- Pronouns
- She / Her
The year is 1994. The place is Fuyuki City.
A confrontation on a scale hardly imaginable to the people of this city is coming, and it will reap it's bloody toll on this land.
A fierce struggle between seven mighty powers is threatening to spill destruction and madness upon it's streets, as it happened many times before; cold, insane logic of the warring heptad will drive them to the highest levels of callous cruelty as they attempt to grasp their desires.
The seven great Powers and their Masters will fight in the name of peace, power, love, eldritch secrets, and shallow amusement in a Fourth Holy Grail War.
Seven resurrected heroes are summoned to battle each other in order to grasp a Wish, any wish they can imagine; but their struggle will be in vain, as they are fated to be ritualistically killed in a grand battle royale for the purpose of accumulating enough magical energy to make the very wish they struggled to reach into reality.
Such majestic and barbaric rituals however, rarely go in accordance to the plans of their creators, and that is even more so the case due to the involvement of the Heroes summoned. Greatest of humanity are unpredictable and powerful, and even the mighty leash Magi wrapped around their they souls is far from absolute.
And thanks to you, this war is going to be even more chaotic than any other. The vile will of things unknown, the malfunction of the Grail, the strange anomaly, or your own purpose and will drove you here, and here you will struggle against those who desire you harm, seek allies, and discover the secrets of this War - or will die, trying.
@Bondo
...An acidic, vile voice interrupts whatever trail of thought you had.
The soft movement and gentle sounds of a rumbling motor slowly rouse you awake. It takes a little bit of effort to wake up completely; and the first few seconds are full of confused incomprehension as you try to figure out how you got on a bus.
...The mystery of your appearance here aside, you found yourself in a pretty nice bus. The chair is clean and comfortable enough to sleep in as the back of the chair in front of you, there is a blanket thrown over you, and it seems what there is some sort of a drink on the armrest.
And none of that explains how you actually...
"There is a maiden."
"And that maiden really, really wants to die; yesterday. That is a pretty good thing too, because if she doesn't bad things are going to happen. But there is a problem with that, purely technical one, because she is a useless little thing – and that is where you are coming in. Not that you are much better."
As the voice speaks, your eyelids feel heavy, and the strength is drained from your limbs. Everything about this presence feels like poison and malice, and as it continues to speak, every word is a whip lashing your mind.
"Your job is to ensure what she gets on with dying already, it taking way too long. Solve the technical problems, and proceed with murdering her in whatever way takes your fancy; Destroy Ciel, or you will regret it. Frankly, you aren't really suitable for the job, but you just need to..."
The voice stops in the middle of the sentence, as you start hearing muted screams of range and sounds of flesh tearing apart.
"Well, we are out of time. Tough luck."
With that, presence vanishes, and you jerk back into the land of living, and as you do, the source of the screams becomes much more clear. In the window to your left, there is a gigantic lovecraftian beast, covered with bleeding gashes and injures; it is running, its tentacles and other limbs you don't know the name of haphazardly pulling it forward and a great speed; despite it's strange physique, you can sense the desperation, the need to get away from its pursuer who is quickly gaining on it.
It's hard to call the second figure anything but a ghost rider; a an armored, demonic knight on a fantastic, warped motorcycle follows the beast through the air like a crimson comet of malevolent energy; the sword in hand, they not so much drive as they fly, quickly shortening the distance between him and their prey.
And with a quickly growing horror you realize what both of them are straight on the collision course with your bus. One. Tw...
"-Die, Gilles, you piece of Fil-"
The screech of metal is deafening; the impact, disorienting, as it's force throws you out of the seats and through the window out of the bus; you feel almost like gravity relinquished it's grasp on you for a moment, only to jerk you back with a vengeance; in a long moment of adrenaline-fueled slowed time, you see both the creature and the knight pursuing it run through the metal corpse of your bus like it isn't even there, carelessly destroying the vehicle by the force of their passage.
Then you slam against and through something metallic and hit the ground painfully a moment later, while the bus continues to tumble forward like a paper model thrown aside by a petulant child.
No normal human could survive this kind of impact, but you do.
As you lie on the asphalt, feeling slightly alive, you see the final of the chase which broken into your life like a wrecking ball, interrupting your nice, calm ride on a bus; the pursuing knight cripples the beasts with repeated blows, the aura blazing around them still. There the murderous intent is clear, their victory is clear as it looks like beast is incapable of retaliating in any way - but then their victim almost splits in two it as it swallows him entirely, too quickly for the knight to react, too big to defend himself properly with a sword. The lovecraftian beast stands still, for a moment. Injured and crippled, it wobbles in place, before carefully trying to walk toward you...
...And then, it explodes, bursting apart like a insect which tried to contain a storm; the sound erupting energy and the roaring winds make it feel like you are in the middle of a nuclear explosion. A pillar of crimson magical energy extends into the sky, and amongst the ruined remains of the beast, you see its source; a metal figure, holding a beam what seems to look like a fountain of magical energy in their hands.
It takes a few moments for the light to extinguish itself. The knight looks jerkily looks around, never turning toward you, and seems to take a deep breath.
"One down, six to go. " the figure speaks aloud, the signs of pain evident in their voice, and then just... vanishes into nothing, leaving you alone near a wreckage of a bus on an unfamiliar street in the middle of city you don't know.
The street you find yourself seems to be relatively urban, with tall buildings surrounding you; aside from the wreckage of the bus, there are surprisingly few cars around you, and what you see seems to have been hastily abandoned. Close by, you see what looks like a train-station. Further ahead, in the distance you see a tall building with letters "HYATT" emblazoned on it, and... Oh.
It looks like a small comet is going to slam into it in a few moments.
@BlackHadou
Countless stars glimmer beneath you, an aspect of the Dragon King, soar through the dimensional sea. Innumerable world's light the way in the darkness, so close, and yet so very far apart; never to touch one another, yet always aware of their presence. A grand orchestra of chaos, made real by your simple observation.
However, there is only one world that was of any import. The world the King of Summons had imparted a part of its essence, you, too. It is a world that stood on the precipice of annihilation, where not even the heroes of ancient times could hope to stand against the coming darkness.
The task of protecting the world was entreated to you. Yet there was still an order that needed to be maintained. To preserve this world order, you transform yourself into the most numerous species on the planet. Taking the shape of the humans, you prepare to gently enter the world, leaf into a pool of water.
But not everything is as it seems. As you begin the transition, you smash into some kind of… turbulence. All of a sudden, five billion eyes lock onto you as your body is pushed and pulled to and fro. You crash through the dimensional barrier, slowly dragged through as you fight to regain control of the situation.
All of a sudden you see it, the Skyline of Fuyuki City. In the distance, a plane approaches for landing, and below you are the city lights, as dazzling as the dimension sea. A thousand colors rush to great you as the citizens below go on with their lives, a magnificent sight to behold!
If only you weren't about to crash into the roof of one of Fuyuki's many skyscrapers. With a tremendous boom, you smash straight through the roof of the building, concrete, insulation, steel, and tiling as you bodily bypass the roof and top floor. Windows burst from your passage as you tumble deeper into the building.
Until, finally, you come to a halt. Your body landing with a dull thud, and squarely upon the black and gold sheets of a king sized bed. The room around you filled with spectacular opulence, even if the floor is covered in bits of rubble and glass shards.
There's a pause, and finally the coup de grace springs as a loud shrill emanates from above. A rapidly beating noise that grates at your ears and demands your attention, the fire alarm most likely.
"See, Think, Learn,"
You hear the fatherly voice of your heavenly counterpart. The whole of your being rumbles from across the dimensional sea in a distorted, garbled mess.
"Investigate the Holy Grail War,"
And then you are left with naught but the shrill of the alarm, and the surprisingly comfortable bed you lay upon.
@Grue
You find yourself standing upon wings of metal, the roar and hiss of an engine beneath and to the side of your body as you brave the unbelievable wind pressure of flight. Below you, off to the side of the jet, there was nothing but great darkness. But tiny specs of light gathered over the horizon, like tiny embers of a great flame.
How you got there is a mystery even to yourself. Your last few memories before waking up half shoved into the jet engine of the turbine were blurry, though your subsequent self-rescue less so. Strangely, nobody seemed to notice the girl clinging desperately to the right wing of the plane. Perhaps… perhaps they were hit by a spell of some kind!
Slowly, you began to get a grip on things. As you adjusted to the wind threatening to push you into the ocean, you slowly became a bit more confident in your movements, and soon after ready to attempt the standing position you are in now.
It was a bit worrying that you had no contact with your compatriots in Chaldea, but the lack of sudden threats was a mild relief.
And finally, after what seems like an eternity of staring into nothing, you finally see some signs of civilization. Across the horizon those tiny specs of light spread out into hundreds upon hundreds of different colors from all different kinds of places. From skyscrapers, down to lowly city lights, all are equally represented as the plane approaches the city with all the grace a flying hunk of metal can muster.
And then, from the ground, a familiar blast of light erupted forth. Soaring through the air, barely missing your ride as it hurtled towards the empty ocean, cloud split in two as the beam travels and dissipates into nothing.
Your ride harshly turns an aerial dodge worthy of legend as it barely avoids bisection. Your grip on your portion of wing goes down to the knuckle as you narrowly avoid plummeting into the frigid water below. Or onto the pavement as it so happened.
Before you have a chance to even question the nature of the attack, a kingly voice rings in your mind.
"A great man lingers in this city, though his pride blinds him. He can change things for the better if given the opportunity. Yet a monster wander's the streets at night, and threatens to safety of all. And so I give this task to you, knight of the shield. Protect the magus Kayneth, until the monster Uryuu has fallen."
The occupants of the plane all panic as the pilot roughly fights for control and you cling still as the words pulse through your brain, and ponder as your pilot begins making headway towards the landing strip.
@Nanimani
You find yourself face first with shiny wood, or so it looked. As you push yourself off, it's fairly evident that this 'wood' is nothing of the sort. It is far too shiny, with a grain that appears painted on no less. You found yourself seated in some kind of elaborate torture device, trapped with the 'table' in front of you and a most uncomfortable 'chair' behind that jabs into your royal backside.
Your only relief is that whoever was in charge of your torture was incompetent enough to leave the device open for escape. Also fortunate, was that in spite of being surrounded by a dozen of similar torturous devices, you happen to be the only occupant of the room. Good! That saves you the trouble of needing to rescue your subjects.
Still, the location of your torture is a… interesting one at least. Save for the skeleton in the corner, the room was quite cheerful, even in the dark. Full of healthy plants, decorations, and even somewhat crude drawings, extremely crude drawings. Actually they are all unbelievably bad.
Although there is a strange 'notice' in the center of the pack, hidden among the worst drawings you have ever seen. Something about 'stranger danger', and to remain in groups of three or more, or to always be with an adult.
There isn't a lot of time to ponder the meaning behind these words. A markedly timid voice breaks into your mind.
"Oh… uh.. hello your majesty. I need your help! A man named Kayneth wanders this city, and will bring nothing but death and suffering onto the innocent if someone can't stop him! U.Unn, if you could stop him, that'd be nice…"
@Wizard_Marshall
It's a strange feeling, coming back to life. You distinctly recall the snake hunter's scythe slicing through your neck, separating flesh and tendon and bone as the Greek hero Perseus neatly decapitated your monstrous form. And the encroaching darkness that fell upon your vision as a curtain as your life came to its miserable end.
Yet here you are, standing in an empty house as you come to grips with the information you've obtained. A thick layer of dust and dirt clings to every surface of the room, pots and pans thrown wherever in an act of sacrilege against housekeepers. The occasional bug crawls or flies from crevices in the corners of the ceiling or windows. Though for all you know, the owners are simply messy. The smell wafting in from the living room painted a picture of absolute delight. The tasty scent of pork, cooked just right. Fit for a king, if you had to judge.
The year is 1994. From the abyss of death, you have summoned from the Throne of Heroes to participate in the Holy Grail War. The land you're currently in is Japan, and you are in Fuyuki City.
Information flooded into your brain, bringing you 'up to speed' with this modern culture. It's just enough that you can function in this new society, if nothing else you know how to ask for directions. More importantly, you were all too aware of just what you have been summoned to do.
As Servant Rider, you were expected to fight others that have been summoned from the Throne of Heroes in a grand tournament of sorts. The winner would receive the blessing of the Holy Grail, and with it, one wish of near unlimited power.
But there is something else. A girlish voice speaks softly in your mind with a voice laced with venom and fervor as she compels you to do her bidding.
"Oh goddess, who walks among mere mortals once more. There is a woman who has arrived from another world. Her life be as a vortex of suffering that engulfs all that surround her. Kill this so called 'holy warrior' and spare the world some unneeded despair when the skinwalker finds her."
"Maybe you could try and do something useful for once. Do that instead of spending your entire worthless life eating your sisters."
The voice fades, and you're left alone once more. The sound of the night life echo's from the outdoors, beckoning you. And yet there's perhaps something still left in the house. As tiny red flecks dot the hard wooden floors and you can't help but notice a congregation of flies in the corner of the next room, just beyond a broken in door.
@God and the Snake
It is a rather small area, where you find yourself. Stone on three sides and glass on the forth, your movement is somewhat confined, if you didn't want to break the glass.
Stretching out long ways is an option, but the logs and small plants around you would make that uncomfortable. To say nothing about the snakes that are wrapping around your limbs. They seem rather comfortable where they are, and would rather you not move.
"Oh, now this is ironic, isn't it?"
A voice comes from nowhere, speaking into your mind.
"I was looking for a protector, and find you instead? How amusing. Ah, nevertheless, you have an important duty."
One of the longer snakes takes a moment to coil around your neck. It seems rather proud of itself.
"The one known as 'Medusa' has a task I would like to see fulfilled, but may face difficulty in accomplishing it. Protect them for me, would you not? At least until this 'Archer' is dead..."
And with that, the voice fades.
@Xellos
The world is crimson.
The great light floods the world, blinding you for an instant, but quickly fades. Even without it, the crimson blood spraying the walls of the ruined alleyway paints the world red indeed.
All around you are corpses, broken bodies of men and women, even a few children. Some of the men bear tattooed marks, but it's impossible to tell in most cases.
A sad sight, isn't it?
A story of sorts can be seen, going through the wreckage. Most of the bodies likely didn't see their death coming, killed in the initial impact. Some weapons scattered around, daggers and even a gun, show that some people present tried to fight back, though the lack of a scent of gunpowder shows they weren't successful.
"Alas, such a tragedy is to be expected, with a Monster like that present."
The bodies of the children are closest to the exit, hinting that they had tried to run. By the way they were on their backs, it was seemed as if they were pulled back, escape in their reach when they were slaughtered.
"Those present would combat the threat, if they knew of it. Alas, considering the chaos that is to come, some monsters may slip under the radar"
One corpse is slumped against a wall, close to you. It's the most upright of them all, unnaturally so.
"Destroy Roa. You shouldn't have to be told to hunt him, but knowing he is in the city should shorten your hunt"
All at once, the corpses open their eyes.
@Dalek Ix
The crash of steel upon steel, the shouting of men as they battle for the most righteous cause, these things surround you as you fight shoulder to shoulder with your fellows. The wicked soldiers of the Lombard League may have deterred you at Alessandria, but defeat has only strengthened your resolve. Where others worried and despaired at the news from Henry, the so call lion, You merely prepared yourself for greater glory in the name of your King. Frederick Barbarossa desired to bring all of Italy to heel, and you shall see it done!
Of course, not everything had gone to plan. A minor setback to be sure. Hooves thundered across the battlefield as Imperial cavalry met with the forces of Lombard, smashing their ranks asunder with righteous fury. Your heart soared as the enemy was ruthlessly driven away, and your comrades were free to turn their attention upon the infantry. Included in their number was the "Company of Death", but even they were pressed to fight against your numbers.
But somehow, someway, the Lombard League has managed to turn the tides. Through what was no doubt sorcery, they managed to reinforce their knights after being routed from the field by your cavalry. They came in from nowhere, and smashed into your rear lines. Frederick was thrown from his horse as the assault came from two sides, slaying many of your comrades and nearly you as well. Many of your fellows even began calling for a retreat.
You, however, must simply know whether or not your liege was alive. You fight your way through their numbers, hewing through flesh and bone and smashing their armor asunder with your psychic power.
Finally, you reach the last place anyone had seen of Frederick Barbarossa. Delirious and buried under the body of his horse, the man struggled for breath. In a lull between the fighting, you heft the horse off of the body of your liege, witnessing the broken body of the man beneath. You knew then, that this could not be his end. And with a solemn prayer you focus your power onto the man, wishing his body anew. Just as the Lombard return to face you, you use your power to fling the man far from the battlefield, his body vanishing into thin air in a flash.
As you prepare to face the rest of the Lombard League's knights by yourself, the world itself shrinks in your vision. The helmets of the enemy jerk back, and freeze as black slowly encompasses everything. Spiraling into nothingness, the battlefield passes from the world, and you find yourself stranded and alone in a cold, dark, void.
But only for a second
You blink and find yourself face first in the dirt, your body collapsed on the ground. You hear the gentle lapping of waves, and look up in wonder. A lake, covers your vision. Pristine, and beautiful, as little lightning bugs dance across the surface. All around you, the sound of the night life flourishes completely undeterred by your sudden appearance.
"Ah, there you are."
A voice speaks from within the depths of the lake. Neither male nor female, the androgynous voice resounds in your skull with great authority, but bears also surprisingly gentle.
"I have saved your life, Dame Valerie. For that battlefield was indeed to be your last. I have a great need of you. You, who have served someone for all your life, must now serve another. At least, temporarily. A noble seeks to win a war for a most holy object. His life will be in danger at every turn, and his pride does him no favors. That is why I need you. Protect this noble magus. Protect Kayneth, until the Lancer falls."
And then the voice is quite, and you're left at the banks of the lake. Completely and utterly alone.
@Sinsystems
You wake up. It's not a pleasant, slow awakening of the start of the weekend.
And neither it is an unpleasant but familiar awakening by an alarm clock, as no pressing realization of the need to hurry up anywhere, neither an annoying noise tries to drags you out of the bed.
No, you because something painfully pokes you in the ribs. You twitch away from the unpleasant sensation, only to hit something with your everything, stumble – how did you manage to fall asleep while standing, you wonder for a long, strange moment - and painfully fall on some sort of hard surface; a mountain of items, follows you, impacting your body like a shower of hail, holding your down...
...Until the pressure lessens, and the moment later, you hear a heavenly voice.
"A man derides entertainment from the suffering of others. For that purpose, he made an infernal act with a creature which shed it body behind like an empty shell. No mundane opposition can overcome their union.
Destroy Uryuu."
As voice finishes speaking, the painful pressure returns, renewed, increasing ever further, until the surface you were plastered against starts giving to the pressure in with a shudder and screech of breaking wood and metal and...
...and you painfully fall out of the tight, suffocating closet you were locked in. The door you were heavily leaning onto flaps wide open with a sound which can only mean a broken lock, while a literal forest of brooms follows you down to the floor, almost exploding out of the space too small to such a great number of cleaning appliances.
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Why these are so heavy, anyway?
As you slowly crawl out of the pile of brooms, and get a chance to look around, you realize what it looks you are in some sort of a school... But the specific locations elude you. It's nighttime, the corridor you fell into is unfamiliar.
Nearby is a window; you do not recognize the landscape you see in it. Directly in front of you is a fairly typical schoolyard, and away from you are the lights of the unknown city you never saw before.
You almost turn away, until a bright, expanding pillar of crimson light-energy shines far away in the distance, tall and bright enough to eclipse any structure, any building nearby - and the shockwave of the distant explosion rattles the windows moments later.
@Hannz
Your back aches as you pull yourself up from a fitful rest. A harsh light blares at you from above, penetrating even your tightly shut eyelids. You place your arm in front of your eyes, blocking out the light as you try to resituate yourself. Yet returns to peaceful slumber isn't in the plans of the universe, as a sudden howl and rush of wind blows a wind and a blasts noise into your ears and shocks you into an upright position.
Suddenly, everything rushes towards you at once. The sight of the grungy ceiling, the strange metal monstrosity that lurked just in front of you, the silvery light that illuminated the area like a glowering overseer. This place definitely isn't your room.
At your back was a great tiled wall, and along the wall dotted a strange black post. Inside of the post was a great many dates and times. There, off to the right of the post is another one. But this one seems to be carrying some kind of map. A brief scan of this paper brought your attention to a bright arrow, with the words "You are here" listed above some place called "Shinto".
And then you hear it, a voice that penetrates your mind with ease as you attempt to get your bearings.
"They say the blood of Genos flows through your veins. Very good! That means you're excellent at slaying Demons. You'll need those skills in the future, and it makes your task much easier. A man eater walks the streets of this city, but don't mistake me. I don't need you to kill her. For you see, your task is not one of extermination, but protection. Protect the Assassin until the Gorgon Medusa falls. Do this, and I shall reward you spectacularly. Maybe even bring that brother of yours back to life."
Before you can ask any questions, there's a great rumbling from up above. Dust falls from the ceiling, the strange underground tunnel that you've awakened in shakes like an earthquake, the black information pillar falls over and so do many of the… art pieces that hang from the wall.
@Azrael
There's a loud clattering as a steep metal pole barrels down onto the floor, smashing its pointed tip into the ground with a tremendous thud. Where the top crashed into the ground is a chip that mars the spotless checkered floor. As you rise up from your knelt position, how did you even get underneath all of those clothes anyhow? You find yourself greeted by the stares of an old man and his wife. A large gated door half shut as they look upon your form from the other side.
"A Goddess? Ha!"
A wicked voice jests from the shadows, no from the very depths of your soul. Its words etched upon your soul like a hatchet burying into a mighty oak.
"Human's don't need an outdated old bat like you, but you know what? I think you might have one last use, before you get put down like old yeller. Aren't you glad? Even someone as pathetic as you can be part of something great!"
You feel a chill running down your spine as the voice lets out a cruel laugh, which echo's deep inside your mind like the most cavernous cave upon the isle.
"And what a task it shall be. You see, your sister's murderer is in town, probably trying to keep your sister from eating you again. Anyhow, He's probably going to get into some kind of fight sooner or later, and I need you to make sure he doesn't die. Yeah, yeah, I know. You're not that great at fighting. But listen, listen. You seem to be pretty good with people. So maybe you could keep him out of trouble, at least until… oh… let's say this Archer fellow bites it.
Yeah, that's about right. Protect Perseus until Archer falls. Oh, and if you see your sister. Do us all a favor and maybe try not to be a complete and utter bitch yeah?"
You release a breath as the presence fades away. Barely a minute passed, but it felt like it had been droning on for hours. You stand up, and find yourself confronted by a figure speaking in a hurried tone. Shouting at you as he grabs you by the shoulder in your shocked state.
@Wade Garrett
he sight of the cross is not a strange one to you. Nor, in deed, is the sight of crosses laid row upon row. As you stand between the gravestones that stretch across a quite plain, you wonder whose bright idea it was to summon you in such a place. Though it isn't too surprising that you were, at the very least summoned by a rather well cared for church. Indeed, on a second look it appeared as though everything from the church to the gravestones was something that was well taken care of.
You acclimate to the information sent by the Holy Grail well enough, stoically bearing the sudden surge of information as language, and knowledge of certain modern conventions is displayed to you in half a second. The year was 1994, over four hundred years after your death and subsequent ascension to the Throne of Heroes.
Yet where was your summoner, you see neither hide nor hair of them and ponder for a moment where they might have run off to.
And then a thousand voices spoke in unison. Their voice like an angelic choir, as big as the sea, rang from the sky above and spoke into your very soul.
"Listen, our earthly messenger, for yours is a task of great importance. There is a woman of great importance that you must protect. But her path is fraught with danger; the devil will seek to destroy her, and all that surrounds her. A thousand years of darkness will spread across the land if she is felled before her task is complete. And so I ask this, my child. Protect Maiya until the Berserker falls."
A confrontation on a scale hardly imaginable to the people of this city is coming, and it will reap it's bloody toll on this land.
A fierce struggle between seven mighty powers is threatening to spill destruction and madness upon it's streets, as it happened many times before; cold, insane logic of the warring heptad will drive them to the highest levels of callous cruelty as they attempt to grasp their desires.
The seven great Powers and their Masters will fight in the name of peace, power, love, eldritch secrets, and shallow amusement in a Fourth Holy Grail War.
Seven resurrected heroes are summoned to battle each other in order to grasp a Wish, any wish they can imagine; but their struggle will be in vain, as they are fated to be ritualistically killed in a grand battle royale for the purpose of accumulating enough magical energy to make the very wish they struggled to reach into reality.
Such majestic and barbaric rituals however, rarely go in accordance to the plans of their creators, and that is even more so the case due to the involvement of the Heroes summoned. Greatest of humanity are unpredictable and powerful, and even the mighty leash Magi wrapped around their they souls is far from absolute.
And thanks to you, this war is going to be even more chaotic than any other. The vile will of things unknown, the malfunction of the Grail, the strange anomaly, or your own purpose and will drove you here, and here you will struggle against those who desire you harm, seek allies, and discover the secrets of this War - or will die, trying.
@Bondo
...An acidic, vile voice interrupts whatever trail of thought you had.
The soft movement and gentle sounds of a rumbling motor slowly rouse you awake. It takes a little bit of effort to wake up completely; and the first few seconds are full of confused incomprehension as you try to figure out how you got on a bus.
...The mystery of your appearance here aside, you found yourself in a pretty nice bus. The chair is clean and comfortable enough to sleep in as the back of the chair in front of you, there is a blanket thrown over you, and it seems what there is some sort of a drink on the armrest.
And none of that explains how you actually...
"There is a maiden."
"And that maiden really, really wants to die; yesterday. That is a pretty good thing too, because if she doesn't bad things are going to happen. But there is a problem with that, purely technical one, because she is a useless little thing – and that is where you are coming in. Not that you are much better."
As the voice speaks, your eyelids feel heavy, and the strength is drained from your limbs. Everything about this presence feels like poison and malice, and as it continues to speak, every word is a whip lashing your mind.
"Your job is to ensure what she gets on with dying already, it taking way too long. Solve the technical problems, and proceed with murdering her in whatever way takes your fancy; Destroy Ciel, or you will regret it. Frankly, you aren't really suitable for the job, but you just need to..."
The voice stops in the middle of the sentence, as you start hearing muted screams of range and sounds of flesh tearing apart.
"Well, we are out of time. Tough luck."
With that, presence vanishes, and you jerk back into the land of living, and as you do, the source of the screams becomes much more clear. In the window to your left, there is a gigantic lovecraftian beast, covered with bleeding gashes and injures; it is running, its tentacles and other limbs you don't know the name of haphazardly pulling it forward and a great speed; despite it's strange physique, you can sense the desperation, the need to get away from its pursuer who is quickly gaining on it.
It's hard to call the second figure anything but a ghost rider; a an armored, demonic knight on a fantastic, warped motorcycle follows the beast through the air like a crimson comet of malevolent energy; the sword in hand, they not so much drive as they fly, quickly shortening the distance between him and their prey.
And with a quickly growing horror you realize what both of them are straight on the collision course with your bus. One. Tw...
"-Die, Gilles, you piece of Fil-"
The screech of metal is deafening; the impact, disorienting, as it's force throws you out of the seats and through the window out of the bus; you feel almost like gravity relinquished it's grasp on you for a moment, only to jerk you back with a vengeance; in a long moment of adrenaline-fueled slowed time, you see both the creature and the knight pursuing it run through the metal corpse of your bus like it isn't even there, carelessly destroying the vehicle by the force of their passage.
Then you slam against and through something metallic and hit the ground painfully a moment later, while the bus continues to tumble forward like a paper model thrown aside by a petulant child.
No normal human could survive this kind of impact, but you do.
As you lie on the asphalt, feeling slightly alive, you see the final of the chase which broken into your life like a wrecking ball, interrupting your nice, calm ride on a bus; the pursuing knight cripples the beasts with repeated blows, the aura blazing around them still. There the murderous intent is clear, their victory is clear as it looks like beast is incapable of retaliating in any way - but then their victim almost splits in two it as it swallows him entirely, too quickly for the knight to react, too big to defend himself properly with a sword. The lovecraftian beast stands still, for a moment. Injured and crippled, it wobbles in place, before carefully trying to walk toward you...
...And then, it explodes, bursting apart like a insect which tried to contain a storm; the sound erupting energy and the roaring winds make it feel like you are in the middle of a nuclear explosion. A pillar of crimson magical energy extends into the sky, and amongst the ruined remains of the beast, you see its source; a metal figure, holding a beam what seems to look like a fountain of magical energy in their hands.
It takes a few moments for the light to extinguish itself. The knight looks jerkily looks around, never turning toward you, and seems to take a deep breath.
"One down, six to go. " the figure speaks aloud, the signs of pain evident in their voice, and then just... vanishes into nothing, leaving you alone near a wreckage of a bus on an unfamiliar street in the middle of city you don't know.
The street you find yourself seems to be relatively urban, with tall buildings surrounding you; aside from the wreckage of the bus, there are surprisingly few cars around you, and what you see seems to have been hastily abandoned. Close by, you see what looks like a train-station. Further ahead, in the distance you see a tall building with letters "HYATT" emblazoned on it, and... Oh.
It looks like a small comet is going to slam into it in a few moments.
@BlackHadou
Countless stars glimmer beneath you, an aspect of the Dragon King, soar through the dimensional sea. Innumerable world's light the way in the darkness, so close, and yet so very far apart; never to touch one another, yet always aware of their presence. A grand orchestra of chaos, made real by your simple observation.
However, there is only one world that was of any import. The world the King of Summons had imparted a part of its essence, you, too. It is a world that stood on the precipice of annihilation, where not even the heroes of ancient times could hope to stand against the coming darkness.
The task of protecting the world was entreated to you. Yet there was still an order that needed to be maintained. To preserve this world order, you transform yourself into the most numerous species on the planet. Taking the shape of the humans, you prepare to gently enter the world, leaf into a pool of water.
But not everything is as it seems. As you begin the transition, you smash into some kind of… turbulence. All of a sudden, five billion eyes lock onto you as your body is pushed and pulled to and fro. You crash through the dimensional barrier, slowly dragged through as you fight to regain control of the situation.
All of a sudden you see it, the Skyline of Fuyuki City. In the distance, a plane approaches for landing, and below you are the city lights, as dazzling as the dimension sea. A thousand colors rush to great you as the citizens below go on with their lives, a magnificent sight to behold!
If only you weren't about to crash into the roof of one of Fuyuki's many skyscrapers. With a tremendous boom, you smash straight through the roof of the building, concrete, insulation, steel, and tiling as you bodily bypass the roof and top floor. Windows burst from your passage as you tumble deeper into the building.
Until, finally, you come to a halt. Your body landing with a dull thud, and squarely upon the black and gold sheets of a king sized bed. The room around you filled with spectacular opulence, even if the floor is covered in bits of rubble and glass shards.
There's a pause, and finally the coup de grace springs as a loud shrill emanates from above. A rapidly beating noise that grates at your ears and demands your attention, the fire alarm most likely.
"See, Think, Learn,"
You hear the fatherly voice of your heavenly counterpart. The whole of your being rumbles from across the dimensional sea in a distorted, garbled mess.
"Investigate the Holy Grail War,"
And then you are left with naught but the shrill of the alarm, and the surprisingly comfortable bed you lay upon.
@Grue
You find yourself standing upon wings of metal, the roar and hiss of an engine beneath and to the side of your body as you brave the unbelievable wind pressure of flight. Below you, off to the side of the jet, there was nothing but great darkness. But tiny specs of light gathered over the horizon, like tiny embers of a great flame.
How you got there is a mystery even to yourself. Your last few memories before waking up half shoved into the jet engine of the turbine were blurry, though your subsequent self-rescue less so. Strangely, nobody seemed to notice the girl clinging desperately to the right wing of the plane. Perhaps… perhaps they were hit by a spell of some kind!
Slowly, you began to get a grip on things. As you adjusted to the wind threatening to push you into the ocean, you slowly became a bit more confident in your movements, and soon after ready to attempt the standing position you are in now.
It was a bit worrying that you had no contact with your compatriots in Chaldea, but the lack of sudden threats was a mild relief.
And finally, after what seems like an eternity of staring into nothing, you finally see some signs of civilization. Across the horizon those tiny specs of light spread out into hundreds upon hundreds of different colors from all different kinds of places. From skyscrapers, down to lowly city lights, all are equally represented as the plane approaches the city with all the grace a flying hunk of metal can muster.
And then, from the ground, a familiar blast of light erupted forth. Soaring through the air, barely missing your ride as it hurtled towards the empty ocean, cloud split in two as the beam travels and dissipates into nothing.
Your ride harshly turns an aerial dodge worthy of legend as it barely avoids bisection. Your grip on your portion of wing goes down to the knuckle as you narrowly avoid plummeting into the frigid water below. Or onto the pavement as it so happened.
Before you have a chance to even question the nature of the attack, a kingly voice rings in your mind.
"A great man lingers in this city, though his pride blinds him. He can change things for the better if given the opportunity. Yet a monster wander's the streets at night, and threatens to safety of all. And so I give this task to you, knight of the shield. Protect the magus Kayneth, until the monster Uryuu has fallen."
The occupants of the plane all panic as the pilot roughly fights for control and you cling still as the words pulse through your brain, and ponder as your pilot begins making headway towards the landing strip.
@Nanimani
You find yourself face first with shiny wood, or so it looked. As you push yourself off, it's fairly evident that this 'wood' is nothing of the sort. It is far too shiny, with a grain that appears painted on no less. You found yourself seated in some kind of elaborate torture device, trapped with the 'table' in front of you and a most uncomfortable 'chair' behind that jabs into your royal backside.
Your only relief is that whoever was in charge of your torture was incompetent enough to leave the device open for escape. Also fortunate, was that in spite of being surrounded by a dozen of similar torturous devices, you happen to be the only occupant of the room. Good! That saves you the trouble of needing to rescue your subjects.
Still, the location of your torture is a… interesting one at least. Save for the skeleton in the corner, the room was quite cheerful, even in the dark. Full of healthy plants, decorations, and even somewhat crude drawings, extremely crude drawings. Actually they are all unbelievably bad.
Although there is a strange 'notice' in the center of the pack, hidden among the worst drawings you have ever seen. Something about 'stranger danger', and to remain in groups of three or more, or to always be with an adult.
There isn't a lot of time to ponder the meaning behind these words. A markedly timid voice breaks into your mind.
"Oh… uh.. hello your majesty. I need your help! A man named Kayneth wanders this city, and will bring nothing but death and suffering onto the innocent if someone can't stop him! U.Unn, if you could stop him, that'd be nice…"
@Wizard_Marshall
It's a strange feeling, coming back to life. You distinctly recall the snake hunter's scythe slicing through your neck, separating flesh and tendon and bone as the Greek hero Perseus neatly decapitated your monstrous form. And the encroaching darkness that fell upon your vision as a curtain as your life came to its miserable end.
Yet here you are, standing in an empty house as you come to grips with the information you've obtained. A thick layer of dust and dirt clings to every surface of the room, pots and pans thrown wherever in an act of sacrilege against housekeepers. The occasional bug crawls or flies from crevices in the corners of the ceiling or windows. Though for all you know, the owners are simply messy. The smell wafting in from the living room painted a picture of absolute delight. The tasty scent of pork, cooked just right. Fit for a king, if you had to judge.
The year is 1994. From the abyss of death, you have summoned from the Throne of Heroes to participate in the Holy Grail War. The land you're currently in is Japan, and you are in Fuyuki City.
Information flooded into your brain, bringing you 'up to speed' with this modern culture. It's just enough that you can function in this new society, if nothing else you know how to ask for directions. More importantly, you were all too aware of just what you have been summoned to do.
As Servant Rider, you were expected to fight others that have been summoned from the Throne of Heroes in a grand tournament of sorts. The winner would receive the blessing of the Holy Grail, and with it, one wish of near unlimited power.
But there is something else. A girlish voice speaks softly in your mind with a voice laced with venom and fervor as she compels you to do her bidding.
"Oh goddess, who walks among mere mortals once more. There is a woman who has arrived from another world. Her life be as a vortex of suffering that engulfs all that surround her. Kill this so called 'holy warrior' and spare the world some unneeded despair when the skinwalker finds her."
"Maybe you could try and do something useful for once. Do that instead of spending your entire worthless life eating your sisters."
The voice fades, and you're left alone once more. The sound of the night life echo's from the outdoors, beckoning you. And yet there's perhaps something still left in the house. As tiny red flecks dot the hard wooden floors and you can't help but notice a congregation of flies in the corner of the next room, just beyond a broken in door.
@God and the Snake
It is a rather small area, where you find yourself. Stone on three sides and glass on the forth, your movement is somewhat confined, if you didn't want to break the glass.
Stretching out long ways is an option, but the logs and small plants around you would make that uncomfortable. To say nothing about the snakes that are wrapping around your limbs. They seem rather comfortable where they are, and would rather you not move.
"Oh, now this is ironic, isn't it?"
A voice comes from nowhere, speaking into your mind.
"I was looking for a protector, and find you instead? How amusing. Ah, nevertheless, you have an important duty."
One of the longer snakes takes a moment to coil around your neck. It seems rather proud of itself.
"The one known as 'Medusa' has a task I would like to see fulfilled, but may face difficulty in accomplishing it. Protect them for me, would you not? At least until this 'Archer' is dead..."
And with that, the voice fades.
@Xellos
The world is crimson.
The great light floods the world, blinding you for an instant, but quickly fades. Even without it, the crimson blood spraying the walls of the ruined alleyway paints the world red indeed.
All around you are corpses, broken bodies of men and women, even a few children. Some of the men bear tattooed marks, but it's impossible to tell in most cases.
A sad sight, isn't it?
A story of sorts can be seen, going through the wreckage. Most of the bodies likely didn't see their death coming, killed in the initial impact. Some weapons scattered around, daggers and even a gun, show that some people present tried to fight back, though the lack of a scent of gunpowder shows they weren't successful.
"Alas, such a tragedy is to be expected, with a Monster like that present."
The bodies of the children are closest to the exit, hinting that they had tried to run. By the way they were on their backs, it was seemed as if they were pulled back, escape in their reach when they were slaughtered.
"Those present would combat the threat, if they knew of it. Alas, considering the chaos that is to come, some monsters may slip under the radar"
One corpse is slumped against a wall, close to you. It's the most upright of them all, unnaturally so.
"Destroy Roa. You shouldn't have to be told to hunt him, but knowing he is in the city should shorten your hunt"
All at once, the corpses open their eyes.
@Dalek Ix
The crash of steel upon steel, the shouting of men as they battle for the most righteous cause, these things surround you as you fight shoulder to shoulder with your fellows. The wicked soldiers of the Lombard League may have deterred you at Alessandria, but defeat has only strengthened your resolve. Where others worried and despaired at the news from Henry, the so call lion, You merely prepared yourself for greater glory in the name of your King. Frederick Barbarossa desired to bring all of Italy to heel, and you shall see it done!
Of course, not everything had gone to plan. A minor setback to be sure. Hooves thundered across the battlefield as Imperial cavalry met with the forces of Lombard, smashing their ranks asunder with righteous fury. Your heart soared as the enemy was ruthlessly driven away, and your comrades were free to turn their attention upon the infantry. Included in their number was the "Company of Death", but even they were pressed to fight against your numbers.
But somehow, someway, the Lombard League has managed to turn the tides. Through what was no doubt sorcery, they managed to reinforce their knights after being routed from the field by your cavalry. They came in from nowhere, and smashed into your rear lines. Frederick was thrown from his horse as the assault came from two sides, slaying many of your comrades and nearly you as well. Many of your fellows even began calling for a retreat.
You, however, must simply know whether or not your liege was alive. You fight your way through their numbers, hewing through flesh and bone and smashing their armor asunder with your psychic power.
Finally, you reach the last place anyone had seen of Frederick Barbarossa. Delirious and buried under the body of his horse, the man struggled for breath. In a lull between the fighting, you heft the horse off of the body of your liege, witnessing the broken body of the man beneath. You knew then, that this could not be his end. And with a solemn prayer you focus your power onto the man, wishing his body anew. Just as the Lombard return to face you, you use your power to fling the man far from the battlefield, his body vanishing into thin air in a flash.
As you prepare to face the rest of the Lombard League's knights by yourself, the world itself shrinks in your vision. The helmets of the enemy jerk back, and freeze as black slowly encompasses everything. Spiraling into nothingness, the battlefield passes from the world, and you find yourself stranded and alone in a cold, dark, void.
But only for a second
You blink and find yourself face first in the dirt, your body collapsed on the ground. You hear the gentle lapping of waves, and look up in wonder. A lake, covers your vision. Pristine, and beautiful, as little lightning bugs dance across the surface. All around you, the sound of the night life flourishes completely undeterred by your sudden appearance.
"Ah, there you are."
A voice speaks from within the depths of the lake. Neither male nor female, the androgynous voice resounds in your skull with great authority, but bears also surprisingly gentle.
"I have saved your life, Dame Valerie. For that battlefield was indeed to be your last. I have a great need of you. You, who have served someone for all your life, must now serve another. At least, temporarily. A noble seeks to win a war for a most holy object. His life will be in danger at every turn, and his pride does him no favors. That is why I need you. Protect this noble magus. Protect Kayneth, until the Lancer falls."
And then the voice is quite, and you're left at the banks of the lake. Completely and utterly alone.
@Sinsystems
You wake up. It's not a pleasant, slow awakening of the start of the weekend.
And neither it is an unpleasant but familiar awakening by an alarm clock, as no pressing realization of the need to hurry up anywhere, neither an annoying noise tries to drags you out of the bed.
No, you because something painfully pokes you in the ribs. You twitch away from the unpleasant sensation, only to hit something with your everything, stumble – how did you manage to fall asleep while standing, you wonder for a long, strange moment - and painfully fall on some sort of hard surface; a mountain of items, follows you, impacting your body like a shower of hail, holding your down...
...Until the pressure lessens, and the moment later, you hear a heavenly voice.
"A man derides entertainment from the suffering of others. For that purpose, he made an infernal act with a creature which shed it body behind like an empty shell. No mundane opposition can overcome their union.
Destroy Uryuu."
As voice finishes speaking, the painful pressure returns, renewed, increasing ever further, until the surface you were plastered against starts giving to the pressure in with a shudder and screech of breaking wood and metal and...
...and you painfully fall out of the tight, suffocating closet you were locked in. The door you were heavily leaning onto flaps wide open with a sound which can only mean a broken lock, while a literal forest of brooms follows you down to the floor, almost exploding out of the space too small to such a great number of cleaning appliances.
Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Why these are so heavy, anyway?
As you slowly crawl out of the pile of brooms, and get a chance to look around, you realize what it looks you are in some sort of a school... But the specific locations elude you. It's nighttime, the corridor you fell into is unfamiliar.
Nearby is a window; you do not recognize the landscape you see in it. Directly in front of you is a fairly typical schoolyard, and away from you are the lights of the unknown city you never saw before.
You almost turn away, until a bright, expanding pillar of crimson light-energy shines far away in the distance, tall and bright enough to eclipse any structure, any building nearby - and the shockwave of the distant explosion rattles the windows moments later.
@Hannz
Your back aches as you pull yourself up from a fitful rest. A harsh light blares at you from above, penetrating even your tightly shut eyelids. You place your arm in front of your eyes, blocking out the light as you try to resituate yourself. Yet returns to peaceful slumber isn't in the plans of the universe, as a sudden howl and rush of wind blows a wind and a blasts noise into your ears and shocks you into an upright position.
Suddenly, everything rushes towards you at once. The sight of the grungy ceiling, the strange metal monstrosity that lurked just in front of you, the silvery light that illuminated the area like a glowering overseer. This place definitely isn't your room.
At your back was a great tiled wall, and along the wall dotted a strange black post. Inside of the post was a great many dates and times. There, off to the right of the post is another one. But this one seems to be carrying some kind of map. A brief scan of this paper brought your attention to a bright arrow, with the words "You are here" listed above some place called "Shinto".
And then you hear it, a voice that penetrates your mind with ease as you attempt to get your bearings.
"They say the blood of Genos flows through your veins. Very good! That means you're excellent at slaying Demons. You'll need those skills in the future, and it makes your task much easier. A man eater walks the streets of this city, but don't mistake me. I don't need you to kill her. For you see, your task is not one of extermination, but protection. Protect the Assassin until the Gorgon Medusa falls. Do this, and I shall reward you spectacularly. Maybe even bring that brother of yours back to life."
Before you can ask any questions, there's a great rumbling from up above. Dust falls from the ceiling, the strange underground tunnel that you've awakened in shakes like an earthquake, the black information pillar falls over and so do many of the… art pieces that hang from the wall.
@Azrael
There's a loud clattering as a steep metal pole barrels down onto the floor, smashing its pointed tip into the ground with a tremendous thud. Where the top crashed into the ground is a chip that mars the spotless checkered floor. As you rise up from your knelt position, how did you even get underneath all of those clothes anyhow? You find yourself greeted by the stares of an old man and his wife. A large gated door half shut as they look upon your form from the other side.
"A Goddess? Ha!"
A wicked voice jests from the shadows, no from the very depths of your soul. Its words etched upon your soul like a hatchet burying into a mighty oak.
"Human's don't need an outdated old bat like you, but you know what? I think you might have one last use, before you get put down like old yeller. Aren't you glad? Even someone as pathetic as you can be part of something great!"
You feel a chill running down your spine as the voice lets out a cruel laugh, which echo's deep inside your mind like the most cavernous cave upon the isle.
"And what a task it shall be. You see, your sister's murderer is in town, probably trying to keep your sister from eating you again. Anyhow, He's probably going to get into some kind of fight sooner or later, and I need you to make sure he doesn't die. Yeah, yeah, I know. You're not that great at fighting. But listen, listen. You seem to be pretty good with people. So maybe you could keep him out of trouble, at least until… oh… let's say this Archer fellow bites it.
Yeah, that's about right. Protect Perseus until Archer falls. Oh, and if you see your sister. Do us all a favor and maybe try not to be a complete and utter bitch yeah?"
You release a breath as the presence fades away. Barely a minute passed, but it felt like it had been droning on for hours. You stand up, and find yourself confronted by a figure speaking in a hurried tone. Shouting at you as he grabs you by the shoulder in your shocked state.
@Wade Garrett
he sight of the cross is not a strange one to you. Nor, in deed, is the sight of crosses laid row upon row. As you stand between the gravestones that stretch across a quite plain, you wonder whose bright idea it was to summon you in such a place. Though it isn't too surprising that you were, at the very least summoned by a rather well cared for church. Indeed, on a second look it appeared as though everything from the church to the gravestones was something that was well taken care of.
You acclimate to the information sent by the Holy Grail well enough, stoically bearing the sudden surge of information as language, and knowledge of certain modern conventions is displayed to you in half a second. The year was 1994, over four hundred years after your death and subsequent ascension to the Throne of Heroes.
Yet where was your summoner, you see neither hide nor hair of them and ponder for a moment where they might have run off to.
And then a thousand voices spoke in unison. Their voice like an angelic choir, as big as the sea, rang from the sky above and spoke into your very soul.
"Listen, our earthly messenger, for yours is a task of great importance. There is a woman of great importance that you must protect. But her path is fraught with danger; the devil will seek to destroy her, and all that surrounds her. A thousand years of darkness will spread across the land if she is felled before her task is complete. And so I ask this, my child. Protect Maiya until the Berserker falls."
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