Chapter 208: Summoning the Servant
One year later, in a remote town in Hokkaido.
"Is it time?"
In the study, Hikigaya Hachiman, flipping through a magic book he had obtained from the black market, suddenly felt the Command Seal on his hand grow scorching hot.
At the same time, a sense of urgency to summon a Servant and hurry to Fuyuki City for the Holy Grail War automatically appeared in his mind.
Really impatient…
Feeling the message in his mind, Hachiman shook his head helplessly and stepped out of the room.
"Onii-chan!"
In the living room, Sakura, who had been watching TV, immediately stood up obediently and greeted Hachiman.
Since Hachiman had taken Sakura away from Fuyuki City, he had decided to temporarily adopt her.
Over time, their relationship had grown closer, and Sakura's way of addressing him had evolved—from "Mr. Hikigaya," to "Hikigaya," to "Hachiman," and finally to the intimate "Onii-chan."
Incidentally, Hachiman hadn't expected he had a knack for business. After leaving Fuyuki City, he had opened a small convenience store in Hokkaido just to make a living. Yet for some reason, customers kept coming in endlessly.
Over a year, that small store had grown into a well-known chain in Hokkaido.
With this newfound wealth, Hachiman easily resolved his "unregistered" status and also changed Sakura's identity.
However, Hachiman found one thing troubling—Sakura seemed extremely clingy.
She refused to go to school and always gave him a pitiful look whenever he went out to handle store business. Conversely, if he stayed home with her, even without talking and just being together, she appeared very happy.
"Mm, Sakura, it's time."
After more than a year, Sakura had grown a bit taller. Knowing Hachiman liked long hair, she had grown her previously shoulder-length hair down to her waist.
Patting her smooth purple hair, Hachiman spoke.
"Eh?"
Hearing his words, Sakura hesitated, then grabbed his hand anxiously.
"Onii-chan, do you really have to go?!"
"Of course."
Understanding that Sakura was worried about him, Hachiman sighed, his tone filled with helplessness.
"For over a year, I've tried every way to transfer this Command Seal to someone else. But it's like sticky taffy—I just can't get rid of it… If I want to go back, I have to participate in the Holy Grail War!"
"Is it because someone you care about is in another world?"
Hearing again that Hachiman wanted to return to his original world, Sakura's expression fell.
"Yes. But don't worry—I'll bring you back too…"
Komachi was someone Hachiman could never abandon, so he had to return no matter what. Seeing Sakura's downcast expression, he assumed she was worried he might leave her behind or be cold to her once they returned. He quickly reassured her.
"I believe Onii-chan would never leave me behind…"
Sakura looked up and smiled sweetly at him.
"It's just…"
"Just?"
"No, nothing… Onii-chan, are you hungry? I'll get something from the kitchen…"
Without waiting for his reply, Sakura ran to the kitchen.
Watching her, Hachiman didn't feel suspicious. Over the past year, Sakura had been obedient and responsible, rarely causing trouble. She even helped with household chores whenever she could.
"If Sakura grows any older, I'll probably be completely useless…"
He thought of Komachi, who always treated him like a lazy fish, and wondered if he would really become a complete couch potato once Sakura lived with him. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.
Hachiman then left the house and went to the nearby warehouse.
The warehouse, originally filled with miscellaneous items, had been cleaned out once Hachiman realized the Holy Grail War was about to begin. Now, everything was neatly stacked in the corners.
Pulling out the magic book from the black market, Hachiman began sketching the summoning circle for a Servant with mercury on the central empty floor, the result of countless previous practice sessions.
Once the circle was completed, mana began circulating, and the warehouse was instantly filled with silver light.
Without a specific Holy Relic for summoning a designated Servant, Hachiman stood before the circle and began chanting the summoning incantation recorded in the book:
"For elements silver and iron, Foundation stone and archduke of pacts, And for my Great Master Schweinorg. Close the four gates. Come forth from the Crown and follow the Forked Road leading to the Kingdom. Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill. Repeat Five times but when each is filled destroy it. Set. Heed my words, my will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail Call and obey my will and reason then answer me. I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world. That I shall defeat all Evil in the world. Seventh Heaven clad in the Great Words of Power. From the Binding Circle vow Guardian of the Scales."
As Hachiman finished chanting, the mercury circle on the floor shone brilliantly.
At the same time, Hachiman's mana was forcibly drawn out and poured into the circle.
As the circle began to operate, in a distant Servant hall, a man with gray-white hair clad in golden armor slowly opened his eyes…
Meanwhile, in various locations, the other four participants of the Holy Grail War were performing their own Servant summoning rituals.
In Germany, at the Einzbern castle, the magus assassin Kiritsugu Emiya sketched a small summoning circle with mercury and placed the legendary sword sheath of King Arthur, "Avalon," inside.
At the Clock Tower, Kayneth, dissatisfied because his Holy Relic had been stolen, placed a backup relic in a mercury circle and nodded at his fiancée, Sola.
Outside Fuyuki City, Waver carefully placed the stolen fragment of King Iskander's cloak in a summoning circle and stepped back. Due to insufficient mana, he would wait until midnight for the peak of magical energy to start summoning.
At the Tohsaka residence in Fuyuki City, after placing the shed skin of the first snake in the world into the study, Tokiomi Tohsaka nodded to Kotomine and began chanting with a confident smile.
.
.
.
In Hachiman's warehouse in Hokkaido:
As the dazzling light gradually subsided, a figure stood firmly before Hachiman.
"Servant, Lancer! My true name is Karna. I humbly ask for your guidance."
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