Review Responses:
Midsunris- I'm gonna stay mostly silent on your theories, but I will confirm that EMIYA won't be getting summoned in this story. The catalyst Rin received is related to a different Servant. I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying the original Servants I've introduced. I've put a lot of work into adapting what myths (or lack thereof in Chrysaor's case) exist to a form that meshes well with existing Fate lore.
SentinalSlice- Due to usurping the Ruler position, Morgan isn't going to receive the Command Spells that Rulers normally get from the Grail. I did consider allowing her to have them, but I concluded it was a very powerful card that made balancing Morgan in this story very difficult.
Guest- Shiro is going to be contracting with Ruler, but the actual process Morgan is doing to become a Servant is similar to the creation of a Pseudo-Servant. Basically, she's summoning herself into herself. This process will mostly lock her into her "Morgan" personality, but special circumstances could allow her fairy personality to surface briefly.
Thank you to everyone who Favorited, Followed, or Reviewed. Enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia or any Fate works, and they are the properties of their respective creators.
Nagoya Sublimation VII: The Grail Canon
Ota Ward, Tokyo
Day 3, Morning
"Oh dear… another earthquake. Just what is happening today?"
Carefully picking the broken fragments of a teacup off the floor, Riyo Hagakure sighed.
Riyo was an attractive woman in her early forties, who could easily be mistaken as being a decade or two younger. Her outfit was rather unremarkable, a plain white apron tied over a brown sweater and a pair of faded jeans, and her chartreuse hair was tied into a messy bun. All in all, she was the model image of a housewife.
After putting the last of the cup shards into a small wastebasket she had grabbed, Riyo pushed herself off the floor. Heading over to the dishwasher, she pulled it open to check if any of the dishes in there had been damaged.
'Oh, this plate is cracked. At this rate, these earthquakes will ruin all my tableware. I'll have to go and buy more. Although I suppose Osamu could order some using that computer of his.'
A bit of an oddball in the modern era, Riyo had little to no understanding of technology. Despite her husband's suggestions of getting a phone or buying a TV or radio for their home, Riyo always resisted, saying "they didn't need it". She did relent and let her daughter get a smartphone in middle school, but she remained steadfast when it came to her own technology usage.
It was because of this aversion that Riyo was wholly unaware of what was happening in Nagoya this morning. Instead, she could only speculate about the shaking as she continued about her day.
After putting the various other ruined dishes in the wastebasket with the shattered teacup, Riyo returned to her original task— making lunch for her daughter, Toru.
Finishing up the sandwich, Riyo put the plate on a small tray before moving out of the kitchen. Making her way to Toru's bedroom door, she gently knocked before calling out to her daughter.
"Toru, honey? I've made you some lunch!"
On the other side of the door, Toru muttered a response, barely loud enough for Riyo to hear.
"I'm not hungry."
At her daughter's words, Riyo's face turned into a frown. It wasn't a disapproving frown, but one of sadness and worry.
"Honey, you need to eat. You haven't eaten since dinner last night."
"..."
Getting no response, Riyo sighed.
"I'll leave lunch outside your door. It's your favorite, so please eat it, dear."
Receiving silence once again, Riyo gazed worryingly at her daughter's door.
Toru's depressive mood was understandable. Just two days prior, she had become part of U.A.'s Heroics Course, taking her first steps towards Pro-Herodom. That was, at least, until the test. Pulling the class into a surprise physical examination, her teacher, Shota Aizawa, declared the lowest-performing student would be expelled. Toru had tried her best, but she ultimately fell upon the chopping block— only narrowly losing to the grape-haired classmate Mineta. Despite Toru's hope the threat might have been a lie, Aizawa had followed through on his declaration. With just four words, he had shattered Toru's dreams into a million pieces.
"Toru Hagakure. You're expelled."
Coming home that day, Toru was distraught. She had cried till her eyes hurt and soaked her parents' shirts with tears.
The day after her expulsion, Toru had done her best to hope. After learning of her expulsion, her friends sent her some hopeful information about Aizawa's past expulsions. She clung to the knowledge that Aizawa had expelled his entire class the previous year— only to reinstate them the next day.
By the end of the second day, the spark of hope in Toru had gone out. She wasn't going to be like the Students of class 2-A. She hadn't even been given the solace of a transfer to General Studies. Even her father's request to speak with the school's principal had been denied, Nezu being apparently "busy with other matters". Toru Hagakure was well and truly expelled.
From that point, Hagakure was like a zombie, and her mental state had taken a nosedive. She holed herself up in her room, barely eating or sleeping. Her phone was within arm's reach, but she let the messages pile up.
'What do they matter? I'm a useless failure. Everyone's better off not associating with me.'
Riyo and Osamu had talked about suing the school over the emotional damage to their daughter, but Osamu was doubtful of their chances. HPSC backing aside, U.A.'s lawyers were ferocious. Something as "small" as a disgruntled student was likely to be swept under the rug.
As her mother worried outside her door, Toru sat on her bed in silence. Her knees were up to her face, and she was only half-cognizant of the world around her. Even as the sky shook, and her windows became aglow from distant light, Toru only slightly shifted her head.
But seconds later, her mind was flung back into focus. Her left hand, invisible like the rest of her body, became engulfed in a crimson light. Surprised and confused, Hagakure was momentarily torn from her stupor.
"Huh?"
As Toru watched in awe, a strange set of sigils began to carve themselves onto the back of her hand. The red marks possessed an eerie beauty, taking the shape of a bird's wing. But she noticed something more than just the tattoo.
"Is that… a tattoo? And… my hand?"
It was something Toru didn't think was possible. Her Quirk, Invisibility, made her body invisible to everyone— even herself. She did possess an instinctive understanding of the movement and positioning of her body, but that sixth sense still didn't mean she was visible.
Yet now, plain as day, Toru Hagakure could see her own left hand.
Rushing to the nearest mirror, Toru saw her reflection remained as invisible as ever— left hand included. That was even more confusing. How could she see her left hand with her eyes and yet not see it in a mirror?
'Am I dreaming? Is this reality?'
A lightbulb then went off in Toru's head.
'If I can see it… can Mom see it too?'
Toru's reemergence surprised Riyo, who quickly turned around at the end of the hallway.
"Toru! You surprised me! Are you…"
But Toru wasn't focused on her mother's words. She instead carefully picked up the lunch tray left at her door, showing her hand as her mother as she did so.
Yet her mother didn't even react. Her eyes did not even linger on her daughter's hands.
'Mom can't see it… a mirror can't show it… what is going on?!'
"...Toru! Are you alright? Can you hear me?"
"ThanksforthefoodMomLoveyou."
Closing the door in her bewildered mother's face, Toru sat down at her desk. Her hands clutched her head as she grappled with this craziness.
'Is this a dream? No, I'm definitely not dreaming. What the heck is going on? What the hell is wrong with my left hand?'
Ultimately, she had no answers to her questions. Left only with bewilderment over the strange red stigmata, she settled into eating lunch, her brain swirling with a vast mix of questions.
Unbeknownst to her, spreading from the Command Spells, were a facsimile of magic circuits. In the absence of magical capabilities, a similar concept was being constituted from her Quirk Factor. Beneath her skin, those false circuits resonated with Toru's curiosity. It was not a proper wish or summons, but those were a formality in the end.
In the end, Toru Hagakure was a Master. And a Master must receive a Servant.
Toru knew nothing of magic, the War, or the Grail, but the systems would make up for her lack of knowledge. If the faint eldritch energy pulsing off Toru could be translated, it would sound like a chant. An echo… reaching out to the Throne of Heroes.
Fill… Fill… Fill… Fill… Fill…
Higashi Ward, Nagoya
Day 3, Morning
"I… failed."
Sitting himself down on a small pile of rubble, Toshinori Yagi's mood was dominated by the bitterness of defeat.
He was the No.1 Hero, the Symbol of Peace. It was his role to protect Japan in times of crisis… and he failed. That "Jester Karture" and "Avenger" had gotten away, free to plan their next big scheme.
"If only those three hadn't left… I have so many questions."
As he sat, Toshinori's mind lingered back to Archer's final words.
"If you continue to seek answers regarding the Holy Grail War… be prepared to not like what you find."
'The Holy Grail War… that sort of name almost sounds like something an eighth grader would think up. But I'm certain that isn't the case. Something strange is lurking behind the scenes here.'
To begin with, there were those strange titles.
'Saber… Rider… Archer… Avenger… those names are thematic, and although they seemed unfamiliar with each other, they clearly held some degree of connection.'
'And then there was the way they described that shape-shifting man, Jester… I did not recognize all the terminology, but they all seemed to believe him to be a vampire. But that's impossible… right? Vampires aren't real, and his Quirk certainly wasn't a vampirism one.'
In fact, All Might was not certain if the man even had a singular Quirk.
'Karture, and the others for that matter— they all wielded multiple Quirks. There is no other way to describe it. It wasn't like young Todoroki's Half-Cold Half-Hot… the only explanation I can think of is an unknown individual with some remote teleportation Quirk being behind their vanishment. But then why were they all unfamiliar with each other? Not to mention, that "Rider" girl indicated she had some sort of "Master", and Archer described the connection between "Avenger" to the so-called vampire in a similar way. I can't even confidently say this is the work of my old enemy. There's just too many oddities.'
Toshinori felt a headache coming on. He was a fighter, not a thinker. Analysis was Naomasa's territory, not his.
'I'll need to schedule a meeting with him… Naomasa needs to know about everything I've stumbled upon.'
After a few more minutes alone, All Might heard the distinct sound of a helicopter approaching. Turning his head to the left, he saw one pull up next to a gaping hole in one of the penthouse's walls.
The helicopter was black and was emblazoned with the logo of the Nagoya Police Department. The door opened and an orange-haired police officer called out to him.
"All Might! Do you need a lift?"
The No.1 Hero picked himself up and nodded, making his way into the copter.
"Yes, I would appreciate a ride down, Officer…"
"Konatsu. Officer Kinro Konatsu. I'm with the Nagoya Police Force, although I suppose the helicopter told you that. Are you injured, sir?"
"Nothing serious. I'm able to move on my own, although I'm rather sore."
"Still probably good to get you checked out. We'll be heading to the medical camp in the Nakagawa Ward. The HPSC will take it from there."
Doing some quick mental math, All Might was confident he'd be able to maintain his muscle form until their ride was over. Hopefully, Aizawa would help cover his departure.
Looking at Officer Konatsu, All Might attempted to continue the conversation, "Did you encounter any trouble getting here?"
The man shook his head.
"No, thankfully. Our flight from the Minato Ward was devoid of any opposition. Right as we entered the high-risk zone, there was that explosion of light, and all the sand monsters vanished along with the clouds. Can you provide any intel about that?"
"Yes, but may I save it for the official report? I'm quite tired."
Kinro nodded, "Of course, sir. I apologize if I was too pushy."
All Might shook his head, "Not at all. I understand your desire to get all the details as fast as possible."
"Yes, the HPSC and the government are already breathing down our necks. It hasn't even been an hour since the incident wrapped up. But I can't blame them. There's far too many unknowns about today, and no one likes it."
All Might raised an eyebrow, "You make it sound like there was more than just the enemies I fought."
Konatsu grimaced, "I am afraid so. After your passage through the Minato Ward, the team there was assailed by an unidentified armored villain. He almost took out Gang Orca, Gunhead, Khao Lam, and Eraserhead. Luckily Endeavor and some other heroes got there in time."
"Eraserhead? Is he alright?"
"The latest report says he has a bad concussion from being tossed around, but he's not crippled or lethally wounded. The other Heroes that were in Minato are in a similar state, although Endeavor's the most banged up. In more unfortunate news though, Captain Sparta lost his life early on in the battle."
"Captain Sparta is dead? That's horrible…"
Kinro sighed, "Unfortunately, I have more bad news to give. Another unidentified villain appeared in the west, and took the lives of Kamui Woods and Ryukyu before retreating."
"Kamui Woods and Ryukyu too? I… I should have…"
The officer's expression became thoughtful, "All Might, the HPSC and the general citizenry may not realize it, but we in law enforcement know you aren't God. You fought at the nexus of the disaster, and from the looks of it, managed to end the storm entirely. You did what you could, and you did it well."
All Might chose not to reveal the storm ceasing had not been his doing. Maybe it was wrong of him, but he did not want to tarnish Officer Konatsu's view of him. As he and the policeman continued to discuss the Nagoya situation, his thoughts lingered on the events in the penthouse. Too many questions remained. There was still much work that needed to be done. Although the storm in Nagoya had ceased, Toshinori suspected the true chaos was only just beginning.
Iida, Nagano Prefecture
Day 3, Afternoon
On the southern end of the Nagano Prefecture, a red cloud swirled just above the roof of a skyscraper. To prevent detection from both sight and satellites, a small bounded field had been set up around the rooftop.
Leaning against one of the roof's HVAC units, Jester Karture yawned as he did his best to stay out of the sunlight. Although Dead Apostles were not helpless in the daytime, they did experience a sluggishness when exposed to direct sunlight.
Stretching his arms to an unnatural degree, the Dead Apostle let out a lengthy sigh.
"Ahhhhh… I haven't felt this exhausted in a century!"
The battle in the penthouse had taken its toll. His Golem Concept Core had been destroyed, and he was down to a single Command Spell. Compared to the other Masters in the Holy Grail War, things did not look fortunate for him. Yet, Jester was happy, ecstatic even. The grand scheme of destruction he and his Servant concocted was making its first steps toward completion. Many things had gone awry, yes, and the losses were palpable, but victory was still his.
He had done what no one ever achieved before— he had stolen the Holy Grail. It wasn't some fictional copy like done in Snowfield either. He had stolen the Greater Grail of Fuyuki, the treasure of the Einzbern, Makiri, and Tohsaka families. The theft was completed just in time, as well. Minutes after using Avenger's other Noble Phantasm to escape Nagoya, Jester felt Van-Fem's disownment strike him. The link he had to an Ancestor's bloodline was broken, and his power had been reduced significantly. He would no longer be able to achieve the display of strength he showcased in Nagoya. He was still extremely powerful of course, but if he was attacked by numerous Servants like today, his odds of winning were far slimmer.
Still, the fortunes he reaped far outweighed the negatives of his situation. Zelretch would have more difficulty interfering with his actions, and the True Servants' arrival would draw the War's focus. As the new chaos unfolded, Jeste and Avenger could slip back into the shadows. Once the fools were done slaughtering each other, he could return and claim the True Grail. After all, he had a distinct advantage— he knew where the Greater Grail was. Even though his status as a pseudo-Lesser Grail had been mysteriously revoked, he still had a significant connection to the Grail Systems to know its location in the Fulmo Mountains.
"I could head to the Greater Grail and monopolize the ritual site… but that's just boring. If I'm going to be on the sidelines, I at least want to be a proper audience to this War. Besides, who's to say I won't get another chance to get in on the action?"
Humming to himself, Jester dedicated his focus to his Servant, "What are your thoughts, Avenger?"
Initially, the serpent of chaos remained silent. Just as Jester was about to ask again, Apophis's voice finally echoed in the Dead Apostle's mind.
'Do as you wish, Earthborn. The usage of both my Noble Phantasms has exhausted even my vast mana, and I have remained in a physical form for far too long. I shall concern myself with proper materialization foremost.'
Due to instabilities in its Saint Graph, Apophis was a Servant who struggled to maintain a physical form. It was most practical for Jester's Servant to be dematerialized for the majority of the time. Even then, it was easier for the serpent to stay in a mana-saving red sand form. The extensive time in physical form, as well as the size he had chosen, had taken its toll. It would be some time before Apophis's strength restabilized to the level he was before the Nagoya Disaster.
Jester nodded, "Sounds good to me. We, who have set this War ablaze, shall stand back and watch the flames grow. Although, there is one thing I want to do."
'And what is that, Earthborn?'
"Nothing immediate. It is merely… spite. I don't care about Archer or All Might, but I have a bone to pick with those two Servants who fought me. Especially Saber. He dared destroy one of my souls… and that begets punishment."
'So, it is revenge you seek. Revenge against mere mortal heroes.'
"As one who reviles the Gods themselves, it may seem small to you… but I am a creature of desire. I want to defile and degrade that wretched Saber, tear him and his Master limb from limb. My pride demands it."
'Very well. I shall follow you in this plan… but defeating Saber will be your endeavor. I will not raise my tail against him.'
"Good. I wouldn't want you to anyway, my dear Avenger. This quest of mine is beneath you— like you said."
'Indeed. For now, let us gather our strength within the shadows. Until the time is right for us to loom over this War once more.'
In the hours following the largest villain attack in recent history, Japan was covered by a veil of uncertainty and fear.
Nagoya, the capital of the Aichi Prefecture, had been invaded by villains that were unlike anything the normal citizenry knew.
Even with the presence of countless Pro Heroes due to the Fauna Thematic Heroes Conference and reinforcements called by the HPSC, numerous lives were lost to the "Red Shamblers" that had spawned from a phenomenon experts were struggling to unravel.
In fact, the whole incident, which news outlets were now calling "The Nagoya Disaster", was swirling with mysteries.
First was the orchestrators of the attack. Despite the HPSC and public suspicion of a large villain group, All Might had reported that he only fought two individuals in the Tipoca Building's penthouse suite. Avenger, a colossal red serpent, and Jester Karture, a shapeshifting individual.
Both of the villains raised plenty of questions. In Avenger's case, analysts had been stumped by his power and apparent intelligence. Although intelligent Quirked animals did exist, individuals such as Principal Nezu were intelligent as a byproduct of their Quirk. Avenger was intelligent, colossal in scale, and possessed a city-scale sand manipulation power. The accepted theory was that Avenger was a sort of secret crossbreed of Quirked snakes. However, some analysts had thrown in the towel instead, concluding the world had a real-life Kaiju on its hands. The media had latched on to this idea and had already begun to compare Avenger to the likes of Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and Yamata-no-Orochi.
Jester, while a simpler case from the HPSC's analysis, was still incredibly unusual. Based on the comments the vigilantes on the scene had made, he possessed a vampiric Quirk of some sort. Yet, it seemed this "Jester Karture" had no garden-variety vampire Quirk. Using All Might's observations and the nicknames as a basis, the HPSC's analysts suspected Karture's Quirk was a form of "Total Physical Assimilation". By their assessment, this meant Jester could absorb an individual's physical form and abilities, and then transform into said forms as he pleased. Although All Might was busy fighting Avenger, he did notice at least two forms, the gray-haired young man with a Quirk that let him manipulate fire and wind and a red-furred werewolf with incredible strength. Whatever its true nature, Jester's Quirk worried the HPSC immensely. Shapeshifting villains were already troublesome, and the apparent ability to utilize their Quirks made Jester a potential second coming of All For One. All the worse, since he could steal an appearance, he could be masquerading as anyone, hiding anywhere— they couldn't even know if he was actually a male.
However, Jester and Avenger were not the end of the HPSC's troubles. In the Tipoca battlefield alone, there were three more unknowns: the vigilantes who allied with All Might.
First was Archer, a man whom the news had begun calling "Dark Might", due to his similar stature and muscularity to the No.1 Hero. He certainly had comparable strength, being capable of leaping between entire buildings. But based on observations by All Might, his actual Quirk seemed to be a form of conjuration or transportation, which he used to supply himself with arrows. Some analysts had suggested his Quirk might be teleportation-based, and he was behind the departure of all three vigilantes. However, given All Might's report on the interactions between the vigilantes, the likelihood of such a theory was low.
The second vigilante, Saber, had been present before All Might and Archer arrived. Along with being a master swordsman, he seemed to have a hydrokinesis Quirk of incredible potency. Analysis of the city's street cameras revealed this man had been present in Higashi at the onset of the attack, which ultimately gave more questions than answers. A street camera captured Saber somehow transforming his civilian attire to his vigilante one, something totally unconnected to hydrokinesis.
The third vigilante was strange in a different way. They were also the only of the three with an actual name. All Might had said Saber asked if they were "Rider", which the vigilante had corroborated, but Rider also referred to themself as "Astolfo". The HPSC ultimately settled on Astolfo in their information release, but were unable to list anything regarding the vigilante's Quirk. All Might had not observed anything noteworthy, so the entry was left blank.
But the list wasn't done. There were the threats that had popped up in other Wards.
In the Naka Ward, the vigilante Ariadne, or "Caster", used a string-manipulation Quirk capable of outmatching Kamui Woods and Native simultaneously. But she also displayed some strange ability with ethereal trees. This ability was of particular interest to the HPSC because it caused significant damage to Avenger's storm. According to Native's report, she may have died in the black tornado that killed Kamui Woods and Ryukyu, but he was unable to confirm anything.
The other anomaly in the Naka Ward had been Ariadne's enemy, a dark-skinned woman with draconic mutations called "Lancer". Native's report described four abilities that didn't seem to overlap in any meaningful way— a trishula conjuration power, a purple flame power, the ability to survive a stab to the throat, and a dark tornado called "Asurashreshtha". The tornado seemed to be the most powerful of her abilities, capable of completely obliterating Ryukyu and Kamui Woods' bodies. Like the villains and vigilantes in Higashi, Lancer's disappearance from the battlefield had been abrupt, and Oogami's agency reported the tornado vanishing as they approached.
The last unknown the HPSC was investigating was the masked villain who incapacitated Hawks. Calling himself "False Assassin", he paralyzed the Winged Hero with an unknown agent. It did not seem to be his Quirk, which Hawks (who thankfully escaped by the skin of his teeth) had posited was a claw mutation one.
There was also the unnamed black knight who attacked numerous Heroes in the Minato Ward, but Endeavor seemed to have vaporized that one. With no visible leads on the knight, the HPSC put that case on a lower level of priority.
In an unprecedented inclusion, 'Avenger', 'Jester Karture', and 'Lancer' were labeled S-Rank villains, while 'False Assassin' was made Rank A. The vigilantes weren't classified as villains due to the tenuous situation of their helpful role, although the HPSC certainly considered it. Mera, in particular, had urged the other admins to try and get these vigilantes on their side, a notion the President agreed with.
Overall though, the HPSC was not happy. The world set its eyes on Japan, and Japan's people had turned their eyes to heroes. The pressures in hero society had risen, all thanks to this sudden disaster. Nagoya would rebuild, yes, but they would not forget.
The people of Japan wanted answers, answers the HPSC could not provide. If only everyone knew what secrets they were stumbling into. This was no wasp's nest… this was a veritable Pandora's Box, a spark that could set the world aflame.
The world finally began to discover the Moonlit World. No gas leak or electrical failure could obscure it. The Holy Grail War was coming into the view of the mundane.
Ushimitsu City, Wakayama Prefecture
Day 3, Afternoon
When a villain needs medical work done, where do they go? The answer is, of course, villain doctors.
Due to numerous crackdowns by heroes, there were only a few left, but they were all highly skilled. But more than that, the ones that remained made themselves extremely hard to find.
Luckily for Dabi, he knew where one of those villain doctors was.
From the exterior, the location looked like a diving shop with its "CLOSED" sign perpetually on display. Making his way to the side entrance of the store, Dabi rapped his knuckle on the metal door three times.
It opened soon after, and a bestial-looking man let Dabi inside. He was the doctor's bodyguard, a villain called Bearhead.
"Boss is downstairs."
'Stupid Bearhead, treating me like a newcomer… even though I've been here plenty of times before.'
Flipping off Bearhead, Dabi made his way down the stairs.
The man he was here to see was Doctor Isana Genyōsha, better known as Curator in the underworld. After being stripped of his medical license, Isana became an ally of All For One. Before his split from the Symbol of Evil's circle, he had worked with Kyudai Garaki to save Dabi from his near-fatal childhood accident.
Despite the many surgeries and fix-ups Curator provided Dabi over the following years, one thing never seemed to change. Isana Genyōsha was a condescending, foul-mouthed jackass.
As he reached the basement, Dabi saw Curator working at a table. Isana was a tall and lanky man with black hair, dressed in a white lab coat. The one oddity to his appearance was a gray diving helmet with barnacle-shaped protrusions, which covered the left side of his face. Isana had overdosed on Trigger sometime in the past, causing his Whale transformation Quirk to permanently mutate the left side of his face. Disgusted by his changed appearance, Isana had taken to wearing a mask to hide his shame. Dabi knew better than to comment on it, though. Mentioning it would mean, at best, Curator never again opening his door to you.
Turning away from the table where he was dissecting a small octopus, Isana glared at Dabi.
"Oh, great. It's you again. What's your damn problem this time?"
Dabi grimaced, knowing Isana wasn't going to like what he was asking for. Putting his left hand up, he explained.
"A couple hours ago this weird-ass tattoo appeared on my hand. Can you get it off me?"
Isana stared at him as if trying to assess whether the flame villain was serious.
"Idiot arsonist… I'm not a goddamn tattoo parlor. But at least you're better than her."
"Her?"
Isana grunted as he bobbed his head to the right. Turning to look, Dabi was surprised to see a gray-haired young woman unconscious in a vat.
"Stupid Volcano Thieves member thought she could use my services to get breast implants. So I stuck her in there. I'll decide what to do with her later."
'Crazy as ever, that whale bastard. But she ain't my problem, so whatever.'
"Are you going to stick me in a vat too?"
Isana chuckled maliciously, "Don't tempt me, Todoroki. Your request is stupid, but I'm in a good mood today. Count yourself lucky."
'Good mood, huh? Never would have guessed with you, jackass. And dammit, you're always calling me by that name.'
Turning to his patient, Curator pointed to a small metal operating table.
"Get yourself on the table already. I want to get this over with and get back to my dissections."
Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture
Day 3, Evening
Arriving back at her home, Ibara Shiozaki felt strangely nervous. Despite her father assuring her Caster was safe and sound, the vine-haired girl hadn't fully been convinced. It was only after stepping inside and seeing her Servant with her own eyes that she felt properly assured.
Seeing the wreckage of the family dinner table, Ibara now understood her father's detour to go buy a new one.
Now, several hours later, the Master and her Servant had extensively discussed the Nagoya Disaster. There was much to unpack, but the identity of Lancer was a significant piece of data. Vritra was sure to be a problematic element of the war. Aside from killing Vritra's Master (something Ibara was not comfortable with), none of them could think of a way to overcome the dragon's immortality. Ariadne's own identity being revealed to the world was problematic, but that was a hurdle they would just have to overcome.
As the Shiozakis and the Servant sat around a small coffee table, Ariadne relayed her last finding of the day.
"I wasn't certain until a bit ago, but I can say this without a doubt. This world has been marred."
Piero raised his eyebrow, "Marred? In what manner?"
Caster sighed, "The usage of two Anti-World Noble Phantasms has left a lasting mark on the world. Whatever Lancer and Avenger did, the ley lines of the planet have become supercharged with foreign energy. I wouldn't be surprised if full-on spatial distortions occur."
"Meaning?"
"Well… we might be receiving visitors from other worlds. Perhaps from the world that Francesca comes from."
"That's troubling, I…"
Piero was interrupted by a massive burst of rainbow-colored light, which obliterated the newly-replaced dinner table.
The event generated a vast amount of sawdust, mostly obscuring the human shape in the wreckage.
Caster coalesced her strings into a tentacle-like shape and sent them at the unknown figure. As the mass was caught by the figure's right hand, they grunted in response.
The voice was foreign, with a clear Hispanic tang to it, "Man… give a guy a bit of a break after some dimensional travel, will you?"
Walking out of the cloud, the stranger's appearance gave everyone, especially Piero and Ibara, pause. He was a priest, and while his hairstyle and ornate eyepatch were untraditional, he still had the cassock and cross one typical of a man of faith.
Caster spoke vehemently, "Who are you? Where did you come from?"
Piero, attempting to diffuse the situation, stepped forward, "Hold, Caster. Might this be what you just were referring to? A dimensional traveler?"
Caster was hesitant, but after seeing Ibara nod in agreement, she retracted her strings.
Hansa Cervantes smiled, "I understand your caution, Heroic Spirit. I did drop into the middle of your dining room. Although I suppose that dropping in on a Master was a rather lucky draw. I assume that's you, Miss?"
Hansa's gaze had fallen on Ibara, whom he assessed with fascination. Although Zelretch had informed him about the existence of these "Quirks" in Monaco, it was another thing to see it for himself. A girl with vines for hair was unlike anything he'd seen before.
Dusting more sawdust off, the eyepatched priest looked down at the ruined table. Putting his hand behind his head, he chuckled, "Ah, looks like I made a mess. I'd tell you I'd pay for it, but I don't have any yen on me. Do you take euros?"
Piero shook his head, although the dismay of losing a table twice in one day did sting, "No, I won't demand you pay for it. But I think we all could use some answers from you. Who are you? Why are you here?"
Hansa smiled, "Ah, well that's something I can certainly provide."
With a bow, he continued to speak.
"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Hansa Cervantes, assigned by the Holy Church of my world to this mess of a Holy Grail War. A pleasure to meet you."
Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Day 3, Evening
Standing in front of a mirror, Francesca Prelati flicked the molluscous flower on the left side of her head, slight irritation on her face.
"Hmmm~… I didn't really care about it earlier, but this mutation here is seriously tough to decorate. Guess I'll just have to leave it undecorated. The asymmetry has a bit of cuteness to it, I suppose."
|::| Prelati.
Hearing the voice of Olkoth echoing in her mind, Francesca paused her self-assessment.
"Hmmm? What is it, Foreigner?"
|::| I hast located the one thou calls "Sigma".
"Oh, really? Where is he?"
|::| Thine companion remains within the Aichi Prefecture, in the city called Seto.
"He's still in Aichi, huh? And he went northeast?"
During the Nagoya Disaster, Francesca's underling had been caught up in the chaos of the Higashi Ward. Evacuating, he joined the group that headed to the northeast, protected by members of Rodeo and Shishido's agencies. Sigma eventually slipped away, and based on Foreigner's observation, he had traveled to the Camellia City, Seto.
Francesca, although she asked Foreigner to find him, wasn't too concerned about Sigma's absence.
"Well, I'll let him enjoy his freedom. That boy knows nothing but war after all! Although, I do wonder if he got any of the new Command Spells!"
Foreigner, in its own eldritch way, was puzzled.
|::| Dost thou not wish for Sigma to continue to serve thee? Thou hast dictated his existence thus far as one of servitude.
"Ehhh~~ It's not a big deal! I'm just sitting on the sidelines anyway. Sigma wouldn't be doing anything staying with me. Might as well let him do as he pleases!"
Francesca pranced around, humming quietly, "It's sorta weird he didn't come running back to me though. He knew my second hideout was here in Yokohama! Was Avenger really that freaky to him?"
|::| Thine companion is a mortal whom hast come to face the chaos of primordial fear and the glory of Heroic Spirits in tandem. An antinomy of terror and awe.
"Well, I don't totally get the logic there, but I suppose Sigma has been living in a bubble. He really needed to get out more!
|::| Thy companion Sigma will undergo a change. The antinomy will shift his core, move his destiny towards unfathomed courses. Perhaps even futures not even mine eyes might see.
"Hmmm… guess we'll just have to keep watch on him!"
Seto, Aichi Prefecture
Day 3, Evening
In the city of Seto, lies the Buddhist temple Joko-ji. Founded in 1336, its principal deity was declared to be Jizō Bosatsu, the bodhisattva of the Earthen Matrix. It was a temple important to the Tokugawas, as it served as the mausoleum of the Owari Domain's founding daimyō, Tokugawa Yoshinao.
On this particular day, it was also the current hideaway of Sigma, an ex-child soldier and ex-courier of Francesca Prelati. The black-haired young man had come to Seto as part of a group of evacuees, disregarding his standing orders to go to Yokohama. Although he knew Francesca had resurrected at this point, Sigma had taken the unusual step of not following after her. Seeing Avenger and Saber changed something in him. He was not sure how to express it, but something compelled him to not go to Yokohama. This had been compounded by the appearance of Command Spells only a few minutes after arriving in Seto. Lost and confused, Sigma settled for wandering the city in search of a viable location to summon a Servant. The search had been soured by the beginning of a rainstorm, but he had luckily found Joko-ji just as the rain got heavier. After resting for a few minutes, Sigma found himself once again overcome with strange emotions. But this time, it wasn't one influenced by his observance of a battle. It was a pure instinct amplified by the Grail, urging him to summon.
The setup didn't take long. With a bit of magecraft, a summoning circle was arranged from a hydrophobic reagent he had on hand. He had no relic, but given his location, he would probably end up summoning a member of the Tokugawa clan.
Holding his hand out, Sigma let his Command Spells link to the ley lines. His mouth began to move, quietly repeating the chant normalized by the three families. As he did so, the circle in front of him began to glow.
Set.
For the elements silver and iron.
Foundation of stone and the archduke of pacts.
For the Great Master Schweinorg.
Close the gates of the four directions.
Come forth from the Crown and follow the Forked Road leading to the Kingdom.
Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill.
Repeat five times. But when each is filled, destroy it.
Heed my words, my will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny.
If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer me.
I hereby swear that I will be all the good in the world.
That I shall defeat all evil in the world.
Seventh Heaven clad in the Great Words of Power.
From the binding circle, come forth: guardian of scales!
The moment the last verse was spoken, the circle luminesced with greater power. The rain clouds above sparked as lightning arced down to join the magic energy of Sigma's ritual.
In a blinding flash, they met. The mana of earth, tempered by man. The mana of sky, tempered by the world. A grand union of existence, a genesis of manifestation.
Sigma's eyes shut on instinct, his mind having been trained by flashbangs. Slowly reopening them, he saw a being.
'This is… a Servant?'
As Sigma and his Servant locked eyes, the world held its breath. The rain around the temple froze for a moment before landing with a final splash. This wasn't anything like the presence of the violet-haired Saber. This was a being who was acknowledged by nature itself, whose mere arrival could compel the skies.
Seeing the confusion on their Master's face, the Servant smiled gently. As was protocol, they posed the question that looped fates together. For this Servant in particular it was twice as fitting. After all, they were the tool that would stitch the world back together.
"Are you the one who summoned me?"
The Servant's voice was soothing, like a quiet forest breeze. But Sigma still felt nervous as he nodded. The moment he did so, his Command Spells glowed in agreement.
The being, in response, smiled wider.
Gifu, Gifu Prefecture
Day 3, Night
In a nondescript apartment in Gifu, the Servant Assassin returned to physical form. The resident of the apartment was a well-liked member of the complex, and their neighbors would struggle to believe the truth. The reality that Apartment 205's jokey and helpful resident was a twisted serial killer would have been a hard one to swallow.
But the resident was not just a killer… but a Master.
"Ah, Assassin! I see you're finally back. A bit late though. You're not wearing your mask either."
Assassin, who was currently wearing a pair of glasses, chuckled as the accessory returned to its true form as a demonic clown mask. Setting down a bag full of vinyl records, he smiled.
"I merely took the opportunity to indulge myself and acquire some souvenirs. If only I could take them back to the Throne."
Assassin's Master grinned, "I see, I see. Say, Assassin, it seems Hawks got away from you. But did you manage to complete that little experiment of yours?"
"Yes. It would seem the Winged Hero was chosen by the Grail after all… although it still pains me that he got away. It tarnishes my title as Assassin."
The Master shrugged, "It's fine, don't worry about it. Not like we're playing this Grail War to win anyway. It's just fun to screw around with this otherworldly ritual!"
"Haha… indeed. Now, what task is next, my Master?"
"So quick to act… but don't worry I've thought of something. It's pretty wild!"
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"I think we should form an alliance… with Avenger and his Master."
The response made the Phantom of the Opera pause, "Oh my. I must say I did not expect that… but it is intriguing nonetheless. Might I ask why?"
"It's a pretty simple reason… because it's chaotic! I want to see what sort of chaos can be churned up by spurring that vampire on!"
The Phantom laughed at their Master's answer, "I suppose I should have expected such an answer! You truly are an intriguing individual, Master!"
"Hehe… you know me so well, Assassin!"
Before the conversation could continue, an earthquake rocked the whole of Chūbu and Kansai. To ordinary people, it was a freak event— but not to participants in the Holy Grail War. The mana in the wave of seismic energy was overwhelming.
Assassin, procuring a handkerchief, wiped his brow, "Ça alors… are they resuming already?"
Assassin's Master's senses quickly tracked the quake's origin to be the direction of the Mie Prefecture.
"Seems it's coming from Mie or thereabouts… perhaps it's Avenger?
The Servant of Murder mused, "Hmmm… it could be, but the new players could also be getting rowdy. A shame we are too far to know the details. Heavens above… how many more Anti-World Noble Phantasms must this War include?"
Mustafu, Shizuoka Prefecture
Day 4, Morning
The day after the terrible incident that rocked Nagoya, Japan remained in a state of unrest. The day's misfortune had even extended to the late hours of the night, as near-tsunamis hit Mie Prefecture. It was a miracle that the freak waves did not kill a single person, although many had been injured.
Everyone was shaken by the events of the disastrous spring day, and Izuku Midoriya was no exception.
Normally, Izuku would distract himself with classes, but schools across the country had canceled today to deal with the fallouts from Nagoya and Mie. So instead, until his meet-up with Togeike later today, he decided to help his mother with groceries. She tried to insist she accompany him, but Izuku told her he would be fine. They were doing alright on ingredients at home, so it wouldn't be a long trip anyway.
Making sure to lock the door when he left, Izuku made his way downstairs and exited the apartment complex. As he walked down the street, he could see numerous vases with flowers— offerings to all those who died the previous day.
Izuku paused when he saw a vase that had been knocked over, probably by a stray cat. It wasn't cracked, so he simply set it back up. But as he retracted his hand from it, he felt a burning sensation on his skin. Looking at the back of his right hand, Izuku watched as a strange trifecta of red marks emblazoned themselves on his skin. It took the form of some sort of familiar flower, although Izuku couldn't remember what one. Maybe one of Japan's clan crests?
Muttering quietly, Izuku tried to figure out what just happened.
'Is this a Quirk? Could it be my Quirk?'
He didn't feel different, and he didn't sense any of the subconscious knowledge that usually came with the manifestation of a Quirk.
'Could this really be a Quirk? Or is someone using their Quirk to prank me? I don't think that's right… but what else could this be?'
Avalon, Reverse Side of the World
Present Day
"So, you're going?"
Within the beautiful fields of Avalon, Morgan Le Fay turned towards the voice of her mentor and peer— Merlin.
He wasn't next to her physically, of course. Still constrained within the prison created by Morgan's fae facet, Vivian, the Magus of Flowers used magecraft to bind his will to a Karpoi– a grassland sprite common within the Inner Sea. Through the Karpoi, Merlin followed Morgan to a place scarcely known even to the Fae: the Lightless Barrens. It was an unholy place, the spot where Velber-03 had inexplicably arrived within the Inner Sea. The loss of connection to the Harvest Star had led to its quick defeat, but the alien invader still caused irreversible damage to this portion of the Reverse Side. The Barrens were a twisted place, and Morgan's own Fae nature was urging her to leave.
But she continued forward to her destination— the heart of the Lightless Barrens, where a mysterious archway waited. It was the last remnant of a lost civilization that explored the Inner Sea of the Planet. Although the earthly side was lost from Velber-03's arrival, the fae side could be used to transport oneself anywhere on Earth. However, as the Lightless Barrens were avoided by the Fae, no one ever bothered to use it. Morgan herself wouldn't have normally considered using the Amber Gate. But the location she needed to reach this time was troublesome. Due to the Clock Tower's presence in Spiritual Tomb, she needed a secret way of getting to the Ancient Heart of Albion. If the records were true, and the Amber Gate could truly bypass Bounded Fields, it was exactly what she needed to reach her destination.
"You know, I'm not sure anyone's ever used this gate since the Leukosmachia… it might not work as expected."
Morgan shook her head at the skeptic Karpoi, "I trust in the records of its builders, scarce though they are. And it is not like I have other good options."
With a mere trickle of Morgan's will, the Gateway activated, its systems of primordial logic awakened by fae mana.
"Well, Merlin… I suppose this is farewell. Perhaps forever."
"I don't suppose I could get a look at Vivian for the road?"
Morgan shook her head, "Don't count yourself that lucky, you foolish court mage. You'll have to settle with Saint-Germain's occasional visits."
"Ah right, that guy…"
Morgan snorted, "Stay well, Merlin. It's time for me to do my part."
Striding into the veil of energy, Morgan vanished as Merlin's Karpoi tried to wave.
"And away she goes. Off to meet up with her Master and good ol' Z."
Releasing the Karpoi, Merlin left one final message on the winds of the Lightless Barrens.
"Best of luck… Ruler."
The Holy Grail could not speak, for it did not live. But it was not without a sort of psyche, and even it could hold a type of puzzlement. Torn out from Fuyuki, and thrown into a new world, the Grail's systems had been scrambled. In accordance with Jester's wish, a True Holy Grail War had been started. But there were errors. The systems used in an apocryphal world, initiating a "Great Holy Grail War", had been enacted. Fifteen Servant slots had been added to the False War. The Ruler was instantly filled, but the fourteen remaining would not be divided into allied factions as expected. Despite the setup being intended for teams, this War would be one of countless Masters, all individually vying for the Grail.
As for the length of the War, not even the Grail had an answer. The telluric energy imbued into the Grail was extensive, guaranteeing the conflict ahead would last far longer than any past Grail War. Would it be a month? A year? Not even the Grail could say for sure.
Only one thing was certain: the War had sublimated, and the true chaos was yet to come.
━◈━ ARC 2: NAGOYA SUBLIMATION ━◈━
━[ END ]━
To be continued in Chapter 13: Truths and Seconds
Servant Profiles: False Archer
Bio:
Class: Archer
Master: Ryumatsu Nagamasa
True Name: Heracles
Gender: Male
Alignment: Neutral Good
Stats:
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Mana: C
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: A
Class Skills:
Independent Action: C
Magic Resistance: A
Personal Skills:
Battle Continuation: A
Divinity: A
Valor: A+
Mind's Eye (Fake): B
Noble Phantasms:
God Hand
The Twelve Labors
Rank: C
Type: Anti-Unit
Nine Lives
Shooting the Hundred Heads
Rank: C ~ A+
Type: Unknown