Post by Hayate on Jan 24, 2008 21:09:45 GMT -5
One late night, sometime after 10pm, Aoi Sakuraba walks along the wooden footpath leading from the Sakuraba summer home to the small house where college student Kaoru Hanabishi slept. In her hands was a small tray of pastries and jasmine tea. The blue-haired ‘landlady’ knocks on Kaoru’s door three times. “Kaoru-sama.”, Aoi calls out. “May I come in?” To her dismay, Aoi would not get a reply. “…Kaoru-sama?” Fearing that something might’ve been amiss, Aoi turns the knob and slowly opens the door.
Once inside, Aoi glances around the room in search of Kaoru until her eyes meet with a large mass of clothed flesh lying on a desk. Aoi walks over and finds her beloved Kaoru sound asleep with traces of drool hanging from the left side of his mouth. Underneath Kaoru’s arms were scattered pieces of his schoolwork. The young college student must’ve been hard at work before becoming drowsy. The onlooker Aoi couldn’t help but giggle at this display. After setting the tray of treats down onto Kaoru’s desk, she contentedly caresses his head with her hand, letting his soft brown hair run through her fingers. “Kaoru-sama… I wonder what kind of dream you’re having right now…”
As Kaoru lay in a deep slumber, he could be heard faintly mumbling in his sleep. The word ‘Saber’ was all one would be able to make out…
~ Chapter 1: Archer ~
Act 1: The Blue Saber Cometh
~BRRRRRIIIIING!!!~
As my left hand makes contact with my alarm clock’s snooze button, my right hand wipes away the dirt from my eyes. I stretch out my arms and let out a 3-second yawn. I look over at my nightstand calendar. Monday.
My name is Kaoru Hanabishi. I’m 20 years old, and I’m in my second year of college. I’ve endured countless amounts of pain to get to where I am today. When I was five, my father died and my mother was forced out of my life. Since then, I’d been living with my grandfather and was raised to become the successor of the Hanabishi clan.
But life with the Hanabishi was far from what you’d call paradise. I was under strict observation and education every single day, and I was forbidden from having any sort of fun.
…Then arrived the day that news of my mother’s death came.
Because my mother wasn’t legally married to my father, she was despised by my grandfather and most of the Hanabishi clan. When news of her death came, my grandfather took it upon himself to destroy everything that ever served as proof of her existence. Everything that reminded me of her, that I ever held dear, was reduced to ashes.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
With the money I saved up, I turned my back on the Hanabishi clan and got into college. Life was hard for me from that day on. But when I left the Hanabishi, I was prepared to face such hardships. I had no regrets.
“Oh, man, not again!” My toast was so burnt, it was completely black. I could already tell that this was gonna be one of those days. “Jeez, just how many times in one month is this thing gonna break down!? …Hmm…” I rested my hand on the side of the toaster and closed my eyes. “Trace: On!” In my mind, I could feel my magic circuits connecting. “Basic structure: Established! …Ah. So, that’s the problem.” I suppose you’re wondering to yourself what I’m doing with my toaster. Well, I’m tracing it. Tracing is a form of magic. It, as well as several other types of magic, was taught to me during my time with the Hanabishi clan. I guess I could say if there’s one good thing that happened to me when I lived with the Hanabishi, it’s that I was taught how to use magic. Of course, tracing is nothing special. It’s actually pretty basic compared to what else I’m capable of.
Suddenly, images of my grandfather began to enter my head.
“Kaoru…”
“…”
“This is a special power that’s passed down through the Hanabishi bloodline… When you are older and recognized as a true magus…you are expected to summon your own Servant and take part in the Holy Grail War… Just as your father and grandfather have before you…”
“…” The Holy Grail War. A decades-old battle royale between seven magi and their Servants. I was told most of the details about this war during my time with the Hanabishi clan. In fact, it was part of my becoming its successor. But to tell you the truth, I’m not interested in it. Taking part in this war would mean acknowledging my birthright as a member of the Hanabishi, and that’s something I don’t plan on doing anytime soon.
Breakfast would be cut surprisingly short for me this morning sadly. “OH, KAO~RU!!!”, a voice at my front door calls out. I already knew who it was. I walk up to the door, unlatch the locks, and open the door to be greeted by a familiar blond-haired face. “G’morning, Kaoru!”
“Morning, Tina. Right on time, as always.”, I say with a look of defeat on my face.
“Hehehe! Punctual, aren’t I?” The vision of liveliness you see before you is named Tina Foster. She’s my next-door neighbor, and has been so ever since she moved to Japan from the United States. Every morning, she’d pop by my door at the exact same time to walk to school with me. You might say it’s become our daily routine. “So, ya ready to hit th’ road?”
“Almost. I was just trying to fix my toaster.”
“Aw, again? That’s th’ fifth time this month. Y’know, ya oughta consider tradin’ that old thing in for a newer model.”
“I could never do that. I’ve had it for over seven years now. Besides, I’m sure it still has at least a couple more years left in it.”
“You sure are a sentimental guy, Kaoru. But that’s what I like about ya!”
Tina may be a bit of a parasite, but I will say this about her: she always knew how to make me smile. “I’ll go get my backpack and join you in a minute, alright?”, I said to Tina as I briefly run inside to fetch my things.
“Hurry it up, alright? We don’t want Kagurazaki-sensei to chew us out again.” It was intended as a joke, but there was some truth to Tina’s words. My homeroom teacher, Kagurazaki-sensei – who you’ll be meeting later on – did have a pet peeve for tardiness.
Soon after I grabbed my school supplies, Tina and I were off. It was about a five-minute walk from our street to the college campus. As long as no obstacles would get in our way, we’d make it to class with exactly two minutes to spare. Tina looks over at me and asks, “Hey, did you finish Professor Itsuki’s economics homework?”
“Let me guess: You didn’t finish it because you were too busy playing ‘Fighting Son-in-Law’?”
“Heh. You read me like a book, Kaoru.”
As soon as we reach a red light, I take off my backpack, open it, and begin to sift around for the work I had done the night before. “You know, Itsuki’s eventually gonna catch wind of me letting you copy my homework if you keep forgetting to do the work yourself.” Although, in retrospect, I guess I’m a bit of a hypocrite for saying so.
Tina looks at me with her cutest expression possible. “You’re the greatest, Kaoru!”
Just as I’m about to hand the work to her, another oh-so-familiar voice calls out to me. “HA~NA~BI~SHI-SA~MA!!!” And just mere nanoseconds later, I’m tackled to the ground by a violet-haired girl about 2/3 my size. “Good morning, Hanabishi-sama! Mayu is so happy to see you today!” This is Mayu Miyuki. She’s something of a prodigy and was allowed acceptance into college at the age of 16. She also comes from a rather prestigious family. As you may have already noticed, she tends to be clingy.
“G-Good morning, Mayu-chan.”
Tina starts shaking her fist at the sight of this. “Hey, you! What do you think you’re doin’ grabbin’ onto Kaoru like that!?” Yeah… I might’ve mentioned that Tina and Mayu are rivals in a sense. “Who do ya think you are!?”
Mayu looks over at Tina with a look of condescension. “Oh. It’s you.”, she sneers. “Don’t you have other people to pester, you ill-mannered twit?”
“‘Ill-mannered’?!? ‘Twit’?!? You’ve got some nerve talkin’ down to me, you brat!”
I could tell that this argument would only get worse, so I felt I had to step in – like I normally do. “Now, now, girls, settle down.” It was as if I was trying to separate a fight between a viper and a mongoose.
“Hmph.” Mayu loosens her grip on me and straightens her hair. “I have no time for this. Let’s go, Hanabishi-sama.”, she says as she starts to pull me along by the hand…
…Needless to say, Tina was there to pull me by my other hand. “Hold on a minute there! Kaoru’s walkin’ wit’ ME today!”
“Hah! Why would Hanabishi-sama walk with the likes of you when he could walk with Mayu instead?”
“You sayin’ you’re better than me or somethin’!?”
“Well, that’s goes without saying!”
“EXCUSE ME?!?”
At this point, all I could do was sigh. Yup. This certainly was turning to be one of those days.
A short time later, I find myself standing outside my homeroom classroom. According to my watch, it was 8:03. “Not good…” I knew that, as soon as I opened the door and went inside, Kagurazaki-sensei would have her way with me.
…Wait. That didn’t come out right.
I rest my hand on the door handle. A couple relaxing breaths and I slide the door open. Almost immediately, a small piece of chalk flies at me and connects with my forehead. “Ow!” After rubbing the chalk dust from my temple, I look up and make eye contact with my homeroom teacher…
…Miyabi Kagurazaki. “Late again, eh, Hanabishi? Why am I not surprised…?”
“B-But I can explain, Kagurazaki-sensei--!”
“NO EXCUSES!!!”
“…” Yeah, that’s right. Miyabi Kagurazaki is one of those down-to-earth type teachers with no tolerance for lateness. “…I’m sorry.”
Kagurazaki-sensei puts her hands on her hips and lets out her usual sigh of frustration. “Honestly, what am I going to do with you…?”
It’s at that moment that Tina decides to dash inside the classroom as well. “Oh…crap… I’m…not…late…am I?”, she says, evidently short of breath.
“Miss Foster as well, eh? Why is it you two are always late together?”
“B-But Kagurazaki-sensei, I--!”
“SAVE IT!!!”
Tina swallows the lump in her throat and goes silent. Kagurazaki-sensei had a talent for striking fear into the hearts of her students.
“Since you two have a tendency for being late to class, the only punishment I feel that’s suitable enough is for the two of you to stay after school and clean the homeroom chalkboards every day this week! And for each day that you’re late to class again, you’ll be cleaning these boards for an additional week!”
“What!? You’ve gotta be--!” I placed my hand on Tina’s mouth to keep her from saying any more. Compared to Kagurazaki-sensei’s other punishments, after-school chalkboard duty was being merciful.
“We understand, Kagurazaki-sensei.”, I told her with a bow. “I promise you, we won’t be late to class ever again.”
“Hmph. That remains to be seen. Now take your seats.”, Kagurazaki-sensei says as she turns to face the chalkboard.
Later that day, about 30 minutes after the final school bell had rung, Tina and I walk towards the campus gates after a hard afternoon’s work of chalkboard duty. Looking up, I notice the sun going down somewhat earlier than usual. “Aw, man! My fingers are all pruney! Kagurazaki-sensei can be so mean!”, Tina whines.
“Well, it’s partly your fault for causing a scene with Mayu-chan this morning.”, I told her.
“Grrrr… That little purple-headed pest just makes me so mad though!!!”
“Oh, come on… I bet if you got to know Mayu-chan, you’d find that the two of you have a lot in common.”
“Hmph! Yeah, right!”
Just then, yet another familiar voice calls out to me from behind. “Hey, Hanabishi!” I look back to see another close friend of mine, Suzuki, run up to me. Suzuki, Tina, and I are all members of the school’s photography club. …Oh! The photography club! I completely forgot! “Hey, man, did you forget we were supposed to meet in the club room today?”
“Oh… I’m sorry, Suzuki. Old Kagurazaki really let me have it this morning.”
From the way Suzuki just crossed his arms and glared at me, I could tell he was more annoyed than usual. “Come on, man! This is the third time you’ve had to skip out on the photo club!”
“I’m really sorry… Hmm? Wait, wasn’t Sato there?”
“Nah, he wasn’t even in school today.” Just then, Suzuki falls to his knees and goes into his trademark fake-tears display. “WHAT’S THE POINT OF EVEN HAVING A PHOTO CLUB IF THREE OUT OF THE ONLY FOUR MEMBERS IT HAS DON’T SHOW UP?!?”
“Oh, pull yourself together, Suzuki!”, Tina blurts out. “We’ll be back first thing next week, ‘kay?” …Provided we’re not late to homeroom anymore…
Several hours later… “G’night, Kaoru!”, Tina bids as she waves to me. It was nearly 8 o’clock, and I sometimes have Tina over for dinner. I waited for her to enter her house before entering mine. I walk over to my front door and grasp the knob. But just then, I feel a rush of energy emanating from all around me. It felt as if the gravity around me had multiplied several times over. “What…is this…!?” Then, I begin to hear a voice…
“So, you can detect mana after all… I guess that means you’re a little competent…”
“Who’s there!?” The voice sounded like it came from behind me, but there was no one there. “Show yourself!”, I shouted.
“Careful… You wouldn’t want your neighbors to hear you, now do you…? Hehehe…”
“Tch!” I didn’t know who this voice belonged to, or what it wanted with me. But chances were that it wasn’t good. All of a sudden, I feel a sharp, piercing pain overwhelm me. “Gah!!!” As I’m brought down to my knees, I discover that a thin arrow of pure mana had pierced my right leg. Such an attack could only have come from a… “…Servant!”
“Bingo!”, the voice calls out in boastful confidence. Moments later, the Master behind that Servant decides to reveal himself to me and steps out into the open. “Hello there, Hanabishi.”
Almost immediately, I recognized the man’s face. “You’re…Takashi, aren’t you? You attend Meiritsu.”
“I must admit – When my Servant detected another magus’ presence on campus, I never expected it to be you.”
I rise to my feet, ignoring the pain and numbness in my right leg. “What do you want with me!?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m here…to claim the Holy Grail!” The Holy Grail. That explains it. The Holy Grail War had begun. And whether I liked it or not, I was now a part of it. “Finish him, Archer!”
At that moment, a bright light shines down on me from the sky above. Looking up, I notice at least a dozen more arrows of mana hurling towards me. “Oh, crap!” There were way too many for me to dodge. I honestly believed that I was going to die here. I close my eyes, and…
“Go, Lancer!!!”
“--Huh!?” I open my eyes to be greeted by a brown-haired Lancer-class Servant. He was twirling his javelin at amazing speed, deflecting the mana arrows aside as they come into contact with the spinning weapon. “What the!? A Lancer Servant!?”
“Hanabishi-sama!” I look over to my far left to see Mayu-chan standing just a few yards away from me. “Are you alright, Hanabishi-sama?”
“M-Mayu-chan!? What are you doing here!?”
“No time to explain! Get out of here while you can!”
“You meddling brat!”, Takashi growls at Mayu. “Archer, get rid of her!”
Another volley of arrows flies down towards Mayu-chan. Without even batting an eye, Mayu-chan takes a small jewel from her pocket and tosses it into the air. She then begins to sing in opera-like tones, causing the jewel she had thrown to resonate with the sound of her singing. In what could only be described as breathtaking, Mayu-chan’s jewel begins to absorb the mana arrows into itself like a vacuum.
“Incredible…”, was all I could say after witnessing it.
Mayu-chan runs up to me and takes me by the wrist. “Come on! It’s not safe here!”, she implores to me. Then, turning to her Servant, she says, “Lancer, I’m counting on you!”
“Yes, Mayu-sama.” With that, the Lancer-class Servant leaps high into the air to do combat with the as-of-yet unseen Archer-class Servant.
Pulling me along, Mayu-chan runs towards the rear of my house. My right leg was almost completely numb from the arrow attack I had suffered earlier. I sit myself down and lean against the back wall of my house. “Ah…”
“Are you alright, Hanabishi-sama?”, Mayu-chan asks, worried to death about my well-being.
“I’ll be okay. My right leg’s a little stiff, but other than that--”
Just then, Mayu-chan lifts up my right pant leg and finds the spot where the arrow had struck me: a blood-spattered wound about two inches below my kneecap. Mayu-chan takes out another jewel from her pocket. “Stay still, Hanabishi-sama. This may hurt just a bit.” She takes the jewel and presses it harshly onto my wound. ‘Hurt just a bit’ was putting it mildly. If it weren’t nighttime, I’d be screaming my lungs out. Mayu-chan moves her hands away, and the wound in my lower leg was reduced to a mere scar. “There. Is that better?”
“Y-Yeah. Thank you, Mayu-chan.”
“My pleasure. But what on Earth are you thinking, Hanabishi-sama!? Why haven’t you summoned your Servant yet!?”
“…”
“The Holy Grail War’s started. To be walking around without your Servant at your side is like walking towards your own death!”
“…Mayu-chan…I--”
Our conversation would be cut short, however, as Mayu-chan’s Servant, Lancer, crashes into my backyard, battered and bruised. “Lancer!!!”
The brown-haired Servant looks over at Mayu-chan and me, and weakly utters, “Forgive me… M-Mayu-sama…”
Shortly after, Takashi’s Archer lands on the ground near Lancer. The Servant had long platinum hair and was clad in light clothes with a black theme. In Archer’s left hand was an ornately designed mana bow. Archer looks down at the battle-worn Lancer and scoffs. “Pathetic…” The glare Archer gives Mayu-chan and me at that moment paralyzes me with fear.
Mayu-chan wasn’t frightened, however. She stands on her two feet and takes out several more jewels. “Hanabishi-sama!”
“M-Mayu-chan?”
“You must summon your Servant now! If you don’t, we’re both going to die! I’ll buy you some time!”
“But, Mayu-chan…”
“Please hurry!” With that, Mayu-chan charges forward and hurls her jewels at Archer, accompanied by operatic notes. Each jewel would make a small-scale explosion as it comes into contact with Archer.
“…” As I get to my feet, I couldn’t help but watch as Mayu-chan fought a battle that she couldn’t possibly win by herself. I turn to my rear and look at the back wall of my house. On the wall was a large magic circle. “I suppose…I don’t have a choice, do I…?” I rest my left hand on the circle, activate my magic circuits, and begin to chant the invocation taught to me by my grandfather. “Hear me now. I beseech thee to place thy essence under my command as I place my fate unto thine sword.” The magic circle starts to give off a faint blue glow. “With the authority of the Holy Grail and your desire to comply, answer my call.”
“Is this all you’re good for – singing?”, Archer boasts as she holds Mayu-chan up by her neck. “Hmph. Truly pathetic.”
Mayu-chan clenches her fingers into Archer’s arm as she attempts to break free from her grip.
“I offer before thee my pledge. Now, thou cloaked in the three great word spirits, hailing from the seven heavens…”, I continue to incantate. As I speak, strange symbols are being etched into my left forearm. With each successive verse of the incantation, the magic circle’s radiance grows stronger.
However, Archer had then caught wind of my summoning ritual. “Tch! So that’s it!” Without hesitation, she throws Mayu-chan to the ground and readies her bow. “I don’t think so, boy!”, Archer exclaims, firing a longer, more substantial arrow of mana at me.
Mayu-chan, having caught her breath from Archer’s chokehold, calls out to me in desperation. “Hanabishi-sama, look out!!!”
“…COME FORTH!!!” The magic circle shines its brightest, and a figure emerges from the circle. It was too bright to see who I had summoned, but all I could make out was blue hair swaying in the wind. The figure instantly draws its sword and deflects Archer’s arrow.
Archer withdraws her bow and grits her teeth. “What!? It can’t be!”
The light from the magic circle fades away, and the Servant I had summoned stands tall with her back turned to me. She was wearing traditional Japanese armor plating over blue cloth. In her right hand, she held a blade slightly broader than that of a samurai sword. But what caught my eye the most was how beautifully her short blue hair shimmered in the moonlight.
Mayu-chan couldn’t believe her eyes either. “A Saber-class Servant…”
The blue-haired Servant turns to face me and looks at me with cerulean blue eyes. “My name is Saber. What are your orders, Master?”
Once inside, Aoi glances around the room in search of Kaoru until her eyes meet with a large mass of clothed flesh lying on a desk. Aoi walks over and finds her beloved Kaoru sound asleep with traces of drool hanging from the left side of his mouth. Underneath Kaoru’s arms were scattered pieces of his schoolwork. The young college student must’ve been hard at work before becoming drowsy. The onlooker Aoi couldn’t help but giggle at this display. After setting the tray of treats down onto Kaoru’s desk, she contentedly caresses his head with her hand, letting his soft brown hair run through her fingers. “Kaoru-sama… I wonder what kind of dream you’re having right now…”
As Kaoru lay in a deep slumber, he could be heard faintly mumbling in his sleep. The word ‘Saber’ was all one would be able to make out…
Fate/cobalt dream
[Told in Kaoru Hanabishi’s point of view]
[Told in Kaoru Hanabishi’s point of view]
~ Chapter 1: Archer ~
Act 1: The Blue Saber Cometh
~BRRRRRIIIIING!!!~
As my left hand makes contact with my alarm clock’s snooze button, my right hand wipes away the dirt from my eyes. I stretch out my arms and let out a 3-second yawn. I look over at my nightstand calendar. Monday.
My name is Kaoru Hanabishi. I’m 20 years old, and I’m in my second year of college. I’ve endured countless amounts of pain to get to where I am today. When I was five, my father died and my mother was forced out of my life. Since then, I’d been living with my grandfather and was raised to become the successor of the Hanabishi clan.
But life with the Hanabishi was far from what you’d call paradise. I was under strict observation and education every single day, and I was forbidden from having any sort of fun.
…Then arrived the day that news of my mother’s death came.
Because my mother wasn’t legally married to my father, she was despised by my grandfather and most of the Hanabishi clan. When news of her death came, my grandfather took it upon himself to destroy everything that ever served as proof of her existence. Everything that reminded me of her, that I ever held dear, was reduced to ashes.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
With the money I saved up, I turned my back on the Hanabishi clan and got into college. Life was hard for me from that day on. But when I left the Hanabishi, I was prepared to face such hardships. I had no regrets.
“Oh, man, not again!” My toast was so burnt, it was completely black. I could already tell that this was gonna be one of those days. “Jeez, just how many times in one month is this thing gonna break down!? …Hmm…” I rested my hand on the side of the toaster and closed my eyes. “Trace: On!” In my mind, I could feel my magic circuits connecting. “Basic structure: Established! …Ah. So, that’s the problem.” I suppose you’re wondering to yourself what I’m doing with my toaster. Well, I’m tracing it. Tracing is a form of magic. It, as well as several other types of magic, was taught to me during my time with the Hanabishi clan. I guess I could say if there’s one good thing that happened to me when I lived with the Hanabishi, it’s that I was taught how to use magic. Of course, tracing is nothing special. It’s actually pretty basic compared to what else I’m capable of.
Suddenly, images of my grandfather began to enter my head.
“Kaoru…”
“…”
“This is a special power that’s passed down through the Hanabishi bloodline… When you are older and recognized as a true magus…you are expected to summon your own Servant and take part in the Holy Grail War… Just as your father and grandfather have before you…”
“…” The Holy Grail War. A decades-old battle royale between seven magi and their Servants. I was told most of the details about this war during my time with the Hanabishi clan. In fact, it was part of my becoming its successor. But to tell you the truth, I’m not interested in it. Taking part in this war would mean acknowledging my birthright as a member of the Hanabishi, and that’s something I don’t plan on doing anytime soon.
Breakfast would be cut surprisingly short for me this morning sadly. “OH, KAO~RU!!!”, a voice at my front door calls out. I already knew who it was. I walk up to the door, unlatch the locks, and open the door to be greeted by a familiar blond-haired face. “G’morning, Kaoru!”
“Morning, Tina. Right on time, as always.”, I say with a look of defeat on my face.
“Hehehe! Punctual, aren’t I?” The vision of liveliness you see before you is named Tina Foster. She’s my next-door neighbor, and has been so ever since she moved to Japan from the United States. Every morning, she’d pop by my door at the exact same time to walk to school with me. You might say it’s become our daily routine. “So, ya ready to hit th’ road?”
“Almost. I was just trying to fix my toaster.”
“Aw, again? That’s th’ fifth time this month. Y’know, ya oughta consider tradin’ that old thing in for a newer model.”
“I could never do that. I’ve had it for over seven years now. Besides, I’m sure it still has at least a couple more years left in it.”
“You sure are a sentimental guy, Kaoru. But that’s what I like about ya!”
Tina may be a bit of a parasite, but I will say this about her: she always knew how to make me smile. “I’ll go get my backpack and join you in a minute, alright?”, I said to Tina as I briefly run inside to fetch my things.
“Hurry it up, alright? We don’t want Kagurazaki-sensei to chew us out again.” It was intended as a joke, but there was some truth to Tina’s words. My homeroom teacher, Kagurazaki-sensei – who you’ll be meeting later on – did have a pet peeve for tardiness.
Soon after I grabbed my school supplies, Tina and I were off. It was about a five-minute walk from our street to the college campus. As long as no obstacles would get in our way, we’d make it to class with exactly two minutes to spare. Tina looks over at me and asks, “Hey, did you finish Professor Itsuki’s economics homework?”
“Let me guess: You didn’t finish it because you were too busy playing ‘Fighting Son-in-Law’?”
“Heh. You read me like a book, Kaoru.”
As soon as we reach a red light, I take off my backpack, open it, and begin to sift around for the work I had done the night before. “You know, Itsuki’s eventually gonna catch wind of me letting you copy my homework if you keep forgetting to do the work yourself.” Although, in retrospect, I guess I’m a bit of a hypocrite for saying so.
Tina looks at me with her cutest expression possible. “You’re the greatest, Kaoru!”
Just as I’m about to hand the work to her, another oh-so-familiar voice calls out to me. “HA~NA~BI~SHI-SA~MA!!!” And just mere nanoseconds later, I’m tackled to the ground by a violet-haired girl about 2/3 my size. “Good morning, Hanabishi-sama! Mayu is so happy to see you today!” This is Mayu Miyuki. She’s something of a prodigy and was allowed acceptance into college at the age of 16. She also comes from a rather prestigious family. As you may have already noticed, she tends to be clingy.
“G-Good morning, Mayu-chan.”
Tina starts shaking her fist at the sight of this. “Hey, you! What do you think you’re doin’ grabbin’ onto Kaoru like that!?” Yeah… I might’ve mentioned that Tina and Mayu are rivals in a sense. “Who do ya think you are!?”
Mayu looks over at Tina with a look of condescension. “Oh. It’s you.”, she sneers. “Don’t you have other people to pester, you ill-mannered twit?”
“‘Ill-mannered’?!? ‘Twit’?!? You’ve got some nerve talkin’ down to me, you brat!”
I could tell that this argument would only get worse, so I felt I had to step in – like I normally do. “Now, now, girls, settle down.” It was as if I was trying to separate a fight between a viper and a mongoose.
“Hmph.” Mayu loosens her grip on me and straightens her hair. “I have no time for this. Let’s go, Hanabishi-sama.”, she says as she starts to pull me along by the hand…
…Needless to say, Tina was there to pull me by my other hand. “Hold on a minute there! Kaoru’s walkin’ wit’ ME today!”
“Hah! Why would Hanabishi-sama walk with the likes of you when he could walk with Mayu instead?”
“You sayin’ you’re better than me or somethin’!?”
“Well, that’s goes without saying!”
“EXCUSE ME?!?”
At this point, all I could do was sigh. Yup. This certainly was turning to be one of those days.
A short time later, I find myself standing outside my homeroom classroom. According to my watch, it was 8:03. “Not good…” I knew that, as soon as I opened the door and went inside, Kagurazaki-sensei would have her way with me.
…Wait. That didn’t come out right.
I rest my hand on the door handle. A couple relaxing breaths and I slide the door open. Almost immediately, a small piece of chalk flies at me and connects with my forehead. “Ow!” After rubbing the chalk dust from my temple, I look up and make eye contact with my homeroom teacher…
…Miyabi Kagurazaki. “Late again, eh, Hanabishi? Why am I not surprised…?”
“B-But I can explain, Kagurazaki-sensei--!”
“NO EXCUSES!!!”
“…” Yeah, that’s right. Miyabi Kagurazaki is one of those down-to-earth type teachers with no tolerance for lateness. “…I’m sorry.”
Kagurazaki-sensei puts her hands on her hips and lets out her usual sigh of frustration. “Honestly, what am I going to do with you…?”
It’s at that moment that Tina decides to dash inside the classroom as well. “Oh…crap… I’m…not…late…am I?”, she says, evidently short of breath.
“Miss Foster as well, eh? Why is it you two are always late together?”
“B-But Kagurazaki-sensei, I--!”
“SAVE IT!!!”
Tina swallows the lump in her throat and goes silent. Kagurazaki-sensei had a talent for striking fear into the hearts of her students.
“Since you two have a tendency for being late to class, the only punishment I feel that’s suitable enough is for the two of you to stay after school and clean the homeroom chalkboards every day this week! And for each day that you’re late to class again, you’ll be cleaning these boards for an additional week!”
“What!? You’ve gotta be--!” I placed my hand on Tina’s mouth to keep her from saying any more. Compared to Kagurazaki-sensei’s other punishments, after-school chalkboard duty was being merciful.
“We understand, Kagurazaki-sensei.”, I told her with a bow. “I promise you, we won’t be late to class ever again.”
“Hmph. That remains to be seen. Now take your seats.”, Kagurazaki-sensei says as she turns to face the chalkboard.
Later that day, about 30 minutes after the final school bell had rung, Tina and I walk towards the campus gates after a hard afternoon’s work of chalkboard duty. Looking up, I notice the sun going down somewhat earlier than usual. “Aw, man! My fingers are all pruney! Kagurazaki-sensei can be so mean!”, Tina whines.
“Well, it’s partly your fault for causing a scene with Mayu-chan this morning.”, I told her.
“Grrrr… That little purple-headed pest just makes me so mad though!!!”
“Oh, come on… I bet if you got to know Mayu-chan, you’d find that the two of you have a lot in common.”
“Hmph! Yeah, right!”
Just then, yet another familiar voice calls out to me from behind. “Hey, Hanabishi!” I look back to see another close friend of mine, Suzuki, run up to me. Suzuki, Tina, and I are all members of the school’s photography club. …Oh! The photography club! I completely forgot! “Hey, man, did you forget we were supposed to meet in the club room today?”
“Oh… I’m sorry, Suzuki. Old Kagurazaki really let me have it this morning.”
From the way Suzuki just crossed his arms and glared at me, I could tell he was more annoyed than usual. “Come on, man! This is the third time you’ve had to skip out on the photo club!”
“I’m really sorry… Hmm? Wait, wasn’t Sato there?”
“Nah, he wasn’t even in school today.” Just then, Suzuki falls to his knees and goes into his trademark fake-tears display. “WHAT’S THE POINT OF EVEN HAVING A PHOTO CLUB IF THREE OUT OF THE ONLY FOUR MEMBERS IT HAS DON’T SHOW UP?!?”
“Oh, pull yourself together, Suzuki!”, Tina blurts out. “We’ll be back first thing next week, ‘kay?” …Provided we’re not late to homeroom anymore…
Several hours later… “G’night, Kaoru!”, Tina bids as she waves to me. It was nearly 8 o’clock, and I sometimes have Tina over for dinner. I waited for her to enter her house before entering mine. I walk over to my front door and grasp the knob. But just then, I feel a rush of energy emanating from all around me. It felt as if the gravity around me had multiplied several times over. “What…is this…!?” Then, I begin to hear a voice…
“So, you can detect mana after all… I guess that means you’re a little competent…”
“Who’s there!?” The voice sounded like it came from behind me, but there was no one there. “Show yourself!”, I shouted.
“Careful… You wouldn’t want your neighbors to hear you, now do you…? Hehehe…”
“Tch!” I didn’t know who this voice belonged to, or what it wanted with me. But chances were that it wasn’t good. All of a sudden, I feel a sharp, piercing pain overwhelm me. “Gah!!!” As I’m brought down to my knees, I discover that a thin arrow of pure mana had pierced my right leg. Such an attack could only have come from a… “…Servant!”
“Bingo!”, the voice calls out in boastful confidence. Moments later, the Master behind that Servant decides to reveal himself to me and steps out into the open. “Hello there, Hanabishi.”
Almost immediately, I recognized the man’s face. “You’re…Takashi, aren’t you? You attend Meiritsu.”
“I must admit – When my Servant detected another magus’ presence on campus, I never expected it to be you.”
I rise to my feet, ignoring the pain and numbness in my right leg. “What do you want with me!?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m here…to claim the Holy Grail!” The Holy Grail. That explains it. The Holy Grail War had begun. And whether I liked it or not, I was now a part of it. “Finish him, Archer!”
At that moment, a bright light shines down on me from the sky above. Looking up, I notice at least a dozen more arrows of mana hurling towards me. “Oh, crap!” There were way too many for me to dodge. I honestly believed that I was going to die here. I close my eyes, and…
“Go, Lancer!!!”
“--Huh!?” I open my eyes to be greeted by a brown-haired Lancer-class Servant. He was twirling his javelin at amazing speed, deflecting the mana arrows aside as they come into contact with the spinning weapon. “What the!? A Lancer Servant!?”
“Hanabishi-sama!” I look over to my far left to see Mayu-chan standing just a few yards away from me. “Are you alright, Hanabishi-sama?”
“M-Mayu-chan!? What are you doing here!?”
“No time to explain! Get out of here while you can!”
“You meddling brat!”, Takashi growls at Mayu. “Archer, get rid of her!”
Another volley of arrows flies down towards Mayu-chan. Without even batting an eye, Mayu-chan takes a small jewel from her pocket and tosses it into the air. She then begins to sing in opera-like tones, causing the jewel she had thrown to resonate with the sound of her singing. In what could only be described as breathtaking, Mayu-chan’s jewel begins to absorb the mana arrows into itself like a vacuum.
“Incredible…”, was all I could say after witnessing it.
Mayu-chan runs up to me and takes me by the wrist. “Come on! It’s not safe here!”, she implores to me. Then, turning to her Servant, she says, “Lancer, I’m counting on you!”
“Yes, Mayu-sama.” With that, the Lancer-class Servant leaps high into the air to do combat with the as-of-yet unseen Archer-class Servant.
Pulling me along, Mayu-chan runs towards the rear of my house. My right leg was almost completely numb from the arrow attack I had suffered earlier. I sit myself down and lean against the back wall of my house. “Ah…”
“Are you alright, Hanabishi-sama?”, Mayu-chan asks, worried to death about my well-being.
“I’ll be okay. My right leg’s a little stiff, but other than that--”
Just then, Mayu-chan lifts up my right pant leg and finds the spot where the arrow had struck me: a blood-spattered wound about two inches below my kneecap. Mayu-chan takes out another jewel from her pocket. “Stay still, Hanabishi-sama. This may hurt just a bit.” She takes the jewel and presses it harshly onto my wound. ‘Hurt just a bit’ was putting it mildly. If it weren’t nighttime, I’d be screaming my lungs out. Mayu-chan moves her hands away, and the wound in my lower leg was reduced to a mere scar. “There. Is that better?”
“Y-Yeah. Thank you, Mayu-chan.”
“My pleasure. But what on Earth are you thinking, Hanabishi-sama!? Why haven’t you summoned your Servant yet!?”
“…”
“The Holy Grail War’s started. To be walking around without your Servant at your side is like walking towards your own death!”
“…Mayu-chan…I--”
Our conversation would be cut short, however, as Mayu-chan’s Servant, Lancer, crashes into my backyard, battered and bruised. “Lancer!!!”
The brown-haired Servant looks over at Mayu-chan and me, and weakly utters, “Forgive me… M-Mayu-sama…”
Shortly after, Takashi’s Archer lands on the ground near Lancer. The Servant had long platinum hair and was clad in light clothes with a black theme. In Archer’s left hand was an ornately designed mana bow. Archer looks down at the battle-worn Lancer and scoffs. “Pathetic…” The glare Archer gives Mayu-chan and me at that moment paralyzes me with fear.
Mayu-chan wasn’t frightened, however. She stands on her two feet and takes out several more jewels. “Hanabishi-sama!”
“M-Mayu-chan?”
“You must summon your Servant now! If you don’t, we’re both going to die! I’ll buy you some time!”
“But, Mayu-chan…”
“Please hurry!” With that, Mayu-chan charges forward and hurls her jewels at Archer, accompanied by operatic notes. Each jewel would make a small-scale explosion as it comes into contact with Archer.
“…” As I get to my feet, I couldn’t help but watch as Mayu-chan fought a battle that she couldn’t possibly win by herself. I turn to my rear and look at the back wall of my house. On the wall was a large magic circle. “I suppose…I don’t have a choice, do I…?” I rest my left hand on the circle, activate my magic circuits, and begin to chant the invocation taught to me by my grandfather. “Hear me now. I beseech thee to place thy essence under my command as I place my fate unto thine sword.” The magic circle starts to give off a faint blue glow. “With the authority of the Holy Grail and your desire to comply, answer my call.”
“Is this all you’re good for – singing?”, Archer boasts as she holds Mayu-chan up by her neck. “Hmph. Truly pathetic.”
Mayu-chan clenches her fingers into Archer’s arm as she attempts to break free from her grip.
“I offer before thee my pledge. Now, thou cloaked in the three great word spirits, hailing from the seven heavens…”, I continue to incantate. As I speak, strange symbols are being etched into my left forearm. With each successive verse of the incantation, the magic circle’s radiance grows stronger.
However, Archer had then caught wind of my summoning ritual. “Tch! So that’s it!” Without hesitation, she throws Mayu-chan to the ground and readies her bow. “I don’t think so, boy!”, Archer exclaims, firing a longer, more substantial arrow of mana at me.
Mayu-chan, having caught her breath from Archer’s chokehold, calls out to me in desperation. “Hanabishi-sama, look out!!!”
“…COME FORTH!!!” The magic circle shines its brightest, and a figure emerges from the circle. It was too bright to see who I had summoned, but all I could make out was blue hair swaying in the wind. The figure instantly draws its sword and deflects Archer’s arrow.
Archer withdraws her bow and grits her teeth. “What!? It can’t be!”
The light from the magic circle fades away, and the Servant I had summoned stands tall with her back turned to me. She was wearing traditional Japanese armor plating over blue cloth. In her right hand, she held a blade slightly broader than that of a samurai sword. But what caught my eye the most was how beautifully her short blue hair shimmered in the moonlight.
Mayu-chan couldn’t believe her eyes either. “A Saber-class Servant…”
The blue-haired Servant turns to face me and looks at me with cerulean blue eyes. “My name is Saber. What are your orders, Master?”
~Archer: End of Act 1~
