Near Sighisoara-City-Romania
Near the city's hills.
On a nearby hill.
In the darkness of the night, you can see a man and a young girl, a child more accurately.
They both stood in front of the white-circle drawn over the dirt. And in the top of the circle is a small, broken arrow, at least the tip of the arrow's weird metal is still there.
An arrow that shall act as catalyst for summoning a Heroic Spirit of their choosing into Archer-Class itself, a container for it.
Man took one deep breath before he stepped forward, his right hand shaking in excitement and resolve as he plundered through his countless thoughts.
Man extended his hand, and proceeded to recitate a mantra, a signing of contract between a Heroic Spirit and the Mage who is summoning for the Holy Grail War.
Man started his recitation, he continued, as the girl stood behind him, clutching her hands near her chest in worry and disturbance .
Fear enveloping her fear-stricken face now even further, as weird presence flashed over her body.
Upon a full minute worthy of incantation.
Man finally finished. "Bound by the three words of power, Emerge from the boundless unity, Guardian of Balance!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, as the circle erupted in magical energy and power.
But at the same time.. Something out of their wildest dreams happened, a miss-calculation of highest order.
The girl standing behind him, a gasp escaping her lips as she suddenly clenched her right hand tightly in pain, extended it and looked at it more closely in front of her, the light from the Magical Circle allowing her to take a closer look.
She saw the weird red-colored like tattoo on her hand, which did not exist there just moments ago.
"What is this.." She voiced her own concerns, her voice bringing the attention of the older man in front of her.
Causing him to turn around, look at her and for his eyes to widen up visibly.
As he noticed her right arm, the one she is clutching dearly in shock and surprise.
"YOU! How dare you!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he stomped towards her. Hairs on his entire body standing up suddenly, his heels dugging into earth.
But thankfully, just then the Heroic Spirit decided to show up.
As the circle lit up in blinding light, a figure appeared.
A truly mythical figure, with a body very well deserving of a Greek God.
A tall, muscular and red-colored skin. And large amount of Magical Energy seeping out of his body.
Breaking the air around him.
His dark-black hair like night-sky waved behind him due to wind and looked extremely powerful.
His hair slightly resembling that of a lion's mane as it floated behind him, like a crown belonging to a King.
His body looked as if it was sculpted by a Gods himself.
A testament just for his physical fitness.
-POV: Alex/Alcides
When I asked and requested of my System to be summoned into Fate/Apocrypha..
'I certainly did not have this in my mind at that point in time..' I though as I looked at what is happening right now in front of me.
A disgust staring accumulating in my chest.
Two people, older male and younger female, lay sprawled on the cold ground.
One quick glance towards the older male confirmed my suspicions.
Pale skin, like sickly pale. Red ruby like eyes, expressionless face. Black hair, as black as deepest darkness itself. Man in question is wearing black overcoat, black boots, black gloves and what appears to be black beret on top of his head.
And the girl?
Girl had shoulder length blonde hair. Pale skin, she is wearing glasses on top of her nose. Pink-like lips, long blonde eyelashes and that inquisitive look on top of her face.
And she is wearing nothing but black jacket over her back, buggy black pants and long sleeves shirt.
But..
The catch is... She can't be older than 8 or 9 at most?
I was never good when it comes to guessing ages.
But the man.
My face not obscured by the pelt of Nemean Lion yet, frowned. My lips turning into permanent scowl as I noticed few more light injuries on the girl.
A squint with my eyes told me everything I needed to know.
Her right hand is bleeding, her thumb and index finger. The cut itself is not deep nor any problem, and at top of her right hand are three Command Spells.
A signs of a Master.
All three taking shapes of what appear to be three separate long-lines with pointy tips, something like spears.
And yet!
"You useless sacrifice! You even stole my command seals!" Older man screamed in fury as he stood up, girl following behind too, just slightly shaky as she backed away from him with two resolute steps. Fear evident inside trembling body.
"Father, I.." Girl took one step back once more, but the guy she calls her father took one step forward.
Older man immediately took something out of his pocket, my eyes narrowed. As I discerned for what it was.
He took out what appears to be 'Azoth Blade' but alas smaller variant, enough small to be called 'Azoth Knife' rather than sword.
Girl's eyes widened in panic as she quickly turned her head towards me, her eyes pleading as she glanced back and forth between me and her 'father'.
And her command spells threatened to sparkle. I already know what I must do, both for my peace of mind and for girl.
Seeing this, I could not bear it any longer, and I cannot accept such useless use of command spells too..
So, I took action.
My body leaping from the Magic Circle I was in, just moment ago.
And in what might appear instant to normal people, I was already in front of the little child.
My left hand quickly taking hold of the male's own wrist as I clenched it firmly.
~Crack!
Maybe a bit too firmly, as resounding crack littered through the air.
'Ah yes, I sometimes forget I have A-Rank Strength.'
A sign that I just easily broke this man's wrist.
Yet, all of this happened too fast for both of them to process it right away.
Though, man's sense of pain certainly did kick in a moment later, causing me to drop his wrist. He fell comically on his knees, his left hand clutching his right hand.
As Azoth Knife dropped on cold ground and dirt.
"AAGH!" He screamed, though his eyes were cast downwards, towards his wrist...
My gaze bore on him as if it was a judgement from a God.
Red yes.
"What do you think you are doing?" I asked him, my words biting through my teeth. And my wavy black shoulder length hair seemed to weave around in the wind, as if it was alive.
Yet, if you were point a flash-light at me right now...
But the old mage, despite his ruthless nature is not weak-minded one nor a coward.
I'll give him that much, I underestimated him.
"And you, you should have been mine servant! I had them!" He frankly pointed at girl's right hand, as she continued backing away one step at a time, and could not help but cover her right arm furiously in attempt to hide it. " Her Command Spells were mine! Mine you hear me! She was nothing but a child I adopted a month ago, a preparation for perfect sacrifice via- blood and Magical Energy battery!"
I frowned.
"A nothing more! A worthless battery with life expectancy!" He added, his eyes filtered with untold amount of rage in them.
I see, he might have tried same thing Kayneth and Sola Ui did. Kayneth held Command Spells, while Sola Ui was the one who shared Magical Energy to Lancer.
I tilted my head.
I glanced towards the girl behind me for a second. She trotted even further behind. Probably scared by my red eyes and scowl on my face.
"And? You are blaming your own failures towards a girl no older than 10 years old..." I looked at him, his face turning from enraged one into purple wide-eyed stare. " Just how pathetic can you be?"
"How dare you! You are nothing but a tool! Nothing but a mere familiar for me to get my hands on the Akasha!"
I let a cruel smile appear on my face. " Then that familiar is more of a Human than you are, worm.." Then with a simple punch towards his stomach, I knocked him out, before pulling my fist away and letting his upper body to fall on harsh and cold ground with resounding thud.
'I don't feel like arguing about who is more human then the other right now.' I bit back the irk in my mind, at him daring to call me a 'mere familiar'
Seemingly satisfied with the outcome, I turned around slowly, as if not to scare my yet to be 'Master'.
When I took closer look at her face..
She looks familiar to me, I think I saw her from some fate manga?
Or Anime, I'm not too sure..
I took one step, but I immediately regretted it since the girl immediately put up her arms in front of her head as if to shield herself from me..
I stopped. I guess I'll have to go with soft approach.
"Hello there?" Due to my height, I surely look intimidating to her, so I resolved that small issue by crouching down in front of her. Even with me trying to soften my voice, it couldn't truly do much since it's very deep.
But girl did not move away her arms from her face at all.
My eyes softened even more.
"I'm Archer, you can call me Alex if you'd like." I continued speaking to her, I can see her arms trembling slightly. "I'm not a bad guy, your father was. I only punched him so he would sleep for now!" I made punching motion towards the sky above us, just to cheer her up a bit, I guess.
I'm not best when it comes to dealing with kids, but I'm willing to try my best.
Her arms trembled slightly, before she pushed them away, just enough so I can see her eyes through them and she can see me.
"Do you know what a Servant is?" I asked her, still soft smile on top my face.
She looked uncertain, as if she pondered if she should answer or if she shouldn't, but at the end, she nodded.
I grinned. " Then do you know what Holy Grail War is and how Servants are connected?" I asked her for re-affirmation once more.
She nodded before opening her mouth to speak. " I know... In normal cases, 7 Mages summon 7 Heroes from distant past and they fight for wish upon a golden cup...." She paused, as if she tried to remember something. " But this Grail War has 14 masters and 14 Servants! Yet dad somehow managed to summon a 15th Servant by researching books left my some Japanese family that begins at word T... Toh, Tuk? Tukasa?" She mumbled the last part.
I nodded. " Tohsaka?" I questioned her.
Her eyes lit up, and suddenly she stopped covering her head with her arms. " Ah yes! They were!"
I nodded, it does make sense. Tohsaka, Einzbern and Matou, if there is a Mage family who know how to bypass standard rules of Grail War it would be one of them.. But.
I glanced towards the man behind me.
Not to mention that Tohsaka Family is connected with Zelretch...
Hmm?
I smiled before turning towards the girl in front of me, who looks at me with expectant gaze?
"Then, do you have a wish you would like to accomplish via the golden cup?" I questioned her.
She cast a gaze towards the ground, pondering.
I see, smart girl.
Her lips trembled for a moment before she replied. " I... " She pointed towards the man behind me. " I'm adopted by him, I was always an orphan as far as I can remember. I would have liked to meet my real parents and not that monstrosity.."
I waited for her to continue, as I felt she would.
And she did.
"But most of all, I would like to have normal life.." She sniffed. My eyes even more softened. " I was gifted with large amount of Magical Circuits and Magical Energy that comes with it, that monstrosity said, a large quality and quantity too.. But, as some people say, there is no gain without pain. And..." She sniffed once more. " I just want to live normally, without the fear of my body..."
I see, it's a selfish wish.
But one that makes sense, even if it's selfish, it's a healthy selfish wish.
She doesn't wish for world domination, at least.
Nor does she wish for the pain of others.
Nor revenge.
Nor wealth.
All she wishes for is health.
I leaned forward even more. And I asked her.
"Do you accept me as you servant? " I paused and re-affirmed my question. " Are you my Master?"
I waited in silence.
I let it reign in, as her breathing stilled, and wheels began turning inside her brain.
But, I didn't have to wait for long..
She raised her eyes above, and meet my own red eyes with her own gaze, now set in stone.
Red eyes meet blue eyes.
A gaze that does not belong to a child, but someone who had gone through pain...
And her voice spoke.
"Yes, I accept Alex as my Servant till the end of this war." She stated.. No, she ordered. And immediately, I could feel the connection from her towards me.
A bond, a link.
As an invincible strand of magical energy formed between us.
A bond shared between Master and Servant.
And a mind-link which through we can communicate freely with.
And the most perplexing thing is..
The ridiculous amount of Magical Energy pouring from her towards me!
I stood up from my crouching position and cast my gaze around us.
Just now, I noticed we were standing on a hill this whole time.
One glance towards her father left me in contemplation.
What should we do with him?
Leaving him be here will cause trouble to her after we win the war.
I won't be there to protect her..
My right hand twitched at that though..
Yet killing him now wouldn't solve all of our problems, she will once again become orphan, this time in unfamiliar country..
And might even be traumatized by such action too, it's one thing...
Yet, those thoughts were shaken apart by none other than my Master, who I did not expect would order something so ruthless.
Something so un-befitting of a child her age.
"Kill him, I won't cry, I won't need him, I didn't like him, I wouldn't grieve for him either." She spoke, it was as if she chanted one word at a time.
I looked at her, head to toe and pondered..
Where did I see her.
So, to confirm her order, I had to ask. " Are you okay with that Master?"
She shock her head, as she stood up from her position. " Yes, he planned to use me as a battery from the beginning... And at the end, even might have planned to dispose of me.. But, even if I'm adopted, all of his properties will go to me anyway as his last remaining relative.."
I couldn't shake off the thought that something is wrong and amiss here..
She is smart, too smart for her age. Too ruthless..
I slowly turned my head around, towards the summoning circle.
And at the top of the circle is a small broken piece of the arrow.
Then I glanced towards her so called father, before I took three steps forward to him.
I extended my right hand, and used up my Magical Energy to create Arrow.
The thing about my arrows is that each and every one of them is around 170cm + long.
I can make them smaller, but I prefer their standard length.
And I plunged it into his head. Piercing it with one clean strike.
Instant Death.
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