Let's Play Fate/Stay Night! Updated March 2nd

[Anna]

Okay, so for me, Shipbuilding is basically a no-go anymore. My computer's been going to hell recently, as you all know. Miracle of miracles, it's started kinda working again, but BSF and Shipmaker don't. I don't know why. Restarting, reinstalling, all of the above, they don't fix this problem. Until I either get a new computer, or it magically starts working again (this actually happens to shit on my computer sometimes), I have little to do.

So I am doing another Let's Play. (Check out my previous two for those of you who don't know what a Let's Play is.)

I realise I don't have the best track record of actually finishing LPs, but this one is a special case. It's a game I love. It's a game many people could love. And it's a game probably many of you have only barely heard of, although some of you may have heard of the anime.

I speak of the game Fate/Stay Night.

Fate/Stay Night is a Visual Novel from Japan, made by a company called Type-Moon (and lovingly translated into english by the good folk over at mirrormoon).

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Visual Novels, and I imagine that's most of you, allow me to fill you in as best I can. If I had to describe it in a way you can understand easily, it's probably easiest to say that it's like a "choose your own adventure" book. The story is told through text, but also contains pictures (LOTS OF PICTURES), and you're given occasional choices which to some degree or another effect the course of the story. There are also music, sound effect, etc. Some of the moments are so epic that capturing their awesome purely through screenshots would be impossible, and thus I would likely need to record video and host it on a place like YouTube.

Fate/Stay Night has, to put it quite simply, an epic story. Its plot, while sometimes perhaps somewhat contrived or hard to believe, is great stuff, especially if you haven't had too much spoiled for you. The reason I'm considering doing this LP is to expose people to this game, to get it out there. To let people experience the awesome.

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

UPDATE:
I've got enough people interested for my liking. The LP will start once I have everything ready. Expect the first post (it will be long like longcat) in about a day or two.

[Lizzie]

1: I'd be up for it but you know you've already turned me into a Type-moon fan. :p

2: Do the paths in order.

[Latooni]

PRETEND ALL THE SERVANTS ARE ROBOTS AND GET EVERY ILYA BAD END

[Anna]

Oy... come on people! Post! I really wanna do this, and I can't do it if there's no interest... well, I can, but it'll be pointless.

Perhaps I'll just write up and post the prologue (which is quite long), and see how people respond to that... but that will still take a while, so before I resort to such drastic measures, here's a brief synopsis of sorts, to whet your appetites:

The story is set in Fuyuki City (a fictional city) in Japan, and follows the life of one Emiya Shirou (first name is Shirou, last name is Emiya, but I'm typing it in the japanese order of surname first, because that's how the game does it.). Shirou's a fairly normal teenage dude, y'know? Except for that ten years ago his family was killed in a massive fire that killed hundreds, and he was saved from death and adopted by Emiya Kiritsugu, a man who claimed to be a Sorceror.

So, Shirou knows a little bit of magic. No big deal. He kinda sucks at it, and the only kind of magic he can use is mostly useless anyway.

And then one day everything goes to shit. Enter the Holy Grail War. Seven Masters are chosen, and each summons a Servant, who is a Heroic Spirit (a personal who did heroic deeds or otherwise earned a lot of fame during their lifetime), and they enter a Battle Royale of sorts, last one standing wins, with the prize being the Holy Grail, which can supposedly grant any wish. By some twist of fate, Shirou summoned the Servant Saber, and is now a participant in this Holy Grail War, whether he likes it or not.

AND IT'S FUCKING AWESOME SO COME ON GUYS POST PLEASE.

[Swamp Fox]

Well, Anna, I've already been ensnared by you so I know just how entertaining this game is. Hell yes I want to do it!

Methinks the paths might should be in order, but I don't have a very strong opinion.

[FIREST0RM000]

I don't think I can resist another let's play. they're too damn much fun. I'll follow this one

As for the paths, I've never seen this story before, so I'd probably prefer in order.

[lightstriker]

I'd honestly love to see an LP of this.
With that said... please play the paths in order?
I'm going to finish HF soon, alright? I promise. Any week now.

[DoomBringer]

Seems fun, Count me in, I am up for it. Let us pray and now play Fate/Stay Night.

PS read the plot seems fun

[Captain Trek]

I would participate... but I know next to nothing about Japanese visual novels and am uterly unfamilar with this one in particular...

[Anna]

But...
The lightning that tries to pierce me...
... Is repelled by the moonlight that tries to save me.

Clang, a beautiful sound.

No, the sound before me is heavier than steel.
The armor she is wearing is not beautiful at all, and as unrefined as the cold night.

The sound wasn't beautiful at all.
It was actually the sound of steel.
It's just that the knight is beautiful enough to turn it into a charming sound like a bell.



She asks in a voice that lights up the darkness.

"I have come forth in response to your summons
From this time forward, my sword shall be with you and your fate shall be with me. Now, our contract is complete."

Yes, the contract has been completed.
When she chose me as her Master...
I'm sure I swore to help her too.

The moonlight still lights up the darkness.
As if following the knight's example, the shed again falls silent.

Time has stopped.
The scene lasts less than a second.

But...
I'm sure I'll remember this scene vividly even when I've gone to hell.



The face slightly turned.
The quiet green eyes.
The instant becomes an eternity.
The blue outfit symbolizing her sways in the wind.

-----------A faint blue light filters in.
The golden hair shines in the moonlight.



Welcome to my LP of Fate/Stay Night! We're going to be playing through each path in order. So first, we're on the "Fate" path. All my comments will be in italics and have a smiley of some sort in front of them, so as you don't get confused. Right now we're in the prologue, so there's no choices yet. Other than that first bit I just showed you, the prologue roughly covers the first three days of the game, but told from the perspective of the character Tohsaka Rin. There are no choices to pick until we get past the prologue, so just sit back, read and enjoy. The prologue is fairly long, and it takes a while to get into things, but it contains a lot of exposition and stuff. And also, I really like Rin. Also, I'm including the soundtrack, so you can listen to appropriate tracks at moments they should be playing in the game. You don't have to do this, but I'd recommend it. You can download it here, it's in .7z format, so you need WinRAR or 7z to unzip it. It's also encoded, and the password is unlimitedthreadworks - Music cues will be bolded and in brackets, like the one below, which is the first music cue in the game.

[Music: Quiet Voice]

This is a story from ten years ago.

... I'm watching someone I know very well.
A tall man with a deep-featured face, who to my knowledge has never told a joke, is patting my head.
No, that's not quite right.
I guess he doesn't know how much strength to use. So to be more accurate, he's grabbing my head and mashing it around.
I guess that's only to be expected.
After all, that's the first time he's ever patted my head.

"I have to get going now. You know what to do now, right?"

I answer the deep voice with a polite "yes".
The man patting my head nods once, lets go, and stands up.
... So, that was it.
If I'd known then that it was our final moment together, I would have made him laugh with my best jokes.
I had practiced telling jokes a lot, in hope that I could bring a smile to his grave face.
I guess you could say I was sad that I couldn't tell him any of them.



"Put the Association in your debt by the time you mature. I'll let you decide what to do after that. You should be able to take care of yourself."

Even though he said such things, I guess he was still worried.
He told me about the heirloom jewels, the jewels inherited from the master, and how to manage the basement.
As he was telling me all the things I didn't yet now, I realized even as a child.

---------That most likely...
He wouldn't be coming back.

... A war had started.
Not a war between countries, but a war between people.
But the only ones at war were seven people.
In a situation like this, the word "war" should be unsuitable, but here it's a different story as the ones in conflict are magi.
The seven magi, each from a different faction, had started to compete for unknown reasons and killed each other in unknown ways.
The man standing before me was one of them.
He too was in a position to kill or be killed.
He must have known more keenly than I did that his time was near.



Once more, he patted my head, and left.
That was the end.
That was the last time I saw the man, who entered the Holy Grail War as a master and died. The man who was my teacher as well as my father.

"Take care, Father."

I see him off politely.
I knew I was on the verge of crying, but I shed no tears.
I loved him.
He was a great father and a great magus.
Among magi, there are only obstinate people.
In the whole world, I don't think anyone had a better character than his.
He taught me as a teacher and loved me as a father.

That's why I decided...
To choose my path according to what he left me in the end.

'---------Rin, the Holy Grail will appear eventually. It is our duty as the Tosaka family to win it. More importantly, if you want to be a magus, you can't avoid it-----------'

In the end, he left me those words as a magus and not as a father.
That is why at that moment, my path was determined.

"All right. I'll do my best to be a proper magus."

It's only natural for a student to follow the words of their teacher.
Since then, through many twists and turns... I. Tohsaka Rin, have matured.

[Music Stops]
It's been ten years since the winter day on which my father went to war.
I haven't exactly been waiting for this moment, but I am excited.
That's only natural.
The event I have never forgotten about is about to start---------



"...Hm."
Something is ringing.
Brrring. Brrring.
"...Shut up. Stop it."
The sound doesn't stop.
It rings loudly as if I'm an enemy.


In other words, my mind and body are dead tired.

"Ah, geez---------- you're really stubborn."
Brring. Brring. Brring. Brring.
The alarm clock doesn't speak my language.
So why does the ringing sound like it's telling me "You're going to be late"?

"... Late... Being late is bad..."

Rin really isn't a morning person.

Though that depends on the situation.
I'm a good student, but maybe I can get to school at the last moment just for today.

"... That's right... I set the alarm thirty minutes early, so I should be able to sleep for thirty minutes more..."
------------ Huh?
Isn't that strange?
"...Set it thirty minutes early...?"

I look at the alarm clock drowsily.
The clock is pointing exactly at seven.
I usually get up at six thirty, so the spare thirty minutes have already been used up.
... Oh, why can't I think when I wake up.

"...Hm."
I stare at the alarm clock for several seconds.
Shutting it off, I decide to get out of bed.

THANK GOD. The ringing sound effect it plays from the moment that scene starts until this point is so annoying.

[Music: In the Sunlight]



"Heater, heater..."
Turning on the heater, I head to the bathroom.
At times like this, living on your own is inconvenient.
If there were someone to wake up before me, the living room would be warm by now.

I wash my face at the sink.
I brush my long hair and get ready.
A cold morning, a cold sink.
The only advantage i that the cold water clears your sleepiness completely.

I tie my ribbon and I'm all ready.
All I have to do is eat breakfast and head out.
Looking at the clock, it's only a bit past seven, and I'm a bit disappointed.

"Man, I guess I don't have to run after all."
Then again, I would never do anything as clumsy as running to school anyway.
It is the custom of the Tohsaka family to act with composure and elegance at all times.

[Music Stops]



"... Well, it's not something I can brag about."
Actually, I can't speak openly about it at all.

------- Oh, by the way, I, Tohsaka Rin, am a magus--------

Who on earth can I brag to like that?

Magic is just what it sounds like... magic.
I don't care if you get ideas like abracadabra or whatever.
You can just think of us as people who do strange things by casting spells.

--------Oh, though it's not like we fly around on brooms or make stars appear with a wave of a wand.

...Well, we could do that, but we don't bother as it's kind of meaningless.
We're basically heretics who hide ourselves from the world.
We're prohibited from standing out and even if we weren't, we would rather be at home studying magic.

On top of that, the word sorcerer is completely inaccurate.
To be precise, there are only five sorcerors in the world.
Things no one can do, things beyond the ability of modern science... The ones who can make such "miracles" are the ones we call sorcerers.
Miracles that can never be achieved, regardless of time or effort... those we call sorcery.
Those things that are mysterious, but achievable with time and effort... those we call magic.

That's why was I do is called magic rather than sorcery.
It's complicated, but that's how it is, so just accept it.

Well, to be honest, the modern world doesn't recognize the existence of magi.
As we believe, control, and learn things that are immeasurable, our existence is incompatible with the modern world.
Because it's kind of meaningless.
Going to a normal school and becoming a normal adult will bring you far more happiness than studying magic.

Human technology is great.
In the past few hundred years, it has been leading the way ahead of magic.

Nothing is impossible for humans.
The miracles once only possible through magic are now "tools" and not miraculous at all.

---------- Still, magic has its good points.
Just as there are things possible only through science, there are also things possible only through magic.
It was the master of the Tohsaka family who said that if science is moving toward the future, magic is moving toward the past.

Something about the past and the future ending up at the same place, everything always running toward the zero point.
Let's put off all these difficult discussions. They should wait until we're old.

Finishing breakfast, I grab my bag.
"--------Oh yeah, I should bring the pendant."
I don't really want to take the thing to school, but it'd be a waste just to leave it here.



We, the magi of Tohsaka, are skilled at the transformation of power. We put out magical energy into jewels whenever we have the free time. To put it simply, the jewels are bullets and we are the gun.

The only other thing I can say I recieved from my father is the Magic Crest of the Tohsaka family engraved on my left arm.
In essence, this is the proof of the successor, and it's like a tattoo that condenses all the inherited magic of the

Tohsaka family.

"It hasn't started yet, but I guess it doesn't hurt to be careful."
I put the pendant, which can now be said to be my father's memento, into my pocket.
"This is the last resort. Pretty much anything is possible with the magical energy contained in this."

Rin talks to herself a lot, doesn't she?

It's seven thirty.
I should get going or I'll be late for school.



"... Well, I don't really care. But not even a stray cat? What's up with that?"
I look up at the mansion I've grown so accustomed to over the years.
Fuyuki is certainly a strange city, with many Western-styled houses on this side of town and an area full of Japanese-styled houses just beyond the intersection.
I guess it's because many foreign families came to live here a long time ago, but even so, I don't see many foreigners around here now.
There's a foreigners' cemetery in the new city across the riber, but it only has the graves of the first generation of families.

"Maybe the soil of Japan didn't suit them."
I'll go to the church and ask the priest sometime.
How knows about lots of boring things.

"---------Huh?"
Stepping outside, I feel a certain incongruity.



"... Well, I guess there are days like this."
Perhaps everyone slept in today.
It's unusually cold, so I bet everyone's still wrapped up in their warm beds.

"Hm... But even so..."
It's strange that I haven't seen even one student so far.
At seven thirty, you can usually see people in uniform here and there.
But I'm the only person at the school gates, and it looks like the clubs are just starting their morning practice.
In other words, the only explanation is...



"Good morning, Mitsuzuri-san. Please excuse the abrupt question, but do you know what time it is?"
"Huh? It's almost seven. Are you still asleep?"



"I guess the clocks at my house we an hour fast. All of them. Not just my alarm clock, but the wall clocks as well."
Really, just what's going on here?
Did Father arrange for all the clocks to go mad when the pendant was removed from the basement?



"Don't worry, it's nothing. Anyways, are you off to morning practice as usual?"
"Yeah. The archery club has lots of problem students and one good member quit. So I have to get them to look good to attract the new freshmen in April."
"I see. There's always something to worry about, isn't there?"
"You can say that, since it's none of your concern. Oh, do you wanna come? The guys will love it if you come and watch."

"--------------- Archery club, huh?"
I have three acquaintances in the archery club.
One is Ayako, the person before me right now, and the other two are people I barely talk to.
And for one of those two, the word acquaintance really doesn't suffice.
I became friends with Ayako because I had been watching the archery club from afar.

"All right. I'll go if all I have to do is watch. I have nothing else to do this early anyways."
"Great, let's o right now then."



"Come on, there's still sme time before practice, so let's go in and have some tea."
Happy about something, Ayako drags me in by the hand.
It's a bad habit of hers. She talks like a guy when she's expressing her true feelings.



"Well, I'll come straight to the point. How's it going, Tohsaka? Have you found a reliable partner yet?"
So.
As there's no one else around, Ayako comes straight out and asks me a ridiculous question.
"... Huh, that's a really direct way of asking. Judging from your tone of voice, you've already found yours?"
"No comment. I'm going to keep it a secret until you tell me. So what's going on? Looking at your tired face, I feel like I'm right."
"Another no comment... but you'd probably see through my lies. Unfortunately, not yet on my part. How about you? I assume you don't have time to take it easy either."
"True, but things aren't looking good for me. I could get one right away, but it's not that kind of matter, you know? Our future depends on this, so I can't compromise."
"I see. So you don't want to choose hastily and lose to me?"
"Of course not. The important part is making you lose. What I get comes second."
She laughs boldly.

"---------------Geez. We really are alike."
"Yeah. When we first met, I warned you we'd have this kind of relationship."
Yes, she did indeed.
I was certainly surprised when at our first meeting, she said "We'll probably end up with a 'kill or be killed' relationship".
Or in other words, "Unless we go all out against each other, we'll never really be friends".

Or in other words, they're both competitive bitches!

I agreed with her on that, and that's why we've had a friend-or-foe relationship for two years.
"By the way, why are we talking about this?"
"Why? You're the one who started it, Tohsaka. You said there's something wrong with a woman never having a boyfriend, so we decided to see which of us could get a boyfriend before the third year."
"... Oh yeah. Just tit for tat, I suppose. And dd we say the loser would obey the winner for a day?"


Me too!

Ayako laughs.
Honestly.
She's so serious about this. Mitsuzuri Ayako is such a difficult person to deal with.
... Though, I can't wait to beat Ayako either, so I guess neither of us are people you want to deal with.

"I see. But, Mitsuzuri-san? It's fine to enjoy yourself, but you should take care not to get your objectives wrong. You know that's not the only point of the contest, don't you?"
"I know. I can't call it a complete victory unless I beat you with a relationship you would really be jealous of. Well, that's the biggest problem for us. No matter how good a guy it is, there's no point if we can't bring ourselves to love him."
Ayako sighs heavily.
To my knowledge, Mitsuzuri Ayako is said to hate men.
Rumors are never to be trusted, however. As she suggested this match, rather than hating men, I think she just didn't have a chance.

----- But, that aside.

"Hold it. What do you mean, 'us'? I'll say it right now, but I'm not cold-hearted like you. I'd have no problem loving a guy."

Or loving a girl, if later scenes (which I won't be includng in the LP because they're DIRTY] are any indication.

"Oh, that's a lie. Or you're fooling yourself. There's no way you'd ever be concerned about a guy. You've never given one good response to any of the confessions made to you. If you had even the slightest interest, you'd think of going out with them. But you keep declining, so that must mean you're not interested in men."
"You're not thinking enough. Couldn't we say I'm declining because I already have someone I like?"
"Wow, that's a good answer. I like that, it's romantic."
Ayako nods seriously, not making fun of me.
Her sigh says, "wouldn't it be nice if that was the case."
... Geez.
I really can't keep anything from her.
"You're right, I think so too."

Well, it's exactly as she says.
I know myself how cold I am.

"I admit it. I know nothing when it comes to love and relationships."
"Exactly. You're the one who said we're alike. Oh, it's almost seven. Let's leave the secret talk there. You never know when someone might walk in on us, and we should act like proper students."
"Well, I never knew you had social manners like that. It was worth getting up early just to hear that."



"So, why don't you join a club, Tohsaka? I won't listen to any lies about not having the athletic ability. I'm still bitter that I lost to you in all aspects in last year's physical testing."
"Oh? But you beat me in lung capacity. And also in weight."
"Ahahaha! All right, I'm three kilograms heavier than you! ... Hey, being heavier isn't something to be happy about, you fox!"
Ayako slams on the table.

"Be careful, you might spill the tea, Mitsuzuri-san. You're the captain, so you should treat this place with care."
"Shut up. I'm your rival first and the captain of this place second. Naturally, if there are no members around, I'll go after you."

Ayako looks at me with narrowed eyes.
This girl has her own sense of beauty and she always says, "Beautiful people have to do some kind of martial arts."
She's a bold person experienced in most martial arts.
She joined the archery club with no experience and is now the captain as if it were only natural.
She's probably one of the top three people in the school you should never disobey, regardless of gender.

"Oh, isn't it a problem to claim you're not the captain if there are no members around?"
"Of course not. I'm the captain in name only, so all I can do is keep an eye on the problem members. There are people better than me, so it's not a very dignified captaincy."
"Really? But Fujimura-Sensei says that your skills are outstanding."
"Ugh....Well, if she says so, that gives me some confidence. Yeah, I guess it's not good to htink about people who don't come here any more. Yeah, if Fujimura-Sensei said that, I guess I should take being captain more seriously."

Jesus... I'd forgotten just how long it takes to get to the really good stuff. And typing all this stuff out just makes it take longer.

"That's right. Speaking of which, it's almost time for the club members to arrive, right? I'll get going but you stay and be a good captain."
"What, you're not going to stay and watch?"
"I wouldn't understand. Watching from a distance is fine, but ousiders shouldn't be in the range, should they?"
Just as I rise, someone enters the range.



"Well, I'll be going. See you later, Mitsuzuri-san."
"Yeah, see you later, Tohsaka."



"Thank you for coming, Tohsaka-Senpai."
"Thanks. You take care too, Sakura."



"Good morning, Matou-kun. You're early today."
"Of course. As the captain, I have to come early as an example to others."
This smiling guy is Matou Shinji, of class 2-C.
He's the vice-captain of the archery club and own of the hearts of half the girls in this school.
Kind of an idol, good looking, good grades, sociable and kind to girls.
I'm not too well-informed in such areas, so I've only heard all this from my classmates.

He's also an A-Grade douchebag!

"Really? I'm sorry to interrupt your good mood, but you're missing a word, Matou-kun. It's an important word, so I don't think you should forget it."



"Hm? What do you mean missing a word?"
"You're missing the 'vice-' part, vice-captain. You should watch out. It makes no difference whether you're the captain or the vice-captain, but if you put a lot of weight on it, people might think you're concerned about it, right?"



"... You're right. I'll be careful from now on. Thank you, Tohsaka."
"I've done nothing to earn your thanks, but I guess it doesn't matter if you think otherwise."
Bidding him goodbye, I leave the range.

"Hold on. You came to watch, right? Then you should stand and watch. You're very welcome here."
"I'd rather not. I don't want to interrupt the morning practice."
"Don't worry about that. If anyone's bothering you, I'll just kick them out, so come in for a while."
"... I'm saying I don't want to be a bother. Besides, it's not like I'm interested in archery. I don't like watching people I don't know practicing."
"What? You didn't have any interest in archery? ... Oh, so that's why you were watching us after school."

......
I don't know what he thinks the reason was, but he's undoubtedly making a big misunderstanding.
"----------Oh, so you knew, Matou-kun?"
"Yeah, our eyes met many times, yours and mine. After I shot, you would always be looking at me, right? I wanted to call out to you, but it's the rules, you know? We can't raise our voice on the range."



His smile carries a sense of superiority.
"I guess I misunderstood. I thought you liked archery, but you actually have no interest in it, right? So why were you watching the range?"

"--------------------"
Oh, I see now.
Yes, the conversation could certainly have been taken that way.



"Honestly, it seems like you still don't understand... It's not my style, but I'll put it in terms even you can understand. Matou-kun, I'm saying that I have even less interest in you than in archery. Frankly, I never even knew you were in the range, and I'm not about to start looking out for you now either."

x2!

"--------- W-What...!"
As if I've angered him, he reaches out for me violently.
I easily avoid it and turn my back on him.

"Goodbye, Matou-kun. It's good to have some ego, but you shouldn't let it grow too large."
"Tohsaka, you...!"
He sounds like he wants to say more, but it doesn't seem like he's going to scream or come after me.
... Geez, he really is all show.
If he was just a little bit more mature, he wouldn't be so much trouble for the people around him.

Well, this isn't even a third of the way through the prologue yet, but I'll leave it for now and just post this. The rest is coming, I just... need to take a break. The prologue is long, and includes a lot of stuff that really isn't necessary to the plot, but still. It gets better.

[Anna]

I would participate... but I know next to nothing about Japanese visual novels and am uterly unfamilar with this one in particular...

All you need to do is just read along, and when choices are given, you get to vote on them. There's also the soundtrack to go along with the game. I included the download in the post.

[GenericSS]

You are officially awesome.

[Hades]

You are officially awesome.

That was made official a long time ago.

Great LP, I enjoyed reading it. Cannot wait for more.

[Anna]

[Music: Gentle Everyday]







Fujimura Taiga. Her expressions are priceless, and I will likely capture them as often as possible.

"Uh, Sensei... is there a way to greet you improperly?"
"Of course there is. First years always greet me properly, but the older ones never greet me by my last name. You shouldn't copy their rudeness, okay?"



See what I mean? She's so cute!

"... I don't really understand, but I won't be rude to you, Sensei."
"Good girl. Oh, I wish everyone was as good as you, Tohsaka-san."
Fujimura-Sensei waves goodbye and leaves. Fortunately, she isn't my homeroom teacher.
Fujimura-Sensei teaches English. She has such a kind face, but she also has a black belt in kendo, and I hear she was respected as the "Tiger of Fuyuki" in her student days.
... Though, that's a bit strange.
Wouldn't a tiger normally be feared, not respected?
Apparently in a good mood, Fujimura-Sense heads for the archery range.
For some reason, she's in charge of the archery club and not the kendo club.

It's almost seven-thirty. I can see a few students doing club activities ouside, but there's no sign of anyone in the school building.
But still...



"----------Gah, Tohsaka."

I bump into someone who greets me rudely.
"Oh, Student President. Are you patrolling the school building this early in the morning? Or perhaps taking care of the club rooms? Not that I care, but you're certainly diligent."
"Huh! What are you planning? What are you doing here? You're not in any clubs."
"I just felt like it. I don't get up early like your family does, Ryudou-kun."



"... Let me ask you a question, Tohsaka. Have you been staying at school until late at night recently?"
"Nope. You should know I always go straight home, Ryudou-kun."
"Of course. This is my job, so naturally I know about everyone."
"I see. So you don't even have to ask, right? I don't know what you're asking, but isn't it bad to force student council jobs onto outsiders? You should collect information on your own. Don't rely on outsiders like me.



"Idiot, how are you an outsider!? Don't think I don't know how you worked your evil deeds on our Treasurer, you fox!"
"Oh, you misunderstand. I was merely working out how much each club should receive because Mitsuzuri-san asked me to. I think it's only right for students to take an interest in where their money is going."
"... H-How can damaging our Treasurer's psyche enough to keep him off school for a week be 'only right' for any student? As always, I'm amazed by your way of thinking."

Jesus Christ, Rin, what did you do to the poor guy?

"The same to you. You should keep a watch on those under you. It's not fair to favor the non-sporting clubs."
"I know that. That's why I had intended to deal with the matter myself---------"



Introducing... the protagonist! Emiya Shirou!

--------And then,
A guy appears who I didn't expect to find here.

"Ah, sorry Emiya. I'm the one who asked for help, but it seems like you're doing all the work. Forgive me."
"Don't worry about it. So, where next? There's not much time left."
"Yeah, the AV room is next. It seems it's been working badly for a while, but it finally died."
"It can't be fixed if it's dead. It would be quicker to just buy a new one."
"... True, but it'd help if you could take a look at it. It might be dead to my eyes, but only faking it to yours."
"I see. Well, let's take a look."

The Student President leaves with the male student.
"---------------------------------"
My thoughts have stopped at this sudden event.
The guy with wrenches and spanners in hand turns back as if remembering something.



"You're up early, Tohsaka-san."
And with that, he leaves.
... Was that supposed to be a greeting?
The student whom the president called "Emiya" leaves quickly.
Emiya... that would be Emiya Shirou, from class 2-C.

"... That's fine, but..."
How can I put it?
I just think it's hard to tell whether a guy who looks at home holding a wrench is useful or scary.

[Music Stop]

The horrors of DIY repairmen.



Timeskip!

[Music: Gentle Everyday]

Fourth period ends and the noisy lunch break begins.
Our school has a cafeteria, but half the students stay in the classroom.



"Thank you, Saegusa-san, but I'm afraid I'm eating at the cafeteria today. I slept in this morning and didn't have time to make lunch."
"Oh, I see... I'm sorry to invite you without realizing that. I guess I'm being a bother."
Saegusa-san looks downcast as if apologizing.
She's one of the calmest in a class full of calm students, and a kind person who cares about me for some reason.

"I don't think so. It just happened that way today, so don't worry about it. Please ask me again tomorrow."
I smile at her from the bottom of my heart.

Come on, Rin. We both know that you don't have a heart.

"Oh, yes. I guess even you sleep in from time to time."
My own smile must have relaxed her as she returns it with her own.
"---------------------------"
Her smile is cute.



Saegusa Yukika-san isn't the most beautiful person, but her smile warms the hearts of everyone around her.

"Yes, that's right. I try not to let it show, but I actually sleep in quite often. I'm not in any clubs because I can't get up in the mornings."
Saegusa-san's expression reveals her surprise.
Her presence really relaxes me, but I can't just have fun talking.
If I keep talking to people like this, I'm bound to reveal my true self.
"Well, I'm off to the cafeteria. Enjoy your lunch, Saegusa-san.'
"Yes. You too, Tohsaka-san."

We exchange a warm goodbye and she returns to her group of girls.
It seems she's eating with Makidera-san and Himuro-san.
Oh yeah, Saegusa-san is the manager of the track team. Makidera and Himuro-san are the track team's hopefuls.
Makidera is a friend I sometimes go window-shopping with, but I don't know Himuro-san that well.

OH JESUS. Enough with your friends and shit! We want magic! We want swordfights and explosions! Where are the motherfucking explosions!?



Makidera is left. Himuro is right.
"Oh, you were rejected, Yukicchi? Didn't I tell you Tohsaka wouldn't bring lunch? If you want to eat with her, you'll have to make her lunch too."
"... Maki, can't we just go to the cafeteria too, then?"
Saegusa-san starts to look hopeful. Then Makidera-san pipes in again.
"No way. There isn't enough room in that place for people who bring their own lunches. And even if we did sit with Tohsaka, the men's glares would be annoying as hell. Like last vacation! We went to hang out together, but she's the only one who got any attention! Don't you just hate people who have to show off their beauty like that?"

Makidera speaks without thinking as the girls surround Saegusa-san's desk.
In contrast to her nasty mouth, she's a Japanese beauty who looks wonderful in a kimono.

"... Um, I think that Tohsaka-sama can hear you."
In contrast to Makidera's loudness, Himuro is the cool, steady type.

"Ack, crap, Tohsaka heard that? Ugh, she's really glaring at me...!"
"Uh, I-I don't think she's glaring at you, really..."
"She is. She's scariest when she's smiling. Come one, take it easy Tohsaka. It's us we're talking about, right? I bought you taiyaki, remember?"
She waves her chopsticks, puffing out her cheeks.
The knowledge that this girl's hobby is collecting wind chimes just shows that the world is far too complex.

... Anyways, it's not good for Saegusa-san to keep watching this.
She's panicking, seeing Makidera continually talking bad about me.

"Don't worry, Saegusa-san. And Makidera-san? I'm the one who paid, and it was crepes, not taiyaki. You should fix that habit of yours of changing the facts you remember, or I might have to reconsider things next time, okay?"
"Ugh. That smile is really scary."
Makidera hides behind the lid of her lunch box.
Saying goodbye to the three of them, I leave the classroom.
I shut the door behind me.
... And then,

"Man, come on! There's no big difference between crepes and taiyaki, they're both just sweets wrapped up!"

Makidera's words are ones no girl should ever speak.



"... Why am I getting mad about this?"
I guess I'm still tired from last night.
The cafeteria would be too much effort, so I'll just get a drink and some bread and eat on the roof.

[Music Stop]



"Well, lunch comes first."
I start on my tomato sandwich and my hot lemon drink.
It's a simple lunch, but the taste is much improved in this peace and quiet.
"-------Phew."
I finish my sandwich and my hot lemon drink.
... I'm a bit tired.
It's a difficult balance, being a good student while trying not to be too social.

It's my vanity... no, my conviction, that I must be number-one both academically and physically.
If I am to be a student, I want to be the best, and it's unthinkable for me to dishonor the Tohsaka name.
So that's why I'm a perfect student, flawless in all aspects.

And with an ego to match! Clearly, the perfect woman.

But at the same time, I also have a dangerous job as a magus, so I shouldn't associate with normal people.
Normally, any magus whose identity is discovered has no choice but to eliminate the witness.
... I don't want to do that.
So inevitably, my social life has become a shallow one.
I only hang around with Makidera on weekends, and I try to refuse invitations from friendly people like Saegusa-san.
Even though I'm the best honor student in the school, I live trying not to become too important to anyone.
Though, sometimes when I'm tired like this, it makes me think that this life is rather boring.

Explosions would make it a lot LESS boring.

The bell sounds.
"Oh, it's time alreay?"
I finish my hot lemon drink and stand up.
I should stop drowning in sentimentality and go back to being the usual Tohsaka Rin once I go down the stairs--------





2-A's homeroom teacher exits after repeating his usual line.
As far as I know, this line hasn't changed all year.



"I see, that's good. Well, I'll make up for it some other time."
"All right. Don't be put off, and come by again!"

I head straight home.
It's not like I don't have any business with the archery club or the student council, but I haven't had enough free time for them these past few days.
Once I leave school, Tohsaka Rin is no longer a student.

The rest of the day is not for myself as a student.
Instead, I must become a magus of the Tohsaka family------



"It's me. I'm sure you know, but tomorrow is the deadline, Rin. It's a problem for me if you take it easy. There are only two remaining seats. I must ensure all the Masters are arranged quickly."

This priest shows no mercy as he gets right to the point.

"If you wish to abandon your right to become a Master, contact me today. It takes some time to dispatch a substitute magus."

Liar. Someone like you would be able to arrange a substitute in no time.

"You already show signs of the Command Spell. Quickly, summon your Servant and open the Command Spell. Unless, of course, you're not planning to be a part of this Holy Grail War. If you value your life, you should run to the church quickly."

The message ends there.
... His words are concise.
He's telling me that if I am to fight, I should get ready by today, and if I'm not going to fight, I'm an eyesore and should just retire quickly.

"... Heh, you don't have to tell me that."
Well, it can't be helped.
Today is as late as the deadline can be extended.
Fortunately, I was able to decode Father's will last night.
My preparations are ready.

All that remains is------- yes, obtaining the qualification to enter this fight...

"The Holy Grail War... a fight to the death for the one and only Holy Grail. A ritual of the Holy Grail passed down for hundreds of years, huh?"

The magi who participate in the Holy Grail War are called Masters.
This is not so much a rank, rather it indicates "one who is in control".

The requirement to enter the Holy Grail War.
That is to summon a familiar called a Servant, and form a contract with it.
No matter how great a magus a person is, one is not considered a Master until he has a Servant under him.

Servants are beings very different from normal familiars.
The methods of summoning and controlling them are different as well.
A magus planning to enter the Holy Grail War usually prepares a catalyst to summon a Servant, but...

"... Really, I wish Father could have left me something with a connection to Saber."

I don't have anything with any "connection".
I can summon a Servant.
If I wanted to, I could summon one right now and form a contract with it.
The town's sacred ground is under our jurisdiction.
As the daughter of the Tohsaka family which has protected this town through the generations, I will not lose to magi from elsewhere.

But that said, I guess you can't go out to sea without a compass. Or perhaps I should say things are completely unplanned.

"... Servants are attracted to symbols. If you want to summon a strong Servant, you need something that has a connection to that Servant."

In other words, a sword, armor, talisman, bone of that Servant, or something like that... something valuable beyond belief.

"... I was hoping there'd be something like that in Father's will, but... No, this is a great trump card too. But still..."

The pendant I found last night in the basement is one of the best Artifacts in its class.
It's great in its own way.
It's great, but it won't help me to summon my servant.

"...Huh! It's fine, I can do it without help from that sort of thing. After all, there can't exist any Masters capable of handling Saber other than myself."

---------- All right, I've decided.
I don't want to make Kirei complain any more by postponing it any longer, and it's not like me to wait until the last second.
It'll come down to just trying it.
I'll face the summoning tonight with full power and obtain Saber by force...!

[Music: Whirlpool of Fate]



"----------- Withdrawal within elimination, engrave four areas and surround with the summoning circle... right."



I engrave the circle onto the floor of the basement.
You don't need a large-scale summoning to summon the Servant.
Servants are called forth by the Holy Grail.
As the Master's prioty is to keep the Servant in this world and to supply them with enough magical energy to substantiate, the Holy Grail takes care of the summoning.



"Bare and silver and iron. Stone for foundation and the Grand Duke of contracts. My great master Shveinorg for the ancestor. A wallfor the descending winds. The four gates shall close and come out the crown. Let the three-forked road to the kingdom cycle."
Still, I continue with the greatest concentration.
I draw the magic circle, normally witten in blood, with my melted jewels.
... I'm using half the jewels I've saved up, so I can't fail for financial reasons too.



"Enclose. Enclose. Enclose. Enclose. Enclose. Five times for each repetition. Just destroy the enclosed time."
... It's almost two in the morning.
Completing the magic circle passed down through the Tohsaka family, I face it with all my power.

"Anfang."



I flip the formless switch inside me.
I feel a sensation as if the contents of my body are being exchanged.
The usual nerves invert into circuits transmittin magical energy.

From this point, Tohsaka Rin is not human.
I shall become a part of the tool to attain mystic power.
... I am melting from my fingertips.
No, I am being filled from my fingertips.
The mana I am taking in is so concentrated that the original senses of my body are being repainted.

So, being filled is the same as being destroyed.

"-------------------------------------------------------"
The powe that fills me is pure magical enery from the air.
It is absorbed by my body, which has become a circuit, and transformed into a different form of magical energy.
The body of a magus is nothing more than a circuit.

A circuit to connect the spiritual and the real.
We call the result of this, the many mystic occurrances it has made real, magic.

... My body is burning hot.

An illusion of myself growing horns.
An illusion of wings growing out of my back.
An illusion of scales forming on my hands.
A sensation of being in water.

... I start to sweat.
Stab, stab. Swords are driven into my body.
This is the pain caused by my hman body rejecting itself as the Magic Circuit.
No matter how great a magus you are, a human is human.
This pain will result as long as people use magic in a human body.



The harvested mana in my blood.
If that is burning iron, then the Magic Crest itsef is like a nerve made of thorns.

It runs through my body like a centipede with fangs----------
"--------------------------------------------"
I lose myself within that pain.

And at the same time, I feel that I have reached my goal.

[Music Stops]

My overly sensitive hearing keeps recognizing the sound of the clock in the living room.
Ten more seconds until two in the morning.
The power within me is perfect and flawless.
"-------------------- I announce."

Let's start.
I take the mana I've absorbed and turn it into "fixed" magical energy.
And now...
I have only to empty out the mana within me to move the engine called the summoning circle...

"------------- I announce. Thy body shasll be under my command, my fate shall be determined by thy sword. Follow the call of the Holy Grail. If thou wouldst obey this mind and this reason, then answer my call."



"Make an oath here. I am the one who shall become the virtue of all the afterworld. I am the one who shall lay out the evil of all the afterworld. Thou art Seven Heavens clad in the Three Great Words. Emerge from the ring of control, guardian of the balance!"



Perfect...!
It's so perfect, I feel like I'm tugging on a whale with a fishing rod!
"---------- Perfect...! I've drawn the strongest card for sure...!"

Geez, I can't wait for my vision to return.
My vision should recover in a matter of seconds and there will be the summoned Servant right in front of me.



"Huh...?"
Nothing is here.
There is no change.
I've raged out that much ether and nothing has formed.
And on top of that...
I hear an explosion from the living room.

"WHY!!!!?"

I run.
I keep running without thinking.
I run up the basement stairs and into the living room.
"... The door's broken!?"

The living room door is crooked.
There's no point in turning the handle.
The door doesn't open, even as I push and pull it.

"... Geez, you're in my way...!"

With a crash, I kick through the door into the living room.

"....."
And.
The instant I walk into the living room, I understand everything.
The living room is in a big mess.
It's full of rubble that must have fallen from the ceiling, and there's a man sitting on it cockily.
"......"
Without a doubt, that man is the cause of this mess.
"......"
But there's one thing more important than that.
The wall clock is still ticking away time, having escaped destruction.
... That reminds me.
Yes, that's right. Come to think of it, every clock in my house was an hour early today for some reason.
In other words, it's one in the morning right now.
There's actualy one more hour until my magical energy is at its peak.

"... I did it again."

I can do most things just like everyone else, but I have one hereditary curse.
That is, to make the biggest mistakes at the most important times.
"Well, what's done is done. I should reflect on my actions."
I am mad at my own stupidity.
Still irritated, I glare at the man sitting there like he's important.



"So. What are you?"
"Those are your first words? I guess I've been called to a terrible Master."
The man in red gives an exaggerated shrug.
"Maybe I'm the most unlucky of all," he adds.
... I do declare.
This guy has a twisted personality.

That's all for now, folks!

[LukeRM]

Nice wall of text.
But still, I like the story, so go on. I'm interested.