Dad's office was an extremely boring place.
Angélica was absolutely certain of that.
At least… that's what everyone said.
Papers, huge books, city reports, maps, grown-up stuff, and a bunch of other things she had no idea what were for.
But that had never stopped Angélica from going in.
Especially because the office was also where Dad stayed.
And any place where Dad was automatically stopped being boring.
So at that moment, the five-year-old girl ran through the corridors of the enormous mansion like a little hurricane.
"Angélica, please wait—!"
A beautiful maid with sky-blue hair and large light-blue eyes tried to speak as she ran after her.
But it was already too late.
"You should stop trying to chase her, sister." Another maid with light pink hair and large dark-red eyes said as she approached. "She's practically a chaotic, female version of Arto," she added.
"When are you going to stop calling him that?" the blue-haired girl asked.
"Never in this lifetime," the other replied with a smile.
"Let Arto deal with her—we have work to do," she finished.
"You're just forgetting that you're completely useless at housework, sister," the blue-haired one mocked.
Her words hit exactly where it hurt.
The office door burst open.
Inside the room, Arthur was still seated behind his large desk, surrounded by stacks of documents that seemed endless.
Beside him were Shion and Chloe, discussing matters related to the city.
On the sofa, holding a glass of wine with a relaxed expression, sat Luminous. And in an armchair next to Arthur was an adorable young girl of about eleven or twelve, reading a book. Her face was so cute that even Angélica—who, in her childish arrogance, claimed to be the cutest girl in the world—had to admit defeat. Her large sky-blue eyes had pink butterfly-like patterns as irises. Her light cream-blonde hair was long and styled into two vertical, spiral braids.
And then, completely ignoring the girl—
"DAAAAD!"
Before anyone could react, the small figure ran across the room and leapt straight into Arthur's lap.
Without ceremony. Without warning.
As if that place had been made specifically for her.
The impact sent some papers flying off the desk.
But Arthur only raised an eyebrow.
Angélica, on the other hand, made herself comfortable on his lap, crossing her arms and lifting her chin with an extremely satisfied expression.
"This is my throne."
She declared with all the authority of a spoiled child.
"And no one else is allowed to sit here but me."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
Chloe let out a small laugh.
Shion covered her mouth to hide a smile.
Even Luminous raised an amused eyebrow.
The girl beside Arthur simply raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed.
Arthur let out a soft sigh… but an inevitable smile appeared on his face.
He raised his hand and gently began stroking the little girl's head.
Angélica immediately closed her eyes, visibly satisfied, like a kitten being petted.
"What brings my adorable little angel here? You always say my office is boring."
He asked calmly.
Angélica opened her eyes immediately.
She had clearly been waiting for that question.
"I want to know something!"
she said excitedly, still enjoying the gentle pats on her head.
"How did you meet my mom?"
Arthur blinked once.
Then smiled faintly.
"And why do you want to know that all of a sudden, Angélica?"
The little girl huffed dramatically.
"Because Shiro said the way you met his mom was way cooler than how you met mine!"
She crossed her arms indignantly.
"He said his story has more awesome stuff!"
She pointed accusingly at Arthur.
"So I came to confirm if my story is better!"
For a second, Arthur remained silent.
Then he started laughing.
"So you're jealous?"
Angélica immediately puffed out her cheeks.
"I AM NOT JEALOUS!"
she declared with all the dignity a five-year-old hurricane could muster.
"But if you don't answer…!"
She turned her face away dramatically.
"I'll never talk to you again!"
Arthur placed a hand over his chest as if mortally wounded.
"That would be the cruelest thing in the world. My little angel never speaking to me again would be the worst thing that could happen to me."
He said with an exaggeratedly tragic expression.
"I don't know if my heart could endure such cruelty."
Shion started laughing.
Chloe too.
"Now I'm curious as well," she said casually.
"How exactly did you meet that queen?"
Arthur looked at her for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Looks like everyone's curious today."
He stood up from his chair.
Still holding Angélica with one arm.
The girl, who clearly had no intention of leaving his lap, simply adjusted herself more comfortably.
As if that was exactly where she belonged.
Arthur walked over to the sofa.
And sat down.
Angélica immediately settled into his lap like a little empress claiming her throne.
She looked at everyone in the room with an extremely proud expression.
Especially at the cream-blonde girl, who immediately snapped her book shut upon seeing that look.
As if silently saying:
"See? He's mine."
Arthur rested his arm on the back of the sofa and spoke calmly.
"Since you all want to know…"
Angélica immediately leaned against him.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"I'll tell you."
Arthur gently ran his hand through the little girl's hair.
Then continued:
"It all started a few years ago, when I suddenly ended up in a ritual called the Holy Grail War."
—xXx—
In a dark, damp basement, where the air was heavy and filled with a putrid stench, countless insects began to emerge from a hole in the ground. They writhed over one another, forming a repulsive mass that slowly spread across the stone floor. Their small, black, viscous bodies advanced like a living tide, moving with a single purpose.
And they all had only one target.
The small black-haired girl.
Her fragile body trembled uncontrollably. Fear had taken over every part of her being, paralyzing her muscles. Even though she desperately wanted to run, her legs simply wouldn't obey. It was as if terror itself had chained her to that spot.
Her wide, fear-filled eyes watched helplessly as the swarm of insects drew closer and closer.
Above that gloomy basement, observing everything from an elevated position, a sinister-looking old man stood motionless. His eyes, deep and piercing like those of a crawling creature, were fixed on the girl.
But there was no trace of compassion in his gaze.
Only greed.
A viscous, repulsive greed.
To him, that girl was not a child.
She was merely a vessel.
A precious vessel that would soon belong entirely to the family.
His gaze seemed to savor in advance what he was about to claim, like a predator contemplating prey already cornered.
"No… Dad… Mom… Sister… save me…"
The girl's voice was weak, almost a broken whisper of despair.
However, the moment those words left her lips, painful memories surfaced in her mind.
She clearly remembered her father's face when he sent her away without hesitation.
Without even looking back.
And then there was her mother.
The one who should have protected her.
But who remained silent, watching everything happen.
Without protesting, without acting, without even reaching out a hand to her.
Those memories blended within the girl's heart, like black ink slowly spreading through clear water.
Little by little, something inside her began to sink and break.
The last remnants of hope within her were swallowed by an ever-deepening darkness.
However, at the final moment…
At the instant when the last faint spark of light in her heart was about to be completely extinguished by that suffocating darkness—
The girl opened her mouth and screamed.
It was a scream that came from the depths of her soul.
A desperate wish with no trace of falsehood.
"Someone help me!?!"
Suddenly, a clear, crystalline sound echoed through the basement.
In the next instant, a magnificent magic circle appeared before the girl.
Complex lines began to form in the air, creating patterns that slowly rotated.
A blinding light burst from the circle.
The intensity of that light was so overwhelming that the surrounding insects began to burn instantly. Their writhing bodies turned to ash before they could even get close.
At the same time, a flower with three red petals appeared on the girl's left hand.
Vivid marks, glowing as if carved directly into her flesh.
The Command Spells.
Above the basement, the old man watched all of this with eyes wide in pure shock.
His rigid body trembled slightly as he muttered to himself, unable to accept what was happening.
"This shouldn't be possible…"
His carefully prepared plan was facing something he had never even considered.
"Even if we're close to the Fourth Holy Grail War…"
"It shouldn't be possible to summon a Servant now…"
Inside the magic circle, a figure began to take shape.
First, a silhouette.
Then, contours.
Until finally, a young man fully appeared.
He took a step forward.
Then knelt before the little girl.
"I am the Berserker-class Servant, Arthur Morgan. Answer me—are you my Master?"
His voice was calm, firm, and clear.
A gentle smile appeared on his face as he looked at the little girl.
The girl's gaze could no longer turn away from him.
The figure before her felt as solid as an unbreakable wall.
She didn't fully understand what had just happened.
But she knew one thing.
Her hero had arrived.
A miracle had been born from the sincere wish of a girl who, at the darkest moment of her life, still found the strength to ask for help.
(End of Chapter)
A/N: Let's reach a consensus and say that no one in their right mind likes Zouken Matou