Ahh, I remember now.
'Yes, it's all rushing back. And just when we're near the Grail too.' Mori had arrived at Mount Hiei in Kyoto, climbing up the stairs. Saber was in spirit form, following not too behind from his Master. The war was nearing its end, despite three masters still alive, excluding themself of course. It wasn't a problem, as those three were inexperienced to the bitter end as Masters. That fateful day still dares to play itself now.
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"Mori! Where have you been? It's unlike of you to sleep in- ah! What happened to your hand? You didn't get into a fight, did you?" A slightly taller girl was in front of the teen, frantic over the well-being of the other party. She could only do so much to calm down the taller, albeit younger, person. Though what she had said was true; Mori had slept in, and their body did feel like shit, not just the hand with the red marks.
"I'm fine, really. I just stayed up overnight on an experiment and got slightly hurt in the process. It'll heal!" The girl- ah, let's call her Solstice, for now, wasn't impressed, slightly hitting him on the head. "Honestly! You couldn't have saved it when the Doctor came home? Or at the very least when we're around to make sure you don't kill yourself in the process!" 'Ah, that didn't work out well.' The teen could only sigh and slightly reach up to pat the other party's head, before walking off. "I promise you, I'm fine. Besides, it's time to get to homeroom." Solstice, frustratingly flustered, had no choice but to comply as indeed, they were right.
"Fine, but this conversation isn't over!" And with that, the two closest friends of a tightly-knit group made haste for the day.
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'Today's class is about the bonds of Masters and Servants...' They looked out the window for a while, bored about the topic held in class. Despite being revered as a worthy magus, they didn't quite feel the thrill of topics involving the Holy Grail Wars. An unfortunate turn of events, as they were now a Master in one, here at Tokyo. The Command Spells were reflected on the window; a sword accompanied by moon phases, shining a bright red. The speakers suddenly picked up, gaining everyone's attention.
"Due to unexcepted weather changes, everyone is to be sent home today at this time. Please head home immediately, thank you." Homeroom suddenly chattered endlessly as everyone was packing up for the day. The teacher, suddenly overwhelmed, decided to let them off the hook for homework today. Mori packed up their respective needs and slinked out of homeroom, hoping to not get captured by the group.
...Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened: Solstice managed to not only spot them out but grab his body and flung him over her shoulder. "Eh? No no no, Solstice please, I need to get home-" "Nuh-uh! We need to talk about something!" Mori struggled to get out of Solstice's grip, before noticing a familiar mark peeking from her right hand in the pocket. 'Command Spells?' A gust of air hit her face then, clicking into where the young girl took her. "This is... the roof? What are we doing here, Solstice? We're supposed to head home now."
"I know that but- about that conversation earlier... well, just see for yourself." She held out her right hand to them, revealing faint red marks: It showed a carriage pulled by several beasts, chains wrapping around but not on said carriage. "This feels like something out of what we've been recently learning... oh, what was it called?" "This is... the mark of a Holy Grail War. And it seems to be you are considered being chosen as a Master."
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'Honestly, you were too much of a headache during that time.' They were near the Shinto Shrine entrance when Saber came out of spirit form before them. "Master, are you all right? The shrine is up ahead and yet... something weighs on your mind." They couldn't help but look into their Servant's eyes: dark blue shining with a calm light, like that of the sea at night with the moon hovering over them. "It's fine, just some unwanted memories. We are close to the Grail; you know what must be done, correct?" "Of course, Master. You are to head to the Grail and make your wish, and I will fight to keep you safe." 'I never excepted to reach such a mutual understanding, and for that, I am humbly grateful.' Mori then set off after giving a bow to Saber, the latter standing near the gate, guarding the magical area.
"Master... I wish you the best of luck." Saber whispered into the silent night, turning his head back to the stairs leading here. 'Everything that has happened thus far... is all because of the strong will for a wish. There was once a time I had forgotten mine... perhaps it was because it was granted along this journey. Ah, if only it can stay like this... the moon must return to the sea though, so the sun can rise once more.'
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"Mori?" He heard the silent, betrayed voice of Solstice, who was shaking to the core. Behind her was the group, looking towards something with shock and... was it rage? It didn't matter. "I apologize, my dear friend... but your lives will end here." The necromancer, praised to one day be the founder (or at least, play a vital role in the discovery) of the Root of magic, stood before them with a cold stare. Behind her stood Saber, and in front of them stood Rider, Archer, and Lancer. An uneven match, but not one they'll flee.
"Hey, come on now! Let's all talk it out, I'm sure we can find a way to cooperate! That way, none of us will have to-" A spell landed near one of the members of the group: Archer's Master. "Will have to what? The formation of an alliance is meaningless; and futile. Because in the end... who will have the heart to kill the others?" 'I'll never forget the disgusted faces I received that night; it felt like a sweet poison.'
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"Could you come here, Mori?" "Hm? Ok!" The young child came forth to their father, looking at him with eyes similar to an excited puppy. The man in return, softly ruffled the child's hair, gaining gleeful giggles from her. "Do you want to learn about some divine relics?" The child, having finished their laughter, looked up in awe, before nodding virgoursly. "Yes, please!"
Lucifer opened the book, showing him weapons of the past from the eras of the world: Kusanagi no Tsurugi, hailing from the Edo period of Japan, Gáe Bolg, the spear given to the Irish hero Cú Chulainn by Scáthach, and Gandiva, the divine bow wielded by Arjuna. However, what caught their attention was Rhongomyniad, the spear of King Arthur. "For some reason, I feel a strong tie to this weapon. It is regarded as a spear of the heavens... something like that makes me feel like we can make today's weapon reach the pinnacle of the heavens, right father!"
Lucifer only laughed at the child, his eyes casting a small, dark shadow. "Of course, young tiger. That time will come one day, but let's focus on today." "Ok!!"
'I was never meant to be the main character, but the fact I'm still alive means I righteously earned it.' He had walked into the main room, where the Grail was stored. "I had forgotten, but the reason why I felt such a strong tie to that spear... was because its fragment was inserted into me at a young age." Such a thing shouldn't be possible, even in the mage world.
Regular humans would die instantly to the unstable amount of magic stored even in the tiny piece, and mages could possibly escape death but would be put in critical health at the cost. Another worst-case scenario could be the circuits getting fried, meaning the extraction of the piece. If it didn't kill them then, it would have certainly taken its chance by now. The Grail glowed divinely, truly befitting for an omnipotent wish-granting device.
"I've always wondered why... why I didn't die that day. It couldn't possibly have been my magic circuits; both of my biological parents weren't even mages by blood." That part is true; what they didn't know was that before their birth, something had happened to their mother. She fell ill, due to claims of dark magic inserted into her. The father didn't believe it, he thought she had snuck off on him, leaving her last minute. The mother died after Mori was born, and a week or so later, the father woke up on the news: dead.
A few years down the line, Lucifer finds the child and adopts them. He notices the abnormalities in the child, ones perfect for a vessel. In order for this to work, the human body must be cut apart physically and spiritually. It turned out to be a success: not only did the child have magic circuits thought to be lost between the two families, but the piece of the spear fits in like a glove. This was to be the vessel for humanity's salvation. (?)
The child only had one task, unbeknownst to them: travel around Tokyo, and let Rhongomyniad build up magical energy from the leylines and bases. Once the Grail appears, he would be used as a sacrifice to purify and better enhance the wish-granting device. "It matters not though; it is time for my wish to come to fruition." And so, she entered into the Grail.
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"Unfortunately, a wish has already been made. And it's target... appears to center around you." Those words rang in their head as they fought against corrupted mud from swallowing them whole. "Damn, you never make things easy, do you father!?" The sky turned red, monsters were ravaging the shrine. She felt the presence of Saber behind the door, along with the presence of the other Masters and Servants. 'Damn it, Saber... Ugh, whatever. The wish can wait, I need to find a way for this mud not getting out!'
As Saber rushed to the top with Solstice and Rider, along with Archer and Lancer and their Masters, the atmosphere became ridden with anxiety and tension. 'Please hold out, Master/Mori!' The fight was growing tiring, their movements getting sluggish by the passing minute. Everything became a blur after that: the monster formed after taking a bite out of Mori, and now they were all fighting together.
"Noble Phantasm: Tsubame Gaeshi!" Saber pulled out his two swords and flung himself towards the beast; six slashes all at once, completed once the swords were back in their hilts. "Rider, get us to the Grail as close as possible!" "Right, Master!" Solstice was on Rider's chariot, along with Mori. 'What was your wish?'
It flashed through her mind, seeing nothing but a clear sky instead of the hellish sight that was before them. 'My wish... it wasn't that different from father, but it had different outcomes. He wished to rewrite the world so that no one had to suffer. I only wanted to take all of the evil in the world and become a spirit holding said evil. I wanted to become today's Angra Mainyu.' "Mori! We're almost right there, so ready your magic!"
She looked at them with fierce determination in their eyes, which prompted them to sigh. "That won't be necessary. I was wrong about you being a weak, inexperienced Master. You've certainly grown, that much I can tell! It's a shame that I wasn't there to see it, and I won't even for the rest of all time." Rider and Solstice looked at them with confusion, before it started to set in. "No, you can't seriously be thinking of that! There must be another way-" Words wouldn't go through his head, as he climbed atop the chariot, above the corruption's mouth.
"Mori, I'm not letting you go again! Please, stay with me! Stay with us!! We can all go back to normal, hang out, just please!..." "Unfortunately, my time should have ended the day I was blessed (cursed) with a unique weapon. And to show my gratitude for everything you have done, I shall tell you of this weapon. It is a holy spear of the heavens, wielded by none other than King Arthur. Please, forgive me, but this is the only way. Goodbye, my beloved sun. May you be still and bright in future events."
Mori jumped off of the chariot, plunging to the mouth of the beast. 'I was never meant to be the main character; I always had a feeling I was meant to be dead. The only reason that had changed was because I met you and this wonderful world. I am the main character, and you are the deuteragonist. It is with great pleasure I give the title of the one, true main character to you. Please, treat it with great care."
Just before the Grail took what was rightfully it, all three of Mori's Command Spells glow. "Light, may you be released from the ends of the world. Split the heavens and tether the earth, anchor of the storm!"
Saber, whose spirit was about to return to the Throne, and Solstice, crying in grief and soothing relief, watched over the bright red star falling towards the beast, mouthing the Holy Spear's name.
"Rhongomyniad."
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It had been 4 years since the events of the Holy Grail War that took place here in Kyoto, Japan. Everything was back to normal at the very least: hectic students, long school hours, the usual. The only difference was the rumors surrounding the prodigy necromancer: where have they gone, was she one of the masters of the Grail War in Kyoto, what happened to him and his father? Per usual, the Mage's Association put a stop to these prying eyes, although it's hypocrisy at best.
Solstice stopped near the bamboo forest near Kyoto; she was eating a green tea snack, before placing the wrapper in her school bag. A sigh. "...It's been 4 years since you plunged yourself with that spear behind you to strike down the Grail. Not much has changed, but it also... feels strange without you. I know you asked me to stand tall, but I really wished you were still here. Honestly, what an imbecile you were..."
She remembers the memories of the shorter teen; the one she saw hanging around alone and invited, the one who became fast friends over mutual likes on genres and such. The first meeting with the friend group, the outings, everything. It all leads back to that grand finale: a shining red star that had fallen from the heavens with a relic of the heavens. Just as she felt tears prick her eyes, the wind blew fiercely into the opposite direction of the bridge.
There stood Saber, her old partner during the war. "S-saber? What are you doing here? Ah! Do you have an idea of where he might be? Please, I need... I need to see them again!" Saber only shook his head, before giving a small, gentle smile. "All Master wants me to tell you is that she is fine as usual and that she wants you to keep going. Do not look nor walk back to hell; you don't belong there."
Solstice made a shocked expression before laughing tears of joy. "Of course, she would say something like that, hahaha! Then please, Saber. Tell her I said thank you, and a see you later." Drying her tears, she gave the Heroic Spirit one last smile, which the ronin did the same. "As you wish. Goodbye now, Lord Solstice." With another fierce blow, the ronin was nowhere to be found.
Satisfied with this trip, Solstice made her way back to the train and headed home.
HOLYYYYYYYY SHIT, IM PROBABLY NEVER GONNA WRITE LIKE THIS AGAIN.
uhhh anyway thanks to those who read this and part 1!! (o' holy spear, pierce thy heavens once more) and i wish everyone best of luck on this contest!! also ty op for letting me write two parts for the short story (and also sorry bc these are not short at all ASKSKKSK). im heading to bed now, ciaoooo!!
ns 15.158.61.48da2
