Fuyuki City
As Shichen felt the strange power coursing through his body, he stared at the orange-haired boy before him and fell into deep thought.
The memories in his mind told him that he had clearly just been at school skimming through Fate/Zero, yet now, in the blink of an eye, he had ended up in this ghost of a place. It was completely unscientific.
The boy standing before Shichen was none other than Ryunosuke, the character dubbed a "sunshine boy" by countless netizens.
At that moment, Ryunosuke was feeling somewhat at a loss for words.
He had originally hoped to summon some kind of bizarre creature, but the person in front of him looked no different from an ordinary human, leaving a trace of disappointment in his heart.
Shichen also realized that he seemed to have been summoned by this guy. In other words, he had become a Servant of the Caster class.
Shichen merely happened to share his name with Tohsaka Tokiomi from the story—did they really have to throw him into such a terrifying Holy Grail War?
Regardless, whether he liked it or not, he was now a participant in the Holy Grail War.
With that thought, complex emotions welled up inside Shichen.
Although he could feel that his strength had significantly increased after transforming into a Heroic Spirit, his heart remained filled with anxiety, fearing that he still might not be able to fully control this immense power.
Forget it, there was no use dwelling on that for now.
Sensing that the atmosphere was slightly off, Shichen put on a stern expression and blurted out that famous quote:
"I ask of you, are you my Master?"
Ryunosuke looked completely puzzled and couldn't help asking, "Master? What kind of thing is that? Is it edible?"
Shichen nearly coughed up blood on the spot. "You don't even know what a Master is? What an idiot!"
"I'm really sorry. Say, bro, to celebrate meeting each other, let's have some appetizers first. Do you want to try that over there?"
Ryunosuke waved his hand casually and pointed toward a child tied up in the corner of the room.
Looking at the tightly bound child, Shichen felt a sense of helplessness.
He never expected to run into such a perverted Master. In the original Holy Grail War, Ryunosuke and his original Servant, Gilles de Rais, had murdered countless innocent people in the most depraved and inventive ways imaginable.
Shichen found it hard to harbor any favorable feelings toward such a person, but since the boy was now his Master, he would have to change those bizarre hobbies of his to some extent.
"I don't need any appetizers. Let him go!"
Ryunosuke widened his eyes as if he had heard something absurd. "Let him go? Why? This is a rare source of joy."
Shichen frowned and said sternly, "I cannot condone this kind of hobby of yours. If you ever do something like this again, I will kill you on the spot!"
Ryunosuke looked at the murderous aura radiating from Shichen, tilted his head, and thought for a moment. Though extremely reluctant, he muttered under his breath, walked over to the child, and untied the ropes.
The child cast a terrified glance at the two of them, turned around, and bolted.
Watching the child's retreating figure, Ryunosuke wore a disgruntled expression.
"Hmph, how boring," Ryunosuke muttered, his lips pursed.
Shichen breathed a sigh of relief and then comforted Ryunosuke:
"There, there, don't stay upset, my good Master. What comes next is far more interesting than your perverted hobbies."
Ryunosuke looked at Shichen with curiosity. "What is it? Are we going to hunt other prey?"
"The Holy Grail War, of course!" Shichen grinned widely and looked toward the center of Fuyuki City...
Not long after, in a park somewhere in Fuyuki City, two ethereal beauties were walking down the street, causing everyone who passed by to gasp in admiration.
These two were Irisviel von Einzbern, a homunculus of the Einzbern family, and the renowned King Arthur, Artoria Pendragon.
The two of them strolled leisurely, occasionally taking in the hustle, bustle, and grandeur of the big city, seemingly completely untouched by the shadow of the Holy Grail War.
For Irisviel, this moment of leisurely peace was undoubtedly her most cherished memory.
As a homunculus of the Einzbern family, she had spent her days confined to that frozen castle, living the life of a bird in a gilded cage.
Yet the appearance of that man had allowed her to fly out of the cage that held the captive bird, granting her a brief slice of freedom.
At that thought, the corners of Irisviel's mouth curled into a smile.
King Arthur, otherwise known as Saber, was walking beside her, thoroughly enjoying the moment as well. After all, it had been a very long time since she had felt this relaxed.
When was the last time? She couldn't even remember; perhaps she had never experienced it at all.
Just then, Saber realized that the surrounding area had suddenly become completely deserted. She instantly heightened her vigilance, pulling Irisviel tightly behind her to protect her.
"An enemy Servant?"
"Yes."
A figure slowly emerged from the alleyway—it was Shichen, who had been lying in ambush here for quite some time.
The very moment he transmigrated here, he had thought of coming to find Saber, not only because this pair was exceptionally strong, but also because it was the best way to survive.
"Caster?!" A look of shock inevitably crossed Saber's face.
She had expected a Lancer or a Rider, but she never imagined it would be a Caster. Could he possibly be here to throw his life away?
Upon catching sight of Saber's breathtaking beauty, Shichen finally understood why Gilgamesh had taken a fancy to her.
A lively tuft of blond hair stood upright atop her golden head without looking out of place at all, and her emerald-like eyes were sparkling with vibrant intelligence.
She wore a black suit, and her delicate, porcelain-like face was flawless and full of charm, her flawless skin looking as though it could be broken by a mere blow.
Shichen quickly snapped back to his senses. Now was certainly not the time to be starstruck.
Clearing his throat, Shichen spoke, "Saber, I haven't come here to fight. I want to make a deal with you."
Saber remained on guard. "What kind of deal?"
Shichen smiled. "I wish to form an alliance with you."
"Why on earth should we ally with you?"
Shichen answered with confidence, "It's simple. This Holy Grail War is by no means an ordinary conflict. The other Servants are far more powerful than us, and I happen to know the information of every single Servant participating in this war."
As a seasoned fan of Fate, he naturally knew the details of every Heroic Spirit—that was one of his greatest advantages.
Saber let out a cold laugh. "You think that's enough to persuade me? Caster, you are far too naive."
Shichen shook his head helplessly. "Well, that failed just as expected."
Irisviel softly suggested to Saber, "Perhaps we should consider it. Having one more ally is always better than having one more enemy."
However, Saber replied firmly, "There is no need. I trust in my own strength; I have no need to borrow the power of others."
With that, Saber drew her sword from its scabbard, the blade radiating a biting chill. "Besides, as a Caster, you naturally excel in magecraft. Who knows if this is just another one of your schemes?"
As a Servant, Saber was eager to demonstrate her strength in front of her Master. Since this Caster was asking for trouble, she wouldn't hold back!
At this sight, cold sweat poured down Shichen's back, and he prepared to make a run for it at a moment's notice.