Haruka & The Great Holy Grail War
Haruka opened her eyes, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She turned her head and saw Arthur sitting beside her, a smile on his face. "Good morning, Haruka. Did you sleep well?"
"Not bad, I guess. Where am I?"
"In a guest bedroom in Yggdmillenia Castle. You've been asleep for around 12 hours."
"Oh. Wow. Guess I won't be needing any coffee for a while. Where's Karna?"
"Sparring with Siegfried."
"Oh." Haruka sat up and stretched. "Do we have a plan yet?"
"Yes." Arthur summarized the plans Caules had laid out the night before, and Haruka nodded.
"That's what they did last time. With enough mana, Medea would also be able to deal her own damage to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Guess I'll summon her now." Haruka swung her legs over the bed and onto the ground, only to wince as her stomach growled. "On second thought, I'm going to eat something first."
"I'll take you to the dining room, then."
After practically inhaling her breakfast, Haruka went to see Vlad for permission to use the Black Faction's summoning circle. He readily gave it but asked that he be allowed to watch. Haruka let him. Somewhere along the way, everyone else minus Mordred, Kairi, and Roche ended up in the chamber as well.
"I really don't get why you guys are interested," Haruka sighed. "It's nothing special… oh wait, I'm screwed."
"Master?" Arthur asked.
"I just realized I don't have anything that could summon Medea and I need one. Okay, what's Plan B?"
"You don't have a Plan B?" Sieg asked.
"Nope."
"Actually…" Arthur spoke. "If all you need is someone who can nullify magic, can't you summon someone like Emiya?"
Haruka stared uncomprehendingly for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Arthur, you're a genius! And I have his catalyst on me so this is going to work!"
"Who are you talking about?" Vlad asked.
"Emiya is considered a Heroic Spirit from the near future, but he's also a Counter-Guardian," Karna answered.
"In life, he was a third-rate magus, but his elemental affinity and Origin were aligned, and he participated in the Fifth Holy Grail War of his time," Haruka added. "He's pretty cool." Haruka pulled a card with an image of a red pendant and dropped it into the summoning circle, and then took out 3 Saint Quartz. All the magi in the room gasped at the sheer power emanating from it.
"So much mana…" Caules breathed.
"You're not getting any," Haruka shot back. "They're mine ." She placed the quartz next to the catalyst and stepped back, sending a burst of prana from her circuits into the circle. The circle glowed brightly as both catalyst and quartz were consumed, and the figure of a tall white-haired man in red and black armour materialized.
The man opened his eyes and calmly looked around the room, analyzing his surroundings. His eyes then landed on Haruka. "Good grief, what a troublesome Master you are. What do you need me for?"
"To blast some stuff," Haruka replied casually. "I didn't catch you in the middle of cooking now, did I?"
"No, but I was with Boudica and Kiyohime. You'll be in trouble when you return."
Haruka groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Kill me now."
Ignoring her, Emiya turned to nod at Arthur and Karna. "Thanks for taking good care of her. We're all worried about her well-being."
"How is the situation back at Chaldea?" Karna asked.
"Blackbeard, Mephistopheles, and some other trouble Servants are being monitored by Okita and a few others, and the Berserkers haven't broken anything yet although Kintoki's had to restrain Raikou from attacking the oni a few times. The doctor's been sending the occasional party to minor singularities for supply runs, but each team is made up of level-headed Servants. No one's been killed yet."
"Huh, sounds like you guys are fine without me," Haruka said. Remembering she wasn't alone, she turned to Emiya. "How about you introduce yourself to the Black Faction and then we'll make a plan?"
Emiya nodded. "But first, Master…" He had a certain glint in his eye.
Haruka noticed and took a step back, a nervous expression on her face. "Yes, Emiya… san?"
"What were you thinking when you agreed with Zelretch's idea? Did you have any consideration for the consequences when we found out that you disappeared? Almost everyone freaked out and had no idea if you were safe! Honestly, I thought I taught you better…" Emiya continued to lecture Haruka, while everyone else watched in amazement.
"Are you sure he's a Servant?" Fiore whispered to Arthur.
Arthur gave her a reassuring pat. "Emiya tends to be a bit overprotective of Haruka. Most of the Servants in Chaldea are."
"I get it, Mom! " Haruka finally whined. "You can lecture me later. Let's just get this done and over with so we can go home, okay?!"
"No, you are not off the hook," Emiya shot back. "I expect you to fully think over your actions once we go back home."
"Yes, Mom."
"Don't call me Mom."
"Whatever, Mom."
"Emiya? Master? You two can continue this later."
***
"We are at a disadvantage when considering the number of Servants on each side that can fight," Semiramis commented in the vault where the Greater Grail rested.
"It matters not," Amakusa replied. "Haruka was bluffing. She cannot summon any other Servants to her aid from her world with a single Command Seal. I also have a plan to add two Servants to our numbers."
"Two?"
"Normally, in a Holy Grail War, defeated Servants are transferred to the Holy Grail since they are in essence one mass of prana. It is impossible to retrieve their spirit cores, but since this is the Greater Grail, I am able to use my Ruler-class authority to recall the fallen Servants back onto the field. As a cost, though, their Noble Phantasms will be sealed and they have no sense of self. However, they are still Servants, and will greatly increase our advantage."
"So, you will summon Caster and Berserker of Black?"
"Yes. Let us begin."
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada would not lose. Not until he had achieved his wish.