Author's Note: For people who want to know more about Rin's accomplishments and research, check Chapter 5 of Fate Recast: Side Stories. The content grew to be a bit too big and divergent for a main chapter.
Chapter 26: Prelude to a Prototype
December 18, 1999
Akershus Castle and Fortress
Oslo, Norway
10:06 AM Local Time (Central European Time)
(6:06 PM Japan Standard Time)
Luviagelita Edelfelt flawlessly glid down the hall behind her escort, wearing an elaborate blue dress that she had obtained solely for today's meeting. The shimmer of diamonds and sapphires reflecting ambient light added just the right amount of dazzle to the outfit, speaking of wealth and class while also serving as ammunition for her Magecraft if she were placed in danger. Her face did not betray her thoughts or show any sign of discomfort even while walking through the highest seat of power in Norway. She was the very picture of a Scandinavian noblewoman.
She had come with several missions assigned by her grandmother—the Edelfelt family head—in mind. The first and foremost was to do what she could to keep the young Grand Duchess from falling further under the thrall of the Tohsaka family by establishing a friendly relationship with her and manipulating her into seeing the Edelfelt family's perspective. This task, however, was a difficult and lengthy one.
It was not because Gray was unapproachable or excessively cunning, though she would be well-versed enough by the time she was of age. No, the problem was something else entirely. Something that Luvia was reminded of when the doors opened to reveal Gray Pendragon in a pastel blue dress smiling gently and petting one of her pet corgis in her lap.
The problem was that being in the mere presence of Gray Pendragon healed Luvia's soul.
"Introducing Miss Luviagelita Edelfelt," was said by her escort as she was admitted into the room and guided to a seat opposite Gray.
"Luvia!" Gray said in her gentle, happy way. Oh, Luvia's mind went right back to when she first met the timid six-year-old girl. Perfect white hair, green eyes tending toward blue, recovering from an assassination plot by nearly her entire family, and overwhelmed by her sudden thrust into prominence. Luvia was roughly the same age when the fall of the Soviet Union and the revival of the Grand Duchy of Finland formally restored her family's standing and allowed them to use their once-hidden wealth more freely. She could relate to the little girl's situation at the time.
Her grandmother wanted Luvia to manipulate her and draw her away from the Tohsaka. Luvia instead felt an urge to protect Gray that was much like that she felt for her younger twin sister Gerda. It made giving Gray any advice that wasn't in her best interests far more difficult than it should have been. Oh, she could do it, but she kept it to an absolute minimum and used their connections mainly for intelligence or mutually beneficial things.
"Your Highness, thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Luvia did a curtsy, complying with formality for only the first interaction. Gray didn't like it when her friends stuck to titles for longer than that in private.
"Of course! You know you're welcome here! Besides, I have Japanese, British, and Greek friends...but not as many Scandinavian friends. A lot of the people here didn't want me here at first." Yet another reason it was hard for Luvia to take full advantage of the girl. She considered Luvia an actual friend—a rarity in Magus society. Gray's words also made the Finn recall the protests the Norwegians made against a 'little girl from the backwater of Wales' taking power in their country, but those had been short-lived. The blonde crossed her arms at the thought, taking on body language indicating slight irritation.
"Hmph. That was before they knew you for the delight you are, Gray. They simply feared having some distant, arrogant ruler living in another country that didn't understand them." Luvia then adjusted her pose to count off her coming points on her white-gloved fingers. "Just a year later they were proud of you for learning the Scandinavian languages, being honestly interested in their traditions, being a kind girl, and spending a reasonable amount of time living here. They adore you now and simply don't want to overwhelm you with their goodwill." Of course, there was a little more to it than just that.
Gray was known for preferring to spend most of December in Norway because she liked the culture's version of Christmas and the traditional month-long build-up to it. She was also visibly present at a number of their cultural events that the British Royal family and the Blackmores hadn't been. If anything, her enjoyment of the events drew some of the royals to visit more often. Finally, she was known for regularly sneaking out in secret with as little as one or two Knights to enjoy the traditional food and craft stalls. Trying to catch a glimpse of their young Grand Duchess in common dress among the populace as she enjoyed herself like a normal child had become a tradition for the Norwegians in and of itself.
She would ultimately enjoy Christmas Eve in Norway before flying to Britannia for a somewhat full holiday tour across London, Orkney, and Scotland. This would last for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Yuletide, and Hogmanay/New Year's. Still, the hectic pace for the last week of the year and the sedate month leading up to it started the local belief that the Grand Duchess 'officiated' the holidays everywhere she could, but she 'celebrated' them in Norway. This was especially easy to accept because Christmas Eve was considered somewhat more relevant than Christmas Day in Norway.
Norway was an odd jewel in Britannia's crown. At times they merely tolerated British rule and did their own thing. When a leader truly managed to endear themselves to the nation and earn its peoples' loyalty though...well, massive numbers of Norwegian volunteers were a key reason Richard the Lionheart won the Third Crusade in this Worldline. Gawain had that loyalty, Richard the Lionheart had it due to historical changes, Elizabeth II had it, and Artoria also had it both for historical reasons and her defense of Norway in the Second World War. Gray? She had it as well. Soldiers and the populace alike would mobilize like angry parents if any threat endangered this child.
Gray smiled slightly at the comment and gave a nod. "I guess they did stop being cold after the first few months. Now it's a lot nicer."
"Did you manage to sneak out to the stalls yesterday? Perhaps sample more of the local dining?" Luvia inquired while knowingly smirking at the girl.
Gray pouted a bit at the reminder of the lost opportunity. "No, I had to go to the Clock Tower. Uncle Tokiomi wanted us to watch the ceremony where Rin got her Fes rank. Oh, but not like mine! I'm just Fes rank because I can use a Noble Phantasm and they want to have a tie to me. Rin got it because she used Jewel Magecraft to make something new!"
"Hmph. I had heard about the patents and accomplishments, though my grandmother has concerns that her advancement was politically motivated. We have yet to see an example of her work." Luvia crossed her arms in mild irritation. Listening to Gray gush over what a Tohsaka did was not easy but that was another aspect of the mission that Luvia's grandmother had assigned. The Edelfelts had fought against Rin's patents and promotion with all they could muster—convinced that her work carried stolen Edelfelt Magecraft—and failed. They had even been denied a sample of Rin's work in spite of it being made available to several dozen families in the Clock Tower and a more crude version being produced more widely for the students of the Tohsaka, Velvet, and Albion Classrooms. This was a case where the Edelfelt family's aggression had backfired...but Gray surely had a Memory Jewel.
The Memory Jewel was a gem that was able to store large amounts of data from the mind as well as from Magic Circuits. The item employed some new concepts to function at a far higher data density than would normally be possible without using Atlas' Pseudo-Spiritron technology. With Gilgamesh attacking people and destroying the Magic Crests containing the demons of Solomon, these had become an option for families to back up their Magic Crests' data and have a small chance of rebuilding thereafter. At least two old families who had lost their Magic Crests to the Servant claimed that the jewel had preserved their Crests' knowledge—though not the Crest's accumulated Mystery. That number was likely to increase. The fact that they could allow teachers and students to exchange memories and feelings also allowed for the more efficient demonstration and learning of Magecraft—something that Lord Tohsaka and his allies were exploring to a notable degree to improve their students' education.
"Oh? Well, I could show you so it clears things up with your grandma. The patents are in place now," Gray said innocently before brandishing a platinum ring on her finger with a black opal carrying a purple sheen. There was another item of interest. It was rumored that the younger Tohsaka sister had found out that some rare examples of that particular type of gem could have the element of Imaginary Numbers and thus have interesting effects applied to them through Runecraft or Formalcraft. Another new use of Jewel Magecraft that was inaccessible to the Edelfelts and the sole domain of the Tohsaka—this time simply because the Tohsaka owned the only known mine to produce the gems and never told anyone where it was. Luvia was surprised when Gray's prana sank into the gem and a complex array of Magic Circles arranged into a sphere manifested with cyan light. A rift in Imaginary Number Space then briefly appeared and dispensed a Memory Jewel into the girl's ready hand.
"Wait, what was that?" Luvia inquired. That acted like a space expansion storage device, but it was so small...small enough to be useful in combat to bring gems into the hand in rapid succession.
Gray smiled gently. "Rin and Sakura worked together on it for me! It stores things in Imaginary Number Space and it's tiny enough not to be obvious. Food doesn't spoil inside it, either! And then there's this..." She next handed Luvia the Memory Jewel, making the blonde's eyes widen at its complexity. "I have a few of these. Some hold my lessons, one has birthdays and Christmases so far plus my and Rin's Fes ceremonies recorded inside, and other more fun things. This is an empty one, though. It's also one of the better ones. Not one of the quartz ones the students use."
The transparent diamond held suspended inside it white Magic Circles that were merged into a large Magic Sphere. Some supporting Magic Circles and Runes were also present, and there were even small sections of sapphire implanted into the gem that held their own internal 'circuitry'—likely to govern data and power flow. It was as if someone had captured snowflakes and raindrops along with a snowball in flight within a moment in time and added a hint of surrealism to them. It was a display of three-dimensional complexity and structure that Luvia silently acknowledged as beautiful...and completely unlike the Edelfelt Jewel Magecraft.
Not only had this been created by her family's rivals, but it had also been made by a girl nearly a year her junior—the Tohsaka heiress who shared her generation. When Luvia had heard the basic concepts about throwing Magic Circles together into three-dimensional structures, she felt that it was something she could have done if only she had realized the opportunity...but the sheer complexity of this structure was beyond her. Wait, did this mean that the Mystic Eye research she was doing was also valid?
"Gray...how did she manage to design something so intricate? Is this truly the work of Rin Tohsaka alone?" Luvia inquired.
"It is! As for how, well..." The young Pendragon scooched her corgi under the chin for a moment as she thought, clearly trying to parse things in her mind. "...she said most of the spells she used to make this are basic. The reason she managed to make the Magic Spheres so complicated is that she used Thought Acceleration and Memory Partition just to keep track of everything, and this is one with a lot of repeating patterns because it's almost all memory storage. It still took over a week of all her spare time though. And that was after she'd already spent months on it before finally having a breakthrough. It's a good thing making future ones becomes a lot easier once the first one is made."
On inspecting the item, Luvia would have to agree. Physically constructing the item was a curious application of either Displacement or Alteration Magecraft, but hardly odd in and of itself. The divergence from the norm was the fundamental concept as well as this example's sheer complexity and detail. Luvia felt a sudden urge to use her family's secret entrance to the Library of Alexandria and raid it for Thought Acceleration and Memory Partition knowledge herself if it helped her craft spells with this level of complexity. She held back from this first impulse, however. No, that action would simply make her appear desperate. She needed an accomplishment of equal or greater scope to what her generation's Tohsaka heiress had managed but in a different field. If she could not think of an immediate way to improve her Jewel Magecraft, and the Edelfelt family could not steal it due to the patents and the difficulty, that meant something pertaining to combat.
Luvia's counterpart in the Tohsaka family had issued the Edelfelts a challenge without even realizing it.
Her mind next went to the coming Grail War to be held in Tokyo, Japan. They had been invited by a disgruntled Tohsaka descendant holding the event whose ancestor had married into another line in the early 1960s, under the condition that the Tohsaka family not be informed. They cited that 'the last War was ruined when unworthy Magi became Masters' and that they wished to ensure that the War had proper participants this time. That was an understatement. The Saber servant was stolen. The Berserker Servant punched in the face by the Fifth Magician and clipping the Grail. It was an inelegant mess worthy of Tohsaka blood.
While the Edelfelt family initially intended not to participate, perhaps Luvia could use this as such an accolade...and she even had the perfect way to record her actions! Luvia made her decision.
"I would like my Grandmother to see this and verify its nature with her own eyes. She is the head of our family who insists that Rin Tohsaka attained her patents and rank through dishonest means. I also intend to participate in a grand event shortly after Christmas next week. Something that should ideally be recorded for posterity. Might you be willing to sell me this Memory Jewel so that I can immortalize my performance?" Luvia inquired with a smile. She had not informed Gray of the sheer depth of their rivalry with the Tohsaka, so this should work...
The royal pondered the matter only briefly before answering. "Okay. As long as you don't copy it, you can take it as an extra Christmas gift. These don't cost me anything, so it wouldn't feel right taking money for it."
Luvia couldn't help but smile as the young Grand Duchess came through, though there was a tinge of bitterness at the manipulation she had employed. "Thank you, Gray." She carefully put the jewel away in a hidden pocket of her dress—a perfect mix of practicality and class.
There was a gentle knock on the door and Sir Elise Watson entered the room looking just like the secret photographs of Artoria Pendragon from the Second World War and the Fourth Fuyuki Holy Grail War. Luvia had long confirmed this person to be a Servant, temporarily borrowing her family's leftover Command Seal from the Third Holy Grail War to obtain the Discernment skill needed to identify her as such. Luvia had elected not to say anything. If Artoria Pendragon wished to spend the time before her return protecting and helping to raise Gray, Luvia would simply consider it a proper pursuit. It was a far more noble action than that of Gilgamesh. As for Iskandar...she couldn't help but silently applaud the man's efforts. Boldly taking what one wanted and managing their holdings well was agreeable to the Edelfelt mindset.
"Your Highness, we need to prepare if you intend to sneak out to the stalls for lunch today. Will Miss Edelfelt be joining us?" Artoria's words drew a small smile from Luvia. 'Sir Watson' enjoyed good food at the traditional stalls just as much as Gray and often served as 'a taste tester'—one who had portions that were in no way inferior to Gray's own.
"Oooohohohohohoh!" Luvia laughed in amusement at Artoria's comment and the blush on Gray's face. Luvia had reapplied her slipping mask of nobility the moment Artoria knocked on the door. "If Her Highness wishes for my company, I would love to partake. I will not be able to be here for the exact moment of the solstice, so this may be the best opportunity to spend time with her for the next few days."
"Of course, Luvia! We'd love to have you," Gray said with a smile that made Luvia's mask crack all over again. They dressed in commoners' attire and went out to the festival stalls on the street, something simple that Luvia enjoyed immensely and could rarely indulge in at home. The people pretended not to recognize Gray as usual, but they really were like a bunch of parents looking on as their child played...
December 19, 1999
Reiroukan Manor Basement
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
2:58 AM
The clacking of a young woman's tall, high-heeled boots was heard echoing through the basement as she walked one last circuit around the Magic Circle, checking for errors. It was perfectly drawn, the dog skeleton was in place as a Catalyst, and the time was right. The black-haired and red-eyed high school student who looked suspiciously like an older Rin or Ishtar with her hair down smiled confidently. This Grail War would be different from the others.
There would be no theft of the Saber Servant. No need to raid Misaki Town's leyline for magical energy to compensate. No Witch deploying a Bounded Field on the scope of a Reality Marble. No Caster posing as a little girl empowered indirectly by the Root itself curb-stomping everyone. And certainly, no damned Fifth Magician winning the war by punching Berserker in the face and using her as a projectile to damage the Grail. It was time for the Reiroukan family to finally put the ignoble mess that was the First Tokyo Subcategory Holy Grail War behind them.
The Second Tokyo Subcategory Holy Grail War was about to begin.
With her hand outstretched, the fashionable woman in dark shorts, a white top, and a dark blue fur-lined coat began to recite the Aria.
"Elements of Silver and Iron. Foundation of Stone and the Archduke of Pacts.
The ancestor is my great master Reiroukan.
A wall for descending wind. Close the four cardinal gates.
Come forth from the crown and follow the three-forked road leading from the Kingdom.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.
Behold, my will creates your body and your sword my destiny!
If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer me!
I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the World and that I shall defeat all the evil in the World.
From the Seventh Heaven, clad in three great words of power,
Come forth now, Guardian of the Scales!"
With a flash of cyan light, the Servant appeared in time with the command seals on the back of Misaya's hand. A man in a blue bodysuit carrying a red spear stood in front of her with a slightly strained expression on his face before returning to normal. He regarded the Master in front of him with interest.
"...you look like that Tohsaka brat," were the first words out of his mouth. No reference, no respect, simple observation.
"...I didn't expect that. How do you even know about them? This isn't even their Grail doing the heavy lifting." The girl seemed displeased with the comparison, but her curiosity won out over her irritation.
"Fought her in a Grail War...or a bunch of similar Grail Wars. The memories in my head are still sorting themselves out, but it was four years in the future. Think her name was...Rin? Yeah, that was it. Rin Tohsaka. Weird war." He casually twirled his spear with superhuman speed and control to where it was soon horizontal behind his neck, lazily supporting his arms with his hands draped over it from behind. "I'm Cu Chulainn. You can call me Lancer. What's your name?"
Well, that was strange. Misaya suspected that meant the Tohsaka must get involved in another Subcategory Grail War or even the real war the Yggdmillennia were probably gearing up for. "Well, I'm Misaya Reiroukan. She's technically a second cousin. I don't exactly like the fact that my grandmother was married out of the Tohsaka like extra baggage, so I don't acknowledge them though. Don't compare me to them again. As for that other War, did you win?"
"Eh, that's fine. And no. There was no chance of that," Cu Chulainn said with a scowl while glancing around himself. "My Master was attacked by her ally from behind while I was being summoned and he stole the Command Seals. I was used like an Assassin from then on and forbidden from finishing any fights. Word of advice? Never trust the Overseer. They've got their own agenda. At least I took the bastard down with me in a few versions of things."
"Let me guess. He treated you like a dog." Misaya said with a teasing smile.
Cu clicked his teeth. "Tch, like I've never heard that one before. Speaking of dogs, what's with the skeleton?"
"That's your Catalyst. You don't recognize the Guard Dog of Culann? The one you killed as a child in your legend?" Misaya snapped her fingers and another Magic Circle activated...this time reanimating the guard dog with a mix of Necromancy and Familiar Magecraft. She chuckled at the disgusted look on his face as the skeleton regained its mobility. "There, now you can work together. Waste not, want not~"
"If you know me so well, you know I'm supposed to kill undead and wraiths," Cu said, getting into an aggressive stance with his spear to cut the beast down.
"Do it and I'll punish you. Maybe I'll take away your spear and make you go fetch a stick to fight with." Misaya held up her hand, smiling as she displayed the Command Seals.
Cu Chulainn...was not impressed. "You want to cripple your own Servant and ruin your chances in the War just to play sadist? You may remind me a little of my teacher, little lady, but she had the strength to back up her crazy handicaps and training ideas. They also had purpose. You'll just be shooting yourself in the foot."
Misaya scowled a bit and started to speak. "By my Command—" She didn't get to finish before Cu closed the distance and cast a Rune to make the girl fall unconscious to the ground where she stood. He may not have been a Caster, but he could still do this easily enough to a modern human. The undead guard dog snarled and lunged for Cu Chulainn for the crime of attacking their new Master, but it was not to be. Gae Bolg's normal power, plus a conceptual advantage against the undead or wraiths, plus a further advantage because of Cu re-enacting his legend to strike the beast down all ensured that one casual hit from Cu was all it took to make the beast collapse into a pile of bones and dust.
The Servant sighed. He really wanted a Master he could trust his back with, but he kept getting sadists. "Don't you people know that even dogs bite their Masters if they're treated badly enough? I'll honor our contract, Master, but I'm not going to be denied my wish for a good fight again."
Cu Chulainn approached his Master to pick her up and move her somewhere more comfortable than the floor, but he froze mid-squat when he felt something noteworthy. He sensed the familiar overtones of death. This girl was under a death curse. A quick series of runes to diagnose her in more detail and he noted it to be a rune meant to turn her into a ghoul...and it would trigger within the next few weeks. "...brat or not, I can't just leave that alone."
Indeed, he was familiar with things like this and his teacher had taught him eighteen Primordial Runes that could help. This curse was not on the level of a Noble Phantasm or something from the Age of Gods, either. The problem was that he was summoned as a Lancer, which reduced his magical abilities. It was perhaps the only time he regretted not being summoned as a Caster. This feeling only lasted until he saw the Command Seals on the girl's hand.
"...Well, if I can't do it the right way, I'll just brute force it. You've just shown me I can't trust you with these anyway...how did the priest take them off again?" Cu Chulainn moved his hand over Misaya's own and focused. This effort was soon rewarded with a flash of red light and the Command Seals were transferred over. He inspected the back of his hand which had three seals in the stylized shape of a lance. "Alright. Nothing left to do but give it a try."
Cu started to use his Primordial Runes to try and remove the curse from his Master, but it was being stubborn. Just as he thought, he couldn't pull it off in his Lancer state...not without help. "By my Command Seal! Cu Chulainn! Heal the brat of this curse!" Cu called out. One of the seals glowed red and vanished as he abruptly ripped the curse from the girl's frame and healed her of the damage. It wasn't smooth or efficient. It was downright painful given the unconscious woman's cries. But she was free.
With a sigh and a shake of his head, he picked up the young woman and started walking toward the stairs to find her a comfortable place to rest. "...you're sure a troublesome one. Teacher would just say that I was no better, though."
Reiroukan Manor Living Room
10:38 AM
Misaya was aware first of a panting sound and the stench of dog breath, then the warmth of the sun on her face shortly after that. She ached all over...and she glanced over to stare into the eyes of one of her large black dogs. She was on the couch by the window in her living room. Before she could even stop herself, she started to scooch her pet and familiar...but on seeing her hand empty of Command Seals, she froze.
"T-that bastard! I'll neuter him!" In her rage, she scarcely noticed a man step into the room.
"Oh, my bratty Master woke up? About time. You were out for a while." Cu Chulainn stood proudly, a number of the dogs hovering around him happily as they had just been fed. He wore a garish orange Hawaiian shirt rather than his armor and two Command Seals on his hand.
Misaya gave a brief glare to the traitorous canines before making her point known. "You knocked me out and stole my Command Seals!"
"You were about to throw away a Command Seal and cripple our combat abilities. Who the hell goes to war with a blunt spear? Is your wish that weak?" Cu pressed.
"Of course not! I'm fighting for my life here!" Misaya screamed out.
"Then act like it. Save the sadism for when you can back it up in a fight, little lady." The Servant set a plate of food in front of her...it seemed like a mix of some Celtic fish dish and some Japanese vegetables.
"...what's this?" Misaya asked.
"This is the best fish I could get nearby. It's not bad, but Fuyuki was better. You need to eat and recover." Cu's words made Misaya's eyes widen.
"Wait, don't tell me you went outside dressed like that!" Misaya exclaimed in horror.
"Oh, don't worry about me. Servants don't have to worry about the cold so much. I won't get sick." Cu said to the irritated girl. That was clearly not her concern and he knew that, but Cu relished her response.
"I'm more worried about the neighbors seeing some strange man wandering around my house! Carrying groceries home means you didn't astralize, right? You can't do things like that! And where did you get the money—" Misaya said in worry over her reputation before the implications dawned. She noticed her purse nearby, clearly having been rifled through. That was one more black mark against the guy.
"So you didn't lure a tall, Celtic man into your home in the middle of the night with a promise for our future?" Cu gave her a cocky grin that did things to Misaya...things that just made the girl more irritated.
"The summoning isn't like that and you kno—...you're messing with me," Misaya growled, earning a chuckle from her Servant.
"The more I talk to you, the more I see Medb as much as Teacher in you..." Cu said, smirking briefly before taking on a serious expression. "But seriously...your wish was to get rid of that death curse that was placed on you, right?"
"...Yes. I should have known you'd pick up on it, given who trained you," Misaya grumbled.
"Well, you'll be happy to know I took care of it." Cu's words made Misaya's eyes widen and hone in on him with laser focus. "My Magecraft may be weakened in this class, but I still know Primordial Runes. I had to brute force it a bit with a Command Seal and you might need to rest and eat up for a day or two, but you're clean. So, I granted your wish. You're welcome."
It was silent for several moments before Misaya shuddered visibly, lowering her head. Cu was almost worried for the girl a little before she started to bellow a deep, unladylike laugh. There was no refinement to it, only incredulous relief. It took a significant number of seconds before it passed, the girl giving a somewhat bitter smile in the end. "Really? It was that easy?"
Cu gave a confident smirk. "Only because you summoned the right man for the job. Most Servants probably couldn't have done anything about it. Caster me wouldn't even have needed the Command Seal but he'd have been complaining about missing his spear the whole time. This is probably for the best."
Calming down a bit, Misaya considered her own actions and his response. She couldn't say she regretted it entirely but the Magus was confused. "...Why would you do that? After what I said and tried to do?"
The man shrugged and began to pet two of the dogs. "If you know my legend, you know I don't break promises. When you called me and I answered, we promised to support each other and fight for the Grail to grant our wishes. My wish is for a good fight. Simple. You were about to break your promise and make my wish impossible to grant just like the last guy did. So I stopped you. I mean really—what kind of Master wastes a Command Seal on their Servant right away over something so pointless?"
Neither knew that this was a very Tohsaka trait that carried a certain level of precedent.
"But that doesn't mean I started hating you or rejected our contract. It was the move of an inexperienced kid who didn't even know my wish. Teacher knows I've made enough mistakes like that in my time that she had to put up with." Cu showed a strange level of patience considering what happened. "Now if you were an adult who knew exactly what they were doing, then we might have had a problem."
In spite of her irritation at being called immature, Misaya couldn't really defend herself when it was phrased that way. It was a foolish thing for her to do. While treating a Familiar that way was not necessarily wrong by Magus priorities—even a Heroic Spirit—she had to acknowledge that any consequences and lack of synergy were still on her head. She got particularly lucky that he cured her instead of restraining her as an energy source for the War or simply taking her life and searching for another Master. There had been enough Subcategory Holy Grail Wars for there to be plenty of horror stories.
That left an important question behind for her to ask. "So what now?" Misaya had to force the confidence into her tone.
Cu's eye regarded her for a moment and she started to wonder if that was the wrong thing to ask. Thankfully, there was still no malice in his gaze. "That depends on if you have anything else left to risk your life for. I mean, I'm going to be out fighting. Chasing my wish is only fair after granting yours. You can just stay home snug in your bed or run off to some other city if you want. Maybe I can overpower some runic wards around this place with another Command Seal or something if you plan on staying."
Misaya wanted to do that, she really did—but the memory of her father being killed and the humiliation of the last Grail War made her hesitate. "...No. I'll just think of another wish. If nothing else, I'll fight for my family's pride. It's our Grail War, after all. I've put almost everything we have into it. After the mess that happened to us last time, I have to win."
"Family pride? It's as good a reason as any," Cu said while rubbing his chin. He soon stopped as he came to a decision on what to do next and patted her firmly on the shoulder. "Eat up and rest up until your body fully recovers. I'll go boost the Bounded Field around this place as much as I can without another Command Seal. This place has a solid enough leyline under it for that. We'll figure out what to do next from there."
As much as Misaya wanted to protest and be part of the decision-making process, she couldn't do much at the moment. She was tired and hungry while he had all the Command Seals, was the combat expert, and had granted her wish on arrival. She instead settled for eating the meal in front of her and finding that it wasn't bad. Simple and by no means the best, but more acceptable than an ancient Celt should have been able to manage.
In spite of his being the infuriating mutt as he was, she'd graciously allow the man some leeway for now. He'd proven that she could easily have picked worse.
December 22, 1999
Shore of the Rhine River
Black Forest, Germany
12:26 AM Local Time (Central European Time)
(8:26 AM Japan Standard Time)
"Miss Luvia, are you certain that you will not need my support?" A butler inquired as he parked the rental car, wishing both to verify his mistress' wishes and give her an opportunity to change her mind. This was quite dangerous, after all.
"I am quite certain, Auguste. I will negotiate with them myself if they approach. If I cannot handle this, how could I have handled a Grail War? Or even a standard mission for the family?" Luvia's words ended the discussion as she exited the rental car in a thick, blue winter coat and trudged off into the snowy night. Luvia was a prideful girl...though she had done this to ensure that Auguste would be alright if things went badly.
Speaking of things going badly, her grandmother had not taken the inspection of the Memory Jewel well. It existed, it was not Edelfelt Magecraft, it was not something they could immediately copy in practice or law, and it worked as advertised. The aged Edelfelt head tried to smash the jewel in a rage, but the durable Mystic Code simply endured her petty attempt at denying its existence. This event and the rant thereafter highlighted her grandmother's mental deterioration and led to her being sidelined from some of her duties as family head. Luvia held in a sigh, knowing that she would likely become family head as soon as her parents could claim that her training was complete. Gerda was going to marry into another family, after all.
Her trek led her close to the boundary of the forest while staying near the shoreline. Upon arriving at her chosen destination, she set up a Bounded Field to keep away animals and warm the area—though it would do little to stop Magi from approaching. She cleared away the snow and flattened the earth level with Magecraft before she began to draw a large Magic Circle on the ground. The thick, white gloves she had chosen were not the best for the task, but they would have to do. This whole plan had been a bit of a rushed job, but she would be ready to summon at the exact moment of the winter solstice. Though most preferred a time of day that maximized their own magic power, this moment had its own unique significance that she intended to employ. She had even chosen a location relevant to her Servant's story. It was just upriver of the Einzberns' territory, which made sense considering that Das Rheingold was said to be hidden there.
Of course, staying out of the Einzbern lands proper did not mean they would not send someone to investigate. An armed group of Einzbern homunculi approached the site but did not yet attack.
"Who are you, and why do you approach the Einzbern territory?" One of the homunculi inquired with as much wariness as her muted emotions would allow. In fact, they likely only stopped to ask because Luvia had not entered their territory. Had she truly trespassed, they might not be having this conversation.
Luvia did not allow herself to be nervous, choosing to rise and curtsy formally in greeting. She maintained her poise. "I am Luviagelita Edelfelt, a descendant of one of the participants of the Third Holy Grail War. As for why I am here, your territory happens to be the best site on Earth to summon my chosen Servant for a Subcategory Holy Grail War being held in Japan in five days' time. I have stopped short of entering your lands out of respect."
Understanding crossed the maid's face. "You seek to summon someone from the Legend of Siegfried?"
"Indeed, it is my hope to call upon the aid of Siegfried himself. It is my intention to complete this Magic Circle, summon my Servant at 3:44 AM at the moment of the winter solstice, and be on my way without disturbance." Luvia said to the homunculus.
The homunculus still seemed wary, however. "We have come to be aware of this Tokyo-based Grail War, but as far as we are aware no Catalyst for Siegfried has changed hands recently. The location of the leaf from his legend is already known."
Luvia gave a confident smile. "The Catalyst has been in Edelfelt hands since the end of the Third Holy Grail War in 1939." At the apparent confusion of the maid, the blonde Finn continued, "A one-centimeter-long shard of the golden outer casing of the original Greater Grail fell from the sky in front of my grandmother as it was stolen. Our initial intentions were to use it to help track the location of the stolen Greater Grail, but that proved fruitless. Nevertheless, a piece of gold made by Das Rheingold should be an appropriate catalyst for one of the strongest of Sabers. I feel the symbolism appropriate, especially as this War is being held by a descendant of the Tohsaka who has married into another family line. Crushing the upstart with an echo of the true ritual seems proper."
The maids froze for a time—likely in contact with their master—before the head maid finally spoke. "It is the judgment of our family head Jubstacheit von Einzbern that your Catalyst is still the property of the Einzbern family and that it will be returned to our possession. However, he wishes to test your hypothesis regarding the suitability of Das Rheingold's treasure as a Catalyst and deems combat against the Tohsaka to be a worthwhile endeavor. As such, we will claim the Catalyst after its use."
That meant something interesting to Luvia—two things, actually. First was that the Einzberns were confident that they could fight Siegfried if she ordered him to attack and reclaim the fragment after summoning him. They may have had some anti-Servant defenses in place or a surviving Servant to employ in combat. Either that or they were confident enough in killing her before the Servant could act. Second was that the Einzberns clearly intended to use this knowledge in future Grail Wars. They were not yet done with this path to restoring their True Magic, merely biding their time. Fortunately, Luvia did not mention that her family recovered multiple fragments of the Greater Grail—one of which was going to be handed over and another that had been hidden under her coat and transformed with Alteration into the setting for a jewel on her person. Given how little time she had to prepare a Catalyst, the fragments were her best option.
She took a moment to maintain the appearance of considering their demand before choosing to accept while sounding sufficiently put upon. "...Oh, very well. I suppose that it may appear to have been yet another theft from your perspective. Attaining the summon with the maximum possible power is the most important thing to me anyway."
"Understood. We will bring you to the chapel on the Einzberns' property to maximize the strength of your summon and also to ensure a more complete analysis of its power. The consideration of future uses of Siegfried by the Einzberns would benefit from this information." That was a mild surprise, but one Luvia accepted. Or rather, had little choice but to accept.
"Thank you for your consideration," Luvia said, though aware that it was pure pragmatism guiding the Einzberns' actions. Luvia was a bit surprised that the group hadn't used Siegfried in an earlier Grail War or showed such interest in the data. Was she the first in two centuries to realize that the Grail itself was a Catalyst for Siegfried? Surely not...
The maids guided Luvia to the Einzbern chapel where Lancer Artoria was once summoned. The circle was ready by the time of Luvia's arrival, though the master of the house was not present. After the placement of the catalyst and waiting until 3:44 AM for the solstice, Luvia smiled confidently as she extended a hand and started to recite the Aria as the circle began to glow with cyan light.
"Elements of Silver and Iron. Foundation of Stone and the Archduke of Pacts.
The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.
A wall for descending wind. Close the four cardinal gates.
Come forth from the crown and follow the three-forked road leading from the Kingdom.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time.
Behold, my will creates your body and your sword my destiny!
If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer me!
I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the World and that I shall defeat all the evil in the World.
From the Seventh Heaven, clad in three great words of power,
Come forth now, Guardian of the Scales!"
The light reached a blinding crescendo as three red butterfly-themed marks formed on the back of Luvia's hand, the girl ignoring the pain expertly as she watched her Servant form. He was a tall, tan man with silver-gray hair, silver armor with a black outfit underneath, and a luminescent green tattoo glowing on his chest. Piercing blue eyes regarded Luvia before he assumed a kneeling position.
"I am the Servant Saber. I ask of you—are you my Master?" The Servant inquired, feeling the link to the blonde girl in front of him.
"Yes, I am your Master. My name is Luviagelita Edelfelt. Might I confirm your True Name, Saber?" Luvia inquired, hopeful that she obtained the correct Servant.
"I am Siegfried, slayer of Fafnir," the warrior prince confirmed. "I seem to be notably stronger than my parameters would normally allow..."
"You have been summoned at the moment of the winter solstice in a land with a most powerful connection to you and your legend. Though our battle will happen in Japan, there was no reason to demand that you be summoned there at the cost of your strength." Luvia explained this as the maids carefully analyzed Siegfried's power and found it to be at its absolute peak. "Grail Wars have been problematic as of late, so it was worth the extra step to better our chances of victory. Rise, Saber. There is much to be done."
Siegfried understood and rose from his kneeling position to his full height. They left the Einzbern estate by four-thirty in the morning, the catalyst for Siegfried's summoning remaining on the floor of the chapel behind them as they returned to her waiting car and Luvia's relieved butler.
"What shall we do Master?" Siegfried asked the young lady as they drove away.
Luvia confidently listed out the points on her fingers. "First, I shall sleep at the inn. After I am rested, we shall shop for an appropriate wardrobe for you. Then it will be time to depart for Japan on my private jet. I believe butler attire would suit you well...hmm...but you also have a face that demands a refined pair of glasses."
And thus the tradition of wealthy and eccentric ladies dressing their Servants in servant attire would be preserved.
December 24, 1999
Skyscraper Rooftop
Shinjuku, Japan
7:00 PM
Nine years to the minute. Once more, Consort Yu stood on that same Shinjuku rooftop near a carefully modified and crafted Magic Circle. Everything was again in place for the long-denied Christmas date. The table and chairs were present, the huge tub of fried chicken and the Christmas cake were waiting, the wine was chilled, and she was wearing the very same form-fitting dress for the occasion. Gao Changgong—the Prince of Lanling—maintained a respectable distance. He did not want to ruin this again.
She had trained for this to where she could readily sustain the presence of both her friend and her husband. Shirou had given her a version of her beloved's lance which now had a place of honor as the Catalyst. The boy had even provided a Memory Jewel as a secondary Catalyst that contained a Recursive Grasping of Xiang Yu from her memories. If all else failed, it would be employed as a Saint Graph. Nothing would be left to chance.
The boy had given as much support as he could muster—now it was up to her. She spoke the ten-line incantation once more, at the conclusion of which her three Command Seals expanded to six and a burst of cyan light filled the rooftop. As the light faded, the ancient woman dared to hope as her eyes adjusted to the light. A man with long, dark hair and a red cape stood before her in the combat attire of a Chinese warlord...his face was one that Yu Mei-ren could never forget.
"...Wife? Oh, that we would be permitted to reunite..." Xiang Yu said to his consort, who promptly shed tears as she launched herself into the arms of her husband.
"Lord Xiang Yu...you're finally here! I won't let you leave! So long as I have power, you needn't leave my side ever again!" Tears ran down the front of Xiang Yu's armor from Yu Mei-ren's eyes. The man reached forward and hugged his wife in return. "We even have a place to go home to! It may be a bit more 'human' than I'd normally like, but the air and water are clear and there are plenty of places where nature reigns. There is even a bridge to the Reverse Side! The peace each of us sought...we can have it now."
"I see, you no longer have to wander while not having a place to go. Ahh...the one regret in my lifetime has now been resolved." Xiang Yu continued to hold his trembling wife for a time.
When she finally calmed herself, she pulled away from the hug. Her smile was brighter and more radiant than the Prince of Lanling or anyone living had ever known. Yu Mei-ren started to tug her husband toward a table by the hand. "Come, Lord Xiang Yu! Let us have dinner. And yes, I already know that you need not eat, but this is a time for celebration!"
Xiang Yu allowed himself to be pulled to a seat and served Kentucky Fried Chicken—an odd tradition found in Japan—and noted the presence of the other Servant. "Very well...is this an ally, wife?"
Yu Mei-ren nodded. "Yes. This is Gao Changgong, a Prince of Lanling from seven centuries after your time. He treated me very well and became a friend whom I desired to see again, though not in a romantic way. Before I was strong enough to summon you, I accidentally summoned him."
"Yes, you cried tears of blood when I appeared rather than your beloved. The guilt I felt for that only now subsides nine years later..." The Prince of Lanling smiled before giving a bow. "It is nice to finally meet you, Lord Xiang Yu. Lady Yu has never stopped thinking of you for the entire time I have known her—before or after my death. Please consider me an ally to you, as I have been to her."
"Ah, it is good to know that she still found good in her wanderings. Thank you for treating my wife well. Will you partake?" Xiang Yu inquired, gesturing to the food.
"No, though I thank you for your hospitality," the Prince answered. "This is meant to be a private dinner for a couple long denied. I am not opposed to entering Spirit Form, or simply keeping a vigilant eye open."
Consort Yu looked toward her first Servant with a look of very mild rebuke. "Stop that. I've set up a table for you with some food as well. It may be a bit further from us for privacy's sake, but I will not see a true friend neglected." Indeed, there was a table with more chicken and cake on the rooftop that was not quite in earshot of the loving couple—especially with a silencing spell employed.
"I see...thank you for your kindness, Lady Yu. If either of you are in need of anything, simply inform me." The Prince of Lanling went to enjoy the meal he was provided as well, and a good time was had.
Yu Mei-ren was happier than she had been in over two thousand years, smiling freely and talking about her life. Xiang Yu was quiet and contemplative, but he paid close attention and spoke often enough to show that his interest was firmly held. In time, Yu Mei-ren would pull out a CD player with built-in speakers and use it to play a traditional Chinese song. The woman would then dance and sing for her husband as she once had many centuries ago. Her grief was lifted, her song pure.
At some point after ten-thirty, with the food gone and the celebration winding down, Xiang Yu's eyes would narrow slightly as his precognition made itself known. "We will soon be interrupted. Claim my spear for yourself, wife, and be ready to flee." Her eyes flashed with surprise before narrowing at the reminder that they were in the midst of a nascent Grail War, she did as she was told. She claimed both the spear and the Memory Jewel and prepared herself. The Prince of Lanling drew his sword, as did Xiang Yu.
"Well this is interesting," a voice said before a man in blue materialized from seemingly empty air. He stood atop the chain link fence bordering an adjacent rooftop. "A Master with six Command Seals and two Servants? Normally I wouldn't want to interrupt a woman on a date, but my Master is screaming bloody murder in my ear right now. It seems like you made the last Grail War a pretty big mess by stealing Saber and running away."
Yu Mei-ren's eyes narrowed and she spoke to her Servants through telepathy. The pair looked at her with concern, but they ultimately acquiesced to her will...and astralized.
"Hoooh..." Lancer twirled his spear as he tried to understand this action. "You're surrendering? Or are you just banking on my goodwill? Because something about you is calling to my warrior's blood a bit too much for you to count on that."
"Neither. I just don't want to lose them after all these years of searching. There's no reason to risk them against you." Yu Mei-ren said, glaring at her opponent.
"You speak as though you can handle me yourself, little lady." Cu Chulainn said, his bloodlust growing further at the implication.
"Make no mistake, little boy," Yu Mei-ren said to the Heroic Spirit with equal condescension, "I may not be a warrior first and foremost, but there's nothing you can do to me that I can't just walk off."
Something in Cu's expression showed that a final puzzle piece had clicked into place in his mind. He then adopted a manic, wide-eyed grin. "That's it! That's what I sense from you! You're like Teacher! Death doesn't have any claim over you! So the World still has a few surprises like you lurking around here and there...let's see how you handle my spear, immortal!" The man looked like he had found everything he was looking for in life. From what Shirou had told her about Cu Chulainn and his wish to fight powerful opponents, that was probably the case. She didn't even need to guess at his identity.
Before the man could cast an Ath nGabla or Berkanan Rune to force single battle or track her respectively, Yu Mei-ren thumbed a playing card she kept tucked away in her dress...and vanished from sight under the effect of Presence Concealment. The stunned expression on Cu Chulainn's face was absolutely priceless before he hurriedly tried to employ those very Runes...and found them connecting to nothing. That expression soon shifted into one of absolute rage.
"You...blue-balling bitch!" Cu Chulainn furiously screamed out into the night as Yu Mei-ren fled the battlefield.
'That's what you get for interrupting the date of a married woman. Get someone else to "handle your spear", Lancer,' Yu Mei-ren thought to herself as she and her astralized Servants rushed for Mifune City and—from there—the safety of Ahnenerbe. There was absolutely no reason for her to cater to that brat and his Master. Her mission was complete.
Underground Shinkansen Allocation Area
Shinjuku Station (400 meters south-southwest of Shinjuku Samurai Museum)
Shinjuku, Japan
10:38 PM
An observer would not expect one of the world's busiest transport hubs to be a suitable hiding place for Magus activity, but there were always exceptions. The site was built in 1885 over a leyline that had since been ignored. Space was allocated in 1973 for a hypothetical Omiya-Shinjuku link to the Shinkansen bullet train system that had never been utilized, including an underground area that could be used to tap into the leyline. The result? A massive Workshop hidden right under one of Tokyo's busiest areas.
A twenty-year-old Manaka Sajyou practically glared at a scrying crystal in displeasure. That mutt had scared away her prey.
"Shall we give chase, Master?" Manaka's newest ally asked neutrally.
The half-British blonde looked toward her trio of warriors, only her newest one being fully capable of coherent conversation at the moment. "...Don't bother, Rider. I may want to teach that lovesick bloodsucker a lesson for stealing my chance to reserve the Saber class during the last War, but we're not capable of killing one of the Planet's Elementals. Pressing too hard might cause a mess like what happened last time. Besides, her actions don't change anything and we can't spring the trap until the main players are in place anyway. They need to be here."
The last sentence made her Servant wear a complicated expression that frustrated Manaka. To think that Rider would be summoned with a full set of memories...no, many sets of memories that drew her loyalty into question. But by the end, all would be resolved. Manaka just had to employ a trait that did not always come naturally to her, but that she had learned to employ repeatedly over the past eight years.
Patience.
Author's Notes: Yes, I know Cu respects Misaya more in the canon material, but this is both an older Cu and one who has fresh memories of being jerked around by Kotomine. Possibly Karen too depending on Worldline. He's simply too done with that to put up with Misaya's attitude, loyal or not.
And yes, the First Tokyo Subcategory Holy Grail War became a sort of 'noodle incident' for this story. There are plenty of clues about its general flow that I've assembled nicely into Misaya's thoughts for the curious though.
Xiang Yu's initial two pieces of dialogue are modified slightly from Fate/Grand Order dialogue.
ITEM DATA:
Name: Memory Jewel
Owners: Rin Tohsaka, Fuyuki Faction, Luviagelita Edelfelt, Various Magi(lesser versions)
Rank: D+ for 'full' version, D for 'base' version, E for 'economy version
The Memory Jewel is a creation of Rin Tohsaka that serves as a memory storage device that can save or load memories into the mind and Magic Circuits. It is also possible to selectively delete its contents or copy from one Memory Jewel to another. It does not achieve the data density of Pseudo-Spiritron storage, but it is more accessible. The Memory Jewel's construction employs Three-Dimensional Formalcraft(including Magic Spheres), Three-Dimensional Runecraft, and Displacement Magecraft etching techniques to inset those structures into the transparent gemstone that it is built into.
All but the cheapest versions are diamonds with spheres of sapphire inset directly into the main structure to help better govern information and prana flow. The end result is a surrealistic three-dimensional image of what could be interpreted as stylized blue raindrops(sapphires) and white snowflakes(Magic Circles) with what appears to be a spherical snowball(Magic Sphere) dominating the structure in the very center. The cheapest version has no sapphire insets and is made of quartz instead of diamond. The snowball also appears 'fuzzier' due to being a less densely packed storage medium.
The internal components of Memory Jewels do not glow when simply recording or playing back content, but they will glow if energy is cycled through them to cast a recorded spell. They can be 'bound' to a bloodline or a series of bloodlines, though Luvia obtained hers without this feature yet being triggered.
There are three versions. The original 'full' version is entrusted to Rin's allies and has the added ability to be loaded with the data from Structural Grasping, allowing its use as a reference in Tracing or even for the storage of Saint Graphs. Outside of the Fuyuki Faction, only Luviagelita Edelfelt has been able to obtain one with this capability. She currently remains ignorant of the added feature.
The 'base' version is one with the Structural Grasping storage ability omitted and is provided to Clock Tower Magi for backing up things like Magic Crests or other essential records. It can still easily store far more memories and thoughts than the scope of a person's lifespan, ultimately serving as a wider family record in general. The base version, like the full one, can also store a decent amount of magical energy with which to use spells stored in its memory—though it must be actively recharged, unlike a true Magic Crest.
The 'economy' version is a cheaper variant requested by Waver Velvet that has less memory capacity, even less energy storage, and more complexity. It is also made solely of quartz rather than diamond and sapphire. The end result is a version that a Clock Tower student can afford. This version is meant for mass production and serves as a day-to-day form of memory storage and playback, though some of shallow generation without much financial means might use it for Magic Crest backup. Its key selling point is that parents and teachers can load them with spells complete with the thoughts, memories, and sensations of casting spells. Their children and students can then review these spells, emulate them in practice, store their memories of the practice in the same Memory Jewel, and allow the teachers to review the students' work. This allows magical education to happen on a deeper and faster level even if the teacher and students' shared practical training time is limited and makes it ideal for classroom use. It also allows for teachers to 'save' lectures for future use—allowing for things like time-shifting or reuse should the content not change from year to year. Waver hopes that, eventually, a complete set of lectures could be stored on such a crystal and made accessible to his students.
In addition to these various uses, it is possible to save memories of events, research records, note-taking, or for playing back memories of specific senses to emulate a music player. Some even use it to convey the 'feel' of certain martial arts techniques. The limit is the creativity of the user.