The world around you is in sharp contrast with itself.
Around you, you see the cleanness and tidiness of your hospital room: green and white walls paired with the beeps of a machine and the aseptic smell of the air. Inside you, black holes and a dark void: you don't seem to remember anything from your past, as everything blurs into a bottomless pit.

In this absolute quiet, only one thing catches your eye: your doctor is talking with somebody outside your room. The window is too small though, and you can only see him, not the person he's talking with.

Why are they here? Why are YOU here?
You can't remember. You've been laying on that bed for what has probably been a week now. No one answered your questions. No one showed up. Well, not until today that is.

Your heart skips a beat as you hear somebody timidly walking in.

"Hello?" the voice you hear is soft, and probably belongs to a girl who isn't older than 19. Her eyes are dark and deep, and her hair is black and short. She is really attractive.
"How are you?" You do not respond. You do not know how to respond.
"What is your name?" What an odd question. You should be asking that! But then it hits you: you don't know what's your name. But maybe you could make an effort and think about it...

You ponder. Is your name "Alice"? No, that feels wrong. You're surely a guy. This you know for sure.

Johnathan. Johnathan seems to be the most fitting name in your head. You say it out with confidence. The girl in front of you smiles.

"Hello, Johnathan. Do you remember me? Do you know who I am?"

The tone in her voice is hopeless. It's so desperate you wish you could just answer "YES!" with all your might. But you know it not to be true. You look away, feeling too miserable to answer. Her smile dies in her face.

"I see. Well, do not forget that I came to visit you today, ok?"

The girl quietly takes her leave, and you bitterly regret not being able to do and say more.
However the doctor quickly comes in, checks on you, and starts talking with you. It's not as good as chatting with a pretty girl but it will do.

"How are you feeling, hm... Johnathan?"
How odd that he hesitates on your name. You're fairly sure he should know it, and yet his reluctance in uttering your name seems oddly calculated

"Who was the girl here earlier?"

The doctor smiles and laughs nervously. "Ah, a former classmate of yours".
A former? Classmate?
Why former? What happened? Are you not friends anymore? What have you done to wrong her?
Too many questions, too little answers. You know better than asking the doctor. But something, at once, hits you with the strength of a truck. Something you must absolutely know.

"My classmates..."

The word echoes strangely in your head. As something you should know, but can't really remember. It has a good meaning, yes? Then why do you suffer so much thinking about it?
Are they... lost forever?

"Don't worry Johnathan. You will have new classmates"

You don't want new classmates. You want your old ones. Yes, but who are they? One came to visit you. They must be nice.

"You will attend a new school, it's a..."
The rest of his speech is lost on you. You lose consciousness, and when you regain it, you're being violently shaken by someone.
You open your eyes suddenly and you immediately feel glad about your decision: you find yourself in a gathering hall, a lot of people standing close in what seems... a funeral.

A huge picture is set in the front of the hall, with a closed coffin next to it.

Another gap in your memory. Another sudden event. You turn to your left to see the person who shook you and to thank him or her, whoever that could be. It's a girl, standing next to you. Her gaze is pure fury upon you. All of a sudden you find yourself thoroughly frightened.

"I...I am sorry, I...I don't know what happened to me."

Short black hair and deep, black, inquisitive eyes, covered by round glasses, which look at you so intensely you almost feel pierced by them.

She does not answer.
You turn around and pretend to follow the celebration.
The dead one is a young guy, not older than yourself. He's fairly handsome, you think.
What a shame, to be so young and already dead. And yet life goes on.

It quickly hits you that the place is entirely foreign for you. You've never seen it before.
Then again, you have no memory of any place, beside your hospital room.

There is something wrong with the people around you. You feel it but you can't put your finger on it. It's not a matter of attending a funeral, everyone is wearing their best funeral face. There is something *else*. You feel you could grasp it, if just you were to look at the people around you closer, but you are afraid of appearing too inquisitive.

You look around. You look HARDER.
Something's off with the guests at this funeral.

No one seems particularly old. They're all teenagers. Is this a school mourning someone's death? Is someone mourning YOUR death? You discard the idea as absurd.

What's more, turning back, you see older people sitting in the back rows. You were wrong at least on this: not everyone here is young.

But then what is it? This feeling that's something is missing, the feeling that something is off. You are about to classify your earlier thoughts as paranoia, and turn to the girl sitting next to you, but then something hits you: her forearm is gone. An amputee? The bandage around the stump suggests as much.

Quickly all pieces are put together: all the young people around you are... disabled.
How could you not notice earlier? A funeral for disabled? This is too weird, too quick.

You feel the hand of the girl next to you on your shoulder. She obviously cried a lot, but she is trying hard to smile. "Are you ok?"
'No, not really, I have no idea where I am. I have no idea what is going on'. You must ponder what to ask

"What is going on?"

You feel like you asked the wrong question. The girl turns around and does not answer you for a second. Then she faces you again, this time with tears in her eyes.

"It's a funeral. The guy who died used to be our classmate"

Classmate, that word again. What is a classmate? Must be something good. Must be like an important person, why would they be at his funeral then.

"We've been his classmates only for a week. He was transferred here after he spent four months in a hospital. He had a pretty severe heart condition, I've been told"

Only a week is good enough to become this close? This girl seems genuinely in pain. Or maybe it's just a matter of courtesy.

"Did he die of heart failure?"
"No, apparently he fell off the rooftop".
This keeps getting stranger.
"Was he a good friend of yours?"
"No I can't say that. But he was a good person. And he was too young to die".
The tears she was holding in her eyes now flow freely.
"His name was Hisao."

Hearing his name feels odd. You feel strangely conflicted about it: on one hand, you have no idea who he was. On the other, you're saddened for his departure.

"They said new student is transferring here, but I don't want it. It's too soon. It would be too painful to bear".

You start noticing that you're sitting uncomfortably on something. It must be in your back pockets. You start searching them and you find a leaflet reading "Yamaku Academy: special needs, extraordinary talents"

You quickly hide it.

"Ehm, by the way, how is this school called?"
"Don't you know? I thought you were a student. It's the Yamaku Academy"

So that's it. You're the transfer student. You're the cripple, too. What a terrible omen, to begin your new school career like this.

"Ahem... I think I am said transfer student. Sorry for the poor timing".
The amputee girl has a natural tanned skin, but you can see it lose color as she turns towards you and become paler and paler.
"Don't worry, I understand how you feel. I don't grudge you"
You say these words with the utmost sincerity, but you see she still struggles to speak.

"I am Johnathan, by the way. And you are?"
"M-miki... I am sorry for what I said earlier..."

You raise your right hand in a gesture of forgiveness

"It's nice to meet you. We will be classmates, right?"
She thinks a while before answering "I believe so, Jonhathan. I hope so"
She smiles sadly, then she turns around when the memorial begins. Everybody stands up, and so do you.
This is just the beginning, and yet, you can't help but feel the road will be uphill from now...

You wake up in your new room. It is small, but it looks ten times more comfortable than the hospital room you spent your last week in.

This is going to be your first school day at Yamaku. You don't know anyone here, you haven't had time to meet dorm mates either. Looks like you will have to share your kitchen and the shower with up to 3 more students, but you have a smaller private bathroom for your personal use.

You're up way earlier than you should be, and you blame excitement for it.
You can't remember anything of your past school, and of your past classmates, except for that one girl who visited you while you were sick. What a strange thing she asked of you: to remember that she came to visit. And you find it hard not to oblige, given that the rest of your past is a mystery.

Laying in bed, thinking of the future, you're interrupted by heavy knocking on the door.

You were not expecting visits, and you're not (yet) ready to meet strangers. On the other hand it could be an inspection from the medical personnel, active 24/7. Reluctantly, you get up and open the door.

Standing next to you is a guy with brown ruffled air and glasses so thick his eyes almost disappear. He's wearing a strange yellow-and-red scarf.

"What are you doing here, huh? Who are you to begin with? Are you a spy?"

"I am not a spy, I am just the new student"

The guy comes uncomfortably close, so much that you can smell his garlic breath. Is he trying to suffocate people with that?
He smiles as he finally understood something
"Oh right, you do look new. Pleased to meet you, I am Kenji."
"The pleasure is mine", you respond hesitantly. "I am Johnathan".

Kenji nods approvingly. "Johnathan, eh? Very well. You better listen to me and follow my advice. This school is a cove of feminists and raving lunatics, and I am the only sane person left." He frowns "Lest you end up as Hisao".

You swallow your spit in discomfort, and Kenji seems to pick up on the noise of it.
"There, there, no need to worry. I will resurrect him using blood magic. I've been learning about it on the internet. Do you want to come into my room? I have charts and informations, I am sure you'll like it"

You have a bad feeling about the whole situation, and decide to make an excuse.
After all, no one who blabbers about blood magic can be sane of mind. Actually, now that you think of it, he might as well think of using you as a human sacrifice.

"Well, to be honest I still have to talk with the nurse, I want to get that done before class begins. Do you mind?"

He is visibly displeased, but he just comments
"Whatever man. Can I borrow some money?"

"I have no money on me", you answer. It's the truth: as far as you know you don't own a wallet or anything like that, so you can't possibly lend him money.

He turns away and closes his door, saying "Seeya later, man!"

You decide to take the opportunity to take a shower and wear the school uniform. It isn't too formal, nor too restraining, and it feel fresh and comfortable on your skin.

You have about an hour before the beginning of your first class. You decide to visit the nurse.

You head for the Nurse office. You have to ask for directions a couple of times, but you eventually find it.
The nurse is surprisingly young, a tall man with a wide grin on his face.
"Welcome, Johnathan. Make yourself comfortable! How have you been?"

"Fine, apart from the holes in my memory"

A shadow passes through the nurse's face.
"I am sorry, Johnathan. I can not tell you more about it. And you came here at a dark time, too. Please don't mistake your classmates sadness for coldness." He smiles again "But I will be here all day if you need me! Now, I will just check you up and then you're free to go!"

The visit is quick, and you're off the hook shortly.

"Here, John: this is your wallet. The school will provide for most expenses, but you have a monthly allowance of 50 000 yen for other things. By the way, it's still early for class, why don't you visit the school facilities? You have half an hour, you can head for the library or for the track"

You ask direction for the running track, and the Nurse is happy to provide for them.

"If you see a tiny girl with puppy eyes bent on running faster than the light, tell her I say hi!", he says smiling. "She's a very nice girl, I am sure you will be friends in no time!"

The nurse office isn't so far away from the running track. There is, indeed, a tiny girl running. She barely notices you.
But you have the time to observe her. Her eyes are wide open, her hair is made into ponytails. She looks hellbent.
It's only after she's run her first lap that you notice she has no legs. She's running on prosthetics. The sheer willpower and strength flowing from this girl makes you feel uncomfortable.

Gradually, the girl slows down until she stops. You walk by and try to strike a conversation

"Hey!"
"hello", she replies, coldly, the determined face turned into a mask of stone.
"The nurse said I could find you here."
"And you did"
Pause. The conversation is dead, you don't know how to proceed. The girl turns her back on you and starts stretching.
"He told me to greet you on his behalf"
"I will tell him you did just that", she says. Then, she gathers her stuff and leaves.

If this is going to be the attitude of people towards you, then probably the hospital was better, you reason.

Resigned, you head into your class.
The professor is waiting outside.

"Oh, you must be the new student, Johnathan. I am Mutou, homeroom professor. Do you want to introduce yourself to the class?"
"I don't think it's a good idea"
And who would think the opposite? You're an amnesiac for crying out loud, you don't remember anything about your past.
The professor brings you in and briefly introduces you to the class. Then he starts handing out assignments.
"Johnathan, we will work in groups. Find an open spot and join one".
The very second he says that, everybody starts looking intensely at their assignment and pretend you're not there.

You are seated next to a tall, dark girl, who seems to be a severe burn victim.
"Can we work together on this?", you ask.
The girl does not respond, but nods slightly.
You start working out the calculation and you're amazed that you can go through them almost effortlessly. Where does this mathematical knowledge come from? You have no clue. You can't remember.

You try to look at the girl sitting next to you. She's attractive, in her own way, but when she notices you looking at her, she stops right in her track.

You think that you've done something wrong, and go back to your calculations. A few minutes later your classmate just drops everything and leaves.
This makes you feel extremely uncomfortable.

As the bell rings and your put your pen down, you try to take a peek at the dead boy's desk. It has a picture of him on it, and flowers are laid on top of it. All your classmates get out of the class for lunch, but you have nowhere to go. You notice the girl who woke you up at the funeral pass by you, but you decide not to try to talk with her.
Your stomach grumbles, and you opt to follow the stream of people to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria is exceedingly spacious, probably to accommodate to student needs. Showing the school ID in your wallet is enough to earn you a free meal, but the food is lousy at best.

Sitting down to eat, all of a sudden you hear a sonorous laugher. You turn in the direction of it and you see a bubbly girl with pink drills. You look around see that most people are looking at her just like you are.
The girl seems to have realized that she has done something wrong, and shrinks in an attempt to disappear.
How curious: she's sitting with the strict girl from the funeral.

Lunchtime is over and you head back to the class. The afternoon lessons are boring, but you don't seem to have a problem in keeping up. It's your lack of motivation that is keeping you down.

As you head towards your room, you find Kenji standing there.

"Dude, do you have money now?"
"Kenji, you sure are a man with objectives", you say half sarcastically, but he doesn't seem to grasp it. He replies smugly "Of course! I am always on the ball! Always on the lookout! You ought to be too, mate! Let your guard down and they will kill you like they killed Hisao".
"They... killed Hisao?"

Kenji laughs, as if he wanted to mock you.
"What do you think, John? That people just jump off roofs for the fun of it? The truth is darker than that, my friend. And it will be yours for the low low price of 400 yen!"
He puts his hand out in expectation
"And then if you wish you can come visit my room, where we'll discuss the details of Hisao's mysterious death"

You reluctantly hand him the money, scared that he might pursue you to hell and back just for some spare change, but decline his invitation to enter his room.

He looks dissatisfied, but lets you go on your way.

You find yourself wandering aimlessly in the school. No direction, no purpose. Yet somehow, you manage to enter what seems to be the school library.

A girl in her twenties is at the desk, writing on what seems to be a rather large register.

"Hello, I've never seen you before here. Are you a student?"
"Yes, although I was transferred here recently"
Her face becomes sadder , but she tries to regain her composure

"Oh, hm, I see. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Not really, I didn't come here for the books"
"What brought you here, then?"
You take a deep breath. You're skeptical about talking openly about this with someone, but on the other hand, this is the only option to talk with someone who is not crazy that came up so far.

"Why do people hate me?"
The face of the librarian gets sadder
"We don't, I mean, they don't! We are just sad because... I mean they are sad... Oh no, you believe I hate you don't you? Please don't, I don't hate anyone, if you were to say something like that I could lose my job and I really need..."
You are hit by a torrent of words and you almost regret opening your mouth. Then all of a sudden she stops
"Can you please look over the desk? I need to take care of an errand, and I keep postponing it. It's nothing hard I promise, you just need to sit there and wait for me. I will be back!"

She rushes out of the library.You hadn't even agreed to anything and yet here you are. Apparently all the people you talk with are trying to force stuff down your throat. Especially this librarian and that Kenji dude, they'd make a perfect duo, you think.

Something catches your eyes while you're lost in thoughts.
A big set of keys seems to be laying on the desk. It has a tag "Keys-All rooms".

the keys look tempting but you decide against taking them.
They're probably more trouble than they're worth. For how little you know the librarian, you feel she's the kind of woman who could unleash the hounds on you and find no rest until you've atoned till the very last of your sins.

You find this fantasy quite amusing, and you're violently brought back to reality by the librarian storming in.

"Oh there you are! Thank you! Thank you so much!" She bows down so quickly and recklessly that you start fearing for her own safety.

She straightens up again and smiles "My name is Yuuko, by the way. Who are you?"
"I am Johnathan"
"Nice to meet you, Johnathan. Do you like reading?"

You wonder if the librarian has forgot that you didn't come here for books, but decide to answer anyway.
"I guess, yeah. Though I couldn't name a book I enjoyed particularly"
"Well, the school library has quite a selection! Give a look around and don't hesitate to borrow any book you like!"

You decide that while you're here, you might as well pick up something. The selection is indeed impressive, and you decide to borrow a book about theories about the multiverse.

You register the book at Yuuko's desk and head out, just to witness the oddest scene so far in your new school: Kenji, running with his arms stretched out behind him, screaming at the top of his lungs.

You decide to dodge him temporarily by retreating briefly into the library, then you'll keep pursuing him.

"Something's wrong?", Yuuko asks.
You shake your head. "I just thought I dropped my ID, but I guess it's not here". You get out slowly and get cover by hiding behind the vending machine. You try to peek over it to check the hallway, but before you can do that, you hear footsteps coming from the direction Kenji was running from. You quickly withdraw your head and wait until the footsteps get further before trying to peek again.

You are not certain since they're giving you their backs, but you think the bubblegum-haired girl and the stern one are both heading towards the direction Kenji was running to.

It's not unrealistic to believe that Kenji was startled and in fear for his life when he saw those two approach, but you wonder why would he get out of his room to begin with.

Eventually, curiosity leads you to cautiously follow them from a distance.
You try to be stealthy and follow them from a distance, until the road leads to the exit to the running track.

The girls open the door and walk there.
You're maybe 20 steps behind them, using the corridor's turn as a cover. As they get further away into the track, you cautiously head for the last corridor.

Suddenly, a door opens and you're pulled in, a hand over your mouth to prevent you from screaming.

It's Kenji, with a finger in front of his lips, telling you to stay quiet.
"Calm down man, we can see what they're up to from this window right here. Just don't scream, ok? You'll blow our cover"

You decide it's probably better to wait there for the time being.

"Kenji, my friend. Would you care to tell me just what the heck is going on?"
"SHHSH!". Silenced abruptly, you feel rage rising in you, but eventually you come to think Kenji was right: you hear more footsteps headed to the running track. Two people, if the sound isn't tricking you, plus what sounds like a metal stick.

"They're still around. Don't talk until it's safe. Here, wear these". He hands you a set of headphones, connected by a black wire God knows where to. You notice he's wearing them too, while he uses what looks like a rather sophisticated binoculars to observe through the window the odd meeting taking place in the running track.

He is crouching behind a table and you do the same, trying to catch a glimpse of what's going on, but you can barely make out some human figures standing in the middle of the track.

"4,5,6, one's missing. Eheh, I will be that number 7!"
"Is it safe to talk now?"
"Of course! Do you take me for a fool?"
'Yes, the biggest one I've met so far', you think, but decide not to say. "See man? You should have listened to me. You should have listened to me all along. We could have stopped this blood rite".
"Blood rite? What?"
"Yeah man. Don't worry, we'll hear every word they say and come out at the most opportune time. I've installed some hidden microphones in the track, they're connected to our headsets. They're done for, we've busted 'em".

The more you hear him rambling the more this makes you uncomfortable, but you feel like you have no choice but to lie there in wait.

"No, no, no. Misha: refer to Shizune. We've been going over this. Only those involved will contribute to the Reality Marble used to keep innocent students out of this. If we use their life energy then there's no point in protecting them to begin with."
The words coming from the radio just make no sense.
"Kenji, my friend, my sole friend, my dear friend: I don't get anything. What is going on?"
A dark grin spreads on his face. "An ancient, dark and forbidden ritual is taking place. I've been studying this for a lifetime but I didn't ever think it would occur to me. The girls gathered in the track are going to summon seven demons from the Depths of Hell, then fight each other to death. Of course there's a problem. Well more than one. First, they can't agree how to fight without harming others. Pfft, as they will stick to it. They just want the power of the demons to establish a feminist tyrannocracy. Second, they need seven people, and they're only six. I Will claim the last demon and fight against them to protect all men!"
You are about to explain Kenji that he's talking gibberish again, that they're probably just discussing school-related subjects, when you hear something that petrifies you.
"Fair point, Shicchan, very true, very true, wahaha. Come on, Kenji, new guy, get out of there. Did you really think we wouldn't know you were there?"

Panic overtakes Kenji, who takes a leap back and breaks his headphones. You still don't believe Kenji's odd ideas about blood rites, so you just decide to get up and get out.
"What are you doing man? They're gonna kill you!"
"Yeah, sure. Listen, you said you would come out at the most opportune time. I think that time's now". You get out and close the door, but you hear it opening again as Kenji is determined to follow you.

Six girls stand in the track, just like Kenji said.

My, my", says a tall, blonde girl, with a metal sticks in her hand. "Were you eavesdropping?"
Her eyes seem void. She's most likely blind.

"Yes, we were. My apologies."
The girl chuckles. You see the girl you saw earlier today at the running track, with a strange and maddened expression on her face.

"So you admit to your crimes? You admit to trying to get involved into matters that are bigger than you. Much, much bigger"
"Look, honestly I just followed Kenji here and..."
"Were you, or were you not trying to spy on us, newbie? Give us a straight answer"
You take a deep breath. "Yes, we were"
"Very well", she says calmly. "Then, DIE!"

She produces a sharp knife out of nowhere. You lead your hands in front of you and close your eyes, to brace for impact.
The noise of metal against metal surprises you, as much as the sudden pain you feel in your hand. You open your eyes slowly and touch the hand in pain with your other hand, trying to check for blood loss, but you can't feel anything. What you do see, however, is a red tattoo that was never before on the back of you hand.

And, even more impressively, a tall, dark figure, completely covered in metal, with a drawn sword used to block the legless girl's knife.

"Not very knightly of you", he comments, in a deep and stern voice.

"Who-just who the hell are you?", stutters the limbless girl.

He pays no attention to her however, as he turns his back on her and kneels in front of you with his sword planted on the ground.

"I heeded your call. Now, tell me: are thou my Master?".

The figure standing in front of you seems to be clad with some sort of futuristic dark armor, rather adherent over the body but thicker around the collar bone, the neck, shoulders, forearms and legs. The rather peculiar armor piece covering the collar bone and the shoulders seems to host a shining gem at the center of it.

The helmet is a blend of futuristic and classic, shaped more like a motorbike helmet but still flaunting a red plume on the top of it.

By know, the legless girl is holding her knife close, watching the odd scene unfold. The silence is thick all around you, and it's suddenly interrupted by the loud laughter of the girl with pink air

"Wahaha, the Newbie has summoned Saber! We should have been quicker"

"Not yet!" The legless, strawberry blonde girl seems determined
"Saber, if he refuses your offer, I will accept it".

"Is that so?" the answer comes in the same stern and deep voice from the armored figure. "I'd rather cut my legs than serve a coward like yourself."

This must sting, as the girl's face becomes a mask of anger.

"Enough, all of you." The blonde blind girl speaks up with authority."Newcomer, please be so courteous as to accept Saber's offer. Then we'll proceed with the discussion. Technically you're infringing the rules by summoning a Servant before the rules are laid, but we'll make an exception as you could not know them."
A defiant look in your face, you say "I accept your Oath, Saber. Rise as my Servant".

The other girls look at your general direction with hostility, and for the first time you feel like you have a bargaining chip in this complicated matter.

"I think I deserve an explanation now. What is this and what are you doing?"

"Right now", says the blind girl, "we're trying to settle the rules. As usual me and the deaf girl you see over there disagree."
'Oh, she's deaf' you think. 'Not talking with her was probably a good idea then. It also explains why the pink-haired girl talks in her place'
"You see, I try to always be moderate in my proposals, my wisdom always falls on deaf ears", she says with a mean half-smile.
The whole time, the pink-haired girl is signaling back and forth, probably translating for the deaf girl.
"Shicchan says that she's just proposing what's best for everyone, but you fail to see that. Whahaha Shicchan, that was funny!"
Clearly those two hate each other's guts. You presume that the topic of the conversation is the same as the last time.

"So, newbie: Shicchan wants to know what you think", screams the bubbly girl. "Don't you think everybody should contribute to the safety of the students?"
"Or do you think those not involved should not be dragged in against their will?", interjects the blind girl.

"You guys are nuts. Nobody knows anything about this rite and you want to involve them on the grounds that it's for their own safety? Screw that! It's your responsibility because you wield the power. I do sincerely hope the deaf girl here holds no responsibility whatsoever in the school or I'd have to assume this is in fact a gulag."

The blind girl laughs with gusto at your exclamation, while the pink-haired girl signals with a frown. The deaf girl's eyes are blistering with rage.
"For Pete's sake, Kenji, you were right all along. And that's the saddest thing I will probably say in my whole life. No offense man but I thought you were nuts. You were right all along."

"Thanks man", he says with a smile. Then his face turns into a frown "But you still stole my servant. How am I going to battle the feminists now?"

"Oh don't you worry, I am going to give them hell."

An armless girl takes the word.
"Maybe it's time to summon our own servants and then set the Reality Marble. I want to paint later". All the girls nod approvingly.

"I suggest you take your leave, newbie", says the strawberry blonde legless girl. "You are not welcome here"
"You don't need to say that twice." You make a gesture with your hand to Saber and to Kenji, as to invite them to follow you.

"B-but wait", stutters Kenji. "Aren't we gonna see who they summon?"
"How is that going to help me? I have no idea how this whole business works to begin with!"
"Well, in that case, come to my room: I think I have the information you need".
"Sure thing, but how are we gonna hide Saber?"
"That won't be necessary", you hear your Servant say. "I can just camouflage". You watch as every bit of his armor turns invisible.
"With some luck, we won't need much else"

Kenji's room is a mess. It looks like a small fortress in its own right, with 10 different custom locks and additional food supplies.
A magical circle of sort is drawn on the floor with a strange material.

"Oh man it took me centuries to gather all of Hisao's blood to use as summoning material. All that job in vain". You have to fight back the urge to puke.

"Anyway, let's see. Ah, here it is" he says, giving a book to you. "Holy Grail War. 7 Masters and 7 servants, all competing for this wish-granting machine. Looks like you've got the strongest one, too!"
The book indeed does mention a sort of hierarchy among Servants, and you smile at your good luck.
"Man, John, you're the last hope of all men in the universe. You must use your power to destroy feminism!" You nod pensively, while you ponder about what you want to ask to the Grail.

A couple of hours later, you head to your room to sleep.Your dream is uncomfortable, almost a nightmare. You feel intoxicated, then, you feel like you're falling. And when you hit the ground, as it always happens, you wake up. Somebody's knocking on the door. It can't be later than 7 am outside.

You get up and walk to the door, still tired from yesterday and guided more from by your good manners than from your will.
You raise the your gaze to see the deaf girl and her loud companion. Instinctively you jump back and try to locate Saber.
This causes the pink-haired girl to burst with laugher. Apparently she finds everything hilarious.
"What do you want from me? Get away!", you say in anger.
"Wahahah, relax, relax calm down ok? We just want to talk about an alliance. Shicchan says that you will find our offer reasonable and that if you accept we will explain everything you need to know".
"Doesn't sound like an alliance offer to me. In fact, it sounds like blackmailing. I never wanted to partecipate in your lousy war and... uh..."
You take a pause, as you get more and more confused by the gestures the pink girl is making . Then you remember she's probably just signaling back and forth.
Her smile is as wide as her face. "Hey new guy, if you don't want to attend the war, just give your dorm mate the command seals, and you're free!"

"Command seals?"
She nods. "Yes, those signs on your hand are command seals. You have three of them, and when you use them, your servant must obey you." she laughs out loud again.

"Well, I... No, I am not going to give up. I am going to fight and best the rest of you!"
"Ok! Ok! Such a fighting spirit, newbie! Ahah, Shicchan says she likes that, says you have the spirit of a warrior inside you! So, can we talk about an alliance now? We have very powerful servants, ahaha. You will see. Just join us and we will win for sure OK? OK! It's settled then!"
"It's not settled, I didn't say anything!" The girl looks visibly disappointed. "No?"

You take a deep breath. "Come on in anyway, no point in standing there idly. Let's talk."
Both girls smile, they take a few steps in and you close the door as soon as they're in. You are in pajama, but the thing doesn't bother you. You have other problems to care about.

"So, why do you propose we should have an alliance?", you ask. "Wait, what's your name to begin with?"

The pink haired girl laughs loudly. Again.
"I am Misha, and she's Shizune. But I call her Schicchan. And what's your name?"
"Johnathan. But you can call me John."
"Very well John, nice to meet you! Wahaha!"

The silence falls in the room, as the conversation stalls. But then Shizune, the deaf girl, starts signaling at an high speed.
"Ok ok Shicchan, now I will ask him. John, what do you know about the Grail War?"
"Well... there are seven servants and seven masters and uhhh, mine is the strongest isn't it?"
"Wahahahah, yes yes, very well informed, very well done, Shicchan says you did well and informed yourself! That's what a wise fighter does".
The compliments sound as insincere as they can get. "But that's not all John! Other Servants can be powerful too. There are 3 Knight class servants, and 4 Cavalry class servants."
Shizune adjusts her glasses in triumph, then keeps moving her hands about. "And we do have another Knight Class servant! So if we join forces we will win for sure! Whahah!"

Something seems fishy about all of this.
"Wait wait, hold on your horses. Why are we fighting for, again?"
Shizune looks disappointed, takes a deep breath and starts signaling again.
"John, we thought you knew about this! We fight for the Holy Grail. It has a power to grant a wish to everyone who drinks from it. The other girls want the Grail too, so we have to fight! But there's no need to harm each other right? Right! We will just harm servants."
This makes you feel uncomfortable. Saber picks up on this and appreciates your concern.
"We should make an alliance John, so we could cast our wish to the Grail!"
"'Our' wish? Your wish! You haven't told me anything about what you want! I feel like I am just gonna be a pawn in your game".

Both girls frown, and the deaf one seems on the verge of crying. You are about to apologize and say that you didn't mean it so harshly, but Misha speaks up before you can.
"Before you came here... there was a student here. Hisao Nakai, probably you've heard of him. He died mysteriously falling from the rooftop. Shizune and I want to bring him back to life. We are the Student Council and Shizune says that the Student Council is responsible for the wellbeing of every student, isn't that so! Yes, yes of course it is! So help us, John, you have a responsibility too!"
"No I don't! I didn't kill him and I wasn't part of this school when he died. I don't even know the guy. I don't want him dead, but don't try to pin this down on me!"

Both Shizune and Misha get up with their arms on their hips, then Shizune starts to signal furiously and Misha attempts to translate.

"John, that is very irresponsible and very selfish behavior! A poor guy of your age died and you are passing on the only opportunity to make it right! You should be ashamed of yourself, that's what Shicchan says!"
The atmosphere got quite tense, you feel like you're being blackmailed, but at the same time you feel the compelling logic behind their argument
"I am sorry. Was he your friend?"
Both girls frown again.

"Sort of. He was very lonely and we just wanted to keep him company. I think we tried to force him too hard to get into the Student Council". Shizune sighs. "And Shicchan says that maybe we're using the wrong approach with you as well. It's wrong to say it's your responsibility but we'd like your help. Just consider this, ok?"
You nod heavily. "I will. But what do the other girls want?"
The mood in the room worsens, as the girls both get upset. "They're irresponsible! Yes, yes, Shicchan is right, they just care about themselves and they refuse to listen to reason. They should take responsibility and help us! But noo, they don't care that their classmate died!" they both stop in their track and try to damage control. "Of course this doesn't apply to you, you didn't know Hicchan! He was a very nice and smart guy, this is what Shicchan says! But they did know him so they should step up! Instead they pursue their own selfish interest. How inexcusable!"
"That doesn't really answer the question, right? What do they want?"
Misha signals back and forth before answering
"Hmm, we don't really know John. We are not friends with them. In fact we dislike most of them". She pouts "we disliked them before Hicchan died too. But you're not like them, are you? You are better than that, right? Right ~~"
"Are you blackmailing me again?"
Misha seems taken aback "oh no, no, take your time to think about it. But remember we have a Knight Servant! So no one stands a chance against us ok? OK! Bye John!"

They get up and leave the room. You lay back in your bed and breathe heavily. What is the right thing to do? Before you can think of an answer, you hear more knocks on the door.
"Yes,yes girls, I am coming!"

You open your door just to find the blind girl who was arguing with Shizune yesterday. She smiles slightly.

"My, my. Were you expecting us?Or did you have visits earlier?"

"No point in hiding that, right? But I can't say more I am afraid. After all a gentleman never kisses and tells. Suffice it to say that my door remains open, if you hold no ill intent."

The girl's smile doesn't fade from her face.
"And you are a true gentleman, aren't you?" She giggles softly. "So might we come in?"
You instantly notice the burned girl standing behind her.
"Sure", you say with a nod.

They take a step in and close the door.
"It doesn't take a genius to wonder who might have come to offer you an alliance. Let me guess, they tried to emotionally blackmail you and then flaunted their knight-class servant."
"Ahem..." The girl starts laughing again, more audibly this time. "My, my. You really are bad at keeping secrets, right? Don't worry. Me and Hanako just go way back with them. I am Lily Satou, by the way. And you are?"
"John. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you", says Lily.
"N-nice t-t-to m-meet you, John", stutters the girl behind Lily.
"You're Hanako, right?"
She nods.

"Very well, girls. I guess you're here for the same reason then. But I don't know what your wish is."
Lily takes the word. "John, bringing Hisao back to life is a commendable goal. But it is not enough. We must do more. We must take the chance to eradicate evil from this world, don't you agree?"
You find yourself nodding.
"Therefore, the only reasonable thing to do is to exile the Grail from this dimension. To stop the greed. This is probably how the Grail came to this universe to begin with: casted out from its original home. And now all it does is fueling the darkest ambitions in the hearts of men. I will be very surprised if no student dies during this war. Shizune says she has a Knight-Class servant. Well, so do we, John. But we will put no more pressure on you. You have to pick your side according to your own reason. We will take our leave now."

The girls get to the door and open it.
"Have a nice day, John"
"Y-yes, h-have a nice day"

The door closes again and you're left to your own thoughts. Maybe you should ask someone else's opinion too.

"Oi, Saber, where are you?"
The familiar silhouette materializes on your bed.
"Just here, listening. How's life?"
"How is life? How is life? Pretty shitty right now I'd say. Plus I don't get this whole thing about Servants. Why does Shizune think it's moral to let you kill each other? That makes no sense"
Saber laughs heartily
"Because we are not alive. We were, but we're not anymore".
"Clearest answer ever in my life.". The sad thing is that this isn't even an hyperbole. "So, how are you standing right here, right in front of me?"
"The power of the Grail compels us, of course. We come from the Throne of Heroes to fight for our Masters, whoever they might be. There are seven of us. The strongest class is Saber, then there's Lancer and Archer, and those three make up the Knight Classes. Assassin, Caster, Rider and Berserker make up the Cavalry classes. They're the small fishes, but not to be underestimated in any circumstance."
You should have probably asked him these things much earlier, you think.
"So if each one of you is a hero from the past, then, who are you?"
Another heartily laugh. "Let me give you a tip, boy. Next time you try to summon a servant, follow the rite precisely. This whole summoning was a rather messy and imprecise affair, you can't expect me to have my memory intact after that. But that's ok. My memory is broken, but you're still in one piece".
"Me and you both, Saber"
"Pardon?"
"I mean, both our memories are broken. I can't remember anything from my life before the hospital. I am an amnesiac too." sorrow overtakes you. "the only thing I remember is a girl making me promise not to forget her. Saber, what should we do? What is wise?"

Saber shrugs. "We can take them all single-handedly. I see no point in an alliance but I will go through with it for you. You're my Master after all. But I'd slash that legless cunt if I could freely elect my priorities"

You get up and and head for the bathroom. You decide to change into the school uniform and meet Kenji. Maybe he has some hindsight to give.
You knock on the door, and you hear 10 different locks opening. The door bursts open and Kenji screams "Who is there?"
"Kenji, you should really consider asking that question before you open the door. You know, just for your own safety."
"Oh it's you man, nice to see you. Come on in. Did you want to talk with me?"
"Yes, you see , girls have come to my room..."
"WHAT?" he screams in anger and disbelief as he jumps backwards "And you have opened your door to them? Are you insane? You're a dead man John, you're dead. Why would you do that?"
"Well, they told me it's a war, and I can't win a war without allies, can I?"
Kenji seems to ponder your statement. "You are probably right. Much as I dislike it, the feminists have the upper hand in this. Maybe you could pretend to accept their alliance, if they proposed one to you, in order to stab them in the back!", he exclaims with a smile. "But they're cunning foxes. All of them. With a servant like Saber you could probably take on them all alone."
"That's what I am talking about", comments Saber.
"In fact, John, do whatever you please, as long as you don't bring girls in your room or in this dorm anymore. And now get out, I have important stuff to do".

He pushes out of his room and straight into the corridor. You look at Saber and you have the feeling that, behind his helmet, he's staring at you too.

"So Master, what do we do?"
"I believe it's for the best if we handle this on our own. But I think it's crucial we communicate our decision to the other Masters too."
A muffled grin is audible from Saber's helmet.
"Very well. What is your wish, Master?"
"That's what we're going to find out."

You head for the class, with Saber covering your back. You are there almost late and now you can feel the eyes of Misha, Shizune and Hanako all on you, eagerly waiting for a reply.
As soon as the lunch bell sounds, you get up, but you feel somebody holding your sleeve.
You look down to see Hanako.
"J-John, Lily w-would like t-to know if you would like to h-have tea w-with us"
You smile and answer "Of course."

You follow the girl through corridors until you reach a small room in which Lily is drinking tea.
She turns in the direction of the door, and says "Welcome John. Care for some tea?"
"Well, yeah, that was the idea."
You are handed a cup and hot water is poured from the boiler. You select some French Vanilla scented teabag and put it in.
"H-how fun, John. T-that's Lily's favorite."
"Well, she has good taste then", you reply.
Lily's laughter is composed and polite. "My, my John. You're a flatterer. If I might enquire, have you reached a conclusion about our offer?"

You nod, before realizing the futility of your gesture. "Yes, we have. We think it's for the best if we just stay on our own, without harming no master. You girls included."
The feeble smile on Lily's lip dies. "So be it then."

You finish your tea in a sip, thanking both girls for their hospitality. "And now, if you don't mind, I have a certain limbless cunt to take care of."
"What about Shizune?" Lily's question comes out of nowhere, when you're almost through the door. You can't help but smile, even though you know she can't see you doing so.
"Don't worry, we delivered her our answer too".

On a cafeteria table, a deaf girl and her interpreter are looking at a piece of paper.
They're signaling back and forth with each other, with a look of disbelief on their face.
The paper reads as following
"To the esteemed representatives of the Student Council:
Nuts.
-Jonh"

The awakening on the following day is uncomfortable. Again the same dream about falling off a tall place, and with lucidity comes uneasiness.

You room seems still shrouded in a dreamlike mist, and it takes you a full minute to realize that your bed is hanging from roof and not laying on the floor.
Aware that you're still sleeping, you try to wake up, and eventually you do.
The bed is where it should be, but the floors is completely covered in disgusting bugs.

"Saber, what is going on?" you cry out.
No answer. He must be somewhere else.
Surely you're still sleeping, but waking up is getting harder.
"This is a considerable hindrance to my plan to dispose of the running girl, but I guess first things do indeed come first".

You start slapping yourself violently, until once again you wake you. No bed on the roof, no bugs on the floor.

In front of you, Saber is crouching with a finger in front of where his lips should be. Next to you in bed, there is a corpse

Slowly getting out of the bed, you take the chance to examine the corpse.
The head is almost completely detached from the neck, and the whole body seems to be standing in a twisted and unnatural position.
You head towards Saber, who stretches his hand out to you.

The second you hold it, the world seems to return to normality. The dreamlike haze is gone, and your room looks normal once more.

"What is this, Saber?"
"Most likely one of Caster's tricks. Thankfully my Magic Resistance is as high as it can be, and our bond is pretty good, so you get to benefit from it."
"Our bond?"
"Yes, our bond. The bond is the connection between a Master and Servant. The stronger it is, the stronger the Servant, and the more a Master can benefit from its Servant's skills."

You smile in gratefulness, as Saber seems to be the only person who cares enough to explain to you what's going on.
"It is better to look for the source of this, Master. Caster can't sustain an enchantment this big and this strong for ever. Unless..."
You shiver at that 'unless'. Maybe Saber is pondering whether the bond between Caster and his or her master is strong enough to do much worse.

If that's the case, maybe it's wiser to look for help.
"Saber, I don't like this any more than you do, but we ought to look for help somewhere, somehow."
"No, master. I agree, we should. My magic resistance only goes so far. We need help."

Saber stretches his arm forward, and his magic resistance is cast like if it were torchlight in the dark.
Around you, the mystic haze is thick and swarming with mind-boggling horrors.
You try to keep your cool, but some eldritch abominations and perverted figures really make you shiver.

"Which way, Master?"

You ponder this intently. The Student Council Alliance is probably in class, while the other 2 girls are most likely in the tea room trying to come up with a strategy. You assume the legless girl is one of the masters, but you have no idea who the last one could be, and especially, who is Caster's Master.
Any guess at this point is as good as another

"Let's go to the tea room, Saber"
An imperceptible nod from your Servant signals you that he understood and that he agrees.

Caster's illusion must be rather effective, as corridors turn into labyrinths, rooms into caves, and stairs change direction and orientation.
The tea room seems farther away with every step you take, and the walk is tiring you out.

Finally, you reach the room. It seems to be locked from the inside, but after knocking on it a couple of times without receiving a reply, you assume no one is there.

As you turn around to talk with Saber, you notice something. Now that his beam of magical resistance is pointed against you, you can see behind his shoulders a familiar figure.
It is the dead guy, now heading towards your same class.

"Master, look here!"
Saber points at the door. "Somebody wrote on it. 'moortra'. What does that even mean?"
It is a riddle, but you're torn between attempting to solve it and following the shade of the dead Hisao as he walks around
"Wait Saber. Turn off your magic resistance beacon."
Saber hesitates, but obeys.
"Let's follow that shade!", you say, pointing at the dead guy.

He seems to be heading to your classroom, and even if you and Saber struggle to keep up with the abominations on the ground, and with the twisted reality, you manage to catch up with him. He seems to be talking with someone, his voice barely audible.

"For the last time, I do not want to join the Student Council. Your attempts to blackmail and coerce me are just driving me further away from you, don't you see? "
Clearly he was the object of unwanted attentions during his permanence in Yamaku.
"Besides, why do you dislike...uh, who is there?"
He turns around and stares at you, like if he could see you.
"Hey Johnathan. How are you?"
You blood chills in your veins, and Saber materializes his sword. How does this shade know about you? Is this another trick of Caster?
"Hello? You alright?"
He clearly notices you, but not Saber. Something odd is going on, but unlike the horrors all around you, this shade of Hisao seem to be innocuous. If it wanted to attack you, you reason, he had plenty of chances to do so.
This might well be a ruse, a masterly crafted one. And yet the chance to learn more about him is alluring
"Ah yes, Hisao, sorry. Something was on my mind. How are you? Everything alright?"
"I can't complain, but my neck hurts as hell.", he says, massaging his neck as he talks.
"I've heard you quarreled with Emi".
"Emi? Who is that?"
"You know, the legless runner. That girl really is a hothead", he says, laughing friendly. Then he turns serious. "Please don't grudge her. She's been through a lot. I know threatening to kill you was very inconsiderate, but... Let's put it like this. She's a very determined girl. She'd do whatever to achieve her goal. She is an amputee, but doctors claimed they never saw such a speedy recovery. She learned how to walk on prosthetics faster than doctors had foreseen, and then she started running on those. All I am saying is that she has got a big goal in mind this time, and she perceives anybody that is standing between her and her goals as a threat." He shrugs pensively.
"It's a shame you didn't get to meet her when her mood was better. I am sure she would have befriended you and helped you out" he winks "and she would have trained you too, if that was what you wanted". He smiles once more, before turning serious again. "But those times are gone. She is this way because her greatest fear, that of losing all she had in the blink of an eye, became real. Again. But hey, looks like class is about to begin! I have to run." He smiles and waves at you as he gets in.
Then the door creaks open again, Hisao's head peaking out. "Oh, you solved the riddle about the moortra, didn't you? Smart guy!". As the door closes again, you and Saber are left alone.

"Did you see that Saber?"
"I didn't see anything Master. Who were you talking to?"
You open the classroom door in a rush, only to find it completely engulfed in the darkness and ripe with the smell of corruption. You close the door as quickly as you can, trying as hard as you can not to puke.
You're bending over with your hand on your stomach, which worries Saber.
"Master, what is going on?" Slowly you gain control again. "It's alright. It was nothing, probably another illusion. We should head to the Art room. Moortra, Art Room. That's what that writing meant."
Saber nods again, and as you set off for the Art room, he channels his magic resist in a beam once more.

The walk to the Art room seems much less demanding than the walk to the tea room.
None of the horrors around you seem to be hostile, strangely enough. Either this trap has been masterfully crafted, or it is just a rather poor attempt altogether.

"Master, the Art class is this way. This is what the building plant said, anyway. I checked it,there was no magic on it."

As you head towards the door, you catch two movements with the corner of your eye. On your right, a shadow drops a piece of paper and disappears.
On your left, a shade you barely recognize gets tackled down to the floor.
You turn around to pick up the piece of paper.
It is a message scribbled with no particular care, that reads: 'crouch and cover you're ears. A typo?

You instantly comply, and the very second you do so, a noise that could shatter a million windows reverberates throughout the corridors.
It sounds like somebody is blowing his warhorn, and the sound is so intense it almost hurts. Saber seems to be practically immune to all of this.

As the sound ends, another one begins: that of an earthquake. Things around starts to tremble and fall off, and you can't help ending up on the ground. Saber, right in front of you, helps you up again before turning camouflage on.

As the brief earthquake finishes, all the misty haze surrounding you disappears. The illusion is broken. What the hell was that?

An echoing laughter takes you aback. "Wahaha, John, did you see that?"
The pink-haired interpreter appears behind you, with a smug look on her face. "My Berserker is the strongest! And so is our team! You should have joined us!"
The deaf girl standards signaling back and forth with a rage, and this seems to spillover to Misha. "And by the way, John, that was very rude! 'Nuts', this is not how you respond to ladies, not at all, right Shicchan!"

"Whatever. The Art Room is that way anyway."
"What's in the Art Room, John?"
You shrug. "Caster's Master I presume. What is it, having second thoughts?" A sarcastic smile spreads on your face. "Or maybe you're afraid your servants won't be up for the challenge?"
Shizune starts signing furiously as Misha translates "In case you didn't notice, it was my Berserker who just destroyed Caster's illusion! So you should be more grateful! Plus Shizune says that her Lancer would destroy your Saber any day!" Then the torrent of words stop, as Misha realizes her blunder. "I, I mean, her knight-class Servant!". You celebrate your small triumph silently, as you know stand on equal footing with your rivals for what concerns information. At least partially.

You move on to open the door, just to reveal what seems to be a rather tall and tomboyish girl painting with her feet. Her shirt's sleeves are tied in knots. You remember seeing her amidst the confusion of the summoning of Saber, but she didn't say much, nor did you care to talk with her.
She is attractive in her own way, with dark green eyes and red hair. You wonder if she's Caster's Master, and if so, what is her wish for fighting in such a war.

"You're responsible for all of this, right? Surrender your command seals and you won't be harmed"

The girl turns around, staring at you with an expression in between annoyed and bored.
"No".
"No? What do you mean 'no', you just engulfed the school in an extra-dimensional abomination, did you really think somebody wouldn't figure it out and try to stop you?"
She shrugs. "I just enjoy having a painting partner. Is is that bad?"
"Where is he, now? Your Servant. Or she, whatever. Look we don't have much time, in a second..."
You're cut off by the sound of the door opening and Misha's cry. "BUSTED!"
"There you go", you comment sadly.
Shizune starts signing with a warlike expression, and Misha tries to convey her anger through her speech "What were you thinking, miss Tezuka? You should never, ever fight or use your Servant's power outside of the designated Reality Marble! The life of your fellow students were on the line!"
'A lot of tough talk from someone who wanted to use the students as living battery for this so-called 'Reality Marble'', you think.
"Hey", answers the painting girl lazily. "It's not like anybody got injured, right? I won't do that again. Just let me paint."
"I don't think so", coldly states a male voice coming from nowhere. Then, an hoplite appears out of thin air, with a short knife pointed at the girl's throat. "It's a good time to surrender, Caster!" he shouts. The girl looks genuinely scared, and you think it's your turn to take the initiative.

"Ok now let's all calm down. We said no harm to Masters, right?" the situation is making you uncomfortable: a master is being threatened at sword's point, and yours is nowhere to be seen. But you feel a familiar presence by your side the second you think about that: Saber hasn't abandoned you.

"Miss...Tezuka, is it? There are no rules against painting. But painting an horrific spell all over the school isn't exactly something nice to do".

"THAT'S BECAUSE ALL OF YOU ARE NARROW-MINDED IDIOTS!". A voice in a thick Spanish accent can be heard across the room, then Caster materializes: a man wearing a somber suit, with crazy mustache on his face, and a walking cane with a golden skull on the top of it.
"The girl wants to paint, let her paint no? You mediocre dogs wouldn't know artistic talent if it stung you in your back! And what's this blabbering about horror stories? It's just fantasy, just imagination! The true horror is right here in this room!" You can see Misha struggling to keep up with the translation.
"Teenagers fighting a war against each other, standing ready to spill each other's blood! Now that's horror, not some imaginary bugaboo!". His words reek of his spite, and both the girls from the Student Council seem to be at a loss for words.
"Then what do you propose?", you finally say, eyeing nervously the hoplite pointing his knife to the girl
"Let us be, and we will let you be! Everybody wins. We don't even want the Grail, do we, Master?" Tezuka answers shrugging. "Just let us have a good time", he finishes

"Alright then. Swear it. Swear it on your Command Seals. Swear not to harm anyone. Your imagination, for how sick or inspiring it can be, is also a weapon of mass destruction. Keep that thing in check and you're ok on my book."

You smile at her, and she smiles and nods at you. "My Command seals are on my foot. A matter of convenience I guess. Anyway..."
"WAHAHAHA! Very moving John, very moving! Shicchan says she's touched! But! We can't let this happen". You look at Misha, who's standing with her arms crossed on her chest and a proud smile on her face.
"Berserker, get him!" she orders, unflinching.
It all happens in a second. An enormous knight in a rusty armor appears behind caster, and grabs him by his arms.
You can quickly spot a warhorn and beautifully crafted sword hanging on his hips, before he unleashes an horrific battlecry
"WEAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHO"
As he screams, Berserker starts pulling Dalí's arms in opposite direction. He screams too, but in pain.
"NO!" you exclaim "LET HIM GO!". But it's too late. Caster is torn apart by Berserker's sheer force. Lancer lets go of Tezuka, who falls on the ground and starts weeping.
"Well done, Berserker! Wahah! Quick and painless. Now let's go". Shizune, Misha and their Servants head for the door, but they're interrupted by Tezuka's cry, who's still kneeling on the floor.. "Why? Why is it so important to you that I am miserable? He was the only one to ever understand...".
Then Shizune starts signing. Apparently she has no intentions to apologize. "John, Shicchan says that now you have to join us, since we saved you from Caster!. Besides, we're the strongest! You have seen it yourself haven't you? WAHAHA"

"Oh sod off will you?" you say, barely controlling your rage. You help the armless girl get up. "Look I am sorry... I should have tried harder." She shakes her head. "Thanks for trying. You did more than enough. Just... no need to call me Tezuka. You can call me Rin."
She smiles timidly, and you smile back.
"Alright then. Rin. Did you create that shadow of Hisao? To talk with me?"
She nods again. "Thanks for that. I appreciate the gesture".

"John! how rude of you!" Misha's voice is loudest than a thousand airplanes taking off at the same time. "Well then, Shicchan says that if you have no desire to comply, we'll settle this right here, right now!"

Lancer and Berserker reach for their weapons and start walking towards you, as Saber exits camouflage and wields his sword too.
"The odds are against us today, Master. But we'll give them a run for their money!", he claims boisterously.

"And so will we". A calm, almost ethereal voice comes from the entrance. Lily and Hanako make their way through the door.
"Let them go, Shizune. The fight is over today. Or we'll take his side!". Hanako tries to nod convincingly, but ends up looking more like an upset puppy.

Misha signals that to Shizune, who adjusts her glasses triumphantly, before starting to signal on her own. "Satou, always minding someone else's business I see!" Misha crosses her arms in displeasure. "Very well, let's call it a day."
She turns to you and grins as widely as she can. "See you around, John".
You feel like you should feel threatened, but Misha's good nature gets in the way of Shizune's cold and calculating attitude.
"I WON'T FORGET THIS!" you scream, as they get out, past Lily and Hanako. But you are afraid your words are lost on them.

Lily turns in your general direction and asks
"My, my, John. Are you alright? Quite a predicament it was".

"I am. Thank you girls. I owe you one."
Lily smiles and so does Hanako.
"Don't you worry, John. We did it because it was fair, not to trick you into tagging along with us. After all, you're brave boy with a kind heart. Don't let them take it away from you".

Having said this, they turn around and exit from the door. You assume their servants never left camouflage. You're left alone in your room with Rin.
"What a day, right?" You try to smile at her and cheer her up, but you can see she's not in the mood.
"I am sorry. I know how it feels like to be alienated and misunderstood."
She shakes her head. "It's ok, you did your best. And I am not that alone"
"No? I guess Emi is your friend, right?"
She nods slightly, and raises her head to look you in the eyes. "You could be my friend too, if you wanted."
You smile. "Of course, I would very much like that".
You check your watch and realize you're late for class.
"I must go now, Rin. See you around!"
"One last thing, John."
"Yes?"
"I know you want to defeat Emi. I won't grudge her if you do. Just don't hurt her. Ok?"
You think for a second, and with the most serious face you can muster, you proclaim.
"If I will somehow emerge victorious, you have my word she won't be harmed".
Rin nods slightly, with half a smile on her face. Then she speaks up again.
"Too bad I won't get her to promise the same".

That night, your dreams are different. They involve a car crash of some sort, and waking up your legs hurt. You assume you probably slept in a bad position.
It's 7 am and class won't begin before an hour.
You head to the shower, change into the school uniform, and ponder on what to do next.

Your next objective is Emi, the legless girl who wanted you dead since day 1. Talking with Rin, who was formerly Caster's Master, you discovered that the two girls have formed a bond, and that Emi has grown unstoppably determined to achieve the Grail, for reasons you are not aware of.

The mechanics of this odd war seem strange to you, and you probably haven't yet grasped them fully. So far, only your loyal servant, Saber, helped you and gave you meaningful answers. As of now, he's your only ally, not including your new friend Rin and the Masters Lily and Hanako, who seem to at least partially sympathize with you.

This will be your first proper fight: Emi won't go down without a struggle. Who can offer you the most insight ?

"Saber, I need your support with strategic planning. I think it's time to face Emi and her Servant, there's no way to negotiate with them to begin with."

"I don't disagree with this strategy. It's less suicidal than taking on Berserker and Lancer at the same time. However we don't know what aces Emi has up her sleeves. Heh, funny, as she usually wears short-sleeved shirts".

"But this kind of reasoning doesn't bring us any further. If we can't plan on what they have, we must plan on what we do have."

"Correct. As you know, I am endowed with a very high magical resistance. This will come in handy when we fight Emi's Servant and its Noble Phantasms"

"What is a Noble Phantasm, Saber?"

"A noble Phantasm is the embodiment of the legend and of the mystery of every hero. Their fuel is human imagination itself, and every item or every characteristic that belongs to the myth of a given hero can potentially be a Noble Phantasm"

"So what is your Noble Phantasm?"

"First of all, you should remember that an Heroic Spirit can possess more than one Noble Phantasm. I am not sure, however I think my blade's name is Ananke: the unescapable Necessity. I know for sure that my sword can cut through any defense. The rest we'll have to find out. But I am a Saber class Servant: there's little that can take me completely by surprise", he says, raising his thumb.

There's roughly 15 minutes before the beginning of the class. Maybe they can be put to good use.

"Come on Saber, I will be late to class. What do you think of Caster and the other servants?"

"Caster is dead. What I think about him is irrelevant. Berserker is frighteningly strong, but Berserker and Masters don't tend to bond well. That's a weakness we can exploit. Lancer seem to fight with grim determination. That is a man who witnessed a fate worse than death in his life, and I believe he wishes to change that".

"And you, Saber? What do you want to change?Or what do you want from the Grail?"
Silence grows. He's probably thinking and can't come up with an answer.
"I think my main desire is to bring balance and order. Something is tampering with this world, as if maiming the reality of it. I want to find who is doing that and stop him or her. Master, what do you want?"

"I haven't thought of that a lot myself, you know? But I would like my memories back, if there is any way to recover them. If not, I will think of something else. Honestly, I would just be content to keep my promise and never forget the only person who visited me in the Hospital."

The class is still mostly empty when you arrive. The Student council isn't there, nor is Hanako. Maybe they deemed it too dangerous. Saber is standing in a corner, with his camouflage active. Class is boring and you repeatedly attempt to peek through the windows to catch a glimpse of Emi and her Servant, but to no avail.
The running track must be much further away than you imagined, and even asking Saber to go on patrol on his own is out of question, as you can't communicate with him in the middle of class.

As soon as the bell for lunch rings, you start to make your way out.
Not too far away from the door stands Hanako, still trying to be as discreet as possible.

"H-hello, John, w-would you want to d-drink some tea with me and L-Lily?"

You were hoping to acquire more information about Emi, but you can't scratch the feeling that you should show some gratefulness to the girls who saved you without asking anything in return.

"Sure, let's go"
You follow her to the usual room, and as soon as you enter, you can smell the enticing scent of hot tea. Or perhaps that's a hint of perfume you're catching?

Either way, you gladly sit down after greeting Lily.

"I would like to thank you once more for yesterday. You saved me from dire straits"
Lily laughs with her distinctive aristocratic laughter, as to minimize what she and her friend did for you.
"John, don't underestimate the importance for all the players in the game to keep some balance, when possible. We are flattered that you think so highly of us, but we would be lying if we didn't say that this greatly benefited us too".

You nod, then you take a sip from the tea cup in front of you.

"Are you fond of chess, John?"
"To be fair, I have no clue how to play"

Lily laughs again, without contempt in her voice. "A word of caution, then. Chess is a game of patience and strategy. Strong pieces and weak pieces exist, and even the strongest piece can be taken out by a surprise move."

Hanako pulls a chessboard, and picks a horse-shaped piece in her hand, then she passes it to Lily.
"A knight is easily underestimated, but its odd moves can take anyone by surprise."

The bell sounds again, signaling the end of lunch.

There is time to ask one more thing.

"How do I defeat Emi?"
Lily answers you with an inquisitive tone.
"Is that a formal request for help, John?"
"No, no, I know I have to face her alone. It's just that you all seem to know more about this than I do. I have no desire to fight her, but she's gonna pursue me to the bottom of Hell if I don't stop her. There must be something you can tell me that can give me an edge."

Lily stops and thinks for a moment. Then she replies "A Servant-Master duo is as strong as the connection between them. If the bond is weak it can be easily cut. If they've not been 100% honest with each other, you have a trump card to play. However, it could also be that they bounded strongly enough to overcome pretty much any challenge". She takes a sip from her cup of tea once more.
"This is all the insight I can provide. Maybe you should ask more about her to someone who knows her better. She's rather popular in this school after all. Or you could try to spy on her, though I am afraid that it would be much harder, albeit more rewarding. Maybe the question you should ask yourself right now is: are you willing to take on extra risks? Do you feel lucky?"

"It's probably worth a shot"
Lily nods gently. "They say that luck favors the bold, and you surely do not lack bravery".

You thank the girls for the tea taken together, get out of the room and head for the running track.
You can feel Saber's presence by your side, despite his camouflage. Is this what Lily meant when she talked about a "bond"? Is this the same power that allows you to use his magic resistance to see through illusions?

You reach the running track before finding the time to answer these questions. The place seems quiet, no one is around. You and Saber hide behind the hedge located not too far away from the track. The place is deserted, but you can sense that there's something that does not meet the eye.
Almost reading in your thoughts, Saber projects his magic resistance to reveal Emi and her Servant, both on the track, both running at full speed.
Emi is exactly like you remember her: wearing shorts and a t-shirt, her strawberry blonde hair done in ponytails, she runs with a determined grin on her face. Her Servant is completely foreigner to you.
He somewhat resembles Lancer in his hoplite outfit, but he looks..."lighter". He's running much faster than Emi, and looks like he could run even faster.
The run ends some minutes later, and it looks like they're congratulating each other for the good performance.

"What you see", says Saber, "is a Reality Marble. It is keeping outside those who shouldn't know about this war. It is the designated fighting area for this conflict."

Busy as you are hear what Saber has to say, you don't notice Emi walking towards you. She's maybe twenty steps away from you, and running is clearly not an option.

Hiding or standing up and fight, you have to pick, and you have to pick quickly.

You stand up from your hiding place and so does Saber, Ananke materializing in his hands.

"Well, well, newbie. You came here to your own death. How convenient."
"Harming Masters directly is against the rules"
Emi's laugh is evil and devoid of any form of human compassion.
"And who set the rules? Shizune? The same girl who destroyed your attempts for a truce yesterday? I didn't think you were such a fervent admirer of her methods."
"Don't shit with me, Emi. Two wrongs don't make a right. I am here to throw you out of this war, but not to harm you"
Emi grins with malignity. "How naive of you. Rider, attack!"

With superhuman speed and reflexes, Rider grasps his lance and throws it at Saber.
Saber reacts as quickly as he can, shattering the lance with his sword seconds before it hits him in the face.

"Not bad, Saber", says Rider. "You must have been a prodigious swordsman in your time and age". Another Lance materializes by his side, and as he grips that one too, he launches himself against Saber, assaulting him at full speed.

Emi looks at the fight from a distance, visibly pleased with her Servant's powers.

"Tell me newbie, what is it that you want? The bond between you and your Servant is strong, I can see that. So you must share a common goal of sort, just like me and my Servant. What does your heart covet? Tell me, and I might just spare your life".

Her tone of voice, her choice of words, her determination: these things alone make you shiver. It is hard to think of her as the happy and joyous girl Rin described. And yet you have to give her an answer.

"I want my life back. I want my memory back".

"And why would you want them? There's nothing meaningful for you in your past. All you have in your life is your future. The next lap. The next step. What was I expecting? Of course someone as pathetic as you are would care about something so trivial."

The fight on the other side of the running track seems to be in favor of Rider. He hits quickly, and defends even faster, so that Saber can hardly attempt to attack or defend.

"The fight is over, newbie. Serious mistake to come here today", says Emi as she dons a necklace. She holds the charm in her hand, a glowing purple stone. "A present from Rin. I am sure you will appreciate."

She lunges at you with full speed, and she barely misses you. Not far away from where she is, she punches you in your left arm as strongly as she possibly can. You hear a disgusting noise: broken bones and veins, and the pain makes you faint for a second.
When you reopen your eyes, Rider is laying on the ground, cast several meters away from Saber.

Saber is standing tall with his hands joint in prayer, and you can barely hear him chant

"The stream flows, and the birds sing
The wind blows, and the rain pours
The clouds fleet, as the sun once more shines
And this wicked heart beats, one last time."

Around you, the word goes dim. All is blackness, except for you, Saber, Rider and Emi. A golden string materializes connecting Emi to Rider, then another connecting you to Saber. Several other follow suit, but they only seem to be connected to Rider and Emi.

The Reality Marble has changed: it's not longer the designed fighting area, it is apparently something that Saber was able to project, akin to a Reality Marble of his own. You touch the golden string, and you can hear Saber's voice saying in your head "Can you stand up and help me?" and "Stay where you are, and be safe" at the same time.

You use the other arm as a lever as you get up. Trying to gaze on your left arm reveals it is now a pulp of blood and bones. It's not even broken, it's entirely destroyed. The thought is gut-wrenching, but you go on thanks to an adrenaline rush. Today, you fight to survive.

You can hear Saber talking with you through the golden string.
"This is the physical manifestation of our bond. All the other strings are a manifestation of a person's thoughts, memories or desires. Now we fight on equal footing."

As soon as Rider attempts to to attack,a string connecting his head to Saber's chest forms.
Saber just cuts it away and causes Rider's attack to miss the mark.

You walk slowly towards Emi,who is tangled in thousand of wires. She can't move her arms nor her prosthetics, and she's barely crawling.

"I warn you,Saber. You can try to cut all the strings you want, but you can never severe our bond. Me and Emi live for the same purpose! For the ideal that is running, for the belief that is going forward, at all costs."
Saber tilts his head sidewise. He grasps a chord emanating from Rider's heart and pulls it closer. "I know who you are. You're Pheidippides, the Messenger of Marathon. Your death was foolish, there was no need to kill yourself on that run"
"Spoken like a true underachiever!", screams Rider with rage, as he lunges forward. Yet again, another string cut and another attack misses its mark.
"John, try to to reach for one of Emi's blue strings",you hear him saying inside your head.
"But stay clear of his darkest memory".
As soon as he finishes saying that, he swings his sword at full force against the golden bond
"ANANKE!". The string bends downward, but does not break. It decreases in size considerably however: it was the thickest one visible, now reduced to the size of a nylon chord.
"Your Master lied to you, Pheidippides. That which I destroyed was the coat of lies under which she hid her true colors. Now you can see how little you matter to her"

"Don't listen to him, Rider! He's trying to take us apart!"
Emi is still lying on the ground, barely able to make sense out of the tangled mess that is her mind.

Rider takes a deep breath, and says "I don't think it's just his sword, Master. Have you been hiding something from me?"
He removes his helmet, making himself more vulnerable, but Saber doesn't seem to jump at the opportunity. His hair is reddish and curly, his eyes are brown and penetrating. All in all he looks fairly attractive.
"Master, tell me the truth. Or it will be too late, and your dreams will be gone".

A look of pure fear appears on Emi's face. A blue, pulsating and rather large cable becomes more visible as you get closer to her and her reticence becomes apparent.
"Just pull it", you hear Saber say.
You are about to do that, but then you notice an even bigger, blue-and-black burning string around her neck and around her legs. You assume that one is even more powerful if pulled, and it might end the battle in the blink of an eye. However Saber's warnings echo in your heads

You pull the blue string, and you can feel Saber's happiness spread through to you. The golden rope connection you two glows intensely, as the bond between Master and Servant is reinforced.

As Saber foresaw, the fear-shock invading Emi stops her from telling Rider whatever could save their bond right now, and another cleave of Ananke breaks the bond for good.

"RIDER! NOOO!" Emi cries in impotent rage, tears flowing from her big green eyes.
Rider is starting to fade, a golden mist shrouding him progressively.
"Hey Master, don't worry. There's always a lesson to be learned. There's always the next lap, remember? Sometimes you should trust people. If you keep them at arm's length, you will never truly know them. It's a damn shame, no?" he smiles, in peace with himself and with the world. "It was a fun ride, Emi. Never give up on your potentiality. You're going places" he smiles and gives Emi a final thumb up before disappearing.

Saber's reality marble dissolves, and you're once again on the running track. Emi is bent on the floor crying. Saber walks towards you and projects the bond in a visible form, around his arm and what remains of your destroyed one.

"Lay down master, and close your eyes. This could hurt." You do as he commands, and you feel a burning pain through your arm and through your body.
When you reopen your eyes, your mauled arm is gone, replaced by Saber's.

The armors around it wheezes softly, before coiling around itself and disappearing.
The arm beneath the armor looks identical to yours.
"Saber... you gave me your left arm... How are you going to fight now?"
"Do not worry Master, one arm is more than enough to wield Ananke. Remember that you can project the armor covering your arm anytime you want. Don't get caught off guard twice!" His tone is in between the joke of a friend and the reprimand of a parent.
You get up again, and put your new arm on his shoulder. "Thanks,friend".

You look down, to see Emi still in a mess of rage and desperation.

You move forward to try and help her up again.

"Hey there, Emi, are you alright? Come, let's go see the nurse".
Her head rises up, looking straight at you with the expression of anger and determination you've come to associate to her.

Before you can say anything else, she lunges at you, her hands still glowing with the magic power of Caster's crafted charm. You're few steps ahead of her, a punch in your chest will destroy your heart. You hear a slight hiss through the air as an arrow misses you by few millimeters, breaks Emi's necklace and saves your life at the very last moment.
Emi's punch in the stomach still hurt, but at least it doesn't kill you.
Recognizing her magic powers are gone, Emi takes a few steps back with her face twisted in an expression of rage and disbelief together, before running away as far as she can.

Saber slouches backward, tilting his head in the direction the arrow came from, screaming at the top of his lungs "NICE SHOT, ARCHER!".

You and Saber return to your room, and as you lie on the bed thinking of the intense day, you hear a buzz coming from your school bag.
Digging through it, you find your phone. "Unknown number" is calling you.
You pick up, and a familiar voice greets you.
"John, is that you?"

You recognize her voice instantly. It's the only person who visited you at the hospital. You're surprised, especially because apparently someone gave her your number.
"Yes, I am John. You're the girl who visited me. I have kept my promise: I haven't forgotten you".
For a few minutes, she doesn't say anything. Then she answers. "Thank you. It means a lot to me. Are you doing alright?" Hard to answer that question. You've been dragged into a deadly war, and maybe you should be grateful you're alive. Then what's this bad sensation overcoming you? Guilt?
"Yes, sort of. Classes are boring, but I have nice friends." Why would you feel guilty to begin with? You were just defending yourself. You haven't harmed anybody.
"Oh... are they nice?"
"Who are you talking about?"
"Your... new friends, you know"
Something's off with her tone of voice. You catch a hint of disappointment.
"I guess. I haven't had time to get to know them them properly."
"Ok... well don't forget you have a friend here, too, ok? A friend who cares very much."
"I would never forget that", you say, oddly confident in that statement.
This seems to cheer her up, as she laughs softly. "Good bye Johnathan, see you around"
"See you", you answer mechanically.

'See' whom and how? You don't even know her name, and you didn't bother to ask her either. What a failure of a friend.

Thinking about friends, you gaze upon your 'new' arm: Saber's gift. You feel another pang of guilt. Maybe if you had talked with Rin yesterday she would have given you a charm much like that she gave to Emi. Saber is lacking an arm now, possibly because of your negligence.
"No need for all this drama, Master. You couldn't have possibly known. I do what a Servant does: I protect my Master".
Saber probably read in your thoughts thanks to the powerful bond you share.
"I don't think I could thank you enough Saber."
"No need for that. Let's just come out on top of this struggle, ok?"
You nod, with newfound confidence.

Your phone vibrates again, signaling that you received a new text.
You open the phone and read it
"See me at your earliest convenience. Nurse".
You can feel your insides twisting and the sweat fall off your brow. Emi and the Nurse are friends, are you going to get expelled?
No point in beating about the bush. If this is the end, then so be it.
"Come on Saber. We have a meeting with a professional"
Saber disappears in his camouflage, and you head for the nursery.

You can feel your heart beat almost twice as fast as normal. Fear is overcoming you, a fear you didn't feel when you were fighting Caster or Rider. The fear of not being able to protect yourself, and the fear of not being able to protect Saber.

You knock on the door. After a brief pause, the door opens. The Nurse isn't in a good mood apparently, but there's no trace of Emi around.
Maybe she hasn't rat on you after all, but the chances are slim.

"How are you doing, Johnathan? John? Which one is it?"
"Johnathan. But everyone seems to call me John, which I don't mind."
"John then. So? Everything in order?"
the military tone and the cadence with which he asks questions, coupled with his mood, make you feel profoundly uncomfortable.
"Sure, I guess".
He raises an eyebrow. 'Oh no', you think, 'Here comes the trick question'
"So why are you not in class?"
'Checkmate'. "I was feeling a bit nauseous. Nothing serious, really."
"Hm". The nurse doesn't seem satisfied with your answer. He frowns again.
"Your homeroom teacher told me you were absent in the evening class. He also told me you were often absent-minded during his lectures. John, if something's troubling you, both physically and mentally, you ought to tell us. This school is based around catering for such special needs. I am going to tell Mutou you have nausea, but next time, come straight to me, ok?"
"Ok", you say reluctantly. "sorry about that".
The Nurse seems to return to his former self, smiling widely and giving you a thumb up.
"No problem, you're excused this time!". You smile back and prepare to leave.
"Oh, and one more thing". The nurse stops you in your tracks. "Can you tell Emi I am looking for her? Haven't seen her today yet after her daily running."
"Sure".
"Thanks, buddy! Now we're even".
Another smile, another thumb up.

As you get out, you thank your good luck. That was a close call, and it was a literal miracle that Emi hadn't visited the Nurse yet.
As you walk around the corridors, you think of who might know about Emi's position.
Rin is probably the most informed. She confessed to being friends with Emi, and even if she has no clue where she is, she might probably want to know about the end of the struggle.

You head to the art room, crossing empty corridors and moving from floor to floor.
Sometimes you turn around to check on Saber.
You've discovered you can see him even when he's camouflaged now that he's given you his arm. It makes you feel safer, albeit you were aware that he was always standing at your side.
You knock on the door gently.
"Come on in", you hear Rin say.
"Oh, it's you". A mix of surprise and disappointment. Did she not expect you to come back alive?
"Don't worry: Emi is unharmed."
She sighs. "Physically, no. Mentally? You probably broke her."

Rin's words cut deeper than a knife. The guilt you've been harboring finally takes form. You feel guilty for killing her spirit. Then again, it couldn't be helped. It's the law of the Jungle: kill or be killed. And you came out on top.
"I am sorry. I did all I possibly could to minimize damages".
You start to wonder if Lily's right. If the Grail never arrived in this dimension, maybe this could have been avoided entirely.
Rin shrugs. "That doesn't matter. It doesn't change her, her past, or her feelings right now. The fact that you tried very hard doesn't matter at all."
Rin's standoffish attitude is starting to get to you, better check yourself before you say something impulsive.

"Right now that does not matter. The Nurse sent me to look for Emi, says he's worried about her. Where is she?"

Another shrug. This is becoming increasingly frustrating. You're about to lose your temper when she replies.
"Probably in her dormitory room. Of course, in case she was there after all, you couldn't enter it." she closes her eyes and looks pensively.
"Women only. No guys allowed. Unless you want to get expelled."
"I see"
A few seconds of silence. The she speaks up again. "You really believed me didn't you? You're so gullible."
"Well how was I supposed to tell it was a joke? You never change face or tone of voice!"
"From the context", she answers with a calm that would put Shaolin masters to shame.
You shake your head in disbelief. Has she really forgotten that you've been a student here for less than a week? How are you supposed to know what is allowed and what is not?
She slowly gets up, puts her feet into her shoes, and signals you to follow her with her head.

"Come on, let's go looking for her."
You head for the door, then she suddenly stops and turns around.
"But keep your distance"
"Why?"
"Otherwise they're going to think that we're going to fornicate", she answers in the most plain tone possible.
You try to muster your composure as much as possible, but you can't help stuttering.
"H-how d-d-do you even think of such thing?"
She probably feels some sort of pleasure in making people uneasy. You remember Kenji warning you about putting your pecker in crazy, and you mentally thank him for the advice.

"What's the deal with the charm you gave Emi? That almost got me killed."
"If you asked me I would have given one to you too".
Dang. So it was not just paranoia. You think of how to change the topic

"Why is Emi so involved with this war? She must have something she really want, right?"
No response. You try again.
"What can you tell me about her? Nurse said she was a nice girl, my experience was a little bit different. I guess we all have our points of view."
She keeps walking in front of you in absolute silence. 'Well this explains her lack of friends, I guess'.
She walks with a rather quick pace, and you notice she's wearing a male uniform rather than a female one. Maybe it's for additional mobility with her legs?
You wonder how it must be not to have arms. Or how she felt losing her arms. After all, it's a topic you can relate to, but that is probably not very pleasant to discuss.
"You must be very passionate about arts", you say, trying to spark up the conversation again.
"And you must be the new student. What is the purpose of stating the obvious?"
At this point, you don't even feel upset. You just find yourself hoping that this excruciating experience will finish soon.

After a while, you arrive to a locked door. Rin turns around and stares at you.
"The keys."
"Which keys?"
"My keys"
"What about them?"
"They're in my pants. Get them for me".

You try to look as natural as possible while fondling in her pockets, but you still hope no one is passing by. Your nervousness makes you more clumsy and it takes a couple of minutes before you finally find the key.
You unlock the door and tread inside. Rin stops at the second door on the right, the closest to the kitchen. She signals you to knock.

"Who is it?", answers a faint voice inside.
"Rin".
"...and the guy whose arm you severed. Remember me?"
A moment of hesitation. Rin looks at you funny, probably not knowing the whole backstory behind your new arm.
"Come on in", says the same feeble voice.
You open the door to find Emi lying on her bed, her head hidden in her pillow, her prosthetics in a corner. She's sobbing.

"If you came to kill me, do so quickly and painlessly, please."
"Don't be ridiculous. Why would I kill you?"
"Then why did you come here?"
"The Nurse sent me. He's worried about you. We were worried too, you know?"
"Actually I..." Rin stops mid-sentence, struck by a severe case of your elbow in her stomach. "I was worried too."
"Get away from here. Get away from me. All of you, I don't give a shit about you just like you don't give a shit about me. No exception."

Your gaze wanders around Emi's room: it looks like a very ordinary room for a girl of her age.
Two pairs of prosthetics are standing against the wardrobe, one for running and one for walking. The elastics which usually tie her hair in ponytails are laying on the ground, and a folded wheelchair is leaning against the front of the bed.

"If you didn't want us, why did you open the door?", you ask, puzzled.
"So you could kill me quickly. So was I hoping, at least"
"Why are you so eager to cross the pale of Death? Didn't Pheidippides teach you anything, about moving forward and never losing sight of the objective?"
She raises from her bed, he eyes puffy and teary.
"Do not mention his name ever again, you little prick. You will never be half the man he was, so don't soil his name by putting it in your mouth." She lets out a mean laugh. "What do you know about me, you bastard? "Never lose sight of your objective", who do you take me for? I knew very well what my objective was, before you came along and ruined everything".
You find it rather infuriating that the girl who tried to kill you has now the nerve to blame you for the whole predicament.
"You attacked me first, and didn't even have the decency to propose me an alliance like the other girls did. Maybe if you tried reaching out to me I would have helped you! This is what Rider was talking about, you keep people at an arm's length! Give us a chance to help you."
"Get out of my room. Both of you."
Her answer is cold as ice.
You are about take your leave. Then you notice the same blue string you pulled yesterday, emanating from her legs, heart and brain. Maybe you can see it thanks to Saber's arm.

You reach forward for the string,reality around you slows until it stops.
Then, you feel yourself being sucked into another reality. A familiar one: an hospital.
Everything is white around you, you can only see a girl laying on a bed, plenty of tubes and machineries connected to her body. It's Emi, maybe 7 or 8 years ago.

A man in a long white dress comes forward.
A doctor, presumably.
He is looking rather intently at a piece of paper stapled to a cardboard he holds.
"Ibarazaki Emi. Correct?"
"Yes..." you can hear Emi answer faintly.
"That accident could have costed you dearly. It's a miracle you made it."
"Why can't I feel my legs?"
"We had to amputate them. The damage they sustained was simply too severe. My most heartfelt apologies".
"Wow, this guy is a douche!", you say out loud.
Nobody seems to notice. Emi's eyes widen considerably.
She probably received the most shocking news in her life, you think.
Then you reconsider the very moment little Emi takes the word once more.
"What of my father?"
The doctor has a look of distress, as you put all the pieces together.
"We will let you know soon enough".
"No, wait..."
But it is too late: the doctor has turned his back on Emi and is leaving.
As the door opens, you slowly return to normality.

"You don't want to see where the burning black one goes, trust me", whispers Saber in your head. "This is heartbreaking enough".
Did he project it? Is he trying to help you bond with her? And especially, what more heart-ripping scenes can he have possibly withstood, all the while sheltering you from them?

"Did you hear me? Get out of my room", Emi repeats. You found it hard back then to sympathize with her, but turning your back on her right now means that Saber's efforts have been in vain. Perhaps you should at least try.
"Why do you insist on struggling alone? How far have do you think you will go? Don't you think that those who care about you would want to be close to you, to pull you up when you fall down?"
"I CAN PULL ME UP MYSELF!"
"And this is why you asked me to kill you? There's nothing shameful in asking for help, unless you are afraid to ask for it. I don't think Rin or I would deny you our support. But if you keep struggling alone, you might as well give up." You smile earnestly. "This is why a running routine is best done in pair."

Your words seem to have had an impact on her. She's probably to proud to admit it out loud, but you can see it on her face.
She blushes a little, but remains firm in her position.
"I would prefer to be alone with Rin now. Please."
It's probably better to respect her boundaries right now. No need to overstep. At least some progress was made.
"Come on Saber, let's get out of here", you tell him telepathically.

You turn around and reach for the door, but a voice holds you back at the last minute.

"Hey, John... Thank you."
You didn't expect this of Emi, but you're pleasantly surprised.
"No problem. Just remember to visit the Nurse later, or he'll want my head."
You pull the door open, then turn you head towards her once more.

"I think he would be proud. Of you. Of all the things you've done. Of what you've become.".
Her eyes swell in size, more than you could have thought possible.
You leave the room hoping to have made a new friend.

You spend the rest of the day studying for the upcoming tests. Might as well plan ahead.
The night finds you completely exhausted, and your dreams are once more agitated: this time you dream of a man who walked one thousand paths.

The unpleasantly familiar noise of a knock on the door wakes you up.
'Damn, I guess I can now fully regret every cent spent on my alarm', you think bitterly, as you're torn between going back to sleep or open the door.

You opt to get up and open the door, still half-asleep.
"OH HEY MAN, HOW ARE YOU?"
A familiar smell of garlic and an annoying familiar voice greet you.
It's Kenji.
"Kenji, do you even know what time is it?"
"Yeah man, it's late. So late. In fact, it might be too late. Maybe the feminist conspiracy has already been set in motion and we can't stop it now."
He stops for a moment, pondering his options. "In that case we are as good as dead. But anyway!" he instantly cheers up, "how is the war going? How many feminists have you killed?"
"This war is not about killing people. It's about defeating servants, remember?"
"Yeah man, whatever. If I could, I would kill them all. Especially with a power like Saber's!"
"Not a chance", you hear Saber stating coldly in your head.

The thought of Kenji as a potential Master sends chills down your spine
"Are you at least winning dude? You're the last hope of men worldwide."
"So far, so good, Kenji. We defeated 2 Servants, 4 more to go."
His smile widens. "Actually, only 3! I've learned from... ehm... secret sources, that Assassin is dead!"
You raise an eyebrow in suspicion.
"Really? Who informed you?"
A smug grin appears on Kenji's face. "I have my secret informers. Apparently assassin was some Jewish Zealot, the head of an organization of fanatics known as "Sicarii". Berserker destroyed him in one shot".

You can't decide what's more suspicious, Kenji's sources or Assassin's apparent death. He might very well be faking it, at the command of her Master.
"Thank you very much for this information, Kenji."
"No worries man! Keep it up! Fight the good fight!"

You're left pondering who would help Kenji, and especially, why. Then you consider he probably set up an espionage system on his own, just like he did last time.

The day is just beginning, and strategic planning is in order.
On the other hand, it would be a good thing to check out on the Nurse first. After all we want to ensure Emi's well being before moving further.
The Nurse greets you with a wide smile and his bright mood.
"Hello young one, how can I help you today?"
"Well, do you happen to know anything about Emi? I visited her yesterday and told her to come here, but I can't be sure she did in fact do so."
The Nurse smiles even widely. "Oh she did, she told me you've been very nice to her. Thank you, John. I am in your debt".
"No need to thank me. I think I have to go now, before class begins."
The Nurse turns around to check the clock.
"Right, you better get going! See you around John, and stay out of trouble!"
'Like I could if I wanted'.

Misha, Shizune and Hanako are all absent, again. Mutou doesn't seem to notice, and Miki tells you that those people often skip class for a reason or another. It is not unlikely that Mutou got used to it.

You find the topics of lecture rather boring, except history and english. You really don't have an issue with scientific subjects, they just seem overall less appealing to you.
The ringing of the bell wakes you up from your catatonic state, and you head to the cafeteria as usual.
Then, you see a familiar figure walking towards you.
"Hello"
"Hello, Rin. How are you?"
"Like every other day. Are you gonna join me and Emi for lunch on the rooftop?"
The offer pleases you immensely: literally anything would be better than the noisy, messy, crowded cafeteria.
"Sure, let me just get my lunch at the counter"
"No need, we have enough food for three"
"Sounds good to me, means I won't eat insipid food today! Let's get going, shall we?"
As Rin nods, you see a figure with the corner of your eye.
Pink hair, combed in drills: it can be only one person in this school. If Misha really is alone, then extracting information from her would be much easier than if Shizune was around.
Rin looks at you expectantly.
"So,shall we go?"

"Sure, let's go"
You feel a voice in the back of your head. "Master, maybe this is a poor decision"
"Don't worry Saber: to pay and to die there's always time".
You follow Rin upstairs, where Emi is waiting for you. It's the first time you see her smile.
"Hello Johnathan. Thanks for joining us. Please enjoy your 'Sorry-for-trying-to-kill-you' lunch"
"I never tried to kill John"
"Rin, please".
You let out an heartily laugh. "Thank you girls for having me over. You saved my poor stomach from Cafeteria's food."
Emi passes you a bag of food, and you all start eating.
You notice that Rin has put her socks and her shoes away, using her foot to wield the cutlery.
You start eating, and soon hunger overwhelms you. You're eating at a jaw-dropping speed, and the girls look at you funny.
"John, have you been skipping meals lately?"
"Come to think about it, I haven't had dinner last night. I guess I wasn't really in the mood"
"That's not good, John!" Emi gets up and starts waggling her finger against you in admonition
"You should always eat three meals a day, and from all the food groups! It's very important to keep healthy..."
Her tirade seems to bore Rin out, who just slips back into her shoes and leaves.
"Hey you, where are you going?", asks Emi, irritation in her voice.
"I have a good idea for a painting. Besides if I wanted to hear you lecture us on balanced diets I would have just read the Nurse's posters"

Emi blushes heavily. "I am sorry John, I guess sometimes I can be a bit overbearing".
You wave it off with a gesture of your hand. "Thank you for your concern, I will be alright".
"Look John, there's one more thing I must tell you, now that we're alone"
"Hm?"
"I don't know what you've seen though Saber's Reality Marble. Just, please.... keep it a secret, ok?"
Emi hits you with the most convincing puppy eyes she can muster. It is almost impossible to deny her anything when she asks like that.
"Alright. Set your own pace, it's only fair. Just don't be scared to ask for help. Your friends are here for this", you answer with a smile.

"Master! Servants moving towards the Reality Marble." Saber's message reaches you through your bond.
“How many?”
“Only one, it seems”
“Must be Misha, then. She’s really alone. We have no chances against Berserker AND Lancer together, but if Shizune is not there, this could be our day. I think we must leave”
You get up and turn towards Emi. “I will keep your secret safe. Now I must go. Thanks again."
You head to the running track as fast as you can, and apparently only Misha is there.
She doesn’t seem in the mood for a fight. She is rather just looking pensively at the sky, maybe using the Reality Marble to cover her presence

“Hey Misha!” You shout. She looks sad and pensive. But when she turns around, she smiles brightly at you.
“Hey John! Nice to see you here! Wahah”
An awkward silence falls. You try to break the ice.
“Have you heard of what happened to Assassin?”
She nods proudly. “Yes! Me and Berserker destroyed that sneaky bastard. Aren’t we the best?” She lets out another loud laughter.
You are astonished. This is already the second Servant Berserker destroys single-handedly. Truly he is a force to be reckoned with, and his brute strength is unrivaled.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nothing! Nothing! Just thinking a bit!” she say, smiling widely and with her arms on her hips.
"But! I have to stop you now, John. No hard feelings ok? Ok! Shizune is counting on me!”
“Are you going to fight me?”
“Wahahah! No silly, not you! Saber, of course! He’s very powerful so I have to take him out”
“I thought you also wanted a truce”
“Well, Shizune said that we must think stra-te-gi-cal-ly, and that since you don’t want peace you want war! Wahah, now you’ll see Johnny, Berserker is the strongest! Get him!”
His enormous figure appearing out of nowhere, Berserker lunges with mad rage at Saber. Ananke materializes in Saber’s only arm effortlessly, but the hit still pushes him backwards.
Berserker lets out a scream that sends chills down your spine. Wielding his sword again, he charges at full speed against Saber, who dodges the attack and tries to strike back. With superhuman speed, Berserker turns around and stops the incoming attack. Ananke flies away from Saber’s hand, who narrowly manages to avoid Berseker’s cleave. Reaching out for Ananke and bracing for attack, Saber blocks one more lunge. It is clear that he’s getting the short end of the straw, and as he’s being forced on the defensive.
‘If just he had one more arm’, you think.
Another counterattack of Saber gets blocked, and Berserker manages to hit Saber with the broad side of the sword, sending him on the ground. Saber’s excellent reflexes kick in again, allowing him to get up with a single backflip.

You have to think quickly.. If you were to try and materialize Ananke, you could fight against him together.
Or even better, you could try to repeat Saber’s evocation tune for his Reality Marble.

You try to remember the text of his cantrip. Then it all comes back to you mind, as you and Saber start singing it together.
"The stream flows, and the birds sing
The wind blows, and the rain pours
The clouds fleet, as the sun once more shines
And this wicked heart beats, one last time."

The sky turns dark once more, and thousand of string appear out of thin air.
Only one golden and thick line exists for both you and Saber, but many entangle Misha and her Servant.
“Master, have you noticed how we only have one string? This is because we are both amnesiac. The only thing we have is each other.”

Berserker is struggling to move, covered how he is in all his past emotions, desires and all his memories. Saber quickly exploits the moment to swing with full force at Misha and Berserker’s bond. But it doesn’t thin out, nor does it break. Rather, it turns into the familiar black and dark blue burning rope you saw around Emi’s heart, legs and head.

“Incredible”, you hear Saber whisper. “Their bond is…their Core Heartache”
“WAHAHA! You weren’t expecting that, were you Johnny? Well, well, too bad! Finish him, Berserker!”
Berserker regains balance and, with a single stretch of his body, tears apart all the strings that had appeared around him, except what Saber appears to call “Core Heartache”. His massive sword falls upon Saber with physics-defying speed.
There is simply nothing Saber can do. The blade falls upon him, shattering his helmet and piercing all the way through his heart
“SABER!”

As he lies on the ground, with the familiar golden haze surrounding him, you can finally see his face: a handsome young fellow with hazelnut eyes and messy brown hair.
Misha’s face is a mask of terror. She, much like you, has finally recognized who Saber is.
“Hicchan…”, she whispers. Even Berserker seems paralyzed.
You try to walk close to him in his last moments. “I am sorry Saber… I was not strong enough to save you”.
His smile is sweet and understanding. “Do not worry, Master. You did your best. You still have my arm. Please, use it to fix this reality… whatever it takes. It is the most important thing.”
“I promise you, Saber. I promise, you Hisao. I will fix it”.
“Then I leave with no regrets”, he says, smiling, and fading back into nothing.

A rumor of footsteps makes you turn. Shizune arrives with her Hoplite on her side.
Her eyes are red, and her cheeks are streaked with tears.
“I speak on my Master’s behalf: I saw what you did, Misha”
“No, Shizune, please, I couldn’t know it was Hicchan…”
Shizune raises an hand, as to wave off any excuse.
“You acted on your own. You didn’t discuss this with me. And now Hisao is dead, again. Stay away from me!” Lancer conveys these words without any of the feelings Shizune is probably feeling right now. Then, quietly as they came, Lancer and his Master leave.

There’s a pink haired girl in the running track, her hair combed into drill. She’s bent on the floor, crying her eyes out. She might have just committed the greatest mistake of her life.

===== SEASON ONE END =====