Hello everyone,
Here I am again with a little side-text of the Fate / Archetype project, coming from an unexpected idea that occurred in the middle of writing the next chapters of 'Eternal Kingdoms'. It's a Stand-Alone, a story that can stand on its own and that develops on a similar temporality but parallel to the stories of the project. It is normal that you will find familiar figures (especially for those who have read Route 3 - Eternal Kingdoms). However, these characters, OC or not, will have other stories to tell and will not necessarily have the same past nor the same age.
So, just to stop it from haunting me, I'm trying out a new concept. We'll see where it will lead us! Here is the prologue. Good reading!
Lenia41
Fate / Spirits of the Past
Fuyuki, Japan. Year 2004
The skies over Fuyuki were dark and heavy, like a stormy sky. Flames crackled around, spreading their scent of death, destruction and pure devastation. The gloom of the fighting was saturated with magic, which spread like a mist in the epicenter of the catastrophe afflicting this small town already struck under the state of emergency. Even more terrible than lightning, a shower of golden weapons pierced the air and perforated the disputed area. Even more heartbreaking than gusts of wind, a bright gust of wind lacerated both the sky and the earth.
Unmoved by the chaos, devastation and wailing around them, four silhouettes faced each other.
Floating in the air with a majestic stature and an air of contempt, a regal figure, draped in a cloak of arrogance and clad in heavy armor of pure gold, glared at his opponents with his flaming ruby eyes.
A second figure, a man in priestly garb, stood not far from her, ready to bruise his enemies.
Standing guard, another warrior woman faced them. Her blond hair tied back with a navy blue ribbon shone in the golden halo that confronted them. Her slimmer, smaller body was protected by silver plate armor over a long blue tunic. Her emerald eyes shone with resolve and boldness as she wielded a broad sword shrouded in an almost blinding aura of gold now that it had recovered its scabbard.
A fourth protagonist stood ready at the warrior's side. His short red hair was highlighted by the surrounding flames, his brown eyes were lively, determined and combative. He held in his hand an almost perfect replica of the sword held by the silver and azure fighter.
The tension was at its peak as a golden cup with an ebony liquid floated in the air, the darkness of its contents contrasting with the blinding clarity of its legendary container.
The combatants were strained, blood beading on the faces of Masters and Servants alike.
They were about to throw themselves at each other for the umpteenth time when an unexpected sound froze them.
Lurking on the roof of a building a little further away, two young women were watching the fight. The first one, with long indigo hair, looked worried while the second one, with long black hair, had a more alert expression, as if she was watching for some sign.
The whistling intensified until it became so shrill that it became impossible for the belligerents to continue the hostilities, who immediately stopped and turned toward its source.
The Grail thrashed violently without ceasing its blaze of suffering. Before their stunned eyes, cracks began to crack the smooth surface of the sacred cup. Like the threads of a spider's web, they covered the coveted artifact with great speed.
For a moment, the legendary relic froze. The next moment, it shattered into a thousand pieces.
A silence fell over the battlefield, the combatants frozen in astonishment. The King of Heroes was the first to raise his head, a wicked grin on his face before he let out a laugh, the King of Knights glaring at him as she stood in front of her Master.
An inky, cold and sticky rain poured down on Fuyuki and blackened his already overcast sky, its dark clouds reaching to the horizon and obscuring the golden fragments.
A wind of freedom began to blow across the land, millennia of chains falling to dust.