Fate/Stay Night
The abridged Nanoha edition
“I am the one who gives you this charge…”
I stood in the middle of the darkened room, illuminated only the pink glow of the magical circle I had drawn around me. Through my outstretched hand I poured magic into the red gem I held.
“…release your power to your contracted master.”
I was momentarily blinded by a flash of red as my ponytail drifted in front of my eyes, swaying from the pulses of magical energy. Ignoring them, I continued my incantation.
“As the winds fill the sky, and the stars fill the heavens, so shall my heart fill with courage, and my hands with magic!”
This summoning would be perfect; the result of all my work and training. I would only accept the strongest of servants.
“Come forth to me!”
This was it: a servant of the Saber cla-
*BOOM*
I was knocked off my feet as an explosion rocked the mansion, and my ears echoed with what sounded like a lightning bolt. Had something gone wrong? I clambered to my feet and dashed to where the sound had come from. Nearly breaking the door down as I entered the room, I froze, absolutely shocked.
A gaping hole was smashed through the roof and the entire room was demolished by the impact of the failed summoning. Atop the piles of debris, a woman sat, clad in black with a long flowing white cape stretched across her shoulders. Her golden hair framed her face as it drifted through the air. She slowly turned her head to me, and piercing red eyes stared at mine as a smirk played across her lips.
“It seems I’ve been drawn by a peculiar little master.”
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“What’s going on here?!” I screamed to myself as I ran down the deserted hallway,
“Those two were fighting, weren’t they? That blond woman and the red haired kid – it wasn’t just an act, they were trying to kill each other!”
I stopped running, falling against the corridor wall to catch my breath.
“Don’t panic. There’s probably a good explanation for all of-“
“Sonic move!”
Those words barely registered in my head as an agonizing pain ripped through my chest, a spear driven clean into my heart. I only caught a glimpse of the red hair of my assailant before I collapsed to the floor, my senses quickly fading.
“Sorry, but witnesses can’t be allowed to live,” the boy murmured as he vanished.
”Not like this…I can’t die like this!” were my last thoughts before the world closed in around me…
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“You were probably the seventh,” the red-haired boy said to me as he pointed his spear towards me.
“Seventh, what do you mean?” I asked, trying to stall. I was just given a second chance, I can’t die again. Unnoticed to both of us, lines began to form on my left hand.
“It doesn’t matter now,” he answered, poising as he prepared to strike.
Not like this, I couldn’t redeem myself like this. My death would be for a better cause than this! The lines on my hand started to glow, and unseen to me the circle drawn on the ground behind me responded in kind.
“Now die,” the boy said, plunging his spear towards me. I flinched and fell backwards, shutting my eyes tight as I awaited the inevitable. The pain I expected never came though, as the sound of metal on metal resonated. Opening my eyes, I watched as the lancer leapt away, driven back by another figure standing before me. Turning towards me, I stared at the woman who had just saved my life.
“I am Saber, the servant you have summoned,” she said, her voice low and steady. The moonlight cast through the window reflected off of her silver armour, surrounding her in an ethereal glow. Her long pink hair swayed behind her, and her intense and determined eyes were unblinkingly locked onto mine.
“What would you have me do, master?”
I couldn’t speak, my mouth open as I sat frozen on the ground. Maybe it was the confusion around me…no, that wasn’t it. I was silent in awe from the overwhelming beauty of the girl standing before me…
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“You idiot, Fate! What’re you doing here without your servant?” Nanoha lectured, glaring with her hands on her hips.
“We should be safe at school, right?” I asked, confused, “No one would attack with this many people around.”
“You’re so naïve Fate! You should’ve left right away like I told you too. Now we’re all alone here, and anyone could take you out easily,” she said, still very angry. I looked around and saw that she was right.
“I’ll just have to teach you a lesson myself,” she stated, her voicing and face getting serious. Her hand raised and she pointed a finger at me. “Divine Shooter!”
She
was serious! I barely moved out of the way as the pink blast shot towards me.
“Stop, Nanoha!” I cried out. She was my friend, why was she doing this?
“My magical control is perfect, so I won’t kill you. This’ll still hurt, though,” she said, firing another barrage which nearly hit their mark again, “Just give me your command seals, and you can end all of this.”
I couldn’t do that though. I couldn’t betray anyone close to me; I couldn’t hurt anyone important to me. I couldn’t hurt Saber. Turning and running, I dashed down the stairwell to get away. Nanoha followed in hot pursuit, jumping the entire flight. Her skirt billowed out as she leapt, and I caught a clear eyeful of white.
“Watch out, Nanoha! You just gave me a panty shot,” I said, momentarily forgetting my predicament.
“EH?!” she cried, a faint tinge of red on her cheeks as she glared at me again, “DIVINE SHOOTER!”
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“Why do you do it, Testarossa?” Saber asked me as we stood in the park. Her voice was as calm and emotionless as ever and somehow that struck me harder than anger ever could, “Why do you keep throwing yourself into danger for the sake of others? Don’t you hold any value to your own life?”
I trembled slightly at the question. It was one that haunted me from the day I’d been born, one that I could never escape.
“I don’t deserve to live,” I answered, and noticed the slight surprise on her face, “I never should have been born. Every day is a reminder that the life I have is one that was stolen from so many others. Unless I devote myself to helping others, unless I do everything I can to save everyone else, I can never redeem myself.”
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What was Testarossa thinking?! This rooftop was dangerous, and Rider wouldn’t hesitate from killing an unprotected master. I eyed the purple-haired girl as she swooped upward again, clinging to the back of the giant humanoid insect she had summoned. I had to end this quickly.
“Schlangenform!” I yelled, my sword whipping out into dozens of segmented blades, the deadly chain spinning around me like a vicious whirlwind.
“This battlefield suits me as well,” I said, focusing my energy into my attack. Rider had noticed my action, and stopped in midair above me, a magic circle appearing around her as her summon gathered light in its abdomen.
“I won’t have to worry about scorching the earth!”
My chain of blades burst into a blazing inferno, the sweltering heat blurring vision around me. I raised the hilt of my sword back, preparing to strike.
“Hakutenou!” Rider yelled, her summon launching a blast of power at me.
With all my might I swung my weapon, unleashing my Noble Phantasm.
“KARYU ISSEN!”
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“Finish her, Berzerker, quickly!” the pink haired girl commanded. The massive black dragon roared its assent and moved to finish Archer off. The blonde woman only laughed, then drew herself up once again.
“You never did have any mercy, did you Caro?”
“…Caro?” the girl wondered aloud. Just who was this servant?
“My defeat may be inevitable,” Archer said, raising her weapon, “But I’ll take two more of your lives with me. Arc Saber!”
The attack took Caro and Berzerker by surprise, the spinning blade circling around them to strike the lone lamp illuminating the entryway. As it shattered, the room fell into darkness.
“Where is she? I can’t sense her,” Caro cried in panic, blindly searching for the mysterious servant. A pillar of light cast by the moon slowly drifted to the center of the floor, and the hidden Archer was brought under spotlight, her figure kneeling and weapon held to her shoulder.
“Looks like your luck is running out!” Caro gloated, ready to order Berzerker to end the battle.
“Arukas, Krutas, Eygias…” Archer chanted, her voicing seeming to echo from everywhere.
“Heavenly gods who shine over all, descend upon us now as I guide you…”
“Stop him Berzerker!” Caro yelled, her servant charging forward for the kill.
“Baruel, Zaluel, Browzel…”
Berzerker halted dead in his tracks and a look of horror appeared on the little girl’s face as a hundred magical blades flickered into existence around them, an ominous golden glow tainting the battlefield.
“Photon Lancer…Phalanx Shift!”
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The sound of blades clashing echoed through the entire cavernous arena as two warriors matched each other blow for blow as they danced along the stairway, neither giving an inch.
“You are a skilled warrior,” Saber remarked, showing her respect for her opponent as they dueled. Truly, in skill alone he was more than a worthy foe. “You said that your name was Zest Grangaitz?”
“No. Zest Grangaitz is dead,” Assassin replied, pausing in his movements to answer the swordswoman, “I am nothing more than a false creation: a nameless warrior who serves no purpose except to fight, and has taken the name of the legend Zest Grangaitz.”
Sabers eyes widened slightly. In surprise? Or was it pity?
“Enough talk,” he continued, “We do not have time to waste on it. My life may be meaningless, but I shall find honour in death at the hands of a skilled opponent!”
“You’re right,” Saber said, readying her weapon once more, “I don’t have time to waste.”
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“Damn that Caster!” Nanoha thought to herself as she dodged behind the pillar, the black tendrils of corrupted magic lashing against the stone. Caster was trying to create a new Book of Darkness, and intended to sacrifice a powerful magus to do it. But why Vivio? Why did it have to be Vivio?! Nanoha squeezed her eyes shut to block the tears, and attempted to divert her mind from the unbidden memories that came rushing back.
There was no other option. It was the only way to save Vivio’s life, and the only way to stop caster. Nanoha kissed the red gem in her hand, gathering up all of her magical power for one attack. Leaping out from her cover, she dashed forwards to the center of field towards Vivio, who was standing unmoving, entranced by Caster’s magic. The corrupted magic struck out in retaliation once more, and Nanoha nimbly dodged, continuing her last desperate attempt.
“I’m sorry Vivio, this is going to hurt me more than you,” she said, tears now sliding freely across her cheeks.
“STARLIGHT…!”
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“You don’t deserve to live,” the figure stated, her voice quiet but clear despite the distance. She held an aura of divinity around her, felt by each of the five looking upon her. The intense evil of her presence was only emphasized by her venomous red eyes, cold main of silver hair and the four black wings that framed her silhouette. Her hand rose, and a wall of silver spears appeared alongside her.
“Mistilteinn.”
“NO!” Caster cried out as the spears launched themselves at her and her master. Desperately she flung herself in front of her master, raising a shield in hopes of saving their lives. The barrier only held for moments before it shattered, and Caster’s body was pierced by the Noble Phantasms.
As the barrage ended, Caster slowly turned towards her master, her eyes filled with tears.
“Are you alright, Alicia?” she whimpered out.
“…Yes…mother…I’m okay.”
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Reinforce pointed her hand at me again, the three-point seal appearing from her palm. I couldn’t stop this attack before; it was just too powerful,
she was too powerful.
Not this time though…my armour was shattered, but I could feel Fate’s magic flowing through me, the magic she was lending me as she continued to believe in me. Flaming wings blazed on my back, matching Reinforce’s, as I gathered all my strength to finish this battle…and this war.
“Bogenform!”
My sword shifted its shape, and I poured my energy into the newly formed bow, dashing forwards straight towards the oncoming assault.
“Ragnarok,” called Reinforce, her voice still calm and lifeless in spite of everything. The column of destruction erupted from her hand, threatening to end everything I had promised to do.
I didn’t hesitate. With a single motion I closed the final distance between us, swinging my weapon upwards as I let loose my arrow point-blank.
“STURM FALKEN!”
The collision of power nearly launched me backwards, but I stood strong, holding my ground. As strong as Reinforce was, in the end I was too determined to lose. My attack overwhelmed her own, my blazing arrow piercing through her blackened heart.
In her final moments before she faded though, I thought her face looked content.
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I watched as she turned towards me, her beautiful face framed by the rising sun behind her, her hair flowing freely behind her as she smiled at me.
“I love you, Fate.”
A flash of sunlight struck my eye, and I blinked. In that mere moment, she was gone.
“That’s just like you,” I said, and smiled.