added, "… Besides, have you forgotten what our organization has done for you, Matsushita-san? You may not be the most skilled of magi, but your abilities are still worth consideration. Not only that, but your circuits are certainly effective enough to fuel even Servants who consume large amounts of mana."
What they'd done for her… Ai opened her mouth, and hesitated. They'd been responsible for her education… they helped her keep ahold of her family's estate, they'd done almost everything for her. And now they were asking for something in return. But… fighting in the Holy Grail War… The mere thought scared her. Would a Servant even listen to her? Why would they? She wasn't commanding or anything like that at all. She barely even existed. Would they even notice that she was there? They were all famous figures from the past, so how could they even care about her if they even did notice?
But… how could she refuse when the organization was responsible for her entire life? Would she even have become a magus at all without their assistance? They had helped her for so long, and only now were they asking for anything in return.
"… We've already obtained a catalyst for summoning your Servant," continued Tsukada, "We'll have to work quickly to ensure the Grail selects you as one of the Masters."/div
Ai fidgeted.
"I… I see…"
"We've made all the arrangements for your support," continued the black-haired woman, "So you needn't worry about that. Your housekeepers will handle your daily routine, so you can focus all your efforts on obtaining victory for our organization."
The small brunette sagged weakly. Everything had already been planned. They knew she wouldn't be able to decline, so they hadn't bothered waiting for her answer. They'd just hone ahead and arranged everything without her.
There really wasn't any way she could get out of this.
"… Wh-who am I going to summon…?" Ai asked, weakly, staring down into her lap.
"The catalyst is for a Servant of the Saber class," answered Tsukada, "A skilled samurai. Not the most powerful of Servants, but his skill should bridge the gap. Additionally, as we're in Japan, he'll be gaining advantages due to being summoned in his homeland."
That… sounded at least a little promising. But how was she going to ever be able to command a samurai? Maybe if he just got left to his own devices it would all work out… She hoped that was the case. Her mind couldn't help but conjure images of some scary, tall, intimidating man with a huge katana, looking ready to kill the first person who looked at him wrong. At least he would be honorable, right? That much could be said, even if he was really scary, right? At this point, that's all that Ai could hope for.
There was no way for her to escape from her participation in the Holy Grail War. Deep down, she knew that she had almost no chance of winning. That terrified her. Everything about this plan terrified her. But she couldn't do anything about it. Not when everything had already been arranged for her. All she could do now was try.
And fail. But… she had to try.
"… I'll… go pack my things…" she said, morosely.
Tsukada smiled at her.
"Good luck."
The memory of how she came to be here stirred fear in Ai's heart, even as she sat waiting for breakfast. It was tonight… tonight she was to summon her Servant. A Saber-class samurai Servant… she had no real hope she'd be able to give him any kind of orders he would take seriously. After all, he would be a lot more familiar with combat then herself, wouldn't he? Taking orders from her wouldn't make any sense. In fact, maybe that was what the brunette should tell him. Completely ignore her and do whatever it is he felt he needed to in order to win. That was going to be a lot more successful then anything she could come up with. Ai felt certain that was an unquestionable fact.
There was no way they could win if she was giving the orders.
Ai was pulled out of her doubts when the kitchen door suddenly opened. Marianne was identical to her twin, aside from the fact that she wore her hairclip on the opposite side, and her maid uniform, rather than being western, was a kimono with a kappougi. That, and her demeanor was rather different from her sister's.
"Good morning ojou-sama~" declared the maid, cheerfully, holding a platter in one hand, "I decided you might like a western breakfast today~!"
Happily, the maid placed the platter down in front of her. Before her eyes were golden scrambled eggs, thick, fluffy pancakes, and crisp-but-chewy bacon. One thing the small brunette could definitely say she appreciated about having maids was Marianne's excellent cooking. She typically prepared more Japanese-style meals, but today it seemed like she had decided otherwise.
The less said about Charlotte's cooking, however, the better.
"Um, thank you, Marianne-san," replied, Ai, smiling weakly.
"Fufu, enjoy~" declared the maid, turning on her heel before proceeding back into the kitchen without another word.
… Except for the fact that she was obviously peeking around the door to see how Ai reacted to the food.
"Itadakimasu," Ai declared, before picking up her fork and taking a bite of the scrambled eggs.
… Ah… that flavor… it just melted in her mouth… ah, and the bacon, it was the perfect proportion of crispness and chewiness… the pancakes were so fluffy and sweet…
Soon enough, Ai had forgotten her worries for the moment, devouring her breakfast as if she'd never eaten before.
She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until this moment, but the moment she'd actually tasted the food she realized that she was completely starving. And it was absolutely delicious.
Marianne's meals always were. Ai was used to, well… much less high-quality food that was easy to prepare, to say the least, aside from occasional meetings with other organization members. They were usually stocked with much higher-quality meals. But for the most part, she wasn't used to such delicious food. The first time she'd tried Marianne's cooking, it was almost overwhelming.
Soon enough, Ai had cleaned her plate. It was like she hadn't eaten in days, but she'd eaten dinner last night. It was proof of the quality of Marianne's cooking, in the end.
"Haah… if… if there's anything good about this, it's Marianne-san's cooking…" the small brunette commented to herself, leaning back in her seat.
"Ojou-sama, you should prepare for today's lessons," came Charlotte's voice from behind her.
"Oh, um, right…" Ai mumbled, sitting up slowly in her seat… until she realized just what the more stoic of the two maids had said to her. "T-t-today's lessons!?"
"Of course, ojou-sama~" declared Marianne, playfully, as she sidled up beside her twin sister and smiled down at down at the short girl, "The organization provided you with everything you needed to properly transfer into the local high school! After all, the final year of your education is no less important~"
"B-but… but…" Ai stammered. Why?! This was insane! She had something so important on her mind, and yet she still had to attend high school classes? Whose idea was this?! She'd even slept in late to prepare… "I… I have to focus on the Grail War, d-don't I!?"
The girl's braided pigtails swayed as she trembled in her seat.
"Of course, ojou-sama," Charlotte replied. Marianne quickly took over for her.
"That's right, you're here for the Grail War!" the cheery maid declared, thrusting one fist into the air, "But it's important to maintain appearances. It's not just that you should finish up your education, it's because you shouldn't make it too obvious why you're here!"
Maintain appearances? Ai shifted awkwardly. Couldn't she just maintain the appearance of a shut-in rich girl? It was the easiest thing for her to do, after all…
"Besides, you were enrolled in high school before, weren't you?" Marianne asked, brightly, "It would be strange if you didn't transfer, right?"
Ai slumped forward onto the table. Charlotte deftly removed the plate to avoid a collision.
"Waaah… I didn't think I'd have to keep up with classes, too…" the brunette practically moaned, despairing at her situation. This was just getting even worse… it wasn't enough that she had to deal with the terrifying nature of the Grail War, it wasn't enough that she had to summon a Servant who had no reason to listen to her… but now she had to get used to a new school filled with new people and keep up with her lessons and her homework as well… it was crazy. Why did it have to be like this? It was way too much for her to handle…
"Cheer up, ojou-sama!" the more expressive of the two maids declared energetically, patting the small brunette on the head, "I'll make something extra special for you when you get back home~!"
Slowly, Ai sat up… what did she mean?
"Extra… e-extra special?" she asked, weakly.
"Something nice and sweet, fufu~" answered Marianne, placing one oversized sleeve to her mouth as she chuckled. "But I don't want to ruin the surprise~"
After a moment of hesitation, Ai got to her feet. It wasn't as if she had much of a choice in this matter anymore, anyway…
"… F… fine, I'll go…" the small girl mumbled, shifting from one foot to the other as she did. It was scary… but ultimately, the Grail War was far more frightening then having to go to school.
The rest of her routine went relatively smoothly. Her maids presented her with her uniform, which was a fairly typical sailor outfit, colored black and white with a red ribbon, and she changed out of her casual wear. When she fumbled with the ribbon, Charlotte stepped in to help her tie it.
It wasn't something Ai was used to, and she blushed and mumbled to herself when she looked away from the maid. Moments later, she was finished, and Marianne happily handed Ai's schoolbag to her. Moments later, they were bidding her farewell as they ushered her out the door.
It was a warm summer's day, at least, even though it was still fairly early. That probably meant it would get hot at midday… Ai's shoulders sagged as she walked. At least Takahashi High School wasn't very far… The morning sunlight made the walls and nearby houses cast long shadows across the sidewalk and into the street. Really, there weren't many people around in this area of town right now. It felt strangely isolated to her. Admittedly, if she'd run into anyone right now she would have had no idea what to say or do, so that was likely for the best at this rate.
The small brunette clutched her bag more tightly as she walked. She was going to have to deal with all these new people… she was going to have to introduce herself… Ai was already nervous knowing that she had to try and summon her Servant tonight, so all of this served only to make her feel like she was on the verge of panic even more. The short girl tried to take a deep breath and calm herself, but images of the tall, intimidating samurai she was going to summon rose again in her mind, and she found it difficult to take another step forward.
Indeed, Ai found herself stopping dead in her tracks and almost gasping for air after a moment, her heart hammering in her chest. This was… Aaaah, why did everything have to be like this? She was so scared of what the coming days would hold, how was she supposed to go to school like it was nothing? She couldn't understand it.
Maybe if she just kept her head down no-one would notice her…
Ai slapped her cheeks, trying to snap herself out of her worries, and spurred herself forward. Right. That's all she had to do. Keep her head down, the teachers would likely not even call on her, right? No-one would try to talk to her. That would mean she could focus on the far more terrifying and important matter of the Grail War rather then worrying about… anything else…
… But what if someone tried to talk to her because they thought she'd be a good friend? What if… ah, no, those concerns weren't the worries of a magus. The small brunette had to push them out of her mind and focus.
She was here for a reason.
Even if she was scared, Ai had to keep that in mind. After all… she was here because of what the organization had done for her. She had to try at least, right?
Eventually, the high school came into view. It was a… fairly average building, there wasn't anything particularly special about it at all, though the small brunette could see other students filtering in as she approached the door. She just kept her head down and tried not to look at any of them. She was in class 7B, and thankfully it didn't take very long for her to find her way there and meet with the homeroom teacher.
"Ah, Matsushita-san," she began. The teacher was remarkably pretty. A well-kept young woman with long, amber-colored hair a ponytail, wearing a professional-looking suit. "I'll call you in to introduce yourself soon."
Ah…
"… Y… yes…"
The only major hurdle to her plan of trying not to interact with anyone was the fact that she had to introduce herself… though…
Maybe if she made a good introduction, everyone would just treat her normally and she wouldn't have to worry about it? If the other students made friends with her and thought she was just a regular girl, no-one would expect her true purpose here, right? Maybe just ignoring everyone wasn't the best plan! At the very least this line of thought made sense in her head… and it did get her mind back off of the summoning.
Needless to say, there were few options that didn't make her nervous, but she felt less panicked thinking about how she was going to handle her introduction then the idea of summoning a legendary samurai, so that was something at least.
Soon enough, her teacher vanished into the classroom. For a short while, Ai waited in silence, feeling her heart hammering in her chest. As long as she made a good introduction, though, everything would work out just fine, right?
… Ah, now she heard her name called…
Now was the time. Ai did her best not to simply slowly shuffle into class, and faced her fellow students.
All eyes were on her. She had to introduce herself right. She had to do a good job. Nothing would seem strange if she did, right? Of course. So she had to do a good job.
Shakily, she took a piece of chalk and scrawled her name on the blackboard. Almost immediately, she winced. While it was legible, the kanji composing her name looked like they were being written by someone on a sugar high, the lines wobbly from how much she was trembling. But… but at least they could read it!
Taking a deep breath, the girl turned to face the students again. They were all looking at her. All of them.
"… M… M… M-Matsushita A-Ai…"
It was all she could get out.
The teacher, Hayashi-sensei, directed her to a seat on the left-hand side of the classroom, near the middle, and she sat in silence. Around here, she could hear her fellow students wondering if she was the same Matsushita that owned that mansion… and it didn't make her feel any better. For a brief moment, she had hoped maybe she could talk to someone, but now she was simply being talked about.
The rest of the day proceeded in a rather uneventful fashion. Nothing in particular happened, at least not until lunch.
Just as Ai was preparing to get her lunchbox out and set it on her desk, she felt it jolt as if something had bumped into it and sat up quickly. Across from her was another girl who had pushed her desk against Ai's. She had short, black hair, a light tan, and green eyes. She was cute, in a tomboyish kind of way./div
"Mind if I eat with you?" she asked, with a smile.
Wordlessly, Ai's mouth opened and shut several times. Why did this random girl want to eat with her? It was really abrupt and out of no-where, and why would anyone want to hang around her for lunch anyway?
"… You looked like you might be kind of lonely," the girl continued, without waiting for a response, her own lunchbox being placed on the desk, "And besides, I'm the student council president, so it's important that I get to know all my fellow students, right?"
Ah… she was student council president? Ai fumbled a little bit, trying to remember if she'd seen the girl's name at some point previously.
"I'm Inoue Tsubaki," the lightly tanned girl introduced herself, with a smile, "It's nice to meet you, Matshushita-san."
"I… um… y-yes… I mean, it's nice to meet you, too!" Ai scrambled to try and respond, "U-um… um…"
Tsubaki gave her a sympathetic look.
"It's alright," she began, "I understand if you're feeling nervous. It's your first day at a new school, so it's no surprise that you're going to be a bit on edge, right?"
Ai couldn't find any words to respond to her, so she just nodded, silently placing her lunchbox on her desk as well. It had been prepared by Marianne, too… when she opened it, she was greeted with the sight of crispy, tempura shrimp, rice, a sliced, hardboiled egg, and a few assorted fruits.
"Oooh, that looks good," commented Tsubaki, with a smile.
"Ah… um…" Ai trailed off for a few moments, fidgeting, "Um… one of my m-maids made it…"
One of your maids?" she asked, tilting her head, "So you really are the same Matsushita that moved into that mansion, huh?"
Oh… oh no, she'd let something like that slip out? The small brunette trembled. Now she was going to get too much attention… someone was finally talking to her and it was overwhelming. But if she didn't focus on this, all she could think of was the Grail War, and that was even more frightening.
Instead of responding, she decided to eat one of her shrimp instead. Immediately, she was greeted with the taste of crisp, crunchy breading, and tender, juicy meat… for a moment, a look of bliss crossed her face.
"Wow…" commented Tsubaki, "So it tastes just as good as it looks, huh."
The black-haired girl opened her own box, revealing a more simple meal of rice, hotdogs cut like octopi, and orange slices. "Mine's not too impressive compared to yours, to be honest."
"U-um…"
Ai shifted in her seat for a few moments, trying to figure out just what she was going to say.
"… Th-the hotdogs are cute…" she finally mumbled. She had to say something, right? This girl was being nice to her, so she should be nice in return…
"I'm glad you think so, at least," replied Tsubaki. "Haah… don't feel too bad about the way people are talking, by the way. It's not very often that anything exciting happens around here, so a new transfer student is a bit of a big deal. So don't worry about it. They'll relax in a day or two."/
Nothing exciting happened around here, huh…? That was going to change soon, that was for sure…
It wasn't very reassuring, to be honest, but Ai did her best to look optimistic. Besides, the fact that the other students were curious about her, while it was awkward to say the least, was really the least of her worries in the coming days. Of course, considering that fact didn't actually help sooth her nerves at all, but she was trying at least.
"I'm sure that you'll get used to your new school soon, okay? So, don't worry, Matsushita-san," added Tsubaki, continuing her attempt at comforting the other girl. "Soon enough, I bet you'll fit right in!"
"Eh-heheh…"
he only response to that was a weak laugh. She had no illusions about fitting in anywhere, even if she wanted to, and in the end she was going to be doing things that no other student in the entire school would possibly be thinking of.
… Wait… if she was one of the Masters in this Holy Grail War, did that mean other students could be? She hadn't thought about that until this moment, but it was possible, wasn't it? That another student at this high school could be a Master in this war. Ah… that made the whole thing even more complicated and terrifying! If that was the case, then how was she possibly going to figure it out?!
"… Are you okay, Matsushita-san?" Tsubaki asked, tilting her head, "You seem a bit pale."
Almost immediately, Ai dug back into her food.
She had to try not to panic… and the delicious tempura shrimp was quickly taking her focus, at least…
Realizing how this may have looked somewhat strange, Ai swallowed her current mouthful.
"Um, no… I just r-realized how hungry I was, eh-heheh…"
"Ohh, I see, I see," the black-haired, tanned girl replied, nodding, "I know that feeling too, when you don't realize how hungry you are until you actually start eating. Then you suddenly can't hold back!"
"Um… y-yeah," said Ai in response. To be honest she did know that feeling, even if it wasn't the reason behind her suddenly choosing to bury herself in her food as abruptly as she could. Inoue Tsubaki seemed like she was nice, at least… even though the small brunette truly had no idea what to actually say to her. At least she seemed to be good at making small talk, even if Ai herself wasn't in the slightest.
"Exactly," Tsubaki gave her bright response, "And you always end up eating a lot more then you thought you would in the first place. It's like you haven't eaten for days!"
Ai nodded weakly. The student council president was just trying to be nice and get to know her, but this was too much to deal with. The small brunette shuddered in her seat as she kept eating, trying to figure out something, anything, that she could say in response./div
"… A-all… all my meals have been pretty good recently, too…" she said, finally, though she failed to actually look at the other girl as she spoke, "S-so… so I've been eating pretty well, um…"
"That's good!" declared Tsubaki, cheerfully, "A healthy diet is the way to a healthy future, after all!"
Healthy diet, huh…? Ai couldn't help but think back on her usual, rather unhealthy meals on that note. Prior to gaining the services of Marianne and Charlotte(mostly Marianne, in this case), her typical choice of food was decidedly not healthy. It wouldn't kill her, but it wasn't doing her any favors. She just went for whatever was easiest to make up until now. After all, her own cooking ability was nonexistent. Magecraft? She had little confidence in herself, but she would at least do it well enough according to the other members of the organization. Cooking? An insurmountable task she would never attempt ever again.
"Um… yeah, that's… that's true… eh-heh…" the small brunette responded, nodding weakly as she did. The thought that one of her fellow students could potentially be a Master in the Holy Grail War slowly resurfaced in her mind, but she was able to dismiss Tsubaki herself fairy quickly from the initial list of possible Masters, at least. Not that she had actually learned anyone else's name, but it seemed quite unlikely that the student council president would be participating in something like that./div
If nothing else, Ai was certain the girl before her wasn't an enemy Master.
Soon enough, both girls had finished their lunch. Tsubaki shot to her feet, slid her desk back into its original position, and waved.
"Gotta run! Talk to you later!" she said, cheerfully, before rushing off. Casually, Ai noted she was wearing black shorts under her skirt.
… But more importantly… 'talk to her later'? Ai felt conflicted over this. On one hand, someone actually wanted to talk to her. On the other, she didn't understand why. After all, the short brunette wasn't a very good conversationalist. But regardless, she soon packed up her lunchbox and placed it into her bag.
The rest of the day went mostly as the first half did. Nothing much happened, as Ai's teachers went along as normal, giving their lessons without much variance. She didn't have any real opinion on any of them yet, not only because she hadn't had much experience with them yet but because her mind was, to be honest, elsewhere. It was hard to focus on her lessons knowing what would be happening tonight, knowing what would be coming in the next few days.
She almost didn't realize that the bell had rung, until the other students started to clean up the room and get ready to go. Soon enough, the school day had ended.
But Ai was still consumed by her worries. So consumed, in fact, that she didn't notice when she bumped right into someone.
"Hawawa-s-sorry!" she cried, backing up and clutching her bag to herself. The person she'd collided with paused for a moment, then turned on his heel./div
He was a fairly good-looking boy, hands in his pockets, with short, dark red hair.
"Ah… no, it's fine, it's fine," he commented. Ai relaxed, but only a little.
"Hmmm…" he began, "You must be that new transfer student, then, huh?"
"Ah? Um… y-yes…" Ai replied, before quickly trying to go on her way around him, "I-I'll see you-"
He stepped into her way almost immediately.
"I thought so… Matsushita-san, then," he continued, smiling down at her. When she tried to go the other way, he stepped into her path once more. "I'm Natsuki Yukihiro. It's nice to meet you, especially since you're so cute."
"… Er…" Ai averted her eyes. Why wouldn't he just let her pass? "Um… i-it's nice to meet you, but I need to go…"
Suddenly she found herself being backed into the wall. Before she could try and move away, Yukihiro's hand slammed down beside her, and he leaned towards her.
"Hey, why do you have to be like that?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. Ai's eyes widened. What was with him? Why? She just wanted to go home, she didn't want to talk to him or anything… "Any other girl in the school would be happy to hang out with me, so why-"
"Oi, Natsuki-san," a familiar voice came from the left. Both Ai and Yukihiro looked up, and there, in the hall, was Tsubaki.
"Are you going to stop harassing the transfer student, or am I going to have to call a teacher down here?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"… Tch."
Shoving his hands back into his pockets, the redheaded boy took a step back.
"… Come talk to me later, when Inoue's not hanging around," he said, before walking off with one last glare towards the black-haired girl.
That… certainly wasn't likely… Ai hugged her bag tighter, and Tsubaki quickly approached her.
"Hmph… that bastard," she complained, "Just because he takes advantage of his popularity with the first-year girls, he thinks he can strongarm any girl into a date."
She let out a sigh.
"Are you okay, Matsushita-san?" she asked, "He's a jackass, but he's too much of a coward to try anything. If he bothers you again, come and tell me."
After a few moments of silence, Ai nodded. If she even saw him again, she'd tell Tsubaki… everything about Natsuki Yukihiro had creeped her out, even ignoring how pushy and forceful he was being. She didn't want to ever see him again, let alone talk with him.
"Want me to walk you home?" Tsubaki volunteered, to Ai's surprise. Why? She actually wanted to walk her home? It… she didn't know what to say or do, hugging her back tightly as she looked down at her feet. What was she supposed to say? The small brunette didn't want to be anywhere near Yukihiro ever again, but she hadn't walked home with anyone for years at this point…
She mumbled weakly to herself.
"Matsushita-san?"
After a few more moments of fidgeting and hesitation, Ai eventually managed to nod. Even if, like Tsubaki said, Natsuki Yukihiro was a coward, she didn't want to walk home alone after that.
"Alright!"
With that, Tsubaki began to follow her. For the most part, Ai was quiet. She didn't really know what else to say, and Tsubaki didn't seem to think pressing her to have a conversation was a good idea, at least not for the moment. However, when they got roughly halfway to the Matsushita mansion, the taller girl finally decided to speak.
"It must be hard, moving in like this," she began, "Even if it's a mansion, getting used to a new town can't be easy. I can't imagine what it must be like."
Ai hesitated, but… if Tsubaki wanted to talk to her, she should say something in return, right?
"Eh-heh… yeah…" the small brunette began, "U-um… it's… I used to live here… b-but it's been a while, um…"
"Oh? Where did you live between then and now?" Tsubaki asked, tilting her head.
"Tokyo…" replied Ai, "U-um, the Shibuya ward… I lived in an apartment there…"
The reason for this was, of course, that was close to the organization's base of operations, at least the one in Japan. There was one in Britain, as well, closer to the Clock Tower, but she had never been there.
"Ohh, I've never been to Tokyo," responded Tsubaki, "I've spent my whole life here… It's a nice town, but… well, like I said earlier, nothing much happens around here."
Ah… every time Tsubaki mentioned that, all Ai could think about was how very wrong she was. At least, how wrong she'd be in the coming weeks.
"U-um… maybe that's a good thing?" Ai offered, "If nothing much happens, doesn't that mean nothing bad happens around here, too?"
"Hmm… I guess you're right, in a way, but…" the tanned girl trailed off for a moment, "It'd be nice if something exciting happened sometime. It's not like I want anything bad to happen, just… something!"
Ah… well… all Ai could hope for was that Tsubaki didn't learn about the Grail War. Witnesses… she wouldn't be able to do it, but the other Masters… it wasn't impossible that they'd decide to immediate eliminate anyone who caught sight of even the smallest glimpse of the Holy Grail War. The secrecy of magecraft was of the utmost importance.
Even knowing that, however, killing someone over it seemed to be… far too much, to Ai. Couldn't they change their memories? Anything else… there had to be something else they could do…
"Oh, this is your house!"
Ai looked up, thoughts clearing. There, indeed, was the stately Matsushita mansion. As they approached the iron gates, the small brunette stopped just before them.
"Um… I… I guess I'll see you, Inoue-san," said Ai, shifting from one foot to the other as she spoke.
"Mmm-mmm," Tsubaki gave her a smile and a quick nod, "See you tomorrow, Matsushita!"
With that, she turned in the opposite direction and set off sprinting. As she steadily disappeared from view, the metal gate opened, seemingly on its own. Of course, this was her maids' doing. As Ai walked through the gates and entered the lush gardens, they slowly shut behind her. Even through all her worries, the small girl suddenly remembered what Marianne had promised her. Something special… something sweet. And the more exuberant maid's culinary skills… ah, it was something to look forward to!
Something to take her mind off of everything again…
As she walked up to the mansion's doorway, it opened swiftly, Charlotte standing behind it.
"Welcome home, ojou-sama. Onee-san is waiting in the dining hall," she said, the vaguest hint of a smile on her face. Ah… that meant that she was making it, right? Whatever sweet meal the maid had promised! With something more of a quick spring to her step, Ai hurried through the main half and to her right, entering the dining hall once more.
"Ah, hello, ojou-sama~" declared Marianne cheerfully. There, on the long table, sat a large, perfect-looking sponge cake, shaped like a large heart. "You came home just in time~ I just finished preparing the castella~"
"… Haaaah!"
Worries momentarily chased from her mind at the delicious-looking sponge cake, Ai immediately sat down and dug in without any further hesitation.
Moist, springy, sweet… of course, just like everything else Marianne had ever made, it was perfect.
Even if she'd already ate not that long ago, the short brunette was able to polish off the castella in a very short amount of time. Certainly it wasn't a particularly large cake, but it was still an entire cake, and it had vanished into her in record time.
"Fufu, careful, ojou-sama," commented Marianne, one oversized sleeve held to her mouth as she giggled, "Indulge like that too much and you might get chubby~"
"A-ah?" Ai flinched. No… she… she wasn't exactly in shape to begin with, and she didn't want to get chubby! "U-um… but… o-once in a while is okay, r-right…?"
"Of course~" the maid replied, smiling cheerfully as she did.
Ai relaxed.
At least, for a moment. The castella now gone, the girl's thoughts drifted once again to the impending summoning. While she was quite nervous, she had managed to do her research. The spell would be most effective just before midnight, when her magecraft would be at its peaked. Additionally, she had obtained chicken's blood in order to properly perform the ritual as well. She had all the supplies ready in the basement of her mansion, as well… she had yet to actually draw the circle, but that should wait until she was about to summon, anyway.
No matter how much Ai had prepared for it, she couldn't help but worry.
"… Worrying about the ritual tonight, ojou-sama?" asked Marianne, noticing the look on her mistress's face.
"A-ah… um… w-well…" Ai hesitated for a moment… "It's… just… even if I manage to summon a Servant… why would he listen to m-me or anything? A samurai's going to know how to fight better then I do… and any orders I could give would just screw things up…"
"… Ojou-sama," the white-haired maid began, "I wouldn't be worried about such things. If he is so skilled, then there's no problem. He'll interpret your orders in the best way he can and win regardless!"
She grinned.
"A samurai is loyal, after all, but he won't be stupid," she added, "So don't worry about it, ojou-sama. You'll do fine."
"U-um… really…?" Ai asked, trembling, "Even if he's scary…?"
Of course~" declared the maid, "You'll be his new lord, won't you? A samurai is faithful to their lord, even if they're scary!"
"… R… right…"
Ai didn't feel great about the situation, regardless, but she was at least a little more optimistic that her Saber-class Servant would be even remotely willing to work with her. Not that it made her feel any better about her chances, but at least it made her feel a little better about her Servant.
"… Speaking of which," Marianne added, "It's probably for the best you begin preparing soon~"
"R-Right!"
The entire rest of her day was open for the preparations.
Even if she'd had homework, it wasn't anywhere near as important as preparing to summon a heroic spirit. Ai had to focus and make sure she did everything right. As low as her confidence was, she didn't want to fail before she even got started.
Indeed, the majority of the rest of the day was spent making her preparations. She was careful to arrange everything she had acquired properly. But as the day wore on, her heart hammered faster and faster in her chest. Not only from fear, but also a sort of awe. She was really going to be calling a heroic spirit, summoning one into this world.
Calling one of the heroes of the past, a hero of her homeland, into the modern world. There was… no matter how nervous she was, there was this feeling of excitement and nostalgia… and a little bit of pride. After all… she shared a nationality with this legendary hero!
It was hardly enough to counteract the fear of the entire concept of the Holy Grail War, but it was something, at the very least. She felt a little more comfortable attempting the ritual, if nothing else. Not by much, but at least it was something, wasn't it?/div
The hour of the ritual was closing quickly. She wanted to time it so that her magecraft would be at its peak, just before midnight. That way she could ensure everything would go as smoothly as possible. At least… she hoped that's how it would work. The catalyst would ensure she got the right Servant, at least. After all, it was the samurai's favorite sword, his most trusted weapon. Therefore, it would have to be the best possible catalyst for the figure she was attempting to summon.
So, Ai felt confident that she'd at least summon the right person. And as long as she performed the ritual properly, the contract would be sealed. She had at least enough faith in herself that she could follow the instructions, even if, after that, she felt like everything possible could immediately go wrong.
The summoning itself was less of an issue. She felt nervous about it, but it wasn't as worrying as what could come after it.
The sun was setting… The allotted time was approaching ever more quickly. Taking a deep breath, the short brunette started to proceed down her stairs.
Her heartbeat grew faster and faster with every step. The basement itself was wide, and cool, grey stone composed the wall and floors. There were shelves of various ingredients for formalcraft lining them, a desk for research purposes… and the items she required lined up on it. Chalk, vials of chicken's blood, and most notably… the sheathed katana. A white, gold, and black hilt, protruding from a white sheath that hid the blade itself from view… even though it was well over a hundred years old, it seemed to be in perfect condition. Ai wasn't exactly versed in such matters, but if she recalled what Tsukada had told her correctly it was a Norimune blade.
She didn't know that much about the swordsmiths, but their craftsmanship was impressive at least.
Apprehensive, the small brunette waited. Time ticked away, midnight's approach hastening and yet feeling like it was still distant. But eventually, the time began to draw near. Getting out of her seat, Ai took a deep breath, taking the chalk off the desk and beginning to scrawl the intricate symbol that was to be the spot the Servant would be summoned into. She was scared… but she had to be careful to make sure there wasn't a single mistake.
The clock was counting down as Ai took the vials of chicken blood and smashed them over the circle. Red splattered across the chalk. Her heart beat faster and faster. When she looked at her right hand, she could see the intricate, curving symbol that was her command seals, bright red against her light skin. It was time.
The magus could feel it.
Picking up the sheathed katana, Ai placed it in the circle carefully. She was too nervous to attempt to draw it, so instead she left it sheathed.
Taking her place at once side of the circle, she raised her hand. Her heartbeat grew faster and faster.
"Let silver and steel be the essence."
Even at the very first words of the spell, the chalk began to flicker, and then take on an unearthly glow.
"Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation."
The glow grew brighter. It was really happening. She was truly, truly summoning a Servant… she could hardly believe this was happening. But she couldn't allow herself to falter. She couldn't let any shock and fear take her over. She could feel her circuits, the mana flowing through her body, blazing through her small frame…!
"Let white be the color I pay tribute to."
There was a mist… a mist drifting up and swirling from the circle. It was… it was concerning, it was strange, but it had to be part of the ritual, right?!
"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate."
The mist was rising. Mana was blazing through Ai's circuits, running wild in her body. She felt it, almost like some kind of gate was opening, like something was spilling fourth inside of her. She couldn't put it into words, but it felt like something incredible was happening, the power was coursing through her body as she spoke. It wasn't like magecraft she'd performed before, this was something more!
"Shut(fill). Shut(fill). Shut(fill). Shut(fill). Shut(fill). Repeat every five times. Simply, shatter once filled."
The mist was rising, higher and higher. She couldn't see anything in front of her, aside from the glow of the circle itself. She could feel heat pouring through her body, it felt like gusts of wind were rushing past her with every moment. This was what it was like to summon a heroic spirit? This was how it felt? It was at once terrifying and exhilarating, in the same breath Ai felt fear and excitement. What was going to happen? What was her Servant going to be like!?
"I announce. Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is your sword."
Was the light growing? It was! Motes of light were swirling up from the circle, coiling towards the center like so many fireflies. They were gathering, more and more… something was coming. Ai could feel it!
"In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer."
This was something amazing… and terrifying, but amazing, occurring. It was taking all of Ai's willpower, as little of it as there was, not to back down, and yet she was enthralled. She couldn't help but watch even as she continued to speak the spell…
"Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead."
The light was gathering more and more. It almost seemed to be taking shape, materializing as a person of some sort, of some shape… yes! It was taking on a humanoid figure! That much couldn't be denied. Her Servant was arriving! She knew he probably wouldn't think she was a good Master. She knew it. That didn't mean she could stop herself from feeling this excitement coursing through her veins. Flowing through her body like the mana she was using to cast the summoning spell.
This was that final moment. This was the last moment before her Servant arrived. He was coming. She could see his shape, vaguely, being constructed from light through the mist, coalescing into a humanoid shape more and more with every moment. All she had to do was complete the spell. All she had to do was make those last words come out, to bring together the threads of her mind and deliver the final words that the ritual required.
Thrusting her hand forward as the light of the circle flared even brighter, Ai took a deep breath. This was it. This was all she had left to carry out. Through her mind, their rushed every fear and doubt, but every hope in her soul as well. For even the briefest moment, the short brunette felt as if maybe, just maybe, she could find some kind of success. Maybe she could find a path forward. Maybe she could do something that would live up to her family name. Maybe she could do something right in the Matsushita name.
Maybe she could do something that would make her parents proud.
"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of balance…!"
The lights gathered, the mist seemed to flow away, and then…!