Chapter 55: Human Evil and the Tokyo Holy Grail War (1)
Human Evil and the Tokyo Holy Grail War (1)
"Servant Saber (Beast), Zod Amnisphere... are you my Master?"
Hm? Holy Grail War? Me, a Servant? What in the world is this? I was clearly resting between Semiramis and Janette... Could it be that I've been summoned as a Servant through the medium of a dream? How intriguing...
"Ahh... my Prince..."
Before the summoning circle stood a beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, clad in an emerald dress adorned with white frills—a vision gazing at me in ecstatic rapture, her beauty enough to ensnare even one such as I at first sight.
Her name... Sajo Manaka... a distant descendant called Vivian, heir to Morgan le Fay's ancient lineage... The blood of the Fairies flows faintly within her, a subtle Mystery lingering in her veins...
"Master?"
I regarded Manaka as she stood there in a daze, but in that instant, she regained her composure, her face flushing with crimson as she introduced herself in an atmosphere charged with evident affection, her gaze betraying an unmistakable fondness toward me.
And latent within her... this power of evil... the fluid form of the Beast (Human Evil)... Gomorrah (G), the Beast of 666... Its other half, its divine aspect, is contained within the Grail of this land—the Saint Graph.
This is bound to be most entertaining... Shall I tempt this child to ascend as a Beast and keep her by my side? Moreover, this omnipotent girl who has become connected to the Root... an all-knowing entity linked to the Akashic... Truly fascinating.
"Forgive me, Saber... I was the one lost in thought... My name is Sajo Manaka."
"Allow me to introduce myself once more: Zod Amnisphere. I have been summoned as Saber for this Holy Grail War."
I pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand in courteous greeting, and at my gesture, Manaka's cheeks burned a shade redder than ripened tomatoes—a sight I found inexplicably endearing.
"Zod Amnisphere... An unfamiliar name. A Heroic Spirit of the Modern Era, then?"
"Oh? And who might this Mystery be?"
A sturdy man emerged from behind Manaka—he was Sajo Hiroki, current head of the Sajo family and her father.
"I am Sajo Hiroki, father to your Master."
I nodded indifferently to the man who introduced himself as the lord of the Sajo house with such bland composure.
An utterly unremarkable human... but as he shares Manaka's blood, a modicum of respect is perhaps warranted...
"I shall ask once more, Saber. Are you a Heroic Spirit of the Modern Era?"
"......Your questions tread bold lines for one so beneath me. Kneel."
"Guhak—!"
I forced Sajo Hiroki to his knees with a surge of prana, then loomed over him as I spoke.
"Overstep the bounds of respect owed to my Master's kin, and you invite calamity... Do not presume otherwise."
"A... understood...."
As Sajo Hiroki nodded, sweat beading on his brow from my warning, I released the pressure, freeing him once more.
"Then be on your way."
Scarce had my words faded when Sajo Hiroki scurried from the room like a chastised cur—I deemed such cowardice a mark of wisdom.
For I have witnessed far too many fools, ensnared by delusions of heroism and justice, blinded by petty pride to when they ought to bow, only to meet their end in ruin.
"Forgive me, Saber... My father must have soured your mood?"
Manaka peered at me with anxious eyes, so I smiled and took her hand, startling her with a jolt.
"Seeing you, Master, dispels any lingering ire."
I feigned a tender expression, caressing her cheek, and once more her face flushed like a bursting dam—so easily swayed? Is this truly the fluid of the Beast incarnate?
Tokyo, 1991... The bubble economy on the verge of collapse, mere weeks away... Soon it will burst, plunging Japan's fortunes into abyss, much like a modern Greater Grail spilling its corrupted prana. For now, savoring this fleeting prosperity holds its appeal—efficiency demands we indulge the present Mysteries.
"Well then, Manaka... Might you introduce me to this world? This era of Japan is unfamiliar to me."
"Of course! Let's go, Saber!"
She clasped my hand, her sparkling eyes beholding me, and I could not suppress a chuckle at the sight. Such a frail, innocent girl, yet one who, for my sake, would rend the world asunder—the Princess of the Root (Photonia Theron)... Utterly charming in her contradictions.
****
Tokyo in 1991 teetered on the precipice of the bubble economy's demise—it is no exaggeration. From February 1991, Japan's meteoric rise had pierced the heavens, only to plummet in an instant, birthing a crisis akin to Korea's 1997 IMF debacle: legions of companies bankrupted, unemployment swelling like tainted prana, suicides mounting as the yen withered to worthless scraps of Mystery denied.
And now, one month prior to that fall—January. Lending restrictions loomed, yet Tokyo's bustling streets brimmed with luxury, its denizens laughing as they squandered fortunes in blissful ignorance of the encroaching void.
Amid this opulent twilight, two figures savored Japan's bubble endgame: Zod Amnisphere and Sajo Manaka, wandering the avenues, sampling street vendors' delights while surveying the 20th century's peculiar wonders.
"How is modern Japan, Saber? To your liking?"
"Amusing enough. Around this time, I was but one year old, give or take."
"Your baby days... I want to hear about them!"
Manaka pressed Zod about his infancy, inquiring into his youth, but Zod offered a concise sketch of his shadowed past.
"Born of governmental experiments—an artificial human via artificial insemination, emerging from sterile vats into endless trials. I escaped, slaughtering them all."
"S-Sorry, Saber... I shouldn't have pried..."
To her apologetic words, Zod brushed it off, stroking her hair with a reassuring smile; yet unease lingered on her visage.
"I'm truly fine with it... Shall we rest in that café over there?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Zod and Manaka entered the café, placing simple orders before settling into a secluded corner for discourse.
"So, Saber, you're an Esper?"
"I was, precisely. Now, having absorbed a corrupted Greater Grail from another world's Holy Grail War, I have become Human Evil incarnate."
"Hee~ What an intriguing tale."
"You don't find me repulsive, Manaka...?"
"Not at all! Quite the opposite—I like it... You're special, after all. And... I feel this inexplicable closeness..."
True to her nature as the Princess of the Root (Photonia Theron), bearer of Human Evil's fluid, she felt an irresistible pull toward Zod, now ascended as Human Evil.
For reasons unfathomable, this omnipotent girl—poised to awaken as Tokyo's Human Evil, the Beast VI/G, Gomorrah's counterpart in Nero's Sodomy—had fallen utterly in love at first sight with one of kindred darkness: a dire and exquisite misfortune.
Sajo Manaka.
A genius magus of unparalleled caliber, her talents eclipsing imagination itself.
Her power's source? The Root itself. From birth, she was linked to the Akashic vortex—no ritual, no intervention, simply fated thus. Hence her epithet: Princess of the Root (Photonia Theron). Yet it runs deeper; Human Evil slumbers within her—the Beast VI/G, Gomorrah (G), twin to Sodomy Nero, the Beast of 666... The Holy Grail's Saint Graph serves merely as catalyst to summon that latent atrocity.
Bound to the Root from inception, she perceived all existence at atomic precision: past, present, future laid bare. Thus, the world lost its allure. Omniscience bred tedium; her humanity faded like a waning Mystery. Reality became a mere stage, and she retreated into apathetic seclusion, adrift in her private cosmos.
Even as she grasped universal truths and confronted reality's stark veil, Manaka averted her gaze, immersing in fanciful reveries, yearning for a prince to pierce her ennui.
To her, all was banal: magus arts, Crests, lessons—even her mother's workshop, the Garden, meant for her as eldest daughter. She yielded her inheritance to younger sibling Ayaka, deeming it worthless tedium.
A mere gesture toward the ether, and anything could be hers—acquired, achieved.
Utterly, insufferably dull.
Until his arrival...
"In this Holy Grail War, I intend to claim victory, awaken the Grail's malice, and elevate you to your full form as Human Evil."
"Hmm~ Why is that?"
Manaka eyed Zod with playful mischief, so he traced her lips with a finger, savoring their softness as he murmured,
"Because I desire you complete."
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