Arc 1: The Separated Heroines' of Day (Fate) and Night (Tsukihime) Meet~! The Decisive Battle To Lose and Regain Paradise~! - Episode 1
Song: Round ZERO ～BLADE BRAVE · Nanase Aikawa
Location: Earth-M616 Prime (*1)
Year: 2004
In the dark night and forests of Fuyuki City, there was a little girl that walked through the cold sidewalk. Alone. Just like her life - and everything else. She was dressed in a purple coat with a matching hat, both made of warm and fuzzy material made for the winter. December was just coming soon. It was still the odd month of November. Winter complimented her skin, which was porcelain-white and bright, but had crimson eyes.
She recently left the mansion - or rather, escaped the distresses of her personal maids. She needed some place to be besides there. In fact, anywhere else for that matter. She needed the open air. She wanted to experience more of the freedom. She never had that, when she was in the clutches of that old man. The only reason she was even free to begin with was because she was set to become the sacrificial lamb for the Grail.
Yes, the Holy Grail War.
One could call it a competition. But... it was in truth, a battle royale, one that could even lead to permanent death. It will begin about two months time, by the month of December. Those who are qualified, the gifted, would prepare themselves for the battles that are to lay ahead. Those who are more than capable of summoning what is called Servants, based on stories of ancient heroes and myths.
(*2) Illyasviel von Einzbern had already summoned hers. He was in shadowy and phantasmic form, an unseen nature beyond the eyes of mere mortals. Thus, she wasn't technically alone. He was protecting her. More than just fine. He had been with her from the beginning. She used to recall a snowy plain. A little hand, that lifted itself towards a towering menace. A darkened figure. One that was somewhat of a familial figure. Though she does not admit it so loudly.
She keeps her emotions tighter and close to her own chest. No attachments. No nothing. And even if she did had those - it was severed by the betrayal of the man that was her father. She wondered where he truthfully was. She heard rumors that Kiritsugu Emiya was dead, though she denies it to the bone of her soul.
Until she sees it for herself, she would keep searching for the bastard. But what happens if he is truthfully dead? She did not like to think about that trail of thought because that only made her emptier than a mere husk. And she was already empty.
...She lost her beloved mother. She lost her dear father. She was an abandoned girl, hampered by her current nature, stuck as a younger body. She was already older than what her physical appearance lay in front of her.
That gave her an idea. Though she had wondered where this thought of hers even led her to this form of action. Perhaps she can pay a visit towards her dear brother? The boy that Kiritsugu adopted. The man who took everything from her. She wondered about this boy. What was actually so special about this boy that made her father replace her for him? That made her angry. It was an excellent revenge. To kill the boy who took everything from her.
But no. Not now. The Grail War provided her with a more satisfactorily conclusion for the spineless fool, in her opinion.
As she continued through her rumbling, darker thoughts, she started to slowly noticed something.
"Hmm?"
She sensed something relatively nearby. Though she could not make out what it was. The mana however was quite subtle yet very noticeable. She frowned. She quietly walked faster, in order to take a closer look.
What could cause such a spike? The Holy Grail War hasn't even officially started yet. Perhaps an incompetent master that doesn't know what they are doing? If that's so, it's quite foolish of them to enact something like this, under her watch.
On another end of this forest, there was a young woman that couldn't help but have her curiosity peaked. In the dead of the cold night, wearing a black jacket that covered her white shirt, with a black tie, there was someone who swiftly jumps up... as high as the skies... and lands swiftly. Her once black hair was pure crimson.
Anxiety troubles the heart of one Akiha Tohno. (*3)
It was because her brother had been hiding something, even though he often denies it whenever she tried to prod. Based on what she knew at least, her brother had some kind of part-time job. What that was, she was very unsure. Only that he was working at some company called B.O.A.R.D. They are quite a well to do company in the public eye. They usually do and have a major focus on archeological fieldwork, and have close connections with Wayne Enterprises' Japanese Branch.
Now, why was she even worried about this?
Simple. She sensed something off. It had been in the tingling back of her mind ever since she met her brother once again. It only gotten stronger and more sensible as the days passed by. He hid something from her. A great power. What that was... some part of her - an instinct to actually flee as far away from her brother as possible.
...But why?
She did not admit it, but she did loved her brother... with her whole heart... and perhaps, mayhaps, something more.
She jumped upwards and landed on a forest tree branch. She knew that she was somewhere around Fuyuki City. It was a city that was very close and right next door from Misaki City. So, hopping from a train to here and there was quite easily. That was how she came here, by train.
...And she sensed that same primal fear.
An ancient power.
An ancient power.
Both a magician of her craft and a being of the supernatural. Both Illyasviel and Akiha would make way towards the spot where they, from different angles and positions, bear witness to two running individuals that they would recognize.
"...You," Illyasviel muttered, under her breath.
"...Brother?" Akiha muttered, under her breath.
There were two young men that they would find. Shirou Emiya (*4) and Shiki Tohno (*5). Why exactly were they running towards a clear open space, were there was no one there...?
...No, there was someone there!
It was...
It was something very unhuman.
Appearing from thin air, just like a phantasm.
It had a humanoid shape. It had two exposed teeth that resembled a prehistoric saber-tooth tiger. It had sharp edges across its shoulders, elbows, and hands, that resembled a combination of bones and silver knives. Orange and grey armor. A buckle that had some kind of symbol, that had the words "UD" and two snakes encircling it. Its eyes were silver, without any pupils.
...Both Illyasviel and Akiha somehow had the urge to turn away and run. Something's telling them to run. Run for the hills. Run as far away as it is inhumanly possible. Why? What was this creature standing before them? The mana they both sense within that creature felt absolutely raw. It almost felt consuming, primal, and even deadly. An intoxicating feeling.
As Illyasviel kept looking at it, it almost felt like... a miniature Holy Grail unto itself. Only, the cup was quite full, shaping whatever desire forms within their remarkable thought, and potency. She felt even Berserker was rather uneasy to be here. How so? If this were any other circumstances, she'd deem it silly. Berseker was the strongest in the world in fact! It's quite foolish of a thought for him to even be afraid of something that's not even a few couple of inches taller than him. He could squash that thing like a bug with his weapon so casually, it wouldn't be much of an eyesore.
But it was not the height, or the appearance. It was just something... completely abnormal.
"Let's go, partner," Shirou spoke grimly, as he drew some kind of silver buckle.
"Ah," Shiki affirmed, as he drew his own silver buckle.
They narrowed their eyes at this creature. They weren't surprised. They were quite familiar with this foe of ancient times.
They put cards inside the buckles, and would place themselves into the center of their waist. Then, a burst of red cards came out from one slot of the belt and into the other end of the buckle. The belt would begin to chime and hum on stand-by mode.
Ancient power. Divine power. Sensed by both Illyasviel and Akiha.
"...What?" They both muttered, as their eyes widened towards Shirou and Shiki.
Shirou would begin to raise his right hand slowly, with his right index finger open and the rest of his fingers beside the thumb slightly closed, forming a check gesture. And then, he would raise his right hand forward.
Shiki would begin to raise his left hand slowly towards the upper right, with his left index finger open and the rest of his fingers beside the thumb slightly closed, forming a check gesture. In the next moment, he would clench his left hand.
"Grrrrrr..." The creature growled. "...Kamen Riders." It spoke with a primal, menacing tone.
"Henshin!" they both exclaimed.
Shirou would twist his arms like a circle, putting the left hand forward as it does a check gesture while putting the right hand down as he places it on the handle of the buckle, pulling the switch sideways as the central part of the buckle would rotate, revealing a golden spade design attached to a red rectangular surface in exchange.
Shiki would put his left arm to the side while twisting his right arm forward as the hand gets placed on the handle of the buckle, pulling the switch sideways as the central part of the buckle would rotate, revealing a golden spade design attached to a green rectangular surface in exchange.
TURN UP!
TURN UP!
And then instantly, two forcefields were seen to emerge from the buckles. Shirou's blue forcefield had the image of a Hercules Beetle while Shiki's blue forcefield had the image of a Stag Beetle. Automatically, the forcefields would head back to them and engulf them, gaining them their respective armor.
In Shirou's case, his armor consisted of a pure blue bodysuit. Covering the upper part of the body is a silver-colored torso-shaped armor in the center, with a spade dress in the center while the shoulder straps were flat with golden decorations on the arms and spade on the upper part. Gold bands were wrapped around his wrists and crossed metal strips were on the boots. Around his waist, the buckle remained unchanged with a spade symbol, on the side of the belt he has a sword with a blade as long as his arm and what appeared to be a kind of container built in front of the handle. In the end, his helmet was blue with a silver face and a single horn rising, emulating a rhinoceros beetle in the shape of the spade symbol.
Kamen Rider Blade. The Kamen Rider of Deuteronomy.
In Shiki's case, his armor consisted of a pure burgundy bodysuit. Covering the upper part of the body is a silver-colored torso-shaped armor in the center, with a spade dress in the center while the shoulder straps were flat with golden decorations on the arms and spade on the upper part. Gold bands were wrapped around his wrists and crossed metal strips were on the boots. Around his waist, the buckle remained unchanged with a spade symbol, on the side of the belt he has a gun and what appeared to be a kind of container built in front of the handle. In the end, his helmet was green with a silver face and two horns rising, emulating a stag beetle in the shape of the spade symbol.
Kamen Rider Garren. The Kamen Rider of Numbers.
The creature's response, was to draw a set of silver claws, from its respective shoulders.
The Smilodon Undead has now found its worthy catch of prey. Its aura, leaked, revealing a dark miasma aura that covered its entire body, and its silver eyes glowed amidst the darkness of the night.
Thus, both sisters of these warriors of the night, the white-haired Illyasviel, and the crimson-haired Akiha, as the winds blew even colder, would bear witness to a fight that had been enacted for countless cycles.
The very first war. The very first conflict. For the fate and survival of mankind. A Battle Fight.
OP Song:
Believe ~English Lyrics