20 replies to this topic

[UglyFingers]

This is something I wrote out of boredom while fighting a mild fever so I apologize if most of the stuff do not make sense.
This is a work of fiction and the names, places, and events used here do not pertain to the real world in any way, shape or form.
I am borrowing ideas from famous works from famous authors/artists but in no way am I claiming to own it.
If they contact me and tell me to stop writing, I will delete everything, apologize, and beg for mercy.

This is a fan fiction with a fate/SN main character and other supporting characters from other works. (I just mixed up all the anime that I watched while lying in bed fighting my fever, thus resulting in a "Hybrid")
This work will also include some characters that I created myself to fill in some gaps... Maybe they will be useful to me later on...

Hopefully I still have the motivation to finish this after I get better, but seeing how the delusions in my head are coming together right now, I think it's gonna be one hell of a long series.

This is my first work so feel free to bombard it with criticism (hopefully constructive) until it bites the dust.
I am aiming to be a better writer and hopefully write my own original stories in the future and it will help a lot to hear from you guys.



Chapter 1

Spoiler

Chapter 1: A Strange Creature

--7:00 am Emiya Residence--

"Oniichan!!! Wake up! Shiro Oniichan!"


I wake up to see Ilya shaking me with all her might, trying to wake me up. Seeing her under the same blanket, I concluded that she must have snuck in the middle of the night into my futon again.


"Get up Shiro. You promised me we will go to the zoo today. I want to get there early so we can spend more time together."



We went to the dining room to see Fuji-nee and Saber already eating Sakura's cooking.


"Shiro, you woudn't get up and we got tired of waiting so don't blame us if there's nothing left." Fuji-nee said, pointing her chopsticks at me.

"Don't worry senpai, I made enough for all of us" Sakura said with a smile.


Once again, I felt thankful to have such a considerate girl taking care of me.


I quickly sat down to eat and Ilya got onto my lap, causing Saber to give her a sharp look. Ilya ignored it and started attacking the
dishes. Seeing this, Fuji-nee and Saber quickly did the same.



Seriously, why does every meal seem like a battlefield?


"Saber, I promised Ilya that I will take her to the zoo today please look after the house today."

"Can I come too?" Saber asked with a touch of anticipation.

Even though I feel bad for leaving Saber out, a man cannot back down on his promise.

"....sorry, I kinda promised it will be just me and Ilya today."


A look of triumph spread across Ilya's face as I said this.


"Fine but you have to make it up to me another day."



"Sure, I promise."




--8:00 am Fuyuki City Zoo--



"Shiro, look its an elephant!"



"Hey, don't run!"



But really, seeing Ilya's smiling face makes me forget all about the Holy Grail war and all the suffering it brought upon many people.



"Hmm... Shiro's elephant looks different..."



"Eh..? What are you saying?"


She just smiled at me mischievously and ran to the next set of animals.



"Ohhhh it's Taiga!" Ilya laughed, pointing at siberian tigers in the cage.


"eh... they do look like her huh"



After a few hours of walking around, we sat down on a bench and ate taiyaki.



"This reminds me of that time we played in the park... you fed me taiyaki back then as well"



"That did happen didn't it. Thinking back it all seemed like it's been years..."



While we ate there, lost in thought, I noticed a plump, rabbit-like creature staring at us a few feet away. It is a white color with a hint of pink and has a red gem on its forehead. Its long ears do not point up, but instead flop down on the side of its face. It is standing on its hind legs and staring at us as we eat.



"Soooo cute!!" Ilya screamed and offered it some taiyaki.


"puh pohw!" the creature said and snatched Ilya's taiyaki before running away.


"Hey come back!"



Ilya started running after it and I noticed that it did not use all four legs to run. It runs on both hind legs, like a human.



"Shiro help me catch it. I want it to take it home and make it my pet!"



I sighed, put down my half eaten taiyaki and followed suit.



After cornering it between the two of us, I signaled to Ilya to keep still.



"Trace on!" I materialized a cage around the creature, trapping it inside.


"Yay!" Ilya yelled triumphantly and held the cage up.



The rabbit-like creature struggled against the cage, raging like a tsunami, before calming down.



Suddenly, light surrounded it and it grew wings.



The gem on its forehead glowed until its brightness became unbearable.



Flickering lights surrounded us. It may have been my imagination, but I thought I saw different sceneries passing us by.



I felt myself getting pulled downwards, as if I'm falling.


I grabbed Ilya's hand in the fear of losing her.


Just as I thought that we would never stop falling, I felt myself hit the ground.




The coldness of the cobblestones jerked me back to reality and I looked around.


The first thing I noticed is that the air seems to contain a high concentration of mana. This amount could easily sustain all seven heroic spirits with a lot to spare.



The streets were dark and the only illumination seems to come from lamps hanging from lightposts scattered patternless throughout the town.



"What happened?" Ilya said drowsily.


"Looks like we're not in Fuyuki city anymore..."



I suddenly felt a chill and turned around.


A figure stood hidden in the darkness between two houses.



Its red eyes glared at us with hatred....


No.... with hunger.



Before I had time to think, the figure charged at us to attack.

Chapter 2

Spoiler

Chapter 2: Dead Apostles


--Nighttime, Location: Unknown--


"Ilya run!"



The moonlight shone on the figure, exposing its features.



Pale skin,


Tattered clothing,

Red, crazed eyes,

Muscular body,

Long sharp nails that can easily rip apart the human body.


Faster than the eye can see, it charged at us.

I instinctively raised my hands to protect myself as my battle instincts triggered.


"Trace on!"


I summoned kanshou and bakuya just in time to meet the creature's attack. The first strike had enough force to send me crashing backwards. I hit a wall and before I could recover, its hand found my throat, trying to crush it. I swung bakuya with my right, chopping off its arm, while cutting its body in half using kansho, then stabbed bakuya straight through its face all in one fluid motion. It fell to the ground, not moving.


After it fell, two more appeared,

then another,

and another.


Their red gazes stabbed through me as I backed away.

I have to get Ilya out of here....

Even if I die, I want to at least protect her with my life....

I don't want anyone to suffer anymore....

"Run!" I shouted, hoping Ilya can get to a safe place while I deal with these monsters.

"No! You can't take on that many Dead Apostles by yourself!"


"I said run!"


Spluuuurt!


My voice died as sharp pain exploded through my stomach. I looked and saw an arm pierced through my abdomen.

Blood is spilling.


The familiar feeling of your life force draining out of you with each breath....

"Shiro!!"

Ilya's terrified scream was the last thing I heard as everything turned black.

Chapter 3

Spoiler

Chapter 3: Britain

--Morning, Location: an Old church on the edge of town--


"Ilya...!"

I woke up, panting heavily.


"Good to see that you've woken up. You've been asleep for four days... your sister was quite worried"


I turned to where the voice came from and saw an old man in robes staring at me intently.


"Where.... am..... I? What.... happened to the dead apostles...? Where is.... Ilya...?" I asked groggily, my head spinning from all the recent events.


"Don't worry the dead apostles have been taken care of and you are now under the protection of the church. It is best if you don't move for a while... That's quite a big hole you have in your stomach" the old man said.


Now that he mentions it, I felt bandages covering my entire abdomen. I could not see the gaping hole that he mentioned but I can sure feel it underneath all the wrappings.


"Your sister has been helping out with chores around here while you were asleep... we figured the only way to keep her from worrying is to get her so tired she won't have the energy to worry about you."


"Thank you....Now that I think of it, why were there so many dead apostles? It's like the whole town is infested..."


"Well, a true ancestor have died recently and the dead apostles serving him were released into the world. It's been quite a problem in many towns, really. We barely have enough manpower to take care of all of them. If the new high priest had not appeared before us, we would not have stood a chance."


The way he's talking seems to imply that there are many more true ancestors roaming about...


"Ummm.... this may sound like a stupid question but.... where am I and when is this?"


He gave me a scrutinizing look and said,

"Now that I look a you, you dont seem to be from around here are you? Your hair color and eyes are very different from those in this country. Are you a traveler?"


"I guess you could say that..."


"Well, my friend, you are in Britain in the era of our glorious king, Arthur Pendragon."

Chapter 4

Spoiler

Chapter 4: High Priest Index Librorum Prohibitorum


--Five days later, 12:00 pm, Location: an Old church on the edge of town--


After the initial shock that I am now living in Saber's country wore off, I tried to adjust to the new life ahead of me.


It's been five days since I was taken in by the church. I have gotten used to their lifestyle though it still surprises me how people can live without a proper toilet system.


Ilya nearly hugged me to death when she saw that I regained consciousness. She kept apologizing since she thought it was her fault that I turned out like this.


"If I didn't chase down that rabbit, you would not have gotten hurt and we could be back home eating Sakura's food by now!" she cried.


It took a while to get her to calm down and by then my bandages were wet with her tears and had to be replaced.


The church members look normal but I heard that they can fight evenly with the dead apostles. They even go out into town to hunt the dead apostles that are attacking the humans.


I worked in the kitchen as soon as I was well enough to walk around. Ilya have been complaining that the food tastes terrible and that I should teach the cooks how to properly cook food. After everyone tasted my cooking, they assigned me the position of head chef and gave me full control over the menu.


I've also become friendly with Boromir, the old man who nursed me back to health after being admitted into the church. The only thing that is weighing on my heart is homesickness. I can't help but worry about Saber, Sakura, and Fuji-nee.


If left alone, who knows what kind of catastrophe they will bring?


"Boromir-san, you said that there is a new high priest that saved you guys from being overwhelmed by the dead apostles... He must look really strong right? Where is he? I don't think I have seen him around here yet have I?" I asked Boromir during lunch.


"Well, our new high priest is stronger than most but not by a lot. She brought us knowledge and new spells to help fight off the dead apostles. She is out on a mission right now, if everything works out fine, she should be home by supper."


I can only imagine this priest as a Heroic Spirit. To be able to fight off dead apostles is not something normal humans can do. Yet, out of all the church members that I have seen go out to hunt, they all came back alive and unharmed.


Suddenly, the bells started to toll in a long rhythm.


Everybody dropped what they were doing and started to rearrange the tables to resemble a conference room.


"What's happening?" I asked Boromir in surprise.


"Well, looks like she got back early, our high priest that is..."


A group of figures in robes came through the gates and gave their horses to the stable helpers. They then proceeded to make two lines with one person leading the group and entered the church.


"You see that one in the front that is leading the group? That is our new high priest." Boromir pointed.


I looked as was shocked at what I saw.


My image of a strong warrior was shattered by the reality that I saw before me.


The high priest that led the group is a short, little girl with a petite build and a flat chest.


She has thigh-length, silvery-white and wears a nun's habit with gold highlights that is held together by safety pins.


"She looks weak...." I muttered in amazement.


"Now don't you judge a book by its cover. She has vast knowledge and plenty of experience dealing with the supernatural. Her existence itself is a miracle that God has given us to help us in our struggles against evil."


The church members all got up and saluted her.


"Welcome back, High Priest Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the dedicated lamb who protects the knowledge of the strong!"


As I watched her walk, I noticed a bulge inside her clothes.


The bulge is moving.


Before I could process what it is, a kitten jumped out of her clothes and came running towards me.


"Ah Sphynx!"


The high priest chased after the kitten, totally messing up the formation of the group that is trailing after her in her pursuit of the kitten.


Sphynx jumped onto a table and bounced towards me.


Before I could put up any sort of defense, it scratched my face multiples times.


Ilya tried to pull the kitten away from me but was pushed to the side by the high priest.


The kitten quickly jumped into her arms, hissing at me.


The high priest looked at me with suspicion as she stroked the kitten in her arms.


"You... are not from this era... are you...?" She asked.

Chapter 5

Spoiler

Chapter 5: Mokona Modoki and the Witch of Dimensions


--12:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Location: an Old church on the edge of town--


After asking me that question, the high priest quickly went to exchange reports with the officers of the church.

Each officer leads a squad and each squad leads a group. The meeting is held in the large dining hall where all the inhabitants of the church can see what's going on. This way, if someone gives the wrong information, it can be corrected by other members of the team.


A member from each group reports on what they encountered during a hunt in front of the higher ups.


The team that found me and Ilya reported to them how we were found.


I found out that it was actually just Boromir that singlehandedly defeated all the dead apostles and saved me and Ilya.


This guy... he sure has a lot of power for his age... I guess even old men still have drills that can pierce the heavens when needed...


After the meeting ended, the high priest called out to us.


"You two, follow me."


I looked at Ilya and shrugged.


We followed the high priest to her office and sat down.


"That question before... how did you know we are not from this era...?" I asked her uncertainly.


"Well, Sphynx told me that you smelled like a certain spiky-haired idiot that I used to live with in my own era..." she replied, stroking the cat.


"So you are also not from here...?"


"Of course not, I just fell here when a space-time distortion appeared while fighting a powerful mage." She said proudly, puffing out her chest. "Did you guys also fall into a space-time distortion?"


"Eh... we were actually chasing a rabbit..." Ilya said with her eyes down.


The high priest burst out laughing.
"That was the best joke I've heard in so long... Did it look like a cute white-pink rabbit with a red gem on its forehead?" she laughed again.


"How did you know?" I asked


"You're serious...?"


We explained all that happened and the high priest looked more and more serious as we proceeded.


"So high priest-san..."


"Call me Index"


"Index-san... is there any way for us to go back to our time?"


"From what you've told me, it seems like you came across the white Mokona Modoki... This has become quite troublesome..."


"You mean we can't go back...?"


"No its just that the white Mokona is a friend of the Witch of Dimensions and dealing with her is quite problematic. Once your fate intertwines, it is hard to untangle.... After all, there is no such thing as coincidence, only fate..."


What she is saying is making less and less sense...


"Wait, how do you even know all this...?"


"Huhuhu... though I don't look like it, I have 103,000 books inside my head that deals with spells and other magical phenomenon." She declared proudly.


Even though this confused me even more, I tried to stay on topic.


After all, the fate of me and Ilya lies on this little girl and her 103,000 books.


"Simply speaking, if can catch it again, it can transfer you again to another place... that is if you're lucky..."


"So you're saying we have to catch it and make it transfer us multiple times until we get back...?!"


"Well there is a shortcut... After you catch it, you can ask it to transfer you to the Witch of Dimensions and ask her to transfer you back directly... although you have to pay a price..."


"Witch of Demensions...? Price...?"


"She will take something very important from you in order to grant your wish"


"I see..."


"Luckily, I know when and where it will appear next."


"Really? That saves us some time I guess..."


"The white Mokona will appear again in 13 months so you have to stick around here until then."


"13 months!! That is way too long! The world might end before I get back...!"


"Relax, you can just ask the Witch of Dimensions to transfer you to a specific time so you can go back to when you were transferred here. Now go its bedtime already. It's such a hard day's night and I'll be sleeping like a log..."


"But what am I supposed to do in thirteen months...?"


"Shiro, Shiro. Saber is the king right now right? Shouldn't we take a look at her county and see what kind of king she is...?"


I looked at Ilya's excited face and gave in.


As we walked through the halls I asked,


"Aren't you scared that we might not be able to go back? I'm quite envious of how calm and optimistic you are."


She smiled at me and said,


"Wherever Shiro is, that is my home... I actually prefer if we can stay here forever because here, I get to have Shiro all to myself."

Edited by UglyFingers, 19 June 2012 - 11:00 AM.

[thearux]

I want to recommend these 2 incredibly well written fanfictions:
Zero no tsukaima/Fate stay Night: Hill of Swords (instead of saito being summon, an intermediate between Normal Shirou and Archer is summoned)
Sekirei/fate stay night: In flight (instead of the main from Sekirei Shiriou is the one who becomes the Ashikibi, also Magus corporations gets in the middle to kill him off, but fail for now)

I recommend you to read it and then make your own story with maybe a cross over with other series, this person is incredibly talented at making fanfics with crossovers, it will help you.

Edited by thearux, 19 June 2012 - 05:20 PM.

[oninn]

―!!!


Are you serious!?

Spoiler

.....On continuing writing the Fate x Toaru x xxxHolic(CLAMP)!? And mokona!? What happened to Tsuba―err, I mean, Shaoran and his friends? Did they die somewhere while traveling? LOL

Ah. Well, nevermind. I salute you for this.... I don't want to critic you since I, a fellow writer (self-proclaimed), am creating an own fanfic myself.

And do you mind me posting a picture? Hahaha... And I don't take "NO" as an answer....
[

Edited by oninn, 20 June 2012 - 08:47 AM.

[MezzoParody]

Interesting! Have you read any of Oninn's fic? It's also floating around in this forum somewhere, and I notice you two have a similar style. Dialogue-heavy, light on narration, very loose-flowing and well-suited to visual novel format. I left like, really huge paragraphs of criticism for him, and some of it may be helpful for you as well. (It's also an interesting story~)

If I were to give just one piece of criticism to you, it would be to slow down a bit. With such a streamlined style, the action seems to fly by faster than it normally would. Chapters end almost as soon as they've begun, and the characters seem to change location so abruptly that I have to stop and re-read things. Those location/time tags probably don't help much - I'll be honest, I never read those. They just feel obtrusive. If it's really important information, I usually expect it to be in the narration. The development of the story, too, is a bit jumpy. Single sentences deal out information that could have been given their own paragraphs, or even chapters. "After the initial shock wore off..." was a bit of a disappointment, because I imagine that would be very shocking and well-worth reading about. It seems sort of like Shirou just gives a play-by-play of the stuff that happened, rather than actually experiencing events and the accompanying emotions. That sort of thing works fine with works where the situation trumps the characters, like mindless action stories, but this seems to be somewhat serious. I'd like a chance to get into Shirou's head, so I can really care about the stuff he goes through.

...well, I hope that didn't sound too harsh. I find it difficult to try and give useful criticism and not sound totally heartless at the same time. But I don't think it's bad! I actually quite like this idea. I think I've seen a story with the "Shirou goes back to 6th century Britain" concept before, but it was very disappointing. And it didn't have Illya. Everything's better with Illya. Though I found myself doing that thing again, where I mournfully go, "No~! Illya~! Why~?!" because she was running around all happily at the zoo...even though she's doomed. It just...makes me so sad. And I had to snicker at Shirou's disappointment when he met Index. I mean, he's living with Saber and his image of "strong warrior" still can't match up to "small teenage girl"?

You've managed to create a ton of interesting plot strings you could follow. Like, Dead Apostles? Not just the shambling zombie guys, but they're actually getting attacked by multiple Dead Apostles? Someone has to be plotting something. And the Burial Agency doesn't even exist yet, right? See, that's just too interesting. Then we've got Index and Mokona. Where's Touma? Will we get to see Mikoto show up? And what the heck Mokona, do you make a habit of teleporting random people into random places? And if you manage to toss Yuuko into the mix, everything's guaranteed to get a thousand times more interesting. So many possibilities!

And yeah. There's my attempt at trying to mix constructive criticism with some enthusiastic feedback. As for the fics that were linked by Thearux, read them if you'd like. Of the two I've only read Hill of Swords, and it's pretty good. Certain things are done very well, other things were lackluster. From the beginning to the middle it's an engrossing read, but after that I had to force myself to finish it. In terms of usefulness, I'd put it on par with just about any other novel out there. Reading pretty much anything should help you become a better writer, it doesn't have to be that in particular.

So, thank you for sharing! I'll be looking forward to more!

Edited by MezzoParody, 19 June 2012 - 06:57 PM.

[thearux]

Interesting! Have you read any of Oninn's fic? It's also floating around in this forum somewhere, and I notice you two have a similar style. Dialogue-heavy, light on narration, very loose-flowing and well-suited to visual novel format. I left like, really huge paragraphs of criticism for him, and some of it may be helpful for you as well. (It's also an interesting story~)

If I were to give just one piece of criticism to you, it would be to slow down a bit. With such a streamlined style, the action seems to fly by faster than it normally would. Chapters end almost as soon as they've begun, and the characters seem to change location so abruptly that I have to stop and re-read things. Those location/time tags probably don't help much - I'll be honest, I never read those. They just feel obtrusive. If it's really important information, I usually expect it to be in the narration. The development of the story, too, is a bit jumpy. Single sentences deal out information that could have been given their own paragraphs, or even chapters. "After the initial shock wore off..." was a bit of a disappointment, because I imagine that would be very shocking and well-worth reading about. It seems sort of like Shirou just gives a play-by-play of the stuff that happened, rather than actually experiencing events and the accompanying emotions. That sort of thing works fine with works where the situation trumps the characters, like mindless action stories, but this seems to be somewhat serious. I'd like a chance to get into Shirou's head, so I can really care about the stuff he goes through.

...well, I hope that didn't sound too harsh. I find it difficult to try and give useful criticism and not sound totally heartless at the same time. But I don't think it's bad! I actually quite like this idea. I think I've seen a story with the "Shirou goes back to 6th century Britain" concept before, but it was very disappointing. And it didn't have Illya. Everything's better with Illya. Though I found myself doing that thing again, where I mournfully go, "No~! Illya~! Why~?!" because she was running around all happily at the zoo...even though she's doomed. It just...makes me so sad. And I had to snicker at Shirou's disappointment when he met Index. I mean, he's living with Saber and his image of "strong warrior" still can't match up to "small teenage girl"?

You've managed to create a ton of interesting plot strings you could follow. Like, Dead Apostles? Not just the shambling zombie guys, but they're actually getting attacked by multiple Dead Apostles? Someone has to be plotting something. And the Burial Agency doesn't even exist yet, right? See, that's just too interesting. Then we've got Index and Mokona. Where's Touma? Will we get to see Mikoto show up? And what the heck Mokona, do you make a habit of teleporting random people into random places? And if you manage to toss Yuuko into the mix, everything's guaranteed to get a thousand times more interesting. So many possibilities!

And yeah. There's my attempt at trying to mix constructive criticism with some enthusiastic feedback. As for the fics that were linked by Thearux, read them if you'd like. Of the two I've only read Hill of Swords, and it's pretty good. Certain things are done very well, other things were lackluster. From the beginning to the middle it's an engrossing read, but after that I had to force myself to finish it. In terms of usefulness, I'd put it on par with just about any other novel out there. Reading pretty much anything should help you become a better writer, it doesn't have to be that in particular.

So, thank you for sharing! I'll be looking forward to more!

I agree with the fact that both fanfics has too much descriptions about terms and situations, nevertheless, what I tried to show was a good mix of two series that complement each other.
The meaning of posting both its because the author knows how to make the situation tragic, happy, sad, mainly knows how to adapt the characters well into the story, keeping track each of their characteristics without forcing too much of them.

[UglyFingers]

@thearux
thank you for the references. I am currently reading Hill of Swords and studying its elements.
Thank You very much.

@oninn
I have just finished reading your work Fate/Emblem and I gotta say it's very interesting! I look forward to reading more ^^

@MezzoParody

thank you very much for your response. I will try to keep in mind what you said while writing the next chapter.
I think the reason it feels rushed is because I was writing it well into the night... er... dawn and I really wanted to finish it before I go to sleep because I know that I will forget all my ideas by the next day.
I will try to slow down a bit and add a bit more into developing the scenes.

I am actually thinking of adding more characters from other works but I don't know how well or how bad they will be when added to this. So I guess I will try to get bit more deeply into the setting before doing that.

Don't worry, the harsher the criticisms are, the more they stick to my mind so it's easier to remember them when I'm writing.
(P.S. I hope that did not make it sound like I'm masochistic or anything ^^)

[UglyFingers]

I tried to slow down a bit and expand a little more into the story.

Hopefully this is written a little better than the first few chapter.

I really have to find a solution to the shortness of these chapters...

I guess I have to work on the mood as well....

Characters are really hard to project on paper QQ.......


Hopefully I'll have these resolved as I keep writing


Anyways, here's chapter 6 part 1


Chapter 6 part 1

Spoiler

Chapter 6 I: Training


Trace on.



Analyzing composition....


Identifying structure....



Reinforcing....



"Shiro look! Look!"



I was training on the grounds behind the church, practicing my only two magical abilities using garden tools when Ilya started running towards me, glowing as bright as the sun.



She was holding up what looked like a compressed ball of light in her hand. It was glowing so brightly that it almost blinded me.


She has a very proud look on her face as she showed me the glowing ball of light.


"I see the young lady is liked by our high priest eh?"


Boromir came out of the shed and approached us. He took Ilya's ball of light into his own hands and said,


"Eclipse"


The ball of light suddenly turned black, as if it had been blocked by the moon.


"Does everyone here know how to use magic?" I asked envious.


I knew that I have no talent in magic at all. Those lessons by Tohsaka just made it clear how pathetic I am. At best the only thing I can do is to reinforce and project. Something that even beginners can do perfectly. However, ever since I have discovered how to replicate objects, I thought I would become more useful.


"Well, pretty much. All the members of the squads know how to use one type of magic or another. If not, then we would not stand a chance against the Dead Apostles."


"I see... But I don't understand how so many people can learn magic so fast and so well that they can apply it in mortal combat..."


"That's because since the new high priest came, she made it a priority to teach us on what type of magic we are most compatible with. Even though she cannot use mana, her vast knowledge is still a precious gift from the heavens. She finds what type we are most compatible with, since although a lot of us are talented in using mana to bend the elements, the rest can only do reinforcement like you. Besides teaching, she also organized us into a strong enough force that we are even recognized by the king. Can you believe that?"


I guess those 103,000 books in her head isn't just for show.... Now that I think of it, I did notice the high amount of mana in the air when we first landed here so it makes sense that a lot of people can use that type of magic.


"Shiro, Index-san also taught me a lot of new things about magic. She probably even knows more than Rin."


Ilya has been spending a lot of time with Index-san lately. I guess they weren't just playing around when they're together...


"I'm surprised you understand her at all."


"Geniuses understand each other." Ilya said triumphantly, puffing out her chest and arching her back... just like Index.


I guess it is nice to have a girl her a playmate your own age but...


but...


That kid... she's bad influence on Ilya!


"These are turbulent times and it's better to know how to protect yourself What do you say mate? You should come train with us. We can get you to be on par with Dead Apostles in just a few days." Boromir grinned.



"Thank you, I think Ill try it..."



************************



The training sessions were held underground in a large, spacious basement. Each session is divided between the type of magic that each group specializes in. Morning till noon for those who can manipulate the elements by channeling the mana in the air, noon till dust for those tho specialize in close combat using the prana in their body to strengthen themselves and their weapons.


Boromir participated in both sessions. Apparently, he is skilled enough to be an officer but always refused the position, saying that's he's too old.


During the afternoon session, Boromir took me to the side after the group did warm ups and the usual weaponless sparring routine.


"Do you know what this is?" He asked, holding what up what looked like a dual edged rapier with a cylindrical handle and hilt.


It looks too similar to the modern black keys that the Burial Agency uses but....



This doesn't make sense!


If Saber is the king, then we should be in the 6th century, but the Burial Agency did not exist until the 12th century....


"That... is a black key... right? Where did you get it?"


"Our high priest created a huge stock of them, saying it was neccessary in our fight against enemies of God."


"I see..."


"Even though this looks weak, it can deal huge amounts of damage to Dead Apostles. Training and strengthening your body is a must if you want to fight them in close combat. You also have to be alert at all times, expect the unexpected, prepare for the unimaginable...."


As he said these last words, he summoned five more black keys so that he have three in each hand, much like claws. Suddenly, he threw them at me with such speed that I barely had time to dodge.


Trace on.


I traced kanshou and bakuya out of reflex and threw them at Boromir's direction but he was alredy gone, only to reappear behind me, black keys pointing at my vitals, ready to strike.


"And... you're dead"


So fast!


It's almost as if I was sparring with Saber...


"Nice reflexes you've got there, but you're still too slow my friend. Try reinforcing your whole body this time."


Without another word, he poised to attack again.


I reinforced my senses, sight and hearing, as well as the rest of my body, expecting the next attack. I could see the smallest movements in Boromir's body as he prepares for the next strike---


Fwish...!


What.....??


What was that.....?!!


I thought I could see all of his movements but before I knew it, he already has his black keys at my throat!


"And you're dead, yet again." He laughed.


We continued doing this till dusk, but not matter what I try to do, I just couldn't see him, much less defend myself.


From what I can see, the other members are also strong, but not quite as strong as Boromir. But at least they would stand a chance if they work together....


Me on the other hand....

***********

"Don't feel so down, you're just a hundred years too early to challenge me. But it's a good thing that you are being trained by the best right? The stronger the opponent that you defeat, the stronger you become." Boromir said that night during dinner.


"I guess... but I couldn't even see you. This is the first time this has happened... It is frustrating."


I looked in Ilya's direction. She is eating next to the high priest and her kitten Sphynx. They look like childhood friends eating lunch in the cafeteria at school.


They are still just kids after all...


The smiles on their faces as they ate and talked with each other made me feel warm inside.


To protect those smiles,


I need to get stronger....


"You just have to get used to it. When you are able to actually follow my movements, and fight on par with me, that will be your first step in becoming a hero."


"A hero...."


That one word brought me back to the time I spent with my father, Emiya Kiritsugu.


"Shiro... if you save one person, it means you cannot save another..." He always told me.


Maybe if I become a hero, I can save everyone....


My thoughts were cut by an announcement by the high priest index-san.


"Ahem... Please put down your food for a minute and listen.


We have received a message from Camelot that an Anglo-Saxon army have started advancing into our country and attacked the outlying villages.


The king have assembled a large force to stop their advance. They departed for the borders a week ago an will arrive here tomorrow to get the blessing of the church for the upcoming battle.


I want to give them a warm welcome so we need to prepare...."


My mind stopped listening.



The king is coming tomorrow....



The king....


is coming....

Saber....
is coming....



Next part: Shiro meets the king

Edited by UglyFingers, 20 June 2012 - 08:11 AM.

[oninn]

...I'm still waiting for the part 2....ZzzzZ...


I wanted to continue writing but my Final Exams is just around the corner so... I don't write. I just read. I just read comments and things like this on my free time....

Okay, the 6th chapter is better than the first five chapters but― it is still lacking somewhere. Hopefully, there's no " :monologue:― I run. ― :monologue: ― I stop running" script. This was the most common problem on this kind of material so I hope that you would not make the same mistake that I had in the past.

And hey is Shirou so weak!? I think that he's more capable than that (Based on what I had observed on the VN. Be it the Fate, UBW or Heaven's Feel route, I really think...). Err― Well, please forget it. It is not my place to retort and complain so, I'm sorry~! Hahaha.

[UglyFingers]

@oninn
thank you for the advice. ill try to keep that in mind as i write.
since my sickness got passed on to my brother i have to take care of him for a bit so my writing is gonna slow down

nah shirou isn't weak. the old guy is just too strong ;P
all the people in the church actually have the potential to become heroic spirits so....anyways if a lot of strong people is needed to stand a chance against one persons, it means that that person is way too overpowered
shirou actually stands a chance against the old guy if he has a team but he's being trained so that he won't need one. He is being training him to be overpowered himself.
and i just don't feel like making him bring out unlimited blade works just for training purposes...

That's my fault... i think i should've made that clear when writing.
Im sorry, please forgive me for being such a noob
ill reveal who the old guy is later on so please be patient

Edited by UglyFingers, 20 June 2012 - 08:26 PM.

[UglyFingers]

Here is part 2 of chapter six. I hope I'm getting better... so please contradict me and tell me if I'm wrong so I could deliver better quality products in the future.



Hopefully, I can get part three of chapter 6 done while I still have the ideas fresh in my head so wish me luck!

Thank You.

Chapter 6 Part 2

Spoiler

Chapter 6 II: The King


The British army was delayed, much to my disappointment.


Cursing the Root for bringing a sudden storm that delayed me from once again seeing the love of my life, I passed the time sparring with Boromir.


"Remarkable progress there mate."


"You... cheater.... " I panted.


I was finally able to see the trick behind his high speed movement that my reinforced eyes couldn't see.


The bastard was teleporting himself directly to me!


I started to notice it when I threw kanshou and bakuya in an arc to catch him halfway between the distance that it will take for him to reach me as he started his charge. To my surprise, the beautiful swords never found him no matter what point between the distance I tried to catch him at, leading me to this conclusion.


A remarkable thing happened then. Before he made his next attack, I already knew what he is going to do a few seconds before. It's as if I could see the future...


"Looks like it finally ticked."


"Wha... what is this...??"


"It's nothin' much... Your senses have just been sharpened to the point that you can see glimpses of the space-time continuum... not many heroic spirits have acquired this ability so most of them just rely on their experience and instincts... but if two who can use this ability were to meet in battle... well, lets just say that they will both get headaches if the fight is prolonged... It takes a large toll on your body so try not to use it too much.


Now, try use that and to block me."


Even though I can see where he is going to strike next, it is still hard for my body to catch up with his speed. It took a good while before I could actually counter attack.


"Good! Good!" He laughed like a maniac, obviously enjoying this.

************

When it has been three days and the rain still haven't let up, I began to feel worried that at this rate, I might never get to see Saber before I go back.


"That was good... You can actually fight on par with me now..." Boromir complimented after the sixth days have passed and still no Saber.


"Thanks... it feels... good..."


It really does.


I was getting better at predicting his attacks and formulating attack patterns to respond to them. After a while, I also noticed my body beginning to adapt to my eyes, increasing the speed and power of my own strikes to compliment them.

*********************

After training, I went to the large hot spring behind the orchards to wash off the fatigue. The rain had finally stopped but the moon is still obscured behind the clouds. Removing my clothing, I settled into the water, letting it wash away the dirt and weariness.


It was then that I heard splashes on the other side of the spring, accompanied by quiet voices. I reinforced my ears, trying to get an idea of who else might be taking a bath at this hour.


"Index-chan, are you sure there's no one else here?"


I froze.


"Of course. Everyone should be sleeping by now. They're usually tired out by the day's events that they sleep early." Another young, female voice answered.


I heard water splashing as they both settled in the water.


"Ahhhhhh....." they moaned pleasure as the hot water touched their skin.


Is God tempting me?


Wait... I already have Saber...


If I give in to my manly desires now, I would forever be branded as a criminal...


But Ilya is actually older than me so wouldn't she be the one to...


Wait, no! Her age doesn't matter! Anyone that sees me attacking the body of a little girl will surely conclude that I'm a lolicon!


Saber save me....!!!


"Shiro?"

Busted.

******************

"Wait! Let me explain! I actually got here first and...."


"Shhh" Ilya put a finger on my lips, smiling brightly.


"Ilya? Is there something over there?" I heard Index-san call out from the other side.


"No, it's nothing I must be imagining it." Ilya called back, still keeping my lips sealed.


"Well can you come back and wash my back for me?"


"I'm coming!"


Ilya turned back to me and whispered with a devious smile on her face,


"Come... I know u want to."


Still fighting my internal battle, I let Ilya dragged me with her to the other side of the spring where Index-san is. She has up to her neck in water, looking at the sky with a folded towel on her foreheaed.


"Is that you Ilya?"


"Yes, Index-chan. Can you turn around so I can wash your back?"


Index-san obeyed, exposing her small back to Ilya, who in turn, handed me a towel and while blushing, whispered in an embarrased tone, "Do me too please."


Soooooo........ CUUUUUTE.......!!!


Fighting back the dirty thoughts that were forming in my mind, I tried to focus on scrubbing the small back presented in front of me.


Her skin is so white and so smooth, her body small and fragile, her hair long and flowing, her smell like first blossoms of spring after a harsh winter....


I felt intoxicated by the situation, my mind unable to form coherent thoughts.


And so there we were, three figures in the dark lined up one after another, as naked as the day we were born, washing each other's back.


"Magical girls are so cute, isn't it ever little girl's dream to transform into one, wearing cute clothes and surrounded by bubbles and sparkles?" Index-san asked enthusiastically.


The sheer childishness of her question brought me back to the situation at hand.


I am alone in the middle of the night with two little girls.


In the dark.


"Of course! Have you ever seen Magical Girl Phantas-Moon? She looks so strong and cute! I wanna be like her!" Ilya responded back just as enthusiaastically, her eyes gleaming with excitement.


"Ohhh?" Index-san said mischievously. "I know a spell that can turn you into a magiclad girl if you want. I'm not able to use it since I cannot use mana so I want you to fulfill my dreams in my stead."


"Really? Teach it to me!"


"Aren't I a genius?"


"You're a genius, master!"


"Ha!.... Ha!... Ha! Praise me more!" Index-san laughed while standing, arching her back with her right hand underneath her chin. She looked like a noble laughing as a commoner kisses her left hand.


The moon saw this as a cue to come out of hiding, showering light upon the land and exposing Index-san's naked, petite body. She turned to face us and screamed.


"Kyaaa!!!"


She stumbled backwards, tripping on her own feet.


"Y...You... YOU!!! What are you doing here???!!!" She stammered and pointed at me, backing away while trying to cover her body with her arms, her face red.


I have already thought of a proper speech of apology in case something like this happened....


"First of all, I would like to say something before I am stuck down by the imminently hopeless bloodshed that is sure to befall me within the next few seconds. Although me ending up in this enviable situation is purely by coincidence alone, I am very thankful for the wonderful view that you have given me tonight. However, it is in my ideals not to lust after such childish bod---."


I didn't even get to finish my speech before everything exploded in stars.

**************************

"Haaaarghh!!!"


I woke up to see Boromir standing next to my bed watching me with a concerned look.


"What happened to you mate? One of the nightshift patrols found your body floating in the hot spring. The damn thing was fully red by the time you were recovered! We thought you we dead!"


"That was-- Huh...? I can't remember..." I trailed off feeling that something wonderful happened but my mind was too scared to remember.


"Well that's fine. There was actually a messenger that came by today and guess what? The King should be arriving in a few hours!"


Saber is coming!


I have to get ready...


My jeans and shirt that I brought from my era are torn in several places and have accumulated dirt and grime. I figured I need to change my clothes. Wouldn't everyone want to look good in front of the girl they love?


And Saber is a king after all... I should at least look presentable....


"Hey Boromir, can I borrow some clothes that looks presentable in front of a king?"


"Of course! Looks like you got some sort of plan... Trying to win favors from our king eh?" The old man grinned.


"Something like that." I smiled.


He led me to his room and opened his cabinet. There were many selections of clothing ranging from flamboyant robes to adventurer's attires. I settled on a simple but clean image and picked out a white tunic and brown leggings with a snake-skin belt and leather boots.


I know. I look like a level one noob in an RPG game but I dont want to stand out too much since the rest of the church are wearing either priest robes or nun's habits.


With happy thoughts, I followed Boromir to the reception hall.

********************************************


We took our place in the reception hall, which is just the dining hall/mass hall with all the tables and chairs removed. A stage was set across the front double doors that leads to the outside. On this stage, the High Priest stood, surrounded by her officers, and to my surprise, with Ilya by her side. Ilya was wearing a nun's habit just like the rest of the nuns. I swear, those two look so cute together...


Wait, what?!


How could I be thinking such thoughts when I will be seeing the love of my life for the first time in such a long while?


Boromir and I positioned ourselves on the sides underneath the windows of stained glass where everyone else is at. There were about a hundred fifty people, spread evenly on both sides.


As I was starting to get impatient with all the wait when the bells started their long, heavy toll.


The front gates opened and a formation of knights started their advance. If the sun was out, their armors would have been shining. They looked absolutely magnificent, not a sign of dirt on them even though they must have walked through the mud to get here after leaving their mounts in the stables.


But the one I was actively searching for was Saber. Even though she is not the same Saber that I know, seeing her will put my heart at ease and give me the courage needed to endure the thirteen months


The Knights of the Round Table formed an aisle, turned to face inwards, and saluted with their swords.


"All Heil King Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain!!!"


"All Heil King Arthur!!!" The church echoed.


As the cheer for the king wen on, a figure marched between the aisle of knights.


Her beauty made me gasp and tears flowed through my eyes as my heart melted in relief.


There she was...


my Saber in her full glory.


She was wearing the same armor that I am so familiar with, polished to perfection. On her waist hangs Excalibur, its magnificent blade concealed inside its sheath, Avalon. Her cowlick sticking out from the golden crown on her head.


And yet as I watched her march to the High Priest, something bothered me.


I coudn't pinpoint it out but....

Something is wrong....


Horribly wrong.

Before I could comprehend the ominouos feeling I have, Boromir was gone from my side, already acting out of instinct.


He instantly teleported behind the King, Black Keys shining, poised to strike at her throat.


"You.... You are not Arturia.... Who.... are you?" He snarled at the King.

Edited by UglyFingers, 27 June 2012 - 12:30 AM.

[UglyFingers]

Here is part three of chapter 6. It is the last part of the chapter and I will start a new arc with chapter 7.

It took longer than I thought to write as I am a slow thinker. Seriously, people that can write at a godly level like nothing should be considered geniuses!

Sorry for the delay if anyone is actually waiting for these pieces to come out (I can't tell lol).

Anyways, here is part 3 of chapter 6.



Chapter 6 Part 3

Spoiler

Chapter 6 III: Masou Shoujo Ilya

The cheering stopped.


The knights in shining armor all targeted the old man that is threatening their King's life.


The rest of the church caught on and instantly went into combat mode, their concealed weapons now in hand and prepared for the upcoming bloodshed.


I slowly noticed what has been causing me the ominuos feeling that I have been feeling until now.


The Saber that stood before me is the exact replica of my Servant, only it seemed to be missing the qualities that proved it to be an impostor.


The first time I met Saber, just her presence was enough to freeze me in awe at her majestic figure. She possessed eyes full of the determination, and violence that enables her to fulfill her duty. Her bearing emits such pressure that commanded authority. Completing her was Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory that possessed an anti-fortress noble phantasm capable of annihilating castles.


The King that Boromir is threatening with Black Keys lacked all of these, as if she were only a mere shadow of the original.


"I asked you who you are! If you do not respond within the next 3 seconds, I will purge you immediately, you vile creature!" Boromir went on, increasing the pressure of the Black Keys on her neck, drawing a thin line of blood.

Fake Saber smiled. It was a smile of triumph, the smile one makes when a plan succeeded.


"Looks like you fools figured it out. But you're all too late. HAHAHAHA!" Its laughter echoed throughout the church, the sound inhuman.


As if on cue, all the knights assembled at attention shimmered, dispelling the illusion spell that have been hiding their true form. It was like witnessing a mirage.


As the spell vanished, a menacingly sinister aura spread and invaded the premises, sending cold chills down my spine.


The Knights in Shining Armor were replaced by two dozen hooded figures in black clothing, their faces hidden beneath, their red eyes glowing and fresh blood on their lips... As if they were feeding not too long ago... And as I watched, they started to chant spells.


A black mist formed around each figure, enveloping them in darkness.


I couldn't believe what I was seeing. These are mages that were turned into vampires! And so many at that!


The fake Saber clearly seemed to be the leader of the group. She transformed into a large, heavily muscled man with graying hair, with harsh features and a scar running from left temple to right cheek. However, this one did not seem to be a mage like the rest are. But that didn't stop it from being intimidating. A huge, heavily muscled vampire can rip apart a dump truck by itself.


In a split second, the whole place plunged into chaos.


The hooded figures started their attack, firing spells like machine guns. Their casting speed was abnormally fast, pushing the priests to put all their focus on defending against the onslaught. After getting into a defensive formation, they started their counter attack. Those who could cast spells gave the melee fighter some cover fire, enough to give them time to unleash a powerful coordinated strike at the enemy forces.


Even though we have at the moment the numbers in our favor, we are still fighting a losing battle.


For every one caster that was taken down, seven comrades die to do so. Even the number of officers are dwingling, but at a slower pace than the rest. Except for Boromir. That tough bastard is in a league of his own, fighting on par with the leader of the attacking forces by himself.


I stengthen my body and pushed my way through the pandemonium to where the high priest and Ilya were. Ilya is holding a short, pink staff topped by a star inside a circle that sprouted wings, an artifact that looks very out of place for this time period. Index-san on the other hand, seemed to be analyzing the barrier that have been erected on the building without our notice, the barrier that prevents us from escaping. She was also explaining to Ilya the use of the staff as she worked. I rushed to their side as there is no one available to protect them. We are running short of people as it is and Index-san ordered all of her officers to fight while she tries to find a way for everyone to escape.


The church is on the verge of annihilation.


Oh, and did I mention that they still have half their army outside?


The sound of shattering glass was deafening as the stained glass windows exploded, shooting shrapnels everywhere. More and more enemies poured in from the outside through the broken windows, joining the fray.


This is bad... If more of them come now, we are surely doomed...


Then I noticed that the newcomers all headed straight towards us, targeting the High Priest, already chanting their spells.


"Rho Ais!!"


Fire and other spells bounced off the seven petaled barrier, scattering in all directions. The assault continued without stop, bombarding us relentlessly. The deflected spells instead hit the walls and ceiling. I could already hear the building groaning, on the verge of collapse.


And collapse it did.


With a thundering crack, the beams holding the ceiling broke and the roof fell inwards, raining lumber, debris, and dust onto us. However, this did not seem to affect the battle at all. The vampires simply blasted anything that was about to fall on them and our side did the same.


Boromir's fight with the leader looked like a fight between heroic spirits, or more accurately, between a saber and a berserker. The large vampire was not only strong, he was also fast. His style agressive, designed to overwhelm the opponent with his strenth. The old man looked like he was dancing, his style very familiar...


It was almost as if I was seeing my Saber fight in the form of the old man...


My attention went back to the huge group that was attacking me and the two little girls behind me. The mages were chanting a large spell in the back while the rest tried to penetrate the seven layered defense.


As they finished the incantation, the others cleared the way as a large beam of darkness was shot. I braced my self, not knowing how powerful the spell was. So far, I have not seen anything able to pierce Rho Ais.


My jaw dropped as two layers of the shield broke, and the spell still did not dissipate.


Another layer fell.


And another....


I have to do something.


There is no doubt that the barrier would not be able to hold for much longer and when it breaks, our death is unquestionable.


And then I noticed something shining behind me....


Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ilya chanting, using the staff in her hands,


"Nomobuyo

Oshi

Hashitawa

Dokeda

Gunmicha...

De Ribura!!!"


With bright explosion of light, sparkles, and bubbles Ilya transformed.


Now that is the cutest damn thing I have ever seen.


She was wearing pink lolita dress and white cap, large pink ribbons adorned her head on both sides. A white sash also decorated her waist, tied in a ribbon behind her. White, thigh length stockings covered her legs, traced by pink laces securing her pink shoes to her calves.


Not wasting any time, Ilya waved her short staff, creating a barrier and stopping the spell that almost destroyed Rho Ais.


"Masou Shoujo Ilya at your service!" The magiclad girl declared, smiling brightly.


She is so happy to be living her dream that her bright smile almost made the sun pale in comparison.


"Shirou look look! Aren't I cute?" Ilya giggled, doing some sort of ballet dance.


"Yeah, very cute." I sighed in relief. Her presence stopped the fighting for a brief moment. Both the invaders and whatever is left of our forces, in which only seven out of the hundreds survived, were staring at the otherworldly phenomenon that appeared in their midst.


"Now that I'm here, time for you all to die!" Ilya's smile turned sadistic, just like the time when she turned loose Berserker on me and Saber.


With another wave of her wand, Ilya rose to the air, sprouting butterfly wings the likes of which Caster use. She flew about a hundred feet into the air, past the destroyed ceiling, and settled on an altitude higher than the tallest tree. Countless magic circles appeared behind her, raining green light upon the enemies below.


Holy S***...


To be easily using magic from the Age of Gods without restraint, I am honestly impressed.... and scared at the same time. If Ilya ever finds herself hating me, I know I'll die for sure.

Each vampire that her attack struck was reduced to dust. With no way to defend from the continuos barrage, the enemy started to flee.


"Trying to escape eh?" Ilya's usually repressed sadistic nature was starting to seep into her actions, that smile never leaving her face.


With another wave of her pink staff, she created another barrier that surrounded the entire vicinity, vaporizing any undead that touched it.


With the battle now in our favor, the surviving priests pressed the enemy, sealing their movements for Ilya's barrage to easily kill them.


Only the leader was left. Boromir is still fighting him. Neither of them looked exhausted even though they have been fighting at such a high speed since the beginning. As Ilya's next attack focused on the leader, the old man blocked the attack with his palm, deflecting the green light to the side, destroying another part of the wall.


"Stop! I need this one alive!!"


Shaking myself from the shock of Ilya singlehandedly winning the fight for us, I rushed to help the old man, reinforcing my whole body. While the vampire was busy with the old man's persistent attacks, I was able to stab three Black Keys on both its legs, rending them useless. The sudden loss of mobility in its lower body caused it to lurch forward, still swinging its weapon. Boromir took this chance to chop off both of its arms in one stroke. Black blood spurted from the stumps as it screamed in agony. Boromir finished the capture by chopping off both its legs at the knee and drawing runes on its forehead to prevent its escape.


Ilya flew back down, losing her transformation. Like a puppet that lost its strings, she stumbled and fell.


I was instantly at her side, scooping her up into my arms. The pink short staff vanished from her hands. I carried her to where everyone was interrogating the captured vampire. They gave it a truth potion to prevent it from telling lies.


"As I've said, you guys are too late. While you were busy preparing to receive the king, we have already transformed this place into a town of the dead." It said mockingly.

Edited by UglyFingers, 22 June 2012 - 10:53 PM.

[UglyFingers]

Here is the start of the new arc.

Again if anyone has comments/suggestions/criticisms, please post them so I can deliver better quality in the future.

I would like to give credit to my little sister for the idea of mixing this new character into the story.

Btw, does anyone know how to add tags?

Chapter 7

Spoiler

Chapter 7: Wizard and God




Despair hung in the air as we discussed what to do on that night's meeting.


Out of all the inhabitants of the church, only a few survived.


All the officers are dead and only four young priests remained from the hundreds that were present, but they were seriously wounded. Index-san, me, Ilya, and Boromir were the only ones left who could defend ourselves if something were to happen.


It was a lucky thing that the Dead Apostles turned to ash after death so we did not have to worry about destroying their corpse.


Our comrades on the other hand, had to be given proper burial.


With no time to spare, we just dug a large pit in the back and neatly set their body down, not bothering to make individual graves. We cannot spend a lot of time to mourn the dead as we have more pressing matter to worry about. We have to lock the grief in our hearts and move on if we want to survive.


“This is bad... seriously bad...” Boromir muttered under his breath. He looked worried, something I have never seen before.


“If what that thing said is true, then this country is sure to be overrun by the Dead before long...” Index-san said, looking very composed as she led the discussion. The only flaw in her appearance is that she was shaking. I guess it's only normal for little girls to be unnerved when they see their friends get slaughtered in front of them. But I got to hand it to her for having that will to keep going after all that has happened.


“Mass producing Dead Apostles and raising an army of them? What blasphemy!” The old man roared in disgust. “Who the hell is this Bluebeard? It's unbelievable that an ordinary mage can be powerful enough to do such a thing!”


“We have a more pressing problem here” I reminded them. “What are we going to do about the town? If it is really overrun by the Dead right now, then we have to stop them from getting out and spreading it to somewhere else.”


“That part is easy enough. We will just have to create an explosion big enough to wipe the town off the face of the planet.” Boromir said simply.


“But what if there are still survivors out there? If there is even one left that is still not one of the Dead, then we have to save them!” I exclaimed, horrified at the idea.


“Now stop speaking nonsense Shirou. Are you really going to go down there into a Dead-infested place without proof that anyone is still alive? You have to remember that they have started to spread it into this town many hours ago. By now, it would be a goddamn miracle if there is still even a single one that hasn't been bitten. Going down there without even a one percent chance of finding a survivor is just plain stupid.”


I glared at the old man. Of course what he is saying is logical but I just can't bear the thought of someone still alive down there, shaking in fear. I want to save them, just as I have been saved by my father...


“Shirou, enough on that topic. We will do as Boromir said and destroy the town. We cannot afford to take chances... We are do not have the strength to do something like that anymore... And I can't bear to see anymore of you guys dying...” Index-san choked back her tears, remembering the deaths of her many students and the funeral we gave them.


I sighed, defeated. She has the final say in everything after all.


I looked down on Ilya's sleeping face on my lap. She still hasn't woken up after she overused her magic earlier. I calmed myself by looking at her angelic sleeping face, trying to kill the burning passion within me. If I do not do this, I might disobey orders and go down there to search for survivors in the middle of the night.


“Moving on, apparently, Bluebeard is someone who has been summoned by the leader of the Anglo-Saxons. They were calling him a servant or something... Apparently, they are trying to find a Holy Grail or whatever so that after they raised a big enough army, they can use its power to conquer all of Britain. The king had also sent out a party of knights from the round table in a crusade for the Holy Grail also but who knows what happened to them.”


I froze.


Wait a minute...


The Holy Grail...


The concept of the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City should not even exist yet. Not to mention that we are in a completely different location and time...


So does that mean he's talking about the...the...


the legendary artifact that was once used by the son of god????



“Apparently they have been getting desperate.” Boromir continued. “Our king just won't give them a chance at invading this country so they turned to the devil and summoned a demon to search for and defile a holy artifact to be used for evil-”


“Hang on a second!” I stopped him still trying to digest all the information.


Ohhh... the irony!


I have just finished participating in a war for the Holy Grail only to be caught up in another one!


Blame the root. Blame the root. Blame the root. Blame the root.


I just know that Akasha is laughing at me from somewhere.


“So... this Holy Grail... what is it? Just how powerful is it?”


“Well, there are many rumors flying around. Some say that it is a wish granting device and others that say it is a weapon of mass destruction... no one knows really...”


This sounds too much like the Holy Grail that I fought for back in Fuyuki city...


Is this coincidence?


“There is no such thing as coincidence, only the inevitable.” Ilya whispered from my lap, as if reading my thoughts. She blinked twice, then went back to sleep.


“Wise words from such a young lady.” Boromir said softly, as if remembering something from his past.


“So what are we going to do now? If we just leave things like this, the world will end!”


We sat there silently, lost in or thoughts. Time passed and still no one talked. I was about to doze off when Index-san said,


“Let's summon our own servant.”


No!!!!!


“War kills people. Going by that logic, shouldn't it be our priority to not get involved?”

“What? Then what do you think we should do? It's not like you have a better idea.”


“I have been in such a war before and I hated every minute of it! Trust me, we are better off not doing something than getting ourselves killed for nothing.”


“Big words from someone who was just telling us to get ourselves killed by hordes of the Dead just minutes ago.” Boromir reminded me.


I blushed, realizing the hypocrisy of my actions.


“Still, I beg you... trust me on this, nothing good ever comes out of participating in something as horrendous as that. It only brings suffering to those involved and death to those around them.”


“If a Servant is really that powerful, then wouldn't it be wiser to summon one? Increasing our numbers and fighting potential is a good way to survive now that a lot of our comrades have fallen.” Boromir said wisely.


“No... by summoning a servant, you will have declared your desire to participate in that god-forsaken war!”


“Think about it. If we are to participate and win in this war, we could save those who we normally cannot be saved. We can also help out the innocent civilians that can get caught in the crossfire. I hardly believe someone with your sense of justice will let this war consume those who are not involved.”

I sighed.


He's right. It would go against everything I believe in to let those who are not involved be sacrificed for such a reason.


And no matter what I say, I am pretty sure Index-san will go ahead with what she wants anyways.


“Fine,” I gave in. “But let me be the master, since I have prior experience in such matters.”


*************


The heavily injured survivors of the attack died the next day, starting another wave of grief as we prepared their funeral. The church is now nonexistent.


We decided to hold off the summoning ceremony until tomorrow, waiting for the full moon. Boromir insisted that we have a higher luck of summoning something amazing when the moon is in its most visible phase.


Meanwhile, we set about destroying he town.


Reinforcing my eyes, I looked at the town once more. My only memories of being there was the night me and Ilya fell into this era. I didn't even have the chance to go out there and meet the residents yet, which was lucky since if I know anybody down there, it would be harder for me to do the thing we were about to do.


“I know of many weapons that can destroy that town in one go if you want me to do it.” I offered.


“Nah, it's been a while since I have used large scale magic so I thought I should practice a bit.” Boromir grinned, his old face twisting into something like a smirk.


We casted a barrier around the town to prevent the Dead from escaping and to contain the explosion. Index-san and Ilya went off somewhere, not wanting to watch the carnage about to unfold.


I watched the old man intently, trying to see a clue of just who the hell he is.


“God's Ball”


A giant orb of light appeared in his hand, its diameter more than two meters. As I watched, the intensity of the light became too much to look at.


“Compress.”


The giant ball shrank in size, growing still brighter. The pressure of the energy contained increasing as the ball got smaller. It shrank to the size of a marble by the time the old man issued his next command.


“Replicare”


The ball replicated, producing thousands of copies and covering the skies.


“Harmonics”


The small marbles of destruction collided, producing a giant ball, much larger than the original.


He repeated the process seven times, the ball getting more unstable each time.


After replicating the spell into thousands of miniature suns, he gave his last command.


“Bombardment!”


The marbles hit the town, each one causing an explosion as powerful as a nuclear bomb. The barrier began to crack, trying to contain the explosions within.


After the barrier broke, what used to be a town is now a giant crater on the ground.


“Pretty thorough aren't you?” I asked sarcastically.


He grinned at me and said “Eclipse”


The remaining marbles of destruction that were still hanging in the air turned black, as if the moon blocked their light.


The old man gathered the blackened marbles and put them in a leather bag.

“Here, a gift. If you ever need to use it, just throw it and get as far away as you can.” He said, tossing me the bag of nuclear grenades.


********


“I've been meaning to ask this for a while now but, Boromir just who the hell are you?”


Index-san raised an eyebrow at me curiously, surprised. Ilya was sitting on my lap, focusing on the food in front of her, but still keeping ear to the conversation.


“Shirou, you've been with him for so long and you never asked?” Index-san asked.


“I never ask if the other person doesn't want to talk about it but it's been bothering me for a while now. You have incredible strength for an old man, even with reinforcement. You can do such impressive magic too. But the thing I am most bothered about is your sword style. It looks the same as Saber's... er King Arthur's style. Just what is your connection with her?”


Boromir looked away, dodging the question. Index-san put her food down and answered for him.


“He is the most powerful wizard of this time, Merlin.”


My jaw dropped, the soup inside my mouth dripping out and falling onto Ilya's head.


“I~... I'm sorry!” I said, quickly mopping off her head with a cloth.


“As long as you promise to take a bath with me later, onii-chan.” She smiled mischievously.


Looks like I dug my own grave yet again but I was too shocked to dwell on the matter.


To think such a legendary figure was beside me this whole time!!


“B-... but... what are you doing here? I thought you were an advisor to the king and...” I trailed off, still shocked by the sudden revelation.


“The maids sent him here so we could reform him. Apparently, he was pulling a lot of pranks. Like stealing women's underwear~” Index-san tried to explain.


“Hey, I gave them back didn't I?”


“After you soiled them” Index-san snapped back in disgust. “Men are such perverts... just like a certain spiky haired idiot...”

“Soiled? I was merely putting my scent on them so that no one will ever attempt to steal them. I was protecting them, I tell you.”


“And the day you arrived, you started hitting on the nuns and all the female underwear disappeared overnight!” Index-san accused.


“Hey, you weren't even here yet when all that happened so how would you know?”


“Shirou, I think we found the origin of panty thieves in our own era...” Ilya whispered.


“To think perverts existed this long ago too...”


Boro~... er … Merlin stopped, knowing that there is no way for him to win the argument.


“So what's the deal with you people? I was interested in you guys since you look too out of place, even by my standards. When you've seen as much life as I have, nothing tend to surprise you anymore but you guys were rather surprising.”


We explained what happened to us and how we arrived here through an accident, hoping that the most powerful wizard that this time has to offer could help us get back to our own time.


“Eh? People invented such things?! To think that one day, men will be able to soar through the skies without magic... I truly am jealous...”


“Umm... so what do you think? Is there any way you can send us back?”


“No... unfortunately only the Witch of Dimensions has that kind of power... sorry.”


I knew it wasn't going to be that easy.


**************


The time has come for us to summon a servant.


Drawing the magic circle.


Providing the reagent, this time a cell phone that Index-san acquired from who knows where.


Creating command seals. Apparently, this is one of the things the Merlin is able to do even though he cannot travel dimensions.


Starting ritual.


My jaw dropped.


I know it happens a lot lately but...


Despair and disappointment once again settled on me as I stared at what I have summoned.


A young girl is kneeling in the middle of the summoning circle. All hopes of winning this war have gone to the drain as I stared at the small figure in front of me.


She has pink hair tied into four pig tails. Two in the front, and two in the back. Her eyes were a redder shade of pink. She looked no older than me and was quite cute. She has a black cloak wrapped around her, her thin arms stretched towards me as though offering me a sword, but the only thing in her hands is a cellphone.


“Servant Berserker. Upon your summoning, I have come from the ruins of the first world. I ask of you, are you my master?” The Servant asked, her lips curved in a sly smile.


This girl... is a Berserker?!


Seriously?!

*****************


“I ask you again, are you my master?”


Composing myself, I quickly answered her. Knowing that there are Servants that would kill their summoner before their pact was complete.


“Yes, Servant Berserker. I am your master, Emiya Shirou.”


We sealed the pact and she got up, looking at the scenery around her.


“Umm... are you really Berserker?” Ilya asked, hiding behind me.


Berserker looked at her, then at Index-san, then at Merlin.


“Cheh, with this kind of crew I'd never meet Yuki.... Yuuuuukkkii.... Wait for me Yuki... I will surely win this war and then we will be together forever!” She said, staring at the sky and holding her cell phone in her hands as if in prayer.


“Well, she does have the crazy part right...” Ilya began. I covered her mouth, not wanting to anger the Servant.


Too late.


Our shadow stretched and expanded, growing hands sprouting and grabbing Ilya in a deathgrip. Berserker was instantly on her, shadows transforming into a hatchet, preparing to swing.


Trace on.


Kanshou and Bakuya met her strike, shattering as they collided.

With a premonition of what is about to happen, I moved to the side, reinforced my arm and threw a nuclear grenade into the sky away from us.


The grenade exploded a few thousand feet in the sky to our right, lighting the scenery as bright as day and dispelling the shadows restraining Ilya.


Reinforcing my body, I grabbed Ilya and moved out of the way just as Berserker's hatchet met the ground.


The earth shattered.


The hill that we performed the summoning ritual on split in half, as though cut by a giant. Earth and roots flew in the air as the rocks disintegrated and turned to dust.


“Im~ Impossible! Only my Berserker can do that! No human should have that kind of power...” Ilya stammered.


Berserker looked at her and said,


“While I was once a human, I am currently,

a god.”

Edited by UglyFingers, 24 June 2012 - 04:08 AM.

[UglyFingers]

Longest chapter I've written in one sitting. Makes me realize how badly I need to get a life.
Once again, I apologize if my writings are confusing. It seems the harder I try, the worse I get...

Story Start:
Chapter 8

Spoiler

Chapter 8: Timberfield

“Looks like we got one hell of a Servant here mate.” Merlin said casually. Apparently, the old man encountered enough supernaturals in his life that seeing a “god” does not surprise him anymore.

“I'm not sure... I've never heard of a god that resembles her nor do I know of any hero that could have possibly...”

I sent Berserker to scout the area ahead of us, still unsure of what her battle capabilities were. She seemed as strong as Hercules at least, but I have a feeling she still haven't told us everything.

We are traveling to the next town to set up our base of operations, still trying to find a lead on the rules of this war. The church does not facilitate this mad scramble for the legendary artifact so we are stuck on trying to find a direction to go.

Ilya looked at Berserker with her mind's eye to view her parameters after she calming down. It was a bit surprising that she actually has decent stats but her noble phantasms are quite... something else.

Class: Berserker
Master: Shirou Emiya
True Name: Yuno Gasai
Alias: Second
Alignment: Neutral, Possessively Loving [Chaotic Mad]
Strength: A+
Magical Energy: B
Endurance: B
Luck: C
Agility: B++
Noble Phantasms: E+, EX
Class Abilities:
Mad Enhancement (unique): D
Rank up for all parameters except Luck and Mana without loss of rationality. This Servant can resist the growing madness of her class, but will eventually succumb to this madness the longer she stays in battle.
Details:
A teenage girl obsessed with her love. Has a dark past that caused her to be mentally unstable. Became the god of time and space after winning the game designed by the previous god, Deus Ex Machina. Left the first world to find her loved one in the second world after finding out that reviving the dead is impossible. Knows how to use a variety of weapons and is able to employ tactics that has the highest probability of survival. Very cunning and resourceful. Obsessed with Yukiteru, the one who gave her something to live for in her times of pain. Will use violence without second thought to fulfill her goals, mainly for Yukiteru.


No other information present so far.
Skills:
Item Construction: C
Able to create weapons from nothingness. Medium grade weapons can be constructed. These weapons have no special effects, but are deadly in the hands of the Servant.
Presence Concealment: B+
Impossible to be detected by most magus and Servants. This Servant is very proficient in stealth due to previous experience in stalking.
Monstrous Strength: A
Temporary boost of the Strength parameter by one rank for six hours.
God of Space: A
Able to bend space at will to instantaneously move between long distances. Has the power to alter law of cause and effect. Reality warping. Can also move through objects, including shadows.
Flight: C+
This servant has the ability to fly.

Noble Phantasms:
1. The Yukiteru Diary
Title: "The Yukiteru Diary"
Type: Clairvoyance
Range: World
Target: Yukiteru Amano
Maximum Number of Targets: One person
Rank: E
The Yukiteru Diary tells future events that would happen to Yukiteru Amano in 10 minute intervals. Basically useless by itself. However, combined with Yukiteru's random diary, it can cover her weakness and protect him.


2. Apocalypse
Title: “World's End”
Type: Anti-planet, Anti-dimension
Range: World
Target: Plane of Existence
Maximum Number of Targets: Limitless
Rank: EX
Just as the god of space and time can maintain a stable reality, it also has the power to destroy it and create a new one. Summons giant black globes that eats away at the existence of reality itself. Once started, it can be stopped but the destruction that it has caused remains. Any living and nonliving thing that it has devoured cannot be recovered.


====Break====


Apparently, the Servant that I summoned is a mentally unstable, love-struck, obsessive, and violent stalker of a girl who has the power to destroy all existence without breaking a sweat.


This is quite disturbing.


How are we supposed to win this war with such an unstable Servant?


And the ability to change the law of cause and effect? That sounds like to be a marble phantasm that's on the level of the Five True Magics!


I have never even heard of a hero that bears her name. To ascend to the Throne of Heroes, one must accomplish a feat that becomes legendary enough that people will still be talking about it a thousand years in the future.


I have never heard of anyone named Yuno Gasai and nor did Index-san despite her 103,000 books...


My train of thought was lost as Berserker came back to tell us that the road is clear and that there are no other Servants in the village that we are heading to. There are about two more villages that we have to pass through before reaching the next town. Once we reach the town, establishing a base of operations is the foremost priority. Next is to gather information from the taverns and bars about the affairs of the country.


Berserker had offered to transport us directly to the next village but Merlin declined, saying that if space keeps getting bent, it would eventually be impossible to repair the damage. I had also thought of using a command seal to make her send us back to our own era but immediately discarded the idea. Without a master around to keep her in check who knows what she might do? She might even destroy our world completely in search for the Holy Grail!


We are making good progress traveling by foot even though the party consists of two little girls, their pet kitten, and an old man. I can already see the gates of the next village in the horizon. Reinforcing my eyes, I read the inscription above the gate.


Timberfield.


It is a small village whose main profit comes from producing lumber from the trees in the forest the surrounds it.

The road that we took to reach it was ragged and treacherous at best. Luckily, we have not met any bandits on the way. If we had, then it would delay us by quite a few hours to dispose of the bodies.


The village is surrounded by a thick mist even though it is already noon. The sun is hidden by dark clouds, giving the village a haunted feeling.


It did not help at all that the temperature is so low that morning dew freezes on the leaves of the vegetation. It has been about two months since Mokona dropped us here and it is now March but the temperature near the village is as cold as ever, as if winter had permanently settled on it.


Ilya and Index-san were taking turns holding the kitten Sphynx inside their clothing. Index-san is still wearing her “Walking Church” as I heard her call it, and Ilya is wearing the purple coat that she had been wearing when we were transferred here along with her hat. Me and Merlin are both wearing heavy cloaks to protect against the cold. Berserker, of course, does not seem to be affected by the cold. She is still wearing the black cloak that she wore when I summoned her. She has a thoughtful look on her face, mixed with loneliness. I can understand her pain. Being away from the one you love is not something that s easy to handle.


“Umm.... Berserker?”


She looked at me innocently, hiding her violent nature behind her cute looks.


“For what reason do you seek the Holy Grail? I need to know since it would be easier to work together if our objectives are somewhat similar.”


“So that I can go to Akasha and live together with Yuki!” She smiled brightly and spoke with great enthusiasm.


“Akasha?”


“Umm... I think you magus call it the 'root'. It contains the Akashic Records and Yuki is the god who manages it in the second world.”


Her objectives are the same as that of the magi!


Not to mention that a god actually manages the swirl of the root?!


Who would have guessed...?


Tohsaka will certainly be surprised at such information...


“So I take it you have seen this Akasha?” Ilya asked, curious. Her family has a long line of magi and apparently, the goal of all successful magi is to reach the root, Akasha.


“Of course.”


“So what is it like?”


“It is... painful... being alone in that place for thousands of years... without Yuki...”


Her voice is choking with emotions and I stopped pushing the matter. There are things that people would rather not be reminded of.


Silence permeated until we reached the gate of the village of Timberfield.


The village is surrounded by a wall of lumber, with stakes protruding from the ground all around it. There are guard towers made of wood in which a guard keeps lookout.


The village looks like a small fortress made of wood.


“Halt! What business do you have coming here?!” The guard asked us from his tower, crossbow aiming at me.


“I am High Priest Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the head of the church in the town of Castella. We are survivors from the destruction that occurred a few weeks ago in which the entire town was annihilated. I humbly ask for permission to stay in this village for a short while until we are ready to travel again.”


“You guys are messengers of God?!” The guard looked relieved, then suspiscious.
“But I am a god.” Berserker muttered under her breath, barely audible.


“Wait....The timing is too convenient. How can I be sure that you are not spawns of the devil designed to invade us when we let our guard down? What, our defenses too strong for you so now you try to trick us into opening our gates while under the disguise of god's messengers?!”


“What do you mean? You guys were being attacked? By what?” I asked. If an army of the Dead were attacking this village, then there is certainly a Dead Apostle that has taken an interest on this place as a food source...


“We have been attacked by waves of monsters every night. It was scary... they wouldn't die no matter what we tried... The only thing that seemed to work was fire, but it still wasn't enough. There was a time when one broke through our lines and started biting us! It was horrible! We had to kill our comrades because of that...” His voice broke off. The memories was apparently too much to handle.


“Here is proof to my identity.” Index said, holding up a large golden cross from inside her clothes. “This cross was given to me by the Cardinal after receiving the position of High Priest. If you let us stay in this village, we will rid this place of those abominations.”


The guard hesitated for a moment, then called out to his comrades,


“Open the gates!”


The heavy, double doors slowly creaked open. Lumberjacks armed with crossbows and hatchets stared at us as we made our way in. The villagers all seemed tense. The nightly raids by the Dead on this small village have started to show its effects. Fatigue showed on their faces. A worried expression seemed to dominate the population, which in turn, made the mood of the who place depressing.


We walked for half an hour, trying to find an inn that would accept us to no avail. By the time dusk came, we finally managed to find a place to settle down for the night. It was an abandoned starch factory. There were still some sacks of starch on the beams of the ceiling as well as on the corners.


“Looks like a good enough place.” Merlin said.


“Yes, this seems to be a rather easy place to defend, with many exits that we could utilize.” Berserker agreed.


“Yosh, let's start making our beds. There are stacks of hay over there that we could use...”


“Let me handle it.” Ilya said.


After making a stack of hay, Ilya started her magecraft. The pile of hay glowed and condensed on itself, making a smooth surface. Her magic circuits stopped as the magecraft was complete. The pile of hay have turned into several futons.


“So soft!” Ilya exclaimed happily, jumping in one. “See? Now we won't have to itch all night!”


“Nice work little lady.”


“Good job Ilya,” I said petting her on the head.


“Wait, why is there only four? Isn't there five of us?”


“Because Shirou oniichan and I will be sharing one of course!”


“Wait, what?!”


“No fair! I want to sleep with Ilya chan too!” Index-san objected.


“Mmmm... okay! We can both share futons with Shirou oniichan then.”


“Looks like you've got yourself quite an underaged harem there, mate.” Merlin sneered.


“Jealous?” I asked, irritated.


“Master.... is a lolicon?” Berserker gasped.


“No! It's a misunderstanding!”


“Master is a lolicon... Master is a lolicon... Master is a lolicon... Oh no! If he orders me to expose my body...... Kyaa! What should I do Yuki?! What should I do?!”


“I'm not interested in your bodies! I already have Saber and her body is the only one that I desire!” I declared, hoping to make myself clear.


“I'm okay with being the mistress...” Ilya said seriously. Merlin laughed in the background. Berserker was still muttering “Master is a lolicon... Master is a lolicon...”


“That's not... Arrgh dammit! I'll go gather information from the villagers.” I said, escaping from them.

===Break===

The setting sun is still hidden behind dark clouds, making the dusk seem like night. There were a few patrolmen making their rounds around the village. I made my way towards one, a big, heavily built fellow.


“Is this much security really necessary?” I asked, already knowing the answer.


“You weren't here when they attacked so you wouldn't know. Those things... they weren't human... If we were being attacked by bandits instead, we would have stood a chance. But those things... they're monsters! They started attacking us a few months ago. Ever since then, the sun wouldn't come out from behind the clouds... It's so cold that we can't even grow our crops... We can't go out to the woods either... Many that went out to chop lumber never came back...”


So this cold is also due to the attacks huh...


Wait.


If there is someone controlling these things, it must be strong enough to make nature bend to its will just by being there...


I have to tell the others...


“Thank you for your time. We will do what we can to help.”


===Break===


“Like I was saying, there could be a True Ancestor behind these attacks!”


“That makes sense but... it is still a bit hard to believe. What could a True Ancestor possibly want with a small village such as this?” Index-san asked.


“That's... I don't know...” I admitted, not having thought that far ahead yet.


I explained to them what the guard told me and my conclusions on the matter, however they still sound doubtful.


“Maybe another Servant has shown itself?” Ilya offered.


“But the only Servant that could do something like this would be Caster, and from what we can conclude, Caster has already been summoned to mass produce Dead Apostles for the Anglo-Saxon army, right?”


“By ruling out the possibilities of Berserker and Caster, the Servants that we have not seen yet are Saber, Archer, Lancer, and Assassin.” I continued. “I know for sure that the three knight classes wouldn't do something as horrible as commanding the Dead to attack innocent humans. And Assassin wouldn't use tactics as grand in scale as this...


Anyways, I'm gonna go check it out. Berserker, keep protect them while I'm gone please.”


I need to get used to having girls do work for me. Even when fighting with Saber during the 5^th Heaven's Feel, it still pained my heart to see her fighting and getting hurt.


“Understood, master.”


====Break====

Edited by UglyFingers, 03 July 2012 - 10:47 PM.

[UglyFingers]

Reposting all that I have written so far since I combined some chapters, hoping it looks more organized that way.



Silver January I: Chapter 1: A Strange Creature

Spoiler

--7:00 am Emiya Residence--


"Oniichan!!! Wake up! Shiro Oniichan!"


I wake up to see Ilya shaking me with all her might, trying to wake me up. Seeing her under the same blanket, I concluded that she must have snuck in the middle of the night into my futon again.


"Get up Shirou. You promised me we will go to the zoo today. I want to get there early so we can spend more time together."


We went to the dining room to see Fuji-nee and Saber already eating Sakura's cooking.


"Shirou, you woudn't get up and we got tired of waiting so don't blame us if there's nothing left!" Fuji-nee announced, pointing her chopsticks at me.


"Don't worry senpai, I made enough for all of us" Sakura said with a smile.


Once again, I felt thankful to have such a considerate girl taking care of me.


I quickly sat down to eat and Ilya got onto my lap, causing Saber to give her a sharp look. Ilya ignored it and started attacking the dishes. Seeing this, Fuji-nee and Saber quickly did the same.


Seriously, why does every meal seem like a battlefield?


"Saber, I promised Ilya that I will take her to the zoo today please look after the house today."


"Can I come too?" Saber asked with a touch of anticipation.


Even though I feel bad for leaving Saber out, a man cannot back down on his promise.


"....sorry, I kinda promised it will be just me and Ilya today."


A look of triumph spread across Ilya's face as I said this.


"Fine but you have to make it up to me another day."


"Sure... I promise."


***********


"Shirou, look its an elephant!"


"Hey, don't run!"


It has been a while since the Holy Grail War ended and I was once again enjoying a peaceful life.


Although my hate for it is very strong, it let me encounter people that I would normally not even speak with. Tohsaka for example, the gem of our school. If it wasn't for the Holy Grail War, I would never dream of even speaking to such a person of high status.Through it, I was also able to find the love of my life, my Saber.


It also brought upon me my long lost sister, Ilyaviel. Though we are not connected by blood, we still bonded pretty well.


Too well actually.


But really, seeing Ilya's smiling face makes me forget all about the Holy Grail War and all the suffering it brought upon many people.


"Hmm... Shirou's elephant looks different..."


"Eh...? What are you saying?"


She just smiled at me mischievously and ran to the next set of animals.


"Ohhhh it's Taiga!" Ilya laughed, pointing at siberian tigers in the cage.


"Eh... they do look like her huh" I said absentmindedly, relishing the peaceful feeling the zoo gives and the warmth I get from Ilya's laughing face.


After a few hours of walking around, we sat down on a bench and ate taiyaki.


"This reminds me of that time we played in the park... you fed me taiyaki back then as well"


"That did happen didn't it. Thinking back it all seemed like it's been years..."


While we ate there, lost in thought, I noticed a plump, rabbit-like creature staring at us a few feet away. It is a white color with a hint of pink and has a red gem on its forehead. Its long ears do not point up, but instead flop down on the side of its face. It is standing on its hind legs and staring at us as we eat.


"Soooo cute!!" Ilya screamed and offered it some taiyaki.


"puh pohw!" the creature said and snatched Ilya's taiyaki before running away.


"Hey come back!"


Ilya started running after it and I noticed that it did not use all four legs to run. It runs on both hind legs, like a human.


"Shiro help me catch it. I want it to take it home and make it my pet!"


I sighed, put down my half eaten taiyaki and followed suit.


After cornering it between the two of us, I signaled to Ilya to keep still.


"Trace on!" I materialized a cage around the creature, trapping it inside.


"Yay!" Ilya yelled triumphantly and held the cage up.


The rabbit-like creature struggled against the cage, and raged like a tsunami, before calming down. Suddenly, light surrounded it and it grew wings. The gem on its forehead glowed until its brightness became unbearable.


Flickering lights surrounded us. It may have been my imagination, but I thought I saw different sceneries passing us by.


I felt myself getting pulled downwards, as if I'm falling.


I grabbed Ilya's hand in the fear of losing her.


Just as I thought that we would never stop falling, I felt myself hit the ground.


The coldness of the cobblestones jerked me back to reality and I looked around. The first thing I noticed is that the air seems to contain a high concentration of mana. This amount could easily sustain all seven heroic spirits with a lot to spare. The streets were dark and the only illumination seems to come from lamps hanging from lightposts scattered patternless throughout the town.


"What happened?" Ilya said drowsily.


"Looks like we're not in Fuyuki city anymore..."


I suddenly felt a chill and turned around.


A figure stood hidden in the darkness between two houses.


Its red eyes glared at us with hatred....


No.... with hunger.


Before I had time to think, the figure charged at us to attack.

Silver January II: Chapter 2 Part 1: The Dead Apostles

Spoiler

--Nighttime, Location: Unknown--


"Ilya run!"


The moonlight shone on the figure, exposing its features.


Pale skin,


Tattered clothing,


Red, crazed eyes,


Muscular body,


Long sharp nails that can easily rip apart the human anatomy.


Faster than the eye can see, it charged at us.


I instinctively raised my hands to protect myself as my battle instincts triggered.


"Trace on!"


I summoned Kanshou and Bakuya just in time to meet the creature's attack. The first strike had enough force to send me crashing backwards. I hit a wall and before I could recover, its hand found my throat, trying to crush it. I swung bakuya with my right, chopping off its arm, while cutting its body in half using Kanshou, then stabbed Bakuya straight through its face all in one fluid motion. It fell to the ground, not moving.


After it fell, two more figures appeared,


then another,


and another.


Their red gazes stabbed through me as I backed away.


I have to get Ilya out of here....


Even if I die, I want to at least protect her with my life....


I don't want anyone to suffer anymore....


"Run!" I shouted, hoping Ilya can get to a safe place while I deal with these monsters.


"No! You can't take on that many Dead Apostles by yourself!"


"I said run!"


Spluuuurt!


My voice died as sharp pain exploded through my stomach. I looked and saw an arm pierced through my abdomen.


Blood is spilling.


The familiar feeling of your life force draining out of you with each breath....


"Shirou!!"


Ilya's terrified scream was the last thing I heard as everything turned black.


Chapter 2 Part II: Britain


"Ilya...!"


I woke up, panting heavily.




"Good to see that you've woken up. You've been asleep for four days... your sister was quite worried."




I turned to where the voice came from and saw an old man in robes staring at me intently.




"Where.... am..... I? What.... happened to the Dead Apostles...? Where is.... Ilya...?" I asked groggily, my head spinning from all the recent events.




"Don't worry the Dead Apostles have been taken care of and you are now under the protection of the church. It is best if you don't move for a while... That's quite a big hole you have in your stomach" the old man said.




Now that he mentions it, I felt bandages covering my entire abdomen. I could not see the gaping hole that he mentioned but I can sure feel it underneath all the wrappings.


"Your sister has been helping out with chores around here while you were asleep... we figured the only way to keep her from worrying is to get her so tired she won't have the energy to worry about you."




"Thank you....Now that I think of it, why were there so many Dead Apostles? It's like the whole town is infested..."




"Well, a true ancestor have died recently and the Dead Apostles serving him were released into the world. It's been quite a problem in many towns, really. We barely have enough manpower to take care of all of them. If the new High Priest had not appeared before us, we would not have stood a chance."




The way he's talking seems to imply that there are many more True Ancestors roaming about...




But didn't most of them die a long time ago?


"Ummm.... this may sound like a stupid question but.... where am I and when is this?"




He gave me a scrutinizing look and said,


"Now that I look a you, you dont seem to be from around here are you? Your hair color and eyes are very different from those in this country as well... Are you a traveler?"




"I guess you could say that..."




"Well, my friend, you are in the country of Britain in the era of our glorious king, Arthur Pendragon."


My jaw dropped.




Did I hear that right?




“So... this is Britain... during Saber's reign as king... Wait what?!”




“You sound shocked there mate. It is quite a famous story when such a young child pulled the sword from the stone... It seriously isn't something you see everyday. Sure pissed off a lot of the nobles that were trying to take the crown after the old king Uther died. The story is so famous it should have spread to the wide reaches of the world by now. You never heard of it?”




“No... I know the story but, it's hard to believe I'm actually living in it...”




He raised an eyebrow at me and laughed. It sounded like trees creaking in a storm.




“We'll I'm not gonna ask you about your circumstances but those were some strange clothes you and your sister were wearing. I couldn't help but be a little interested in you both. That's why I volunteered to take care of you two. You guys just seemed so interesting.”




“Thank you” I said, feeling comfortable with the old man.




“Well, I'll leave you to rest now. If you ever need something don't hesitate to ask. I know how lonely it feels to be alone in a new place. I used to go traveling in my younger days myself.”




“Wait. How come you can understand my language? I shouldn't be able to...”




“Oh it's just a simple spell that I casted on you when I found you. Language is a barrier that should not separate men from being comrades.”




And with a wink, he shut the door and once again, I fell asleep.

Chapter 3 Part 1: High Priest Index Librorum Prohibitorum

Spoiler

Five days later


After the initial shock that I am now living in Saber's country wore off, I tried to adjust to the new life ahead of me.



It was tough.




I felt constant anxiety and homesickness.




What if I was never able to go back?



Will I ever be able to once again be reunited with the love of my life?



What will happen if I was to be stuck in this era forever?



Would it be forgivable to go confess my love to the king of the land and try win her heart in this era?



What about Ilya? I want to give her happiness... I want to somehow repay her back for being the cause of her father abandoning her at such a young age.



All these thoughts whirled inside my head as I tried to figure out what to do next.




It's been five days since I was taken in by the church. I have gotten used to their lifestyle though it still surprises me how people can live without a proper toilet system.




Ilya nearly hugged me to death when she saw that I regained consciousness. She kept apologizing since she thought it was her fault that I turned out like this.




"If I didn't chase down that rabbit, you would not have gotten hurt and we could be back home eating Sakura's food by now!" she cried. It took a while to get her to calm down and by then my bandages were wet with her tears and had to be replaced.



The church members look normal but I heard that they can fight evenly with the Dead Apostles. They even go out into town to hunt the dead apostles that are attacking the humans.



I worked in the kitchen as soon as I was well enough to walk around. Ilya have been complaining that the food tastes terrible and that I should teach the cooks how to properly cook food. After everyone tasted my cooking, they assigned me the position of head chef and gave me full control over the menu.




I've also become friendly with Boromir, the old man who nursed me back to health after being admitted into the church. The only thing that is weighing on my heart is homesickness. I can't help but worry about Saber, Sakura, and Fuji-nee.




If left alone, who knows what kind of catastrophe they will bring?




"Boromir-san, you said that there is a new High Priest that saved you guys from being overwhelmed by the Dead Apostles... He must look really strong right? Where is he? I don't think I have seen him around here yet have I?" I asked Boromir during lunch.



"Well, our new High Priest is stronger than most but not by a lot. She brought us knowledge and new spells to help fight off the Dead Apostles. She is out on a mission right now, if everything works out fine, she should be home by supper."



I can only imagine this priest as a Heroic Spirit. To be able to fight off Dead Apostles is not something normal humans can do. Yet, out of all the church members that I have seen go out to hunt, they all came back alive and unharmed.



Suddenly, the bells started to toll in a long rhythm.




Everybody dropped what they were doing and started to rearrange the tables to resemble a conference room.




"What's happening?" I asked Boromir in surprise.




"Well, looks like she got back early, our High Priest that is..."




A group of figures in robes came through the gates and gave their horses to the stable helpers. They then proceeded to make two lines with one person leading the group and entered the church.




"You see that one in the front that is leading the group? That is our new high priest." Boromir pointed.




I looked as was shocked at what I saw.




My image of a strong warrior was shattered by the reality that I saw before me.




The high priest that led the group is a short, little girl with a petite build and a flat chest.




She has thigh-length, silvery-white and wears a nun's habit with gold highlights that is held together by safety pins.




"She looks... weak..." I muttered in amazement.


"Now don't you judge a book by its cover. She has vast knowledge and plenty of experience dealing with the supernatural. Her existence itself is a miracle that God has given us to help us in our struggles against evil."




The church members all got up and saluted her.




"Welcome back, High Priest Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the dedicated lamb who protects the knowledge of the strong!"




As I watched her walk, I noticed a bulge inside her clothes.




The bulge is moving.




Before I could process what it is, a kitten jumped out of her clothes and came running towards me.



"Ah Sphynx!"



The High Priest chased after the kitten, totally messing up the formation of the group that is trailing after her in her pursuit of the kitten.



Sphynx jumped onto a table and bounced towards me. Before I could put up any sort of defense, it scratched my face multiples times.




Ilya tried to pull the kitten away from me but was pushed to the side by the High Priest. The kitten quickly jumped into her arms, hissing at me.




The High Priest looked at me with suspicion as she stroked the kitten in her arms.




"You... are not from this era... are you...?" She asked.




Chapter 3 Part 2: Mokona Modoki and the Witch of Dimensions


After asking me that question, the high priest quickly went to exchange reports with the officers of the church. Each officer leads a squad and each squad leads a group. The meeting is held in the large dining hall where all the inhabitants of the church can see what's going on. This way, if someone gives the wrong information, it can be corrected by other members of the team.




A member from each group reports on what they encountered during a hunt in front of the higher ups.




The team that found me and Ilya reported to them how we were found and I found out that it was actually just Boromir that singlehandedly defeated all the Dead Apostles that were attacking us and saved me and Ilya.



That guy... he sure has a lot of power for his age... I guess even old men still have drills that can pierce the heavens when needed...




After the meeting ended, the High Priest called out to us.




"You two, follow me."



I looked at Ilya and shrugged.



We followed the High Priest into her office and sat down.



"That question before... how did you know we are not from this era...?" I asked her uncertainly.



"Well, Sphynx told me that you smelled like a certain spiky-haired idiot that I used to live with in my own era..." she replied, stroking the cat.




"So you are also not from here...?"




"Of course not, I just fell here when a space-time distortion appeared while fighting a powerful mage." She said proudly, puffing out her chest. "Did you guys also fall into a space-time distortion?"



"Eh... we were actually chasing a rabbit..." Ilya said with her eyes down. Apparently, she still hasn't gotten over the fact that it was her fault we ended up here in the first place.



The High Priest burst out laughing.




"That was the best joke I've heard in so long... Did it look like a cute white-pink rabbit with a red gem on its forehead?" she laughed again.




"How did you know?" I asked



"You're serious...?" She asked, suprised.



We explained all that happened and the high priest looked more and more serious as we proceeded.



"So High Priest-san..."


"Call me Index"


"Index-san... is there any way for us to go back to our time?"



"From what you've told me, it seems like you came across the white Mokona Modoki... This has become quite troublesome..."




"You mean we can't go back...?"




"No, its just that the white Mokona is a friend of the Witch of Dimensions and dealing with her is quite problematic. Once your fate intertwines, it is hard to untangle.... After all, there is no such thing as coincidence, only fate..."



What she is saying is making less and less sense...



"Wait, how do you even know all this...?"



"Huhuhu... though I don't look like it, I have 103,000 books inside my head that deals with spells and other magical phenomenon." She declared proudly.


Even though this confused me even more, I tried to stay on topic.




After all, the fate of me and Ilya lies on this little girl and her 103,000 books.



"Simply speaking, if you can catch it again, it can transfer you again to another place... that is if you're lucky..."



"So you're saying we have to catch it and make it transfer us multiple times until we get back...?!"



"Well there is a shortcut... After you catch it, you can ask it to transfer you to the Witch of Dimensions and ask her to transfer you back directly... although you have to pay a price..."



"Witch of Demensions...? Price...?"




"She will take something very important from you in order to grant your wish"



"I see..."



"Luckily, I know when and where it will appear next, as I ahve just the grimoire that predicts the movement of such creatures..."



"Really? That saves us some time I guess... So when will it appear and how do we catch it?"




"The white Mokona will appear again in 13 months so you have to stick around here until then. The specific place is only specified to a city... and trapping it will take long preparation since we need to erect a barrier over the whole city to prevent it from teleporting."



"13 months!! That is way too long! The world might end before I get back...!"



"Relax, you can just ask the Witch of Dimensions to transfer you to a specific time so you can go back to when you were transferred here. Now go its bedtime already. It's such a hard day's night and I'll be sleeping like a log..."



"But what am I supposed to do in thirteen months...?"



"Shirou, Shirou. Saber is the king right now right? We should visit her! I want to see what kind of king she is..."



I looked at Ilya's excited face and gave in.



As we walked through the halls I asked,



"Aren't you scared that we might not be able to go back? I'm quite envious of how calm and optimistic you are."



She smiled at me and said,




"Wherever Shiro is, that is my home... I actually prefer if we can stay here forever because here, I get to have Shiro all to myself."

White February II: Chapter 4

Spoiler

Part 1: Training


Trace on.


Analyzing composition...


Reinforcing....


"Shiro look! Look!"


I was training on the grounds behind the church, practicing at my only two magical abilities using garden tools when Ilya started running towards me, glowing as bright as the sun.


She was holding up what looked like a compressed ball of light in her hand. It was glowing so brightly that it almost blinded me.


She has a very proud look on her face as she showed me the glowing ball of light.


"I see the young lady is liked by our high priest eh?"


Boromir came out of the shed and approached us. He took Ilya's ball of light into his own hands and said,


"Eclipse"


The ball of light suddenly turned black, as if it had been blocked by the moon.


"Does everyone here know how to use magic?" I asked envious.


I knew that I have no talent in magic at all. Those lessons by Tohsaka just made it clear how pathetic I am. At best the only thing I can do is to reinforce and project. Something that even beginners can do perfectly. However, ever since I have discovered how to replicate objects, I thought I would become more useful.


"Well, pretty much. All the members of the squads know how to use one type of magic or another. If not, then we would not stand a chance against the Dead Apostles."


"I see... But I don't understand how so many people can learn magic so fast and so well that they can apply it in mortal combat..."


"That's because since the new High Priest came, she made it a priority to teach us on what type of magic we are most compatible with. Even though she cannot use mana, her vast knowledge is still a precious gift from the heavens. She finds what type we are most compatible with, since although a lot of us are talented in using mana to bend the elements, the rest can only do reinforcement like you. Besides teaching, she also organized us into a strong enough force that we are even recognized by the king. Can you believe that?"


I guess those 103,000 books in her head isn't just for show.... Now that I think of it, I did notice the high amount of mana in the air when we first landed here so it makes sense that a lot of people can use that type of magic.


"Shirou, Index-chan also taught me a lot of new things about magic. She probably even knows more than Rin."


Ilya has been spending a lot of time with Index-san lately. I guess they weren't just playing around when they're together...


"I'm surprised you understand her at all."


"Geniuses understand each other." Ilya said triumphantly, puffing out her chest and arching her back... just like Index.


I guess it is nice to have a girl her a playmate your own age but...


but...


That kid... she's bad influence on Ilya!


"These are turbulent times and it's better to know how to protect yourself.” Boromir nodded wisely.
“What do you say mate? You should come train with us. We can get you to be on par with Dead Apostles in just a few days." Boromir grinned.


"Thank you, I think Ill try it..."


************************


The training sessions were held underground in a large, spacious basement. Each session is divided between the type of magic that each group specializes in. Morning till noon for those who can manipulate the elements by channeling the mana in the air, noon till dust for those tho specialize in close combat using the prana in their body to strengthen themselves and their weapons.


Boromir participated in both sessions. Apparently, he is skilled enough to be an officer but always refused the position, saying that's he's too old.


During the afternoon session, Boromir took me to the side after the group did warm ups and the usual weaponless sparring routine.


"Do you know what this is?" He asked, holding what up what looked like a dual edged rapier with a cylindrical handle and hilt.


It looks too similar to the modern black keys that the Burial Agency uses but....


This doesn't make sense!


If Saber is the king, then we should be in the 6th century, but from the Burial Agency did not exist until the 12th century....


"That... is a black key... right? Where did you get it?"


"Our High Priest created a huge stock of them, saying it was neccesary in our fight against enemies of God."


"I see..."


"Even though this looks weak, it can deal huge amounts of damage to Dead Apostles. Training and strengthening your body is a must if you want to fight them in close combat. You also have to be alert at all times, expect the unexpected, prepare for the unimaginable...."


As he said these last words, he summoned five more black keys so that he have three in each hand, much like claws. Suddenly, he threw them at me with such speed that I barely had time to dodge.


Trace on.


I traced kanshou and bakuya out of reflex and threw them at Boromir's direction but he was already gone, only to reappear behind me, black keys pointing at my vitals, ready to strike.


"And... you're dead"


So fast!


It's almost as if I was sparring with Saber...


"Nice reflexes you've got there, but you're still too slow my friend. Try reinforcing your whole body this time."


Without another word, he poised to attack again.


I reinforced my senses, sight and hearing, as well as the rest of my body, expecting the next attack. I could see the smallest movements in Boromir's body as he prepares for the next strike---


Fwish...!


What.....??


What was that.....?!!


I thought I could see all of his movements but before I knew it, he already has his black keys at my throat!


"And you're dead, yet again." He laughed.


We continued doing this till dusk, but not matter what I try to do, I just couldn't see him, much less defend myself.


From what I can see, the other members are also strong, but not quite as strong as Boromir. But at least they would stand a chance if they work together....


Me on the other hand....


***********


"Don't feel so down, you're just a hundred years too early to challenge me. But it's a good thing that you are being trained by the best right? The stronger the opponent that you defeat, the stronger you become." Boromir said that night during dinner.


"I guess... but I couldn't even see you. This is the first time this has happened... It is frustrating."


I looked in Ilya's direction. She is eating next to the high priest and her kitten Sphynx. They look like childhood friends eating lunch in the cafeteria at school.

They are still just kids after all...


The smiles on their faces as they ate and talked with each other made me feel warm inside.


To protect those smiles,


I need to get stronger....


"You just have to get used to it. When you are able to actually follow my movements, and fight on par with me, that will be your first step in becoming a hero."


"A hero...."


That one word brought me back to the time I spent with my father, Emiya Kiritsugu.


"Shiro... if you save one person, it means you cannot save another..." He always told me.


Maybe if I become a hero, I can save everyone....


My thoughts were cut by an announcement by the High Priest Index-san.


"Ahem... Please put down your food for a minute and listen.


We have received a message from Camelot that an Anglo-Saxon army have started advancing into our country and attacked the outlying villages.


The king have assembled a large force stop their advance and they departed for the borders a week ago. They will arrive here tomorrow to get the blessing of the church for the upcoming battle.


I want to give them a warm welcome so we need to prepare...."


My mind stopped listening.


The king is coming tomorrow....


The king....


is coming....

Saber....


is coming....


Chapter 4 Part II


The British army was delayed, much to my disappointment.


Cursing the Root for bringing a sudden storm that delayed me from once again seeing the love of my life, I passed the time sparring with Boromir.


"Remarkable progress there mate."


"You... cheater.... " I panted.


I was finally able to see the trick behind his high speed movement that my reinforced eyes couldn't see.


The bastard was teleporting himself directly to me!


I started to notice it when I threw Kanshou and Bakuya in an arc to catch him halfway between the distance that it will take for him to reach me as he started his charge. To my surprise, the beautiful swords never found him no matter what point between the distance I tried to catch him at, leading me to this conclusion.


A remarkable thing happened then. Before he made his next attack, I already knew what he is going to do a few seconds before. It's as if I could see the future...


"Looks like it finally ticked."


"Wha... what is this...??"


"It's nothin' much... Your senses have just been sharpened to the point that you can see glimpses of the space-time continuum... not many heroic spirits have acquired this ability so most of them just rely on their experience and instincts... but if two who can use this ability were to meet in battle... well, lets just say that they will both get headaches if the fight is prolonged... It takes a large toll on your body so try not to use it too much.


Now, try use that and to block me."


Even though I can see where he is going to strike next, it is still hard for my body to catch up with his speed. It took a good while before I could actually counter attack.


"Good! Good!" He laughed like a maniac, obviously enjoying this.


************


When it has been three days and the rain still haven't let up, I began to feel worried that at this rate, I might never get to see Saber before I go back.


"That was good... You can actually fight on par with me now..." Boromir complimented after the sixth days have passed and still no Saber.


"Thanks... it feels... good..."


It really does.


I was getting better at predicting his attacks and formulating attack patterns to respond to them. After a while, I also noticed my body beginning to adapt to my eyes, increasing the speed and power of my own strikes to compliment them.


*********************


After training, I went to the large hot spring behind the orchards to wash off the fatigue. The rain had finally stopped but the moon is still obscured behind the clouds. Removing my clothing, I settled into the water, letting it wash away the dirt and weariness.


It was then that I heard splashes on the other side of the spring, accompanied by quiet voices. I reinforced my ears, trying to get an idea of who else might be taking a bath at this hour.


"Index-chan, are you sure there's no one else here?"


I froze.


"Of course. Everyone should be sleeping by now. They're usually tired out by the day's events that they sleep early." Another young, female voice answered.


I heard water splashing as they both settled in the water.


"Ahhhhhh....." they moaned in pleasure as the hot water touched their skin.


Is God tempting me?


Wait... I already have Saber...


If I give in to my manly desires now, I would forever be branded as a criminal...


But Ilya is actually older than me so wouldn't she be the one to...


Wait, no! Her age doesn't matter! Anyone that sees me attacking the body of a little girl will surely conclude that I'm a lolicon!


Saber save me....!!!


"Shiro?"


Busted.


******************
I did not hear Ilya making her way to where I was at while focusing on my internal battle. She was looking at me with curious eyes.


"Wait! Let me explain! I actually got here first and...."


"Shhh" Ilya put a finger on my lips, smiling brightly.


"Ilya? Is there something over there?" I heard Index-san call out from the other side.


"No, it's nothing I must be imagining it." Ilya called back, still keeping my lips sealed.


"Well can you come back and wash my back for me?"


"I'm coming!"


Ilya turned back to me and whispered with a devious smile on her face,


"Come... I know u want to."


Still fighting my internal battle, I let Ilya dragged me with her to the other side of the spring where Index-san is. She has up to her neck in water, looking at the sky with a folded towel on her foreheaed.


"Is that you Ilya?"


"Yes, Index-chan. Can you turn around so I can wash your back?"


Index-san obeyed, exposing her small back to Ilya, who in turn, handed me a towel and while blushing, whispered in an embarrased tone, "Do me too please."


Soooooo........ CUUUUUTE.......!!!


Fighting back the dirty thoughts that were forming in my mind, I tried to focus on scrubbing the small back presented in front of me.


Her skin is so white and so smooth, her body small and fragile, her hair long and flowing, her smell like the first blossoms of spring after a harsh winter....


I felt intoxicated by the situation, my mind unable to form coherent thoughts.


And so there we were, three figures in the dark lined up one after another, as naked as the day we were born, washing each other's back.


"Magical girls are so cute, isn't it every girl's dream to transform into one, changing into cute clothes while surrounded by bubbles and sparkles?" Index-san asked enthusiastically.


The sheer childishness of her question brought me back to the situation at hand.


I am alone in the middle of the night with two little girls.


In the dark.


"Of course! Have you ever seen Magical Girl Phantas-Moon? She looks so strong and cute! I wanna be like her!" Ilya responded back just as enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming with excitement.


"Ohhh?" Index-san said mischievously. "I know a spell that can turn you into a magiclad girl if you want. I'm not able to use it since I cannot use mana so I want you to fulfill my dreams in my stead."


"Really? Teach it to me!"


"Aren't I a genius?"


"You're a genius, master!"


"Ha!.... Ha!... Ha! Praise me more!" Index-san laughed while standing, arching her back with her right hand underneath her chin and puffing out her flat chest. She looked like a noble laughing as a commoner kisses her left hand.


The moon saw this as a cue to come out of hiding, showering light upon the land and exposing Index-san's naked, petite body. She turned to face us and screamed.


"Kyaaa!!!" She stumbled backwards, tripping on her own feet.


"Y...You... YOU!!! What are you doing here???!!!" She stammered and pointed at me, backing away while trying to cover her body with her arms, her face red.


I have already thought of a proper speech of apology in case something like this happened....


"First of all, I would like to say something before I am stuck down by the imminently hopeless bloodshed that is sure to befall me within the next few seconds. Although me ending up in this enviable situation is purely by coincidence alone, I am very thankful for the wonderful view that you have given me tonight. However, it is in my ideals not to lust after such childish bod---."


I didn't even get to finish my speech before everything exploded in stars.


**************************


"Haaaarghh!!!"


I woke up to see Boromir standing next to my bed watching me with a concerned look.


"What happened to you mate? One of the nightshift patrols found your body floating in the hot spring. The damn thing was fully red by the time you were recovered! We thought you we dead!"


"That was-- Huh...? I can't remember..." I trailed off feeling that something wonderful happened but my mind was too scared to remember.


"Well that's fine. There was actually a messenger that came by today and guess what? The King should be arriving in a few hours!"


Saber is coming!


I have to get ready...


My jeans and shirt that I brought from my era are torn in several places and have accumulated dirt and grime. I figured I need to change my clothes. Wouldn't everyone want to look good in front of the girl they love?


And Saber is a king after all... I should at least look presentable....


"Hey Boromir, can I borrow some clothes that looks presentable in front of a king?"


"Of course! Looks like you got some sort of plan... Trying to win favors from our king eh?" The old man grinned.


"Something like that." I smiled.


He led me to his room and opened his cabinet. There were many selections of clothing ranging from flamboyant robes to adventurer's attires. I settled on a simple but clean image and picked out a white tunic and brown leggings with a snake-skin belt and leather boots.


I know. I look like a level one noob in an RPG game but I dont want to stand out too much since the rest of the church are wearing either priest robes or nun's habits.


With happy thoughts, I followed Boromir to the reception hall.


********************************************
We took our place in the reception hall, which is just the dining hall/mass hall with all the tables and chairs removed. A stage was set across the front double doors that leads to the outside. On this stage, the High Priest stood, surrounded by her officers, and to my surprise, with Ilya by her side. Ilya was wearing a nun's habit just like the rest of the nuns. I swear, those two look so cute together...


Wait, what?!


How could I be thinking such thoughts when I will be seeing the love of my life for the first time in such a long while?


Boromir and I positioned ourselves on the sides underneath the windows of stained glass where everyone else is at. There were about a hundred fifty people, spread evenly on both sides.


As I was starting to get impatient with all the wait when the bells started their long, heavy toll.


The front gates opened and a formation of knights started their advance. If the sun was out, their armors would have been shining. They looked absolutely magnificent, not a sign of dirt on them even though they must have walked through the mud to get here after leaving their mounts in the stables.


But the one I was actively searching for was Saber. Even though she is not the same Saber that I know, seeing her will put my heart at ease and give me the courage needed to endure the thirteen months
The Knights of the Round Table formed an aisle, turned to face inwards, and saluted with their swords.


"All Heil King Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain!!!"


"All Heil King Arthur!!!" The church echoed.


As the cheer for the king wen on, a figure marched between the aisle of knights.


Her beauty made me gasp and tears flowed through my eyes as my heart melted in relief.


There she was...


my Saber in her full glory.


She was wearing the same armor that I am so familiar with, polished to perfection. On her waist hangs Excalibur, its magnificent blade concealed inside its sheath, Avalon. Her cowlick sticking out from the golden crown on her head.


And yet as I watched her march to the High Priest, something bothered me.


I coudn't pinpoint it out but....


Something is wrong....


Horribly wrong.


Before I could comprehend the ominouos feeling I have, Boromir was gone from my side, already acting out of instinct.


He instantly teleported behind the King, Black Keys shining, poised to strike at her throat.


"You.... You are not Arturia.... Who.... are you?" He snarled at the King.




Chapter 4 III: Masou Shoujo Ilya


The cheering stopped.


The knights in shining armor all targeted the old man that is threatening their King's life.


The rest of the church caught on and instantly went into combat mode, their concealed weapons now in hand and prepared for the upcoming bloodshed.


I slowly noticed what has been causing me the ominuos feeling that I have been feeling until now.


The Saber that stood before me is the exact replica of my Servant, only it seemed to be missing the qualities that proved it to be an impostor.


The first time I met Saber, just her presence was enough to freeze me in awe at her majestic figure. She possessed eyes full of the determination and violence that enables her to fulfill her duty. Her bearing emits pressure that commanded authority. Completing her was Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory that possessed an anti-fortress noble phantasm capable of annihilating castles.


The King that Boromir is threatening with Black Keys lacked all of these, as if she were only a mere shadow of the original.


"I asked you who you are! If you do not respond within the next 3 seconds, I will purge you immediately, you vile creature!" Boromir went on, increasing the pressure of the Black Keys on her neck, drawing a thin line of blood.


Fake Saber smiled. It was a smile of triumph, the smile one makes when a plan succeeded.


"Looks like you fools figured it out. But you're all too late. HAHAHAHA!" Its laughter echoed throughout the church, the sound inhuman.


As if on cue, all the knights assembled at attention shimmered, dispelling the illusion spell that have been hiding their true form. It was like witnessing a mirage.

As the spell vanished, a menacingly sinister aura spread and invaded the premises, sending cold chills down my spine.


The Knights in Shining Armor were replaced by two dozen hooded figures in black clothing, their faces hidden beneath, their red eyes glowing and fresh blood on their lips... As if they were feeding not too long ago... And as I watched, they started to chant spells.


A black mist formed around each figure, enveloping them in darkness.


I couldn't believe what I was seeing. These are mages that were turned into vampires! And so many at that!


The fake Saber clearly seemed to be the leader of the group. She transformed into a large, heavily muscled man with graying hair, with harsh features and a scar running from left temple to right cheek. However, this one did not seem to be a mage like the rest are. But that didn't stop it from being intimidating. A huge, heavily muscled vampire can rip apart a dump truck by itself.


In a split second, the whole place plunged into chaos.


The hooded figures started their attack, firing spells like machine guns. Their casting speed was abnormally fast, pushing the priests to put all their focus on defending against the onslaught. After getting into a defensive formation, they started their counter attack. Those who could cast spells gave the melee fighter some cover fire, enough to give them time to unleash a powerful coordinated strike at the enemy forces.


Even though we have at the moment the numbers in our favor, we are still fighting a losing battle.


For every one caster that was taken down, seven comrades die to do so. Even the number of officers are dwingling, but at a slower pace than the rest. Except for Boromir. That tough bastard is in a league of his own, fighting on par with the leader of the attacking forces by himself.


I stengthen my body and pushed my way through the pandemonium to where the High Priest and Ilya were. Ilya is holding a short, pink staff topped by a star inside a circle that sprouted wings, an artifact that looks very out of place for this time period. Index-san on the other hand, seemed to be analyzing the barrier that have been erected on the building without our notice, the barrier that prevents us from escaping. She was also explaining to Ilya the use of the staff as she worked. I rushed to their side as there is no one available to protect them. We are running short of people as it is and Index-san ordered all of her officers to fight while she tries to find a way for everyone to escape.


The church is on the verge of annihilation.


Oh, and did I mention that they still have half their army waiting outside?


The sound of shattering glass was deafening as the stained glass windows exploded, shooting shrapnels everywhere. More and more enemies poured in from the outside through the broken windows, joining the fray.


This is bad... If more of them come now, we are surely doomed...


Then I noticed that the newcomers all headed straight towards us, targeting the High Priest, already chanting their spells.


"Rho Ais!!"


Fire and other various spells bounced off the seven petaled barrier, scattering in all directions. The assault continued without stop, bombarding us relentlessly. The deflected spells instead hit the walls and ceiling. I could already hear the building groaning, on the verge of collapse.


And collapse it did.


With a thundering crack, the beams holding the ceiling broke and the roof fell inwards, raining lumber, debris, and dust onto us. However, this did not seem to affect the battle at all. The vampires simply blasted anything that was about to fall on them and our side did the same.


Boromir's fight with the leader looked like a fight between heroic spirits, or more accurately, between a saber and a berserker. The large vampire was not only strong, he was also fast. His style agressive, designed to overwhelm the opponent with his strenth. The old man looked like he was dancing, his style very familiar...


It was almost I was seeing my Saber in the form of the old man...


My attention went back to the huge group that was attacking me and the two little girls behind me. The mages were chanting a large spell in the back while the rest tried to penetrate the seven layered defense.


As they finished the incantation, the others cleared the way as a large beam of darkness was shot. I braced my self, not knowing how powerful the spell was. So far, I have not seen anything able to pierce Rho Ais.


My jaw dropped as two layers of the shield broke, and the spell still did not dissipate.


Another layer fell.


And another....


I have to do something.


There is no doubt that the barrier would not be able to hold for much longer and when it breaks, our death is unquestionable.


And then I noticed something shining behind me....




Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ilya chanting, using the staff in her hands,


"Nomobuyo


Oshi


Hashitawa


Dokeda


Gunmicha...
De Ribura!!!"


With a bright explosion of light, sparkles, and bubbles Ilya transformed.


Now that is the cutest damn thing I have ever seen.


She was wearing pink lolita dress and white cap, large pink ribbons adorned her head on both sides. A white sash also decorated her waist, tied in a ribbon behind her. White, thigh length stockings covered her legs, traced by pink laces securing her pink shoes to her calves.


Not wasting any time, Ilya waved her short staff, creating a barrier and stopping the spell that almost destroyed Rho Ais.


"Masou Shoujo Ilya at your service!" The magiclad girl declared, smiling brightly.


She is so happy to be living her dream that her bright smile almost made the sun pale in comparison.


"Shirou look look! Aren't I cute?" Ilya giggled, doing some sort of ballet dance.


"Yeah, very cute." I sighed in relief. Her presence stopped the fighting for a brief moment. Both the invaders and whatever is left of our forces, in which only seven out of the hundreds survived, were staring at the otherworldly phenomenon that appeared in their midst.


"Now that I'm here, time for you all to die!" Ilya's smile turned sadistic, just like the time when she turned loose Berserker on me and Saber.


With another wave of her wand, Ilya rose to the air, sprouting butterfly wings the likes of which Caster use. She flew about a hundred feet into the air, past the destroyed ceiling, and settled on an altitude higher than the tallest tree. Countless magic circles appeared behind her, raining green light upon the enemies below.


Holy S***...


To be easily using magic from the Age of Gods without restraint, I am honestly impressed.... and scared at the same time. If Ilya ever finds herself hating me, I know I'll die for sure.


Each vampire that her attack struck was reduced to dust. With no way to defend from the continuos barrage, the enemy started to flee.


"Trying to escape eh?" Ilya's usually repressed sadistic nature was starting to seep into her actions, that smile never leaving her face.


With another wave of her pink staff, she created another barrier that surrounded the entire vicinity, vaporizing any undead that touched it.


With the battle now in our favor, the surviving priests pressed the enemy, sealing their movements for Ilya's barrage to easily kill them.



Only the leader was left. Boromir is still fighting him. Neither of them looked exhausted even though they have been fighting at such a high speed since the beginning. As Ilya's next attack focused on the leader, the old man blocked the attack with his palm, deflecting the green light to the side, destroying another part of the wall.


"Stop! I need this one alive!!"


Shaking myself from the shock of Ilya singlehandedly winning the fight for us, I rushed to help the old man, reinforcing my whole body. While the vampire was busy with the old man's persistent attacks, I was able to stab three Black Keys on both its legs, rending them useless. The sudden loss of mobility in its lower body caused it to lurch forward, still swinging its weapon. Boromir took this chance to chop off both of its arms in one stroke. Black blood spurted from the stumps as it screamed in agony. Boromir finished the capture by chopping off both its legs at the knee and drawing runes on its forehead to prevent its escape.


Ilya flew back down, losing her transformation. Like a puppet that lost its strings, she stumbled and fell.


I was instantly at her side, scooping her up into my arms. The pink short staff vanished from her hands. I carried her to where everyone was interrogating the captured vampire. They forced a truth potion down its throat to prevent it from telling lies and started the interrogation.


"As I've said, you guys are too late. While you were busy preparing to receive the king, we have already transformed this place into a town of the dead." It said mockingly.

White February III: Chapter 5: Wizard and God

Spoiler

Despair hung in the air as we discussed what to do on that night's meeting.


Out of all the inhabitants of the church, only a few survived.


All the officers are dead and only four young priests remained from the hundreds that were present, but they were seriously wounded. Index-san, me, Ilya, and Boromir were the only ones left who could defend ourselves if something were to happen.


It was a lucky thing that the Dead Apostles turned to ash after death so we did not have to worry about destroying their corpse.


Our comrades on the other hand, had to be given proper burial.


With no time to spare, we just dug a large pit in the back and neatly set their body down, not bothering to make individual graves. We cannot spend a lot of time to mourn the dead as we have more pressing matter to worry about. We have to lock the grief in our hearts and move on if we want to survive.


“This is bad... seriously bad...” Boromir muttered under his breath. He looked worried, something I have never seen before.


“If what that thing said is true, then this country is sure to be overrun by the Dead before long...” Index-san said, looking very composed as she led the discussion. The only flaw in her appearance is that she was shaking. I guess it's only normal for little girls to be unnerved when they see their friends get slaughtered in front of them. But I got to hand it to her for having that will to keep going after all that has happened.


“Mass producing Dead Apostles and raising an army of them? What blasphemy!” The old man roared in disgust. “Who the hell is this Bluebeard? It's unbelievable that an ordinary mage can be powerful enough to do such a thing!”


“We have a more pressing problem here” I reminded them. “What are we going to do about the town? If it is really overrun by the Dead right now, then we have to stop them from getting out and spreading it to somewhere else.”


“That part is easy enough. We will just have to create an explosion big enough to wipe the town off the face of the planet.” Boromir said simply.


“But what if there are still survivors out there? If there is even one left that is still not one of the Dead, then we have to save them!” I exclaimed, horrified at the idea.


“Now stop speaking nonsense Shirou. Are you really going to go down there into a Dead-infested place without proof that anyone is still alive? You have to remember that they have started to spread it into this town many hours ago. By now, it would be a goddamn miracle if there is still even a single one that hasn't been bitten. Going down there without even a one percent chance of finding a survivor is just plain stupid.”


I glared at the old man. Of course what he is saying is logical but I just can't bear the thought of someone still alive down there, shaking in fear. I want to save them, just as I have been saved by my father...


“Shirou, enough on that topic. We will do as Boromir said and destroy the town. We cannot afford to take chances... We are do not have the strength to do something like that anymore... And I can't bear to see anymore of you guys dying...” Index-san choked back her tears, remembering the deaths of her many students and the funeral we gave them.


I sighed, defeated. She has the final say in everything after all.


I looked down on Ilya's sleeping face on my lap. She still hasn't woken up after she overused her magic earlier. I calmed myself by looking at her angelic sleeping face, trying to kill the burning passion within me. If I do not do this, I might disobey orders and go down there to search for survivors in the middle of the night.


“Moving on, apparently, Bluebeard is someone who has been summoned by the leader of the Anglo-Saxons. They were calling him a servant or something... Apparently, they are trying to find a Holy Grail or whatever so that after they raised a big enough army, they can use its power to conquer all of Britain. The king had also sent out a party of knights from the round table in a crusade for the Holy Grail also but who knows what happened to them.”


I froze.


Wait a minute...


The Holy Grail...


The concept of the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City should not even exist yet. Not to mention that we are in a completely different location and time...


So does that mean he's talking about the...the...


the legendary artifact that was once used by the son of god????



“Apparently they have been getting desperate.” Boromir continued. “Our king just won't give them a chance at invading this country so they turned to the devil and summoned a demon to search for and defile a holy artifact to be used for evil-”


“Hang on a second!” I stopped him still trying to digest all the information.

Ohhh... the irony!


I have just finished participating in a war for the Holy Grail only to be caught up in another one!


Blame the root. Blame the root. Blame the root. Blame the root.


I just know that Akasha is laughing at me from somewhere.


“So... this Holy Grail... what is it? Just how powerful is it?”


“Well, there are many rumors flying around. Some say that it is a wish granting device and others that say it is a weapon of mass destruction... no one knows really...”


This sounds too much like the Holy Grail that I fought for back in Fuyuki city...


Is this coincidence?


“There is no such thing as coincidence, only the inevitable.” Ilya whispered from my lap, as if reading my thoughts. She blinked twice, then went back to sleep.


“Wise words from such a young lady.” Boromir said softly, as if remembering something from his past.


“So what are we going to do now? If we just leave things like this, the world will end!”


We sat there silently, lost in or thoughts. Time passed and still no one talked. I was about to doze off when Index-san said,


“Let's summon our own servant.”


No!!!!!


“War kills people. Going by that logic, shouldn't it be our priority to not get involved?”

“What? Then what do you think we should do? It's not like you have a better idea.”


“I have been in such a war before and I hated every minute of it! Trust me, we are better off not doing something than getting ourselves killed for nothing.”


“Big words from someone who was just telling us to get ourselves killed by hordes of the Dead just minutes ago.” Boromir reminded me.


I blushed, realizing the hypocrisy of my actions.


“Still, I beg you... trust me on this, nothing good ever comes out of participating in something as horrendous as that. It only brings suffering to those involved and death to those around them.”


“If a Servant is really that powerful, then wouldn't it be wiser to summon one? Increasing our numbers and fighting potential is a good way to survive now that a lot of our comrades have fallen.” Boromir said wisely.


“No... by summoning a servant, you will have declared your desire to participate in that god-forsaken war!”


“Think about it. If we are to participate and win in this war, we could save those who we normally cannot be saved. We can also help out the innocent civilians that can get caught in the crossfire. I hardly believe someone with your sense of justice will let this war consume those who are not involved.”

I sighed.


He's right. It would go against everything I believe in to let those who are not involved be sacrificed for such a reason.


And no matter what I say, I am pretty sure Index-san will go ahead with what she wants anyways.


“Fine,” I gave in. “But let me be the master, since I have prior experience in such matters.”


*************


The heavily injured survivors of the attack died the next day, starting another wave of grief as we prepared their funeral. The church is now nonexistent.


We decided to hold off the summoning ceremony until tomorrow, waiting for the full moon. Boromir insisted that we have a higher luck of summoning something amazing when the moon is in its most visible phase.


Meanwhile, we set about destroying he town.


Reinforcing my eyes, I looked at the town once more. My only memories of being there was the night me and Ilya fell into this era. I didn't even have the chance to go out there and meet the residents yet, which was lucky since if I know anybody down there, it would be harder for me to do the thing we were about to do.


“I know of many weapons that can destroy that town in one go if you want me to do it.” I offered.


“Nah, it's been a while since I have used large scale magic so I thought I should practice a bit.” Boromir grinned, his old face twisting into something like a smirk.


We casted a barrier around the town to prevent the Dead from escaping and to contain the explosion. Index-san and Ilya went off somewhere, not wanting to watch the carnage about to unfold.


I watched the old man intently, trying to see a clue of just who the hell he is.


“God's Ball”


A giant orb of light appeared in his hand, its diameter more than two meters. As I watched, the intensity of the light became too much to look at.


“Compress.”


The giant ball shrank in size, growing still brighter. The pressure of the energy contained increasing as the ball got smaller. It shrank to the size of a marble by the time the old man issued his next command.


“Replicare”


The ball replicated, producing thousands of copies and covering the skies.


“Harmonics”


The small marbles of destruction collided, producing a giant ball, much larger than the original.


He repeated the process seven times, the ball getting more unstable each time.


After replicating the spell into thousands of miniature suns, he gave his last command.


“Bombardment!”


The marbles hit the town, each one causing an explosion as powerful as a nuclear bomb. The barrier began to crack, trying to contain the explosions within.


After the barrier broke, what used to be a town is now a giant crater on the ground.


“Pretty thorough aren't you?” I asked sarcastically.


He grinned at me and said “Eclipse”


The remaining marbles of destruction that were still hanging in the air turned black, as if the moon blocked their light.


The old man gathered the blackened marbles and put them in a leather bag.

“Here, a gift. If you ever need to use it, just throw it and get as far away as you can.” He said, tossing me the bag of nuclear grenades.


********


“I've been meaning to ask this for a while now but, Boromir just who the hell are you?”


Index-san raised an eyebrow at me curiously, surprised. Ilya was sitting on my lap, focusing on the food in front of her, but still keeping ear to the conversation.


“Shirou, you've been with him for so long and you never asked?” Index-san asked.


“I never ask if the other person doesn't want to talk about it but it's been bothering me for a while now. You have incredible strength for an old man, even with reinforcement. You can do such impressive magic too. But the thing I am most bothered about is your sword style. It looks the same as Saber's... er King Arthur's style. Just what is your connection with her?”


Boromir looked away, dodging the question. Index-san put her food down and answered for him.


“He is the most powerful wizard of this time, Merlin.”


My jaw dropped, the soup inside my mouth dripping out and falling onto Ilya's head.


“I~... I'm sorry!” I said, quickly mopping off her head with a cloth.


“As long as you promise to take a bath with me later, onii-chan.” She smiled mischievously.


Looks like I dug my own grave yet again but I was too shocked to dwell on the matter.


To think such a legendary figure was beside me this whole time!!


“B-... but... what are you doing here? I thought you were an advisor to the king and...” I trailed off, still shocked by the sudden revelation.


“The maids sent him here so we could reform him. Apparently, he was pulling a lot of pranks. Like stealing women's underwear~” Index-san tried to explain.


“Hey, I gave them back didn't I?”


“After you soiled them” Index-san snapped back in disgust. “Men are such perverts... just like a certain spiky haired idiot...”

“Soiled? I was merely putting my scent on them so that no one will ever attempt to steal them. I was protecting them, I tell you.”


“And the day you arrived, you started hitting on the nuns and all the female underwear disappeared overnight!” Index-san accused.


“Hey, you weren't even here yet when all that happened so how would you know?”


“Shirou, I think we found the origin of panty thieves in our own era...” Ilya whispered.


“To think perverts existed this long ago too...”


Boro~... er … Merlin stopped, knowing that there is no way for him to win the argument.


“So what's the deal with you people? I was interested in you guys since you look too out of place, even by my standards. When you've seen as much life as I have, nothing tend to surprise you anymore but you guys were rather surprising.”


We explained what happened to us and how we arrived here through an accident, hoping that the most powerful wizard that this time has to offer could help us get back to our own time.


“Eh? People invented such things?! To think that one day, men will be able to soar through the skies without magic... I truly am jealous...”


“Umm... so what do you think? Is there any way you can send us back?”


“No... unfortunately only the Witch of Dimensions has that kind of power... sorry.”


I knew it wasn't going to be that easy.


**************


The time has come for us to summon a servant.


Drawing the magic circle.


Providing the reagent, this time a cell phone that Index-san acquired from who knows where.


Creating command seals. Apparently, this is one of the things the Merlin is able to do even though he cannot travel dimensions.


Starting ritual.


My jaw dropped.


I know it happens a lot lately but...


Despair and disappointment once again settled on me as I stared at what I have summoned.


A young girl is kneeling in the middle of the summoning circle. All hopes of winning this war have gone to the drain as I stared at the small figure in front of me.


She has pink hair tied into four pig tails. Two in the front, and two in the back. Her eyes were a redder shade of pink. She looked no older than me and was quite cute. She has a black cloak wrapped around her, her thin arms stretched towards me as though offering me a sword, but the only thing in her hands is a cellphone.


“Servant Berserker. Upon your summoning, I have come from the ruins of the first world. I ask of you, are you my master?” The Servant asked, her lips curved in a sly smile.


This girl... is a Berserker?!


Seriously?!

*****************


“I ask you again, are you my master?”


Composing myself, I quickly answered her. Knowing that there are Servants that would kill their summoner before their pact was complete.


“Yes, Servant Berserker. I am your master, Emiya Shirou.”


We sealed the pact and she got up, looking at the scenery around her.


“Umm... are you really Berserker?” Ilya asked, hiding behind me.


Berserker looked at her, then at Index-san, then at Merlin.


“Cheh, with this kind of crew I'd never meet Yuki.... Yuuuuukkkii.... Wait for me Yuki... I will surely win this war and then we will be together forever!” She said, staring at the sky and holding her cell phone in her hands as if in prayer.


“Well, she does have the crazy part right...” Ilya began. I covered her mouth, not wanting to anger the Servant.


Too late.


Our shadow stretched and expanded, growing hands sprouting and grabbing Ilya in a deathgrip. Berserker was instantly on her, shadows transforming into a hatchet, preparing to swing.


Trace on.


Kanshou and Bakuya met her strike, shattering as they collided.

With a premonition of what is about to happen, I moved to the side, reinforced my arm and threw a nuclear grenade into the sky away from us.


The grenade exploded a few thousand feet in the sky to our right, lighting the scenery as bright as day and dispelling the shadows restraining Ilya.


Reinforcing my body, I grabbed Ilya and moved out of the way just as Berserker's hatchet met the ground.


The earth shattered.


The hill that we performed the summoning ritual on split in half, as though cut by a giant. Earth and roots flew in the air as the rocks disintegrated and turned to dust.


“Im~ Impossible! Only my Berserker can do that! No human should have that kind of power...” Ilya stammered.


Berserker looked at her and said,


“While I was once a human, I am currently,

a god.”

Black March I: Chapter 6: Timberfield

Spoiler

“Looks like we got one hell of a Servant here mate.” Merlin said casually. Apparently, the old man encountered enough supernaturals in his life that seeing a “god” does not surprise him anymore.

“I'm not sure... I've never heard of a god that resembles her nor do I know of any hero that could have possibly...”

I sent Berserker to scout the area ahead of us, still unsure of what her battle capabilities were. She seemed as strong as Hercules at least, but I have a feeling she still haven't told us everything.

We are traveling to the next town to set up our base of operations, still trying to find a lead on the rules of this war. The church does not facilitate this mad scramble for the legendary artifact so we are stuck on trying to find a direction to go.

Ilya looked at Berserker with her mind's eye to view her parameters after she calming down. It was a bit surprising that she actually has decent stats but her noble phantasms are quite... something else.

Class: Berserker
Master: Shirou Emiya
True Name: Yuno Gasai
Alias: Second
Alignment: Neutral, Possessively Loving [Chaotic Mad]
Strength: A+
Magical Energy: B
Endurance: B
Luck: C
Agility: B++
Noble Phantasms: E+, EX
Class Abilities:
Mad Enhancement (unique): D
Rank up for all parameters except Luck and Mana without loss of rationality. This Servant can resist the growing madness of her class, but will eventually succumb to this madness the longer she stays in battle.
Details:
A teenage girl obsessed with her love. Has a dark past that caused her to be mentally unstable. Became the god of time and space after winning the game designed by the previous god, Deus Ex Machina. Left the first world to find her loved one in the second world after finding out that reviving the dead is impossible. Knows how to use a variety of weapons and is able to employ tactics that has the highest probability of survival. Very cunning and resourceful. Obsessed with Yukiteru, the one who gave her something to live for in her times of pain. Will use violence without second thought to fulfill her goals, mainly for Yukiteru.


No other information present so far.
Skills:
Item Construction: C
Able to create weapons from nothingness. Medium grade weapons can be constructed. These weapons have no special effects, but are deadly in the hands of the Servant.
Presence Concealment: B+
Impossible to be detected by most magus and Servants. This Servant is very proficient in stealth due to previous experience in stalking.
Monstrous Strength: A
Temporary boost of the Strength parameter by one rank for six hours.
God of Space: A
Able to bend space at will to instantaneously move between long distances. Has the power to alter law of cause and effect. Reality warping. Can also move through objects, including shadows.
Flight: C+
This servant has the ability to fly.


Noble Phantasms:
1. The Yukiteru Diary
Title: "The Yukiteru Diary"
Type: Clairvoyance
Range: World
Target: Yukiteru Amano
Maximum Number of Targets: One person
Rank: E
The Yukiteru Diary tells future events that would happen to Yukiteru Amano in 10 minute intervals. Basically useless by itself. However, combined with Yukiteru's random diary, it can cover her weakness and protect him.


2. Apocalypse
Title: “World's End”
Type: Anti-planet, Anti-dimension
Range: World
Target: Plane of Existence
Maximum Number of Targets: Limitless
Rank: EX
Just as the god of space and time can maintain a stable reality, it also has the power to destroy it and create a new one. Summons giant black globes that eats away at the existence of reality itself. Once started, it can be stopped but the destruction that it has caused remains. Any living and nonliving thing that it has devoured cannot be recovered.


====Break====


Apparently, the Servant that I summoned is a mentally unstable, love-struck, obsessive, and violent stalker of a girl who has the power to destroy all existence without breaking a sweat.


This is quite disturbing.


How are we supposed to win this war with such an unstable Servant?


And the ability to change the law of cause and effect? That sounds like to be a marble phantasm that's on the level of the Five True Magics!


I have never even heard of a hero that bears her name. To ascend to the Throne of Heroes, one must accomplish a feat that becomes legendary enough that people will still be talking about it a thousand years in the future.


I have never heard of anyone named Yuno Gasai and nor did Index-san despite her 103,000 books...


My train of thought was lost as Berserker came back to tell us that the road is clear and that there are no other Servants in the village that we are heading to. There are about two more villages that we have to pass through before reaching the next town. Once we reach the town, establishing a base of operations is the foremost priority. Next is to gather information from the taverns and bars about the affairs of the country.


Berserker had offered to transport us directly to the next village but Merlin declined, saying that if space keeps getting bent, it would eventually be impossible to repair the damage. I had also thought of using a command seal to make her send us back to our own era but immediately discarded the idea. Without a master around to keep her in check who knows what she might do? She might even destroy our world completely in search for the Holy Grail!


We are making good progress traveling by foot even though the party consists of two little girls, their pet kitten, and an old man. I can already see the gates of the next village in the horizon. Reinforcing my eyes, I read the inscription above the gate.


Timberfield.


It is a small village whose main profit comes from producing lumber from the trees in the forest the surrounds it.

The road that we took to reach it was ragged and treacherous at best. Luckily, we have not met any bandits on the way. If we had, then it would delay us by quite a few hours to dispose of the bodies.


The village is surrounded by a thick mist even though it is already noon. The sun is hidden by dark clouds, giving the village a haunted feeling.


It did not help at all that the temperature is so low that morning dew freezes on the leaves of the vegetation. It has been about two months since Mokona dropped us here and it is now March but the temperature near the village is as cold as ever, as if winter had permanently settled on it.


Ilya and Index-san were taking turns holding the kitten Sphynx inside their clothing. Index-san is still wearing her “Walking Church” as I heard her call it, and Ilya is wearing the purple coat that she had been wearing when we were transferred here along with her hat. Me and Merlin are both wearing heavy cloaks to protect against the cold. Berserker, of course, does not seem to be affected by the cold. She is still wearing the black cloak that she wore when I summoned her. She has a thoughtful look on her face, mixed with loneliness. I can understand her pain. Being away from the one you love is not something that s easy to handle.


“Umm.... Berserker?”


She looked at me innocently, hiding her violent nature behind her cute looks.


“For what reason do you seek the Holy Grail? I need to know since it would be easier to work together if our objectives are somewhat similar.”


“So that I can go to Akasha and live together with Yuki!” She smiled brightly and spoke with great enthusiasm.


“Akasha?”


“Umm... I think you magus call it the 'root'. It contains the Akashic Records and Yuki is the god who manages it in the second world.”


Her objectives are the same as that of the magi!


Not to mention that a god actually manages the swirl of the root?!


Who would have guessed...?


Tohsaka will certainly be surprised at such information...


“So I take it you have seen this Akasha?” Ilya asked, curious. Her family has a long line of magi and apparently, the goal of all successful magi is to reach the root, Akasha.


“Of course.”


“So what is it like?”


“It is... painful... being alone in that place for thousands of years... without Yuki...”


Her voice is choking with emotions and I stopped pushing the matter. There are things that people would rather not be reminded of.


Silence permeated until we reached the gate of the village of Timberfield.


The village is surrounded by a wall of lumber, with stakes protruding from the ground all around it. There are guard towers made of wood in which a guard keeps lookout.


The village looks like a small fortress made of wood.


“Halt! What business do you have coming here?!” The guard asked us from his tower, crossbow aiming at me.


“I am High Priest Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the head of the church in the town of Castella. We are survivors from the destruction that occurred a few weeks ago in which the entire town was annihilated. I humbly ask for permission to stay in this village for a short while until we are ready to travel again.”


“You guys are messengers of God?!” The guard looked relieved, then suspiscious.
“But I am a god.” Berserker muttered under her breath, barely audible.


“Wait....The timing is too convenient. How can I be sure that you are not spawns of the devil designed to invade us when we let our guard down? What, our defenses too strong for you so now you try to trick us into opening our gates while under the disguise of god's messengers?!”


“What do you mean? You guys were being attacked? By what?” I asked. If an army of the Dead were attacking this village, then there is certainly a Dead Apostle that has taken an interest on this place as a food source...


“We have been attacked by waves of monsters every night. It was scary... they wouldn't die no matter what we tried... The only thing that seemed to work was fire, but it still wasn't enough. There was a time when one broke through our lines and started biting us! It was horrible! We had to kill our comrades because of that...” His voice broke off. The memories was apparently too much to handle.


“Here is proof to my identity.” Index said, holding up a large golden cross from inside her clothes. “This cross was given to me by the Cardinal after receiving the position of High Priest. If you let us stay in this village, we will rid this place of those abominations.”


The guard hesitated for a moment, then called out to his comrades,


“Open the gates!”


The heavy, double doors slowly creaked open. Lumberjacks armed with crossbows and hatchets stared at us as we made our way in. The villagers all seemed tense. The nightly raids by the Dead on this small village have started to show its effects. Fatigue showed on their faces. A worried expression seemed to dominate the population, which in turn, made the mood of the who place depressing.


We walked for half an hour, trying to find an inn that would accept us to no avail. By the time dusk came, we finally managed to find a place to settle down for the night. It was an abandoned starch factory. There were still some sacks of starch on the beams of the ceiling as well as on the corners.


“Looks like a good enough place.” Merlin said.


“Yes, this seems to be a rather easy place to defend, with many exits that we could utilize.” Berserker agreed.


“Yosh, let's start making our beds. There are stacks of hay over there that we could use...”


“Let me handle it.” Ilya said.


After making a stack of hay, Ilya started her magecraft. The pile of hay glowed and condensed on itself, making a smooth surface. Her magic circuits stopped as the magecraft was complete. The pile of hay have turned into several futons.


“So soft!” Ilya exclaimed happily, jumping in one. “See? Now we won't have to itch all night!”


“Nice work little lady.”


“Good job Ilya,” I said petting her on the head.


“Wait, why is there only four? Isn't there five of us?”


“Because Shirou oniichan and I will be sharing one of course!”


“Wait, what?!”


“No fair! I want to sleep with Ilya chan too!” Index-san objected.


“Mmmm... okay! We can both share futons with Shirou oniichan then.”


“Looks like you've got yourself quite an underaged harem there, mate.” Merlin sneered.


“Jealous?” I asked, irritated.


“Master.... is a lolicon?” Berserker gasped.


“No! It's a misunderstanding!”


“Master is a lolicon... Master is a lolicon... Master is a lolicon... Oh no! If he orders me to expose my body...... Kyaa! What should I do Yuki?! What should I do?!”


“I'm not interested in your bodies! I already have Saber and her body is the only one that I desire!” I declared, hoping to make myself clear.


“I'm okay with being the mistress...” Ilya said seriously. Merlin laughed in the background. Berserker was still muttering “Master is a lolicon... Master is a lolicon...”


“That's not... Arrgh dammit! I'll go gather information from the villagers.” I said, escaping from them.


===Break===


The setting sun is still hidden behind dark clouds, making the dusk seem like night. There were a few patrolmen making their rounds around the village. I made my way towards one, a big, heavily built fellow.


“Is this much security really necessary?” I asked, already knowing the answer.


“You weren't here when they attacked so you wouldn't know. Those things... they weren't human... If we were being attacked by bandits instead, we would have stood a chance. But those things... they're monsters! They started attacking us a few months ago. Ever since then, the sun wouldn't come out from behind the clouds... It's so cold that we can't even grow our crops... We can't go out to the woods either... Many that went out to chop lumber never came back...”


So this cold is also due to the attacks huh...


Wait.


If there is someone controlling these things, it must be strong enough to make nature bend to its will just by being there...


I have to tell the others...


“Thank you for your time. We will do what we can to help.”


===Break===


“Like I was saying, there could be a True Ancestor behind these attacks!”


“That makes sense but... it is still a bit hard to believe. What could a True Ancestor possibly want with a small village such as this?” Index-san asked.


“That's... I don't know...” I admitted, not having thought that far ahead yet.


I explained to them what the guard told me and my conclusions on the matter, however they still sound doubtful.


“Maybe another Servant has shown itself?” Ilya offered.


“But the only Servant that could do something like this would be Caster, and from what we can conclude, Caster has already been summoned to mass produce Dead Apostles for the Anglo-Saxon army, right?”


“By ruling out the possibilities of Berserker and Caster, the Servants that we have not seen yet are Saber, Archer, Lancer, and Assassin.” I continued. “I know for sure that the three knight classes wouldn't do something as horrible as commanding the Dead to attack innocent humans. And Assassin wouldn't use tactics as grand in scale as this...


Anyways, I'm gonna go check it out. Berserker, keep protect them while I'm gone please.”


I need to get used to having girls do work for me. Even when fighting with Saber during the 5^th Heaven's Feel, it still pained my heart to see her fighting and getting hurt.


“Understood, master.”


====Break====

Edited by UglyFingers, 03 July 2012 - 10:53 PM.

[UglyFingers]

Wow, 6 straight posts from me! Am I the only one left alive in this thread? It's kinda worrying when no one has posted anything lol.


Okay, I hate myself for writing the contents of this chapter but I feel that it is necessary for the development of the story.


Anyone wanna beta read for me? I feel like my writing is still lacking in many areas but I can't figure out where.



Anyways here's chapter 7




Black March II: Chapter 7: Rhea

Spoiler

I patrolled outside the village for about an hour, trying to find a clue as to the meaning behind the attacks.


Crickets and other nocturnal creatures disturbed the stillness. The night air was filled with the sounds their activites. Knowing that animals have a higher sense of danger than humans, I concluded that tonight will be a safe night and that the Dead will not attack tonight.


“Hmm... if I go back to them now, they'll just gang up on me again...”


I sighed and decided to go anyways. Even a few hours of sleep is precious.


You never know when you have to stay up all night fighting.


Walking the dimly lit streets, I began to reflect upon the craziness that me and Ilya found ourselves in.


It all started with the rabbit-like creature named Mokona. It is still hard for me to believe that such a small, cute creature can use one of the five True Magics, Kaleidoscope. From what I've heard from Index-san, it is used as a portal to transfer between dimensions. It kinda makes it seem like old man Zelretch is not as special as he thinks he is...


“Kyaaa!” A shrill voice cut through the sound of silence.


The voice came from inside an inn, one that has refused us lodging when we first arrived. I reinforced my body and went inside.


Anger quickly filled my head, repulsed by what I saw.


A girl is bent over on a table, held down by several men. Her right arm is twisted on her back while her left arm is stretched out. A knife nails her left hand to the table, making escape impossible. Behind her is a fat and heavy-looking man that looks more like a pig than a human. He is holding her right arm against her back while another pinned her head face down on the table. The other customers only watched as he started to lift up her skirt.


“Stop struggling bitch! You should feel honored that someone like me would even lay hands on a filthy sow like you!”


“P... Please... stop...” She sobbed, barely audible in the large room.


“Did you say something? Oh, I'm sorry. I don't speak the devil's language. Hahah—”


His laugh was cut short as my fist erupted on his chin, sending his over one hundred kilos of fat flying. His head hit the ceiling and broke through the thick boards.


“Ahh... that felt good.” I said as I watched him hang from up there with his head stuck in the ceiling, his pants halfway down and slipping.


“You son of a...” The remaining men released their grip on the girl and went after me, knives drawn.


Their movements are wide and full of openings, the sign of complete amateurs.


I grabbed a nearby stool and reinforced it, holding it from one of legs like a shinai and ready to meet their attack.


The first one that tried to stab me quickly found his face on the floor, his head bleeding from where the seat of the stool had struck him. Seeing this, the rest hesitated. This small moment of hesitation was enough for me to accelerate with my reinforced body to a speed that the eye couldn't follow, hitting their vitals with the stool. In less than thirty seconds, the fight was over. Bodies lay on the floor, unconscious and bleeding.


The girl was gone, leaving a trail of blood that led to the staff room in the back.


The other customers have already left the moment the fight began. It looked like they didn't even bother paying their bill...


“Oi! How are you gonna pay for that?” The bartender asked me casually, gesturing to the ceiling. The pig-face is still stuck up there, unconscious.


Right... I forgot we don't have any money...


“I could work in the kitchen...” I offered.


Looks like I won't be getting any sleep tonight...



===Break===


“Your job... looks hard...” I said, trying to break to awkward silence between us.


“I got used to it in no time” The girl said, staring at me with a curious look on her face.


I guess she's curious as to how someone who was shrouded in blood lust just minutes ago can enjoy doing mundane tasks such as washing dishes.


The owner was kind enough to let me work in the back as compensation for the damages. I am to work for a week without pay. It doesn't seem that bad. It has been a long time since I get to be in the kitchen after all. I really missed the repetitive labor that lets your mind wander and allow you to think deeply about your life.


The girl that I saved works here as well, serving the customers.


She has long, blonde hair and red eyes.


Creamy, white skin.


Large breasts the size of melons.


A seductive body.


A beautiful face.


Long, pointed ears...


Ears that no human possess...


I didn't notice it before because it was hidden under her hair but no matter how you look at it, this girl is not human.


That's right.


She's an elf.


“Well, the customers all stare at my body and try to grope me every chance they get... And since elves are hated in this town, no one really bothers to stop them. Events like tonight happen quite a lot... When it happens, no one really tries to help... Some even come here just to relieve their stress on me... It really wears my hips out. Sometimes I even get so sore that I can't work properly. That's the only thing I can't get used to.” Her tone was casual, as if talking about the weather. “With my body soiled like this, I'd never be able to marry...” Her lips curled into a pout. She crossed her arms, highlighting the size of her large chest.


Her carefree manner was a bit unnerving.


To have such a positive attitude despite her situation...


What a strong girl...


“I guess I have to thank you for earlier mister...”


“Shirou. Shirou Emiya.” I introduced myself, remembering to say my first name first.


“Thank you mister Emiya. My name is Rhea. The master here is kind enough to let me work here when no one else would hire me. He's a good man. He wishes to do more for me but he can't... It's bad enough for him that he lets me work here but if the village finds out that he is siding with an elf against a human, they might do terrible things to him...”


“If they treat you so badly, why don't you leave and travel to other places?”


“It's not like I haven't thought about it but... it doesn't really matter where I go. They all hate us elves anyways.”


“That's just wrong! What do they have against elves anyways? It's not like you eat humans right?”


“I think it's because of the vampire attacks recently. Ever since it started, they started hating anything that's not human. It also doesn't help that I'm left handed.” She gestured at her heavily bandaged hand, blood still dripping.


“What does being left handed have to do with anything?” I asked.


“There is that superstition that being left handed is a mark of the devil. Seriously, where do people come up with these things?”


Humans and their irrational tendency to hate...


Are these the type of beings that I'm supposed to save?


“And I can't go back to Araelluwen either... If they found out how I've been tainted by humans, they'll be sure to banish me right away.”


“Araelluwen?”


“It's my birthplace. It is located in the middle of the Forest of Deception. My parents took me traveling when I was still a child, but they got killed by a group of mercenaries. I was left alive so that they could sell me. Knowing that once sold, I would never be able to see the light of day, I escaped. And that's how I found this village.”


“I'm sorry...”


“You're such a nice person aren't you? If I remember right, you and your companions are from the church right?”


“Yes. We are traveling right now to save people from the Dead...”


She was quiet for a moment and then...


“Hey... umm... if I get in trouble again... will you save me too?” She asks, hugging my arm into her melons.


“Sure! If you ever need my help just come calling.”


“You promise?”


“Of course.”


I smiled down at her, reassuring her of my presence.


“Then... can you promise me one more thing?”


“What is it?”


“If it ever happens that I were to lose my life... will you take my body back to Araelluwen? I want my final resting place to be the same as where I was born.”


“Don't worry I'll make sure nothing happens to—”


“Promise me!... Please...” Tears started form around the edges of her eyes. Her grip on my arm got tighter.


“Sure... I promise.”


===Break===


“Araelluwen eh? Now that brings back memories.” Merlin put down his food and started rubbing his chin, as if reminiscing.


“You've been there before? I thought they hate humans.”


“I spent quite a bit of time with them back in the days. Helping them restore the forest magic to its former glory sure earned me quite a bit of reputation.”


It was early morning when I got back. To my surprise, Berserker already had breakfast prepared.


Looks like my Servant has another useful skill to add to her inventory...


“Berserker, what is this?!” Index-san complained, pointing at the creature in the soup that Berserker cooked for us.


“It's a rat.”


“A--- a rat?!”


“What, were you expecting steak?”


“No, but...”


“Then stop complaining and eat. You're lucky you don't have to eat pieces of a tatami mat to fill your stomach. Look at Sphynx. He seems to be enjoying it.” Berserker pointed at the cat. Sphynx is happily eating the rat that Berserker roasted for him.


“Grrrr...” Index-san looked like she's about to throw a tantrum. She turned to Ilya who's also eyeing the her bowl with suspicion.


Ilya stared at her bowl for another minute then slowly raised it to her mouth. Index-san watched her in anticipation, as if waiting for her to drop dead any minute.


“Wow! This stuff is good!”


Ilya ate with such vigor that Index-san's doubts were dispelled. Without another word, Index-san followed suit. Her eyes lit up as the food entered her mouth.


“Seconds!” Ilya held out her bowl to Berserker, rat soup trickling from the corners of her mouth.


I was also surprised that she could cook this well. Her cooking skill is almost on par with Sakura's... though I highly doubt that Sakura can make rat taste this good...


“Are all elves beautiful? If you've been to Araelluwen, then surely you must know right?” I asked Merlin, trying to get back on track.


“Elves are the most beautiful creatures I've seen in all my life, mate. Only problem is that they live too long. If you ever fall for one... well... let's just say she won't be spending the rest of her life with you.”


“Is that why it's rare for them to love humans?”


“Well, that's partly of it. Though the biggest reason is that mixing blood with humans is a huge taboo for them. If they were to ever catch you, you will either be banished or sentenced to death.”


“Then how could they trust you so easily?”


“Well, I'm not exactly human either... And neither is the young lady over there right?” He pointed at Ilya.


Ilya paused. Her bowl came to her mouth, then back down to the table. It seems as if she's having a hard time deciding whether to talk or eat.


“How did you know?” I asked for her. She gave me a smile of thanks and went back to stuffing herself.


“When you get to be my age, you get a sense for these things. I can tell if something is human or not from the moment I lay eyes on them.”


I guess that's one reason that he was easily able to tell that the Arturia that destroyed the church a month ago was a fake...


“What is their city like? Do they also have kings and such?”


“They have a matriarch system. The queen is the one that leads the people. They also don't have an army but they have a strong warrior that can easily destroy a human army in a second. There is only one of this warrior for every generation. But since, elves live ridiculously long lives, the generations only come every few hundred years. So if their guardian dies, it's not until a few hundred years in the future until they can get a new one. But since this guardian is so strong, killing it is just impossible. ”


“How can someone be that strong? Is it a heroic spirit?”


“Nah, they just get a power up due to a certain contract. To become a Beast of Gaia, one usually makes a contract with the world, Gaia. In exchange for power, they vow to protect the earth and all living things. However, they also think that humans are damaging to the earth and its inhabitants. That's why they have very low opinions on humans.”


I thought back to a conversation with my future self, the counter guardian Emiya. In exchange for a miracle during his life, he made a contract with the world, Alaya, and gained the strength to save people...


“You said contract with the world... Is that the same thing as making a contract with Alaya?”


“Nope. There are two wills in this world. One is Alaya and the other is Gaia. Alaya is unconscious and universal will of humans to preserve their existence in this world even if it means destroying the planet. Gaia on the other hand, is the will of the world to preserve order. It's goal is to preserve beauty and life in this world. If a few humans need to die to achieve this goal, then it won't hesitate to kill them.”


“I see...”


“So... tell me about this elf of yours. Planning on adding her to your harem?”


“W—what harem? And it's not like that. She's just a friend.”


“I don't know about you mate, but saving a pretty girl just for the sake of saving just doesn't compute well in my books. Now tell me. You were after her body weren't you?”


“What are you saying in front of the kids?! I'm definitely not interested in her body!”


“Ah, so I was right. You do have a fetish for young girls.”


“Lolicon. Lolicon. Lolicon.” Berserker started her chant again with a disgusted look on her face.


I looked at Ilya, hoping for some back up.


“Don't worry Shirou. I'll tell Saber all about this when we get back.” She said with a devilish grin.


Looks like I dug my own grave once again.


===Break===


I spent the next few days working at the inn. There were many instances where the customers try to hit on Rhea. I couldn't be as efficient in protecting her as I want to be since I work in the back. Though, every time something major like groping occurs, I am always instantly on the scene, firmly reminding the customer that this is an inn and not a brothel.


She is also well-liked by the children and plays with them on her free time. It's almost as if she's their mother. The happy atmosphere that they give off makes one forget about the grim situation that the village is in.


Merlin and the others also started stocking up on supply and provision for our travels. We were hoping to stop the attacks of the Dead permanently before we leave. It looks like it's going well so far. The attacks are getting less and less frequent recently and fewer Deads were involved in the attacks. Sending Berserker to hunt them down every night seem to be producing good results...


I hope it won't be long until we leave. I just can't stand being in this village anymore.


And when we leave, I plan on taking Rhea with us.


I just can't bear the thought of what they might do to her after I'm gone.


===Break===


“Really, you don't have to do this. I'll be fine on my own.”


Even though she said this, I could tell that Rhea is happy to be accompanied home. We just got off work and I wanted to see her off to her house in case something happens on the way. The streets are dark and I'm getting more paranoid as the days go by.


“Not happening. I'm worried someone might attack you when I'm not looking. The way people look at you with such lustful eyes... ”


She smiled at me and skipped a bit ahead.


“Does that mean only mister Emiya is allowed to look at me in such a way?”


“N—no I—I mean you should be more careful. Any man who sees such a beautiful woman walking alone in the dark is bound to get an urge...”


She raised an eyebrow and laughed. Her laughter sounded like the ringing of bells. It is quite mesmerizing...


“Okay, okay. But honestly, you don't have to do this...”


We walked for about fifteen minutes until I realized the direction we were going.


Her house is an old shack on the edge of the town. I could see the old starch factory a few hundred meters away.


We are neighbors...


“That reminds me mister Emiya... where does your party stay? I'm sure the inns in this village wouldn't grant you lodgings. They are have a problem trusting other people...”


I pointed to the starch factory in the distance. The girls should be sleeping by now. Merlin is on guard duty until midnight at which point Berserker takes over keeping watch on things.


“Ehhh? We're neighbors? You should invite them to come also! I'll cook something while you go get them.”


“No, it's fine! They should be sleeping by now anyways... you know how kids are...”


“That's no good mister Emiya! I wouldn't know what to do being alone with a man...” She tried to hide her blushing face with her bandaged left hand as she said this...


Damn it! How could I be so clueless?!


“Umm... I'll go get them I guess...”


===Break===


“Quite a catch you got there mate. Not only is she a beauty, but she can also cook!”


The party was more than excited to finally meet the elf and taste her cooking. They were also surprised to learn that we don't live that far from each other. We can smell her cooking from outside the door. It was easy to tell that we are in for something delicious. Her face lit up as she saw us coming and she quickly rushed to meet us.


“So cute!” Rhea exclaimed, hugging Ilya and Index-san. She is wearing a white apron and has her long blonde hair tied behind her back. The look gave her a very motherly feeling...


“Come on in. It's been quite a while since I've had company like this so please forgive me if the house is too small.”


The inside is very clean and organized. The kitchen is also her dining room and bedroom. The bed is on the side near a window. A few dolls lay on a shelf. They were not really dolls, rather handkerchiefs folded into humanoid shapes.


A meal was prepared for us on a round table. Index-san's mouth watered and her eyes glittered as she sniffed the aroma from the food.


“Itadakimasu!”


“Sooo goood!” Index-san exclaimed, her face melting in happiness.


“Not bad” Berserker seemed reluctant to admit that the elf can cook better than her...


The food primarily consisted of mushrooms cooked in a variety of ways. There are roasted mushrooms, mushroom soup, stir-fried mushrooms, and others that I could not even describe.


“Say, I know it's rude to ask a lady this but... how old are you?”


Merlin was eyeing Rhea with a bit of curiosity. She appeared embarrassed by the question but answered it nonetheless.


“I'll be turning one hundred and thirty six this year.”


I choked on my food.


One hundred thirty six?! I know Merlin said elves has long lifespans but I never would have guessed...


She looked no older than eighteen!


I wasn't the only one shocked at this revelation. Ilya was frozen, staring at Rhea with soup spilling from her gaping mouth.


Rhea reached over and wiped Ilya's face gently.


“One hundred thirty six eh? That's quite a young age for an elf to be outside Araelluwen.”


“How'd you—?”


“I used to travel places back in my younger days...”


“I see... I used to travel a lot as well. But no matter where I go, the people are the same...”


===Break===


After dinner, Rhea went to take a bath outside with Ilya and index-san. Their voices could be heard behind the door. It seems like they're enjoying themselves. Which reminds me that we haven't taken a bath since we arrived. It must feel good to soak in the water and let your weariness wash away...


“Master”


“What is it?” I turned to Berserker who materialized behind me. Something bad must be happening for her to be this formal...


“I went to a nearby village this morning and found it empty. All the people disappeared.”


“Disappeared? What happened to them?”


“I saw a large group of people marching in this village's direction. They looked dead.”


“When will they arrive?”


“If they keep their pace, then some time tomorrow.”


“Destroy them but make sure no outsider sees your abilities.”


“Yes, master.”


Berserker left as Rhea and the two girls came out of the bath.


“Would it be okay if we stay here tonight?” I asked her, while Berserker is gone, the Dead might take advantage of the opportunity to attack...


“Umm... sure...”


“Shirou, I hope you're not thinking of crawling into her bed while using sleepwalking as an excuse.” Index-san warned, hiding behind Rhea. They seemed to bond pretty well in the baths...


“What do you think I am? A dirty old man?”


“Hey that hurts!” Merlin looked offended for some reason.


“I'm sure mister Emiya didn't mean you, mister Merlin. I can't imagine a gentleman like you to do such a thing.”


“Got that right.” Merlin seemed taken aback by the compliment, his cheeks turning red.


===Break===


The night is full of sounds. Wolves howled in the distance and crickets did their usual racket. Ilya and Index-san are sleeping on the bed with Rhea. Merlin and I were on the floor. The floor is hard but I prefer it that way.


If I fall too deeply into sleep, then I wouldn't be able to react efficiently in case something happens.


“Shirou?”


“What is it Ilya? Can't sleep?”


“Is this what it's like to have a mother?” She asked softly.


I thought for a minute, trying to find the right words to answer her question.


“I don't know... But I'm sure she would make a very good mother...”


“I see... good night Shirou.”


“Good night, Ilya.”


===Break===

I woke up to the sound of something barging on the door. Only an hour have passed since I slept and the night is still young. Merlin, Ilya, and Index-san were gone. I could see fire in the direction of the town.


“Mister Emiya?” Rhea said drowsily, rubbing her eyes.


“The village is under attack... Those three probably already went to help the villagers...”


“What? But they're so young! You shouldn't let them do such dangerous things!”


“Don't worry, those three are a lot stronger than they look—”


“That's not the point! It is just wrong to expose them to danger like that! Mister Emiya... please... stop them... I can't help but worry when they are risking their lives for us like that...” She looks like she's about to cry...


“But what if something happens to you while I'm gone?”


“I'll be fine. Now go! If something happens to the girls, I won't forgive you.”


“Alright.” I sighed, defeated. “Make sure you don't open the door for anyone until I get back alright?”


“Okay...”


I had her hide in the small room under the house.


I just want to get this over with and get back to her as soon as possible...


===Break===


Rhea fell asleep in the small, underground basement where she keeps the mementos of her life. Junk littered the floor as she did not bother organizing the mess.


Knock. Knock. Knock.


“Ah... Mister Emiya must be back...”


She poked her head through the floorboards and looked around.


“Ah, so this is where that bitch was hiding.”



Her screams died as she was gagged and pulled upwards. Six men surrounded her, looking at her with a mixture of lust and hate.


“Mmmffff!”


“Don't worry girl, we make sure to take proper care of you tonight.”


Her eyes widened with terror as they started ripping her clothes off.

Edited by UglyFingers, 02 July 2012 - 10:54 PM.

[thearux]

I recommend you to publish them in fanfiction.net, you will receive more criticism there.

[oninn]

We're quite busy... Sorry for making you wait...and I still think that I'll become busier next week so I can't view all of your post. Sorry!

Spoiler

And what with the Mirai Nikki's Gasai Yuno being a berserker!? And Berserkers should not be able to talk (unless their mad enhancement is kinda weak)

Edited by oninn, 03 July 2012 - 03:25 AM.

[UglyFingers]

@oninn

thanks for pointing that out! please ignore the A+++ rank for that skill. the A+++ came from another skill that I wanted to add but deleted. I didn't notice that it went to the mad enhancement skill after I deleted that section (facepalm). The rank for mad enhancement should be D. Will change it now that you pointed it out. will add a bit more description as well. All this canon is making my head hurt >.<.

As for the idea of making that person into that class, my sister was the one who came up with it lol. Thought I'd take up the challenge of sticking her into the story despite the big difference in universes. Guess I'm not doing too well on that front .

Ah well, if something happens and the story becomes complete trash ill just write another one. Though I hope that it will never come to that.

And thank you for responding despite your busy schedule. I wish you the best in life.

@thearux
will do that thank you

Edited by UglyFingers, 04 July 2012 - 02:06 AM.

[UglyFingers]

I have moved all of my writings to fanfiction.net

heres the url: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/4077013/UglyFingers

On another note, I ran out of ideas on Fate/Hybrid so it will be on hiatus until I come up with new ones for that series.

I was just watching TAMNI however, and it gave me inspiration for another series.

New series: A Certainly Pissed Off Accelerator
url: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8286858/1/A_Certainly_Pissed_Off_Accelerator

Hmm... nothing more to say except thank you to those who have followed me so far.

May good fortune be with you all.

[oninn]

You're not gonna continue this, are you?