In the clearing in the forest behind his mansion, Akira was currently drawing a magic circle with blood.
Erika stood near him with a worried expression.
Raven and Rose stood on either side of her, and in the surrounding trees, the entire crow army watched silently with curiosity.
Originally, they had planned to do this with just Raven and Rose, but the rest of the crows had followed along.
Akira didn't stop them.
As long as they didn't disturb him, he was fine with them watching.
Erika, still looking worried, asked, "Is it really alright?"
Akira, still drawing the circle, replied calmly, "Don't worry. I already finished all my calculations. I'm sure nothing will go wrong. They won't become monsters or lose themselves, and I even made it so your control over Raven and Rose isn't absolute, so everything is fine."
Erika frowned slightly. "I'm talking about you using your blood to make this magic circle. What if you run out of blood?"
Yes, Akira was using his own blood for it.
Blood continued to flow from his hand, tracing lines along the ground through his fingertips.
Almost like a living pen.
Akira said calmly, "Don't worry. I have a good healing factor, remember? I can survive something this small easily."
Erika still didn't look convinced.
"…But still… Do you really have to use your own blood?"
Akira nodded slightly. "Well, I told you, right? I have to use my blood as a tool to use my powers to make them evolve. My blood is essential here."
Erika hesitated for a moment, then asked,
"… Does that mean your blood is going to fuse with them?"
Akira shook his head.
"No. I'm only using my blood as a tool to help them become similar to that Shadow Crow over there."
He pointed toward the body placed within the magic circle.
Then continued, "It's similar to how I evolved you remember? I gave you wings like a pureblood vampire. But in this case… They don't have any Shadow Crow lineage. So I'm using my blood as a medium to replicate that evolutionary path and guide their transformation toward it."
He paused briefly.
"It's more complicated than that, but… that's the basic idea."
Erika looked at him, still worried.
"But you're using too much of your blood, right? Won't you become tired because of it?"
Akira paused—
Then, as if realizing something, held out his hand toward her.
"…Want some?"
Erika immediately got angry and gave him a light kick. "That's not what I'm talking about, idiot!"
She followed it up with a few more light kicks.
Akira flinched. "Ouch—ouch—okay, okay, I'm sorry! I was just joking."
Then he took a breath.
"Alright, I need to concentrate on the ritual now… I can't waste too much time on this."
Erika sighed, but let him continue.
It was the night of a full moon.
A time when creatures of the night, like vampires and werewolves, gained more power and became more active.
Vampires usually used this time to perform important rituals, including the servant ritual.
That was why Akira chose this night.
But even then.
Since this is a last minute thing and he wasted too much time finished the shadow crow, he already lost too much time.
The position of the moon and the timing both needed to be perfectly aligned for the ritual to proceed smoothly.
He didn't have much time.
Seeing that he was busy, Erika left him alone and turned toward Raven and Rose.
She looked at Raven and Rose and with a complicated expression she asked.
"…Are you both sure you want to become my servants?"
She hesitated slightly.
"If you do… you won't be normal crows anymore."
Rose tilted her head.
"Caw. I don't mind. I want to fight too."
Raven puffed his chest slightly.
"Caw. New powers sound cool."
Erika let out a small, awkward smile.
"…You sound just like Akira."
Then she looked at Raven again.
"But Raven… are you sure you want to become my servant?"
She looked at Akira who is still drawing and said.
"You're Akira's partner, right? Wouldn't it be better to become his familiar instead?"
Raven tilted his head.
"Caw. We already talked about it."
"Caw. He said it doesn't matter if I follow him or you."
"Caw. He said both of you will always be together anyway."
He paused slightly.
"Caw. And he said you're weaker… so you need more support."
Erika blinked.
Then smiled faintly.
"…I see."
She felt a little happy hearing that.
But the unease in her chest didn't disappear.
She muttered,
"…Am I really making the right choice…? …Can I even be a good master…?"
Akira, still drawing the circle, spoke without looking up.
"Don't worry. Nothing will go wrong."
He finished a line, then turned slightly toward her.
"No matter what happens, during this ritual or after, I'll be there and I'll handle it."
He gave a small smile.
"That's a promise."
Erika looked at him.
For a moment—
She froze.
But instead of calming her something else surfaced.
"…That's not it…"
A small frustration grew inside her.
Was it really okay to rely on him for everything?
To let him solve all her problems?
She didn't want that.
She wanted to stand beside him.
Not behind him.
But right now she was still too weak.
Erika lowered her gaze.
And said nothing.
A few moments later.
Akira stood up.
The magic circle was complete.
Just when everyone thought he would call them.
He suddenly raised his hand dramatically.
And Fate/Zero OST – Point Zero started playing.
"—Heed my words."
"My will creates your body—"
"And your sword creates my destiny—"
The blood-red magic circle glowed.
White light rising from its lines.
"If you heed the Grail's call—"
"And obey my will and reason—"
"Then answer my summoning!"
Erika immediately realized where it was from.
"…Is he playing around…?"
Then she suddenly heard Selena's voice.
"Yes, he is. Please give him a kick for me and stop him."
Erika immediately followed that and gave him a light kick.
"Stop playing around."
The white light faded.
Akira with a aggrieved expression said,
"I just wanted to do it, alright…"
Selena replied,
"You know you can't just summon servants like that, right?"
Akira sighed.
"I know, but… I always wanted to do it… When will we go to the Fate world?"
Selena answered,
"Probably not for a while. Now Just finish Erika's ritual, alright? We can't waste time."
Akira sighed.
"…Fine."
Then he straightened slightly.
"…Alright... Cough... Erika, give me a few drops of your blood."
He glanced toward the two crows.
"And you two, come here."
The ritual started.
Raven and Rose were placed at the center of the circle.
Erika stood at one of the nodes beside them.
And at another node.
The Shadow Crow's body rested quietly.
The air felt… still.
Heavy.
From the surrounding trees.
The entire crow army watched in silence.
Akira glanced at Erika.
"Go ahead."
Erika hesitated for a moment.
Then extended her hand.
A small cut.
A few drops of blood.
Raven and Rose leaned in and drank.
For a brief second nothing happened.
Then—
Erika's blood inside Raven and Rose activated.
Their bodies began to change.
Akira immediately raised his hand.
"Answer me, Eclipse."
Jet-black armor formed around him instantly.
Then he stepped forward.
And placed his hand against the magic circle.
The moment his hand touched his blood.
The entire circle ignited.
Some of his blood began to glow and move.
The node where the Shadow Crow was placed and the center where Raven and Rose stood connected.
Akira spoke calmly,
"Don't move."
Then—
The blood began to gather.
It wrapped around the Shadow Crow's body and Raven and Rose.
Encasing them.
Like cocoons made of blood.
Akira spoke again.
"Rewrite."
Magic surged.
The evolution began.
The light of the magic circle grew brighter.
And brighter.
The cocoon around the Shadow Crow began to compress.
Shrinking.
At the same time.
The cocoons around Raven and Rose began to expand.
Growing larger.
The light intensified.
Reaching its peak.
And then.
It vanished.
Erika held her breath.
The crow army watching from the trees also froze.
Then—
The cocoons burst open.
Raven and Rose emerged.
They were larger than before.
Not as large as the Shadow Crow.
But clearly bigger than ordinary crows.
Though their original traits remained.
Raven's feathers still carried that faint purplish sheen.
Rose still had her elegant presence… and those striking eyes.
But something had fundamentally changed.
Their feathers seemed to blend into the surrounding shadows.
As if they weren't entirely bound to the light anymore.
Through his Mystic Eyes Akira could see it clearly.
Magic flowed within their bodies.
Stable.
Complete.
They had become true magical creatures.
And more than that.
A clear connection linked them to Erika.
The ritual had succeeded.
"…Did it work?" Erika asked.
Akira nodded slightly.
"From what I can see… yeah."
Then he glanced upward.
"But let's ask them."
Raven and Rose looked at each other.
Then suddenly took to the sky.
They shot upward like black streaks.
"CAW—! I am speed!"
Raven shouted excitedly.
Rose followed, her voice softer.
Almost… human.
"…I feel different."
Erika looked up, surprised.
"They're bigger… and fast… and their wings, there's no sound… they're silent."
"Shadow Crows are like that." Akira replied with a smile, "Oh and they can do more cool things too."
Just then—
As if on cue both of them suddenly changed direction.
And dove into the ground.
Straight into the shadow of a tree and disappeared into it.
Erika blinked.
"…What just happened?"
"Shadow movement." Akira answered casually, "The Shadow Crow's signature move."
The next moment.
They emerged from Erika's shadow.
Raven burst upward again.
"CAW! I'm the strongest crow there is!"
Akira muttered under his breath,
"…No, you're not."
But Raven didn't care.
The rest of the crow army erupted into motion.
Taking to the sky alongside them.
Soon.
The entire sky was filled with black wings.
"CAW—!!"
"CAAAW—!!"
Then Raven flew down slightly and asked,
"Caw! I want to fly around a bit, can we do it?"
Akira waved his hand.
"Sure. Do whatever you want, just don't destroy anything."
"Caw! Roger!"
Raven shouted.
Then led the entire crow army away.
Erika watched them leave.
"…Are you sure it's okay to let them do that?"
Akira shrugged slightly.
"Well… I don't think so… Probably."
Then he looked at the magic circle and snapped his fingers.
The circle disappeared.
The blood evaporated.
Erika looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
"Well, it's better to clean up, right?"Akira replied, "And my blood is extremely magically conductive. I don't want to accidentally create a new monster or something."
Just then—
Akira staggered slightly, holding his head.
"…Woah."
Erika immediately rushed forward and caught him.
"Hey! What happened?!"
Akira held his head slightly.
"…Maybe I did lose a bit too much blood, nothing serious. Just a little dizzy."
Erika frowned.
"That's why I told you not to use so much blood and you said you'd be fine."
Akira gave a small, tired smile.
"I said I wouldn't die," Akira replied calmly.
"Feeling a little dizzy is normal… I just need some sleep."
Erika sighed.
Then pulled his arm over her shoulder.
"Fine. I'm taking you back, just get some proper rest, alright."
Akira had already mostly recovered.
But he didn't say anything.
He just let her support him.
A small smile on his face.
Erika muttered while helping him walk,
"Seriously… why are you always like this…"
Then Akira suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right, I'm sorry, but no blood for you tonight."
Erika blinked.
"…Is it important?"
Akira nodded slightly.
"It is, but don't worry. I'll give it to you tomorrow morning, right after I wake up."
Erika sighed.
"…Fine, but don't push yourself too hard."
And so.
After finishing the ritual.
Akira and Erika walked back to the house.
For now.
They just wanted a good night's sleep.