Night had fallen.
The full moon hung high in the sky, scattering its silvery light across the land, as though the entire world was bathed in a soft radiance.
"This should be about right~"
Gazing at the summoning circle freshly drawn with white chalk upon the ground, Ayaka Sajo clasped her hands behind her back and nodded cheerfully.
Though she appeared no older than fourteen or fifteen, Ayaka possessed a beauty that seemed almost otherworldly. Her silky golden hair was cut short, her delicate face as finely sculpted as porcelain, her light blue eyes shining like sapphires. Dressed in an emerald-green gown, she resembled a pure blossom blooming in radiant light.
Her figure might have been somewhat lacking in curves, but really, could one demand so much from a fifteen-year-old girl?
"Servant Summoning… Hehe, Magi are basically just a bunch of hopeless fools, but sometimes the things they create can still come in handy~"
If her father were to hear her speaking so disdainfully of modern Magi, he would surely have turned purple with rage on the spot.
Regardless, Ayaka couldn't care less. For one who was born connected to the Root, very little in this world truly mattered in her eyes.
Even love for her father, or for her younger sister.
To her, these were nothing more than children's games.
[The Root]
To this world, the Root is the origin and end of all things, the whirlpool of truth that countless Magi yearn for. Many have poured their entire lives—sometimes more than one life—into chasing it, passing down their crests through generations in the hope their descendants might one day reach it in their stead.
However, is such a pursuit truly worthwhile?
Ayaka could not answer.
It was much like asking whether someone born into wealth and freedom could ever truly understand the mindset of those still working themselves to the bone on weekends.
Surely not. They might occasionally feign empathy with convincing sincerity, while in reality, they could never grasp it.
Ayaka's case, albeit, went far beyond even that.
For the girl named Ayaka Sajo was born already connected to the Root.
[Omniscience and Omnipotence]
A supreme authority beyond the reach of ancient heroes and even gods of old, yet for Ayaka, it was nothing more than an innate blessing.
She knew all things. She could do anything.
Even so, such gifts from the Root were also her shackles. To see the ends of all worlds left her only with emptiness. A girl born possessing everything had never once felt truly alive… when life is predestined in its entirety, what meaning does living hold?
And so, Ayaka had imposed upon herself one unbreakable rule:
[Never look upon her own future]
At the very least, this would allow her to hold some measure of anticipation for what lay ahead.
Which was why today was so very special for her. In fact, one could say it was the most eagerly awaited day of her entire life.
She glanced up to confirm the time, then lowered her gaze again to the summoning circle.
A strange gleam flickered in her clear eyes. For though she had sealed away her vision of the future, once upon a time she had peeked at a fragment of it. It was blurry, indistinct, but she had seen herself, in a future Holy Grail War, swept up in a grand and passionate romance.
For a girl as abnormal as herself, to fall in love like any ordinary maiden, to encounter a destined prince… how incredible was that?
And precisely because it was incredible, it was something worth anticipating!
Though she had long since grown indifferent to most things, Ayaka was not without feelings. At her core, she remained human, a girl still in the bloom of youth. Like countless girls her age, she too had dreamed of meeting the prince she could entrust her life to—the one who would take her hand and cut through the cage of this dull, suffocating world.
For that, she was willing to give everything.
Which was why she had awaited this Holy Grail War for so long. Even as she recited the chant to summon her Servant, her heart could scarcely contain its excitement—honestly, who else but Ayaka Sajo could hum such a solemn incantation like a playful tune?
"Let thy body rest under my command, thy fate lies under my guidance. If thou heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! Guardian of the Balance!♫~~~"
As her final words fell, a violent gale erupted within the circle, shaking the earth itself. The swirling storm of mana condensed into a dazzling azure light, staining the courtyard walls with a brilliant glow.
And from within that radiance, a man slowly stepped forth.
He bore shining golden hair and eyes like radiant emeralds. His features were handsome and refined, his tall frame lean and muscular. Though he looked barely past twenty, his expression carried a depth of age far beyond his years.
He wore armor, a sword at his waist, the air about him that of a seasoned knight scarred by countless battles, each mark upon his armor a tale of peril survived.
Yes—he was…
"Where the hell am I???"
Auram scratched his head, looking about in utter confusion. Then his eyes fell upon Ayaka.
In that instant, their gazes met, and Ayaka felt as though the long-dark world that had confined her heart was suddenly awash in color once more.
So it was true—the prince really did exist!
And if such a fairy-tale miracle could exist, then surely stories like those must be hidden somewhere in this world.
Perhaps…
They were right beside us all along.
...
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