I am back in China. It's been 7 years since I last visited this ancient nation.
Oh how I miss the ethereal scenery... Sadly, this tranquil country is now hell on earth. World War II is near, and this Far East nation has already fell into bloodshed. I was truly lucky to be born into a peaceful and quiet era in my previous life...
It's time.
My Magic Circuits flared up as the sky darkened the instant the light of my Mental Trigger fades away. The wailing sky was crying, trying to warn the people of the impending catastrophe.
The 1938 Yellow River flood was created by the Nationalist Government in central China during the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War in an attempt to halt the rapid advance of Japanese forces.
It's a man-made natural disaster, and I am merely lending a helping hand by being the one to start it for them. Yes, I am just lending a helping hand. I didn't create it. The stationed soldiers didn't even notice me sneaking inside.
Forgive me.
'For starting a flood, you have inevitably killed 743,316 humans +373,858,000 EXP'
Ahhh, the rain.
The sky is weeping. The land is screaming. The innocents are dying, and the nature is howling.
You have all my apologies. No matter how this slaughter was supposed to be start by your own government... You have my utmost sympathy. You are not wrong. You are guiltless. You have all the rights to blame your leaders. You have all the rights to hate me.
So then, good night. Please have a sweet dream, o'nameless and sinless ones...
...I am sorry.
Despite saying that I will do anything to attain eternal life, I am still not used to murder.
Right now, I am simply glad that I do not have to see the faces of the ones that are about to die, or else, I may falter in my path to eternity.
How pathetic can you be, murderer-
No. Cheer up, Fenric. You are the one who chose this. You will hold onto these memories forever, and one day, you will get used to bloodying your hands. You will get used to the most foul and heinous act so-
One day. One day. One day...!
-x-X-x-
"...What?"
"Oh, have you never heard of this?" A blonde young man beside me spoke up in surprise.
"No, Rain, I have never heard of it." I showed a interested face and replied.
"Ah, yes, as I was saying." Rain coughed and continued. "There are no Magicians alive. The last known Sorcerer was the Master of the Second Magic Kaleidoscope, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. He apparently died after his battle against the King of Vampires, Brunestud of the Crimson Moon in the 7th century."
"Thankfully he managed to defeat the Ultimate One of the Moon or god knows what would have happened to this world." Rain finished sharing his knowledge and gulped down a cup of tea. He then went back to his lunch meals while discussing the same topic with our other classmates.
What? The Old Man of the Jewels is dead...? Is this timeline different from the canon? But the history I learned of are all the same. The existence of Type-Mercury and the Dead Apostle Ancestors, the birth of Arcueid Brunestud, and first two Holy Grail Wars have not changed.
Is this a timeline infinitely close to the main one? Shouldn't the unknown Fourth Magician also exist? What about the Blue? Will Aozaki Aoko's grandfather still discover the pathway to the Root?
Something, something must have happened to Zelretch. There is no way that someone like him would just kick the bucket. To even kill the Magician who have access to the Operation of Parallel Worlds, you'll have to be an Ultimate One, a world-destroying alien, or a-
Cosmic Entity? Don't tell me... Did those two kill each other?
No, Zelretch shouldn't be as powerful as a nigh-omnipotent Cosmic Entity. Did the Fourth Magician help him? The Removal of Concepts? The Manipulation of Principles? The Absolute Control over Space, Time, and Mystery? I don't know about the Fourth, but it's said to be extremely destructive, even more so than the Fifth. Then isn't-
"Argh." I-It hurts. What? Hmm? There's a big bruise on the back of my left hand, and the burning pain is gone... It's as if nothing has happened. No, the pain wasn't fake, I can still properly feel it.
"Are you alright, Fenric?" Another young man beside me asked.
"I am fine. Thanks for asking, Yuwir." Seeing my careless smile, he simply nodded. What are these, these red marks- Don't tell me-
"Hey. Hey, Fenric." Yuwir tapped my arm and whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Look over there. There, see those Finns? They are the ones I have talked about the last time in class." He gritted his teeth and pointed at a pair of sisters that just entered the canteen. "They are the shameless hyenas that came into power during the Renaissance Era. Thanks to them, my family lost quite a bit of fortune in the Middle East."
The young women both have blonde hair and amber eyes. They wore fancy dresses that probably cost more than someone's car. The older one has coiled hair while the younger one wore ribbons. Aren't they...
The Edelfelt sisters?
They must be. Although they looked slightly like Rin and Sakura, their stunning appearances are closer to Luvia. The haughtiness, the overbearingness, and the gracefulness, their elitism attitude is quite obvious here.
However, I was not admiring their voluptuous figure. My focus was on their hands where strange red tattoos were imprinted. The elder sister concealed hers with white gloves, but I could clearly see the imprints on the younger sister's uncovered hand. I then glanced at the back of my left hand.
Yes, it seems like I have just received my own set of Command Seals. It's time to bring the plan forward.
-x-X-x-
(Recommendation: Fate/Zero OST - Point Zero)
"Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation."
Honestly? I want to summon Tamamo. Who doesn't want to summon the devoted foxy wife? Too bad, I have to win this war. She might be a fragment of a highest-ranking god that still exist and is a Heroic Spirit of Japanese origin, but I do not think that I can win the war without her achieving her three-tailed form.
Nuke Servants like Karna and Hercules are also out of the question. I'll definitely die from excessive Prana consumption before the war even end. Ultimately, it comes to the quality of the Servant you are going to summon. And there are two classes that almost always make it to the final round.
It's Saber and Assassin.
"Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."
It's not a lie when they say that Saber is the best class. They have high parameters, Magic Resistance, and powerful Noble Phantasms, and most importantly, they don't deplete their Master's Prana as fast as Berserkers do. The previous war's Master of Berserker did actually die from excessive Prana consumption.
Assassin often make it far into the war because they always catch their enemies off guard. Just look at the kill count of Cursed Arm Hassan... Three Servants.
He, a Servant of the weakest class, have managed to end False Assassin, Caster, and even Lancer through mere tactics. He also played a huge part on Saber's downfall. I do not care if it's through dirty means like taking hostage or ambushing, all is fine as long as the enemies are killed.
"Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me."
However, I can't summon Saber nor Assassin. I know the information on their Masters and I don't want to change history. The Lancer slot is left to Darnic. Berserker does not exist, and that is good. Ruler or Avenger taking its slot? That is bad. In the end, only Archer, Rider, and Caster remains.
Just in case I can't acquire a catalyst, let's think strategy.
First thing first, Caster is out. I don't want to deal with Magic Resistance and the Caster-class is mostly made up of Magi. Unless I got lucky and summon friendly Servants like Cu Chulainn or Xuanzang, then there is a chance of me being betrayed. A small chance, but a gamble I will not be taking. No thank you.
The Rider-class is good. They usually have the strongest Noble Phantasms and most of the known Riders are agreeable. If I can summon Achilles... No. Not enough Prana. I can only supply someone on his level for a while and I'll be exhausted just by maintaining his existence.
Finally, Archers, the Servants of the Bo- Projectiles. They are... okay? Excluding the freakish Gilgamesh, most of the ones that I know of are average Servants. Not powerful nor weak. I can't maintain Arjuna, and Divine Spirits like Ishtar can't be summoned... Shall I just call for Billy the Kid and give in to fate? Haha. No. Not funny.
A magic circle was carved onto the ground. It shined brightly as the the wind howled and roared while a storm of magical energy overflowed the glowing circle. Seeing the ritual working, I fed all my Prana into it and yelled out the summoning incantations.
"I hereby declare! That I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all evil in the world."
Finally, I chose a Servant who suited me the most.
A legendary great hero from Ancient Persia. A warrior of King Manuchehr who was referred to as the last king of the Age of Gods in West Asia, and as the strongest archer, he brought an end to the war between Persia and Turan that had spanned for 60 years.
The brave warrior of salvation who bestowed peace and tranquility to the people of both countries. He accomplished the great feat of saving thousands of people during battle.
He has an anecdote where it is said that in exchange for a special move that exceeds the limits of humans, he ended up perishing by having his body burst and scatter in all directions.
"From the Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"
Surging wind and blinding lights engulfed the entire workshop as the summoning process was successfully completed. The overflowing magical energy settled and the light dimmed down, revealing the figure of the Servant who was summoned.
"I am the great hero of the East-" He was a man with brown skin and eyes full of life. He wore a blue-green chestplate, black-red gloves and greaves in addition to a similar-looking bow. "-Arash! Best regards, Master!"
Yes, it's my suicide boy.
"Let's win this war, Archer." I smiled and lend him my hand while simultaneously activating my Master vision.
Class: Archer
True Name: Arash Kamangir
Gender: Male
Title: Arash the Archer
Height/Weight: 185cm 75kg
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Strength: B
Endurance: A
Agility: A+
Mana: E
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: B++
Class Skills:
Magic Resistance C
Independent Action C
Personal Skills:
Robust Health EX
Clairvoyance A
Bow and Arrow Creation A
Noble Phantasm:
Stella: Lone Meteor B++
Great, as I expected. His physical parameters are high, he is a friendly and understanding guy, he has useful skills including Magic Resistance, it doesn't take much to maintain him, and when it gets really dangerous, he can use his Noble Phantasm to bring the opponent down with him.
His ultimate suicide attack is Stella: Lone Meteor, though classified as Anti-Army, it in fact has the power of an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm, and when taking into consideration its range, it would probably even correspond to an Anti-Country Noble Phantasm!
Expendable and low cost. He's the greatest disposable tool, I'd say. Plus, he's actually an Archer that wields a genuine bow. No, he can even make his own bows and arrows! He's the perfect Servant for me!
Then what about [Analyze]?
Name: Arash Kamangir, Arash the Archer
Strength: 40
Endurance: 50
Agility: 50 (50~100)
Yes, this is the status of a high-ranking Servant. Me? Someone with stats at 2-3 times above the average man? Hah. I am simply a joke in front of Archer.
Look at that Agility, he has long since broke the sound barrier... Jesus christ. This is why I don't want to get close to any Servants. The moment they spot you, you're going to die no matter what you do.
You can't rush in, you can't fight back, you can't survive a serious hit, it's dead end anyway. That's why I chose to be a sniper. Even if I can't fight a Servant, I can still kill their Master if I was lucky enough.
Hmm, thinking about it. What if I use [Analyze] on his Skills...?
Magic Resistance C
The Skill that grants protection against magical effects. Differing from the Resistance effect that merely rejects Magical Energy, this ability cancels the spells altogether.
He can cancel spells with a chant below two verses. However, he cannot defend against Magecraft on the level of High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals.
Ah, it's works. Nice.
Below two verses? Does this mean that Cinder Maelstrom can affect him if it hits him? But that Endurance... It probably won't even hurt much.
Independent Action C
The Skill to remain independent even when rejecting the Magical Energy supply from one's Master, and the ability that allows for action even in the absence of the Master.
It is possible for a Servant to stay in the world for one day without a Master.
I don't have to worry about him betraying me. I already know that Arash isn't someone who will do that.
Robust Health EX
The Skill that are made up of anecdotes of "not receiving a wound on the battlefield" and "never becoming sick even once since birth". It is also a composite Skill and includes Poison Resistance.
Arash, who is strongly endowed with the vestiges of the Age of Gods, was born with an especially robust health. END parameter is ranked up and attacks received have their damage reduced.
So this is why his Endurance is so high. I am not jealous, I swear that I am not jealous! Envy is a sin of man, envy is a sin of man. Repeat after me, envy is a sin of man.
Ugh.
Clairvoyance A
The Skill that connotes superior visual perception and dynamic occipital capture, such as to supplement the long-range aiming of projectile weapons.
For Arash, who has A Rank in this Skill, one type of future sight (predicting the future) and even mind reading is possible.
Classic Archer Skill.
Thanks to my perk, I do not have to worry about him reading my mind. He'd probably distance himself or even kill me with how insane I am. Precognition is nice. It is limited but if it works well we can predict our enemies' movements while also exposing their bases.
Bow and Arrow Creation A
The Skill for designing and creating a bow and arrows.
The goddess Armaiti gave him the wisdom but the designer and the creator of the bow was Arash. As long as he has the materials, he can instantly make a bow and arrows. A bow needs physical materials, however, arrows can be made by using his magical energy. Because of this, Arash can intermittently fire a countless number of arrows.
This. This I can abuse. I haven't spend a single cent on the catalyst because I merely borrowed it from a friend. 'For educational purposes' works quite well, you know? Hahaha.
I will go talk to the same merchant I got my materials from last time. He should be able to get more, and if I use my whole fortune, I should be able to obtain 550 grams of mithril. Yes, I may have robbed some wealthy fellows, but no one can trace it back to me.
Perhaps after acquiring the materials, Archer can also teach me the Skill? He was summoned with a bow already so he doesn't need to make another one for himself. He can probably craft a magical bow blessed by the wisdom of the goddess for me. Good idea, Fenric.
Stella: Lone Meteor
Owner: Arash Kamangir
Type: Anti-Army
Rank: B++
Range: 1~99
Maximum number of targets: 900
The "Ultimate Shot" used by Arash. A famous legend of an arrow shot with all of Arash's might. It is a maximum range, long-range attack that literally "Divides the Earth", bringing an end to all kinds of strife.
In legends, the "national borders" between Persia and Turan was created by means of Arash's ultimate arrow, having divided the land. Such ultimate arrow's shooting range is indeed 2500 km. It is said that, in exchange for this special move that exceeds the limits of humans, he lost his life by having his body scattered in all directions.
Though classified as Anti-Army, it in fact has the power of an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm, and when taking into consideration its range, it would probably even correspond to an Anti-Country Noble Phantasm.
However, it can only be employed once for its usage always results in Arash's death, simultaneously destroying him and the Noble Phantasm, and in a sense, it is a "Double Broken Phantasm"
Ahhh, suicide boy, I'm glad I summoned you before the war will start. Now let us bond as Master and Servant, let us be intimate with each other so that you will believe me as a saint and become a Servant that will readily sacrifices his life for me!