Embedded Files
The morning sun shone through the wondow's openings, casting light on the motionless figure of a woman. Her chest rise and fall at regular interval, undisturbed by anything but the uncanny presence she cast off
If not for the sound of her breathing, she would have look no more identical than a fresh corpse. Maybe her mind is already that of a corpse. Perhaps there is a better way to describe it somewhere. The girl is not sure
As she walked closer, a sense of familiarity slowly appeared in those dull eyes. She reached out a hand, watching as those lights faded quickly, leaving Sakura's reflection the only thing acknowledged in her. Alone. Like she always was
"Aoi Tohsaka" The purple-haired girl ran her hand down the woman's cheek. Not even a twitch of an eye in reaction to her touch, soenthing that caused a frown on her face "For all that she had done, if this is what she ended up as, I felt bad for her"
Rin sighed.
It was not in her best interest to send a traumatized girl to her old family, but aside from that, there really is no other way to get her point across
"She didn't have a choice that day. Father would have sent you to the Matou's one way or another"
Sakura closed her eyes. Visions of that day surfaced in bright vividity. The last memory she had of Aoi Tohsaka was when Zouken led her away. The woman's smile is all she remembered.
"Why did you take me to her?"
Rin turned her mother around, reaching out a hand to tilt her neck up. A line of scar can be seen underneath in the shape of curled fingers
"10 years ago, she was assaulted at the Church by a stranger. He choked her within an inch of her life, leaving our mothers braindead as her oxygen supply was cut off too suddenly. Our father manage to save her in time. Sadly, the one who did this was never found"
There was a heavy silence in the air
Sakura open her mouth, but her sister shook her head
"Don't bother. Whoever did this, they might already be dead" She said, takign a deep breath "What I want to focus on is the fact she was killed, merely by association of my father"
"Is this in someway related to...the thing happened then?"
"Indeed. As you probably know, the Murder Death Kill is starting soon"
Rin raised her hand, revealing a dull mark with elaborate design etched on her palm. The seal was akin to a faded tattoo, if not for the faint sense of uncanny value from it
"This here is a Command Seal. It means that I've been chosen as participant in the next war. Soon, I'll be summoning my Servant. I trust you know what this mean"
Sakura nodded
The moment she did, the Magus would enter a bloody conflict whose chance of survival is uncertain at best. For those whom she knew, everyone is in danger, especially her only relative
"The reason I let you meet mom is to warn you about the danger of being close with someone in this war" Rin said seriously "Sakura, it should not be said that you are at risk of being injured as a member of the family. Many people will go to you if it means having an advantage over me"
"That I am aware" Sakura tug her sleeve
"so I have made some preparation" Rin reached into her pocket and toss her something "Here"
Sakura look down at the wad of cash. They were tightly bound together, looking as though they would be enough to last her several months. Reluctantly, she accepted the money
"For now, rent a place outside this city. Stay there until I call you over through the Tohsaka's familiar" She smiled "Hopefully the Grail War won't last longer than that"
"And if it did?"
"Immediately assume the worst" Rin's eyes narrowed "Do not return here. Start your life somewhere else. I don't want you getting involved with the Moonlit world"
Sakura only nodded
"If that is all, I will be on my way" She close the door behind her "Good luck, Rin"
Left behind, Rin wheeled her mom away. She walked through the halls of their mansion, which were decorated with the family's accomplishment over the years. She reminiscents about the day when things were simpler--when all she have to worry about is upholding the family's legacy
When did things get so complicated for her? Maybe it was that day when Zouken Matou killed himself. Or so told his descendant.
In fact, her life become messed up when Shinji bring Sakura to live with her
The other girl left the mansion carrying a suitcase of her belongings. When she look back, Rin's face staring from the window greeted her as they passed by. They broke eye contact moments later. Both of them know this may be the last time they will see each other
Sakura adjust her sleeve, hiding away the Command Seals on them
______________
My Command Seal manifested just days ago.
The mark is shaped like three lines spiralling out from each other, carrying a resemblance to three black wings forming a circle. Interesting enough, it looks looks like an outdated design from another Fate novel-- One that has to do with a certain male Saber
Off to good start. Let's hope what happened there isn't present in this reality
Command Seal (3)
Mystery Rank: EX
The mark grantted to those chosen by the Holy Grail to compete in their ritual. Those who carry these are called Master and is eligible to summon a Servant of their own
Passive: Grant authority as a 'Master'
Active: Upon consumption of one mark, the Master can order their Servant to obey one given command. The Servant cannot disobey as long as they are bound to you
The start of a secret war starts like any other war. With a shit ton of panic and confusion
_________
It is the morning of Monday. Just yesterday I became a Master.
In the morning, there was a sense of tranquility up in the Ryuudou temple far from human society. This peace and quiet allow my mind a moment of clarity to think about what happened yeaterday
I lie still for a while, staring at the ceiling while thinking.
"Oh fuck. I'm a Master"
Rin's prediction turned out to be true. Now I'm standing on the edge of entering a spiraling abyss. How would you go about this, Shinji?
First off, let's reassess the current situation. At this point in Canon, I can be sure of several things
Shirou would summon Saber by accident once he stepped into the Lancer vs Archer fight. This is a constant in the novel as the author is somehow obssessed with Saberface
Rin using her pendant guarantee her summoning Archer. This can backfire, but we can assume Tomioka's intervention took place regardless
At this time, the loli probably already have Berserker due to Einzbern's manipulation. so there's that. Not like I could do anything against them
That leaves Lancer, Caster, Rider, and Assassin. As I don't know when exactly they were summoned, it is a gamble of whether or not they will respond to me
Maybe if I summon my Servant now, my Gacha luck would give me a meta breaking SSR like Merlin?
I turned in my bed, unsettled by a sudden bout of anxiety
Wait shit, would I even want Merlin as my Servant?
But the other SSR are kinda whack in the head
And most Servants are crazy by their own right
Do I even want a Servant? There's a chance I'll summon someone crazy enough to kill me in my sleep. Gilles de Rais. Mephistopheles. Heck, even motherfucking Lu Bu
But if I don't participate, Avenger may win and be summoned as another Beast. Then everyone on the planet including me will be fucked
I kinda don't like being fucked
__________
"That'll be 500 yen of Neptune cooking oil"
"Oh thanks" I left the supermarket still in deep thought
By the end of the next day, I already have a rough outline of my circumstance for the upcoming war.
As the Ryuudou Temple where I live has abundant Mana, I'm confident in my luck of finding a decent Servant who could keep me alive
What I should be worried about is the others who are also about to participate
After school, I sneaked into Shirou's house. Specifically, where his shed is located. The old dusty shack still lie there after almost a decade, left unattended as I easily open the door to it
As I inspect the room, I saw the magic circle is still there. Lying unactivated.
"Seems like Saber still hasn't been summoned" I frown "That gives me a rough estimate of where it start. The other problem is Rin and Archer"
Rin is a secretive person. It wasn't easy observing on her in person, but I soon realize there's no need to get directly involved, considering her motive and strategy in the war. All I need is Shirou by my side and Sakura who will convince her to make an alliance pact like in the first two routes
Before I leave the house, I lingered inside. I retrieve a pound of C4 from my inventory and placed it under the floor, careful to hide it deep beneath the mat in the living room.
The placement is calculated so it can deal the most damage when exploding. With an activation range of over 100 meters, no other living being will remain after I pressed the trigger
Now who's the only other person I have met that may prove a threat to me?
__________
"Sensei, do you have a moment to talk about Caster and the Holy Grail War?"
"Mr Matou, please return to your class. I'm in the middle of my lesson"
"I'm just saying, if you already got the contract I'm down for an alliance. None of us can take on Gilgamesh by ourselves anyway"
"I have no idea what you're talking about"
Everyone look at us with puzzled eyes. As for my part, my gaze narrowed
The assassin named Kuzuki is clearly lying. He is speaking in a calm tone and his expression remain unchanged...just like he normally do
'Did I accidentally just reveal myself as a Master?'
It is at that point that I realize my direction of interrogating him will just turn into a bust. The man is obviously wellversed in hiding his emotion. Prying out the truth from him won't be easy
That is, assuming he even know about the War at this point in time
"Yeah, sorry about that" I apologized and gently closed the door "If possible, please meet me after school. I want to discuss about homework with you"
It is at that time that my dormant [Devil's Tongue] went into effect. The class's puzzled expression fade away and they continued on with their studying
Returning to my class, I prepared for our meeting after school
__________
The evening sun shone down the courtyard, reflecting the silhouette of students leaving the school. By the lake is two figures walking side by side
There was silence in the air. Kuzuki's black eyes bore into my back from the distance, enough for a shiver to overtake my spine
"You said you want to...discuss today's homework with me?"
"That's the plan, teach. Although I know you're probably wondering why I would use such a terrible lie"
"Correct. I never give out homework to my students"
"And that's why I like you" Snapping my finger, I stopped and smiled "So let's be honest with each other yeah? The truth is that I am participating in a secret war that could result in my death and potentially the world's destruction. Personally, I'm wondering if you'd lend me aid"
There was silence as my teacher paused and seem to fell into thought
"And...to what reasons would you require my aid in particular?" In the old fashioned manner of a professional assassin, there was hardly a hint of panic in his voice
Decisions raced through my head. I could reveal my knowledge of his past, but as a former assassin, there's no guarantee Kuzuki won't find a way to tie up loose ends. It is a viable solution from this distance
However, using my knowledge about Caster will neither help me. The Servant's secretive nature would only lead to ruthless manipulations and a brainless death
"Because I trust you"
I went with the simplest explanation
"You just seem like a reliable guy, Koichi"
"It's Kuzuki"
"Ora ora, Muda muda. What's even the difference?"
After all, it is the same type of stand as Star Platinum.
___________
If Caster know I'm not aiming for Kuzuki, she might spare me. If they have not met, the guy is probably thinking I'm delusional and that "secret war" reference is bull until he meet Caster, until which they'd reconsider their options for an alliance
On either scenarios, it is a win-win
There is only one other thing to take care of. Securing myself a powerful Servant. As long as I have myself a mobile nuke-launcher with me, I am sure to survive
And the first step require me to have a crazy old catalyst
"Luckily, I have a rich guy to suck off nearby"
Isn't it Gil who once said I can depend on him should the need arise? Surely with his friend's life on the line, the guy would be willing to spare me some of his treasury?
That is the reason I found mself embarking on a journey to the distant church, where my cash cow-- I mean my blonde friend resides in
The church look unfurnished from the distance. Most of the exterior show signs of decay and wear over time, but as I got closer, the grass patch appears well cut, and the statues were well-polished. My footstep echoed off the pavement amidst the silent atmosphere
On further inspection, not a single tree branch or leaf were left on the ground, which means someone must have swept the church yard regularly
"Huh. Gil must have had a new friend"
From the moment of Kirei's death, I haven't visited this place
I wonder, who exactly is in charge now?
____________
"Yorokube, o' clueless sinner. Are you here to confess in front of your god?"
"Sorry, it turns out to be the wrong address. Bye, I'm gone forever now"
I closed the church door and walk back to the gate at a slow pace. It quickly turned into a dead sprint as the sound of footstep closed in behind me
"Shit shit shit shit shit"
My hand found the handle in no time. Unfortunately, by some bullshit miracle of god, the door won't budge. It took me several minutes of struggling until a hand laid on my shoulder
"It appears the gate haven't been oiled for some time" A soft sight left the nun's lip as she look up "Gilgamesh has been skipping on his daily duty. I must remind him to work on it later"
Amber eyes turned to look at me. Caren Hortensia's grip on my shoudler loosened
"In the mean time, why don't you go in? I have just made some Mapo Tofu"
_____________
I went to the church once before.
It was an upleasant place. The architect look too expensive, and wouldn't look out of place in a high-end throne room in those fantasy series
However, it stands to reason that if an even more unpleasant person is inside it, then the uncomfortable atmosphere would also pale in comparison
"As per protocol, I have been assigned in place of father Kirei Kotomine as the spiritual supervisor of this land"
She took a sip of spicy water. It appears to be filled with grounded chili
"Truly unfortunate that he passed away"
"...Yeah...unfortunate" Caren tilt her head, letting my sarcasm go unnoticed
"But of course, as his daughter, I must inherit the legacy of that man. Therefore, to assist you in coming here is also my duty" She said " However, you've been silent for the past five minutes. I would appreciate it if you can tell me of your troubles"
I slammed my hand onto the table
"First off, your Mapo Tofu is shit"
Words cannot express how much I hate this Chinese dish
My mouth and anus feel like they are on fire. If I open up one end, the other end will also open, and a stream of hellflame would pour out from both ends of my body like a motorcycle engine
Mapo Tofu my ass. The Grail mud probably taste better than this shit
"Second off, I came here to see Gil. But if he isn't here, I'll come back another day" is the first thing I said after I regain my voice
"Of course, but I've issued an order for him to seal the gate with one of his treasure. As long as a certain amount of time have not passed, a person won't be able to leave"
"So it wasn't a malfunction then"
She turned an innocent eye toward me
"I only said it wasn't oiled properly. Did you misunderstand?"
" The more we talk, the more annoying you become" I took a sip of water, before gagging. Even the drink is spicy, and my mouth was scorched like before. Caren seems to politely ignore me as I choke on my own spit
"All pleasantries beside, I must ask for your purpose here" She place her hand on the table "If I remember correctly, only a select few ever visit this place on days outside of mass, and those...are quite the impressionable sort of people. I assume you are the same"
With a few swipe of my finger, I opened the window, desperately searching for a skill to dispel this mental torment plaguing my tongue
You have purchased [Mapo's Bane]
-50 points
You are born and molded by the Devil's spice.
Grant resistance to spicy food and immunity to bad Gacha pull below a certain level
"Yeah I'm one of those folks. Bullshit godless Magus with their bullshit woodee doo hocus pocus Magecraft, but you probably figured that out" Finally finding my ability to speak, I sighed "I'm not here to make amends about that fact"
"I can see"
"You will. Tell me what you know about the Holy Grail War"
"One of the bigger rituals predating this land. One could say it is the city's purpose of existence" She took a spoonful of Mapo Tofu in her mouth "My father mentioned it in his will that the ritual is to be carried out by another one, as the enxt one is unlikely to happen during his lifetime"
"For once he is rigt, but at the same time, he'd be wrong"
Caren set the spoon down. There was a strange glint in her eyes
"Is it? To my knowledge, it wasn't suppose to start for another fifty years"
____________
"I see, so it is like that. I was not aware there exist a malfunction in the system"
After informing her of the Grail's malfunction, Caren nodded calmly. It could be said that she is hardly fazed at the revelation that this place might turn into a battlefield
As expected of Kirei's daughter
"What do you plan to do about it?" I crossed my arm and stare at her. Caren shook her head
"There is barely a thing I am allowed to exercise inside my capability" She explained "I am here as a substitute for father Kotomine by proxy, but I hardly have the authority to supervise a ritual on this scale. It is more probably the Church will send someone else instead"
"Then you're here simply to enjoy yourself? Sounds like a certain priest I once knew"
"Do not speak about that man in front of me"
Amber eyes calmly bore into me, causing me to scrstch my head sheepishly. The girl incline her head and brush aside a bang of silvery hair as I stayed silent
After a while, she chose to continue the conversation
"Sir Matou, I will not elaborate on my previous point. If there is something wrong with the ritual, it is up to the Three Founding Families to fix it as per our agreement. In short. it is your side's obligations, not ours to take care of the Grail"
With that said, she raise a hand and gesture it toward the gate
"I believe I made myself clear. Now are there any business you want here, or?..."
"Alright alright I'm leaving. Shit, and here I thought there might be something that could benefit Shirou and the others..."
The complaining Magus leave, not noticing the slight pause in Caren's posture
As the door closed, the last spoonful of Mapo Tofu went into her stomach
"That boy, is a part of this war?" The girl muse
Caren looked disdainfully at the finished dish in front of her, before dropping it into the trash can
She will never come to understand how her father could like this garbage
___________
"Ah, Shinji?"
As I walked out from the church, I came across the blonde king
"Yo" I greeted, before walking pass him. The child, still the same age as all those years ago, ran on his tiny feet to catch up with me
"I just saw you walking out from the Church. Did you meet the she-demon?"
"That's what you're calling her...well, that's a fitting name" A corner of my lips quirked up "I don't like to talk about that right now. How have you been doing?"
"It's fine. It's fine. I mean, when she first came here and I showed her the basement, she ended up throwing up on the floor and cry a lot, so I'm glad she's doing better now"
"The basement? You mean the one where Kirei kept all those children to be tortured for Mana?"
"That one. After I killed him, I let all the kids inside die of natural cause. Don't know how he manage to hide it from me for this long" Gil shook his head "Anyway, I totally forgot about it until the girl arrived here and made me clean the whole place"
"And it is then that the proud king Gilgamesh turned into a meek errand boy, ready to be abused by his coldhearted master?"
"H-hey. What do you mean by that?" The boy's face was lit into a tomato red shade, prompting my mind to explode by his cuteness
Gil is a bottom confirmed?
Enkidu pegging theory canon?
Is this why he likes Saber? Because she had a dragon dick?
"Don't make me look so pathetic. I won't be helping her out if she is just another Kirei" He blew a raspberry at me "Maybe you can find more about her if you'd dig past the surface"
I contemplate in silence, and couldn't help but agree
While at first they may look alike, the reality is that Caren's personality is far from that of Kirei's
Whereas one can only feel alive by other's suffering, the latter actively punish herself as she consider her purpose in life is to help others, obssessing it to the point of inflicting self-harm
In a way, she is really similar to Shirou...
I shook my head to rid of those stray thought, before turning to Gil with a grin
"Wanna get ice cream?"
____________
In the end, we spent the whole day playing around without me knowing. Gil's Charisma is so strong it wasn't until our parting that I remember my purpose to see him
"Can you give me something of value? Like King Hassan's sword scabbard or Solomon's cloth? I promise to...uh...take good care of them"
"Sorry, it wouldn't be so fun if I give you something that powerful. But I know something that'd be better. Something that could net you a very powerful Servant if done right"
"What? Tell me" I lean in
"Just believe in yourself"
What happens next involve a very angry fist slamming into a very punchable face
The blonde kid thought it's be funnier if I'd rely on my summoning ritual with this shitty gacha luck
"Alright, so you'll just leave the fate of the world hanging on some poor boy's luck then"
"Don't be so pessimistic. I'd wager you'll hit the jackpot"
I looked at him, doubtful
Gil only smiled back with a bruised face. It soon turned to panic as I raised my fist again
___________
I should have realized Gil won't help me much
He is a king, and kings like to be entertained. It is a fact I've forgotten after befriending him for so long
It should be obvious...the appeal of a reliable plan does not resonate with the mindset of royalty. Gil clearly entertained the certainty of throwing my dice in the dark and hope for an SSR to come save me...But he'd be surprised, because my luck isn't the greatest in the world
I left for the forest, heading toward the edge of town by foot. The vehicles around me appeared less and less along the way until I was walking along a dirt road, which lead to an empty clearing
The scenery was overtaken by wildlife. Greenery dotting my surrounding everywhere I look. Scratch marks could be seen here and there, littering the place
However, the cawing of crows tell me I wasn't alone
"Yo, muh homies. Where y'all at?"
Soon the sky was flushed with darkness. Hundreds of wingbeats and the symphony of the crows surround the sky above me like a black halo, sounding as if they have been waiting for me
"How have you been doing recently? Good?"
I held out a hand as one of the crows landed on my finger. They shook their festhers a few time before settling in
"I have a mission for you"
Beady black eyes stared upward. The crows above let out cheerful caw's. A smile appear on my face
__________
"Cover the vicinity of the city. I want half of you patrolling the streets and avenues near Ryuudou temple. The other half will follow a list of targets I designated"
I look up at the sky as the murder of crows scattered.
"Shirou Emiya. Rin Tohsaka. Caren Hortesia. Souichiro Kuzuki. In addition, take note of any foreigners entering Fuyuki. If they are Irish or German, track them down immediately. Remember to observe only and don't intervene"
At the start of the war, information gathering is the advantage that'll push you ahead of the game. Knowing the Master's identity and predicting their moves is how I will tilt the board in my favor
At the same time, it is apparent if it comes down to a Master vs Master fight, I can't afford to spare any expenses
The skill window appear before me
Current points: 120
Persuasion --100 points
Furious Backhand-- 110 points
Illusory Fort -- 110 points
Throw Vomit -- 120 points
Backstab-- 120 points
They are all potentially lethal skill, but if it comes down to a brutal melee, I'll have to choose an offensive ability...hence this one
-120 points
[Backstab]
The trademark attack of a betrayer. Cowardly, but effective at disarming your foe.
You have 80% chance of dealing Critical damage when using this attack.
Passively increase Critical Damage by 50%
If this is an action novel, this would be the moment foreshadowing how I will betray my allies to achieve my objective, and my descent into a unashamed two-faced bastard protagonist, which I am not. After all, this is just a skill
A gamer use his skill. But the skill themselves don't influence them. That's the way it should be
___________
Sakura have a feeling destiny is playing a joke on her
Ever since that day she received the Command Seal, she have wondered if this means something to her. Specifically, if there were any purpose in its presence
Her adopted brother, who left to find his familys legacy. Her sister, who is persistent on preserving hers. The two of them always look like they have a goal to follow, making the girl feel lost.
Compared to them, she is just a discarded pawn of a deceased Magus, whose only redeeming trait is knowing when to shut up and accept her situation
Why would the Grail choose her to participate in this? It's not like sakura had ever had any wish she wants fulfilled.
Even now, looking at the summmoning circle she's drawn, her mind is still clouded with doubts
the clock tick to the rhyme of silence. The midnight sky's moonlight shone through the dense forest, illuminating the graph in front of her which consist of elaborate symbols
"If I follow the manuscript, it should be like this" Completing the final layer of the circle with some blood she drew from a freshly decapitated chicken, Sakura took several step back
After a few seconds of flipping through the book,Sakura began the process
She started chanting the summoning incantation. The words were read from the book, followed down to a letter. There were many paragraphs with obscure meaning, and she did not understand their purpose, much to the girl's embarrassment
God, what is she doing? Sakura, who isn't even that knowledgable in Magecraft, is now attempting to join this war that is suppose to only take place between the elites
The summoning circles flashed a deep red. In a burst of power, the trees swayed as wind shifted from four directions, as if called by a force of nature beyond reality
The book snapped shut in her hand. Sakura raise her hand forward to block the impending eruption of Mana. A burst of air rushed past her, blowing leaves and dust violently in their wake
When the debris has settled, a figure blurred forward amidst the dust. Their hand extended and caught Sakura before she collapsed onto the ground
She look up at the person in front of her. His body was wrapped in darkness itself, a manifestation of the night, and his face was concealed by a skull mask. When he move, he is silent. And when he speak, it was but a low growl coming from what is suppose to be his throat
"Servant Assassin has been summoned. Are you my Master?"
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