Next day.
Home.
I worked on a personal project inside the garage. It was a necessary preparation for the Holy Grail War ahead.
A Yamaha YZF R1, painted in a void-like pitch black, rested before me. My hands moved fluidly across its components, modifying the machine to drastically increase its performance. My goal was to forge it into a viable asset against other Heroic Spirits.
To an ordinary person, such modifications might seem impossible. However, possessing the talent [Ultimate Mechanic], there was nothing in the realm of machinery I could not achieve if I so desired.
I regulated the carburetor's mixture setting to the optimal ratio.
I fine-tuned the internal circuitry, pushing the output beyond factory limits.
I applied subtle adjustments to the chassis, refining the frame until it was aerodynamically flawless.
Just as I unsealed the engine block, the garage door slid open. Medea entered promptly.
"Master! Shouldn't you be resting? Your injuries haven't fully healed yet." She chided me, her lips curving into a concerned pout.
"Perfect timing. Come here, Medea. I require your assistance." I spoke indifferently, beckoning her over.
"Mou~ Master, you're such a dense block of ice." Medea sulked, though she trudged to my side without hesitation.
"I need you to engrave reinforcement magic circles here—two here, and three there." I ignored her complaint and pointed toward the optimal locations within the exposed engine block.
It took her less than three seconds to complete the inscriptions.
I had already optimized the machine physically; now, Medea was enhancing it magically.
This bike would be a beast on the battlefield. Of that, I had no doubt.
.
I continued my work, but Medea's gaze lingered. She stared intently at my torso, acutely aware of the injuries my arms and ribs had sustained from Heracles the previous day.
"Master..." she began, her tone conflicted.
"Hm?" I diverted half of my thought streams toward her while the other half maintained absolute focus on the bike. My hands continuing their motion.
"Master... I could likely assist you in summoning another Servant by manipulating the Grail. I withheld this information before because... I believed I would be sufficient to secure your victory in this War." Medea admitted, her voice laced with self-reproach.
"But... now that I know Heracles has been summoned, along with that golden-haired man you described, I am no longer so certain. And more importantly, I do not wish to see you hurt again, Master." She hung her head low, resembling a child awaiting a scolding.
My [Ultimate Analyst] confirmed that her words contained no falsehood.
"Medea... I have no interest in winning the Holy Grail or anything of the sort. What I desire is the unpredictable...the unknown. If fighting in this war allows me to experience that, then it will have been worth it." My tone was flat as I finished optimizing the engine. I then remounted the component, reconnecting it to the wider circuitry.
Medea's head snapped up at my words, her shock slowly giving way to wry acceptance. She was beginning to understand my nature.
"Then, Master... regarding the summoning?" Medea inquired, her posture slightly more relaxed.
"How soon can you have it ready?" I asked, my hands shifting to tune the suspension.
"It can be done within a day, Master." Medea replied without hesitation.
"Very well. Proceed." I commanded, my expression unchanging.
"But, Master... what of the mana required to sustain two Servants? Will you be able to handle the burden?" Medea asked, posing one final question.
"Sustaining two Servants? It will undoubtedly place tremendous strain on my Magic Circuits. However... at the end of the day... pressure, too, is boring." My emotions did not fluctuate.
Sustaining two Servants would be difficult.
But could I handle it? Undoubtedly.
Growl.
My thoughts were interrupted by a low rumble emanating from Medea's stomach. She wrapped her arms around her midsection in shame, her cheeks flushing pink.
I glanced at her for a moment, opening my mouth to speak, but before I could utter a word, she fled the garage. Her steps were flustered, the tips of her pointed ears burning red.
I watched her go, then simply returned my focus to the bike.
...
..
.
"By the way, Medea. You previously stated that a Master is limited to a single Servant. How do you intend to manipulate the Grail to facilitate another summoning?" I asked, taking a bite of perfectly seasoned steak.
"Hmm? Oh, that! It is only possible because you have not utilized your own summoning slot yet, Master. My contract with you exists only because my previous Master perished." Medea explained. She took a bite of my homemade ice cream, looking as though she might melt in delight from the flavor.
[Ultimate Analyst] dissected her words, while [Ultimate Detective] unraveled the underlying mechanics.
A conclusion was drawn in moments.
"So... you imply that I can summon a Servant provided a slot remains open? This is viable because you were summoned by Atram, not by me?" I questioned, though I had already arrived at the answer myself.
"Yes... basically. There are some technical hurdles involved, but I will resolve them by tweaking the Grail's summoning system." she answered, her focus remaining almost entirely on the ice cream.
I offered no verbal response. I had already deduced the entire process regarding how she intended to make the summoning of another Servant possible.
...
..
.
Next day.
Homurahara Academy.
I passed through the school gates. My stride perfectly synchronized with my resting heart rate.
Today marked my final attendance at this school, since the Holy Grail War was imminent.
Archer, Berserker, and my own Caster were known variables. Lancer, Saber, Assassin, and Rider remained unknown.
Among them... I knew one would inevitably belong to Rin Tohsaka.
As for the others? They remained hidden somewhere within Fuyuki.
My presence here today served a singular purpose...to investigate the final individual among the four who possessed connections to magi.
Yes... Sakura Matou.
I walked to my classroom, deposited my bag, and exited moments later. Fortune favored me, Shirou Emiya was speaking with her just around the corner.
[Ultimate Analyst] probed her existence.
[Ultimate Detective] began deducing everything about her.
What I perceived... left even me momentarily frozen.
Imperceptible to the naked eye, every visible inch of Sakura Matou's skin was micro-twitching at an identical rhythm. It was as if something resided beneath her dermis... breathing in tandem with her.
[Ultimate Analyst] shifted to its highest gear.
[Ultimate Detective] accelerated to its maximum pace.
Slowly... a comprehensive diagram materialized in my mind, revealing what was—or rather, were—lying beneath her skin.
Worms... countless worms were embedded throughout her body, leaving no tissue untouched.
For the first time in my life... I felt a distinct tinge of disgust.
Not directed at her.
But at the individual responsible for this atrocity.
.
From a repressed corner of my psyche, a sudden impulse stirred...
To unleash my [Ultimate Despair] right here, right now.
Yet...
I forcefully suppressed the urge.
My hand came to rest upon my chest. My crimson eyes blank.
...
So... I, too, am capable of feeling something other than boredom?
***
[200 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[5 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
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[Ultimate Mechanic]: Kazuichi Soda's Talent. Izuru is a skilled inventor and a genius mechanic. One of the most successful creations of Kazuichi was his enormous Monokuma robot, which was able to rampage through cities and buildings with ease, Izuru should be able to perform better than what Kazuichi can do.
...
[Author's Thoughts]
You all know who is getting summoned, right?
.
In Fate... The most detestable person is of course Zouken Matou for what he did, and he's going to hell for it. We all wouldn't want it any other way.
.
(Note: Anyone wondering where Izuru got the bike from? It was there in his house from the very beginning.)