An Alternate Earth

The sounds of something breaking. Unknown of what it was, the boy looked up and saw only an overflowing death. The boy had no clue why it had happened the way it did, and why this was going the way it was. He only remembered the struggle, and now even that he felt was fading away as he put his hand to his head, and found blood. And so as everything went wrong, though he did not know whether it was his or another's, he heard a wish be given...and thought of one of his own...

(Error: Name Not Found): Caster....

Memory Loss Detected. Updating...

Akira Romji: Caster

Akira woke up gasping for air. No, his breathing was actually just fine, but it felt like just a moment ago it was not. However, all it was had been a nightmare that he had after having fallen asleep on the bus for a minute...but no, he knew that was not right. He remembered...something. A previous life, but not a fantasy or a delusion. He knew it was real, but specifics such as names seemed to escape him, and what he did remember was fragmented and often unclear.

He remembered trickery and deception, betrayal and adventures. Lazy days and days full of action. He remembered surviving, and his youthful form...no, he still had that same form, but it felt as if this happened a thousand years ago.

But now, he also remembered his present life. Akira Romji. He was a boy who lived in a shared apartment with a group of others. He was a brilliant student, who had skipped a few grades into high school though right now it was summer. They were normal people, but uninvolved with what he had been involved with before. He lost his parents in a horrible incident a year, no, two years ago. As such, those people were his only family, otherwise he was independent. He had more then enough money from their inheritance, and he was a great student with a promising future.

And secretly, he was an even more promising mage.

All of that was real, yet Akira...he knew it was all fake. But it was not the memories that were fake somehow...rather, it was as if reality itself got twisted to make this real. But even with all of this, he did understand so far what was going on.

"A Holy Grail War...but, I feel like something is missing...no connection to the Grail, and also...no Master..."

Indeed, Akira was the Heroic Spirit of the Caster Class, but there was no one here that was his Master. In fact, he felt no Master-Servant connection at all. Normally, from what he remembered, it was Seven Masters and Seven Servants against each other, and the winning pair got a wish from the Holy Grail. Well, sometimes things went to hell, but this was different.

However, Akira had an issue. Although he felt no injury, he felt like his head was in pain just a moment ago, and he could not remember his old name or life clearly. It felt like it was just out of reach, but out of reach all the same. But what he did remember...seemed fragmented...he knew he was actually 37, at least, but it might be older. It seemed he had interacted with the Fountain of Youth though, and discovered its secret.

That the Fountain of Youth was quite literal. It gave you eternal youth...but as in, it made you a child for all eternity. But Akira actually remembered not minding it much, finding it convienent. And to be honest, he could see why. He was jsut old enough to be independent, but young enough for people not to pay close attention to him as a person. For a mage, this could be the ideal appearance.

"But then...why cant I sense a link with the Grail...though, honestly if I don't have to deal with it I would be happy, I do still get a strange feeling it is out there somewhere....but this feels far weaker then it should be. I wonder what...oh shit..."

But as Akira looked outside, while he first saw a normal blue sky with rainclouds rolling in that changed the moment he focused mana into his eyes. At that point, he saw the truth...over the entire island was an invisible, magical vortex...and an insane amount of magic power that made it difficult to sense where this trace of the Grail was.

Actually, because he is Caster, the combination of his Magic Resistance that blocked the Vortex's jamming from full effect on himself and Magical Talent that let him sense magical things easier was the only reason he could even get a trace.

However, while he was curious Akira did not feel an overwhelming press to find the Grail.

Because he felt no real connection to Grail or Master, in a way his wish was already granted. He didn't remember who he was, but he remembered his wish. A second chance at life, and to be able to enjoy it to the fullest.

If only things went as well for the rest of this situation as Akira had hoped for though from this beginning...if he knew exactly what he would end up getting sucked into, maybe he would have taken a different path at first...

The Land Of Shadows
The Land Of Shadows, or what some may call the Realm of the Dead. Here resided one being who was known as the gatekeeper. A woman who kept the dead contained in this realm. There used to be a time long ago when people came to her, the people of the Ulster. She could remember the exact time it’s been since they visited down to the last second...

Here she could not die from age, and the Land Of Shadows was sundered from the mortal realm long ago. There was no reason to leave, these were the modern days. Many humans were not like warriors in the past. No reason to open these gats to visit. No warriors to challenge, faceor even teach. Simply waiting until the end of everything.

However, this day was very different. Instead of simply waiting around as usual her consciousness began to fade. It was a strange feeling...But she could hear a call...A call for the grail. She knew about this, something known as the Holy Grail War. An event that pits heroric Servants against eachother in duels to the death to obtain an object known as the Holy Grail That could grant the winner a wish. A wish...She only had one. To have a warriors death...Still, this is a chance of a lifetime. To finnaly Battle once again against warriors that had proven themselves worthy of the Throne of Heroes. This was an opportunity she would not pass up. As her consciousness faded, she may have had a small smile. She was anticipating the battles she could have.

Alternate Earth

Sunlight...The bright and shining light...It’s been far too long since she felt it upon her face. The birds chirping, and the fresh breeze of the wind. Scáthach, the gatekeeper of the Land Of Shadows woke up and slowly stood up. She had Gáe Bolg Alternative, so that means she was a Lancer class...However she already noted something very off. She was supposed to have a master, so where was her master?...

She was not sure what was going on, however if she did not have a master one thing was still for certain. If the Grail had called them, then there were other servants out there that must have just been summoned. This means that she still had the same duty even without a master, kill the other servants to obtain the grail. Of course there was a chance that one Servant may be capable of finishing her off. She would be happy enough with that.

Still...There was no point in staying in plain sight for the time being. Time to take in some sights, look for the other Servants and see if they are worth challenging. Whatever was going on, it was strange that was for sure. Her sights would be set on the top class Servants like the Saber. Perhaps even Berserker would also be a good challenge. So...Where to now? She should head to the nearest town.

With an objective in mind, Scáthach began to move out.

It was very early in the morning when Baglas finally ended his shift in the clinic, he though about stalling for a while and go to his session with his therapist but ever since he arrived on New Tokyo his anxiety had dissipated, supplanted by a strange sense of calm, "I´m finally on leave it would be a waste to go, besides the bus trip is going to expend most of the day and it would be stellar if I´m settled by tomorrow"...

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Baglas hiked up the trails that went and came from the cabin he had rented for this hunting trip, it wasn´t too difficult to find a nice a nice spot in the underbrush, getting his muscles and bow ready felt good after so long. He though while scanning the thicket that being in an area like this used to be one of the only things that relaxed his sense of urgency and Bow-hunting was as much part of his nature as the treatment of the ill, it was curious to him how he hadn´t contrived a small escape for a few days before this one, the move had felt so necessary like it was a mistake to be anywhere else but at the end of the day there wasn´t a real need to concern himself with this anymore and he was getting better.

The area was silent and enjoyable even if the temperature was quickly rising, even this early, "this summer it´s showing all it´s cards as it seems" He cleaned the sweet from his forehead as he peered towards the sun rays coming through the trees and like a pointer they extended to illuminate a young buck drinking not more than 40 yards away, focusing completely on his prey Baglas draw string but something to flew from behind him and caused the buck to dart out, in any other case Baglas would had just accepted the loss of prey or took his chances with a quick shoot but something inside him send him or a wild chase.

He usually did freerunning while in the city and he loved to do it while urban exploring but never had he ever attempted while chasing prey through the woods, he found himself jumping, running, balancing and dodging from branches with easy but his focus never moved from the life he needed to corrupt, the arrow connected in a whisper of white and green, beside it the still figure of Baglas came to a stop, his calm breathing contrasting that of the dying animal, something shifted between them, a mist, a smell. What minutes before was a lush underbrush now bleak and filled with an air of root that seeped into his lungs, Baglas had felt this before but it had been so long... ever since he had moved his dreams had been free from the nightmares but now he knew why he felt so calm.

The area was silent and very warm, even this early "someone has called... ruin and disease must fall on the land" He heard a tree fall beside him, the trunk mildewed and corroded with fungus growing rapidly but nonetheless silence surround him "It has been long since me or my brothers were summoned, I though they had forgotten us but... there is no master to appease... exquisite, less interference with my duty" Mortals loved to chance a game and play with spirits like him and bet all for their beloved price The Holy Grail no more than a excuse, destruction is the only champion of their wars.. although useful in the right hands" Focusing his consciousness on the energy that manifested it, he searched for the link that union between the Mana of his spirit and the Grail but only the decaying forest around him answered "Strange... and dangerous" something must have summoned him but if not The Holy Grail then what. Retreating inside the host he decided to use a lighter and banish any evidence of his arrival and search for answers...

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[ Location ] Unknown

Saber had known of the Holy Grail War and of the circumstances surrounding it despite never having been summoned before but for some reason he knew there was something wrong this time, something off. He didn't know why he felt this way but he couldn't shake that feeling.

Supposedly a "master" had summoned him but as Saber looked around he couldn't see anyone, in fact he saw very little, only darkness. He began to feel around himself and noticed that he was in a rather small room, a closet as it turned out to be. After fumbling around for a few seconds Saber felt a small plastic switch which he flipped and turned on the lights. The sudden change of brightness caused him to fall back and out of the closet.

Looking up from the ground Saber read that he had just fallen out of a custodial closet, whatever that was. Footsteps approached Saber but he couldn't be bothered getting up at the moment as he was caught up in thinking about why he was there. A woman, apparently the one who was approaching, began to scream. Annoyed Saber placed his hands over his ears and looked at the shrieking woman. Why was she screaming? Looking at him the lady had pointed at his legs and then looked away, seemingly understanding Saber's questioning face. Looking down Saber saw that he had no clothes on, understanding why the lady was shocked.

"You wouldn't happen to have some clothes for a man like me would you?", Saber said as he shrugged at the lady. She looked up contemplating his request. After a few seconds the lady had thought of something and told Saber to wait in the closet until she got back and then she ran off. Laughing at the situation Saber returned into the closet to amuse the lady and waited for her to return.

"First things first... I need to find out where I am. Then find out who else is here and then finally... Why we are here.", Saber said to himself while waiting for the lady. He hoped that she would be back soon. He knew that he could manifest his own clothing but he thought this was more amusing and that she could provide some information.

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[ Location ] New Tokyo

After having received some clothes from the woman, who turned out to be a nurse working at the General Hospital of New Tokyo, Saber had asked the lady if he could spend some time with her which she had agreed to. During her lunch break she and Saber had walked to a local cafe and sat down for a cup of coffee and conversation.

The lady, who Saber found out was Miss Maho, was rather accommodating to Saber who had said that he was suffering from amnesia and was why he couldn't remember much of anything. This explained the reason that Saber didn't remember much about where he was but not really a good reason as to why he was naked earlier, something which he just shrugged about.

During there conversation Saber had found out that they were in the city of New Tokyo, something which intrigued Saber since he didn't recall a city such as this existing. A mixture of both America and Japan which was incredibly interesting but made no sense to Saber. Something must have changed in this world but what? Saber was determined to find out what and locate the rest of the Heroic Spirits who were in New Tokyo with him.

Smiling at Miss Maho, Saber began thinking of how he would accomplish his goals. With thoughts of the Holy Grail War and his possible wish far in the back of his mind.

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Akira found himself eventually getting off the bus, stopping at an intersection. One read Shirou Avenue, and the other Emiya Street. For some reason Akira felt that there was something wrong with those street names, and so he decided to look them up really quick...but then, on his phone he noticed an oddity with the search.

At first, it showed no results at all. But then a mysterious function called "Phase Adapt" came on, and when he pressed the option his search function behaved as if it had existed this whole time. He was no fool either, he understood what this meant. He was already sort of aware of it, but now he was certain.

This city did not exist before. Not only that, it did not even exist yesterday. It only came into existence today, and by Akira's guess, the exact moment he "woke up".

All of reality had been warped to create this city, and he was summoned into it without a Master. Could it be...he was not a Caster, but actually a Ruler or something?

No, actually when he thought about the other classes, even if he wanted to live his life out full of enjoyment in this time period, though that would be an infinite amount of time because he drank from the Fountain of Youth, there was an issue to all of that.

"No masters...that means, a masterless Berserker".

Berserker, the most unstable and possibly the strongest class in the entire Holy Grail War. A Berserker would be the destruction of them all, and could cause everything to fall apart. If Berserker was not handled...a lot of people could die.

"RIght, as much as I want to relax, I need to make an active effort to find and deal with Berserker. If berserker goes...well, berserk, the Mage's Guild....errr, Mage's Association now will discover us and surely come after us".

If the Mage's Association was to learn that Servants had been summoned without Masters and without concrete ties to the Holy Grail, every mage in the world would likely descend upon them for a whole variety of reasons. Most if not all of them highly unpleasant.

And then searching through his phone, he saw something even more interesting. Although he had memories of it already, seeing it with him awakened was totally different. In his phone were a variety of apps that could cast spells, use alchemy, enchant items. It even had connections to his territory creation skill, speaking of which...

"Its linked to these things, huh? Not limited to, but linked at least..."

Akira held up a few marbles inbetween his fingers. It appeared that he could use them to establish and create territories. He understood the premise of it, but...well, it was a pretty advanced magic Akira...or maybe his previous self, whoever that was, had mastered.

"Well, at least this means I am not completely hopeless".

And so, with rainclouds coming closer Akira began to make his way to find places to plant his little tricks, planting one into a drain by the bus stop to start with.

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[ Location ] New Tokyo - Cafe

While watching the rain outside Saber and Miss Maho continued to talk while sipping on coffee. Saber had asked her about New Tokyo but she didn't have much of any useful information to share about it. Apparently New Tokyo had existed for quite a while according to Miss Maho and nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her. Perhaps those who live in the human world didn't notice any changes or maybe to them New Tokyo was normal. Saber didn't know if he should be relieved or concerned about that fact.

After a while Miss Maho had to leave and return to work. Picking up her umbrella she headed towards the door and waved Saber goodbye. He didn't know if he would ever see the woman again but he thanked her for assisting him and answering his questions. She thought Saber was a foreigner because of how much he didn't know about the city, a fact that wasn't really wrong but certainly not exactly right.

Knowing that he needed to find out more concrete historic evidence of the existence of New Tokyo Saber wanted to find a library nearby but the helpful nurse had already left. Observing the crowd Saber noticed that a number of people were looking down at a piece of technology in their hands, a smartphone. While one of them wasn't looking Saber had swiped one of them from an unknowing victim as he began to search for the nearest library, believing that if he could find books about New Tokyo that had existed for some time he would be a step closer into understanding what happened to this world.

While scrolling through the smartphone he had stolen Saber noticed a woman enter the cafe. Call it instinct, or whatever you want to call it, but Saber felt that this woman wasn't like the other people around him. As she took a seat Saber rose from his and he walked towards her and sat down at her table. Taking the last sip from his coffee Saber placed his cup on the table before saying, "You're not from around here, right? Neither am I".

Akira really was not sure what to do with this situation now. After all...

"I honestly don't want the Grail..."

Akira had no desire for the Grail itself, he just wanted to stay in this world. He just wanted to laugh, and play, and enjoy life. Of course, having drank from the Fountain of Youth, that essentially meant he would live forever. Unless someone murdered him or something, that is. But Akira honestly had no wish he really wanted to grant.

"And plus, I don't trust wishes".

Akira was not sure why, but he absolutely did not trust any form of wishing. He had no concrete memories, but he believed at one point he might have come across a wishing device, and was only barely able to use his wit to undo it. But was that something that became publicly known, or was it a private unwritten account?

Akira had issues remembering specifics. He didn't even remember the wishes made, or what the wishing device was. But he remembered he was able to use his wit and cleverness to trick the wishing device. In fact, while he remembered learning and using magic, as well as recovering magical artifacts at some point or another which helped him develop his magical abilities, he remembered employing a large amount of tricks.

"So then, why am I a Caster? I mean, yes I used magic, but I was famous as a rog...oh, I see it. No, there are two reasons. If I really was a Trickster, then a Trickster is also known as a Magician, those people who pretend to use magic and put on plays. But Magicians can also be real magic users, and Caster is a Magic User...might be the answer. But I might be overthinking it. Maybe it is just because there was no Master who summoned me with the image of a Trickster instead of a Magician? Damn it! If I could only remember the truth, who I was, I could confirm all this! For all I know I am one hundred percent wrong about everything damnit!"

Screaming something like that, Akira continued to walk as he turned the street and then...

"Mana Circuits? Mages nearby?"

Using one of his marbles to create some sort of isolation around himself, it was an invisible barrier even mages would not notice as it was meant to hide mana and magic. As he looked around, he could see people...no, Mages going around. Focusing mana to reinforce his hearing using Enhancement magic, he listened in.

"Alright people. We don't know what exactly, but there is a really strange anomaly happening in this city. Furthermore, there is some sort of magical vortex hidden from normal sight above the city that makes various long range magical tracking and locating useless. So remember, don't let the public catch on, and find out what the hell is going on here. Something about this city is just not normal, and we have to find it for the Mage's Association before anyone else like the Holy Church notices as well".

"Well...shit. This is going to be a problem. Better avoid them for now".

Akira thought of that, slipping into a back street as he ran behind buildings that contained offices, appartments, and even cafes.