"Let it be declared."
"Your flesh beneath my flesh, your fate entwined with my sword."
"Answer, if you would. Heed the call of the Grail."
"Here I pledge."
"To champion all that is good in the world, and vanquish all that is evil."
"Yet you shall be blinded by chaos, bound to my will."
"You are the one chained by madness. I, the one who holds the chains."
"O' guardian of the scales, bound by three Command Spells for seven days, from the Wheel of Restraint…"
In a daze, Ailin seemed to hear the words of a chant in his ears. He felt himself pulled through time and space by an irresistible force.
"Huh!"
He sat up in bed and opened his eyes. Recognizing his familiar surroundings, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He now understood the dream. He had used Kageroza Inaba's Zanpakutō, Raiku, to create a copy of himself from a past point in time. Any experiences this past self underwent would eventually merge with his own memories, as if he himself had lived them.
The dream had been a glimpse into his past self's fate after leaving the Soul Society. He had been drawn into the Fate world, detected by Alaya, and summoned as a Servant in a Holy Grail War.
Even without the full context of the dream yet to be revealed, the madness-inducing chant was enough to make him fairly certain where his past self now resided. He was Berserker, summoned in the Fourth Holy Grail War, replacing Lancelot, and becoming Kariya Matou's servant.
Glancing at Haruko Kuchiki, who stirred beside him, Ailin gently placed a hand on her forehead to sooth her back to sleep.
He slipped out of bed and stepped onto the balcony where he began gazing at the moon. His past self's experiences had confirmed his suspicions. Beyond the Soul Society lay a multitude of other worlds, many of them familiar to him. His past self now resided in one of these other dimensions, in a reality he had known once as Nasuverse or the Type-Moon Universe.
The Nasuverse, like the Soul Society, was rife with danger. Its Noble Phantasms rivaled, and often surpassed, the power of Zanpakutō. The very fabric of that reality was more resilient, more resistant to the destructive forces that permeated it.
However, he did remember that during a Holy Grail War, the presence of the Counter Force, made of Gaia and Alaya, limited even the most powerful Noble Phantasms. Ea, the Sword of Rupture, capable of severing the world itself, was reduced to destroying a single street.
He wondered how his past self would fare in this war. Could he prevent the tragedy of Sakura Matou?
For a moment, a surge of anticipation coursed through him. Two years remained. After those two years, he would ascend to the Soul King Palace with Yhwach, claim the Zanpakutō of the Zero Division, and push his power to its absolute limit within the Soul Society.
A thought struck him. Hollowed Lin's fusion with the Hōgyoku was stalled at the fourth stage. If he remembered correctly, due to the Einzbern's actions in the Third Holy Grail War, the Grail had been tainted by Angra Mainyu, the All the World's Evils. Any wish granted by the corrupted Grail would be twisted, its outcome a perversion of the wisher's intent.
But what if the wisher was Hollowed Lin?
Hollows were born from the corruption of human souls. Angra Mainyu was the embodiment of human evil. They shared a certain… kinship.
How would the Grail react to a Hollow's wish?
Intrigued, Ailin used Sword Zen to enter his inner world and communicate with Hollowed Lin.
…
In the dark basement of a dilapidated castle, Kariya Matou whose body was ravaged by Crest Worms, stood before Zouken Matou.
"Well, Kariya, judging by your appearance, you're ready, then?"
"Cut the crap, old man." Kariya clutched his left arm to suppress the worms' incessant gnawing. "Just tell me what to do!"
As an adult, he could barely withstand the worms' torment. He couldn't fathom how young Sakura Matou endured it. She had become his pillar of strength, his reason for enduring. He, who sought to save her, had been saved by her.
His hatred for Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had sent Sakura to the Matou family, and for Zouken, who had subjected her to this torment, burned within him. He swore that once he obtained a powerful Servant, he would make them pay.
"Very well. However, Kariya, your aptitude as a magus is… lacking. This will affect the Servant you summon. Thus, I'll need you to add these two verses to the summoning chant. They will amplify your Servant's power and increase your chances of victory."
Kariya grunted but didn't argue. During his year of Crest Worm implantation, he'd learned about the world of magi and the Holy Grail War.
A weak magus, even with a powerful Servant, couldn't provide the magical energy needed to sustain their power. The Servant might even be weakened by their Master's inadequacy.
Zouken's suggestion was welcome.
"Fine. Let's begin."
Following Zouken's instructions, Kariya sliced his palm, letting his blood drip onto the crimson summoning circle. He channeled his magical energy into the circle and began the chant.
"Fill, fill, fill…"
"Repeat five times, but destroy each when full."
"Let silver and steel be the essence, stone and the archduke of contracts the foundation."
"Let my great teacher, the founder, be the ancestor."
"Let the descending winds be blocked. Let the four cardinal gates be closed."
"…"
"O' guardian of the scales, bound by three Command Spells for seven days, from the Wheel of Restraint…"
After Kariya finished the final verse, red light erupted from the circle, forcing both him and Zouken to shield their eyes.
Hum…
An immense pressure emanated from the circle, a primal fear gripped them both. The being within felt like humanity's natural enemy.
"Has Kariya actually summoned a powerful Servant?"
Zouken's heart quickened. While his focus was on the next Grail War, due to Sakura Matou, victory in this one would be a welcome bonus.
As the light faded, Kariya felt the connection through the Command Spells on the back of his hand. He lowered his arm and saw his Servant.
A figure with long, flowing black hair and handsome features stood within the circle. He wore a black undershirt and a white haori that billowed in the non-existent wind. A sword hung at his hip. He looked every bit the part of Saber.
But an ominous, blackish-red aura surrounded him. An oppressive pressure emanated from him, instilling fear in all who sensed it. And on the back of his haori, the number "5" was clearly visible.
Both Kariya and Zouken instantly understood. This Servant was likely a member of some organization, the "5" denoting his rank or designation. Neither recognized him, however.
"Is he a Counter Guardian?" Zouken muttered.
Counter Guardians were heroic spirits chosen by Gaia and plucked from the Throne of Heroes and sent to other dimensional world to resolve its conflict, usually a Holy Grail War, to maintain the world's balance. While lacking the foundation of a true heroic spirit, their powers were often extraordinary.
"Kariya, check his parameters."
"Right."
Kariya raised two fingers to his right eye to assess his Servant's abilities. Every Master could ascertain their Servant's parameters, allowing them to formulate battle strategies.
Golden text appeared before Kariya's eyes.
…
Strength: A+
Endurance: A+
Agility: A++
Mana: A++
Luck: A
Noble Phantasm: EX
…
"Woah!"
Kariya gasped. His unknown Servant's parameters were all above A-rank. His Noble Phantasm was even EX-rank. He had summoned the ultimate trump card.
Calming himself, Kariya continued reading.
…
Class Skills:
Berserker - Mad Enhancement: C (Raises all parameters except Luck and Mana by one rank, but causes loss of sanity.)
Personal Skills:
Hierro: A (The hardened skin of the X race, granting immense defense.)
Swordsmanship: A++ (Having reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, wields any blade with devastating power.)
Cero: A++ (The ultimate attack of the X race, unleashing highly condensed magical energy.)
High-Speed Regeneration: A+ (Instantly regenerates any injury, even destroyed organs, as long as the head remains intact, by consuming magical energy.)
Noble Phantasms:
???
???
…
"Sakura, I told you I would save you! Now I'll take you home."
Having reviewed his nameless Servant's impressive parameters, Kariya Matou was ecstatic. Even without the madness-inducing spell, this Servant was undeniably powerful. His stats and skills were top-tier, a truly magnificent display of strength. He felt invincible.
"Berserker, let's go!"
He called out to the shadowy figure wreathed in blackish-red flames, and, despite the gnawing pain of the Crest Worms, he climbed the basement stairs with a renewed vigor.
"Kariya, what are you doing?"
Zouken was alarmed. He focused his attention on the Servant wreathed in blackish-red flames. He knew Kariya well. He wouldn't act so recklessly without a guarantee of success. His desperation to save Sakura would drive him to any lengths, even self-destruction, to obtain the Grail.
But Kariya now seemed unafraid of him. The only explanation was that his Servant had given him the confidence to defy him.
"What am I doing?"
Kariya looked back at Zouken and smiled.
"Father, didn't you already know? I'm taking Sakura. Will you stop me?"
Zouken was silent. Could he stop him?
For Kariya to be this confident, his Servant's power must be far beyond his expectations. He took one last look at Kariya before his body dissolved into a swarm of Crest Worms.
Before vanishing, his final words echoed in Kariya's ears.