Ukatan, Japan
Hidden coastal cave, Thursday (00:36)
It was late. Really late. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to be out and about past midnight; she would have to get up early in the morning for class and then work her rear end off until five. To put it simply, it was no doubt that she would be exhausted when she attended class at nine o' clock that same day.
Akane Inukai fumbled with a chain and lock as she hooked her precious bike to a rack on the beach's boardwalk, making sure it was properly secured before turning to face the ocean. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore sounded like an angry beast's roar that filled her ears to the brim. The moon hung high in the sky, a pale orb that radiated a dull light. The moonlight drenched the beach in silver, displaying how violent the Pacific Ocean was. For a moment, she worried that the cave she had found a few days ago had been flooded, but she remembered she had been smart enough to choose a location that would not become filled with water if the sea became turbulent.
The young woman sighed, running a hand through her hair before looking down at her bag. Assuring that her package was still there, Akane made her way down to the shore. The wet sand closest to the water stuck the most to her shoes and socks, making her trip and almost fall more than once. It's like I'm walking on quicksand. she thought, grunting with the effort of walking to the hidden cave without sinking too much into the sand. I don't know why I didn't pick an easier place to conduct the ritual...
But if she did the ritual too close to Ukatan City University, the mages that went there (if any) would be alerted to her presence. Akane couldn't afford that; she was already trying her hardest to hide the red markings on her right hand. The Command Seals' colors were bright and caught people's eyes, which she hated. In all honesty, she didn't want to be part of this "Holy Grail War" that she had read about in the books. She disliked fighting and seeing people get extremely hurt. All she could do was hide the markings for as long as she could. Then again, fate was a bitch, wasn't it?
Akane grunted as she squeezed into a crevice in the stone cliffs of the shore, sighing in relief as she realized that no water had gotten into the cave. A small hole in the roof of the cave let some of the moonlight filter in, providing her with some vision. It was perfect and hidden; she was pretty sure that no one would expect a ceremony to be conducted here. A small smile worked its way over the brunette's lips as she set down her bag. It's going to be alright. I have this... thing, and I'm going to use it well. I think.
Pulling out a few chicken corpses from her bag, she set them to the side before pulling out a large box. Akane's grin became larger as she opened it, looking down at her valuable possession-- an old looking blade, rusty and dull, sat within the confines of the box. A naginata blade. She trembled with excitement, wondering what kind of "Servant" or whatever would she summon using the weapon. Her blue gaze remained planted on the curved blade some more before realizing it was becoming later. She would have to make this quick.
Akane set the box on a rock, keeping it open so the light washed over the naginata blade. Taking a few steps back, she reached for one of the chicken she had purchased from a local meat market. It was then that her grin fell; she had never used blood to conduct a ritual before. It would be sickening, but... it had to be done. Pulling a knife from her pocket, she slashed the chicken's neck open in the cleanest way that she could. As soon as the blood touched her palm, she whimpered slightly. This is so gross...
It took her a while to make the summoning circle on the ground, but once she was done, she believed that it looked... somewhat appropriate for the occasion. Akane's brows furrowed as she stared at it. I could have done better, but I'm running out of time. With another sigh, she raised her hand, facing the makeshift "altar", the relic, and the markings on the ground. She opened her mouth, forcing her voice not to tremble as she reiterated the incantation that she read from a book as best as she could:
Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.
The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.
Shut, fill, shut, fill, shut, fill, shut, fill, shut, fill...
Repeat every five times,
Simply, shatter once filled.
I announce,
Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.
Wielder of the Jade Dragon Lance,
Come forth and stand beside me, your Master,
And let your blade sink into the flesh of the dark-hearted.
Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.
You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――!"
The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.
Shut, fill, shut, fill, shut, fill, shut, fill, shut, fill...
Repeat every five times,
Simply, shatter once filled.
I announce,
Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.
Wielder of the Jade Dragon Lance,
Come forth and stand beside me, your Master,
And let your blade sink into the flesh of the dark-hearted.
Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.
You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――!"
A bright light erupted from the summoning circle, growing more and more intense until it blinded Akane. She grunted in complaint, raising her other hand to protect her eyes from the whiteness. Is it supposed to be like... this? she wondered. Is it really working?
----
After the summoning rites were all done and a flash came out of the altar, a single figure, clad in blue armor and with a large weapon on his back, appeared before the girl. Its golden ornaments made it seem even more imposing, as if it was designed only for a king. An emperor. The figure didn't seem to have a face, though. Only his blue eyes shone through the darkness of the night, while his face remained a mystery to everyone. He seemed ominous, almost like a monster, as he looked around to where he was summoned. His piercing blue yes left a trail as he moved his head around.
It was a beach, well, more like a cave in a beach. It didn't matter. Now, as for the one that summoned him.... He scanned the place with his eyes, this time, looking for a human. Obviously, a human that was three times smaller and three times less imponent than him. That's the kind of human he was searching for. Of course, as luck would have it, it was most probable that the one that summoned him there was a man. It was a man, he was fairly certain, why in the seven hells would a woman try and be part of such a dangerous thing as a.... He finally posed his eyes over the one who summoned him. A girl, with long black hair in a ponytail. My, what a surprise. He would despise the Grail, for putting a girl as frail as her as a Master for the Holy Grail War. She was small, well, small by his standars, given that Guan stood at 6''1'.
He started walking towards the girl, not taking his armor off before approaching her. He might have scared the firl like that, but he didn't care. He continued making his way to her, until he was finally in front of the girl. He stretched his hand, trying to do something to the girl. Regardless of what she would do against him, he'd still go on with what he was about to do. What could a mere girl do against a Servant, after all? She might very well be his master, but that didn't change the fact that she was nothing but a girl. He kneeled down and took the girl's hand, the hand in which she had the Command Seals, and then posed his lips over her hand. "What a beautiful gift has the heavens given me. I have been blessed with you becoming my Master."
The man clad in blue armor then took his helmet off, letting his large, purple hair fall down all the way to his hips. "Ni hao, my beautiful master. I am Emperor Guan Yu. However, as formalities would have it, you can call me Lancer, the servant of the Lance. It is a great pleasure, making your acquaintance and being your Servant, wǒ de Zhǔrén." He speaks in his native tongue, calling her master in Chinese. "I look forward to our partnership, and seeing what you are capable of, oh, Master of mine." A charming smile came to his face as he faced his Master, while holding his helmet below his arm.
----
The light dimmed after a short time, and Akane was able to see once more. The woman blinked her eyes in an attempt to readjust them to the darkness; they ached from the sudden whiteness that had come forth from the altar and dimmed just as quickly as it had started to join. Standing before her was a tall man, clad in armor with a large weapon strapped to his back. In the half-light, she caught sight of his eyes-- an eerie shade of blue, they shone from behind the figure's helmet. For a few moments, she thought it was some creature she had summoned and not some "valiant Servant" that she had heard so much about. Fear was present in her heart, although slight; instead of cowering before the being, she simply stared at it, eyes wide as she took in the sight before her.
The summoned being approached her, the sound of clinking armor filling the small cavern. Akane watched him, cautious about what he was about to do. While he was a Servant, she still felt that she should be careful around him. Though, he did something that she didn't expect him to do; the armored man got down on his knees, taking her hand. Her shoulders became tense, but she remained silent. He wouldn't harm her. There was no way he could... right?
The man took off his helmet, his lilac-colored hair flowing down to his hips. Akane blinked in surprise, realizing that his lips were very close to her hand bearing the marks of her Command Seals. A small blush crossed her cheeks for a moment-- she wasn't used to the compliments she was receiving. "Ah... Emperor Guan Yu?" she murmured, rubbing the back of her head. He was of Chinese origin, at least she could tell that. She would just call him Lancer, to keep it simple. "It's a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to our alliance, too," a broad smile worked over her lips again. "My name is Akane Inukai. But you can call me Akane."
----
Guan turned his head up to look at Akane. She seemed of Japanese origin, at least the information he had on him after being summoned as a Heroic Spirit said so. "Akane, huh?" Guan gazed at the mark on the girl's hand. It was of a deep red color. Just like her name. "Is this fate yet again? Yes, it must be." Having decided on his own answer, Guan stood up, letting go of the girl's hand before gazing at her eyes. They were blue, just like his. He seemed sad for just a moment, thinking of what brought this conclusion up to her. Why would such a girl become a Master in the Holy Grail War? Perhaps, she was an incredibly capable mage, and a reliable partner. He smiled yet again.
"I trust that you know the basics of what is about to occur, yes? The Holy Grail War." Guan said, walking past her. His armor was somewhat of a hassle, but he had no clothes on his person right now, and stripping in front of a woman, despite it being a gift from the heavens for them, was disrespectful, so he dedcided against it. He'd change into a more comfortable set of clothes later. "If it is not disrespectful, may I ask what your objective isin this Holy Grail War? Most people do no enter this war just because, you must have some desire you want granted. It shall not sway my alliegance to you, regardless, be sure of that." He continued on walking to the exit of the beach.
----
As Lancer got to his feet, Akane once again noticed how tall he was. She felt small beside him, and yet, she was not intimidated. The smile remained on her face, thinking about what he said. It was fate that they were together-- she had the method to command him, and she had summoned him from... well, wherever. It was only when he appeared to be saddened that her smile wavered slightly. What was he thinking about? Was he thinking about what they were tasked with? From what she knew, the Holy Grail War was not a pretty thing to be in. They were to risk their lives and possibly die. Yet, she forced the smile to remain on her lips. However, the excited glint in her eye had disappeared. She knew that they would have to prepare to go to battle, eventually.
Guan asked a question, snapping Akane out of her daze. Yes, she knew the basics of the Grail War. Though... she did not know what her wish was yet. Would she ask for the basic "good guy" wish; for world peace, to end world hunger? Or would she wish for something that benefited only her? Her gaze became distant as she thought about his query. "I'm not sure, honestly," she muttered, turning to face him. Her smile wavered to become a small grin on her face. "I don't want to wish for something dumb or crazy. I didn't even know that I was going to be part of the war in the first place..."
Akane paused for a moment, tilting her head. "Do you have a wish, Lancer?" she asked him. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. We only just met each other, after all." She put her hands behind her back, clasping them together as she awaited his answer, following him as he walked to the exit of the beach. It was better to go indoors, anyway. It was getting a little too chilly for her taste.
----
Guan was now sure of ti, the grail had selected this girl to be a master, and she wasn't the one that chose to become one. It was saddening, yes, but what can you do against fate, after bringing people together like that? "I see. If you are to win this war, which I, the great Guan Di will help you win, then you should wish soemthing for your own benefit. It is only fair. It is the duty of emperors, king and Gods to think of the common good. For a mere girl like you?" Guan continued on walking, before tunring to see his master with a big smile on his face again. "I, the great emperor and later revered as a deity, Guan Yu, allow you to be as selfish as you want. No, I order you to be as selfish as you want. It is your duty as nothing but a part of the masses." He didn't speak at all of his own wish, though, merely brushing off her question. His wish, huh? Well, there were plenty of things he could wish for, but none that wouldn't come in the way of destiny. Maybe it would be better to just wish that he gets his master to gain the grail.
After saying that in an all mighty tone, Guan turned around, to make his way out of the beach. "I hope you aren't standing there for the whole night. You'll catch a cold, Zhu." Guan said to her, not turning around to see if she was actually following behind him. "Now, tell me, what kind of grandiose carriage are we taking to go to our base of operations from now on? I am eager to see what kind of 'car' you have in this age. It must be incredibly interesting and charming." Guan said, until he found his way to a bycicle. He didn't really know how to use it neither had he seen anything like it before, but the information given to him by the Grail was enough.
"....." Guan didn't say anything, as not to be disrespectful to his master, but it was, well, a sight to behold in its own right. A single piece of man's intellect and wit, but the lowest kind of it, with all the technological advances of the current world. Now, how the hell would two people ride a bycicle? Would it be a moment like those of the so-called 'anime' of the current era? Guan was a bit too old to be doing those kinds of things. Perhaps it would also be better to carry the girl on his shoulder. He was capable enough to carry a girl like that with no problems at all. "My, this is... quite a surprise, Zhu. I guess you probably think it would be better now that I was a Rider class servant." Guan laughed a bit at the thought of it, but even he didn't know if it was out of despair or nervousness.
----
Wish something for her own benefit? The thought seemed foreign to her. If she had to wish for something like that, maybe she would wish for a better life. One where she wasn't a lazy screw up and where her mother didn't leave them. Akane wondered how it would have been like if she was hard-working like her father had once been, striving to live up to her parents' expectations. Of course, it would be stressful, but it was much better than being alone. His words brought an amused look to her face, and she quirked a brow at him. "You might regret ordering me to be as selfish as I want. I might ask for the world to glorify me as a deity," she joked, letting out a laugh at the end of the jest. No, she wouldn't want something like that. Something simple was for the best.
As Lancer told her to explain what kind of carriage she owned, Akane's face became deadpanned. The woman continued to follow her Servant, though she remained quiet. How was she supposed to tell him that she didn't have a car, but a bicycle instead? Before she knew it, they had made it to the place where she chained her bike, and it was then that she became a little embarrassed. Especially with him being quiet and all-- it obviously displeased him. "No, no, it's alright," she blurted out, finding herself becoming more and more anxious. "We can ride the train, or maybe walk back to my place. But it's all the way across town... I didn't really expect I'd have to provide transportation, heh."
Akane blinked up at Guan, offering him another crooked grin. "I'd rather take the train. I don't like to walk much, so," she gave a big shrug before removing the chains from the bike and rack. "So, Mr. Guan Yu, shall we find a way to ride this bike, walk across the city, or take the train?"
---
A few hours later...
Well, that had been a troublesome commute to the university. Getting on the train with the bike and all was a pain in the rear end, especially with the man following her around. Akane was exhausted by the time that she got home, and honestly wanted to pass out on the train several times. Though, she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to let Lancer wake her up once they made it to their stop, as he didn't know the area and things of the sort.
Akane didn't have an apartment or house to live in; instead, she lived in one of the university's dorms. While it was cozy and comfortable before, she had to find a way to hide Lancer's true identity from everyone. She was somewhat proud that she had come up with a story so quickly; when she would be asked who he was and why was he dressed as if he were going to battle, she would simply state that he was a friend who went to a Renaissance Festival or something and didn't have time to change before getting to Ukatan. It didn't sound that suspicious, right?
The woman's feet trudged on the ground as she made her way down the hallway and to her room. Luckily, she was one of the few lucky students that didn't have to share their room with anyone, and instead had the room to herself. Akane pulled out her keys and unlocked the door, pushing it open with a tired groan. Her body ached and she wondered how exactly was she supposed to go to class. "Ta-da," she sang groggily, motioning to the scene in front of her. The dorm room was small and rather well-kept; a window facing some buildings and her bed was to the west of the room, while a television set with several consoles and video games was to the east. A desk was pressed up against a wall, covered with papers that consisted mostly of doodles and other crap she did while she was supposed to be doing homework.
"So, yeah, this is where I stay. Hope you like it. The little fridge there has all sorts of junk food if you're into that kinda stuff," Akane explained, scratching the back of her head. "Ice cream, soda, candy bars... frozen food, too. The small cabinet over by the bed has a bunch of cups filled with noodles. There's a microwave, so you can heat up the food if you're hungry. Make yourself at home, I guess, as long as you don't eat all of the stuff."
Now that she thought about it, she really was a poor college girl, wasn't she? She couldn't even afford to pay for a car, much less go out to eat every so often. Akane turned toward Lancer, blinking tiredly. "Anyway," she sighed, closing the door behind her. "Here's the story. You're my friend, Yu, who has recently come over from Tokyo in order to visit me for a while. If anyone spots you in your armor or whatever, just say that you like to perform reenactments of China's history, mkay?"
Akane smiled at him before she continued. "I have to be in class in an hour, so I'm going to go ahead and shower to get rid of all of the sand and stuff that got on me," she looked down at her feet for emphasis. Thankfully, she had gotten rid of some of the chicken blood, but the sand was still plastered to her ankles and feet.
----
Luckily enough, maybe for both of them, Lancer remembered that he could actually vanish into thin air and appear again whenever he felt like. The problem was, how to let the girl know now that she had a story set for him to cover his identity? She seemed a bit too fired up and, if it weren't for the fact that she was a woman, Guan would have already crushed the pathetic dreams of his master. But since his master was a woman and he had the utmost respect for them... Well, he was pretty sure an opportunity would arise. Arriving to the girl's dorm room, Lancer looked around with curious eyes. So, students lived in this while they went to college? It seemed to be something pretty good, really well equpped, if they even gave her video game consoles to play in.
"I see.... The modern world is filled with several kinds of surprising things. I shall partake on this 'junk food' you talk about." Lancer says, approaching the fridge and opening it to see what is inside of it. He took one of the sodas inside of it and took a sip out of it. The fizzy sensation going down his throat was unlike any other. Even he, that had tasted some of the best wines and alcoholic beverages all across China was mesmerized by this. "My, this is... I wouldn't call it exquisite, but it is indeed enjoyable. I see why its production had become so popular, despite its poor nutritional value." He said to himself, looking at the can with curiosity.
The girl continued on explaining what kind of story she had come up with to cover up his appearance. Sayign he just liked reenacting ancient battles, well, he was once part of those battles so there wasn't really any need to do so. And this was as good as time as any to let her know that Lancer didn't actually need to stay in his physical form. "Yes, Zhu. I understand. However, there will be not need to do such a thing as I..." Closing his eyes, Lancer disappeared into the air without a trace and leaving a trail of golden lights after him. "Can lose my physical form whenever I desire to. I apologize for all the inconveniences. Feel free to take your shower." Lancer said, before falling silent and deciding it would be foolish to say anything more. This would probably anger his master, in one way or the other.
----
It seemed like the tall male liked the drinks that lined one of the cramped shelves in her mini-fridge. Akane was surprised that he did-- she would have expected him to ask for better food, at least. Now that she thought of it... she would have to buy more groceries, wouldn't she? Well, that sucked for her. Then again, she guessed that he made up for that fact by giving her protection and some company. It wasn't often that she had company over, and she would give Lancer shelter for a few months, at least. She wondered how it would be like if she had been living with her parents; hiding him would have been a pain.
That was, until he suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a trail of shining lights where he was once sitting. She blinked in surprise, wondering how exactly he had done that. Magic sure was weird... "Oh, I think I read about that stuff, but I don't remember." Possibly because she passed out from reading a few paragraphs that had bored her to sleep. Akane didn't feel like he caused her any inconveniences, as he himself had said. That night had probably been the most exciting night of her life. "That's pretty cool, though. And useful. Don't worry about the trouble I had, though. At least I was productive," the dark-haired girl grinned, turning and beginning to walk to the bathroom. "I'll be out in a bit, alright?"
Akane's shower didn't last long, as she was pretty sure she was going to be at least half an hour late to class-- she was already running out of time. After drying herself off and getting into the clothes that she had laid out on the toilet seat cover, she pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, as always. Even if she did want to fix her hair in a different way, there was no time to. Getting ready for class took her about an hour; at that point, she didn't even care about being late to class anymore. She wasn't going to class looking like a slob, either. Opening the door, she stepped out into the small main room again. "Done," she said idly, pulling on some fingerless training gloves. She had always worn them since she rode her bike a lot. No one would question her wearing them, and she would be able to hide the red marks on her hand without a sweat. Her gaze flitted around the room, not sure where Lancer was sitting or standing due to the fact that he was invisible. "Class lasts for two hours and forty five minutes, so you have that free time all to yourself."
She made her way to the door, picking up her satchel on the way. "I'll see you later, that is, if you don't need anything else explained or somethin'," Akane waited for a reply, her hand on the doorknob. She would tell him anything else he wanted to know before heading off, she had the time. What was the difference of being ten minutes late to half an hour late? None, at least, not to her. After there was no reply, she waved goodbye in a general direction and opened the door, closing it behind her.
Oh, this was going to be a hell of a day to get through...
