Fate/Pseudo Night
Chapter 1
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Tohsaka's Side
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"I summoned my Servant Kirei… no it's not the Saber Class Servant… no I… My Servant's quite complicated... no... yes... AGH! Look I summoned mine and you can register it now! Goodbye!"
She slams the phone shut and turns to see herself mixing herself some tea. "Eeeh. You don't have bad tastes. This tea is quite delicious." Ishtar drinks the tea as regally as possible while Tohsaka's eye twitches.
What she has understood so far is that a Goddess possessed her body and is now using it to manifest herself.
It sounds good. This basically means she won the Holy Grail War. How the hell else can you lose with a Goddess on your team and a Divine being at that?
She may be disappointed that she didn't get the Saber class, but this Servant is quite powerful as well. It's like mining for gold and striking diamond. She heard of her capabilities. She could destroy mountains, summon the Bull of Heaven, excel in range combat and magecraft, there was nothing that Ishtar could not do. If anything, she was basically a golden jackpot for her.
But then… but then… but then…!
"Why did you have to use my body for that!?" She sulks down in her pajamas as she stares at her current Servant.
Her attire was just showing off way too much! Hell, it was like she was just wearing underwear with stockings and a chocker. It's not something someone has to wear in this day and age!
Ishtar chuckles and begins to float in the air. "Well, what's done is done. You summoned me somehow in this Holy Grail War."
"You can't dismiss it just like that! You have to explain why you're dressed that way!" Rin fumes as she glares at the Goddess.
"Didn't you know? No, you should know rather." Maana floats underneath her as she uses it as a floating chair. "I am the Goddess of Victory and Beauty. I am the manifestation of beauty itself!" She proclaims proudly.
Suddenly a red shirt was thrown at her face along with a skirt and some stockings. "Well beauty isn't buck naked, so get dressed!"
Ishtar sighs. "Even though you're such a beauty, it's a shame."
"Just put on some clothes!" Rin yells, redder than her shirt. "You're embarrassing me enough as is!"
Ishtar felt something tick in her head. "Agh! Shut up! You remind me of my damn sister!"
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"Eeeeh. So, this is the modern world, huh." Ishtar states to herself as she walks around with Rin.
While walking with her, she was wearing something she felt didn't suit her because of the color scheme, but she accepted it because she thought that she looked cute enough in it. She wears a white shirt with a blue tie on it as well as a blue long skirt. She was wearing stockings to cover her legs and boots for her feet. Her twin tails are tied in blue ribbons as well.
She had to admit that this modern society seemed a bit impressive. While these buildings had nothing compared to her temple, their height and simplicity were astounding. It would've been impossible to build back in her own time.
Another thing is that people are more clothed now. It seems that humans grew more conservative nowadays. She sighs as she walks around.
Tohsaka on the other hand was trying to figure out an excuse for Ishtar suddenly existing. There was no way she could explain how she looked like her or possessed her body.
Just because they were similar? She wouldn't accept that possibility
Although, something is bothering her.
She looks at Ishtar as she looks around the modern world. She was the basically the current source of all her current conundrums.
But then, a big question was how was she supporting her with prana? She shouldn't even have enough. In theory, she would be drained instantly and die. Alternatively, if she was holding back, then she would be feeling a lot of pain right now.
So how was she not?
It felt like nothing was even happening to her. Are they just that compatible with each other?
"You're wondering about how I'm not draining that much prana from you, right?" Tohsaka looks up to see Ishtar look behind her and straight into Tohsaka's blue eyes.
"Eh?" Tohsaka lets out a shocked response, unable to betray the small shock on her face.
Ishtar chuckles. "Don't be surprised. I could see what you were thinking miles away." She waves off her hand. "You're pose also gives you away."
Tohsaka sighs. "Well then, how is it? It should be impossible for me to summon someone like you, isn't that right?"
Ishtar chuckles. "Normally yes. But I'm a Pseudo-Servant. Thanks to me limiting myself to a mortal container, it's possible for me to be summoned like this."
"Pseudo-Servant?"
Ishtar crosses her arms together while beginning… to…
Tohsaka runs up and quickly pulls her down to earth. "Don't go floating in public!"
Ishtar ticks and looks around. "Why are we even going around the city? I admit that it's nice and all, but I don't see the purpose of this. Not unless you're thinking of dating yourself."
Tohsaka blushes even more. "Like hell! I'm just showing you around so that you can get a strategic outlook on this place!" She whisper-yells into the ears of Ishtar.
"But… I could just fly over the city and get the same results…" Ishtar states.
"But not in broad daylight you moron!" Tohsaka screams. "Ah, come on! I'll take you there then!" Tohsaka drags Ishtar into a building and heads for the roof.
Many floors. They walk through stairs after stairs until they reached the top of their location.
The sun was now dipping into the ocean with an orange hue. The sky that was once blue was bathed in the orange light. The stars were slowly sprouting as the darkness mixed with the orange. The clouds from a fluffy white darken as the orange night shades it.
Ishtar looks unimpressed at the efforts it took to get her there, but her face changes into a victorious smirk as she looks at the sky. The sun hasn't set yet, but neither has the moon. In the end, the orange hue seemed to fit Ishtar as she stared up at the sky.
She holds her hands up towards the stars. "As expected, you still shine even on the modern world… Venus."
Tohsaka glares at her while Ishtar begins to float on Maana like a chair. "Well then, what's a Pseudo Servant?"
Ishtar tucks her right arm under her left while raising her left hand with a finger pointing up, starting her lecture. "Servants are historical or mythical beings that can be summoned throughout time. Past, present, even the future. From what I can tell with this host, you once summoned a Servant from the future."
This widens Tohsaka's eyes but she reverts back into her thinking pose. "That's the basics when it comes to Servants though."
"Right. However, there are special cases. Servants that cannot be normally summoned." Ishtar waves her hand around. "There was one I can recall because I was constantly on guard around her. Perhaps it was her host."
Ishtar stands up while keeping her arms crossed. "Yeah. Her name was Parvati."
Tohsaka looks up at Ishtar as she explains. "The Hindu Goddess of love?"
"Is she really though? Well, I got along well with her. She took control of a young girl with purple hair and eyes." Ishtar
Tohsaka looks contemplative. "I… see…" Her eyes look at the distance before she returns to her serious look.
Ishtar notices this but doesn't mind it. "Basically, those that are either too powerful or too little to their name have to possess somebody that is closest to them in personality." Ishtar points to her own Master. "In this case, you are the closest to me in terms of personality and character."
"So that's why, huh…" Tohsaka looks down from her tall height. The ocean of people walking as the sky became black and the stars glittered.
She saw him.
A red-haired boy with golden eyes. "Did somebody catch your attention?" Ishtar smirks as she floats besides her.
She blushes. "No, there was just someone I knew."
She turns and walks away from the ledge, walking towards the door. "So, in short, the only reason I haven't been drained of prana is because you're limited to a mortal body?"
"That about sums it up, yeah. Thanks to me possessing this version of you, some of my skills are weaker too, but they're still there." She adds that last bit of information for Tohsaka to think on.
There was a possibility of Servants being people that she knew then. For someone like Sakura to be possessed by Parvati, A Goddess of love… that had to mean she was doing well, right?
She holds the door handle. She slowly breathes in.
This was the Holy Grail War. She will soon be part of the fight of her life. The moment she walks down and goes back into her home, she will fight in order to win the Grail for her family.
She shouldn't let possibilities hurt her.
She opens the door and walks down, the Servant floating with her.
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"Archer, are you getting this?" She scans the school. A strong magical presence was here.
Ishtar was at a different part of the school, where the same magical presence was felt. Much less powerful, but still existing.
She could feel Ishtar nodding. "Yeah. Some Servant was definitely here a few hours ago."
It felt like there was an attempt to create a bounded field here, but got cancelled. Almost as if the caster of the spell changed his or her mind. Meaning that potentially…
"…someone in this school is a Master." She mutters. This was bad. Someone close to her could be a Master.
She stands up
Bathump
Death.
She felt something powerful staring directly at her. Her heart almost stops beating in pure fear alone. This presence was that of a warrior, but also a mad dog and beast. Someone who was out for blood and was hungry for more.
"So, you finally caught on to me, little missy."
She turns to see a man in blue tights holding a crimson red spear on his back, smirking. His crimson eyes matched his spear that already looked like it gained its color from being bloodied. His hair matched the dark blue that his outfit was going for.
She glares at him in response.
He chuckles. "What? Are you really that terrified of me? Why don't you call out your sister there?" He points with his finger to the direction Ishtar.
This confirms it.
"If you could tell what she is… that means you're a Servant."
He twirls his spear around until he catches it with his left hand. "And if you can tell that… I take it that you're my enemy?"
She was surrounded by all four sides by the fences. She had to get away from this spot and call Ishtar as soon as possible.
She just has to wait for his move.
She doesn't feel anything right now. Not her shaking legs, not the sweat dropping from her face. If her plan worked, then she wouldn't have to worry any further and can rely on Archer to deal with the rest.
He steps forward.
With that as her signal, she turns and sprints towards the fence.
His presence is still behind her. Close too.
She rolls on the floor as she barely dodges the spear of Lancer as he spins it around the air.
"Es ist groß. Es ist klein." Her mana circuits in her legs flare up. "Vox gott es atlas." She shoots herself like a bullet firing from a handgun.
She speeds towards the fence and immediately jumps. Reaching over the fence, but leaving her vulnerable to the four-story drop.
"Archer!"
Almost as though she was always there, Ishtar appears out of nowhere floating and catching her mid-flight.
"I got you!"
As they are gently lowered, Rin felt it again. The same bloodlust from a few moments ago.
Her eyes barely turn behind her to see a mad gaze as he thrusts his spear to stab her in the heart.
"Like I'd let you!" Ishtar let off a gem and it exploded. Placing some distance between Lancer and her.
There was open space now between the two of them. Ishtar was in front of Tohsaka while Lancer was on the opposite side of the court.
:This feeling… Divinity?!" Lancer's eyes widen as his feral nature leaks even more. "Well shit! Guess I have to take this seriously."
"Someone like you? Dream on. You won't be able to take the likes of me, Lancer." Ishtar states with pride.
That was true. Tohsaka knows enough about Ishtar's legend. She was the most proud out of all the Goddesses, the most spoiled and the most craving. She once destroyed an entire mountain range by dropping Venus on it simply because she didn't like the way it looked.
Lancer crouches. His spear aimed towards Ishtar. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I'm just here for a damn good fight." His feral smirk, his red pupils, his hunger for battle. It leaks out like a poison.
"Really now? People like you ought to know their place." Her eyes turn behind her, looking at her Master.
She wasn't really looking for an order or permission, but this was more of a signal. She calmly looks at Rin Tohsaka, her gaze looking bored.
Tohsaka understands this. She may not have used a single command seal, but she can tell that Ishtar would still fight for her.
She nods.
Ishtar turns her head towards Lancer. "Come to me, Maana!"
Lancer's eyes bulge as he narrowly dodges a flying bow the size of a car. It floats towards Ishtar as she smirks with confidence.
"Don't look down on me, missy!" He leaps forward, but Ishtar does the same as well, using her ride as some sort of drill.
Thanks to Lancer's natural agility and finesse, he dodges the attack and aims to strike her with his spear. She dodges it with ease thanks to her weightless body and points a finger gun at him. Prana forming at the tip of her fingers, ready to fire at him.
She shoots it, but he dodges it. His natural affinity for dodging ranged attacks helped him out. He rolls on the floor and leaps forward again, thrusting his spear once more.
Ishtar uses Maana to block it. The clash could be heard throughout the entire school. She quickly floats behind him and aims to kick him in the sides.
His warrior instincts kick in and he blocks it with his elbow. Her strength was powerful, but not enough. He uses his spear and is close to piercing her heart.
But she was prepared.
In her hand was a bunch of gems from her own treasury as she opens them and lets them float around.
"You…!" Lancer curses.
"Boom."
The spells explode, forcing Lancer to be pushed back. His eyes widen as he sees Ishtar prepare her massive bow with around inside it ready. "This little…!"
"Fire!" She shoots her arrow only for it to miss. He smirks as he gets into a stance.
'How did my arrows miss him… unless… of course…'
She looks at him with distaste. "Protection from Arrows, Lancer? It makes you a terrible match up for an Archer class Servant."
He chuckles. "And that's what you are ain't ya? I've never heard of a total divine being actually being summoned into a Holy Grail War, but damn do you put up a fight. You hit like a brick lady." He then aims his spear at her. "Not to mention how similar you look to your own damn Master. I've got to say, she hit the jackpot with that summon."
"Well, I can feel that you've been holding back like me." Ishtar says confidently. "Such a shame. You seemed like a good man too."
He chuckles. "Good observation there, Archer." He changes the way he holds his spear and his prana leaks forward. His stance shifts and his thirst for battle strengthens. "But if you want me at my best… then are you willing to take my mightiest blow?"
Ishtar looks at him. She isn't scared of it, but she is without a doubt weaker than she was in her prime. She won't be able to use her Noble Phantasm to defeat him, but then she can't exactly protect herself as she is vulnerable to strikes that can kill a normal Servant.
She would die.
"You can try, Lancer. But I'll prepare one of my own for you." Ishtar says with a smile as she aims with her fingers once more, forming a finger gun.
Tohsaka looks at the situation in awe. This was her first time witnessing a Servant battle. But now, Lancer was willing to reveal his Noble Phantasm. That would mean…
He quickly turns, his bloodlust focusing elsewhere.
"Who's there?!"
Footsteps. A student was still in this school.
"This was the night of fate. One that changed the course of the war for all its contestants.
Meanwhile, in a church over the hill, a priest smiles as he closes a book. The last master… the last participant of this Holy Grail War would be here tonight. He had a gut feeling about it… and soon the one to answer his wishes, the one to finally solve his dilemma in life would be here.
Sitting across in the backrow of church seats, there is a man wearing a sports jacket and has golden hair. His eyes closed as he tries to sense something.
Slowly, they open up to pure unrelenting rage…
"So… you're in this Grail War… Ishtar." Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, rejecter of Ishtar, the first hero of mankind develops his own objective in this Holy Grail War.
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Sakura's Side
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"E…Emiya. What the hell are you doing here? You're a Servant?" Shinji asks him, pushing his sister out of the way.
SMACK.
Shinji felt the soreness of his cheeks and the heat of the impact as he stared at his Servant in shock. His displeased face evident as he ignores him and returns to the girl.
He lets out a hand for her to grab and pick up. "You ok missy? That ain't how somebody should treat family."
He was ignored.
He was being ignored again.
By him of all people. By goody-two shoes Emiya. By fucking Emiya all over again. That same prick that would always butt into other people's business for no good reason.
And the attention was going to Sakura?
Sakura?
SAKURA?!
No, no, no, no, no! NO!
He was the Master damnit!
"OBEY ME YOU SERVANT!" He raises the book as the Command Seal flares from the book. He didn't care who he was, he was only supposed to obey him!
Swish.
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Why was the book floating?
His hand is still holding the book. He sees it. It's with the book. So, it should be with him, right?
He looks to his right arm.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
He howls in pain. The blood spurts forth like a fountain and waterfall. It spurts out like spring water and flows down both thick and clear. The puddle tainting the greenish tint on the floor with a dark crimson.
The book burns as it is sliced by the Servant.
/Zouken looks in fury. "What did you- "
"As one elder to another, you should learn how to discipline your grandchildren correctly. This brat's an entitled little shit if you ask me." The Servant glared at him.
Sakura was still in shock at the situation. She couldn't make heads or tails on what's going on.
The red-haired boy extends his hand once more. "Like I said, Servant Saber, Senji Muramasa. Responding to your summons."
"Sen…pai?"
He looks at her. "Missy? Miiiisssyyy?" He waves his hand over her eyes.
She tears up. This was like a dream. It couldn't be real. There was no way that she would be saved from her suffering. This was not real.
She feels… tired.
She closes her eyes as she sees her crush awkwardly rush to help her. "Hey!"
This dream… wasn't so bad.
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She has a dream.
Spring has come.
She sits in a park, observing other children. Each of them are playing a new game each time she blinks. From tag to hide and seek. From kick the can to flying a kite. The kids change each time to. It's not always the same kid, not always the same clothes, not always the same day.
But it's always spring.
She sits, having this strange desire to join the kids. She wants to play with them. She wants to stand up and join them.
But she feels strangled.
She can't stand up or else she'll be punished, she can't leave or else she'll suffer, she can't join in or she'll be hurt.
So, she sits there. She longs for something she could never obtain, but has the desire to obtain it anyway. She can only observe like a butterfly within a glass jar, suffocating to its last breath.
She isn't allowed that. She isn't allowed that. She isn't allowed that. She isn't allowed that. She isn't allowed that. She isn't allo-
She gets snapped out of her thoughts as a view surprises her. She sees an outstretched hand. The hand belonged to a red-haired kid.
He had orange amber eyes and a gentle smile. He seemed familiar, but younger. This child seemed mature for such a young age.
His hand remains outstretched, waiting for her to take it and go and join him to play.
She wants to hold it.
She wants to hold it.
She wants to.
She outstretches her hand too. She's so close to grabbing his hand.
She hesitates.
Does she… deserve this…?
The boy frowns and sighs. He grows impatient.
She knows. She will be left alone because the boy won't take her. She's filthy, she's dirty, she's a bad and terrible girl.
The boy shakes his head as if the girl was being stupid.
He grabs her hand and forces her out of her seat. This surprises the girl as he drags her with such force and effort. He doesn't mind. If it meant that she could be happy, then dragging her along to play was such a small thing to do.
Tears began to fall.
Spring was coming to an end.
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Her eyes flutter open.
A familiar ceiling. Brown wood, a Japanese style interior, a futon on the floor. The sun was rising on this day.
She knows this place. Every day, she would see this ceiling as a safe haven. A place where she would have a brief respite from her home.
"Sakura."
She turns her head to see the same boy, gently smiling at her.
"Sen…pai…?"
He places his hand on her forehead. "You gave me a shock last night. I was coming back from my work at Copenhagen only to find you on my front door, out cold. I made sure that you weren't sick or anything, but I couldn't help but worry."
Her memory of last night was… hazy. She couldn't remember much. Perhaps it was due to the stress or shock of the situation that happened? Pieces are slowly coming together for her, but not enough to form an image of what transpired.
"Fuji-nee told me that you should skip school for the day. She asked your teacher if you had anything important going on, so she'll give me any homework that you'll need to do."
How gentle of him. How kind of him. She couldn't help but smile. This was the boy she fell in love with after all.
Shirou Emiya smiles. "You should rest for now. I'll head back after class to take care of you. I don't know what's going on back at home, but I won't pry for now."
She nods. This was the Senpai she knew. This was the one she recalls in her daily life. This was the one she wanted to protect the most from herself.
With that, he stands and leaves.
She was alone. That's right.
She looks at her left hand…
Two Command Seals.
The image forms.
"So that's my host… huh?"
She quickly gets up as her Servant appears out of dust and reappears in the daylight. The host was wearing different clothes now, but this was without a doubt the same one.
She got a good look at him now. He was a bit older and he was slightly more muscular as evidenced by his slightly thicker muscles on his arms and more defined abs. He had the same appearance but was taller. His demeanor was different and his attitude was far too wise and old for someone his age.
Sakura slowly gets up. "So… you're my Servant?"
She doesn't let reality slip from her this time. She felt like this was something she could not run away from.
Not this time.
He smirks. "You finally awake and aware, huh?" He places his hand on her forehead before nodding, confirming her current state of wellbeing.
"Seems that you're doing alright." He leans back on the walls of the house. "Yeah. I'm your Servant. Name's Senji Muramasa. Just some blacksmith."
Muramasa. A name so infamous in Japan, it would be impossible to not have heard of it. Famous for cursing the Tokugawa family line, well known for the rivalry between himself and Goro Masamune, Muramasa is indeed a legendary blacksmith…
But why…
She looks at him in the eye. "Do… do you know Shirou Emiya?"
He looks at her before realizing what she's asking. "The kid? Oh, no I don't. I was just placed into a body that has a similar path to mine. He ought to be a real stupid kid. Dedicated, loyal, stubborn as hell, but stupid nonetheless."
"Senpai isn't like…" She realizes how he has those traits. It's what made her fall in love with him in the first place.
Senji looks at her then looks outside. "Might as well give you an update on my own activities." He picks something up and tosses it out towards her. She catches it.
It was slimy. It's texture familiar. She should know.
It violated her so many times.
"This is…!"
"That took the place on some of your nerves." He stated calmly. "That deranged old bastard… no respect for his own grandkids. Long story short on that end, I managed to get that outta you. I know there are other Servants that coulda done better than me, but still… shouldn't have to worry too much about it anymore."
Her eyes widen. This was the thing that threatened her life for so long, that held her hostage… now she was… free? She didn't know how to feel about that.
But this thing was close to her heart. She places a hand on her chest before feeling a bit of pain.
Senji looks at her. "I'm a swordsmith. I just have to make the perfect sword to slice that thing out, grab it out then stitch you together." He chuckles. "Still though, this kid's got frightening precision. Mixed with my ability to see through karma, I managed to directly get that thing out without harming any other part of your body."
"Kar…ma?" Sakura was getting confused. This was an information dump on her, so it was difficult to keep up.
Senji answers her with a thoughtful expression. "I can kinda see the future. Normally I'd use in combat, but I made an exception this once."
Sakura wanted to talk more. She wanted to know, she just felt so confused. Sakura opens and closes her mouth.
She felt a flick on her forehead.
Senji sighs again as he sees the mixed expression on her. How long was that thing in her.
"Go to sleep kid. I shouldn't have talked to you yet. Get some rest." Senji disappears in a mist of blue light.
Sakura's eyes feel heavy. She had to rest first
She closes her eyes and let's sleep claim her for now.
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Senji sighs as he 'walks' around the nearby area. He would stay by her Master, but cutting out that bug from her took so much of her energy.
He looks around and sees the kid. 'That's him huh…'
Shirou Emiya. He learnt that was his name as he peaked around the traditional styled house looking and hoping for a forge in the modern era.
He was looking for a place as a safe haven and he only found it by sheer luck as he sees a sight that was familiar to him.
His own host walking to a mansion. As soon as his host walked into the house, he dropped her outside and knocked on the door so that Shirou would take her in.
After Shirou took Sakura to a room and gave her medicine and care, he went off to his own room to sleep. That's when Senji took the bug out of Sakura Matou's chest.
There was none anymore in her body, but the effect on what those things did to her would haunt her for so long.
Such an innocent girl…
He didn't notice that he was lost in thought for a bit until he looked up and saw the school. 'When did I…'
This was where her Master goes to school right? Maybe if he set up a territory here, it would help keep her safe. Her current priority is that he takes care of his Master, his sword should come after. He won't half-ass his job taking care of her.
And after his actions against the Matou family… cutting of the kid's hand and taking their child away… that wouldn't end well certainly…
He raises his hand, preparing to set up a territory.
"Apologies, Emiya. Could you help repair the heater?"
He looks up to see a young man with dark-blue hair and glasses nod down in formal apologies as Shirou chuckles and shakes the back of his head. "Shouldn't be too hard. Alright Issei, lead the way." He says with a smile.
Senji's eyes narrow.
He didn't need his Karmic vision to tell that smile was fake.
He stares at him, developing interest in his own host.
What was his life like? His trials and journeys, his failures and accomplishments?
As a Pseudo-Servant, rather as the dominant one of the two, he didn't really know much about his own host. In fact, he's rather clueless when it comes to him. He only knows that they should have had a similar life at least.
But even he never had such a fake smile.
It might not have been obvious to many, but to someone like Senji… it felt off.
He holds on forming the territory. He keeps an eye on the boy.
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School was supposed to be over, but he was left to clean the archery range. It was out of respect to his old friend, Ayako Mitsuzuri.
Senji likes his host to a fault. He was kind, he was helpful, he knew his way around tools. It was like looking at how he would probably be like in the modern age.
He sees the sky settle and he leaves Shirou alone. If he was anything like him, he would be home in time. He had to check on his own Master.
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He had to act.
His Master was still asleep, too tired and too drained out of everything that has happened for the past few days with what's going on with her.
The kid was in danger. Shirou Emiya his own host was going to die.
He refuses to believe that this kid dies in such a pathetic way. He should get up and act, summon himself in front of the kid and defend him.
But that would put his own Master at risk.
He would be signaling that his own Master is related to the boy.
So, he was at a standstill on how to… act…
His eyes stare at the boy's left hand.
A marking. It wasn't solidified yet, but it was there. The mark that signifies that the Holy Grail had chosen him. He is to participate in this war, he is to fight for the ultimate wish, he shall fight with his partner in this clash of battle.
He is to be a Master.
Senji bets it all right then and there that he would summon a Servant. So, he wouldn't reveal his hand too early.
Maybe he'd get along with his Servant?
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Shirou's Side.
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"Sa…ku…ra…?" He is clueless and speechless all at the same time. This was the girl that woke him up every morning, that stood by his side whenever he cooked, who walked with him to school every day, who always gave off a gentle yet beautiful smile towards
She who is right in front of him, is very different than before.
She chuckles. "Watching you in shock like that makes you look very cute you know. Almost like watching a puppy beg."
She turns around quickly and shoots another arrow, deflecting the blow from the spear once more. The blue Servant ticks as he regains his footing once more.
"How rude. Not only are you interrupting, but you're getting in my way of talking to my own Master.." She says with a slight irk in her tone.
Lancer glares at her and his face is filled with both anger and fear. "This feeling… divinity? There are two divine beings in this damn Grail War!?"
"I hate it when people disturb me like that… but it's fine. I'll love you all the same."
She teleports behind him with an arrow ready to pierce his heart. It was so instant, even Lancer had difficulty keeping up with that sort of speed.
But the arrow would never hit him.
She lets the arrow loose, but he dodges it easily. A smirk on his face. This was an enemy that was at a disadvantage against him. He has a natural affinity for deflecting or evading range typed attacks. Her attacks would never work on him.
"Most of the time, I'm not the type to against women. But it's a real shame that you're my enemy miss." He twirls his spear and aims the tip directly to her heart.
"SAKURA!"
A momentary distraction. Lancer turned his sight ever so slightly before he felt the heel of her shoe kick him right in the face, launching him backwards. A loud sound was heard as the impact was made. A crack like biting into the crispy skin of pork.
He rolls over for a while before landing beside the wall. His cheek feels swollen as he gargles his mouth with blood and spits out a tooth.
'Shit… the fuck was that…?' Lancer thinks to himself.
"Oh my… even though I lower than you in terms of strength, it seems that reinforcing myself with magic was enough to hurt you." She teases him playfully.
He gets up. "That ain't enough to get rid of me."
A spike of prana. It came from his spear. The feeling of bloodlust, the feeling of rage and anger. His pupils focus solely on the target in front of him.
"This may not be enough to kill you, but it should be enough to beat you…" He mutters, resigned to using his ultimate technique.
Gae Bolg. The spear that guarantees death. It never misses its target, so the only option one has is to take it head on. It reverses cause and effect. Once the True Name of the Noble Phantasm is said, there is no escape and one should perish from the strike.
She chuckles. "Ah, but are you sure you have your target?" She smiles seductively and snaps her fingers. A small flash of light erupts from her fingertips.
He frowns. What does that…
"I could be right behind you."
"I could be right beside you."
"I could be holding your leg."
Lancer's eyes widen as he felt his body being touched in every direction.
'Three? Out of nowhere?'
He twirls his spear and makes sure that all of them disappear. He slashes and cuts them down, interrupting his own Noble Phantasm.
"Damn, the hell is this?"
They had the same Spirit Origin pattern. What the fuck are they?
There were multiple versions of her popping in and out of existence. These weren't something like clones or illusions. Rather, it felt like these were her and she was them. A limitless existence, a shapeless form. An entity meant for all.
Lancer jumps immediately out of the way and stood on top of the wall. "Tch. My Master made use of Command Seal for me to retreat."
"So, you're just running away like that, Lancer…." A voice came from out of nowhere. Assassin looks to what she thinks is the source.
But it wasn't him. The boy's eyes were as wide as they could be, stretched in shock. It seems that he was staring at the proper source.
She turns her head to look and…
Wasn't that just him?
Lancer's own eyes widen this time. "The hell… what is this shit?" He curses for the third time in a row.
This was not divinity. Hell, that person didn't even seem like a warrior. Even though this Servant has a similar face to the kid he just killed isn't even what mattered.
But it felt like that guy was seeing right through him. His destiny, his fate, his own Karma.
"Such a shame… I owe you for the Karma that you did on the kid. I ended up liking him too." He opens his hand, and in it is a freshly forged katana.
…!
It was instantaneous.
The floor split with his upraised swing and sliced the wall that Lancer stood on. Whether it was the strength of the old man himself or the strength of the Katana was left unknown.
Lancer barely dodged to the left and saw the katana he had shatter. "Seems like you outdone your own weapon kid."
The older version of Shirou ticks as he leaps forward and lands on the wall, his hands still open as though they were holding weapons.
"Don't think that those are my only weapons… and don't call me a damn kid!" In his hands, a quick strike of emerald lightning before he slashes down two katanas that break upon contact with Lancer's spear.
Lancer curses as he is forced to leap back. He was being held back on his fun. The Command Seal was forcing him to not only be weak but also leave him on the retreating end.
This bastard seemed like he would have been fun to fight.
He leaps back with great agility, farther than what the red-haired warrior could reach and stands incredibly far. "Don't think this is over. You seem like a fun person to fight against. I'll make sure that you face me again."
With that, Lancer disappears, probably to retreat to his own Master. The hostile threat now gone, leaving the trio all by themselves.
Senji leaps down from the wall and walks to Shirou. "Yo, ki- "
Instead of facing the kid, he was met with an arrow aimed directly up close towards his face.
"Who are you?" Assassin asked. Normally, she would be welcoming of this man. But this was a Holy Grail War. A Servant casually approaching an enemy Master would mean disaster. Just because one threat is gone doesn't mean there's another.
Her tactic of being so close was unnecessary, as she could be afar and still shoot him. However, this move was meant to show that she would not miss and scare him off.
Senji meanwhile has a small tanto on his hand, aimed towards her heart. "I could ask the same thing about you. You have- "
"Saber!"
Kama looks at who spoke and…
Oh, come on!
Sakura Matou comes out only to be confused by what was happening.
"All right what's… ok what?" A fifth party spoke as it descended from the sky.
Sakura could only look on shock along with Shirou.
"Tohsaka!?"
Meanwhile, Tohsaka made it through the gates and ran towards them.
"Emiya-kun there could… be… What!?"
Thus begins the first night of the Holy Grail War.
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AN
MAJOR THANK YOU TO SYGADELIC YOU SAVED MY ASS SO MUCH
Sygadelic had a backup copy of this chapter and it saved me so much time and effort. I am incredibly grateful for what you have done.
I have edited this chapter a bit, a few fixes here and there.
Next chapter should be up sooner than I thought?. Afterwards, it'll be a coin toss to see what will happen from here on out.
Also, what the fuck is happening to this website rn? Everytime I submit something, it ends up being that rubbish I see with all that technical shit.
Thanks for your time