It was already 2003; how time flew by, just a year away from the fifth Holy Grail War.
"Hey, Dante, I'm bored," Aoko complained beside me as we waited for Kaori to get out of school.
"Don't exaggerate; after this we were going to Spain to see the bullfighting festival with Kaori," I reminded her.
Perhaps for a 9-year-old girl, seeing this kind of entertainment was a lot, but for a girl from a sorceress family and heir to the Aozaki clan, it wasn't so bad.
In the end, Aoko and I decided not to have children, at least not for now.
I told Aoko and Touko about my system and abilities beyond the norm.
Aoko didn't care, while Touko didn't seem to take it very seriously.
However, Aoko was the only one willing to go on the adventure with me; Touko didn't want to leave her universe, because at this moment, she would rather be with her daughter, see her great-grandchildren, continue her research, and eventually reach the root of it all on her own.
She had her own motivations and goals, something she absolutely wanted to do, which clashed with the idea of leaving. So she decided to stay here and die of old age in this world, if she even dies, since by some twist of fate she might obtain immortality like Zelrecht.
In this parallel world, he is immortal because he is a true ancestor, but in others, he isn't, obtaining immortality through other means. Therefore, Touko could perfectly well do the same.
"I'm here, Father, Mother Aoko," said a little girl with reddish hair and red eyes.
Just seeing her, I was a little confused with Aoko and Touko when they were her age.
"How was your day, my little angel?" Aoko said sweetly, crouching down to Kaori's level.
"Very good, Mama Aoko," she said, making a military salute. It should be noted that Touko absolutely hates it when Koario refers to Aoko as "mother."
Throwing away the cigarette I was smoking, I took my daughter's hand.
"We're running a bit late for the festival, so we won't go right away without dropping off your school things," I explained, to which she nodded.
With that, we went to an empty alley; Aoko created a defined area, and then, I summoned the scythe. With a single cut to the wall, I created a path directly to Spain.
...
*A few days later*
"I see you had a good time during your vacation," commented a somewhat friendly-looking old man across from me.
"Sort of. With the disappearance of the mage-killer, we've had more prey to hunt on our own, so our division needs a momentary break to visit our families, get back to our research, or simply breathe," I said as I relaxed on his sofa.
"In that sense, I think you're right," remarked the clock tower's public relations officer.
"As the saying goes, a healthy mind in a healthy body," I recited.
"Well, changing the subject, I called you because you offered to go as a representative in this upcoming Holy Grail War, and to be honest, there's no better candidate for that. Oversight is practically guaranteed, but I'm wondering: 'Why now and not in the previous two wars?' he asked.
At his question, I just stretched a little lazily.
"Because I didn't have a purpose," I explained, to which the old man gave me a look.
"Elaborate," he asked with a gesture.
"Before, I didn't have a reason to participate; I had already done it, and my wish had been fulfilled, but after the Fourth Holy Grail War, I realized that something happened, and that caused the next war to happen in only 10 years and not in the usual 60," I began. The public relations officer just nodded at my words. "Something happened; My intention was to look at the Holy Grail, but I had to wait for the entire ritual to be reactivated to look at it directly."
"I see, your intention is to investigate and verify if there are any anomalies in either the ritual or the Grail," he summarized, nodding his head repeatedly, agreeing with my thinking.
This was clearly not the truth; it was just an excuse to leave without any complications. My real purpose was to bring Medusa back to life and then leave with her.
I already had something in mind to be able to go with Aoko and Medusa to other worlds, and that something is called Third Magic.
The idea is both simple and complex. The third magic grants the ability to control souls; this includes being able to touch and manipulate them and to move a soul from one container to another. So, using the scythe, I would remove Aoko and Medusa's souls, but they wouldn't disperse; instead, they would remain stored within the scythe.
This way, I could store the scythe in the system, which I already verified can be done some time ago, souls and all, and leave this universe. Once I reach my destination, I could create a body for the two of them, also using the third magic. Of course, with their appearance and everything, I could even modify their bodies to store other types of energy, such as Haki, but that's complicated, though hypothetically not impossible.
(Note: I could also create chakra channels, ki, among other things, but Dante needs to know how they work, since he can't do something he doesn't understand.)
"Certainly, if that's the purpose, then I wouldn't have any problem with you doing this job," the old man declared, taking out some documents, some signed and stamped; he handed them to me. "Officially, you are the Clock Tower's representative to participate in this Holy Grail War."
I looked at the papers, seeing that everything was in order, then took a file folder from my bag and put it away.
"Well, that would be all," I said, intending to leave, but I was interrupted.
"Wait," he stopped me, making me look at him. "If you're going to participate in the war, then you'll need a catalyst; I already asked Rocco for one beforehand."
"I don't want a catalyst," I said, making him look at me strangely. "For a Master, it might be crucial to know which Servant you're assigned, but for me, it's not necessary; I like the idea of seeing what can be summoned simply by my presence."
The old man just sighed at this.
"Only because it's you; otherwise, I would have asked you to show me your catalyst or forced you to get one."
With that said, I left his office and headed to mine to start preparing for my departure.
...
"Home sweet home," Aoko said, entering the house without knocking.
Aoko's parents might have visitors, but at this point in life, one gets used to Aoko's peculiarities and way of being—a punch first, a question second.
Touko just sighed at this, already resigned to her younger sister's attitude, and went inside.
"Aren't you coming?" she asked me; I just shook my head.
"I'm going to see Takeo and the others," I explained, and she nodded.
"I think we should also go see Grandpa; I'll probably go with Aoko later." With that, I went to the cemetery with Kaori.
...
I don't really know how the selection process for the Holy Grail War works, but once someone receives the Command Seals, they can summon a Servant and wait for the ritual to begin.
I remember when I asked Akane how I got them; she said they appeared out of nowhere. while she was making coffee, she suddenly realized they were on the back of her hand.
Later, talking to Zelrecht about it, I learned that it's the Grail itself that chooses; now, why it withholds them, I don't know. As far as I know, and this is just my own belief, you need a wish; that's all it takes.
Now, this is to be selected, but you don't need it to participate. All you have to do is steal the Command Seals from a Master, and that's it; you're part of the Holy Grail War.
"What are you thinking about so much?" Aoko asked me with a smile.
"I was just thinking about the first time I was in a Holy Grail War," I said, looking at the back of my hand, which was covered in three hand seals.
I chuckled when I first saw the seals, since they were three leaves of scythes spinning like the magatama of a Sharingan from the Naruto franchise.
Maybe this has something to do with my identity, which is why they're shaped like sickle blades.
Shaking my head, I looked at the summoning circle Aoko had made for me.
"This mercury must have cost you an arm and a leg, knowing who controls the capital in the Clock Tower," Aoko remarked, looking at the magic circle.
"As you can imagine, Rennes wants to charge me more than he usually sells it for, and with interest," I said, standing in front of the magic circle.
Seeing that I was ready, Aoko took a few steps back, leaving me a good distance away, hoping her presence wouldn't disturb the summoning.
I was about to start reciting the incantation, but I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at Aoko.
"Do you remember the incantations for the ritual?" I asked, a little worried. Unfortunately, she shook her head.
"Why don't you just improvise? As I understand it, you don't even need to say a complete incantation to summon one," I said to myself rather casually.
You don't need a complete incantation, but that could also influence the type of Servant that would be summoned, since what I say can affect the class of Servant it will be.
Cursing my bad luck, I stared straight ahead. If I could say anything, then I could try to summon someone I knew; maybe it could be Berus, Libra, Chiron, or Orion.
But I didn't know how much that could change the story. I didn't really care who was summoned; all I cared about was Medusa appearing. And for a moment, it occurred to me that maybe I could have summoned her myself instead of the Matou.
With that in mind, I prepared myself.
"O great warrior, whose legend transcends the skies and seas, who gazes upon this world from your island, feel my call alongside my voice," she began, speaking in a way that could be related to Medusa, a warrior with a well-known legend, living on an island with her sisters. I saw the invocation circle begin to glow. "Woman who could never rest, hear my voice and come to me; fill yourself, fill yourself, fill yourself, fill yourself, fill yourself. repeat this five times and return to destroy. I call upon you to be my spear for the battles to come, my goddess."
With that, the magic circle shone so brightly that Aoko and I had to cover our faces.
Once the glow faded, a mist descended, obscuring the entire area, so I couldn't initially see who had answered my call.
Once the smoke began to clear, I saw a woman, but it wasn't Medusa; she wore Japanese clothing, held a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, had yellow eyes, and her hair was black and white.
At first, I didn't recognize her, but out of nowhere, a fleeting memory flashed through my mind, reminding me who the woman before me was.
"I see that fate has brought us together again, Assassin. Oh, my mistake, you are no longer a Servant," the woman said with a smile that would have shattered her face when she saw me, her eyes filled with passion and emotion. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Uesugi Kenshin, avatar of the great god of war Bishamonte, Rider class. Now, you answer."
With that, before I could speak, she stood before me, only to kneel and gently take my hand.
"Since you were my first, it's time for you to take responsibility." "Will you marry me?" Uesugi asked, his voice filled with passion, far more so than those men who dance the tango with an open shirt and a rose in their mouths to impress a damsel.
Aoko, seeing all this, was speechless. As for me, I stared into space, trying to process everything that had happened in such a short time.
...
In the living room of the Aozaki estate, Nagao Kagetora, better known as Uesugi Kenshin, was drinking juice from a carton while watching a children's program with Kaori by his side.
Not far away, Aoko, Touko, Kiss-shot, and I were watching, trying to process what was happening.
First, I reviewed the words I'd spoken during my ritual. "Warrior" perfectly fits the category of a well-known legend, not globally recognized like Medusa, but in Japan, she's something else entirely. She lives on an island; Japan itself can be considered one. Goddess, the avatar of a god; curiously, she fits all the descriptions perfectly.
"I see, Dante. I've never been intimate with her, but what did she mean by 'her first time'?" Aoko asked after hearing the whole story from Kiss-shot.
Uesugi Kenshin was never defeated in a one-on-one fight; surely his fight with Dante was his first loss, hence the "first time." "In fact, it was suspected that she was a woman, since she never had a partner or children; this only confirms it," Touko explained, looking at a book on Japanese history.
"So, what are you going to do?" Kiss-shot asked me while watching The Flintstones on TV.
"Nothing, really, other than continue with the plan I had in mind, only with her," I told her, to which Kiss-shot nodded.
"Then I'll just hibernate in your shadow in the meantime." "I wasn't doing anything very interesting with Helena anyway," he said, standing beside me and disappearing into my shadow.
I didn't deny it, since I knew why he was doing it.
I had already told him how the Fifth Holy Grail War was supposed to work, so in case of emergencies, if he needed her power or support, I would be there, since for all of that, he first needed to be near me.
"So, the break is over. I'll return to England with Aoko so she can continue her studies," Touko said, then looked at her sister.
"I had spoken with a Chinese sorcerer who needed my help finding an ancient relic; "I'd get a good chunk of change for that, enough to curse Akori for a good long while," Aoko remarked.
At her sister's comment, Touko just clicked her tongue, slightly annoyed, since Kaori prefers her to her own sister because Aoko spoils her quite a bit.
While the two sisters engaged in their cold war, I stood near Kaori and Uesugi, whom I'll call Rider for now, to protect her identity.
"Dad, is it true you're going to marry the young lady?" my daughter asked innocently. I glanced at Rider, who just looked at me, uncomprehending, or perhaps completely ignoring me, waiting to see what I would say.
Knowing Rider's personality, from the little I've interacted with her, I can say that she doesn't know how to use or understand her own feelings or those of others. She's even missing some emotions, like anger or happiness.
She does everything with a smile because she doesn't know how else to express them.
The Holy Grail War is still a few months away, so I'll have to learn to live with her and, along with that, teach her how to use her emotions, both in everyday life and in battle.
"I have a deal with her, and if she keeps it, she might reconsider," I told her. Rider's eyes lit up slightly, but her expression didn't change at all. I see that she can at least feel emotion.
This was an incentive, since her wish to be summoned was to find me again, something she's already achieved. Therefore, she no longer has a desire for the Grail, but if I grant it to her, she'll fight with the intention of winning this war.
I may not be going to war to win the Holy Grail, but I don't much like the idea of losing.
Only time will tell what the future holds.
...
Five months have passed since I summoned Rider, and during this time I've lived alone with her until now.
For a moment, the thought of going directly to Fuyuki crossed my mind, but in the end, I decided to go somewhere farther away. And the reason was much simpler than one might think: training.
But this wasn't ordinary training; it was more about training her mind and being able to bring all of Rider's emotions to the surface.
We ended up going to a temple. Rider knows how to contain her emotions, but that wasn't what I needed; what I wanted was for the controller to know when to be happy, sad, angry, or euphoric and to be able to express them properly.
Also during this training period, we faced each other on several occasions.
By possessing the third magic, she was able to modify Rider's soul to make it self-sustaining. Basically, she didn't need me to give her my hand to fight and remain materialized.
For any other Servant, it would have been a huge mistake, but since it was her, I knew her desire: she wanted to be my guardian, my protector in this war, not to mention that she never left my side; even when I slept, I always woke up with her in my bed.
Sometimes I was tempted to do something to her, and I knew she would accept it with open arms, but she was a decent person, at least in spirit, so for now I haven't done anything to her, but as the days went by, I grew more fond of Rider.
Getting back to the main topic, there was only a week left before the Holy Grail War began, so we were already on our way to Fuyuki.
When we arrived in the city, we stood looking around, reminiscing about some old times.
"It's changed a lot," Rider commented as she hugged my arm tightly.
"Yes, it's been a long time; it's normal," I replied, looking in a specific direction.
She noticed and looked.
That was the place where I had fought Berserker and, more importantly, where the entire contents of the Holy Grail had fallen during the Fourth War.
"It's cursed," Rider said.
"It seems so. There's not much we can do; we'd better speak with the war supervisor to report our involvement," I explained, and Rider sensed my footsteps following.
Once we reached the church, we stood before the proton.
"I'm going in alone, no matter what. Don't come in. I won't fight; I'm just giving a warning," I ordered her, to which she nodded firmly, trusting me completely. That made me smile.
Without wasting any time, I entered the place.
I had sensed the presence of two people. Once inside, I walked until I was a safe distance from the priest.
"What a bountiful harvest we have today. I think I'll thank the Lord for this day," the priest said with a cold stare and a chilling smile, looking intently. "My name is Kotomine Kirei, the priest and caretaker of this church." At that moment, he noticed my right hand, where the command seals were visible. "I see. You've come for the Holy Grail War."
At that moment, I sensed the second presence above me. I looked up to see a young man with red eyes and blond hair on the second floor—an appearance similar to mine, to be honest.
"A Servant... were there already Masters dead before the war even started, forcing their Servants to seek refuge in the church?" I said, and the man looked at me.
"Very perceptive, half-breed," the blond man said, staring at me intently as if trying to see beyond my appearance.
"I didn't expect to see a sorcerer with such keen eyesight," Kirei said, walking toward me. "But..." He couldn't finish speaking because, in one swift motion, I unleashed all my Conqueror's Haki, blasting it throughout the place.
The church's chairs, doors, and windows—almost everything—began to shatter or crack.
Kirei immediately fell to his knees, his hands on the ground, unable to breathe properly. The blond man above remained unchanged, as if my Haki had no effect on him; he simply watched everything unfold without moving.
"Don't think I didn't know what you were going to do. I see perfectly well what your heart is like, a soulless being. You'd better not be afraid of me, because I know that guy up there would only lift a finger to save you. I just came to let you know that I'll be participating in the Holy Grail War, and I've already summoned Rider. If you have nothing more to say, I'll be leaving, supervisor." With that, I stopped explaining Haki, turned around, and left.
"Hahahaha, I had you cornered, Kirei. Your plan didn't work at all," the blond servant started laughing.
I didn't look at him; I simply left the church, leaving those two behind.
(P.S. In the next chapter, I'll talk about why Dante reacted that way, but if you've played Fate/Hollow Ataraxia, you should have a clear idea of why.)