"Wake up, wake up, Dad?"
On a cold winter morning, even with the heater on in the room, people are reluctant to wake up and get out of bed.
Tatsuya Suzuki curled up in bed and felt a small force shaking his bedding, urging him to wake up quickly in a low voice.
"Don't you have to go to school today? Why are you up so early, Sakura?..."
Lifting the quilt that was covering his face, Tatsuya opened one eye and looked at the girl sleepily.
Tohsaka Sakura...or rather, we should call her Sakura Suzuki now.
Two years had passed since Sakura was adopted from Tohsaka Tokiomi, and her last name had long been changed.
Compared to her initial timidity, after moving to Fuyuki and spending time with him day and night, Sakura gradually accepted the fact that she was his daughter.
The fact that she dared to run into the room and wake up Tatsuya on a winter morning like this was proof that Sakura had gotten used to living in his house.
"But it's already noon!" Sakura said, a little excitedly and a little nervously. "Besides, I have finished the homework you left for me."
Tatsuya suddenly became more awake. He sat up, rubbed his messy hair, and looked at Sakura standing beside the bed.
Operation.
Not referring to schoolwork, but the knowledge and abilities Tatsuya taught Sakura, necessary for her to be a magician.
The past two years in Fuyuki were very peaceful. With two children, he lived a life of no worries about food and clothing, which made Tatsuya much more relaxed.
Although they did housework and picked up Sakura and Caren from school, sleeping in on weekends had become a new tradition in the Suzuki family.
At least Karen had assimilated well into the tradition, but Sakura hadn't yet.
The most recent homework Tatsuya left for Sakura was to use magic materials in the workshop to draw a summoning circle needed for the soon-to-begin Holy Grail War.
"Ah... yeah, it's almost time to start summoning Heroic Spirits and letting the Servants descend." Tatsuya took a deep breath, using the cold winter air to revive his body and mind. "Then, let me see the results of your homework and give you a grade."
Seeing Tatsuya wake up, Sakura was very happy. After nodding in agreement, she ran out.
After washing up and having lunch, Tatsuya took Sakura to the magic workshop located in the basement of the house.
Caren was only five years old, younger than Sakura, and did not have such outstanding magical talent as Sakura. Tatsuya wanted to wait until Caren was a few years older before starting to teach her about magicians and the Holy Church.
"Actually, Dad, I have already remembered how to use the rune you gave me." Sakura told Tatsuya happily as they were going down the stairs.
"Oh? That's great. Once you become more proficient, I can teach you about the original runes." Tatsuya smiled knowingly.
"Original Runes..." Sakura repeated the word and tried to recall the knowledge about them. "Is it something that your master's master taught you?"
Sakura already knew that it was something different from the runes used by modern magicians.
It is the foundation of magic discovered by Odin, the great god in Norse mythology.
"That's right." Tatsuya put his hand on the stone door, and the door opened.
The original runes.
Tatsuya Suzuki had never expected that the place where he would first drift to would be the Kingdom of Shadows, also known as the realm of strangeness and magic.
Probably
The test given to him by the "system" made him try to survive in that kind of place.
Then, Tatsuya did it unknowingly, and when he was dying, he met the queen there - Scathach.
Accepted as a warrior and taught by Scathach.
Tatsuya had no idea how much time had passed since then, and had no way of calculating his own age.
In the end, he had no choice but to compromise and count the year he entered the Magic Association as the year he turned 18.
"Dad, can you tell me that story again sometime?" Sakura raised the lantern, trying to illuminate the darkness of the basement workshop. "It's so dark in here."
"Have you forgotten what to do again?" asked Tatsuya.
Sakura seemed to suddenly remember, "Oh, right."
She stretched out her hand, concentrated her magic power on her fingers, and tried to snap them to summon the lighting here.
But after several attempts, it didn't work.
Seeing Sakura beginning to feel depressed, Tatsuya held back the urge to laugh and snapped his fingers. The magic crystal in the magic workshop then lit up with a light blue light, illuminating the entire workshop.
Tatsuya saw the pattern on the ground clearly. It was the summoning circle needed for the master to perform the summoning ceremony.
"That story?" Tatsuya asked Sakura while squatting down and carefully checking whether the summoning circle was complete.
Sakura nodded, "It's the myth of the great Norse god Odin, who sacrificed himself to obtain the original runes."
"Didn't I tell you this before you and Caren went to bed?" Tatsuya was puzzled.
"I want to hear it again." Sakura made a cute plea.
"Then listen to it again, but not tonight." Tatsuya said, "The summoning ceremony will be carried out tonight. Sakura can either go to sleep by herself or come and learn the ritual of summoning heroic spirits together."
Sakura tilted her head and thought for a moment, "I want to be an intern."
"Then go back and take a nap now, and get up in the evening." Tatsuya stood up, "I still have to make some preparations."
"I see."
Although she could be a little willful sometimes, Sakura actually listened to Tatsuya very well.
Because she was young, she could understand that her new father cared about and loved her very much, so no matter what Tatsuya said, Sakura was willing to do it.
After putting down the lantern, Sakura was about to turn around and leave the workshop. As she walked up the stairs, she remembered that there was something she hadn't asked.
"Dad...you haven't graded my work yet."
Tatsuya was also stunned for a moment, and made an OK gesture, "Do I have to say it? Of course, it's full marks."
Then, Sakura ran out happily.
After watching Sakura leave the workshop, Tatsuya stood up and stared at the summoning circle irritably.
Although he really wanted to forget about the Holy Grail War and completely relax, the Command Seals on the back of his left hand and the constant reminders from the 'system' made it impossible.
"Damn it! I'll do it!"
Tatsuya hurled a vicious remark at the invisible "system."
The preparations were neither too much nor too little, and soon it was time for the summoning ceremony late at night.
"Dad, don't you need to prepare the catalyst needed for summoning?" Sakura asked.
"No need... I've thought about it carefully, and I still want to prioritize the compatibility between the Servant and the Master. On top of that, I'll add the Berserker spell to summon the most suitable and easiest Berserker for me to control."
Additionally, as a trump card unknown to the people in the Magic Association, unlike those analyzed by Aozaki Touko, there are the 18 truly complete "original runes" that had disappeared in the Age of Gods.
Using magic from the Age of Gods to assist in summoning the Berserker with the best compatibility with himself without relying on a catalyst, Tatsuya's tactical strategy had become clear.
"It's time, Sakura, move back to the wall."
"Okay."
At Tatsuya's reminder, Sakura retreated to the wall to watch the ceremony.
That was the summoning circle she had drawn for Tatsuya herself, and Sakura memorized the sequence after using it only once.
In the process of elimination, you have to retreat. After drawing four retreat arrays, you have to surround them with a summoning array. The order of sequence must not be wrong.
Tatsuya stretched out his left hand engraved with the Command Seal and recited the spell:
"Its foundation is silver and iron, its foundation is stone and the great dukedom of the covenant.
My ancestor is my teacher Scathach."
Adding the Master's name to the summoning spell enhanced the Heroic Spirit's recognition and ensured a strong Servant was summoned.
A similar example is the Tohsaka family, who mention the magic marshal, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, the teacher of the Tohsaka family's ancestor, during summoning.
"Build a wall against the coming wind. Close the four doors. Come out from the crown.
Go back and forth on the three-way road to the kingdom.
Close (full). Close (full). Close (full). Close (full). Close (full).
Repeat this cycle five times.
However, when it is full, it should be discarded.
-Declaration.
Your body depends on mine, and my fate depends on your sword.
Just like following the fate of the Holy Grail. Those who follow this meaning and this principle, please respond!
I swear hereby.
I am the one who accomplishes all good deeds in the world.
I am the one who commits all the evil deeds in the world.
But you should cover your eyes with chaos and serve my body.
You are the one imprisoned in the cage of madness, and I am the one holding the locks.
You are the seven gods entangled in the three great word spirits.
Come forth from the Wheel of Self-Restraint, Guardian of the Scales---!"
As he recited the spell, Tatsuya felt the magic power surging throughout his body. This was the biting chill and pain that a magus had to endure as the magic circuits squirmed in his body.
His vision grew darker. The runes engraved on his body absorbed mana from the atmosphere to support this magic.
Now his body had forgotten its human functions and was transformed into a part used to accomplish a miracle, becoming a circuit connecting spirit and matter.
The body made wailing sounds due to the high-speed circulation of magic power, but compared to the ruthless training from Scathach in the Shadow Fortress, it was nothing.
Sakura, watching nervously from the back, cupped her hands.
There were strong winds and lightning. She couldn't open her eyes due to the strong wind pressure and had to use her hands to shield them.
In the center of the storm, the summoning pattern shone brightly.
The passage in the magic circle finally connected to another world, and a figure of pale green and pitch-black appeared from the dazzling light.
"Servant, Berserker, answer the call and appear. Magician over there, you are the one who summoned me... summoned me..."
A voice so cold and almost inorganic sounded from the mist and light.
Just when Tatsuya was shocked that the Berserker could introduce themselves with rational and logical words, the other party seemed equally shocked.
Dadadada—
Berserker walked out of the fog and approached Tatsuya.
It was a female Servant, about 170cm tall, with long silver hair and a beautiful face.
The ends of her hair were slightly blue, just like her eyes.
An expression of surprise flashed across her eyes that were like the frozen surface of a lake.
"..."
The female Servant stared at him without saying a word.
"Yes, I am the magician who summoned you." Tatsuya did not understand her reaction. He regarded it as a special situation of the Berserker's lack of reason. He raised his left hand and showed the Command Seal on his left hand, "I am your Master."
The next second, she stretched out her fingers and touched the Command Seal on the back of Tatsuya's hand. This action prevented Tatsuya from even having time to react.
If she betrayed him at this moment, she only needed to wave her hand lightly to cut off the hand holding the Command Seal.
While Tatsuya thought about this, she had already withdrawn her hand.
"I am the Servant who assists you in this Holy Grail War. This can be considered destiny."
The surprise faded from her voice, replaced by a relaxed teasing tone, and she held Tatsuya's chin in a very frivolous manner with her hand.
Although he was not clear about her intentions, Tatsuya understood one thing: he was being teased.
He narrowed his eyes and used the ability given to the Master by the Holy Grail War system to confirm the Servant's true name.
The moment he got the answer, Tatsuya was dumbfounded.
"Heh~, then, forget about your previous gaffe and introduce yourself again. My name is Fairy Princess Morgan, and I am willing to be your Servant and lend you a helping hand."
"Who are you talking about?!"
Even though he already knew Morgan's real name, Tatsuya still made a sound of disbelief.