At nine o'clock in the evening the doors of Shibuya 109 were closed to the public. This famous department store which was nearly twenty years old was described as 'a shopping trip every woman must experience at least once in their lifetime'. Though its target has always been women in their thirties, slowly but surely the tendency was starting to shift in a different direction. The Sekimoto group, owners of one of the most famous clothes' brand in Japan as well as the top floors of Shibuya 109, had anticipated this change and were already working on the next generation of clothing and accessories. Economic prosperity was to be expected in the years to come, as the initiative would earn them quite a lot of profit.
Sekimoto Yuriko found herself staring absent-mindedly at the handwritten letter that laid on the desk of her workshop. She must have been really absorbed in it for, before she knew it, a lot of time had slipped past her fingertips. Its contents and intention were clear, for the most part, but it was lacking both proper closure and a receiver. Yuriko was strong and confident, a pragtmatic mage who felt ready for the ordeal ahead of her. Or, at the very least, that's how she was supposed to feel. Instead, it seemed like she had been trying to capture her thoughts in a simple sheet of paper in an attempt to strengthen her resolve. Having come to this conclusion, the blonde girl allowed herself to manifest a troubled expression across her face.
"My, my, Could I've grown soft...?"Yes, Sekimoto Yuriko was not just a very young and successful businesswoman, she was also a Mage and not exactly an ordinary one at that. Having studied her entire life to refine her family's craft and expand it through her own efforts, it wouldn't exactly be wrong to call her a prodigy given how much she had advanced in so little time. But, more importantly, she had made the decision to participate in an ancient ritual known as the Holy Grail War. Eight Masters would summon spirits of heroes from the past and face each other in a death-match where the winner would be granted a wish by the sacred cup. Initially, the premise didn't sound attractive to Yuriko, who had no real wish of her own and who saw the battle as a risk that those who weren't desperate should not pursue. However, being the kind of person who strives for perfection, she was eventually chosen and dragged into it. Her goal was the same as that of most traditional Magi, to find the Root. It did not contain malice and it wasn't born out of a real desire, instead, it was a wish to find the end of the journey that her ancestors had started.
The preparations for the summoning were complete. The room located somewhere on the top floor was lit wit just candles and decorated in a very traditional way. It was vast, for before being bought by the Sekimoto group, it was intended to be used as a movie theater. In the center of that room, Yuriko had drawn an enormous magic circle. She had done so in the morning, before attending to her usual duties. Normally, summoning a Heroic Spirit would be beyond the realm of possibility, but for the purposes of this ritual, that should be of no concern. Indeed, Yuriko's job here was not to summon the Heroic Spirit in question, but rather serve as an anchor for it to remain in the world of the living. That was the task of those called 'Masters', bearers of unique brands called Command Seals. Command Seals were markings engraved in one's skin, the proof of one's authority over the Heroic Spirit summoned, referred to as 'Servant'.
The Holy Grail will handle most of the summoning process, but even so, an offering is to be expected if one intends to summon a powerful hero. For someone like Yuriko, who aimed for excellence, it would be impossible to settle for anything less. That is why she was willing to give up the prototype of her life's work, a white's bridal dress that had been enchanted with powerful wards and imbued with Magical Energy for several years. One might argue that such an incomplete piece of work was not on par with the new and original version of the dress, however, it did not change the fact that it would be impossible to put a price tag on it. In all sincerity, Yuriko did her best to find a better catalyst that could link her with a specific hero, specifically, one whose homeland had been Japan, however, the whole arrangement had been sabotaged and it had ended up with her hands empty.
"Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone."With utmost concentration, she began the evocation chant. She covered the face of Sekimoto Yuriko with the mask of a mage. Immediately after, all fear and anxiety were discarded.
"Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Shut (fill). Repeat every five times."She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Five bullets were loaded into the imaginary chamber of her mind and then the trigger was pulled, turning her nerves into circuits where magical energy could circulate, an union between the real and the fantastic. A surge of pain shot through her entire body, sign that that she had broken the greatest of human taboos. As long as she kept using magecraft with a human body acting as its conductor, that outcome was unavoidable.
But being a Magus, a tool, for this many years, she's used to it.
"――――I announce.
Your self is under me, my fate(doom) is in your sword.
In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer."The moment she channeled Magical Energy into the magic circle, it lit up. In reality, however, it felt almost as if the whole room had been set ablaze. It had only been about half a minute since the beginning of the incantation, but summoner was already sweating.
She instinctively raised her hand, in an attempt to contain the volatile energy rampaging within the room.
"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance―――!!!"And then, when the right time came, she allowed it to break free.
The result was a flash of dazzling light that left her blind for a second or two.
She was sure she had been successful, even if it would take a moment for her vision to return.
She was certain that standing there was a hero of ages past.
Her Servant.
