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I was running.
Running, and running, and running.
How long have I been running? Where am I running to? And more importantly…
What am I running from?
"Ah!" I trip and fall on my face. Exhaustion finally catches up to me, making me unable to get up.
…eo…
Dark hands crawl from the floor and make their way towards me. I saw something at the bottom of the darkness and even though it was only there for a moment, it was enough to make me scream from the top of my lungs.
…theo…!
I tried to resist them but they still latch onto me like parasites. They slowly pulled me down and as hard as I tried to stop them it was fruitless.
My vision begins to fade as I sink into the abyss.
THEO!
Illya shakes my body. "Theo, wake up!"
I slowly open my eyes. "Wha…?"
"You were having a terrible nightmare. You were twisting and turning so much that I was getting worried." Illya said.
I look at my arm where one of those hands grabbed me, I can still feel the pain from where it grabbed me. 'It felt so real...' I look around and see a lavish-looking interior with a minibar and a couple of chairs. The low sound of engines can be heard in the background.
'Oh right. We're on a private jet.' I clean the sleep dust from my eyes. 'I was not prepared for what happened at the castle...'
The night before we left, Jubstacheit and his guards suddenly bust into our room and took Illya away while I was thrown in the dungeon.
It wasn't until the next morning that Kiritsugu and Irisviel found out about it, and all of hell broke loose.
Irisviel and Mashu found me in the dungeon and easily broke me out. There were no guards, which shows how very little that golem though of me. They got me out of that place and soon ran into Kiritsugu and Artoria carrying a bloody Illya in his arms... and his face splattered in blood.
We quickly grabbed our things, but just as when we were about to leave, Jubstacheit appears on our door. He inform us in his usual cold manner that the safehouse for Illya is ready and her attendants are waiting for her there.
Kiritsugu, obviously not having any shit, points his knife at the old man's throat. He demands why he kidnapped Illya and Jubstacheit explains that circumstances have forced his hand and then justifies it by saying that Illya is their ultimate trump card to win the Holy Grail and that he is only doing this because that is her purpose. Kiritsugu snarls but lets the old man go as we proceed to leave, but not before warning Kiritsugu not to overstep his boundaries again or else he will be disposed of.
Overall, that was ONE way to start the day.
"I'm sorry, sis." I said meekly.
"Onee-chan."
"Bwu?"
"It means "big sister" in Japanese. Since we're going to Japan, you have to call me Onee-chan from now on." Illya states.
"Got it… Onee-chan." I said meekly.
Illya giggles, liking the sound of the title.
'Well I certainly made her day.' I thought, exasperated.
"We are about to land, you two. You better put your seatbelts on." Kiritsugu's voice brings us out of our musing.
We do as we're told and put our seatbelts on. I stare as Illya jumps up and down with visible excitement before I turn my attention to the window. From the window, I can see the outline of the city slowly getting larger as we get close to landing.
I was afraid.
I was afraid of going to Fuyuki City. Afraid of running into a magus. Afraid of running into a Servant.
I was AFRAID.
No matter how much I hide it under a mask, no matter how much foreknowledge I possess, no matter how much insurance I have, I cannot escape this irrational fear of death. And it doesn't help that the timeline is a mess now. It's torture.
I didn't Illya to be exposed to this life, and I feel like I'm part of the blame for that.
'I just hope nothing bad happens today…' I thought as I slowly grabbed Illya's hand.
The jet touches down and we soon land at the airport. The hatch opens and we soon walk out of the plane. Artoria and Mashu were wearing black suits and though Artoria can pass off as a man, Mashu's chest made her gender too obvious.
On the driveway, there is a car parked in front with someone waiting beside it. She has long flowing white, ruby red eyes, and white skin. She is wearing a white winter coat with gold trimmings around the sleeves and at the center of her coat.
She's beautiful, without a shadow of a doubt. If Irisviel and Illya are snow fairies, then she is the queen.
"It's about time you showed up." The homunculus growls with a scowl on her face.
My eyes analyze her from top to bottom. Who is she? I've never seen her in the anime before. As far as I'm aware, Illya has two attendants; Leysritt and Sella. There was never any third servant anywhere.
"Oh, I'm sorry, our flight took a lot longer than we thought." Irisviel sheepishly chuckled. "But we are here now, miss…"
"My name is Fillia. My sisters and I were sent here to prepare the place where mistress Illya and her brother will be staying." Fillia said, staining the word brother with disdain.
"I will leave now. Saber, make sure Irisviel is safe." Kiritsugu leaves the group without missing a beat. He doesn't even say goodbye.
Fillia huffs. "What an uncouth man, doesn't even say goodbye to his lovely wife." She looks at Irisviel. "Explain to me how you are together with him."
"A-Ah, well, you see…" Iri blushes and twiddles her thumbs. "He is kind of like… my hero."
Fillia just gives her a look before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Whatever. Let's go. Your car is over there." She walks around the car and gets on the driver's seat.
Irisviel turns to her children and gives them a bear hug. "Take care, you two. And don't get into any trouble, okay?"
"Will you come and visit, mama?" Illya asks.
The smile Iri gives her daughter was forced, almost strained. "Of course. We'll even go out and play whatever you want."
"Promise?"
Irisviel clamps up at the question.
'Don't say it.' I thought.
"I-"
"Irisviel. We need to go." Artoria cuts her off.
"Right." Irisviel stands up and turns to Mashu. "Shielder, please watch over them."
Mashu nods. "I will protect them with my life."
Irisviel and Artoria head to the other car and get inside before promptly driving off.
"Bye, mama!" Illya waves the car off.
At that moment, loud honking is heard coming from the car adjacent to us. "Let's go, brats! I don't have all day!"
"Come on." Mashu grabs both our hands and takes us to the car, where we immediately drive off.
The trip wasn't eventful, for me at least. Illya, however, was gushing over all of the buildings and people we passed by with a big smile on her face. Mashu was smiling, too, but more because of Illya's ever positive aura that seemed to always light the mood.
"Isn't this amazing, Theo? We're outside!" Illya exclaims. "Oh look, a doggy!"
"Lady Illyasviel, please calm down." Mashu said.
"Mou~, I told you to call me Illya, Shielder." Illya pouts.
"Sorry, Illya-san." Mashu said.
I look at the passing scenery in silence, trying to come up with a plan on surviving the Holy Grail War. 'I need to try and unlock my Compendium. It's my only hope of surviving.' I glance at Illya looking out the window. 'Originally, I had no intention of helping Kiritsugu or Irisviel, but knowing how Illya turned out without either of them in her life, I should protect them. But how do I remove the Lesser Grail from Irisviel without killing her?' There might be some Skill Cards that can separate them or nullify the Lesser Grail so that her body doesn't break down, but then how would I extend her lifespan so that she can live as a normal human? 'Uwah… this is so troublesome. Why did such a great series have to have such a confusing lore?'
After another hour or so of driving, we stop in front of a large hotel building, probably the biggest one in the city.
"We're here." Fillia gets out of the car and we all follow suit. The porter proceeds to remove the luggage from the back of the car and places it on the baggage cart.
She hands the car keys to a chauffeur. "If I see one scratch on the paint job, I swear that losing your job will be the LEAST of your problems."
The chauffeur frantically nods before rushing to the driver's seat and takes off.
"Let's go." We follow Fillia to the front desk where she checks us in. Illya and I marvel at the beautiful lounge, they even have a piano with someone playing it in the background.
In my past life, I have never been to a five-star hotel. They were always way above my pay grade and my parents refused to stay in one due how expensive they are. 'They must really want us to be comfortable if they're willing to spend so much money.'
Illya and Mashu walk up to the coy-fish pond nearby, marbling at all the fishes inside.
"So cute! Look at all the little fishies!" Illya coos.
"Illya-san! Please don't stand so close to the edge!" Mashu exclaims.
"Hey, Theo! How would you like a pet fish?" Illya asked.
I shrug. "I don't mind. Though personally, I prefer dogs."
Illya's eyes seemingly grow bigger with stars in them. "*Gasp* That's even better! I want a doggy, too!"
I smile and give her a head pat. "You're such a kid."
"Hey, I'm the big sister! I'm supposed to say that to you!" Illya counters.
"Maybe when you start acting like one." I joked.
"Meanie!"
"Hey, you brats. We're going to the penthouse now, so you better follow or else." Fillia said.
Did I hear that correctly? Penthouse?
The homunculus maid(?) leads us to the elevator and we walk inside. She hits the button with the highest number and we quickly go up, passing through all of the floors. Eventually, the elevator stops at the highest number and the doors, revealing a narrow path that leads to a single door. We go up to it and open the door and I am shocked and excited.
Inside is a lavish living room with a massive tv that seemed to be carved into the wall. On the far side is a bar with various bottles of alcohol that we'll likely never touch.
Overall, everything was lavish and expensive, not something normal people could ever afford… unless they're celebrities or something.
'Magi are rich as fuck!' I exclaimed.
"Welcome home, lady Illyasviel and lord Theodore." A refined female voice catches my attention.
I look to see two Einzbern maids bowing to us before straightening themselves. They are both wearing the standard Einzbern maid outfits with a hood that made them look almost identical though the color of the interior dress made them easy to identify.
These are the maids Sella and Leysritt.
Sella was the one on the right, in the blue/white maid outfit. Her sharp expression was similar to Fillia's except hers exudes professionalism rather than frustration.
She excels in magecraft thanks to her superior magic circuits, but she is also a glass cannon and as such isn't suitable for battle. Gilgamesh easily dispatched her without any effort at all just after dealing with her sister.
Leysritt, on the other hand, was the opposite. Wearing a black/white maid outfit, she has a more relaxed expression than her sister, but if you take a closer look, you can see that there was something… missing.
Unlike Sella who was created with normal alchemy, Leysritt was created by using an Ether Clump with the intent of creating a Lesser Grail, however, she was deemed a failure and was originally meant to be scrapped, but Old Man Acht repurposed her as Illya's maid and bodyguard. He augmented her combat abilities to inhuman levels, but at the cost of most of her five senses and a fragile ego thanks to her imperfect soul.
Leysritt also serves a secondary function; to become the Dress of Heaven, making her a living Mystic Code. Illya would wear this in order to save Shirou's soul in the Heaven's Feel endings, however the moment it appears, Leysritt would seize to exist.
"I am Sella, I will be your maid and magic teacher for the foreseeable future." She gestures to Leysritt. "This is Leysritt, she is your bodyguard."
"... nice… meet… you…" Leysritt says in a broken tongue.
"Forgive her. She is still having trouble with the language." Sella said. "And you've already met, Fillia."
"I'm fine, Sella. Thanks for asking." Filla said sarcastically.
"Nice to meet you." Illya and I said at the same time.
From there, we do what kids do and sit on the couch and watch cable tv. Sella and Leysritt would clean the penthouse, well, Sella did. Leysritt and Fillia were watching TV with us, a fact that pissed off Sella to no end, but Mashu was there to help out which she was very grateful for.
"Mistress. I have prepared a snack for you and your brother." Sella states.
We get off the couch and rush towards the kitchen area where Sella was and see something sitting on the counter.
"Is that… Oreo cheesecake?" I asked out loud.
"Yes. I heard from madam Irisviel that it is, and I quote, 'the best cake in the universe' and recommended it. I've studied the recipe and I'm happy to see that it has turned out well." Sella proudly said.
We take a bite of the cheesecake and we immediately fall into a river of vanilla/chocolate goodness.
"It's delicious!" We said at once.
Sella blushes at the praise, which is very cute.
We ate, we played, and we dressed up (Illya's idea). Even Fillia, who wanted nothing to do with us, began to open up a little.
One a single day, we went from strangers to a family.
Nighttime
A weird sensation draws my senses. I slowly open my eyes and see a fully-clothed Illya wiggling me back and forth.
"Wake up. Wake up, Theo!" Illya whispered.
"I'm up, I'm up." I groan and slowly rise up. "What's going on…?"
"I wanna go outside, Theo. Let's go for a night on the town." Illya said with a smile.
"Where did you learn that phrase? More importantly, you want to go out at NIGHT by yourself?" I incredulously asked. "You can't be serious."
"Why not? Grandpa isn't here to stop us." Illya said.
"And what about Sella, Leysritt, and Fillia? They would definitely stop you." I countered.
Illya's smile is downright mischievous. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about them~"
I narrow my eyes. "What did you do?"
"Oh, I didn't do anything, brother of mine." Illya replies. "Just open the door and you'll see for yourself."
I give Illya a look before opening the door and walking towards the living room, and am shocked by what I found. Laying on the ground are empty bottles and laying on the couch were the downed forms of Sella, Leysritt, and Fillia. Their faces were flushed as the scent of alcohol lingered in the air.
"Were they… drinking?" I was not expecting this.
"Fillia suddenly challenged Leysritt to a drinking contest. Long story short, this was the end result." Illya explained.
"How much did they drink?" Instead of answering, Illya points to the bar on my right which was now empty. "Oh. Well, how did Sella get mixed up in all of this? She doesn't seem like the type to do these sorts of things?"
"She didn't at first, but Fillia then started talking about her chest and that was all she needed to do." Illya then looks perplexed. "I don't really get why she got mad about that. I mean, is having bigger breasts that big of a deal?"
'Oh Illya, you are in for a surprise.' I thought. "But wait, where's Mashu?"
Illya points at a nearby chair and finds Mashu completely passed out.
"... how? She's a Servant. Servants don't get drunk." I said totally dumbstruck.
"Well, now that you know, you can get dressed and we can go!" Illya exclaims.
I gave her a look. "Fine. But I'm only coming so I can keep you out of trouble." I walk back to my room.
"Okay! But first," Illya takes a picture with a Polaroid camera. "Something to remember this day by~" She puts the picture away and skips to my room.
Illya and I are walking through the empty streets of the city, with only the occasional car passing by. The lights from the buildings and posts are not doing any favors against the darkness of the night. Yet despite this, Illya is skipping around happily as she hums a tune that is reminiscent of a nursery rhyme Iri would sing to us in the castle. Like she was living a dream.
'If I'm right then this is the night where the Holy Grail War officially begins. Artoria and Iri are likely on their way to the docks to meet Lancer.' I thought. "Onee-chan."
"Hm?" Illya turns to me. "What's up, Theo?"
"Can we go back to the hotel now? I'm scared." I said meekly. 'Damn, I am so good at playing a kid. I should get a fucking Oscar for this!'
"Wait," Illya suddenly said. "Do you feel that?"
I arch an eyebrow. "Feel what?"
Illya turns to me. "Are you saying you can't sense the traces of mana? It's everywhere."
I shake my head.
Illya turns back to the path. "The mana is coming from this alley. Let's investigate." She starts to run.
I blink and quickly run after her. "Illya, wait!"
Illya passes through the different buildings and stores, making sharp turns as she follows this invisible scent, like a dog ironically. If I remember correctly, magi can sense the lingering mana in the air, this usually points towards a Master or a Servant, sometimes both.
She enters a random alley without hesitation with me in toe, passing through the numerous smelly garbage bags.
"Come back!" I called out.
"The scent is getting stronger…" Illya mumbles and takes a turn in that direction.
When we came through the other side, I immediately pulled her behind a pile of garbage bags and many containers and pipes from the other end.
There was a man in front of us with a kid beside him. He is a man with orange hair wearing a purple jacket and pants. He has two piercings, a chain at his waist, and wears brown shoes. However, what draws our attention are the two children with him.
"That's right, there's no need to be afraid." The man giggles as the children follow him without any resistance. "Teacher is SO COOL!"
"That's…" My eyes widened as I recognized the man in an instant.
He is the Demon of Fuyuki, the serial killer, Ryuunosuke Uryuu.
The Master of Servant Caster: Gilles de Rais.
The serial killer laughs and walks close to their position. We crouch behind the wall, hoping to go unnoticed while I keep an eye on the alley exit.
"C'mon," Ryuunosuke said. "Keep walking."
He passes in front of the alley, now holding a second kid.
As they leave, Illya stands up from our hiding spot but I grab her hand.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Isn't it obvious? That man is using magecraft to hypnotize those kids. We have to stop him!" Illya exclaims.
"And how exactly are we going to do that? We're just kids!" I shoot back. "We should call Sella and tell her what's going on."
"So that she can tell papa and mama and forbid us from going outside? No thanks." Illya raises her left arm. "Besides, I can just call Shielder if we get into trouble."
'There's no way to talk her out of this.' I note. "Fine."
"Hehehe." Illya looks up with an adorable face of determination. "It's Hero Time!"
I sweat drop. 'Did she just quote Ben 10?'
With a firm resolution, Illya follows the Master/serial killer, much to my displeasure.
"Hey," Illya began. "Why do you think he is hypnotizing those kids?"
I think back to the Fate/Zero anime.
The death.
the screams.
The furniture that's made from human skin.
It was like stepping into the darkest parts of the human soul.
I shake my head. "Nothing good."
As we flow the traces of mana, it leads us under stairs that lead to a bar. Turning to each other, the Einzbern duo nod and make their way down the stairs.
Illya stands in front of the door with bated breath as she slowly reaches for the doorknob. She tugs the door open, and we enter the tavern. The tavern itself has seen better times, with bags full of garbage, dust everywhere, and broken frames with different certificates.
"There's no one here…?" Illya mutters unsurely. "Stay close to me."
We make our way further inside, but not two steps in, we hear a noise causing Illya to hug my arm tightly.
"Kya!" Illya screams.
"What? What is it!?" I asked.
"S-S-Something's on my foot!" Illya stutters out.
I look to see a hand that belonged to an unconscious girl.
"It's just a kid." I told her.
Illya looks down as I crouch and examine her. I move her head to get a better look and only see a pair of half-opened, glassy eyes that don't seem to be aware of anything.
I let out a sigh. "She's unconscious."
Suddenly, the door slams shut behind us. We quickly turn around to see Ryuunosuke standing next to the door, hand firmly on the frame with the two kids from before.
"Oh?" He asks, feigning kindness and smiling at us. "Are you lost?"
"N-No…" Illya looks away. "Um…"
"Wow, your hair is so pretty." He throws the two kids aside and rushes towards us. "I've never met someone with white hair and red eyes before. Such a pretty little angel."
'Damnit!' I grab Illya's hand as I look frantically for an escape route.
"My friend and I are hosting a party, but sadly we're short on people." He crouches down to meet our eye level. "Do you want to help? I promise you'll have a good time." However, he is suddenly sucker punched and falls on the floor.
"You are not touching her!" I exclaim and take a fighting stance.
Ryuunosuke gets up, his nose crooked yet he doesn't seem to flinch from the pain. "Oh c'mon, I just want to give her a good time."
I grab Illya's hand. "We're leaving!"
As we run, we see many other children in the room, slumped down and unconscious.
"W-What is this!?" Illya shrieks in fear.
"Keep moving!" I yelled.
We find a backdoor and try to open it, but no matter what I do the nob wouldn't budge.
"It's locked!" I yelled.
"What do we do!?" Illya exclaims.
"You know, it's not cool to hit someone for no reason."
The two of us turn to see Ryuunosuke standing in front of us. "You broke my nose, too." He grabs his crooked nose and with a sickening crack puts it back into place without flinching.
I waste no time and charge at the serial killer, throwing punch and kick combo before finishing it with an elbow to the ribcage.
It didn't kill him, but I made sure to make it hurt.
He wails and staggers, clutching tightly to his chest. "You little...!" He takes out a knife and rushes in to stab me. I grab his arm and then knee it in, effectively snapping the bone into two. Ryuunosuke hisses before he is kicked in the face, sending him crashing to an old shelf with supplies.
"Hah... hah... I can't believe I pulled it off..." I look at the knife he dropped and pick it up. I stare at the knife and then at Ryuunosuke before I tighten my grip around it. "... its only the only way..."
I approach the serial killer's still form, only for him to suddenly throw powder in my eyes!
"Shit!" I hiss as I try to get the crap out of my eyes.
"I don't like you." Ryuunosuke kicks me in the stomach, knocking all of the air out of my lungs.
"Guagh!" I choke as I struggle to breathe and drop the knife. Ryuunosuke picks it up and promptly proceeds to stab me in the shoulder.
"Theo!" Illya rushes to her brother, but Ryuunosuke grabs her hand and pulls her in.
"Now, little angel, let's put you to sleep." The bracelet on his arm glows purple, but nothing happens. "That's new."
"LET ME GO!" Illya demands.
"Oh well, I guess we're doing this the old fashion way." He suddenly slams Illya on the floor. He does this a few more times until she is completely knocked out. The tile floors are being dyed red from Illya's blood.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" I scream in rage as I get back up.
"Language. Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?" Ryuunosuke walks over to me and grabs my head. "How about you help me out instead?"
A sickly purple glow comes from the bracelet and it begins to spread all over my body. I try to fight it but my vision begins to become distorted as I lose control over my senses.
'No... NO!' My vision fades and I black out.
My eyes snap open and I'm greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling with an opening in it. I stand up and check my surroundings to find that I'm in some kind of temple. "Where… am I?"
"Such a waste." A voice said in disappointment.
"?" I turn to the voice on to see a statue of a man with a bird-like face.
"Is your will so weak that you submit before this man?" He asked me.
"Wha...?"
"Death is all that awaits those children by that madman's hands. Are you fine with letting that happen?
"I-"
And what of the fate of your sister? Are you fine with leaving her to experience something worse than death?
"Will you shut up!?" I glare at the statue. "But what the hell am I supposed to do!? I'm a stupid guy who got too absorbed in his hype."
"Hmph. You got that right." He bluntly replies.
Harsh.
"You have everything you need to get out of this, yet you limit yourself for the sake of self preservation. You are nothing but a coward." He states.
I let out a sigh. "Yeah well... I can't even protect a single little girl. Some fucking hero I turned out to be."
"Yes, you were really on top of things when the serial killer literally kicked your ass. You're really putting that assassin's training to good use." He said sarcastically.
I glare at the statue. "Did you bring me here just to make fun of me?"
"Yes. And it has been very entertaining." I can feel the smugness coming off the statue.
"Oh, fuck you." I told him before letting out a sigh. "Whatever, I I failed because I was caught off guard. And now... now she is going to die... because of me."
"Don't tell me you're just going to give up?" He asked rhetorically.
I look at the statue with curiosity.
"There is still evil that must be vanquished. There is still justice that must be carried out. Are you going to let them suffer?" He asked.
"I…" I clench my fists. "No, I will not."
"Then what will you do?"
"I will fight them, I will fight the whole fucking world!" I said with determination in my voice. "I will make sure they can never play with people's lives again!"
The voice chuckles. "Good, I like your resolve. Very well, you will be my hands, my eyes, my vengeance. You will be my final word against the evildoers and, in exchange, I will grant you power. Do you swear to protect the travelers of the night and bring my vengeance to those who would bring them harm?"
"Yes." Suddenly, I scream out in pain as if a hot rod of steel is piercing through my skull.
"Our Contract is sealed."
The statue's eyes glow yellow and erupt into blue flames as a figure emerges.
"I am thou... Thou art I… Now rise and be reborn anew. As my fist of vengeance."
The entity walks up to me and the room is engulfed in light
"Let go." I growled.
Ryuunosuke blinks in surprise at the sudden voice. "How are you talking? Most of the kids don't say a word after I touch them."
I grab his arm and slowly pry him off my head. "I said… LET GO!" A sudden shockwave hits Ryuunosuke, sending him flying back into the tavern. The sudden force was enough for his bracelet to come off his wrist.
Ryuunosuke slowly gets up as he hears heavy breathing. When he looks up, he sees the albino boy walking sluggishly now with a pale-white mask that appears out of nowhere. It has a smooth white surface, with the only feature being two sharp holes for his eyes. Speaking of eyes, they went from a bright red to a menacing yellow that seemed to be glowing under the mask.
The serial killer could feel the eyes staring at him, right through him and into his very soul.
"So…" Ryuunosuke whispers as a smile appears on his face. "SO COOL!"
A dark chuckle escapes my lips. "You think this is cool? You haven't seen anything yet." I grab on the mask.
Ryuunosuke's eyes are filled with excitement as he watches the little boy scream in pain as he struggles to take off his mask.
"... heavy chains, that does freeze my bones around!" I use all of my strength to pry the mask off my face, inducing me excruciating pain. Blood begins to pour out of the exposed parts like a new open wound.
"Whoa…" Ryuunosuke marbles at the act, it's like he is peeling off his own face.
I scream as I manage to completely pull the mask off, releasing a river of blood on the floor. I breathe in and out before looking at Ryuunosuke with a sadistic smile.
Suddenly, flames erupt from the wound and begin to spread out all over his body before they peel off like a bandage and take shape. From the flames comes a bipedal figure whose entire body is covered in bandages and a white cloak over it. In its chest is a golden crescent moon. It carries a staff with a crescent moon on top. However, what is more bizarre is the head: a bird skull floating off the stump where its neck is supposed to be, giving the being a more spectral appearance.
At the same time, the boy's clothes have changed, now wearing a black bodysuit lined with white armor around his arms, legs, and chest as well as white boots. In the chest plate is the glowing symbol of a crescent moon and over his head is a white hooded cloak that is swimming with the wind.
"I am the Protector of the Night, KHONSHU!"
At the same time - Fuyuki Docks
"...!" Artoria and Lancer stop fighting and their attention turns to the city.
"Did you feel that?" Lancer asked his opponent.
"Yes." Artoria replies. What is that?
Irisviel trembles as she feels the influx of power wash over her. "This power…"
From their hiding place, Kiritsugu and Maiya felt the massive pulse of mana coming out of nowhere, and of course, were taken completely by surprise.
"... shit." Kiritsugu whispers with disdain.
Meanwhile, Archer, stands on top of a street light, turns to that same direction and glares at it with hidden rage.
"How dare they come to my garden without my permission!?" Archer growls. "Know this, intruder. You will not escape my wrath."
From his hiding place, Kariya Matou gasps in pain as the worms inside him become agitated.
"..." Berserker stands unmoving, awaiting his Master's command.
At the same time, Zouken Matou grips his cane tightly until it completely snaps into two as he senses the power from his "workshop", where a little girl is seen at the center of a worm pit, her eyes completely devoid of life.
Kotomine Church
Risei Kotomine is seen praying at the altar when he senses the explosion of Magical Energy and opens his eyes.
"This is an omen." Risei mutters. "A sign of bad times to come. Something has entered the Holy Grail War, and if it's not stopped, it could mean the end of everything."
*Crash!*
Tokiomi Tohsaka drops his wine glass as he senses the absurd Magical Energy from his workshop.
"Kirei." He calls out from an old-fashioned phonograph, a Victrola. "I need your Assassin. I want you to find whatever's causing this surge and deal with it."
"Understood." Kirei's voice comes out of the old device.
A figure wearing a tattered black shroud, mainly covering his body, is seen crouching on top of a handrail of a crane. Its white skull mask makes it even more menacing.
"Assassin. I have a mission."
Kirei's Servant raises his head, acknowledging his voice.
"You must find the person responsible for this… and eliminate them."
"Yes, Master." The Assassin then vanishes into blue particles of light.
Warehouse
"It can't be…!" Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi, a Lord of the Clock Tower, gasps in shock and fear from the top of his warehouse. "But how can this be…? Why would one of them be here!?" He grits his teeth before calming down. "It doesn't matter, if they want to interfere with this sacred ritual then I will greet them with all the honors a Lord of the Clock Tower can provide."
In the sky...
"W-What was that!?" Waver Velvet shrieks out.
"Hahahaha! It seems a new player has entered the game!" Rider laughter was thunderous. "And with such power, they will surely be a great asset to my army!"
"Are you insane!? The last thing we should do is get close to that thing!" Waver lashes out at his Servant.
"Come now, boy, where's your sense of adventure? Surely you are curious as to the cause of such a ruckus, no?" Rider asked.
"I'd like to continue living, thank you! Not all of us can be as reckless as you!" Waver shoots back.
Rider gives his Master a look before a smile forms on his face. "... then we will just have to fix that, won't we?" He whips the reins of his bulls and the carriage flies off.
"YOU IIIDDDDDIIIIIOOOOOOT!" Waver screams as they fly off.
Sewers
Gilles de Rais, the Caster of this war, is disturbed from his "research" as he senses the strange mana surge. His huge, rolling eyes widen as he senses his Master at the center of it.
"Ryuunosuke!" Gilles screams out and disappears to find his Master.
Alley
A little girl in the alley trembles as she feels something going through her body. "W-What was that!?" She looks at her compass, the needle's going haywire. "Please… please be safe, Kotone."
Penthouse
Mashu's eyes suddenly snap wide open and quickly stand upright. She's not the only one as the homunculi slowly begin to wake up.
Mashu then rushes out of the living room and into her Master's quarters, only to find that her Master is not there. She then goes to her brother's room next but finds it empty as well.
"Oh no…" Mashu gasps and runs back to the others. "Illya and Theo are missing!"
"WHAT!?" The Homunculus sisters yell at the same time.
Conditions have been fulfilled!
First Persona unlocked.
Active Skill [Third Eye] unlocked!
Passive skill [Presence Concealment] unlocked!
Passive skill [Unshaken Will] unlocked!
[Persona Compendium] now available!
Name: Theodore von Einzbern
Title: Persona User
Level: 1
HP: 50
SP: 70
Knowledge: 5 (Erudite)
Charm: 2 (Head-Turning)
Kindness: 2 (Considerate)
Guts: 3 (Staunch)
Proficiency: 4 (Masterful)
Money: ¥8,258,089
Equipped Persona: Khonshu
Skills
Kougaon: Heavy Bless damage to 1 foe.
Cost: 12 SP
Eigaon: Heavy Curse damage to 1 foe.
Cost: 12 SP
Megidolaon: Severe Almighty damage to all foes.
Cost: 38 SP
Giant Slice: Medium Physical damage to 1 foe.
Cost: 9% HP
Apt Pupil: Increase critical rate.
Diarahan: Fully restore 1 ally's HP.
Cost: 18 SP
High Counter: 20% chance of reflecting Physical attacks.
Holy shit, look at those skills! I can wipe the floor with most Servants with this guy alone! Granted, my SP is only 70 right now which means I can only use ONE of these skills before collapsing. And it seems my Persona doesn't have any levels. I guess this means Khonshu is already maxed out and all of his skill slots have been filled, which means I can't learn new skills through him. It's cool, I like Khonshu just the way he is.
"SO COOL!" Ryuunosuke's eyes have stars floating around him. "THIS HAS TO BE THE COOLEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN! SHOW ME MORE!"
Khonshu grips his staff tightly. "I can smell the blood of his victims lingering around his entire body. This disgusting creature has bathed in the blood of the innocent. Their souls demand vengeance, and we shall deliver it."
I nod. "Khonshu, Giant Slice!"
Khonshu takes his staff and charges at the downed Ryuunosuke, but before his attack connects tentacles of flesh rise from the ground, making a wall between the god and his victim.
"Damnit, he's here already." I grumbled.
From the other side, Caster materializes by his Master's side as he checks on him. "Are you alright, Ryuunosuke?"
"Oh, teacher, you made it. I just saw the coolest thing." Ryuunosuke began. "I just saw a god of death."
"What!?" Gilles exclaims. A God!? Here!? Ridiculous! He shall confront this false being and rip them to shreds.
*Cough* Ryuunosuke's coughing brings him back to reality. For now, his Master's safety takes top priority.
"Do not worry, Master. I shall take you to safety." Gilles said. The wall of tentacles begins to encroach as they all sink into the ground.
"After them! Vengeance must be done!" Khonshu exclaims.
"And it will. With the Holy Grail War still in effect, it's only a matter of time before they resurface again. In the meantime," I pick up the bracelet off the ground and grab it with both hands. "Let's set these kids free." I pull back my arms and snap the bracelet into two, and the purple glow dies soon after.
"Fine, but I am not sticking around here. I'm not a big fan of children." Khonshu form sinks into my body, returning to my [Sea of Souls] or whatever the hell the equivalent is here.
Suddenly, I hear the door open and someone runs in.
"Kotone!"
I turn to see a little girl with black hair styled in twintails tied with black ribbons kneeling in front of another girl with worry in her face. Her outfit consists of a red coat, a red skirt and long black socks. But even younger, I instantly recognize her.
It's Rin Tohsaka.
The girl, Kotone, starts getting up, looking at Rin dazed and confused. "Rin-chan?"
The children slowly begin to rise up as they look around, unsure of where they are.
"Where am I?"
"What's going on?"
"I want my mommy!"
Rin gets an adorable stern look in her eyes as she turns to them. "This is no time for crying!" She says while getting up. "Let's run!"
As the children run towards the exit, I walk back to the backroom where Illya was, "Diraham." A green light surrounds Illya and her wound heals as I pick her up. "Let's go home." I kick the door, causing it to fly off its hinges.
"Wait!" I turn to see Rin and Kotone standing behind me. "Who are you?"
Moonlight shines down on me. "I am the protector of the innocent. Evil's executioner. The Vessel of Vengeance." I look at the two girls. "I am… Moon Knight!" I leap away.
The girls rush outside and look around, only to find nothing.
"Who was that, Rin-chan? He looked like he was our age." Kotone said.
"I don't know…" Rin replies. 'Moon Knight… he's so cool…'
Later
"Fuck…" I groan as I lean on the wall for support. I feel more exhausted than I've ever been in my life. "Shit, not now...!" My Metaverse outfit disappears as Illya and I collapse on the ground.
The sound of tires screeching over is heard as bright light shines on the siblings. The car doors open and close as Mashu rushes out towards them.
"Get them inside. Now!" Mashu exclaims as Leysritt and Fillia take the children to the car with the Extra-Class Servant following suit.
The car accelerates and they all drive off. What fate has in store for them… is unknown.
But hey, it wouldn't be a good show without suspense, right?
Author Notes
Edit: 2/20/23
The long-awaited update has arrived. It took a while to put this together, especially the conversation between the mc and his persona because of the character's personality. For those who don't know, Fillia is the third Homunculus attendant from the manga Fate/Strange Fake. From her description, she is a very stubborn person who wants more than just the role she was ordered to do. Anyways, this will not be the last time characters from other works appear, so keep that in mind. The awakening sends a mana pulse that alerts all of the Servants and their Masters as well as any magi in the city of his existence, so we'll see how that affect the war as a whole.
Also quick question; Confidants? Yes or no? I seriously am not sure if I should do them or not.
I've set up a poll just for that.
Quick announcement, I'm putting A Gamer's Grand Journey on hold until I can finish rewriting the older chapters. I wrote it back in the last chapter, but I thought I'd go into further detail as to why.
A lot of people (and those are the ones with good complaints) have brought up how some of the characters and situations don't fit or line up with the later chapters, so I decided to rewrite them from scratch in order to make them more applicable to what I have in mind later so don't expect updates for a long while.
As always, leave a comment. Bad, good, don't matter.
Peace~