Fate/Imperial Conquest (F/SN Quest)

"I'll use this." You pick the shabby-looking teacup. Oda Nobunaga was one of the greatest figures in Japanese history. As the warlord who nearly unified all of Japan, he would no doubt be a powerful Heroic Spirit. Summoning him on Japanese soil would make him even more powerful because of the boost Servants gain by being summoned in their home countries.

"Interesting choice. Well if you're sure about this then let's begin." You place the teacup in the middle of the summoning circle and move to the edge. You hold out your hand and focus your mana.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the Archduke of Contracts be the foundation.
Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close.
Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."

The circle lights up beneath you, basking the cellar with an ethereal light. You have to close your eyes before the light blinds you but you continue undaunted.

"Let it be declared now: your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail. Answer, if you would submit to this will and truth."

An unnatural wind blows through your hair but you ignore it. You can't afford to get distracted when you're so close.

"An oath shall be sworn here: I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven, and I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell."

This is it. You can feel the energy begin to take form. Just a little more and you'll have done it.

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, Protector of the Holy Balance!"

With the aria complete, the circle flares brightly and the energy coalesces into a figure standing in the middle. Once you feel the light fading, you open your eyes to see the fruits of your labor.

The end result is... not what you expected. Standing in the middle of the circle is a teenage girl who stands at a bit less than five feet. She wears a black military uniform with a red cap and a hat adorned with a sun with the Oda crest in the middle.

"Ahahahahaha! I am the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven! I am... Demon Archer! Are you the one who summoned me?" The Servant asks in a rather squeaky voice.

"I am..." Your response sounds a little less confident than you'd like. You spare a quick glance towards Luvia just to confirm that you're not being pranked. She appears just as surprised as you are. "You're Oda Nobunaga?"

"So you know who I am, foreigner? Excellent! You have made the right choice in calling for me. Very well, I shall allow you to be my Master. Together we shall unify Japan once again!"

"Yes well, enthusiasm is all well and good. But I hope you have the strength to back it up." Luvia speaks up.

"Oh? And just who are you to question my abilities?"

"This is Luviagelita Edelfelt. She is my benefactor in this War." You explain. "Consider her an ally."

"I see. The Demon King thanks you for your contributions to the unification of Japan."

"M-My pleasure." Luvia takes a second to regain her composure. When she turns to you, the shock and confusion is gone and replaced with the usual air of regality. "In any event, you have your Servant. What do you intend to do tonight?"

"I'll stay in tonight and prepare some familiars. We can move in earnest tomorrow."

"Very well. In that case, I shall retire to my room for the night. I'll see you in the morning."

You bid Luvia good night as she makes her way up the stairs, leaving you alone with your Servant.

"Your employer doesn't seem particularly impressed with me."

"I'm sure you're just not quite what she expected a famous warlord to look like. Personally, I think it's of no consequence. I know that looks can be deceiving." Despite not looking particularly intimidating, the palpable aura Archer gives off prevents you from writing her off. Speaking of which, time to see what you're working with. Focusing on your Servant, you are able to see her stats:



"I feel stronger than ever thanks to the boost from being summoned in my home country. It's a good thing we're using our artistic license, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to summon me at all."

"What?"

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with." Archer dismisses your confusion. "Anyway, why don't you tell me about yourself? Who are you? Why are fighting for the Holy Grail? I'm curious about the Master I will be going into battle with."

"Very well. For starters, my name is Misha. I used to a be a part of the Mage's Association, but I left because thanks to how magus society works, my talents will never be considered valuable. Since then, I've worked as a mercenary."

"As for why I'm fighting for the Holy Grail, well, it really just comes down to money. Luvia's family offered me a substantial amount of cash to win the Grail for them. I don't have a wish of own. I care nothing for the Root and anything else I could want I can get on my own."

"So you reject tradition and forge your own path. Excellent! That's exactly the kind of response I was hoping for! Honestly, I don't really have a wish either. Though I suppose I can think of something when we win."

You can't help but feel a bit concerned about that last part. You don't know why but you get the feeling that whatever Archer uses the Grail for will be some kind of mess. The one thing you know for sure is that this is going to be an interesting experience.

~

1/31/2004
You spent most of the night preparing familiars for the War. Now that morning has come, your War can truly start. After breakfast, you meet Luvia in her study for an intelligence briefing before you head out.

"First I'll explain the layout of the city. Fuyuki City is divided into two sections, Shinto and Miyama. Shinto is the newer part of the city while Miyama is the older part of the city. This mansion is located on the outskirts of Miyama. The Tohsaka and Matou residences aren't far from here. Also in Miyama is Ryuudou Temple. It's the keystone of Fuyuki's leylines so the Grail could manifest there. Over in Shinto is the other mansion and the church where the Overseer resides. You may want to present yourself to the Overseer at some point. There's also Fuyuki Park, where the Grail manifested in the last War."

"Now on to what I know about the other Masters. The Tohsaka heir's name is Rin. She's a student of Homurahara Academy, so keep in mind that she'll likely be spending most of her time during the day there. She uses Jewel Magecraft just like me. Remember that you are to leave her to me."

"As for the other Founding families, the head of the Matou clan is Zouken Matou. Rumor has it that he has lived over a century. However he didn't compete in the last War, so maybe he won't compete this time. He has two grandchildren, but since the Matou Line is nearly extinct it seems unlikely that either of them will be Masters."

"Meanwhile the Einzberns remain as reclusive as ever. I have no idea who they will send to fight."

"Using my contacts in the Clock Tower, I've managed to identify two other Masters. The first is a man named Atrum Galliastia. He comes from a family of alchemists and is capable of weather-manipulation Magecraft. From what I heard though, his methods aren't particularly effective."

"The other Master is an Enforcer named Bazett Fraga McRemitz."

That little tidbit causes you to break your silence. "Bazett? Shit."

"You know her?"

"We've worked together in the past. She comes from a bloodline that dates back to the Age of Gods. Her family isn't as prominent as it once was though and the Association doesn't find her skills particularly useful. Still, she's very strong and could very well be the most dangerous opponent in this War besides Zouken Matou."

"I see. Well I hope you can come up with a plan to deal with her. Anyway, that's all the information I have right now. If you need anything else, let me know and I'll see what I can do."

You thank Luvia for the information and head outside. Your objective now is to familiarize yourself with the area and look for clues about your enemies while it's daytime. The question is, where do you start?

[ ] Matou residence
[ ] Homurahara Academy
[ ] Ryuudou Temple
[ ] The Overseer's church
[ ] Fuyuki Park
[ ] Write-in