The Summoning I
General POV
It was a cold forest, unseen leaves, breezy winds, a land covered by the sheer false purity of snow. Meant to create a sense of peace only for it to turn into unlivable frozen landscape. Though not all is lost however as a family still stands in this very land itself, the Einzberns. A house of experts in homunculi, these people are not easily dealt with, even with the lost of their most precious card, the Third Magic.
And in this wilderness, stands a flat altar, a circle filled with runes and symbols as well as specific shapes drawn on it with the texture of chalk. In the center, an odd looking slab of rock, seemingly exuding an ancient time, long past. And in front of it, a not so young girl with fire in her eyes and hatred in her heart.
"Summon it now, you shall not fail like your useless father and your homunculus mother," the tone of disdain called for her from her back, an old man, dressed in fully white robes, coupled with his ethereal white beard and pale skin, makes him the perfect camoflauge in the snow if not for his overbearing and dominating aura.
"Yes, grandfather," The girl said, her beautiful white hair flowed freely in the wind, her blue coat pressing tightly as her hands ready.
2 months before the Holy Grail War, an date far too early to summon a servant. Any untimely summoning way before the designated time is nigh impossible, but not for the illustrious Einzberns. As one of the three creators of the Holy Grail, this gives the family some... rule-bending knowledge and thus, early summoning became possible with but one consequence, unimaginable pain until the arrival of the war.
"Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone.
The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg.
The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate.
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Shut (fill).
Repeat every five times.
Simply, shatter once filled.
――――I announce.
Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer.
Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead.
You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance ―――"
The ground shook as terrible red light appear from the markings of the altar, the girl screamed in pain as mana beyond capacity flowed through her very veins! "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" She screamed, she shrieked, she wailed yet her pain would not subside, even with the light dimming and the mana slowing.
Soon enough, the summoning ritual has been completed and a towering figure standing at half the trees' height knelt down on the ground as the girl still continued on with her immeasurable pain. "Get the homunculus back and suppress her pains," Two servants appeared behind the old man as they carried away the girl and her servant followed closely behind.
The old man only had one thought left in his mind, 'This time, no one shall stop us from getting what we so desired!' And the glow in his eyes fainted as he turned to follow along the trees, in lying serenity, and pressing determination.
***
"One day, I'll show the world how much of a demon Tohsaka is! One day, I'll exorcise her of her evil spirit!' This was one man's overly enthusiastic muttering as he marched up into the mountain. This dark haired man wearing what one would call, glasses fit for an intellectual man is Issei Ryuudou, heir to Fuyuki's largest place of Shinto worship, Ryuudou Temple.
Issei continued grumbling about obligation and malevolent souls as well as the subject of forced exorcism as he arrived at long last to the temple gates. "Ah! Issei! You're home!" His brother, Reikan Ryuudou greeted with a shoulder pat as Issei stepped a foot into the temple grounds. "What's got you so excited," seeing the 'different' atmosphere, Issei moved to ask.
"Great grandfather's storage hut was finally opened! Turns out the key has always been in the safe, under a book on Western Politics!" Yes, the great grandfather, known as the Kannushi of the Century or in English, God's Employee of the Century was a powerful figure back in the 1900s. It was said that the man had capabilities to turn the weather around if he wished to do so.
"Seriously? Why did we even need the key in the first place, we could've always just broken the lock," Issei's voice may be a grumble but one couldn't stop his excitement for the unlocking of the storage. "Don't say that Issei, To find a shortcut is to cut a valuable path in life and to..." Hearing that, Issei interjected, "...Wait upon the discovery of the truth is an experience of a lifetime, yes I knw dad."
Yes, it was Issei's dad, the current head of the temple that came and advised once overhearing his son's words. "Well, we hadn't had time to check it out, how about you go look what's up and help us clean the room up?" His father sheepishly laughed and requested of his son while holding a broom up.
"Alright dad, there isn't anything for me to do anyway," Issei shrugged and grabbed the broom before strolling off to the storage room. "Let's see what's in here," Issei swiped his hands together and licked the corner of his lips before promptly pushing the doors in. Creak... Having been so old, the door only realistically released an old sigh.
"Dusty," Issei flapped his hands, clearing the dust for his sight to go through. "Huh?" Issei thought of a lot of things before opening the door. He thought he'd see boxes, notes, books, artifacts, weapons, but not this... empty room. There's nothing aside from the floor! "There's nothing?" Issei mumbled before looking around in keen observation.
"Hmm, the floor is structured weirdly," He murmured as he found what looks like four plates imbedded into the concrete floor on the four corners of the room. And right in the middle, a circular plate covering almost the entirety of the room, big enough to fit a car. "Ehh... A puzzle?" Randomly testing, Issei started to move around.
Starting from pushing the pressure plate on the front right before making a beeline to the one of the far left then the far right and finally onto the front left. BRRRRRR... A rumble of gears and shifts sounded, surprising the living daylights out of the young male. The circular plate gently lowered down a couple of inches before being pulled to the side.
BRRrrrrr... The rumble came to an end as a spiral staircase appeared in front of Issei's gaze. How much luck must one man have to be able to solve a clueless pressure plate puzzle with a number of different combinations? This must be fate.