Author's Notes: So, hi there everyone. You might remember me as the guy that wrote Steelforge in the depths of the mind. I've returned!
A lot has happened since the last time I wrote Steelforge. I was busy with a lot of school stuff and had to move to a new place because I switched programs.
So, for the few of you still waiting on the last few omakes of Steelforge, don't worry, I'll get all of them to you this year. I'm a procrastinator, but I never abandon stories.
This'll be my first long running fanfic that I've deemed ready to be posted onto the site. I had been working on it recently and I'm quite proud with what I've made. In any case, the theme of this fic is about "What if?" Essentially, I have shifted many events in the backstories of the cast to essentially create a new version of the character, hence the fic's name "Fate Divergence". The servants of the 5th Holy Grail War have also been each summoned in different classes or different versions. All of this is done to create a new set of events that resulted as a consequence of all these changes.
Of course, not everything is changed. Kirei, for example, will still be the sadomasochistic bastard that we all know and love. I've tried to keep things faithful to the lore as best as I could, but it's probably not perfect, so bear with me. I've actually prewritten the first few chapters to try to stay ahead. So, I should have a decent chunk of content available even if I get busy with my classes again.
In any case, that's enough for announcements. Let's get started. I'd like to welcome all of you good readers, to the first chapter of Fate Divergence. Enjoy!
Outside the grasp of time, in a world of blades where no one could reach. Upon the hill rested a machine of a man.
Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill.
Repeat five times, but destroy each when filled.
This world is the peak of his dreams. And he shall forever wander upon it until the end of time. He fought and bled until his body broke down and hanged by the very people he swore to save. Eventually exploited by the world as an exterminator.
A base of silver and steel. A foundation of stone and the archduke of contracts.
My great master Shveinorg for the ancestor.
He had forgotten a lot of things, but he has not yet forgotten the foundations of his own wish. Despite the regrets, despite all the sacrifices, and despite that nobody understood him. It had been a satisfying life.
A wall to block the falling wind. The gates of all four directions close.
From the crown, come forth and follow the forked road to the kingdom.
Perhaps after enough time passes, he would've come to resent everything he had once stood for. But he continues to endure, awaiting the day that the hero known as Shirou Emiya would be needed once again.
I hereby propose.
Thy body shall be under my command, my fate shall be determined by thy sword.
Follow the call of the Holy Grail.
If thou wouldst obey this mind and this reason, then answer my call.
As the dust settles, the man looked down into his palm, finding a red pendant that he received many lifetimes ago.
I hereby swear, That I will be all that is good in the eternal world.
I shall be the disposer of evil in the eternal world!
This pendant... Who did it belong to again?
Thou, clad with the great trinity, come forth from the ring of constraint, guardian of the heavenly scales!
Those were his last thoughts before a brilliant red light engulfed him.
The man opened his eyes to find himself anchored to reality. He feels a connection formed between him and a human. A master, his master.
He looks around the area, finding himself in a messy looking apartment. It's not exactly the kind of place that he had expected to be summoned into a holy grail war.
"Identify yourself, servant."
He hears a girl's voice, it sounded familiar. Like someone that he knew a long time ago. Exasperated, he lets out a sigh. It seems that he has gotten wrapped around something troublesome once again.
"You know, it's impolite to ask for someone's name without telling them about yours." The man responded as he turned around, staring into the eyes of a girl with twin tails that should be no older than 17 years old.
She looks familiar... What's her name again? It's on the edge of my tongue...
She didn't reply, only shooting a cold and piercing glare towards his obscured eyes. It seems that she's not in the mood to humor him.
"Tough crowd, I see... Servant Caster. I hereby answer your summons upon your request. I presume that you're my master?"
Upon announcing his class name, the girl visibly grimaced a little bit before responding to him.
"Caster? Are you sure that you're meant to be my servant? I meant to summon Saber! The strongest of all servants!"
"Well, that's certainly hurtful." Caster deadpanned, placing a hand on his hips. "Unfortunately for you, my master. You're stuck with me. Look on the back of your hand, you even have the command seals to prove it."
His master checked her hand as she now finds a red tattoo in three segments upon her hand. Shining brilliantly as she held the command spells over him, confirming that he is hers.
To Caster's surprise, the girl suddenly falls down upon her knees and wraps her arms around her head.
"Caster... I summoned a Caster? I failed? Oh god... What am I gonna do now? I can't- Sakura..."
Sakura... Another familiar sounding name... Who was...
Caster quickly knocks himself out of his flashback episode and quickly attends to his currently panicking master.
"Master, a servant's strength is determined not by Class or stats, but by how you use them. I assure you, I will guarantee your victory."
The girl seemed to have calmed down after Caster's words. She wipes away her panicked tears and stands back up. It seems like that he'll have to be careful about what he says around her through this war, his master seems to be in an unstable place mentally.
"Right... I'm sorry that I showed you something so unsightly, Caster. Let's do this over again properly. I'm Rin, just Rin. And I'll be your master for this holy grail war."
Ah... Rin... That's her name. It was as if a floodgate of memories had been opened by the mention of that name. That's why everything had felt so familiar.
But wait... Was her hair always purple?
"With that being said, what's your true name? Caster?" Rin asked, interrupting Caster's train of thought.
"Well... You know how those superheroes in your modern comics have secret identities? Something like that." Caster responded jokingly, before switching back to a more serious tone. "But regardless, my true name is something that I don't want to burden you with, master. My true name is insignificant, I can still fight regardless. So just refer to me as Caster."
"Oh, bullshit. What are you? The devil? And anyone that speaks your name gets cursed?" Rin said, unsatisfied with this answer. And Caster noticeably twitched a little when Rin called him the devil. "And what's with that headwear and cloth bandaged around your face? Do you have a scar or something?"
"Of course, I was caught in a fire when I was young. I have terrible burn scars that it's better off for you not to see." Caster lets out a bitter chuckle as he spoke out another half-truth.
Rin's expressions noticeably softened and backed down at the mention of scars. With a somber, yet sympathetic tone in her voice, she responded.
"Oh... Well, it's fine... I understand the feeling... We all have scars that we don't want to show anyone. You can keep that on as long as it makes you feel comfortable. You can keep your name to yourself as well unless you want to tell me."
Uncomfortable with the heavier tone this conversation has taken, Rin decided to drop the subject, grabbing a briefcase of her personal belongs as she began to exit the door.
"In any case, let's get you registered to the church, Caster. We're currently about a city away from where we're actually supposed to fight. I already have my things packed up and a driver ready, follow me."
In response, Caster entered spirit form and followed his master.
A lone car drove swiftly within the night streets of Fuyuki. Most of the other citizens were at sleep. Caster takes in this nostalgic sight that was once his town, but this was no longer his home. This'll soon just be another battlefield.
The car suddenly stops as the vehicle drops off Rin at a park, with her luggage in tow.
"May I ask why we have taken a stop here, Master?" Caster asked telepathically through their mental link.
"Well, I just thought that it might be a good idea to scout out the city first. I've never actually gotten the opportunity to explore this place before." Rin said as she casted a basic bounded field spell over her briefcase and left it behind. "We'll go to the church later, let's go."
Caster materializes as he picked up his master and leaped onto higher ground. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop as they take in the landscape of the city. A large concrete jungle with skyscrapers for trees.
"You know, I didn't expect this kind of agility out of as Caster servant of all things." Rin said as she held on tightly to her servant while taking in the view.
"Well, it's the least that we can do. Servants are much more powerful than you think, Rin." Caster responded, without once taking his eyes away from where he's going.
Eventually, the two of them settled on top of the tallest building in the town.
"We should be able to look for any places that may catch our eyes from up here, my master." Caster said as he gently put Rin down onto the ground.
"Really? You got a spell that enhances your eyesight? You know, come to think of it, what spells do you know, Caster? You're the heroic spirit of sorcery, right?"
Caster lets out a sigh as he took a seat on one of the railings on the building.
"Well, I'm capable of some basics. But I specialize in reinforcement and projection."
Rin widened her eyes in shock once again, in disbelief to what he's saying. It's a similar expression to when she had her mental breakdown when she realized that she didn't summon Saber.
"But... That's useless! Any decent modern magus knows that projection is a useless magecraft that's only good for sacrificial rituals! How- Why-"
Unlike last time however, this time, Rin regains her composure. She steels her expression and faces the hooded servant.
"Do you wanna know why I chose to enter the Holy Grail War, Caster?" Rin asked, in a voice colder than steel.
"Well... To my knowledge, most magus participate to either fulfill the ritual and reach the root, or to gain glory and increase their prominence." Caster said nonchalantly, unintimidated by his master. "However, seeing as you didn't even acknowledge your family line when you told me your name, I assume that you're a rogue spellcaster that's only in for the wish."
"You're partially right... I... When I was young, I was once the heir to the Tohsaka family of magecraft. However, I had a sister. You know the laws of Magus, there can only be one heir to the family legacy." Rin's voice softened slightly as she began retelling her past.
"Naturally, my sister was gonna be given away to the Matous. They were an ally of the family and didn't have a proper heir. But I wasn't about to let that creepy old man take away my little sister, so I offered to go instead. Believing that I could handle anything he could've possibly thrown at me."
Rin lowered her face as her violet hair obscured her eyes. Her expression darkens as she recounts the next part.
"But I was terribly mistaken. That was the worst decision of my entire life! That bastard threw me into a pit of worms to ingrain his crest onto me! I've been violated in ways that I would've never even wished upon my worst enemies! I couldn't handle it so I ran away! But he always followed me no matter where I ran! Any friends that I had made, he forced me to watch as he devoured them alive infront of me!"
Any composure that she previously held on has fallen apart as Rin descended into a wounded rant to her servant. She covers her face with her hands to prevent her servant from seeing her expression covered in tears and snot.
"And you wanna know what's the funniest part about this? Even if I knew that this is what awaited me, I would've chosen to take my sister's place every single time!" Rin lets out a bitter chuckle as she finished unbottling all these emotions.
So... This was what had been going on with Sakura all this time...
In that moment, all that Caster felt was regret. His recovered memories are both a blessing and a curse to him. All this time, he had missed someone suffering this deeply right under his nose.
"Now you know why this war is so important to me, Caster. The Holy Grail is the only thing left that can help me break free from this hell. Once this is all over, I'll be done with magecraft and the moonlit world. And I have no use for a servant that can't help me achieve this goal." Rin spoke, with a newly found hint of determination in her voice.
Caster stands up from the railings and faces his master. With his own sense of determination that matched the girl's.
"I understand the direness of your circumstances, master. And I swear to you that I will fight and guarantee your victory in this war."
"Can you? You're a servant of a class that I never wished to summon, you refuse to tell me your true name, and you use a type of magecraft that any magus from this era deems useless." Rin bit back with venom. "How the hell do I know that you're not just some worthless servant sent by the world to taunt me as sort of a sick joke?"
Caster lets out a sigh, he can't blame his master for thinking that way after everything tonight. He knows that he's a troubling individual to deal with, after all.
But even so, this is something that he has to do.
"You know, master. For as far as I could remember, I always admired Heroes of Justice. It's something passed down to me by my father." Caster said, staring at the full moon.
"The hell does that have to do with anything?"
"Let me finish." Caster continued. "I always wanted to become just like those heroes. Achieving a miracle to save the day. But needless to say, reality never worked that way. No matter how hard I fought, there's always someone I had failed to save. In fact, one of them had a similar situation to you."
His mind flashes back to Sakura. The very thought of her pained him.
"I never even realized that they were suffering even when I saw them everyday. Truly, I've been an incompetent hero." The black coated servant lets out a self-deprecating chuckle. "But even so, despite my failures and mistakes, I couldn't help but genuinely want to help those around me."
He moves his eyes away from the moon and takes a knee onto the floor. Kneeling before his master, as if apologizing for a failure that had made.
"Maybe I cannot go back and change the past... But I will save this girl that's right infront of me... Because that is what a true Hero of Justice would do." Caster makes his final words, as he began affirming his formal contract to his master.
"Upon my honor as a Heroic Spirit, I swear to dedicate my magic to guide your path. My blades shall cut down your enemies and my bow shall the clear the way to victory."
If Fate has given him a chance to clear up some of his own remaining regrets, then he shall not fail this time.
Upon Caster's sudden oath to her, Rin's expression softened a little and calmed.
"F-fine... I'll believe in you... You better hold up on the end of your deal."
Rin had endured this for years, the pain, the humiliation, the isolation. All of it shall end today. This is a battle that shall determine her future, and she will survive just like she always had.
Unfortunately for the two of them, this moment didn't last. As Caster suddenly senses a powerful entity incoming from the skies, leaving behind a loud bang that shattered the ground in its wake. He acted quickly, positioning himself infront of his master to protect her from harm.
"Sorry to hop in unannounced, I hope that I wasn't interrupting anything there."
In a coarse, yet powerful voice that echoed slightly as it spoke. The dust settles, revealing the figure of a blue haired man illuminated by the moonlight. But something definitely seems off, his muscles seemed to be bloated in different proportions. His right shoulder looks more like a huge lump of muscles mass that seems as big as an anthill. His left eye slightly sunken into his skull. His arteries and veins glowing in a menacing crimson that matches his cursed spear. As if everything could suddenly burst into something inhuman at any second.
"Well, let's get to the point, shall we? Servant Berserker, at your service. I shall take your hearts."
Ayyy! Ya made till the end! That's great!
You know, I'm personally a bit insecure about this first chapter myself. I felt worried that I might've made the relationship between Rin and Caster to be a little bit forced. I don't know, what do you think? Make sure to let me know.
In any case, one of the many things I've been looking forward to when I had wrote this story would be your reactions and predictions to what comes next. So be sure to comment your predictions of what other changes have been done to the other servants and masters! Some of them might be obvious, and some of them might be harder to get. You get a cookie if you manage to get them right.
If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask them. They'll be answered in the author's note of next chapter. It'll be like a QnA session where I explain things that might've been left out with no spoilers.
So yeah, that's it for the first chapter. A servant profile will also be posted whenever I deem it necessary. With that being said, I'll see y'all wonderful readers same time next week.
Sayonara!