Gathering Intelligence - Enter Issun-boshi

[Issunboushi]

Day 0; 21:57 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

As the twenty-two year old Japanese college student made his way down the open, empty streets of Fuyuki's Foreign District, he found himself feeling much more comfortable than he had on his first mission over four years ago. This was an easy task compared to several other missions he had been forced to perform by the ruthless, unfair, magical bully whom called herself his teacher. Well, now, Marielle von Einzbern was both his teacher and his friend, but initially she was just a magician who ended up bullying him into becoming her apprentice for one reason or another. Now, he was an amateur magus, fairly skilled in a small variety of fields. He had agreed to help Maria prepare for the Holy Grail War, specifically deciding to gather intelligence even though she had warned him not to take unnecessary risks.

The Master he was scouting tonight was a regular target of surveillance. In the two years or so he had been gathering intelligence on her, she had never once caught on to the fact she was being observed on a weekly basis. Tonight, though...well, the same couldn't be said for tonight, as Satoshi would discover soon enough. He looked left and right as he lingered beside a tall, cast-iron gate. He didn't exactly appear suspicious, but only because no one was outside to see him. His light brown gaze was busy analyzing the length of the gate, until...

Bingo! Found it. He thought to himself, smirking. The weak point he had created in the boundary field had not been noticed since it was created. As long as Satoshi entered through that particular spot, he wouldn't trip the silent alarm of the female magus' boundary field. He silently scaled the fence, not making a sound as he did so. Avoiding the spiked tips of the black iron pattern atop the fence - which was mostly for show anyway - his loafer-clad feet alighted soundlessly upon the soft grass of Kiseki's front yard. He knew thus far he had not been detected, and over the two years of surveillance he had grown confident. Tonight, that confidence would prove to be his downfall.

He slipped undetected across the lawn, noting the lack of patrolling familiars but not thinking much of it. He considered it a blessing, not realizing that the avian and cube sentries had just been moved into the house for tonight. Gradually, though, this thought occurred to him. He finally realized that a lack of the usual one or two familiars he had to slip by meant that they were likely relocated for some reason. And he had a hunch that he already knew the reason too. About two months ago, a mark had appeared on the resident magus' arm...a command seal, a mark which signified that she had been chosen to participate in the Holy Grail War.

To Satoshi, that meant several things. First and foremost, it meant Kiseki Tatsuga was an enemy, because Marielle von Einzbern was also a participating Master. He had refused to become a Master, because he wholeheartedly supported Marielle above all else; he didn't care who had to be taken care of, because Maria had made the stakes clear to him. He was going to do everything in his power not to deliver the Grail into Maria's possession, but to keep it out of the possession of magi who might be less careful with the omnipotent, wish-granting vessel. Resolute, Satoshi neared the basement window he normally used to enter the house. He quietly slipped inside, gently letting himself down upon the stone and mortar floor.

Then, he heard something unexpected: a voice...the voice of the female magus, Kiseki Tatsuga. This perplexed him, and caused a bit of anxiety. He knew she had been chosen as a Master recently, but he didn't believe she was ready to summon a Servant yet. But if she was in the basement, which she had been preparing for the summoning itself, then the chances were she was just preparing the summoning circle. He hoped he was right in assuming that, but he crept along quietly into the darkness, moving behind boxes of storage that had been neglected for years. Then, peeking out from behind a large crate, he saw her: Kiseki Tatsuga, standing in front of the circle. She started chanting quietly, a glowing symbol beginning to appear on her arm as she did so.

This isn't good. He thought to himself, dryly. She's starting the summoning now? Shit, when did she get an artifact? As he went through the possibilities in his head, he noticed the unique artifact lying within the circle as prana began to channel around it: a mirror. He didn't have time to do any research, so he simply watched for now. When she summoned her Servant, he would leave and tell Maria everything he saw. For now, though, he listened to her perform the incantation, mentally speaking along with her out of habit. He sucked at incantations, and it had taken him a while to learn the Servant summoning mantra. So, out of force of habit and nothing more, he soundlessly moved his lips along with hers, unable to notice the command seal appearing on his own arm.

CA-KAW!!!!!!

Ka-whatnow? Satoshi found himself thinking, turning to his left, where the sound came from.

[Kiseki]

Day 0; 21:59 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

"Good, now the creepers will patrol the outside of the basement while the birds will patrol the entrance and two of them will remain inside in case of intruders." Kiseki instructed her familiars as they went off to do their newly assigned duties, she turned her attention to the circle in front of her. It was nine-thirty two. At ten o' clock she needed to begin the incantation, she began to finish the rest of the circle. She added the appropriate runes to it using chalk, she didn't have much else to use but she was sure that the nine tailed fox wouldn't care. Setting the mirror gently in the middle of the circle she stepped back and marked where she should stand. She was hoping to get the fox at it's full power as a caster however she wasn't sure what class it might end up summoned as. To her right was her bow, she had it in case someone actually managed to get inside her house, however she doubted anyone could get past her defenses. She looked behind her as the time was soon approaching. She had a few boxes however they weren't anything someone could hide behind for long. She made sure all her blind spots were being patrolled with extra security.

"Ye first, O silver, O iron." Kiseki chanted the words after much practice and she felt her prana slowly start to fill the air. She felt the urge to close her eyes and concentrate but ignore this feeling. She wanted to see what it looked like rather than just hear it. "O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract. Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg." Kiseki knew not of Schweinorg however she assumed he must have been a powerful magus to be involved within their incantation. Not much of a change was noticed within the circle much to her disappointment. She decided to keep going though, "Let the descending winds be as a wall. Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three-forked roads to the Kingdom revolve." Kiseki felt her prana now slowly going towards an empty hole, as if making a path for the servant. She kept her eyes on the circle as it began to spark to life, it glowed dim and matched her command seals. Raising her left hand to steady her right she continued. "Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Five perfections for each repetition. And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my stead!"

Much of this incantation was nearly done, however she didn't want to be caught of guard at now of most times. This is why once she spoke this next line she told her familiars to quickly rush around the house to kill anyone. "Set. Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade. If thou submittest to my calling and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond." Not a noise was heard so far, so either they were hiding extremely well or there was no one in the house. Kiseki hoped for the latter as she prepared to continue the incantation, her command seal burned her skin, the circle lit up the entire room ignoring the need for the candles she had put in there. Smiling at this she was so excited, now all she had to do was finish then the incantation would summon her beautiful nine tailed fox.

Then the explosion resounded through out the basement, "God damn it!" She exclaimed. Kiseki spun around and looked towards the sound, there was smoke coming from behind the boxes. Clicking her tongue she was happy she was at least wearing her mage attire. Raising her right hand and snapping her fingers she spoke the single word incantation, "Katsu..." If one was to watch in slow motion they would see the spark appear just behind the box. Then the compressed air along with the ball of fire would expand rapidly simulating an actual explosion. The box was blown apart as it was empty and merely held her familiars in there beforehand. She was going to wait for the smoke to clear, then she decided why wait for the rabbit when you are the hunter. "KATSU KATSU KATSU!" Kiseki yelled snapping her fingers three times simulating three explosions, two around the smoke and one within it. Surely whatever was in there had to have been hurt or even killed if Kiseki was lucky.

[Issunboushi]

Day 0; 22:02 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

From behind the box, Satoshi Inoue had listened to the magus go through the motions of summoning a Heroic Spirit as a Servant. He knew the incantation by heart, and quite honestly it was one of the only incantations he could recite at any time. Of course, after five years of training in magecraft under the unique tutelage of Marielle von Einzbern, Satoshi was still an amateur magus. But, he was an amateur magus whom demonstrated a proficiency when assigned what Clocktower would label "field work." Surveillance, reconnaissance, analysis of magical energy, theory, and method. These were a few of Satoshi's specialties, and he had employed nearly all of them over the past year or so of spying on the magus known as Kiseki Tatsuga.

However, he had overlooked one thing: when an important event took place - such as a political meet-and-greet, or a Servant summoning - security tended to heighten drastically, and resources were often reallocated. And, it was for this reason that he had not considered familiars had been assigned to patrol within the basement itself. He heard the rather confusing squawk from his left side, and he quickly turned his head while his usually quick mind worked to register whatever it was he had heard. He saw a little black, round bird. Though, it had no wings and featured a mostly black antennae. Mostly, save for a tiny yellow portion which was now glowing, and the stalk of the black antennae was getting shorter and shorter, while the bird itself began to swell and turn red. Simultaneously, he heard the female magus swear.

"God damn it!" She cursed, and his focus turned to the bird...it reminded him now of a bomb, and he realized that the yellow tip of the antennae was a lit fuse. He turned and began to run, before the angry bird erupted into an explosion of flame and fury. Simultaneously, another explosion rang out, almost right above the apparently irate avian. He could feel hot air rush around him, but that was the extent of the damage; he was unharmed from the angry bird's explosion, but he had processed - even with his ears now ringing - that a magical word shouted by Kiseki had caused the explosion. The intensity of the blast implied that she was pissed off, and he knew she considered him an enemy.

He had a bad feeling about this magus...she wasn't like Maria, whom had given him a chance to explain himself, even after trying to kill him with a suit of armor. Kiseki was firing off lethal spells, and he heard two more explosions go off, but he had already moved to a different area of the basement, now hidden behind the other end of the long wall of storage crates. If he was going to survive a magus whom utilized explosions, he needed to get into a more open area; the closed-up corridor formed by the wall and the storage crates made for a dangerous passage when met with spontaneous detonation spells. His decision was made, and he grabbed the nearest thing not bolted to the ground: another angry bird, whose fuse was shortening. He rolled the bird along the ground now, but it stopped short, between Kiseki and the wall of crates.

Good enough! Satoshi thought to himself, as another explosion created more smoke than fire, providing cover. He quickly began to run, abandoning the cover provided by the crates. He hadn't been seen, yet, but there was no more cover in his path. He ducked behind the smokescreen, before emerging on the other side of it; Kiseki would be able to see him now, but he was almost to the basement door. He felt the woman's eyes upon him, as she registered what was going on. It wouldn't be long before she reacted, and so he chose to apply his considerable soccer skills. He kicked another black angry bird, and sent it flying. It smacked into the basement door even as Satoshi ran up the steps, and blew the door open. Splinters of the staircase's handrail showered the basement, and he ducked through the threshold into - and out of - the basement.

However, he kept running; he needed to escape, and he needed to escape now. If he slowed down for one second too long, he would be caught in a fiery blast like he had heard her unleash behind him earlier. He had no real reinforcement capability, and what little potential he did have in that field could not be used to actually survive an explosion like the birds released, let alone at point-blank range. He entered a neatly arranged kitchen, and finally realized where in the house he was. According to his earlier reconnaissance, the nearest exit was just past the living room and down a short hallway. Satoshi began to run again, headed towards the adjoining living room from the center of the kitchen area.

[Kiseki]

Day 0; 22:05 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

Kiseki watched the smoke intensely, he had to come out eventually. Then she saw movement behind another box as he emerged over there, she was enraged that he avoided her magical attacks but that he was using her birds as tools! He used her own explosion magic as a smoke cover before she could prepare her magic once more. She started to bite her bottom lip with rage, she didn't like that this mere normal person, this average student, this boy used her for his advantage in her own home.

As the boy emerged from the smoke Kiseki immediately took chase before noticing one of her birds, he kicked it towards the door. "Stop using my birds!" She thought to herself as he blew her door open and started to run towards the kitchen, she calmly walked towards him realizing what he was trying to do. He looked like a cornered rat as he looked around for an exit before spotting it down the hall. However his main problem wasn't Kiseki, it was the familiars that guarded that exit along with the other ones.

"I'd suggest you stop running before something bad happens." Kiseki taunted crossing her arms, as soon as she spoke the horde of creepers appeared in front of the door. Almost like they were summoned by those words they turn towards the boy trying to escape, they prepared to explode able to kill him instantly along with destroying most of the room. Kiseki however was hoping the boy was smart enough to turn around and run. She walked away and turned the corner calling her other familiars to her, she was going to lead him back into the basement so that he couldn't escape again.

Soon a group of birds sat at the corner preparing to scare the boy in the direction of the basement. They wouldn't follow him nor her in there but they would chase him up to the door. With her plan prepared she stood in the hallway once more, he obviously would've seen the creepers now. He had no choice but to run back and to enforce this she focused behind him while raising her right hand. "Katsu. Katsu. Katsu!" Two explosions behind him and one near Kiseki, the two were to make him believe she was trying to kill him and the one in front was to act as a cover for both him and the birds.

With her plan perfect, he would turn the corner not see the birds then proceed to jump at the mere sight of them. He would then run towards the basement if she had him figured out. It could change in a heart beat if he was a fool and tried to jump over any of her familiars. They would kill him instantly before he could think about his actions. Noticing her hands were shaking Kiseki held her forearms. It was excitement and the toll of using her magic rapidly, she needed to calm down. She had plenty of time to kill him and finish the contract, then her beautiful nine tails would let her win the war.

[Issunboushi]

Day 0; 22:07 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

"I'd suggest you stop running before something bad happens." Kiseki jeered, causing Satoshi to scowl briefly. As disciplined as he now was a magecraft, his personality left no room for him to neglect his snarky comments. He spoke immediately, as if the response had been prepared.

"Yeah, because I'm sure standing still will get me, you know, not blown to pieces!" He replied to her Japanese in kind, though his own was slightly accented with a western tinge. Then, he felt movement...and when he turned to regard the new, blocky familiars that no smart company would pay a lot of money to copyright, he frowned. These things. He didn't know what they were called, but he called them "creepers" for the weird way they stalked along the hallways and the lawn and seemed to just glide about while still in contact with the ground and taking visible steps. He did not head towards the creepers in front of him, and when he looked to find Kiseki once more, she was no longer before him.

Aw crapbaskets! Where'd she get off to? He questioned internally, wishing he hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Suddenly, several more explosions were thrown across the house, and they caught him off-guard. He took off running again, and quickly turned the first corner as she had predicted. There, he saw the birds arranged in a pile, which caused his neck to practically elongate at the sheer "nope" of the situation. He doubled back and sprinted towards the basement again, quickly jumping past the threshold and skipping half of the stairs. He lost his balance and fell, rolling to the bottom of the stairs.

Shit, that hurt! He internally swore, his body sore though nothing was broken or sprained. He staggered to his feet now, quickly shifting his focus around the basement. It seemed like she hadn't converted into a workshop as he had predicted, but just set up the summoning circle hastily. He again eyed the mirror in the middle of the circle, tilting his head slightly. He took a few steps towards it, enchanted as he looked into the reflective surface beneath him. He wouldn't see Kiseki's silhouette when it appeared atop the flight of stairs. His back was to her, for just a mere second or two. But for Kiseki, a magus, it would likely be enough of an opening to strike.

"What sort of artifact is this? A mirror...orient in stylization, that much is clear. But wasn't a mirror stolen recently from the Tokyo Imperial Museum? Did she...take this thing?" He kneeled down, beginning to pick up the mirror.

[Kiseki]

Day 0; 22:09 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

Kiseki smiled as her plan came to fruition, his reaction was simply delicious as he ran back towards the basement in fear. She immediately walked after him after hearing a thud, "The idiot must have fallen." She said to herself about to reach what use to be the door, there he was in the circle, admiring her relic.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to steal from others?!" Kiseki shouted as she grabbed her bow, before he would have the chance to look back she pulled back her string. She closed her eyes for a second remembering the structure of an arrow, its material and its all around chemical make up. As her eyes opened the arrow was in her hand preparing to be launched, aiming for his heart she let the string go already knowing it was going to hit its mark.

"Pathetic, you tried to steal from me and you end up dying in a summoning circle." Kiseki sneered as she turned away and whistled for her familiars, they crowded around the door peering in. Kiseki wasn't going to take any chances, if he tried to escape they would explode and kill him. If he killed her they would come in and kill him. Either way he was going to die in this basement, she tossed her bow to the side and began to approach the boy. The arrow had now disappeared from his body as she crouched beside him.

"I"m sorry I had to do this, Wait. I'm not sorry for killing you. I am sorry for you getting caught up in this though. Just close your eyes and go to sleep, your death will come quicker that way." She whispered in his ears before standing up and backing away. She would wait for him to die before continuing, no point in rubbing in the fact that she would soon have a servant at his expense. She bit her bottom lip at the fact she had to kill him, he wasn't bad looking but Kiseki hated doing this. To make it worse she had to do it in her own house, stopping her train of thought Kiseki looked at the boy.

"Hey are you dead now?" She called out, she didn't hear him any more, however it was strange for someone to be dead now. He had at least three more seconds in him. "I suppose he was just weak." Kiseki said aloud before shrugging her shoulders.

[Issunboushi]

Day 0; 22:10 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

"..."

When the arrow struck Satoshi Inoue in the upper-left area of his back, he did not react straight away as many humans would have. No, he couldn't. The pain was too great. It coursed through his body, causing his limbs to burn with a cold flame which boiled his crimson blood. He looked at his own chest, an easy enough feat since he had been crouched before the awe-inspiring mirror artifact. He could see the tip of an arrow protruding from his chest; it had struck him in the heart with unerring accuracy. His entire world had gone stagnant suddenly, in response to the pain which now overwhelmed his body. Still ,he remained balanced upon his knees, the mirror clutched by both hands as if it were his only means of living.

"Pathetic, you tried to steal from me and you end up dying in a summoning circle."

I'm in...the circle. Stealing from her? No. But...this thing is worth stealing? In the circle. This is the key to her Servant, then. He could still think straight, which was not something a typical human could do under these circumstances. Had he not undergone five years of combat training under Marielle von Einzbern...had he not endured hours upon hours of "playtime" with Alice before he graduated from plaything to playmate...then he would have simply fallen over dead once the arrow struck. But he had mental fortitude, and while he could not move his body well, he could still think. And he believed that he had thought up a decent plan. The first step was simple: fall. And fall he did, laying upon his left side, the mirror held to his chest by his right arm.

"I"m sorry I had to do this, Wait. I'm not sorry for killing you. I am sorry for you getting caught up in this though. Just close your eyes and go to sleep, your death will come quicker that way." The woman's words echoed as her breath tickled his ear and neck. He could barely process her words...they sounded as if they were filtered, more distant and laced with static. The pain was trying to dull his senses, and he could feel the wetness of the puddle in which he lay. It was his blood...he was losing blood, because the arrow that had surely penetrated his chest was now gone.

"Hey are you dead now?" She asked aloud, before labeling him as "weak." Surely, when compared to a proper magus, the amateur magus Satoshi Inoue was weak. But five years was a relatively long time...five years since he had not simply been thrust, but dragged forcibly into the world of magic. And five years to prepare for this night.

I don't want to die.

He only had one chance.

Please...don't let me die.

He gathered the last of his energy, and spoke.

Not like this...as insignificant as I am, I can't let myself be beat...

His voice was low, barely above a whisper, when he did speak.

Without even putting up a real fight. I'll give anything! He mentally pleaded, not even sure who he was speaking to...though, unbeknownst to him, the perky ears of a certain Servant could already hear him.

Within the circle, the air would carry his words and prana about the room as a whirlwind began to slowly manifest.

Please, don't let me die here! If I must die, let it be after being useful to Maria...to the world...let my death hinder the corrupt magi who would seize the Grail!

At first, a gentle, constant breeze of swirling air and prana. At first, she would not hear his words as they were spoken under his breath.

"I make my oath here. I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heavens. I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades. Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words, come past thy restraining rings"

As Satoshi Inoue resumed the summoning incantation which he had been present for, his blurred vision confirmed one thing: Kiseki was standing there...just beyond the circle. Good. Then he could continue, and take no unnecessary risks. When he had spoken the words of the summoning incantation in synch with her, no command seal had appeared...because he had not been before the circle. Most Masters were chosen before their summoning. But Satoshi had done his research...rather, Marielle had given him hours of lecturing and notes to attend to, threatening to ask Alice to "play" with him if he didn't make certain marks on Maria's tests.

Satoshi had initially thought his teacher was joking, until he spent a week as Alice's doll...the experience had taught him much...especially about how delicate one's bones were when reduced to a few inches in size. Now, his studying was about to pay off. The command seal mercilessly seared the skin on the bottom of his right forearm. Calling forth a command seal so hastily would normally result in unbearable pain even for a magus. But Kiseki had fixed that problem: the pain caused by the hole in his heart made feeling any pain in his arms impossible. His voice raised for the last line, the last of his life put into the plea.

"And be thou the hands that protect the balance---!" He forced himself to speak loudly now, his previously weakened voice clear and sure, the mirror held to his uniform top by his right arm...and that very arm loosened as he lost consciousness, the mirror falling in such a way that the reflective side faced the ceiling of the dreary attic.

[Tamamo-no-Mae]

Day 0; 22:10 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

In absolute darkness lays the body of a young maiden. No sights, no sound, not even a smell. Just absolute stillness. Worry not for the young maiden as she has been in an eternal slumber awaiting one to give warmth to this blackness. Her pink hair lay around her head in two ponytails. Her blue kimono and black sashes cover her body keeping her warm. Her pink lips were ever so slightly apart to allow her to breath through her mouth when necessary. She was content sleeping and dreaming.

A bright light beamed onto her. The white light came from an opening far in the distance like the mouth of a cave. The light caused the maiden to stir. She furrowed her brows as the light shined upon her face disturbing her slumber. Her eyes slowly opened blinking harshly to the new light. With a groggy expression she pushed herself up into sitting position. Her hands rubbed her golden hues to get the sleep out of them. A mighty yawn over took the maiden. Her hands reached far above her head taking this opportunity to stretch her arms.

She lazily peered into the light as it bathed her with resuscitating light. Her fox ears perked at the sound of a distant voice calling out to her. She recognized the words immediately as a summoning incantation. The maiden felt a deep excitement for being summoned though it was suppressed by her just waking up. The voice sounded female. She spoke the words flawlessly. Her prana wasn't anything exceptional, but easily enough for her to materialize herself. She began to pick up on something else being transmitted. Her feelings were being sent to her as well.

The maiden frowned. She could tell immediately that the girl wasn't pure of heart or even had the intention of doing anything good in the world. In fact she seemed to be quite the opposite. The maiden wanted to immediately decline her summoning, but she had little chose in the matter. In the blackness behind her a shape began to manifest. Two giant feral eyes opened within the darkness. Nine shapes sprouted from the being all swaying about. A large toothy grin could be seen from the reflecting light. The maiden turned to greet the eyes that were now looking upon her. A small frown existed on her face.

"Cheer up Tamamo," the deep yet feminine voice called out, "Looks like we're going to be summoned."

The maiden turned her gaze back toward the white light. The incantation continued as one would expect. The excitement she once felt was replaced by despair. She did not want to be summoned like this. Instead of her she would be replaced by the nine-tailed fox. An evil servant for an evil master. Her wish would never be granted. All she would see was carnage and destruction, and she would love every minute of it.

To both of the being's surprise the incantation suddenly stopped. All sounds other than the incantation were nearly impossible to hear. There were bouts of yelling and explosions. All were filtered as if through many thick walls. Both the maiden and the demon were confused by the sudden halt. They both waited. The light from the cave grew slightly dimmer as the magic that fueled it ran out without the summoner near by.

The light suddenly became filtered by a blood red. The light flooded in as a mixture of red and pink. It was an odd sensation. The light filled the maiden with a sense of pity. She could feel the life of another ending. Her heart went out to the person who was dieing even if it were the evil master summoning her. Her eyes widened as another voice rang into the darkness. This time it was a male's voice. His feeling were noble and just. He was fearful and regretful. His life was fading quickly

I don't want to die.

Please...don't let me die.

Not like this...as insignificant as I am, I can't let myself be beat...

Without even putting up a real fight. I'll give anything!

Please, don't let me die here! If I must die, let it be after being useful to Maria...to the world...let my death hinder the corrupt magi who would seize the Grail!

The maiden listened to the boy's cries. He spoke to himself without being aware of his audience. He wanted to live and be strong. The maiden wanted the very same thing for him.

"Then call to me! Call me forth!"

The maiden cried at the top of her lungs to the boy's voice. She wasn't sure if he could hear her, but she wanted him to know. She desired it more than anything she had ever in this darkness. If only she could go to him.

His voice filled the darkness. He was finishing the summoning incantation. The red and pink light spread rapidly through the darkness pulling the maiden toward it. The black shape in the darkness was cast away. The maiden ran toward the light as it pulled her toward it. It got brighter and brighter. She ran at it until she felt sure she was at the end where she leaped forth. The light was so intense that she couldn't see.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The maiden opened her eyes. She stood in a cloud of smoke. The room she stood in was dimly lit making it hard to tell where exactly she was. Her eyes scanned the room showing signs of storage and battle. The boxes strewn across the room suggested it was some kind of storehouse. Black scars covered the floors, walls, and crates. Her eyes drifted to a crouching girl. She had fiery orange hair and a look that matched both color and intensity. In her hand was a bow. She wondered why the girl was holding onto a bow. Her gaze drifted downward toward her feet. The smoke obscured the ground below her. Her eyes widened as she saw crimson blood at her feet. There in the center of the puddle lay a boy.

Her mind was quickly bombarded with all sorts of information. Not only from her awaiting her master's call in the darkness, but information about the era, the language, and the Holy Grail War. Her head hurt from the sudden remembrance of all of these topics. Only one matter at the moment and that was this boy who was her master. She knelt down next to him and looked for his wound. It appeared to be through his chest where his heart should be. It was about the size of an arrow.

She looked directly at the girl who knelt down but a few meters away. The bow still clutched in her hand. The smoke had cleared giving the maiden a clear view of the girl. She gritted her teeth showing sharpened canines behind her normally girlish smile. A low growl escaped from her throat. She lifted her right hand and clenched it into a fist. Six black feathers formed in between her fingers. With a single swipe of her hand the feathers shot forth like arrows landing around the orange haired girl who was the target of the maiden's wrath. None of them hit the girl, but were close enough to cause fear. The feathers wiggled as they stuck in the wood around her as if being swayed by the wind.

"You hurt my Master! If you value your life flee now while you have the chance! Pray to Amaterasu for forgiveness to have brought the wrath of Tamamo-no-mae upon yourself!" the maiden growled at the girl hoping for it to be enough to scare her off.

She looked back to her Master, the boy on the floor, fearing that he may slip out of her grasp. In a moment of desperation she relinquished her Noble Phantasm, Suiten Nikkou Amaterasu Yano Shizu Ishi. The regalia floated next to her. The mirror reflected the boy who laid upon the ground. Part of the knowledge that was crammed into her head were limitations that were placed on her power as a near God. One of which was the effects of this mirror. If she could use it to the fullest she could reverse this wound in an instant. However, the Holy Grail prevented her from doing so.

Tears welled up in her eyes, "Please let me save my Master! Don't let him die here! He wants to live!" She cried out to the Grail despite it not actually being here. However, as if it had heard her call, the mirror displayed a blue light that coated the boy. She recognized the light as a light that halted life and death. Her Master would remain in his current condition until the light faded, no better no worse. Still she smiled in between tears.

Without any regard for her garments she lifted the boy into her arms. His eyes were shut and his mouth was slightly open. Blood escaped from his lips as he lay there. Tears landed on his face from her tearful display.

"Please wake up. You said you wanted to live didn't you. You called out to me. Please, if you truly are my Master, then please wake up!"

[Kiseki]

Day 0; 22:13 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

Kiseki was astonished, the boy wasn't dead and the circle was glowing a bright red. She was scared, she didn't want to die. She couldn't die in her own home, this was her domain at her hour. She wasn't going to let him kill her, she couldn't let a mere human kill her. She whistled as the familiars all crowded at the door, they were around the hundreds as anyone could easily assume a hundred of them stood there. They had enough explosive force to bring down the entire house if they all exploded at once. She smiled to herself at this fact, she had a trump card now.

"Ahahaha... Ahahaha!" She began to laugh wildly now, she snapped her fingers and muttered the single action word. It was hardly heard over the sound of the boy's final chant. Time slowed for her right there, her prana had reached just above him and could kill him instantly. Then it was gone, as if a vacuum came through and absorbed all the mana in the air. Then the circle shined a bright red, before a small explosion took place on it. Kiseki knew that wasn't her explosion as she was preparing to step forward and kill the boy fast.

Three. No. Six. Kiseki easily perceived the feathers but couldn't dodge them, this was a servant. No one could easily dodge their attacks as if it was nothing, Kiseki remained frozen as they landed around her. Each one swayed gently and it would normal fascinate Kiseki if she wasn't about to be killed. There stood the nine tailed fox, her servant. The strongest servant with, one tail?

"You hurt my Master! If you value your life flee now while you have the chance! Pray to Amaterasu for forgiveness to have brought the wrath of Tamamo-no-mae upon yourself!" The servant spoke, Kiseki wasn't angry anymore. She couldn't be angry, this Tamamo-no-mae wasn't her servant. She didn't want a one tailed fox, she wanted the nine tailed fox. This was a mere weakened form of her, Kiseki rolled her eyes at this. She however still needed to escape and the servant obviously cared deeply for her new master for some reason.

"Please let me save my Master! Don't let him die here! He wants to live!" The servant plead with the air, Kiseki had taken several steps back, however that was all she needed to hear. She could manipulate this woman with her master as the bargaining chip.

"Please wake up. You said you wanted to live didn't you. You called out to me. Please if you truly are my Master then please wake up!" The servant practically looked like she was about to cry, Kiseki licked her lips in anticipation. She smiled as her plan was already formulated for three nights.

"Pathetic, He is dying and his servant can't save him. I guess it can't be helped, I'll let you stay here only one night. If you don't leave by midnight tomorrow my familiars will blow this entire house to nothing and I will come finish the job. Until then I'll leave you be to tend to him. You have this house as your own but my familiars will explode if you enter a forbidden area." Kiseki turned around with her bow in hand, the familiars moved away from the door and went upstairs. They crowded in her room, it held everything she valued and she wouldn't let them get a hold of it. She walked out the door planning to simply watch her house from afar, as she left her boundary field she felt sick. She hated to leave her house, however it was necessarily if she wanted to live. Besides it can't be that bad on the streets anyways.

[Exit]

[Issunboushi]

Day 0; 22:15 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki

Satoshi Inoue had - as a result of the hole in his heart - been pulled beneath the surface of consciousness. A combination of the physical trauma dealt to him by Kiseki and the strain of summoning a Servant without much preparation had left him physically drained. He had closed his eyes, completely certain that he would never open them again. The darkness which he had become immersed in was everywhere, and it threatened to suffocate him. He couldn't move, and it didn't feel like he could draw breath. He had never experienced this feeling before, but any human who lived as a magus knew what the sensation was...because magus prepared themselves for this inevitable end simply by living as they did.

Am I...dead? Satoshi asked himself, internally. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be dead or not. No, he knew he was supposed to be dead...but he wasn't. At least, he didn't think he was dead yet...because he could think at all, he believed himself to be alive. No, surely I could not think to myself like this were I dead. I still exist in the world of the living...but my body can't take anymore...I imagine I've lost too much blood. Heh. Just when I thought I stood a chance against that crazy magus...but for an amateur like me, I guess this is the only end possible, right?

A bright light shined within the room...beyond the confines of the darkness. And as if he were laying with his eyes closed upon his bed, this light gently fell upon his face as the sun did every morning. Like the sunlight, this aura was warm and welcoming...pure white, but not harmful to look at. For a moment, he believed that he was back at the Einzbern castle, asleep in a bed. But slowly, his senses began returning to him...as if death itself had been snatched from him.

No.

It was Satoshi Inoue who had been pulled back into the world of living, his own unwillingness to simply die the reason his perception of his environment was returning. His chest still hurt...badly...the hole was still there, of that there was no doubt in his mind. But he could feel the cold, unforgiving stone beneath him...he was face down upon the floor, just as he had been when he succumbed to the darkness. But the light of the summoning had woken him, refusing to allow the boy to doze off just yet. His eyes had been closed, and now they tightened as his brow furrowed. Much like a slumbering child resisting the call of the morning sun, he kept his eyes closed for only a moment. Then, a tremendous pressure seemed to fill the room. This caused his eyes to open, his chest to rise once more in what must have been one of his last breaths. And as the light receded, his vision slowly came into focus...well, it remained blurred and distorted due to the pain of the injury, but it was good enough.

He turned his neck just slightly, barely even able to manage that. He saw the elevated, sandaled feet of a woman, secured in blue leggings of some kind. He couldn't turn his head, but his left eye worked to look up at the woman, and through his blurred vision, he caught his first glimpse of his new Servant. He couldn't make out any of her actual features, but he caught a blurred glimpse of her silhouette, able to note her long hair and flowing outfit. Then, he could no longer look up at her due to a lack of energy. His deadening gaze simply looked straight ahead, to the far-off figure of that female magus.

Why hadn't she killed him yet? Was she keeping him alive for sport? Was she really so sadistic as to do such a thing?

No. It was either Satoshi Inoue's own luck or simple refusal to die that had kept him alive this long. With a hole in his heart - albeit one briefly occupied and prevented from bleeding out by the arrow which had penetrated it - he had summoned a Servant. And the resulting burst of light and spiritual pressure had caused him to remain awake. It really was that simple; in the presence of any Servant, a human's body would feel that pressure. And subconsciously, his body had been so affected by Tamamo's presence that he had awoken. But even death cannot permanently be deceived, and slowly he again began to lose consciousness. After all, he was still losing blood and his heart could barely pump any throughout his body now.

"You ---- Master! ----ou- -------- flee now while you ------- nce! Pray to A-------- for for---ess to have ---------- the wrath of Tamamo-no-m------- upon yourself!" He could barely discern her words, as his spirit continued to fade away. His body was no longer physically responsive, but he would still think if nothing else, even as his eyes closed once more.

Master? Who does she...mean? Satoshi knew the answer, but it was hard to believe. I am her Master? Tamamo is my Servant? I don't know her...but I summoned her... He thought to himself, the mirror still held by one arm to his chest. Undoubtedly, his blood had tainted the relic, but that was of little concern to the dying human. The blood-stained mirror was called into the air, under Tamamo-no-Mae's telepathic whim. She was attempting to deny him from death, and secure his leyline to this realm. But, she was unable to reject death as she could have done at full power. Suddenly, another faint glow teased the boy's gaze. Once more, his brow furrowed and he clenched his eyelids together tighter. However, now, his descent into the darkness was halted. He had been sure his life would slip away, but...even as he lay upon the floor with his eyes closed, in a puddle of his own blood, his spirit refused to fade. As the harsh feeling of the stone floor beneath him vanished, he heard a familiar voice...a voice which accompanied the faint, blue light that invaded the darkness.

"Please wake up." That was the absurd request of the female Servant.

"You said you wanted to live, didn't you?" The Servant called "Tamamo" asked of him, though her question was clearly rhetorical. Satoshi began to try and open his eyes once more, only to find that now he was looking up at the ceiling. But with less effort than before, he could move his eyes...but not his head. He shifted his gaze, filtered through a unique lens thanks to the blue, gentle light which encased his body...and the soft, brown gaze of Satoshi Inoue met for the first time with the golden hues of Tamamo-no-Mae. He didn't know what to say...he could feel a thin but firmly molded layer of prana around him...undoubtedly, whatever spell she had cast on him was the source of the odd light.

"You called out to me. Please, if you truly are my Master, then please wake up!"

...

...

...

"...Unreasonable." Satoshi managed, softly. He didn't know how, but death no longer tugged at his spirit. He could still feel the sense of impending death, however, but he was clearly awake. It didn't take the amateur magus long to realize that he had been put into a sort of stasis. The agonizing pain from the hole is his heart lingered, and he found it difficult to move much, if he could at all. His body didn't respond to the signals his brain sent, and he could only lay within her arms, just able to keep his head up by himself. His eyes were lost and confused, unsure of his situation but slowly regaining what his expression lacked: hope. Forcing a small smile onto his lips, he spoke to her. "That's an...unreasonable request. He paused, looking into the eyes of his Servant, that pained, playful smile still upon his thin lips. "But I guess it's one...I can do."

He spoke in a quiet voice just above a whisper in volume, not out of any solemn attitude regarding this exceptionally pretty girl, but because it hurt to speak. So, he decided that he would try something...a spell he had done only twice before, and a nifty little trick that Marielle had taught him. But he lacked the physical ability to engage the spell, so he simply concentrated, while speaking once more to Tamamo.

"I know a magus. She'll fix me up. Put your forehead..." He paused for a moment, and even in his near-death state Tamamo would see a gentle, red tint paint itself across his cheeks. "P-put your forehead on my own. I'll show you...the way." He managed, clearly too weak to explain himself. And when Tamamo obeyed his request, her own mind would be flooded with visions...clear visions, as if she herself was in another location. He would have to hope whatever Servant Tamamo was, she didn't have magic resistance. If she did, there was no guarantee the spell would work. But assuming Caster Tamamo followed his instructions, then her mind would be translocated.

Her vision would briefly leave her body, and move up the stairs at breakneck speed. The tunnel vision effect only came to a pause when a brief moment of stillness occurred as a result of this projected sight changing direction or turning. Out through the front door, and through several blocks of houses which all appeared similar to the exterior of this one. With urgent swiftness, this ghostly vision would change, and whatever spell gave Tamamo her Master's sight would follow the route home...well, to the Einzbern estate. Across several blocks and essentially on the other side of town. Then, into a forest on the outskirts of town...and eventually, Tamamo's sight would yield to the large, imposing mansion...before this vision would become full of static and fade as if a television had been clicked off.

Satoshi was no expert magus, nor an exceptionally skilled alchemist...but the spell he had just used was fairly simple. He hadn't actually taken away Tamamo's sight, but allowed her to borrow his visual memories of the way home. He had them too, but she now possessed a copy of his knowledge regarding how to get "home" from this dreary place. And as Tamamo kept her forehead pressed against his own, his nostrils would fill with a pleasant smell...the simple, naturally enticing scent of a girl. Probably from her hair.

It was this smell that would remind him Tamamo was a female Servant, which mattered to him because...well...it embarrassed him, simply put. Even so, the only hint of this would be the blush from before which sustained itself until her forehead pulled away from his own. When she did pull her forehead away, he would speak once more, briefly.

"Thank you...for saving me." He stated quietly, though with only genuine thankfulness.

[Tamamo-no-Mae]

//Day 0; 22:15 P.M. - Foreign District; Miyama, Fuyuki//

"...Unreasonable."

Tamamo's eyes popped open when the words hit her ears. A startled look appeared upon her face. The tears didn't stop falling as she looked upon her Master with a small smile. His brown eyes were barely open looking upon her with an indescribable expression. Despite being on the verge of death he managed to maintain a certain level of composure. A small amount of happiness seeped out from him beyond the great sheet of pain. He forced a smile as he continued to speak.

"That's an...unreasonable request. But I guess it's one...I can do." Beyond the layers of relief and worry Tamamo managed a pout at his reluctance to comply with her pleas. A small smile formed on her lips as she sniffled some of her fear and worries back. Her eyes still shimmered with a soul of despair at the idea of losing her master. She had no methods to heal such a grievous wound, and had no resources to work with in this world other than her mirror. She treasured the time they had, but it a matter of hours her magic would run out and her master would be gone. The entire time he would in a state that was worse than death.

As if sensing this apprehension she had her Master spoke up with strained breath, "I know a magus. She'll fix me up. Put your forehead...P-put your forehead on my own. I'll show you...the way." His cheeks seemed to flush despite his loss of blood. The power of the mirror she had was incredible to allow a dieing person to do so much. Tamamo gave a gentle nod as she lowered her head slowly. Her pigtails fell off her shoulders hanging around her Master's head. She slowly closed her eyes as she gentled laid her forehead against his own.

She redacted her earlier statement. Even though he was able to speak and blush his forehead felt cool to the touch. Not cold yet, but definitely not as warm as a human body. She wondered what he meant to show her in this position. Like a spark of static electricity her mind was connected to his for the moment. She felt the mental link stabilize and harmonize with their spiritual link. He was performing a powerful magecraft she wasn't aware that existed. She was only proficient in Witchcraft though. She hated using her Witchcraft or any of her abilities. She learned in her previous life that her abilities drove others away.

Like water rushing from flood gates Tamamo's mind was assaulted by a quick blurred image. It showed the basement they were currently in. Devoid of damage and people. The image suddenly rushed forward through the house and into the yard. It sped along like a video tape in fast forward. Soon it was moving through the streets of the city they inhabited. She didn't recognize any of it, but that mattered not. Soon they were traveling along a dusty path in the forest on the edge of the city. The only illumination was provided by the moon and stars. The forest lasted for much longer than the city suggesting that their destination was a long walk from their current position. Finally the trees opened up to reveal a large castle of a home. The architecture was foreign to Tamamo, but she knew that this was a fortress for someone. The person who could help her Master was there.

The images remained solid in her mind even after the link diminished. She had a mental route selected that she could travel upon. She pulled her head away slowly. Her eyes showed a sense of determination that wasn't there before. The hopelessness she once felt was gone. There was hope for her Master. Tamamo lifted her Master from his laying position showing that even her feminine muscles and E-rank strength was enough to get the job done. It took some positioning, but she secured her master on her back with his head upon her shoulder. With grunt of effort Tamamo ran forward with speed like a professional runner. A Servant was never one to be underestimated, even one of the Caster class. She ran up the stairs and kicked down a door. The night air was much cooler than it was in the basement. A quiet, "Please endure this, Master!" was spoken before she sprinted forward with all of her might. She would not fail on the first night. Her wish had yet to be granted.

[End]

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