Summoning Fate

After dinner, Sella, Leysritt, and Fillia went to do the dishes while everyone else followed me to the underground complex I had set up. Entering through the hidden entrance within the shed, we descended a long flight of stairs to where the purification ritual took place ten years back, and the space was converted into multiple Mage Workshops, an armory, a treasury, and an arena. I led everyone to my Workshop, where the Summoning Circle was set up along with the means to connect everyone to the Homunculi System.

I did not make the same mistake as Yggdmillennia Family and allowed any chance of the homunculi to develop any sense of self-preservation as I removed vital parts of their brains through Transmutation and ensured they only did as intended, which was mindlessly produce and provide Mana. With everyone here, I told them some facts they were unaware of about summoning Servants, as I had not felt the need to explain in the past as previously I thought the next Holy Grail War was far off into the future instead of now.

" Before we start summoning, are Servants, I need to tell all of you a few things in advance, as you likely don't know about some hidden features I found out about the Grail during my research."

" What did you discover, Silva?"

Irisveil was the first to ask me, as the Holy Grail greatly concerned her and her daughter.

" For starters, when you summon a Servant without a medium, you wind up with a Servant that you are either related to in some way or another or one that shares the same soul wavelength with you. This was set up so the Grail could call forth Servants that would not immediately kill their Masters if the Masters selected were unaware of the Moonlit World. Then there are the Extra Classes of Avenger, Ruler, Foreigner, Moon Cancer, Alter Ego, and Pretender, with their own unique nuances that can be summoned if the conditions are right.

Also, it is possible to improve the Saint Graph of the Servant you want to summon by using my Magical Energy as an extra source. Skadi can vouch for me on that. Lastly, it is possible to perform a Double Summon in which a Servant can embody multiple Classes rather than just one. I made the necessary preparations beforehand to increase everyone's odds of summoning a truly powerful Servant."

Sakura smiled as she knew some of this beforehand, and my explanations dumbfounded Rin, Irisveil, Illyasviel, and Skadi. The Second Owner of Fuyuki exclaimed with complete and utter shock.

" THERE IS SUCH A THING AS BEING OVER-PREPARED, YOU OVERGROWN TREE!"

I grinned at her and said.

" There ain't no kill like overkill, Tsundere Hime-chan."

" I AM NOT A TSUNDERE! YOU'RE A TSUNDERE; YOUR WHOLE FAMILY ARE TSUNDERES!"

I looked at Sakura in mock shock as I asked in fake surprise.

" You're a tsundere, Sakura?! Then that means since Rin is your twin sister, that means that Rin is also a..."

" Don't you dare say it!"

Rin growled as Sakura chuckled along with Illyasiel, and even Skadi, Irisveil, and Gray were smiling at my teasing the young Tohsaka. I left my sentence hanging as it did not need to be said... Yet. As Rin grumbled various unflattering things about me under her breath, I told the Einzbern women.

" Iri, Illya, go pick out some mediums from the treasury since the two of you are the weakest among us in terms of direct combat ability and need a Servant to also serve as your bodyguard since it is the Mage Association we are dealing with as they are the Masters of Red. Rin, you are welcome to look through the treasury and armory for what you need and want."

" I'll summon a Servant without a medium as I am confident to summon the best one through my ability, but I will look through your armory later."

The Second Owner of Fuyuki said with confidence, and I replied.

" Okay, then you can go first."

Rin walked up to the Summoning Circle, and as she got ready to chant, I placed my disguised paw on her shoulder to provide my Magical Energy to her directly and link her to the Homunculi System. She stiffened at my sudden touch and asked.

" What are you-?"

" I am directly providing my Magical Energy, now go ahead and summon your Servant."

I curtly answered as I steadily poured my energy into the tsundere, and she focused on summoning her Servant. A light appeared in the Summoning Circle, and Rin's Servant appeared.

"...Well, I suppose you're not bad for a human.

The Goddess Ishtar has answered your summons.

The Goddess of Beauty and she who governs victory. The harvest, battle, and destruction fall under my jurisdiction as well. Do your best to revere and..."

" So a Tsundere summoned another Tsundere. I can't say I'm surprised."

I could not help but quip with a teasing grin.

" I AM NOT A TSUNDERE!"

Rin and her look-a-like Servant responded with anger in complete sync with each other. Sakura then asked with a stunned look.

" There are two Nee-chans?"

" Sir... Did you know..."

Gray looked at me with an accusing expression, and I just grinned at the fun I was going to have in messing with the tsundere pair. I then asked Skadi and Sakura.

" Which of you wants to go next because? I am going last, as it does not matter who I summon because I am plenty strong by myself to face most Servants."

" I go next, seeing how I am a Divine Spirit. Whoever I summon is guaranteed to be strong if I use myself as a medium."

The two miserly twin-tails stood aside, and I helped my former Servant as I did with the Tohsaka Head, and she summoned...

"I came from the Land of Shadow. My name is Scáthach. I guess I should call you, Master?"

Skadi gaped at Scáthach as she did not expect, for some reason, to summon her Celtic counterpart. The immortal god-slayer looked at the alternate bride of the gods with mild interest and said.

" How curious... A different version of myself."

" And how do you know it's not the other way around!?"

" A fair point... But still, I am curious about what sort of battle we would wreak against one another."

Scáthach looked at Skadi with a battle-hungry grin, and I stopped things from escalating.

" Mind saving it for later? We have other enemies to fight and Servants to summon."

" Oh? And what is your name, warrior?"

" Silva Branwen, and as much as I love to spar against you, we have other things that need doing first."

The god-slayer walked past me and said with a smile.

" I will hold you to that, Silva Branwen. Don't disappoint me."

" It's my turn next, Otou-sama?"

Sakura asked me, and I waved for her to go ahead. My daughter then summoned her Servant with my Magical Energy bolstering her. A flash of light and Sakura's Servant appeared. A tall woman with light purple hair appeared; she had a blindfold on that covered her eyes and was wearing something akin to a black bodysuit with purple accents that tightly hugged her curves and exposed a lot of skin. She wordlessly looked at Sakura and me, then simply said.

" Master..."

" Hello there."

My daughter greeted her Servant with a friendly smile, and the Einzbern women returned from the treasury. I was surprised to see Irisveil carrying Avalon and asked for confirmation.

" Are you really going to summon her?"

" I feel like I owe it to her..."

The homunculus woman said with a bittersweet smile, and I helped her to summon Artoria. The original Saber appeared and asked.

" Are you my-? Irisveil, is that you?!"

Artoria looked at Irisveil in shock, then noticed me.

" Silva Branwen!?"

Seeing her confusion, the homunculus woman pulled Saber away to explain the situation, and Illyasviel walked with a wooden box that I wasn't sure what medium was inside. I asked the half-homunculus girl.

" You ready, Illya?"

" Of course, Silva-nii."

As I supported Illyasviel, she used two extra lines in the summoning chant that made me realize she intended to summon Berserker. I was on guard as there were numerous troublesome Heroic Spirits that could be summoned from that Class. There was a decent chance a fight might immediately break out, so I prepared myself. To my surprise, the Berserker, the half-homunculus girl summoned, was Frankenstein's Monster. The monstrous bride looked at her Master and made sounds that could not be called talking.

After a bit of charade, Berserker communicated that she wanted to know what to do, and Illyasviel pulled her Servant away so I could finally do my summon next. I used the Summoning Chant and got an... Interesting result...

"I will always be there for you! Your reliable Shrine Maiden Fox, Caster, has now arrived!"

While I was fond of fox girls as much as the next guy, I sincerely wanted a guy, so I had someone to chill with and not be completely outnumbered in my own home. Is it wrong to hope the seventh Master is a guy and that they summon a male Servant? I would even take that wanna-be idiot Hero of Justice at this point, despite my own misgivings about him. Tamamo no Mae walked up to me and asked with a curious look.

" Master?"

" Just give me a moment; I need to brace myself for the coming chaos."

I'm going to need some serious me-time after I get everyone settled.