Stepping into Fate
ICDS Universe, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
"You're not going with Tatsuo this time, Miss Sumire?" Shea asked in a tone that made it clear she felt a little left out, as she was the only one without access to the [Dimensional Chat].
"Not this time." Violet said as she looked up from her smartphone. "He's going on this one with Lici-San."
"Oh." Shea said, smiling happily as she remembered all the clothes Elicia made for her a few months ago. "She was really nice. She was fun to be around, too."
"I'm sure you'll get to see her again." Violet replied with a smile of her own.
"I wanna go on the [Mission]." Aletia said with a pronounced pout on her face.
"Tatsuo-Kun, Alfonzo-San, Lici-San, and James- Kun already explained why that was a bad idea, though." Violet said while smiling helplessly at the vampire princess, who had been pouting for the last two days.
"Hmph!" Aletia only snorted in response.
"Well, the least we can do is wish them luck." Violet said, hiding the fact that she, too, was disappointed that she could not accompany Tatsuo on this [Mission]. "Besides, they'll be back before we even know they're gone."
Violet was not exaggerating with that last statement, either. As advertised, the time in the worlds of the members of the [Dimensional Chat] froze when there was an active [Mission]. So, they would never lose any time with the people they came to call friends since joining the [Chat].
Still, that did not stop them from wanting to spend more time with Tatsuo.
Log Horizon Universe, Theldesia, Yamato, League of Free Cities, Akiba.
"Hey, Short Stack, why do you spend so much time staring off into space?" A tall, about 6' tall, relatively well-built man with short grey hair and matching eyes asked in a playful, yet somewhat concerned tone. A moment later, however, he adopted a somewhat roguish smile as he leaned in close. "Oh, I get it! You must be having dirty daydreams about---"
*Bang!*
"Ow~~~!" The tall man cried out in pain. "At least let me finish!"
"There was no need, you pervert." The one the tall man was speaking to, Akatsuki, said after jumping up and driving her kneecap into the man's nose.
"Seriously, Naotsugu, don't you ever learn?" A slightly shorter man with short dark blue hair and wearing glasses said while draping a cloak over his shoulders. "How many times has something like this happened by now?"
"Meow~, You should expect nothing less from Naotsuguchi." A tall, humanoid cat with dull, greyish-purple and white fur said in a smooth, deep tone.
This group of four were the current members of the guild, Log Horizon that was formed recently in the world of Elder Tales. The tall man with grey hair was Naotsugu, a Guardian, one of the game's Tank Classes. Then, there was the black-haired man with glasses, Shiroe, the master of the Log Horizon guild and an Enchanter, a Support Mage Class. Next was the humanoid cat, Nyanta, a Swashbuckler, a dual wielding swordsman. Lastly, was Akatsuki, the assassin, and a member of a certain [Dimensional Chat] group.
Currently, the four members of Log Horizon were in their guild hall, a building built into the trunk of a large tree, and preparing to continue moving their plans to bring a level of order to the city. However, Naotsugu's original question did make both Shiroe and Nyanta curious about Akatsuki's state.
Like Naotsugu said, Akatsuki spent a lot of time just staring into space. Though, it did not hinder her in battle, it was a bit concerning. However, no matter how often they asked her about it, Akatsuki would always give them some kind of evasive answer.
Yet, judging by the looks she was receiving from her guild mates, ones filled with concern, it was clear that was not going to work this time.
'Well, I guess I can just ask the others for their opinion.' Akatsuki thought to herself while looking away from the inquisitive gazes of her guild mates.
And just like that, Akatsuki started staring off into space again, not before signaling her guild mates to give her a moment.
{[Dimensional Chat]
Akatsuki: Ugh! I really envy all of you who can install the chat on your phones
Akatsuki: Because I don't have a phone, my friends think that the pressure of being trapped in a game world is getting to me
James: Ah!
James: Got caught staring off into space one too many times, huh?
Akatsuki: Exactly
Violet: I'm sorry to hear that
Violet: Should I buy you a phone and send it to you through the chat?
Tatsuo (Admin): I think that would make things even worse, Violet-San
Violet: Really?
Violet: Why?
Akatsuki: Because Elder Tales is a game set in a magical medieval world
Violet: Oh, I get it
Alfonzo: So, you wanna know if you can tell your friends about the chat, right?
Akatsuki: Ah! Yeah
Akatsuki: I'm just not sure if telling them will cause any trouble
Tatsuo (Admin): Well, I don't see an issue
Tatsuo (Admin): Both my family and pretty much everyone James knows know about it
James: Hey, I know a lot more people than you saw, you know?
James: For example, Vali, the White Dragon Emperor, my fated rival
Tatsuo (Admin): Like I said, pretty much everyone
James: Dick
Alfonzo: But Tatsuo's right
Alfonzo: I don't think letting people know would be a problem
Alfonzo: Besides, they'll probably believe you much easier than James' friends and family did
James: Seriously
James: They actually thought I was cracking under the pressure of being a Satan
James: Don't they know I'm built of stronger stuff than that?
Akatsuki: Ignoring the braggard
Akatsuki: Why do you think they'd believe me
Alfonzo: Seriously?
Tatsuo (Admin): Seriously?
James: Seriously?
Violet: I'm curious to know, too
Akatsuki: What?
Alfonzo: You already live in an anime/manga/fan fic situation
Alfonzo: So, why would telling them about another one be that hard to believe?}
Reading the last thing that Alfonzo had to say caused Akatsuki to freeze. And when her guild mates, Shiroe, Naotsugu, and Nyanta saw that, they all exchanged glances, the concern in their eyes clear for the other three to see.
"Hey, do you think she's okay?" Naotsugu asked, leaning in to whisper to Shiroe and Nyanta. "I mean, look at her."
"Meow..." Nyanta intoned, not really helping the others know what he was thinking.
"Actually, I think she might be fine." Shiroe said while adjusting his glasses. "I was looking at her eyes when she started staring off into space. And they were moving minutely. Like she was reading something. Something we couldn't see."
"Really?" Naotsugu replied skeptically. "Like she was getting a message from another Adventurer?"
"I don't think so." Shiroe replied. "There would have been other movements when she was---"
Before Shiroe could finish his explanation, Akatsuki snapped out of her stupor. Then, she started rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"Yeah, why didn't I think of that before?" Akatsuki asked herself as she shook her head. She then turned to look at her three guild mates.
"Alright, here's the deal." Akatsuki said in a no nonsense tone. "I didn't tell you about what was going on because I didn't think you'd believe me. But I was just made aware of how what I'm going through and what we all went through is basically the same thing, just different parts of the same culture."
"Culture?" Shiroe asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, anime/manga/fan fic culture." Akatsuki replied with a determined nod. "So, I'll just lay all my cards on the table. Also, I think you guys should know for another reason, too. Like, if you ever were to see me go offline for any reason, you wouldn't freak out."
That last sentence caused Shiroe and Naotsugu to widen their eyes. At the same time, Nyanta, as cool as can be, simply raised an eyebrow. Even so, that did not stop Akatsuki's explanation. So, she told them about the [Dimensional Chat] and everything she had experienced since she got the invite on her computer the day before the Apocalypse happened.
"Hold on, there's something I don't understand." Shiroe said while raising a hand to make Akatsuki stop for a moment. He then continued after receiving a nod from Akatsuki. "You said that our world was a light novel and anime in another world, right?"
"Yeah." Akatsuki replied.
"So, they knew that this would happen to you." Shiroe continued. "I mean, getting trapped in this world, right? So, why didn't they warn you about it beforehand?"
"I actually asked them about that after they told me they knew a little about how things would play out in the version of our world they knew." Akatsuki said, understanding why Shiroe would ask that question. "And they told me that if I wasn't just a regular college student, they would have told me about it beforehand. But since we have to take [Missions] that can be dangerous, they wanted me to be able to defend myself, even if it's only a little bit."
"[Missions]?" Nyanta asked with an eyebrow raised. "Like what kind of [Missions]?"
"Well, how many of you are into anime and know about Fate?" Akatsuki asked.
Like that, the group of four continued to chat until Shiroe received a message from the master of an allied guild, asking where they were.
Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo was sitting in his bedroom, waiting for Elicia to let him know that she was ready to start the [Mission]. He had already clicked the option to join as a Servant. Now, he just had to wait for Elicia to finish her last order. Then, they would be off to the TYPE-MOON world.
"I wonder what kind of background I'll get for this?" Tatsuo wondered aloud. "And will I need to buy a background in this case? I mean, you can't end up in thE Throne of Heroes without some background, right?"
Before he could think about it much further, however, Tatsuo received the message he was waiting for.
{[Dimensional Chat]
Lici: Okay, I'm ready
Lici: @Tatsuo, are you ready?
Tatsuo (Admin): I've been ready
Tatsuo (Admin): I was just waiting for you
Lici: Good
Lici: Then let's go
Tatsuo (Admin): Okay, let's go
Violet: Be careful, you two
James: Give 'em hell
James: I'd really wanna try fighting some of those legends, too
Tatsuo (Admin): You already got to have a fight to the death with Scáthach, though
Tatsuo (Admin): Isn't that enough?
James: How did you know that?
Alfonzo: Because she's not in the Land of Shadows
Alfonzo: Come on, man, keep up
James: Right
Aletia: Be safe, Tatsuo
Lici: Aww, you're not gonna wish for my safety, too?
Lici: I might just cry
Akatsuki: Good luck, you two
Tatsuo (Admin): Thanks
Tatsuo (Admin): I'm gonna hit the button
Lici: Me, too}
With that, Tatsuo opened the [Missions] tab and took one more look at the [Mission]
{[Mission #3]
-Objectives
Summon a Servant Take part in the Holy Grail War Defeat the Servant from the last Holy Grail War Win the Holy Grail War Destroy or purify the tainted Holy Grail Invite one new member to the [Dimensional Chat]
-Number of Participants: 2. Join Quest as Master? Y/N Join Quest as Servant? Y/N
-The quest will start automatically in 6 Days, 23 Hours, and 58 Minutes.
Note: If participants are not chosen by the time limit, they will be chosen at random.
-Reward: 8,000 Coins; Random Reward
[Begin Mission]}
'We should have discussed who we would choose as a new [Chat] member earlier." Tatsuo muttered to himself after reading the [Mission Objectives] one last time. "Oh well, I guess it will just be up to me and Lici. Welp, here goes nothing."
With that, Tatsuo clicked the [Begin Mission] button. That was followed by the usual reminder.
{Note: The time in the participant(s) world(s) will stop during the quests. Time will resume immediately upon the participant(s) return.
Note: For a fee of 5,000 Coins each, the participant(s) can have a background prepared for them so they can seamlessly fit into the world.
Would you like to purchase a background for the world you are about to visit? Y/N}
Deciding that having a [System] generated backstory would be better than going in without one, Tatsuo decided to pay the 5,000 Coins. He figured that Elicia had done the same, since she should have more than enough Coins after three months without using any.
Then, like the other two times he started a [Mission], the world around him slowed to a crawl before eventually stopping as the world lost all its color simultaneously. After that, he was covered in a bright light before he vanished from his world while something similar happened to Elicia in the Metal and Threads Universe.
TYPE-MOON Universe, Earth, Japan, Fuyuki City.
In the next instant, Elicia regained her senses. Immediately, she started to examine her surroundings.
"It looks like I'm in a hotel room." Elicia muttered to herself. "A suite to be exact. The only question is, which hotel am I--- Urgh~~~~!"
Before Elicia could finish her thought, however, the background she purchased started to integrate with her memories. And despite how powerful she was, the pain from the experience still forced her to groan in pain as she fell to her knees while she cradled her head.
"Oh, my goodness!" Elicia groaned as the pain subsided after about half an hour. "I'm not sure I wanna do any more [Missions] after that."
With that said, Elicia slowly struggled to get back on her feet. She then noticed the markings on the back of her right hand.
"My [Command Spells]." Elicia said as a smile spread across her face. "I'm a real Master now, huh?"
A moment later, before the elation could overwhelm her, Elicia shook her head forcefully to get herself back on track.
"Now's not the time for that, I need to hurry and summon Tatsuo." Elicia said as she stepped out of the hotel suite's bedroom and entered another room that she remembered emptying out from her inherited memories. "With his [Magic Circle Creation Skill], we should be able to turn this place into a passable mage workshop. That way, Bazett won't notice me when she arrives in Fuyuki. From what I remember, she stays in this hotel, as well. *Sigh* I wish my background identity remembered that, too."
While she spoke, Elicia used her [Thread Magic] to hold the magical chalk she had on hand to draw a magic circle on the floor of the room.
"Oh, snap." Elicia muttered while drawing the circle. "I forgot to get the catalyst out of my luggage. Well, no biggie."
Then, just like she did to draw the magic circle, she used her [Thread magic] to retrieve the item Tatsuo gave her to use as a summoning catalyst. Though, neither knew if it would be necessary. Even so, they thought it would make the summoning more likely to succeed.
"Alright, here they are." Elicia said as she took Tatsuo's first pair of modified trench knives into her hands. She then put them into the center of the summoning circle just as she finished drawing it. "Now, I just have to say the chant that's in my memory."
She then took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then, Elicia flared her magic power and flowed it into the magic circle drawn on the floor.
'I hope this works.' Elicia thought to herself. 'I mean, Od is basically magic power as I know it and Mana is the ethernano in the air. But still, I don't have Magic Circuits. Only a container. Oh well, whatever happens, happens I guess."
"Let silver and steel be the essence.
Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.
Let midnight purple be the color I pay tribute to.
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.
Let it be declared now;
your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.
Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.
An oath shall be sworn here.
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell.
From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,
come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"
After Elicia finished her incantation, the mana in the room began to gather towards the trench knives lying on the floor. Then, once enough was gathered, it exploded into a flash of light. A moment later, when the light died down, Tatsuo, wearing a sleeveless black bodysuit with a midnight purple scarf wrapped around his neck and hanging behind him, matching boots and gloves, and a black belt, was standing over the knives.