Fate Salvation Apocrypha
Prologue: Exile
1939?
The Holy Grail. An object coveted by many either for eternal life or as a means to grant ones deepest desires. A wish granting artefact that has been fought over for more than a century in Fuyuki City Japan through a Holy Grail War instigated by magi or users of legitimate mystic arts in the modern day.
Fought every 60 years to summon shades of legendary heroic souls across history and myth to do battle as familiars and sacrifice to fuel the ritual for a supposed omnipotent wish. That wish has been a curse to many and to my family.
The Third Holy Grail War ended in the failure and fall of the Makiri Household. Zolgen Makiri or rather Zouken Matou died during the conflict with Yggdmillenia. The house and all our resources as magi burned to the ground.
That is, according to my father and what scraps of records we have at our own house.
Forced to flee with the family head dead without a proper heir, the legacy of the Makiris as magi who created the legendary Wish Granting Grail to reach the Root of All Creation has come to an end during World War II. There are other things to take note of such as surviving and making the family make through said war and recessions in one piece.
Of course, my "father" begged to differ when we found ourselves returning to Fuyuki as the easiest to access ancestral land. The year is 2000 when we arrived.
2001
A modest two story house rebuilt from the ashes. It was far from the intended residence based on old photos of the haunt. A supposed warm family home for 4 or more alongside a basement of questionable intent which we currently are now.
Two people bearing the same wavy blue hair are at the well lit basement.
A middle aged man and a 15 year old teenager strapped to a chair.
I need an adult.
Byakuya, my "father's" eyes are filled with cold intense focus. Obsession, his young mind thought. I was strapped to a chair with leather bands.
Our library were only filled with scraps. Salvaged books from their travels and supposed ancestry. Our family was at their end as magi. It has been for so long, before I was even born.
"The Matou shall gain the prominence and power they were known by the Makiris! A wish for our family alone! GENERATIONS ENSURING OUR PROSPERITY! PERHAPS EVEN IMMORTALITY? Wouldn't you like that, Shinji?"
Byakuya was telling me of how it might be.
An apt summary that I can recall from the buzzing pain in my head and the flashing light it gave to my eyes.
Their "glorious" home with tomes got destroyed by the War nearly 60 years ago.
My "father" was grasping at straws. Wide eyed and curious, I took in every interesting knowledge in our salvaged ancestral library a six year old might want. Thinking the existence of the supernatural as something awesome and wondrous, that there is more to this world intrigued me.
The details of the Holy Grail were also interesting now that is seemed wide spread than before.
If only it didn't give my sperm donor ideas. Since mom died of an accident, he's been having ideas.
He thinks gambling at my dormant magical potential might be the means to revive the family's mystical prestige. A wish. The prominence and power is enough to get any delusional man drunk.
From new age rituals to dubious substances that made me feel like dying, among other things.
I don't remem-
"Dad, I don't feel go-" Voices. I cannot even see or feel myself.
"Shhhh, it's ok. It's going to be ok. It's just medicine." Dad? How many times was it? This? Screw Fuyuki, I should have stayed. Thinking of such things my mind wandered.
I cannot open my heavy eyes yet I can still see.
A wrinkly old man with missing limbs and eyes. Falling apart. Looking at me. A shade of a grudge and will so strong that it exists to this day. Wraith? I know deep down I will die if I give it permission to enter-
"LET ME Ĺ̶̡̫̭̦į̴̤̯͙̗̦̹͖̔̓̈́̃̎̈̀̈́̀̉̚͜͝v̷̟̯̟͍̺͐͒̇̉̉̽̍̔̄̆ͅe̷̗̭̪͉͉̠̗̜̻̿͜! GIVE ME YOUR BODY!" It lunges to me.
"NONONOOO!S-STAY AWAY! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I can only scream.
Unable to even properly struggle. To mov-
I don't want to remember much.
Every home remedy or ritual possible reaching out to the supernatural, he had me take. When "father" plans on seemingly opening me up and then implanting something else that is when I began to struggle in earnest.
I do not remember how I got out.
It must have been those substances allowing me to break the limits of my body and the leather straps on the chair earlier as I bash his head to knock him on the floor and never looked back.
I had enough and I ran away.
To the next city.
And the next. I wandered learning and slipping between the good will of people. I was extremely fortunate. Three years went by and I managed to be well off.
I managed to reach other countries around Japan through less than legal means to obtain legal means. I obtained an identity from a Yakuza I worked under.
Malaysia. Philippines. Cambodia. Thailand. Uncle Kariya had the right idea and a few contacts too.
Wandering in Asia seemed fun until it was not. Something within me is telling me my "family" got a trail from me. Maybe it is the fact that what I was feeling during those night at the basement intensify at those Asian countries before I simply book it and left?
2004
My next destination, I decided was Trifas in Romania. A place away and obscure from technology while on another continent.
And thus I went to Romania Trifas. Planning to. Wonderful old buildings and old churches or so I have heard.
At a cheap motel in the Philippines my bags are set. A simple sack bag containing essentials and my papers.
I did as I usually did before travelling. I ask for help and guidance. Heroes of old have their own patron. I chose mine, I suppose.
In a commercially quiet place of intended intimacy between a man and a woman, I kneeled at my bedside as some of the people who helped me before did, closed my eyes and prayed.
Knowing He hears. I pray with the expectation that He'll move as a one who provides for one of his children.
"Heavenly Father, Maker of Heaven and Earth"
A mediator of the Holy Grail and her chosen vessel, a believer in Christ felt something from a distance.
"By You all Creation ends, by You all Creation began."
The golem maker stops to contemplate at his plans before thinking nothing of it and simply continue calibrating their faction's army of Humonculi and Golems.
"Close to the Fatherless, the crushed and the widow, slow to anger and abounding in compassion and mercy."
A knight in red saw "his" "father" reach for the 'World' in agreement.
A lonely bride awaits her bridegroom, a chance to truly be alive and be accepted.
"Salvation is Your name, Grace for judgement, Mercies for sacrifice, Blessings for curses, Life for death."
A mercenary surrounded and filled with death gazed at the Contract to fulfil his greatest wish.
"To know You is eternal life."
"Do not forget your Blessings, do not forget your Covenant, do not forget me, an inheritor of your Salvation."
A huntress, a teacher of heroes and the invincible hero of Greece, all felt something in the wind. The stars felt groaning.
"You anoint us with Your Blood and leave us with your Righteousness"
The child of the sun felt something stir within his heart. Anticipating challenge or an inheritance.
"Guide me as I abide in your plan written before the foundation of the Worlds."
An observer of stories felt the itch to write and so he did.
"Before I was even born in my mother's womb you knew of us and wrote our days to be for our good."
Humonculi felt a stir. A yearning that they simply buried deep within under their sense of duty.
"So help me God."
"I, as one of your children shall witness."
"In the name of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, The LORD have shown mercy to me and this World. Amen."
The man seeking salvation for mankind dreamt of a man betrayed and rejected. Who saw His people scattered across the world. Hung on a cross. Persecuted and killed. One who lost a friend for 30 pieces of silver because it had to be done. One who has seen more people march to Hell knowingly despite doing His best to open a path to Heaven. Inviting all.
I set myself to sleep in my bed leaving it to my Lord. The funny thing is, most of the help I received did not come from the hallow ornate halls in which even I do not want to carelessly enter.
Perhaps it's actually just me avoiding such places when I was mired in dirt.
It was from people. Simple people who are moved by His love to love others. Those who walk the talk. I still wonder how I will end up.
It is for your benefit that I go away. For I shall send another Helper like Me. He shall abide in you forever. He shall never live you nor forsake you.
"I have seen and tasted the remedy to Eternity." I say to myself.
You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit from the Heavens comes.
"Wouldn't be bad to sightsee as usual." I mutter before going to sleep.
It was not until after this misadventure that I realized I was wandering from Holy Grail War to Holy Grail War by a hair's breadth leaving before it starts.