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Flashback
"I got you!" Arcueid catches the knight as his outfit dissolves and she sees his face. "Uwa! He's so cute! And he's so young, too!" She squints her eyes as she gets a closer look at the boy's face. "Wait a minute…"
Just then, the sounds of sirens catch her attention. "Oh shoot, gotta go!" Arcueid rushes out of the area, just as police cars arrive.
She leaps from tree to tree, leaving the outskirts and entering the city. However, just as she thought she had gotten away, a white van appeared from nowhere.
"Eep!" She dodges the van just as it stops with a loud screech of its tiers.
The doors fly open and four women jump out of the vehicle, three of them have white hair and red hair with a variety of hairstyles while the other has short lilac hair and eyes. The latter summons a massive black shield while the one with the short hair has a large white halberd in her hands.
"Step away from the young master or else you-" Sella begins but stops mid sentence. "Y-You…!" The words just couldn't leave her mouth, no matter how hard she tried to.
"Hey, what's going on? Why are you hesitating!?" Fillia demands.
Sella slowly turns to face her sister, "Do… Do you not know who this is!? Take a good look!"
Fillia looks at the blond woman before her eyes widen. "Oh…"
"..." Liz lowers her halberd and stands down.
Mashu's confused by the turn of events. What's going on? Who is this woman?
Illya's head slowly pops out of the van, "Sella, what happened…" She sees the woman holding a familiar face in her arms and jumps out. "Theo!"
"Master, please stay in the van!" Mashu yelled.
"But Theo's over there, Shielder!" Illya argues.
"Please my lady, you're in danger! That woman is dangerous!" Sella adds.
"But-"
"Um… I'm guessing you know my knight?" The girls turn to the True Ancestor.
"'Your knight'? What are you talking about?" Fillia asks.
Arcueid smiles. "How about I tell you on the way back? That way, we can get to know each other better!"
Flashback ends
"And that brings us to now~" Arcuied finishes her story with a smile.
'Crap! I forgot to tell her to keep my identity a secret!'My eye twitches as I glare at her.
"?" Arcueid tilts her head cutely as a question mark appears over her head. "Did I say something wrong?"
Yes, you did!
"Now young master, I will ask you once more," Sella's commanding tone brings me back to reality. "What were you doing in the middle of the night? And why is she calling you her knight?"
'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!' I sweat profusely.
"Well? We're waiting, kid." Hearing Fillia's voice doesn't make me feel better.
"I… I…" I try to come up with some kind of excuse, but all I end up with is drawing blanks. There's no way to get out of this, I'm fucked!
I look down at the floor as the pressure of their stares finally sets in. What am I gonna do!?
"That's the thing about us Wild Cards, Theodore. We are never alone."
I… I suppose I can trust them with this.
I slowly pull myself off the couch and stand up. "... alright, I'll tell you." I began. "I… met Arcueid while I was on patrol in the city. I was investigating an explosion at the Hyatt Hotel when she appeared in front of me."
"Wait… hold up. Something doesn't add up here." Fillia chimes in. "How did you leave the penthouse without setting off the Bounded Field?"
I arch an eyebrow. "There's a Bounded Field?"
In that instant, Fillia felt a chill crawling down her spine as she glanced at Sella, who now has a menacing aura surrounding her with demon masks in the background.
'We will have words later, sister.' Sella's expression says it all.
"After a brief talk, we decided to partner up to find Caster and his master, who are the perpetrators behind the recent disappearances." I said.
"How did you know it was them?" Sella asked.
"Because it was Caster's master who tried to kidnap us a few nights back." I revealed.
"WHAT!?" The four of them scream out at once.
"Theo! Why would you tell them that!?" Illya demands. "I thought the point of blackmailing was so they won't find out!"
"THAT'S why you were blackmailing us!?"They exclaimed.
I turn to Illya. "It was only a matter of time. Besides, they wanted to know everything, so it's better to leave nothing out."
"Are you insane!? Do you realize what kind of situation you were in!? You could have died!" Sella exclaims.
"Well, I didn't and I broke his Master's nose. So I say it's a win-win." I shrug causing Sella's eyebrows to twitch. "Anyways, after locating their base, we headed there and we found them in the sewers, happy to see us."
Sella face palms. "This is ridiculous. Not only did you encounter Caster and his Master, but you also actively hunted them down."
"Well somebody had to stop them, and it certainly wasn't going to be the police." I remark.
Sella just glares at me. "Do you not value your own life? Do you think this is some kind of game you could win!? You got off lucky because Lady Arcueid was by your side! If it was not for her, we would not be speaking right now!"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn't do anything. It was little Theo who did all of the work." Arcueid admits.
"...eh?" Is all Sella can say.
"She's right. I took down Caster and his Master by myself." I said.
The Einzberns couldn't believe what they're hearing. A six-year-old boy claims he killed a Servant, a hero from the distant past, by HIMSELF!? It is already rare for a magus to fight a Servant, but a child with no magical affinity claiming to have defeated one is beyond ludicrous.
"Theo-san… I'm sorry, but I find it difficult to believe your words." Mashu admits, sending a metaphorical arrow to my chest.
"Yeah, there's no way you could take a Noble Phantasm head-on and survive." Fillia adds, sending another arrow.
"No way." Et tu, Liz?
"But he's telling the truth, he did beat them." Everyone turns to Arcueid. "I saw it myself."
Sella sighs and turns at the True Ancestor. "No offense Lady Arcueid, but you should not fill the young master's head with wild fantasies. I am sure you were the one who dispatched Caster."
Arcueid puffs her cheeks in frustration. If there's one thing she doesn't like, it's being called a liar.
"Haa… I knew this would happen. It's a good thing I brought this with me." I reach into my coat pocket and secretly open my inventory before quickly throwing something at the coffee table.
The Einzberns round up around the table to see what it was, only for their faces to cringe in shock and disgust.
For there's a burned severed hand on the table. A hand with three Command Seals. A Master's hand.
"Kya!" Illya screams at the disgusting sight and falls back.
"I-Is that really-"
"I can feel the Magical Energy coming from the markings. There is no doubt these are authentic Command Seals." Mashu confirms.
I smirk. "Told you."
Everyone turns to me, shocks written all over their faces.
"H… how did you do this? You don't have any Magic Circuits… you shouldn't be able to fight a Servant let alone kill them." Sella said, her voice trembling with fear.
"I guess I'll show you." To the shock of everyone (minus Arcueid) they see my face light up in blue flames before it moves to the rest of my body. When it dissipates, they see me now donning white armor with a hood over my head and a white mask on my face.
"Eh!?"
"What the hell!?"
"How did you do that!?"
"You look so cool Theo!"
I take off my mask and look at everyone. "This is how."
Sella just blinks as she tries to come up with the words. "Young master… what is this?"
I put my mask on. "This is my power. It's called [Persona]."
Fillia arches an eyebrow. "Persona…? A mask…?"
"Persona is the term used to describe the public image of one's personality or how people view them." Mashu speaks up. "According to Carl Jung, people wear a social 'mask' to make themselves appear more socially desirable and can wear multiple masks depending on the situation. Depending on the individual's circumstance, a persona which they consider stronger within their specific social situation can be created because they put a higher emphasis on social interactions."
Everyone just stares silently at Mashu as they all marvel at her knowledge.
"You sure know a lot." Fillia comments.
Mashu blushes. "I-It's no big deal. I-I just had a lot of time to read, that's all."
"Anyways, what Mashu said is true though it's a bit more literal for me." I place my hand on my chest. "In the depths of the human soul lies a domain where mythological archetypes dwell, and they grant an influence over an individual's personality. Anecdotes of mythological divinities the world over probably exist because of that, so one could say that gods and demons exist not in Heaven and Hell but in the hearts of humanity. I am able to materialize these archetypes into the real world." I take off my mask and summon a cat with purple fur with Green eyes and the cat appears to be wearing a belt, red cape and boots and a hat with a feather on it and cutlass in his hand. "This one is named Cait Sith."
"Nice to meet ya!" The spirit said in a thick Scottish accent.
Everyone's eyes widened by the revelation.
"T-Theo-san, do you know what you're saying…!? You've achieved True Magic!" Mashu exclaims.
I dismiss Cait Sith and the mask returns to my face. "... no I haven't."
"I'm afraid Shielder's correct, young master. What you just described is the manifestation of the soul or [Heaven's Feel], True Magic."Sella said.
Arcueid gives me a crushing hug. "My knight is so awesome!"
Illya grabs my arm and tries to pull me out. "Hey, keep your hands off my Theo!"
As the two fight, the Einzbern siblings just stare as their minds are elsewhere. The Einzbern family have been seeking a way to regain the lost Third Magic for a long time, the Holy Grail War being one of their many attempts.
Now in front of them is an Einzbern homunculus who not only has rediscovered this sacred miracle but is able to use it without restrain, and that left them conflicted.
One half is their programmed purpose of the Einzberns: to reclaim the Third Magic and deliver it to the family.
That is their purpose.
If Theo truly possesses True Magic, they must bring him back to the Einzberns and turn him to the head of the family.
Another half, however, resists this. Desiring for the protection and the wellbeing of the young boy.
These two extremes are raging in their minds, fighting each other constantly in order to fulfill their respective objective.
Did they develop some kind of fault? Surely not, and yet why does the prospect of returning to Germany make their hearts grow heavier. They don't get it.
They are homunculi, artificial humans. They are tools for magi; meant to obey them and be disposed of when the time comes.
The will of the Einzberns is absolute. It must be obeyed no matter what.
So why do they want to cry?
"Alright, stop. I'm not a teddy bear, you know." I manage to wiggle myself out of that death trap they call a hug.
"Aw." Both Arcueid and Illya pout.
"Anyways, that's about it. So, any questions?" I asked.
The four women look at each other, seemingly at a loss for words on what to say.
"Why are you doing this?" Surprisingly, it's Liz who asks the question.
Everyone just stares at the young Magician before a riveting sound comes from the mask.
"To live." I finally answered, confusing everyone.
"Our lives are a sham, our reason to exist is so that the Einzberns can reclaim the Third Magic. We are nothing more than dolls who are chained by the greed of others. We have no will, no identity, nothing. We only exist so that we can become martyrs for their ambitions." I explained.
"Theo-san, what are you talking about?" Mashu asked.
"I'm not surprised you don't know. You see, the Einzberns are in charge of creating and delivering the vessel, known as the [Lesser Grail], to the ritual site (Fuyuki City) where it will slowly be filled by the Magical Energy of fallen Servants. During the first three wars, the Einzberns used the [Das Rheingold] to create the vessels but this was changed after someone attempted to steal the vessel during the last war. So, our dear grandfather had to get creative."
"What do you mean?"
"The Einzbern [Thaumaturgical Attribute] is the Flow and Transfer of Power, it is the reason why they are famous for their alchemy and coining homunculi." I continued. "In order to prevent some schmuck from trying to steal the vessel again, the Einzberns decided to create a [Lesser Grail] that can move and protect itself, an artificial lifeform that can have free will and use magecraft."
"T-Then that means-"
"The Einzberns offer homunculi to serve as the [Lesser Grail]. Until at least four or five Servants die total, that homunculus will remain active and pre-programmed to protect the ritual against sabotage. And there are currently six homunculi active in Fuyuki City." I hold up six fingers. "Now, out of those six, who is the closest to the ritual?"
Mashu takes a moment to put the pieces together. "Your mother is the [Lesser Grail]."
"Well, she and Illya are." I elaborate.
"I am?" Illya asked.
"Yup, it's why Acht had you go through so many surgeries. He wants you to be the most potent [Lesser Grail] and the most powerful Master in Einzbern history, their last gambit. If Irisviel fails then it would be up to you to become the catalyst that calls the [Greater Grail] to this world." I explained. "However, because of this you were left with a stunted growth which means you'll never grow past this point and mom's body will start to break down until she's nothing but an empty shell for the ritual."
Now everyone was shocked by the info dump. But what's even more shocking is that it came from a little boy of all people!
"H-How do you know this!?" Sella demands, more appalled than everyone else.
"Being a failed experiment has its perks." I dismiss my metaverse outfit. "Barring you guys, no one in the Einzbern Castle paid attention to me." I smile a little. "No one talked to me, they didn't even glance at me when I passed by them."
Illya and Mashu flinch at his words. They recall seeing the Einzbern maids ignoring Theo and avoiding him like a disease. They would only speak to him if it was necessary, but that was extremely rare. Jubstacheit would come to their room for Illya and would kick Theo aside like he was some sort of pebble in his way. The only people who paid him any attention other than themselves were his parents and Maiya.
Yet, despite it all, Theo never once let the neglect affect him or even cried about the lack of attention.
He just… kept moving forward.
"It was easy for me to sneak into the old man's study and read his journals. It surprises me that he had absolutely no countermeasures against anyone entering other than himself. I suppose no one would be dumb enough to sneak in without incurring his wrath, except for a failure like me." I chuckle before feeling something soft pressing against my back.
"You're not a failure, Theo. I don't wanna hear you talking like that." Arcueid scolds me.
I didn't reply, instead simply let her hug me.
As for the others, they didn't know what to think if there was any thinking at all. Mashu was surprised. She knew that the Holy Grail War was different from the one in her timeline, but she certainly wasn't expecting this! To use a living being, artificial or not, as the grail is simply unheard of! Were the Einzberns that desperate to claim the grail that they would use their own family!?
And now knowing that her Master was one such vessel… it sickened her.
Sella, Liz, and Fillia were a different story. While not as riled up by the revelation, they were no less disturbed, mostly because of Liz. Leysritt isn't like them, she was originally created as one of the many [Lesser Grail] prototypes. The head of the Einzberns attempted to use [Ether Clump] as the main component for the vessel, but this left the homunculi with barely an ego and as a result died in just a couple of minutes; Leysritt was the only one who survived. Yet despite this, the master did not see her as a success and decided to dispose of her. It was only by Mistress Irisviel pleas that Leysritt was allowed to live, repurposed to be Illyasviel's main protector and guardian.
So, to know that her brother was in a similar position made them agitated. More so the fact that he would go head first into danger for their sake.
"So, now that you know the truth, there is one thing I'd like to ask of you all." Arcueid lets me go before taking a step forward and bow, surprising everyone. "Please, help me shut down the Holy Grail War!"
"!?" Everyone said.
"I… can't do this alone. Even with all my strength, I can't defeat them all by myself!" I admitted. "If I don't do this then mom and dad will die. The innocent people of the city will die and you all will be nothing more than puppets! I don't want that!" I take a deep breath. "So please… help me, not just to save them but all of you from this terrible fate. You don't deserve it…"
The living room goes silent as everyone contemplates what was just said.
Until finally, someone spoke…
Fillia scratches her head. "Geez kid, you sure like to be dramatic," she then smiles, "I'm in."
"Wait, what!?" Sella exclaims.
"He's got a point." Liz adds.
"Leysritt!?"
"Look Sella," the maid turns to her sister. "No matter what happens here, even if the Einzberns win the grail or not, that old bastard will have us scrapped and I don't want that. I want to live. And right now, I have a chance to make that a reality."
"B-But Fillia, do you know what you're saying? You are betraying master Jubstacheit! You'll be hunted down for the rest of your life! Do you really want that!?"
Fillia glares at her sister. "It doesn't matter. Our bodies have-what?-six more years before they start breaking down? If there is a chance for me to live a normal life, I'll happily take it, Einzberns be damned." She clenches her fists. "I will not be chained like a slave just because of some senile old fool who can't see past his programming."
Sella just looks at her sister dumbfounded. She then turns to Leysritt, and while she could express herself, Sella could see a fire brimming in those dull red eyes.
Fillia looks at me and smiles. "I'm with you all the way, Theo." Just then, a screen appears with a familiar message.
I am Thou… Thou art I…
Thou has acquire a new vow,
It shall become the path to Fate
That severe the deceitfulness of corrupted Destiny.
With the birth of the Councillor Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall guide thee to a true route and new power…
[Councillor] Confidant [Fillia von Einzbern] has been attained!
The following perk [Blunt Honesty] has been unlocked!
Blunt Honesty: Rank C
Does not waver against intimidation
"But if you screw up, I personally come back from the grave to give you a hell of a beating. Am I clear?" Fillia threatened.
I gulp. "Noted."
"Yes, let's do it! Let's save mama and papa!" Illya turns to her Servant. "You'll help, right Shielder?"
Mashu smiles. "Of course I will. I am your shield, Master."
I walk to the coffee table and grab the severed hand. "Alright. Here's the plan."
In the Kotomine Church, we see Risei talking to a group of birds.
"... while Caster and his Master have been dealt with, we still do not know who was the one responsible for their deaths. We still do not know what was the cause of that spike in Magical Energy but it is obvious that the two events are linked. Further, the left hand was removed from the corpse so we can assume that they are also now holding Command Seals." Risei explains. "Therefore, I announce that the Holy Grail War is now-" *BANG* The overseer is interrupted by the sounds of the doors slamming open.
"... forgive me. It seems we have an uninvited guest." He turns around and gives the person a one-eyed stare. "May I ask who you might-" He chokes on his words as he sees who that person is.
"Oh no please, don't stop on my account." The person steps out of the shadows, revealing herself to be Arcueid. "I'm just a beautiful girl passing by~"
Risei opens both of his eyes as he marvels at the woman standing in front of him. "In all my years as a member of the church, never in my lifetime would I have the chance to meet you face to face." He closes his eyes, "how may I help you this evening, White Princess?"
The familiars around him chirp loudly at the reveal of her identity.
"Those birds are so noisy." Arcueid comments. "Anyways, I'm just here to make an announcement."
"For what?" Risei asked.
"For me."
"!" Risei turns around and sees someone standing on the other side of the altar wearing what looks like white armor and a mask over his face.
'How could I have not sensed him? ' Risei thought. 'Judging by his stature, he's likely no older than seven and yet… there's something amiss…' "And may I ask who you might be?"
"I go by many names, Father, but you may refer to me as Moon Knight, the Protector of the Night." I said in Khonshu's voice. "I bring judgment to all who hurt the innocent. The Caster Servant and his master have already suffered my vengeance." I glance at the familiars seemingly frozen by my statement.
'Hmph, these mages send their pets to meetings instead of coming in themselves? They're just as cowardly as I thought.' Khonshu remarks.
"And why have you come to this sacred church, Sir Knight?" Risei asked.
"I am here to declare war." I replied.
Flashback
"I am participating in the Holy Grail War." I declare.
Sella just looks confused. "Forgive me, young master, but I don't see how that will help us."
"Yeah, you're not making sense. I thought you wanted to destroy the grail." Fillia said.
"I do, but in order to destroy it we need to eliminate the masters first." I said. "Arcuied and I will go to the church. The masters will all likely be at the church right now to discuss tonight's events. I'll announce my part in the event while also making my true intent known to them."
Mashu was the first to speak. "Are you sure that's wise? Fighting them all at once seems too risky."
"Not exactly. The church is considered neutral ground in the war, no one would fight there." Sella points out.
"Except dad. He's only following the rules because it benefits him." I add, knowing full well that Kiritsugu will bend the rules if it means taking one step closer towards his wish.
So, how are you going to enter the war?" Arcueid asked.
"With this, silly." I shake the severed hand (Illya: Ew!).
Flashback end
"You want to participate in the Holy Grail War?" Risei asked.
"You misunderstand, I am not here to participate. I am here to destroy the Holy Grail." I elaborated.
"!?" This catches the overseer by surprise.
"Three wars this land has suffered. Countless souls sacrificed for your greed, your selfishness. Those souls cry out for retribution, for vengeance, and I listen to them. How many lives are you willing to ruin to continue this cycle, Father? How can you, a man of God, just stand there and let this go unpunished? Do you not care for the people of this city? Do they mean so little to you?" I scoff. "If this is what it means to be a servant of God, then I'll happily stay an atheist."
Risei grits his teeth at the proclamations. This masked boy dares to insult his faith? To mock him in this house of God!?
A figure slowly walks from the shadows before I grab them and throw them to the ground in a headlock. "If you're planning to kill me while my back is turned, try to do it more quietly."
"!?" Kirei just looks surprised by the whole thing.
"Anyways, my reason for coming here wasn't to antagonize you, Father, but rather the participants to this sham of a ritual." I said. "And to do that, I am going to participate in the Holy Grail War as a Master."
Risei tries to remain composed. "And how will you do that? You need Command Seals to be considered a participant."
I let go of the young priest and stood up. I pull my glove off and show my backhand to the priest, revealing a glowing red brand.
Flashback
I lay on my bed as I watched Sella work.
"So, how is this going to work exactly? I don't have Magic Circuits." I said.
Sella prepares the procedure. "While you can't provide Magical Energy to a Servant, it is possible to redirect the Magical Path to another magi or another outside source. Fillia was kind enough to volunteer as your proxy."
"You're welcome." I heard Fillia's voice from outside.
"[Spiritual Healing] can allow a magus to safely transfer Command Seals from one person to another as long as the owner is willing to do so, but since the owner's has already passed there's no need for consent." Sella's hands begin to glow. "Now be still, you may feel some discomfort."
I cringe and let out a gasp as I watch Sella work.
Flashback ends
I ogle at my new Command Seals. "I will admit, despite being a serial killer, that boy at least proved very useful." I look up at the priest. "So, is this enough to consider me a Master?"
Sweat beads down on the old priest. He glances at his son, lying still on the floor. He must be in shock. For a child to not only sense him but also trap him like that takes skill and experience. One thing is certain… This child is not normal.
"Yes, I can confirm the Command Seals are genuine. Very well, I officially welcome you as the seventh Master of the Fourth Holy Grail War." Risei states. The familiars begin to chirp loudly in protest but the overseer merely raises his hand to silence them.
Major Quest Unlocked
Me vs the World
Objective 1: Defeat all of the Servants 1/7
Objective 2: Destroy All of the World's Evil
Reward: 1,000,000,000 EXP, ¥1,455,289,000, True Magic, #%$^&
Failure: End of the world, Death
I nod. "I have not summoned my Servant yet, but I plan to do so as soon as possible. I only wanted to make my participation official before I can begin."
"Very well. The Holy Grail War will resume tomorrow evening as normal. This meeting is adjourned." Risei declares and the familiars all fly away. "May the light of the grail bless you on your journey, sir Knight."
I stare at the old man before making my way towards the exit with Arcueid happily in tow before vanishing.
The overseer turns to his son. "And what exactly were you thinking, Kirei?"
The young priest slowly stands up, "I was attempting to remove a dangerous element. That boy is not normal."
"Your instincts are correct my son, however, you almost made a grave error that would have cost your life." Risei glances at the two and trembles. "That boy is sponsored by a True Ancestor, and the White Princess no less. Had you gone through with your actions we would not be speaking right now."
Kirei hears the tone his father is using and he couldn't believe it. His father was afraid. It was an emotion that his father never showcased.
"Is that boy really that powerful?" Kirei asks not out of concern, but curiosity.
"Yes… and if you value your life, I suggest you stay away from them." Risei warned. "I must contact Tokiomi-san at once, this truly changes everything." He leaves the chapel, leaving his son alone with his thoughts.
The two moon dwellers leap through the night and arrive at the balcony of their penthouse.
"You're back!" Illya happily cheers.
"Yeah." I said. "Sorry we took so long. We had to deal with an unexpected problem."
"Sella and I just finished making the circle!"
"That's great!" I gave her a head pat. "Nicely done, onee-chan."
"Ehehehe." Illya giggles.
'I don't understand why you want to go through all of this trouble. It seems extremely tedious.' Khonshu said.
'Having a Servant is simply a means to an end. They are our way to enter the war without drawing unnecessary attention anymore than I already have.' I replied. 'The Masters will be more concerned with them than they will with me. I'll just become a secondary priority to them.'
'Is that why you didn't reveal my power in the church?'
'Better keep my cards close to my chest until the last second. You never know when you'll need the element of surprise.' I said.
I walk towards the summoning circle. "Alright, let's begin." I raise my left hand at the circle.
"Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation
Let White be the color I pay tribute to
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall
Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate.
The summoning circle glows brightly with blue light.
I hereby declare.
Your body shall serve under me.
My fate shall be your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail
If you will submit to this will and this reason…Then answer!
Everyone sees a large white silhouette with a bird skull holding a golden staff standing beside him.
An oath shall be sworn here!
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven.
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!
From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three greet words of power,
Come forth from the ring of restraints,
Protector of the Holy Balance!"
The circle's brightness intensifies as it covers the rooftop of the hotel before it dies down.
Standing in the middle of the circle is male with a fair complexion with long white hair that reaches his shoulders and lilac eyes. He has a pair of earrings which resemble flowers on both ears. He wears a white robe woven with the finest fabrics alongside a pair of baggy pants and boots. In his left hand is a wooden staff that can be best described as 'gimmicky'. It twists near the end which connects to some kind of metal object tied to a series of ribbons of varying colors at the base.
"Greetings, Avatar of the Moon. Merlin - yes, the one and only Merlin - has answered the call. You may now shower me with your gratitude and affection." The Grand Caster, Merlin, announces dramatically.
A mixture of emotions were painted on everyone's faces. From shock to astonishment to excitement. But for me…
"What have I done…?" I said in clear alarm.
"Die, Merlin! Fou!" Suddenly, a small squirrel-like creature appears from literally nowhere and kicks the Servant in the face, sending him crashing face-first to the floor.
'Oh yes, quite a brilliant plan. Can't wait to see how this turns out.' Khonshu remarks sarcastically.
Such misfortune.
0. Fool: The Artificial Human Squad (Theo, Sella, Liz, Fillia, Illya, Mash, Arcueid)
I. Magician: Shirou Muramasa
I. Councillor: Fillia
II. Priestess: Leysritt
III. Empress:
IV. Emperor:
V. Hierophant: Sella
V. Apostle:
?. Faith:
?. Hope: Mash Kyrielight
VI. Lovers:
VII. Chariot:
VIII. Justice:
IX. Hermit:
X. Fortune:
XI. Strength:
XI. Hunger:
XII. Hanged Man: Kariya Matou
XIII. Death:
XIV. Temperance:
XV. Devil:
XVI. Tower:
XVII. Star: Arcueid Brunestud
XVIII. Moon: Illyasviel von Einzbern
XIX. Sun:
XX. Judgment:
XX Aeon:
XXI. The World:
Author Notes
I'll be honest, this was difficult for me to write. Every line of dialogue led to a dead end. If it wasn't for a rough draft sent by a friend, I would likely still be stuck writing this (seriously, thanks triscythe59).
But anyways, here we are at last. Theo has made the decisive decision to enter the Holy Grail War. Most, if not all, are going to ask why you made this decision and the answer is simply because I thought it would be interesting. Here, you have a character who wants nothing to do with the grail but still signs up to pursue it like everyone else. The only key difference is that he wants the grail so that he can destroy it. The war and its prize has been something that all magi wish to claim, either to use its power for themselves or to elevate their status in the supernatural world.
Can you imagine a complete stranger appearing from nowhere and suddenly taking it from their grasp?
I sure can and, to be honest, it's hilarious.
Also, this works to keep his secret identity as everyone will just think that he's some sort of powerful prodigy who wears a costume and mask; misdirection.
As for how Theo can have Command Seals without Magic Circuits it is because the Command Seals fall under a separate system. It's stated that a Servant can have multiple Masters, and even split the Master rights between magi; one bears the seals the other supplies the energy. This is done by manipulating the Magical Paths between the two in order to reduce the burden.
As for why I chose Merlin, that's simple really. Considering his personality, he would be interested in Theo and would watch his actions from his tower only to later use some magic terminology bullshit to get summoned so he can be part of the action (of course, there's another reason why he appeared but that's for another time).
Also, Fou's adorable.
But anyways, that's that. If you guys like it, that's awesome. If you don't, that's fine, too. And if you have some constructive criticism, I'll happily read it and improve from it.
Peace~