'Step. Step. Step.' With light footsteps, I made my way to the front door of the church for the first time in what felt like a very long time. Risei gave me the ok to move my body after I slept for a few hours. And since I was the only one present in the church since he and that woman were currently out on an errand, I was the only one who could open the door. I did not know who awaited me behind the door, but I would soon come to know the truth as I approached my destiny.
'Creak.' With a creak, I then opened the door and was greeted by a person who was not Indy or his Servant Archer. It was-
"… No way." I muttered as my jaw dropped to the ground upon noticing the person whom I had opened the door for, it was my Servant-no. My very first friend who I had long since thought had departed this world. But it was undoubtedly the truth as he was looking at me with a grin on his face.
"That's a nice reaction Taki- Rider said but I cut him off him off before he could finish as I embraced him. The truth was I had no clue how he survived being turned into a stone statue. Unbeknownst to me, when Gorgon was killed, Rider was free of his stone prison. Was it because the effects of her Mystic Eyes were dispersed after she perished? Probably. But that didn't matter in the slightest to me. Because in this moment, I was truly happy that my friend was alright.
"… I'm sorry to have worried you, Master," Rider whispered with a smile on his face as we stayed like that for a few moments until we parted. But it was then out of the corner of my eyes that I noticed both Indy and Archer walking toward me, the latter of which had a pleasant look on his face, but the former had the exact opposite, a grim expression. But before I could say another word-
"Takina. I'm glad that you are alright. But there's something you need to know about." Indy spoke as he handed me an old-looking journal that had seen better days. This confused me as I had not seen this specific item before in my entire life. But Indy noticed the confusion that was on my face.
"It's your father's journal. It has records of all the adventures me and him went on together. As well as the truth of why he had left you here alone all this time. He wanted to tell you why he did what he did. But unfortunately, he never got the chance to. But this will explain everything. When you get a chance, read what I have underlined." Indy explained while my eyes shot wide open as I grabbed the journal from his grasp. Upon flipping it open I did exactly what he told me to do. It wasn't long after that, that I learned the 'truth' that Indy was referring to.
'Drip. Drip. Drip.' Tears streamed down my cheeks as I almost fell onto my knees but before I could, Rider caught me.
"Takina! Are you alright?!" Rider yelled out as he assumed the worst. Jones and Archer had similar looks on their faces. Without a shadow of a doubt, they had feared that the 'curse' that my parents had suffered from was now affecting me at this moment but that was not the case. Nor was I crying because I was upset. In fact, these tears were of joy.
"… F-Father… h-he r-really d-did… l-love me a-after all." I muttered as my tears hit the floor. But even though what happened to my father was a tragedy, I was smiling. Because I had finally uncovered the 'truth.' That until his last breath, my father had truly loved me with every fiber of his being and attempted to change my Fate. He had sacrificed his own life… all for me. It was then that I knew the wish that I held deep inside my heart was something that I needed to accomplish no matter what. After all, resurrecting my father was the least I could do for him for all he sacrificed for me.
"… I'm alright. Thank you for giving this to me, Indy." I replied with a bright smile on my face as I held my father's journal close to my chest while closing my eyes. I had come to know my Fate. The truth about the curse that had claimed the lives of my mother and her mother and her mother before that. But I was not afraid even knowing that I was going to die soon. Because for the first time in my entire life, I had felt blessed to be alive. And with knowing the 'truth' at last. I wasn't going to let anything stop me from bringing back my father so that I could see his face again and finally live up to the name that he had bestowed upon me, 'Takina.'
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location…
"PLEASE, FATHER! HAVE MERCY!" A familiar man yelled out while tears streamed down his cheeks as he begged for his life. It was none other than Kao Kan, the son of Lao Che, the former of which had betrayed his own father only a few days ago. It was almost ironic that while a girl was happy to have been saved by her father, a son was begging for his life as his father was about to kill him in cold blood.
But it was the truth. Lao Che was standing above his son, the latter of which was on the ground. There was no one who could help Kao anymore because all of his personnel had been ruthlessly killed by his father's Saber-Class Servant, the first emperor of the Manchu dynasty, Nurhaci. The result being that the room the three men were in was littered with corpses and drenched in blood. Kao had no one left to turn to so he begged his father for forgiveness.
"Kao… this is what happens when you are betrayed by another person. You set an example to make sure that you don't get betrayed again. Betrayers have no right to live, and I'd be a hypocrite if let you live another day. That's why I'm going to kill you." Lao declared with an emotionless expression on his face as he had already decided the Fate of his son akin to a judge in a courtroom. And now just like the judge, he was about to swing the gavel of Justice down onto his own son.
"YOU CAN'T! I'M YOUR SON! YOUR OWN FLEASH AND BLOOD! YOU CAN'T LET ME DIE HERE! NOT LIKE TH- Kao spewed out at the top of his lungs but before he could finish, he was cut off-
'BANG!' By the bullet that pierced his skull. Kao Kan collapsed onto the ground and died instantly. It had taken so long for Lao to find him because his son had covered his tracks by constantly moving throughout Fuyuki to buy him enough time to flee the country. But just as he was about to escape from his grasp, by sheer luck or perhaps Fate, Kao's karma finally caught up to him as he was swiftly executed by his father's hands. But even though his son had just died, Lao did not feel any pity or remorse for him whatsoever. That was because-
"… I have no sons who are among the living anymore." Lao declared as his last living relative had been snuffed out by his own hands. He was the last member of the Che family, and he was going to die with it. He did not desire to create any more children after Chen's untimely demise a few years back along with Kao's betrayal. He had long since favored Kao over Chen but that was before the former betrayed him. It was then that Lao came to the conclusion that God took the wrong son from him before leaving the ghastly scene behind with his Servant in tow.
Upon leaving the building they were in and entering the bustling city, Lao stood in place as he looked forward aimlessly. He was considering abandoning the Grail War altogether and boarding the plane that his departed son had bought a ticket for. But another part of him refused such a thing to occur. He wasn't going back to China empty handed so he discarded that notion without a second thought. But before he could figure out his next course of action, his Servant called out to him.
"Hey, Master. With that taken care of, want to get some drinks together?" Nurhaci asked with a smile on his face. But Lao did not want to drown himself in alcohol.
"No. I just want to be left alone for a little while. I want to be in a clear state of mind so I can think. You can go if you want. Just meet me at the church by nightfall, Saber." Lao replied with a serious expression on his face. It was now clear to Saber that his Master was depressed over this outcome even though he had tried to hide it very well. His Master then departed from the scene without another word. Saber then clicked his tongue.
"Suit yourself." Saber muttered to himself as he too vanished within the crowd of people. This wouldn't have been possible if he was in the clothes that he wore throughout his life, the same ones that he wore at the battle near the docks from a few days ago. Instead, Nurhaci was currently wearing a tuxedo that his Master had requested him to wear. He had not wanted to wear such an article of clothing that concealed his true identity, but it was one of the rare times that his Master actually conveyed proper orders to him, so he begrudgingly complied.
But now with his Master nowhere in sight and freedom to do what he wanted to do; Saber walked over to the nearest bar. Upon entering it, he noticed several men who were sitting on stools in well-dressed attire such as what he was currently wearing at this moment in time. They had all just gotten out of work and wanted to enjoy some booze before returning to their families. But Saber didn't take note of that and sat on one of the available stools and looked at the bartender.
"I'll have a beer." Saber spoke with a smile on his face as the bartender nodded. Only a few moments later, the bartender skillfully prepared the drink of his customer's choosing and passed it on to him. Without wasting another second, Saber poured the liquid down his throat in one fell swoop. Everyone nearby, including the bartender no less, were surprised. This was because these men could barely drink all of a shot's contents at once, but Saber had downed the entire bottle in one go. They were about to congratulate the man but before they could-
"Yes! This drink is delicious! I request another!" Saber yelled out as he felt the alcohol course through his veins. But then…
'Crack!' To all of the men beside him and the bartender, Saber had thrown the glass bottle onto the ground as it smashed into a million pieces! This made all of the men present extremely dumbfounded to the point that their jaws dropped to the ground. However, this surprise didn't last long as it was soon replaced by anger.
"Hey! What's the big idea, pal?!" The bartender yelled out with a pissed-off expression on his face. But this confused Saber greatly.
"… Where's the beer?" Saber asked with a bewildered look on his face as he wasn't confused over the bartender's anger but because he had not given him what he had requested. This made the bartender and the men beside him pissed off to the point that they surrounded him and were about to engage him in a brawl, one that would only end in all of their deaths excluding Saber of course. But before that could happen-
"You can put it on my tab. As well as the next round." Someone spoke as everyone turned their heads to face him. It was a man who wore some casual clothes such as a shirt and jeans. He appeared to be just some random guy on the street, aside from his long dark blue hair that was twisted into a ponytail. After hearing this they-
"YEAH! YOU ARE ONE HELL OF A GUY!" All the men shouted as the bartender worked his butt off to get the next round of drinks ready. Even though they were all fuming with anger moments before this, the prospect of free booze made their anger vanish without a trace as it was replaced with overwhelming happiness. The dark blue-haired man then walked toward Saber and noticed that both seats next to him were taken.
"Mind if I have this seat?" The dark blue-haired man asked with a smile on his face as the man to the right of Saber noticed and nodded his head up and down.
"Of course! Anything for you pal!" The man who was previously sitting next to Saber stood up with a smile on his face as he let the dark blue-haired man take his seat without a second thought.
"Thanks." The dark blue-haired man replied as he sat down on the stool to the right of Saber. It was then that the Chinese Emperor noticed the man beside him. The man in question appeared to be familiar to him but there was something different about the man. But since Saber couldn't put his finger on it, he decided it was best to ask the man in question upfront.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" Saber asked as the dark blue-haired man turned his attention to the former and nodded in response to his question.
"That's right. We only locked eyes for a second until my men protected me from you and were killed for it. Not that I hold anything against you for it. Men who cannot protect the man who they swore to protect are nothing more than cattle who deserved nothing less than to get slaughtered." The dark blue-haired man replied as his identity had been clear since the beginning, as he was none other than Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. Or was he? But Saber did not recall the encounter and was not aware of the man's true name in the slightest.
"I don't remember. Mind if you tell me your name?" Saber asked as he grasped the beer that was passed to him by the bartender and began to drink it.
"Oh, I almost forgot. How rude of me. My name is Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. But you can just call me Darnic. I was Lancer's Master until you taught him a lesson he isn't going to forget anytime soon. But now I'm just a man who has nowhere else to go. So, I chose to drown myself in some liquor." Darnic explained as his words seemed further from the truth, but they were technically not a lie. This is because his Command Spells had vanished from his hand, it wasn't as if Lancer was dead, but it was due to the latter had become more machine than man.
"I see. Your Servant was pretty strong. But in the end, he was destined to fall. No offence." Saber spoke his true feelings as he finished another beer with ease. But Darnic was not upset with how blunt the Servant beside him was. In fact, he was-
"Hahaha! None taken. In fact, I agree with you. I believe it was necessary that Lancer had to fall so that he would not lose again the next time he gets summoned into a Grail War. If that ever happens." Darnic replied as he drank the drink in front of him.
"Who knows. No one knows what Fate has in store for them. Perhaps he'll be summoned into the next Grail War. As long as I'm not summoned as well, he might have a shot at winning." Saber replied with a smirk on his face. But Darnic was enjoying the Servant's company. So much in fact-
"Hey, give this man another beer when you get a chance. It's on me." Darnic asked with a smile as the bartender nodded his head and whipped up another bottle of beer in ten seconds flat. This surprised Saber but more than that he was-
"Thanks! You my good friend know how to show another man a good time!" Saber yelled out as he smashed the bottle of beer that he had finished onto the ground without a second thought. This enraged everyone once more until-
"Next round's on me again." Darnic declared with a smile as everyone's anger aside from Saber of course was replaced by happiness once more.
"YEAH! CHEERS!" The men cheered as they brought their glasses together with nothing but happiness on their faces. But this confused Saber, so he turned his attention to Darnic.
"Hey, what are they doing?" Saber asked with a befuddled look on his face as the man beside him saw the question coming from a mile away.
"It's an expression of camaraderie. It's to show how they are all good friends with each other. Would you like to do it too?" Darnic asked with a pleasant look on his face as he held out his bottle of alcohol and extended toward Saber. In response, Saber nodded.
"Sure thing, friend!" Saber replied as only a moment later he received a new bottle of beer, and he took it without a second thought. And then…
"CHEERS!" The two men shouted at the top of their lungs as they had just formed a friendship with each other. One that would persist for the remainder of the Grail War. The two men then partook in their respective beverages as time passed them by. Minutes turned to hours, as it was now the middle of the night and all of the men around them had left to go to sleep in order to prepare themselves for their jobs tomorrow. This left Darnic, Saber, and the bartender being the only ones present in the bar. But the latter of which was annoyed by their company.
"Sir. I think you've had enough." The bartender commented as he wanted nothing more than to go to bed. But Saber was still lively and wanted more beer.
"I'll tell you when I've had enough! Now give me another beer!" Saber demanded as he smashed another empty glass bottle onto the ground, further adding to the pile of glass shards that were steadily increased every time he had a beer. Saber had over thirty beers and was a mess because of it.
The recommended limit for a person to drink beer was fifteen glasses per week. Saber had more than doubled this and was drinking entire bottles like it was nothing. But even though he was a Servant with an increased level of alcohol tolerance when compared to the average man, this meant very little when he had drowned himself in so much beer that it was a miracle, he did not have alcohol poisoning. Darnic noticed this.
"We'll take that last one to go." Darnic spoke with a smile on his face as the bartender was relieved because of this. But Saber wasn't pleased by this.
"Ah, what?! No way! I can still have more!" Saber refuted the notion of that he had enough with a pissed-off expression on his face, though his words were followed by an audible 'Hic!' That made it crystal clear to both men that this man was as drunk as a skunk. But Darnic knew that Saber wouldn't take no for an answer and had already come up with a solution to this problem.
"Ever had a coffee before?" Darnic asked but Saber didn't respond as he had never indulged himself in it before much less heard of it before. Darnic could tell this just by the dumbfounded look on the Servant's face.
"Let's go grab some coffee. My treat." Darnic replied as Saber could no longer refuse the former's wishes as the temptation of something new interested him greatly. Before leaving Darnic paid the bartender for all of his efforts in full with a generous tip to boot which earned him a look of happiness from the latter. The two men then left the bar. After that, Darnic paid for two cups of coffee and met back up with Saber and the two sat on a park bench together as the sun was beginning to set behind them.
"Here. Give it a sec before you drink it" Darnic spoke as he passed one of the cups of coffee to Saber who accepted it without a second thought. But Saber didn't listen to Darnic's words and began sipping on it. But upon drinking the beverage-
"PLOOOOOOO!" Saber spat it out immediately as it was different compared to the alcohol he had before. For starters, it was-
"THAT'S HOT!" Saber shouted at the top of his lungs as his mouth felt like it was on fire. Darnic had predicted that this would happen the moment that the Servant had disobeyed his warning.
"Of course it is. It's coffee. You need to let it simmer for a bit and then you can drink it. That's why I told you to give it a sec." Darnic replied as he had not drunk any of the coffee yet. But Saber was disappointed by this revelation.
"Then what are we supposed to do while we wait?" Saber asked as he was at a loss for what to do. But that didn't last long as Darnic continued the conversation shortly thereafter. The master of Lancer had already prepared everything precisely for this opportunity and with it in sight, he took it into his grasp.
"Hey Saber. Mind if I tell you a story to pass the time?" Darnic asked but the man beside him was confused by this.
"… What kind of story?" Saber asked with a befuddled look on his face as he looked at Darnic to see that he was smiling. And then…
"My life story. The truth is I never got to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you because if I did then they would have to kill them. But you're different. You and me, we think alike. But I told you a lie, and I want to apologize for that. It's just that no one else can know who I truly am because they would undoubtedly become my enemies…" Darnic explained but paused for a few seconds in order to prepare himself.
"… But you and me, we're friends. That's why I can trust you with what I'm about to tell you. The truth is… my name isn't Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia. I just had to take that name from the real 'Darnic' because it was the only way to get what I truly wanted. Anyway, my true name is Alexei Nikolaevich." The man who was thought to be Darnic up to this point revealed his true identity without a care in the world. However, while this would have been an utter bombshell for anyone else, Saber was the exception.
"Huh… is that name supposed to ring a bell?" Saber asked with a confused look on his face as he could not understand the implications of this sudden reveal. The man named Alexei Nikolaevich knew this.
"No. I wouldn't expect you to know that name because I haven't contributed all that much to history yet. You see, I was supposed to become Emperor of Russia. But I never got the chance too. Let me start from the beginning. All you have to do is listen as I tell you the story of the last Tsarevich." Darnic spoke as he reverted back to his former identity for a moment in time to tell the Servant beside him his past. He then began to reminisce on said past as we were brought back in time to the foreign land of Russia-
Chapter 14 The Destiny of the Last Tsarevich
Ever since I could draw breath I had been blessed. I had been given everything that I could ask for on a silver platter, and I had truly loved my life. Apparently, my tutor, Pierre Gillard described me as 'one of the handsomest babies that one could imagine, with his lovely fair curls and his great blue-grey eyes under their fringe of long curling lashes.' I was only roughly a year and a half old, so I thought nothing much of it at the time, but when I grew up his words had empowered me.
"He's such a pretty child, tall for his age, with regular features, splendid dark blue eyes with a spark of mischief in them, brown hair, and an upright figure. I wish he was my child." The Baroness Sophie Buxhoeveden, who was my mother's lady-in-waiting described me as such. And it made me feel good about myself. It was safe to say that everyone treated me as if I was special, as if I was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. Clearly, I could not heal people or walk on water but why would I tell them to stop? I liked feeling special, it gave my life meaning.
Years passed by as I continued to enjoy my life as Russian Royalty without a care in the world. I lived my life by boasting about how the female officers would always kiss my hand and I often bragged about it to my sisters. I enjoyed jumping in front of the palace guards, but even though I was being nothing more than a brat, they always saluted me. That power, I began to crave it. I ordered a ton of Finnish soldiers to stand before me on the deck of some ship. They weren't even my nation's people and yet they stood behind me as if I were their king!
I felt that I needed to exert my power even more so when I was six years old, I was told that a group of soldiers had arrived at my beck and call. Once again, I found myself bragging about the power that I held to my sisters. They probably thought I was an annoying brat, most of them at least. But I didn't care. Not one bit. One time, I walked into my father's study, and the foreign minister at the time, Alexander Izvolsky was there and waiting to see my father but when I had entered the room, he was still sitting. I still remember what I said as clear as day-
"When the heir to the Russian Throne enters the room, you must get up!" I yelled out with a smile on my face. Even the foreign minister was caught off guard by this. But my father wasn't. He had long accepted my behavior ever since I was two when I commanded a ship's band to play for me. I had woken them up from a deep sleep and even though my father had every right to punish me for my unacceptable behavior-
"That's the way to bring up an aristocrat, Alexei the terrible! Hahaha!" My father joked around as he encouraged my mischievous behavior. You see, at every point in my life, I had been given a sense of power by all of the people around me even when I did not deserve it. I had truly thought I was the luckiest person in the entire world. That was the case until I was diagnosed with hemophilia. Suddenly, my entire life began to change faster than I could blink. Not long after I was diagnosed with hemophilia, my mother refused to let me ride my bike or play tennis with the other kids my age.
"Why can other boys have everything, and I have nothing!" I yelled out with a face full of rage and a voice that matched it. Perhaps, for the first time in my life, I was denied something. Something that should have been my right as the Tsarevich! I was utterly enraged and thought I had nothing even though I had been given everything in my wildest dreams. I was the personification of a hypocrite. But I didn't understand that at the time. Only when I came to understand the nature of my disease did I understand what it truly meant to be human.
"COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!" I violently coughed after running for a bit. My eyes went wide when I noticed that my hand had blood on it, blood that could have only come from my body. Just a bit of physical activity was able to make me draw blood. What a sick joke. My mother would rush over to me and berate me for not listening to her. But I didn't give a damn. I could only think that I was weak. And I hated that. So, I began to act out even more than I did in the past.
"Everyone! I order you to capture Tsarevich Alexei! He has stolen a bicycle!" My father ordered all of the palace guards to pursue and capture me. But I didn't stop there. One time when one of my friends was having a party, I jumped from table to table like an utter hooligan when the guards tried to calm me down, I only got more enraged.
"All of the grown-ups have to go!" I declared with a shout. Even though my friend at the time had just wanted to eat his cake and open his presents, I had denied him of that right. I felt like I had to be the center of attention at all times. My father realized that I wouldn't stop until I was given back my rights as the Tsarevich.
"Tsarevich Alexei will be allowed to do everything that other children of his age were not allowed to do, and not to restrain him unless it was absolutely necessary." My father ordered all the palace guards. Finally! I had been given my freedom back! It was then that I thought everything would return back to normal as if it were all a bad dream. But it didn't.
"Eh? Are you alright Alexei?" One of my friends said after we had roughhoused for a bit only to find out that my skin had been cut open. Why? Why was I still so frail?! Why was I so… so… weak?! I couldn't understand why God had given me such a body that was remarked as incredibly handsome but absurdly frail. It was that contradiction that began to ruin my life. I began to lose enjoyment in things. The things I used to do like biking and tennis, would only end up with me hurt and in bed for days on end.
I had assumed throughout my entire life that I was blessed. But I was wrong. I was cursed. Cursed to live a life that others would dream of but never be able to fully experience the fruits of such a life. Soon color began to vanish from my skin as I became increasingly pale after refusing to eat. I even refused to eat my favorite foods that I loved so very much. They didn't taste good anymore. Nothing was fun anymore. Life was boring.
Eventually, my parents noticed the change in my demeanor as the once rambunctious brat had been replaced by a shell of his former self who would only shut himself in his room and stare at the ceiling for hours on end. I began to hate the people around me, even my parents and sisters who showered me with nothing but affection. None of them mattered to me anymore. Life had lost its meaning for me.
"My name is Grigori Rasputin. I'm a faith healer whom your father had entrusted me to. Allow me to heal you of your illness." Rasputin asked with a pleasant look on his face, but I could no longer smile. He tried his best to cure me of hemophilia, but nothing he tried worked even though the disease had been around for over a century when I got it, there was no cure for it at the time. Even in the present day, there is no such cure. I had no choice but to accept my Fate.
But I couldn't. I hated feeling that I didn't have any power. If only… if only I could take back my future where I had everything! The future should belong to me! Becoming the Emperor of Russia is my birthright! If only I could look into my future, then I would be able to avoid scraping my knee or falling off my bike! If I was allowed that then everything would be back to the way it should be-
"AH!" I gasped loudly when out of the blue, one day my wish was granted. I didn't know it at the time, but I had been blessed with the Mystic Eyes of Precognition. There were two specific types, Predictive Precognition and Determinative Precognition. I possessed the latter of which that allowed me to foresee the future akin to watching a motion picture. That was what my right eye was able to witness and the first thing that I saw was corpses on the ground. All of them were ruthlessly killed and they had resembled my parents and sisters.
It was then that I felt a sense of purpose once more. I had to let them know of this future so that they could live. But even more than that so I wouldn't die. But no matter how many times I attempted to tell them of their future, they would always laugh it off and consider it to be one of the pranks that I had committed as a child. No one believed me no matter how much I tried to tell them of their eventual demise, except for one person, my sister Anastasia.
"Alexei, I believe you. You are not someone who would lie to others. Everything that you have said to me were your true feelings. After all, how could I not believe in my little brother?" Anastasia spoke with tears in her eyes as she was the only person who ever held complete faith in me even after I contracted hemophilia. My parents soon became bored of me as I showed no promise for the future, and my other sisters had no interest in someone they considered to be nothing more than a brat. But even though I had shown off and acted like a big shot in front of Anastasia. She still believed in me.
It was then that I began to confide in Anastasia more and more. I told her of my memories of when I enjoyed living my life and the dreams that were shaped by them. She was the only person I was able to vent to about my personal feelings. She would always listen to me with a smile on her face. Having someone around me who genuinely enjoyed my company made me reliant on her. One time, on a whim I had told her what my ideal world would be.
"I wish… that it wasn't so cold. I want there to be more days where I don't have to wear all of these clothes. They made me feel stuffy and itchy." I complained like any child would but even though I was being utterly childish, she still nodded and listened to me as she always did. It was then that I found out what her ideal world would be-
"I feel the same way. But what would make it even better would be if war ended. If there were no more fighting and bloodshed, then Father would be able to spend more time with us. We would all be together as a family forever and ever! Unfortunately, the power granted to a Grand Duchess is not enough to change things. But when you become Tsar, Alexei, I believe that you can create that world!" Anastasia spoke with a bright smile on her face as the sun shined onto her. It was only for a brief moment, but she looked like an angel. And for everything that she did for me, I wanted to grant that wish for her. However-
"I would love to see your dream come true… but I can't do it! I'm too weak! I can never become as strong as Father with this body! I'd be killed before stepping foot onto the battlefield! I'll die!" I yelled out as tears ran down my face. For the first time in my life, I had admitted my weakness to another person. I had never wanted to do something so shameful in front of anyone, but Anastasia was the exception because I trusted her more than I trusted myself.
My father was Commander in Chief of the Russian army. But unbeknownst to me, he had never fought in a single battle. However, my childish imagination had thought otherwise. Even then, Father had proven himself to have much more endurance and strength than I could ever hope to have with such a pathetic body. But even though I felt that I had no power to change my future and that I was destined to die a dog's death alongside my family, she disagreed with me.
"Alexei, don't lose faith in the future. I believe that the dreams of men, women, and children will never end. So, don't discredit your dreams as impossible. Strive to make them a reality. I know if anyone can defend the lives of our family, it's you." Anastasia whispered to me as she caressed my hair while I rested my head on her lap, and I cried my eyes out. It was then that I began to believe in her words and her ideals. Even though I was just a child, I wanted to believe in her words, so that my memories that shaped my dreams wouldn't die with me.
But no matter how much I tried to train my body to live up to my name, Alexei which means 'Defender' I would spit out blood by running and injure my internal organs by excising. I truly wanted to believe that I could actually change the future like Anastasia thought I could. So, when the promised day was about to occur as it was clear as day if our family stayed in Russia, we would be executed at the hands of the Bolsheviks, I had pleaded for her to escape with me. But to my utmost surprise, she refused. I became desperate.
"No! I don't want that! I want you to come with me! You, more than anyone else, are truly precious to me! So, please! Please don't leave me alone!" I begged with tears in my eyes as I bowed toward my sister. That was the first time I had ever done such a thing for someone other than my father. But even if my actions were considered shameful of Russian Royalty I didn't care. I wanted nothing more than for her to be by my side forever. Because she… she is the person who helped me find something to strive for! She brought purpose back to my life!
"… I want too… but I can't. If I were to flee the country, then I would be recognized by the civilians! But you… you can change your appearance to fit that of someone else! I know you can find some way to escape if you put your mind to it!" Anastasia pleaded with me once more as I attempted to believe in her words for the umpteenth time but found it impossible to do.
"But I don't want to live in a world without you! You helped me when no one else would! If you were to die… then I would want to die alongside you!" I yelled out while tears ran down my cheeks as I completely rejected a world without Anastasia in it. But it was then that she embraced me.
"I know… it must truly be painful for you. But… you have to live! That way one day you can return to Russia! That's why your dreams can't die here! Not until you accomplish them all and make Russia into a wonderful place for all to live in again! Only you can do that, Alexei!" Anastasia yelled out with tears in her eyes as I was spellbound by her words. If I could somehow live up to her words and my name and become someone who can 'defend' Russia from those blasphemous Bolsheviks, that would be an ideal future! But how can I do that when I can't even-
"… But without you… how can I find the strength to do such a thing? How can I find the willpower to smile?" I muttered as I hadn't had a smile on my face for years. But in all those times that I talked to Anastasia, she had noticed this. That's why she slipped something in my hands. We parted for a brief moment as I opened what she gave me, a silver amulet. My eyes went wide when I noticed that it had a picture of her in it. But that would only pale in comparison to what she was about to say next-
"Whenever you get upset or someone mistreats you or even if your back is against the wall, remember my smile. Believe in the sister who even in death will always believe that you have the power to change Fate itself. So please, never lose that wonderful smile on your face." Anastasia whispered as we embraced each other for the last time. I had vowed from that day on, I would live up to her words by never losing the smile on my face that she loved. But we soon parted as I had no choice but to abandon her.
'Step! Step! Step!' I ran away from my sister, my family, and the only place that I called home. I ran away from it all. I had no clue how I was going to escape Russia but as I remembered Anastasia's words, they brought me strength. Strength that I had never felt in my entire life. I had truly believed that I could live up to my sister's words and do anything that I set my mind to. That was when-
"Ah!" I gasped loudly as I noticed that my left eye began to act weird. Suddenly flashes of what I could do to achieve my escape went through my left eye. It was all I could see as I was given countless methods on how to achieve my goal of escaping Russia. It was at that moment, that my other Mystic Eye had awakened, the second half of the abilities granted by Determinative Precognition. The ability that grants methods on how to achieve the future you have seen in your right eye. It was then that I was given a sense of hope that I could change the Fates of my family.
However, all I could see with my right eye was me on a ship that was sailing away from Russia. No matter how many times I tried to use my right eye to see the future where my family had been executed, that future had inadvertently been set in stone. It was then that I almost collapsed to the ground and gave up on all of my dreams as my memories would fade away into nothingness along with them. But then…
"Hey watch it!" Someone yelled out as I unintentionally zoned out and bumped into someone. He gave me a look of anger before storming off in the direction of the ship that I was planning to board. However, in the process, his ticket had slipped out of his coat pocket and landed into my hands. It was such an insane amount of luck that I thought I was dreaming. But I wasn't. This was real. It was as if God was telling me to go on. So, I took one last look at the silver amulet Anastasia gave me before running away once more.
By using my Mystic Eyes of Precognition, I was able to disguise myself as a random child who was also boarding the ship. I even managed to take his identification papers as well due to the methods brought to me by the use of Determinative Precognition. With the ability to see the future with my right eye and the methods that allowed me to seize that future with my left, I did just that.
By sheer luck or perhaps Fate, the ship had sailed from my homeland and ended up in Romania. It was there that I made my way into Trifas and encountered a boy who had a very similar appearance to me to the point that we looked like twins. My right eye saw his dead corpse on the ground and my left eye gave me the method to achieve that outcome. I was horrified by this and wanted nothing else to avoid that future. But then…
'I know… it must truly be painful for you. But… you have to live! That way one day you can return to Russia! That's why your dreams can't die here! Not until you accomplish them all and make Russia into a wonderful place for all to live in again! Only you can do that, Alexei!' It was as if my sister from beyond the grave was telling me to seize that future, we both wanted by any means necessary. So, without a second thought, I picked up a stone rock and bashed the boy's head in with it.
'Bam!' The boy collapsed to the ground with a 'thud!' And died on the spot. I dropped the rock and stripped myself of my clothes and the boy's clothes as well. I then put on his clothes and assumed my new identity. The boy named Alexei Nikolaevich was retroactively dead when his family was executed at the hands of the Bolsheviks. That meant I had no ties left to that boy other than his memories and dreams. The same memories and dreams that had shaped my destiny. It was then that I had taken the deceased child's name as my own, which I would later find out to be Edouard Edgeworth.
As Edouard Edgeworth, I found myself a new family. However, they were not nearly as wealthy as the family I had when I was Alexei. At this rate, I would never be able to see my dreams take fruition. Or that would be the case if I didn't have my Mystic Eyes of Precognition. With those blessed eyes, I was able to curry favor with the family that had the most influence in Trifas, the Yggdmillennia family. It was then that I had met the person who would become the next head of the Yggdmillennia, Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia.
With his influence and Fate to take over his family, Darnic was more than suitable to become my next identity. However, my right eye did not allow me to see a future where he had perished at my hands. It didn't take long for me to realize that what I was seeing wasn't exactly the future, but a version of the future that I could achieve with my hands. By realizing this I learned that the time to kill Darnic and steal his identity was not yet achievable. I was enraged by this and wanted to take my Fate by any means necessary just like I did when I killed Edouard Edgeworth and became him. But before I could-
'Whenever you get upset or someone mistreats you or even if your back is against the wall, remember my smile. Believe in the sister who even in death will always believe that you have the power to change Fate itself. So please, never lose that wonderful smile on your face.' Anastasia's words resonated with me as I regained my smile and backed off for the time being. Through my sister's words, I learned patience and realized that I had to wait for the perfect opportunity to kill Darnic.
So, I waited… and waited… and waited as years passed by in the blink of an eye and I played the role of Darnic's friend. By manipulating him I was able to become his most treasured friend and even though I had not a cent to my name, he chose me to accompany him to the Clock Tower, since the descendants of respected mage families had the right to allow a single person to come with them as their apprentice. Once again Fate had favored me as I was given a chance to study abroad alongside Darnic at the Clock Tower. It was there I met another man who would become my friend, Tatsuo Tohsaka.
By taking a class taught by Tatsuo I was able to learn about the five great elements. However, most Mages possessed a single one, some possessed two, and a few had possession of all five which made them truly acknowledged as special among their peers. It was there that I realized my true potential as a Mage by harnessing the element that I had an affinity for. But this element wasn't one of the five great elements. Instead, I had gained the power of an Imaginary Element.
I had no knowledge regarding such an element's existence. So, I confided to Tatsuo as it was clear by my right eye, that he was a person that I could trust. Through Tatsuo, I learned that this element was rare even among all the Mages not just of the Clock Tower, but of the entire Mage's Association. I was ecstatic and wanted to brag to others about it just as I had done in the past with my sisters, but Tatsuo forbade it.
Tatsuo told me to keep it a secret and never use it unless it was absolutely necessary. Because if the Lords of the Clock Tower found out then I would be studied like a guinea pig for the rest of my life. It was then that I realized that Tatsuo Tohsaka was a good person. After graduating from the Clock Tower, I requested to become his apprentice and he agreed. With the influence and prestige of the Tohsaka family backing me, for a time, I thought of nothing regarding my plans of killing Darnic. I almost even considered abandoning it altogether because I had met a person who I could truly call my first and only friend. However-
'Edgeworth?! H-Have you gone mad?!' Tatsuo shouted to me after I had disposed of the shaman. The reason why I had done so wasn't just because that old man was a pathetic waste of space who didn't deserve to draw breath. But also, because I glimpsed into the future with my right eye that saw Tatsuo's wife dead on a hospital bed as Tatsuo cried over her corpse. That's when my left eye had given me the precise method to obliterate that future. It was truly a surefire way to end things...
'BANG!' Because no one could survive a bullet to the head.
However, to my utmost surprise, Tatsuo did not understand that I did this for him. Why?! Why couldn't he understand?! I had no choice but to leave with disappointment in my friend. I had attempted to contact my friend, but he had gone abroad with the man he met at Waverly Hills, Indiana Jones. Even though I had spent so much time with him, he had discarded me like a piece of trash. It was then in a fit of rage where I almost lost my smile for the first time in decades was when I saw Darnic's corpse below my feet with my right eye.
It was then that my true goal, what I had been striving for, for so many years was finally achievable. So, I used the precise methods granted to me by my left eye to achieve that reality by cornering him in a place where it was just the two of us. To my utmost surprise, Darnic asked me to travel to Japan with him. I agreed because this was in accordance with the method that I sought to achieve. It was then that we both traveled to Fuyuki and to a place called Ryuudou Temple.
However, Ryuudou Temple was a place filled to the brim with monks and they would surely spot me killing Darnic which would foil all of my plans. I had intended to lure him to a better location that was away from prying eyes but before I could suggest such a thing-
"This way, Edouard!" Darnic yelled out with a smile on his face as he walked away from the temple and to a nearby path that ended up with us standing in front of a cave. I was astonished by this. It was so perfect! It was almost as if he was intending for me to kill him! Darnic then led me into the depths of the cave where I aimed my gun that I had hidden in my coat's pocket with the intention of killing him and seizing my destiny that I had foreseen with my right eye! But before I could kill him-
"Edouard! You wouldn't believe it! But I found something truly extraordinary! Feast your eyes on this!" Darnic shouted as I instinctively hid my gun inside my coat's pocket once more. It was then that I came face to face with something that lived up to the word, 'extraordinary.' It was pure white, and utterly massive. That was the best way to describe something I had never laid eyes on before.
"What is that?" I asked as my jaw dropped to the floor out of sheer surprise. I truly had no idea what I was looking at and Darnic knew that. Darnic had stumbled upon it completely by chance and now he was sharing this discovery with his best friend.
"Edouard, 'that' is the Greater Grail of Fuyuki. It's an omnipotent wish granter that allows any wish beyond your wildest imagination to become reality! But it can only be powered by the deaths of Heroic Spirits. That is why I want you to become a Master and fight alongside me in the Third Holy Grail Wa- Darnic spoke but before he could finish, I cut him off-
'BANG!' By shooting him in the head. Darnic collapsed to the ground with a smile on his face as he had not even considered a betrayal from me in the slightest. I mean how could he? I played the role of his best friend for years and years for this moment! And I finally achieved it! Not only that but now I can actually achieve the world that me and Anastasia both wanted! Once again, Fate had given me everything I wanted on a silver platter and much more! At long last…
… I FINALLY HAVE KILLED DARNIC PRESTONE YGGDMILLENNIA!
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I laughed hysterically as I cried tears of joy which fell onto Darnic's corpse and mixed with the blood gushing from his fatal wound.
It wasn't long after that, that I learned what exactly Heroic Spirits were through the notes that Darnic left behind along with what it meant to be a Master. I learned of everything that Darnic sought to achieve and stole it from him along with his name! Reconstructive surgery was relatively new with it only being a decade old, but with the Mystic Eyes of Precognition, it was easy to find a physician who was qualified to achieve what I desired. It was then that my face had resembled Darnic to the point that no one would be able to tell the difference between us.
However, the only thing that would reveal the truth that I was not actually Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia was the tattoo on my back that was the double-headed eagle, one head facing west while the other faced east. It was the official emblem of the royal family of Russia as well as the final tie to my original identity. If word had gotten out that I had this on my back, then I would be deported back to Russia and killed because only Russian Tsars have such a symbol on their back. That's why it was imperative that no one found out or I would have no choice but to silence them on the spot.
Not long after I had become Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, I learned that he had curried favor with the leader of the Nazi Party named Adolf Hitler when the former had traveled to Germany. I didn't think much of it at the time but that all changed on January 30, 1933, when Hitler was appointed as the chancellor of Germany. I was astonished by this twist and contacted him soon after. Behind closed doors, I told him of the upcoming Third Holy Grail War in Fuyuki. And with the promise of giving Hitler the Grail, he gave me a full battalion of Nazis to take with me when the Grail War began and given the rank of Major. I was now in possession of true power…
… AND WITH IT NO ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO STOP ME! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Now we return to the present-
"So, what is it that you gain from telling me your life story?" Saber asked as Darnic gave him a wide smile as the sun had finished setting behind them and was replaced by the moon.
"I want you to become my ally." Darnic replied as even though he no longer had Command Spells on his hand, the potential to make a contract with another Servant was still possible and Saber knew this.
"And why would I do such a thing? Do you really expect me to betray my Master for someone I had only just met?" Saber asked but this only caused Darnic's smile to grow even wider.
"Of course! I know that you are disappointed with that pathetic scoundrel who somehow managed to summon you! He has no ambition to rise above being a common criminal! But I do! I'm going to take back Russia by killing Stalin if it's the last thing I do! It is my birthright to take back the throne and become Tsar of Russia! And as a fellow Emperor, I want your help! Your help to make sure that my dream becomes reality, Nurhaci!" Darnic yelled out as he couldn't contain his excitement anymore. He was so close to achieving his dream that he could taste it and it was absolutely tantalizing!
'Whoooosh!' The cold wind passed by the two men as the once-emperor and the future emperor locked eyes with each other. Nurhaci could see the conviction in Darnic's eyes and knew what the latter had just uttered was the truth. Saber then stood up from the park bench and bowed toward the Major of Nazi Germany, just as the latter had foreseen with his right eye and achieved all of this with his left eye.
"For the time being, I have a duty to my Master. However, once he has fallen, I will serve you and only you as your Servant." Saber declared as he had found someone so much more promising than his Master.
'You bring me great shame by acting like a trivial Servant when you should be the one acting like a Master. I will now take out my frustrations on those fools in the distance. Unless you have anything to say about it.' Nurhaci spoke these words to his Master during the fight in the warehouse near the docks and it was the truth. All this time, Nurhaci had been so disappointed with his descendant and wished nothing more for him to take his place as Emperor of China.
However, Lao Che had no such intentions and only wanted the Grail to increase his wealth. It was so foolish to the point that when Nurhaci heard his Master's wish, he almost wanted to kill himself and return to the Throne of Heroes for being partly responsible for the birth of such a narrow-minded man. The only things that kept him in this world, were the fights with the other Servants and the booze. He had hoped that his Master would see the error of his ways and take his place on the throne of China, but that would never come to be.
But now, Nurhaci has met a like-minded individual who seeks nothing more than to take back his birthright. Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia is by all intents and purposes the exact kind of man that Nurhaci wished to serve. Someone who was able to take his future by any means necessary. And it was for that reason that Saber promised to serve Darnic once the former's Master fell off the stage. That was the only thing holding Saber back from joining him. However, Darnic had already seen the demise of Lao Che with his right eye and the exact method to kill him with his left eye. And this made Darnic smile sadistically as the promised day was in sight.
"See you around." Nurhaci spoke before turning into his Pterosaur form and soaring into the sky. The pterodactyl then vanished as night fell on Fuyuki as the final night of the Third Holy Grail War has begun.
To Be Continued…