A newborn soul was torn from its previous core self... Was I even still Jake Bariss, or just a clone of him? Did I need to go on some ridiculous journey of self-introspection and kill my creator so I could be the true Jake Bariss?
Beyond the call of my supposed summoner I could feel Alaya's emotionless gaze upon me so even as merely a disembodied soul within the Throne of Hero I just rolled my eyes at the weight of the gaze upon myself. Either way, I accepted the summoning while I decided not to walk the same path as my predecessor and hell even try to take a new name if I could.
Being almost reborn with a physical body that was similar to my previous one was not something I enjoyed as the feeling of my hollow soul being forced to contort to what the Throne of Heroes thought was my ideal state wasn't at all comfortable.
So it took me a moment to adjust and as I got my bearings I heard a woman's voice yell out and her words made me snort mentally as I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings.
First of the people in my room of summoning were, sitting pouting in a corner a woman with long white braided hair with aristocratic features and wearing a dress that I recognized as Olga Animusphere, second was Mash, a demi-servant with purple hair and lavender eyes and was wearing a very 'flattering' tight leather outfit with only some weird armor plates slapped onto some places.
Lastly of course was my 'Master' Ritsuka Fujimaru, and it being her orange-haired female form to boot...
Nice.
"Holy shit he is hot too!" Ritsuka cried out dramatically pointing at me and I saw everyone facepalm or close their eyes to avoid the cringe, as Ritsuka herself shuddered as she realized how fucking beyond stupid she sounded especially in a first meeting. But honestly, I liked her candor, and only chuckled mentally before I flexed my spiritual muscles and all but teleported in front of her with a Sonido to get her measure up close.
For a split moment, the whole room went silent as they realized I had all but teleported in front of their master and only hope. Even as Mash threw a frantic punch at me from my side as she couldn't resummon her shield so quickly I didn't even look at her as I grabbed her fist only relying on my Pesquisa to recognize her form and movements outside of my vision.
Ritsuka met my eyes with an intensity I could only nod to. Beyond a perfectly natural flinch of surprise at my almost teleportation, she showed zero fear of me despite my hollow features.
So even as Mash kicked my legs as I held her fist and I felt a Gandr being shot into my back from Olga I ignored them both as I grinned at Ritsuka and finally spoke. "You got a good spine Ritsuka Fujimaru... Don't worry I will keep you alive and our contract will last until the day you either die and I join you forever more. Or I kill all the enemies that dare stand in your way." I said confidently and Ritsuka blushed deeply with her very lightly freckled face matching almost turning a darker red than her burnt orange hair.
"A proposal already!" She whispered and I realized this Ritsuka was going to be adorable so I just let go of Mash's fist and with that hand patted Rituska's head while chuckling.
"Oh, you are going to be a treat." I chuckled before turning more serious. "Alright, anyway my name is... Ugh let's go with Blake Barris for now," I said shaking my head as I didn't want to use my old name of Jake anymore before I continued to speak. "But beyond that, I am a very special boy and I said fuck the class system and that's why I don't really ring up in it," I said wryly and Ritsuka's eyes widened as she seemingly looked and saw that, that very much was the case.
"Wait then what do I call you and what about the class-specific skills like the saber's magic resistance?!" She almost demanded and I rolled my eyes.
"Don't call me by a class name I don't like it," I said bluntly before continuing with a wry shrug. "I don't need magic resistance with my regeneration as I survived tussling with Zeus in life... But yeah, just think of me as a Saber, Berserker, Caster, Foreigner, and I guess maybe Archer?" I said almost questioning as I wasn't sure if my bombardments of Cero could qualify me as an Archer.
Although Olga and Romani's blue hologram form looked like they didn't believe me at all. But Rituska on the other hand?
"Sooo like you are an Ultra Rare unit..." Ritsuka whispered with her eyes widening in mad glee and I face palmed as I realized this Ritsuka was a Gatcha addict like in the FGO comics.
But Olga was done with the easygoing meet and greet, as she clapped her hands loudly and spoke out. "Enough! Now Miss Fujimaru, where is the grail for this singularity supposed to be." Olga called out and I gave Ritsuka a bit of room to breathe but she still stood at her side.
Ritsuka's face scrunched up at Olga still ordering her around but she spoke out clearly. "Uhm it's probably either at the Einzbern's castle as they always were the host of the Grail War's grail itself. But otherwise, the grail is likely to be past the Fuyuki shrine inside a massive cave where the Greater Grail in the normal timeline was supposed to be." Ritsuka explained earning a nod of respect from Olga before Romani spoke up.
"Either way there are readings from like half a dozen Servants running around the city so you guys need to be extremely careful," Romani warned us and for a moment I wondered if I should interject or say anything before I mentally shrugged and spoke up.
"The greater grail is the better target," I spoke up as I began pinging my Pesquisa through the city to try to find the Servants and more importantly the Caster form of Cu Chulainn.
"And how would you know that?" She demanded and I just stared at her with my face utterly flat at how rude she sounded.
"Olga Marie." I started sternly and she stiffened under my gaze as I continued to speak in an authoritative tone of voice. "I am a Heroic Spirit, give me some credit... Anyway, I can sense pockets of spiritual energy or in other words souls from a distance and in the direction of the Fuyuki Shrine, Ritsuka pointed out. I can sense three powerful souls that are obviously Servants." I said deadpanning at the tsundere who flushed under my admonishment.
'God's her daddy issues were going to be fun to deal with.' I thought wryly before shaking my head and refocusing as Romani agreed with my assessment. It became a solid plan for us to make our way to the site of the Greater Grail in order to get the Grail that was actually propping up this Singularity.