Chapter Text
It was dark. Sakura could only frown as Zouken led her down into the depths of the basement. The worms weren’t out which was only the smallest of comforts. She could only frown deeper as she saw a blood sigil carved into the basement floor. Her eyes closed as she finally realized what was going on. She was being told to summon already.
“I’ve decided to get ahead of the competition. I expect you to do your part. We can skip training since this is more important.” Zouken chuckled darkly.
“Yes… grandfather.” Sakura muttered.
She raised her arm and forced her prana to the surface allowing the ritual to take place. It wasn’t exactly something she wanted to do but the lack of worms forced her on. She recited her pledge and the light flashed out.
“Servant Rider, come to answer your summons.” A voice called out from the burst of light.
A male with black hair, blue eyes and a dour look on his face looked around. In less than a second a glowing sword flew from his hand and hit Zouken. Before Sakura could say anything, Rider grabbed one of the worms and forced a gun down its throat.
A single shot rang out and she lost consciousness.
Ritsuka looked down at the gore that now laid before him. The origin bullet and divine construct craft essence shattered upon use. Still the monster he saw was dead… now came the problem of his master.
She was the girl who was the vessel for Parvati. Kama. She was also BB. He didn’t know how he felt about that. Regardless, her command seals were still glowing and the insects that were there were melting due to the origin bullet.
“I suppose we’ll have to get to know each other later, master.” Ritsuka muttered before picking her up in a bridal carry and walking upstairs. He would find her room eventually.
It was quiet. The screaming of the house had faded a long while ago. He had seen a young man there as well… though he was unconscious as well which was strange. Still he eventually found a girl oriented room and placed the young lady in bed. She still was breathing and her pulse was strong so he was sure that things would be explained soon enough.
It was strange, certainly, to be summoned. He had never thought that he would have ended up as a heroic spirit in any context. It didn’t seem feasible yet, here he was. Summoned and ready for combat.
He was a Rider? His mount… was the Storm Border? Unexpected, but welcome. He had several noble phantasms. The Storm Border was his mount and noble phantasm and capable of unleashing Excalibur styled blasts. It could also dive into void space but had a long charge up time which he could charge up beforehand. His version of summoning could also be used like a noble phantasm, and if he met a pseudo servant’s host, he could empower them.
Ritsuka stared at his Master. She was young looking. She also seemed to be forced into this war if what he saw was anything to go by. Well, he would make the offer. It was the least he could do. Though being a Rider was such a weird thing. He was sure he would have been more akin to a Ruler seeing as he knew that Greater Grails were nothing but trouble.
‘Maybe something wrong is going on here…?’ Ritsuka hummed in thought before fading to spirit form. He would keep a silent vigil over his Master.
Sakura groaned as she woke up. Her chest had hurt a while ago… up until it didn’t. The wriggling she sometimes felt was also gone… up until she turned to the side of her bed and puked. She couldn’t help it, the horrible things she was feeling needed to get out of her.
It took several minutes before she could see straight once more. Lying in the puddle was the desiccated remains of a worm one she knew had been attached to her heart. It didn’t make sense how she expelled it but she wasn’t going to look the gift horse in the mouth. It was dead… deader than dead.
“He’s dead…” Sakura could only grimace.
It was complicated. She was free, yes. But she hadn’t been saved by the one who she wanted to be saved by. She had been saved by someone else. She didn’t know how to feel about it. She was content that he was gone but with how quick it was done, she was left a bit shell shocked.
“Rider?” Sakura called out.
“Yes, Master?” Rider answered from the seat next to her bed. “You called.”
Sakura stared at the figure before her. He was dressed more like a mage, or a commander of a ship. The white uniform was crisply made, not a single button out of place. His eyes were a deep blue, his face seemed familiar but she didn’t comment on that fact. It was the smile that took her off guard.
He smiled at her, happy to be called on. She wasn’t exactly someone who would bring happiness to others but she didn’t voice those opinions anymore.
“What… what happened?” Sakura started… stopping when she didn’t know what else to ask at the moment.
“Well, I probably killed a monster completely. Had to use my craft essences but I got him. Origin Bullet destroyed the magic circuits completely, probably destroying his soul. The house screamed and so did you for that matter, then I carried you to your room. I can only assume this is your room because it was the only room that seemed to be for a young lady.” Rider spoke at length. “Then I waited for you to wake up. I noticed the young man who lived here tried to come into the room… I kicked him out before he could really say anything.”
“Oh, thank you Rider.” Sakura answered. She didn’t know what else to say. It was delivered in such a no nonsense tone that she didn’t really know how else to respond. “I… I guess I summoned you.”
“You did. As I said Rider, summoned to your side.” Rider chuckled as he performed a mock bow. “I did not look like much but I am here to help save the world. Like I usually do.”
“Eh?” Sakura muttered so quietly that she wasn’t heard. “Save the world?”
“Yes. I am someone who actually has saved the world. I know it sounds impossible but it is true.” Rider mentioned.
“But… Why did you save me?” Sakura whispered under her breath.
“Because I decided to. I take it you hate that it was done so easily, as if by a whim rather than planned out meticulously.” Rider scratched his cheek. “Unfortunately, I won’t take it back. You deserve to be saved, to be happy regardless of what you might feel about that stance. So I took matters selfishly into my own hands and decided for you. You didn’t seem like the type to ask anymore if that gaze you’re giving is anything to go by.”
Sakura turned away, staring at her hands. She couldn’t refute the sentiment. She was just so tired of wishing for hope. Wishing to be saved, she had even tried to place her hopes on her Senpai, which had gone almost nowhere. It had given her a haven but it hadn’t solved anything. She turned back to him, the earnest look was poisonous. It was filled with hope. And hope was a poison she had seen before, when her uncle had been devoured after being a failure.
How many sleepless nights did she have as those insects fed on her soul? How many days did her screams mean nothing while she endured? She had seen what had happened to Uncle Kariya. He had promised so much… but it had meant nothing in the end. Even her own Senpai couldn’t save her. He had given her a place to be safe but it was a stagnant reprieve from endless torture and that was it. She had only been worth something because of her body but the person who had been torturing her was actually gone. He was actually dead by some twisted sense of fate and she was expected to just… move on?
Indignation rallied in her heart for how presumptuous those words sounded, how filled with hope they were. It sickened her deep inside that such words were said to her especially. Hope had died once already and she had thought to have hope through her Senpai which had been wasted. Her tormentor was deader than dead. The worm she had in her body was gone and nothing was wriggling inside her anymore. The sense of wrongness was gone but her indignation and pessimistic outlook remained bubbling in her gut. She had finally found her voice for it.
“What… What do you know about that!? What do you know about suffering!?” Sakura started screaming almost incoherently as the dam she built up around her emotions burst. “I wasn’t worth saving in the first place!”
Rider said nothing. He just stared her down, glaring at her. Even as her vitriol kept her screaming, even as tears blinded her, her servant didn’t back down. When her magecraft burst out and disintegrated a few of her pillows, he still kept glaring her down. Sakura turned first.
Rider stood up and forced her to look at him.
“You are worth the effort to save and that is final.” Rider stated. “I will fight for humanity. You are a human in need and in front of my eyes. I fought and saved you… now you need to figure out what to do next.”
“But… the Grail War…?” Sakura tried to ignore her own suffering.
“I don’t want it.” Rider mentioned. “I’ve never needed it. I merely answered a call for help no matter how small that voice was.”
Sakura curled in on herself. As much as she wanted to desperately accept that she didn’t want to believe in hope. Years of abuse had taken their toll and she wasn’t up to feeling any sliver of hope.
“I suppose I am the first servant to be summoned… would you like to bolster your stake on this side?” Rider mentioned.
“Huh?” Sakura looked confused.
“It’s… part of one of my noble phantasms. You could wield the power of a servant if you wanted to.” Rider mentioned.
“I could… be okay…?” Sakura carefully stated.
It sounded too good to be true. In her addled mind dealing with the Grail War made sense. The necessity of having more on her side would help…
“But I could only summon you…” Sakura mumbled.
“Ah, I can solve that.” Rider mentioned and pulled out a small golden crystal that quickly formed into a grail before morphing back into that crystal. Then he placed it into his chest and she was no longer supplying him with her prana.
“Wha-!?” Sakura gasped.
“I earned a few of those grails. These can only be used as mana batteries. I have two more on me I can use so if you’d like to do this we can get another on our side.” Rider shrugged. “I leave this up to you Master.”
Sakura didn’t say anything. She was a bit overwhelmed by the reveal. Her command spells really didn’t mean much in this situation but the ability to make herself capable…
“What do we do?” Sakura questioned.
The idea was dangerous. She didn’t even know what she was really walking into. Still, the thought of being strong enough to not be walked over anymore was too enticing.
Sakura led Rider back down to the basement. She had seen Shinji who had attempted to yell at her only for Rider to slam him against the wall knocking him out. It was… excessive but Zouken wasn’t around anymore and she didn’t want to live like that anymore.
Rider began carving a new symbol over the symbol that had been in the basement. It was different than the summoning sigils that Zouken had drilled into her head.
“Okay… stand in the center and I’ll recite my noble phantasm. Ah… also hold on to this.” Rider stated before handing her a small lotus flower.
“A lotus…?” Sakura stared at the beautiful flower. It contrasted so heavily at how ugly she felt she looked like.
“Shall I?” Rider asked and Sakura nodded.
“Chains of time, chains of space. Let nothing hold you from my side. What once called you forth, called you once more. Allow my voice to guide you. Light of FATE!” Rider chanted as the light forced its way up once more.
Sakura felt something come in… and with the fact she knew it was coming, allowed it within. Compliance was all it needed and Sakura was flooded with knowledge. Knowledge and power coursed through her body.
“Servant, Assassin. Kama has come to answer your summ- Ritsuka…?” Kama’s cold tone broke into one of longing.
“Hey Kama. Long time no see.” Ritsuka gently smiled.
Sakura didn’t control her body at that moment something the other told her would happen. She allowed it… the tone the new servant used was something she could completely agree with.
The Assassin leapt into the Rider’s arms burying her face into him. Tears unbidden by the host dropped relentlessly as she repeated his name ad infinitum.
Sakura could feel the smoldering flames within all for her Rider’s sake. Love… pure burning love was what came crying out from her tone. That it was reciprocated made her own prospects of love seem dismal. Sure, Rider was amazing in his own rights.
He had destroyed the monster that had tried to claim her life. He had made sure that no more abuse would come from her brother… at least for the moment. Now she was also powerful enough to take the reins of her own life.
Sakura tensed as Kama immediately went to kiss Rider and stopped her. Kama grumbled slightly but acquiesced to the command. It took a few moments to work something out and eventually Kama’s specialty came into play.
Sakura felt the power drain from her as another body came into being. Now that she could see Kama more clearly… she could tell that her body was being used as the basis and to its full potential.
Her curves were a bit more pronounced. The purple of her hair had paled to a lilac or lavender softness… and her clothing was very bold.
“Is this better?” Kama asked her host, looking at her closely as she did so.
“Yes, I’m sorry about that I just… don’t know him that well?” Sakura mentioned, hoping to not offend her other servant. Rider didn’t look bothered at all.
“Oh don’t worry… you will.” Kama smiled, her eyes darkened slightly and the smirk grew. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”
Before Sakura could say anything about the situation, Kama leapt back at Rider pinning him to ground and making out with him on the spot. Sakura did her best to ignore the other servant grinding down on the now noticeable bulge on display. She quietly rubbed her own legs together before heading back up stairs.
She didn’t notice the smaller Kama following her just in case she needed help. Teenage Kama, however, focused entirely on Ritsuka except for a single line.
‘When you want a ride… just tell me Master.’ Kama mentally stated over to Sakura.
Sakura gulped slightly and closed the door to the basement. She didn’t need the temptation for the moment… All she needed was some rest.
The second and third servants of the war had been summoned. Rider and Assassin. The war was coming within a few months and with three of the seven called, the other participants would eventually be called forth upon this Grail War.
The priest looked around. He didn’t know why but he felt that things had gotten changed somewhere but for the moment he ignored it. He needed to finish assisting his guest with his food.
The enforcer wasn’t due into the city until the week before the war was due to start. The heiress of the city was waiting for the best time. The magus who heard of the war was still getting his resources together. The homunculus had already summoned Berserker. And the would be hero of justice had no idea what the hell was going on.