1 Chapter 1 - A Gamer's Fate
…So, I'm dead.
Not the best of starts, but…Oh well.
Actually, how am I even conscious right now? Or…am I even conscious? Am I being simulated to being conscious or…
Bah, my head hurts…Oh right, I don't have a head anymore!
Ugh…grim.
Right, let's review while I still can. My name's…something, I can't actually remember, weird. Before I died, I was an average businesswoman who happened to delve into the wonderful world of gaming and anime from time to time. Nothing too interesting happened in my life, aside from tripping and getting my head bonked on the bumper of a speeding car.
Enough about my life story.
…Well, there isn't anything to do right now, so I'll just continue then.
I like pudding, flan especially. Not much of a cook myself, I can make my own from time to time, but I prefer to just buy my foodstuffs outside. I'm single, if my fogging memory is right. Uh…what else…Ah! I enjoy Sundays, since I can laze around all I want…when all my work's done that is. And, umm…
Hoo~, what else to say…
[Psst…]
…Hmm? Did someone just call me? Not that I can see of course, since everything's black and-
[Psst…!]
W-Woah! O-Okay, I can hear someone…! T-That's weird, umm…Hello?
[Ha! You finally noticed me!]
…The hell? A blue box with text is floating there…in the darkness…and I can see it without being alive.
…Okay.
[Come on~! Don't worry about the specifics! We're about to go on a grand adventure together!]
Ha…?
[Poo~, don't give me that face]
But I don't have a face.
[…S-Shut up!]
I feel so weird right now…
[A-Anyways, welcome to the void! As you guessed earlier, you're dead! Got your head smacked off your neck by a car. I have to say, the distance your head traveled was amazing]
Riiight…
[Now, I'm going to make a proposal for you…]
Woah, the voice just became deeper, hell, even the text was shining ominously as well.
[Nah, just makes it sound cool. Ahem, you're soon to be judged by the keepers of the dead. I'm sure you won't like that too much, would you?]
…Actually, being judged wouldn't be so bad. I mean, I didn't do bad things in my life, didn't kill anyone or steal. I'm a proud standing citizen who contributes to society, you know!
[Oh my god, just, say yes]
Yes…?
[Cool! I have a proposition for you then! I'll let you be reborn into another world, and I'll help you along the way. But there'll be a catch!]
Oh no...my danger senses are tingling…
[It won't be that fun then!]
Well, I guess that's true. Wouldn't want my new life to be as boring as my previous one.
[I'm happy you agree! Now, first up, the world you'll end up in and the body you'll occupy will be randomized.]
Ooh, nice. A nice variation on the isekai genre.
[Second, I'm sure you've read the 'Gamer', right?]
Hmm? Yes, I hav-…Ooh~, so it's that type of isekai.
[For your clever deduction, you gain +1 Intelligence]
Yep. Guessed it.
[Alright then! With this, the character selection will begin. Sleep tight, and hopefully your head won't explode from all the info I'm about to plant into you. See you later~]
Hey, wait, what do you mean info-
…......
"A-Agh…What the…"
I blink painfully as I stretch a finger across my forehead, gently messaging my aching head. Hmm…Judging from the messy pile of books and notes scattered around the table my head was just on, I guess…homework? Looking at some of the papers, it definitely seemed like I was doing some homework before I fell asleep. Man~, this is bad…Taiga-sensei's going to kill me!
…Taiga-sensei?
Tai…ga…?
*PAIN
"GAAGH!?"
D-Damn it…! Ev…Everything hurts! Clutching my head does nothing to alleviate the pain, and with my teeth grit, I slammed my head into the table, drawing blood as several little splinters cut into my forehead.
But…
Ah…what the hell…
That frickin' hurt…So that's what it meant by 'my head exploding from all the info'. Gee, thanks for the advice there, could've prepared for that a little bit better before all that pain just dropped on my head, literally.
[Yo! Seems like you didn't die! I knew I picked the right one!]
Wait, does that mean people have died from this kind of stuff!?
[Details, details. Anyways, welcome to the Fate/Stay Night world! You've probably already figured that out, but whatever. Now, now, let's begin our quick tutorial, okay? To see your stats, say-]
"[Status]"
[Status]
Name: Tsunaka Hanami
Age: 17
Sex: Female ; Human
Class: -
Level: 1 Exp: 0/1000
HP: 8,5/10 (1HP/hour)
MP: 0/0 (0MP/hour)
Stamina: 100% (1%/hour)
Strength: 2
Vitality: 1
Dexterity: 2
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 3
Luck: 3
Stat Points: 0
Money: 3500 ¥
Huh…cool...
I make a quick run to the bathroom, standing before the mirror to see a young girl staring back at me, with hair the color dried leaves of summer and eyes a bright green of leaves. Like, I know I was a full-fledged woman before I hit the bucket, so seeing me suddenly so young (and in a different body!) is just...
Wow...
…......
[You calm now?]
"Hah…" I sigh, pressing a small band-aid over the cut on my forehead. Even after about a minute of staring, it still feels so surreal.
"And to answer that question, no, I'm not calm, but please continue."
[Alrighto! To repeat, since the Gamer's personal skills are a bit too OP, you won't be getting them! This means wounds will linger, and you'll be susceptible to panic attacks, natural or magical, but hey! At least you won't be a cold-blooded robot!]
[...Well…I guess that's all I have to say. I'll be going back, for now. I'll visit from time to time, but do survive until I come back, okay? It'll be kinda dumb if you just die again after all this. Well-, oh, right! I'll leave you with this]
[Quest: A new life. Try not to die edition!]
You have been placed into the world of Fate/Stay Night after your untimely death. Figure out the ways of the world and survive, and maybe even get yourself some magic on the way. This is a new chance at life, and you better not mess it up!
Requirements: Reach level 50 without dying
Reward: Exp; Randomized Skill book; +20 to all attributes; ¥
Failure: Death
[Yes/No]
I can't even decline the quest, so obviously, I accept.
"Fuu…" With all the adrenaline gone, I drop onto my bed like a sack of potatoes. Man, what the hell…This is crazy. It feels like a dream, except it isn't, and damn it does my forehead sting. Agh~, why did I decide that banging my head was a good idea!?
Well, no use mulling over that I guess.
"[Status]"
[Status]
Name: Tsunaka Hanami
Age: 17
Sex: Female ; Human
Class: -
Level: 1 Exp: 0/1000
HP: 8,5/10 (1HP/hour)
MP: 0/0 (0MP/hour)
Stamina: 100% (1%/hour)
Strength: 2
Vitality: 1
Dexterity: 2
Intelligence: 5
Wisdom: 3
Luck: 3
Stat Points: 0
Money: 3500 ¥
As of now, I have no skills, no weapons, and my stats are absolute trash, aside from my slightly higher intelligence, which was still crap. Hrmm…what to do…what to do…
I guess…exercise? It is Sunday, and my homework's done already. Han-Jihan did those insane exercises and raised his stat points, so this should work too, although fatigue will become a serious problem since I don't have the [Gamer's Body]. Even then, I can't quite help but grin at this increased level of difficulty. [Try not to die] edition, huh.
Guess the title's not misplaced!
With uncanny dexterity, I strip myself of my pajamas and put on a white t-shirt and a black sport shorts, with the obligatory sports bra underneath. Stepping out of the room, I marveled at the familiar simplicity the 'me' had before we merged.
A simple table and chair for eating, a small red sofa and a mid-sized TV across it, a small simple kitchen for my daily food needs, and some random objects that are placed atop a wooden shelf. To most, it'd be pretty bare apartment for a 'young' girl like me, but to me, a previous businessman living simply in his apartment room, this was perfect.
After a bit of searching, I manage to find a pair of white jogging shoes and put them on. Geared up, I step out of the room and lock the door behind me. With one last glance at my status, I walk down the stairs to the ground level and began my jog.
And…man, I know the anime did a good job of portraying the simple beauty of Fuyuki city, but holy hell does it look gorgeous in whatever resolution life runs on. I just had to stop and stare at the city, and feel a bit depressed knowing what happened and what will happen to the city.
Shaking the thoughts away, I continue my jog around the city, taking in the sight of the waking city, with people walking past me as they lived their lives. Heck, some people even waved at me, and I had a moment to realize that the people here were naturally friendly and wave back with a smile. It was…nice.
…But, well, I knew [Gamer's Body] isn't here to support me, but still…
"Ha…Ha…"
Holy hell am I tired. It hasn't even been an hour yet and I've already been forced to sit my ass down on a bench. My shirt was completely drenched in sweat, sticking all over my now feminine body and just feeling gross all over. But! On the bright side!
[Due to your strenuous workout, you have gained +2 Vitality]
Progress! Not much, but still, progress! After about a minute of excessive breathing and stretching my leg, I continue on my merry way around the city, occasionally getting lost here and there, and stopping by a convenience store to buy some Onigiri for lunch. Funnily enough, looking around at the various snacks in store is what led me to gain the skill [Observe].
[Observe Lv 1 – 11%]
After many observations, you are able to see the descriptions of items and other people. Things 11 levels above or more are unidentifiable. This may change as the skill levels up.
When I used observe on the onigiri however,
[Simple Onigiri]
An Onigiri made for a quick sale in your local convenience stores.
Eating this will grant you a 5-minute +1 to Strength and Vitality
I loaded myself with about 11 of them, two for my empty stomach, and the rest to be stored in my inventory. A quick onigiri lunch break after, I resume my jog, straining my legs until the sun began to set, and then reaching back to my apartment room by 7 o'clock. Locking the door behind me, I slip out of my shoes, drop my keys on the table, trudged the painful path towards my room, and dropped face-first into my bed.
[Due to your strenuous workout, you have gained +4 Vitality]
[Due to certain actions, you have gained the skill [Sprint]!]
I didn't get to read those messages as sleep quickly claimed me.
…......
[You have rested in your bed. HP, MP, and Stamina fully recovered!]
Monday arrives a bit too early for my liking, but school lingers above me, and Taiga-sensei will beat the living daylights out of me for purposefully ditching school. "Why can't life be easier…" I groan as I pull myself off my bed. With practiced ease, I take a warm shower, dried myself, wear my school uniform, eat 2 of the onigiri I bought yesterday, and head out.
…Woah, all that in 15 minutes no less? Damn, that's impressive.
As expected, I'm currently a second year in Homurahara, though being in one class with Tohsaka Rin was a surprise. It didn't take long for to arrive at the school gates, with people walking in and chatting with their usual group of friends.
I wonder…Damn, I'm a loner in this life as well.
Ah well, some constants are fine.
Taking the things I need from my locker, I walk to my classroom and sit on my table, my status silently pulled out to distract myself from the world.
…Hmm?
[Sprint Lv 1 – 0%]
Pushing extra strength into your legs, you gain a temporary boost to your speed.
Gives Temporary boost +50% boost to Agility
Costs 25% Stamina/min
Passively grants +1 Dexterity
Huh, I must have missed this when I went to sleep yesterday.
"Alright, class! Sit down!"
I blink away from the description and smile as Taiga-sensei went in. Completely forgot English lessons were first. After we returned our greetings, we all sat down and begin the lesson. I swipe my status away and listen in, mostly because seeing Taiga-sensei teach was fun in its own way, with her enthusiasm melting into her every action. One poor boy accidentally called her 'Tiger' when the lesson ended, and got a furious growl from the teacher.
The rest of the day continues on, nothing really interesting happening, and without long, school ends, and I'm back in my room, figuring out why my MP is zero.
And the answer was…actually quite obvious.
[MP] – The amount of prana you hold within yourself
S Rank Magic Circuits [120*Number*Level]
A Rank Magic Circuits [80*Number*Level]
B Rank Magic Circuits [60*Number*Level]
C Rank Magic Circuits [45*Number*Level]
D Rank Magic Circuits [20*Number*Level]
E Rank Magic Circuits [10*Number*level]
Inactive Magic Circuits [0*Number*Level]
[Your Magic Circuits are currently inactive]
Yep. Normal civilians don't have their magic circuits activated, and therefore can't use magecraft. I'm not exactly normal – being the gamer is definitely not normal – but I'm still physically a normal human civilian. Opening my circuits would be a nightmare without another mage supervising me, but I think they'd rather butcher me and see how far my Gamer ability goes.
Thankfully, the system comes to the rescue!
[Quest: Magecraft 101]
Magecraft is the art of conjuring mysteries into reality through the use of mana. A multitude of different magecrafts have been created from its founding, but one must have their magic circuits activated to allow themselves to use prana.
Requirements: Gain access to your inner prana
Reward: 5000 Exp, Opens acess to your magic
Failure: Mana remains locked
[Yes/No]
Again, it isn't much of a choice this time, so I simply click [Yes] and quickly begin to think of possible ways to open my magic circuits.
…Ah crap, there isn't that many options, is there?
Simply put, there's 3 options: First, go to Shirou. Second, go to Rin. Third, go to Kotomine. Second would likely fail, with how Rin is, and the third choice…ugh, no.
My destination set, I stand up from the sofa and exit my apartment.
…Only to then realize I had no idea where Shirou's house is.
Damn it all…!
…......
It took a while, but I finally managed to find the large Japanese house Shirou lived in, and…holy hell Kiritsugu must have been loaded with cash to buy a house like this. Then again, he did pretty much risk his life on every mission so him being rich isn't all that weird.
Alright then, the moment of truth.
My finger slowly inches towards the door bell,
Ding!
And the bell rings.
Hoo…This is so nerve-racking…Like, I'm about to meat Shirou Emiya, you know, the guy who's a literal incarnation of a sword? The one capable of fighting against Gilgamesh and winning? Yeah, that guy.
So many possibilities are whirling in my head right now. What if he accepts? What would he do? What happens when he rejects? Would he do it kindly, threaten me, or silence me? If this was normal before-war Shirou then the first option was probably the correct one, but still-
"Hello?"
My entire body freezes as I hear his voice, the door slowly sliding open to reveal Shirou. My throat feels dry, and cold sweat trails down my neck as my green eyes meet his golden ones.
"A-Ah, um, h-hello. Y-You're Shirou E-Emiya, right? The son of K-Kiritsugu Emiya?"
The boy visibly perked up when his adoptive father's name was mentioned, but his face remains stoic as he asks back. "Yeah, that's me. Is something wrong?"
"Umm…then…"
I gulp.
"Can you use magecraft?"
Time seemed to freeze as I said those words. Shirou looks no better, obviously shocked that someone knew that. His eyes narrow at me, and a feeling of pressure begins to push down on me. "…What do you want?"
"I-I-" I frantically speak. "I-I want to make a trade!"
"A trade?"
A sigh of relief escapes my mouth. "Yes. I may be knowledgeable about magecraft, but I myself am incapable of using it. In trade for information, I want you to teach me how to use my magic circuits." I say evenly, my experience as a businessman bleeding into my voice.
"And? What will you do with your magic? If you're going to use it to hurt others…"
Here it is. The moment of truth.
"…To protect myself and those I care for." I said, a tinge of sadness present as I recalled my deceased parents from both worlds. I quickly smile and push the thought away. "And maybe have some random fun along the way~"
Shirou looks at me, a look of understanding in his eyes as he smiles. "I see." He fully opens the door. "Well, let's go in first. I'll bring out some tea."
Placing my shoes on a small shoe rack, the two of us enter into the living room, the one I'd seen so many times from the anime. I sit behind the table, eagerly awaiting the amazing tea he'd definitely make with his divine hands. Ah~, just remembering some of the foods he made makes me hungry~
"Here you go." With a smile, he sets the divine tea on the table, and already, I can feel my throat waiting for it. I take a sip, and…
…Oh yeah, this is the life~
"…lo?"
…Oh…yeah…
"…ello?"
"A-Ah? S-Sorry, I blanked out."
I rub my head sheepishly. Ah man, I was too immersed in the taste…too bad I finished it all by accident. Hah…I'll ask for more later.
Placing the now empty cup down, I began my explanation. "Before I begin, can you tell me where you are now?"
"Huh?" The redhead blinks before he answers. "I'm trying to do [Reinforcement], but it's a work in progress. I'm proficient with [Structural Analysis], and somewhat capable in [Projection]. Aside from that, nothing."
"Hrmm…" That's…How would I get him to unlock my magic circuits? It's not like he can send his magic into…me…
That's it!
"Shirou-kun. Use your [Structural Analysis] on me." He looks at me in confusion. "Just do it."
"…Alright then." Moving over to my side, he pressed a palm onto my back, and a surge of od bursts through his palm, into his fingertips, and onto my body, analyzing the components that make up my body. I'm not sure this'll work but…!
With all my will, I pull.
"…!?" Sensing his od being pulled, Shirou reels his od back in, but some of it still lingers in my body. Somehow, through some miracle, I guide the prana, slowly through my body, before arriving at where my circuits were. Then, with a push, I forced the prana inside me to unlock my circuits.
Pain, in leagues unlike any other, surges through me, but I hold on, biting my lip so hard that blood began to leak out. In the real world, only seconds had passed, but it felt like hours of constant pain stabbing into me. But, before long, it finishes, and the pain disappears along with it.
I slump down in exhaustion, and if it isn't for Shirou, I would've bonked my head on the table. However, a wide smile appears across my face as I read the newest message I got.
[Trough sheer effort and will, you have unlocked your magic circuits]
[Your magic circuits are determined to be D-Rank, 47 in number]
[Quest: [Magecraft 101] has been completed]
[You have leveled up x2!]
"Are you okay!?" He shouts in worry, but it sounds more like muddled voices in my ears. Still, I do my best to smile at him, to assure him that I'm somewhat fine. My silence only leads him to worry further as he casts [Structural Analysis] on me again.
"W-What…?" But what he finds instead is a set of 47 magic circuits, each brimming with power beyond his own.
"Shirou…" He looks down to me, struggling to keep my eyes open. He smiles and carries me up, bridal-style. "Just sleep." I felt embarrassed being treated like this, but his soft voice, coupled with my exhaustion, pulled me to sleep.
And so, my path to becoming a magus begins!
