Part 2: Day 1 part 2

"It's me. I'm sure you know, but tomorrow is the deadline, Rin.
It's a problem for me if you take it easy. There are only two remaining seats.
I must ensure all the Masters are arranged quickly."
This priest shows no mercy as he gets right to the point.

"If you wish to abandon your right to become a Master, contact me today. It takes some time to dispatch a substitute magus."
Liar. Someone like you would be able to arrange a substitute in no time.

"You already show signs of the Command Spell. Quickly, summon your Servant and open the Command Spell.
Unless, of course, you're not planning to be a part of this Holy Grail War. If you value your life, you should run to the church quickly."

The message ends there.
…His words are concise.
He's telling me that if I am to fight, I should get ready by today and if I'm not going to fight, I'm an eyesore and should just retire quickly.

"…Heh, you don't have to tell me that."
Well, it can't be helped.
Today is as late as the deadline can be extended.
Fortunately, I was able to decode Father's will last night.
My preparations are ready.
All that remains isyes, obtaining the qualification to enter this fight…



The requirement to enter the Holy Grail War.
That is to summon a familiar called a Servant, and to form a contract with it.
No matter how great a magus a person is, one is not considered a Master until he has a Servant under him.

Servants are beings very different from normal familiars.
The methods of summoning and controlling them are different as well.
A magus planning to enter the Holy Grail War usually prepares a catalyst to summon a Servant, but…

"…Really, I wish Father could have left me something with a connection to Saber."
I don't have anything with any "connection".
I can summon a Servant.
If I wanted to, I could summon one right now and form a contract with it.
The town's sacred ground is under our jurisdiction.
As the daughter of the Tohsaka family which has protected this town through the generations, I will not lose to magi from elsewhere.

But that said… I guess you can't go out to sea without a compass. Or perhaps I should say things are completely unplanned?

I've always preferred 'up shit creek without a paddle.'

"…Servants are attracted to symbols.
If you want to summon a strong Servant, you need something that has a connection to that Servant."
In other words, a sword, armor, talisman, bone of that Servant, or something like that… something valuable beyond belief.

"…I was hoping there'd be something like that in Father's will, but… No, this is a great trump card too. But still…"
The pendant I found last night in the basement is one of the best Artifacts in its class.
It's great in its own way.
It's great, but it won't help me to summon my servant.

"…Huh! It's fine. I can do it without help from that sort of thing. After all, there can't exist any Masters capable of handling Saber other than myself."

All right, I've decided.
I don't want to make Kirei complain any more by postponing it any longer, and it's not like me to wait until the last second.
It'll come down to just trying it.
I'll face the summoning tonight with full power and obtain Saber by force…!

Video: The Summoning (mirror)

Music: Whirlpool of Fate



"Withdrawal within elimination, engrave four areas and surround with the summoning circle… right."



I engrave the circle onto the floor of the basement.
You don't need a large-scale summoning to summon the Servant.
Servants are called forth by the Holy Grail.
As the Master's priority is to keep the Servant in this world and to supply them with enough magical energy to substantiate, the Holy Grail takes care of the summoning.



"Bare and silver and iron. Stone for foundation and the Grand Duke of contracts. My great master Shveinorg for the ancestor.
A wall for the descending winds. The four gates shall close and come out the crown. Let the three-forked road to the kingdom cycle."

Still, I continue with the greatest concentration.
I draw the magic circle, normally written in blood, with my melted jewels.
…I'm using half the jewels I've saved up, so I can't fail for financial reasons too.



"Enclose. Enclose. Enclose. Enclose. Enclose.
Five times for each repetition.
Just destroy the enclosed time."

…It's almost two in the morning.
Completing the magic circle passed down through the Tohsaka family, I face it with all my power.

"Anfang."



I flip the formless switch inside me.
I feel a sensation as if the contents of my body are being exchanged.
The usual nerves invert into circuits transmitting magical energy.
From this point, Tohsaka Rin is not human.
I shall become a part of the tool to attain mystic power.



…I am melting from my fingertips.
No, I am being filled from my fingertips.
The mana I am taking in is so concentrated that the original senses of my body are being repainted.
So, being filled is the same as being destroyed.



""
The power that fills me is pure magical energy from the air.
It is absorbed by my body, which has become a circuit, and transformed into a different form of magical energy.
The body of a magus is nothing more than a circuit.
A circuit to connect the spiritual and the real.
We call the result of this, the many mystic occurrences it has made real, magic.

…My body is burning hot.
An illusion of myself growing horns.
An illusion of wings growing out of my back.
An illusion of scales forming on my hands.
A sensation of being in water.
…I start to sweat.
Stab, stab. Swords are driven into my body.

This is the pain caused by my human body rejecting itself as the Magic Circuit.
No matter how great a magus you are, a human is human.
This pain will result as long as people use magic in a human body.



But I do not loosen my circulation.
At the end of this pain, on the verge of elimination, lies the place of "connection".
""
…A pain running through my left arm.
The Magic Crest starts up on its own to help me, and as a result, violates my nerves even more.

The harvested mana in my blood.
If that is burning iron, then the Magic Crest itself is like a nerve made of thorns.
It runs through my body like a centipede with fangs

""
I lose myself within that pain.

Music: Stop

And at the same time, I feel that I have reached my goal.
My overly sensitive hearing keeps recognizing the sound of the clock in the living room.
Ten more seconds until two in the morning.
The power within me is perfect and flawless.

"I announce."
Let's start.
I take the mana I've absorbed and turn it into "fixed" magical energy.
And now…
I have only to empty out the mana within me to move the engine called the summoning circle…

"I announce.
Thy body shall be under my command, my fate shall be determined by thy sword.
Follow the call of the Holy Grail. If thou wouldst obey this mind and this reason, then answer my call."



My vision closes.
The fifth element, said to be unperceivable by human eyes, is before me.
So, in fear of being broken by it, vision shuts itself down.

"Make an oath here.
I am the one who shall become the virtue of all afterworld.
I am the one who shall lay out the evil of all afterworld.
Thou art Seven Heavens clad in the Three Great Words.
Emerge from the ring of control, guardian of balance…!"









"Huh…?"
Nothing is nothing.
There is no change.
I've raged out that much ether and nothing has formed.
And on top of that…
I hear an explosion from the living room.



"…The door's broken!?"
The living room door is crooked.
There's no point in turning the handle.
The door doesn't open, even as I push and pull it.
"…Geez, you're in my way…!"
With a crash, I kick through the door into the living room.





The living room is in a big mess.
It's full of rubble that must have fallen from the ceiling, and there's one man sitting on it cockily.
"……"
Without a doubt, that is the cause of this mess.

"……"
But there's one thing more important than that.
The wall clock is still ticking away time, having escaped destruction.
…That reminds me.
Yes, that's right. Come to think of it, every clock in my house was an hour early today for some reason.
In other words, it's one in the morning right now.
There's actually one more hour until my magical energy is at its peak.

"…I did it again."
I can do most things just like everyone else, but I have one hereditary curse.
That is, to make the biggest mistakes at the most important times…

"…Well, what's done is done. I should reflect on my actions."
I am mad at my own stupidity.
Still irritated, I glare at the man sitting there like he's important.



Like master like servant.

""
But this would be the Servant?
Since they call it a familiar, I thought it was something shapeless, but this is human-like.

…No, that's wrong.
Just standing here, I can tell this thing has outrageous amounts of magical energy.
Don't be fooled by its appearance.
This is certainly an existence far beyond human, a "ghost" that has reached the level of spirits as a human.

""
I can't be overwhelmed forever.
That thing is mine.
So, I'll have to change my thinking from now on.

"Just to check, but you are my Servant, right?"
"That's what I'd like to ask. Are you my Master? This is the first time I've been summoned so roughly, so to be honest, I still can't grasp the situation."

"This is the first time for me as well. I'll have to refuse that kind of a question."
"I see. But when I was summoned, you were not in front of me. Explain to me what's going on."
"Really? Don't joke around and tell me you're like a newborn chick who can only determine your Master when you open your eyes."

The unknown Servant frowns.
It's a rather vague response, and I cannot tell if he's angry at my complaint or impressed at how correct I am.

"Well, anyway, what I'm asking is. You're my servant and not anyone else's, right?
Until we clarify this, I have no obligations to answer any other questions."
"…That's what you say after failing your summoning? In this case, I think there are other things you should say."

"There's nothing else. We have to clearly determine who's the master first."
"Hm."
The Servant raises his brow.
Perhaps because it was an imperfect summoning, this guy isn't even trying to hide his dissatisfaction with me.



"Who's the weaker…?"
"Yeah. I am a Servant, so I'll accept this Master-Servant relationship. But that's only according to the contract, right?
Who's superior and if the other is worthy to fight alongside with. That's a different story.
Well? Are you a magus worthy to be my Master, young lady?"

The Servant grins.
He smashes my house and that attitude like he's king makes me angry enough, but now he asks me if I'm worthy to be a Master…!?

"I'm not asking for your opinions.
All I'm asking is if you are my Servant or not."
I glare at him.
I will not lose to someone who looks down on me this frankly.

"Hm, I see, I see. So you're saying such an obvious question isn't even worth answering? How courageous. Your spirit is that of a splendid Master, but…"
"I s-a-i-d, don't get the order wrong…!
It's the duty of the summoner to confirm first. Now answer me. You are my Servant, right…!?"
I step forward, ready to attack depending on his answer.

"Geez. You are a stubborn young lady. We're not getting anywhere this way.
…I guess it can't be helped. Let's say I am your Servant. In that case, would you be my Master? Just hypothetically."

"O-Of course…! If you're my Servant summoned by me, who else but me would be your Master…!?"
I somehow cool my boiling head and glare at this rude guy.

"Oh, I see. Well, let's suppose that's true.
Then, where's the proof that you are my Master?"
The Servant talks nonsense, grinning.
He must think I'll panic about this proof of Master thing.

"Here. This is proof that I'm your Master, right?"
"Hm?"



I show him the Command Spell on the back of my right hand.
Heh, don't think I don't know anything.
My father talked a lot about Masters, so I know about the Command Spell.

"Are you satisfied? Are you still going to complain?"
I thrust before him the proof that I'm a Master.
The Servant in the rubble looks confused, then…
"…Man. Are you serious, young lady?"
His face clouds with discontent.

"Wha… what do you mean, am I serious?"
"I mean, that way of thinking. So you're a Master if you have a Command Spell? A Command Spell is only a tool that governs the Servant.
Geez, you act like a Master just because of that?
What I wanted to see was, are you worthy for me to pledge my loyalty to?"

"Ah… uh."
T-That's true, but… you'd normally think of the Command Spell when talking about the proof that one's a Master.

"…So, what? I'm not fit to be a Master then?"
"I'd like that, but no go. Since you have the Command Spell, it seems you are my summoner. It's unbelievable, but it seems you really are my Master."
He gives an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders.

"……"

This is bad.
My boiling point is so low, it seems I won't be able to cool down in time.

"I'm not happy, but I'll accept it.
You're my Master for now. But I have conditions as well. From now on, I will ignore your opinions. I will decide how to fight, and you will follow my plans.
This is the best I'll compromise on. You don't mind that, right, young lady?"

""

Uh, I think this is it, Father.
I'm almost at my limit.

"…I see. You accept unhappily, but what do you mean about ignoring my opinions? You're my Servant, right?"
I ask him in a trembling voice, just in case.
There's the issue of the Command Spell too, so this is my last warning, the biggest compromise I can make.

And to that…
"Yeah, in name only. So, formally I'll obey you. But I'm the one doing the fighting. You can hide in the basement here and stay there until the Holy Grail War ends.
That way, even an inexperienced person like you should make it out alive."
He tells me he has no hope for me with eyes full of disdain.

"…!!"
"Hm, are you angry? No, I will respect your position, of course. I am called to help my Master win after all.
My victory is yours, and I shall give you everything that I earn in this fight. You shouldn't have any complaints about that, right?"
"I…"





There's no holding back now. I've no sympathy for a twisted guy like him…!

"Wha… you're not…!?"
"Exactly what you're thinking, you rude scum!
"Vertrag…! Ein neuer Nagel Ein neues Gesetz Ein neues Verbrechen!"
(I announce to the Command Spell! By the order of the Holy Grail, give the law of obedience to this one, my Servant!)





"A-Are you not even thinking…! Using the Command Spell for such a general thing…!"
Huh, it's too late now.
…First of all, I wasn't expecting this either.
I hate myself so much, I want to die.
To go ahead and use the important Command Spell for something like this…!

Music: Tender Scenery




"…I see. I understand your personality now, Master."
"How exactly is this "absolutely obedient"?


"Just to make sure… do you understand how important the Command Spell is, Master?"
"I-I know. It's the right to give your Servant three orders, right? What about it?"


"…Geez. Look, the Command Spell forces the Servant to act according to an order.
It doesn't merely stop their actions, it strengthens their actions as well.


For example, I can't instantly teleport to somewhere far away. But if you command me to 'go' using your Command Spell, then assuming we have enough magical energy, such things become possible.
This is what is meant by unconditional obedience. It is the three crystallizations of a great magic that allows a Servant to surpass limits on their ability even they can't control. Well, only two now."

"I-I know that. It's fine, we still have two and that order I gave you isn't useless, either."

"…Man. This was certainly a miscalculation on my part.
The Command Spell works poorly on broad orders.
For broad and long-lasting orders like 'protect me through this' or 'win this battle', the power of the Command Spell weakens. The force will last a long time, but since the associated pain is weak, some Servants will be able to disobey.


In contrast, a single, simple order like 'deliver the next blow with all your power', or 'don't break that glass' is absolute, and even the most powerful Servants will find it hard to disobey.
…So, I think you can guess what I'd like to say next, Master."

"…I get the idea. So you're saying a broad, long-lasting order is meaningless, right?
If the effect is weak, Servants can act against it. It's better to make a single absolute order than to give weak ones, right?"


"Right. Basically, the Command Spell is a way to bring about miracles beyond our abilities. Stupidly using it for orders that can be achieved by other means is unforgivable.
The Command Spell you just used is exactly that. Whether or not I'll obey you is something that we could have solved by discussion. Even with the command, something like 'obey my every order completely' is beyond even a hundred Command Spells."

"Ugh… so the Command Spell I just used was meaningless…?"


"…Normally, the answer would be yes. But it seems that your abilities as a magus are on a completely different level."
"…?"
Is he happy or unhappy?
The Servant has a smile on his face as he sighs.

"On a completely different level… you mean…
Hey, you. Tell me honestly your condition right now."
I have a gut feeling, so I ask him boldly.


"Yeah, that's what I mean by miscalculation.
That Command Spell should have only changed my attitude to 'well, I'll respect Master's opinions slightly'.
But right now, I feel a strong bind from your words. If I disagree with you, let's see… it seems like I drop a rank.
In other words, it's like my body feels heavy when I go against your will."
The Servant shrugs his shoulders as if to say it's a pain.

"So…"
…That means the Command Spell wasn't meaningless, and it worked in my favor?
But this guy speaks as sarcastically as always, and it doesn't seem like he's any weaker at all.
Though, even if he is weakened when going against me, I doubt even ten of me could take him on…


"Let me take back what I said before, Master.
You are young, but you are an outstanding magus.
It was my mistake to patronize you and try to keep you out of the battle. I apologize for my rudeness."
He adjusts his stance and bows his head politely.

"Uhhey, stop it. We argued a lot, but they say both sides are usually at fault in this sort of thing…"


"I see. I'm glad you understand."
"…You changed your tune quickly."


"Well, it was a miscalculation, but not an unwelcome one. If you're this talented, I have no objections to your involvement in the battle."

"Huh…?"
Uh… he seems to be saying he's found a powerful Master, so…
"So you accept me as Master even without the Command Spell?"


"Of course. I wasn't clear back then as I was just summoned, but we are completely connected now. If you're really a magus, you should be able to feel the connection from the contract."

"Contract…?"
Hm, now that he mentions it, my body does feel strange.
It feels like the nerves, once closed within me, are now pointing outwards.
…And on top of that, part of my magical energy is flowing into the man in front of me.

"I see. Servants are called by the Holy Grail, but what keeps them in this world is…"
"Right, the power of the Master. Servants stay in this world by receiving magical energy from their Masters."

"The magical energy you supply is sufficient. There might be problems with your experience, but your ability is outstanding.
A normal magus would pass out after summoning a Servant, but you're still full of energy.
The Command Spell earlier, and this amount of magical energy… you're definitely a first class Master."
"…! H-Heh! Praising me now won't do you any good."
A bit embarrassed, I avert my gaze.

…I wasn't really expecting this.
I'm forcing him to obey with the Command Spell, but for a Servant, a being superior to humans, to honestly accept that I am his Master…

"…So? Which Servant are you?"
I collect myself and finally get to the point.


"You can't tell from my appearance, huh? Ah, excellent."
……
No, I was just mistaken before.
This guy is certainly making fun of me.

"…All right, this is a question from your Master.
You're not Saber, are you?"


"I'm sorry, but I don't have a sword."


"I have two!"

""
…As I suspected.
This is natural, though. I mistook the time, the summoning circle didn't work, and I even summoned the Servant to the wrong place.
It was all too clumsy to call Saber, the strongest Servant.

"…What a blunder. Using that many jewels and not calling Saber… it's too appalling to face."


"…Hmph. Well, I'm sorry I'm not Saber."
"Huh? Uh, well, it was a big mistake and I regret it, but it's my fault, so…"


"Yeah, Archer isn't too flashy, I know.
All right, I'll make you regret your abuse later on. And I won't accept any apologies when that time comes."

"…Huh?"
…This is unexpected.
The unknown Servant seems disappointed by my fixation on Saber.

"What, did I get on your nerves, Archer?"


"I get it. But keep your eyes open as I will definitely show you how lucky you are."

Archer protests with narrow eyes.
The air he carries is offensive, but his behavior seems childlike and pure.
…You know…
He might be a pretty good guy.

"All right. Then be sure you make me regret it later on, Archer.
If you do, I'll honestly apologize."


"Yeah, and don't you forget it, Master. Know how great the one you summoned is and be grateful.
Though, even if you do apologize then, I probably won't be satisfied."
Archer grins again.
Huh, maybe he does have a twisted personality after all.

"Well, fine. Leaving that aside, which heroic spirit are you?"


""
Archer doesn't answer.
His sarcastic tone disappears, and he frowns seriously.

"Archer? Your Master is asking you a question."
"That's… a secret."
"Huh…?"
"I can't answer the question of who I am, because"
"Hold on. If it's for a stupid reason, I'll be pissed."


"It's…"
Oh, that face again.
Archer must be really troubled as he opens his mouth like he'd rather not say anything.


"It's because I don't know myself."
…Wait, what was that..?

"Whaaaaaaat!? Are you making fun of me!?"
"…I didn't mean to insult you, Master.
But this is what you get for your failed summoning. It seems my memory is confused. I know who I am, but things like my name and origin are a bit vague… Well, they're trivial things to be missing, so we shouldn't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it? Of course I'm worried about it!
If I don't know which heroic spirit you are, I can't tell how strong you are!"


"Oh, that's no problem. It's a trivial matter."
"Trivial, you say? How can I make a plan when I don't know how strong my partner is!? There's no way we can fight like this!"


"What are you saying? I am the servant you summoned. Naturally, I am the strongest."



Music: Stop

Straightforwardly.
The knight in red looks at me with absolute confidence and trust.

"Wha…"
My thoughts freeze.
There's no dishonesty in Archer's words.
He thinks more highly of my power than I do, even though we've only just met.

""
…My face is burning.
Geez, I'm definitely blushing.
Why am I so weak against unexpected things?

Music: Surrounded by Smiling Faces

"…Well, fine. It'll make no difference that no one will know your true identity. They do say that to fool your enemies, you must first fool your allies…"
I say this to hide my embarrassment, looking away from Archer.
Well, I can find out later how good a Servant he is.
For now, I have a higher priority.

"All right. I shall not question you about your true identity for now.
So Archer, here's your first task."


"Already? You are aggressive.
So, who's our enemy"
As he's asking, I throw a dustpan and broom in front of him.



"Huh?"
"Clean the room downstairs, please. You made that mess, so be responsible and clean the place up."

Music: Stop


""
He stands there blankly for ten seconds.
After recovering his thoughts, he grabs the broom ready to make an objection.

Music: Gentle Everyday


"Hold on. Just what do you think a Servant is?"
"A familiar, right? He's a bit insolent, so he's difficult to control."


""
Archer swallows his words.
I don't intend to take back my words, and I do have a trump card.


"Objection. I refuse such an ord"
"Really? This is an order as a Master. Doesn't your body feel heavy when you go against your Master's wishes?"


"Ugh."

"Well, I'm sure it's nothing to you, but the penalty would continue until you clean up the living room. Won't it be dangerous to fight in such a condition from tomorrow?"
"Ugh."
He groans for a few seconds, clenching the broom.

The Servant in the red coat, Archer, closes his eyes in dismay.


"Understood. Damn you, Master."
He acknowledges my request gracefully.

Well.
It's getting late, so I should rest for tonight.
I can decide about how to treat him after I wake up.

Music: Stop



There are six including myself now.
Once the last one summons a Servant, the seventh one who is not yet a Master, this Holy Grail War will commence.